Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-10-12

life. The Beers are probably less
understood than any other people who
claim a national existence. This is,
partly due to their isolation in the great
continent, Africa, place far out OF
the beaten track Of travel and unmo-
Tested by copy seeking journalists. 1t
is also partly due to the character of
the people themselves; there is nothing
so much that the Boer desires as to be
let alone.
The average Boer home Is on great
farm where the homestead stands in
the center of tract of land often num-
bering dozen miles. The nearest
neighbors are miles away and the fam
lily may not see them for weeks at a
time, except at the meeting house in
town, where all go on Saturday to re-
main for the service on Sunday.
The Boer woman is very little like the
trim. handsome Dutchwomen of her
ancestral Holland. She is seldom pref
ty. Her complexion is her principal
charm. and she guards this carefully
whenever she goes out. She is never
seen outdoors without a great peaked
bonnet on her head, her visits to church
being made behind an almost oriental
seclusion of wells. This is necessary to
preserve the pink and white of her skin,
| for the climate would otherwise soon
tan it to the color of sole leather. Her
eyes are small and set close together
and her features are irregular. Her
cheeks are broad and fiat, and her hair
is naturally light in color, although
time and weather soon bleach it from
its early straw color. At very early
age she loses all her teeth, for she is
constantly chewing sweet cakes and
confectionery. A European woman
would replace the molars that nature
has deprived her of with we'll mounted
works Of art, but the Boer woman doe:
not do this; she thinks it would be i'm
pious thus to try to duplicate the worl
Of the Creator. Her figure is thick ant
almost waistless. While still yount
woman she begins to grow fat, and b.
the time middle life is reached she il
often SO unwieldy that the only exer
else she is able to take is to waddl'
cumbersomely from one armchair t,
another. She is clad in loose, scantil.
made gown devoid of trimming and ap
parently waistless. The day garment
of the Beers are also their nightclothes
The education of the women OF tn
veldts is very simple. he older ones
or at any rate many of them. are un
able to read and write. even among tn
better classes, but the younger peopl
show an immense interest In letters
There are no free schools and only tn
children of the well-to-do are able to at
tend the academies in the towns, 70
8 ! nh oil 10
) lone reason why the Boer children ar
fond of their school and cry If the
are compelled to stay at home is be
cause 1t is break in the monotony c
the day. Life is dull in the Transvaal
The school faculty usually consists c
a head master and sometimes a woma
assistant. The woman seldom remain
| q teacher more than one term, for tn
admiration of the young Boer planter
lis so great for woman gifted enoug
to read and spell and thrifty enoug
Ito earn money with her brain tina
lsome well-to-do bachelor usually 500
oersuades her to marry him. The de
equal to the supply.
Life in the Dutch republic is patr
. larchically simple. The Beers until re
, Gently cared nothing about the gold {
diamonds with which their rich pro,
I lnces were teeming; they wished
, live quietly and peaceably on the
i, great farms, raising sheep and goat
!, land enough produce to supply their fan
= ilys simple. wants. When the yrou
: wants a new gown or mynherr a ne
: pair of corduroy trousers or a hie
E crowned hat, he gathers up some o:
ttrich feathers from the birds in tt
D camps or drives to market few of HI
{ cattle and comes back amply supple
3 with what clothing the family thinks
, needs for the year.