GREAT DIAMOND RUSH.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17608, 10 November 1922, Page 10

GREAT DIAMOND RUSH.

REMARKABLE SCENES. ATHLETES AMONG THE 2000 BTJNNEBS.

VEBEENIGING, September 16. "Off you go." So said Mr Jack, Mining Commissioner, Klerksdorp, as he raised his hand as signal for Mr Tytherleighs, Claims Inspoctor, who, with a flag, stood 100 yards in front of the long line of diggers, to lower the Union Jack for the "start." It was exactly 11 o'clock, and over 2000 lined-up diggers broke away in a wild scramble. For a moment there •was the sharp recurring stamp of feet on the Bun-dried veld, which gradually died away as the struggling line got into the long trying 1000 yards run up to the diamondiferous ground. A few minutes later the panting rushers were seen driving in their pegs. And so, the much-talked-of Kaalplaats diamond rush was an accomplished fact, and another possible diamondifero.us Eldorado was yesterday added to the long list of proclaimed alluvial diggings. For several days past and from daybreak this morning, motor-cars and Cape carts, bullock waggons and donkey shays have been converging from all points of the compass to the farm Kaalplaats. This'-farm is some 17 miles fest of Vereeniging, and about one mile east of the famous Vaal Eiver Barrage on the northern bank of the famous diamond river. These vehicles disgorged thousands of intending diggers and sightseers. Many arrived on motor and pedal .bikes, and by 10.30 a.m. some 6000 people had assembled behind the beflagged line, fully 1000 yardß wide and about the same distance from the proved diggings. A force of mounted police under the command of Captain Hall, District Commissioiißr, Heidelberg, patrolled up and down the long line of expectant, excited humanity, to prevent false starts. A "Picnic" Scene.

Beautiful spring weather prevailed, and the kaleidoscopic picture wan vividly animating. There was a very considerable sprinkling of the fair sex, accompanied by crowds of well-dressed children, and their attire gave a bright bit of colour to the function; and this in conjunction' with the surrounding jaded green veld, the vivid green of the trees bordering on the river and pink blossoms .in the orchard of the adjoining farm house suggested a huge picnic rather than the stern race for fortune which was taking place. Herds of fairly sleek cattle, well conditioned horses grazed on the veld in front of the starting point, and beyond this, in an easterly direction, were a medley of marquees and tents, and the ramshackle hutments so constant a feature of all diamond diggings. On all sides were piles of gravel ready for the washing, with washing machines, bebes, dummies, and other crude paraShemalia with which the peripatetic igger entices'the elusive "blink klippie" from its hiding—if he is lucky. Numerous flagstaffs flying small white flags denoted the line from which the' rush had to start, and when the hour of 11 approached, some 2000 men were lined up ready for the "jumping off." • ■■ ' There was the obvious athlete in pukka racing costume, and some heftylooking young Dutchmen in shorts.and bare feet, who were obviously sure to be at the head of the rush, to win whatever profit there is in- getting in the early pegs. The/'Also. Bans." Many middle-aged and more or less elderly men, some slightly lame men, and many phthisis men, were in the line as probable starters; but they were over-handicapped, and had the versatile "bookies" been on the spot, half' the starters would have been quoted "any price others." There was a considerable leavening of the real pioneer type of digger who had gathered there from all the known diggings of the Transvaal, the Orange Free State, and Cape Province diamond areas, as well as many holiday diggers out fox novel experience and a possible profit. ■■•'.. ~ B. K. Mac Arthur, the Olympic Marathon champion, toed the iine alongside F. J. Oliver, of Oxford University, and Cyril Vermaak, with an Eastern Province cross-country reputation—with Captain W. A. Ingham, M.0., wellknown in army athletics, on their flank. And these four finished in the order named, with several bare-footed runners in close attendance; and they successfully pegged off the special claims which they had run the race for. The orderliness of the whole proceedings was creditable to all concerned, both officials and diggers, and there appears to have been very little friction between diggers with regard to overpegging of each other's claims. Many intending diggers are lamenting the fact that they came to the rush without diggers' licenses, and thus were not allowed to peg. Gravel BJft Deep. With half the day gone by before peggiag was finished, very little actual digging was attempted to-day, except in prospecting for gravel on a big un' proved mealie patch lying to the north of the proved ground. The "Mail" representative made a tour of the prospecting holes, and in none of them wa? gravel found, in spite of some seven or eight feet of overburden bqing taken out. On the owner's reserved claims, overburden averages a little more than a foot, while the underlying gravel is from three feet to six feet deep. On the public diggings and some of the southern reserve claims, the ov "* burden averages about 2Jf t, and the thickness of the gravel averages about Sift. The area of the farm proclaimed is 1600 morgen. To date some 1100 claims have been pegged, in addition to the 50 discoverer's claims and the 200 owner's claims. As 45 claim J, measuring 15yds by 15yds, go to the morgen, only about 30 morgen of the farm is pegged out. The general opinion amongst old diggers appears to be that these new diggings are the most promising proclaimed during recent

valuable oiai^WJ splendid pric of'J> «5i general average of j?> *£ somewhat loVtft§fc| more westerly dir^l-*H the fcap 8 diamoaaT »^i| The future of tW «J?* of interest fiJtfH point of the -Vwi ,»Aft** nave been J J, opening xp na&B*** diamond ahe^fjtt For the WEV beenperterlajaeofflfc the'moll,flu* tkVffiH! ll ,( Norrca \ No telephone; No mi'Jj bant Nowooi n/£!* Nothing Imgiaeer, Barrage, To which beer. No nothing" ' ?!