A MAIL BUDGET.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIX, Issue 60, 12 March 1906, Page 1

A MAIL BUDGET.

LONDON, Jan. 27. HUSTLING A RAILWAY. Sir Charles Metcalfe, who has just returned from Africa, says that in June next the Cape to Cairo railway will reached a point 374 miles north of the Zambezi. The line is progz-es-sing at the rate of a mile a day, but on one occasion five and three-quarter miles were laid in ten hours. A French engineer, who had been constructing railways in French West Africa, and was visiting Rhodesia, would not at first believe that construction could go on at a greater rate than half a mile a day. In order to show him what could be done, a quarter of a mile was laid in twenty minutes. TO LEGALISE MURDER. Ohio Legislature authorising pliysiOhio Legislature authorising qliysicians, under certain circumstances, to j put invalids to death. The Bill has been drafted by Miss Anna Hall, who recently startled the country by claiming that she ought to be allowed to chloroform her mother, who*was suffering intensely from an incurable disease. MILLIONAIRE'S WAGES. Mr George Westinghouse, son of the inventor, and heir to millions, is working in his father's shops at Pittsburg, as an apprentice 10 hours a day for ninepence an hour. He recently left Yale, says a correspondent. His father gives him no privileges beyond those enjoyed by the other apprentices. The young man carries a lunch basket, and accepts without murmuring the plan of education for the post he must fill. 3000 MILES BETWEEN MEALS. Mr Alexandra Graham Bell, at a dinner of the Automobile Club of America, predicted that the problem of aerial navigation would be solved soon, when men would be able to dine at Halifax, Nova Scotia, and breakfast next morning in London. He could not say when this, would be realised, but believed that the solution of the problem would come suddenly. BETTER THAN GOLD. Asphalt deposits of extraordinary richness have been discovered on the border of the Mojave desert, in Southern California. Two women pi-ospec-tors, Mrs Wilson and Miss Spencer, were looking for. gold. They camped on the bank of a creek and lighted a fire. The unusually dense smoke betrayed the deposits of asphalt, which may prove more valuable than gold. There is a general rush to occupy the land. POLICEMEN IN PETTICOATS. The St. Louis "Ripper," who stabs women in the streets with a doubleedged knife, has not yet been arrested. In all he has wounded 14 women. A number of policemen dressed in women's clothes are on duty nightly in the neighbourhood of the "Ripper's" operations. NEW MOTOR RECORDS. | Mr Fred Harriot, in a Stanley freak steam motor car, on January 23rd, ! covered a mile at Ormond Beach, Florida, in 32 l-sth sec. Later in the day, in a cigar-shaped steam car, he covered the same ditsance in 31 4-sth sec. The previous record was 32 4-5 sec. Lancia, the Italian automobilist, made a world's record in a preliminary final heat for the five miles open race, covering the distance in 2min 54 3-5 sec, and subsequently won the final heat in 3min 1 I-sth sec. Cedrino won the five miles race for middleweight gasoline cars in 3min 53 3-sth sec. STRANGE TALE OF A YACHT. Some remarkable evidence has been given (says a New York despatch) in the hearing of the action brought by the Liverpool, London and Globe Insurance Company against Dr and Mrs Parker, the owners of the yacht Scythian, which was burned at sea in June, 1900. The company paid £4200 insurance, and bow seek to recover £1400 on the ground that the yacht's fittings were removed before she was burnt. Captain James Cardiif, who was in command, has sworn that Dr Parker ordered him to burn the Scythian at sea, promising him £2000. He carried out the orders, but did not receive a penny of the reward, although he perjured himself regarding the application for the insurance money. NEW CHRYSANTHEMUM. There was a gorgeous display of chrysanthemums at the Royal Horticultural Society's hall, London, on January 25th.. Tlie mosfc noteworthy newer in the Show was a new chrysanthemum—a late flowering decorative variety of very rich and bright pink hue, called."Winter Cheer"—shown by Mr J. Lowe, of Warwick,' which gained, a silver medal. Its long stems bear masses of large flowers, the chief feature of which is their hardness. "You could sweep the floor with a bunch of them, and not do 'them harm," said the exhibitor. "This is a great point with florists, who will not order soft flowers if they can help it, owing to the bruising they suffer m papking and carrying." •*-■■•& STRANDED AERONAUT. Count Zeppelin's airship,says a telegram from Stuttgart, has turned out a failure, and the Count is so discouraged that he will not continue his experiments. At the last trial the motor and the steering apparatus refused to work correctly. The aeronaut decided to land on a meadow near the town of VVangan. The airship's bow had a trick of turning upwards, and during the descent the rear part was caught m a birch tree. There it lav like a stranded vessel, and as it was impossible to move it by means of the motor, a body pf fifty soldiers were summoned from the garrison at Weingarten to take it to pieces. LESSONS OF THE AVAR. The lessons of the Russo-Japanese war in connection with infantry tactics and equipment were the subject of a lecture at Aldershot L.y BrigadierGeneral Pilcher. He said the war had .shown the necessity for the soldier to carry his entrenching tool. The present custom in the British Army of carrying these i Hearts caused much delay. Therefore, The War Office hasdecided to reintrodnce the ' Wallace spade,which can be carried in the belt. Ihousauds of these were sold some time ago for 2Jd each. The method ot serving out ammunition, said the General, was also to be reformed. The cartridges will be packed in light cardboard boxes containing 150 rounds. Iheso boxes will be subdivided into smaller packets containing fifteen cartridges each. In this way they can bo easily passed along the line. GERMANY'S NAVAL RIVALRY. It is stated that the record, time in winch the battlesbjn Dreadnought has be^n biuit has attracted the attention of German naval men, and in particular of the German Navy League. A petition lias been prepared by the League, bearing 100,000 signatures, and will be at once presented to the Rpjohstag. It urges the necessity of greater speed in carrying on the German naval programme, and clqclar.e.s that what England can do Germany should bo able to do. A similar petition, b,e_ai^ng 120,000 signatures^ wilt be presented by the journal Tagliche Rundschau.