Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-01-02
FIRING AT STORMBERG.
Gatacre Attempts to Reopen Com
munication with Galleries.
NAVAL GUN EXPLODED
Gen. Cronje Reports Having Cap
tured Two British Forts
at Hartman.

pdCcn from CrauOcE reports ne0Vy ming
in the direction of Stormberg. 1t is sup
posed this is connected with Gen. Cat
acres attempt to reopen communication
with the Indwe collieries.
London, Dee. 29.-The war Office has
received the following Dispatch
Cape Town, Thursday, Dee. 2S-The Ind
VIC colierey line is working again.
Pretoria, Monday. Dee. 25.-Gen.
Shalkburger reports under date Of De
cember %, that trains are now running
to Colenso, indicating that the Beers have
built connection around LadySmiti.
Gen. Cronje reports from the MoGder
river, December 24. that the Beers cap
tured two British forts at kuruman, Do
ccmber II.
1t is rumored that Gen. Methuen's big
naval gun has exploded.
The Iraasvaal government has pre-
mulgated q new gold tax law, by which
individuals and companies working their
own mines are taxed 80 per cent. of the
output. while mines worked by the gov
crnment will pay 80 per cent Suspend
ed mines will pay 80 per cent. on their
probable output. calculated on three
months workings. Reducing works will
pay 30 per cent. of their net profits. The
law is retroactive to October II.
Mounted Another Howitzer.
PietcrmaritzburS Dec. 2T.-A tlispa tch
from LadysmItn, dated December 30.
says: The Beers have mounted anoth-
CT hoWitzer on Surprise hill replacing
the gun captured in the Sortie Of the rifle
brigade While they watch us nightly.
with Il searchlight and lombard the place
daily. they show no signs of asSaulting
the town. They probably think they can
taryc us out but we have plenty of
provisions. The total casualties since the
seige began are 30 men killed and $50
wounded.
Pronounced Clumsy Invention.
Berlin, Dec. 29.-The Reichsanzeiger
this afternoon publishes the following:
The Lokaianzeiger continues. i'll spite
OF the contradiction of the Wolff Du-
rcau. to advertise itself with communi-
cations regarding the alleged contents of
the Anglo-German treaty. We are au-
thcrized to declare that the statements
in question are founded Oh impudent and
clumsy invention
\ Source Of Trouble to Portugal.
New York Dec 29-Luis \. NJ. 2. \.
Taviera. Portuguese consul-general said
that he had no knowledge of any agree
ment regarding the sale of Delagoa bay
But" added Senior Taviera this does
not mean that such an agreement may
not have been made. | would not be
likely to hear of it before the general
public. 1t would not be surprising if Il
treaty had been made or is going to be
made.
The Portuguese charge d'affaireS in the
United States. Ignaco de Costa Duarte
is at present III this city. He declared
in an interview that. i'll his opinion, it
would be we'll for Portugal to dispose of
Delagoa bay and the East African pos
sessions. They had always been a source
of trouble and were likely to remain so.
But it is not credible said Senior
Duarte. that any treaty has been made
by which Portugal has parted with all
her colonial possessions. Any ministry
that agreed to such treaty would not
remain in power q minute. If treaty
such as described in the German news.
papers had been contaminated. there
would have been some hints of it pub
lished in Portugal to prepare the public
mind
Hope Centers "Bobs."
London. Dec. 29.-Dispatches from all
parts of South Africa emphasize the
great enthusiasm among the troops and
public occasoned by the appointment of
Gems. Roberts and Kitchener. The an
nouncement that the former will have
will be chief of staff has largely dis
PEELED the depression i'll Cape Colony
caused by the recent reyerSeS. while the
soldiers anticipate everything from the
presence of "Bobs," from success in bat
tie to Caperbeer.
Advices from Cape Town. dated De
cember "a. say an investigation shows
that the reported disaffection among the
Dutch in the Victoria West district has
been overdrawn. The farmers. it is
pointed out. are mostly land owners and
will not risk the loss of their farms by
rising.
Free Skaters to Back Ont.
\ dispatch from Lourenzo Marques
dated December 23. says a curious story
Is current, emana ting from BOer sources,
that Matt Steyn, brother of the Presi-
dent of the Orange Free State. and 500
Free Staters have definitely refused to
continue the war.
Matt. Steyn, acting as spokesman for
the party, is reported to have told the
President that he was only authorized to
intervene in the interests of peace and
that the burghers did not feel they were
bound by his 'unwarrantable conduct"
especially as they ran the risk of confis-
cation Of eiieir property, and they simply
desired to be permitted to farm in peace
| and proposed to Immediately return to
their farms.
kruger's Terms.
Durham, Natal. Saturday. Dec 23-
Winston Churchill says that from CONVEX
sations with members of the Transvaal
executive at Pretoria he learns that the
Beers began the war with trepidaton,
but that President Kruger is now conf
dent that Great Britain will soon sue for
peace In the highest Transvaal circles
Mr.. Churchill asserts there is serious talk
CT compromise. by which Great Britain
would cede the territory now occupied by
the armies of the two republics, pay an
indemnity of E2O.O0O,0O0 $780, 600, 900.
and acknowledge the complete independ-
ence of the Transvaal.