The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-23
PRIMITIVE LIFE OF THE BOER.
Civilization Destroying His Simple Idyc Exisence-Wth
Psalm and Prayer the Farmer Soldiery Rush Out
to Defend Their COuntry-0ppOse Rail-
roads AS They Drive Away Game.

, sary Of the battle in which they |
whipped the English in 1SS1-may De
| celebrated by a grand meet of all the
neighbors for simple prizes. There is
not, to the outsider, very much ex-
citement-no yelling nor waving of
handkerchiefs. It is rather grave
function, for even the children know
that ii is a kind of examination, dur
ing which each patriot is anxious TO
show with what a deadly aim he can
shoot, when the time comes, for his
fatherland- He does not fire off crack
ers on Majuba Day, nor get drunk. nor
howl. but accepts it as an occasion for
/ quiet, triumphant Thanksgiving and
| little patriotic oratory denouncing the
| demands of the Uitlanders. When the
match and the speeches are over he
drives home to bed by shutdown, as
usual. OF course in the bigger towns
but there is really no big towns in all
the republic-things may be more ami
mated.
Three or four times a year he goes to
Nachtmaal, which is equivalent to the
Scotch Fast Day" or communion. In
the little market square of the nearest
| little burg, there will stand a modest
whitewashed building like a barn.
This is the church for the district. and
here at stated periods the farmers
gather from all about They don't
take their families to hotel, though
some may stay WIN IrlenuS, Out urlNe
the two or three days journey in the
big white canvased wagon, drawn by
from twelve to sixteen fat. wide-horned
oxen. They make camp near the town,
in meadow, probably, by the stream,
and live in and under the wagon dur
ing the Nachtmaal, cooking for them
selves the food they have brought
along. The congregation gathers, dur
ing this time, day and evening. Their
neighbors meet between whites and
gossip, and perhaps transact a little
business. They would not belong to
the human family if, of course, the
lads and lassies did not walk and talk
and court and exchange VOWS. These
are the great outings, the picnicks, of
the year, and small tradesmen and Jew
peddlers are on hand with nicknacks
and trumpery to Tell to the young
folks, so that, outside the services. the
meeting lis a kind of fair. Sometimes,
also, there may be d wrestling match,
or jumping match between young men,
in which ali, old and young, Will take
deep interest.
His Simplicity.
Although the Boer has proved that
he can be long-headed and shrewd in
political and other grave matters, In
some of the ordinary matters of life he
| is remarkably simple. There are
many stories told of his unsophisu-
Gated ways. A prospector for gold
found signs of it on d farmers land,
and, after great effort, succeeded in
buying the portion he desired. A check
on bank in Pretoria was offered IN
payment, but the farmer had never
been inside a bank, and did not know
what a check was. He would take
nothing but gold, and gold, consider
able amount, was finally handed over
to him. The excitement of the trans
action over, and his bewilderment at
possessing so. much wealth past, the
farmer began to fear what he had
never had to trouble himself about be-
fore-robbers. He slept on his money.
and, as he could not take it out with
him to his work, ha either sat at home
watching it with d gun, or else had one
of his stalwart sons do the same.
When occasion demanded that he
should visit the town, he drove in with
an armed son, and while one of the two
did business in the market place, the
other sat on the box containing the
treasure, warning off all corners. 1t
was only after his pastor had reasoned
with him for months, and then with a
great deal of doubt and nervous, eau
tious questions, that he was persuaded
to put his fortune in the Standard
bank.
One good woman with children she
was very proud of. though they were
but rude and awkward boys and girls,
had been in Pretoria, and there, by
some chance, was taken to lunch at
the home of the English bishop. She
could not speak English, but her hosts
had been at the pains to learn some
thing of Dutch. The farmers wife was
so much struck by the neat and polite
daughters of the bishops wife that
she went home saddened. She felt
that, after all, her swans We're but
ugly ducklings. For a long time she
worried, until. one day, along came n
trampZa wallaber, with whose appear
ance she was struck. He was English,
and the old lady had a happy thought. !
He was a tenderfoot and knew not j
word of "tael,' but an interpreter was
found, and the tramp was Hospitality
told he was to stay right there and
teach the youngsters English speech |
and English manners. He protested
that he could not teach English if he
did not know some Dutch, but the old
lady was obdurate, so he accepted the
post. His first appearance at the table
was signal for the mother to gather
her flock and make them watch how
the amazed and unhappy Englishman
handled his knife and fork and so on. /
He stayed at the farm a long time,
and, as he really was a gentleman,
down on his luck, probably earned his
board. At any rate the simple old far
n er's wife felt her peace of mind re-
stored, when her children had had IAN |
English education"
Communicating.
So the Boer farmer and hunter. pur-
sues his even way, as his people nave |
ever done. and if what he considers |
the accursed) gold had never been
found in his land, he might so pursue |
it to the end of the chapter. 1t is to |
be feared, however, that foreign capt. |
tai and railroads, and telegraphs and !
lightning rod agents have broken up |
his idyllic life forever, or. rather, will |
soon do so. 1t was, is not, however, |
all peace. As the American back !
woodsman was continually on his |
guard against Indians, so the Boer is |
ever ready to take the field against /
Kaffir tribe or-the British.
Then the plough and the hoe are laid |
aside, and the rifle Is cleaned carefully, |
but not now for a pleasant hunt after |
game. The call to arms is simple: |
mobilization is primitive. 1t amounts |
to little more than if Kruger, or Cen |
eral Joubert were TO shout at the top !
of his voice, so that the whole country !
could hear him: All hands on deck /
for actioni" At the war cry the patri- !
OTIS know they have been commanders |
ed There is no squabbling about vol |
unteering, or enlisting, or drafting. |
Except the women, the very old and |
the very young, everybody responds. |
even boys of - and 14-but the average
Boer boy is a pretty stout and healthy
kid, and has been taught to shoot
since he was 10 or H. Each man takes
his horse and his rifle and proceeds TO