The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-21
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Paul Ikruger's story.

SOME NEW BOOKS.
Paul Kruger's story.
In a large volume OF some four hundred
pages the Century Company have pub.
lished The Memoirs OF Paul Kruger, FouI
Times President OF the South African Re.
public. We learn from a predatory note
that these memoirs were dictated by Mr.
Kruger to his private secretary and to the
former Under Secretary Of State OF the
South African Republic, These amanuenses
handed their notes to the editor, the Rev.
DR.. l.. SHowALTER. who spent several
weeks at Utrecht in colloquy with Mr..
Kruger calculating various points in the
original narrative with the aid Of the Presi-
dents replies to a list Of questions which
Dr. Showalter had drawn up. The English
and American edition has been translated
by Mr. A. TEIXERA DE MATTos from DR..
Showalters revised German text, collatad
line for line with Mr.. Kruger's original
Dutch; with this difference. that in the
present edition Mr.. Kruger speaks in the
first person throughout, whereas in the
Continental editions the narrative II allowed
TO change TO the third person from the date
at which he begins to attain a conspicuous
position in the affairs Of his country. We
shall pass over rapidly the chapters that
deal with Krugers earlier career. but
shall follow the narrative more closely
from the annexation Of the Transvaal by
Sir Theophilus Shepstone, which annexa-
tionwas repealed by the British Government
after the success attained by the Beers in
their first war for independence
Paul Kruger was born on Oct. 10. 1928. at
Naalbank Farm in the Colesberg district
in Cape Colony. His ancestors came to the
Cape. he tells US. from Germany, but he does
not know from what town. He only knows
that the founder of the African branch Of
the family married a French woman. and
was Obliged to fee from his country on ac-
count Of his religion. The father Of the
author Of these memoirs was Caspar Jan
Hendrix Kruger, and his mother was Eliza
Steyn. daughter of bouw Steyn Of Bullock
Farm behind the Zuurbcrg in Cape Colony.
Caspar Kruger was a plain farmer, and his
sOn grew up on the farm looking after the
herds and lending hand In the fields. II
seems that an old woman predicted to his
mother that her son Stephanus Johannes
Paulus was destined for superior position
IN life. The first event Of Importance in
his career that Kruger ia able to recall was
the trek of his family from their home in
1885. In company with other emigrants,
they crossed the Orange River and. after
encountering much danger and loss at the
hands of the Zulus. settled at Liebenberg
Wei. in what has since become the Orange
Free State. In 1889, at the age Of H. kruger
took part in an expedition which was de-
spatched across the vaal River to find and
punish the robber band commanded by the
Zulu chief Moselikatse. In the following
year he joined a second expedition which
stormed large Kaffir town near Mosel-
ikatse Pass. For some years afterward
Kr1ger's parents and their neighbors were
comparatively undisturbed. To the best
of their ability they looked after the educa-
ton Of their children. though the facilities
for acquiring knowledge were OF the scan
tiest. Every Boer taught his children to
read and write, and instructed them in the
Bible. At dinner and supper. as the chill
dren sat around the table, they had to read
part Of the Scriptures. and to repeat from
memory or write down this or that text.
All the other teaching that Kruger received
was comprised In q period Of about three
months. When he was 10 years old, the
youth. like every other independent MEM
Der Of the community. was entitled to choose
two farms, one as a grazing place and the
other for sowing cereals. He decided to
live At Watsrkloof in the Transvaal. and in
xSA3 fetched Miss Maria du Plessis from the
country south Of the Vaal to be his wife.
The wedding took place at Potchefstroom.
His first wife died in ls46, and he subse-
quently married Miss Gezina Suzanna Fred
erika Wilhelmina du Plessis. BY the second
marriage he had nine sons and seven daugh-
tern, of whom three sons and Ave daughters
ore still alive.
The first care Of the Boer settlers in the
wilderness was to secure labor and to in
duce the black inhabitants of the country
TO render trustworthy service. This was
not an easy matter, for, although the Kaffir
was willing enough to work. he would always
Try TO cheat his master. The contest Of wit
sometimes had humorous results. Kruger
tells US, for instance. that one New Years
Day he sent Kafiir to his mothers farm to
fetch some raisins His mother sent him
about Ave or six pounds, and said so in
note which the Kaffr console ntiously de-
livered. The letter showed that the Kaffir
had pilfered. for the raisins which he brought
weighed much less than the quantity men,
toned. Kruger asked him what he meant
by trying to cheat. and why he had eaten
nearly all the raisins: "The letter tells me"
said Kruger. that there were great many
more than you brought me-" -Baas." re-
piled the Kaffir. the letter lies, for how
could 1t have seen me eat the raisins? Why,
put the letter behind big rock under
stone, and then sat down on the other side
OF the rock to eat the raisins" After Kruger
had convinced him that the letter never
thelees knew all about it the Kaffir humbly
acknowledged his fault. Still the thing
was not clear to him.
During the first years after the Boer emf.
grants settled In the Orange River country
and the Transvaal it was their task to clear
the land of wild animals, and thus 10 pro-
tect their pastures. Every Boer took an
active part in this work, and the younger
men. In whom the love of adventure turned
hunting into passion. did great deal to
make the country habitable. Kruger nat
,rrally finds il impossible to remember at
this day the exact number Of lions, rhinoc-
crosses, buifaloes, giraffes and other big
game that he has killed. He thinks that he
must have shot at least thirty to forty ele-
a.