The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-04-25
A Virginia Girl Who
Has Seen South Africa.
She Went There in Sympathy
With the Outlanders, but
is Now a Boer Sup.
porter.
Rish mond Dispatch

IL sympathize with the Beers, be
cause I saw manifested among them
90 much of the American spirit of
'76." said Miss Ella g Agnew last
night as she sat talking to a Dispatch
writer in the parlor or her cousin,
Mrs James A Grigg, No Is South
Third street
IL have just returned from five
years spent in Cape Colony and the
TraDsvaal,' she continued. IL was
thrown into very close contact with
the Beers in their daily lives Gen.
eral Joubert was warm personal
friend knew much about the daily
life of President Kruger Mr.
Reitz, the Secretary of State,
and other officials l lesrned
to know the people we'll, and while
/ went among them an ardent sympa
thizer with the Uitianders. l left them
fully convinced of the righteousness
of their cause, and firmly of the be
lief that thu greed of the English,
and not the broken faith of the
Beers, is at the root of the trouble"
The Beers have an able advocate
in Miss Agnew She is q bright,
educated, travelled. Virginia woman
She talks remarkably we'll She is
Virginia woman, her home being at
BurkvilIe. Her mother and father
died years ego. Her step mother still
resides there, aud Miss Agnew will
60 thitber today About six years
ago she was is New York and q lady
offered her position in the Hugenot
school in Cape Colony Rather as
joke Mise Agnew sgreed to come out
when notified she was wanted, aud
several months afterwards. much to
her surprise. the offer came. She &C.
cepted it Later che took charge of
the Boer school at Wakkers,roOm
The latter school was chiefly SUP.
ported by the late General Joubert.
and be and his family were among
Miss Agnew's warmest friends
She is a grest admirer of the char.
acter of "Slim Piet," whom she
describes as most genial and Iowa.
BILE. Indeed; she expresses deep
admiration for the people of the
country generally. chsracterizing
them as honest, hardworking, God
fearing people, of simple tastes,
somewhat unprogressive. but pa.
triots 10 every sense of the term
Miss Agnew did not know Presi-
dent Kruger intimately. 1t may
surprise some to know that Dom
Paul is q preacher He has
church just across the street from
bis residence, in johannesburg. and
occupies the pulpit on those Sun
days when the spirit so moves
him He preached one Sunday
near to where Mise Agnew
lived, but for some reason she did
not 60 to hear him, Kruger is of
the Dooper sect-which aup,ars to
to be the unreformed Dutch Re-
formed church.
Miss Aguew greatly admired the hos.
pitsli'y of the Boers and the sim pioity
Of their home lives. She spoke of hav.
iug read oue day 10 an American paper
an account of Bocr homo wbleh made
the people little more than barhsrians:
she passed It ou to her boste 9, Mrs
Joubert. wif, Of SEQ of tie Generals
Mrs JCu6er, laughed heartily.
When the war came un the school at
Wskkerstroom had 10 be closed, and
Miss Aguew went to Pretoria She was
a hospital nurse for time. aud wanted
TO attach herself to the regular hospital
corps, but was rejsoted on account of
her DOT being thought strong enough to
undergo the bardsnips Incident to such
work
Size sGw great deal OF war Miss
Agncw called attention TO one fact not
generally kuowu. Every Amerioau
in the Trausvssl not 10 the employ O!
one of the mining compaoies, or soue
other corporation, ~ she said. is ish,rg
for the Beers today"
Finally Miss Agnew determined TO
couie home She secured passports
which took her to Lorenzo MARQUES,
where more passports we're obtained
and she came on to Dslagoa bay. Ooe
of her travelling companions for the
entire trip to New York was Mr. Web
ster Davis, Assistant Secretary o. the
Interior. who weut to Wait the Trans.