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The Armored Train In Modern War, THE Important part which the armored train is destined to play in the war of the future haB been pretty well shown by the way in which tho railway., Ironclad has. been made use of during the struggle no^V going on between the Boers and the British Iii South Africa. The armored train has been & partic? ularly prominent feature In this Trana vnal war because of the position of the contestants and the long, unprotected plains along the different boundaries. The Idea of the armored train, how? ever, Is by no means a new one, for, al? though past experiences with such trains In open warfare have revenlod little concerning their more or leys problematical value as an offensive and defensive factor, trains covered with armor plate and filled with sharpshoot? ers had been used In the neighborhood of Purls even so early as the EVanco Prusslan war. During the Cuban re? bellion the armored train was used quite often by the Spaniards, though the most successful recorded operation of such a train occurred In 1882, when the British licet was bombarding Alex? andria. During this bombardment Cap? tain Fisher, an ofllcer of the British navy, conceived the idea of taking an ordinary locomotive and several cars and covering them with goud, heavy boiler plate. When this was done, the train was equipped with field guns, manned with bluejackets from his ship, and then started along the railway liny that skirted the coast where the enemy lay In force. When the Egyptian troops were suddenly confronted by this unex? pected engine of war, they straightway took to their heels. Armored trains mounting fielOpleccs and machine guns have been, and for that matter are even now being used by the American troops engaged In the rounding up of Agulnaldo and bis men. The successful Issuo of the engagement ut Culumplt, for Instance, was largely attributed to the opportune arrival of i Just such a Hying battery on rails. Gen- I era) Lord Kitchener also made frequent ' use of the armored train In his advance ! up the Nile. During this Egyptian cam? paign It was found that rifle bullets fired at short range pierced the plate . with which the British cars were nr- j THE COUR D'AKOUR AT LES BATJX. One of the moat interesting and romantic cities In France Is the little old Provencal town of Les Bailx, now a mere shadow of the great center of art and music It once was. During mediaeval times Les Uaux held a once famous Cour D'Amour, and the little renaissance temple with the umbrella shap? ed roof, shown In the accompanying Illustration, was the center of this six? teenth century court. These were originally courts held by ladies of high rank In which the rules of minstrelsy were laid down. These Indies pronounced on the qualil\cntion3 of a candidate, dictated the subjects upon which trouba? dours were to'compose their lays, judged the different singers' merits and purv ished by disgrace or exclusion those who violated the laws of the court. In the twelfth century these courts of love even went further, and, besides laying (down rules of grammar and dialect, went so far as to form rules for love and lovemaklng and .directed nil the' symptoms which tho disciples of Eros wera to exhibit on the proper occasion and before the proper person. q mored, so for extra protection sand bags were piled up along each side of the cars, and behind these the sharp? shooters of Kitchener were quite In? vulnerable. In the armorecT< trains which have been spreading . consternation among the belligerent burghera or the Trans? vaal the locomotive Is the only part that-does not carry guns. Tho cars themselves arc simply box cars, cover? ed by steel boiler plating three-quarters of an inch in thickness. This is firmly riveted on a steel framework, while the locomotive Itself is well incased in the same plating, particular care being tak? en to protect securely all vital parts of the*machinery. Instead of hauling the cars in the usual manner, the locomo tivo is always placed in the center of "the train for the sake of extra protec? tion to such an important part of this flying battery. Portholes ore made in the armor plate sides of the car through which to operate the quick firing and machine guns', with smaller apertures lower down through which the Tommy Atkins sharpshooter pokes his deadly rine barrel. Ii requires a very steady aim to send its bullet homo from a fast moving train, so the deadliest marks? men are always selected. A powerful railway crane and a strong searchlight are also usually Included in the equip? ment of such a train. . When In opera? tion, the armored train is usually pre THE VALLEY OP GOLD. Here Is the famous Ilmtal I waterfall In Rhodepla, which runs over some of the richest gold hearing rock la the world. A few years ago this particular part of South Africa was thought to be nothing better than a barren wilder? ness. Now It Is realized that when once this country, which Rhodes and his company first opened up. Is properly exploited It will prove one of the world's new El Dorados. BOER PORT AT BLOEMFONTEIN. That the Boers have for months nnd even for years been nnticinati-.t- cone Ml'6 With 5?6 BrtlUah has bcen we" aemoasirS P^fi h?. if propa!:at,on,s for *nr which the government of the crafty Ooni ^^&?"H'?k'(l?*e'tl,,'e;,llst Th0 same might be said of the tSSF^^S&S? ? ?ra,n^e Free State' for Bloemfbnteln. the capital of for* ,11 ?T 1C' ??* c,aref"''y Alined and garrisoned for many months bo fore the actual outbreak of hostilities. The accompanying Illustration will give a very good idea of the Boer fort at Bloemfontein, a spot which, in view of recent events has an especial Interest to all followers of the present strug gle between the Boers and the British. ??. = iuB ceded by nn advance guard of cavalry, regarded as necessary to Insure pro? tection to the roadbed and to report on Interruptions In rail connection or ob? stacles along the line. The armored enrs which Colonel Bad? en-Powell hastily Improvised for the protection of Mafeking were simply ordinary Hat cars with armored walls made of steel rails firmly bolted to ? gclhcr. When the town wns Invested, tills officer. It will bo remembered, sur? rounded his position with a railway about which circled his train, well load? ed with machine guns and sharpshoot? ers, and held back for a considerable length of time a superior force of the enemy. THE MEN IN RUSSET HANTLE CLAD. That the English ofllcers and soldiers now fighting In South Africa have learned to their sorrow that thu rtoers have many a sharpshooter In their ranks is clearly shown by the preparations which the English troopers now make be? fore going In tho field. Every bit of bright color and every trace of glittering metal Is carefully cast aside. The accompanying illustration, for Instance shows a number of lancers busily engaged in painting their scabbards khaki color, to match the uniform which they wear durins active service. This Is a dull eprth color and does not afford a glaring target for concealed marksmen A FAIR VIOTi IIUXTEn. Lady Delumere Is" the beautiful young I English society woman who "Is now In the heart of Africa with her husband | shooting, or trying to shoot, Hons. Lord Delamere, who Is still a young man and was married but one year ngo, is well known to be an intrepid lion hunter and has already made three trips into the Interior of the dark continent after big game. His present expedition began at Mombasa some time ngo, nnd it will be several months before the lion hunt? er and his fair'companion will again be beard of by their friends. TYPES OF BEITISH BLUEJACKETS. During tho different engagements which have taken place around Dady nmlth It has hecn found that the bluejackets from tho Powerful, which lay in Durban harbor, played n very important part. It is now well known how these bluejackets and their otllcers rushed to the assistance of General White when that Commander was ilrst shut up by the Boers under Joubert. It was a novel and unexpected move, executed without orders, and showed that the sail? or boy. when well trained, makes ns good a fighter on land at times as he docs on the sea. The accompanying Illustration will give a good Idea of the class of men who came to tho relief of White nnd caused consternation In the ranks of the Doers on account of their skillful gunnery. WOMEN WHITHltS.s Nearly all the women who are prom? inent today in literature began to write original compositions of some kind or another as soon ns they could hold n pen. Mrs. Meudo has produced over 100 works of fiction nnd is still a lady it] her prime. Mrs. Hodgson Burnett began her career in earnest at the early age of 15. Reverses had conio to her family by reason of the cotton famine, and she was anxious to help the family funds. Edna Ijyall began to write stories when she was about 9 years old. She wrote, as she says, "for the Joy of writing" and because she could not resist the craving to describe the heroes and her? oines who filled her young Imagination. THIS GOVERNOR OP NATAL, An official who occupies a somewhat unlriue if not precarious position just ut the present time is Sir Walter Ilely Hutcltlnson, the governor of Na? tal. When the Roers success fully Invaded that colony a few weeks ago, they declared U to be annexed by the South African Repub? lic, and so, for a time. Sir Walter seems officially out of a job. Natal, by the way, has had a governor of Its own Blnco 1882, this oflicinl being assisted In the management of the affairs of the state by an executivo and a legislative council. AN ANCIENT TRUE, , The oldest tree on earth with an au? thenticated history is the grent bhoo tree of Burma. For 20 centuries it has been held snored to the Buddha, and no person Is allowed to touch the trunk. When the leaves fall, thoy aro carried away as relics by pilgrims, [ THE NEW. SPEAKER ' OP \ The new speaker of the house of representatives, tvhloh opens on Tuesday* Dec. 6, will be Hon. David Bremner Henderson of Iowa. Mr. Henderson was. ' born in Scotland 53 years ngo, is a fluent speaker, a roan of affairs and a read? v; wit. He has represented the Third Iowa district in nine successivo congresses,: and everything points to a most successful career on his part as too ?ucce-sso* of Thomas B. Kced. A PORTO RICAS DKXLJEi Porto Rico, like many other.countries of the south, is noted for the beauty o? its young girls, though It m?sfi be con? fessed that as the Porto" RIcan balla advances in ycar? her, beauty very quickly leaves her. In their, youth, however, mdny of the young woman, especially those In whom, the Spanish blood is strong, are veTy cor?ely per? sons to look upon. The accompanying . illustration Is from the photograph of, one of Die beat knosvn and-m"-S.j^?pul"?!" belles of San Juan. . ? THE GOLDEN CANNON OF BARODA, In those warlike times when so much is heard nbout artillery, and ammuni? tion the two guns shown In the accompanying picture will prove at especial , : interest. Thcso remarkable guns are the property of hisi highness .' .tjhe Ma? harajah Galkwar of Baroda, and, with the exception of a-thlsi;steel lining, are made of solid gold, weighing 100 pounds each. Theao . golden guns were made by a native blacksmith named Lakha some 20 years ago,who, it la said, was five years in completing them. They are of unique design and aro mounted on gun carriages of carved wood richly overlaid with silver. On review ?they are drmvn ^y t>'e tenm of royal bulloclts_Jn_tLo state .of. Barodk, The horns of theso bullocks aro incased in gold and silver, and some. Idea ot I the truly orientul magnincenco of these two pieces of artillery "may^e/sloaned from the fact that their ornaments und coverings alone cost over $45^?Q,r.^: \ :. > A CASTLE UNDER THE HAMMER !50 yards and aro smothered in creeper* ana vtaQ&tf^ cliffs ot the river Wyo to n height, ?f ^hw^^^^^^^m^ So regiere0 ^ ^ to V*-,***"* toa* an-'.W^^|Mm%JflP^|*