The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-10
TAI Is OF DOM PAUL, SOUTH AFR|CAS GRAND OLD MA

used his left index finger as thumb. AID
seizes small objects between the first and
second fingers of that hand.
There is a superstition. too. that Paul
Kruger was not destined TO meet death by
fall. Once while at work upon a build
ing, the first church at Rustenburg, young
Kruger was so delighted al having laid
the ridgepole beam that he climbed like
a squirrel 10 its highest point and there
stood on his head, to the alarm and scan
dial of the whole community. But this
was not done in a sacrlegious spirit II
was credited to an overflow of animal life
( in the young athlete.
In those days he was a clever acrobat
In many ways. 1t is said that he often
stood on his head in the saddle while his
horse galloped along. Neither cowboys
nor Cossacks could excel such feat
Sometimes when riding at full speed his
saddle girth would snap. without checking
his horses speed at such amishap, he
threw off the saddle and continued the
chase Whether In saddle or bareback, il
was all one TO him As a young man his
became famous Tor his stout courage, his
skill as a hunter and an athlete and his
longheaoedness A fine game shot. he
slew in his early days great numbers of the
wild fauna with which the Transyaal then
teemed. He could run as fast rs a horse,
Once he ran against horse, with rider
on it, for distance of 500 yards. and &C
tually outran the animal. He was about
is at the time.
II is strange that superstitions should
cluster about such a character. He has
progressed steadily through the inferior
. offices Of the primitive Bosr republic be.
yonG the Vaal 10 the highest seat of the
mighty He became successively magis-
trate, or field cornet, district commandant
: commandant. commandant general, vics
Il. It
; tiny he may be called, One of the world!
sages and heroes, without book learning
J or academic training. An illiterate barba
! rian. who had for instruction the DOCK .
nature and of man open TO his view. Il
has been pointed out that his mouth /.
like that OF Ben Franklin, and that tho Sc
cret OF his success is not in blind oostin
acy, but in overcoming obstacles which
he felt TO be within his powers.
II had no chance to read books he said
to an interviewer, II was always cam
paienins or aghting lions"
Which breed OF Hons do you prefer in
the chase African or Bri sh?"
No choice. they are both bad
, President Kruger Is said to believe that
the world is nat. This may he set dow
ms another superstition. When Joshu1
slocnm was In the Transvaal he called ant
pa!d his respects to Dom Paul telling him
that he was touring around the world
You mean across the world" said DON
raul GORE ting the American.
His more physical courage and insensl-
+ oility OF nerves are extraordinary. few
; years ago, when suffering from toothache
J he gave very good exhibition OF nerve
; Some OF the more civilized OF his famil,
; begged him to go to the dentist but aftei
nearing what the charges OF the tooth doc
Tor would be Kruger angrily rejected tn,
suggestion. A night or two later the pair
increased SO that he could not sleep
whereupon he got up and cut the tooth
out with his own pocket knife. and wen
eslmiy TO sleep afterward without more
AUG. the temper OF his seventy NTH year
Is mat OF his early manhood.
Dom Paul is said 10 be worth e 400 o0
70 100000 all made within the last tor
! OF h,teen years. He is thousands OF pound
. 20 the good through investment n rea
les'ate In and near Pretoria and Johannes