Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-05
FIRST PRAY, THEN FIGHT"
Characteristic Motto of the Patriarohal
President of the Transvaal.
HOW HE LOCKS, ACTS AND TALKS
Taught at an Early Age to Pray and
Handle n Gun-Instructive sketch
of the Famous Ruler
of the Bocrs.

The writer has been much with Dom
Paul Kruger. What is here written is gath
cred wholly from personal experiences or
what the president OF tho Transvaal has
told me-
First pray to God for guidance and iu-
. spiration, then fight" This is his motto.
Imagine yourself standing in the presence
Of man about six feet three inches in
height, somewhat stoop-shouldered and built
like a giant; his hair white with years;
his features homcly and coarse, wearing an
ill-ftting black double breasted Prince AL
bert coat reaching below the knees such
man is Dom Paul Void of book learning,
apparently not talented above the average
man, armed only with his natural crafti-
ness, he has been thorn in the side OF
the greatest dplomatists and statesmen In
England for twenty years.
He was born on October 10, 1926, near
the present town of Graft Reinet, Cape
Colony. His parents were South African
farmers, who had left their home in Holland
a few years before Paul was born, hoping
for good fortune In the new country. But
| II did not come. They remained mere squat
ters, and at the time Paul was born his
parents owned only two or three slaves.
which meant little. The future president
of the Transvaal was christened S. j. Paul
initials were dropped. He uses them now
when signing state papers.
Paul taught at an early age to pray
and handle a gun. At years of age he
was the best shot in that section. He was
a fearless boy. When he was 8 years old
his parents resented British regulations and
moved to the northeastern part Of Natal
colony, not far from Ladysmith, the first
important strategic point in this war;
Il
family girl and boy, both younger than
| Paul. The brother was killed in a native
| fight in the Natal colony and the sister
| lived to see her brother made president of
the Transvaal.
When Kruger was about II years OF age
! his father, sister and he went with the
bullock team some distance into the Orange
. Free State. The senior Kruger was forced
to remain and. told Paul to take the team
home and to look after his sister.
I'll take care of her, father" was the
reply.
Everything went well until Paul and his
sister were about FIVE miles from home.
Then a panther appeared in the road. The
sixteen bullocks in the team took fright and
ran away. The jolting OF the crude wagon
threw the sister from the seat into the
roadway, where she completely at the
mercy Of the panther. Paul at once realized
| ner danger, anu tnOuSn ne was unarmeu
ran to her rescue. The panther by this time
l. stood with cleaning eyes over the girl.
% Paul tackled the panther in a hand-to- hand
battle. 1t was a fierce struggle, and as
Kruger himself told NE he believed once or
twice that the panther was going to prove
too much for him. But finally he got hold
IA on the animals throat and literally choked
II the creature to death. With the grit of q
bulldog Kruger held his grasp on the
panther's throat, and only released it when
"a the animal gave up its struggles in death.
First Meeting with Kruger.
l. 1t was in the latter part of 1879 that
lie I first had the pleasure of meeting Pau
Kruger. He was then a man over 81
years Of age but as strong, erect and robust
as the average man of 35. He seemed tc
possess the strength of a giant. The Beers
i, at that time were on the verge OF wal
>, ;, with the British. When was introduced tc
Kruger he was suspicious of me, and 1T wa'
I. only when assured that an American
that he became at all talkative. In thos'
days Kruger would talk English but since
=, ~ the visit of Sir Henry Lock to Pretoria IL
~ 1898 the Transvaal president has positivel!
refused to utter one word of English. Th
Kruger of 1879 was poor man; he hat
OF difficulty in supplying his family with tn
as necessities of life for besides his wife hi
ae then in humble farm house, but he lef
ne the farm to care for itself, for he had
III more important matter to attend to-th
creation of a revolution against the English
u General p. j. Joubert, the now commando
Ut of the Boer forces and vice president OF tn
Transvaal, young Pretorius, son of tn
country's first president, and Kruger wer
L. planning for the Boer uprising which cam
st the following year, resulting in the inde
lie these three that managed the campaign
IL against the English forces under Genera
as Colley at Majuba Hill.
en- The next time that met Kruger was Il
1894. Although he was now the president o
a nation and reputed to be worth $4,000, ,OOC
IL found him as simple and as democratic a
=" he was in the days of 1879, when he was un
known to fame and had hard work to sup
port his family. 1t was on this occasion tha
ny I realized the great qualities OF this mar
or He cordially invited me to become his CUES
ar, during the short time that l was to renal
lily in Pretoria, an invitation which I readil
lst accepted. He would not talk English to m
he on this occasion, SO / had to carry on m
he conversation with him through the member
ed OF the family.
nix He Loves Americans.
The old president never tired Of talkin
about the United States, designating thl
- republic as his big brother, and wishin
- that he were in position to make treat
with America in order that he might faVo
our merchants in trade
81 can trust Americans" he would sa!
"for know that they do not want my coun
try"
Before left his residence he said to IN
through his secretary: when you go HON
to the United States tell the people ther
for me that there Is small nation her
loving their country and their liberty, an
idolizing the American flag and the FIRE
institutions of your country. May tn
United States ever prosper and remain tru
to the principles established by her found
ers is my earnest wish" AS he fnishe
talking a tear was seen running down tt
old mans cheek.
He often talked OF the days when
drove his fathers old bullock team, and no
prides himself on the fact that he is sti
able to crack thirty FOOT whip over si'
teen bul!ocks.