Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-12-24
THE MOTTO
OF KRUGER
First Pray to God for Guidance,
Then Fight.
q TRUE PEN PICTURE
Tho President OF tho Transvanl Is
several Inches over SIX Feet and
Bulit Like n Ginnt-ruIl OF Nntur.
a, Crnninens-A Thorn 10 Eng.
lands ssn.omon for Years slix
Family md Home.

The writer has been much with Dom
Paul Kruger What is here written is
gathered wholly from personal expert
ences. or what the President Of the
Transvaal has told me, says John z.
Owens in the Washington Star.
First. pray God for guidance and
inspiration, then fight" This is his
motto.
Imagine yourself standing in the pres
ence of n man about six feet three
inches in height, somewhat stoop-
shouldered and built like giant; his
hair White with years; his features
homcly and coarse, wearing an ILL
fitting black double breasted Prince
Albert 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 craftiness, he has been a thorn
in the side of the greatest diplomatists
and statesmen in England for twenty
years.
He was born on October 10, 1895. near
the present town of Graft Reinet, Cape
Colony His parents were South Afri-
can farmers, who had left their home in
Europe n few years before Paul was
born, hoping for good fortune In the
new country. But IL did not come.
They remained mere sQuatters, 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 chistened S. ]. Paul
Kruger. but at an carly age the first
two initials
them now when signing State papers.
A FINE RIFLEMrAN.
Paul was taught at an early age to
pray and handle gun. At Z years of
age he was the best shot in that sec
ton. He was II fearless boy. When he
was . years old his parents resented
British regulations and moved to the
northeastern part of Natal colony, not
far from Ladysmith, the first import
ant strategic point in this war
There were two children In the fam
lily, "a girl and a boy, both younger
than Paul. The brother was killed In
native fight in the Natal co.ony 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 Tree State. The senior Kru-
ger was forced to remain, and told
Paul TO take the team home and to
look after his sister
IN take care of her, father" was
the reply.
Everything went well until Paul and
his sister were about five miles from
home. Then n panther appeared in The
read. 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 was completely at the mercy of the
panther. Paul at once realized her
danger, and though he was unarmed
ran to her rescue. The panther by this
time stood with cleaning eyes over the
girl. Paul tackled the panther in
h2nd-to- hand battle. 1t was fierce
struggle. and as Kruger himself told
me, he believed once or twice that the
panther was going to prove too much
for him. But finally he got hold of the
animals throat and literally choked
the creature to death. With the grit
of a bulldog kruger held his grasp OH
the panthcrs throat and only released
it when the animal gave up it's strug-
gle in death.
FIRST MEETING WITH KRUGER.
1t was the latter part Of 1879 that 7
FIRST had the pleasure of meeting Paul
Kruger He was then q man over ffty
years of age, but as strong, erect and
robust as the average man OF thirty
five. He seemed to possess the strength
of e giant The Beers t that time we're
on the verge of 4 war with the British.
When I was introduced to Kruger he
was suspicious of me, and it was only
when assured that I was IN American
that he became at all laxative. In
those days Kruger would talk English,
but since the visit of Sir Henry Lock
TO Pretoria in 1893. the Transvaal Pres
ident has positively refused to utter one
word of English. The Kruger of 1879
was q poor man, he had difficulty in
supplying his family with the necessi-
ties of life Tor, besides his wife. he had
ten children to care for. He lived then
liz Il humble farmhouse. but he left the
farm 10 care for Itself. for he had a
moro important matter to attend to-
the creation Of revolution against the
English Cen. r. j. Joabert. the now
commander OF the Boer forces, and
Vice. President Of the Transyaal young
Pretorius, son Of The country's first
President. ana Kruger We're planning
for the Bocr uprising, which came the
following year resulting in the indie
pendence oe the Boers In 1851 It was
these three that managed the campaign
against the English forces under Gen
cral Cooley at Majuba Hill.
The next time that 7 met Kruger was
In 1891. although he was now the Pres
idcnt Of the nation, and reputed to be
worth si.o0o,000, I found him as simple
and as'democratic as he was in the
days of 1870. when he was unknown to
fame and had hard work ia support his
family. il wos on this occasion that I
realized the great qualities of this man.
lie cordially Invited mo to become hia
guest during the short time that was
10 rcmain In Pretoria, an invitation