A Diamond in the Rough

by Marilyn Land

  Bringing enough provisions with him for three days, he hoped he could get everything done in that time. He planned to camp outdoors weather permitting; if it rained, he would seek shelter inside the farmhouse.

  The first day, everything went as planned. He dug the grave and buried Simon. He cleared what little debris there was and erected a small fence enlarging the area to include a beautiful, low growing tree nearby. As he stood back and surveyed his work, he realized he had no marker for the grave, but that would be remedied on a future visit.

  He was tired but pleased that he was carrying out Simon’s final wishes. He set up a campsite down by the Orange River and made himself something to eat. As he lay on the ground staring up at the multitude of stars in the dark night sky, he couldn’t believe all that had happened to him since leaving home. The first thing he was going to do when he got back to Cape Town was to contact his mutti, let her know where he was, and tell her that he wanted her to come live with him.

  He lay there for a long time, but sleep eluded him. He had a couple of big days ahead. Foremost on his mind was what if tearing down the farmhouse alone turned out to be a bigger job than he anticipated. Perhaps he should have given it more thought.

  He decided to take a walk along the river’s edge. He hoped gazing upon the water would be calming and clear his mind to help him find sleep. As he neared the shore he could see the stars twinkling in the sand. Not as many as in the sky, but shining brightly nonetheless in the darkness of night.

  Suddenly, he reached down and touched a twinkling star—it was a pebble in the sand. He reached for more, finding fifty in all—pebbles, stones, and rocks. Unsure exactly what they were, he searched for more and then suddenly they seemed to disappear.

  Gathering what he had found and wrapping them in his shirt, he returned to the campsite. He had put out the small fire before laying down to sleep, so he opted to wait until morning to look at his findings in daylight.

  As sleep continued to elude him, he lay patiently waiting for the sun to come up so that he could inspect the pebbles, stones, and rocks he had collected—could they possibly be diamonds? He knew nothing about diamonds. Simon made no mention that diamonds had ever been found on their farm, only in the area of the Orange River.

  They had sparkled in the dark night; in daylight, he found they sparkled even more. A change in plans was necessary; he decided to return to Cape Town immediately. He packed up his tools, supplies, and camping gear and put them in the back of the wagon. He hitched the horse to the wagon and headed home.

  The day after he returned, he took three of the small pebbles and made his way to the Assayer’s Office. When he arrived, the place was empty except for the mustached man behind the window who inquired, “What can I do for you?”

  Feeling a little nervous although he had rehearsed what he was going to say, Franz did not speak soon enough. Again, the man asked, “Is there something I can help you with?”

  “Yes sir, there is. I have three small pebbles a friend left me when he died, and I would like to know if they are diamonds, as another friend of mine suggested they might be.”

  He handed them to the man through the window. The man disappeared into the back, returning a while later with a smile on his face. “My boy your friend was right—these three pebbles are definitely diamonds.”

  Franz grew quiet and thoughtful. “Can I sell them?”

  “Of course, you can. I can give you a value and put you in touch with someone who is interested. We don’t have folks buying up diamonds like we used to, but there are people who continue to buy and collect them.

  “Thank you. I’m going to think on it. I’m the new proprietor of The General Store, and I might need the money for additional supplies.

  “I’ll get back to you when I’ve made my decision.”

  That very night, he wrote a letter to his mutti telling her he was in South Africa running a general store and urging her to come live with him. Adding that his siblings were also welcome, he requested her to reply as soon as possible at which time he would book passage for them.

  One month later, he received word that his beloved mutti had died in childbirth along with the baby—another girl.

  No mention was made of his father or his siblings. In fact, it was unclear to him who had responded to his letter. Again, he was heartbroken. One of the main reasons he left Germany was to help his dear mutti, and now she was gone.

  For the next twenty years, Franz ran the store. It was his only means of support, and he was doing quite well. The General Store had originally opened for business to equip prospectors heading off in search of diamonds. That no longer the case, Franz opted to amend his inventory by adding a variety of items in hopes of attracting not only locals but visitors as well.

  Selling the three small diamonds for cash, he laid out his vision for the store. He rearranged his stock and eliminated the storage area in the back where he built a living area that suited his needs. As his business continued to grow, he purchased a wagon to replace the small cart he had built to carry supplies from the dock.

  The wagon was also his way of traveling to the farm where he continued to return and collect diamonds on the shore. At times they were plentiful; other times they were almost non-existent. Each time he returned home, he placed what he had collected in a crate he built, which he hid beneath the floor of his living quarters in the small cellar.

  His visits were short in duration, and at times, long between. It meant closing the store, and he did not want to draw attention to that fact. He also planned his visits sporadically so as not to establish a pattern that would be noticed. Although he felt quite secure with the placement of his cache, it was the first thing he checked when he returned. The farmhouse remained boarded up; he preferred to camp along the river. On each visit he tended the graves of Simon and his family and made certain that the fence was intact.

  In 1903, Franz departed Cape Town for the farm. His last visit was exactly one year prior when he came on the anniversary of Simon’s passing. Now he was again going for the same reason. It had been over a year since he had found not a single pebble or stone but he continued to return to check on things honoring his friend’s wishes.

  As he approached, he saw a work crew of several men putting in stakes and roping off the area around the farmhouse. He stopped the wagon when he could go no further. A man came up to him inquiring both who he was and what he was doing there.

  When Franz inquired the same of him, he replied. “I represent the Transvaal Government.”

  Starting in the late 1880s and into the nineteenth century, legal instruments through legislation such as resolutions, acts, proclamations, and ordinances played a key role in legitimizing systematic land dispossession and segregating South Africa.

  In 1903, the Crown Land Disposal Ordinance was passed in the Transvaal, replacing the Occupation Act of 1886. Crown land was defined as all un-alienated land, and all land that was property of the government regardless of how that land was acquired.

  Franz had no claim to the farm. His only concern was the gravesite and what would happen to it. He made his explanations to the official who in turn assured him that the site would remain untouched for the foreseeable future.

  Franz’s ties to the farm ended that day. He never returned. Over a period of twenty years, he had single handedly collected thousands upon thousands of uncut diamonds along the shore of the Orange River at the edge of Simon’s farm, selling only the three original pebbles years before.

  When Franz left Germany and arrived in Cape Town, he was a boy merely sixteen years of age. His good fortune of having met up with Simon Abel was a blessing—or was it? When Simon died, it was too late for him to help his mutti.

  After finding the stones and learning they were truly diamonds, he became obsessed. Each time he returned to the farm and added to his cache, he felt like a thief stealing what didn’
t belong to him—though he had no idea who could stake claim to them. He had long ago given up the friends he made when he arrived in Cape Town, and he knew no one else to ask.

  As his cache grew, he became paranoid that someone was watching him, fearing that at any time, he could be confronted. The crate he built to hold the diamonds remained in the space under the flooring of his living area hidden by a rug and furniture on top. He very rarely looked at the diamonds anymore.

  Twenty-one years later at the age of thirty-seven, he basically had no life, no wife, no family, no friends, and had no conception whatsoever of what his assets were worth. He couldn’t sell the diamonds—they would ask where and how he acquired them. He had no need to sell them—what would he do with the proceeds?

  With his ties to the farm severed, he no longer had a reason to leave town. At times when he felt melancholy, he wondered how different his life might have been if his mutti and siblings had come to South Africa. He would have had a family. He also wondered what had become of them—his father, his four sisters, and the youngest, his brother Michael.

  He never wondered how different his life might have been if he had not found the diamonds. Yet finding the diamonds had the biggest impact; it affected his every thought, his every move.

  Aside from customers in the store, he saw no one. One day, the thought occurred to him to begin attending services at the synagogue in an effort to become acquainted with others in the community—the community that he had been a part of for almost twenty-five years, and yet knew so few and so few knew him.

  Although his father was not Jewish, and no religion was observed in their home, his mutti had seen to it that he took Hebrew lessons and became a Bar Mitzvah. His father had not attended, but his grandparents came and celebrated his day with his mother and siblings.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  In 1871, the British entrepreneur Cecil Rhodes bought a claim to the De Beers mine, and using it as a financial base, eventually bought up most of the diamond mines in South Africa. He incorporated his holdings into De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd., in an effort to keep prices high and demand steady, allowing him to take control of the world’s diamond distribution. By the time Rhodes died in 1902, De Beers controlled 90% of the world’s rough-diamond production and distribution, but it was Sir Ernest Oppenheimer who made De Beers an Empire.

  Oppenheimer was a German-born industrialist, financier, and one of the most successful leaders in the diamond mining industry in South Africa. At the age of sixteen, he became a junior clerk with one of the largest diamond brokers in London, and by 1902, was relocated to South Africa as their representative.

  With backing from J. P. Morgan, he formed the Anglo-American Corporation of South Africa, Ltd., and moved aggressively into the diamond industry by gaining control of the South West Africa mines. By 1927, he became Chairman of the Board of De Beers Consolidated Mines, essentially having bought his way onto their board over a period of years.

  Under Oppenheimer’s leadership, De Beers and its Central Selling Organization established exclusive contracts with suppliers and buyers, making it impossible to deal with diamonds outside of De Beers.

  Around the world, De Beers became the preeminent name in diamonds—diamonds and De Beers became synonymous.

  In 1925, Benjamin Lyons arrived in Cape Town, South Africa. He carried one bag that held all that he possessed in the world, his diamond cutting tools, and enough cash to last him for three months, if he was frugal. He had the promise of a job and the name of the person to contact, given to him by a friend he had grown up with in Russia. If the job did in fact materialize, he would make his plans permanent.

  After leaving the ship, he headed into town. His first stop was at the first store he came upon—The General Store. When he entered, Franz noticed immediately that he seemed new to the area. “Good afternoon, may I help you?”

  “I’m sure you can. I just arrived in town, and I am looking for an address on Adderley Street—Zeller Jewelers. Are you familiar with the store?”

  “Why yes, I am. It’s one of the best and quite well known. I know the owners, Paul and Phil Zeller. Are you planning to stay in Cape Town or are you just here on business?”

  “You might say a little bit of both; I’d like to stay if everything works out. I arrived this morning from Russia, and I’m looking to settle here and build a new life for myself. By the way, my name is Ben Lyons. I’m a diamond cutter, and I’m hoping to get a job working for the Zeller brothers.”

  “Franz Schiller here; I’m pleased to me you. I’ve been in South Africa for over forty years, and although I have seen many changes come to pass, our stories remain the same—we all come seeking a better way of life. Where are you staying?”

  “Actually, I haven’t gotten that far; I came here directly from the dock. Maybe you can suggest a place close by. Of course for now, I’m only interested in something temporary.

  “Welcome to Cape Town Ben Lyons. I will write down directions—it’s only a short walk; and I will include directions to the Hotel Metropole, which is in the same general area. I hope you will come back and let me know how you make out with the Zeller brothers, and with the hotel, as well. If there is anything further I can do for you or help you with, please do not hesitate to stop by.”

  They shook hands and Ben thanked Franz. With directions in hand, he made his way to Adderley Street. As he observed the variety of shops along the way, he found himself liking what he saw and feeling good about coming to South Africa. He hoped the position he was seeking would become his.

  Paul and Phil Zeller were born in London, England, and spent their early childhood working in and around their father’s jewelry business starting at the bottom, sweeping floors and emptying trash. By the time they reached adulthood, their father had taught them the art of watchmaking, and perfected their skills as jewelers working with gold and diamonds.

  The brothers saw their father as old school quick to criticize and short on compliments. He made it abundantly clear that it was his business and he wanted it run his way. They yearned to spread their wings and show what they could do on their own.

  In 1905, the brothers decided to embark on a new beginning and saw South Africa as the land of promise. They left behind family and friends, and with what little they had, journeyed to Cape Town. They began with a modest jewelry establishment—Zeller Jewelers—on Adderley Street, and stocked with only a small amount of watches and rings opened their doors for business.

  They came to realize that their success was derived not only from their skill but also from the personal and individualized service provided by an owner-run business. They continued to build upon that success by satisfying the ongoing special requests of their clientele who began coming from far and wide as word spread.

  Soon they had their own jewelry workshop where they could fix and alter a myriad of items for their customers; and they began designing unique pieces to fulfill the many growing requests they received from wealthier clients.

  Their product inventory grew immeasurably, and in no time, they were offering a wider range of jewelry, diamonds, and watches. Despite WWI, their business continued to prosper, and they decided that it would be both beneficial and profitable to set up a gem-cutting workshop right in Cape Town, eliminating the need to deal with Antwerp.

  Although De Beers controlled the diamond industry for larger buyers, sources of uncut diamonds were plentiful on a smaller scale. With this thought in mind, they purchased and renovated a small warehouse building turning it into a brightly lit and fully supplied workshop solely to cut and polish diamonds and other gemstones.

  When Ben Lyons arrived, they had but one cutter—an elderly gentleman, a fellow congregant from their synagogue; he was retired and required a bit of coaxing to come work for them. Upon learning of their search for diamond cutters, his friend who also knew the Zeller brothers from the synagogue offered to write to Ben
in Russia and see if he was interested.

  At the time, he was not. When his parents died within a few months of one another, and he and his brother Sydney both decided that the time had finally come when they too were contemplating leaving Russia, he reconsidered. He could not, however, convince his brother to come with him. Sydney remained determined to relocate in the United States. He travelled by way of Cuba where he was unfortunately detained and forced to wait for the moratorium on entry quotas to be lifted.

  Cape Town’s Long Street was the pulse of the town, its pavements throbbing with the constant movements of travelers, locals, shoppers, diners, and those that found a relaxing walk on the street energizing. Running up the hill from the corner of Coen Strytler Avenue near the docks up to Multensigel Road, from where it becomes Kloof Street, it lies between Loop and Adderley Streets in the center of town.

  Ben reached Adderley Street, walked to the middle of the block and entered Zeller Jewelers. His was impressed. It was immaculate, well lit, and inviting. The jewelry was displayed in various cases about the store, and towards the back was a jeweler’s bench.

  The gentleman approaching him extended his hand. Good day, I’m Paul Zeller; welcome to Zeller Jewelers.”

  Ben took his hand. “Good day to you, as well. I’m Ben Lyons. I believe my friend Leon Abrams spoke to you about me. I’m a diamond cutter, and I heard you are looking for someone with my abilities.”

  With a big smile on his face, Paul continued shaking Ben’s hand. He seemed quite happy to learn that he was not a customer, but someone who possessed a skill Zeller’s needed and had been actively seeking for well over a year.

  “My goodness, what a surprise. My brother and I were not expecting you so soon, but this is wonderful, just wonderful. Phil is not here, but let me try to reach him.”

  Ben put his bag down off to the side. As he waited for Paul to return, he looked about the store. He saw several unique pieces that he took to be Zeller designs. His eyes came to rest on a case that held engagement rings. He was surprised to find diamonds cut and polished in so many different shapes he was unaware of, and was intrigued by their placement in the mountings.