The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-24
IN THE BoER COUNTRY.
Hospitality Of the rutch Farmers-Patri.
archal Habits.

OF the country are WOOL growers, ana Ike
the rest of their kind, are the most hos
pitable people on the face of the globe.
Although living in almost abject poverty,
they are ever ready to extend a hand Of
welcome to every stranger, particularly
if he be an American. have now trav-
eled over 1000 miles by cart in the col
ony, and it has always been with the
greatest difficulty that / have persuaded
the Beers to take from me the price Of
the corn the horses would eat.
For days we rode along without touch
ing at single village, and when night
came on we made for the nearest farm
house. As the farms are generally on
elevated ground the folks can see the
cart long way off, and as we pull up in
front of the house the old Boer and his
wife step out to bid us welcome, although
we are perfect strangers, and before we
have done shaking hands the Kaffir SER
wants are busy outspanning our horses,
while the good wife, or frau" as she is
called, hurries away to procure the best
cheer her humble dwelling affords.
The Beers, although so hospitable,
make distinction in their attentions to
Englishmen and Americans, at least all
my friends and I have found such to be
the case. A few weeks ago, as pulled
up at farmhouse about shutdown, 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-
dalton 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-
tiers, told the old man that I was an
American. The result was that my
newly made friends occupied two beds,
while had one all to myself.
No matter how late traveller may
present himself, be he Jew or Gentle,
Englishman or American, and ask a
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 it to the stranger, and pos
Bibly 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.
It 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 cowdung. How
ever repulsive this may seem to your
ideas, it has nice, sweet, wholesome
smell, and were it not for the fleas 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. I
failed to find any other kind of litera-
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
write he and his family sit with mouths
wide open to see the pencil move so rap
idly over the paper, for there is not a
man of fifty miles around who could
write his own name in letters smaller
than his thumb nail. I am quite lion
among these people, being connected
as am with an American newspaper.
They are very religious, and naturally
peaceful people, but when their rights
are tempered 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 eff
feet upon their foes They are very early
risers and go 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 sleep
soundly till the heat of the day is over.
when they resume their work till SUM-
down. In the evening, after supper, the
people sit round the room barefooted,
when tub is passed round and each per-
son bathes his feet in it. At first used to
object strongly, but found that the re-
fusal gave ofense. Now, however, I
take care to get nearest the door, where
can have better chance of using the
tub first. It is an old custom and one
that induces sleep.
When this foot bathing is finished the
old Boer gets down the family Bible and
the prayers for the night are read. They
sing without hymn books, and most lust
lily, too, and it is to be regretted that they
know SO few tunes, for the only one I
have ever heard is the tune Of the One
Hundredth Psalm. They follow the
teachings Of the Dutch Reformed church,
end every Sunday, no matter what the
weather is, the horses are spanned into
the cart at an early hour to take them
to church, which in some cases is thirty
miles away from their homes. San
francisco Chronicle.
An Entirely New Court.
The whole court at Berlin is now en-
tirely composed Of new people. The
| friends of the late emperor have disap-
peared and the emperor and empress are
surrounded by people entirely of their