The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-10-02
RUSHING 70 THE front.
The Movement Of Beers on Natal
Has Begun in Earnest.
A CONFLICT Is EXPECTED SOON.

VIII Begin Early This week-"That
Is Our Ultimatum," Said Members
. of the volksraad.
London, Oct. 2.-From all points in
the Transvaal. Natal and Cape Col
ony come reports Of continued military
activity on the frontiers, and while the
movement of individual commands as
yet do not show concerted plans, 1t is
!. evident that the narrow, wedgelike
strip Of Natal, whose apex is crowned
with the ominous name of Majuba Hill.
will be the center of the coming
storm.
Late Saturday the Beers established
q camp at Scheepers Mex, near Vry-
held, and they will mobilize a great
force on the Buffalo river today, which
the authorities at Dundee expect will
move across the border to that spot,
probably at once. 1t is believed that \
conflict at this point will certainly &C.
cur early in the week.
At the same time the Beers are COL
Letting force of 1000 men, under the
notorious Commandant Cronje, in the
Mulmani gold fields, near Mafeking,
where Colonel Baden-Powell is sta
toned.
Dispatches from Tuli, Rhodesia, an
nounce that another force Of burghers
is massed' at Petersburg. so miles
south, and that outlying parties are
: posted at all the drifts along the
Limpopo river.
In the meantime Colonel Plummer's
column is moving 80 miles nearer the
Transvaal frontier, and has establish
ed telephone connections to within six
miles of Rhodesia drift, on the Linn
popo.
Enthusiastic scenes at all the rail-
way stations have marked the advance
of the Natal volunteers.
Dispatches from Mafeking announce
that Commandant Cronje, commander
of the Transvaal border police, crossed
the border and visited Chief Bara-
Tonga, apparently with the object of
melting him to fight The British
civil commissioner ordered the chief
to stay and protect the women and
children, telling him that he would not
be allowed to fight
While yesterday found Pretoria
somewhat more quiet, as the result
of Saturdays exodus, detachments of
burghers are still moving toward
Volksrust, the nearest station to the
Natal border.
1t Is expected that martial law will
be proclaimed tomorrow or Wednes-
day. Already all civil procedures have
been stopped until further orders, and
another proclamation postpones the
sittings of the circuit court.
The sentiment Of the Beers was
significantly manifested as the train
carrying the Pretoria contingent to the
front departed on Saturday. Mem
bers of the volksraad who were look
ing on exclaimed, THAT Is our ul-
timatum."
The communicating orders are COM
pleted, and the burghers are ready for
the field. A large body passed through
Johannesburg Saturday afternoon.
Business has virtually ceased. The
merchants have finished barricading
their premises, and the proprietors of
the drinking saloons expect to receive
a notification to close their establish
ments today.
A party of 200 Germans has been
notified to leave, and the Irish corps
commanded by Blake, an IrishAmeri
can, will go early in the week.
The mines are paying SIS daily, with
food, to men who will remain.
Three trains filled with armed
burghers for the Natal border were
last evening reported as unable to
leave Braamfontein. owing to block
IN tho limo wbicb bac Iienrpa izad tho
whole train service.
Two thousand passengers left johann
nesburg Saturday by the morning and
the afternoon trains, and nearly
thousand more by outgoing trains Sat
urday night.
The government undertakes to pro-
vide for the families of burghers who
go to the front.
A Cape Town dispatch says: There
is less excitement here than nearer
the frontier, and despite the alarming
reports many well info smed persons in
Cape Town discredit the idea that the
Beers will take the initiative. Presi-
dent Kruger it is said. does not des-
pair of the sympathy of at least
portion of the British Liberals, and he
knows that ii the Beers fire the first
shot their sympathy will be absolutely
forfeited.
The special correspondent of The
Standard at Newcastle, Natal, describ-
ing the flight from Johannesburg says:
THE train occupied nearly twice its
usual time. owing to stoppages to al
low precedence to trains going with
burghers to the front. The passengers
suffered great inconvenience, particu-
larly the women and children, being
unable to get enough food. The men
were drenched with the rain in the
open trucks.
british and Dutch were being COM
mandeered when LETT. and their
goods were being seized. So far as |
can learn there are undoubtedly at
least 10000 armed Beers, well housed,
at different points on the border. es-
pecialIy in the direction of Natal. They
boast of their intention of invading
Natal on Wednesday next and Of
sweeping the British into the sea. 1t
certainly looks as though Natal would
be invaded in force