The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1901-07-17
AFBICIs BUsH VE[bf,
Why Fugitive Bodies of Beers
Are Seeking Asylum There.
AFBRTILE AND HEALTHY COUNTRY


Not n Deathtrap, but a Safe Hovar
For the willy Burgher to Flee 60
When, During the TransVanI VIII
ter, Grnss on the VeIdt I. Rro,vn
and Parched.
The news that fugitive bodies M
noers are trekklng toward the bush
Veldt has somewhat hastily been az.
sumed to indicate that. finding thorn
selves driven from pillar to post the
desperate burghers are seeking Issr
FEVER stricken asylum.
The bush veldt is a term anpI,od
loosely TO long strip of wooded conn
Try Which runs roughly east by west IN
inc % miles to the north of Prator,.
lt lies somewhat lower than tho sur
rounding country and for this reason
maintains Throughout the year a warm
mean temperature
People at home have even vet fa,IaA
to grasp the immensely OF the Trans
vaaL They seem to think that because
II is all called by one name it is ALI az
one geographical and climatic charac-
ter. The truth Is that one part Of the
Transvaal differs from another inst
about as much as California does from
the state OF New York.
There are never frosts In the buah
veldt. though on the high tabIeIands
about Middelburg and Belfast. noes3O
miles away, night frosts are both fres>.
quent and bitter in the winter season.
Similarly the rainfall In the bush yeldt
Is inches higher than on the plains. In
the depths of winter. when the grass
on the veldt Is brown, parched aud In
edible, 1t is green and fresh and succu-
lent In the bush country. For this rea-
son the willy Boer leaves bis farm on
the plains when his animals can no lon
ger lind grazing there and tricks labori-
ously of in search of pastures new.
says the London Express. Generally
he takes his entire household with him
wife. children and furniture-tha
family iares and penates being heaped
Unfortunately In enormous trek waa-
ons
This annual trek Is a sight to be seen
and never forgotten II beats a Scotch
'fitting" or an Irish eviction into ftB.
The male members Of the family ride
on horseback. the women and children
BIT on the wagons, and all gesticulats
wildly. screaming curses ut tn Kaffr-
and oxen at the highest pitfh n feeir
voices Sometiues, the trek les
fortnight II there IS long - % 80.
and every night the eses = :. n'ls.l'. e
ned and a-pA9hp is tor ,.,shs q
5sssys5 4 re 3
''r.Af ldndss4 the O. Ia
aiken mp in the same - - sl.eu,heos-
The burgher simply as ~ tai b
inds place which aim and sto1
here He does not build house.
Ives entirety in hts wagons. someti,
With huge sail thrown over to form y
eni Some Of the richer farmers have
'pecial wagons for this animal picnic.
enormous numbering things they are.
Thirh 10 oxen strain TO move
From April I'LL October life IN the
lush veldi il pleasant and healthv
In October II begins to get
warm and 10y Ire middle Of November
he heat Is unbcarabIe Then fever
ONES. and the knowing burgher re-
urns 10 health and the spring grass on
he plains. Ia the Ordinary way Trek
ing 10 tine bush vrldt does not s.ofu-
hence till May. but there is no reason
Thy u should moi begin in April Asa
ule. there Is still sufficient grass
through April TO keep the beasts f,.t.
Therefore IL will be seen that what
yer else the bodies of Beers nov re.
oried 10 I've tr.kkins to the hush veldt
re- doing they are aSsurcdly iiot run.
Ing their heads blindly INTO siearls
rap II has been stated repeatedly by
npers which ought TO know bctter that
hose who seek asylum In the bush
ountry must necessarily perish OF re-
er This is nonsense. The ordinary
'oer Is great deal more afraid or fe-
er than he Is of the Lee Enfield rifle.
specially II he has good horse under
i'm
The BoerR are going to the bush veldt
ecause they know that they may now
D so with safety. They win stay there
Isl so long as they can with impunIty
L. e.. till OctOber-and then they will
'me back on the plains. Whether we
IN disiodge them earlier remains TO be
zen. The bush veldt is almost impossl-
e country 10 move large bodies OF
zen In. and 1t Is for the most part UNI
nown. We have had maps-pretty
id ones too-of the rest OF the Trans
lal. but we have none OF the busb
'untry.
1ne Way Of Popping the Question.
Andrew Sandager, president OF the
tate Bank OF Lisbon. n D.. and a for
or stats senator Of North Dakota. be-
troduced an innovation in ms,ffage
hics. says the Chicago Rood tef
d Without consulting eyeu ~. '.-i4e,--