IP gg 1 THE REAL BOERS AT HOME g § Simple, Primitive Ways of the People gj ol 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 iu the end be crushed beneath its wheels. It is a mistake to take Paul Ivruger 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. lie is essentially an agriculturist and a hunter, lie 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. lie 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, us 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 j I | ~7rdjnsva&l milk. He 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 tho Boer loves, is over by the time the sun rises. The men are out and about at once, looking after just the same chores us on an American farm iu the West, save those who are off to replenish the larder by shooting a springbok,a liartebeest or some such species of deer. The women have plenty of work about tho house. The genuine old Boer farm furnishes it self every necessary to its occupants. The furniture is often mado by the farmer, or he has great, unwieldy, carved chests aud bureaus which have come to him from his ancestors. He can mako his own shoes. His women dress and weave his own sheep's wool and make their and his clothes from it. There is almost nothing he needs to buy. He does not care a rap for neckties or collars or store clothes, aud a full beard is fashionable. All he really has to buy is farming imple ments, and of these he prefers the primitive Bort, though enterprising agents havo 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 be sings at his work, it is likely to be a psalm that ho eiuga. 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— ,» • KIUALS OF KAFFIR HELP ON A. UOER FARM. no frost, no snow, only the dry sea aon, when his cattle suffer, and the rainy season, when the rivers and ponds ate Hooded. His liouso and barn a are low and roomy—simply furnished as to the house rooms. The great featherbed is usually the most noticeable feature, unless, .perhaps, be glories in a little liarmnninm for bis dailsrhlet !o ijiek out hymn tunes 011 of a Sunday. Just 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 fushioned lanthorn', or, more likely, a rush dip, floating iu 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 them. BOEIW GATHERED FOli THE LOBD'S SUPPER, PIETEIWBUBG. He hardly ever reads anything save the Bible, aud 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. Three or four times u 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, but 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, aud live in aud under the wagon during the Nachtmaal, "OUTS PAN NINO. " A BOER FAMILY REST ING AT THE CLOSE OF A DAY'S TREK. cooking for themselves the food thej j have brought along. The congrega tion gathers, during this time, day and eveuiug. Their neighbors meet between whiles and gossip and per ! haps transact a little business. They I would not belong to the human family | if, of course, the lads and lasses did I not walk and talk and court and ex change vows. These are the great outings, the picnics, of the year, and small tradesmen aud peddlers are on hand with kuickknacks and trumpery to sell to the young folks, so that, outside the services, the meeting is a kind of fair. Sometimes also there may be a wrestling match or juinpiug match between young meu, 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 ?t 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 kafflr 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 call 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 CHURCH AND PARSONAGE TYPICAL OF THE TRANSVAAL. 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 riilo and proceeds to the rendezvous of his district. The pastors aro with them, and with prayer and psalms the tarmer-soldiers march out to defend their country. TESTING THE FAITH OF MAN. George Mantelli, said to bo a dia mond merchant from Auckland, New Zealand, was in Cincinnati, 0., a few days ago. He has been on a trip around the world, having visited the South African diamond fields ou his journey. He says that a new process is being invented in Auckland by which the Australian diamond can be cut. It is customary to cut diamond? with diamond dust, as everybodj knows, but the Australian white dia mond has proved itself impervious t<» ordinary diamond dust, and as it is sc hard it cannot be cut, its immense beauty as a precious stone remains dormant. The Auckland inventor lias found a rock that is harder than the Australian diamond, and is succeed ing in crushing the hard stone bj means of the still harder one. With the dust of the Australian diamond he is to polish and cut the stone itself. This Btory will be believed by thoso who believe such stories.—The Jew oler'a Circular. A HUHLIRHIIGOI-'H ARMOR. The accompanying illustration is s photograph of the armor used by Net 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 o'. Victoria to capture them. They wort at last surprised, and many of them shot whilst drinking at a hotel; not however, until 8-100,000 had beer AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGER'S ARMOR. spent by the Government in its en denvors to stamp out the gang. Nec Kelly was tried and executed in Mel bourne jail, and his armor, whict shows many marks of police bullets, ii at present in possession of the Vic torian Government. MARRIAGE INDUCEMENT*!. "Whatever induced you to marrj mo, anyway, if I am so distasteful t( you?" he asked fiercely. "I think it was the advertisements,' she said. "The what?" "The advertisements. The house hold bargains, you know. I though' it would bo so lovely togo to the de partment stores and buy icepicks foi nine conts, real eight-cent dippers fo> only one cent, and all that sort o thing. Of course I had no use foi that sort of stuff when single."— Furniture Worker. FAY OF A PRLIION WARDEN. Kansas pays the warden of her peni tentiary $2500 per annum, out of whicl comes his living expenses, and he penitentiary contains 940 convicts Illinois pays the warden of the Jolie penitentiary, with 1300 prisoners i: his keeping, 33500 and provides hi living. Minnesota, with 529 convicts gives the warden of the Stillwate prison a salary of 85000. A SULU SULTANA'S WORK. I'lie Ruler** Mot Iter Has Made a Flag With ifer Own ilaiuta. The Sultana Dowager, as we might call the mother of the reigning Sultan of the Sulu Archipelago of the Philip pine group, writes the Manila sorre spondent of the New York Times, has showu an unexpected practical side of her character lately by actually mak ing with her own hands a copy of the royal standard of Sulu. The Hag is red and the field carry ing the live stars is blue. These two colors appear in very many dif ferent shades. The four small stars in the blue held are the four principal tribes of Sulu, while the central and largest star is for the Sultan him self. OUR SULU SULTAN'S FLAG. The wiseacres say he would do well to be somewhat, more modest and take a less conspicuous place in the galaxy, as there are two tribes not more than fifteen miles from the capital whose Dattos, or chiefs, are very powerful and who are not on very friendly terms with the Sultan. The Dattos wield the most absolute power imaginable among their fol lowers, who seem more like slaves than independent members of the :ommunity. The Datto is always accompanied by a sword-bearer, who Las two or more large swords or huge knives thrust in his girdle. Another, and generally one of the younger fol lowers, carries the silver box contain ing the beetle root and lime. These substances they roll up in a wad and chew continually, much to the harm jf their teeth, which get coal black, and their gums, which turn a bright fed. A third follower in the retinue car ries the umbrella. A fourth, and tho most powerful and long-haired man of the lot, takes the part of the beast of burden and carries the Datto himself about ou his shoulders. Ir. the lower left-hand section of the Sultan's flag are two implements of warfare. The upper one, white in color on tho red body of the flag, repre sents one of the borongs, or huge knives almost universally carried in peace as well as in war, while the lower, also white in color in the flag, is a section cf a spearhead, which im plement is only used in fighting and iu the chase. FLAG OF THE PHILIPPINE INSURGENTS. I presume there have from time tc time been exhibited specimens of the Manila insurgents' flag by returned soldiers who captured them-iu battle. These have golden-colored stars on the white field, representing the chief tribes engaged in the uprising against our forces, while the rising sun in the j- ntro stund.i for the rising of the young republic as presaged by Again aido. There are two stripes forming the rest of the flag, the upper blue and •.he lower red. TRANSPORTS FOR ILOR*R* AND MULES. One of the mont serious matters iu the transportation of au army is the carrying of the animals. The ques tion of water and food on the voyago across the Pacific is au important one, and the transport division has now eleven ships which are fitted up PS cattle transports. These ships sail from San Francisco, Seattle aud Tacoma for the Philippines. They have already transported thousands of cavalry. They are especially fitted up for the purpose with ventilators, so that the horses away down in the bowels of the ship have plenty of air. Thoy have hospitals for the sick, is which the animals have beds of stiaw and places whore they can be taken about for moderate exercise. Eacb ship has condensers, which make sis gallons of wator a day for eacu animal carried, so as to not disturb the tanks kept full for emergencies. Each ship carries 2200 tons of hay, 1700 tons ot oats, or iu all 3900 tons of forage, and also 400,000 feet of lumber. It car ries a veterinary surgeon and stable neu. —Washington Star. INDIANA'S KABBIT FARM*. There are four large rabbit farms in tndiana. The largest one is located at Wabash aud covers sixty acres. The bunnies are fed on hay, aud thoy consume about 280 pounds of green grass a day. Their pelts are in great demand and the meat is edible. Moreover, they sell as pets. From their hair the finest crush hats are made. Hares aro easily handled aud are preferable to skunks, aud there is uo danger of au "off" year. About 1,000,000 hares aro raised in a year. WHY LIE WAS NOT BELOVED. A practical, matter-of-fact young woman was trying to describe a oer tain unpopular man that she knew. "He is the sort of person," she said, after careful thought, "who goes tc Paris twice a year, but never asks you what size glove you wear."—New York Commercial Advertiser. r ? | CHILDREN'S COLUMI j Sore I'olnts. The penotl heuved a wenry sigh, Ami murmured to the pun, "I haven't felt so out of sorts Since—oh, I don't know when! "The penknife treats me very ill, It cuts me in the street. Ami really is extremely sharp Where'er wo chance to meet. "And when I broke the other day Beneath its bitter stroke. It said - it didn't see the point,' Neither did I the joke! "With many troubles I'm depressed, My heart Just feels like lead." The p,-n mopped up an inky tsar, '•I weep for you, it said. —Cassell's Little Folks. A Faimun Hospital r»ott. Although Leo, the dog belonging to tlie Women and Children's hospital, Cork, was Irish, his fnuie was almost as great in England as in his own country, and his deaili will be re gretted by those of both nations who are interested in benevolent move ments. His history will bear com parison with that of any dog of public fame. Of dignified demeanor, he was always to be seen on the streets with his Alpine barrel slung round his neclt, bent on errands of mercy as im portant as those of the great monas tery dogs. He gathered over SSOOO for the hospital. Leo won the proud distinction of carrying off the cup offered by the Prince of Wales to the dog who collected the largest amount for a hospital, and ho was also known to the Princess of Wales, who fre queutly petted him. He is succeeded in his benevolent exertions by his eld est son, Leo. —London Telegraph. A Hero of the Revolution. General William Moultrie was one of the heroes of the devolution. He was born in England in 1731 and died in Charleston, S. C., Sept. 27, 180(1. His father, who was a Scotch physi cian, decided to emigrate to this country when the future general was but two years old. He passed his early life in South Carolina, which was then infested by Indians and wild beasts. He always had a love of military life, and when in 1701 the Cherokee Indians threatened South Carolina he was appointed captain of a militia regiment. In this war he gained a knowledge of military affairs that was of the greatest use to him in the straggle of the colonic* against England. One of the earliest patriots to boldly come out for tho independ ence of the colonies, he was at tlie be ginning of the war appointed to com mand one of the militia regiments and was a member of the Continental Con gress of 177;". When early in June, I77fi,tlie British naval and hind forces hurried to Charleston, Moultrie hastily finished the fort on Sullivan island at the entrance to Charleston harbor and gave the English commanders, Sir Henry Clinton and Admiral Sir i'eter I'arlier, so much trouble that they abandoned the siege. During the Revolution General Moultrie was usually iu command of the military operations iu the south, and so able was ho that once when he was cap lured tho British vainly made every possible otter of money ami laud to induce him to join their side. When the war was over, he was elected gov ernor of South Carolina and wrote a valuable book of memoirs.—Trenton (N. J.) American. Ilium Clirirttiun And 'r«en. Have you ever read the storv of the "Ugly Duckling!" lam sure you have, for every boy or girl who has read Andersen's fairy tales must ?ome across the one of the ungainly duckling that finally proved to be a wlii e swan aud went sailing away with its own kind after the common barnyard ducks had made fun of it i:i all manner of ways because it wa< such a big and ugly duckling. Hans Christian Andersen is said to have found the story iu his own experience for he was an "ugly duckling" in his youth. He was born at Odessa, in Denmark, April 2, 1805. His father was a poor shoemaker and died when Huns was nine years old, leaving the family destitute. Hans was taken in to a home by a kindly lady, but soon found work iu a fnctJiy. Instead of learning a trade he tried to amuse his fellow-workmen by reciting dramatic pieces. This was not pleasing to the other workmen or their employer, so young Hans went homo and began to write tragedies that nobody oared to read. At 14 years of age lie deter mined to become an actor. Tho man ager of the Copenhagen theatre would not engage him,so Hans went to work with a carpenter. He wasn't a good carpenter and was soon out of work agai.i. Then he went to the Ttoyal conservatory and was instructed as a singer for the stage. Soon his voice failed him and he was advised to learn a trade in his native town. But Hans wasn't good at learning trades aud de termine I to become a scholar instead. Through a friend who had faith in his talents he secured free admission into the Royal college. Already he had written a poem, "The Dying Infant," which had attracted attention, and soon after enteiing the college he wrote his first book, "A Journey on Foot to Amack." This gained him great fame, and he wrote book after book, each of which was successful. Iu spite of his literary success, Hans Andersen seemed not to save money. He traveled much and was generous —two ways of disposing of money. When, iu 1874, it was reported that Haus, "the old story-teller," as he was called, was without .deans, the children of America raised a large sum of mouey and sent it to him as a Christmas present, to gether with u copy of "Picturesque America." This pleased the oltf gentleman very much, especially as if reached him on his 70th birthday August 4, 1875, the venerable mill) died in Copenhagen,and alt the world mourned his loss. The day of hit funeral was made one of liatioua.' mourning, and the king and othei members of the royal family of Deti mark, with the ministers and cbie! officers of the kingdom, attended hi* funeral. Thus the "ugly duckling" died, loved and venerated by all.— Chicago Record. Tlir It mater and 1 lie Cnirhon. On a farm in South Carolina there '."ves.-or did live until a short time ttfeo—a remarkable rooster. He ivat a most philanthropic and kindly olc bird, who devoted his days to the bringing up of young chickens. As soon as a broo 1 of tiny downy chickens were old enough to *taud or their little legs and might venture abroad under the watchful eye of e guardian, they were putin a coop witfc the old rooster for a few days, so that they might all get well acquainted. Then the fatherly rooster, with hie young friends in tow, would htmt on' in search'of nice fat worms, which the old fellow would scratch up for the hungry chicks. And woo I etide the tempted cat or prowling dog which veti Hired too near to Mr. Booster's pro teges! There would be nil augrj bristling of his neck feathers, and tlie int. uiler would be nicely spurred. And let me tell you it is no fnu ti be spurred by a rooster. This particular rooster was very broad in his philanthropy. He did not confine his kindly acts to those of his own species. Sometimes a lot of little ducklings would be putin his charge in addition to a 1 rood o' chicks. And they all got along together like one big hap] y family during the day time, but at night the paternal heart of the rooster was often sorely dis turbed. The young chicken*, ol course, roosted high, and with then) the rooster,. But the ducks, being built on a different plan, were obligeJ to stick to Mother Earth. Mr. Booster would get nicely settled for the night—half dozing oti' perhaps —when the young ducks, very much like human 1 abies, would set up t dismal <]uackiug. Then poor old papa rooster would conic hopping to the ground and rustle iu among the lonely ducklings a? much as to say, "I am right here, dears, so that no harm cnu collie tc you. Please goto sleep like nice good duckies." And then, having soo'hed them back to quietude, tlieii guardian would hop up to his roost again. For by' that time the chicks had misse i hint and were calling him. Some nights the old fellow would be kept hopping back and forth be tween his divided family for over an hour— until, iu fact, it became toe dark for him to see his way. Like huma'.i parents, lie had a good deal to worry liiui at times. One poor little chick of his wandered too i'ai away from his sheltering wing one day, and found itself ill the stable. It began to explore, being of a veu turesonie disposition, and presently sauntered into a stall occupied by n mule. This fellow, dictated either bj hunger or a bad temper, put down hi? head and bit otl the poor little chick's two wings! Strange to relate, but true, never tbe'ess, this chicken lived to grow up. Of course it was never as other chick ens, and it had to b 3 very en eful about running too fast. It could teat along ill a straight line without trouble, but if it turned a comer on the run, over it went. In losing its wings it had lost its equilibrium. The poor thing came ton premature end! Onj night it fell off the roost and landed exactly on its back. With out its winvs it could not right it>elf, and the nest morning it was dea; 1 . Harper's Bazar. Wash Your lluiuU. It lias recently been claimed that cases of infection that could be ac counted for in no < tlier way have been explained by the lingers as a vehicle. In haudliug money, especially of pa per, doo knobs, banisters, car straps and a hundred things that everyone must frequently touch there are ehances innumerable of picking uj germs of typhoid, scarlatina, diphth eria, smallpox, etc. Yet some per sons actually put such things in their mouths, if not too large. Before eat iug or touching that whi.h is eaten, the hands should be immediately and scrupulously washed. Wo hear much about general cleanliness aa "next tc godliness." It may bd added that here in particular it is also ahead o' health and safety. The Jews made no mistake in that "except the.v washed they ate not." It is a sani taryordi mice as well as an ordinance of good maimers. Vrovfd M florae'* Friend. A very ordinary lo >kiug farm horse harnesstdto an old wagon stood by the curb, and o:i the board that served for a seat lay a stnall do; of such mixed blood that no guoss can be made as to his breed, sn»s the Bur liugti.u Free Press, As a delivery wagon pasreil on the opposi e >ide of the street a large red apple foil o Be ore it stopped roll ing the di g bounded across the street, picked it up with his teeth, and with tail wagging, rushed back to the horse, iu front of wi ieli he stood on hi-t hind legs while the apple was taken from his month. As the horse munched the apple he made the peculi.tr little noise that horses make when petted, anil doggie replied with throaty little lurks which plainly told whit a pleasure it had been togo after that apple. Then he went back to his nap ou the wagov seat.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers