Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-11-02

Was Born.
Here is the man of the hour--the man
maybe, of the coming year. says llar-
rer's Weekly IN an al ticle on President
Kruger. He has never been an incon-
spicuons figure since first he was known
ms the thead man. of the South Afri-
can Republic, now nearly 20 years ago;
but the logic of recent events, OF his
own conduct, perhaps tof is II OF Mr..
Chamberlain? brings him forward
So now the call boy has announced that
it is exit Drcyfus, enter Kruger, and
it behooves US all to become as well
acquainted with our new player as is
possible where his particular stage is
so far away and so out cf the reach OF
ordinary members of the audience.
There is q fine vein of comedy in all
that concerns the simple but cunning
old Dutchman. Whether he appears IN
the euise of patriarch and prophet and
breaches to his people from the pulpit
of the state church at Pretoria one OF
these wonderful sermons in which tho
experiences of wandering Israel are
brought down to date and applied
with amasing inconeruity to the con-
cession disputes of his little gold-mine
government, OF again in the character
Of one of the worldly rulers of today,
and addresses a long telegram to his
beerudgingly acknowledged suzerain,
her most gracious Majesty, as Dear
Queen,'' grim smile follows ON ac-
count of all his actions. Those who
have seen Uncle Paul--as his devoted
burghers love to call him-all agree that
he bears well his threescore and 10
years. They add also that TO see him
surrounded by his enormous family of
some Is sons and daughters, inumerable
grandchildren and descendants even to
the fourth generation is to dispel much
of the incongruity which his assump.
seems to produce.
In spite of the increased dignity
which his office has gained with the
coming Of civilization and wealth
through the discovery of gold, it has
done little, it seems, to dispel the old
time manners of a common peasant
with which Paul Kruger was born.
The executive equipage and the guard
of honor which attends it do not always
contain or surround parsonage whose
dress could even be described as cleanly.
OF smartness there would be no ex-
pectation. Yet one would think that a
carriage might compel collar, or a
guard of honor a necktie. But it is the
truth that his Honor of the Transvaal
is often seen in public without either
unnecessary attribute of fashion.
One description rather brutally added
the fact that he is stranger to the
uses of handkerchief, and that during
one long interview which the speaker
bad with him he continually spat into
the waste-b basket near the conference
table. The long, loosely fitting black
frock coat is often grimy with dirt, and
the huge, lumpy black shoes often
wholly Innocent of polish. There are
manners which &C with his personal
appearance and have none of the little
conventicnalities of life to smooth them
over. The old gentleman says always
what he thinks, and never troubles to
say what he does not feel, save, perhaps,
in the larger conversations which make
history. For, according to these critics,
much discrimination is needed in talk
ing in full many of his recent public
protestations of affection for England
and Englishmen, as well as his inces-
SAINT pIonunciamentos as an eternal ad-
herent of peace.
One would think that his visits to
lIUItlOn uiSub HhNo SiOWu HIN luB
benefits, if not the comforts, Of the
little amenities of life But he is said
to regard London and its products as a
modern Babylon, ripe for the destruc.
tion of an avenging Heaven. That he
may be one of the factors in tho de-
struction of this den Of iniquity and the
people who live in it is said by those
who know him best to be one of the old
genileman's private beliefs in his
destiny.
He can read and write the Dutch
language of his people, but is said
never to have ventured far into the
common domains of history and geog-
raphy. The former he holds to be ii
reverent aud useless wherever it disa-
grees with Holy Writ, ard the latter
unnecessary in good citizens, who
should love their homes and stay in
them.
Too great knowledge of geography
has made the Englishman of today, or.
according TO his own famous statement,
"The English care so little for their
own homes that they have no hesi.
tation in invading the homes of others. .
Mr.. Kruger pretends not to under.
stand English He confesses, however.
that he once attempted to learn tht
language, and his method was am
musing as indicative of his general line
Of conduct. He carried with him oil
board the ship which first took him to
England Bible printed-in both Eng
lish and Dutch. He SAID that as thi:
was the only book with which he wa,
familiar, he thought he could easily
learn the English equivalents CT tht
Dutch texts which he knew SO well.
L. IT, s,Hgt ,,aL,
might be expected from his method
and finally told fellow traveller tha
the Word Of God seemed to him to be
come profane in the tarbarous tongue
of King James savants.
His Biblical manner of speaking il
parallels is not wholly to be laid at tn,
door of religious habits of mind. Tbi.
parable point of view is pronounced
attribute of the South African native
Whenever a Kafiir wishes to say that b,
has made big strike-tha is, done a
good piece of business-he general,
says that lie has killed an elephant, Of
perhaps, more civilized, that he ha,
Just slaughtered an OK.
All his life, formerly more than now
Paul Kruger has associated with thu
natives. And from them he has taket
on this habit of speech, as well as th,
more important method Of always doin.
business in an indirect way, of neyel
attacking the question az issue directl,
or conducting business in o straight
forward manner.
Not that any one often accuses hin
of material dishonesty. Those who at
tack say that his cunning mind imae
ines that moro is to lie gained If tn
bargain is circuitously arrived at, jus