ONLY THE NAME PERPETUATED IN "DE BEERS" DIAMOND COMPANY

THE STORY OF DE BEERS

"With both elbows on the table and his mouth slightly open, (Cecil John Rhodes), had a habit when thinking, of tubbing his chin gently with his forefinger. His manner and expression suggested that the larger part of his brain was dealing with something of which nobody else had cognizance..."
Gradually, however, camp life had focused his ideas on three objectives : (a) the necessity of bringing all the diamond claims under one control, thus not only making mining safer but also regulating the industry by equating the diamond output with world demand;
(b) the acquisition of great wealth to enable him to prosecute large territorial schemes, (While not entirely Imperialistic at first, these schemes certainly became Imperialistic) ; and (f) the achievement of political power so that the objectives involved in
(a) and (b) might be the more easily realized.
The average worker in the mines at Kimberley, limited as to outlook, perturbed by the gradual fall in the price of diamonds but ignorant of the cause of it, still went on over-producing, working his claims strenuously against his neighbour and, as already indicated, by digging into his foundations, making diamond finding difficult and dangerous. The need for combination, centralization, increased from day to day.
In 1873, Rhodes had linked his De Beers holding with that of Rudd, and the two bought up other claims. In 1874 they were joined by Robert Graham, who participated in the purchase of Baxter's holdings in De Beers with Runch-man, Hoskyns and Puzey, who came in later, Others who combined in the purchase of claims in De Beers were Dunsmure and Alderson; also Stow, Compton and English. These three combines spread themselves gradually over the best De Beers claims. Their eventual union, advocated by Rhodes, led to the formation of the De Beers Mining Company, Ltd., with a capital of £200,000."
The first activities of the Dc Beers Mining Company which took step leading to the consolidation of the four mines, De Beers, Kimberley, Bultfontein and Dutoitspan were concerned with the De Beers mine. Included in its early holding were the claims in De Beers Mine owned by Stow, English and Compton, who remained on its board of directors during the whole of its life, and when it was absorbed hy De Beers Consolidated Mines, they joined the board of the other 48
RHODES AS DIAMOND MAGNATE AND POLITICAL POWER
Victoria Company in which J. Ferguson was prominent, the Elma Company 1 which belonged to Thomas Shiels and others, and the United Diamond Mining Company,
the De Beers Mining Company prospered. By March, 1885, it was the outstanding company at Kimberley and the leading concern within die De Beers Mine. Its capital was then £841,550. It seems strange to think that at one time the Rhodes-Rudd partnership had the offer of the whole of the De Beers Mine for £6,000 but were unable to finance it and therefore dropped the scheme.
To sum up : In pursuance of Rhodes's first objective, he and Rudd had sponsored the preliminary combines which led to the formation of the De Beers Mining Company with a capital of £200,000.
Rhodes, now twenty-seven, took a step along the road towards the attainment of his third objective, namely the achievement of political power. Griqualand West was formally annexed to the Cape Colony, and Rhodes was elected to represent the diamond constituency of Barkly West in the Cape Parliament.
In the Cape Parliament he soon stamped his will on current political thought.
The new-comer evinced no undue diference to the tried champions of debate.
Like young Disraeli facing the veteran Palmers, he flashed a compelling sword.
He brought a broader vision into Parliament. He became a herald of new power.
Not long was it, indeed, before his ranging spirit—ever broadening and advancing—measured itself against the full strength of the prejudices of the British and the Cape Governments. He saw that Kruger, in pursuit of not unnatural ambitions of territorial expansion, intended to block the road that led to the north by annexing territory which extended across it, an early symptom of this being the establishment of the small Stellaland and Gosen republics, the latter containing the town of Rooi Grond, where Mafeking now is. Public men were present to witness with wonder the extraordinary persistence with which this young man fought the President's intention, gradually compelling Downing Street to declare a protectorate over Bechuanaland. Subsequently the sons of two of them, R. Philipson-Stow and Dr. A. G. W. Compton— were on the board, as is also H. P. Rudd, son of Rhodes's partner, C. D. Rudd, Wtd one of the founders of the I k Beers Mining Company.
To mark the fact that the De Beers Mining Company was the leader in the policy of the consolidation of the diamond mines, the name " De Beers " is perpetuated in the history of De Beers Consolidated Mines.
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