New-York tribune., 1906-10-28

Tor The relief Of the sufferers" Five hundred o.
the imprisoned men escaped. because. with due pre-
cautions to prevent escape OF Kairs with stolen
diamonds exit into the old open workings hao oeen
| left to provide against such contingency ono OF
his mining axioms that the first thing TO con-
| slider IN sinking a mine is to prepare exits IN
| case OF accident, and the way he has followed
| II has given him q wide popularity among
the miners. Some people have wondered why the
| thousands OF Kaflrs who work under the whlto
bosses are content give up the freedom or their
savage life TO live In compounds" and toll In the
| mines They work, OF course in order to save
| enough 10 buy many wives and afterward i've In
| ease. Such IS their treatment that when Mr. Will
| ,ams went to a native chief. to ask his assistance
in securing labor. the chief replied. Il cannot tell
nv people TO leave their kraels and to Kimberly
| but If a boy come to and say, I want to go to
! work In the mines I say, Co. for he go to work
| for you"
Mr. Williams Kimberly grow from small
mining town to city Of imposing proportions.
| There he made his home in beautiful wide
rerandaed house, covered IN the fall with wistaria
bloom and surrounded by fruit trees and vineyards.
When the Boer War broke out he took active
part in the defence OF the city, and It was under
his direction that George Labram built in the De
Beers Company workshops. Long Cecil" the
famous gun that stfened the notable front the city
made against the Beers. When famine threatened
he turned his orchards and vineyards to the
people of the town. To help the defence he offered
the military leaders every facility for using the
mines In their operations. There was much oyna-
command of the British forces, asked him to de-
vote II to planting mines about the city TO guard
against Boer rush. Put down ten pounds every
thirty feet the request No sooner said than
done. But the report sent back to the colonel
was. mines laid We put down thirty pounds
every ten feet
Never idle. always alert for new knowledge, he
studied and experimental till he knew as much
about diamonds any man living. He proved that
they not formed in the blue ground where
they lie but far underground. where the bubbles
of gaseous carbon of which they crystallza-
tions compressed by the weight of overlyins
strata. They were afterward shot UP, he reasoned,
by volcanic mud rushes which later hardened into
blue ground. In acknowledgment Of his scientific
work, just before his departure from Kimberly Se
elected president of the South African Asso-
citation for the Advancement of Science, ana he
recently received the medal of the Swedish Academy
of Science With all his many activities. more
over. he found time to write the standard book on
diamond mining under the title, THE Diamond
Mines Of South Africa" unique volumes crammed
with all fascinating lore of diamonds, legendary
and scientific filed with stories OF the worlds dia-
mond mines, and made intensely interesting by
their account Of the mines he developed himself.
Much OF what is told in this brief sketch he tells
there in entertaining detail. hiding, however.
his share IN the great undertakings that came
to his hand beneath his enthusiastic appreciation
of Rhodes and other men. Written with all the
pcturesQueness that the subject suggests the book
is not only revelation TO engineers and scientists.
but narrative Of deep human interest, and the
last word diamonds. The illustrations he has
gathered all the worlds great diamonds and Of
the early scenes in and about the South African
mines remarkable. AS a writer, he is as con-
vncing and distinctive he is engineer.
scientist and man Of affairs.
On his departure from Africa last spring in very
storm of regrets and farewell celebrations he left
his son. Alpheus Williams. behind him general
manager At Rhodess request &he young man had
been made assistant general manager, and the d.
rectors of the De Beers Corporation insisted that
he replace his father. The son is the path to a
career perhaps notable his.
Mr. Williams is building house in Wash
ingtOn, where he will live with Mrs. Williams and
his daughter Dorothy. He besought by his as
socates to live in London. but he said. mo. I'm
going ome."-(From advance proofs of The Worlds
Work for November.