Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-31
Habits Of Dutch Beers.
Medicine Rated by Quantity More than
Quality-Feather Beds Carried on
Journeys-SOme Very Queer
Custums.
All People Are Queer Whose Ways
Are Not Like Ours.

habits) arrives at a farmhouse in, say,
the Orange Free State. A farmhouse
may have one field of forage and a stone
kraal; otherwise the farm is open coun-
try. He will not off saddle mis- horse
without receiving permission; this having
been asked for and granted, the farmer
leads him through the half doors
into the main apartment. There
is homemade furniture, numerous
pink and white paper flowers, and
those seen depicted on the London pave
ments. The visitor will proceed to shake
hands, commencing with the stout frau
and ending with baby in arms. This Is
not the English Aandshake but resting
of palm within palm. The coffee, which
is made frcm sunrise to sunset, is then
brought in in bowls; tobacco pouches are
exchanged and conversation which sell
dom varies, is commenced. The visitor
and the farmer answer or reply pretty
much as follows: "The field is green;
the clouds are heavy; there will be a
thunder storm tomorrow. l have very
fine red horse running. Nachtmaal will
be next month. My frau has a cold. The
president is fine man. Japie de Villisr
has had ram born with five heads. The
English are thieves" The handshaking
ceremony is then repeated, the horse,
fed and rested, is brought out; the travel
er mounts, snacks his sjambock, shows
off his steed and proceeds on his jour
neY.
The farmers have trained ponies to a
special pace called Cripple" and a
good "tr1ppler" is always priced. With
this pace no parting of the saddle is re-
quired; and on a long journey the trip
pier will arrive each night without turn
ing a hair, while the trotting horse, his
companion, may be done up. Distance
is reckoned by time-six miles to an hour.
If an Englishman near the hour of sun
set asks Dutchman where such village
lies, he will be answered by a raised hand
and "a little way over that HILL" You
then ride ten miles and sleep out in a
thunderstorm, perhaps.
You reach the village the following mid
day. Superstition and fear of contagi.
Gus diseases are great among the people.
Outside Pochefstroom there is a leper
an Indian coolie-dwelling in the
earthworks SO finely defended by British
soldiers during the late war. The leper
has erected cone of paraffine tins, be-
meath which he crouches; and the inhabit-
ants of the town daily bring out mealies,
milk and bread, placing them on the
ground at distance. So the poor crea-
ture is fed. Many years back, when rid
ing from the gold fields to Natal, l was
nigh starved out of life. The Beers be-
lieved J had come from Delagoa Bay,
where smallpox was prevalent among ma
tives, and l could obtain neither food nor
shelter. The love of gain, so strong with
the Boer, overcame the difficulty at Mid
dleburg, where the provisions I asked for
were deposited Oh the ground, ard | was
allowed to drop the money in basin of
water. Inter marriage of near kindred,
obtaining in some cases TO an unnatural
degree, produces sad Affections for the
offspring.
The springs near Lake Chrissie Grams
vaal) are sort of Pool Sloan. On the
bare grass rises and round the rocky
pools families are camped at certain
seasons, attempting to cure their rheu-
matism and straighten their contorted
limbs of their children. The spring is
sulphurous, boiling hot, and the pools
can only be used for bathing by leading
a cold stream into them. At this spot
had to pay shillings for leaJ. As TO
superstition, there are several deserted
farmhouses to be met with in the county,
in spite of the presence of the valued
spring. If you inquire to reason a Boer
will tell you: "There is spook there"
A spook is ghost.
The Dutch are accom- plished herbalists,
doubtless obtaining the knowledge of the
Hottentots and Bushmen; they have herb
brandies for COLES, and plants for sores.
They are often the prey of quack doc
tors; the more as genuine practitioners,
who have to go long distances, charge
heavily. A Dutchman is satisfied with the
treatment so long as his medical adviser
brings to the house quart bottle of
physic; if he presents him with a small
vial ne doubts his skill and sends for
another man. The dead are buried on
the farms, and over them travelling
masops erect mausoleums of brick. Dutch
women are enormous in size, good cooks
in their style, gobble sweets and cake
all day and take little exercise. But DOW
and thsn a Dutch wife and her daughters
may be seen kraaling the sheep at eve
ming. Boer likes his wife's company,
and will leave passengers by his wagon
stuck in the mud and half starved while
he tracks off fifty miles with another
vehicle to pay a visit to the vrauw.
Feather beds are greatly priced by this
people; they generally carry their beds
with them on journeys.
The trekkings of the Beers are remark
able. Annually the farm houses on the
low weld is shut up, and the sheep and
cattle are taken scores of miles up TO the
high weld for mountain pasture. Beside
some rushing stream the wagons are
camped, perhaps tents are pitched, and
domestic life goes on as usual Fowls
cluck among the wild grasses, and the
COWS are MIXED among the shadows of
mighty mountains. The general belief in
the excellence of Boer shooting is no de-
fusion. I was once with a Dutchman on
high mountain road near the De Klap;
three bucks lept down the rocks to low
kopje by the way; with Martini-Henry
rife he brought down two out of the
three. Hunting at Louewe Pan Iion
PAM Bechuanaland, Captain \. went out
early in the morning for spring box, which
move in thousands upon these yellow
prairies. 1t was my turn to cook, and a
Boer, freebooter, who squatted in
miserable clay cabin near by, came and
sat by the fire. Captain P. returned at
o'clock; he had shot no buck, and was in
bad temper. [ pointed to the Dutch
man. Captain X. gave the Boer eight
cartridges; the buck would be ours, the
balance of ammunition his. The Boer
mounted his white paarde, took our
shooting nag Moses with1him and rode off
on 20 the weld. In twenty minutes the
man returned, Moses Indignantly resign
ed under the weight of two fine spring
box. The Boer had used only too car
tridges; six remained his property. His
weapon was a Martini Henry carbine on
which he placed an Ivory sight.