The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-11-30

Inrlsniaeaas Aess mat Ravs Casssa
Great Trsahls an6 Bxpsnsa.


Great Traahls am Bxpsnsa.
Sometimes sl,s most iSIbuilaeant piscoI
Of enxeleqsnoss has prodnced results
which have shaken continents. The
misplaconent Of period was the cause,
e s. said, 81 the Jamss0n raid and th0ro-
fore Indirectly the cause.
When there seemed = prospect Of 3
conflict between the Boer government
ard TIE Uitlander population letter
was sent TO DR.. jameson from JQhln-
neabuEg, signed BY Col. Cecil Rhodes
and otEsrD. The original contained the
following sentence:
eve feel we are justified In taking
steps TO grevent the shedding of blood
and 70 insure the protection OF our
rights. II 10 under these circumstances
that we feel constrained to cell upon
YOU to come TO our aid should disturb
ances arise here. Circumstances are
so extreme that we cannot avoid this
step, etc. fh
Ia the message DIR. Jameson received
the full stop was placed after the word
"aidp instead Of after there" Thus
the qualifying clause was cut of and
became q part of the next sentence.
The Rhodssians came instantly gallop-
ing across the frontier on their ill-fated
mission.
Carelessness pure and simple was the
cause of shocking catastrophe near
st. Petersburg during the army
maneuvers four years ago. A sham
fight was In progress and an otlicer IN
command Of q cavalry regiment was
ordered to move around the flank OF an
opposing force. Instead Of throwing
out scouts and proceeding cautiously he
calmly trotted of in the direction indi-
Gated, and when the regiment reached
a point where some Of the opposing
force were supposed to be awaiting
them ordered one squadron to charge.
The troops put spurs to their horses
and galloped furiOusly forward. The
result was appalling. The supposed enc
mics trenches turned out to narrow but
deep, swift running river into which
the whole squadron rode at full speed.
Men and horses crashed over the almost
vertical bank in living torrent. Of
more than ninety dragons barely forty
reached the opposite bank alive.
One summer morning in July, 1908,
the peaceful little village of Colonges
was startled By a huge object descend
ing apparently from the skies with a
terrific thud in the center of the main
street. A moment after, with shrek
q Ing WnlSJlet earns 4dtlOLllCN Va OhCoC
alarming visitRnts, which struck the
church roof, knocking hole in it.
The terrified Inhabitants fled for their
lives, pursued by shell after she'll
Many houses were struck, but by
miracle no one was killed. Afterward
it turned out that this perilous bonn
bardment was the result of trial Of
some new long-range guns ct the
Savatan forts. The officer in charge
had apparently never taken the trouble
to inquire the range Of the new weapons
and had been firing with a reckless dis
regard Of consequences.
In May, 1903, eleven boys en- board
the training ship Cornwall, lying off
Pur1eet, were suddenly struck down by
typhoid fever, and inquiry proved that
the outbreak was the result of their
sleeping between fever-inhected blan-
kets brought from South Afaica. In
fat contravention of army regulations,
no fewer than 200, 900 blankets re-
turned from service had been sold TO
two dealers at the Cape at cents each,
and Of these Is, 900 dozen were shipped
back to London, those that were tainted
beng unfortunately mixed with those
free from suspicion. Carelessness Of
this sort Is in very truth crime Of the
deepest dye. -Grand Magazine.