Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-03-15
Boer Farmers.

constantly replsnished cup oil socailed
coffee the country Boer is content to
spend his days in comparative idle
ness. From his homemade chair OF
leather thongs on wooden frame,
standing on the verandah of his home
stead, he shouts directions to the var
ious "boys" or natives at work in the
wagon house or down by the stream.
AS for himself, particularly if he has
grown-up sons, he does little, if any,
manual work, and still less mental.
He vegetables, ruminates and e1pec-
torates in the beatitude of nothing ac-
complished, nothing done to earn
nights repose.
Very good tobacco is grown in the
Transvaal, particularly in the Potchet-
stroom district, and under the Maya
Iiesburg Mountains, near Rustenberg.
1t is always home cured and dried
At first it strikes one as peculiar, and
not altogether paIatable, as it is very
dry and almost powdery, with an IN
dividual flavor which is all its own;
but gradually one grows accustomed
to it, and eventually one refuses to
smoke anything else. 1t is absolutely
pure and healthy. Everybody smokes
it all day long, and there is no throat
tickling, no harshnes5 and no heat
about it. The farmer produces it for
about Is cent. a pound, and it is sent
to the town in great circular rolls,
weighing about 40 pounds each. When
cut and unraveled, it is retailed at %
and So cents a pound, and search the
world over you will find nowhere bet
ter pipe tobacco.
Among the older Beers it was con-
sidered highly indecorous for wOm-
an to allow her hair to be seen, even
by her sons or daughters. 1t is al
ways, night and day, carefully con-
cealed beneath a gigantic sunbonnet
or "kappie, which projected far in
front of the face, somewhat after the
fashion of the old poke bonnet.
The women's dress is almost always
black-of heavy twill material akin
to baize or bombazine. 1t stricks
out straight all the way around like a
sort Of crinoline.
On an outlying farm, which may be
anything from 20 to 200 miles from a
town of any sort, the shopping-apart
from the quarterly visit to Nachtmaal,
or Hely Communion-is conducted
through the agency of a "'maus. This
is to all intents and purposes a ped
dler, who goes from farm to farm with
tray of jawelry and nicknacks In
front of him and pack upon his
back, ready to deal in everything and
anything that will yield handsome
profit.
A few quaint, homemade medicines
are kept at hand at every farmhouse,
for the Boer is always falling sick of
some more or less imaginary COM
plant, and wants to be coddled, doc
tered and physicked with all manner
of extraordinary concoctions. A ia
vorite remedy for childrens conyul-
sions is dogs blood made hot and
mixed with vinegar, while vulture's
fat and jackal's liver combined is sup
posed to cure ague and shiyering fe-
yer.
The Juice Of wild aloes is a sort Of
general all-around touic,which is CIV
en- frequently and freely for colds and
coughs, and an ointment made from
the fat Of a viakvark, or wild pig, is
always used for sprains or bruises. All
these things are cold women's rene
dies, but whether it is that faith has
a good deal to do with cure, it is
quite certain that many Of them are
extraordinarily eficacious. Some
prescriptions for preparations of herbs
have been handed down to the Beers
by native doctors, and are very often
successful in mitigating, if not in cur
ing, minor ailments.
Before the advent Of the railway in
the Transvaal, and even now in those
districts into which the iron horse has
not yet penetrated, the whole of the
transport, or carrying trade, is con-
Quoted by kurveyors. Every other
Boer farmer son is, or was, kur-
veyor, or carrier. Their only stock
in trade was wagon for l6 oxen. The
/ former, usually built in the Cape Col
| ony at one or other of the famous
wagon dorps, is strong, heavy, we'll
put-together concern, either half or
fully tented capable Of carrying goods