Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-04
AN AFRICAN G0LC0NDA
So Rich That If Not Regulated Sup.
ply Might Flood the Market.
CECIL RHODES, mPER1ALIsT
In British African Union Conquered
Boer Now Governs With Capital
at Pretoria, Kruger's City.
II.
BY THEODORE w. MOVES.


Pretoria Is as Dutch as johannesburg
where he ruled and where he is buried.
The typical Dutch cottage where he lived,
and on the front "stoep" of which from
8 o'clock in the morning he passed judy
ment on petitions and complaints brought
before him. is converted in part into a
of Kruger memorials. especially
of the enduring tributes paid to him at
his death. and is visited by the tourist
with the same interest that attaches to
the memorials of Cecil Rhodes at Ronde-
bosch, Cape Town, Kimberley and Bula-
wayo.
In forming the Union of South Africa
from four colonies. instead of following
the precedent set by the United ..ates
and creating a federal district designed
to quiet jealousies by Withholding from
all the states the honor Of containing the
capital, the South African Union has
divided the branches Of Union government
among the colonies, as far as they go.
making Pretoria Capital of TransvaaD
the executive or administrative capital.
Cape Town capital of Cape Colony
the legislative capital and Bloemfontein
Capital of Orange Free State) the judicial
capital. and leaving out in the cold only
Natal with its capital Pietermaritzburg.
In the first election after the formation OF
the Union, the nationalist or BOer party
was successful at the polls. and as In
British North America We have often
seen the French Canadians hold the bal
ance of political power, SO here in British
South Africa we find the Boer-the loser
of government and country In the recent
appeal to arms-in full political control.
The nationalist party administration, with
Gen. Botha as premier. Is developing Pre-
toria with great rapidity as the Union s
capital. Vast new govern
ment buildings at the cost of millions are
building In the suburbs of the city. lie
central square in which the old Kruger
church stood is now all torn up, prelim-
mary to transforming 1t into q park OF
garden. adorned with suitable monu-
ments. The Union government is also
building a new large and Imposing rall-
road station. and fine library and mu-
scum building. The Dutch government is
also drawing to Pretoria the civil servants
Of the Union now scattered through dir
ferent provinces. and forming valued eie-
ments of the population OF the other
reft are raising a hullabaloo OF indignant
protest over the robbery. and as the cost
Of living is much higher at Pretoria than
at the seacoast cities the civil servants
themselves are not pleased with the
change But as administrative seat OF
lation and capital. and under the foster
ing care of the Union government, Pre-
toria is booming"
Dutch Rule British Union.
Pretoria has thus the interest which
attaches to the seat Of government Of the
curiously formed Union OF South Africa,
which coalesces Briton and Boer, victor
and vanquished. in representative govern
ment, and by the verdict Of the polls
places the latter in political control OF
the Union. / saw lunching at the club at
Pretoria four members Of the cabinet OF
the Union government, and the premier.
Gen. Botha, was to arrive from the cOro-
No American who Is interested In his own
country's history can fall to take keen
interest in observing the working out OF
the problem of representative government
In South Africa by less than two million
whites, so recently divided into hostile
camps, and now surrounded by over
wheiming millions of blacks who threat
en- the color question In labor and In
politics.
OF the physical aspect Of Pretoria one
the government house. resi-
dence of the governor general Of the
Union. in the suburbs Of the city. in an
attractive garden and on hilltop COM
manding q fine view; the forts on the
hills in the outskirts commanding Pre-
toria which the British threw up in APP
it to occupy it. the site Of the
concentration camp of the Beers after the
occupation Of Pretoria, the cottage near
the railroad station which figured In
Rider Haggards Jess" the fine museum
and the zoo. which Is the largest ana
most interesting In South Africa.
Diamonds Of Kimberley.
AS yobo oohnr0 opa tho poud r,oap
gold. SO Kimberley means diamonds. the
worlds greatest known deposit OF this
precious stone-a deposit SO extensive and
so rich that IL it were mined to the extent
OF the capacity to do so and it's product
were thrown Immediately upon the mar
ket, the supply would SO far exceed the
demand that the price of diamonds would
decrease rapidly and steadily. and the
diamond would lose much Of its prestige
as q precious stone America is familiar
wsn gold the m sea on sr1 Rand se an
there is nothing either In the methods
or the results Of South African gold
mining to attach the interest Of nov
city or the fascination Of mystery to
the digging OF ore and extraction Of the
case la different. We have no such mines
at home. We have hazy ideas Of the
methods of hunting the diamond. With
some Of US memory recalls as our only
Of systematic diamond miners
those described by the veracious sindbad
the Sailor, who threw great pieces OF
meat into an inaccessible diamond
sprinkled. serpent-infested chasm, to
which the diamonds adhered Tin amalgam
as 1t were), and which were brought out
Of the valley by giant birds and carried.
with diamonds attached, to their nests,
to which the original diamond miners then
driving away the birds and pro-
ceeding to mine their diamonds.
There Is a peculiar fascination about the
In some cases even crime-incit-
ing In It's intensity. One feels a distinct
thrill of excitement in following the
mining operations from begin
cupful of precious stones which repre-
sents a mines days work.
The diamonds at Kimberley are now
found in q rock of blush slate color.
familiarly known as blue ground" a
breccia composite. which decon. poses on
exposure to the air, sun and rain. and
in a few weeks or months, crumbles into
is easily pulverized. This diamond bear
ing rock is a deposit In the oval-shaped
tunnels OF volcanic vent holes, which
descend almost vertically from earth S
surface toward its interior. Each of these
volcanic vent holes Is a diamond mine.
and the diamond-bearing conglomerate
has been followed downward at some
points for 1900 feet. Most OF the worlds
diamonds have In the past been found on
or near the eartfl's surface In soft soil or
crumbled rock which readily yields its
treasure to crude washing or sitting. The
first diamond mining at Kimberley was
of this sort, but now diamonds are mined
here from the rock and deep underground.
by processes approximating those en-
pIOyad IN gold and silver mining. At KIM