CECIL RHODES,'SOUTH AFRICA'S "UNCROWNED KING." oosoaoooooooosoaoooooooooo o o § The Diamond Mines § § of Kimberley. | 0 Cecil Rhodes Controls tt\e Richest § g Prize ir\ fl.ll Soutti Africa $ o o oooooooooocoooooocoooooooo N this country and Mi * u C' rea '' Britain at tention has been 'wSlßiil'')k strongly attracted x?' r \A' K of late to the city of Kimberley, and *'me *' me ' u ter- Z9»S es ' 1 189 been mar tial; for Kimberley is the home of Ce- Rhodes, the •»' Grand Young Man of Africa. The Bo e rs, according to some accounts, at the beginning of hostilities were anxious no less for the blood of Rhodes than for the rich booty of the mines. Cecil Rhodes is often described as "the man -who made South Africa." Mr. Rhodes was formerly Premier of Cape Colony, and is certainly the most prominent and powerful man in South Africa. He has achieved that place in twenty-six years. In 1873 he left Oxford because of a serious lung trouble, and went to the Cape in search of health. He is the youngest son of an English clergyman, and was born at Bishop Stortford, on July 5, 1853. He did not goto South Africa to seek diamonds, but because his physician had ordered a change. He continued his studies while living in Natal, and returned to Oxford each SOUTH AFRICA'S OBBAT DIAMOND CAHP. year until he took his degree at Oriel College. It is hardly too much to say that Mr. Bhodes has made his fortune in diamonds. Diamonds had been dis covered in South Africa a few years before he got there. Finally he, too, caught the fever, and it was not long before he had staked all he had in a few claims. These he shared with his brother, Herbert, who later relin quished his share and went to the north, where he met his death while hunting elephants. Cecil plodded away in the diamond fields, where he euperintended his gang of Kaffirs. He was successful in his ventures, and it was not long before he found himself the possessor of some §5,000,000. He was elected to the Capo Parlia ment, and by his political adroitness was made Prime Minister in 1890. He sought and won riches, but it is un fair to assume that he has done so solely for his own aggrandizement. With the advancement of his personal fortune he has also striven to realize an early dream of bringing Africa un der British dominion. "That's my dream—all English," he said, many years ago, moving his hand over a map of Africa up to the Zambesi. Coupled with the acquisi tion of wealth, he has labored toward that end. Cue of the results was the Mata'oele war and the defeat and death of King | Lobengula. The Jameson raid across the Transvaal border was probably due to the influence of Cecil Rhodes, for he has never denied complicity with it, and as its result he resigned in 1896 as Prime Minister of Cape Colony. Kimberley is the diamond region of the world, far surpassing those of Brazil in richness. Kimberly is not a city in the modern use of the word. It is a great camp in which men's pas sions rise and fall as the treasures of the earth are uncovered or not found. The camp is in what is called the Vaal Basin, the wash ground of the river which divides the Transvaal from the Orange Free State. The first diamond discoveries there were made about 1870, but it was ten yearn later when Englishmen and others realized that the spot was the most valuable of its kind in the world. By 1881 the mines which had been opened had yielded gems to the value of $20,000,000. By 1887 seven tons of diamonds had been taken out valued at §250,000,000. This record placed the Brazil diamond mines in the shade and made Kimberly world wide in its fame. Tlie Cecil Rhodes syndicate, known as the De Beers, came into control of all the mines after much negotiation. This syndicate is capitalized for $75,000,000 and pays interest at the rate of 54 per cent, per annum und an annual dividend of 20 per cent. Siuce Cecil Rhodes came into control of the mines they have given out 2,500,000 karats of diamonds. To get at these it has been necessary to wash 2,700,000 loads of the blue earth in which they are found. In the working of these diamond mines there are employed about 1500 white men and COOO natives. The greater proportion of these men are em ployed in theDe Beers and Kimberley mines, the two biggest holes which greedy man lias ever dug into the eart 1 ;. The De Beers mine has an area at the surface of thirteen acres and a depth of 450 feet. The mines are worked from shafts sunk some distance from the original holes and KAFFIR POLICE AT THE DIAMOND MINES. penetrating to the blue ground by transverse drivings at depths varying from 500 to 1200 feet. The blue Krouud. Tvhen ;x':rp.eisi. is carried in small iron trucks to the levels. Upon these levels the blnegrouud is worked until the gems within are extracted. The process of extracting takes from three to six months. Tiia stones found vary in size from a pin-head to the largest ever found—42Bs karats. This largest stone when cut weighed 228i karats. It is one of the ex periences of the mine owners that they lose from ten to fifteen per cent, of their product eaoh year through the thefts of employes, who, although closely watched, still manage to get away with their loot. The punish ment foi stealing a diamond is fifteen years' imprisonment. All diamonds except those which pass through illicit channels, are sent to England, the weekly shipments averaging from 40,000 to 50,000 karats. The great est outlet for stolen diamonds is through the Transvaal to Natal, where they are shipped by respectable merchants. It is said of the Rhodes interests in the mines that they take good care of their workmen. They have built a model village called Kenilworth with in the precincts of the mines. In this village are cottages for the white workmen. A clubhouse has been built for their use and there is a pub lic library. The equipment of the mines is something remarkable. Eaoh mine has ten circuits of electric lights. They consist of fifty-two arc lamps of 1000 candle power each and 691 glow lamps of sixteen and sixty-four candle power each, or a total illuminating power of abont 64,000 candles. Thirty telephones are located in each mine and over 100 electric bells to each for signaling. The lives of the workmen are insured and every precaution is taken to make their condition tolerable. TYPE OF THE NATIVE DIAMOND MINERS. The rate of wages runs from §2 to 08 per day unskilled labor receiving the lower price. What effeot the closing of the mines by war have on the world at large is hard to say. Diamonds have already risen in price, but there is a large stock ou hand in English and French bauds. The Great Corn State*. "The great corn States, according to the statistics of last year," writes .Tohu Giltner Speed, in Aiuslee's, "are in the order named, lowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Texas anil Ohio. Each of these States grew in excess of 100,000,000 bushels, while the total of lowa was 254,999,- 850 bushels. This year we are prom ised trom Kansas alone in excess of 350,000,000 bushels. Montana, among the now States, grew the smallest amount of corn last year, and Rhode Islaud atnbug the old States. Ia Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Conueoticut, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Wash ington all of the corn grown was con sumed at home, practically none of it being transported beyoild the county in which it was produced. The other States, according to the amount grown, shipped corn to other parts of the couutry and abroad. In price the corn on the farms realized all the way from sixty-six cents a bushel in Mon tana to twenty-three cents in lowa, the general average throughout the country being 28 7-10 cents per bushel. Iu 1897 this general average was 26 3-10 cents; in 1896 it was 21 5-10 cents; in 1895 it was 25 3-10 cents, aud in 1891 it was 45 7-10 cents. In the latter [year (1894) the production was short, being somewhat more than twenty per cent, less than last year. It is a singular fact that Washingtoi. and Oregon have yet no iron or steel corks within their borders. OLD£ST PICTURES OF MANKIND, Eai'llent Known drawings of the Human Profile DiMovered In Egypt. Long centuries ago, in the "early dnsk and dawn of time," at a period which was ancient in the days of the Pharaohs, some primeval artist in the / i I 1 OUR RACE'S FIRBT PHOTOGIRAPK. land which is now Egypt scratched upon a potsherd the picture of a mau and a woman. Pleased was his tribe with that Image came in their hundreds to scan— Handled It, saielt it and grunted; "Verily, this is a man." A few months ago, when excavations were being made in a little unexplored part of Egypt, one of the relic hunters came upon this potsherd. Little was thought of the find at tho time, but the finder, an arohreologist of Berlin, was showing it the other day, along with his other Egyptian relics, to a German savaut, who at once became interested in it. The savant begged to be allowed to take the potsherd home and study it more clo3ely. His request being granted, he did so, and now he has given his opinion that the draw ings on the potsherd are the oldest representations of mankind in exist ence. He believes that they are at least 300 years older than anything of the kind discovered before. The Egyptologist who owns this relic calls the pictures "The First Man and Woman." A reproduction of the pictures is given here. It will be noticed that the man wears a "goatee" and that the woman in the case has a prominent nose. They were evidently people of standing in their day and generation, leaders of society, or king and queen, perhaps, when they sat for their por traits to the Egyptian Ung. Stored Energy. "You didn't act with your usual fire and enthusiasm," said the ac quaintance. "No," answered Mr. Stormington Ilarnes, "an actor sometimes finds it necessary to husband his powers for a supreme effort. I was saving myself for the argument with the manager when the box office receipts are counted." The lta<l Fenny, Again the Bad Penny turned up. "I'll make you look like thirty cents!" cried the other, losing all patience. "Wouldn't that be counterfeiting?" insinuated the Bad Penny, with a malignant leer. Of course the end did not justify the means, particularly in the federal courts. —Puck. For the Fair Automobtlint. Paris may properly be called tho home of the automobile. There can be no doubt that it has won its way into the heart of the Parisienne, who misses no opportunity to take long rides around Paris and into the coun try. Even stormy weather will not deter her from venturing out, and in order to have protection against the rain the smart tailors of the French A PARISIENNE'S MOTOR CAR COSTUME. capital have designed a very service able costume. A fair idea of it cau be had from the illustration. The costume has a military appearance. It is made of dark gray waterproofed covert coating with stitched leather strappings. The most costly leather in the world is knovrn to thetrp.r!? ?.«■ rinno lestbsr. * I CHILDREN'S COLUMN, j A Health Alphabet. I—s soon as you are up, shake blanket and sheet; •3—etter bo without shoes than sit with wet feet; o—hlldren, if healthy, are active, not still; o—amp beds and damp clothes will both make you ill; E—at slowly, and always chew your food well; F—reshen the air in the houso where you dwell; 3—anneots must never be made too tlffht; If— omes should be healthy, airy and light; [—f you wish to be well, as you do, I've no doubt, r-ust open the windows bhfore you go out; K—eep your rooms always tidy and clean; [.—et dust on the furniture never be seen; 51 —ucli illness Is euused by the want of pure air; N—ow open the windows be ever your care; o—lil runs and old rubbish should never be kept; P—eople should see that their floors are well aw- pt; Q—ulek movements in children nre healthy and ri^ht; R—emeinber the young cannot thrive with out litfht; S—ee tiia-. the cistern is clean to the brim; T —ake care that your dress is all tidy and trim; U—se your nose to see if there bo a bad drain; V—ery sad are the fevers that come from its trttin; W—alk as mueh as you can without feeling fatigue; X—erxes the king walked many a league; Y—our health is your weulth, which your wisdom must keep; Z— eal helps a nood cause and the good you will reap. —Troy Free Tress. How to I>reftH a Doll. There arc many simple ways of dressing dolls whose clothes are not made to be taken off and on, and when dolls are to be giveu to quite young children such clothiug will be quite as much liked as that of a more elaborate kind. A very easy way of dressing dolls for the littlo ones is by using wadding as the material in chief. Take a straight piece of wadding of suitable size, and buttonhole it along the bot tom edge with red or blue worsted or Berlin wool. The former is the more pleasing color, though a pale blue will look well if there is sufficient depth of tint in the blue. Join the ends neatly and sew the skirt as it now is on the doll. To form the bodice, take a smaller straight piece of wadding and orna ment it with buttonhole stilch as be fore. Make holes for the arms to be put through, and stitch the bodice neatly on the doll. For sleeves, take two very small, straight pieces of waddinsr, form into cylinder shape, after buttonholing at the wrist end, and join these neatly to the armhole portion of the bodice. The simplest way of providing out door garments to match this dress is to shape a piece of wadding to form hood and cloak all in one. Buttonhole this round the edge to matcn tho dress, and tie it on by a bow of baby ribbon round the doll's neck. A pretty mull" will complete this somewhat wintry looking costume and will be innde in a similar manner to the sleeves, with a large' piece of wadding. This way of dressing a doll is inel'ul, economical and effective, while there is little finery to spoil or pet ofr of placj.—Trenton (X. J.) American. Son*filling About <«innt*. Old chroniclers tell wonderful stories of the giants that used to walk ihe earth, even as we read in the Bible jf Goliath, who was slain by the ,*outh David. In later days perhaps .he most interesting book on giants .vas written by a French scholar named Heurion in 171 This book asserted :liut Adam, tho first man, was 123 feet ■} inches tall, and that Eve was only live feet shorter. After Adam man oegau to lose height rapidly. Noah, says M. Heurion, was about 27 feet tali, and Abraham measured not more than 20. Moses reached only the poor height of 13 feet, and finally man had to bo contented with feeble little frames from four to six feet in height. Many huge human skeletons ha\e been found, according to report. It is said that the skull of Chevalier Pviucon, whose remains were discovered in 1509 at Boueu, held a bushel of wheat. The shinbone was four feet long, and otheis in proportion. Many other similar skeletons were found, one iu Sicily that measured 300 feet iu length. In the present century, however, it has been shown that these skeletons were not of humans, but of prehistoric beasts. One of the world's famous giants ! was Patrick Cptter O'Brien, who was born at Kinsalo, in Ireland, iu 17(il. He was eight feet three inches tall, and was the greatest giant of his day. He died iu 1801. In the museum of > Trinity college, Dublin, is the skele i ton of a giant named Magrath, who ! was seven feat eight inches high. It is an interesting fact that giants as a rule are both weak of body and J of tuind, while awarfs are usually ■ keen-witted and health}'. A story is I told that the Empress of Austria iu j the seventeenth century had all the giants and dwarfs of the Germanic • empire assembled at Vienna. They j wore quartered together, and fear was ! expressed that the giants would ter | rify the dwarfs. The contrary proved | to be the case. Tho dwarfs tormented ! and robbed the giants to the extent | that with tears in their eyes the giants ] begged to be protected from them. The usual circus and museum giants I of today are rarely over seven feet in | height, but they wear high-heeled I boots and high hats that add a foot or I more in height to their appearance.— j Chicago Record. The Southern < A halo of romance, says Miss Mary , Proctor, iu St. Nicholas, has woven ! itself about the stars of the Southern Cross—one of the most picturesqiu objects iu the southern skies. At one time these stars formed part of th«? constellation named the "Centair," which was once included under that called "Argo," tlio Great Ship, but towards the end of the eighteenth cen tury the Southern Cross became a constellation 011 its own account. Nevertheless,its resemblance to a cross must have been observed long before this time, since an Arabian globe hae been found on which an outline of a cross is marked about this group of stars. The longer bar of the cross poiute nearly to the south pole, the situation of which in the heavens is not marked by any brilliant star, but which is about four aud a half cross length* from the foot of the cross. For thi? reason Alpha ana Gamma are some times called the "poiutors." In fact, the Southern Cross may be looked up on as the hour-hand of the great clock, which goes around once in twenty-four hours, moving in the same direction as the hands of a clock, unlike our Great 15ear or Dipper in the northern heavens, which appears togo round the northern pole in a direction contrary to the bands of a clock. This is because the observer's face, when looking at the noriliern pole, is turned iu a direction contrary to the face of an observer in the southern hemisphere turned towards the southern po'e. Near the Southern Cross is an al most vacant patch of sky, which is ' named the "Coal-sack" by early navi gators. In the Coal-sack only one very small star can be seen with the unaided eye, but the telescope reveals many stars iu that seemingly deserted region, proving that the strikiug ] blackness is due simply to the effect j of contrast with the brilliant ground surrounding it 011 all sides. On the ! northern edge of the Coal-sack is a | star of ruddy hue, known as Kappa, ! but too small to be seen with the un aided eye. Even a small telescope : fails to make one realize the splendor of the star; but when Sir John Herschel : turned his twenty-foot reHector in its I direction, he was surprised to liad I Kappa the centre of a cluster of over one hundred stars of all the colors of : the rainbow, contrasting wonderfully | with one another. He compared it to a suj-eb piece o" fancy jewelry, while j Flammarion describes it as "a casket of glittering gems." KitbbilH a* ivtu. When about to keep rabbits yon must not think that any old box will |do for a hutch, for boxes that are ' badly put together, or made of thiu I boards, will not do at all. First as to ! size. Buy a nice sound box not less i than two feet square, audit might be ! even larger with advantage—in fact. I it must he larger if required for : breeding purpo.-e». The drainage of the box must be at ! tended to. Place it on a stage,slightly slo| iug from the front; aud at the back j of jhe box make a number of small j holes. Each hutch should have two ; compartments,one of which should be i open at the front with wire, and there should be two wile doors. Let hutches be at loast a foot from the g-onnd, and do not place one above another. Let them also be where sunshine can reach them. Give an ; abundance of clean, dry bedding. As it is neetssary ti keep your pets ! w arm and dry, you son Id have a ; good thick covering to put over the '■ vi e front of the hutch iu winter and ; wet weather, but be careful not to ex clude the air entirely. Regularity in feeding is very im portant, both as to hours and to the quantity of food given. You must have a fixed feeding-time; then yon ! will be less likely to forget the lielp- I less creatures dependent 011 you. The I morning meal should never be given later ihan 8 o'c'ock; never feed them at noon as that is the time for rest and sleep; the second meal should be : given about sunset, and this is the principal meal, as rabbits eat with the greatest appetite during the night. 1 iou may give them turnips and other I root vegetables oats, j eas, beiins, poliard, meat, bran and acorns. Then in green food they will eat almost anything, but the best to give are cab ; bage, lettuce, spinach, clover, milk thistle and dandelion leaves. Apples aud pears, or the peel of these, they ' are very fond of. Fresh green grass | is very good for them, also carrot aud turnip tops aud potato parings. Do I not give wet green food, after heavy ■ rain the green vegetables should be ! well shaken or dried; they must never ;be fed entirely on bran or corn. As a rule, rabbits do not require as much | drink as many animals, but watet should be kept within their reach, especially when there is a scarcity of green food. You should often give your rabbits the pleasure of a scamper. Exercise is very beneficial to them, and also a great delight, keeping them iu a healthy ami happy condition. If they : are allowed to run 011 ail open piece : of grass they must be watched, lost 1 they should stray; but «thcy seldom ; run oil', and are easily caught agniu if gently approached. Do not let them run ou grass that is wot with dew o» lain; the main point is to give thorn exercise; therefore, a ynrd, or any eu | closed space, will answer the piupose, and an hour's run twice in the week will <io them a world of good. Jll lifting your labbits to aud from the hutch, grasp loth cars firmly with 1 one hand, and with the other support , the hindquarters. I'ut His Foot 111 11. Miss Nice —What do yon think ol the net. woiuau, Mr. Fair? I Mr. Fair—l detest the bold, shriek i ing creature. How ninch moro love able is the old woman, like you! j Miss Nice—Sir! He tried despovdtely to explain, hut she would not hear.
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