The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-06
CUT OFF FROM THE WORLD.
Experiences in n south African
Town During BOer War.

Experiences IN n SOutn African
Town During 8Oer War.
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.
An interesting letter as beer. received
in this city from Buluwayo, South Africa,
under date of June 9,describing the situa-
ton of affairs there during the war with
the Beers. The writer, Ed Tanner, SAYS:
Perhaps one of the most striking fea-
lures of the war IS the confidence and
pluck shown here in Rhodesta. Mafeking,
nearly LOCO miles from Cape Town, and
400 miles from Buluwayo, has been rightly
act of the Beers in October was to cut
the telegraph and tear up the railway
and invest that town. OF course that cut
off BuiuWaye at, once from the south, as
Mafeking is the nearest place of impor
lance to US. We We're absolutely without
any news at all for a couple of weeks,
and then we got a little occasionally by
way Of Beira and Salisbury. The tele-
graph runs to both places from here, but
is always breaking down. Many of our
best men have gone with Baden-Powen to
Mafeking, and Col. Plumer had formed
another regiment Of mostly RhOdesians,
strong, and the local volunteers were
called out and sent down to different
places to protect the railway to within a
few score miles of Mafeking.
by this time the town was nearly de-
pleted of fighting men, but we pursued
the even tenor of our way. To see an
armed man was a rarity. Absolutely cut
off from the south and a four days JOuTA
neY by coach from Salisbury Our next
largest town, and surrounded by two or
three hundred natives, who have never
been properly beaten, Buluwayans show
ed the confidence of the Ang1O-SdXOn III
the belief that we should come out on
top, and there was not the slightest panic
or alarm, although bets were freely made
that the niggers would rise but the
chiefs were Informed of the state of war,
and they were all quiet enough.
The fighting printer in BuluWayo
numbered over d dozen, some being with
Col. Plumer and others with the VOlun-
teers. Time rolled on and luxuries be-
came very scarce. Corners were, elade
in sugar, candles, etc, and the local mer-
chants began to make arrangements for
importing goods via Beira. But the
prices rapidly went up. Sugar was IS to
SOC a pound; butter, $75 Is to shIl.
lings) d one-pOund tin; candles ! shilling
each and everything else in proportion,
and very often goods were not Obtainable
at any price until a wagon arrived with
fresh supply. Whisky was doubled,
and a small tot cost about 35 cents, but
It is reduced to a bob again now.
THESE prices ruled until the relief Of
Mafeking, when there was a considerable
reduction, but at the time Of writing
everything Is very high to what 1t was
before hostiIities broke out. One remark
able thing is the scarcity Of silver. The
boys (Kaffirs) won't accept anything but
silver with the queens head on II, and
II
result that change became very scarce.
To meet this the government Issued
coupons for various amounts, and that is
the money we are at present using. You
take your pack Of cards out, pick out
the one nearest to the amount you want
and there you are. We had a week
jubifation over he combined events of the
relief of Mafeking and her majesty s
birthday. We are intensely loyal to the
crown out here One other thing is re-
markable and ought to make even an
Irish-American pro-Boer pause and re-
fleet and that is the large number Of
Americans and quasi-Americans like my
self, who have passed some time in the
States and who are now in Africa, and
enthusiastically British, and the display
of stars and stripes here is surprising.
That and the Union Jack are the only
flags used for special occasions. In fact,
l think Old Glory has the monopoly Of
display on ordinary occasions.
One of the principal guns used in the
defense Of Kimberley was made during
the siege by an American engineer named
Labram, who, unhappily, was killed dur
ing the last week of the siege, and have
another New Yorker IN my mind who
had been a rigid teetotaler over year,
but who wetted' his enthusiasm so
much over the Mafeking affair that he
had to be carried home. We all thought
that we should have completed the job
long ago, but is has been war Of sur
prises, and 'Bobs was quite right it
seems in waiting until he was ready and
making it a walkover. Butler had by
far the most difficult task, as the country
is all hills and mountains in that part
and almost impregnable. Anyway. It was
no easy task to transport the 200 900 men
and the vast stores over 5000 miles by
sea and another LOCO by land in practi-
cally an enemy's country. In fact, our
base could be properly called Chicago
for without our canned stuff from there
we should not have gone on much. AS
to the merits of the war, that has been
thrashed out so often.
Suffice to say that we are thankful
that the British flag will now float over
the two places, but we are trifle sorry
for the Free Staters. who had absolutely
no grievance to complain Of but threw
In their lot with the Transvaai. That
England did not anticipate war IS cvi-
IDENTIFY shown by her unpreparedIe q r e
the wretched bungle she made Il 4e
start. The republics demanded that IN
British troops in South Africa should be
decreased: sent an ultirnatum to Eng
land; invaded British territory; invested
three towns: looted loyalists propcrty.
and annexed the country near them and