The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-02

Cronje's surrender to Lord Rob.
erts; terms unconditional.
Surrender was made at 4:35
o'clock morning of Feb. q.
Fep. B.-Rumors of peace as result Of
Cronje's surrender. The Boer
general made a dash for escape,
but was driven back.
March L-LondOn war office announces
the relief Of Ladysmith through
publication OF an official tele-
gram to that effect from Gen.
Butler. Gen. Butler moving
upon Nelthorpe.
Ladysmith was in a state of sieea
from Nov. 2, 1885, to March 1, 1900 Even
before the declaration of war on Great
Britain by President Kruger the Beers
were pouring through the nefs Of the
mountains into the territory of Natal.
and, after the defeat of the British at
Dundee and Elandslaagte, the camp at
Ladysmith was surrounded and the siege
begun.
The position Of Ladysmith was a mos.
unfortunate choice for an encampment.
The military man who selected It could
hardly have exhibited such poor judgl
ment had he been paid servant Of the
Boer government.
The town is about thirty miles from the
foot OF the Drakensberg range OF noun
ban, on the Natal government railway.
which at Ladysnith divides into branches
TO the Orange Free State and the Trans
vaal, respectively. Ladysmith stands on
the fiat ground which slopes down to the
Kip river, tributary Of the River Tu-
gela. 1t Is the Kip river which the Free
State Beers have tried TO divert by en-
cheering work at it's sources IN the Dra-
kensberg, with the object, possibly, OF
cutting ma
also of rendering easier the passage of
the river at any point where the Boer
wagons may require to ford It. The town
of Ladysmith ranks third in Natal (next
to Pietermaritzburg). although apart
from the military camp It's inhabitants do
not number more than 1900 or 5000. The
local directory, however, shows that
nearly all the residents Of sufficient i'm
portance to be included in such a work
bear English. Scotch. Welsh or Irish
names.
Arriving at the town by rail- from Dur
ban. rocky ridge of hills, fringed on
their tops with mimosa trees. is seen on
the right of the line. These hills inclose
Ladysmith in a rough semi-circle, pro-
tecting 1t from the severe winds in the
dry winter, but rendering the town rather
oppressively hot in the summer. In Ma
tai, 1t may be here remarked. the sum
mer begins In October and ends IN March;
the summer Is the rainy season, and at
midsummer the sun rises at and sets at
o'clock. The town, which has O pleas
ant, homelike appearance, is the main
center of Kip river county. There are
thirteen streets, fairly well laid out, and
among the public buildings are the town
hall, built at a cost of some C5,000 a.
market office, court house. prison and
fort, government school, postoffice, pub
lie library and reading room, branches Of
the Natal and Standard banks a Roman
Catholic sanatorium and school; and.
among places of worship, churches of the
Dutch Reformed. Church Of South Africa
Cor Anglican), Wesleyan and Congrega-
tional communities. The streets are not
well paved. but progress has been made
Of late in drainage, gasworks and a water
works scheme costing R26,000 The pOpu-
lation includes. besides white people,
some 1000 natives and nearly as many
Hindus and other Indians. who have i'm
migrated via Durham and act as coolies,
walters, servants. etc. At present, how
ever, Ladysmith's resident population Is
chiefly swollen by It's military defenders.
Since 1887 some thousands OF imperial
troops have been stationed here, and the
number is now, Of course, very largely
augmented. The camp Is situated near
the waterworks, about two miles from
the town; it includes a barracks, hospi-
tai, church and permanent stabling for
some 1900 horses. The government rail-
way department has also large repairing
and other workshops at Ladysmitn.
To the north of Ladysmith the railway
runs a mile or so to Orange Free State
Junction, where the line bifurcates the
main route bearing east to Glands
Laagte, Glencoe, Newcastle and the
Transvaal. while the Free State line
branches off due west toward Van Rec
mems Pass and the Drakensberg noun
tains. For some time after leaving Lady
smith the country remains open. dotted
with low, stony hillocks. and scanned with
stone dykes. but some fairly pretty seen
cry opens up after half an hours ride
on the main route, mimosa trees deco
rating the broad alluvIai valleys and farm
hOmesteads peeping out of dense groves
of blue-gum trees, until sixteen miles
north the train approaches the bleak and
lonely uplands of the coal district. which
commences at Glands Laagte, where the
battle was fought In the westerly direc-
ton. after leaving the junction already
mentioned, the Free State line sweeps To
the west toward Oliviers Hook, and, art
err traversing an open, bare country
short distance northwest OF Ladysmith.
again crosses the Kip river and passes
by Walkers Hook, Besters, Co,worth ana
BrakwaI stations to the mountain pass.
A few miles northwest Of Ladysmith on
this route magnificent mountain paro-
rama opens out. the Drakensberg range
In this neighborhOod containing rugged,
mighty peaks, from II, 900 feet downward.
H H Smith and other enterprising farm
ers have excellent farms in the neigh
borhood, and there are large grazing
farms at Besters station. Between Best
ers and Brakwal there are high stony
kopjes (hills), with a wide prospect Of
hill and vale to the eastward. In the
thirty miles between Ladysmlth and
Brakwal the train rises 1,S50 feet. al
though Ladysmith itself is S.2S5 feet above
sea level.
To the southwark of Ladysmlth the
stations on the railway going in the di-
rection of Maritzburg and Durham are In
the following order: Nelthorpe (six and
one-fourth miles from Ladysmith) Pie
ters (nine and one-fourth miles). Ch'e|e-
ley Ctwenty-three and one-fourth mres)'
Frere, Ennersdale and Estcourt, where
the line crosses the Weenen road, forty
three and one-fourth miles south of La
dysmitt Nelthorpe and Pieters are lone
ly out-stations of Ladysmith, chiefly re-
mariabIe for the number of native kraals
in the vicinity. At Colenso. which is a
village. the railway crosses the River
Tugela, the longest river in Natal, and
very rapid, rocky torrent.