▁to ▁it . ▁During ▁the ▁Bo er ▁War , ▁according ▁to ▁his ▁grand son ▁P . L . ▁Meyer , ▁he ▁would ▁sm ear ▁the ▁man ure ▁of ▁known ▁sick ▁animals ▁in ▁the ▁mouth s ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁appeared ▁to ▁be ▁sick ▁as ▁makes h ift ▁in oc ulation . ▁ ▁Over ▁ 6 0 ▁years ▁old ▁by ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁war ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁Jan ▁Meyer ▁stayed ▁home . ▁His ▁son ▁Or g , ▁later ▁a ▁colon el , ▁en list ed ▁toward ▁the ▁end . ▁Having ▁lost ▁his ▁leg ▁in ▁a ▁hunting ▁accident , ▁Jan ▁had ▁to ▁walk ▁with ▁a ▁cr utch ▁and ▁therefore ▁could ▁not ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁Bo er ▁Comm ando . ▁His ▁m ansion , ▁visible ▁today ▁along ▁the ▁highway ▁from ▁Germ ist on ▁to ▁Vere enig ing ▁and ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁was ▁not ▁burn ed ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁Army . ▁During ▁the ▁war , ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁block h ouses , ▁visible ▁today ▁along ▁that ▁same ▁highway , ▁were ▁built ▁around ▁Johannes burg ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁local ▁gold ▁mines , ▁among ▁other ▁things . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁far ms ▁where ▁these ▁were ▁built ▁were ▁left ▁un touch ed ▁as ▁well . ▁Part ▁of ▁the ▁reason ▁for ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁British ▁military ▁government ’ s ▁sympath ies ▁for ▁Meyer ▁as ▁a ▁city - found ing ▁min ing ▁magn ate ▁who ▁represented ▁U it land er ▁interests ▁in ▁Johannes burg ▁and ▁the ▁Trans va al ▁Volks ra ad ▁al