Transcribed by Emily Smith. Geo. The Northern News With Which Are Amalgamated The HALTWHISTLE and ALSTON NEWS and NORTH CUMBERLAND REFORMER No. 514 —Vol. XI. Saturday, January 6, 1900 REPORTED PEACE OVERTURES FROM THE TRANSVAAL. [Reuter's Agency.] New York, Thursday. The "Herald's" Washington correspondent says it is understood that the Transvaal Government through the American Consul at Pretoria have requested the United States to use their good offices with a view to the cessation of hostilities. The administration do no intend to depart from their policy of noninterference unless Great Britain and the Transvaal present a simultaneous request. TRACTION ENGINES AT THE FRONT. [Reuter's Agency.] Frere Camp, Wednesday. The traction engines from Aldershot have arrived here. They were subjected to a series of tests which proved satisfactory, the engines pulling trucks through the spruits without difficulty. "ONLY YOUR HORSE." One of the Colonial war correspondents narrates a curious incident that came under his notice at the {unreadable} engagement. A private of the Natal Mounted Rifles had his horse shot, and immediately cried out, "I'm hit." "Nonsense, man; it's only your horse," cried a comrade, and the man, accepting the assurance, went on fighting. He returned to the camp with his corps, strolled about in the evening, suffered during the night from what he called spasms, and only next morning discovered that a Mauser bullet had gone clean through his body. Then he collapsed, and was taken to hospital. The moral would seem to be that ignorance is bliss on the battlefield as elsewhere, and that the consequences of being perforated by a Mauser bullet are no worse than in the case of a Lee-Metford performing the operation. -- Emily Smith