The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, JAN. 8, 1906.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1642, 8 January 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, JAN. 8, 1906.

TELGRAPH WIRES IN SOUTH AFRICA.. TnE Telegraph Chronicle supplies some interesting information regarding African beasts and the telegraph wires. The animal kingdom in British East Africa, we are told, looks upon the 2,190 miles of telegraph wire strung through that region as an

innovation to be utilised. The wires arouse curiosity and stimulate experimentation. A number of genera and no eDd of species are trying to find

the adaptation of the telegraph to their special purposes and so the routine of the telegraph business is more or less crpwded with incidents of an unusual character, some of which are mentioned in the latest official x-eport. This speaks of monkeys as incorrigible. Many of them have been shot and thousands frightened, but they cannot get over the idea that the wires are I merely a new facility for their athletic performances in mid-air. They have ceased to pay much attention to the locomotive, and even the shrieks of thi whistle are not permitted to interferi much with the fan of swinging on th< wire. Three wires are strung on the same line of poles for 581 miles be twoen the Indian Ocean and Victoria Nyanza, giving an opportunity fox more complicated performances. The Kikuyu forest is mentioned as a place where monkeys, in their evolutions, sometimes succeed in twisting the wires together. The gentle giraffe is also a source of annoyance. He sometimes applies enough muscular energy to the bracket on which the wire is fastened to twist it around, stretching the wire and causing it to foul with other wires. The hippopotamus is also a nuisance, because he rubs up against the poles and sometimes knocks them over. These creatures, howevor, do not stea the wire. Thievery was the greatest evil with which the telegraph buildors i

had to contend, and tho ovil has only recently J)cen suppressed. Wlion tho coppor wire was strotchod north-oast from Victoria Nyanza through tho Usoga countiy, tho natives cut out considorablo leugtlis of it, and at one

tiino about 40 miles of wire vvoro carried away and novor recovered. Passing caravans found also that they could liolp thomsolves along tho way by cutting tho wiro aud using it in bartor trado. '.I he temptation was groat and not always resisted, for wiro would buy anything tho natives bad ito soli. A groat deal of ouorgy was expended in stamping out wiro stealing, and it now sooms to bo a thing of tho past, lfifty-nino oflicors aro receiving and sending tolograms in British East Africa aud Uganda. Wiros connect tho soa coast with Albert Nyanza, where Emin Pasha was so long cut olf from tho world by the Madhists. Telephone messages aro constantly being sent botwoon Mombasa on tho coast at Nairobi, .‘328 miles inland, and tho telegraph business amounted to 42,759 messages.

Tho steamer Ventura loft San Frmcisco for Auckland on January 4!h at 7 p.m. At tho Eitham wood chopping carnival Loo. Hutton’s prizo-monoy totalled £lls. “ Czomy,” Prince of Prostidigitateurei will opon at His Majesty’s Thoutro on Saturday evening next. Mr Andrew Graham has been appointed seciolary cf tho _Kia Ora Dairying Company. Tho County Council on Saturday granted Mr Norman Law, of Ormond a I slaughtering license at Puhatikoliko. Canon Moyne has been inducted as vicar of S‘. John’s Cathedral, Napier, in succession to the lalo Dean Hovel 1 .

In a boxiog-match at San Franchoc recently Filzsimmons wes knocked out by O’Brien in tho fourteenth round. Tho Napior Gas Company has contracted to light Napier for the next five years for £i per lamp per annum. A roport was reoeivod in town about midnight that a workman had cut his throat at KepoDgacre, and Dr Socct was sent for to attend the wounded man,

L. Proctor, of Feilding, has ridden second horse in the Trial Hurdles at Ashhuret five years in succession. He hopes to get in first next year. At Auckland a pureo containing a sum of money was dropped iDto one of the posting boxes and reached the chief post cilico with the gonoral cleat anoe. . An instructor of physical development in Chiistchurch claims to have oured two of his pupils of consumption and asthma. The mothods wore the same in each case—any amount of breathing exercise, plain food, and fresh air all day. The Hawke’s Bay Woollen Company, which went into liquidation some months ago, has succeeded in disposing of its mill to Mr R. Jamieson, of Dunedin, who will add to the machinery and re-start the industry at an early date. Tho Goro Standard eays : “ Wo understand on tho best of authority that a North Island M.H.R. intends to move when tho House meets in favor of an alteration in tho licensing law, providing for tho extension of tho periods betweon the polls from three to nine years.” Our special correspondent wires from Christchurch : “ The 1 J.P.’Comedy Company conoluded a phenomenally successful season in this city on Saturday night, and left immediately after the performance by the Waika-e for Gisborne, where they open on Wednesday evening. Gisborne playgoers may safely prepare for a theatrical treat of a very high order.”

At a conference cf the W.C.T.U., in BallaraS Mrs Crawford McDowell said the drug habit among women of Victoria, wes on tho increase, and was worse than the drink evil, She knew of a Melbourne lady so addicted to chlorodyne that Bbe took three bottles of it per day. In a Melbourne home they had drug patients who wore wrecks of humanity. The Pelorus Guardian, publishes the following :—“ Obituary —ln sad remembrance of * Marlborough ’ cricket, which was 1 butchered to make Taranaki a holiday,’ at Hawera od Boxing-Day. Scores : Taranaki, 880 for three wickets ; Marlborough, 148 in two innings. R.1.P.” Messrs Ba ; n Bros, report that produoo realised tho following prices on Saturday : Fowls Is to Is 4d, ducks Is 5d to 2s, butter 8d to 10d, eggs 8d to lOd dozen, cabbages Is dozen, potatoss lb, plums 2s 61 case, rhubarb 4d bundle, peas 9J peek, marrows 2s 6d dozeD, cucumbers 5d each, oaulifiowers 31 each, onions l£d lb, pears is small case. Messrs Miller and Craig report the following prices at their Saturday’s sale : Plums 2s Id small oase, apples 3s 6d, French beans 6d bag, butter 61, cabbages Is Od to 3s dozen, peas 8d peck, lemons 6d dozen, potatoes l£d to ljd, eggs lid to Is 2d, butter lOd lb, hams 7£d, bacon 7d, New South Wales onions ljd lb, local fowls Is 3d, ducklings 91 to 10d, roosters Is 61 to Is 7d,

The retail butchers doing business in Wellington city and suburbs have deoided to reduce the retail price of meat as from the beginning of the present year. The joints which will carry the reduced prices are legs of mutton, loins of mutton, forequarters and sideß of mutton; also, all parts of lamb and several items of beef, It is estimated that the reduction will work out at about three farthings a pound on the items mentioned above. Tho fall in prioes is accounted for by the fact that there has been a reduction in the price of stock,

A love romanco was doalt with at tbo Police Court on Saturday, when Charles Cone (Mr G. Lysnar) was charged with threatening a young woman, Lena Jensen (Mr Finn) with a revolver if she did not walk out with him. The young lady only asked for sureties, or that defendant should leave Gisborne. The evidence was not gone into, but from the statements of counsel it appeared that the youDg man had pointed a revolver, but that it was not loaded, and was not used with.in'ention to do otherwise than frighten the lady. On Mr Lysnur's application the csho was adjourned until Wednesday morn-ng, the defendant being warned that there must be no further interference with complain ant.