The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-01

Colonial Authorities Using Every
rection There and Risings Else
where - Alertness of the British
Has Rendered Concerted Pro-Boer
Action Difficult.
LONDON, Jan. 1.-The Daily Mail pub
fishes the following dispatch from Cape
Town:
"Ninety-five per cent of the Bechuans
farmers, in the vryburg district, joined
the Beers, helping them to loot the
stores through the country north of the
Orange river. They also undertook to
invest Mafeking, while Gen. Cronje's
men went south to meet Methuen. The
government of Bechuanaland is being adj
ministered as If the Dutch had been In
possession ages"
ERITONs DISCOURAGED.
LONDON, Jan. LIN the absence OF
confirmation Of the reported sortie from
Ladysmith that story is discredted. No
such hopeful view can be taken as the
Boer account Of the Mafeking sortie
seems designed to convey. No word re-
garding any such movement has yet arr
rived from British sources, and the feel
Ing CT suspense is deepening, as it is
feared Col BadenPowelrs silence indi-
Gates that his position is becoming des-
perate. Tho dispatches from the front
breathe a. confident spirit which is by no
means echoed here. The latest Lady
smith advjces show that the Boer Smelling
is becoming deadly while sickness and
,nnui must also be telling strongly upon
the garrison. The news Of the spread of a
rebellion among the Dutch colonists and
Of the attempts Of Beers to cut the rail-
way at widely different points is very dis
quoting as bearing upon the safety of the
extended lines of communication.
GEN. BULLERS DANGER.
All the correspondents aro' beginning to
hint Of a forward movement on the part
of Gen. Butler, the danger Of which Is
indicated In dispatch to the Daily Tele-
graph from Frere, recording the unfortu-
nate failure Of two "Reminiscences. In
ono case the Boer lines at Colenso were
to have been bombarded by night. Mount.
ed men drew the Boor fire. and 1t was
intended that the naval guns Should bum-
bard. This. hoy ever, the latter failed to
do, owing to some misunderstanding, and
the accommodating party was compelled
to founder back to camp, through the
wet and stormy hight, marching In mud
and water with the greatest discomfort.
According to the same correspondent, a
similar fate awaited another reconnois-
sance in the opposite direction.
1t Is roughly estimated that there are
rs, 600 Beers between Ladysmith and Co.
lenso, some 400 being on the south side
Of the Tugela river. At all points the
enemy shows ceaseless activity.
a large number of Americans are said
to. be finding their way into the various
volunteer regiments being raised in Cape
Colony 1t is also reported that many
Africans are arriving at Delagoa bay,
having been expelled from the Rand be-
cause that they had refused to work the
johannesburg mines for the government.
PLUM PUDDING IN SHELLS.
The following heliograph message has
been received by way of Weenen from
Ladysmith, dated Wednesday, Dec. q:
The Beers are actively lombard ng the
town. One shell struck the Devonshire
mess tent, killing Capt. Dalso and wound
ing seven 1eutenants, Dent, rwiss, Tring-
ham, Cerrafin, Byrns, Sacafe and Kane"
A later dispatch from Ladysmith by
way of Weenen, dater Friday, Dec. 20,
says:
'All well. The Beers have been firing
plugged shells, containing plum pudding
and the compliments of the season. They
are still fortifying their positio IN, and ara
evidently 6Qtarminp6 IN ka a 6rfr1
stand"
NEWS FROM FRONT.
The war office publishes the following
eral officer commanding at Cape Town:
"Methuen's position is unchanged.
French reports that the Beers, fear.
ing their communications would be cut
by our cavalry, have retired to Coles
burg.
Hear urof1cially from Ste-kstrom that
B.i@sh reconnaissance, seven miles north
of Dordrecht, engaged superior forces and
was obliged to retire on Dordrecnt."
TO MAKE A FINAL SORTIE.
dispatch to the Daily Mail from Lou
renzo Marques, dated Dec. 20, says:
ut is reported from Ladysmith, by way
of Pretoria, that the British are destroy
ing their heavy cannon, prior to a final
sortie. The Transvaal agents here have
bought up ali the available milk, sugar
and coffee"
FIGHTING INSURRECTION
CAPE TOWN, Dec. 2S.-The colonial
authorities are using every precaution
to prevent an Instruction on the part
of disloyal Dutch in Cape Colony and
to prevent rising elsewhere. Every
where the British coIonists are being or
ganized into home guards. drilled and
made ready to act in their respective To-
calities should armed Dutch colonials
gather. The theory is that the British
colonia]s should be fully
prepared to cope with the Dutch col
onials without the aid of regulars.
The alertness of the British renders
action on the part of the pro-Boer resi-
dents difficult. Unable to act openly,
they slip away singly or in small groups
to join the enemy's forces. The author
ities have been informed Of many CEN
tiers of agitation where 1t Is considered
undesirable to particularize, but there Is
nothing like concerted action apparent
over wide districts.
The case of Mr. Mihican, solicitor to
the De Beers company. who is accused
of treason, acquires increased Importance
as he has been transferred from the GUS
tody of the other authorities here to the
military authority at De Aar. His high
position causes the Dutch to watch his
case keenly.
BRUSHES ARE FREQUENT.
Parties of Beers have been operating
some seventy miles south OF Lord Me-
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