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Short Stories MISTER SHATZ -

DIE JODE SMOUS (ingedien deur Irma Jordaan)

Mnr Shatz soos hy alombekend was, was ‘n Jode smous wat by die boere omgekom het – nie net om aan hulle allerhande goedere te verkwansel nie, maar ook om van hulle produkte te koop. Vanaf die einde van 19de eeu was die Jode smouse algemeen in die platteland en verwelkom op die plase in die Montagu omgewing.

In die dertiger jare het Mnr Shatz by my oom Abrie Jordaan wat op die plaas “Lorraine” by Middelvoetpad in die Montagu-distrik geboer het aangekom met die versoek dat dié vir hom rosyne droë. My oom weier volstrek want hy reken dat dit gaan reënt.

Mnr Shatz wil net niks hoor nie en sê: “but vhy not Mr Jordaan, it hardly rains in winter and vhy should it rain in summer” – gesê in sy sterk Joodse aksent.

Dit was die jare voor klimaatsverandering en Montagu het toe al gereelde droogtes ondervind.

Wel Mnr Shatz het uiteindelik my oom oorreed en so word die sultanakorrels op die stellasies oopgegooi om in die son droog te word. Kort voor lank, soos oom Abrie voorspel het, maak die hemele oop en dit begin om te reën. Soveel so, dat die bruin soppe uit die halfgedroogte rosyne uitloop.

Mr Shatz was ‘n man van sy woord en het steeds volprys vir die rosyne betaal alhoewel dit ‘n algehele misoes was wat moes weggooi geword het.

Die einste Mr Shatz het vir hom destyds ‘n ou Fordjie aangeskaf om mee rond te ry en het vir oom Abrie vertel dat hy een aand, die spoorwegbus wat twee keer per week Koo-toe gery het, op Burgerspas se skerp draaie reg van voor teëgekom het. Sy woorde was “'Mr Jordaan ek dog ek sien nooit weer die daylight nie”.

Mr. Shatz het egter later verongeluk toe hy in die trein vasgery waar die pad destyds die spoor gekruis het by Matroosberg.

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English version

MISTER SHATZ THE JEWISH SMOUS (Peddlar)

(submitted Irma Jordaan)

Mr Shatz, as he was affectionately known, was a Jewish smous (peddlar) who traded with the farmers, not only selling them all kinds of goods, but also buying their products. From the end of the 19th century, Jewish peddlars were a common sight in the countryside and were welcomed by the farming community in the Montagu area.

During the thirties, Mr. Shatz approached my uncle Abrie Jordaan, who farmed on the farm “Lorraine” at Middelvoetpad in the Montagu district, with the request that he dry raisins for him. My uncle refused pointblank because he believed it was going to rain.

Mr. Shatz was not happy with this answer and responded with: "but vhy not Mister Jordaan, it hardly rains in winter and vhy should it rain in summer" - in his strong Jewish accent.

Those were the years long before climate change was even thought of and Montagu was already experiencing frequent droughts.

Well Mr. Shatz finally managed to persuade my uncle to dry raisins. The sultana grapes were spread out on the open drying racks to dry in the sun. Before long, just as Uncle Abrie had predicted, the heavens opened and it began to rain. So much so, that brown juice ran out of the semi-dried raisins.

However, Mr. Shatz being a man of his word, still paid the full price - the price he had originally agreed on for the raisins, even though it was a total failure and everything had to be thrown away.

Mr. Shatz had bought himself an old Ford in order to ply his trade. He once told my uncle that as he rounded one of the sharp corners of Burgers Pass, he came face to face with the Koo Railway Bus. Luckily he survived to tell the tale. To quote him, his words were: "Mister Jordaan I thought I would never see daylight again".

However, unfortunately, Mr Shatz did later meet his end when his car collided with a train at the Matroosberg level.

--oOo--

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MONTAGU SE EERSTE LYKSWAENTJIE

(Uittreksel uit die boek “Herinneringe uit die Verlede” deur Dirkie Joubert)

Soos die gewoonte altyd was in die oudae, het Montagu ook ’n kerkhof gehad rondom die kerk in die middel van die dorp. Later toe dit vol geword het, want dit was nie groot nie, het hulle ’n kerkhof uitgele buitekant die dorp. Na die eerste kerkhof kon hulle die lyke dra, maar omdat die ander nuwe kerkhof toe baie verder was en dit moeilik gegaan het om die lyke so ver te dra, was daar ’n groot behoefte aan ’n lykswaentjie.

My pa het ’n “Phaeton” gehad waarin hy kerk toe gery het in albei gevalle toe hy getroud is, en waarmee ons orals rondgery en gekuier het. Pa besluit toe om ’n kapkar te koop en die onderstel van die “Phaeton” met die vere daarop te gee vir ’n lykswaentjie. Die bak het hy afgehaal en verkoop aan my stiefmoeder se een broer, Oom Corneels van As wat ’n ambagsman was, en daarvan twee “buggies” gemaak het. Iemand anders het die hout verskaf wat nodig was vir die bowerk van die waentjie. ’n Derde persoon het weer die swart materiaal bygedra wat nodig was vir die gordyntjies rondom en die kleedjies vir die perde. Oom Corneels het die werk daaraan verniet gedoen. Dit was ’n groot gerief vir die publiek om hulle eie lykswaentjie te hê. Wonderlik genoeg, die eerste lyk wat in die nuwe waentjie vervoer was, was die van my pa se eie moeder, Oupa Joubert se vrou.

English version

MONTAGU’S FIRST HEARSE

(Excerpt from the book “Herinneringe uit die verlede” by Dirkie Joubert)

In the early days it was customary for churches to have a cemetery next to the church building in the centre of town. Later, when the small Montagu church cemetery was full a new cemetery was created outside the town. Although the new cemetery was fairly close to the church, it was an arduous task to carry the deceased from the church to the new cemetery in a dignified manner. This challenge highlighted the need for a hearse.

My father had a "Phaeton" horse-drawn buggy which he had used for both his weddings (twice married) and a general-purpose runaround. He decided to upgrade his mode of transport and bought a new hooded buggy and donated the chassis of the "Phaeton", with its springs, to the town to be repurposed as a hearse. He sold the body of the buggy to one of my my stepmother's brothers, uncle Corneels van As, who was an artisan and who made two "buggies" out of it.

Someone else provided the wood needed for the construction of the hearse. A third person contributed the black cloth needed for the hearse’s curtains and livery for the horses and uncle Corneels did the work free of charge. Having their own hearse was a greatly appreciated by the town. Amazingly, the first funeral where the new hearse was used was that of my father's own mother, grandpa Joubert's wife.

--oOo--

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ESAU KOOITJIES TOWN CRIER OF MONTAGU

(Taken from: “Stories of old Montagu” by Heinie Heydenrych)

Did you know that Montagu once had its own town crier? Esau Kooitjies was 70 years old and had already been a town crier for 50 years when interviewed by a newspaper in 1955 - he must therefore have started his career in 1905. Esau was a well-known sight on the pavements of Montagu, with a billboard in front and one on his back. He advertised cinema shows, public meetings, sports events and auctions. When publicizing an auction, he would shout: “Manne met planne - come and buy! In the case of a rugby match between Montagu and Robertson it would be “Robertson and Montagu is aanmekaar - en dit traak my niks!” (Robertson and Montagu are at odds - and I couldn’t care less!). He said that he had often helped candidates of political parties to get elected, ringing his bell and carrying placards for their meetings. Kooitjies became a somewhat controversial figure in 1968, when a few Cape Town newspapers again got hold of his story. At that time the Prevention of Proper Interference Bill was before Parliament. It prohibited the participation of people of different races in each other’s politics. It was pointed out by Mr. Ettienne Malan, United Party Member of Parliament, that the first casualty of this measure would be a certain well-known Boland Nationalist. To the great chagrin of the Nationalist MPs, Ettienne Malan read a report from

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Die Burger stating what a key role Esau Kooitjies played in the Nationalist Party machine at Montagu. According to the report, Esau refused point-blank to advertise any political meetings other than those of the Nationalist Party. What a pity, Malan added, if one of their own supporters were to fall foul of their own law! It is not certain how long Esau Kooitjies pursued his job as town crier after that, but attorney Schalk Esterhuyse says that after he arrived in Montagu in 1972, his firm often used Esau to advertise auctions. Mr Danie Rossouw, a former MP who hailed from Montagu, passed on the interesting fact that Esau Kooitjies also had the job of escorting the leprosy patients to the doctors for their regular examinations. He would fetch them from the leper ward, after obtaining a letter from the magistrate to this effect, bring them to the doctor, and escort them back to the ward. One can imagine how the way was cleared for them on the pavements, as leprosy was regarded as extremely contagious in those early days.

Note: Apparently Esau had leprosy when he was a young man and spent some time on Robben Island (from a document found in Montagu Museum written by Bee Jordaan).

Afrikaans version

ESAU KOOTJIES DORP UITROEPER VAN MONTAGU

(Van die boek: “Stories of old Montagu” deur Heinie Heydenrych)

Het u geweet dat Montagu sy eie uitroeper gehad het? Esau Kooitjies was 70 jaar oud en was al 50 jaar lank 'n uitroeper toe hy in 1955 deur 'n koerant ondervra is - hy moes dus sy loopbaan in 1905 begin het.

Esau was 'n bekende gesig op die sypaadjies van Montagu, met 'n advertensiebord voor en een agter sy rug. Hy het dikwels bioskoopvertonings, openbare vergaderings, sportbyeenkomste en veilings geadverteer. Toe hy 'n veiling publiseer, het hy geskree: 'Manne met planne - kom koop!’ In die geval van 'n rugbywedstryd tussen Montagu en Robertson, sou dit wees "Robertson en Montagu is aanmekaar - en dit traak my niks!"

(Hy het gesê dat hy kandidate van politieke partye dikwels gehelp het om verkies te word, deur te lui en plakkate vir hul vergaderings te dra. Kooitjies het in 1968 'n ietwat omstrede figuur geword toe 'n paar Kaapse koerante weer sy verhaal in die hande gekry het. Op die oomblik was die Wetsontwerp op die Voorkoming van Behoorlike Inmenging voor die parlement. Dit het die deelname van mense van verskillende rasse aan mekaar se politiek verbied. Die heer Ettienne Malan, parlementslid van die Verenigde Party, het daarop gewys dat die eerste slagoffer van hierdie maatreël 'n sekere bekende Bolandse nasionalis sou wees. Tot die groot ergernis van die Nasionalistiese LPs het Ettienne Malan 'n verslag van Die Burger voorgelees waarin gesê

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word watter belangrike rol Esau Kooitjies in die Nasionalistiese Party-masjien op Montagu gespeel het. Volgens die verslag het Esau leeggewys geweier om ander politieke vergaderings as dié van die Nasionalistiese Party te adverteer. Wat jammer is, het Malan bygevoeg, is dat een van hulle eie ondersteuners 'n oortreding is van hulle eie wet! Dit is nie seker hoe lank Esau Kooitjies daarna sy werk as dorp uitroeper vervolg het nie, maar plaaslike prokureur Schalk Esterhuyse sê dat sy firma na sy aankoms in 1972 in Montagu gereeld Esau gebruik het om veilings te adverteer. Die geraamde foto van Esau Kooitjies volg.

Mnr. Danie Rossouw, 'n voormalige LP wat van Montagu afkomstig is, het die interessante feit oorgedra dat Esau Kooitjies ook die taak gehad het om melaatsheidspasiënte na die dokters te begelei vir hul gereelde ondersoeke. Hy sou hulle by die melaatsheids huisvesting gaan haal, nadat hy 'n brief van die landdros hiertoe verkry het, hulle na die dokter gebring het en weer na hulle verblyfplek begelei het. ʼn Mens kan jou voorstel hoe die pad vir hulle op die sypaadjies vrygestel is, net soos melaatsheid in daardie vroeë dae as uiters aansteeklik beskou.

Opmerking: Esau het blykbaar melaatsheid gehad toe hy 'n jong man was en 'n tydjie op Robbeneiland deurgebring het (uit 'n dokument wat in die Montagu Museum gevind is, geskryf deur Bee Jordaan).

So asof hy weer nuwe rympies en gesegdes uitdink, sit Esau Kootjies, 89 hier met sy kierie in die son en bak. Esau, soos hy oral op Montagu bekend was, was een van die dorp se legendariese karakters wat onlangs gesterf het. Hy was veral bekend as die man wat altyd met ʼn klok in sy hand en plakkate om sy nek publisiteit deur die dorp se strate gedoen het. Hier het hy altyd sy rympie-gawe gebruik en vir alle geeenthede ʼn gepaste rympie uitgedink wat hy opgeruimd uitbasuin het.

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As if inventing new rhymes and sayings, Esau Kootjies, 89, sits here with his cane and enjoys the sun. Esau, as he was known throughout Montagu, was one of the town's legendary characters who recently died. He was especially well known as the town’s crier, always keeping the public informed of events, with his bell in one hand and posters around his neck. He always used his rhyming gift to make up unique rhymes to match the occasion, he was busy announcing. Western: Thursday 18 December 1975