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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2074, 28 December 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

Two cabmen fought a duel 011 a recent morning near the- -Hotel Cecil, Wellington. They opened with but rounds of language, and followed up this bombardment by .belabouring each other with whips. One Jehu was enthroned on a haiidsom, the other on a four-wlieeler, and each hoped to beat the other for a casual shilling or two. It was just after the early morning train from the suburbs arrived, -and the combatants therefore entertained a fair number of spectators. The drivers hoped to catch persons who were doing a late sprint for the Alanawatu mail. They fancied that a car which would come to tho Government Station and go no further might contain a person or two eager to get aboard the Mauawatu train, and they fought for the best- strategic position. They wheeled -around one another, like two wrestlers on a mat.in a bout of catcha "-catch-can. Their -horses clashed against each other, and the vehicles anil tlie animals ran grave- risk of suffering more danuge than couiil lie made good out of the .profits of a fare. At last one cab forged ahead of the other, and then language streamed in turgid floods from the month of the vanquished. Noticing that liis words failed to wilt Ills hardened enemy, lie laid 011 his whip, and his -antagonist returned the compliment. “Get on your rank,” roared one of tlie combatants. “Tins ain’t a rank,” retorted tlie other, and lie went 011 with tlie entertainment. In the meantime, a fellow Jehu, driving triumphantly past with . a fare, crowed over the fighters. Tlie duellists went empty away.