El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-21

southern extremity OIL the Egyptian
telegraph line. with which the system
will connect, and the physical Difficult
ties for this last stretch are trivial
compared with those in some of the
districts through which the line has
already been carried. All hut 500
miles of the remaining 1000. too, can
be served with poles. apparatus and
supplies by water instead of their be-
ing dragged overland on the backs of
native porters.
The worst part of the long march is
that which has just been put behind
the mountainous. heavily wooded and
malarious tract. lying between Lake
Tanganyika and Salisbury. in East
ern Rhodesia- KaSanga and it's neigh
berhood, however. occupy a high pla-
teau, slopinS abruptly to the lake shore
On the west. and or the east falling
more gently to become a fertile undu-
lating country stretching to the east
coast. and through this region the
course of the line will run until it
mounts up again to meet the Egyp-
tian telegraph.
Terrible Ravagcs of Disease
The Drawing of abysmal mountain
chasms, telling of gigantic trees. in
carrying the course of the line through
seemingly inpenetrable farests:
bridging of endles swamps, which in
the rainy season become roaring tor
rents. and the necessity of working in
defiance of wild beasts and savages
have not been the worst difficulties
that the men who have built this line
nave had to face. Their task was de-
layed nearly a year by the combina-
ton of two forces, the terrible and
far-spreading animal disease, "rinder-
rest" which eXterminateS horses and
cattle. and the war with the Matabe-
les. Oddly enough, the one mainly
brought about the other. for the ma
tives' chief reason for rising was their
misunderstanding of the white mans
object in killing cattle infected with
'rinderpest" but not noticeably so.
The natives believed the white man
was trying to starve them, and in re-
turn they tore down his telegraph poles
and cut his wire up and made bullets
of it and shot them back at him. In
that struggle 100000 worth of the At
rican Transcontinental company's sup
plies were destroyed.
At each one of the long string of
stations that have been opened
Goodzema. Geelong, UmchabeZ. Fig
tree. Gwelo Que-Que. and others as
named-a white operator and
two or three natives have been left,
and other natives under English boss
es" are constantly patrolling the line,
on the lockout for breaks or impedi-
ments. for even n spiders web will
spoil the connection on the dewy morn
ing.
Sixteen Englishmen compose the
staff, the other construc
tor and his assistants. who number
two: a transport officer with two as
an engineer and seven work
lNAx
native porters. according to the state
of the market OF course. the nearer
to completion the line becomes. the
farther must the supplies and poles be
carried from the south. At first wood |
an poles were used. but now iron ones
have superseded them altogether. They
are made in section, each section of
which can be carried separately. then |
lifted together and planted. in iron |
shoes.
Will Transform Africa.
l believe this is the biggest enter |
Prise Of the kind ever carried out. for |
think that neither in Australia nor |
marica did a line sc far precede civil |
ization. The advantages of the Cape |
% Cairo wire. seems to me. lie in the |
facility with which it will enable each |
other ard the saving ii will bring !
about in cable rates. Commerce in |
South Africa will benefit greatly by |
he line. Heretofore comparatively |
few exploration parties have been sent |
)ut. because il was impossible to keep |
n communication with them. and re-
port from such a party once in six |
months Is hardly sufficient. Compa-
lies doing business in South and Cen
raj Africa will be able to carry on |
rade with smaller fierce than here
ofore.
Perhaps the most wonderful thing is
hat 1t is ole-man affair. Cecil Rhodes
brown on the dark continent is that |
{ is a one-man affair. Cecil Rhodes
lreamed il, planned it. raised the mon
" for it and got the most important
light of way for it outside of British
eTritOry by q personal interview with
hat other big man. Emperor William
# Germany. Incidentally that reminds
ne of what was once said to me by a
amous EngliShman who had met per-
orally all of the men mentioncd:
According to present Indications"
lie observed. there are only four really
ireat men in the world-the Car of
russia, Emperor William CT Germany
'ecil Rhodes. ard j. Pierpont Nor
an. The speaker happened to be
adn-irer of the car, but he
i not approve of the Rhodes colossus.
MI. Rhodes raised all the money for
he line among a few Of his personal
and ut the same time laid the
for his Cape to Cairo rail-
'ay, now built as far north as Bula-
ago. and soon to stretch as far as Vic
)ria Falls. When both enterprises are
ompleted the man whose brain gave
firth to them will come nearer than
yer to being kfrica's uncrowned king.
1
PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION y
GER E,MONIEG