The record-union., 1899-10-01
Continued Activity in Military. Cir
CleS In South Africa.
Advlcss From Pretoria Report the Widest
Excitement Prevailing.
The Transvaa1 Concentrating Ar
tillery Along the Natal Border
The Burghers Moving in the
Direction of the Frontier-Brit-
ish Forces Also Steadily Ad-
vancing Toward the Frontier.

ish Forces Also Steadily Ad-
vancing Toward the Frontier.
LONDON, Sept. 30-The Transvaal
crisis news, which monopolizes all the
leading columns of the afternoon news
papers, is now we'll nourished by dis
patches from the Cape, from which
copious particulars of the movements
of troops on both sides and other war
preparations are coming.
A dispatch from Cape Town says:
1.-THE alarmist reports from Pretoria Of
the movements of Burghers must be
received with caution. The strict Boer
censorship renders it unlikely that i'm
portant movements could be tele-
graphed unless the Transvaal has good
reason for it, 1t is here that the highly
colored reports are either sent to
arouse the enthusiasm of the Afrikan-
ders or to produce alarm in the British
camps"
The Cape Town Times" says: "It is
impossible to say whether there are
real grounds for the Transvaal activity
until the nature of the dispatches or
the Imperial Government, Orange Free
State and Transvaal are known.
Therefore, it is useless to speculate on
the chances of an early recourse to
hostilities.''
Commenting upon the apathy of Pre-
mier Schreiner's colleagues, the paper
quoted says:
IF the Premier possesses informa-
n; = ic
necessity for the precautions which
others believe are urgently demanded
it is Mr.. Schreiner's duty to set the
public mind at rest
According to advices from Pretoria,
it appears that the authorities there
are serving out no more Mausers, but
are giving the Burghers Martins IN
stead This is mainly due to the de-
fective Mauser cartridge, which is con-
stantly bursting in the barrels and de-
stroying the bolt act.
A telegram from Pretoria. dated yes
terday says the widest excitement
prevails there and that the war prep
arations are proceeding apace. Big
guns, field telegraphs, Burghers, muni-
tons of war and provisions are being
hurried off to Volksrust, the projected
base of the Boer operations against
Natal Crowds gather at the stations
to witness the departure of the mill
tary trains
General Joubert goes to Volksrust to-
morrow. The Boer War Office is work
ing night and day and communicating
is actively proceeding. The Raad, In
order to secure the support of many
Uitlanders has decided that UitlanderS
who help the Beers will receive the
franchise.
Several of the Transvaal Government
departments close tomorrow, includ-
ing the High Court Immediately aftel
martiaI-law is proclaimed outside pos
tai communication will be stopped The
secret session which the Raad is hold.
ing this evening will probably adjourn
until Wednesday for the result of the
British Cabinet meeting.
The TransYaal is concentrating ar
tillery along the Natal border, and its
reserve artillery has been dispatched
to St. Anderson's and Wakkerstroom
and also to Rustemburg, which will
probably form the base of attack on
Bechuanaland in the direction of Mafe-
king. where a British counter force is
assembling and fortifications are being
raised.
The occupants of trains from the
Transvaal arriving at Ladysmith con-
firm the movement of the Burghers in
the direction of the frontier. They also
declare that the Beers insulted them
when passing stations, and that one
Boer assaulted a passenger without
provocation About /. 800 Boer artiii-
erymen. including the reserves, are en-
camped at Volksrust, where the field
cornet has now issued S25 rifles and
As 600 cartridges.
1t is reported that down train due
at Durham tomorrow has been stop
ned at Volksrust for the purpose OF
seizing prominent Uitlanders.
From vryberg, it is said, a native
laborer has sworn an affidavit before
a magistrate that he saw troops, be-
tween twelve and twenty armed Beers,
enter the colony from the Transyaal
and visit a farmer named Hasbrouck.
They remained in the house a consid-
erable time and crept back across the
frontier by a dry water course.
A telegram from Aliwal, in the
north, says the Orange Free State is
stopping wagons. produce and live
stock en- route to Cape Colony. The
burghers. it is further said, are allowed
TO cross the frontier for business, but
are expected to return Immediately.
From Bloemfortein come advices which
say the town is beginning to present
a deserted appearance. A number of
inhabitants, chiefly women, have left.
The Government has issued a circular
to railroad employees who are mostly
British subjects, notifying them that
in case of war they will be dismissed
and paid in full. According to agree
ment these volunteering to bear arms
will be allowed to do so, and those re-
signing will be allowed to remain in
the country without being command
cred but they will be expected to serve
the State.
On the British side the forces are
steadily moving near the frontier. Hus-
sar scouts have advanced to Damn
branse, beyond Glencoe, in the direc-
ton of Laings Mex on the main rail-
road.
The British camp at Glencoe is sit
uated on a stony koppje, with strong
breastworks of stones, erected on top.
All the railroad bridges from Colenze