The times., 1899-11-26
THE BoER EMIssARY.
Dr. Leyds Described as n Charming
Man of the World.
(From the London Mail-)
ch.-....- F-r1-fss 49,

CFrom the London Mail)
What a charming feIlowT That is the
involuntary opinion formed by any pre-
yiously unprejudiced person on first meet
ing the redoubtable DR. Leyds He is such
a thorough man Of the world suave. gentle
and courteous in manner. with a fund OF
information on all subjects, pretty taste
in art, and all the refinement of high cul-
ture
a good-looking man, too, OF medium
height, he has a dark complexion. dark
rather straight hair. and dark eyes. keen
piercing. but kindly. Added to this, he is
we'll dressed, neat. and polished with the
inyariable black frock coat, clean white
shirt, and narrow black tie like a boot
lace, of the orthodox Continental diplo-
matist.
Withal. he is a crafty man Of extraordi-
nary powers of fascination: no one leaves
his presence unscathed by his subtle power
OF charm. Even Paul Kruger succumbed
after the briefest struggle, and though il
were gross fattery to allege that Leyds
was popular in Pretoria, it would be equal
ly incorrect TO say that he was feared. A
little OF the basilisk, a good deal OF the
sphinx, a touch Of Machiaveli-cum Me
phistopheles, and the affability OF draw
ing room tenor-all these qualifications
combine in making the man interestluR
The bread facts Of his peculiar case are
simple enough He is a Batavian, bern of
Dutch parents in the Netherlands East In
dies. As a boy he was brought home to
Holland and put to school He displayed
quite remarkable aptitude and plowed his
way quickly and valiantly through all the
junior classes. Before he was sixteen
years old he had passed with honOrs his
final examination Ia the Government Col
lege Of Preceptors. He then took his de-
gree as doctor Of philOscply-hence his
title-and also qualified as a teacher Of
drawing and gymnastics.
In the year 1884, the Transvaal being in
want CT educated officials who could con
duct the business OF the republic in
manner more or less in accordance with
its claim to be a civilized nation, he was
appointed state attorney (attoTney gen.
crab Of the South African Republic
With his blushing hOnoIs thick upon him.
he set sail for what was TO him vsritable
EldOradO He was a poor man. a very
poor man. but he did not remain Sc long.
The fates were propitiOus Soon after his
arrival in Pretoria and mis- being sworn
into office. he accurately gauged the ma
terial which he was employed 10 mold
into shape; very unpromising at first. but
with illimitable possibilities Of which he
He soon began to assert himself. Dr.
Leyds, of Pretoria, in a very few months
became the butterfly that had emerged
from the chrysalis Schoolmaster Leyds, OF
Holland. The plastic Beers were more or
less easily molded into the shape which
their attorney general thought best for
them-and for himself. He was not afraid
of hard work and the reforms ard appar-
ent economics which he introduced amazed
and delighted the members Of the Govern
ment. who did not fail 10 spread throughout
the country exaggerated reports OF the gov
erning genius Of the young Holiander
Nothing was too small, nothing too large
for Dr. Leyds to tackle. He even found
that the much malignsd coDcession2ire
moropolist had his uses as well as the
nearest thing that crCepsth. H cultivated
the Concessionaire, made much of him; per
haps ne showed him the evil Of his ways
anyhow, they were always on the best Of
terms. Both appeared to wax fat aid flour
ish-metaphOrical that is. for Dr. Leyds
never lost his slimness OF figure and his air
of the hero of young maidens dream.
True, he was subject to sore throat and
other serious ailments which necessitatad
mis- absence from Pretoria at critical mo-
ments, but this only made him the more
interesting to the wives of foreign cOnsuls
and others interested in his moral and ma
teriaI welfare
Socially. Or. Leyds has always been vast
ly assisted by his charming wife, who is
Hutch by birth, and of quite extraordi-
nary linguistic powers. 1t was ut one time
currently reported that Dr. and Mrs.
(Mevrouwl Leyds between them spoke over
dozen languages more or less fiuently.
Pretoria is not a literary town and the
centres Of culture are few. Faa salon Leyls
was therefore all the more welcome as a
haven Of sweetness and ligat. Books were
discussed, likewise pictures and prints, es-
peCially of the old nutcn masters Ijr.
Leyds is Il violonceIist of peculiar excel
.ence, and chamber Dus.c, triUs aBl~Fuar-
tettes. were performed with taste, skill.
and discretion.
Toward the middle Of 1889. when the in
rush OF Outlanders 10 the gold fields had
raised the population and the income of the
republic to an incredible extent q brilliant
prmpect was set botcra the aspiring states
man. He was appointed state secretary.
an Office of great imp lrtlu %, u OF some
what poor emOlumenf lIn WIS GuIy N
stqI:eG. and proceeded at once to ajti act
the Irdi.l station into The iru.isv.t uf
bOrdes of impecuniOu5 ana incompetent
FCllanders, who speedily filled very large
proportion of the minor Offices in the civil
service.
This brigade Of jackals for it was moth
ing less, was absolutely at the beck and
call of the astute doctor. They were his
creatures, his satellites, his myrmid0ns.
Through them he obtained such a hold
over the internal economy Of the govern
ment that even his worthy President, Paul
Kruger himself. began to get nervous. Pre-
viously there had been-outwardly, at
least-the greatest seeming coriiality be
tween the two. but with the rise Of Leyd5
there came distinct alienation of the in
tlmacy. a tension Of the bond between
them Leyds was al this time hand and
glove with the Netherlands Railway Com
pany, and while ostsnsibIy working entire
ly for the republic he was doing no injury
whatsoever to his private interests.
So things went on until it became eyi-
dent that the Lendesyaders, the 'patres
aonscriptf," had become jealous and envI-
Gus of this young cultured spTig Of old Hol-
land. he was altogether too important
useful, well-tO-do, and. above all, too po-
lite This last quality they hated. becaus-
;hey could not understand il. There must
be they thought, some sinister design bs-
hind this suave charming manner. So they
perpended: and it was thought safer to de-
port Dr. Leyds
Poetic Fire Quenched.