The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-10
RELICS OF
BOER WAR
Soldiers Have A Fad of
Collecting.
THINGS KEPT AS CUR|OS
Even the Clothes Of Dead Soldiers
Are Rihed--A Curious
Proclamation.

DELAGoA BAY, June 20.-South Africa
Is relic mad. Never VAS there such an
epidemic. Dying soldiers forget the
Queen. the enemy, their wounds and
their future existence. but they cling to
battered bullets with the tenacity of de-
spair. Bodies are rifled, while yet warm,
for cigarette box or love letter. A
homemade Transvaal bandoi.er sells in
Cape Town for $40. and every English
merchant south of the Zambes Is thriv-
ing IN the curio trade. One woaid think
the war had been a gigantic struggle for
souvenirs instead of a world tragedy
Zeal Is equally intense with British and
Beers. with combatants and non-combat-
ants. and mementoes gain value in their
gruesomeness. The Beers were the first
| to go at the business in a systematic
way, as the following translation Of a
State document. issued at Pretoria, will
show:
A STRANGE PROCLAMATION.
Fellow Burghers: Our country is at
present plunged in the bloodiest war
which South AFRICA has ever seen. Many
brave burghers have already sned tneIr
blood In this terrible struggle in order
to regain for us all complete independ-
ence and complete freedom.
This war Will become--if God so wills
1.-THE war of Iteration for all South
| Africa, and we hope soon TO be able to
proclaim: The republic began the VIC
tory
even this bloody IA Sowever, WIN
EsOon belong TO the past, ~ only live IL
memory OF futnre gere stsCls. and his
-. Il -. -.
the courage and the determination Of
former generations.
The burghers of South Africa have
often given their blood and offered theiI
! lives in struggles against savages anC
oppressors; but there are, alas! too few
tangible souvenirs in existence of tbs
laudable deeds IN battle of the voortrek
kers who for us AVE purified the lanc
of savages and treacherous rulers.
''Our State might have been in posses
: sion of thousands of relics in which W.
might have gloried, and which We nigh
have placed before the eyes of our you'll
: in order to show them the difficult AM
apparently insurmountable obstacle
which our people have surmounted in be
coming a people, and have gained sucl
strength that they dared to~declare wa
against the mighty empire of England
whose boast II is that the sun never set
thereon. Because of the Innocence of on
forefathers, however, no thought wa
given to the value of such souvenirs.
: FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
Let this not be the case in this wal
: Let collect relics for our successor
? which, in later years. will give a clea
idea of the extent and the terrors of tn
:, struggle which the Afrikanders had
!, carry on TO be free and in a position I
= develop as a free people, not In order I
81 fnff hEfr hut tn IL
!, and thanks to Him on whom our peopl
!. trusted in the day of trouble, and ais
to create and encourage in our youth tina
:, love of country which binds together ar
Z makes a great nation. Let each one col
:, tribute his little toward that objec
a Many articles are taken from the arc
enemy on the battlefeld-lances, rife
guns, clothing, standards, papers, whiC
have no intrinsic value, but which. wht
= preserved and exhibited I'm nation
T. museum, will assist to keep in remen
~ brance the Hon-hearted courage of OF
10 forefathers. to strengthen the nation
y spirit, and TO cause our people TO gil
" ever renewed tanks to Him to whom Y
= trusted.
with that object the management
u our national museum appeals to ali fat
- full burghers In the leld, asking them
= contribute to me forming of a wortl
collection of objects and souvenirs pe
- tanning to this war of liberation. T
management of the State museum. w
s knowing what priceless value there is (
'N our people in such a collection, will 81
to 1T a place of honor in the new bull
Ing. which will be finished at an ear
20 date.
- Let no one consider any object too Z
- | fling to send to Pretoria. At the front
IT. lcommandants will. without doubt, he We
a. willing to receive such objects and sc
On them to Pretoria to the State museum
-. "Your obedient servants,
~, DIR. J. w. Il. CUNNING.
Director of the State Museum
II 'sDR MANGNE,I.T