Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
MAKING A DETOUR
THINK THAT IS WHAT
BUTLER IS DOING.
ADVANCE WILL BE SLOW
Believed British Commander Is Seek
ing to Relieve Ladysmith from the
Northwest-Large Operations APP
parently About to Begin in the
Western Field.

London, Feb. 6.-Military opinion
very slender materials that Gen.
Butler is again throwing his army
against the boer works. The retired
Gen. Sir William Henry Green, whose
distinguished career gives weight to
his opinion, thinks Butler with $4,000
men, is making a wide detour to the
west and north in order to avoid the
toughest parts of the country. AS
Butler must have some thousands of
wagons, Sir William Green points out
that advance will necessarily be slow.
No authentic word is at hand, save
that the war Office reaffirmed orally to
newspaper inquirerS at late hour
that it could not confirm the reported
advance There the Natal situation
rests. 1t is from the western field that
more definite statements come. Large
operations are apparently about to be-
gin Gen. French who has now re-
turned to RenSburg from conference
with Lord Roberts has sent what is
described as an overwhelming force or
infantry to seize NOrvals point.
This is where the railway, before
it was destroyed, crossed the Orange
river and connected with the Free
State trunk line to Bloemfontein.
Norvals point is 10 miles north of
Colesburg and 25 miles from Gen.
French's headquarters at Rensburg.
The beers at Colasburg have been in
danger of being surrounded by largely
reinforced and extending Ines of Brit
ish. The occupation of Norvafs point
in force would presumably render
Colesburg untenable. The beers are
showing great activity in Naauwpoort
and ColesDerg districts. Many guns
hitherto facing Lord Methuen are be-
lieved to have gone to Norvaps Point.
The British, therefore, may find formi-
dable bodies of beers there. The war
office announces that Is transports Will
be dispatched between today and next
Monday with 1900 troops, including
fourth cavalry brigade, militia bat
talions and three of good yeomanry
The transport Pufnea, from India has
arrived and landed a battery Of artll-
ing prevails there.
Sir Alfred Miner, in lett 7 W it Ell
three weeks ago to the fornet iord
mayor of Belfast, said the war would
last three or four months longer. Mil
ner has sent the most hopeful and en-
coUraging reports to the government
regarding the prospects of the cam
ip &c viz
are shared by Lord Roberts. The
censorship seems to have completely
shut down On correspondents at Spear
mans camp. No dispatch from that
point appears in the papers, nothing
having been allowed issue since Fri
day evening. A dispatch to the Times.
from Queenstown, Cape Colony, dated
Monday says: Gen Brabant, while
addressing one of the regiments of the
colonial division on parade Sunday.
said they were leaving next morning
for the front, not to return he hoped
until the task entrusted to him by
Lord Roberts had been successfully
accomplished. He could not disclose
his plan of operations, but if his in
glutton of fighting among them would
have his fill"
Davis Inspects Boer Lager.
Lourenzo Marques, Feb. 6.-Webster
Davis, United States assistant secre-
tary of the interior, accompanied by a
party of friends, is at the head Of a
lager of beers at Ladysmith, closely
inspecting the camps and positions
around the besieged town. The Ger
man consul at Pretoria, Herr Bier
mann, is accompanying Mr.. Davis on
his trip TO the boer head lager.
Fresh News Scare
London, Feb. 6.-The war office an
nounces that it has received nc fresh
news from the sat Of war for publica-
ton.