Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-05-31

cEEs WTUEe II. A@4 AaS41&G- va
vaal territory yesterday afternoon
shortly before . O'clock he was fifty
one miles from johannesburg and sew
e~rryseveu miles from Pretoria. His
immensely supeEisr force had safely
passed. the Wall river, their last
great natural obstacle, without oppo-
siFion The Beers FeSreated almost
without a SLOW Of defense. Gen
Frazcn al3 Gen. Hamilton apparently
did not fire a shot OF Lord Roberts
/ immediate force eleven men belong
ing 10 the Eighth mounted infantry.
We're the first 20 ford the river. They
I came upon a BOer patrol footing az
/ yulf0eu'S drift and a sSirmish lasting
I ten minutes followed TWO hundred
BOers rried feehly 70 hold the Vereen-
I igins eOIIiey but they were ~dislodged.
The Boer rear g1ard il at Moyerter.
ten miles sOuth OF Yereeniging. The
Main Body Is Moving
! toward Kip river hills that y the
south side Of Johannesburg. While
! Lord Roberto 5000 infantry, 2D.nyo
horse and 10 guns are moving on Jo-
I harrisburg and Pretoria through a
/ parchei and deserted country, the
situation M the Transyaal capital as
Il was last Friday, is thus described
by an observer who sent his message
by private hand TO L0urenzo Marques
yesterday:
The situation, both from a military
and 2 political point OF view has be-
come very critical President Kruger
4 w-ar~.~zr~- ~A--EE4wl Trw eEn Ffsz% Ffvya
I that matters are very grave. The
Boer determination i TO rust every
thing 10 a last stand on the Gates
Rand mountains, TO the north OF
1 Professionalism. where 600 Raffirs are
digging trenches. To that point every
[ available man and gan has been sent.
The whole OF the western border or
the Tranzyaal from end 10 end is de-
~feuccle@s ard Gen B8den-Powell can
march in when lie likes. Gen. Rob-
erts, on the other hand, will encounter
The Greatest Opposition.
The Beers viii hire the British into
threatening johannesburg as an ex-
cuse for them to destroy property. The
Tansvasl government intends { de-
stroy the mines and property without
an excuss. Much dynamite has been
sent down the line AMI 1000 eases
lie ready az ZurchsfoHtein. sixteen
miles from johannesburg. Generals
BOtha and Meyer have protested
against the destruction OF property.
Both are large p~r0prietors of land and
fear couffscation. but they have been
unable to obtain satisfactory assur-
ance from President Kruger. Mean
while French and German a~dyentur-
ers have come forward with schemes
for blowing up the British troops.
/ Some Of these have received tacit per-
mission 20. experiment. One German
plan is II mine the railway where il
lies perfectly concealed until the
weight Of n passing train explodes the
/ charge. Gen. Lucius Meyer says that
surrender woull be welcomed by the
Beers but everybody fears the iEno-
miny OF making the proposal He
says he Is assured his men viii not
stand. President Steyn and Mr..
Reits. the T%ransvaai state secretary,
are strongly
Opposed to Pence,
but Mr.. Kruger is not so mush against
! it,
President Kruger's proclamation to
the b%urghers asking their votes for
OF against continuing the war is
equivalent to saying that they can quit
now with the prospect II returning 70
their farms or continuing to the bit
ter end. Tie Indications are that the
majority of the Beers viii favor sur
render. Some correspondents te,e-
graph that there are 100000 foreign
ers in the Beer army. but this is hard
" credible. Indications are that there
will be n pitched battle ar Laing's
Mex. whore Gen. Butler faces the
Beers. reinforced TO an estimated
strength Of from 5000 to 10000. The
reiuforcements include a large part OF
the Ladybrand and fresh commanders
from Pretoria. With the exception Of
a few shots exchanged with the re-
firing burghers at Vereeniging. the
only fighting during the past three
days with all the
Armies I'm the Field
appear TO have been two small en-.
gagements in the eastern part of the
Free State AT Ficksburg on Satur.
day the Beers attacked the British
holding the town but they were forced
TO retire toward Slabbeston Mex. At
NhstAAE q TfpOTtS
that nothing is known as regards cas-
ualties. The same day Gen. Brabant's
scouts encountered 200 Beers in
trenched near Clocloan. The scouts
advanced to within 300 yards, when
the Beers fired heavily. The scouts
retired and four are missing. Gen.
Rumble is slowly sweeping the eastern
portion Of the Free States. Occasion
ally his ~sauadrons come across parties
or Beers, " or three in number. and
usually on foot. who are YEARLY going
TO their farms. Some OF them carry
saddles On their backs. Wholesale
surrenGers are expected, but thus far
they have not occurred Small CON-
maEdOes are described by correspond.
ents as wandering round and finding
every road blocked.
Roberts Refused to Retreat.
The Times has the following from
a correspondent az the front. Win
Kroonstad. May -: when Broad
wood occupied the hills overlooking
/ Llndley the chief storekeeper came
and STATED that President Hteyn ana