Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-04

a certlhcate showing where he got thai
diamond anu that he has "A right to il.
during the year 1907 the mines Of the
DE Beers Company here kept something
like twenty thousand negroes regularly
employed getting out the blue and work.
ing the floors and washing machines
They had there. all told. more than three
thousand whites. ON account Of the hard
times IN America. which has seriously cut
the demand for diamonds. about ten
thousand Of the native miners have been
recently discharged and also over one
thousand whites. There are st.ll ten
thousand native miners at work. and this
number Wi. be increased as the market
improves. l have had a good chance to
see the miners during my trips about
Kimberley. They are Kafirs coming from
tie various tribes of South Africa tie
company preferring to have its men from
as many different localities as possible in
order 10 prevent strikes. The men work
we'll and are more efficient than the ordi-
nary African labor. They are big fellows.
strong and muscular. In the mines they
are bare to the waist. although most OF
them wear trousers and have shoes To
protect their feet from the rocks. Each
gang has al white overSeer. but the laws
prevent any mistreatmeGt OF the blacks
and they have a right to lay their COM
plants before az protector OF labor APP
pointed by the government. The natives
are never hired for less than four months
although the company is glad 10 keen
them long they will work
To Catch Diamond Thieves.
These ten thousand miners are practi-
c2lly in prison from thu time they begin
their Job until the end OF it, They have
10 contract that they will stay inside the
compounds or great walled Enclosures
which constitute the native quarters OF
each mine, and the company sees that
they keep this part of their agreement.
They do not go outside even when they
enter the mines. for every compound has
tunnel from II into thes works and they
march down under guards TO where they
dig and blast out the blue CLAW far below
The surfacc. Those who work above
ground are not allowed to mix with the
men whs work underground: and every
effort Is made to prevent them stealing
thee diamonds and smuggling them TO
their fellows.
The greatest care is taken by the De
Beers Company TO prevent diamond smug-
Cling. No man is allowed to leave the
mine until several days after the compile
ton of his contract. During this time he
Is stripped naked and put into a room SO
warm that he will not catch cold He is
kept there for several days and watched
all the time. Every bit Of his person is
then gone over by tie diamond detectives
TO see that he has no precious stones con-
cealed anywhere in IL. His toes ears.
teeth. gums ard hair are examined. and
if he has any sores his body they are
probad While the examining goes on the
natives have r,,ittens of sole leather upon
their hands. These are so stif that they
could not pick up diamond II one lay on
the floor before them.
At the same time the miners are paid
for being honest. Every man receives
81 - per carat for the diamonds he dls-
covers and hands over To the overseer.
The other day a negro dug out a gem as
hig as a walnut Ii weighed more than
100 carats and he received premium OF
$50 for IL. -
FRANK G. CARPENTER.