The Washington herald., 1906-11-12
HEARD AT HOTELS.

wife, from Kimberley. South Africa The
former is the legal adviser Of the famed
De Beers Company, which produces The
greatest share Of the worlds supply OF
diamonds. and which had for its central
and controlling personalities Cecil Rhodes.
Barney BarnatO, and Alfred Belt. three
Of the greatest captains OF industry OF
modern times. Mr.. HaaThOf Is a large
owner in the company, and has also been
a member Of the Cape Colony Parliament
for the past ten years He is a gentle
man of the highest influence and staEding
in his own country and was close per-
sonal friend OF Cecil Rhodes, whose
genius brought about the consolidation
ot all the mines. He has been with the
De Beers Company since 1872, and there is
no phase Of its interesting operations
with which he is unacquainted.
We have had a most prosperous year."
said he, the world having Of late days
developed keen liking for diamonds.
which has sent up prices steadily. II a
man had bought them five years ago and
locked them up until now, he would be
able to clear a huge profit As the best
known gem in the world. IL may sound
strange that there are millions Of people.
even in highly civilized countries. who
never saw a diamond: but such is the
case. The De Beers Company sells about
100000 worth Of their product every
year, and the preferred shares Of the
company draw 70 per cent interest. OF
course. we could take out more II neces-
sary, but do not care 20 go beyond what
the trade will readily absorb.
THE company employs about 5000 na-
tives. black men. and at least 1000 white
men Of all nationalities. The blacks will
not be hired for less than three months,
but some Of them stay with US for years.
VIC keep them in compounds. under
guards. but their quarters are very COM
Portable and all sorts Of Tecreations are
provided them. When they go 70 leave
us they must undergo the most thorough
searching 10 see they have not hidden any
Of the precious stones on their persons.
Most Of the old tricks Of swallowing and
Of hiding them in incisiOns which they
cut in their bodies have been discarded.
but with all our care they do manage 10
get away with a certain amount Of stolen
stuff, which they sell on the outside to the
!. D. 3. dllicit diamond buyer, although
the law bears down hard on that species
of rascal
In the Kimberley mine we have gone
10 2 depth Of 250o feet, and the blue
earth that far below the surface shows
no diminutiOn of diamond-be bearing quail
ity. To every sixteen cubic feet Of earth
We reckon on getting one-haf carat, and
there are about fifty caTats to every 100
loads Of soil. This proportion varies but
little, and thus we know at the begin
min Of -F
twelve months will be. The price We get
from the London syndicate that takes our
entire production is SO per carat"
DR.. Andrew J. BarchfeId. the member
OF Congress from the Pittsburg CPa) dis
trict. was shaking hands with friends in
the New Willard lobby last evening. and
was being congratulated on the fact
that he won out by the biggest plurality
Of any Of his Keystone colleagues. hav-
ing received more votes in his district
by 200 an did Stuart, the successful
candidate for governor.
What the Democrats do is not my
concern" said DR.. Barcafeld, who is a
giant in size, being feet inches high.
and who is one Of the most popular men
I'm the House. What they do is not my
affair. but I want 10 say that I hope
John Sharp Williams viii go 10 the
Senate from his State, and that the
minority viii then elect Champ Clark, Of
Missouri. 20 the vacant leadership. 7 am
here TO tell you that Champ Clark is far
and away the best man to succeed WI
Hams. He is able. incorrupuble, and
broad-minded. and has the good opinion
Of every member Of the House"
The New Willard lobby was thronged
last evening with members Of the Cur
rency Commission appointed by the
American Bankers Association 20 de-
wise a better system Of currency than
that now existing in the United States
Following is a full list Of members Of the
commission, most Of whom arrived last
night:
Arthur Reynolds, president Des 3Ioines National
Bank, Dcs MoineS Iowa: Z. r. Swinney. president
First National Bank Kansas City. Mo, Joseph A.
McCoTd cashier Third National Bank Atlanta Ga !;
". '. Cox. president Second National Bank Wash
ington. d. c.; John l. Hamilton vice president
Hamilton & Cunningham. Hoopest0n. H.; James
3. Forgau. president First National Bank Chicago.
H.; Joseph 7. Tslbert. vice president Commercial
National Bank. Chicago H.; Charles H. Huttig.
Festus J. Wade. president Mercantile Trust Con-
pany. ST. Louis. No; John Perrin. president Amen
can National Bank. Indianapolis. Ind. A B. Hep
burn president Chace National Bank New York II;
Luther Drake. president Merchants National Bank.
Omaha NebT Sol. Wexler. vice president Whitney
Central National Bank New Orleans. La; Myron
T. Herrick Cleveland Ohio; Robert Wardrop. rTcsi-
dent Peoples National Bank, Pittsburg IA.
IT the Democrats Of Massachusetts had
named either Mr. Douglas or Mr.. Whit
ney for governor. they would have elect
ed him." said Mr. Henry s. Lyons, of
Brookline. Mass, At the Raleigh.
''They were not able to turn the trick
with such a radical candidate as John Is.
Moran. against whom thousands OF DEM
ocvats voted. The Old Bay State would
have gone Democratic this year for two
reasons-the unpopuIarity Of Gov. Guild
and the growing impatience Of our people
with a tariff system that IS giving New
England. and our State especially. the
worst OF It all the while The duty on
hides is so obnoxious that sooner or later
Massachusetts is going TO go overwheln-
ingly Democratic against tax that does
it enormous harm and benefits nobody
except the beef trust"
The Republicans of Missouri" said
Mr.. Charles Nagle, one Of the leading
lawyers of ST Louis. at the Arlington,
ARE much obliged to Hon. W. J. Bryan
for those forty speeches he made in our
State. The only effect they had was 10
cut down the size OF the Democratic
majorities, and had Mr.. Bryan only made
eighty speeches / think we would have
had the same success throughout the
country districts that we did in ST