Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-08-08

ana In southern Rhodosa alone there
are mere than 5000 miles Of wagon
roads, In Matabclcland and Mashona
land something like 2l,0o0 coo acres hay,
been surveyed by the government, anc
IN addition there Is a large amount OF
| land which has been surveyed by pri.
waite owners. All along the railroad
towns have sprung up IN which are
government offices banks, churches
hotels. schools and public libraries
There is a fine hospital here ut Bull
| awHyo and others at Salisbury, Una
tall Victoria and Gwelo. There are
cottage hospitals In other towns.
The postal service has hoen extended
| until II now reaches every part OF the
country, mails being sent by runners
| 10 the borders of Lake Tangunyika. In
| southern Rhodesla there are II money
order offices, and during the past year
something like 1900, 00J letters and post
cards were sent to other parts of South
Africa. while 100000 went over the seas
The post office revenues last year were
In the ncighhorhood of 100000. More
over. southern Rhodesia has now post
office savings banks, and her deposits
In them already excead 100000.
AS to teleglaphs the rates arc cheap
cr here than IN the United states. and
one can send messages to all the settled
parts of the country. There are about
90 telegraph offices opened, rSl the
telegraph wire in use is almost long
enough to reach through the earth at
the equator Last year about 100000
kilograms We're received and dispatch
cd, and the revenue from the telo-
graphs and telephones approxinnted
$4,000. AS to tho railroad service 1
win s"eak about that In the future.
II is excellent for Il new country, and
one can travel here almost as COM
fortatly MS at home.
HOW LoBENGULA RULED.
Indeed. It is hard to realize that It
is now only Is years since this was
the capital of the Matabeles. l rode
out today to the government house
which stands on the very site of the
great hut I'm which Lobengula lived and
ruled 1t is reached by a wide drive
shaded by trees, which were planted
at the direction of Cecil Rhodes. 1T is
on n hill. and In the grounds is the
very tree under which this savage
African king sat upon his biscuit-boX
throne and gave forth his DEGREES of
life and death. Some of his numerous
family still live, and l have a photo
graph before me of his favorite daugh-
ter. She measures feet IL inches from
her bare yellow heels to her shaved
black crown, and is fully as lusty as
the old tyrant was in his prime. There
are many men here who knew Loben-
gula. He was enormous. He stood
six feet tall and weighed about 800
pounds He was so fat that when ne
squatted OH his biscuit box his flesh
hung down in folds over his hips. and
when he walked his elephantine frame
rolled from side to side. He had bulg-
ing blood-shot eyes. thick lips and was
the personatication of cruelty. Stan.
ley describes him as one Of the blood
thrstiest OF African kings, and Frank |
Thompson of Natal. who negotiated the |
mining rights of Marshonaland of him |
for $500 a month, gives an incident of |
how he treated a native warrior who |
had drunk some of his beer. 1t was |
at the time of a great dance and Lo- |
bengulas women were bringing the |
beer to him. This man snatched |
gourd and took sip. The offense was +,
reported to the king and the criminal |
was dragged before him. AS he stood
there Lobengula looked at him and |
said:
You drank the kings beer That
nose of yours is guilty. II smelt the |
beer Let it be cut off" And with that |
| the executioneer cut off the mans nose |
! The king then said; Those eyes of |
| yours saw the beer. They are a temp |
| tation TO you They are guilty. They |
| should be put out" And with that the |
executioner did the gouging.
You have now heard with your ears |
that 1t ia not allowed to drink the
kings beer. Your ears are of no good |