The Newtown bee., 1901-06-21
TIDlNGS FROr1 BEN MITCHELL.
BeZeidenhout Valley, A Near Johannesburg,

A Near Johannesburg,
 April p, 1901.
 Johannesburg looked better yester- terday than at any time since my re- turn. The military are allowing us one man for each firm in town; then commencing next month they are to allow the grocery stores to bring up | certain amount of provisions from the coast, which will close the govern ment relief stores. We get goods very cheap, that is, timed goods, etc., as the soldier has to pay no duty and practically no profit.
 My mounted men have done them selves proud to-day. At o'clock last night the mounted night patrol went out as usual in charge of one of my lieutenants. At day break they came upon a party of Boers and a large drove of cattle. They have returned to camp with four prisoners and 500 cattle; our only loss that of a horse, shot under one of the men. I have number of Yankees in my company and they are good soldiers every one of them. Have had only one man cap tured so far and he was released after two days. The Boers do not care to take prisoners as they would have to feed them. England has at present 17,OOO Boer prisoners at Ceylon, St Helena and Cape Town, quite an army.
 Went to church last Sunday for the first time since last December. Of course Sunday is the same as any oth- CT day to the soldier. The Boers evi- dently believe in the old adage ''The better the day, the better the deed, :" as they have made some of their hard est attacks on that day. But being so near Johannesburg and having my horse and an old carriage hope to go in occasionally to service. Was sur prised to find the church full, nearly the whole congregation being made up of officers and soldiers. Of course } "Tommy Atkins'' must come armed and it looked queer to See several hun- dred rifles stacked up inside the church. Funny what difference a : homely Khaki uniform makes in the way they treat fellow, as they seated : me up in front. Have been quite busy putting up block houses and the barbed wire entanglement three miles long around the whole camp. A man tried to get through it the other day. He left most of his clothing and a part Iii lc;l Lo1 in the great Remount Camp. Am getting accustomed to eating off a piece of board with an empty hard tack box for seat. The continued diet of hard tack and timed meats is not good diet, as it is liable to cause veldt sores. We get fresh vegetables once in a while. Eggs are $2 a dozen. As winter is coming on it will not be very hot sleeping in a tent but l have
 two heavy blankets and my steamer . rug. just roll myself up in them and am warm in few minutes. But dc feel sorry for large majority of the : troops on the march as they have nc tents but when the halt comes at night they sleep on the ground. This fearful exposure has been the cause o1 hundreds of the poor fellows leaving their bones to bleach on the African
 Karoo. Slept in my old room in Jo- hannesburg one night but the bed was so soft I did not sleep very well. Found everything just as l left it ex- cept the moths had eaten up some . garments that should have been given away before leaving. Several of the mines are starting up and England seems to be taking a more cheerful view of the situation. Shall be glad of the book, "Eben Holden," you sent know shall enjoy it as we get very little to read here.-[B. M. Mitchell Capt c. Co.,, 3d Railway Pioneer Regi ment.