The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-23
THE Beers AT HOME.
AN INTIMATE STUDY OF THESE
PRIMITIVE PEOPLE.

The simple IdyIIic Daily Life Which
Civilization Is breaking Up-Wfth
Prayer and Psalms the Farmer
Soldiers March out to Defend
Their COuntry-Oppose the Rail-
roads Because They Drive Away
Their Game, and Cannot Under
stand the Need of Taxpayer or IA
Bnnk-COmmandeer
New York, July 21-When the inhabi-
tants of littse free state like the Trans
vaal take UP arms, the world turns with
a half laugh and almost contemptuously
asks: Against whom, pray?" When it
hears thar that state has no seaboard, no
fleet, and is almost entirely surrounded
by the outposts Of a huge empire, interest
is quickened and when it learns that it
is indeed no less than the mighty empire
against which the stout little nation oD-
poses itself. the distant world wondering.y
inquiries: And what manner of men are
these?" Possibly as it learns, it VIII be
remembered of long past days when
Switzerland, a child amongst strong men,
ana little Holland aroused generous in
terest in the same way.
what Manner of Men.
You will hear divers answers as to
what kind of people the Beers are. The
more shorts GIFTED and into.erent among
trayelers-he WHO feels it a grievance that
anyone should have different habits and
marhers to those which ne is himself
steelcaged-many say that the Beers are
I;rt l,t
an ilHterate set of brutes who never
heard of Kipling, an utterly unreined peo-
pie whose knowledge of art is nil. in short
a backward, stupid, unprogressive, half
civilized set who are too thick headed to
know they are standing in the path of
that Juggerraut car, civilization, and
must in the end be crushed beneath IT'S
wheels. But that very traveller, when he
gets aboard the steamer TO sail 10 his
own land of delights, is quite likely to
pick up Scotts Anne of Geierstein, and ex-
claim joyfully that he should like to have
lived in those days. In the rough OPEN
all life of the Geirstein family, on their
mountain sides, one may find no faint re-
semblance 10 the life of the Boer house
hold on a PARKWAY farm-only the Boer
has no pretentons to nObility-that is So
cal rank above his fellows.
It is mistake to read of PAU Kruger
clans as types OF the Boer. Also it is a mis-
take 20 take the dweller in the towns as
typical. To unearth the real TransVaalian
one must seek the wide and solitary Veldt
the hidden valleys, the distant hills and
there, on his farm. draw him out and
study him. Your true Boer despises the
town. He is essentially an agriculturist
and a hunter. Up 70 1892 he never saw
railroad in his country, and he was bitterly
opposed to its coming He argues that
the railroad will drive away the game. and.
without anything 10 shoot at, life win not
be worth living He is extremely con-
servative, and with strangers brusque and
tacturn. but. If he finds you are harmless.
he can be very hospitable. He does not
drink deep. He is religious With a gloomy,
stern religion which makes MIN believe as
did the Covenanters. as much in the Old
Testament as in the New. Like all people
whose belief in the Bible is of that I'M
compromising Kind. he is more or less su-
perstitious. He is moral. He does not be-
lieve in divorce laws. He marres early
in life and is convinced the highest bless
ing IS an abundance of children. He is
sturdily built as a rule, thanks to his way
Of life which is the same as that OF his
father, and his ancestors for many gener-
ations-an open-air life with lots of beef
and cabbage ana milk He is a good horse
man. and a remarkable marksman. He
understands that the man who can shoot
straight and without excitement makes
nowadays, the best soldier. He fears God
and loves his country, but cannot under
stand the need of a taxgatherer. He is.
in fact. the backwoodsman of last century
in The United States come to life again in
Africa.
Daily Farm Life.
AT the first hint of gray IN the cast
ern sky, a The first crow Of the cock
the farm household is up and stirring.
and breakfast, with the usual strong