The Portland daily press., 1881-07-20
A Curiosity of Journalism.
What the Mother OF Invention Did for q
Beleaguered Garrison.

| (Petermarizburg Letter to London Paperl
A vertable journ 'listic curiosity is the News
of the Camp, published under canvas at Preto-
ria during the recent siege OF 100 days, from
December IS. 1880, to March %, 1881. The for
ty numbers, of four pages each, foolscap size,
have just appeared in bound form, embel-
lished with fourteen Photographic illustrations
taken BY Mr. Gros of Pretoria during the siege.
When, on the 20th of December last, news OF
the disaster to the 94th Regiment at Bronx
hurst Spruit reached Sir Owen Lanyon, who
| was even then considering au ultim atum ad-
dressed by him to the Boer leaders, he at oncA
caused martial law 70 be proclaimed and or.
dered all civilians to remove from the town to
the military camp about mile distant, where
Temporary Notifications had been erected. Mr..
Decker, the well-known editor OF the Trans.
vaal Argus, took a hand-press with him into
camp, and, with the assistance OF Mr.. Duyal,
initiated this almost unique experiment in the
history Of journalism by the issue OF single
page number on Christmas Day under the title
of the News of the Camp, a Journal Of Fan
cies, Notifications, Gossip and General Chit
chat; published in the military camp Of her
Majesty's forces defending the bsleaguered in
habitants of Pretoria" In preface to the now
completed file the editors remark upon the diff.
fculties of their novel undertaking. "Surely,"
they say, "never was q paper printed under
such singular auspices-a bungalow for print,
ing office, with canvas thrown over its unfn.
ished roof, through which the rain freely PEN
etrated, gentle waterspout running down the
compositors back as he stood with bandolier
of Martini Henry cartridges over his shoulder,
his white apron for uniform, composing-stick
in hand, and his rifle lying suggestively near
his printing-frame the editors quarters an ar
my oell-tent and transport wagon, the space
between ingeniously rooted in with a tattered
sail stretched on telegraph poles; their work,
editing paper by day and on guard up to the
knees in mud at night, or sleeping in pair OF
leather breeches, long boots and jack spurs"
The price OF each issue was sixpence, and in
setting forth the value of the Journal as an ad-
vertising medium the editors boast with reason
that their organ possesses the largest circula-
tion OF any periodical published in the districs
OF Pretoria, having readers and subscribers ex-
tending within the radius Of fully one mile and
half from the Office of publication" Tho ad-
vertisements afford singular insight into the
amenities of civilian life in camp under mar
tlal law, for the News acted rs an official as
well as private medium of communication be-
tween individuals and public of seme five
thousand SOULS all, to quote the motto Of the
little Journal under notice, "Cribbed, Cabined,
Confined, Bound in." An early official an
nouncement by Lieutenant Chichester. the
garrison adj1tant. is calculated to rejoice the
heart of Exeter Hall: "Any soldier, voun-
teer or civilian found ill-treating or threaten
ing any native will be Immediately arrested
and handed over to the Provost Marshal, and
be dealt with accordingly" an awful ambigui-
ty which presumably points to an eye for an
eye and tooth for a tooth. Civilians are sug-
gestiyely reminded in an editorial Of January
4, 1881, that they cannot go to town or return
to camp without a pass, which can only hs
obtained il they are not wanted by their ward
master; that there are only two points of in
gress or egress to the camp: that they are all
of them soldiers without having taken the
shilling, and that, If they have wives, they
have been practically divorced from them for
three months. Every precaution appears to
have been taken in the general interest, to
maintain cleanliness in the camp All occu-
pants of huts and tents are peremptoriy Or
dered by advertisement to tarn out OF them %
$50 A. NJ and remain out till Q, during which
period huts and tents are to be thoroughly
swept and garnished and the bedding, ETC.,
placed out to air. No civilian is allowed to
enter camp after 80 P. M; at s all camp fires
must be extinguished, and flights out' IL the
order at 9, 'the Provost Marshal" being invs-
rably limited at as an alternative in the case Of
infringement Of these and all other kindred
regulations.