The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-07-21
loom PAUL"
CHE CAREER AND CHARACTER
OF PRESIDENT KRUGER.
Bismarck's Estimation of the Bocr
Leader-Rich and Courageous
Plain and Blunt of Speech
The Bible His Authority
KRUGER is the
- greatest statesman and dip
lomRt haYe ever known ~

after meeting the man who now holds
In his calloused, knotted hands not
only peace or war for South Africa,
but for Europe as well.
Probably less that IS accurate
is known about the private life
and personality of "Oom Paul, p"
as the Beers alectionately call
their President, than about any
other man who is making history
to-day. Yet he is undoubtedly the
most interesting from this as we'll as
public point of view of all the great
personnges who hold the centre of the
worlds stage at the present time.
The keynote of Paul Krueger's
character is not ambition, but stub
born persistency. He has not sought
for political ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, bus all
his life has been fighting against heavy
odds, not rs an aggressor, but simply
to defend and hold what belongs to
him and his people.
President Kruger is n rich man,
being probably worth between n mill
ion aud u half to two million dollars.
most OF which he has accumulated
within the past ten years This is the
principal charge brought against him
by his detractors. But the fact IS that
he has salary of $1,000 n year, or
about $50, 600, and manages to save
$4,000 of it and invest it shrewdlv.
1t Is his wife who il responsible to n
certain extent for their economical
mode Of living. She is n typical
Dutch frau, and takes not the slight.
est interest in politics. She is also
said never to have worn dress that
she did not make herself.
Farms near johannesburg and Pre-
toria have really increased thirty fold
in value within tic last decade, so ii
is no wonder that Pre- ,ident Krucger's
fortune has grown proporlionatelv.
Like his honesty, his courage cannot
be called into question. Evcz in his
old age, President Kruger possesses
physical courage, an insensibility Of
nerves in most marked degree, rs he
did in his youth. When he was about
thirty he injured his hand by the ex.
ploslon OF gun, and thereupon coollv
amputated his thumb with his pocket
knife few years ago he had the
toothache, but stubbornly refused to
go to dentist, angrily rejecting the
suggestion after learning what tho
charges were likely to be. \ night or
two after that the pain tortured him
SO that he could not sleep, so he got
out of bed, and with his ever ready
pocket knife dug ont the offending
tooth and vent calmly back to sleep
again.
Big game was thick which ho first
came over the Orange River in the
great trek" of 1867, when ten years
OF age, and continued SO until within
the last Sdecade, and Kruger has nj
ways been mighty hunter. His
tavorite weapon mp TO recent date
was an old single-barrelled muZzle.
loader. That age has not changed
his taste for lighting is shown by the
TACT that when the news OF Jamesou's
raid reached Pretoria on the 31st OF
last December, Kruger ordered his
horse to be saddled, and was getting
out his rifle in order to lead in person
his burghers to battle "Now that
this Jameson's on the veldt," cried
the old man eXulting. "well soon see
what he's worth" It was only after n
deal of persuasion that he was induced
to remain at home and not set out Mt
once for Kruegersdo1p.
President Kruger has served n long
apprenticeship at fighting. He is now
about seventy years of age, and his
first experience in war and bloodshed
dates back three score years. when
his family first came from his birth.
place-COlcsburr, IN Cape Colonv-to
what Is now the Transyaal. From the
very first there was nothing but war.
day alter day, with the savage NIata-
beles. Night after night did KRUGER
lie in the "Inager" formed bv the
wagon train, and help the women and
children load the long flint "rocr."
which the men kept busily firing
| against the fierce charges of The hordes
OF savage warriors. There was no
! quarter given i'm this long war, which
| ended only in what seemed to be the
almost complete determination of the
natives
When he reached manhood, Krueger
/ became first % field cOrnet and then 10
commandont. EruegeI's physical
| proves in those days was also some.
| thing extraordinary. 10 is said tlat
SO fleet OF foot was nc thas he could
easily keep pace with the best horse
IN running for % considerable distance
ktuegcr's moral courage is no less
than his physical endowment This
was most recently emphasized when
/ jameson and bis force were prisoners
IN Pretoria. There was eIclt popular
/ clamor among the Beers for the immc
| diate trial and punishment of thoprin.
| cipci offenders, but lac stood ont against
their arguments aud anger with i'm.
| perturbabiity. He took pains TO go
about, nevertheless, among tho NAL.
contents, explaining his reasons for
| exercising mercy, course which me
| justified, as hc always trics TO do with
most OF bis actions, by citing the Bible
as his 'Eority.
President Kruger has had no edu.
cation whatever, in the ordinary sense
of the term, but what the diligcnt
perusal OF his great family bible has
afforded him. And this i5 why it is
80 remarkable that, whether MS n
soldier or q statesman, he has always
been able TO defeat tho best brains of