The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-02
TROOPS
MASSING ON
FRONTIERS
OF Transvaal, Natal and Cape
colony..Majuba Hill Center
ofthe Coming Storm.
POTOMAC OF THE CONFLICT
Will be Buffalo River..Boer Force
Mobilizing There..Grsat
Military Activity.

LONDON. Oct. 2.-Not the faintsst
hint is allowed to escape as to what
diplomatic communications, II any, arc
passing between London and South
Africa. So far as the public is con-
cerned matters have not advanced since
Friday.
It is noticeable that not even the
Brussels agency of the Transyaal gov
ernment has yet issued Mr.. Krugers
latest note to the press. The silence
maintained on both sides is regarded as
ominous.
According to dispatches from Pretor-
Ia, complete chaos reigns there. The
government has declared moratorium,
ian urgency act of legislatlon), author
lzing a government bank to suspend
specie payments for a given period,
closed ali the courts and suspended the
English papers. 1t is is said that there
will be nearly 10000 burshers along the
borders by this evening (Monday).
The Berlin correspondent Of the Daily
News says:
According to advIces from The Hague,
DR.. Leyds, the European representative
of the Transvaal. has named Tuesday as
the day for a formal declaration of war
by the Beers. There is an uncouarmed
rumor in circulation here that Queen
Victoria has written Queen Wilhelmlna,
OF the Netherlands. deplorIng the turn
events have taken In South Africa, and
assuring the Dutch monarch that she
has gone to the utmost limits Of her
constitutional rights in the endeavor to
secure peace.
LONDON, Oct. 1.-From all points in
the Transvaal. Natal and Cape Colony
come reports Of continued military ae-
tIvlty on the frontiers; and. while the
movement OF individual commands as
yet do not show concerted plans. 1t is
evident that the narrow, wedge-Iike
strip OF Natal, whose apex is crowned
with the ominous name Of Majuba Hill,
will be the center of the coming storm.
Late yesterday the Beers established
a camp at scheeper's Mex, near Vry-
held, and they will mobilize a great
force on the Buftalo river tomorrow,
which the authorities at Dundee expect
will move across the border to that
spot, probably at once. It Is believed
that conflict at this point Will cer-
tRlnly occur early IN the week.
Masslng Troops,
At the same time the Beers are coll
lectlng a force Of two thousand men,
under the notorious comm1ndant
Cronte, in the Mulmanl gold fields, near
Mefeldng, where Colonel Baden-Powell
is stationed.
Dispatches from Tull, Rhodesla, an
nounce that another force Of burghers
is massed at Petersburg, fifty miles
south, and that outlying parties are
posted at all the drifts along the Linn
popo river.
In the meantime, Colonel Plummers
column is moving fifty miles nearer the
TraRsvaal frontier, and has established
telephone connections to within six
miles of Rhodes drift, on the Limpopo.
Enthusiastic scenes Rt all the railway
stations have marked the advance Of
the Natal volunteers.
Dispatches from Mnfeklng announce
that COmmandant Cronje. commander
of the Transvanl border police. crossed
the border and visited Chief Baralolga,
apparently with the object OF melting
him to fight. The British civil commits
sloner ordered the chief TO stay and
protect the women and children, telling
him that he would not be allowed to
fight.
The Potomac of the War.
It is evident tonight that Buffalo
river, the northeastern boundary Of
Natal. is to be the Potomac of the war.
In view of its strategic value. Joshua
Joubert has taken personal command
OF the Boer forces there, establishing a
strong line OF plckets along the river.
and has ordered the natives to drive in
all the stock.
All the available burghers in the
nelghborhood have been reQulsltloned,
with the result that some 1000 have
mobIlized at Wakkerstroom. the chief
point Of mobilization there.
The Beers openly threaten to raid
Vryburg, in British Bechuanaland, as
soon as hostIlitles open, and the KIM
beriey Advertiser complains Of the
apathy of the Cape ministry in not
taking steps to prevent this.
The Transvaal field cornets are taking
the names OF colonial Beers who are
yrIIIInry IN crogs the border in the event