The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-03
CECIL RHODES
MAN-HATING SISTER
Most Interesting Woman In South
Africa Is Rich, Eccentric, Impul-
sively Generous, and Has Rather
Rough, Brusque Manners.

In going down to Cape Town recently
ON the Union Line steamship Scot, we
saw a knot of persons gathered about
a woman who occupied a steamer chair
ON the hurricane deck. The southern
trades were blowing half gale, the
ship was rolling frightfuily, and most
passengers were glad to seek shelter.
Hello" said a Jameson raider,
there is Cecil Rhodes sister"
Immediately the top deck became a
cynoSure, for the name of Rnodes mas
a conuuering power in the dark con-
tinent. Moreover, next to owe
Schreiner, authoress and champion OF
the Beers, the most interesting woman
in South Africa today is Miss Alice
Rhodes.
Whenever the peculiarities of the ex-
premier are discussed by those who
know the Rhodes family, the CONVEX
sation is sure to turn sooner or iater
to the eccentric sister, who is Tar famed
for eyincing the same dislike for men
that the empire builder shows toward
women. Her appearance, too, Is SO oe-
cidedly masculine as TO attract all eyes.
Her face is as smoothly ford as tnat
of the typical English squire, with
voice to match. She usually sits with
feet wide apart, and in general lacks
those qualities which go to make up
feminine attractiveness. The open ana
a spice of danger are the breath OF HE
to her, and she is a thorough sports-
woman.
With an active, healthy and pene-
trating nina, she directs her a1IalrS
with the same success as ner prother'
who is the only man for whom she
seems to care. An ample fortune opvl-
ates the necessity of making friends,
hut he, irfor
have done this for her.
During. two days she, directed the
athletic contests on the Scot in way
that proved her executive ability SIT
ting at the point of vantage on the
promenade deck, with the captain, sew
eral officers and a lady companion VINO
is always at her side, Miss Rhodes
regulated the handicaps for the run
ming matches, umpired the COCK
fights and was. particularly active In
the tug of war. Twelve husky Cornish
men had succeeded in pulling every
thing on the ship excepting the crew
expert team. They had never been
beaten.
Fifteen hundred passengers crowded
to the starboard side to witness TINS
Herculean struggle, for Miss Rnodes
was backing the Cornishmen, and OF
fered an additional prize of 95 to the
WlHHeIS. VI. OliC WiiOiO AiON'
lasted, and no one seemed able to win.
Finally the sailors sea training began
to tell, and gradually, inch by inch,
they were hauling the Cornwall miners
near the fatal line, when Miss Rhodes
sprang to her feet and called out:
My faith, Cornishmen, take on your
shoes. That's why the sailors are beat
ing you.' The committee on rules de-
cided that this was no infraction, as
the sailors were also barefooted, ana
then the tug went on. Fixing her eye
on one big fellow who looked as though
he could pull a railroad train, Miss
Rhodes would say from time to time:
I'm counting on you, man." and the
miner was so encouraged at this that
he finally made an effort which nearly
broke his back, but yanked the s.ilors
over the line so suddenly that both
teams went down like nineDins.
When in Cape Town, Miss Rhodes
lives at Groot Schur, beautiful coun-
try seat near the city, where she has
collected geological garden, including
nearly every wild animal in South
Africa. She is versed in politics and
statecraft more thoroughly than many
u member of the colonial office. She
takes the opposite view, of course, from
Olive Schreiner, and was very indig-
nant recently when Sir Alfred Miners
sister, who is the first lady of the land
in Cape Colony, as his eXcellency Is
not married, kissed a little Kaf1ir girl
who had won a prize at the public
school examinations.