The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-08
EASY BEoemFomfeim.

If Bloemfontein, the capital Of the
orange Free State, had been settled by
Englishmen instead of by Dutcbmen, It
might have been named Sleepy Hollow,
from It's position and the quietude it was
to take on, instead OF receiving Its name
from the flowing fountain. Nothing hur-
ries in Bloemfontein, not even the sun in
his course through the fiery midsummer
heavens. Folks there get up early in the
morning, do a little work, lay off till after
midday, and quit before the middle Of the
afternoon is reached. There's only one
highway, and on it nothing can be seen
that, by stretching the language to the
utmost, can be called hustle or hustle.
The town is like an oasis in the desert
Round about the veldt is flat, dull. parch-
ed and monotonous. An undulating plat
eau, surrounded by low hills, the town
ship itself is a fertile little garden, in
which nearly everything fiourlshes with
the least possible amount of trouble. It's
roses are famous, so are Its vegetables,
and its mealies overtop' those of the sur
rounding country by half foot.
There are about 1000 whites in Boem-
fontein, and perhaps half that number of
natives. The town is about 1850 feet above
sea level, and the climate is soft, balmy
and invigorating In the extreme. 1t is a
well-known and much-used resort for
those suffering from pulmonary COM
plants.
The clerks in the government offices ere
adopts at lawn tennis. The game forms
the chief excitement Of the town, and Is
played with extraordinary vigor through
out the year. On more than one occasion
the South African championship, which is
competed for annually in Port Elizabeth
or elsewhere between teams representing
the different colonies and states, has b en-
won by a Bloemfontein player.
One hears much English in the streets.
Probably 1t is the native language of near
ly one-half OF the white population One
also notices preponderance Of pure Scots
Doric, for Scotsmen are in the ascendant
in Bloemfontein. Many members Of the
volksraad are of Scottish descent, as such
frequently recurring names as Fraser,
Macfarlane, Stuart, Macintosh and Times
abundantly testify. The talk in the par
lament house is officially in Dutch, but
there is a Draw twang about much Of 1t
which suggests that it has been acquired
on the banks of the Tweed or therea-
bouts.
The four-square appearance Of Bloem-
fontein is owing to the fact that, in COM
mon with nearly all Dutch towns, 1t is
laid out in rectangular spaces, with
streets equi- from one another, and
bordered with the inevitable eucalyptus
or gum tree which hourishes mere as
almost everywhere in the upland5 of
South Africa.
The raadzal, or house Of parliament, IS
an important edifice, with some archi-
tectural pretension. 1t has a domed tow
er, and looks like something between q
gorgeous Masonic temple and q palat1al
music hall. 1t cost nearly $350,OOO, and
was furnished by one of the most artistic
and enterprising houses Of London. In
front Of the raadZal, which Is now used
as a law court, there is a fine statue OF
J. H. Brand, who was president Of the
Orange Free State from 1864 till 1855. Not
very far away is small obelisk, erected
in memory Of the Free State heroes who
were killed in the Basuto war of 1858.
Churches are prevalent in every street,
almost at every corner; in fact, Bloemfcn-
tein is one of the few South African towns
in which there are more churches and
chapels than there are canteens
The presidency of Mr.. Steyn is rather
large and important building Of white
stone. of a somewhat mixed order Of
architecture, but exceedingly comforta-
BILE. cool and commodious in structure.
1t cost nearly 100000 to build, and has
pretty garden Of old English flowers, hol-
lyhocks, clove-pinl1s and peonies
Bloemfontein is a great educational cen
ter and has a tne colIeSe, pieSG4lteu ny
Sir George Gray, once premier of cape
Colony, and the grand old man Of South
Africa.
The town hall, the postof1ice. the tela-
graph office and the law courts are all
substantial and somewhat ornate build
ings, rather overpowering the simple little
villas in which the aristocracy OF me
Orange Free State lives. The British
community in Bloemfontein is large and
cultured.
Bloemfontein has national museum,
In a rather ramshackle building, when
has a curious history. 1t has been sue
cessiveIy a church, the local house OF
commons, the Free State court house,
public hall and the locality in which tire
original British convention was signed.
The museum nowadays consists Of small
but well-arranged collection of fossils,
minerals, birds eggs and ethnographlcal
specimens
The. sole defense of the town Is a single
fort. and, until the war, in that tort was
the entire standing army OF the
State. one battery of horse artillery BAT
the Free Staters did not fear for over 49,
COO burghers stood ready to beat oacK me
invader, and who could withs and sucA
q force? The principal military authority
of the town and the state was the Ger
man Col. Won Albrecht, who was lnclud-
ed in Cronje's surrender.