Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-05-24

controls the greater part of the dia-
mond output of the world. has raised
prices five times since May %, 1905. the
last time making the increase In h
price at least IL per cent.-News Item.
From the New York World.
Richer h Rockefeller. richer than
the Oil King. whose wealth surpasses
that OF governments. is Alfred Reit or
South Africa and london. He himself
does not say il. for he has no way of
estimating-wilhin millions of pounds
sterling-his tremendous accommodations.
But, with n perverted pride. England
sets him against America In the matter
of money. and ii must be said mat
England's claims seem worthy of recog-
milton.
For his understood, nervous. timid
little man is the actual head OF the dia-
mond industry of the world. mo con-
trolls with undisputed power the output
and price of this most precious OF
gems. He owns-or the COM
pany which owns-the only diamond
mines of amy Importance In the world.
and ii is for him to say just how many
hall be mined and put on the market
for princes. wine agents and other NIL
%lionaires to buy.
Alfred Belt. according to authorities
of his country-or. rather ms aaopteu
country, for he was born in Hamburg
is said to be Il Millionaire. the only
man who has ever achieved that dis
tinction. Just what this means no one
can think. for the human mine cannot
comprehend a billion.
John d.. Rockefeller. 1t las been
| shown. is as neai to being a billi"naire
as u man can well be. under existing
conditions. OF curse. this does moi
| mean that he has a billion dollars. or
could convert his tremendous holdings
into anything like that. Not In actual
cash. that Is. for the total stock OF mon
ey in the world Is less than $500. ooo.ooo.
Belt Supreme in "Ready Money"
The question is. whether John %.
Rockefeller. IL he had to convert MS
wealth into cash or collateral. could do
1t to as great effect AS Alfred Belt.
Probably. in such "A contest. Belt
would nave the advantage. for Ola
monds and diamond mines look more
like ready money" than railroads ana
oil fields. Rockefeller. of course. can by
burning his hand add UNNECESSARILY to
his fortune by increasing the price of
oil u cent II gallon; but. on the other
hand. so can Belt. by pushing up the
cost of diamonds II shilling or so IL
karat. The fortune OF either man u.s.
it may be snid. just as much as the
public will stand for.
Rockefeller's wealth Is the result. pri-
marily. of his having what the world
must have-oil and it's ~by-products.
Belt, on the other hand. deals only IN
luxuries. But there are enough people
who must have these luxuries to make
them practically a necessity.
1t is precisely his ability to do this
that makes him such a power IN the
money world. He controls the three
great cones" or mines, in Kimberley.
whence all the diamonds of the world
come. Two of these are being con-
stantly worked. and their precious out
$500. - Ia ,,n I'll or Who
necessary. The third. the richest mine
of all. 1t is believed. has never been
touched, and the wealth 1t may con-
tain cannot even be estimated.
The futility of trying to dispute that
n man with the power of either Rookie
Teller or Belt is worth n billion dollars
may readily be seen. E.ach is easily
worth that sum, il he chooses to be.
The only question is. which OF the two
men, if the necessity oul arise. could
the more easily obtain h larger sum
of actual money? And the answer ls,
probably. Alfred Belt.
Who, then. is this Colossus OF FL
nance. this money king. who from the
unitarian standpoint is the most sue
~cessful human being that has ever
lived. He is no snowy figure In the
world of society; nor is he a glowering.
handwriting Scrooge. whose voice
spreads terror and destruction Just
as Rockefeller In this country is hard
ly known except by his pictures, so.
to an ever greater degree. with Alfred
Belt in london. He is seldom seen.
hardly known, and has a horror Of no.
toriety.
Alfred Belt is not a Spectator. He
is a man of big Ideas and the gift of
the grab. His quick n inventive
brain is too big for his frail body. His
health, good. has time after time
broken down under the strain.
I 49,. -.,. -.l Y..,lor ,1
and is not reckoned at all cute in small
transactions. He has he large. lumin-
Gus. brown eyes OF a dreamer and the
point OF View of an optimist, but with
AN extraordinary knack of getting near
ly everything he wants. He Is abso-
lutely Il bundle OF nerves, and his ner-
%vousness Is at times quite distressing
In moments of excitement IL Is prac-
ticaliy impossible for him to sit still
His hands are always In movement. and
he emphasizes his remarks by nervous
tugs at his small. fair mustache. He
very popular with his own associates
They call him Alfred" and refer tc
him as the Little Man." He has a de-
lightful house at No. &c Park Lane
London. and really palatial Offices In
the city. but he is not o~stentatious. In
fact. he is one of the most difident
and "unassuming little men that you
could meet anywhere.
Although he has the controlling in
terest in the great diamond fields in
South Africa. he wears no diamonds
He does not affect jewelry at all for
personal adornment. but he has n great
taste for Il magnificent collection OF
antique decorated jeweled objects.
No one can estimate how much
money has been made in South Africa
since nearly forty years ago when an
unsuspecting Hottentot picked up a
shining pebble on Il desolate farm IN
Gripualand. Billions. certainly. In
doubtedly. more treasure in diamonds
and gold have been taken from the
South African mines In the last thirty
eight years than any single man has
possessed since the world began. Had
the man owned the mines OF South At
ricl he would nave been the richest
man. OF our time. Yet the greater part
Of this wealth is in the hands OF very
few men. and OF these Alfred Belt Is
Il long way the richest. So far as the
control Of solid cash Is concerned there
is little doub that Mr.. Reit is the rich
est seif-lnade man in the world.
He is the son of a German merchant
and at 20 years Of age found himself
with very little money, but with fair