Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-14

a dozen yoke of oxen. The Transvaal was
reached and settled
The elder Kruger took up a farm as large
as a county, and when the boys grew up
and married they made locations for them
selves. Paul was known throughout the
Transvaal for his courage, skill, strength
and resource. He hunted over the whole
country and killed more lions than anyone
else. No kafhr could match him in leetness
of foot OF endurance. Sound and shrewd in
Judgment, keen in practical affairs convinc-
ing in argument. he asserted himself among
the young burghers, and soon held place
In the councils of the young nation of which
he was the product and the type. He be-
came field cornet, q member of the volks-
r2ad. an active and diligent member who
shaped legislation because he was grounded
In the principles on which the republic was
based and thorough believer in them. He
became member of the executive council
under President Burgers in 1872.
English Commissioner Appeared.
When dissatisfaction at the liberal re-
ligfous views of President Burgers threat
ered to disrupt the republic. when the fall
ure of the expedition against the Bapedi
rebels and the financial embarrassment
caused by the presidents ambitious policy
of internal improvement seemed to justify
the opinion of the pious Doppers that the
Lord had deserted the republic, an English
commissioner appeared and raised the Brit
iSh flag over the Transvaal Paul Kruger,
mined that the republic. should not go un-
der. They signed memorial declaring that
they did not desire British annexation.
Kruger, Joubert Pretorious went to London
to protest against the action of Sir The
ophiluS Shepstone, went again with the
document to dsprove that the Beers had
asked for annexation. They were met by
the statement that the British flag, once
raised. could not be hauled down. They
turned to their own country discounted.
But when the British had weakened their
garrisons, the Beers raised the flag of in
dependence. There were several skirmishes
with the British troops and then came the
convention of 1881 giving back self-govern-
ment to the TranSvaal, Great Britain re-
taining suzerainty. The military successes
that brought about this result were due to
Joubert and he elected commandant
general
Politician and Diplomat
The political and diplomatic success was
achieved by Kruger. and for that reason
the burghers chose him in 1882 to be presi
dent of the Transvaal republic. and in 1888.
when the regular electoral period came
around, he was reelected for a term of five
years. In each successive election, in 1888,
in 1893 and in 1898 he again elected,
serving to the time of the late Boer war,
when England annexed the Transvaal as a
colony.
The convention of 1881 did not secure to
the burghers the full measure OF inde
peHUence Iney desired. hGuBer set himself
to work to secure a revision of the treaty
and succeeded in 1884, when the new treaty
with Lord Derby was executed. This treaty
wiped out the word 'suZerainty." the right
to march troops into the Transvaal was
struck out, and the Beers were allowed to
resume the name of South African Repub-
lie
The development of the republic was
rapid after this. The discovery of gold
worked revolution in the conditions and
affairs of country once given over entire
ly to farming. From that time Presl-
dent Kruger spent much of his time IL ad
justing the many controversies that arose
with the British foreign office.
His great fight with Cecil Rhodes, and
the various other events that led up to the
fall of the republic, are matters of current
history.
Dom Paul or Uncle Paul, as his people
called him, a typical Boer patriarch.
the father of eleven children, each of whom
has large family. He was reputed to be
immensely rich, having sold enough gold
bearing land to make him several times
millionaire in pounds sterling. The Bible
was his constant guide.
Since the Boer war, Kruger had Travelled
through Europe.