The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-03-15
IN TUE TOWN OF LanYsn,IrH
IL Will DC known on History's Pages
AZ The scene OF the Greatest Hero
ism OF Modem Times,

II Will be Known on History's Page.
AZ The Scene OF the Greatest Hero
ism OF Modern Times.
While walking along the street moi
long ego your correspondent accident
ally heard young man say to his
elderly companion. "It is good thing
that these wars break ,out occasion
ally they make people read more and
then learn facts about foreign coun.
tries that they had never heard Of be
fore.'
This is true, to certain extent, OF
Ladysmlth. Natal for there is prob
ably no city In the world the name Of
which is SO frequently seen in the col
umns OF the daily newspapers, vet
about which there is SO little known
outside OF the fact that :or the past
lew months it has been, the base of
| General Whites operations in South
Africa. We hear Of Kimberly because
OF It's mines, and Of Durban because it
is an important African seaport but
until recently little has been written
about Ladysmith.
There is a pretty bit of romauce at
tached to the origin Of the name Lady
smith. Oae evening, many years ago,
| during the Peninsuiar war, two young
| English Cf1icers were visited by two
young and beautiful Spanish girls Of
good family who begged protection
from the dangers to which war exposed
! them.
The officers, being naturally gallant,
which accomplishment was probably
quickened by the extraordinary beauty
of the two refugees, secured them the
pr0tedtion and shortly aftcrwurd Sir
Harry Smith, one OF the officers, fell
desperately in love with one OF the
young ladies and made her his wife.
Subsequent events made Sir Harry
figure conspicuously in the aifai"e ri
the growing little town and when IL
came time for the place to be officially
recorded the village was called Lady
Smith in honor Of tho wife of the gal
liant Sir Harry Smith.
Ladysmith is one Of the most impor-
taut towns in Natal. 1t is situated in
the midst OF a rich wool district and
has dry and bracing air that is very
delightful. Its elevation is several
thousand feet above the level Of the sea,
and the border Of beautiful hills which
partly surrounds the city shelters it to
q great extent from severe winds that,
unObstructed, might do irreDarable
damage to the city
district from climatic conditions comes
during the rainy season. Ladysmith
is situated, as it were, on a tongue Of
land which protrudes into the River
Kip, small innavigable body Of water,
which frequently overhows, leaving
ruin and disaster behind. These over
flows are usually accompanied by ter
rihc thunderstorms and generally Oc-
cur during the summer. Some idea of
the disastrous results OF these storms
can 5s CLEANED when it is mentioned
that they are in striking similarity to
the thunderstorms and hurricanes
| which 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 HOllander settlers, but are com.
posed almost equally Of descendants Of
the French Huguenots, the remaining
lew being East India merchants and
natives. But there are, however, very
few natives In the immediate city.
The nearest seaport town to Lady
smith is Durham, and 1t is here that
most Of the freight for the eastern
part OF the two Dutch Republics is
| landed. From Durham the freight can
reach its destination only by passing
through Ladysmith, thus making the
city quite a commercial center. The
western branch Of the government rail.
way crosses the Free State border only
thir,y-seven miles from Ladys m ith,
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 pretentlous and sub
stantal structure of Doric style. Il is
constructed Of the blue whin,to and
white freestonc typical OF the districts
surrounding Ladysmith. and slrmount-
ing the hall Is a tower littal with q
clock. This clock strikes every hour,
and the tones OF the bell are SO clear
and silvery that they can be heard
on perfectly still day by people labor
ing in districts several miles from the
city.
Another building, probably less 10.
tercstng to viOlators Of the law, is the
prison, which adjoins the fort, then
there are the post.otfice, public Ii.
brary, a court house and several
churches Of the Catholic, Lutheran
Dutch Reformed, Wesleyan and Con
grcgational denominations.
At present the picturesque beauty oI
the broad level plain in the vicinity OF
Ladysmith, between the hills end the
town proper, Is marred by the presence
Of thousands Of white tents, and an In
teresting 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
The town hall and churches are to-
day used as hospitals. to which are
brought the soldiers wounded during
the frequent skirmishcs which TAX,
place In the vicinity.
Although the streets OF the CITY arc
paved, the pavings now are in dan
gerous condition and 1t 10 very dif1icul4
to make ones way through the once
beautiful avenues. The waterworks
system, which was introduced into
Ladysmith several years ago at cos
Of $l30, 900, has been cut off, and opera
tiopS in tho more rocpntIv prerto6 0o,