Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1896-02-20
THE TRANsvAAL
President Kruger Is Brave Old Dutch
man, Who Knows No Fears.

man, Who Knows No Fears.
Although the Transvaal is in name q
republic, It is really governed by a
despotic oligarchy Indeed, it might
be said to be ruled by triumvirate,
consisting of President Kruger, Gen.
Joubert and Gen. Smit. The chief and
best known of these is President Krn-
ger, or "Oom Paul." as he is almost
universally called by the Beers. He
is a robust old man Of something more
than 70 years. In early life he was
physically the strongest man ii the
whole Transvaal, and he is even now
by no means decrepit. He has long,
narrow head, with small, cunning eyes
deeply set under furrowed brows, q
large and rather coarse nose and mouth
and struggling beard. There is little
of the phlegmatic Dutchman in his
manner and conversations; on the con-
trary, he is voluble, excitablc and given
to profusion of gestures.
In religion he is ''Dopper''-that is,
member Of the most conservative and
bigoted sect among the Beers. He used
to be great fighter and leader Of raids
against the natives. When he was II
mere lad he distinguished himself in
campaign against the Zulus. A Boer
expedition on the upper waters of the
Vaal river received tidings at the close.
of days fighting that a Zulu impi was.
advancing to attack them. The Beers,
all excepting young Kruger, refused to.
believe it and lay down to sleep, but,
Kruger believed the news, determined
to keep watch all night and persuaded
one comrade to sit up with him.
Sitting on wagons on opposite sides
of the camp, their rifles in their hands,
they watched all night. Atlength, just
before daybreak, Krugers keen ear
caught the sound Of approaching feet
He had just time to give the alarm
when thousand or more Zulus
charged full upon the camp. There
was desperate struggle, but the Beers.
were at last successful and the Zulus
were repulsed. But had it not been for
Kruger's watchfulness there is little
doubtthat every one Of the Beers would.
have been slaughtered.
Kruger bears upon his body many
scars of bullets and spearheads. His
left hand is minus thumb, which he
lost many years ago. He was out hunt
ing when his gun burst and terribly
mangled the thumb. He was afraid
lockjaw would set in, and SO entreated
his comrades to amputate the mem
Der. One of them tried to do so, but his
heart failed him and he gave it up
ThereupOn Kruger seized knife with
his other hand and himself cut off the
mangled thumb. The very small scar
now remaining shows how good job
he made of it. He has several times
visited England on missions for his
countrymen.
He first went wearing the broad felt
hat, the short jacket and shoes of un
tanned leather which form the usual
costume of .Dopper" Boer. But on
his return home his astonished friends
bcheld him clad in a high silk hat, a
long black frock coat and polished
boots. He told them that England was
a good enough country and contained.
some fine houses, but all the land seemed
to belong to some one. Even outside
of London you could not sit down under
a tree to smoke pipe without having
some one come up and say the land
was his and ask you what you were
doing there. Kruger has stubbornly
refused to learn word of English
and there is no man in the whole re-
public who regards Englishmen with
more hatred and contempt than ha