Gilpin observer., 1901-02-07
|BoER BICYCLE SCOUTS.
Wheels Supplanting Horses on
the South African Veldt.
VIEWS OF BoER ARMY OFFICER.

y vidual Scouts All Ride Wheels.
How Danny Theron and His Bicycle
Brigade Took n British Train.
In the Transvaal the bicycle has dealt
the last blow to the horse. The testi-
mony of General Samuel Pearson, an
official high in the Boer army, is to the
effect that the wheel is now supplant-
ing the hoof in almost every branch of
army service, but especially in scouting
duty.
General Samuel Pearson is q native
born Afrikander. He was trader. but
Joined the army, and because of his
special knowledge of foodstuffs and
provisions had rapid advance in the
councils Of the chiefs. lie now bears
u long title-assistant head commissary
general for the South African Repub-
lic-and for several months before leav-
ing his country had almost complete
control of the food for the army. He
is now acting under orders of his gov
ernment and will travel through the
United States in an attempt to set the
Boer cause favorably before our peo-
pie.
In methods of transportation and all
things pertaining to the mobilization Of
troops he is more than an expert. From
the time he took charge of the commits
sary department until the final break
ing up Of the organized army not only
did he provide his soldiers with food,
but SO arranged it that in every re-
treat the soldiers were able either to
take their provisions with them or de-
stroy them before they fell into the
hands Of the British. General Pearson
is in Washington for several days.
"In the land of horses" he said,
while discussing Boer methods of
transportation with a representative
of the Washington Star, 'the days of
the hoof are past and the age Of the
wheel has come. This will be even
.truer ten years from now than 1t is at
present, for the bicycle habit is con-
stantly growing upon the Beers. In
past times the welfare of Boer was
almost as much wrapped up in his
horse rs was the welfare of the histori-
cal Arab in his fleet steed. Distance.
the sparsely settled country, the war
like natives, were all factors combining
to make the possession of n horse the
greatest necessity. The situation was
well recognized by the lawmakers.
They passed statute making It obli-
igatory for every male citizen to have
in his possession n well cleaned gun,
100 rounds of ammunition, saddle,
bride, blanket. macintosh, provisions
for several days and horse. Infrac-
ition of the requirements of this law is
Dunishabl with heavy fine
at would scarcely seem that in a
country where the horse holds such a
position he would be supplanted by an
inanimate concoction of stringers.
screws and nuts. yet slowly this is
coming around.
"In the Transvaal at least the poetic
romance of the scout and his horse,
and the familiar picture of the keen
eyed man surveying the broad spread
plain from the back of his sure and
fleet footed steed. no longer has place.
Substitute dusty bicycle lying by the
roadside and man in 'inickers'
stretched out beside 1t. There you
have the Transvaal scout of the pres
ent Boer-British war. For this special
service of scouting the horse has really
been supplanted almost entirely. The
great individual scouts all ride bicycles
and sometimes there are large parties
of reconnoiterers who go together
awheel.
, "Our Transvaal scouts, to tell the
truth, have found the horse rather a
clumsy and undesirable means of loco
motion since they Lave had bicycles at
their command. You can see why. In
n comparison between the bicycle and
the horse for scouting purposes the lat
ter comes Off second best First Of all,
the bicycle IL uoscless. while horse.
even at walking pace, makes enough
racket 10 wake up whole camp
Moreover. horse may bctray you by
Whitney. while a bicycle never does
such an illbrpd or unfnlthful thing rs
that. 4 hcrsc must be watered. n need
which n bicycle has not. nor does II
have to be fed. II gets tired only when
you do and needs only short nursing to
put 1t In shape again II 1t goes lame.
Not. of course that blcyclCS are avail
able so generally for scouting purposes
everywhere. II must he remembered
that the vcldt is tolerably smooth coun-
try. that there are roads in the Trans
vaal-ln n word. that conditions are
exceptionally good for cyclers In South
Africa"
Pioneer among the cycle scouts u3 the
Boer army Is Danny Theron. formerly
n Krugcrsdorp lawyer. His name and
his exploits are In the hearts and on
the tongue Of every true Boer. He has,
indeed. done some very wonderful
things. aud recital of n quarter of
them would I'll book. The principle
of Boer generalship Is dccoy. strata.
gem. ambush. Danny Theron in his
exploits Is the epltomc of this Boer
principle.
,,.ns nnn ln, In I,tlr 1lAA L. 1 rn.