The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-29


president is typical Africander, stand
Ing six feet In height. His powerful frame
is surmounted by a large head. He mas
clear, large eyes, elevated arched eye
brows, fiat nose, and q full dark beard.
This is the man who, more than any 9TH
er, represents the spirit Of militant Afr1-
canderism.
STEYN THROUGH WITH ENGLAND.
He told me, in answer to my INJURY
for news of the fighting, that it had been
very severe, but that the English advance
had been checked, and. that the reinforce-
ments arriving at the front every hour
might possibly stay the advance. He mad
no illusions, but thought that If the Eng
fish, who were supposed TO De lz,Voo
strong, with an immense number OF can
non, were active, there was no doubt they
would enter Kimberley.
The president expressed vigorously his
contempt for the tactics of Sir Alfred Mil
ner. He said: THAT they should have
thought we were such towards as TO
stand idly by anfb see men of our own
nationality butchered hurt me most Oh
ALL" After a while he added, forcibly;
Never again shall I be a party to-. or
shall sign any convention with the Eng
lish.'
President Steyn also referred to Amer
lea, but not with the same good nature
as did President Kruger. He SAID ne
had made personal appeal to Presl-
dent Mckinley for arbitration, but haa
been refused.
America" he said, "has evidently ar
rived at an understanding with England.
The republican idea is dead. We are
looked upon as vassals of England, put
we will show the world that we are able
to defend our liberty as long as we have
life
He referred also with some bitterness
TO the Cape Colony politicians of the At
RIGA party as men whose sole IDEA OF as
sistance was to get up SUBSCRIPTION
for the widows and orphans. Our friends
there are our greatest enemies. we can
do without them"
The 1,50O Boersa at Belmont were re-
inforced by the arrival of 600 more men
in time to take part in the first light.
They withdrew under the heavy artillery
fire of the English, and report forty Kill
ed and seventy wounded. Their losses
at Grass Pan must have been heavier.
| One commando was surrounded, iost
many horses, and reports twenty-five
| killed and wounded. The English were
reported to be slowly advancing toward
Kimberley, and heavy fight was ex-
| pected on the 18th. On the 9th we heard
that the Transvaal forces had reached
| the front after a forced march of forty
| eight hours. On the 2Sth, the day or the
battle at Modder river, wrote the fol
lowing in Bloemfontein:
The streets are full of burghers from
Zontpansburg and Ladybrand, fine
rocking body of men. / opened CONVEX
sation with fine-looking. man of about
fifty, an active, keen fellow, who told
me he was Field Cornet Viljoen. He said
he was out with his five sons, four of
whom I saw, active young six-footers,
all eager to be in the battle. All the
burghers seem to be we'll supplied with
money (their own coinage), and the Eng
lish storekeepers are doing roaring
trade. One purchase the burghers all
seem anxious to make struck me as very
strange Every man wanted an UNI
brella, and they have cleared the town
of it's stock. Waterproofs are not to be
had at any price, and these men will have
to lie out in the rain for months to come.
Every man of them seems to under
stand that he must fight for year If
necessary.
TALK WITH Mr.. FISCHER.
I visited the raadzaal and had long
| conversation with Mr.. Fischer, the lead
| ing member of the cabinet. He told me
| that all the members of the Rad were
unanimous in standing by their trans
| wall brothers.ve A large number of towns
| people are English and make no secret OF
| their sympathies. The reported dispatch
| of the American fleet, under Admlral
| Schley, gives them unbounded satlsfac-
| ton. The Boer dislikes an American,
and persists in his belief that America
| will ultimately assiststhe English. About
| 5 O'Clock in, the afternoon L called at the
| government house and was informed by
/. the president that Gen. Cronje had re-
| ported at 2 pm. that heavy firing had
| commenced and that the burghers mad
| held every position they occupied and
were Of good cheer. "A afull report Wouid
be sent later.
| The number of burghers engaged was
| between 1850 and 5,000 A reliable spy
| had Just reported he had counted $4,000
| English troops passing the Orange river
| bridge last Thursday, and that train
| loads Of bridge materials were awaiting
| the capture of the Modder river bridge,
| which had been destroyed by the Beers
| In the evening returned to the presiden-
] CIV and sat out with the president in the
| quiet starlight, awaiting the telegram
| which was to give details Of today's fight.
| About g. dozen men were there, and,
| notwithstanding the immense Importance
| of this days engagement, these AIr1-
| canders discussed all sorts of subjects.
| Jan Vessels, giantsof man, told nu-
| morous stories of the fatal lighting. DIS
| patches kept rolling in, but not the one
| we were all waiting for AT last tele-
| gram arrived from one of the field cor
| nets, who had been fighting all day. He
reported that the English had been driv-
en- back at all points. The comment pass
ed on this was that the English had been
unable to deliver their attack, owing to
| the lateness of the hour, and would COM
mence again in the morning.
| A great battle had been fought, one
which may become famous, and yet there
/ was the presidentoof one of the republics
unable to get word of detail. followed
the example of the natives and came here
| to my hotel to sleep, musing as walked
along upon some phases of the Boer char
| acter. An American town under like cir
| cumstances would wake the place up with
| the noise they would make. The placid
Boer goes to sleep.
DEADLIEST POIS0NS