Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1899-10-02
Beers Ready to Fight and Great
Britain VIII Have to. Back
Down to Avert War. =
ENGLISH ROUGH RIDERS
Beers Said to Occupy Loine's
Neck and Show a Spirit That
Nothing But AnnIhlIation
VIII Subdue.

London. Oct. 2.-The announced in
tention of the British cabinet to meet
tomorrow has apparently. been recon
sidered. Now it is said the meeting
depends largely on developments in
the Transvaal. The date for summon
Ing parliament has not been definitely
settled though it is expected to be
about October 10. The remarkable
absence of news from South Africa
this morning leads to the belief that
there has been widespread cutting
of telegraph wires or that an extra
censorship has been established.
There is nothing to soften the extreme
bellicosity of yesterdays dispatches.
Neither is there anything to indicate
that the authorities of Pretoria have
the slightest desire to come to terms
peacefully with Great Britain. Had
the Beers not determined to fight IL
out or II they had not prepared for
hostilities they would, it, is. thought
have sent some temporfzing reply to
Great Britain's dispatch. The hang
dng back seems to be on GreatBritains s
side, where, in spite of newspaper and
war office talk, mobilization of. army
corps work is apparently proceeding
euriously in very leisurely manner.
The departure of General Butler com
nander of the British forces in South
1rica has been postponed from week
TO week and when the members of the
cabinet talk in public of their assur-
ance of Great Britain's good will to-
ward the Transvaal it is regarded al
most as smacking Of pathetic appeals
for peace.
Now 1t appears the alleged calling
out of the first class army reserve was
a hoax. Circulars were issued on an
official paper and many members Of
the reserve presented themselves at
barracks only to find the order a for
gerry. The police now have the mat |
ter in their hands.
An advertisement appeared this /
morning announcing the formation of /
u curps OF gentlemen rough riders, |
patterned after Rooseveits Rough Ri |
.ders, for service in South Africa.
Advices from Ladysmith, Natal, to-
day say that 600 burghers haxe. as
.sembled at Albertina, in Orange Free |
State, with the object of proceeding In
the direction of the border. and 1t Is
feared raid on Ladysmith ismeditat-
ed.
London, Oct. 1.-Reports from Cape
Town declare that an immediate rup-
ture of diplomatic relations between
Great Britain and Transyaal is ex-
pected Great excitement prevails at
Cape Town where it lis reported the
Beers have occupied Iaings Neck.
The general drift of news Indicates
that the position of British troops in
South Africa is critical. owing to de-
lay in sending reinforcements,zand In
the event of hostiiitieS. early. reyerses
are regarded as probable.
The latest advices. show that Trans
yaal mobilization has been rapid and
comprehensive. Many Beers it is
said, did not wait to be commandeered
but proceeded to the border spontan-
eously. Members of the executive
department of the state secretaries,
Kruger's relatives, members of the
raad, judges and other professional
men are all eagerly giving their SER
vices and the women are bidding the
men to die rather than return beaten.
It is calculated that the Orange Free
State already has 1000 men on the
border.
London, Oct. 2.--It is announced
that General Butler will sail for the
Cape either<Friday or Saturday next.
London, Oct. 2.-Advices from Cape
Town say that a dispatch received
there today from Charlestown. Natal,
announces that eighty members of
the Orange Free State artillery with
six guns have arrived at VOlksrust
point in the Transvaal, close to the
Natal border and that Marquee has
been erected by the hospital authori-
tiles. General Joubert, vice president
of the South African republic and COM
mander in chief of the Transyaai
forces, has arrived at Volkrust and his
presence there will probably have a
calming effect. Advices from Johan-
nesburg say that no communicating
took place there Saturday. They add
that many Beers are anxious to leave
and many young men are forming
. corps of civilian police and acting
in conjunction with the merchants
association. The town is quiet The
merchants committee announces that
British Subjects ynd rperWit, will be
allowed to remain and that consular
letters and passports will be accepted
ef the persons presenting them are OF
good character.
Heroic Women Fight Fire.