Montana oil and mining journal., 1939-10-21

I whenever he shot down an animal he
was careful to place bullet between
the eyes before selling the head, for
the purchaser of the head would want
to tell the folks back home in England
or Germany how he brought the ami
NAL down with one bullet IN the vital
spot.
Kramer became friendly with many
native tribes in Africa and was always
welcome in their villages. He recalls
that the fierce fighting between whites
and blacks in Africa usually resulted
from the same type of trouble that
caused friction between white men and
Indians In America. The whites were
taking the black mans land and there
was nothing for him to do but fight
them off.
During all his years of hunting horns
for buyers in the coast towns, David
Kramer never shot a Lion. He had no
reason to shoot lions for their skins
were not worth much and they had
no horns. He found the lion to be
rather tinid animal unless aroused by
being wounded. He recalls a day when
he walked into clearing far from
civilization to find the wife Of Ger
man settler standing over the body of
an immense lion she had Just killed.
1t was Cape lion, large type
which seldom finds its way into Amer
ican ZOOS and a few seconds before the
woman had looked out the door to
see the animal summing himself only
few feet from where her small child
was playing. Her husband was off on
some errand and there was nothing
to do but shoot the lion. Kramer as
sisted her in skinning the animal.
Most Of the people in the region
Kramer hunted were Germans-Boers.
Because he was also German, he was
welcomed BY these people and they
told him their side Of the story Of
their trouble with the Ehglish-trouble
which finally resulted IN their losing |
their territory. They wanted no trouble !
with the English but the English want |
ed the gold deposits of the Boer coun-
try. When the Beers captured an Eng |
In their territory they did
the initials OF their country, the South |
African republic If the Enghshman |
we're caught twice In Boer territory he |
was executed.
Among the many unusual characters |
Kramer knew in Africa was q Jewish |
trader with whom he often stayed.
During one Of his visits with the jew /
he remarked about the excellence of /
the meat which had been served for 4
several meals. He asked the Jew what
kind of meat 1t was and the trader
informed him that he had been eating
the meat of the boa constructor. The
meat had been good but the thought
Of the great snake made him Ill and (
he could not eat again for several days.
The jew had two wives who loved
him dearly even though he made them
sleep on the floor while he occupied /
the only bed in that part of Africa. I
On one occasion another woman visited /
the Jews trading post to make pur-
chases and when she fingered too /
long at the counters the wives became
jealous. They waylaid the visitor upon |
her departure and fierce fight took !
place, during which one Of the women
Honorary Member v. r. w.
David Kramer's most priced possess
sion As medal which makes him an |
honorary member of the Veterans Of |
the medal and the prize came to him
as result Of good deed he did many
years ago.
It was while he was camped ON Ele-
phart island In TelegOa bay on the
east coast of Africa. The year was 1888
and an American warshtp, the Chicago, |
put into the bay to purchase fresh
meat The Spanish war had
Just closed and the ship was enroute
to the United States. When the Of
ficers of the ship tried 10 buy meat
thev were refused because all Of the !
traders were Portuguese and the SYM !
pathies of Portugal had been with |
Spain during the war.
kramer heard Of the Americans
difficulties and offered them all the
fresh meat they wanted. The Chicago |
steaxned away and Kramer forgot the /
incident. Many years later, after he /
had settled In America, men who had 1
Deen aboard the Chicago at that critic
Al time heard of Kramef'g presence
ana Thus fk came about that the Vet
eraxs OF Fufeagns Wars presented nizn
Tl1e medal is one OF the few of Us
ina Ia existence.
Rrmxnsr has fine collection of horns