Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-02-03
a FAlKM0NT LADY
Talks of South Africa aud Her Work
THERE'S not Boer Sympathizer.

AhSie-t HVe boCA oJhpathiA1fs
Miss Virginia Pride who was
brought up in Fairmont but who has
been in South Africa for the past thir-
teen years is visiting her old home
and her old friends. She is at present
in Clarksburg. Miss Pride talked
very entertainingly to newspaper
man and among other things said
81 am afraid you have been misin-
formed as TO my work in South Africa
for l am not a missionary but a school
teacher, under the control of the En-
glish government. / have been located
at Port Elizabeth since Just before the
Boer war started, and | went there
because my sympathies were not with
the Boer people. / went to South
Africa thirteen years ago to teach
school and not to do missionary work,
as you and many Others have suppos-
ed. | was first employed by the Beers
10 assume the principalship of a girls
high school in the eastern part of
Cape Colony.
"The school accommodated about
400 young ladies and | enjoyed my
work very much indeed I was there
until the outbreak Of the war, when
| resigned and had started home, be-
cause my sympathies were not with
the Boer people in their warfare /
come by way of Port Elizabeth where
the English government offered me
the principalship OF their school and
l accepted it. My school accommo-
dates about 25o girls, who, when grad
uated, enter without examination the
Cape Town University.
81 came here on a business trip and
pleasure combined. We are about to
add large addition to our school, but
recent advices received have requested
me not to make my purchases at this
time. AS to salaries given teachers
there, the school boards and ednca
tional institutions of all kinds can
learn many lessons from the directors
of these foreign schools for the salaries
they pay are far in excess of those
given in this country
1t Will be noticed at once that Miss
Pride was not inclined TO talk of her
reasons for leaving the Boer school,
neither was she inclined to commit
herself on any important subject. The
correspondent then asked:
miss Pride, you say your sympa
thies were not with the Beers 10 their
war. Why is tnjs9'
II expected just such a question
from you and / will answer, After
studying these people for thirteen
years, | am convinced that they are
not ready to rule themselves and thai
wonderfully rich country. They are
unprogressive, to very large extent
uneducated, and very greatly preiu
diced against the English speaking
people Their chief desire is to gel
possession of the Transyaal and con
troll the immense gold production Of
that section
care you acquainted with "Oom
Paul" Kruger?"
"No, / never met him, but General
Joubert, the commander-in-chi OF
the Boer forces, who recently died
was a personal friend of mine. He
was immensely wealthy, but quite I'M
educated, consequently untitled for
ruler"
"What do you think will be the
outcome of the war? Will the English
VIM"
81 cannot say as to that. My latest
news from South Africa is not eneour
aging and | am fearful as to the out
come. / was to have made purchases
! for extensive Improvements at my
school, but recent letter advised me
not to buy at this time. You see the
Beers are so numerous and they are so
well acquainted with the country that
| the English have had the worst OF the
warfare"
Miss Pride will leave New York
about the middle Of this month for
Der former home. She will first go to
England and then sail direct for South
Africa.