The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-02-15

London. Feb. 11-London accepts as
! true the Boer statement that zen.
Buller has failed again. These state
ments pass the British censor at Alden
and are read in connection with Mr..
Balfour's statement that Gen. Butler
is not pressing forward. Mr.. Winston
! Churchill saws that retention of Naal
| Krastz was not practicable and that
furtl or guns were needed to support
! the advance. His cablegram leaves
Gen. Butler pressing forward a brig
ade to relieve the tired holders of
Vaal KrantZ.
! The descriptive writers with Gen.
Butler were allowed a rather free hand
again in explaining the ugly position
which the British held and the natural
obstacles which had TO be overcome.
So il is easy to infer that with Boer
rifemen and artillery defending these
hills, ravines and jungles, have not
| been overcome, and thus the public is
prepared In advance for bad news.
! Kilograms from I.adysmith dated
| Monday, describe the effect Gen. Bull
er's cannonad had on the worn garri-
son. Hope ran high that the long PERI.
ID of inactivity and tedium was grow
| ing to a close. The crash Of guns was
almost continuous for fourteen hours,
! and at times it seemed as IL as many
| as Twenty shells burst in n minute.
! The Beers, preparing always for the
Possibility of Defeat
were driving herds and sending long
wagon trains toward the DrakensberS
passes. Intense darkness and silence
| followed, broken only by frogs croak-
! ing and the occasional burst OF stray
shells fired ut searchlights surround
| ing the town with wall of light to
prevent the unobserved approach of
the enemy. A series of British mines,
! laid for the Beers, exploded accidental
! ly, shaking and alarming the city and
/ camp.
| Gen. MacDonald's retirement puZ-
lies military commentcrs. The theory
of the reconnaissance is that it was
oluered by Lord Roberts and that
Gen. MacDonald's operations were by
the direction Of the COMMANDMENTS
chief in order to occupy the Beers at
widely separated points SO they may
be unable to send any portion Of their
force to oppose the proposed central
advance.
Mr.. Charles Williams, military
writer who is understood to be in con-
tidential relations with Lord Wolseley,
says that beyond doubt the best au-
thority in London regards it as certain
that an endeavor will be made to force
the line ut the Orange river by
Wednesday night. possibly by Monday.
A dispatch from Spearman's Camp,
dated Friday, says that owing to the
Boer cross-fire and the impossibility Of
lintrenching Vaal KrantZ. Gen. Buffers
force will withdraw. The Financial
News, which publishes this dispatch,
suggests that Gen. Butler has not yet
actually crossed the Tugela.
Abandoned by British.
Boer Head Lager. LadySmith, Feb.
l0-The British who We're In posses
sion of the kopje at Molen's drift,
abandoned it after a bombardment by
Boer cannon Thursday morning, and
retired across the Tugela river TO their
former position. a desultory cannon
ade is proceeding at the Tugela this
morning, but otherwise everything Is
quiet.
As Long ns Ammunition Holds Out.
London, Feb. 11.-Dr. Leyds has is
sued in Brussels n statement for pub
lication in England denying purported
interviews in which he is represented
as predicting the intervention of the
powers in the event Of the British in
vading the Free State. He says he is
convinced the war will continue as
long as the two republics have ammu-
milton. When their present ammuni-
ton is exhausted. he said. they would
fall back upon Martini Henry rifles,
for which they have supply Of am
munition to last some time.
Hay mt Pretoria.
Washington, Feb. II. Secretary
Hay received a cablegram from Abel
bert Hay. United States consul at Pre-
toria, stating that he had received his
exeaNatur "Wednesday, and that mat
ters We're very satisfactory. This ef-
fectually disposes of the apprehension
that existed in some quarters that the
BOer government might decline to re-
ceive Mr.. Hay because Of the failure
of Col. O'Bierne TO receive recognition
from our government as diplomatic
ga. he,