TRANSVAAL STRIKE STORY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1996, 2 March 1914, Page 4

TRANSVAAL STRIKE STORY

A THEATRICAL MANAGER'S EXPERIENCE. ' j , Comedy is- not altogether confined to. tlio' o'linndia.Ms of n. theatrical company. Wore often than not t'lio comedian in jjt'jiiei 1 ! who .'JjtfrjtiO to recite" "Tho Dream of Kugenc Aram"or play "''Efoflilpfc,'' whilst the- "straight" aeior is ofttimes the soul of wi.t. };n -a measure tiiis argiimeiit i 6 borne out- in ti'.i* liumorous letters, written by Mr... Harold Ash-tea, South African man-P'-'pr for J. 0. Williamson. Ltd., to his friends over this way. Mr. Ashton commenced operations in the r.ew ground at Christinas in Johanaesbvirg, and had flic misfortune to be' in. that city during the late-rflisastrGUS .strikej-wlien ia,arr ; . tial law was proclaimed, and a'.j tlio theatres had. to b».closed. U« writes of his impressions and expericKces to Mr. Bert. I'.oyle as follows: —''1 have o|ten sat near a. window in a railway carriago and watcliod the telegraph poles, and. tiro feiipe®, and the- trees, and tho rabbits, and tlio navvies whiz.-, and havo niarvollcd at iljo rate they wero travelling at. Four days ago I enlisted as a special constable, having alwiiys been a Stickler for law and order, and determined to do my might (or mite) towards the preservation of tho same in: th is'country of dynamitic deviltry. I had to go ont to onn of ilso quiet suburbs, pArado it certain section, and if I . sa'iv anyono about, cry out-_ in -a. loiid voico-, "Haiti" and- if lie di<lu't. shoot, him. For tlio last fell purpose they provided m« with a gun ami a belt of cartridges, and an oath to do my duiv ■to the King. I ■ was only out one night. No more -- not for a thousand poundß. It was about S o'clock on a storiny, black, malignant night, with flashes of lightning 'to' make the darkness visible. Something moved! It might have been a sirruh, a resolution, or a passing thought, but it moved, presumably without- a permit, and ought not to have been out that night, . Snmiltani'cusly ,I ] heard what l took to be the savage

i-hfiolr of a striker. . . (3 rasping, the. stock ol :iiy .gun . . . . I ye.lloj "Halt!" At that moment- tho scene waa suddenly ilhiniinated by a Maze of lighlnilig. and Hi tajto iiiy. Ciio I jravo to the King—that I. saw something moving in my direction. H niav : have 1 ' been <liis;t..- hii't I diciiv'i Wait to see. It was a narrow ;.gaugo 4 . road, leading to the city, and. houses and dogs and lamp-posts aiul mounted poiicf flew by with mealculable velocity. There were numerous- cries oi' "Halt!' I know, but I was on'.. o{ sight before the sy'il'ahis was finished. It was a lace against time and space, and 1 lie&t them both. I understand I'm wiped elf tlio citizens' iist and disgraced. My troubles! As I said-before, .novor agam, not for ten tlioysiuid-;''