The Georgia record. (Atlanta, GA.) 1899-19??, November 18, 1899, Image 3

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I THE REAL BOERS AT HOME J 0 Simple, Primitive Ways of the People gj of the Transvaal. You will hear divers answers as to what kind of people the Boers are. The more short-sighted and intolerant travelers may say that the Boers are a dirty lot who don’t use table napkins, an illiterate set of brutes who never heard of Kipling, an utterly unrefined people whose knowledge of art is nil; in short, a backward, stupid, unpro gressive, half civilized set who are too thick-headed to know they are stand ing in the path of that Juggernaut car, civilization, and must in the end be crushed beneath its wheels. It is a mistake to take Paul Kruger and his surrounding politicians as types of the Boer. Also it is a mis take to take the dweller in the towns as typical. To unearth the real Boer one must seek the wide and solitary veldt, the hidden valleys, the distant hills, and there, on his farm, draw him out and study him. Your true "Boer despises the town. He is essentially an agriculturist and a hunter. He is extremely conservative, and with strangers brusque and taciturn, but if he finds you are harmless he can be very hospitable. He does not drink deep. He is religious,with a gloomy, stern religion which makes him be lieve, as did the Covenanters, as much in the Old Testament as in the New. He is moral. He does not believe in divorce laws. He marries early in life, and is convinced the highest blessing is an abundance of children. He is sturdily built, as a rule, thanks to his way of life, which is the same as that of his father and his ancestors for many generations—an open-air life, with lots of beef and cabbage and 1 b- VA pi blue * V MWIRW I -r-Ae ' I Trans t/fl 0J Ullk. Xie Is a good horseman, and a remarkable marksman. He under stands that the man who can shoot Straight and without excitement makes, nowadays, the best soldier. He fears God and loves his country, but cannot understand the need of a taxgatherer. He is, in fact, the back woodsman of last century in the United States, come to life again in Africa. At the first hint of gray in the East ern sky, at the first crow of the cock, the farm household is up and stirring, and breakfast, with the usual strong coffee the Boer loves, is over by the time the sun rises. The men are out and about at once, looking after just the same chores as on an American farm in the West, save those who are • off to replenish the larder by shooting a springbok,a hartebeest or some such species of deer. The women have plenty of work about the house. The genuine old Boer farm furnishes it self every necessary to its occupants. The furniture is often made by the farmer, or he has great, unwieldy, carved chests and bureaus which have come to him from his ancestors. He canmake his own shoes. His women dress and weave his own sheep’s wool and make their and his clothes from it. Thera is almost nothing he needs to buy. He does not care a rap for neckties or collars or store clothes, and a full beard is fashionable.- All he really has to buy is farming imple- ' •/ KRAAL 3 OF KAFFIR HELP OX A BOER FARM. ments, and of these be prefers the . primitive sort, though enterprising j agents have introduced such things as mowing and other machinery. During the day he works leisurely, content to make a living out of the ground. He dines heartily at noon and sups heartily at evening. His day hardly differs from that of any farmer in any country, only, if he sings at hia work, it is likely to be a psalm that he flings. He smokes a great deal while he goes about—a habit de rived from his forebears in Holland. He is fortunate in having no winter no frost, no snow, only the dry sea son, when his cattle suffer, and the rainy season, when the rivers and ponds are flooded. His house and barns are low and roomy—simply furnished as to the house rooms. The great featherbed is usually the most noticeable feature, unless, perhaps, he glories in a little harmonium for his daughter to pick out hymn tunes on of a Sunday. Just Ch —,i.i *,!_->i r»i f. I _!■<mn I ZrT- *\ BOERS GATHERED FOR THE LORD'S SUPPER, PIETERSBURG. before the sun goes down, at a time which varies very little all the year round, the Boer calls his family to gether, and they have household prayers and pious singing. No lights are needed, or if one is, it is an old fashioned lauthorn, or, more likely, a rush dip, floating in a cup of home made tallow. Ere the daylight has fairly gone the farmer has bolted the door and everybody is in bed. He has no amusements, according to European or American lights. Knowing nothing of theatres or pic ture galleries, he does not want thepn. He hardly ever reads anything save the Bible, and that is a sacred duty, and with stammering and difficulty. The hunt is his chief sport, for big or little game, and there is keen rivalry in the display of trophies. Also he has one favorite sport of much the same kind—the shooting matches. ... I 17" “OUTSPANNING.” A BOER FAMILY REST ING AT THE CLOSE OF A DAY’S TREK. Three or four times a day he goes to Nachtmaal, which is equivalent to the Scotch Fast Day or Lord’s Supper. In the little market square of the nearest little burg there will stand a modest whitewashed building like a barn. This is the church for the dis trict, and here at stated periods the farmers gather from all about. They don’t take their families to hotels, though some may stay with friends, bnt drive the two or three days’ jour ney in the big white-canvassed wagon, drawn by from twelve to sixteen fat, white-horned oxen. They make camp near the town in a meadow probably by the stream, and live in and under the wagon during the Nachtmaal, cooking for themselves the food they ! have brought along. The congrega tion gathers, daring this time, day and evening. Their neighbors meet between whiles and gossip and per haps transact a little business. They would not belong to the human family if, of course, the lads and lasses did not walk and talk and court and ex change vows. These are the great outinga, the picnics, of the year, and small tradesmen and peddlers are on hand with knickknacke and trumpery to sell to the young folks, so that, CHURCH AND PARSONAGE TYPICAL OP THE TRANSVAAL. outside the services, the meeting is a kind of fair. Sometimes also there may be a wrestling match or jumping match between young men, in which all, old and young, will take a deep interest. So the Boer farmer and hunter pur sues his even way, as his people have ever done, and if what he considers the accursed gold had never been found in his land, he might so pursue it to the end of the chapter. It is to be feared, however, that foreign capital and railroads and telegraphs and lightning-rod agents have broken up his idyllic life forever, or, rather, will soon do so. It was not, however, all peace. As the American back woodsman was continually on his guard against Indians, so the Boer is ever ready to take the field against a kaffir tribe or the British. Then the plough and the hoe are laid aside, and the rifle is cleaned carefully, but not now for a pleasant hunt after game. The cadi to arms is simple; mobilization is primitive. There is no squabbling about volun teering, or enlisting, or drafting. Ex cept the women, the very old and the very young, everybody responds, even boys of thirteen and fourteen—but the average Boer boy is a pretty stout and healthy lad, and has been taught to shoot since he was ten or eleven. Each man takes his horse and his rifle and proceeds to the rendezvous of his district. The pastors are with them, and with prayer and psalms the farmer-soldiers march out to defend their country. A Bushranger’s Armor. The accompanying illustration is a photograph of the armor used by Ned Kelly, the notorious Australian bush ranger. Kelly, having been in his more peaceful days a blacksmith, says the London Strand, manufactured armor for himself and comrades from old boiler-plates, and to such good purpose did these protective coverings serve them that for two years the gang defied all the efforts of the police of iHSt li P J W '> AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGER’S ARMOR. Victoria to capture them. They were at last surprised, and many of them shot whilst drinking at a hotel; not, however, until $400,000 had been spent by the Government in its en deavors to stamp out the gang. Ned Kelly was tried and executed in Mel bourne jail, and his armor, which shows many marks of police bullets, is at present in possession of the Vic torian Government. Pay of a Prison Warden. Kansas pays the warden of her peni tentiary $2500 per annum, out of which comes his living expenses, and her penitentiary contains 940 convicts. Illinois pays the warden of the Joliet penitentiary, with 1300 prisoners in his keeping, $3500 and provides hie living. Minnesota, with 529 convicts, gives the warden of the Stillwatei prison a salary of SSOOO. HOUSE SESSIONS VERY EXCITING. Effort Made to Secure Final Consider ation of Prohibition Bill. SOME MEASURES PASSED. One of Them Related to New Plan of Oil Inspection. A very small minority succeeded in preventing a large majority from bringing the Willingham prohibition b ill to a vote in the house Tuesday. The session developed two distinct sensations. Mr. Price, of Oconee, cre ated the first stir by the announce ment that he believed the clerks had made a miscount on the vote, and there was another exciting occurrence when Mr. McGehee, of Harris, intro duced a resolution denouncing the members who were trying to prevent action on the prohibition bill and de manding that their names be publish ed. This brought forth a storm of in dignant protest. Later in the session the same member offered another res olution providing for the adjournment of the house sine die. Neither of these resolutions were entertained by the house, but the fact that they were offered shows how bitter the fight be came. The session of the legislature last Monday was a busy one, both houses acting favorably on measures of the greatest importance, and in both branches a large number of new bills were read for the first time. In the senate the house bill by Mr. Duncan, of Houston, providing for the reduction of the deposit of insur ance companies from $25,000 to $5,000 was passed with an amendment by Senator Clifton, of the second, includ ing in the reduction all fidelity and surety companies. Before going to the governor the Duncan bill must go back to the house for its action on the amendment. The house discussed freely the bill by Dr. Watkins, of Gilmer, asking that solicitors general in the state be paid a fixed salary of $2 000 out of the treasury of the state, but with the re port of the committee against it the measure failed to receive the constitu tional two-thirds vote, and was lost. Dr. Watkins strongly urged his bill on the ground that the present meth od of paying solicitors was in many instances undignified and unpleasant to the official himself. The point was raised in the debate that the passage of the bill would increase the rate of taxation, as it provided for an annual expenditure of something like $48,000. which the state had no means of get ting back from the county. Mr. Brandon, of Fulton, introduced a bill of great interest to Atlanta, as it authorizes the city to issue and sell bonds to the extent of $350,000 to be used in the extension of water mains and the erection of a lighting plant under municipal control. The bill was referred to a committee and Mr. Brandon hopes to get it before the house favorably recommended in the next few days. The house indorsed the temporary rules established by the commissioner of agriculture for the better inspection of illuminating oils and adopted the Naw York state test in the place of the old Tagliabua tester. Under this new method, which the commissioner found himself forced to adopt tenta tively during the past summer, every sample of oil that flashes at 100 de grees Fahrenheit is to be condemned by the inspector who makes the test. To better enforce the rigid rules the house passed the bill by Mr. Paik, of Greene, providing for the appointment of a state inspector of oils with a sal ary of SIOO a month. There was op position in the house to the measure from those members who thought the state had enough inspectors already, but the leading members of the body urged its passage as an absolute neces sity under the law now in force. The senate passed the Duncan house bill reducing the state deposits of in surance companies from $25,000 to $5,000, and investing authority in the comptroller general of the state to de termine, without resource to the courts, the solvency of companies seeking to enter the insurance field in Georgia. The bill, as originally passed in the house, affected only insurance compa nies, but by an amendment offered by Senator Clifton,of the second district, and adopted by the senate, fidelity and surety companies will hereafter only be required to make the same de posit as is demanded of .insurance companies. dairyhen in conference. Meeting Held in Griffin, Ga., With Large Attendance. The Central Georgia Dairy associa tion met in Griffin Tuesday four hundred strong to inspect the new Dixie creamery, just completed by John Wallace, H. J. Wing and others, and afterward the enthusiastic crowd proceeded to the opera house, where the exercises of the session were held. Real Estate For Sale The tracts, lots, and parcels of lands as stated below are for sale, cheap sot cash, or will exchange for availabta merchandise at reasonable prices. The land lots indicated will be sold with special warranty of title, with plat and grant, with the original “beeswax” seal: No. Dist. Sec. Acres. County. 942 2 3 40 Paulding. 124 7 2 40 Fannin. 90 1 81 Rabun. 118 26 2 40 Gilmer. 57 11 1 40 Union. 137 19 3 40 Paulding 308 10 1 160 Union. 650 16 2 40 Cobb. 718 16 2 40 Cobb. 719 16 2 40 Cobb. 885 16 2 40 Cobb. 887 16 2 40 Cobb. 915 16 2 40 Cobb. 958 16 2 40 Cobb. 843 16 2 40 Cobb. 646 17 2 40 Cobb. 16 17 2 40 Cobb. 17 17 2 40 Cobb. 86 17 2 40 Cobb. 1090 17 2 40 Cobb. 267 20 2 40 Cobb. 1006 16 2 40 Cobb. 514 15 2 40 Cobb. 567 15 2 40 Cherokee. 584 15 2 40 Cherokee. 585 15 2 40 Cherokee. 638 15 2 40 Cherokee. 639 15 2 40 Cherokee. 640 15 2 40 Cherokee, 641 15 2 40 Cherokee. 642 15 2 40 Cherokee. 255 13 2 160 Cherokee. 102 21 2 40 Cherokee. 101 1 2021 Troiip. 731 19 3 40 Paulding 72 3 3 40 Paulding 501 3 3 40 Paulding. 880 2 3 40 Paulding. 1175 18 3 40 Paulding. 13 13 1 160 Pickens. 246 6 1 160 Chattooga. 708 18 2 40 Polk. 981 21 3 40 Polk. 7 26 3 160 Murray. 1012 12 1 40 Lumpkin. 314 11 1 40 Lumpkin. 697 11 1 40 Lumpkin. 573 5 1 40 Lumpkin. 830 11 1 40 Lumpkin. 148 8 2 160 Fannin. 629 3 4 40 Floyd. 643 18 2 40 Douglass. 8 3 490 Wayne. 95 3 490 Wayne. 96 3 490 Wayne. 151 3 490 Wayne. 200 3 490 Wayne. } 173 3 245 Wayne. 160 2 490 Wayne. | 75 2 245 Charlton. ixj17516 25J Upson, ixi 111 12 25i Taylor, i 368 28 125 Early. } 113 16 1 80 Union, i 175 16 1 80 Union. 815 14 1- 40 Forsyth. 398 5 1 40 Dawson. 157 11 202 J Henry. 104 19 2 40 Cobb. 901 21 2 74 Cherokee Three lots, 50x150 feet each, alto gether being Nos. 14, 15 and 16, on Mt. Zion avenue, in the village of Mt. Zion, Carroll county, Ga. One lot, No, 114, in block 17, is Montrose Park, Montrose county Col orado. Six acres on Satterfield Ford road, 5 miles from Gr enville, in Greenville county, S. C. Three lots a Montreal, on G. C< k N. railroad, DeKalb county, Ga. 1,100 acres; 700 hammock, 400 up land, in Screven county, Ga. This is a fine place, divided by the Georgia Central railroad. 50 miles from Savan nah. Railroad station on the place; good location for country store. Splendid situation for factory for staves and cooperage works. Enough good tim ber on the hammock land to pay for the place three or four times over. Investors are invited to examine this place. 1.149 acres on west bank of Savan nah river, in Effingham county, Ga., grant of 1784, and descent of title to present owner. 1.150 acres on Satilla river, in Cam dem county, Ga., grant from state, and deeds on record for 100 years back. Good title, by descent to pres ent owner. 1,150 acres on St. Mary’s river, in Camden county, Ga. Grant and deeds on record 100 years back. Good title, by descent to present owner. 430 acres on west bank of Savannah river, in Screven county, Ga. Deeds on record since 1827. Good title, by descent to present owner. I desire to sell these lands as sooa as possible, and they must go at low prices, very low for cash, or on easy terms and long time with 5 per cent interest, as purchasers may desire and prefer. Persons desirous of investing money for future profits by enhance ments should examine these offers at once. I have other lands, which I will sell on gooQ terms and low prices. In writing for information about any of these lands, refer to them by the number, district, section and county, and enclose two stamps, 4 cents, for reply. Robert L. Rodgers, ts Attornev at Law. Atlanta. Gi