Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1895 — A DIAMOND FINDER. [ARTICLE]

A DIAMOND FINDER.

He IS to Have a Pension for His Discovery. At n tinie when the future of this portion of the Dark Continent is more or less the subject of discussion in all circles, it may be of some interest to peruse a leaf from the past. The Cape Government is contemplating bestowing a pension upon the founder of the diamond industry in the country over which it holds jurisdiction. and the above is a photograph of the fortunate individual who will doubtless be the happy recipient. That he is actually the discoverer of the first diamond in South Africa is a fact beyond dispute, which has been sworn to by numerous witnesses, before H. Reynolds, Esq , J. P., for Windsortown, Vaal River, South Africa. In the year 1866, Lennard Jacobs, a Korannah, was led by a report that a German missionary named Kallenberg, had settled in Peniel (now known as Barkly), to "trek” thither in search of religious instruction. After remaining at Peniel for some months he became dissatisfied, and resolved to return to his kraal, but was dissuaded by Mr. Kallenberg, who pointed out to him the advantages of remaining within reach of a Christian mission. He also added to his persuasion that he had read that geologists in the old country had expressed the opinion that South Africa should prove diamondifferous. It was just possible that when tilling the ground he might discover one of those valuble stones. Jacobs, who had never before heard of a diamond, asked what it was and how to be distinguished; whereupon Mr. Kallenberg told him that, if he found a stone bright and shining like glass, which withstood the fire while his pulse beat five times or more, ho might conclude it was a diamond, while, on the other hand, if it popped in the ashes, it was a crystal and valueless, “Why,” said Lennard,"my children have many bright stones such as you speak of, and when I go home I will put them in the fire.” On his return to his little farm, remembering the missionary’s instructions, he placed several bright stones which his four children had collected, in the fire, but all popped with the exception of one which seemed Impervious to heat. This led him to examine it a little more carefully, put it to severer tests, and presently he found that he had not one, but a great many valuable diamonds on his farm. He sold them for a song, has remained poor, and merits his pension.