News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1899-12-27

.uary 26, 1881, tired and footsore from
their weary march, and after looking
down the slope on the Boer' equip
ment of about 1000 men, they laid
down to rest.
When the Beers saw them they were
about 10 fly, but General Smit with a
few picked men, volunteered to climb
TO the summit, which they did. before
the British soldiers were awake in the
early dawn, they sat on that natural
parapet which crowns the hill and De-
gan to pop off their enemies at their
ease
The amazed British soldiers fought
for six hours. but to their consterna-
ton hey discovered that the ammuni-
ton was giving out, and in their aea-
peration picked up stones and threw
Them at the pi fless, firing Beers. The
latter saw their predlcament and
charged down on them, yelling and mr.
ing with the deedly aim of skilled
hunters and showing, no mercy until
eighty-fve killed and 131 wounded and
ABOUT sixty prisoners were left wiIA
the Beers on the hillside. General
Coliey was killed 1t was rumured
that he committed sulc1ae When ne
a'w the blunder that he had made,
but Dame Rumor in South Africa told
us that General Colley was shot Dv
one of his own men in a fury or ang-
err at being caught in such trap and
without ammunition
While in Durham. Natal. I met a
few surviving members OF the gallant
Eff B-eighth, which suffered the great
esr loss. The ehee music of the oand
was torn and blood-stained, while the
brass instruments were dented out Of
shape by the flying bullets
The chin would culver and shud-
/ de. would seize them and sometimes
the eye would moisten when they al
luded to Maiuba Hill
The Beers are a great people to re-
lax when there is nothing to do. but
when danger threatens their homes
and country they prowl around and
sight their enemy with a sagaclty
equal to the man-eating lion, and,
then. when least expected they pounca
on their prey and bring it to earths
with one fell swoop, as you might
say They have had to learn to De
willy.
The great religious undertone of the
Boer nature is constantly being allud-
ed to and also how much he trusts and
confides in the American. We found
the Beers particularly gracious.
President Brandt, who for twenty-five
years was President of the Orange
Free State, was the greatest Roman
Of them all. He was educated in Eng
land, and was a polished old patriarch
and the least aggressive Of any of the
leaders. He bel eyed in coercion. ar
bitration and in uniting the different
States into one great commonwealth,
similar 10 our United States. That
was his dream. and he was the Kind of
man that gave the best he had for MS
country
Dom Paul Kruger is totally differ
ent type of man, raised up especially
for the deliverance (?) of this gener-
alton. He was born in Colesberg,
Cape Colony. more than seventy years
ago, and when more than ten years of
age went forth with his fether and
family and crossed the Orange River
in the Great Trek of 1867. In his
youth he was noted for his courage
and for being a crack shot and also for
his good judgment in all things His
running powers were famous. for men
said that he could keep up for while
with a good horse.
1t is said that he has probably not
had more than six weeks schooling in
his life. and possibly never heard any
one preach or teach. especially upon
any of the great issues of life. until
after he was thirty-four years of age.
About that time an American mis-
sionary, living in Natal, the Rev. Mr..
Lindley, applied to the Government
for leave to go up the country into the
Transvaal and preach the Gospel to
the Beers. It is said that Dom Paul
Kruger went one night to hear Mr..
Lindley preach, probably the first
preaching he had ever heard. After
services Dom Paul was nowhere to be
found. and did not return for three
days. When he did he was changed
man. and from that day his life took
on a new tone and the Bible was the
only book he read.
The Hollander is not particularly
liked by Dom Paul and his people, any
more than is the Englishman. He is
no more like The Alexander putchman
than his English cousin. The Boer
speaks a patois and not Holland Dutch
and in the event of war the Hollander
would hardly stick to the Boer. The
Afrikander is the. offspring of the
Dutch colonist and French Huguenot
exile. and after 200 years struggle for
| independence the Hollander of to-day
is quite another type OF man.
Those rich gold mines are there; so
Is the Boer and back of him that fac
tor which the world will yet reckon
| with. the African savage.
This war in Africa will rouse the ma
tives to a frenzy, and there will be
terrible reckoning for somebody.
Either the Boer or the Briton must
leave, or through the horror that will
sweep over the land the rousing of the
native element. unite through sheer
terror and hold the black man at bay.
The native of South Africa is no more
to he compsred with our American
! negro than a civilized man Is to be-
compared to a Wild one.
Our negro lives with all til comforts
and even Injuries Of civilization
around him. with his books and his
| colleges: the other still lives in his
| ,,tanLat and hIinfc thrOuph the nro-