El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-01

, going on in South Africa, [ assume
that your readers may be interested IL
hearing more of the unique president
of the Boer Republic and of other pro-
minent participants in the bloody con
test from one who was until recently
in close association with him and
them.
1t has been my good f,rtune an6
privilege to know Dom Paul personally
and to watch and follow MIN in his
daily life. For three years, from 1895
to 1898, 1 occupied the position of priv
ate secretary to the Executive council,
or cabinet, of the republic, and my
duties placed me in intimate relations
with the entire official force of the
government. Consequently what 1
have to say will have the virtue of &C.
curacy acd genuineness.
The many descriptions and anec-
do,es recently published concerning
President Kruger go far toward giving
correct picture of that remarkable
man. Standing fully six feet and an
inch in height weighing two hundred
and twenty pounds, his STOPPING shoul-
ders and scraggy beard make it easy
to believe that he has already passed
his threescore years and ten
and now is rounding out his seventy
| fifth year.
And yet his massive frame still is
d
strength prodigious. An incident in
my acquainta with him we'll illus
trates the propulsive force of the ply
steal man. AS is we'll known, he rare
ly sets foot outside of his own home
without stout cane with which, as he
walks, he thumps vigorously upon the
sidewalk with each step.
A few days after the ill-starred jam
eson raid and after the capture of the
English invaders 1 was driving with
the old gentleman in Pretoria. His
anger at the attempted raid still was
at it's height, and he expressed himself
in his usual vigorous fashion rs we
drove, emphasizing his well-turned
periods with successive thumps of his
cane upon the bottom of the carriage.
His Indignation finally reached q eli
strudy arm the cane was raised and
banged down with such force that it
crashed straight through the solid bot
tom of the well-built vehicle.
Much has been said of the dress of
the man which would give the impress
sion that he is untidy in appearance.
The contrary is nearer the truth. I
never have seen him in anything but
black broadcloth, of the best material,
and scrupulously kept, the coat al ways
of the Prince Albert style.
What does give to him an air of
grotesqueness, however, is his trousers,
which never condescend to reach his
ankles, thus exposing good part of
the leg of the old-fashioned high-top-
ped boots which the gentleman always
wears.
of which 1 have spoken, Dom Paul al
ways is seen with his much-beloved
pipe. So indefatigable is he in the
use of it that it goes with him, in full
Operation. even to the sittipgs of the
Volksrasd. AT these sittings he oc-
cupies q chair by the side of the presid-
ing officer, a huge cuspidor at his
elbow.
The smoke curls from the pipe when
the owner is not delivering himself of
one of his forcible lectures. AS he
warns up to his work, however, he di-
his words to this or that offending le-
rects:gislator by:seizing the pipe by the
bowl and welding the stem rs a baton.
Intoxicating liquors he never
touches. nor do the Beers generally.
But both he and they are inveterate
drinkers of coffee. Nor has he an ex-
allied notion OF those who do indulge
in alcoholic stimulants.
On the eve of the Jameson raid,
which was hourly expected to develop,
1 was dispatched to the Kruger men,
sion after midnight to announce to the
president the report that the raiders
were en- route for Pretoria.
I was permitted to stand outside of
the door of his sleeping room and de-
liver my message. The gruff query
came back: "Well, haven't they rum
with them?' I replied that it was
more than likely, whereupon the in
terview was cut short with the growl
from within: go back to bed; they
will not disturb US while their rum
lasts"
Gruff as Mr.. Kruger is in demeanor,
his heart is kindly one and his love
of TESTING is proverbial. My first in
tervieV with him was for the purpose
OF soliciting the appointment which 1 |
afterward obtained. de listened to
my own story of myself, paying little |
heed to my credentials and references,
and at length blurted out: "Well, |
man. come now, are you a good man or |
q rascal?"
His gray eyes lighted up after my
rather disturbed reply that was not |
conscious of being rascal, and then,
with burst of laughter, his tobacco |
pouch was handed to me. From that |
moment 1 felt that had his confid-
snce.
Naturally enough his one great hor-
ror is Great Britain. Upon coming to
his Office one morning he found ON his
table, with his mail, an English altman
&c, possibly cent to him by an enemy
Or . wag. With the snort of an enrag-
I'D bull he tore 1t to tatters and threw
iu from the window with as much sa-
tisfaction as If it had been the form of
Cecil Rhodes.
He speaks neither English nor
French, the Dutch language being the
only one with which he ia conversant,
though 1t Is suspected that he has more
knowledge of English than he cares to
admit. That he is beloved by his peo-
n1a nnaa withnnt ooufpD uo Il. In oil