The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-23
Stories in Career Of a Man Who
Delayed the March Of an
Empire.

Chicago Tribune.

Chicago Tribune.
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger,
the last president of the Boer repub-
lie. was one of the empire builders Of
South Africa and the lifelong enemy
of Cecil Rhodes. For twenty-fiv
years Kruger thWarted the ambition
Of Cecil Rhodes, and delayed the
Cane Colony north toward the equa-
tor.
He lived long enough to see the
death Of his greatest enemy and to
witness, in lonely exile, the triumph
of the greatest foe Of his people. In
his life he was one Of the worlds
rugged, heroic figures. In his death
in his loneliness, an exile by his own
choice.
OF Paul Kruger much has been
written about his wonderful feats of
endurance, his fearlessness as a lion
hunter, his marvellous strength, his
bravery as a soldier, his ability asa
ruler his skill as diplomat. Much
more might have been written.
His Unique Personal Appearances.
In personal appearance "Oom Paul.
could not be called handsome. He
was over six feet high, but fat and
unwieldly, and had waddling walk.
His face was dull, fabby and express
sionless. His small. bleared eyes
were half hidden by the heavy lids.
Long, thin, struggling hair covered
his head. He shaved his chin and up-
per Hp,3S but allowed an untidy fringe
| Of hair to grow all round his face.
In dress he was slovenly and care
less He was good enough talker,
a better listener. When ready for an
interview he lighted long clay pipe
| and; puffed at it frequently and Wig
| orously. It was only when he spoke
| that the naturally determined char
acter and shrewd, hard-headed COM
| mon sense of the man came out. He
| was Credited with possessing more
power of logged resistance, combined
with daring adventure, than any OF
the other Boer leaders.
How He "Got Religion" 8
Kruger was one Of the most re-
ligious Of men. He was brought up In
/ a pious Dutch family and was never
/ a bad boy, but it is said that many
years ago, when Kruger was a young
married man, he got religion" in
most striking and Echara cter1stic way
i One@day he handed an open Bible te
/ his wife and asked her to read seyera
| chapters which he had marked. While
she was reading he left the house
For several days he was missing, an6
! finally a party Of friends went out tc
look for him. They came back with
outHa trace Of the missing man. only
/ reporting that they had heard some
4 one singing far off on the mountains
A day or two later another search
ing party went out. This time they
found Kruger in a condition of aln1os
complete exhaustion, having gone en-
tirely without food or water during
j his absence. He had gone up int
} the hills to wrestle with himself II
prayer.
Austerity of His Religion.
Kruger's religious creed was aus
tere, but simple. Whatever God send
is right and must be endured Withou
a murmur. If death comes it is RICH
, and there must be no unseeml
mourning. If there is a famine, al
right. If there is a drought or.
plaques afflict, all right still. All thi
In 1894 there was a locust plagal
, in the Transvaal. 1.-The loeusts caflla-a
:. thousands and kns OFFS All usand d:
ETheir coming dasskene g dSthesskys Ine
Q late up everything. he arm .cr OF
Q were destroyed, but Dom Paul fo1
s | babe them to be killed. II. SSSSaa..
: "It is the will Of God that th
s locusts should corne," said he.
}, they lived and thrived until there be
t came several generations Of Locust
g in the Transvaal. f
d Famed as Mighty Hunter.
s. It was in his boyhood and ear
! manhood that Paul Kruger achieve
!, his fame first as a mighty hunter ar
;; afterwards as a soldier He lived COZ
le stantly in danger from savage beas
; and still more savage men. He klllt
& his first big game when he was Z yea
lg old and slew his first lion when he w
al only II.
ID The stories told Of his strength al
IN gprOWesS as a hunter are many al
n. marvellous. When boy Of IL ne w
81 sent by his father to take home
i empty oxcart and span Of oxen. Wi
: him went his little sister. Pau
III said his father at parting, take go
IN care Of your sister.
o o Five miles from home a full-groy
ct panther sprang from the bush.
- frightened oxen bolted, nearly ups'
n ting the two-wheeled cart and thro
al "a ing out the little girl. Instantly Pc
- jumped after her, and. tho unarnf
N: grappled with the panther. He seiz
va the beast by the throat and by ma
le. strength strangled it to death. Th'
i s tho torn and bleeding from !
the contest, he carried his sister hol
ut in safety. This exploit, says the h
l torian, made, him the hero Of
DID Transvaal. IA gtg ~ Es Z:
IT Like a Page From -s9Quo Vadis.'
~ Once, when he was chasing a b
al falo bull and his horse had brous
IT. him close to the game, the buff
~! IN stumbled and fell into a wallcW III
ny by recent rains from a muddy pc
st. Unable to check his speed, the no
Ws followed, and with his rider fell il
ost heap on the BULL Not for an inst
zen did Kruger lose his presence of mi
lad He sprang from his horse, and, se1z
nd, the horns Of the buffalo, twisted
a head so as to bring the nose
ers mouth Of the animal under wa
ink There he held it by main force, hi
re- self astride of the buffalo, Until
nv was drowned.
cry How He Ended Famine.
zau Once upon a time, before the Ira
my my vaal was a republic, there was a fs
lhs inc in the land and party Of hu
re- ers was organized to seek for hal
I l beeste. For days the search was
Is vain Then Paul Kruger, who was
Of the party, announced his intent
Z. Of retiring into the bush to pray
help.
ner Taking native he left the pa
and after an absence OF several no
IN returned and told his comrades
he had prayed and that in three d
20 time the Lord would send them gs
80 in plenty; all they had to do wa:
on | wait for it's arrival and slay it Wne