Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-03-21
STEYN'S LITTLE JOKE
President Kruger. Told Of the Man
sion Awaiting Him At St.
Helena.
SALISBURY misunderstood
The Beers Believe That the United States
Will Got Say In the Final Settle
ment-The Skirmish At Four
teen Streams.

from South Africa showing activity on
either side comes from Warrentown
north of Kimberley where desultory
fighting occurred all Sunday, resulting
in the retreat Of the Beers toward
Christiana under shell fire. The prog
ress of this column toward Mafeking
has either almost ceased, or is forbid
den to be mentioned in the dispatches.
Nothing new comes from Plumer, and
Mafeking apparently still awaits relief
FOURTEEN STREAMS.
The Pretoria account of the skirmish
at Fourteen Streams, March 16, says:
The Boer command was preparing to
destroy the railroad bridge. The en-
gagement lasted half an hour. One bu-
gler was slightly wounded. The same
dispatch announces the arrival at the
Transvaal capital Of General Schalk-
burger from Natal The Times pub
lished dispatch from Bloemfontein,
dated March 19, which says: 1.-THE blow
ing up of bridges by the Beers Is an ev-
ident sign that the Transvaalers intend
to abandon the defense of the Free
State"
ALL QUIET.
All Is quiet in the south and the west
A corps of young Beers from the farms
surrounding Bloemfontein, under an i'm
perial officer, have been detailed for po-
lice work and to prevent further looting
of abandoned farms by Kaff1rs.
A LITTLE PLEASANTLY.
London, March 21.-It is said that
when President Kruger left Bloemfon-
tein after the recent visit, Steyn's part
ing remark was: mind that the British
do not catch you, or you will get better
quarters at st. Helena than t.
KIPLING AT BLOEMFONTEIN.
Rudyard Kipling has gone to Bloem-
fontein. The Beers at Aliwal North are
reported as still holding a position on
the big hills on the Free State side.
A MISTAKEN NOTION.
From Pretoria dispatch 1t appears
that there is some misunderstanding re-
garding Lord Salisbury's reply to
Americas offer of mediation there. 1t
has been quoted to the effect that Lord
Salisbury said he could accept interven-
ton from no other power, which leads
to the belief that the American repre-
final settlement.
SWITZERLAND CANNOT MEDIATE
Berne, March 21.-The federal council
answered the Boer appeal for mediation
as follows: THE Swiss federal council
would have been pleased to cooperate
in friendly mediation In order to end
further bloodshed, but as the presidents
of both South African republics directly
approached the British government in
order to conclude peace on a basis in
dicated, and the British government has
shown itself against proposals, and as,
furthermore, the British government
declared to the cabinet at Washington
that 1t did not propose to accept the in
tervention of any power, the Swiss fed
eral council, to it's regret, must also re-
nounce the idea of taking any steps on
the lines of the request made by the
presidents of the South African repub-
lies. There remains for the federal
council in the circumstances nothing
but to express Its sincere wish that the
belligerents will have succeeded at no
too distant date in finding basis for an
understanding honorable to both par
ties"
IT IS DENIED.
London, March 21.-The foreign office
to-day says that there is no truth in the
story emanating from Berlin in regard
to an alleged joint naval demonstration
should China persist in refusing to stop
hostilities against the Christians in that
country.