The Anaconda standard., 1896-02-07
PRETTY PRETORIA.
Description Of the capital of the Trans
Naai AMI the Envlrons

! Description of the capital of the Trans
Naai AMI the Environs.
/ New York Telegram.
| The prettiest town in the Transvaa al
l is Pretoria, the capital, and the home
l OF the president. Pretty Pretoria" the
/ place is sometimes called, but, for an
! that, the choice of its exact location for
a town was not wisely made. 1t is. in
4 fact, pumped down i'm a basin-stew-
pan, as 1t has been designated-5OO feet
/ below the level Of the surrounding pIa-
teau, the average elevation of which is
1900 feet. From the exterior OF the
Greusome gums and weeping willows
give IL solemn, funereal look, but
once within the precincts of the can't
tai the rose hedges supplant the blue
gums and fruit laden orange trees re-
lieve the willow, and the visitor gazes
on scene Of rare beauty.
The garden, Pretoria. would express
ones meaning more clearly to the out
SIDE world. for Pretoria itself is one un-
broken garden, and a description of IL
is given in the Boston Transcript
Every house has its carefully tended
plot, from which it draws it's supply of
hcwers and vegetables. Every house
has its orchard, and every orchard its
hg grape, apple, pear and peach trees
The giant willows, which now skirt
the gardens, We're formerly poles for
supporting fencing wire and cross Iaths
What is more, 80 years ago Pretoria.
natures summer house, was as bare as
an ordinary plain. Low, scraggy bush,
nlbbled off by quaCgas and koodoos
surrounded the still extant ruins of
Moselikatc's kraals; but how different
to-day, when vegetation has to be kent
from overrunning the country by the
pruning knife and the scythe.
The weeping willows were supposed
by Anthony Trollope. who paid a visit
20 in,
occupation. to he mourning gracefully
over the hitherto unaccomplished aspi-
rations Of the country. But If Pretoria.
with but 1000 European inhabitants.
could not be regarded as a failure in his
time, still less can il be in the present
year Of grace. with fully 5000 whites
and probably as many blacks.
The visitor at once wends his way TO
the villa in Church street west, the Of
hCial residence of his honor Paul Krue-
ger. There is nothing Of the Dopper
house about this edihce. Half hidden
by luxurious trees and shrubs, the villa
is of the latest style. A series Of
French windows runs along the front.
and the general Cozy appearance is
heightened by two wings projecting on
either side. Under the veranda in the
nook TO the right of the main entrance
Is the presidents favorite chair, a pecu-
liar little structure. Here the president
may be seen smoking MS long ebony
pipe shortly after daybreak, and again
at sunset, when the trials of the day
are over The stoop is a kind of gen
eral reception room. Visitors are con
tinually dropping in. After the saluta-
ton Of "Gooden dag. president" and a
shake of the hand, one takes a seat
and, after Il few minutes conversation.
takes his departure. The garden is
somewhat peculiar for a residence Of
this character. The flower beds in front
of the door are separated by hundreds
OF inverted lemonade and other bottles.
In the walk in this garden stands the
sentry box, and on the sidewalk outside
an artilleryman is always on parade
with his carbine and cartridge belt.
This villa was the subject few years
ago of much controversy. 1t was
built during the presidents absence i'm /
England, and his return he found /
to his dismay that the amount eXpend- /
ed upon It was VIGOROUSLY much larger /
than he undertook to pay. The allega- /.
tion was that value was received in /
the shape Of concessions. The matter, /
however. was never brought to a head, /
and the public are allowed TO think /
whatever they like about il TO this day /