Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-01-10
YosrorrIcR AT MurALI,

small to be influential In the present
crisis. The Mashonaland railroad,
section Of the Cairo and Cape project,
has brought a ray of progress into this
dark district. Formerly all transpor-
tatlon was by stagecoach, which still
prevails to limited extent off the line
of railroad.
A good story is told by Mr., Syming-
ton, who managed the coach line to
Bulawayo before the railroad was
built. G. ]. Rhodes was travelling in
the coach, accompanied by that well
known railway engineer, Sir Charles
Metcalf. Mr.. Symington was driving
them himself. Two huge balloons were
fighting, and Rhodes stopped the coach
to see them. After watching them in
tently for few moments he turned to
Symington with the query, 81 say,
Symington what are the brutes fight
lug aboutT The latter reflected mo-
ment, then conically replied, ~ think
that one Of them thinks be is Paul
Kruger. and the other thinks that lie is
Cecil Rhodes and they are fighting
about the supremacy off, But he did
not finish the sentence. for Rhodes
burst out laughing and said. "Thnt will
do, symington; drive on, drive on,
please"
1t is almost impossible to realize,
much less describe, the primitive con-
dition of the Dutch In every part Of
South Africa. Ignorance and super
stition seem to be sources of strength
in the present war, however, and it
will take many bloody battles to con-
quer the Beers. Indeed 1t is doubtful
II President Kruger would dare to
stop the war if he SO desired, OH ac-
count of the bitter hatred of the Brit
fish among the Boer women. Though
usually phlegmntic and taking little in
terest in the atfaIrs OF the nation, they
are, when aroused,ga more serious tac-
tor than the regular Boer soldiers.
The Beers have q decidedly low opin-
ion of English shooting qualities ",rhe
Rulneks can only ire volleys," said
one old burgher contemptuously. "and
even those are too high Now, we fire
one at time, and no man fires till he
is certain of his aim. We like long
ranges best and rock to lean on
The Boer marksman, curIously
enough, is far better at n moving tar
get than stationary one. and. above
all things, he detests charges. He can
not successfully stand one unless post
ed among all but inaccessible rocks,
and he is strongly averse to making
one. His stolid, phlegmatic nature is
IL 90 uta aott u,
which stimulates Anglo-Saxon soldiers
to glorious achievements.
As was feared, the Boer sharpshoot-
ers are getting In their deadly work.
Their favorite weapon is the sporting
model Of the Mannllcher. a German
arm, perhaps the most powerful weapon
of its caliber and weight In the world.
The military Mannlicher is used in
the armies of Austria, Holland. Greece,
Chile, Peru and Roumania. The ideal
Mannllcher is the sporting rife known
as the Haenel model. II is a beautiful
ly finished arm weighing about eight
pounds. The rifle is 80 inches In l,ar-
rel. the carbine "a. II has pistol
grip. sling straps and hair triggers. Its
caliber is 80. This rife has an ex-
treme range of $500 yards and kill
Ing range of 1000.
1t is charged that the Beers are using
soft pointed bullets, In violation of the
correctness OF war The Mannlicher
bullet bores a hole right through a
bone without communion or splinter
ing. But when It upsets the shock Is
terrible. The bullet literally smashes
the flesh and bone into fragments. The
average Boer never heard of The
Hague convention. and 1t would make
no difference II he had. He is In the