Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-08
People of Mafeking Now in
Hard Straits.
LIVING ON RISE MEAT


}>----TT---- :. - ,a
Aiafeking, Feb. 19.-tSy Associated
Press.) Horse meat now composes a
considerable part of our rations. There
is little grumbling. The first pinch Of
the siege is over, and the town has
settled grimly to stick it out. What
may be typhoid malaria has broken
out in the women's laager, and dysen-
terry, due to the absence of vegetables,
Is rife among the garrison.
We are thrown upon our own re-
Sources. Such luxuries as we have had
are exhausted or have been command
cred for the hospitals, which are filed
to oyerfowing. The children's grave
yard, close to the women's laager,
grows weekly as the young lives are
cut short prematurely by the shell fe-
yer. We look with hope deferred for
relief.
The cheerfulness, which was char
acteristic of the early days of the
siege has almost deserted us, the men
preferring to remain at their posts,
rather than to move about and work
up an appetite, which cannot be sat
isfied. The natives are in the worst
plight. Those, who are unable to OBJ
tain work are allowed small handful
of meal daily. Many, braying danger,
wander about, the town with gaunt,
hungry faces in the search of work,
which entities them to an extra ration
of meal If they find work they are gen
orally too weak too perform it. From
their advanced posts the Beers rake
the streets and market square. 1t is
impossible to dodge their bullets. We
have taken remarkable precautions,
however, and the casualties, tho heavy,
are not what they might have been
had less able men been at the head of
affairs. Even the headquarters mess
fares scantily. Like the saints under
the altar we cry: 'How long, Oh!
Lord, How Long, Two hundred and
ninety-two persons have been killed or
wounded, or died of disease. The gar
rison is so small that it would be Grim
inal to make its weakness public, but
there is never so much as whisper.
Ii any one has suggested the possibil-
ity of surrender it is because we do not
mean to get beaten, and we are cheer
fully enduring the hardships of today
rather than to make surrender in any
degree possible tomorrow.
Norval's Pont Occupied.
London, March s.-(By Associated
Press.) IF Roberts telegraphs thar he
has captured a Krupp gun and num-
Der OF tents and wagons. The general
also announces that General Clements
has occupied Norval's Pont.
The following is the text of Roberts
dispatch: Poplar Grove, March s.
Two brigades of cavalry, with the
horse artillery and Kelly Kenny's di-
vision, marched today ten miles east
ward.
The Beers were quite taken by sur
prise yesterday, they moved off SO hur-
riedly that they left their cooked din
ners behind. We captured a Krupp
gun and several tents and wagons. The
total casualties were: Killed -Lieuten,
ants Keswick and Frieslick; wounded
-Lieutenants Bailey of Twelfth Ian
GERS, and Decrispigney of the Second
Life Guards, both severely, and Lieu.
tenant Smith, of the Shropshires, who
is believed to have been picked up by a
Boer ambulance. Two men were kill
ed, forty-six wounded, and one man is
missing.
sGatacre reports that he intends oc-
cupying Burghersdorp today Repairs
to the railroads towards both Storm
berg and Steynsberg are being pushed.
Clements now occupies Norval's Pont
on the south bank of the Orange riv-
er. The bridge was blown up March
and the enemy is holding the north
bank of the river but not, it is believ-
ed in any great strength
Will Fight 1t Out.
Pretoria, March Shy Associated
Press Secretary of State Reitz has
issued a war bulletin saying that the
Beers, are not discouraged by the re.
verses and will fghtto the death.
General Dewitt is now in command
of the Beers north of the Modder
Kruger has gone to Bloemfontein, pre-
sumably TO settle differences between
the Transvaal burghers and the Free
Staters.
British in Burshsrsdorp.
London, March s.--(By Associated
Press "A special from Molteno saws
th.s British occupied Burghersdorp un-
orl,osed last night.
FOR SUPREME JUDGE.
Judge Fee Relieved TO Stand Excellent
Chance for Nomination.
Des Moines, March s.-The supreme