The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-22
HERE'S A REFUGE
FOR DOM PAUL
Abel Erasmus Mountain Stronghold
Open 10 Kruger.
He is TRUE TO HIS FRIENDS,
The President Of the Boer Republic
Will Be Safe from Pursuit at
His Home-Story Of
the Man.
He is TRUE TO HIS FRIENDS,


great fighting men from A1dershot, with
their hands so full in the Free State. know
anything Of Abel Erasmus, of LydehIburs,
Transvaal? To those who do not know
the Lydenburg District Of the TransHaai
from within 1 tender an experience Cleaned
many years ago, coupled with some infor-
nation which has come to hand in Delagoa
Bay during the last week. 1t concerns
Abel Erasmus. Transvaal native commits
siofer, &C, also the Ohrisstadt Valley,
likewise her NIajesty's Government, sooner
or later.
Imprimis, will try to dea! with Abel
Erasmus from personal recollection. This
wealthy and immensely influential man is
"a Boer Of the Beers 4 patriarch of the
Transvaal and Cape Colony. though OF
late years seldom heard OF outside OF his
own district. He, among the best Boer
families, as well as the black veidt drop
pers, is equally as great as, is not greater,
than Paul Kruger himself. The President
of the Transvaal is a hypercriticdl myth;
Abel Erasmus is a solid sinner. In the
old Transvaal-that is, before gold In
quartz was Observation-Disclosures poison
and German irtriques were introduced.
Abel Erasmus was a power among All
white men, as one of the principal tree
hooters in and out OF the Transvaal and
tician nc is OF the very first rank, although
his voice is never heard outside of the
Executive Owing to his ability and
strength of mind he never consults the
Government in Pretoria, but always acts
ION his own On the\ other hand, Paul
Kruger invariably seeks the advice OF
his most trusted friend. Abel Erasmus.
or STRIKING APPEARANCE.
Abel Erasmus is handsome, grand Old
man, of fully seventy years, with white
hair and beard, a soft, kindly expression
lighting up a remarkably open face Hls
appearance, standing fully six feet. is that
of the finest type of a Boer farmer OF
the old school in South Africa me
inner man of Abel Erasmus in many
respects is exactly the opposite. In his
public capacity of native commissioner OF
a vast district he has ruled the Whole
native population for the last forty years
and more with a rod of iron. For real
vilainy and bloodshed among all classes
of natives under his protection ne mas
not his equal in the Transvaal. To men
ton the name OF Abel to any resident
native within his district is like gal
yanic shock. Some fourteen yaerS ago
| lived on high road about sixty miles
from Lydenburg. Troops OF native cattle
passed the door every week. On inquiry
always learned they were going to Abel,
with the everlasting tines OF cows and
nduna or head man of kraai was
sent for by Abel the news cast gloom
over all the kraals in that district.
AS regards the present unfortunate Boer
rebellion, l think l am right III stating
that Abel Erasmus was in no way respoh-
sible for it. He always was clever ana
far-sighted enough to know it was not Wise
10 seek a quarrel with the British. The
Transyaal had fought for its Independence
and gained it, The Boer Government
was established from end to end OF the
country. Industry and wealth had made
the Transvaal the greatest sold-ninlnS,
country in the world. The Lydenours
diggers ard the LydenburS Beers were on
the best of terms. If Abel Erasmus mad
been given kruser's opportunity he would
have become a republican dictator VINO
would have piloted his country according
to special circumstances and avoided any
chance Of setf-destruction.
AN IMPROBABLE POSITION.
Abel Erasmus is no friend Of the Ho-
lander moths who have eased through the
Transvaal fabric. He has generally kept
away from them as much as possioie.
When his advice was sought previous to
the war and the bulk of the Boer farmers
in the Lydanburg district were asked they
were mostly willing to grant the five
years franchise to uitlanders for many
business reasons-foremost, the Iydenburg
landowners were well to do farmers, con-
tented, and the uitlanders working in the
gold mines were their best customers.
The Ohrigs tadt laager is SO called be-
cause it is the Oldest and strongest posi-
ton ever taken up by the early trek Beers
when going north from Cape Colony and
Natal. 1t is as well to remember from
sixty to one hundred years back, the pres
ent Transvaal was inhabited in certain
other native tribes
like the illus continually raidins them
The emgrant Beers hands were against
ALL capturing their cattle and making
slaves of the men and youngsters. When
hard pressed by large imps OF natives the
Beers retreated to Ohrigstadt valley Ihat
position is simply impregnable. II defend
ed it being u series OF volcanic fort1nca-
tons interminable kopjes extending tor
miles. Inside these natural projections is
most beautiful and fertile valley in extent
about seventy-five miles square or there
about. protected on the east by the Drak-
ensberg mountains on the north and west
by the deep and broad ELEPHANTS river.
with Forts Oliphnnt and Weber. From
the south the valley narrows down to the
town of Iydenburg, which is the only
gate. Two thousand Beers with artillery
could defy 100000 British troops for an in
definite period
SECURE FROM ANY FOE.
No men, if they came in their thousands,
could ever climb through these series OF
pygmy and giant ridges or pass through
the multitudinous death traps of bowider-
built kopjes intersected with donSas. The
force inside the valley. so long as ammu-
milton md food lasted, is safe. There are
three beautiful rivers-the Biyde. the
Ohrigstadt and the Steelport-running into
the Olphants river. beside hundreds of
springs The nature and aspect of the
valley is that of one continuous garden.
capable of irrigation from fountains in
all directions. The soil is ailuyial, pro-
ducing gruin forage. tobacco. etc.-in fact,
everything required. and the hills afford
excellent pasturage for Boer horses, cat
tie and sheep summer and winter. The
valley is even now fairly we'll populated
by struggling Beers sweated by Abel Eras-
mus and many well to do natives. all of
whom hnve excellent fruit gardens The
many natural advantages for strong
defending force cannot be overestimated.
Our troops have had some experience of
5Colenso to Ladysmith as starting place
with base adjacent. That was COMPARE
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