The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-02-19
FINDING RICH DIAMOND
MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA
UNUSUAL PRECAUTIONS TO PRO-
TEcT MINES DURING RE.
CENT LABOR TROUBLES.

According to a South African. cor
respondent unusual precautions were
taken to protect the diamond fields Ut
South Africa during the recent labor
troubles When conditions are nor
NAL the mines have extraordinary
safeguards. Sections where they are
located are inclosed with tall barbed
wire fences with many intricate loops
and in many cases the fences are
charged with electricity While the
charge is not heavy enough to be
fatal, it is sufficient to disable an in
terloper.
Beers Still Fighters.
Not since the Beers laid down their
arms to the Britons in 1902 had the",
been such an imposing demonstration
of arms as there was in the recent la
Dor disturbances in South Africa Jo-
hannesburg had the appearance of a
besieged city. The calling out Of the
burghers resulted in the gathering IF
10000 of the old Free State burghers,
who sprang to arms with the same
aacrity as in the days of a native up
rising. But the government with is
big military force had absolute COM
mand Of the situation.
Discovery Of Diamonds.
The peril of the diamond mines in
the recent strike recalls the discovery
of the precious stones in South Africa
less than so years ago One day IN
1867 the children of Boer farmer,
who lived on farm II hours ride
west Of Hopetown on the banks Of
the Orange river. were playing vita
some stones they found in its bed. An
pened to pass, and the Boer farmer
called his attention to an especially
brilliant stone that a Griqua boy had
found O'Reilly was startled. He
stone and Immediately decided that
he had diamond in his hand. He
promised the Boer half of whatever 1t
proved to be worth and wanted to fol-
Diamond in the Rough.
/ After many wanderings he went to
an English physician i'll Graham
Town, DR.. Atherstone, who was the
first to recognize the great value OF
his find. He recognized it as dia
mond in a moment and estimated its
weight at 81 3-16 carats. A little lat
er this stone was sold to Sir Philip
Wodehouse, then governor of Cap
Colony, for $25O0 O'Reilly 500,
drought another stone from the sam,
locality which weighed s 7S carats
land 1t was sold to the same person
for $1,000. One of the most beautiful
of the South African diamonds late
came from Van Niekerk's farm on tn
Orange river, the so-called "Star u
South Africa weighed S3h carats
found by Kaffir. The brilliant late
cut therefrom came into the possession
of the Earl of Dudley for s125,000.
| Children Find Diamonds.
In 1870 new diamond diggings wer
discovered again by children playin;
with stones. This was not on tn
banks of the river, but on the hig'
tableland where their existence ha
not been suspected It was on tn
farm of DuToits Pan, between TIL
Vaal and the Modder rivers. 1t wa
in the mud which had beer used t.
build his house that the children SAY
a shining object and dug out a dia
mond. In pulling up a plant anothe
child found a diamond Weighing s
carats clinging to the roots
Famous DeBeers Mines.
The richest mine of all, however
was found on July, 1871, on the Kol
esberg kopje. The old mines wer
abandoned and then came DeBee-s
new rush.
The confusion and disorder Of tn
frenzied fortune hunters was tremen
dous. and political confusion FOLLOWED
in the claim of the Orange Free Stat
to Kimberley and the mines around II
The British government held that thi
was British territory and to make it
claim good purchased the claim of al
old Griqua chief to this lanes '"""\.
British Win Through British Umpire
The British referred the matter TO
arbitration, Notwithstanding the pro
test of the Orange Free State, maxim
a British officer the umpire. He de
cided in favor of Great Britain, an
ands of miners had come into tn
country. The Free State proteste
against the decision in vain for Eng
land claimed that it's power was ne
cessary to preserve order, and the Ere