The times., 1898-09-19
DOM PAUL AT HOME.
Some Stories About the President
Of the TrauxyuaI

of the TransvnaI.
Here are some stories about Dom Paul
Kruger. the president of the TransvaaI
told to a correspondent Of the Chicago
Times Herald, by Charles fitzpatrick.
the famous one-legged trick cyclfst, who
met the great Boer abroad year ago.
Fitzpatrick recently finished tour of the
world. in which he appeared before sew
erat rulers and strong men in Europe
Asia, and Africa OF these several some
OF whom he met vis-a-yis. fitzpatrick ac-
counts the aged burgher and president Of
the South African Republic the most no.
table and interesting The correspond
ent says; Il will quote the versatile and
oihhdnt monoped In the matter of your
Dom Paul.
The peculiar circumstances in which
came TO meet President Kruger said
MI fitzpatrick, were these: / had gone
from Cape Town 10 Pretoria town sug-
gesting the Jameson raid and the giori-
Gus pluck of the Boers). and my fame.
such as 1t is. had preceded me When I
arrived there was committee OF citizens
10 meet me-something that never hap
pened to me here. II was my intention 10
give some sort OF an exhibition there
and l was certain of doing well But
imagine my surprise when / found that
the people there had already arranged the
Whoie program / was booked 20 give
an exhibition for the entertainment OF
the school children of the town and the
gentleman who had the affair in hand
surprised and delighted me by informing
me that President Kruger himself. would
be presens- The citizens were extraor-
dlnar1ly liberal and I was told that the
sum OF ESQ tabout 900 had been raised
This was to be paid 10 me-fOr an exhi-
oitlon OF about two hours. with inter-
missions
" 1t was a pretty afternoon ia the pub
iic park where all the little Beers as
sembled. But there was also a large
| number OF men present who had BEEN At
tracted by the announcement that / was
TO shoot clay pigeons while riding the
wheel. 1t was the first time I had eyer
appeared before children. put was more
sohcitous about the men for you know
the Beers are capital shots. The English
VIII tell you the same / am happy TO
say / did beautifully So well. in fact
that after the shooting the men rushed
out, touched my wheel. critically exam
med the gun 1 had used and some Of
them embraced me. ] think let tear
or two fall. But the best of il all came
when / was told that the president de-
sired 10 see me at his house 4 have never
! beheld more magnificent exempIar of
grand old manhood than Kruger For Il
vigorous, / believe. on the earth They
say he is deaf. He is not deaf. That
story is untrue. He can hear as well as
l can A Boer of the name of WaIdeck
acted as our interpreter.
Now, President Kruger can speak
English quite as well as he can speak
Dutch. but he scOrned TO talk 10 me in
my own language / don't know why,
but that is the fact. After introducti0ns
he said 10 the interpreter I'm Dutch: Ask
him how he lost his leg" Run over by a
train" I replied. and this was translated
Tell him he IS marvslously expert for .
One-legged man. said Kruger Tell
him." said J. that ne is very kind TO
say So. Tell him, said Kruger. that
/ am always happy to meet an American
one of his great race" Tell him" said
/ 10 the buffer on the fender. or whatever
you want to call him. that we had two
men in America that were greater than
any three men that ever set foot on
earth Ask him" said Kruger, who
they were George Washington" said
I. ''and Abraham Lincoln"
The old man glared at the interpreter
with an awful face He did not look
a me at all, but, TO tell you the truth.
! was terribly awed- Now, Kruger speaks
in a tone that would do considerable
credit to a large-sized meSaphOne. But
in making his reply 10 my last shot he
doubled the volume of his vOice ard
almost put me to flight TELL the young
man" reared Dom Paul, that l know
more about the history of George wash
ington and Abraham Lincoln that he
dOest"I thought I had gone far enough
after that, and / then made some Ie-
marks / thought complimentary TO tie
Beers, and the president made {. sign
that the interview was over He was Sit
ting on his porch. and he arose and went
within. Waldeck and I rUrIed TO leave.
but as we were going Dir. Kruger came
back and gave Waldeck ans EagIish SOY
ereign with instructions 10 have t prop
erly engraved and presented TO me as a
gift from the President of the TrausvaaI.
| thoroughly appreciated the lift, and
the story was told about town The next
day an English newspaper edited by an
Englishman and an IrishruIn came cut
with an editorial about the matter. in
which IT was stated that this was the
first time Paul Kruger was ever known
to give away anything"
Mr.. fitzpatrick says that the famous
statesman and president is far from dy-
ing. His brain is as clear and MS health
as vigorous as that of many men twenty
years his junior. Dom Paul, says the
traveller. is intensely fond of Americans
and likes American institutions. or at
least, says he does. although he does not
seem overwhelmed to copy the broad lib
eralism of the United States in the mat
ter of suffrage. The Beers, according 10
Mr.. Kilpa trick, are a strong, hearty lib
erty-loving race. who viii in time learn
the advantages of perfectly free institu-
tions. but he does not blame them for
holding the British in check They are
backward. too, in purely physical prog
reSs. but much of that Is due 10 the phys
Biography of the country they live in