The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-07
BAD FOR ENGLAND
AMERICAN SOLDIER IN BRITISH
ARMY SAYS SITUATION
IS SERIOUS
Beers ovERRUN CAPE COLONY
Resort Entirely to GuerrillaWarfare
Dutch Farmers, Deceived by
BOer Generals, Hamper
British Forces.

|
cial)-An interesting letter in reference
| to present conditions in South Africa
has been received from Percy w. IL
nan, who so far as known enjoys the
| distinction of being the only South Da-
kotan who is serving in the British
army in the land of the Beers. He is a
| son of Clate r. Tinan, one of the best
known newspaper men in the state, and
| possesses the true newspaper instinct in
securing facts heretofore not of general
! knowledge. AS the result of his keen
| observation, he throws a new light on
| many features of the South African sit
| uation, and criticises both Boer and
| Briton in the customary freedom of man.
ner so typical of the average American.
| His letter, emitting the preliminary por-
ton, is as follows:
The present state of this country is
little known in the states: in fact, few
people in England realize the seriousness
of the situation. The Beers have over
run Cape Colony, formerly out of the
struggle, but now hot-bed of rebellion.
Dutch farmers are constantly joining the
Boer commandos, and those who won't
join the Beers refuse to turn out and
protect their homes. They aid the enc
my in every way possible and misguide
the British forces whenever opportuni-
ties occur.
THE Beers resort entirely to guerrilla
warfare, and when they hear of a large
British force approaching they scatter in
parties of ten or more, agreeing to meet
at a certain date at some specified
place. In these tactics they are ex-
perts, knowing the country as they do,
and having natural secret service
among the Dutch farmers True, there
are few loyal Dutch, and some of the
Burgher police are doing excellent work;
but the majority of the race have been
continually led to believe that they will
come out victorious in the end and they
are unwilling to give up the idea.
"a recent act of Kritinger's, one of
the leading Cape rebels, is an example
of the disgraceful lying of some of the
Boer commandments and of the ignorance
and truStfulness of the simple Dutch.
In Botha's recent interview with Lord
Kitchener the two generals and their
stats were photographed. Kritinger
obtained one of the photographs and took
it with him to meeting of his follow
ers. He spoke as follows: My BROTH
ers, Gen. Botha has captured Kitchener
and his staff and here is positive proof
of it, both of them photographed to-
gether.' The burghers believed it and
spread the news among all the farmers
with whom they came in contact. AS
result it is stated that the chivalrous
Mr.. Kritinger obtained nearly hundred
new recruits.
Zone of the chief pursuits of the Beers
is train-wrecking, and they have done
no end of damage in this manner. Some
commands show more respect to the
rules of civilized warfare than other
maraud1ng bands, who make it business
to burn and destroy all they can. 1t does
seem as if with 100000 troops in the field
that the British could stop this, but it
still goes on as bad as when the colony
was first invaded last December.
"a lack of discipline and care prevails
among the colonial troops. 1 found that
out from experience. 1 might mention
one incident which throws a little light
on the mystery of how the Beers man
age to get along as well as they do and
keep their men mounted.
While at camp at Somerset East our
100 horses We're turned out on the veldt
and in the bush to Craze. A mounted
horse guard of twelve men was put
over them. Eight of these men were sup
posed to be always mounted and on the
move to intercept stray horses, but the
day l was with them the majority of the
fellows congregated on the crest of a
small kopje overlooking the grazing
ground.
There they stretched themselves out
and spent the day gambling If one
of them happened to see a horse stray
ing from the herd hand was placed to
see who should go on duty. Maybe the
horse Was headed off and maybe it dis
appeared down the valley; it was all the
same to the guard. Well, during our
three days camp at this place eleven
horses were lost, including my own
Nothing was said to the men who were on
the guards. 1 don't doubt but what those
eleven horses, or the majority of them.
are in the possession of the Beers. and
in this manner they manage to keep
about as well mounted as their oppon-
entS.
LIVING IS HIGH.
THE cost of living and the prices
charged for all things throughout the
colony are outrageous. Here in Port
Elizabeth, a seacoaSt town and open to
all trade, one would think he was in
besieged city, so abominable are the pric-
es on goods, which could be sold as cheap
now as at any time. Up country it is
much worse, but with good reason. The
government has Communicated nearly
all of the freight cars, such as they are,
and it is almost impossible to get any
thing up into the Transvaal without
special permit.
"A supply of vegetables which would
cost at home about 80 cents, costs here
$152, and in johannesburg S. A cauli-
hover brings % cents here and Is cents
up country. An imitation pumpkin brings
the same price. Here, as in every other
country, John Chinaman thrives, and it
is he upon whom the population depends
for its supply of vegetables.
THE railways are something pitiful to
| behold, all of them being narrow-guage.
and the rolling stock looks as If it had
been landed here from the ark. Ten
miles an hour is guaranteed speed. When
L left here for the front I expected a
few delays in what railway travelling
there was to do, but did not think that
1t would take from o'clock one night
until the next afternoon to go 1O4
miles. but it did, and on the main lines
LOO. our actual moving time was ten
hours for the 104 miles
Concerning a little adventure of NV
! own, 1 will add few details. The fight
occurred between Cook House and Som
erset East. We were landed at Cook
House at o'clock one icy morning and
| hauled out of our palatial hardwood
finished, third-class compartments The
| confusion of unloading our $50 horses.
125 kitbags, $50 saddles, rations and equip
ment in pitch darkness can be well i'm
| agined.
by actual count looked over 11S sad
| dies before 1 found my own; rolled over
| 81 kitbags before my name appeared, and
| thoroughly examined &c horses before /
hit upon one which in any way resem-
| bled the one I had picked out at the
| troop headquarters at Grahamstown.
I'VE left Cook House about o'clock.
and all went well until 1:30 We were
riding along through very rocky and
billy country, thickly covered with inn
mense cacti bushes, our rear guard had
| been called up to the rear main BODY.
| and the Beers were as far out of our
| heads as the thoughts of THANKSGIVING
| dinner, when we Were suddenly made
aware of the fact that the Beers, were