Since my last letter of June 1, I have been busily employed playing along the Reef and in various mine recreation rooms at Bramfontein, Ferreria, Maraisburg, Benoni, Germiston, Springs, etc. On June 10 I left Johannesburg for a tour that embraced Parys, Orange Free State, Kroonstad, then to White's Cement Works, a place on its own on the veldt.
There is no rail station here, and I had to sit up over a big fire till 3.30 a.m., walk some distance to the railway and await the train due to pass at 4 a.m., but which did not do so until 5.20 a.m.
It was perishing cold, and I felt it badly, despite being warmly clad. When the big head-lights of the train came into view, two kaffirs that I had with me soaked a sack in oil, then lit it and waved it about to attract the engine driver's attention. Fortunately he observed it and drew up. I scrambled in quickly, and arrived at Brandfort, Orange Free State, at 8 a.m., where I played.
Next day to Bloemfontein, then Kimberley, and then to the Vaal River diamond diggings, where I spent the best part of a week in motoring from place to place (the only way), playing at Windsorton, Wedberg, where the balls would hardly come off the cushions and all the slates were disjointed, so to make a 110 and a 107 break was not bad; Barkly West, and Waldeck's Plant, where I played a relay team composed of Messrs. Morris, Feriris, Cummings and Jeanes. The owners of the place, Topuz Brothers, are very hospitable.
At Windsorton I was enabled to secure a fine diamond, which is now being cut for me at Pretoria, and in my travels through River diggings I stopped at Gong Gong, where the biggest diamond ever discovered in River diggings was found. I enclose a postcard of it, showing the actual size on a matchbox. It was sold as it was for £2,300, and I held it in my hand.
I was unlucky to strike the River diggings at a most unfortunate time, things being very bad at present. There is no money at all about, and Kimberley at present is very depressed, about 1,200 men recently having had to leave De Beers.
I returned to Kimberley, then to Bloemfontein, and left Bloemfontein at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 29, arriving at Durban on June 30 at 7 p.m., after 34 hours' rail ride.
There was no steamer available when I wanted to leave Durban for Cape Town, and I had to go by train a distance of 1,265 miles, costing £15, and taking three days and three nights. This was in order to meet Falkiner there under the auspices of the Western Province Billiards Control Club. The most interesting parts of the journey are the crossing of the Drakensburg mountains, on the borders of Natal, Basuto Land, and Free State, and the Hex River mountains in Cape Colony.
Falkiner joined the train at Beaufort West, C.P., fourteen hours from the Cape, having broken his journey there and at Kimberley.
We arrived at the Cape at 7 p.m. on July 15, the anniversary of my birth, and commenced next afternoon. Falkiner won, playing his best game in the country, usually adding considerably to each unfinished break before I had an innings, and making, even for him, an abnormal number of nursery cannons. My best was a 391. The final scores were: Falkiner, 9,000; Stevenson, 6,843.
The hall was uncomfortably cold, and I may add that it has been the coldest winter here for 20 years, whilst you have had exceptionally great heat at home. The game was well attended, but the expenses excessive. One of the richest men in Cape Town paid the minimum price to witness the play, won a gold watch in a sweepstake for the best break guessing, and then asked if the players were going to give fancy shots. We did play during the week four games of snooker, of which I won three.
I played some special snooker matches at the Cape Club on July 25, and on the 26th embarked on the R.M.S. Briton for Forth Elizabeth, the sea having her own way with the boat, although this does not disturb me. Have played at the best clubs here, with best break of 265. The best local amateurs are Mr. Henderson and Mr. Allan.
To-day (August 1 and Bank Holiday) I enter the train at 8.45 p.m. and have 24 hours' journey to East London to play twice there, and on the 5th inst. I board the R.M.S. Norman for Durban to fulfil my Natal engagements, and up to Johannesburg.
On my journey to the Cape, at Bloemfontein, I was very sorry to read of the death of my old opponent, Charles Dawson, and went over in my mind our many strenuous matches of years ago. Kindly convey my sincere sympathy to the family.