The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-01-10
rFo1sLArlvE BUILDING AT PRETORIA


LEGISLATIVE BUILDING AT PRETORIA.
don. by contrast. we find a wide
awake. essentially modern English
town. with much that might recall
Brighton or Harwieh and very little
10 make one realize that this is all
some G.UOO miles from home, writes
Poultney Bigelow in the European
edition of the New York Herald. At
Durban we seem TO be in a totally new
world-part india. part savage Africa
Banana trees. bungalows. punkahs.
palms Zulus-these arrest the eye OF
the newly arrived and distract his at
leution from the excellent municipal
administration and the many evil
denccs of modern progress at this es-
seDtiaily up to date port.
Only a few miles farther is a splen-
did Portuguese failure. Lourenco Mar
ques. in Delasoa Bay. picturesque from
a distance. but full Of foul smell and
saddening prospect when one ap-
proachcs 10 within hailing distance.
This Portuguese pest bole reminded
me uf certain Turkish towns Of the
lower Danube which seemed Ike hits
Of romance from the Arabian Nights"
FOR al distance one perceived only The
minarets shining in gorgeous sunlight.
the haitiements OF the medieval walls
or the domes of sacred buildings. But
10 preserve. cur Illusions in such cOun-
tries we should never 90 ashore-pad
die past them far away under the op-
posiie hank and read Byron rather
than contemporary history.
Bloemfontein prepares one for Pre-
t0ria. rs san Antonio. in Texas. sug-
ses1s the typical Mexican city. Bioem-
fonfein and Pretoria both bear the
stamp Of their bucolic origin in the
vast open place at the center where
long OK trains can find rest and the
farmers dispose OF their produce or
find quarters during the periods OF re-
Iisious congregation. The great squares
in the midst of B0er towns have their
counterparts in those OF Mexico and
wherever the cattle interest predomi-
nates.
Pretoria is not today so pretty town
as Bloemfontein. but that is for rea-
sons which may be obvious. Bloem-
fontein gives the impression OF good
taste. Of general comfort of harmo-
nious Development At Pretoria. on
the contrary. we find Boer cabins with
mud floors ranged alongside of preten-
tiouS government buildings built obvi-
ouSly to impress the beholder by their
size. The BOer government IN 1881
was practically without money except
in= for The Indispensable. The geld
mines suddenly threw into the empty
treasury Of this cowboy administra-
tion so much money that il was rather
embarrassing 20 know what 70 do with
IT, When n Yankee cowboy returns to
civilization with a pocket full of mon
ey. we al know what he is apt 10 DO.
Of course the first thing is 10 make 4
round Of the barroOms. treat every one.
then buy some CANDY jewelry. 4 few
fiashy garments. 20 driyjng about town
in the handSomast carriage procurable
and when the money is all gone think
81 Investing.
The Boer legislators. who had prob
ably never seen n = note until the nit
landers opened tie mines at Johannes
burg. commenced their career Of politi-
cal independence much in the same
way Instead Of working slowly and
Fpen.linc the money for the future good
nf the country 10y establishing good
schools and hulding roads. bridges and
.hings calculated 10 increase comfort. !
'hey acted on the assumption that in
JercourSe with their neighbors was n
had thing and that TO be strong they
must remain 4 peculiar and isolated
people. The money which should have
gone TO the construction Of railways
was diverted into the building OF huge
forts. Instead OF welcoming Afrikan-
ders TO aSSis; In their administration
they preferred 10 import clerks direct
II from Holland a3i Germany. as
though these might prove more loyal 70
them than even O ~Ir own kinSnun
reared II the Cape or Natal The pri-
vate residences at Pretoria arp over
topped by monStrO-S government Of
fees. where much Ihoney has been
spent for shew aad iitt,e for beauty
Pretoria is in its way 4 reflection Of
Paul Kruger. That noble cattle herder
has no political creed beyond hatred Of
the uitlander and loyalty to what he
thinks is liberty. In theory be is the
Incarnation Of primitive democracy,
YET Outwardly he decks himself with
Iawdry decorations loaned 10 him by
European monarchs and apes semiroy-
81 lonp when he drives abroad. We
lose sight Of Krugers dignity. courage
and political virtues when We see him
driving about Pretoria with all the
non,sensical parade OF 4 South Ameri-
ran dictator. SO are we app TO lose
sight Of the beauties Of the town itself.
because At present there is so much
thai IS inconSru0us. such violent con-
fraSts between the normal residence Of
Boer patriarch and the mammoth
public buildings ia which he is called
upon 70 leSislate.
Pretoria has an excellent supply OF
delicious water. which runs in refresh
Ing abundance before the very doors
nf the Inhabitants. This is an inesti-
mable blessing IN South Africa. where
tie one lacking thing IS water. on the
occasion Of my visit to johannesburg
wafer was 50 costly that at t,e club
nlea were frequently driven L wash
their hanGs in soda water Had the
Kruger government spent on Irrigation
the money il devoted 10 arfiIlcTy and
Notifications I doubt If the present war
would have been SO popular.
The streets Of Pretoria GRE broad av-
enues. laid out originally rather with
reference 10 the great OK trains than to
the probability Of aormal traffic likely
10 prove erowding. At present the
streets are much too wide for the popu-
la1ion. and the expense Of maintaining
them snd laying tie dust is. OF course.
heavy.
In my minds ere ! have vision Of
Pretoria zen years hence. Il win be a
city where all Afiikanders unite under
an Afrikander Tag 10 do for that great
country what Canadians are doing al
Ottawa AMI Yankees NJ Washington.
Even in tie year Of the jameson raid
llS9G, Beers and British mixed sorl..lly