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HomeMy WebLinkAboutExeter Advocate, 1899-12-7, Page 713 TIIIII FccAL CIIARGE. Reeklees. Bravery of the British Troops at Elandsgaate Described. SAsarlred In the Twilight Asetnet is Perfect Rain of Lend. The Ladysmith correspoudent of the London Standard describes thefinal charge of the British at the battle of Elaudslaagte more fully than any of the other writers at the front. The (tory whiolx is one of reckless heroism, is as follows; In my previous accounts of the battle of Elandslaagte I was compell- ed to describe very briefly the conolu- lion !2f the elevation& •I ala, now able, however, to send youin greater detail an account of the fnal phases of the engagement, Ise the oourse of the advance of the )Devonshire Regiment to which I had attached myself for the purpose of observing the engagement, it was a speedily made evident by painful ex= perience that the Boers, had lost none. of their old skill in the use of the rifle. The shooting was deadly as ever but, while their marc ksmansliip bad not deteriorated, our training had fnreved.. The levsirtsof previoua disasters had not been forgotten, and our .teen displayed an aptitude for seeking every natural ..leans of cover which, combined with their dash, and gallantry,brought them. every mo -1 t assent nearer to the top of the ridge. without disproportionate loss, Presently the hill on wile& the en- I emy was pasted was almost oaoiroled by & ring of fire.. The Devousblires, Gordon S'iglilanders, and Manchesters. as they drew closer to the Boers were manifestly impatient to Owego them' at the point of the bayonet ---the last argument of the British infantryman. but the moment had not yet coupe. The air seemed thick with. bullets, while above our heads the shriek of the shells and the thundercap of the bursting shrapnel made a din Haat was Kneeling to those who bad uo previ,-1 ata experience of modern. projectiles. Eo keen were the rank and file of the' Devoushires that more than ouo :meat exposed himself to the deadly aim of the Boers, merely in. order to satisfy himself as to the progress of the tight, I heard ono soldier invite his comrade to put up his head and see how the Boers were getting on. "I will, as soon as there is room for it," was the reply, a very natural one, considering that the air seemed to aonsiet of flying lead. erIGEZANDERS WERE ANXIGUS. The Gordon Highlanders were spec- ially anxious to teach the enemy a• lesson. Their regiment wwasropresent- od at Majuba M11, and the Boers had afterwards referred to them in. der- !sion as "Raffles clothed in. kilts." Tho men were keen on. wiping out the insult, and to this end bore themselves with the most reckless courage. Nor were the tt'nnohesters one whit less ardent or determined. From my d position on the left. front I was unable to follow, the movements of that regi - meats very closely, but the steadiness laud volume of their fire showed that their hearts were in the work. The adieu at this stage had lasted about an. hour, when rain commenced ; to fall in torrents, and the difficulties of Iibht which had so hampered the artillery began to be increasingly felt by the other arms. Now and again z there appeared against the sky line the figure of some unusually venture- aome Boer, but for the most part not a soul was to be discerned behind the ring of Same. Towards six o'clock there was a lull in the deadly rattle of rifles and the machine gnus, and our artillery ceased to throw in their hail of shell for fear of impeding our advance. But the pause was only momentary. An in- stant later the bugles sounded the charge, every man sprang to his feet, c and, abandoning all thoughts of cover, rushed forward with fixed bay onets. SOUL -STIRRING SPECTACLE. It was a magnificent and soul -stir - ✓ spectacle as our gallant fellows ashed straight at the enemy, driving him irresistibly from point to point. The Boers stood. their ground to the last with the courage of despair, but they wereno match. for our men in personal combat, and were driven back in. hopeless confusion. Fifty or sixty of them, mounting their horses, made off at full speed over the hills toward the east. An- ` other fifteen minutes of deadly work and the last shot had been fired. With a loud cheer and a shout from the Gordon Highlandersof "What price Majuba?" our men dashed' o• wn the opposite incline right into the heart of the Boer position with bayonets fixed. But the ' white flag stuck into the muzzle of a manses' was already flying iii the pager, and the officers checked their men in mid -ca- reer. . The hollow in which the enemy fought was thickly strewn with dead aanci wounded, Colonel Sohiol, the leader of the German eontingeut, lay prostrate with both legs shattered.'. He had, it appears, exposed himself -on the ridge with the utmost gallan- try in order to encourage his men when they seethed disposed to give way to pane. Two guns, which had been worked effectively by German gunners, were captured, and the whole of the en- emy's camp stores and equipment fell into our hands. 'tale Lancers, as I stated in m,y pre - Mous message, were loosed in a brief pursuit of the flying enemy, but other- wiise, the cavalry had no share in the engagement. BRA..VE NEW BEGET:IITS. Colonel Scott. Chisholm, command- Ing the Imperial eight Horse, obtain- ed leave to join the iufautry advance with a dismounted' squadron of men recruited from,, former residents in Johannesburg. They went forward with; the Gordons, and bore themselves with the coolness andeourage of seas- weed easweed veterans, As 'a consequence, their losses were considerable, enclud- itig their brave colonel and several officers, By half -past six the battle was at an end. It bad lasted with unabated fury for three and a half hours, The Boer artillery played its partwell up to the last moment. No praise can be too high for the self-sacrifice and courage of our offi- cers., Their behavior was worthy of the (nest traditions of the British Ty. hey never hesitated for an instant to expose themselves to any risk when it was necessary to encourage or di- rest their Alen, and how serious and real those dangers were may be judged. from the feet that before we could reach the last ridge three other ridges had to be crossed, each of them hotly and obtsinately defended, 1 Any o#li.eer showing himself against the sky flue at once became a target for the .xnauserrs of the Boers, and only with rare exceptions escaped iujnry. Their courage vas not .Here reeitlese.' nese, but deliberately calculated • with the object of encouraging and direot- iug the men wile followed them. Yet it is only just to the rank and iilo to say that they would have advanced as steadily on their own initiative. Tatting to the Platform, The pains that are being taken by alae leaders of both parties to go be- fore the people and explain their pos. .ban on the questions of the day, IS eomxaendable development in: Cana- dian publio life. Thera is no gamma tee of good government like an alert public} opinion; and there is no better way of keeping it alert than by con- stant and authoritative discussioxl, �, People will go out to bear a noted political leader who would otherwise hardly spend so much time in the study of public istiues, and the impact of a lively speech will start the brain !, of the listener thinking along the Lines of his public duty with a force not likely to be spent in a week or a month. While in this awakened con- dition, he is more apt to read. haat' .nen on both sides have to say and to come at length to a souzider conclu— sion, based upon fuller information, than would without suck stimulus be probable. dipublic lif Canadian e has sometimes been .ladling in this respect. Wo leave too mune to the period of party frenzy prior to polling. Then it is difficult to get very many of our fel- low citizens to do nnythiug more than oheer and jeer. Their party feeling has been stirred by the near approach of what they cannot but regard as battle, and they forget that they aro sober citizens settling upon. abusiness polioy for the coming five years and picking a board of direotors to carry it out, and think of themselves only as two bands of antagonists deterniin- ed to see which can out-mnnoenver the other. But between elections, this blinding passion is not so powerful, and the public man can get a hearing from electors who habitually can them- selves by a different party name from that he carries. It may be a critical hearing, but so much the better. It is never a bad thing to go to a politcal meeting in a critical mood. If Saws can be Tricked in the argument of the speaker it is the part of a wise and patriotic citizen to do so. What share- holder on hearing a report from an ofilcer .of the institution to which he is one of the responsible owners, would consider it his duty to take no notice of mistakes in the document or of blunders in a proposed polioy for the future? The critical and mentally well -poised elector is the salvation of the country ; and there are never so many of him as between elections. Thus itmay be hoped that the present platform campaigns of the leaders will produce good effects. The people are in an admirable frame of mind for listening. They will weigh what is said to them with more serenity of judgmentthan they will later when the date of the elections is fixed; and still the elections are not likely so far off that they will forget the conclu- sions at which they now arrive before they have an opportunity of effectu- ally acting upon them.—Montreal Star. True Val no of Manure. Manure is simply materials that have been softened and decomposed (digested) within the body of the an; inial. It is of no advantage to apply the raw materials, such as bran and linseed meal, directly to the soil, though they are excellent fertilizers, as their value cau be increased by feeding such articles to stock. Man tire is made quickly by the animals, though the same thin„, occurs in the soil by a slower process. All that is not utilized by the animals, in some increase of product or for their sup- port comes back to the farmer for use on the land. New Chemical Discovery: Gold, silver, steel, aluminum and lead, when immersed in taurio said, a new chemical discovery, become pliable and ductile as putty. 'TH IN BUL: Recent Issue of the Star pauses a Sosatio4 Amolig its Readers. 11INENT 1[E� INYVED. Irrefutable Mass of Evidence Gathered a Canadian Concern Operating in tbe. United States. (From the Toronto Star.) Readers of the Star were startled last Saturday to see the names of prominent pnblie men high in the service of the United States printed in conuecttou with endorsations of a Canadian patent remedy. Not only was it surprising that men of such prominence would perilait their names to be used, though this was unusual enough as it speaks d� volumes for the preparation that such was the case, but that United States Senvors and congressmen, prominent professional Hien and United States army officers should be willing to endorse a Canadian remedy is more surpris- tug still. The people on the other side of the border are rather noted. as being greater believers inthe merits of their own goods than, in those of other countries. Last Saturday the Star published a full e of testi. 4 ,i menials in favor of the Canadian preparation, Dodd's Kidney Pills. Bach one of these letters was signed by a public man—and all eminent public man—in the United States, Bach of these letters was accompaniedby a por- trait of the writer reproduced from photographs supplied by themselves, Seldom has there been sudh an exhibition of genuine gratitude to a medicine than that given Dodd's Kidney Pills by these gentlemen. Their names are known all through the States, two of them, at least, throughout the world. Men in the eye of the public such as these men .are, feel very strongly before they allow statements of opinions attached to their dentes to be published all over the country, They rightly feel a greater responsibility in such matters than ordinary private individuals, A public man has a reputation to sustain and from long ex- perience xperience considers well before he expresses himself for publication. There were no traces of hesitation about the letters on that United States history page in last Saturday's Star however, all was plain, honest and straightforward, The writers had been cured of kidney diseases by Dodd's Kid- ney idney Pills, and had the courage and independence to an.- flounce the fact in plain outspoken terms. They were not getting anything for it; some people might make slighting remarks about their names being connected with a patent medicine testimonial. But this did not interfere with what they esteemed to be their duty to fellow sufferers and but fair to the medicine that cured them. Careless of any- thing but the facts that Dodd's Kidney Pills had cured thein of kidney diseases where other medicines and treat- ments had failed -they gave their• evidence fairly and honestly for the benefit of others. It takes a very unselfish man to allow his name to be associated with a patent medicine testimonial—or a man powerfully impressed with the merits of the preparation and unusually grateful for the benefits derived from it. One naturally dislikes having accounts of one's physical defects published broadcast even though there is a com- plete cure attached. But there is a stage when ill health becomes so pronounced that all pride, vanity, reserve—call it what you like—gives way. You are sick and you don't care who knows it. The fact can't be evaded. When a man in this condition, trying remedy after remedy in vain, at last strikes, perhaps quite unexpectedly, a medicine that cures him, he is so genuinely grateful, so filled with the joy of convalescence that he is ashamed to think of keeping the facts to himself. Such, no doubt, was the condition of mind of R. A. Wade, the great criminal lawyer, of Chicago, whose testi- lnonial appeared on the page under discussion. He it was who defended Pendergast, accused of murdering Carter Harrison, Mayor of Chicago. He is probably the best known man in his profession in the United States, having been retained in more sensational criminal cases than any other lawyer in America. He was not only cured of kid- ney disease, but his sight, which, owing to the attacks of that essential featureof kidney disease, uric acid, had been entirely lost, was restored by Dodd's Kidney Pills. Captain Bogardus, champion rifle shot of P P the world, distinguished veteran of the Civil War, , was cured of Bright's Disease by Dodd's Kidney Pills. When it is con- sidered that Bright's Disease used to be incurable, the feel- ing that prompted Captain Bogardus to give his name and testimonial for the benefit of others will be understood. Hon. Alva Merrill, of "Illinois was cured of .hheuma- tism by Dodd's Kidney Pills, and thought enough of the signature. "l heartil . endorse Dodd's Kidney Pills," says medicine that cured hyiim to recopainend it above his own he, "to anyone with deranged kidneys or rheumatic pain." Senator Busse, Representative Risum,Captain McComb Roy Keater, were among those who freely testified to the merits of Dodd's Kidney Pills on the United States history page, and their pictures appeared last week in the Star, This page is considered the strongest mass of evidence ever printed in favor of a patent medicine in this country. OCEANS. TO ORDER, 111 7: 1 1 at Engineer,. Propose to Do With the1; er3d',a Dexert,r. Few people realize how completely of late years tbe surface aspect of this weazened old globe of ours has been al- tered and improved. says the Loudon ?JanTie. le world of today. in fact, .differs from the world of our ancestors Hauch as a society lady. in all the glory of told awl frill and furbelow, dittera from her savage sister ru0taing wild in ,pestilential woods. As art has traria- foreued the one. so has it the outer. Only the "lime. Iiaehael" wbo has made The earth, if not exaetly "beautl- tut forever." at least a pleasant anal healthful place wbetein to dwell, is no charlatan with a drayload of cosxuetlea and a glib tongue. but a eivil engineer dirvtslug nothing more harmful than s few mysterious looping instruments and a measuring tape. And the marvel of it all is this—that what bas been done is but an lnSultesl- mai fraction of that which may and doubtless will he done. Wipe eau doubt, for instance, that the great Sahara desert, that mole upon the world's face. will one day be but a memory It would not be a very di:DDealt matter to con- vert it Into one again. A canal 00 stiles long, connecting with the Atlantle the vast depression wbieh runs close up to the coast nearly midway between the tweutleth and thirtieth parallels of latitude, would do the business beautifully. The water would not. of course. cover the entire surface of the desert. here and there are portions lying above sea level. These would become the islands et the new Sabara.ocean. What would be the results that would ensue -upon this stupendous transfer. mation? Some would be good and some bad. Among the latter may be men- tioned the probable destruction of the vineyards of southern Europe, wirer depend for their exlsteece upon tbe warm, dry winds from the great Afri- can desert. As some compensation for this, bow. ever, the moreantile marines of the na- tions affected would be enabled to gain immediate and easy access to vast regions now given over to barbarism, anda series or more or less flourishing seaport towns would spring up au along the southern borders of :Morocco and Algeria, where the western water- shed of the Nile sinks into the desert, and on the northern frontier of the Kongo .Free State. In a similar manner the greater por- tion of the central Australian desert, covering an area of fully 1,000,000 square miles, might be flooded. The island continent would then be recon- verted Into a gigantic atoll and would resemble roughly an oval dish, of whicb the depressed central portion would be covered with water and only the "rim" inhabited. SEEDED RAISINS. Sow the Fruit Is Prepared For the 'Market Iu California, Unlike the eastern imitation, the Cal- ifornia seeded rais a is subjected to a dry temperattue of 140 degrees F. from three to five hours immediately after which the fruit is submitter) to a chill- ing process and wbile ha this reduced condition of temperature Is passed through cleaning or "brushing" ma- chines, which remove every particle of dust and the cap stems, thus making it a pure and wh llesome article. It is then taken automatically by eleva- tors to a room u here, spread upon wire trays, it is exi,osed to a tempera- ture of 180 degrees b`., which brings the fruit back to Its normal condition, and in this "processing" the berry Is converted into pectin, that delicious jelly which gives to fruits their best flavor. The raisins, liav ing been prepared through this alternate heating and chilling to keep indefinitely and resist climatic influence, are passed through seeding machines each of which has a capacity of from 10 to 12 tons daily. The raisins are pressed between rub- ber or similar surfaced rollers, which at first flatten the berry and press the seeds to the surface, when an impaling roller catches the seeds between its needles, or teeth, affixed to its periph- ery, deftly removing them from the fruit, while the latter passes on, minus its seeds, but possessing every particle of its flesh. The seeds are removed from the roller by a "flicking" or whisking device and are sent along to the seed • receptacle,' finally ending their journey in the engine room, where they are burned as fuel. Four hundred and fifty carloads of ten tens each, or 0,000,000 pounds, of seeded raisins, were shipped from the Fresno district last year, and a very much larger tonnage will be turned out this year. Some estimate can be formedof the possibilities of tbe Fresno seeded rai- sin plants when itis stated that their aggregate capacity for this season will approximate from 1.700 to 2,000 car- loads, while it is probable that 1,400 ears will be the output. Each'seeding,. plant has from 5 to 12 machines of tea tons daily capacity per machine. Some of the packing houses cover a ground space 150 by 225 feet and are three stories high.• --California Vineyardiat„ To Harness the Aurora Boreal.'. .A.nd now it is the aurora borealla.. more popularly known as the north. ern lights, that Is tQ be seized upon by the utilitarian spirit of tate age and eouverted to the material uses of man. Such. at least, Is the proposal made by 'i Evelyn B. Baldwin. a government I meteorologist wbo bas recently return- ed from a tour of observation in the far north. where he studied the aurora. at close range, It Is his coutention that the eleetrleal energy and CM* which produce the aurora borealis railould some dal' be utilized as a power to generate beat, steam and other ueee- tut agents. One besitatee over the question whether he ougttto be pleased. or saddened at the latest suggestion of science, It is very ranch as 1f It were proposed to hitch ralnbowe to a fisb wagon or make au evening sunset or the milky way do service as a paten; 3tedlcine advertiseuteut. Surely it would be well to leave some things en earth or in the sky with uses not to be measured on the cash basis.—Kansa.. City Independent. A Long Shot. Major Janes M. Ingalls. whose .ate, thorlty in the selene of bellestiies its recogolzed In Europe as well as in this. country. ealeulates that the extreme range of the new 10 Inch gun new gear- ing completion at the Watervliet are sepal and which Is to be used In de- ' fending New Yoth barber will be al- most 21 miles. At its maximum eleva- tion the shot. weighing 2,370 pound& will be 30,510 feet above its starting point. so that it would clear the sum - wit of Mount Everest, %vitt' more than 1,500 feet to spare, even if that giant peak stood on the shore of the sea, The longest shot hitherto made was with a Krupp cannon, which sent its projectile Tree miles, the greatest height attained by it being 21,450 feet Starvation In. London. A parliamentary return has just been Issued relating to the number of deaths hi the county of London dur- ing the last year upon wbicli a coro- ner's Jury oro- a is.jury had returned :< verdict of death from starvation or death accel- erated by privation. From this it ap- pears that the total number of such cases was 4'3, the lead being taken by the eastern district, with 15 deaths. The northeastern was second with 13. The lowest uumber was In the Liberty of the Tower of Loudon, where only one case was reported.—London A Precedent. A man and wife named Chenowith of Frankfort, Ind., were recently prose- cuted for refusing to provide medical attendance for their child, but the judge directed the jury to acquit them on the ground that there Is no law in Indiana requiring a. parent to provide medical attention for his children. The ruling is expected to be national In In- fluence. The judge announced from tiso bench that there never before bad been a trial like this in the country. The state flied exceptions and will appeal to the supreme court. Mixed .Yin Own Death Potion. An English doctor has been the vie aim of his own medicine. He made up a draft for a patient, putting in by mis- take strychnine instead of chloroform, and when she complained that it made her sick got angry and to prove that the medicine was all right swallowed half the contents of the bottle himself. He immediately recognized the symp- toms of strychnine poisoning and used a stomach pump and other means to deathly the effects. but died soon after. No Fear of Her Giving It Away. Tack—Remember, darling, that this diamond is a secret. I da—All right, dear. Rest • assured. that I will keep It.—Chicago Recbrd. An enthnsiaa,t's Invention. m• "What's that iron socket Billy ham got strapped en his back'." "That's an umbrella holder, so be can play golf to the rain" A Freakish Spring. • A most remarkable spring Is Located on the farm of Mr. Davis in Ellsworth, Me, The spring is located upon a hill,. and the water is conveyed by a pipe to a watering tub by the roadside., There is an abundant flow of water till about. 10 in the morning, when it ceases to flowuntil; about 4:50 in the after noon, when ; it again resumes opera- tions, filling the tub to overflowing with an abundant stream.