The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-01

visit the coast of the West India Islands
almost annually.
The citizens Of Ladysmith, in times
of peace, are an industrious people and
the city boasts many public buildings
and business interests, the latter of
which are connected with the govern
ment railway which has extensive re-
pair shops at Ladysmith. The inhab-
itants, as is generally supposed, are not
all Dutch or descendants from the early
HolIander settlers, but are composed
almost equally of descendants of the
French Huguenots, the remaining few
being East India merchants and ma
tives. But there are, however, very
few natives in the immediate city.
The nearest seaport town to Lady
smith is Durham, and it is here that
most of the freight for the eastern part
of the two Dutch Republics is landed.
From Durham the freight can reach it's
destination only by passing through
Ladysmith, thus making the city quite
branch Of the government railway
crosses the Free State border only
thirty seven miles from Ladysmith,
while the southern branch passes
through Newcastle and Lang's Mex,
where the British suffered so terribly
in 1881.
The most important of the public
buildings of Ladysmith is the Town
Hall, which is a pretentious and sub
stantial structure of Doric style. It is
COnSlTuGLSQ OIL the Dlu6 WnlnSIOne ana
white freestone typical of the districts
surrounding Ladysmith. and surmount-
ing the hall is a tower fitted with
clock This clock strikes every hour,
and the tones of the bell are so clear
and silvery that they can be-heard on
a perfectly still day by people laboring
in districts several miles from the city.
Another building, probably less In
teresting to violators of the law, is the
I prison, which adjoins the fort; then
Il hi
brary, a court house and several
churches of the Catholic, Lutheran,
Dutch Reformed, Wesleyan and Con-
gregational denominations.
At present the picturesque beauty of
| the broad level plain in the vicinity OF
Ladysmith, between the hills and the
| town proper, is marred by the presence
| of thousands of white tents, and an
| interesting feature of General Whites
stay at Ladysmith has been the active
drilling, marching and countermarch-
| ing that have taken place daily in the
camps <surrounding his headquarters
On the day that the British erected
| their camps in and around the city the
magistrates and most of the civilians
4 FASTENED to seek refuge at Estcourt
and points further south, abandoning
| stores, furniture and other possessions,
| so that there is very little left of the
| natural beauty of the city. Many of
1 the citizens came even to America.
The town hall and churches are to-
/ day used as hospitals, to which are
| brought the soldiers wounded during
the frequent slzirmishes which take
place in the vicinity.
Although the streets of the city are
/ paved, the pavings now are in a dan
! gerous condition and it is very diff
| cult to make ones way through the
! once beautiful avenues. The water
works system, which was introduced
| into Ladysmith several years ago at
| cost of $3.50, 900, has been cut off and
operations in the more recently erected
gas works have been suspended.
| There are only three hotels in the
| town, and these too are used as hos
pitfalls, though in times of peace very
satisfactory accommoda lions can be
obtained at these hOstelries. There are
many beautiful spots surrounding
| Ladysmith that were used for pleasure
grounds, but those upon which camps
are not pitched are the scenes of the