Page 7 - eMuse Vol.9 No.03_Classical

correctly and saves his cargo; too ing just how often the horse
late, the P.M.G. becomes aware needs a quick blow and what
of the mistake after the flood and is the top speed that horse can
writes a letter of apology to Henry, safely do.”
who is disgusted by this display of Billy’s ride is arguably the
bureaucratic incompetence. greatest documented ride in
But I also suspect that the history . His ride had similari-
second telegram, whatever it ties with Paul Revere’s: one to
contained, did allow of misin- warn of advancing redcoats, the
terpretation if the receiving of- other to warn of an advancing
ficer did not know the signatory flood. But Revere rode about
or his place of residence; it was 11 miles down moonlit well-
Irish dancers at a Festival held at Carboonbah homestead not a clear-cut matter. That is established roads from Boston
was done, Henry’s message telegram’s fate was incorrect. perhaps why Henry’s asserted to Lexington to deliver his mes-
(but not the one claimed above) Geoff Cossins made the point telegram is so detailed and sage; Mateer rode in excess
appearing in The Courier on Fri- in 1993 in a paper presented to explicit: he did not want to be of 40 miles over rough bush
day 3 February, the morning the Heritage and Water Panels . judged as having contributed to tracks, flooded creeks and a
after he sent it. Reading on, I He says, “In actual fact, the tel- the error by insufficient detail. formidable range from Caboon-
believe we find the critical clue egram was not delayed and was No official could have misinter- bah to North Pine to deliver his.
as to what Henry is really talk- printed in the next edition of preted that message or alarm Paul had nothing on Billy!
ing about: the ‘Brisbane Courier.’ ” Hope- bells failed to have been set off, Further, historians agree
“The first flood having done fully we have now seen the and I suspect that those words that highwayman Dick Turpin’s
enormous damage . . . .the eyes last of ‘The Telegram Ghost’ as were not the ones actually writ- 200 mile (320 km) ride from
of the P.M.G. were apparently Geoff called it. It vanishes, as all ten and sent at the time. London to York on Black Bess
opened, for he wrote me a ghosts should, in the cold clear SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RIDE was fiction. Finally, Banjo Pat-
letter......thanking me for the light of day. For Billy, the fact that no erson’s Man from Snowy River
warning he regretted not hav- Likewise I am not the first to one took notice of his telegram was actually a composite of
ing understood!!!” discover Henry’s first telegram and he didn’t save Brisbane in rough riding bushmen he had
Now I find it hard to believe in the pages of the Courier of any way is, ironically, irrelevant. known. A few years before his
that Henry was never informed Friday 3 February 1893 . The It was his ride that wins him a death he wrote:
that his first telegram appeared text may be found in ‘Tracks place in the record books . El- “The man from Snowy Riv-
in the Courier a few hours after and Times: a History of the Pine lis Campbell, drover, horseman er...was written to describe the
he sent it, but virtually impossi- Rivers District ‘ (1988) in the and major bush poet, here pays cleaning up of the wild horses
ble to believe the P.M.G. would chapter ‘Natural Disasters and tribute to Billy’s achievement: in my own district. To make a
send a letter of apology after Defence.’ It is a watertight case. “A ride of urgency calls for job of it I had to create a char-
exhibiting the greatest urgency, The point is that if you substi- much experience and uncanny
and having done everything tute Henry’s account of the first horsemanship; such as I’m sure
within his powers to assist by telegram for the second, much of Billy possessed . You must get
sending a messenger immedi- it makes sense . Here is one pos- every ounce of strength from
ately to the Courier. Surely Hen- sible scenario. An officer receives your horse, yet if you knock
ry is confusing the first telegram the telegram late Friday after- the horse up the whole venture
with the second, whose fate he noon at the G .P .O ., does not rec- fails. Understanding exactly
never mentions, and thereby in- ognise the signatory, but believes what is the limit of your horse is This story of the greatest
directly provides further weight it refers to a flood in the Pine an art only a few possess. Some ride in history concludes
to Merv Ewart’s assertions that River (which has no relevance to riders will overdo the horse and next month . . .
the bureaucrats stuffed up! An Brisbane), because it originates it will be completely fatigued
apology from the P.M.G. un- at North Pine; it is simply pasted after ten miles and no further
der those circumstances would on the noticeboard; Mr Baynes use . Another rider can take the
have been most appropriate . sees it on Saturday morning with same horse and do a forty mile
Henry’s second warning was Henry’s signature, interprets it journey, simply by understand-
the only one sent, since the
Cressbrook line ran through
the Esk office which was out,
and it appears Henry’s message
was misunderstood and disre-
garded. Naturally, Henry de-
serves great and lasting praise
for his efforts in warning Bris-
bane about the great floods,
even if time was not so kind to
his memory of events. Likewise
there were other discrepancies
of recollection which it is not
necessary to deal with here.
I am not the first to point
out that the story of the first North Pine Railway Station early 1900s
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