HERE AND THERE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 75

HERE AND THERE.

—Harvard of Harvard Enlists.— At the close of the term at Harvard (the great University of New England) Lionel de Jersey Harvard, a descendant of the English founder of the University, received his bachelor’s degree. Two days Later he sailed for England to enlist. “The story of Lionel Harvard is a strange and striking one, eminently creditable both to himself and to the aiuthorities of the University,” says the Observer. “It had a romantic beginning. Among the: papers of George Bancroft, United States Minister to Great Britain in tire forties, was found a letter from Edward Everett (his predecessor in the post) asking him to seek out a Rev. John Harvard in Plymouth (England) and give him certain books relating to Harvard University. The discovery of this letter led to inquiries, in 1908, about the descendants of this John Harvard. “These inquiries led to London, where the parents of Lionel Harvard were found, Avith a son desirous of entering Emmanuel College, Cambridge, but uncertain of being able to afford it. The facts were brought to the notice of the authorities of Harvard, who sent an offer to England that if Lionel Harvard would prepare, himself for Harvard college, its opportunities would be made accessible to him. The offer Avas gratefully accepted, and young Harvard joined the college in 1911. His college career has been a highly successful one. He has taken a prominent part in musical, dramatic, religious, and social activities, and the Bulletin is Avarm in praise of the ‘modesty, simplicity, and sincerity’ of his speech on receiving his degree.” —Bombs—Various.—

A writer in Blackwood’s for August gives an interesting account of these weapons as they are being used in the trenches at present. There are, he says, four main types: (1) the hair-brush, (2) the cricket ball, (5) the policeman’s truncheon, and (4) the jam-tin. ‘‘The hairbrush is very like the ordinary hairbrush, except that the bristles are replaced by a solid block of high explosive. The policeman’s truncheon has gay streamers of tape tied to its tail, to ensure that it falls to the ground nose downward. Both these bombs explode on impact, and it is inadvisable to knock them against anything—say the back of the trench—when throwing them.” The writer continues; ‘‘The cricket ball works by a time-fuse. The removal of a certain pin releases a spring, which lights an internal fuse timed to explode the bomb in live seconds. You take the bomb in your right hand, remove the pin, and cast the thing madly from you. The jam-tin variety appeals more particularly to the sportsman, as the element of chance enters largely into its successful use. It is timed to explode about 10 seconds after the lighting of the fuse. It is therefore unwise to throw it too soon, as there would be ample time for your opponent to pick it up and throw it back. On the other hand, it is unwise to hold on too long, as the fuse is,uncertain in its action and is given to short cuts.” Bomb-throwers, one gathers from the same article, are facetiously alluded to as ‘‘Anarchists.” -—How to Economise.— How should people save in war time? What forms of expenditure should they cut down ? In reply to these questions the Parliamentary War Savings Committee, with the help of experts, has drawn up a number of suggestions, which include the follow ring: Ko person should build a house to reside in himself. Any presents given should be in the form of War Loan bonds or vouchers. No motor cars should be used except for official or charitable purposes. Entertaining at restaurants should be entirely abandoned. Changes of fa-shion in clothes must be ignored or suppressed. Nothing but the most sparse expenditure on mourning and funerals should be incurred. Every servant should be dispensed with, except those necessary for the simplest requirements. All “treating” should be given up till we can toast a final and complete victory. “No drinks till we’ve won” should be the motto. —A Pony’s Vagaries.— The antics of a Uist pony at the seat of war in Gallipoli are a source of delight to a Tobermory lady, wdio owned the animal before it was commandeered. She knew Polly to be acute enough, for she often watched her as she robbed certain hen roosts of newly-laid eggs. The pony stalked likely hens while pretending to bo busy gathering her usual food close by. At the Dardanelles, to the intense amusement of certain sections of the transport service, Polly lies down when she hears the scream of a shell coming in her direction, stretches out her fore legs, puts her head to earth, and shuts her eyes. She is apparently dead, but she leans to one side, making a hiding place for her rider till the danger has passed. Then Polly rises again anti takes her Tobermory gunner on her broad chestnut back. • —North Polo Causes Earthquakes.—

That the “wobbling” of the North Pole may be responsible in some cases for earthquakes is the latest theory tentatively advanced by scientists for an upheaval of the earth’s surface, lleceut study of these polar aberrations has demonstrated that the axis is constantly moving about in a spiral course, in much the same manner as a top travels when it is spinning on -a slightly uneven surface. By astronomical observations this path has been traced and the discovery made that the axis returns to about a normal position approximately every seven years. It has been found that when the axis makes a sharp tarn in its very irregular course seismic activity is materially increased. From this it is reasoned that the movement of the pole probably sets up stresses in the crust of

the earth which result in violent upheavals along faults and ridges. —Tree That Makes You Sleepy.—

In Golden Gate I’ark, San Francisco, a .specimen of the rare “sleeping” palm has been found, which is considered to bo mo only one in North America. The tree, which was brought to America by a. young Australian botanist, William Robinson, gives out a peculiar aromatic odour. Its upper branches were loaded with a beautiful rainbow-hued flower, giving forth a heavy perfume. Around the base of the tree were the dead bodies of small animals and birds. The curator who discovered the rare palm felt drowsiness stealing over him, and his son complained of the same feeling. It was found that the tree, which had originally been brought from one of the (South Sea Islands, belonged to the species Cocinecc sonmambnlce, or sleeping palm, which blooms only once in 50 years, the flowers of which were formerly used as a drug by the islanders.