Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-03-24

Anothony Tronope, n his. work 81

South Africa, gives an account of the
curious customs of courtship prevailing
among the Beers. The Young Boer,
says Mr.. Irollope, who thinA that he
wants wife, and has made w his mind
TO look for one, begins by riding round
the countrysto find the articlet that viii
suit him. On this occasion hesdoes not
troHble himself with The hard WORK Of
courtship, but merely sees what there is
within the circle to which he extends his
] inspection. sHewin have dressed HIM
] self with more than ordinary care, SO
that any impression which it may make
may be favorable, and it is probable
that the young ladies in the district know
what he is about. But when he has
made his choice, then he puts on his
very best and cleans his saddle or bor-
rows q new one, and sticks q featherain
his cap, and goes forth determined to
carry his purpose. He takes with him
bottle of sugar-plums-an article in
great favor among the Beers and to be
purchased at every store, with which to
soften the heart of the mother-and d
candle. Everything depends upon the
candle. 1t should be of wax, or some
wax-ike COMPOSITIONS; but tallow will
suffice if the proposed bride be not of
very high standing. Arrived at the
door, he enters, and his purpose is
kknownats onces The clean trousers and
the feather. declare it; and the sugar
plun1s which are Immediately brought
forth-and always consumed-leaven not
q shadow of doubt. Then the candle is
at once offered to the young lady. If
she refuse It, which my informant seemed
| to think was unusual, then the swain
goes on without demonstrating and of
fers it to the next lady upon his list. IF
| she take it, then the candle is lighted,
and the mother retires. sticking pin
into the candle as an intimation that the
Young couple may remain together, ex-
planning their feelings to each other, un-
til the flame shall have come down to
| the pin. A little salt, l was assured, is
often employed to make the flame weak,
and SO prolong the happy hour. But
the mother, who has, perhaps, had oc-
casion to use salt in her own time, may
probably provide for this when arrang-
7 ing the distance for the pin. : A day or
two afterward the couple are married,
so that there is nothing of the ssnon-
sense'' and occasional heartbreak of
long engagements. 1t is thus ssfreying''
is carried on among the Beers of the
Transvaal. u g X 3
Marriages are usually early, aud are
fruitful in the rule. From ten to twelve
children to a mother is, the average. and
fifteen or eighteen are not at all rare.
The case of one venerable Boer is men
toned whose descendants, including
sons and daughters-in-law, grandchii-
dren and great-grandchildren, amount
to ,.2sO. Out of this rapid increase of
population grew the Orange Free State
and the Transvaal Republic. Land be-
ing very dear in the Cape Colony, and
scarcely affording pasturage for the
cattle there owned, it has become the
custom for the Dutch farmer to send
one or more of his sons to those regions
where real estate can be bought COM
paratively cheap. To purchase land is
the great passion of the Boer. Farms
of 5000 to 5000 acres are the rule, and
there are some farmers the area Of whose
land is equal to that of little German
principality. Next to the land the cat
tie constitute the chief wealth of the
Boers-great, long-horned neat herds,
together with merino sheep and Angora
goats. The first business of the farm
er's day is the inspection of the
'skraale,'' or corrals, large Enclosures of
thorn hedges, or, with the wealthy
Beers, stone walls, where the cattle are
kept over night, there being no cattle
sheds in South Africa. The darby who
watches cattle through the day is
striking blocking figure, dressed in sheep
or goat-skin, and WORKOUT English,
French or German military uniform,
these uniforms being sent to South At
RIGA by the hundred by old-clothes deal
ers. Owing to the slight rainfall, only
such farms are fit for agriculture as are
situated near the rivers and convenient
for irrigation. The farmer is also
plagued by locust swarms, hail, and rust
in his grain. But the productiveness of
the country is increasing, and in the
last fifteen years the exports have near
ly tripled in value. The raising of
ostriches for their feathers has become
a considerable industry.
The so called nachtmaals :" form
characteristic feature of Boer life. The
principal religion is the Dutch Re-
formed Church. Every three months
special Sunday is set apart for the COM
munion of the Lords supper. From
great distances the Beers stream into
the s'Dorp'' or chief place of the re-
gion, for the celebration of the festival.
uc Sdtb -ohC OA
the country, a sort of box hung between
two high wheels-not being large enough
for the numerous family, the great OK
wagon is drawn into requisition, drawn
by large number of draught animals;
the wife and daughters and younger
children occupy the interior, while the
Hottentot and Kaffir servants sit like
lackeys on the back seat. The g baas :"
takes his place on the drivers seat,
armed with the mighty whip, with its 80
or 40 feet length of lash, while the
grown-up sons ride along on horseback,
the great team being led by negro
carrying line. The day is also an oc-
casion for political and social gathering,
and the young men use it as a favorable
opportunity to look around among the
daughters of the land for suitable bet
ter-halves. The farmer generally con-
trives to reach the place on the Sunday
before, when he visits the shops and
makes his purchases for the next three
months, also securing a market for his
own nroducts The church BEING usual-