Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-05-27
Tales From
South Africa

J. A. stretton. diamond digger, gold
miner, British fighter, from far.away
Cape Colony, arsaved IN Las Vegas
yesterday and Incidentally paid The
Optic Office arrs17g1ss morning visit
His first expression was concern
ing the @beastly cold Of this noun
tain climate. he said he had shivered
ever since his arrival In New York.
His birth place was Port Elizabeth
in Cape Colony. He early went 70.
the Kimberly diamond diggings,
whore he had often seen Cecil Rhodes.
Recently he had worked In the gold
mines in charge Of an American pow
er drill. II ii as d miner he Ii traY
cling now, carrying his union card.
He was kindly but firmly invited to
move on from Pueblo and Trinidad,
Colorado, and is now working his way
ito Los Angeles, California, where he
has friends who viii welcome him.
Although born 4 British subject
Stretton took sides with the Beers
in their late struggle. He served
under General Botha and under the
two DeWets; was in rhe long invest.
ment of Ladysmith and had acted As
picket guard before the residence Of
loom Paul. During these experiences
he met many sympathizing Americans
who we're aiding the cause OF the
weak. among them Captain Blake, 81
Chicago, who brought with him the
~so-called Irish regiment Of cavalry
Stretton called on Captain Blake a
Chicago ami was warmly recefvsd 81
him.
Mr.. Stretton spoke OF the broker
spirits OF the Boer people whose feel
ing is nov that OF aliens in their Owl
land. In Denver he met Commande
: Craig, formerly Of the Bosr army. VIII
is endeavoring to colombo 4 iaFg'
! number of his eompaIriots in Texa
; where they may create for thsHsselye
new homes.
Stretton forsees trouble as a resul
tof the importation Of the Chimes
into South Africa where they now ar
pitted against the negroes but vii !
time to come enter into eompetItio
with thu Europeans disastrously I
the latter. The black natives he COZ
!, siders Us utterly worthless and e
!, tirely unreliable. He says thai n
~sionary labor among them Il Amos
thrown away One story h. tells
I of a Moody institute bible Workt
vino went cut alone among the heat
q en- Kaffir and who returned net man
Y days later stripped u every artic
LOT clothing having been robbed
{. everything BY those thiesish rascal
Y, But Stretton says the missionaries I
great good in the settlements amer
- the whites. He himself was taug
III Il 81 the mission schools 81 Cal
Colony.
ce Recountng experiences Ia the u
ar mond diggings be told of the sew
q ity 81 discipline, the rigid search
the bodies OF the diggers when 81
Ich ing from their days work and Of I
a ingenuity Of attempts made BY the
ru 70 conceal the precious stones
he their persons The men are compel
10 strip In one room where th
III leave every particle OF clothing u
have worn in the mine Then. 4
10. hy one. they pass through a long 9
ridor where the searchers make
closest scrutiny of their persons,
the end of the passage they dry
again In other garments which u
never wear within thu workings 4
punishment for repeated dtainc
stealing Is five years On breakwai
construction at the port, = sehteu
which means death 70 very many
Ter. that labor is the most unheai,h
lesl known.
ZIP, Mr.. stretton doesn't like our
fith mate. he doesn't find money maxi
any as easy as in his native land and
'rly doesn't ike the methods Of our
bor unions. file says the walking d
gate Is unknown in the South Afri.
. ia, tha ,,amhers are