FROM FAR AND NEAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 179, 29 July 1903, Page 9 (Supplement)

FROM FAR AND NEAR.

One of ihe latest inventions is that o f a Swedish scientist, who has, devised an appai' a t l,s whereby milk can be reduced to powder. The proeese differs materially from that so long in use of condensing milk by evaporation. The milk flouv is soluble in water, and can be used for all purposes for which milk is employed. It does not get sour or ferment, and in its dry state is not sensitive to changes in the weather. In » its dry form it can be kept in tin cans, or bags, and transported all over the country without losing any of its original good qualities.

When a balloon passer, over a forest jt descends, and ballast must be thrown out to keep it up. This is explained by Professor Mouillefert of the .French Rational Agricultural College of Grignon, as being due to the existence above every forest of a prism of cool, moist air, produced by the abundant transpiration of the trees, and extending to a height of from 3000 to 5000 feet above the treetops. Professor Mouillefert also says that while forests drain the soil underneath them, they keep the upper layer, to a depth of four or five inches, moist.

It is predicted that the American cakewalk will soon give way in Paris to a new dance which an accomplished French dancing master has invented. It 13 called the "veil-dance," and is described as follows: "Each lady wears a wrap of mousseline do soie or other filmy tissue thrown around her waist, and waves the free ends as she dances, and the men attempt to look as 'regenee' as possible, and use their closed crush hats as dancers in the graceful old pavano used their three-cornered ones. The dancers form in line, barndoor dance fashion, and to a tune half waltz and half gavotte the room is filled with graceful floating forms, to which the black coats of the men make an effective background. The effect is a pleasing oue, and the dance, when well done, is almost stately."

A psrforrjance at the Libertad Theatre, Manila, one day last month, resulted in an extraordinary scene. The company played an exciting melodrama, entitled "Yesterday, To-Day, and ToMorrow," depicting Spanish corruption and oppression, the Philippine insurrection and victories, and then the American supremacy. In the last phase the Filipinos are represented as submissive, though nursing dreams of independence. Near the end of the play the leading actress tears down the United States flag and waves the Katipunan emblem, passionately prophesying that the foreigners will soon bo expelled. Upon this twenty 'Americans from the audience rushed on the stage, demolished the scenery, and cleared the house. The play is written by the Philippino ex-Major Tolentino.

Mr. Josiah Flint, in an article in the March "North American Review" on "Police Methods in London," tells incidentally the following remarkable story of how the late Commissioner of Police, Sir Edward Bradford, lost his arm and caved his life: "Sixty odd years ago there was born to a clergyman in England a son, who in course of time elected to try his fortune in India. Some years after the birth of tht son there was born to a tigress in the wilds of India a youngster which waxed strong and big. Events so shaped themselves that when the clergyman's son had grown to man's estate, and the tigei had been taught to manage for himseli, the two had a meeting. . . . Tho tiger discovered the Englishman, and, springing upon him, felled him to tho ground. Remembering a story, heard years before, that so long as a man will keep quiet and does not move, there are chances that an attackIng tiger will refrain from further attack, he lay perfectly still. The tiger, however, began to gnaw at the mans left arm. The pain was intense, and there was nothing tc prove that his legs would not be nibbled off next, but the Englishman con-inued to lie still—and hope. Pretty soon he heard the voices tof a rescuing party. The tiger heard them also. The rescuing party arrived, and the tiger was slain. The Englishman got back to civilisation minus his left arm."

A genius hailing from North London has been struck with a brilliant conception for ridding back gardens and outhouse roofs of philandering cats. It consists of nothing less than the invention of a fearsome automaton tom-cat made up of a tin frame and covered with a fur coat. "Tom" is as black as the darkest night, with a stiff black tail standing up defiantly in the air, and a ghostly look in its sightless eyes, which, when roused to anger, send forth a light calcualted to make even tJlysses tremble. This baneful glare is produced by a four-volt electric battery stowec away in that portion of "Tom's" anatomy generally occupied by the digestive organs. The general principle of construction, according to the "British Inventor," is based upon powerful clockwork, released by a lever when the tail of the animal is moved. The clock worke a pair of bellows, with two loud screeching reedc, at the same time forming contact to light the lamps in the eyes, and forcing outwards a dozen long needle points which come up through the skin of the back. The tail also acts as a trigger, and releases a hammer formed of the lower jaw of the cat, which explodes two percussion caps in the mouth. One night an experiment was made. The clockwork was wound up, and the beast placed in a back garden. In due course a ferocious tabby 01 loose character and with chips off its ears walked up to the stranger to give battle, while a dozen of his lady friends eat around to see the fun. In feline language, the tabby appears to have asked his lady friends not to crowd into the ring, and to watch closely while he prepared "Tom" for the undertakers. He began by walking up to a wall and sharpening his claws. Then he came back wagging all that was left of his tail in an aggressive and insulting manner, and took the measure of his silent enemy. Without the slightest provocation he flew at the automatic cat, removed a lump of loose hair from his back, and broke his tail in half. That ended the first round, but it was only the signal for the tin tom-cat to get into action. The tail exploded the percussion caps in the cat's mouth with a sound resembling that of a 4.7; the electric eye: blazed out like Ladysmith searchlights, while heartlending shrieks rent the air from the bellows inside, and the needle points got their business enda into the tabby cat. Within a few seconds the garden was dear, and pale-faced pussies were tearing •fl* through the quiet streets in search of home comforts. It was more than a month before they ventured to peep over the wall to see if the "black terror" was •till in possession. - :_,. Li.-

A club for bald-headed men is America's latest freak. One stray hair on the crown of the head is sufficient to blackball a candidate for membership. Senator Hanna has been refused election almost for this reason. Others have secured election by plucking out their few remaining hairs.

Among inventions that are really wanted, "The British' Inventor" tells us, are a plan to prevent shop windows from being covered with steam: and new letters for advertising upon windows, tablets, etc. The latest thing of this land, small silvered glass studs, producing a very brilliant effect, have caught on well in London, and have already realr ised a small fortune. A new cycle rest is also required that is not in the way when riding, and can be easily dropped down into position to hold the cycle upright when it stands at the side of the road. There is always an opening for a really good line in mechanical toys.

The international stamp would not be a diflicult reform to introduce, since we have already international values for stamps, and it would be an inestimable boon. Stamps arc very useful for small payments; and at present it is impossible for the casual correspondent abroad to '•'enclose stamped; envelope for reply." There is no particular reason why each nation should flaunt its own King or its own President, or its own flag, on all the letters it despatches. And it should not be difficult to bring the Postal Union into agreement upon a single brand of stamp, good all over the civilised world.

There ie a pleasing stir at the tower of London, for the War Ofiiee is getting out and the British Museum, is getting in, with the Office of Works behind it. Hitherto the Tower has been half an "ancient and historical building," and half a defensive fortification, and the friction between the military and civil authorities has been like the friction between church and chapel in a country village. But the White Tower henceforth is to be regarded, not as a fortification, but as <i museum, and the British Museum officials are taking over its management. It is probable that many places and objects of interest in the Tower closed to the public since the days of Fenian fears will be thrown open by the new managers.

There is probably nothing so interesting in Government printing as the manner in which stamps are gummed and dried. The stamps receive their coating of gum at the farther end of a long room and then drop on to a continuous chain or belt. This belt carries the sheets through vats which contain coils of steam pipes 50ft long. Wonderful as it may seem, the slow passage of the freshly-gummed sheets through the vats dries them. When they reach the other end of the vats, they are dry enough to be piled one upon another. Every precaution is taken by the authorities to insure absolute uniformity in the spreading and drying of the gum. Every morning the workmen are given 1000 sheets of stamps and 261b of gum. They have to spread that amount of gum over the given number of sheets. Exhaustive experfimetitß and scientific cakmlatiions have determined the proportion of gum and paper.

A correspondent in Rhodesia tvriies to London "Field":—The following will probably prove interesting to some of your readers. On March 28 last I sat a hen on 12 eggs. All went well until April 9, when a large snake made its way into the sitting-house, and af-ter driving the hen off her nest, swallowed the whole of the sitting. I shot the reptile, and, opening it up, discovered that nine of tho eggs were unhroken, so I rinsed 'them in warm water and placed them back in the nest. The hen took to them again quite calmly. This morning I found that the whole of the nine had proved their fertility, and the chickens appear quite healthy, regardless of the shaking the eggs underwent during the death struggle of the serpent, which proved to be a splendid specimen of what is known locally as the "banded cobra," and measured 6ft Tin in length, with a gii-f.li of Bin."

An extraordinary petition from a claimant to a native throne has reached Sir Michael Hicks-Beach since his return to England from India. It begins:— ". . . Palace, 28th February, 1903. From .. . Sahib Sword wife's son of the late H.H. .. . Maha Rajah .. .

May it please your Lordship,—With homage, tribute, and salute I, like one of the indulgent, venerable, genuine, and beloved sons of London, consecrate the following to your parental Lordship. That on the 27th morning I saw from the Balcony of my .... Palace your sagacious, intellectual, and lustrious Lordship. I did not know who your predominant and complaisant Lordship was, but after inquiring came to know about the position, rank, and title, and it was too late to meet your reflugent, sumptuous, and vivid Lordship. In the Theocracy of the World your .polite, courteous, and perceptive Lordship, by the endowment of God the Almighty should be ever blissful and therefore live in the golden cage of the world renowned and garnished mother city of London, etc., etc." . , '■

The Germans are the originators of the souvenir post card.' Nearly ten years ago there began to be printed in' Berlin cards showing Untcr den Linden, also the Opera House, the equestrian statue of Frederick the Great, the Brandenberg. Gate and other architectural masterpieces of the Prussian capital. Then came views from along the Rhine — ißngen, with the memories of the Soldier of the Legion; Mainz and Cologne, with their famous cathedrals, and sketches of unnamed but romantic looking ruins far up the vine-clad hills. The university towns were immortalized, too. It is estimated 'that the amount spent in Germany every month in buying souvenir cards reaches millions of marks. The postal authorities say the percentage of sealed letters to cards distributed throughout the empire is rapidly rising in favour of the latter, and that as a matter of fact little correspondence, apart from that relating to business matters, is now carried on by letter. Card collecting has had a very damaging effect upon the business of philately. Several large stamp collectors in Germany have suffered a 50 per cent, reduction in revenues, while smaller ones have either ceased operations entirely or substituted cards for stamps as articles of sale. Every German starting off on a long tour receives this parting admonishment, Don t fail to send me some post cards, and the traveller's importance -is likely to. be measured by the number and novelty of the cards which he sends back.