The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-03-15
IN BoERLAND.

| eled all over South Africa, and for sew
eral years was vice-principal in the
schools at East London. He was con-
versing, yesterday afternoon, about
Beers and British.
NO. he said, in answer to ques-
| ton II am not pro-British. ] am a
naturalized American, but l am deci-
dedly anti-Boer. / went to South Afri-
ca in 1891, and for nine months Travelled
about the country. The Transvaal is
an immense desert, with few isolated
districts that can he cultivated-the
wide spaces being given to cattle and
sheep The Boer is utterly opposed to
| work in any form. He rides and shoots,
and all his work is done by natives,
whom he treats as slaves.
7 Johannesburg is European city in
general appearance, IN It's buildings and
| in it's population. with slices OF barba-
rism in the way Of Beers, negroes and
uncouth shanties. The magistrates and
policemen of johannesburg are Beers.
In that place as everywhere in the
Transvaal, the Beers have never failed
to show their hatred of the British and
other foreigners. In all the Boer towns,
negroes are not allowed to walk on the
sidewalks They must walk single flle,
in the middle of the street, and II one
should go upon the sidewalk he would
be promptly kicked off.
"The Beers practice all manner of
cruelties on the negro. I have seen a
negro who was accused of sheep steal
ing hung UP without trial by his heels
while O number of Beers burned
matches under his nose,
"This 10 the way CAME to see Presi-
dent Kruger: / was in Johannesburg,
standing on the steps of Helt's Hotel,
kept by q German. and was quietly
smoking. A Boer came slouchlng along
and as he passed, spat on my boat and
called me, in the Boer tongue, a
damned red-neck.' This is a term Of
reproach applied by them TO the Eng
lish and to Americans as well. Under
such circumstances I was under no OBJ
legation to keep the peace, and | start
ed for. him. A young man rushed across
the SrSet and implored me to do moth
ing, but pass the insult by. He was
reporter on the Standard and Diggers'
News. You have revolver, he said,
Che saw the weapon in my pocket or in
my hand and If you are taken before
the landroost. or magistrate, you will
get six months at least The Boer who
had insulted me was armed Beers can
carry as many guns as they please, but
Uitlanders are not allowed to carry
weapons In the Trarfsvaal a Boer boy
sixteen years old Is a voter but Tit
lander must live in the country eigh-
teen years before he can be even a
voter of the second class. Johannes
burg was organized as town less than
fifteen years ago. ~.
"A few days after our acquaintance
began, my reporter friend invited me to
go with him to Pretoria. We went by
stage and arrived there about dusk.
The Transvaal IN treeless but the
streets Of Pretoria are lined with rose
bushes, and they, give great beauty to
tho place. President Kruger's house
was long. low building OF perhaps
eight rooms-a squatty, one-story af-
fair. l think 1t Is of stone. The out
side is smeared With red earth. When
was there sentry box was at the side
of the gate. Now there are two, and
two stone lions that were presented to
President Kruger by Barney Barnato as
stop to the Transvaal cerberus.
"A KafTir boy let us into the house,
and we were turned into reception
room, This was doubtless the largest
and best room in the house. 1t diff
fered from most. Boer rooms, in having
a carpet upon the hoor-a barbaric com
bination Of the brightest red and green.
We shook hands with the president and
with Mrs. Kruger and with others
who came in. The people are always
shaking hands. This 10 disagreeable to
Europeans, who have some affinity for
soap and water, and no great fondness
for dirt. The Beers are dirty; that fact
can not be exaggerated. They simply
do not care to wash at ALL The hang
ing gardens of Babylon We're one Of the
wonders of the ancient world. The av-
erage Boer of to-day is similar Won
der. He carries enough soil on his per-
son to invite a luxuriant vegetation
Mrs Kruger appeared to mo as a
very plain old woman, of the pattern of
those who sell fish and vegetables in
our markets. except that the latter are
comelier. Her face was heavy, her
eyes wide apart and somewhat oblique
anu ltl Ildll was pldsltItu ONti llcl
forehead and down upon her ears in an
old-fashioned way
Coffee was served. 1t was thick and
strong. We drank part Of 1t and ate
the remainder, as 1t would have given
offense had we returned our cups I'M
emptied. Mrs. Kruger, it was said. got
the tariff or monopoly money on cot
fee that comes to Kruger-fifteen or
eighteen hundred dollars year-and |
the vrow runs the house on that
so that the president is not
called on to use any of his salary for
household expenses.
President Kruger talked to the re-
porter, not to me, and his entire con-
versation was in the Boer taal, or
tongue. He was in evening dress, a t |
least it might be called so in the Trans |
vaal republic. His clothes We're badly |
fitting and dusty. He had on his feet
red carpet slippers. Yes, that is a solid |
and solemn fact-red carpet slippers. |
He was smoking long stemmed pipe |
with great bowl filed with Kaat riv-
er tobacco--a tobacco which, as the Gin
ders spill out of the pipe keep red hot |
and burn clear through ones clothes. |
The president spat frequently. There
was no spittoons in sight, and the great
mans spittle was scattered over the |