Arizona republican., 1902-01-06
PHoENIX, ARIZONA, JAN. 6, 1902

THE writer, to understand PUGNACIOUS the true character of BOER. the South African Boer-
 In this country. at least, the belief prevails that the Boer is a quiet, peace-loving farmer, and that the desperate fight which he is putting up against the armed strength of the British empire is sole ly to defend his liberties and that it is in no respect due simply to his love of a fight. MT. Ralph was an eyewitness to most of the fighting during the first year of the war, and in addition to that he has made a close study of the history and characteristics of the South African Dutchman. Comment ing on the fact that large numbers of the Boers recently have taken the oath of allegiance to Great Britain and have been formed into armed troops to help subdue their brethren who are still in the field, MT. Ralph tells us that this not a new sur prising manifestation of Boer char acter.
 The Boer has fought the Boer, he says, again and again in the past. The Boer is as much q fighting character as any that ever lived. He has kept South Africa very lively for two centuries He has fought everything and every body in sight. and when there has been nothing else to fight, then Boer has fought Boer.
 The Boers' first fighting experience was with the Bushmen-in 1868, six years after the Dutch first esta blished themselves at the Cape. Five years later they fought the Hottentots, who resented the taking of their land mad shooting of their game.
 In 17O6 the Boers had their first ap- proach to rebellion against their own people. Their complaint was that the Dutch Governor Van der Stel, allowed no one to sell his produce until he (the governor) had marketed his own. The burghers sent petitions to Holland. The governor clapped many of the sign CTS in prison and banished four of them before he was deposed by the home government. The next season of discontent with their own rulers was in 1179. when the burghers elected del egates to go to Holland and complain that the Dutch East Indian company compelled them to sell their goods to the company al lower prices than they could get from French and English ships. The reply by the heads of the Dutch company to this complaint was that they rCust go back and behave themselves, since they were only per mitted. as a matter of grace, to gain a livelihood as farmers, tailors or shoemakers."
 Discomfort with their own rulers led to the first trek away from the parent colony. Thus the district of Graaff Reinet was established, gradually, dur ing many years. As the burghers be- gan to gather there, surrounded by wild animals and savage native foes. they led a life of constant warfare with the Bushmen who not only swept off their herds but killed whole Burgher families with poisoned arrows. In 1792 a powerful band of natives called the Ama-Xosa became warlike and laid waste large part of the new colony. Commanders Of burghers were called into the war, but were badly led by officers who were jealous of each other The natives had their own way and the burghers retired ready to break into open rebellion against their rulers, the East India Company. It was in 1795 that the farmers of the two dis tricts. Graaff Reinet and Sweilendam. proclaimed a republic and declared themselves ready to shed their last drop of blood rather than submit to the rule of their Dutch company governors.
 From 1799 to 1903 the burghers fought a war with the Hottentots and the Ama-Xosa. In 1903 the English re- stored the colony to Holland. now republic. In 1906 the burghers and Holland troops fought the English, who conquered them and made the cape a British territory for the second time. The British, however, paid the Dutch thirteen million dollars and gave back to Holland the Molucca islands and Java.
 In 1911 the burghers fought another war with the Ama-Xosa, and drove them back into their own country. In 1915 there occurred what is known as the Slachters Neck rebellion-this time against the British. Three years later an army of British soldiers and Dutch burghers entered upon another war with the Ama-Xosa natives. It lasted into the second year. In 1894 began what is called "thc great Xosa war;. when the natives rushed into the col ony and destroyed the result of four teen years of hard work by the burgh-