Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-10-03

up at a farmhouse about sundown, weary
with my long days ride and covered
with dust, another cart containing four
men pulled up at the same time. We
were received in the usual manner, and
although there was really no accommo-
dation in the house for five unexpected
guests, it never entered into the mind Of
our host TO hint at such a thing. The
occupants Of the other cart were En-
glishmen, and my boy, Jan Fatboy, TAX
ing in the situation at glance, and wish
ing TO procure me the best possible quar-
ters, told the old man that | was an
American. The result was that my
newly made friends occupied two beds,
while ] had one all to myself.
No matter how late a traveller may
present himself, be he Jew or Gentle,
Englishman or American, and ask q
nights lodging, the Beers door will in
stantly open TO him and some one of the
family will cheerfully turn out Of his
bed and give il TO the stranger. and pos
sibly find another for himself in the hay
loft.
The Boer, in the construction of his
dwelling, does not aspire to any higher
class Of architecture than what pleased
his grandfather and father before him.
1t consists of four plain walls of un-
burnt brick. Its floor is the honest earth
with coating Of pounded ant nests
mixed with blood and cowdhmg. How
ever repulsive this may ssm TO your
ideas, ii has a nice, sweet, wholesome
smell, and were it not for the ileas which
infest every Beers house / could find no
objection to it, as it has very cool effect
in the hot, dry weather.
There are generally only three rooms
and kitchen or ''combase" in the house,
the front room opening directly onto the
stoop with two bedrooms on either side.
The furniture is of the plainest kind; the
chief ornament, as well as the most use
full article, being the old Dutch clock
which stands majestically in the corner.
numbering the days as well as the seconds
of the lives Of these honest men. No ex-
pensive oil paintings adorn the walls, but
conspicuously resting on an ornamental
table Of ancient date is the family Bible
on which every Boer prides himself. /
failed to find any other kind of htera-
ture, with the exception Of few school
books and the Ready Reckoner" which
every Boer in the country possesses.
am writing this letter at my friends
house-Farmer Won Dikpense. We have
Just finished the evening meal, and as l
write he and his family sit with mouths
wide open to see the pencil move 90 rap
idly over the paper, for there is not q
man Of fifty miles around who could
write his own name in letters smaller
than his thumb nail. am quite lion
among these people, being connected
as / am with an American newspaper.
They are very religious, and naturally
a peaceful people, but when their rights
are tampered with they rise To a man
and show that although they are ignor-
ant farmers, they are skilled in the use
Of the rifle, and prove it with deadly ef-
feet upon their foes. They are very early
risers and 60 about their work long be-
fore the sun is up. The men generally
pile out of bed about o'clock in the
morning, and the first man up has
to make coffee and call the rest
Such is the unwritten law. They
work in the veldt till noon. when they
have the heartiest meal Of the day. The
heat is generally intense at this hour, and
as soon as the meal is finished the house
is closed up to keep out the flies and
every man, woman and child take them
selves off to their beds, where they sleeI
. soundly till the heat Of the day is over
when they resume their work till sun
down. In the evening, after supper, thu
people sit round the room bardooted
when a tub is passed round and each per
son bathes his feet in il. At first used 3
object strongly, but found that the re
). fusal gave offense. Now, however,
take care to get nearest the door, wher
b / can have a better chance Of using th
tub first. 1t is an old custom and on
that induces sleep.
l. When this foot bathing is finished th
old Boer gets down the family Bible an
% the prayers for the night are read. The
sing without hymn books. and most luS
ily, too, and it is TO he regretted that the
know so few tunes, for the only one
D have ever heard is the tune Of the On
ID Hundredth Psalm. They follow th
teachings Of the Dutch Reformed churci
and every Sunday, no matter what IL
weather is, the horses are spanned ini
the cart at an early hour TO take thel
ID to church, which in some cases is thiri
IT. miles away from their homes. Cor. Ss
Francisco Chronicle.