War's Brighter Side: The Story of The Friend Newspaper Edited by the Correspondents with Lord Roberts's Forces, March-April, 1900Ralph, Julian
History
War's Brighter Side: The Story of The Friend Newspaper Edited by the Correspondents with Lord Roberts's Forces, March-April, 1900
Ralph, Julian
Friend (Bloemfontein, South Africa); South African War, 1899-1902 -- Periodicals
Monday came, and, with it, the third number of THE FRIEND. It was now
of the enlarged size, which it retained to the end--a sheet 19 inches
wide by 32 inches in length. We continued to do the editorial work in
the old dustbin, as at first, but we had discovered that the _Express_
works were more modern and capable of turning out a paper of the size
we preferred. The _Express_ works were two blocks away from our little
den, in a side street behind the main thoroughfare of the town. They
belonged to Frau Borckenhagen, but had been seized by order of Lord
Roberts and sealed up. The printing office and engine and press rooms
were afterward made over to us, the bindery was used by the military,
and only the office of the departed editor, whence had proceeded the
most mischievous reflections of Krugerism and the policy of the
insidious Afrikander Bond, remained sealed. Frau Borckenhagen sent
her agents to the military to ask leave to recover some of her
husband's private papers. By this means she showed us that, like all
other Boers, she put the very lowest valuation upon our intelligence.
But in this case she only succeeded in turning the attention of the
military to her husband's papers without getting the shading of a
degree nearer to the possession of what must have been--and I think I
have heard, really proved--of the utmost interest to us.
However, we were able by using the commandeered property of the Boer
frau, to produce a newspaper of pretentious size and considerable
importance.
THE FRIEND now began to bristle with proclamations, and their number
appeared to be doubled because each one was repeated in the Taal
language under the heading "Proclamatie." In one "I, Frederick Sleigh
Baron Roberts of Kandahar, K.P., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E., V.C.,
Field Marshal and Commanding-in-Chief the British forces in South
Africa, appoint George Anosi Falck Administrator of the Civil Posts
and Telegraphs in such portions of the Orange Free State as have been
or may hereafter be occupied by British troops."
Another proclamation related to bills of exchange and promissory
notes; and a third, by General Pretyman, appointed James Allison
Collins as "Landdrost of Bloemfontein to administer the ordinary civil
and criminal laws." In this proclamation the landdrost's court was
ordered to resume its work on Monday, March 19th. A district surgeon,
clerk, receiver, and second clerk to the landdrost's court were also
appointed.
General Pretyman extended his original market proclamation so that it
established the ruling prices of cattle, meat, breadstuffs, and
groceries. In the Field Marshal's proclamation as translated into the
Taal, Lord Roberts was declared to be "Ik (I), Frederick Sleigh Baron
Roberts van Kandahar, K.P., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E., V.C.,
Veld-maarschalk, Opperbevelhebber van de Britsche Krijgsmachten in
Zuid-Afrika."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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