#JourneyTo100Years #WilliamHills #BenoniCityTimes #1921
In a thrilling send-off, rice fell in showers on a honeymoon couple sharing William Hills’s coach as he left Port Elizabeth and the Cape Colony for the West Rand on April 20, 1897.
By then, Boer migrants from the Cape Colony (the Voortrekkers), had founded three republics: the South African Republic, the Natalia Republic and the Orange Free State.
When we got to the border of the Orange Free State at Norvals Pont on the second day, we crossed from one country into another, and I had to buy a ticket for Viljoensdrift, Hills tells in the story of his life as a journalist in the Benoni City Times, which he founded 100 years ago this year.
“Technically and actually I was in ‘a foreign land’. I began to get nervous when I neared
Vereeniging for many stories were told of exciting happenings at the hands of the Zarps at the border station of the Transvaal and of what would happen if one was inaccurate in describing the contents of the baggage or tried to conceal a revolver.”
ALSO READ: #JourneyTo100Years: Part 1 of our series on William Hills, founder of the City Times
The Zarp (Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek Politien) was the mounted and foot police of the South African Republic (ZAR) at the time.
“Oom Paul (Paul Kruger, then President of the South African Republic, or Transvaal) had a rooted objection to revolvers except when worn by his own police …”
Hills encountered Zarps and customs officials for the first time while crossing the border from the Orange Free State to the South African Republic.
“The Zarps were tall well-built men in very tight-fitting blue uniforms and if my memory serves me correctly, some of them wore swords besides carrying revolvers. The roughest miner from Nevada, USA, hesitated to offend them.”
He said the customs officials were artists at their work. “… I have never had so thorough a customs examination.” They opened his portmanteau, explored his box and felt him all over for concealed weapons.
Officials had to record his details and describe his appearance before he could obtain yet another railway ticket.
“… After about an hour’s delay, off we went to Johannesburg. What excitement! Who would see the city of gold first?”
Next time: Hills arrives in the golden city
(Article: Carol Stier).
ALSO READ: William Hills: ‘A South African reporter must be able to turn their hand to anything’
