Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-03-22
Side Lights on.
the BOer War.

It is said that in 1894 the Beers gave
their first order for big guns and that at
the time they expended nearly half a
million dollars with krupp of Germany,
and about the same amount with an Aus
trian firm for smaller arms. The Krupp
guns were delivered in 1895, and includ-
ed two of what was then the largest pat
tern for a gun in the world. These guns
are forty-eight feet in length, weigh 40
tons, throw shell weighing 1900 pounds
and require 004 pounds of powder for
each discharge. One OF these guns has
been dragged to a hill overlooking Lady
smith. The other is on the fortifcations
defending Pretoria. In 1895 another or
der for field guns of long range was plac-
ed with Krupp. 1t was in 1890 that the
Creusot guns, those that have done the
most effective fighting, were purchased.
Several large orders for guns were placed
at later dates.
The important part played by carrier
pigeons in the South African war is not
generally known. At the outbreak OF
hostilities one of the first 10 place his
pigeons ut the disposal of the British
Government was i. Lee of Pietermaritz-
burg. These birds were carried through
TO Ladysmith on an armored train the
day before communication was shut off.
They brought the first news. from Lady
smith TO the British Government. The
Beers realizing the advantage gained by
the enemy from the use of pigeons soon
established loft for training the birds
in johannesburg.
-
Nearly sixty-fve years ago. so the
story runs, a party of Boer immigrants
from Cape Colony came upon little
plain in the territory north of the Orange
river, and as il first burst upon their
eyes woman in the party exclaimed:
Its Bloemfontcin" Flower garden).
The plain was covered with wild flowers
and presented n glorious appearance TO
the first white people that had ever look
cd upon il. Thus was the capital OF the
Orange Free State founded and named.
-
The question of the employment OF ma
tive Indian troops in the South African
war is being very generally discussed in
India. The Indian native cavalry is one
of the finest bodies of horse in the world.
An argument for the employment Of
tHcSC IFOODS Is ludl iHe NdSAt VI CdNdlTN
will be great before the war is over, and
that six months hence Great Britain will
be driven to employ her native cavalry
whether she wants to or not.
-
The widow of Gen. Symons. who was
one of the first British officers 10 fall in
the war, has married again. Sir w. T..
Symons. X. G.. b., was killed in the bat
tie of Glencoe in October last. The
lady's new husband is said TO bc about
half her age.
Human sympathy is always with the
'"under dog" in fight. Cronje's remark
able stand against the British forces and
the valor shown by the Beers in the face
Of terrible odds have won the Trans
vaalers praise and admiration the world
over.
-
Butler and his staff are actually living
the life of a private. There has not been
even a tent TO cover the commanding gem
erals. They eat from their knees, with
their shoulders against rocks. They
sleep where they can, and their field work
is carried on under a transport wagon.
-
Consulting surgeons who have gone to
South Africa are paid at the rate of $25,-
600 a year, with free passage to the seat
Of war and return, and London papers
are complaining that the sum is exorbit-
ant.
s.
The artillery and cavalry horses of the
Beers have all been inoculated against
the "tsetse hy' and rinderpcst. both Of
which are apt to play havoc with green
horses in that district.
-
Some Of the Boer rifles taken by the
British are double-barreled muzzle- load
ers of a pattern made over thirty years
ago.
-
The wife Of President Steyn Of the
Orange Free State Is the daughter OF an
English clergyman.