The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-30
Indiana's largest Meas and Boys Outfitters.

describes her experience in several columns
of the London Times. Like all the corre-
spondents she is loud in her praises of the
work done by Cecil Rhodes. She says:
For some time before Magersfontein
Mr.. Rhodes had felt that, in view of the
uncertain duration of the siege, IL was nee
essary to get rid of as many mouths as pos
sibe. This idea had been at first opposed
by the military authorities, but they gave
| way eventually, and he managed to get rid
of some 5000 out of 10000 natives in the
compounds This splendidly managed
by l.. Finn, his agent, who, understanding
the natives thoroughly, won their conf
dence, explained the situation to them and
led them out of town in attachments. They
started on their way in good spirits, carry
ing their belongings, cooking pots, blank
cts, etc, together with some rations, fully
intending, many of them, to return when
the war was over.
After the battle of the Modder. Lord
Methuen, who expected TO be in Kimberley
| almost Immediately, sent message to Col.
Kekewich that he would not be able to re-
main any time, and so, practically, all nom
combatants must leave. A little food would
be sent in and the town would be only oc-
cupied by its defenders. This idea caused
great CONSERVATION among the people, who
thought it very hard that after enduring a
siege of two months they should be called
on to leave the town and go nobody knew
where, at almost moments notice. Col.
Kekewich stated at meeting OF the Town
Council, that the people would have TO
leave on the entry of Lord Methuen, but,
all the same numbers of the people said
| they intended refusing TO go, the great pro-
portion of them being not at all well off
and having nowhere to go. telegram
was sent by the principal men i'm the town
setting forth the difficulties of turning out
thirty thousand people suddenly without
provision having been made for them.
Our intelligence department did not sue
coed in getting much information, so Mr.
Rhodes organized a system of native run
| ners and scouts by which we were enabled
not only to receive occasional papers and
letters from the outside world, but also
| learned what the besiegers were about.
where their laagerS were, etc. we gath
| cred that there were probably never more
| than two or three thousand around us at
any one time, with about six or seven thou
| sand Off as many more In Spitfontein, i'm
pedng Lord Methuen's advance, but so mo-
bile are these irregular troops that when
ever we made sortie they collected from
all parts in very short time and made ac-
ton our part very difficult, III not I'M
possible, without great loss of life.
| The Standards Kimberley correspondent
states that the Sunday previous to relief,
when petitions praying that surrender be
| resorted to were being circulated in the be-
| leaguered town, MIR. Rhodes received
message through the intelligence depart
| ment from Lord Roberts saying 1T would
| be humiiating for the town to surrender
after its brave defense and asking him to
assure the people that relief would reach
| them in few days The message. as re-
ceived by Mr.. Rhodes. marked Sc
| cret. I met him shortly after its receipt.
| when he read il to me, saying j, know
Lord Roberts never intended IL to be kept
secret. The people need something to cheer
| them up, and want everyone to know L
| have received this cheering news He also
| caused placards to be placed at the corners
| of the principal streets announcing that the
| De Beers and Kimberley mines would be
| lighted and opened as places of shelter for
| women and children at d. m. Over 1,500
were accommodated at De Beers and 1900
| i'm the Kimberley mines, while LOO took
yyh VIZ
also extemporized by him place of
shelter. In these places they were fed and
looked after by Mr.. Rhodes, DR.. Smart NJ
l.. A. Mr.. Gardiner Williams and a staff of
able assistants during the four days of ac-
| tive Smelling which followed"
The Standards correspondent at Kimber-
| ley, writing of the hardships of the siege
says: For many days the novelty of eat
ing horse flesh formed an agreeable break
in the war talk. Starving people, however
take kindly to any article of food. Per-
sonally. although L have always found a
piece of succulent horse flesh excellent eat
ing. L am not taking any of it in Kimber-
ley Not only are the wretched animals re-
duced TO skin and bone, but there is pre-
vailing epidemic of influenza and cough
among them which forces me to abandon
its use. 1t is however daily served out to
the soldiers. as we'll as to the people,
though there are cases of anthrax i'm the
hospitals and outbreak of scurvy in
many of the redoubts. There is also broken
out peculiar form of throat trouble which
may owe its origin to this article of food
"At $3.50 D. m. all conversation ceases and
rumors stop, for by proclamation all
lights-except electric or acetyline gas
must be extinguished. There are many
cases of extreme suffering which, although
due to the siege, have reached climax of
constitutional circumstances. There are
ladies tonight in Kimberley who are
strapped to their bedsteads and wearing
straitjackets, mad from sheer nervousness
and fright
"It is the red tape which makes the strain
heavier than ii would otherwise be- After
we had been weeks shut up in Kimberley
not at the best the most cheerful place I'm