St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-03-28
SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN.
There Are Ariseocrats There Altho0o
They Doa't Claim 20 He.

They Dos't Claim 20 He.
Unuuestionably white South Africa
il the most aristocratic country in the
world. There is not white mar or
boy in It under the rank Of 'baas;" not
'boss," remember. In South Africa
the term "baas" has come to mean .
sort of compound of master. sir and
esquire. The barefooted, dirty. drunk
en-, ragged white tramp in South Afri-
ca is asked by the prosperous native
Kafiir or half breed, at whose house or
hut the tramp calls begging: docs the
baas want food?" The same native
tells you that the little baas whom you
hear cursing so stoutly is the son of the
baas in the tent by the railway. mean
Ing that the vicious little imp is thu
son Of q navy on railway construc-
ton near by. He tells you also that
all the land around as far a. you can
see belongs tn the baas who lives in
that little house in the clump Of trees
close to the river" "Yes, baas," mo,
baas," q native always answers to .
white man or boy, whether he Is rich
or poor, dressed in rags or broadcloth.
OF all aristocrats in South Africa the
Boer woman is the greatest. She
would fatty deny it If you told her 70.
In truth, the world is really hateful to
her, and INTERCHANGEABLE to her finger
tips she believes herself to be. The
following facts will enable the Amer
lean women to decide whether she il or
not:
Take, for instance, Mrs. Van Armode
al she sits summing herself at the door
of her tent or by the side of her wagon
in the Karroo, Kalihari desert, or in
the wilds of Swaziland, or maybe the
German protectorate, or anywhere in
South Africa. SO that it is far from the
haunts of all but few civilized people,
which few, as . rule, live many miles
apart. Mrs. Van Armode's husband II
the owner of so sheep. 100 goats and IL
draught oxen. The wagon or tent. or
both, may not be his own. Most
probably he has received them on cred
It, either in the South African or
Orange Free States. or. perhaps. In
Cape Colony or Natal. until he can pay
for them. In one or another of these
states Mr.. and Mrs. Van Armode lived
and were prosperous untilrecentyears.
When they wed they had between
them 1000 sheep. 100 head Of draught
oxen. 80 horses and goats innumera-
BILE, besides more than $4,000 acres OF
good land. Other thousands of acres
they hired, their own being insufficient
to pasture all their stock. Droughts,
horse sickness, cattle disease. sheep
and goat maladies reduced them to
their present poverty. With their ten
children they have travelled to wild re-
gions, where pasture is practically free,
and where they hope to regain :sros-
perity.
Their food II composed Of boiled
mealler Qndian corn), ground or un-
ground, and goats milk. The tent OF
wagon is furnished with large E:ble,
big wooden chest, a brightly polished
copper kettle and a large wooden
frame. across which and lengthwise
are stretched leather thongs- This ar-
ticle is their one bedstead. In the tent
it rests on stones or short posts. On II
sleep Mr.. and Mrs. Van Armode. Their
children sleep ON tanned goat skins.
laid on the ground. Slowed away at
the bottom Of the big chest will be
found few ounces of coffee and the
same amount Of sugar, with possibly Z
little Cape brandy, all Of which are re
ligiously kept In case of the arrival Of
q white visitor. On such an occasion,
should the visitor not arrive on foot,
the bright. shining coffee kettle is at
once called into useful requisi.lon
Close Mt hand, whether in tent or wag'
ON, is the overloaded rife, ready at Ill
times for immediate use. Two thong
bottomed low stools and feather bed
laid ON the ''riempye" (thonged
frame), and the inventory Of the Van
Armode's household goods il almost
complete. Most of the scanty ward
robe Of the family is daily worn. and as
it falls into complete ruin it il some
how renewed. Mr.. Van Armode eees
that he aud his 'vrouw" have "vcld-
schoens" Of his own manufacture to
cover their feet, but as for the chill
dren's feet, natures covering is qnite
ufficient-Roston Transcript.