The Monte Vista journal., 1900-01-06
HOW THE WAR BEGAN
soxss WERE ALL READY
p.e,rs marching 10 Rattle 10000 soidi,r,
K.slt In PraysF.-Aew They Hauled 1t
caaasa 70 the rep Of . Aoantain.

A correspondent Of the Chicago
Record, writing from Pretoria In Oc.
tobee, tells how the war commenced
with the Beers.
On Monday afternoon, October 9th,
At o'clock. that fateful documep,
which left the world agape was handed
to Mr.. Conyngham Greene, her
majesty's agent at Pretoria, by the
state secretary. An hour later one
word was flashed through the South
African Republic on the Telegraph
wires, and that word was "Oorloy,r
(War).
The burghers on the Natal border
expected to Cross into Natal the next
dny. The same afternoon Pojweni
mountain, near Majuba, was fortified
by the burghers. The fertilization was
Of q nature which will cause astonisb.
ment all over the world when II be-
comes known. PoJweni IL a very steep
bill, about 1000 feet high, and on ac-
count OF the tremendous cliffs, practi.
cally Inaccessible. The Beers have
Drought an enormous six-tOn siege gun
down from Pretoria, but the French
and German engineers employed
laughed the idea Of mounting the gun
on Pojweni to scOrn. They declared
that II was absolutely impossible, even
with the most up-tO-date hydraulic ap-
paratus. to get the enormous thing
mounted. The Beers, however, thought
differently, and declared their intep.
ti0n OF mounting the gun without any
hydraulic apparatus Whatsoever First
nve or six span Of the best oxen In the
"laaRer" were yoked to the huge en-
Rine Of destruction: hut the incline was
too steep for them to obtain foothold,
and they failed to move the gun.
Nothing daunted. General Joubert
called up $40 picked men Of the Wax
kerstroom commando and bid them
plant the gun on POjweni. The men
tackled the job with fervor. and, at
taching u huge iron cable to the gun,
attempted TO drag II up by sheer
strength OF muscle. The cable. how.
ever. snapped, with the laughable re-
suit that 800 burRhers went spra wiling
on their backs. Once more, however,
the cable was attached. and, aided by
strongly plated hide ropes, the tug OF
war ngain began.
To-day that huge gun stands mount
cd on hill 1900 feet high, and mount
ed by human muscle alone.
On the morning OF October 18th the
Cronje had crossed the border into
British Bechuanaland at Ridigrand
and was marching on Mnfeking. On
the same day our forces on the Natal
border made u forward move into
Natal. Those who were present de-
scribe the sight as one never to be
forgotten. From daybreak there was
hustle and stir In the great Boer
camp. where close on 10000 men were
preparing to march Into the enemys
country. When they were all ready
the minister mounted a wagon and
called upon all the men to pay TO God
TO guard them during the coming
struggle. To see 10000 rugged men
knecling on the veldt there, with the
sunlight Just touching here aud there,
was sight to Ike remembered by all
who were present. After a most i'm
prcsslve prayer by the minister pres
ent the whole commando stood up aud
sung Que OF the solemn songs the Boers
are sO proud Of. Verify q Cronweil's
camp on = huge scale! No wonder.
with such fervent belief In the right.
eousness Of their cause. the burghers
are confident OF success.
After the hymn all was hurry and
hustle as one bullock train after the
other rolled into the EOad and away
over the border into Natal. That night
after sundOwn the wagons were still
moving out Of the camp. 10 one can
Imagine what huge train there must
have been. Once having crossed the
border the BOcrs moved forward
rapidly, and the next day their van
guard. under General Kock. was In
Newcastle.