Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-03-24
HOW | NET PAUL KRUGER.
Poultney Bigeow's Recoectons and Impressions OF
the TTansvaal President
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try Beers believe that Dom PauPs life
was In danger from the johannesburg
cOnsprators.
Mr. Jooste had fought under Cronje
against Jameson at Krugersdorp. He
was a predetermined burgher, who SYM
pathi2ed 10 some extent, with the attl-
tude Of the Johannesburgers IN their
desire for more liberal government, and
personally did his share In the popular
assembly to bring about a better state
Of things He was not a blind parti-
san Of Kruger, though. OF course, he
resented holly the presumption OF those
who thought Afrikanders should be gov.
erned from London only.
After passing the sentry we knocked
at the front door 81 the Kruger man
slon-whlch mansion, by the way, was
OF about the size and appearance OF a
farm Outbuilding. No answerl We
knocked second time, and louder
There was no answer, My friend
pushed the door open. and we stood In
hall which traversed the whole house,
and led to a big yard beyond. We
knocked again. No answer
We went out into the yard and shout
ed-no answer A negro girl poked her
head out OF side building. but with
drew Il suddenly on seeing US. Evident
ly Mrs Kruger disllked bells and parlor
maids
Then ! said TO Jooste that presumed
the family were not at home but
Jooste secuted the idea Just then
heard, In one OF the nelghboring apart
ments a sound which suggested the
lions cage OF the menagerle about the
time when food Is expected There was
a heavy growing, as OF surf beating up
into caves on the seashore. We APP
preached the door. and knocked-we
might as well have knocked at a pilot
house In the teeth Of a hurricane. The
rumblng within rose and fell, but OBJ
vlously our presence was not noted; so
Mr., Jooste pushed open that door. as u
had the previous one. and we entered
into a cloud OF smoke so thick that Il
reminded me OF an engine room when
the steam has been leaking. For a
while ] saw nothing. though the quality
Of the vapor assured me that / was in
the midst Of a club OF smokers there
was no doubt about that. Jooste took
me by the hand, and steered me around
the corners Of the apartment until we
stopped by the side OF an armchair, In
which there sat, with a pipe between
his teeth, a grand old bearded farmer
a sort of apostolic cowboy-that was
Paul Kruger he sat In state as the
master Of this r0omful OF long-hairei
burghers, belching forth cultural
phrases which sounded blasphemous 10
my oars-but 90 those OF the others Il
was simply everyday Low Dutch. was
reminded Of that famous Potsdam To-
bacco Club. in which the Corporal
king" Of Prussia made life odious 10
Frederick the Great. had seen scenes
roughly analogous among the red
shlrted miners OF California, and 20 a
certain extent among the priests In
Russian monasteries. But nothing In
my fancy exceeded the reality Of this
scene-the primitive simplicity. the
early Christian earnestness Of II. the
rude yet venerable aspect OF this cattle
herdine congregation. The grand old
Boer seemed like some latter-day Moses
Just down from the mountain with the
law IN his hands. and In a mood 10
smash the Ten Commandment over the
head Of any one who failed 10 agree
with him. II was worth 10000 miles Of
travel to have lived these moments in
the company OF Paul Kruger and his
hlrsute crew.
when Paul Kruger caught sight OF
us. and Jooste whispered something IN
his ear. he looked NJ me with bovine
Etolldlty, while the fifty apostles did
the same Then he grunted, and fifty
echoes made one more grunt ] learned
afterward that these fifty burghers
were not here as an official council OF
state. or the contrary, these were Dom
Paul's friends who had merely dropped
in FOR a chat over pipe and bowl OF
coffee.
II is but fair 70 Mr. Kruger 10 admit
that he succeeded IN making me feel
thoroughly uncomfortable. His fixed.
stolid. inscrutable and ambiguously
benevolent gaze rested unon me with
suffocailng force His fifty apostles
backed this gaze with equally impas-
siye eyes, all turned upon the intruder
from FAR away. who tried meanwhile
10 make believe that this sort OF re-
ccp'ion was quite customary In his part
of the world. There was, however, moth.
Ing In the least malevolent In these