ON 1 DECEMBER 1890 - 131 YEARS AGO TODAY– THE RAILWAY WAS OPENED FROM KIMBERLEY TO VRYBURG

A dozen years later, in the immediate aftermath of the South African War (1899-1902), the Kimberley architect ARTHUR LINDSLEY (of the firm of Greatbatch) made the journey along this track to Vryburg, where he was to carry out work preparatory to the building of the TIGER KLOOF INSTITUTE just south of the town. An interesting and entertaining account is given in a letter he penned to his brother George in England. 

“Last week I had a trip to Vryburg on business and can give you an idea of travelling further north. I went to give my opinion and advice as to site and material for construction of a proposed new Mission Station. My clerk of works went with me to pass his practiced opinion to me on the quality of the stone and limestone, and two missionaries went with us to point out the Estate, which covers 1330 morgen or nearly 4 [and a half] square miles. The four of us left Kimberley by the 1 o/c train which started at 1.50. We were fortunate in it being so punctual – the next day it was 4 hours late. We had sundry rubbers of whist and passed the time as well as possible until we reached Vryburg at abt 9.30 pm. Needless to say there is not much to be seen en route except a few scenes that are now rendered historical by the war, for instance Fourteen Stream Bridge, Riverton, Windsorton and Warrenton, all occupied by the Boers for the greater part, if not right through, the war. Vryburg itself was abandoned by the British as there was too small a force there to hope to hold it, and the Capt Commanding was so disheartened at abandoning the place that he blew his brains out. The last siding we passed before reaching Vryburg was Tiger Kloof, for which we were bound but it was pitch dark and we could not even see the rough shelter close by the rails as there were no lights, the place being absolutely innocent of any human inhabitants except a few natives who have their huts a little way off. At Vryburg station we got dinner of some very thin soup and boiled ‘bully’ beef. A ‘bus’ took us from the station to the town but if it hadn’t ‘bus’ on the side I should have been deluded into thinking it a light waggon which it probably would have been called in any other part of the world. This vehicle dropped us at the Grand Hotel but you must not imagine by this some palatial hostelry. It is a one-floor building of timber and corrugated iron walls and roof. We secured 2 beds here and the other 2 had to seek elsewhere but got fixed up alright at the Central Hotel opposite – a somewhat similar building. The streets were inches deep in dust but are laid out square on the American principle. There are very few shops, most of the main street buildings being stores where you have to go inside and ask what you want as nothing is shown. We left Vryburg next morning by Cape Cart for Tiger Kloof and spent the day there making meals of hard boiled eggs brought from Vryburg and sandwiches, bread and butter etc. For drink we took a tin of coffee and a kettle and 4 pannikins stamped ‘for a good child’. Water we got from a spring and the natives boiled a kettle for us on a fire of twigs lying about. All our business was done before dusk but we had to wait until 8.13 in the dark for the train to pass through and as it does not stop there usually – there being no-one to travel – we had to make sure of stopping it so we walked along the line to the first native gangers hut and got from him a red lantern. This we held in front of the coming train and showed our whereabouts by means of a bonfire. By these means we stopped the train and having embarked made the best of the comforts at hand for the night and reaching Kimberley at 5 in the morning. I cut off home then and tried to get some sleep but I could only get an uneasy doze so gave it up and went to work.”

One learns from the same letter that while Greatbatch was away in England Lindsley was appointed in charge of the firm. His promising career was cut short just over a decade and a half later when he was a victim of the 1918 influenza epidemic.

(Lindsley's letter is preserved at the Kimberley Africana Library).

DM