The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-11-01
THE TRANsvAA1 CONCESSION.
English Story Of Kruger's shrewd-
ness in Business Transaction.

English Story Of Kruger's Shrewd-
ness in Business Transaction.
Toronto Globe: An exceedingly cur
ious and interesting story about Prcsl-
dent Kruger has been related by res
ident of Toronto who has spent a num-
Der of years in South Africa, and is well
acquainted with conditions in that part
of the world. The story was related to
him by one of the principal actors In the
incident. whose name the informant
mentioned. although 1t would not be ju-
dicious to give it publicity. 1t will suf-
flee to say that the name was instantly
recognized as that of person who is
exceedingly well known in connection
with South African affairs. 1t may be
added that the story, so far as is known
has not been published
In 1854 Paul Kruger. Jorissen and
two other delegates from the Transvaal
We're in London negotiating with Lord
Derby at the famous London convention.
which has been so asslduously canvass
ed and quoted of late. No one has ever
accused the burghers of the Transvaal
of being an especially docile set, and
during the absence of Kruger and his
fellow-leaders one of the not infrequent
civic connections took place at home.
Not particularly important in itself, 1t
had the disugreeablc effect of stopping
supplies for the cOuntry's quartctte of
diplomats, and Dom Paul and his
friends found themselves stone-broke.
They could not pay their hotel bill, and
their circumstances were awkward in
every way.
AT this juncturc the Englishman APP
pcared on the scene. He was staying
in London, was familiar with South At
RIGA and its public men. and knew the
Transvaal delegates we'll. He became
aware Of the scrapein which they found
themselves. An acute business man,
he saw an opportunity. 1t was before
the days of the Witwatersrand. and the
Transvaal government was eking out
Its insufficient income by grants of mo-
nopolies and concessions. The English
man had an uncle, wealthy Yorkshire
woollen manufacturer. Enlisting his
uncle's aid. he made q proposition to
Mr.. Kruger. The two EngiiShmcn wou.u
pay the obnoxious hotel bill, and would
supplement It with cash gift OF s1 900.
In return they asked concession for
the monopoly of the wool manufacture
ing and the wool washing Of the Trans
vaal, in which, It Is to be recollected,
considerable ilocks of sheep are kept by
the Beers. Mr.. Kruger thought It over,
and accepted. The hotel bill was wiped
off the books. The thousand pound
check found its resting place. Thus
provided with the sinews of war, Kru-
ger and his Acknowledgements continued
the negotiations. The London conven-
ton was signed.
The Englishmen went ahead with
their plans. They intended to erect n
mill to manufacture certain wooden
goods that would find n local market
and to control the export of the surplus
wool. They We're to get certain tract
Of land seventy-flve acres in extent.
The City of Johannesburg to-day
stands upon that tract. They bought
their machinery and were ready to ship
1t. Just then they mentioned their good
bargain to friend who was an official
in the colonial office.
AS an official" observed that friend.
my mouth Is closed. But, speaking as
n frlcnd-don't ship that machinery un-
I'll the concession is ratified by the
Volksraad."
Second thoughts prevailed. The Eng
lishmen waited. The Volksrand met.
and President Kruger submitted the
proposed concession to them, exhibiting
no warmth in its advocacy. The Volks-
RAD threw 1t out summarily. The
Englishmen were glad that they had
not shipped that machinery.
Then the Englishmcn broached to
President Kruger the question of that
thousand pounds and that hotel bill.
The president was rs suavc MS Dom
Paul ever is Those sums, he explained,
were to be charged against the repub-
lie. As Stcphanus Johannes Paulus
Kruger he had nothing to do with the
matter.
Neither. 1t seems. had the republic.
for the Engllshmen are still minus their
little Investment