Ghosts in the Eastern Free State
There is much to say about Paul Roux, a quaint little village on the N5 in the Eastern Free State. The village was established and proclaimed on 9 May 1909. It had initially been a post coach stop with a small inn and horse exchange facility. The postal route between Harrismith and Bloemfontein ran through the village –and 123 farm gates lay along the route. Each gate would have to be opened and closed and travellers always honoured this task.
Paul Roux survived the Anglo Boer War. Although the British had won the war, they suffered heavy casualties; probably because of their bright red uniforms, the ideal target for the Boer Sharpshooters, who have been known to be the best sharp shooters in the world; besides, their attire was less noticeable – the khaki uniforms blended well with the environment.
Old records state ‘Hier is al beweging en geluide gehoor, niemand kon nog vasstel presies wat die geluid is nie, maar dit is nog eienaardig’. Translated that means ‘here movement and sounds are heard, and no one can precisely establish what the sound is, but it’s very eerie’.
Some nights sounds of a marching platoon have also been heard – some say, it is an English platoon as the Boers fought a different kind of war – guerrilla style. They never marched. History records indicate that indeed a small squad of British troops were in fact stationed in the village.
At one house with a long driveway, quite frequently there have been sounds of walking up the driveway, only no-one to be seen. Richard Lewis of Stonehaven has steadily collected the stories he has heard about the village and together with Edward van den Berg, (who did all the graphic design and digital marketing for the event) they organised the Paul Roux History Ghost Walk. It was hoped that more sightings would take place to grow the list of stories. The event was completely sold out and people attended in great expectation – all dressed up in true Gatsby 1920 style and the after party lasted into the wee hours of the next morning.
Paul Roux suffered dearly during the period of the Great Flu. South Africa ranked 5th worst affected in the world. ‘Tant Saar’ was the village nurse during those times; fearing contamination and spread of the disease, she made house calls, tending to the sick and late at night one would see her walking from house to house, disappearing for a while, then come back out and resume her mission. So many children died; Tant Saar still morns the deaths of the innocents she could not save – she still walks her normal route late at night – some nights.
In one large house lived a little girl with her parents. The house had a high-pitched roof in the front, but since it had been built on a slope, the back roof was low. It was easy to climb on the roof. It has been told that said little girl was a good dancer and quite an entertainer. One evening with the arrival of guests, she climbed onto the roof and started dancing. Unfortunately, she fell through the roof, landing with the loss of one shoe. Thereafter, the house was sold and had quite a few different owners. The pantry however had a damp ceiling – the new owners would fix it, only for it to appear damp again and again. Eventually that part of the ceiling collapsed. In amongst the rubble, the little dancer’s other shoe was found! The shoe was boxed and framed, the roof repaired again and since then the ceiling wall remained dry.
Oh, there are many more delightful stories, and some tragic ones as well. Make sure to join the next ghost walk in Paul Roux – you will have an exciting experience.
