The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-15
B()ERS IN GREAT FORCE
BRITISH REALIZE THAT MONTHS
WILL BE REQUIRED TO
CLOSE THE WAR
GEN. BoTHA WAS A SURPRISE
His Stubborn Stand Against Lord
Roberts Puzzles the British
Gen. Butler Delayed by
Lack of Supplies.

LONDON, June 10, $3.50 q. m.--That
Commandant General Louis Dotha
should have been able to stand for two
days against Lcrd Roberts, and then TO
retreat without losing any guns. or hav-
ing any Of his men captured, is taken
to mean that he has a force which the
British must still reckon as formidable
when acting defensively
The pacjhcation of the whole of the
TransvaaI, especially the wide spaces far
from railways, is looked upon as a busi-
ness requiring months rather than weeks.
Meanwhile everything goes well for the
British army A Boer bulletin issued
June 12 at Machadodorp says:
Both wings of the federal forces
touched the advancing enemy at 10 a. m
yesterday, east of Pretoria Fighting
continued until dark. The enemy, though
In overwhelming numbers, were checked
along a line of thirty-six miles, and the
right wing five miles. Two burghers
were killed and ten wounded
Another MachaGodolp announcement Is
that the First regiment of Gen. Buffers
force to attack Almonds Mex was "an-
| initiated" but, as the British were in
| overwhelming force the burghers were
| compelled to abandon the Mex"
HOLDING HIS GOLD.
dispatch from Lourenzo Marques,
dated yesterday, says:
"Presiden. Kruger is holding on to his
gold and is issuing paper notes from a
press In his private car. The Beers coin
stock is exhausted and the officials are
now paying out plain gold discs un-
stamped Some who have declined to ac-
| cept notes have taken their salaries In
gold bars. The Boer government Is still
paying out much gold in that way
Two steamers arrived at Lourenzo
Marques, yesterday, bringing several
thousand tons of supplies consigned to
Portuguese merchants but destined fer
the Beers.
One hundred Americans, Frenchmen,
Germans and IiollaIders have arrived
there by various steamers en- route for
the Transvaal.
Mr.. Crewe the British consul general,
has large stocks of clothing for the Brit
ish prisoners, but he will not forward
these until he gets assurances that the
Beers will not take them for their own
use.
GEN BULLER DELAYED.
Gen. Butler will be unable to advance
further until he gets supplies. He will
probably wait until the tunnel has been
cleared.
Nearly every farm house his troops
passed flew a white flag. The British
took nothing without paying for it, and
a brisk business was done in milk, eggs
bread and chickens by thrifty house
wives, who were pleased to get so much
English money. One woman whose hus-
band and two sons have been fighting
said:
You British are unlike our people. They
took my horses in exchange for sheep and
mealies and made me make butter, which
they never paid for. I am sending to
have my men come home at once"
Usually the first question a Boer wom-
an puts is:
''Will my husband be shot if he is cap
tured?"
One young man was pulled from under
a bed, and he went down on his knees
begging the British patrol not to shoot
him.
Gen. Rumble had a sharp skirmish at
Ficksburg on June 12. The Beers had
been aggT Tessive along the whole Ficks-
burg-Sonekal line and menaced FickSburg
in force The British outposts retired to
the VILLAGE. Gen. Rumble held the at
tention of the Beers in front with two
guns, while yeomanry were sent round to
their rear and drove them off with a loss
to the British of three wounded. Two
patrols were also wounded
President Steyn is at Uitkopf. His
presence there is supposed to account for
the Boer activity.
DORSETS DID WELL,
The war Office has made public dis
patch from Gen. Fuller, accepting the
congratulations of the secretary of stata
for war, Lord Lansdowne, in which he
says:
'The Dorsets, who have been unlucky
had a chance at Almonds Mex and
showed themselves to be as good as anv
Others.
About $50 yards at each end of Lains,s
Mex tunnel are blown in and it will re.
qulre several days to move the debris.