| Logan | James Douglas | | | Son of Mr James Logan, of Reston, Berwickshire, where he was born November 26, 1857. He was educated at Reston, and started life as a railway clerk on the North British Railway. He then went to sea as an apprentice on a sailing ship, and was wrecked at Simons Town twenty-five years ago. Joining the Cape Government Railway service as porter, he came to be stationmaster, at the then new Cape Town Station, and worked through the different grades of the service until he was appointed District Superintendent over the railway from Touws River to Prince Albert Road. Leaving the railway service, he purchased the Frere Hotel, Touws River, started a wholesale wine and spirit store in Cape Town, and soon became refreshment and advertising contractor on the Cape Government, OFS, and Rhodesian Railway systems. Matjesfontein, on the Karoo, he transformed from a state of barrenness to a condition of fertility by means of diamond drilling for water, converting the locality into a charming residential resort. His gardens at Matjesfontein and Tweedside, where he has also been successful in boring for water, now contain orchards unequalled in the Colony. Mr Logan was elected member of the Cape Legislative Assembly for Worcester in 1894, and in 1898 was returned as the representative for the NW Circle in the Legislative Council, and at the last election (November, 1903) he was returned for the Western Circle, which he now represents in the Legislative Council. During the Boer War he raised and commanded a corps of District Mounted Troops, and was present at the engagements of Belmont, Modder River, Ronsburg, etc. He is a keen sportsman, a first-class shot, and very fond of cricket. He was instrumental in bringing Lord Hawke's cricket teams of 1894 and 1898 to SA, and conducted at his own expense the tour of the SA Amateur Cricket XL in 1901, which showed up very creditably. Mr Logan married, Sep 9, 1878, Emma, daughter of C H Haylett, of Cape Town. | Cape Government Railways |
