The age-herald., 1900-01-02
AFRICAN GLOOM
 IS FRIGHTENED General French Drives the BOeTs
 from Co|esbuIg, ALL ENGLAND IS JUBl[ANT The British Troops Are Follow
 ing Up the Victory. BOERs WERE TAKEN BY SURPRISE Finding Their Retreat Threatened They Fled in Disorder to the Eastward, - Leaving the Town in the
 Hands of English
B0ERs WERE TAKEN BY SURPRISE

London, January 2.-Q:3O D. m)--The suc- Boers from Colesberg has shot welcome ray of light through the gloom of the cam paign in South Africa Everywhere it is commented upon as an example of sound tactics, and as an illustration of what may be done when the right methods are em- ployed with the Boers.
 The government is urged to take the les- son to heart, and to see that stone is left unturned in the endeavor to get the largest possible forces of cavalry and mounted infantry to tine front.
 Now that General Bremen has the Boers on the run the hope Is expressed that he will give them rest, but will harass them until they have found their way across. the Orange river, which is twelve miles distant. The old wagon road to the Free State traverses Colesberg and crosses the river by fine bridge, 1900 feet long. It is believed that the Boers retreated to- ward Norval's pont, further east, and the question Is whether General French will be able to secure these two bridges before the Boets destroy then.
 e One important effect of the success of General French Is that it will probably have determiend influence upon Dutch disaffection. There is some disposition here to exaggerate the importance of small skirmishes and engagements. It should be borne in mind that General French has on- ly 2,000 men, and so far as the important points of campaign are concerned, the sit-' uation is virtually unchanged.
 At Modder river the Boers appear to be modifying somewhat their line of defense. General Buffers scouts have discovered a Boer camp established in the vicinity of Springfield, southwest of Colenso, by Free State commando. A similar movement has been made at Modder river A large force on Boers, it Is reported has formed a new laager about fourteen miles down the stream at Kameethoek.
 All We'll at Ladysmith
 Heliograph reports from Ladysmith show that all was well on December 31. The bombardment was being continued, but its intensity had relaxed
 An official dispatch from Badysmith con- firms the report. cabled yesterday that several officers of the Devonshire regiment were severely wounded by the explosion of a Boer shell in the mess tent.
 A new armored train has reached Gen. eral Butler from Durban.
 A Capetown dispatch says that an ex-. change of prisoners is under consideration.
 The entire Seventh division will have sailed from England by January Il.
 Lord Wolsely, replying to a correspond ent who had asked for information regard ing the British artillery, wrote:
 ''Our field artillery is at least as good as any field artillery in Europe"
 A British firm, according to the Daily News, after keen competition with sev- eral American firms, has secured the gov ernment contract for the new seven-span bridge over the Tugela river at Colenso The firm is working night and day to com plete the order. It is said that John Churchill, younger brother of Winston Churchill, will accompany the Duke of Marlborough to the seat of war.