North Park union., 1900-01-12
HOW THE WAR BEGAN
soERs WERE ALL READY
Knslt In Prayer.-How They Hauled Z.
Caanon to the Top of = Mountain.

A correspondent OF the Chicago
Record. writing from Pretoria in Oc-
tobs.r, tells how the war commenced
with the Beers.
On Monday afternoon. October 9th.
Mt 5 O'Clock. that fateful document
which left the world agape WIS handed
to Mr.. Conyngham Greene. her
majestys agent at Pretoria, by the
state secretary. An hour later one
word was flashed through the South
African Republic on the telegraph
wires, and that word was "Oorlog."
WAR.
The burghers on the Natal border
expected to cross into Natal the next
day. The same afternoon Pojweni
mountain. near Majuba. was fortified
by the burghers. The fertilization WAS
Of nature which Will cause astonish-
ment all over the world when 1t be-
comes known. Pojweni IL very steep
hill. about 1000 feet high. and on nc-
count OF the tremendous cliffs. practi-
cally inaccessible. The Beers have
brought an enormous six-ton siege gun
down from Pretoria, but the French
and German engineers employed
laughed the idea of mounting the gun
on Pojweni to scorn. They declared
that II was absolutely impossible. even
with the most up-to-date hydraulic np-
paratus. TO get the enormous thing
mounted. The Beers. however. thought
differently. and declared their inten-
tion OF mounting the gun without any
hydraulic apparatus whatsoever. First
i've or six span OF the best oxen In the
''laager" We're yoked TO the huge en-
gine OF destruction: but the incline was
too steep for them to obtain foothold,
and they failed to move the gun.
Nothing daunted. General Joubert
called up 500 picked men Of the Wax
kerstroom commando and bid them
plant the gun on Pojweni. The men
tackled the job with fervor. and, at
taching u huge iron cable to the gun.
attempted TO drag II up by sheer
strength of muscle. The cable, how
ever, snapped. with the laughable re-
suit that 800 burghcrs went sprawling
on their backs. Once more, however.
the cable was attached, and, aided by
strongly plated hide ropes, the tug OF
war again began.
To-day that huge gun stands mount
cd on II hill 1000 feet high, and mount
ed by human muscle alone.
On the morning OF October 18th the
news was received that General Piet
Cronje had crossed the border into
British Bcchuanalnnd mt Ridigrand
and was marching on Mafeking. On
the same day our forces on the Natal
border made u forward move into
Natal. Those who We're present de
scribe the sight as one never to be
forgotten. From daybrcak there was
hustle and stir In the great Bocr
camp, where close on 10000 men were
Preparing 10 march into the enemy's
codntry. When they We're all ready
the minister mounted IA wagon and
called upon all the men TO pray 90 God
TO guard them during the coming
struggle. To see 10000 rugged men
knecling on the vrldt there, with the
sunlight just touching here and there.
was II sight 10 b. remembered by all
who We're present. After n most i'm
prcssive prayer by the minister pres
ent the whole commando stood up and
sung one OF the solemn songs the Beers
are SO proud OF. Verify IA Cromwclrs
camp on u huge scale. No wonder,
with such II fervent belief IN the right
cousness of their cause. the burIhcrs
are confident of success.
After the hymn all was hurry and
hustle as one bullock train after the
other rolled into the road and away
over the border into Natal. That night
after sundown the wagons We're still
moving out OF the camp, so one can
imagine what IL huge train there must
have been. Once having crossed the
border the Beers moved forward
rapidly. and the next day their van
guard. under General Kock, WAS in
Newcastle.