The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-27

Some Interesting Stories of the God
Fearing south Africans.

New York Commercial Advertiser.
In the winter the trek Beers, owing to
the want of grass on the high weld, take
their cattle to the low country to feed.
Many of them go into Zululand, and, by
arrangement with the chiefs, their herds
are allowed to Craze on the Zulu pastures.
This season, owing to the political crisis,
the Beers have had TO return home before
the grass had come UP in the Transvaal.
cattle behind Therefore, to prevent the
Zuus from stealing the beasts, or neglect
ing them, number of the gentle Beers in
the Mahlabatini district have forcibly alb
Quoted as many Of the Zulu children as
they could lay hands on; so that il any
thing happens to the cattle something will
happen to the children. These farmers be-
long to the Utrecht and Vryheld districts.
A young man who was acting min
ing commissioner at Krugersdorp commit
own uses s' some 81 SO Of pubIic money His his
name was Nicholas Smit, and after the dis
coyery of the false step he decamped. and
bique-for some weeks; his father, also a
public official, repaid about half the money.
and the prodigal returned to his post.
President Kruger shortly afterward visited
burghers, whereupon one of them, also an
officeholder, asked his Excellency II officials
lie money, to run away, and then come back
and be reinstated? The critical citizen
added, in that free and easy way in which
they are accustomed to converse with the
head of the state. that. as a good deal OF
the republics cash passed through his
hands, he would like TO know whether he
genial President, ''how much you have
taken"-and then his Honor Joined I'm the
Homeric laughter which this refined Witt
cfSm evoked But the stern republican was
not TO be put off, he insisted on knowing
whether Nick Smit-as everybody called
him-had not stolen the states money and
giving President 81 don't know anything
about the stealing. but he was away with
out leave. and has been fined a25 for it,"
There the matter might have ended. but
there happen to be few uitlanders in
Krugersdorp. and these, with the more re-
spectacle burghers, did not relish the re-
punished thief" and they kept remonstrat-
ing. So. to make things pleasant all round.
the revered President removed the mining
commissioner TO Potchefstroom and gave
him better salary.
Subjoned is literal transcript from the
report Of the first Volksraad OF Aug p:
Petitions from various districts with 3ss
signatures were read, praying that law
should be passed Immediately prohibiting
officials who had been dismissed for en-
bezzlement, fraud and so on. The memorial
lists said it frequently happened that off,
were. subsequently, promoted TO a higher
position in the civil service, to which
procedure they objected. The memorial
should be referred 10 the government with
instructions TO publish a draft law as
prayed and submit IL TO the Raad next year.
The commissions report was carried.
An Orange Free State burgher in reply
to the assertion that the administration of
his republic was more honest than that OF
the Transvaal said: Yes: we are not so
bad as they are. but it's easy being honest
where there's nothing TO steal"
In the case OF postmaster In the Trans
vaal put trial recently for misappro-
priation OF government funds merciful Roer
jurists acquitted the erring Official on the
ground that. after all. he had stolen only
e4oo and he might have taken E2.00o" A
felow-feeling makes us wondrous kind.
The pious. Bbie-reading. psalm singing
Beers are unable 10 comprehend the new
fashioned notion which the Anglo Saxon
uitlanders have introduced into the Trans
vaal that the kaftirs have some rights.
Great indignation was expressed recently
because the interfering foreigners caused