Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-10-20
SIR GEORGE STEWART WHITE.

attack upon the railway below Colenso.
The movement from the east also sug-
gests an attack upon the railway at
Waschbank, between Ladysmith and
Glencoe.
Military experts are inclined to the
opinion that the troops at Glencoe are
only a small rear guard left to attract
the force under Commandant General
Joubert, while General Whites full
strength is concentrated at Ladysmith,
with a view of attacking the Orange
Free State force while General Joubert
is still 40 miles away.
Persistent Stories of Success.
Stories of British successes in >the
Mafeking district are so persistent that,
in the absence of contradiction from
Boer sources, they may be accepted as
true in the main, although the alleged
killing Of 300 Beers is discredited.
General Cronje's troops are regarded
as the flower of the Transvaal forces, so
decisive fighting has still to occur on the
western border, and if, as was intimated
in last nights dispatches, reliefs are ap-
preaching from Rhodesia it will probably
not be long delayed.
Apart from their desire to gain an in
itial advantage by capturing Mafeking
and thereby attracting the Dutch col
onists the object of the Beers in massing
in Bechuanaland is due, doubtless, to the
fact that this splendid stock country Is
full of cattle and, as it is only sparsely
settled would give the Transvaal a route
by which to import arms and munitions
by way of Walfisch bay Damaraland, on
the west African coast
A dispatch from Pretoria asserts that
the Transvaal Government has cabled to
Mr.. Joseph Benjamin Robinson the gold
mine owner and chairman of the Robin
son South African Banking company,
who is now in London, to return to Jo-
hannesburg n pain of the confiscation Of
his property. Mr.. Robinson characterzes
the alleged threat as ridiculous. He says
that he is a British subject, that the
Transvaal government has no right to
demand his return and that his property
has not been and cannot be confiscated.
The BOer Advance.
The following official note has been is
sued at Durham regarding the Boer ad-
vance: "An Orange Free State force,
with few guns, moved about ten miles
down Tintwa's pass, opening with artil-
lery on small British cavalry patrols.
The range was very distant and the
shooting Indifferent. The object may have
been either a feint to draw our troops
from the real point of attack or prelude
to Boer concentration against Lady
smith,
A dispatch from Kimberley, dated Oct.
II, says: "All is we'll here. Colonel Hore
engaged the Beers at Mafeking on Oct.
I Nry{t Ma o1y
still safe on Oct. 49,
A dispatch to the Cape Argus reiter-
ates the statement that in the fighting at
Mafeking Colonel Hore repulsed the Bo-
ers, inficting loss of 300 men.
The Cape Times publishes the follow
ing dispatch from Kimberley: Reliable
information from Mafeking says that an
armored train, while accommodating north
Of the town, engaged 500 Beers, who
suffered heavily. Colonel Fitzclarence's
column foiled the Beers, intiicting severe
loss. The British casualties were killed
and II wounded, severely"
situation Mt Cape Town.
The premier of Cape Colony, Mr.. w.
P. Schreiner, continues to issue circulars
to the Dutch residents, advising them to
maintain strict loyalty to the imperial
government. The best authorities here
now agree that the danger of a general
revolt is very slight.
There is an incessant procession Of ap-
plicants for active military service, and
the new force Of 5000 mounted infantry,
which the imperial government has sano-
toned, will be quickly raised
Complaints Of Boer outrages upon the
natives continue to arrive at Cape Town.
These serve further to inf1ame the Basu-
tos and Zulus. One hundred and fifty
Basutos from Johannesburg arrived at
Burghersdorp, Cape Colony, and alleged
that the Beers had robbed them by the
wholesale and logged them with ''black-
snakes" The party, which included a
son Of Chief Lerothodi, was supplied
with provisions, and the Basutos then
homeward, cheering for the
queen and chanting war songs.
Advices from Cape Town say that the
governor of the colony, Sir Alfred Mil
ner. has issued proclamation prohibit
ing the importation of all dangerous ex-
plosives.
Portugal, according to dispatch from
Berlin, has given distinct assurances Of
her neutrality. A continuance of COM
nerce with the Transvaal by way Of
Oelagoa Bay is therefore secured.
According to private information re-
'eived here from Bloemfontein, capital !
" the Orange Free State, President Kru- !
ger telegraphed an account to President |
.teyn of the affair at Kraaipan, where |
ne Beers derailed and bombarded the
orltish arrored train carrying Captain
\esbitt's party. Mr.. Kruger said that
Nesbitt and seven men were seriously
Wounded that no ono was killed and that