Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-21
Advance in the Free State
Seriously Retarded.
ROADS RIVERS OF MUD
Dalgety is Still Surrounded Natives
Are Compelled to Fight-Br3sish
Officers Captured-The Gusgilla
Warfare.

London, April 81, Az a. m.-Geaeral
ing over the sodden roads,. Rain wasJstill
falling when they went into camp Thurs
day afternoon, Is miles west of DeWets-
dorp. They hold the railway and; the
railway and the southern frontier OF the
; Free State with 20, 200 men. How fnany
are going with the generals who will en-
| gage the Beers - Wepener is not men,
toned in the latest dispatch from Oor-
longsport, where the British bivouacked
Wednesday night. The field telegraph
ends there.
On Thursdy the Beers still had Colonel
Dalgety closely penned up.
The governments reason for publish
ing Lord Roberts Spion Kop dispatch
was explained last evening at Hull by
Mr.. Walter Hume Long. president of the
board of agriculture, who aid that the
country was entitled to receive all the in
formation the government Ould give.
THE government is told" continued Mr..
Long, that having published the dis
| patches it is bound to Immediately deal
! with the generals affected, but, following
such a course, the government might
have to dismiss every general the mo-
ment he made a mistake. Had such a
policy been pursued in the past many
most glorious deds would not have been
performed.
1.-THE government uses its discretion in
publishing the dispatches From the be-
ginning of the campaign her majesty's'
ministers have not swerved from the rule
of leaving the conduct of the operations
to the discretion and judgment of the
! commander in chief"
General White. if not required in South
Africa, will go as governor of Gibraltar
toward the end of May.
Maseru, Basutoland, April 19.-The
Beers continue to move freely around
! Wepener, going in all directions from
which relief columns are expected. De-
sultory cannon fire IN sniping have been
going on all day with scarcely any reply
! from General Delgety's force.
The Caledon river rose considerably
during the night. This made the Beers
uneasy as they fear separation. Some
reinforcements have arrived for them.
coming apparently from Thaba N'Chu
or that direction.
Our casualties up to date are believed
to have been IS killed and 10 wounded.
Owing to heavy rains and clouds hello
graphing has been impossible for the last
two DAYS.
The Beers who lately surrendered in
the Wepener district have been forced
again, with violence to fight. Ten Of their
leaders have been arrested.
President Steyn has issued orders to
the Boer forces to hold tight to the
grain districts of Wepener, Ladybrand
and Fickburg, from which they draw
their food supplies n also to prevent
the British forces from getting the rich
supplies now in those districts.
London, April 21.-The Bloemfontein
correspondent of the Morning Post, tele-
graphing Thursday. April 10, says: There
is already a 30-foot food Of the Caledou
river, which is reported to be still rising.
All the drifts On the Modder river are
impossible. Traffic is temporarily inter-
rupted southwark, the waters having
washed the ballast from the railway.
The country around Bloemfontein is so
deep in mud that the farmers carts are
heavy rain last night. Today the wealth.
unable to reach the town. We had a
err is improving, blu progress will be inn
possible until the roads are better.
Strenuous efforts are being made to re-
arrange the transports to meet the de-
mands of the enlarged army.
In view Of the impending advance
anxiety increases among the troops con-
corning the future of the garrison at
Bloemfontein, everyone hating the
thought of being left there. There has
haan nn $50 ~ c;o1.-o-