Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-01-12
LEGISLATIVE BUILDING AT PRETORIA.

don, 10y contrast, we Hnu "luc
awake. essentially modern English
town. with much that might recall
Brighton or iIarwich and very little
TO make one realize that this Is all
some G.OOO miles from home. writes
roulincy Bigclow In the European
edition OF the New York Herald. At
Durhnn we seem TO be in n totally new
world part India. part savage Africa.
Banana trees. bungalows. punkahS.
palms. Xulus-these arrest the eye OF
the newly arrived and distract his at
tcntion from the excellent municipal
administration and the many evil
druccs of modern progress 1T this es-
scntially up to date port.
only n few miles farther Is a splcn
did Portuguese failure. l.ourencu Mar
lues, in Drlasoa Ray. picturesque from
distance. but full OF foul smell aud
saddcnIns prospect when one APP
proachrs TO within hailing distance.
This Portuguese pest hole reminded
me OF certain Turkish towns OF the
lower Danube which seemed like bits
Of romance from the arabian Nights"
for at distance one perceived only the
minarctS shining in gorgeous sunlight,
the battlcmcnts Of the medieval walls
or the domcS of sacred buildings. But
to preserve our illusions In such coun-
tries we should never go ashore-pad-
die past them far away under the OPP
posite bank and read Byron rather
than contemporary history.
Hlocmfontein prepares one for Pre-
torin. rs San Antonio. in Texas. sug-
gcsts the typical Mexican city. Bloem-
fontcin and Pretoria both bear the
stamp OF their bucolc origin In the
vast open place ut the center where
long OK trains can find rest and the
farmers dispose OF their produce or
find quarters during the periods of re-
lIgiOus congregation. The great squares
In the midst of Bocr towns have their
countcrparts in those of Mexico and
wherever the cattle interest predomi-
mates.
Pretoria Is not today so pretty town
ms Blocmfontein. but that is for rea-
sons which may be obvious. Rlocm-
fontcin gives the impression of good
taste. OF general comfort. Of harmo-
Nous development At Pretoria. on
the contrary. we find Bocr cabins with
mud floors ranged alongside OF prcten
tious government buildings built obvi-
ously to impress the behoder by their
size. The Eocr government in 1881
was practically without money except
Ing for the Indispensable. The gold
mines suddenly threw into the empty
treasury OF this Cowboy" administra-
ton so much money that it was rather
embarrassing to know what to do with
| 1t. When Yankee cowboy returns to
! civilization with n pocket full Of mon
ey, we all know what he Is apt to do.
or course the first thing Is to make n
round OF the harrooms. treat every one.
then buy some gaudy jcwclry. few
tiashy garments. go driving about town
in the handsomcst carriage procurable.
and when the money Is all gone think
Of investing.
The Docr legislators. who had prob
ably never seen n e. note until the nit
landcrs opened the mines at Johannes
burg. commenced their career of politl-
cal independence much in the same
way. Instead of working slowly and
spending the money for the future good
Of the country by establishing good
schools and building roads. bridges and
things calculated to increase comfort.
they acted on the assumption that In
tercourse with their ncighhorS was q
bad thing and that to be strong they
must remain 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 assist In their administration
they preferred to import clerks direct,
~ from Holland and Germany. rs
though these might prove more loyal to
them than even their own kinsmen
reared at the Cape or Natal. The pri'
vatc residences at Pretoria are over
topped by monStrous government OF
fees. where much money has been
spent for show and little for beauty
Pretoria Is In Its way a reflection OF
Paul Kruger. That noble cattle hcrder
has no political creed beyond hatred of
the uitlandcr and loyalty to what he
thinks is liberty. In theory he il the
incarnation of primitive democracy
yet outwardly he decks himself with
tawdry decorations loaned to him by
European monarchs and apes semiroy.
nj pomp when he drives abroad. VIC
lose sight of Krugcr's dignity, courage
and political virtues when we see hin,
driving about Pretoria with all the
nonscnsical parade Of South Ap,cri
can dictator. So are we apt to lose
sight Of the beauties Of the town Itself
because ut present there is so much
that Is incOngruOus, such violent CON