f t-r - rv --
THE SCJK ANTON TRIBUNE- THUMSD AY, FEBRUARY 17, 1898.
Life Story of an
tadomrantoMe Mae
Career and Characteristics of "Oom" Paul
Krueger, Recently Re-elected President erf
the Transvaal Republic.
The recent re-election of Paul KrueB
cr," "Oom" l'aul, as the. Dutch of
South Africa delight to call him, to
the presidency of tho Transvaal re
public, gives Interest to the following
readablo sketch of this remarkable
man printed in the Chicago-Times-Herald
nt the time of KrucKer'n llrst
rise Into International prominence a
year nto! '
No one of tho great men of the world
has a more Interesting personality and
career than Paul KrucRcr, president
of the Transvaal republic. During his
llfo time he has raised himself by his
won effortB from cowboy to ltlng. Ills
title Is that of president, but for nil
that ho Is a king In everything else,
and no monarch In the world rules
lils subjects with more autocratic hand.
It is true that there is a congre??,
called the volksraad, and It has the
lawmaking power, but when the volks
raad refuses to do as Mr. Krueger
wishes he threatens to resign. This
he has done live or six times, nnd it
has always resulted In "Oom Paul's"
having his own way. Thus ho rules
not by fear or by aimed force, but be
cause tho Boers have absolute cunll
dence in his Judgment and are willing
to allow him to bo virtual dictator.
Kruoger's career bus much In it to
remind one of Lincoln. The Ameri
cans In tho republic call him the Afri
can Lincoln, and the strong will Is a
trait of both men. Just as much as is
the fact that both rose from humble
beginnings to bo rulers of their na
tions. The republic of which Is Krueger Is
the virtual dictator Is really an olig
archy. The Transvaal has an nrea of
about 300,000 square miles. In this
vast territory only a million
people live. And of thoe three
fourths are the native blacks who
are of n low order of Intelligence.
There are 300,0 . whites, and of
thefce less than 30,000 have any voice
In the government, nnd these consti
tute the body of men who have suc
cessfully defied Cecil Rhodes. Cham
berlain and the power of the British
nation which had hitherto carried
things In Africa with a high hand.
ItECENT DIFFICULTY
It Is this oligarchical rule that has
been the cause of the recent disturb
ances in the Transvaal. The 30 per
cent, of the whole number of white
people who are disfranchised have al
ways been hostile to the rule of the
Boers and have plotted to bring about
British rule In the Transvaal, being
themselves for the most part of Brit
ish birth. That these whites arc dis
franchised is to a great extent their
own fault, and is not tho Injustice that
it would seem from the bold state
ment of fact. The truth Is that for
eigners In the Transvaal have the same
rights as they have In the United
States. The British want to be allowed
to vote without being naturallzej, but
the laws of the Transvaal, like those
of the United States, do not allow for
eigners to vote unless they have sworn
allegiance to their adopted country and
renounced allegiance to that of their
birth. And this can only be done after
a residence of a certain number of
years.
That the foreigners have been check
ed is duo to the genius of Krueger and
to nothing else. For the foreigners are
not llko the miserable, native Kalllrs.
They are men of English birth, and
full of pluck. Not only this, but they
have wealth as well as brains, for they
have vast fortunes, which they have
made from gold and by robbing the
natives, and they also have that keen
est of incentives to lure them on in
their contest with the Boers other
gold mines that the Boers will not al
low to be dug.
Yet Krueser has shown true states
manship by the way he has always re
mained the master of the situation.
His statesmanship of the past two
years has not been more astute than
was thut displayed by him twelve
years ago, when the Dutch vanquished
the English and won their Independ
ence. And in all the history of the
Transvaal it has been necessary to use
the greatest arts of the diplomatist.
This he has done so well that Bis
marck has said that Krueger was the
only natural diplomat whom he had
ever met.
BLOOD THAT TELLS.
In all his struggles Krueger has had
the little band of Boers united in his
support. That such a small body of
men should have been able to main
tain themselves so long as a semi-Independent
state under the condition Is
one of the most remarkable achieve
ments of the nineteenth century. But
the Boers are of good blood. In their
veins mingles that of the Netherland
er, who wrested their liberties from
the French and the Spaniards two cen
turies ago, and also that of the Hugue
nots, who were expelled from France
by Louis XVI. at the suggestion of
Mme. de Maintenon. The Calvlnlstlc
tenacity of liberty and rights burvlves
in the Boers.
Originally the Boers settled Cape Col
ony, and there begun the British ag
gression against which they have con
stantly struggled and which has im
planted In them such a hatred of the
English thot the word "Engllshmon"
Is the most severe epithet one Boer
can apply to his enemy. The Eng
lish robbed them of their lands and
persecuted them for several genera
tions, Then, In despair, the Boers re
solved to seek a new country, where
they could be free. Then began the
gieat trek, or exodus, of 1834-3G. They
divided. One part settled In the Orange
Free State the other in Natal. The
first were conquered by the British in
IMS, but afterward gained a semi-Independence.
Later those at Natal were dlspos
messed of their lands. Again they took
to their wagons and founded tho new
republic, at ilrst called the Dutch Afri
can Republic, but nfterward changed
to South African Republic. This was
in 1853. The land which they occupied
was regarded as worthless, and the
British allowed them to live in peace
intil 1877, when they were attacked by
the British .governor of Natal, For four
years the Boers nursed their wrongs,
nnd then they made a concerted at
tack upon the British and won overy
battle. As a result of thut war, which
was directed by Kruger. the English
were forced to allow the Boers a eeml
Independence. They were recognized
as an autonomous republic, but under
the suzerainty of the British Empire.
This meant that the Boera were to
govern themselves in everything, but
that their dealings with foreign nations
should bo had only through tho med
ium of tho British foreign ofllce.
With tho discovery of great stores
of gold beneath the soil of the repub
lic began the troubles of the Boers.
Tho foreign population, lured by the
yellow metal, constantly Increased, and
they have caused tho trouble which
now exists und which is familiar to
newspaper readers, nnd which culmin
ated in Jameson's raid.
A MODERN WASHINGTON.
There have been but three presidents
of the South African republic during
Its existence of forty-three years. Un
til 1871 M. W. Protorius wns president;
he was succeeded by Thomas F. Blrg
ers, who served until the downfall of
the republic In 1877. Then Stephanus
Johannes Paulue Krueger became pres
ident, and since then he has been tho
leader of the Boers, for whom they
have the same feeling that Americans
a hundred years ago had for George
Washington.
So humble Is tbo otlgln of President
Krufger that very little is known of
his early life. It has been said that
he was born In Mauch Chunk, Pa.,
ar.d that at tho age of 12 years he ran
away from America to Africa. This
olory is told bv a Charles Krueger of
Tiidltrapolls. However, the president
himself says that he was born In South
Africa, and the story Is therefore chief
ly Interesting na illustrating tho ob
scurity which surrounds the early life
of the statesman. Rustenburg, South
Africa, was his native town; the year
of his birth was 1823, and ho Is now
73 years of age. Ills father was a
farmer, and he received his training
In the veld on horseback with a gun In
hand. His father belonged to the
"Dopper" or Dutch Separatist church,
whose members at that time gave more
attention to physical than mental ac
complishments, so that Paul did not
see very much school, but he learned
a great deal about the use of the ride.
When the great trek began he was 11
years of age, nnd he accompanied his
father during the exodus. It was then
that he learned to hate the English.
Fierce battles took place with the Mat
abeles during the trip, and In these,
youngster as he was, he used his ritle.
After spending a year In the Free
State the family crossed the Drakens
berg River into Natal. Then followed
tho murder of Retlef and his party,
and laagers at the Bushman's River
were attacked, ond when DIngman's
Zulus were repulsed with great loss
tho trekers left the Ill-fated land and
entered the Transvaal.
STRANGLED A PANTHER.
When yet a boy Krueger was famed
for his skill with the rlile and for his
courage. He was a sprinter, too, and
he could outrun any of his young asso
ciates. He wore no shoes, for his par
ents were too poor to buy them, but
barefooted he trudged along the hot
sandy wagon roads of South Africa,
Few anecdotes are related of his
youth, but one Is told that illustrates
his courage at the early age of 17. Ac
companied by his little sister he was
taking his father's span of oxen and
empty wagon home. Avhen they were
about five miles from home a large
panther made Its appearance. The
oxen took fright and bolted. The jos
tllngs of the rude wagon threw the
little sister on the ground. She was nt
tho mercy of the ferocious animal.
Without a moment's hesitation young
Krueger Jumped from the wagon and
went to her rescue. Although un
nrmed, ho fought the panther. It wns
a hand-to-hand contest and lasted for
several minutes, and the panther at
times seemed to have the best of it,
but the boy got the animal In a tight
grip and with his strong arm strangled
It to death.
For some time the Krueger family
remained at Potchefstrom, then the
seat of government, and then they
moved northward A year 'afterward
he entered the Boer army.where he dis
tinguished himself in the many little
wars which were fought nnd quickly
rose from the ranks He became a field
cornet (outside magistrate) then a dis
trict commnndant, then a commandant
and today he Is commander-ln-ehlef of
the army as well as president of the
republic
Through all of this peilod Ills cour
age has been as marked as It was on
the day when he strangled the panther.
More than forty years ago he himself
amputated the thumb of his left hand,
injured In a gun explosion.
PRIED OUT HIS TOOTH.
A few years ago, when he was suffer
ing from a toothache he gave equal
proof of his physical endurance It was
suggested that he go to a dlntlst. He
asked li'ow much the tooth doctor would
charge and upon learning that It would
cost him a couple of dollars he refused
to incur the expense. The pain had In
creased In a couple of days so that he
could not sleep. Then he got up and
piled out the tooth with his claspknlfe
and went to sleep without more ado.
During the Jnmson laid he was anx
ious to lead his men In oerson. When
the news reached Pretoila on December
31 that Jnmeson, with his foicu, was
Hearing Kruegersdrop Krueger saddled
his horse In order to personally jpad
the burghers into battle. "Now that
this Jnmeson Is on the Veldt," cried
the old man", "we'll soon see what he's
worth." The chief justice of the repub
lic had great difficulty In persuading
the president that his brains In Pre
tora were of more value than his hand
and eye would be on the Veldt.
Peace as well as war bus been the
scene of Kruger's exploits. During ten
yeais preceding the war of Indepen
dence he was a member of the excu
tlve council, nnd In the following yeur
e was elected president. Since then
no one has thought of choosing anyone
else as chief magistrate. Duilng these
sixteen years his power has been ab
solute, and the wisdom of allowing him
to do as he pleases has been shown by
tho great success which he has achieved.
Perhaps ho has made some mistakes,
but If he has the world does not know
of them. His set policy during that
time has been to discourage immigra
tion and prevent tho foreigners from
paiticlpating In the government. This
seems a strange policy, but It must be
remembered that his experiences and
those of the Boers with Anglo-Saxons
and others hailing from Europe has
been such as to convince him that .tho
foreigners are adventurers without
honor. At the same time President
Krueger has a warm admiration for
America, and llko the other Boeis, ho
treaU people from the United States
with consideration. An American who
JONAS LONG'S SONS.
pHE tremendous success of our sale of Household Utensils, Crockery and Glassware, is an evidenpeqf
ii what right prices will do in season or out of it. Never has such selling been knownfor never have
goods been sold so cheap. Yesterday's selling was augmented by some great bargains in Carpets, Curtains and
Wall Paper. And today, to add to the interest of these great sales, we inaugurate our first
February Trade Sale of Furniture.
By all odds the greatest mercantile event' of the year. Great values are here for this sale grand money
saving opportunities. You'll profit by every dollar spent for furniture now. We will positively make prices on
furniture that will surprise and startle you. Some beautiful patterns have come to us for this sale. Most of
them you'll find in no other store. In no city will you find them priced-so cheap. All these conditions promise
much for you and for us. It will introduce you to our furniture store one of the country's best. And the
prices will make you our firm friends now and for all time. For no argument is so good for us as the one which
convinces that NOWHERE IN THE COUNTRY CAN GOODS BE BOUGHT SO CHEAP AS HEREl
This beautiful solid oak
writing desk, roll top, 44 in.
wide for $13.75
Sideboards.
Solid oak, rubbed and pol
ished finish, beveled plate
glass, 18x30 in.; worth $25.0-),
for $16.00
Dining Chairs.
Solid oak, with high back
and fine cane sets, at $1 .03
Hard wood, with high back
and fine can scat, at 98c.
Dining Tables.
Solid oak, 42 in., square top
dining extension tables, made
strong and well finished,
worth fully 7.00, at $4.98
Sideboards.
We are showing fifty-two
patterns in handsome side
boards, some of them very
elaborately carved. Some
thing to please vott sure.. . .
'.$8.49 to $59.00
SPECIAL ATTENTION TO ORDERS BY MAIL. ALL
Don't forget that all through this Great Sale of Furniture, we continue our tremendous offerings in House
hold Utensils, Crockery, Glassware, Carpets, Curtains and Wall Paper. No such opportunity in recent years
has enabled you to buy these goods so cheap as now.
"a-1 JONAS LONG'S SONS. 1
called on him recently said that Krueg
er's words of parting were:
REGARD FOR AMERICA.
"I love America, and I believe that
tho big republic across the ocean is our
friend. I love to think of the United
States as our big brother. When you go
home to the United States tell the peo
ple there for me that there Is a small
nation here loving their country and
their llbeity, that Idolizes the Ameri
can Hag and the free institutions o the
country. May the United States ever
prosper and remain true to the prin
ciples of her forefathers is my sincere
wish."
His own foreign policy Is very brief.
"All that we ask," he sayn, "Is to be
left alone." And on one occasion, at
Uonkershult, he suld to some Boers
who had traveled scores of miles to
meet him:
"My bovs, I have tried to build this
country for you. It Is yours. Never,
never permit anyone to take it fiom
you."
President Krueger is veritable mas
ter of the state, and It Is believed that
with hli death It will be destroyed. The
constitution is nmblgumus and Is con
strued entirely to suit the president.
The raad and the volksraad, the two
houses of the congress, are completely
under his dictation. He lives In Pre
toria, the seat of the 'government. The
town Is small, and It Is not nearly so
large as Johanncsberg, which since the
gold discoveries has grown very tapjd
ly and is a progressive city. Tho gov
ernment buildings at Pretoria are pre
tentious, but the home occupied by
"Oom" Paul Is small, a low-built house
of tho ordinary South African type,
and, like the others, It has a garden
with trees and shrubs.
Ho is autocratic in public life, but
very democratic In private life, and
access to him can be had with ease by
anyone. A gentleman who called upon
him recently says that he found the
president seated in a comfortable
padded chair alongside of a table, on
which, among some papers, was a big
tobacco box. At his feet was a big
spittoon. lie sat well back, with his
hands over his chest.
PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
Ho Is not a handsome man. Ills
height is more than six feet and he la
very fat and waddles when he walks.
Ills face Is dull, flabby and expres
sionless. His small bleared eyes .are
hidden by thok heavy lids. I,oiijrf thin
JONAS LONG'S SONS.
- -M..WMt - ",-,-W-tj-M-tfVU-VTJUl
Children's
Beds
Handsomely
enameled brass
trimmed beds,
with very best
springs attach
ed, at
$7.25
Brass Beds
14 patterns in
solid brass beds,
new designs,
warranted not
to tarnish.
$15.98 to $65
Medicine
Cabinets
Solid oak,
very pretty, at
$1.25
Hard wood, high back rocking
chairs, just like cut, for this sale at
98c
straggling hair covers his head. His
face, with Its shaved chin and upper
lip and fringe of beard something af
ter the fashion of that of Horace
Greeley, Is familiar to newspaper
leaders. His dress Is slovenly and he
does not look like a ruler.
He always .shakes hands with vis
itors. He roarw in a loud voice when
ho converses and gesticulates very
violently with his left hand. He can
not so employ the other, for In It he
holds his big meerschaum pipe, which
he constantly smokes. He uses the
spittoon frequently and drinks copious
draughts of gin and water.
Literature has no delights for him.
The Bible Is his favorite book and al
most the only one which he has read.
It 1h the only one which he reads at all
frequently. "The History of tha
Princes of Orange," a history of the
thirty years' war, part of 'Motley's
Dutch Republic," Bunyan's "Pilgrim's
Progress" and Macaulay's account of
"William of Orange" Is nil else that
he has read, In fact he is what might
be called Illiterate and he knows noth
ing about literature or history. He
cannot even speak English.
Piety, not love of the book for its
literary merit, Is responsible for his
reading the Bible so often. For Oom
Paul Is very pious. Near his house Is
a church at which he Is a regular at
tendant and he often preaches himself.
In religion he Is what Is called a "dop
per." It Is worth while to explain
this word, for It shows the extremely
close jelationshlp between the "dop
pers" and the old Puritans. The word
Is derived from "dop," which Is Ger
man for bowl and is supposed to apply
to this sect of religionists because they
wore their hair as If tho barber had
put a bowl upon their heads and cut
around It. According to this derlvp
tlon "round head" would be an nlmf ,t
perfect translation of tho word "djp
Dr." This strict adherenco to religious
forum Is a prominent trait of the boers.
An apt illustration of the extreme to
which it Is carried was given during
a recent debate in tho volksraad.
PIETY.
From March to December, 1885, there
was a drought In the Transvaal and
many hardships ensued. The represen
tatives of a waterworks company final
ly reported to the expedient of shoot
ing dynamite Into passing clouds In
tho hope of bringing rain. These acts
JONAS LONG'S SONS.
Chamber Suits.
Sjjws'BSiiSS 8 ll"Js3?5--S;:;:?3:J-" n ' n liar
Solid ash chamber suits bedstead, dresser and wash stand, well
made and prettily carved. The above cut fairly represents the three
pieces. Worth every cent of $15.00. For this sale at
$9.98
Couches.
Patent indestructible
couches guaranteed for three
years covered in handsome
vclour, with heavy fringe,
worth S35.00. For this sale
at .' $18.00
Parlor Suits and
Parlor Furniture
We have many handsome pieces
of parlor furniture everyone of
which we absolutely guarantee.
Buy what you want in furniture
here should it not suit you after
you get it home, return it to us.
We'll give your money back, or
another piece of furniture. That's
fair isn't it? Wp've any amount
of pretty things for your choosing.
All at prices that paralyze efforts
at comparison.
were brought to the attention of Presi
dent Kreuger. He convened the volks
raud, and the experiment of these in
trepid Ultlanders was the subject of a
long and grave discission. One Boer
statesman from Wltfonteln presented
a bill making it high treason to ex
plode dynamite In the heavens thnt
bend above the Transvaal. Such an
net, he contended zealously, was try
ing to fly in the face of providence. If
God wanted the South African Repub
lic to have rain he would send it. It
wns Impious for godless Ultlanders to
flro explosives In the direction of the
infinite. The Wltfonteln Boer's argu
ments and his bill prevailed, nnd dyna
miting the cloudH was forbidden. An
other statesman proposed a measure
fcettlng apart certain days for the peo
ple to pray In unison for rain.
A long debate followed. A member
from Lydenburg exclaimed that It
would bo Irreligious to bother God
about the matter. A stanch member
of the Kreuger party resented this. It
was an insinuation, he declared, that
the Boero were an Inconsequential peo
ple. "We are a brave and a free peo
ple," said he. "We made the English,
who pose as God's chosen people, re
treat lnglorlously before us. In tho
name of God nnd the Dutch republic
wo regained our freedom. God was
with us at Bronkersprult nnd at Ma
juba Hill. Shall we hesitate, there
fore, to pray whenever veld and spruit
Is calling for rain?"
Krueger Is strictly honest, yet ho is
a millionaire. This is due to the fact
thnt he has always saved seven-eights
6t his salary, which he has invested In
lands near Johanneaberg and Pretoria,
which havo Increased thirty fold In
value. If he were dishonest he could
be worth as many millions as ho now
owns hundreds of thousands, for plenty
of temptations would have been of
fered to him.
When Paul Krueger dies, Africa will
lose one of tho greatest men in Its his
tory and the Transvaal republic will
lose its great mainstay.
DON'T RUN ANY RISKS about
health. Avoid coughs, colds, fevers,
pneumonia, and all othr similar ail
ments by keeping your Wood rich and
pure vlth Hcod'8 Sarsaparllla.
HOOD'S PILLS are purely vegetable
and do not purge, pain or gripe. Alt
druggists.
JONAS LONG'S SONS.
Dining
Tables
30 patterns in
extension ta
bles, any-length,
$4.98 to $36
Bedsteads
Full size, hard
wood beds, at
$1.98
Sewing
Tables
With yard
measure stamp
ed on top, at
98c
Kitchen Chairs.
Hard wood, well made and very
solid, just like cut; for this sale at
35c
PURCHASES DELIVERED FREE
Webster's
; International
Dictionary
Successor of the " Unabrldaeit ."
The One Great Standard Authority, '
?,o writes lion, u.u. urewer.
Justice V. 8. Supremo Court.
Htmiclurcl
oftlio U.S. ;o't Printing (
iifrke, trio l.s. Stiumiie
court, oil trio mjiio mi.
freiiirromts,atiilori)tar
f all the Schoolbooks.
Warmly
Commended
by StAte Superintendent! ,
of Srhoult, C'olleije I'retl ;
demi,nndothrrl'ilnvUor ;
minute vutuoui uuiuuer.
Iiivnluiiblc
In tho hnuiihoUl. and to i
tho tciutirr, scholar, pio. .
irMkUll.1 IU4U, tlllU .Cll'
edit cater.
iripeitwif n pages sent on upiMcattaii to '
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Bprlncfleldf lnen.
1 CAUTION. Do not be deceived In
"Webster's Dictionaries." m authentic
VHIIIIII. IIIHII BU-VBIIIU i
S arr In the arious sizfi hear our trude mark on (
THE
101 POWDER CO
Rooms 1 anil 2, Com'llh in'd'g.
SCRANTON, lA.
Mining and Blasting
POWDER
Mnde nt Mooilo nnd ituslidale Works.
I.AI-LIN & RAND POWDER CO'S
ORANGE GUN POWDER
Hlectrlo Hatterles, Electric Exploders,
tor exploding blasts, Surety fuse uud
Repjuno Cheniical Go's uxSvps
kill S l
Imruntxal
DCTKVW
JONAS LONG'S SONS.
' 1 1 'T f
V-' 1
This beautiful white enamel,
iron bed, full size, 1 inch posts,
brass trimmed, for $2.98
Mattresses.
Excelsior mattresses, all
sizes, at $2.25
Bed Springs.
Good woven wire bed
springs; all sizes, at $1.65
Feather Pillows.
Very fine feather pillows,
choice picked, odorless, at. .$1.29
Hair Mattresses.
Full forty-pound black hair
mattresses, made up in the
best and most durable man
ner; sold the world over at
$25.00; for this sale at $15.00
Parlor Suits.
Five-piece parlor suits, cov
ered in excellent quality tapes
try; for this sale at $14.98
ATTEND TO YOUR EYES NOW
Kyeslgut preserved and beaduche pre,
vented by fiavlni; your cyei properly nnd
HL'lentltli'iilly examined and fitted. Byes
examined free. The lutest styles of Spec
tucles aud eyeglasses at the lowest prices.
DR. SHIMBERG,
305 Spruco Street
A GREAT OFFER
...BY...
Oermanla Wine Cellar.
Ilammondjport and
Khclms, N- Y.
Wa tiro determined to
nttuducs our iroods
among the very best peo
e in lit) country, and
wn can sea no better way
of dolUK this than by sell,
ni: them a casu of our
uuods, containing elovea
battles of wlue and ons
bottle of our extra Qua
double- distilled drops
.Jrandy, nt ono-uair Its ac
tual cost, upon re
ceipt ot 83.00 wo
will send to any
leader or tills paper
one cane of our
goods, all nnt-olass
und put up In ele
eunt style, assorted
us follows:
1 qt. hot. Grand Im
perial beo Cliuin.
pugne.
I qt. bot. Delaware.
I qt. hot. ItleHllnu.
t qt. bou Tokay.
I qt. bot. Sweet Ca
tawba. 1 qt. bot, Hherry.
1 qt. bot. Klylra.
1 qt. bot, Niagara.
1 qt. bot. Angelica,
I qt. bou I'ort.
1 qt. bot. Hweot Is-
ube.la
1 qt. bot! Int. Graps
11 randy.
Tills ofter Is ninda
mainly to Introduce
our Grand Imperial
sec wnampavne una
our fine double-dls.-1
This caie of iroads In
tilled drupe Ifrandy
offered nt about one-half Its actual rvttnml
it will please us If onr friends and Vrons
will take advantage cJ tbla n,d belt) u lutro
data j)Bi laod. " '
mm
Kstn iufl
uBflffii"fctuan&
KfiSfiE
RtalliliXak
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