The Commoner.
10
What British. Censors Suppress.
' Tho following is tho copy of a loiter
JUst received by Mr, Theo. Plnthor,
secretary Transvaal committee, from
-Mr. Van Baggon. Mr. Plnther vouches
'for the authontity and truthfulness ot
the contents:
. 'Tho Hague, Holland, Aug. 1G, 1001.
Dear Friend: I just received the fol
lowing news which will not be men
tioned in English papors. Tho Boers
have taken Lydenburg. Gen. Louis
Botha released l,000.men out of tho
j English prisoner's camp at Middloburg.
People leave Pretoria, fifty at a time,
to join Botha. In Cape Colony S00 of
tho Colonial troops desorted and have
joined the Boor commanders. Kitch
orior's proclamation is doing its work.
I received your last letter asking how
money collected for tho women and
children of tho Boors can reach them.
'I will reply, money is sent hero from
MOltE BOXES OP GOll)
And Many Groonbaolci,
To secure additional information di
rectly from tho people, it is proposed to
i send little boxes of gold and green
: backs to persons who write tho most
Interesting, detailed, and truthful de
scriptions of thoir experience on tho
following topics:
1. How have you been affected by
coffoo drinking and by changing from
coffee to Postum.
2. Do you know any one who has
been driven away from Postum be
cause it came to the table weak and
characterless at the first trial?
3. Did you set such a person right
regarding the easy way to make Pos
tum clear, black, and with a crisp,
rich taste? i.
4. Have you ever found a "belter
way to make it than to use four heap
ing teaspoonsful to the pint of water,
let stand on stove until real boiling be
gins, then noto tho clock and allow it
to continue easy boiling full 15 minutes
from that time stirring down occa
sionally? (A piece of butter about the
sizo of a navy bean, placed in the pot
will prevent boiling over.)
5. Givo names and account of those
you know to have been cured or helped
in health by tho dismissal of coffee
and tho daily use of Postum Food Cof
fee in its place.
6. Write names and addresses of 20.
friends "whom you believe would bo
benefited "by leaving off coffee. (Your
name will hot bo divulged to them.)
Address your letter to the Postum
Cereal Co., Ltd., Battle Creek, Mich.,
writing your own name and .address
clearly.
Be honest and truthful, don't write
poetry or fanciful letters, just plain,
truthful statements.
Decision will be made between Octo
ber. 30th and November 10th, 1901, by
three judges, not members of the Pos
tum Cereal Co., and a neat little box
containing a $10 gold piece sent to each
of the five best writers, a box contain
ing a $5 gold piece to each of the 20
next best writers, a $2 greenback to
each of the 100 next best, and a $1
greenback to each of the 200 next best
writers, making cash prizes distributed
to 325 persons.
Almost every one interested in pure
food and drink is willing to have their
name and letter appear in the papers,
for such help as it may offer to tho hu
man race. However, a request to omit
name will bo respected.
Every friend of Postum is urged to
write and each letter will be held in
high esteem by tho company, as an
evidence of such friendship, while the
little boxes of gold and envelopes of
money will reach many modest writers
whose plain and sensible letters con
tain the facts desired, although the
sender may have but small faith in
winning at the time of writing.
Talk this subject over with your
friends and see how many among you
can win prizes. It is a good, honest
competition and in tho best kind of a
cause. Cut this statement out for it
will not appear again.
all over tho world. There is a com
mittee in Capo Town, with connec
tions at Pretoria and Johannesburg.
The committee is a branch of tho
Nothorland South African society.
Tho money comes into good hands, but
they have to deal with great difficul
ties as tho English authorities do ev
erything they can to prevent tho uso
of money on tho ground, which after
tho war should bo, used for . widows
and orphans. There is a great need of
physicians in tho camps (concentrate
camps); in the camp of Johannesburg
there was only one doctor to 350 pa
tients, mostly children; the women aro
afraid to use his medicine, because
they all die after taking tho medicine,
and very seldom they see anybody re
turn from tho hospital. I suppose you
have read tho letters from Miss Bes
sant about this lack of medicine. The
lotters should have appeared in Amer
ican papers. I mentioned to some peo
ple hero that a number of San Fran
cisco doctors were willing to leave
their practice and join the Boer ambu
lances, or assist in the concentrate
camps. I was at once offered the pay
ment of passage from here to Johan-
nesburg, but it Is useless. A Swiss
ambulance with six nurses was ready
to start tomorrow, tho 17th of August,
from Southampton, but tho English
government at tho last moment has
withdrawn the permission, given in
March, 1901, by Lord Roberts. Mrs.
Botha had received the same permis
sion from Lord Kitchener, but he
would not give it in writing. The rea
son of the refusal of the British gov
ernment is, that England has taken
sufficient steps for the care of the
women and children in the camps
the average death rate is nearly 50 per
cent in the camps now. (This will
dispose of them.)
Tho report of Miss Hobhouse is giv
ing an idea of what she has seen in
these camps, or rather of what she
was permitted to see; they did not
show her. how women and children are
transported from one camp to theN
other, (often separating mother and
children) to protect the railroad lines
from destruction by the Boer forces.
The British did not show her how ba
bies were beaten by British nurses and
died from wounds, caused thereby on
their back; they did not show her
how ladies, like Mrs. Potgieter and
Mrs. Minnaar, were put in a guard
house for punishment because they re
fused to give information about their
husbands, who aro fighting with the
Boers. The British did not tell her
how Mrs. Potgieter disappeared; they
did not show her Mrs. Kotze, locked
up with a thin dress on for the night
in a linen tent while the sentry in
front of this camp to guard this dan
gerous prisoner, was shivering with
cold. They could not show her tho
girls of between ten and twenty years
old, who were lost or disappeared. The
report of Miss Hobhouse gives the im
pression that the camps aro in a state
of lacking a great many of the neces
saries of life, which should be applied.
Every army officer knows that a place
where 5,000 soldiers, more or less,
(in 'this case women and children) are
camped for more than a month be
comes unhealthy, unless extra sani
tary arrangements aro made. What
these camps are to women and children
who were brought up in good homes
and had plenty of food, during hot days
and frosty nights, without sufficient
clothing or cover, or even good water,
is not described by Miss Hobhouse; it
takes a" woman like Mrs. Olive Schrei
ner to describe tho sufferings of these
people and to observe everything; but
Olive Schreiner is safely locked up,
not a word from her can escape South
Africa, for she would put the civilized
world on fire against these concentrate
camps, where women and children are
systematically brought to death. She
would say it all, understand it all, and
her tears would find words in writ
ing, and she w6uld make the world
weep, and curse England; but she is
locked up, and instead of tho famous
authoress, the world hears tho howl
ing of the jackal, in tho proclamation
of Great Britain against the citizens
of the republic. That howl is so pierc
ing and agonizing to the civilized
world, so hideous in its sound ot ais
pair, fear and rage; this howl of the
jackal which stumbled on a living
prey, able to stand it off ; a jackal who
is attacked in its dispalr forgets the
fear of tho daylight. This jackal, Great
Britain, bleeding and reeking with
blood, howling over tho South African
desert, so tliat it is to be seen and
heard all over tho world, and makes
humanity shudder.
I remain for tho cause of justice and
liberty, yours truly.
L. K. P. VAN BAGGEN.
Ex-Official of the South African Re
public (formerly of San Francisco).
Paragraphic Punches.
Atlanta Constitution: Senator Hoar
confesses to the collar.
Denver News: Most holidays aro
reminiscent. Labor day is prophetic.
Milwaukee Sentinel: Professor
Triggs says he "expected to be called
an ass." Well, what did ho bray for
then?
Tamaqua (Pa.) Register: The Phil
adelphia papers say that fish are dying
in the Schuylkill because of its pol
lution. Has tho machine been bathing
in it?
Houston Post: Depew has called
all tho reporters around him and
gravely informed them In a two hours'
talk that ho positively will not be interviewed.
Indianapolis News: The steel trust
may feel more like conferring again,
when it has worked off its products on
the rising market. So far, probably, it
has not lost much.
Milwaukee Sentinel: Mrs. Quitnow
of Topeka, Kas., has presented her
husband with twins a second time, and
he was mean enough to ask her why
she does not live up to her name.
New York World: When the Anglo
Boer war began South Africa was send
ing gold in large , quantities to Eng
land. Ever since England has been
sending large quantities cf gold to
South Africa.
Milwaukee Sentinel: Now that the
prettiest girl in Porto Rico has been
discovered, the public will wait breath
lessly for the announcement of the
name of the advertiser who obtains
her indorsement for the best brand. of
toilet soap.
Mrs. "Wlnalow's Soothing Syrup.
Has boon usotl for ovor sixty tteatis by mil
lions of mothers for thoir cniLDitKN while
TEETniNQ, with PEtlFROT SUCCESS. It SOOTIIttS
tllO OniLD, SOVTBNS tliO GUMS, ALLAYS all PAIN,
cukes wind colio, and is tho boat remedy for
niAEBHCEA. Sold by DruRffiats in every part of
thoworld. Bo suroand askfor "Mrs.WinBlow's
8oothinfj Syrup," andtnko no other kind. Twou-ty-flvo
cents a bottle. It is tho best of all.
ONCE IN A LIFE TIMI;
w to buy a wagon if you buy the right kind. The
CI tTDlO HANDY
lLlEijP I if III? WACOM
lasts that long undor ordinary conditions. First tho llfo
of n wagon depends upon tho wheels. This ono is1
equipped with our ElcctrlcStcellVltccKwlthstralKht
orotnggor spokes apd wldo tires. Wheels any holght
from 24 to CO in. It lasts becauso tires can't get fooso. no
re-sottlng, hubs can't crack or spokes beconio loose, fol.
Iocs can't rot, nwoll or dry out. Anglo steel hounds.
THOUSANDS NOW iN DAILY USE.
Don't buy r. wagon ukIII you get our free book, "Kara Satinet."
ELECTJtlO WHEEL CO., Box 238, Qulncy, J II.
LEARN PROOFREADING.
If you poHseis ft fair education, why not utilize it at ft genteel
and uncrowded profeiifon paying SIS to $.15 weekly T Situation!
always obtainable. We aro tbe original inttruotora by mail.
HOME CORRESPONDENCE BOHOOIi. Philadelphia
"While he had any sense left he
wouldn't have a doctor." Moonshine.
One of Them "This ancient umbrel
la," remarked Squildig, 'belonged to'
my grandfather." "Ah, ono of tho
shades of your ancestors," added Mc-:
Swilligen. Pittsburg Chronicle-Telegraph.
"Oh, my friends, there aro some,
spectacles that a person never forgets.' :
said an orator recently after giving a
rapid description of a terrible acci
dent he had witnessed. "I'd like to
know where they sell them," remarked
a stout, edlerly lady on the outskirts of
the crowd. Tit-Bits.
Scarring tho Turf "I made one hole
in five strokes," announced, the new
golfer gleefully. "The idea!" ex-
claimed the other golfer, who was
even newer. "I Invariably make a
hole with every stroke. I never can
hit tho ground in the same place
twice." Philadelphia Press.' . 1
A Cinch: Johnny "So you got in
ter de show fer nothing?" Jimmie "
"Betcher life! I carried de manager's
grips up from tho train, blacked his
boots, brushed his clothes, run half-a-dozen
errands fer him and' peddled
hand-bills fer six hours, and he gavo
me a ticket fer nothing." Judge.
'
Borrowed Smiles.
Soak "Do you always pay as you
go?" Freshby "Always." Soak
"Why?" Freshby "Becauso they
won't let mo go without." Tit-Bits.
Bacon "When that girl begins to
sing I know I'm going to be bored."
Egbert "I can say the very same thing
about a mosquito." Yonkers States
man. Wrong Diagnosis "Read the direk
shuns quick, Mandy!" "It sez, 'for
adults ono teaspoon' " "Thunder!
That ain't what ails mo what else
does it say?" Life.
Not "Complimentary to Medicine:
Doctor "Brain-fag, overworked,, you
should havo called me sooner." Wife
Eating a Watermelon.
"To. cut a watermelon- spoils tho
flavor," declared Tom Conners of Jop'r
lin, Mo., the other day, to a group of
men standing in front of a Broad street
hostelry. "Come -with me," he con
tinued, and he led the crowd into a
fashionable Chestnut street restau
rant. A ripe watermelon was called
for and handed forth. "Down in Mis
souri," went on Mr. Conners, as ho
raised the melon high above the mar
ble counter, "we always bust 'er." ..
Down came tho melon" on the couny
tor, to the horror of tho dapper little
manager. It was' shivered into a half
dozen pieces, the seeds flying In every
direction; And, while the three wait
ers brushed the floor and cleared up
the mess, the Missourian remarked to
his friends, "Pitch in." And thoy did,
unmindful of tho scowls of the restau
rant folk. "If wo had only stolen the
melon it would have been half again
as sweet," said Conriers. Philadelphia
Record. . ,:".
Minister Wu. ,f
Chicago RecordHerald: Tho genial
Chinese minister is the first Oriental
humorist who ever struck our shorep.
He is now one pf us. He has learned
our national and. social shortcoming's,
and he is the only foreigner who cen
tell us about them without making, us
mad. , i '
Chicago Tribune: The Londoners
may as well'preparo to answer ton nlil
lion questions. i And when thoy an?
I
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