Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-15

THE HEROIC
B0ER WOMEN
Side by Side With
The Men, They Share In
The Hardships Of War.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

"a
&C
THE presence Of 'the Princess gu
Salm Salm" in America for the
purpose Of raising a fund for the
maintenance Of Red Cross. nurses for
the Beers is the subject of much discus
sion and naturally leads UP to the ques-
ton as to the position assumed by tine
Transvaal woman in time of war.
1t is a fact that Nine. Jouber.
stands by the side Of her husband,
ready to assist him in every possible
way. Though her position is one of UNI
usual opportunity for showing the spirit
Of the South African woman in time of
war, every of that nation is rel
atively in the same position, though the
fact is not SO generally recognized.
Commandant General Joubert's wife In
sists upon accompanying her husband
everywhere and providing for his table,
for even Boer strength gives out if not
properly rep1enished with nutritious
food. The wife Of the most lowly war
rior does the same thing; she clings to
her husband with the same constancy
and strength and looks after his mess
and provides the care tina alone can
fortify him against the ravages of his
rigorous regimen. Formerly, in the
laager, the women melted bullets for
the men. They do not have to do this
now, for the ammunition supply is of
modern quantity and quality, but the
present day women Of the family do
even more han that Those. who are
not needed in the camps are on the
farms cultivating the gardens, the
products Of which constitute the great
er part Of the food consumed. Others,
in fact the larger number Of the Wo-
men, are in the field nursing the fallen
heroes and caring for their cherished
dead.
In short, three important duties fall
to the South African woman in time of
war-caring for her lighting soldiers,
nursing her wounded and supplying the
living for all her people. And not one
Of her duties does she neglect.
These sturdy, stoical women are
welding a wonderful influence. They
went to the front at the first call, and
they will remain there until the last
shot Is fired. The Boer soldier is not
encouraged to fight by the inspiring
music Of martial bands, as is the case
with the English and other organized
fighting bodies, but he does, neverthe-
less, nave the music that urges him on
to the greatest heroism-music d
ed by the sweet voices OF his ever faith
full, attending women. Their strong
notes ring out in perfect harmony n
strength, in pious and soul inspiring
song, and in the excitement OF the hour
the brave men join their deep tones to
those Of their helpful mates. The Wo-
men are trying not only to soften the
! horrors Of the war and to bring ease
and comfort to the injured, but to cheer
on the fighters as well.
The British, watching the enemy
through their f1eldglasses. are surprised
to see the Boer women driving up close
to the fighting line in OK teams n un-
loading their stores Of provisions. This
noble contribution to h war is made
at the possible price of life, for the her
oines go to the fighting front with their
offerings and see to it that the men par
take Of 1t too.
We do not have to look far from our
own doors to find the prototype of the
Boer m We have had, and still
have, among our American women du-
plicates OF this same unselish spirit.
The Puritan maidens, reared in hard
ship and want, far from civilization and
home, were of the same sturdy, noble
type. They. too. faced the dangers and
desolation of wilderness life for the
sake Of independence and religion.
They were ever in fear Of the Indians
and learned to protect their homes
against the skulking enemy The west
ern settlers Of later days survived the
same ~treacherous difficulties. Our for
bears were characterized by the same
honest ambition as that which animates
the Dutchwomen in South Africa to-
day.
The Beers have been driven from
place to place. like cattle, both by the
British invaders and the Kaff1rs. That
small handful Of men would never have
been able to resist the enemy had it
not been for the assistance of the wo-
men of the race. They learned to load
rifles and to take their places in the
fighting lire when necessity demanded
it. They were as cool as soldiers under
trying circumstances.
This type of the South African Dutch
woman is mainly to be found among
the farmer or herdsman class. She is
seldom educated or very refined, having
none Of the social tanners of her Euro
pean sisters, or their personal attrac-
tions either. Her position, though only
a lowly one, is highly respected, and
she yields a wonderful influence both
in peace and in var She a expert
enced hardship, has lived in solitude
and knows little about the world out
side Of what she sees on the dreary
veldt.
In time of peace her life has been the
simplest imaginable. In the quiet Of
her home. as the mother of a large fam
lily, she scrubbed, cooked and wove the
cloth that was required to meet their
! simple needs. The only amusements