Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-03-21
PLEASANTRlRS OF The WAR
Julian Ralph Describes The Days at
the MOddsr River.
Peaceful Surroundings That Are Not All Thy
Seem Hotel That's Like a Pepper Box
Shells Stir the Correspondents.

Modder River, Dec. 30.-War has as
many faces and places as Dame For
tune herself. For weeks we Of Lord
Methuen's force were aptly described
as flying column-a flying and fight
ing column we were, leaping north
ward, and dealing blows right and left
as we coursed.
We were not sure of our meals in
those days; in fact, we were more
nearly certain Of not getting them. We
came to pause after the fight on the
Modder, but the fever was still on us
and, presently, up and at them" wai
the cry, and we fought the biggest bat.
tie of all four at Magersfontein.
Since then the wind has gone out oil
our sails, and we were waiting for q
new supply In the rooms of men and
munitions. We seemed to have leased
this little watering-place from the Kim
berleyites, whose retreat 1t used to be.
II we used cards in the army we
would have new ones printed with this
address, I'VE have made ourselves at
home here" A market has been es-
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fresh eggs and genuine milk. new vege-
tables and butter, to say nothing Of
formal dinners to our generals and our
friends from other messes. Books are
coming into camp. and we are reading
and lending them around. Our horses
are used only for afternoon rides, and
there are even men among us who fish
at times In the river-which in other
respects has become laundry and q
horse trough, where the foot soldiers
wash their khaki and the troopers wa
ter their steeds..
Busy Days In Camp.
would not risk giving any one the
Idea that we are idle. believe time
was that soldiers lounged and david
led a great deal-hence the term so
jering" applied to lazy mechanic who
avoids hard work. But those were not
even nineteenth century soldiers, and
here we are within a day of the twen-
tieth century. No, we truly think that
we are having an easy time, but the
term is merely comparative. Tommy
has to take his turn at piquet duty
one night in four-at trench digging,
at scouting, or patrol work II he is q
mounted man. He has to cook and
wash, and undergo inspection, and be
up at daybreak, and look after his rife
and accoutrements. And other hun
dreds Of men keep army service stores
and deal out forage ana rations,
clothes. boots, putties. and do black
smithing, horse-shoeing. harness
mending. carpentering, and I know not
what all; while the engineers build
trenches and bridges, mend culverts
and the railway roadbed, and put. In
order the tanks and windmills that
got communited fractures In the last
great battle. In all the world there
are not many trades as active and
laborious as this same soldering"
whichonce bore poor nickname.
Complete Pic ture Of Peace.
The queer thing about US cher Is that
we are making ourselves believe that
we're at rest; and our surroundings
help to strengthen the delusion. For
our surroundings form complete pic
ture Of peace they symbolic calm and
leisure; they wear a Sabbath air OF
village restfulness. Come to my quar-
tiers. which, happily, command the
whole camp, and by what you see you
shall understand my meaning. That
done. will destroy your impression.
for 1t Is wholly false. AS the sages
have said in every tongue, This world
Is all seeming"
The men who report for the Daily
Mail, the Times, Reuters, the Morn
ing Post, Black and White, and one or
two other publications, have moved
their mule trunks into queer little
mud-walled hotel on the island"
where the Modder marries the Riet. I
am told this Is the Bournemouth of Kim
berley. and that in other years the
riverside trees have sheltered many
tents and camps of summer loiterers
from the diamond fields, that the Kim
berley bellies and beaux have haunted
the darkest corners of my stoep at
night, that the music of violin and
piano and of dancing boots has tickled
the air Of the dining room, while the
soberer men nave studied colored cards
and jingled coins at tables in the bed
rooms. i am afraid these folk would
not know the place this year any more
than l can imagine 1t as they have
known 1t. A sharpnel shell burst in
the dining room, another ventilated |,
the bedroom Of the Times, and third
has made new window In the wall of |
Number 8. All the walls are rendered |
like the tops Of so many pepper pots
by Mauser bullets, and in storm 1t |
always rains harder in the hotel than
outside.
However, stand with me on my stoep.
The green trees Of the riverside are
,athed In sunshine and trembling In a
loft breeze. They are SO small that we
an look over them to the other trees
lround the store, the station, and the
Jrown and Royal hotel. The veldt
les at one side, and far away are
many lines Of tents, which ought, per-
laps. to suggest war, but yet manage
o increase the note OF rest and order.
Iuiet and calm, which sweetly sounds
n eyerything else The farthest oh |