The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-02

DEAOIt udNu IOudg d 1C~dN4AAAAEAHS u Liz
mounted forces with artillery and ls
infantry. moved out in a westerly di-
rection. BOer artillery from Hamper
dam opened fire at Otto's kOpje, Kim
berley fort replying with twenty shells.
The British force reconnOitered out
posts along Lazaretto ridge, the Boer
patrols ~reUreaIing. Having accomplish
ed this and having discovered BOer re-
Inducements approaching from VIM
bledOn dge. Colonel Chamier, with
the royal artillery. exchanged a dozen
shells as sOon as the gun could be lin
bered up. Some 500 Beers poured in a
heavy fire from their earthwOrkS the
British finally retiring with n loss of
one horse.
h movement showed that the Beers
were still keeping their guns in the
vicinity Of Kimberley and are abe 10
summon achievements rapidly. II
also showed their p~rOneneSS TO vacuate
position Immediately when weaker
than the opposing force.
Cape Town, Thursday, December IS.
A dispatch from Cradock reports
heavy firing in the direction of Storm
berg. 1t Is supposed this is connected
with General G~atacre's attempt to re-
open communication with the IndWe
coIIieries.
London. December 29.-The wal Of
flee has received the following dispatch
from Cape Town. dated December 26lh:
The Indwe cOlIiery line is now work
ing again"
BOERS CLOSE WATCH ON LADY
SMITH.
Pet=rmarftzburg. December PA
dispatch from Ladysmith, dated De-
cember 22nd says: The Beers have
mounted another hOwitZer on
hill, replacing the gun captured in the
sOrtie of the rifle brigade. Wl4= tn y
watch US nightly with a search light
and lombard the place daily, they show
no signs Of ~aSsaulting the town They
probably think they can starve us out,
but We have plenty of provisions. The
total casualties since the seige began
are 20 men killed and 236 wounded"
BOERS RUN TRAINS TO COLENSO.
Pretoria. December %, Monday-Gen-
eraI Schalk-Burger reports under date
of December 23rd, that trains are now
running to COlenso, indicating that the
Beers have built a connection around
Ladysmith.
BRITISH FORTS CAPTURED.
General Cronje reports from the Mod
der river, December Oath, that the Beers
captured two British forts at Kuru-
man. December nth
1t is rumored that General Methuens
big naval gun has exploded.
, The Transvaal government has pro-
muIgated a new gold tax law, by which
individuals and companies working
their own mines are taxed 80 per cent.
Of the output, While mines worked by
the overnmen Will pay 90 per cent.
Suspended mines will pay 80 per cent
on their probable output, calculated ON
three months workings.
works will pay 80 per cent of their net
profits. The law is retroactive to Oc-
tOber 18th.
London, December pa war office
dispatch from ColOne; Baden-PoweE,
dated December 18th, after announcing
that Lady Sarah Wilson had arrived
safe and we'll at Mafeking, adds that
the bombardment and musketry fire
continued Monday on all sides and that
the health and spirits of the garrison
are very satisfactory.
OUR GOVERNMENT MISREPRE-
SETED.
The text OF Colonel Baden-Powells
proclamation to the burghers besieging
Mafeking, the gist of which has already
been cabIed, comes from Lorenzo Mar
uues today. After asserting that the
republics cannot hope for foreign in
tervention, and pretending to relate the
Nexact attitude of all the European
powers, including Emperor William
who. the colonel said, fully sympa-
thizes with England Baden-PoweIl
makes the extraordinary statement
that 1.-THE American government has
warned the others of her intention to
side with England should any Of them
Interfere"
BRITISH ASSAULT REFUSED.
n-0Ho-io TUESDAY hU u4aI- of T0rl-
e. renzo Marques, December 2S.-COm-
mandant Snyman reports as follow
from Molopo: "On Monday morning
the enemy from Mafeking attacked one
of our forts in force with cannon, Max
inns and AN armored train, and so per-
sistently that there was fighting right
on the wallis of the fort; but We have
retained our fort The British loss is
reported as forty-five. The other COM
mandos report all quiet with the ex-
ception of the usual bombardment Of
Ladysmith. General Lucas Meyer has
recovered and returned to the front
BOERS FIRE BECOMES DAMAGING
D~adysmith, Sunday, December "a
Via Petermaritzburg-The Beers fire
has been very damaging recently. On
Frida one shell killed six men and
wounded one. The same missile killed
twelve horses. Another just missed
the Iancers' lines, slightly wounding
six officers. Several shells have fallen
close to General Whites house, COM
peIling the removal of headquarters TO
another point.
1t Is reported that General Joubert
is again in command of the Beers here.
The military authorities appear conf
dent. but they are very reticent- Beers
have been observed moving northward
and westward in large numbers.
BRITISH WAITER SUPPLY THREAT
London, December 3O.-The Tunes
publishes the following dispatch from
Chieveley camp dated Decembers24th:
Parties of Beers approached today
within three miles of Chieveley camp,
threatening our watering parties, VINO
are compelled to go some two miles,
owing to the scarcity of water. 1t is
reported that h Ladysmith garrison
made a sortie ON Thursday n cap
tured a hill"