Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal (NSW : 1851 - 1862; 1872; 1882; 1885 - 1897; 1899 - 1904), Wednesday 4 January 1860, page 2


THE OPENING OF THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. Although the forms of the old traditionary beliefs change, ssome of their spirits still sur-vives, manifesting itself under new forms. The forxces of nature, which men used to incanate and deify, are still active, and still mighty in their operation ; only men now command as servants — wiuit they fjr submissive creatures of the will — what they for-merly worshipped as supernatural powers Human commerce with " Demons that are found, In fire, air, flood, or under ground, Whose power hath a true consent, With planet or with element," have not ceased in our day. It is as busy as ever. We have merely changed the nomencl-ture of the demons, and designate them by the homelier epithets of magnetism, electricity, lunar or stellar influences, gravity, attraction, an so

forth. We have our wizards, too ; but we put them to a better use than the burning or destroying ; honouring them under the names of Stephenson, Brunel, Morse, and Faraday. Our magic mirror is the sensitivite glass of Daguerre ; our locomotive in more fleet than that "Wondrous horse of brass, On which the Tartar king did ride ;" the Great Eastern is our "flying island," and the ring of Gyges or Prince Ali's magic tube are commonplace by com-parison with the sentient wire which is encompassing the world and by whose aid we inhabitants of the " far West" are now enabled to a communicate our thoughts and wishes to our friends and relatives dispersed over the whole Australasian group. A more appropriate season for the inaugura-tion in the Western Districts of this wondrous invention could not have been selected, and many a pleasant Chistmas message did the Electric Telegraph carry on its mysterious wings between this place and the metropolis on Thursday the 29th ultimo, when communication was first es-tablished, since which time the wire has been in constant requisition, and the Office has been crowded with an almost unbroken succession of curious spectators, and persons desirous of transmitting messages. The Sydney Morning Herald of Saturday last presented the novel feature of a telegram from Bathurst, worded as follows: — [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.] [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] BATHURST. Friday. 8 p.m.

THe excitement occasioned in this town by the opening of theo telegraph still continues. The telegraph officw was crowded all day by persons sending messages, and the promptness with which the replies were received has given great satisfaction. Business during the week has been dull. Pri-ces remain the same as last work, with the excep-tion of wheat, which it now quoted at 6s. 6d, to 7s. 6d. per bushel. Weather fine. About half-past 12 o'clock yesterday the commu-

nication between this place and the metropolis was interrupted by a storm on the Mountains, which had the effect of deranging the electric current for a considerable time. We perceive that M. Perret, of Mrs. Dunsford's establish-ment in William-street, has already availed himself of the hint which we threw out in our last issue relative to the erection of a time-ball, in connection with the Telegraph Office. M. Perret daily obtains the current time from Sydney at 1 o'clock p.m. by telegram, which is displayed at Mrs. Dunsford's shop for the con-venience of the public. We take this oppor-tunity of expressing our sense of the obliging conduct of the officials attached to the Telegraph Office, whose patience must have been sorely tried by the enquiries of the many visitors, not a few of them of the gentler sex, who have thronged the Office during the last few days.