The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-28

peasant, lit up by the reflection OF inexora-
bic will power. yet devoid neither OF cum
ming nor a certain expression Of dullness'
which latter is probably due 10 Kruger's
ignorance of all literature aside from the
Bible. He held a short brown pipe In his
mouth and expectorated as freely as any
American longshoreman might do.
While I thanked him for granting this
audience, Kruger sat unmoved. not a mus
Gle in his face twitched. I might have
thought him asleep If it hadn't been for
the puffs OF bluesh smoke rising above his
head at regular intervals.
had stopped talking for fully two min
utes, when Kruger slowly removed the
pipe from the corner OF his mouth and
spoke half dozen words to the effect that
was quite welcome. was not one of
those "confounded' interviewers." Then
the conversation lapsed again until the
under secretary mentioned the American
press and its sympathy with the Boer
cause.
TALKS OF AMERICA.
''You have great and very influential pa
pers," said Kruger, with the air of convey
ing a great piece Of news. 'and numerous
papers, too. All. how they have caricatured
me. 1 was highly amused when 1 saw their
cartoons at The Hague exhibition"
Next the President asked his chief of
Cabinet TO write down the names of the
principal American papers. / assisted in
making up the list, which, however, did not
9fve the actual heads, but their Dutch
equivalent Kruger read the list over and
YeverentIy placed 1t in his Bible. II will
pray for the editors who fought for right
and against oppression" he said simply,
and am sure he will keep his word
The under secretary spoke of America as
f'the land of happily united families, where
every workman had a chicken in his pot on
a Sunday"
Kruger nodded his head approvingly.
tits Gods will God likes your people be-
cause they deserve His preference" There
was a ring OF sincerity in these words.
Kruger says little. but that little he feels.
showed the under secretary some clip
pings from London papers reporting that
Kruger's health was wretched, that he was
but a ruin of his former self. While Won
Boeschoten gave the President extracts
from these foolish writings Kruger rang
the bell. The maid who had opened the
door for me appeared and was ordered to
pull away the curtains and raise the win
dow shades. Then Kruger settled down in
the full glare of the sunlight, as If to say,
s'Look at this ruin Observe for yourself
whether I am broken down man."
Those stories are certainly made Of whole
cloth. There is hardly a wrinkle in
Krugers' face, which shows a healthy
colors despite the yellow undertone. The
Presidents lips and the lobes of his ears
are red, his eyes bespeak alertness. energy,
q bright, active mind. When Boeschoten
finished. the President made the longest
speech on this occasion.
Waving the hand from which he cut the
thumb that angered him after fight with
a lion, or, rather. shaking 1t contemptuous-
" in the direction of the clippings, he
glared stolidIy into space for a time and
then roared out: My health? Thank you.
j cannot complain. A little rheumatism in
the legs once in while is all 1 suffer
from. AS for the rest am as well as I
possibly could wish to be-"
The words were quickly spoken and the
under secretary. probably fearing that I
had not grasped their meaning fully, re-
peated them first in German, then in Eng
1ish.
1.-The people of the United States are
QSSe interested in the Heer Presidents
Hthcoming MEMOIRS" said l.
Kruger's face assumed an expression of
dull annoyance TELL him what's. neces-
sary," he shouted CURLY TO Boeschoten,
whereupon the latter explained that his
excellency had recently allowed himself to
be inveigled into a conference with the Ger
man publisher, who had fired no less than
$50 typewriter questions at him. OF
course, that made Kruger sick of his own
book, and he would hear no more about
st. However," he added. "as / wrote $50
of its 800 pages after the Heer Presidents
dictation, 1 can answer for him. Under
stand, above all, that this is not a book
on the Wharf.-The war fills but one chapter,
the bulk of the work deals with the Incl
dents and facts that brought on the war
forced 1t upon US. OF coursecmfwywymb
forced 1t upon US. On the whole, 1t makes
impersonal. dry reading, suited for the
state archive and the historian" added
Kruger, as If to dispel any possible i'm
preston that he had meant to write
popular book.
With that he rose and grabbed my hand
again. holding 1t in a warm, iron clutch
for second or two. and looking me square
in the face. Goodbye" After a good
natured nod from the President. 1 saw him
bend over his Bible again to resume where
he left of, the study of the Kings and
Chronicles.
us the Heer President a very religious
mani" asked the under secretary.
He is as far from a saint as from a mons
ter, appellations alternately applied to him
by deluded friends and enemies. His is
pre-emintenly strong personality, and he
puts the same strong faith in his religion
as in everything he judges right and just
and beneficial to mankind. If the Heer
President were examined by a board of
American parsons they would probably
pronounce him a Quaker; his religious
views are nearer akin OF Quakerism than
of any other sect or form OF recognized
worship. In the Transvaal he is reckoned
among the Doppers, primitive class of
religionists. not very numerous I'm our
country. but to which the majority OF the
poorer Transvaalers subscribe"
When I passed through the kantoor on
my way out, the seven clerks were still
busy transcribing state documents on large
sheets OF foolscap paper adorned with
the arms of the Transvaal--a prairie
schooner below anchor OF hope, over
Swallowed by mighty wings of an eagle
about 10 ascend. And under it written in
red letters "Eendracht Maact Mag'-'.In
unity there is strength"
CARL RosNER.
THE CAPTAINS STOCEINcs