Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-05

soldier is stationed in front OF the presi
dents house, and no one excepting officials
Is permitted to enter the residence during
the day unless the secretary authorizes the
sentry to pass some especial person. After
Z o'clock in the evening, however, all are
welcome to the chief executives home.
Every morning at o'clock a negro servant
takes a cup OF black coffee and big pipe
filled with tobacco to the presidents room.
AS soon as he has drank the coffee Kruger
rises and smokes the pipe while he is
dressing. He is down stairs by ESQ o'clock
and is ready to lead the family prayers at
o'clock Breakfast is served about 73O a.
m. His morning hours are taken up with
matters of state and the debating Of letters.
The dinner hour is l o'clock. At all the
meals Kruger says grace before bread is
broken. He takes short nap after the
noon meal and is ready promptly at
O'Clock In the afternoon to receive callers.
The supper Is served at o'clock and the
conclusion of this repast ends all the worrf-
ment OF the day for Kruger. Many writer's
have told how hot cups of thick
black coffee are served at frequent inter
walls. Every person received is served with
coffee Besides his salary of $4,000 a year
Kruger is also allowed $4,000 annually for
| coffee money. There is two-galon kettle OF
NolSe dlWbyS not III the kltCnen. Mrs.
Kruger informed me that she has known
the servants to serve over thirty gallons of
| coffee in one day. Kruger drinks large
quantities of it. Most of his day is spent
in the front parlor. He always has big
! cuspidor at his feet and pouch of Trans
vaal tobacco and pipe by his side.
| His Country Saved by Gold.
| Since Dom Paul was elected president in
1881 he has been confronted with some try
| Ing times. In 1888 his country was in a
| bankrupt condition. There was but one
| English shilling in the treasury. and the
salary of all officers, from the president
| down, was one year in arrears. At this
| time Kruger found 1t extremely hard to get
along. There was no credit TO be had for
the country, and Kruger did not know what
to do 1t looked as II a famine was going
to overtake the land, but at the most crucial
period gold was found in the Barberton dis
| trict. messenger from the new gold fields
LOOK sack of gold, containing twenty
ounces, to the president, presenting it to
| him as the first yield of gold from the
| Transvaal Kruger was astounded when
he saw the gold, 1t is said by those pres
ent that his eyes doubled in size. He asked
where it came from and was informed that
1t was from the Barberton district
rs there any more left?" asked Kruger
| tiS "aS lOlu that the country was TlCn
in gold ore and that millions of pounds
could be secured where that came from
Thank God! My country is saved" was
his reply.
| Kruger often expressed his regrets that
he was not able to receive an early educa-
tion. His only book for years was bible.
On the occasion of laying the last bolt in
the Pretoria -Delagoa Bay railroad, Novem-
ber, 1894, the president went out in his
private train to perform the act. At
Bronkher Spruit delegation of Beers met
the presidential party. Kruger had to speak
Out from the railroad station, about mile
distant. could be seen the three grouped
graves of the rear guard of British reg-
ment, which had. been annihilated by the
Boers., The present trouble was beginning
to make itself manifest; at least Kruger was
far sighted enough to realize that the storm
would burst before very long. Looking sig
nifcantly toward the graves of the British
soldiers, Kruger said to the 200 old Beers
that had gathered round him:
This is our country Never give it up
Remember that We fought for it and made
it what it is. l will never! Never! Never
permit foreign foe to take the Transvaal
from you so long as l shall live"
JOHN Z. OWENS.