The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-19

once seized a buffalo that was standing
in a stream by the horns and by sheer
strength Of muscle, twisted its neck until
its head was under water and the brute
was drowned.
These, and a thousand other tales OF
prowess are among the folklore of the
Transvaal
OF book learning Dom Paul has but
scant store In the Orange Free State.
where he was born and spent great por-
ton Of his boyhood, h had no chance for
schooling. His father was too poor TO
buy his shoes even, let alone books. And
yet he has baffied the wisest mems learn
ing with his sagacity. His intuitive know
ledge of human motives is marvellous.
He reads even a complex character with
a glance OF his little, twinkling. elephant
like eyes. Once in Johannesburg, there
was an elected school board which was
becoming daily more powerful. The mem
bers were mostly English, among them a
Mr.. Holt of ultra English views. The
board was the only hope of the English
element fo1 securing control Of Johannes
burg. In November, 1894, President Kru-
ger issued an edict that only the Boer
language should be used at the meetings
of the School Board, and only those who
could speak that language should be quail
fled for membership. The English FUN
ed and protested; but it was either sub
NIT or resign. They resigned.
When the Jameson raid was met and
crushed in manner which left no boubt
that Dom Paul had had secret knowledge
in advance of the movement, it was firm
" believed for a time that there had been
a traitor in the camp. That was not true
Dom Paul had the information all right,
but he did not get it from a traitor. He
got 1t by one of the smooth ittls devises
which are peculiar to him. Suspecting
something was in the wind he enlisted all
the pretty barmaids Of Johannesburg in
his service-made them a wing of his de-
tective bureau. Through them he learn
ed that new men were bing enlisted at
the Cape and that new guns were being
shipped week after week from England
The Englishmen babbled all their secrets
over their cups, in a word, and straight
they went to Dom Pauls ears.
The absolute autocrat of his little Re
public, the Boer President is as simple
in his ways and mode of life as the rud-
est burghers He is even too simple to
suit some of his Boer admirers, who
would prefer to see theih Chief Magis-
trate put on a few more frills and out
sUade him at one time to set up a car
riage, but he did it reluctantly and used
it as little as possible. His visitors are
received on the veranda of his house as
they might be at any farm house in the
country. Dom Paul, always rumpled and
frowsy looking, and, if the truth must be
told, just a shade dirty at times, receives
them with a handshake and few simple
words of greeting. If they are English
speaking his first question invariably is
as to whether they are friends of Cecil
Rhodes. If they say they are, that ends
the conversation. He will have nothing
more to say to them. Cecil Rhodes is
his bette noir. To him he attributes all
the recent Boer troubles.
There has long been an unwholesome,
tallowy look in Dom Pauls face which
English writer's have dwelt upon with
suspicion of satisfaction at the hint 1t
gave of some fatal malady. Under his
eyes are great, baggy saes which wrink-
lie and unfold curiously as he talks of
laughs. But his health is of the rudest,
Notwithstanding these suggestions of kid
ney troubles. His sallowness might very
well come from his excessive coffe-drink-
ing. And then he is an inveterate smok-
er. His long black pipe is always asso-
ciated with him in the minds of those
who have talked with him. In the use Of
alcoholic drinks he is moderate as al
most to come in the category of a total
abstainer. Yet he does not deprecate a
reasonable use Of stimulants in othrs.
Queer tales are told OF his frugality,
as, for instance, when nearly mad once
with toothache, ne Indignantly refused
to pay the dentists moderate price for
~ ~ To-, fry,5e.
then and there dug it out himself.
It is not merely through his political
sagacIty, his indomnible force of will,
his shrewdness. leonine physical courage
and his well-known absolute devotion TO
his country that Dom Paul holds sway
over his people He is, to their fervid pi-
ety. sort of prophet as well. In all the
Transvaal there is not preacher who is
anywhere equal to him. There is an i'm
petous rushing force to his oTatory which
sweeps all before It. Himself imbued with
blind, devoted faith in the literal Scrip
turs, he interprets TENN as one inspired
10 his hearers. He ses in vrTthing tn
hand of God. He has proclaimed from
the pulpit that the hand Of God diverted
the bullets which the jameson raiders
fired, and directed 10 their mark those
which few from the relentlessly aimed
BOer rifles. The war now waEiug he has
and IS preaching as a holy war. An L
norane man himself. semifanatical en-
thusiasm bears him or as it bore Crom-
we'll and inspires his followers as Crom-
wells followers were inspired.
Dom Paul is never 50 dangerous, l. has
been said very often. as when he begins
10 quote Scripture At the very begin
ming of the recent friction with England
his deep voice began ringing like war
trumpet with souoroUs quotations from
Holy Writ. Those who know the man
a,,-t l-rnu- -ha+ IL O =, cr,,f-,nErs nlta