BUILT ON DIAMONDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20708, 4 May 1929, Page 19

BUILT ON DIAMONDS.

CITY OF SPARKLING GEMS. KIMBERLEY AND ITS CONTRASTS. : Kimberley, the South African diamond city, is, in many respects, unique oh caith still, bomc time ago there was an agitation there-in favour of Tcnovating the old cemetery, whore rest the remains of famous men. Whemthe work actually started, the very first dav was found in a crevice in a falling wall a' dirty.cloth containing enough diamonds to complete, the work, and then leave a nice cash balance, “ Built upon diamonds ” is literally true of the city of Kimberley. Even now the municipality sella the right to wash for diamonds along an unmade street for ihbre than it costs to grade, metal, kerb and channel the new thoroughfare. The c * t Y fathers are in the unique position of being able to construct new streets at an actual profit on the work. Wliciioi er a building in Kimberlcv is destroyed by fire there is eager competition to pay lavishly for the privilege of washing the foundations upon which the building stood for diamonds. If the owner of the demolished building retains a share in the diamond-washing operations, as is usually the case, his percentage frequently defrays the cost of a new building. This is done only by arrangement with the De Beers Diamond Mining Company—all the lots are leased with a reservation regarding diamond rights iu. favour of the controlling company, De Beers. The walks in the public gardens are surfaced, with fine blue gravel, debris from the mine diamond washing. That gravel contains millions of small garnets, or Cape rubies, and when promenading to the strains of the band on bunday evenings, anyone can pick 'up a handful of the loose topping of the walks and sort out half a dozen small rubies. Packets of rubies, some of them of a size for cutting and polishing, are given away as souvenirs to most visitors who obtain the necessary permit to view the mines. The putting greenson the golf course are topped with the' same debris—the greens ” are “ blue ” in Kimberley. The golf course is infested with the peculiar rolling beetle of tropical Africa —big beetles which roll dirt with their hind legs—a la the leg and foot work of Japanese jugglers. But-the beetles are moie finished artists than any human juggler. Half a dozen exhibited as trained beetles at vaudeville houses would make any show— and they would need no training either. . Probably the best true golf story ever told has its foundation in the astonishment and language of a visitor, who, after searching a Jong time for a mysteriously missing golf ball after a good drive, discovered one of those beetles busily rolling his ball away. Diamonds are frequently picked up on the streets, and still more frequently on tennis courts and football grounds, where the surface is periodically raked and rolled. The finder receives a percentage of the value.of the stone as found which, under strict penalties, is by law to be handed in at De Beers offices.

The only two patches of real grass in the city are’ the bowling green, which costs the bowling club a fortune for water, and a fraall plot in the grounds of the public library. Outdoor games are played on bare ground topped with cliamoniferous blue. Ninety per cent, of the injuries to football players there are due to gravel rash from unexpected contact with the playing ground,'

It costs householders more to have dirty water removed than they pay for fresh water piped into their dwellings, ns Kimberley, the richest town in the world, has no drainage system. Every building in the town, from shack to huge store and .millionaire's residence, was, up'to three years ago, roofed with corrugated iron. The hail boating upon these roofs during one of the terrific hailstorms which mark the wet season creates almost as much noise as- the barrage which preceded the attack on Regina trench during, the Somme offensive, according to one whb heard both.

’. Tli e curfew bell rings at 9 each night, and no male native is allowed' in town after that hour -without a special pass from his boss. , ■ Smuggling playing cards into the compounds which house the ; thousand of native mine, labourers is almost as profitable as smuggling diamonds out of the compounds—and both ; are risky undertakings., ‘ Natives regard sardines as, a- .great luxury, and the streets cf Kimberley arc strewn with discards 1 ; cans. The favourite method of eat’ng the delicacy is to smash open the ca:i with a stone, extract the fish with the lingers, and then drink the oil. Native convicts underg ling life sentences do much-'of the diamond sorting for two reasons—their phenomenally keen eyesight, and the fact that as they will never regain their liberty they have.no incentive to steal diamonds. At race meetings gambling tables are run openly, and alb the local cotnraur/fty of Chinese attend the races to play the tables', and never bother to watch the horses. If anyone offers to' sell you n diamond in Kimberley the safest reply is to leave the person making the offer—ton to one he is a trap in.-the employ of the famous 1.D.8; diamond-buying department. The leakage of stolon stories from the mines is estimated by the De Beers Company at £IO,OOO, per month, -and that despite the almost unbelievable efforts of a secret detect! e department. Pew diamonds arc worn in Kimberley except “ fancy, ” stones with a distinct tinge of brown, blue, or pink, which are freaks. The old open mine,-the .site of the first discovery of diamonds, is he largest artificial hole in the .world. When, after heavy storms, the sides Of that hole cave in a cloud of 'dust is thrown np which darkens Kimberley .for days at a stretch. When a swarm of locusts visits town everything else stops, and the stores declare a holiday and barricade their doors and windows to keep visitors out. After tropical rains the streets become rushing torrents, and portable bridges are placed in positions at busy corners, or pedestrians would he in danger of being swept away and drowned, which has happened more than’once. Cockerels crow all night,' and mosquitoes are. busy .day and night. Dc Deers lollection of.selected diamonds include pink, red, blue, and brown—but not a black one.