The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-03-16
STRANGE NEWS SERVICE
MYSTERIOUS WAY IN WHICH 1lDlNCS
SPREAD IN THE PACIFIC.

Informat About Secret Plans Difused
from Island to Island In a Manner
Most Unaccountable-Soine Remarkable
Instnnces-First News of Sam oan storm.
A great surprise which awaits new
conner IN any south Pacific archipelago
is the way in which his ats and plans
become known, not only to those
whom they may concern, but even
more distinctly to those whom they
do not. The first South Sea surprise
is that tbs islander of fact never stirs
a fin ger to put himself in lire with
the islander OF the books.
1t is practically impossible to trace
the channel of the news. Que may
surround himself with servants who
kaow not word of English and may
be rs secret as lodge Ill discussing
ans, yet knowledge Of them spreads
with speed and Wits an accuracy
which becomes less and less in pro-
portion as the distance is 6 eate:.
One is almost tempted to believe that
the news is carried by a bird IN the
all. And it is not only things doue
and words spoken that are thus p.b-
Ii he'd, even unspoken plaus become
known, to the great hiudrance OF busi-
n-ss combinations.
Some explanation may be imagined
to account for the rapid spread Of
news from place TO place on single
island, or from island to island of a
single archipelago. But the mind
canuot colnpreh nd thu diffusion
of xleIg, fro Ii Archipelago to
archipelago, where there is 40
in ercom nuuication except by the
most roundabout ways. Yet news
spreads from islander to islander
along channels viii they either eau
not or will not explain, q I'd from the
islander it comes to ,he white maa.
Such news is sometimes accurate,
of'eler quite wrong; but the man wise
in the ways of the beach knows that
so nethlny has happened and awaits
developments.
Here is an instance: Last year a
distinguished student of the Maoris
OF AeU Zealand, S. Percy Smith, sur
veyor~gene al OF that coloay, made al
extended tour Of Polynesia. Before
going to Apia, his last stop was at
Rarotongl, 600 miles away. He went
to Apia by the only way OF steamship
travel, from Rarotonga to Auckland,
on one line, and from Auckland to
Apia on auothe., no vessel having r
rived at Apia direct from Rarotonga
within a year. On the ,hour OF his
arrival the Apia collector Of customs
commented on greensboro; watch
charm which he wasowesSf=ssya ana said
that he had learned cf the interest
with which the native people of Ra:o-
tongo had listened to- the travellers
account of the veneration with which
the Maoris regard the jade as an
almsst sacred nameut. The collec-
tor of custo ns could not recall when
or where he learned that fact-he just
knew it, thai was all. This trivial
story had apparently in some mysteri-
Gus way come faster than the traveller
by steam.
Yet another instance: The press as
socla ions of this country had accounts
OF strained relations OF the Ane.i-
can and the German sQuadrons IN Apia
harbor as they existed in February,
1859. This news was published in
the first week in Marlh. There was
no possible way Of learning single
thing as to the outcome. For four
weeks Samoa was out OF the world.
No steamers could call there and no
cable existed. 1t is certain that no
one could get a line of news before
the first of April. Yet in the latter
part of the third week of March the
American newspapers publishet q
brief account of naval engagement
at point-hlauk range in Apia harbor.
German ships were sunk, American
ships were sunk, many lives were
lost, it was said. The story could be
ira, ed back no iurther than Washing
ton. 1t came out # the navy depart
ment in al uno fic al way, aad ii the
officials traced it still further back to
any s,urce that fact was never made
known. In the course of day or so
all the PAL ers pointed out the mac
curacy If the news and showed how
i.ul ossi le it wouid he to have any
SORT OF information before the tixel
date OF the mai. Now this story was
ta:se in every poilt. There was no
naval combat poin: blank ia Apia bar
Dor nor at any range III Samoan Wa
ters, yet all who were familiar with
the south sea knew that something
had happened al / that the news had
come through the south sea news ser-
vice and waited for the facts. No:e
the date 1t was the end of the third
week { March that this news was
published. The April mail up from
Sam b ought the news of the men,
o able hurrirane, of the wreck OF the
:. die, the Eber ana the Olga of the
German navy; of the wre k Of the
r enton aud the Vanda'ia and Of the
Bleaching OF the Nipsic OF Admiral
kimberley's squadron. And this took
place at the beginning of ths third
week il March. New York Sun.
Some Wonderful Natural Forces.