Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-04
AN EXpERT,s OpINIoN.
War Editor of London Times Sums
Up the Situation.

War Editor of London Times Sums
| Upthe Situation.
London, Nov. 4.-The military expert
of the London Times in his editorial
summary of the Transvaal yesterday
morning draws the following deduc-
tions:
Communication with Ladysmith has
not been re-established and we know
nothing of what has taken place in the
principal theater of war during the last
two days. One thing alone is certain:
Every day gained by the steady resist
ance of the Ladysmith garrison to the
Boer attack is to our increasing adj
vantage. This might not be so If White
had not already struck some shrewd
blows that completely shattered all
Boer illusions as to the fighting quality
! of the British soldiers, and 1T might not
be so if the Beers. by surrounding
lLadysmith with a ring of effective ar
itilfery, could spare considerable force
for operations in other directions,
but as things are the Beers know
we'll that in order to exercise any con-
trolling influence over even the small
British army in Natal they must en-
ploy greater part of the force at their
disposal for inclosing Ladysmith. With
his naval guns promptly and effectively
replying to the Boer siege artillery and
a watchful force of cavalry and mount
ed infantry available for scouting to
TANKS and rear Gen. White should ac-
lcordngly be able, by passive resistance
alone. TO occupy the enemys attention
sufficiently to make it impossible for
them to detach any considerable force
-, hka tro
| port arrangements permitted them TO
do so.
1T is probable that in other directions
isolate garrisons we'll able to care fol
themselves a futile and expensive pro-
cess. From Kimberley comes dispatch
tending TO show that Withdrawals are
being made from the force which has
been threatening Mafeking, and it is
scarcely likely that the reported con-
centration Of 1000 Beers at Bethulie
will have been effected without weak
ening the investment of Kimberley. In
the meantime Kimberley and Mafeking
have done excellent service in Keeping
large parties of the enemy busily en-
gagged to no serious purpose.
The deplorably long list of casual
ties which is printed provokes the re-
Election that this is the second occasion
upon which Gen. White has in early
dispatches given an altogether erron-
eous impression Of the losses incurred.
| AMERICAS FIRST AUTOMOBILE.
Frank Curtis, Of Newburyport. Mass.
does not claim to be the original auto
lmobilist, but he does modestly acknow-
| ledge that he was probably the first
man in New England to run an auto
mobile. Only he does not call it hy any
such hifalutin name, preferring 10 des-
ignate it as a steam carriage.
! IL was just tiliriy-three years ago
that Mr.. Curtisfirst showed his machine
/ public tetle establishment of the cisi-
zens and the horses of Newburyport. AT
1.-THE same time the rash inventor incur
] red the only expressed disapproyal of
! the inhabitants of that quiet burg, who,
indeed Mere never brought to counte-
| nance. such an lncanny thing as a wag-
on that went without horse power. Mr..
t'urtis, indeed, vas sadly in advance OF
ihis times.
Ill was the horses that finally drove
me off the streets. though" Mr.. Curtis
exclaiirs. a wealthy woman in town
| had "A goodman Who was frightened to
death Of me, and he made so much talk
that the woman finally complained to
the selectmen. They sent the sheriff
after me, With orders 10 keep me off the
streets or else bring me and the car
| riage into court / was III the steam
carriage down in Market square when
the sheriff drove up.
want you. he shouted.
4 What for ] asked. He went on to
! tell me, and ] suggested that he'd bet
4 ter read his warrant. So he sat in his
/ carriage and | in mine while he read ii.
! When he got to the part about deliver
ing me over to the court l just pulled
open the throttle and away / went, with
4 the sheriff driving like mad after me.
/ He might as We'll have been on foot. He
/ couldn't keep anywhere near me. ] ran
over to the next town and stored the
steam carriage in a barn until the ex-
citement Wore away Then | brought
her home and sold her.%-Lewis Strang,
in the Automobile Magazine.
WOMEN OF NOTE.