The times., 1899-07-03
THE TRANSVAAL RULER.
What Has Made .Oom Paur' IN
Ininue Charnctcr He Is.


From history of the Transvaal recently
published by Mr.. Van Oordt. State His
torian of the South African Republic. The
New York Sun" has condensed some in
teresting matter relating to the personality
OF the Boer President:
''The founder of the family was a GER
tain Jacob Kruger. who arrived at Cape
Town in 17i3 as a youth of seventeen. in
the service Of the Dutch East India Com
rany. Jacob Kruger was a German. A
descendant OF his. Caspar Kruger. married
and settled on the Bullock farm. near
Coiesburg. in Cape Colony. Ii was there
that Stephanus Johannes Paul Kruger was
porn on October TO- 1925. While stiI quite
child he had to help his parents. in his
nlnth year sometimes acting as shepherd,
ana even leading the oxen yoked in the
wagon Later, when yet too small to
handle the heavy musket OF the period he
went atter game with bow and arrows.
ana returned to the farmhouse with many
a hare and partridge.
ihen came the trek into Natal. and he
went out into the wilderness to begin a life
Oh toli, care and danger. That was the
school in which he was reared and in which
he was trained to be what he is. He re-
eeived his baptism of fire in battle with the
Matabele before the occupation OF yecht
kop, and took part in the repulse OF the
Zulus in the attack on the laager which
followed the massacre at Weenen In Natal
AT eighteen he became assistant field cor
net, and two years later attained full rank.
Later on he served as eommandant asd
commandant general, was one OF the Tri-
umyirate during the war OF independence
lin 1SS0-sS). and has been President since
the retrocession OF the territory OF the
Republic by Great Britain TO its own Gov
ernment. By his people he is spoken OF
as the Lion of Rustenburg.
Although Republic, the Capitalization
OF administration in the Transvaal is such
that nothing can be done without the con-
sent of the executive council. The con-
sequence is that business is often months
in arrears. Mr.. Van Oordt admits the evil
of this and agrees with the contention Of
the VoIksraad, that more power should
be delegated TO the head officials Of the
Government. President Kruger, however,
is most strongly opposed to this. beIiev-
ing il would be dangerous in young State
circumstanced as the Transvaal is TO in
trust the Government wholly TO officials
Be trustworthy, but trust no one Is the
Presidents life motto. which he often
quotes, and which is, according TO his
friends. the plain wisdom OF Paul Kruger
II Is. says Mr.. Van Oordt. the simple phi
losopby Of a man who shrinks from no
duty. but only fears and doubts whether
others will do theirs.
THE personal habits OF President Kru-
ger are extremely simple. He never takes
strong drink himself. but has said that he
believed God gave man strong drink to
use. and that there is no harm In its mod
crate use. Although fairly wealthy, he
lives the ordinary life of well-to-do
Afrikander, indulging neither in ostenta-
ton nor festivities. To poor burghers he
has lent money without any security,
knowing. as he said. that they were hon
orable men. In character Dom Paul is
tiff-necked-obstinate some say-and full
of hardihood. This quality he has dis
played on many occasions. During the war
of independence, with only a small escort.
he rode into the kraal of a Kaffir chief who
was making trouble for the Beers. and.
though he ran great risk of being at
tackled. seized him by the neck. The result
of the interview. begun under such Tn
usual circumstances, was that the chief
remained quiet during the rest Of the war.
while still youth his gun. which he
had overloaded in order to make sure OF
rhinoceros he was hunting burst and
shattered the top of his left thumb. Be
fore he could get assistance the wound
began fostering. for he was far distant
from surgical help. and threatened morti-
fication. He thereupon amputated the
pocketknife. but finding the first opera
ton insufficient he cut OF the second
joint, after which the hand healed. AS
his biographer says: The man who could
do this is not the man to be easily fright
ened.' Many stories are told illustrating
his strength OF will and endurance, of
racing contests with Kaffirs lasting a
whole day. and his personal strength in
struggles with animals.
AZ m n
Oordt says Paul Kruger has been com
pared with Washington, with Lincoln, and
even with Ulysses and Biucher, and many
other illustrious historical personages- IL
sounds well, says the State historian. but
the fact remains that he can be compared
with no one. The circumstances OF his
bringing up, those in which he has gained
his influence and ruled over his people
for sixteen years. have been so exceptional
that Paul Kruger can be compared with
no other historical character. To the
Dutch of South Africa he is simply Paul
Kruger. a man OF themselves, born into
their troubles and tribulations, who has
contributed to their triumphs. and is now,
in his last years, steering them through
new dangers.
'Mr Van Oordt, in concluding his
sketch. thus apostrophizes him:
All peaceful lies the Lion of Rusten-
burg. his eye fixed on God, his paw upon
the flag of independence You mark no
signs of attack; only the Lion takes
watchful protecting grasp. But, take
care. At the first approach Of danger he
erects his name and rises up. And woe,
woe to him, however mighty he be, who
dares touch the flag of Transvaal inde-
pendence The Lion then will fight; he
will defend himself to the last drop OF
his blood: and if he must fall dying and
conquered, then shall it be enwrapped in
the vreiklem. which shall make the shrou5
of Stephanus Johannes Paul Kruger.