The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1903-01-22
BOERS' AMMUNITION.
Enough Powder and Ball to Last
for a Ten Years War. =
Msde I'm German and French Fac
tories and Transported with
the Greatest Of Care
and Secrecy.

Most OF the ammunition used by the
Beers is Of German or French manu-
facture. A comparatively very small
quantity was made in England, and on
equally small proportion was manufac-
tured NJ the Transvaal government
works, near Pretoria.
A vast amount of mystery and Sc
crecy surrounded the government pow
der factory, MS il was called, and no one
was allowed 60 visit Il or even approach
within half mile of the inclosed build
ings without n very extra special per-
init.
The factory was entirely run by Ger
mans, and, curiously enough, the head
thereof was Mr.. Kruger. who was al
ways careful 10 assert that he was no
relation whatsoever TO the president
The works we're near Daspoort. four
miles outside OF Pretoria, ard in The
immediate vicinity of the cement works,
where so-called Transvaal Portland ce-
ment was very badly made. The pow
der factory is most jealousy guarded
| from intrudeTs, and even the Italians
from the dynamite factory, rot many
| miles away. know nothing Of it's in
ternal economy II is thought ques-
| tionable by many whether any actual
| manufacture takes place there, or
whether, as in the case OF dynamite
works ("Maatschapi voor Ontploff-
beron Stoffen" in the TaaD, the inn
ported ingredients are just put up in
cartridges on the spo., so as TO appear
| Al tr 81 I.
exclusive concession.
The ammunition is taken away al
dead Of night on mule wagons 10 one
or other Of the forts around Pretoria,
and portion is often sent over to the
Johannesburg fort, but not by rail, as
the jolting might be dangerous In the
case OF the very careessly put together
explosive. An escort of artillery rides
with the wagons and reports the due
delivery Of the ammunition.
In the case of foreign-imported am.
munition lee-mo tford. mauser and
heavy gun shells-it comes 10y German,
French or Dutch steamer TO Dclagoa
and is there unshipped, stored for
n longer
wretched
which do duty
and tnen, when all the extraordinary
Portuguese formalities are complete,
Il is forwarded by train, via homati
Poort, TO Pretoria, where II is taken,
again at the dead OF night, from the
railway station 10 one Of the forts or
to the government magazine out on
the veldt. beyond the race course. Now
4 and again, as indeed, happened just be-
I fore the present war broke out, the Por.
tuguese officials at Lorenzo Marques
(Delagoa bay), for some reason best
known TO themselves, refuse TO pass the
: ammunition. and then there is an an
4 CRY and heated exchange Of letters in
? a queer mixture of Portuguese, Dutch
aud English, and after long delay
the goods may arrive at their desti-
nation. or they may not.
In at least one instance an amusing
l. con,retempts occurred. A large lot OF
ammunition. some 1900 boxes, went
/. astray at the port and could not by
!, found. The port authorities were sure
that they had been landed, but the
railway officials could not account fol-
, them In any way.
At last. after the lapse of many
VI months, il turned out that by some
d unaccountable error the whole lot had
been reshippcd 20 BeirA, and had got
: through the Buluwayo, and was com
q iortably reposing in the magazines Of
the Chartered company of British South
y Africa. The Beers Indignantly claimed
V their ammunition. Mr.. Rhodes OH
d Gals r>lid: VERY WELL come and fetch
e a.; but, as we happen to want some oi
d lids particular brand ourselves, YOU
had better let MS pay for it and say nc
more on the subject" This actually
2" happened. and IL was never found on
a whether the mistake occurred on pur
pose or by accident.
II On the whole. II has been found thai
x the French ammunition is more reliabl,
ID than that made in Germany, and Their,
90 has also been less palm oil, less bribery
-, and corruption in its purchase, ship
ment and delivery. In the case Of on,
w particular lot OF German cartridges i
III was reckoned the original cost WA
a quadrupled by the time they reache,
IA Pretoria. owing 10 the number Of hand
40 through which they passed, and tn
number OF officials who had TO he "in
~ suited before they were passed No
II only that, but when the cartridges wer,
.e unpacked and distributed among tn,
III farmers it was found that they wcrr
Il. faulty and dangerous, so that Who'll,
transaction was eminently unsatisfsc
tory from every point OF view. Thes
~ were mauser cartridges.
VI The quantity OF ammunition store'
In the Transyaal is absolutely colossal
ne and would suffice FOR n ten years war
d. even at the present rate Of usage
ne London Mail.
Pope Leo's FruRality.
"l II seems that his holiness Leo XII