The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-04-21

h Great Boer War spectacle has
been to Wilmington and was witness
ed by no less han 5000 people and
h person is vet to be seen who did
not pronounce it something great. It
IS different from any show every pre-
sented in this country before n its
influences makes it ali the more in
teresting.
Yesterday morning at 1890 o'clock.
h our the parade had been adver-
tised for. the streets were thronged
with peODle a~nxiously waiting to see
the participants of the Boer War but
they were 10 meet with bitter disap-
pointment. at least for a time. It was
about 1880 when it was nnounce
h 4 there would be no parade. Not
only was the announcement made
that there would be no parade. but
also that there would be no show.
The reason given was that the heavy
trecking wagons could not be pulled
into the grounds through the deep
sand of Hilton park. Although the
show carries about $50 horses. most
~ StAS 'AS1SSo " II III L
worthless as draught horses. Later in
the day the MANAGEMENT reconsidered
this action and decided to have 4
night performance. No sooner had
this decision been reached than men
We're sent out all the streets crying
out that the parade would be at $3.50
and the show at $50. A car made
the round of the belt with the Beer
War band on board and a large
~strearaer On the side of the car bore
the hour at which the performance
was to take place. BY 4 o'clock there
were very few people in this city
who were not aware hat there wss
going to be a night performance.
The parade was very good and
was viewed by hundreds of people.
Genera Cronje was not in the parade.
General and Mrs. Cronie was enter
tanned yesterday afternoon by Mr..
Jar4es SDrunt.
When the management found they
did not have enough draft horses AMI
could not get any in the city, they
h,st attempted to build a slab road
way but this was abandoned and an
ropes were tied to the agon and the
large body Of men caught hold Of
these ropes and pulled the heavily
laden wagons to the desired point.
II there had been two performances
Of course there would have been mora
people all told but as it was the crowd
last nisht was estimated at from
5000 to 1000. The seats are arrang-
ed in a half circle and this section of
the grounds alone is covered with
n 1t was a long ways from one
enc Of the row of seats to the other
end and nearly every seat was taken
The field was lighted by a brilliant
search light. 1t was a beautiful
moon lit night and the scene with
the with the kopies il, the distance,
and tie large body of horsemen was
not soon to De forgot. Those who
failed to attend last night certainly
have u to regret not doing SO.
The scenes of actual warfare were
depicted wildly last night and every
incident connected with war carried
Out in the minutest detail. At times
the scene was an awful one and made
n shudder.
General Cronie and they indeed have
q worthy leader in the brave old
Boer who fought the English in such
Ii brave and persistent manner. He
appear on the scene several times
but the most impressive is when he is
at IddfueDuIS ana Surfen-
ders to the English.
The preliminaries bring to the
'front.' the different we'll known mill
tary ~parsonages who participate in the
hatt,cs. One of the most talked Of
features of the spectacle was
"Povero.' the Wonderful horse owned
and rode by Captain Fills.
II Uncle Sam. or any other country
for that matter. wishes to get recruit.
for the army they had best keep the.
Roor War spectacle from these towns
where recruits are desired for it
shows the horrors of warfare in a
most vivid and rea manner. AS a
rule the public only sees depicted the
attractive part of military life. the
dress parade part. but in the Rocr
War Spectacle they see wha real
fighting is like.
Let us look upon the battle field n
Paardeberg. The British are marching
the columns formed in perfect order
when suddenly from behind a kopje:
in the distance a canon booms out 1t:
voice of death end destruction. Tht
quiet secen of a few minutes befo .
is suddenly changed and where :hs
only sign of war was the soldiers am
the munitions of war, now the dead
ly guns are booming and the air il
filled with fire. The firing from be
hen b. De-. ~~~@