St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-05-12
THE OK IN WAR.
His Strength md Patience Make hin
IN Inval1aA1e Animal In
SootA Africa.


They are slow. but sure, never doing
more than three miles an hour, or 20
miles . day, which is considered = good
trek. The Zulu OK is the best-bred an
imal, but small and unserviceable,
when compared to the bastard Zulu or
Natal OK, which thrives on both the
"sour" veldt, or coast grass, and upon
the Sweet" or up-country veldt.
Oxen, however, require very careful
handling, and must on NO account be
overdriven; they must have at least
six hours = day for grazing purposes.
In the winter, which is coming ON now,
they can find picking on the parched
veldt where . mule or horse would fail.
They are, naturally. in poor condition
till the green grass Of spring appears
in September. They are very liable to
lung sickness and red water, and whole
spans sometimes perish from these
fell diseases. In the winter time they
suffer terribly from cold. and ON no &C.
count should be worked in the rain DUR
ing that season, for among other
things the yoke. when wet, gives them
sore necks, thus rendering them use-
less. The ox's best work is done At
night time. and moonlight treks are
the usual thing with the transport
riders" after their team have been
grazing all day. They are never kept
under the yoke for more than eight
hours during the day, two stretches Of
four hours each. From four to eight
in the morning and from six to ten at
night are the favorite hours for atrek-
king"
As to their hauling capacity, a.span"
or team of is oxen will easily draw
buck wagon (weighing little over
toni, loaded to 5000 pounds, over the
South African roads. many Of which
are little better than tracks across
the veldt. Twenty miles day for .
heavy baggage column in such q coun-
try as South Africa is really . good
thing.
One of the great merits of the OK
wagon is the simplicity of its harness.
The two beasts nearest the wagon
draw from pole (disselboom) on which
the yoke is fastened, and the couples
N front are attached to a wire or hide
rope, known az the trek-touw, to which
the yokes are fastened by riems, or
hongs of hide. Any breakage or de-
iciency in such q tackle can easily be
made good, as it il free from the COM
,lexities of a set of harness. Prudent
riders invariably "out-span"
heir teams at the approach of . thun-
lerstorm, if their ''trek-touwn be Of
wire or chain, as whole spans have been
destroyed by lightning through neg
Getting this precaution.
In the conveys to the troops mt
more than so wagons are dispatched at
me time. and. if the roads permit, six
T even more are driven abreast. The
econd division usually starts in half
n hour after the first. Nearly ALI Of
he wagons used in the present cam
'aign are built locally made Of strong
olonial woods, and constructed with
utsprings. Only two men are required
o manage each each wagon-driver
nd "vorlooper" or leader of the
eam-both of whom are nearly always
rained Kafiirs.
Large numbers of these wagons are
ired from the colonists at the rate Of
3 to 94 per day, the imperial govern
1ent making good any losses that NAV
ccur in the Span.-Psll Mall Gazette.
made . HIT with His Audience.
One Of the really good stories is go
,g round among the lawyers about
Littleheld. Twas when
be congressman was stumpine in his
ampaign. 1t was mp in . Franklin
ounty town. The chairman Of the
ommittee wanted to give Charles .
God send on. and 20 he said:
Ladies and gentlemen, this is Hon.
harles E. Littlefield, who il known
rom Eastport to York as the one great
rator of Maine. This, fellow citizens.
J Hon. Charles Littlefeld, who viii
llk to you from the setting of the suu
, the rising up thereof"
Applause.
Then up rises Charles and darts fall
IN glance at the chairman and anoth-
; Is piercing at the audience.
'Gentlemen," said he, you and the
hartman can stay here in this hall if
on want to until the rising of the sun.
ut rs for myself. IN tell you right now
m going to be ont 81 This han in lust
} minutes"
And the applause that he got then
- IN earnest.-LewistoA (Ne.l Janr-