FROM THE MAGAZINES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 129, 30 May 1908, Page 14

FROM THE MAGAZINES.

POWER OF THE PETROL MOT©X. The petrol motor continues its allconquering career. Already it rules the highway, and now it invades the railway. An interesting experiment is being tried in America which may result in an evolution of the present-day railway engine. The Union Pacific Company have had a monster petrol locomotive built, with a four-cylinder intornal combustion engine of 600 h.p., and destined for mail service on the lines of Western America. Some preliminary trials have already been made on the line between El Paso and Los Angeles, which are 410 miles apart, and this distance has been covered in 4 hours 55 minutes, or at the phenomenal average speed of 84 miles an hour. —Hon. C. S. Rolls, in "The Throne."

TESTING ITS ACCURACY.

The mistress of an infants' school was giving a class of little boys a lesson on the care and providence of God, and she dwelt especially on those words of Jesus, "Even the very hairs of your head are' all numbered." These words, quoted over and over again by the lady, would seem to have made a great impression on one of the little dots, for after the lesson wa« over he twitched a hair out of his head and, holding it up, cried out, "Ple.*se, teacher, what number is this one?"— The Strand Magazine."

HOW TO BE HAPPY THOUGH MARRIED.

Wives, make much of your husband; flatter him discreetly, laugh at his jokes, don* attempt to put down his club, never tell him home-truths, and never cry. Husbands, praise and admire your wife, and let other men admire her too; don't interfere in her department; be reasonable about money if you cannot be generous, and not overfond of your own voice. And both of you: Be tolerant, expect little, give gladly, put respect before everything, cultivate courtesy, and love each other all you can. If you do all this you are sure to be happy, though married.—'Maud Churton Braby, in "The Grand Magazine."

A FRENCH DOCTOR'S CHEERFUIi . RECORD OF LIFE.

The question, "What is life?" has been s.sked many times, but it has seldom been answered in the manner chosen by a Parisian medical man in the French "Journal of Health." He has defined life in terms of disease, and his analysis proceeds thus: — First year—lnfantile complaints and vaccination. Second year —Teething, croup, infantile cholera, and convulsions. Third year —Diphtheria, whooping cough, and bronchitis. Fourth years—Scarlatina and meningitis. Fifth year—'Measles. By now, he says, half the children aTe dead. The others live on a≤ follows:— Seventh year—Mumps. Tenth year—Typhoid. Sixteenth year—Chlorosis and spinal irritation. Eighteenth year —Neurasthenia. Twentieth year—Cephalagia, alcoholism, and vertigo. Twenty-fifth year —Marriage (included among the diseases). Twenty-sixth year—lnsomnia (probably the first baby). Thirtieth year—Dyspepsia and nervous asthenia. Thirty-fifth year—Pneumonia. Forty-fifth year—Lumbago and failing sight. FiftyJßfth year—Rheumatism and ] baldness. Sixtieth year—Amnesia, loss of teeth, hardening of arteries. \ Sixth-fifth year—Apoplexy. Seventieth year— Amblyopia, deafness, general debility, loss of tone in the digestive organs, gouty rheumatism. F:- nty-fifth year—Death.

OVER-CAUTION IN WARFARE.

Among the many interesting features in the April "Windsor" is an article by Captain A. T. Mahan entitled '"The Personal Factor in Naval History." He says: — "In military matters, including therein naval, the personal factor is especially real and conspicuous. The man cannot, indeed, always dicta/te the circumstances under which he is called to act, although often they themselves are the result of his previous management, good or bad; but the wills of others, either single men, or the great mass whom we call "the people.," are less to be considered by the military leader, land or sea, when in campaign. His officers, soldiers, and seamen, are expected to, and commonly do, subject their own wills to his, whence the influence of the personal factor in controlling events is more indisputably visible than it may be ia civil affairs. "An instance in the American war of 1812 with Great Britain is Very notable, because it involves a direct contract between two naval leaders. The Great Lakes were then of peculiar importance to the course of the war; not only on the water, but on the land as well. It was necessary to control them, and the American Government had made no previous preparation. Captain Chauncey was ordered to the general command, and under him Captain Perry for the particular charge of Lake Erie; Chauncey remaining on Ontario. 'Each had the difficulties of preparation to meet, in overcoming which each dislayed great ability and energy; there is no reason to institute comparisons between them on this score. Both succeeded in creating a force superior for the time to that which the British could oppose, and under such circumstances of superiority, achieved by his own efforts, each met the enemy. '•The external chance of a good wind favoured Chauncey, waereas a poor wind and other drawbacks hampered Perry. But Chauncey, by his own avowals, was deterred by apprehension for the general result, should he lose one or two ships. He wrote to Perry: 'In all attempts upon the enemy's fleet you ought to use great caution, for the loss of a single ship may decide the "fate of the campaign.' "It is, of course, a good rule to take care: but, like all other rules, one may earrr it so far as to lose an opportunity which does not recur. Thus, when Onauncey's time came, and he had crippled the British commodore's ship, and the two fleets were close together, he waa so cautious that he would not cast off and drop behind some heavy schooners which his vessels had in tow. Coaeequeatiy- the enemy escaped."