MULTUM IN PARVO

Otago Witness, Issue 3315, 26 September 1917, Page 47

MULTUM IN PARVO

Seventy tons of coal a day will carry an ordinary battleship along at the cruising speed of 10 to 1Z knots; but to drive her at 20 or over five tunes that amount must ba used.

Commerce is not above- learning from war. The proprietor of a Chicago shop has installed a periscope in hia window which enables the passers-by to see good« exhibited in the basement. , Only in J apan has the value of wrestling been universally recognised; and the result is that tho average Japanese physique is unrivalled for power, agility, and the internal health that so largely depends on the vitality and balanced do* velopment of tho inner muscles of the lower part of the body. Tho body of an ambulance for horses that an Englishman has invented is mounted on a pivot and can bo turned around to permit an occupant to walk out head first. A system of shorthand writing for the Chinese language has been invented by Ms Wong Po Koung, of Hong Kong, and a speed of 140 words per minute has been attained by him. Coleridge claimed that tho three greatest works of the 19 centuries were all written by men of feeble health —Spinoza'a "Ethics," Bacon's " Novum Organum, and Kant's "Critique- of Pure Reason." As another instance of tho triumph of tho. spirit, Sir Isaao Newton, it is stated, was a most unpromising child, with a frail body and poor eyesight. "Ho shewed co aptitude for study, and was. first incited by the desire to get ahead of a boy who kicked him."

—ln proof of tho conservatism of the Arab character the Empire Review telii an amusing story. Long usage has accua* tomed tho Arabs to dig with a very small spado fitted to a lonsr handle. They then put the earth into a bag, which they carry and deposit on the spoil bank. Tbi, engineers in charge of the Hindieh Bar* rage or dam on the Euphrates tried to introduco wheelbarrows, but a very old Arab, as spokesman for the rest, observed:' " You people from the West, a thousand years ago no one knew ypu; my people have been here since the time of Moses—arc you going to teach us how to carry,& earth?"

The Bulletin of the South-eastern Union of Soientifio Societies mentions that in the year 1330 beer was Id for three gallons—as compared with 8d for a pint to-day in London. In 1330 a. penny was the smallest coin, and a petition to Parliament asked • that a smaller coin should be issued, the petitioners seemingly being in favour of homoeopathic doses. The smalJe* coin was also stated to be desirable to* " works of charity," though flag days were then unknown.

Tho German briquetting industry has practically doubled within six years, and 10 years ago boasted an output of 16,500,000 tons. Professor Frank shows that the profit on a ton of hard briquetted coal is 1 mark, but on the brown coal, though the briquettes are sold at a lower price, th» profit is 3£ marks per ton. The betted result may be attributed to many causes, not the least important of which is the greater attention that has been devoted to the exploiting of the brown coal industry, as shown by the fact that more than 12.000,000 tons of the lower-class briquettes were produced in 1907, against 4,000,000 ton* of tho more expensive coal. —ln America women are becoming ticketsellers, crossing guards, gate-tenders, carcleaners, carshop workers, signal and freight clerks. The vanguard of these woman railway workers has Touted many men from their positions. The men havs gone into Government service or havo taken up work which women cannot do. Within a short period many women will bo filling men's places on the West Shore and Seashore railroad and other division* of the Pennsylvania system. Women are doing prrade crossing sruard duty at New* field, Pitman. North Woodbury, Gloucester, and Haddonfield.

Europe has often carried war into China, and China has sent war into Europe* Gordon looked upon the Great WalL built 2000 years ago, over mountain and plain and river for 1500 miles. He remembered how the conflicts, begun along that wall, 16 centuries before, propagated war from people to people, and brought Alario to the Salarian Gate of Rome. _ The Chinese had gunpowder and a compass 1000 years before ours, and whea our Forth bridge builders were asked tWf question they said, "The Chinese wer* centuries in advance of our oantileve* bridge. Theirs is on every old willowpattern plate." Large beasts of prey have a strong antipathy to rats and mice. When » mouse 'was thrown into a cage where there were two lions the animals leaped away, roaring, apparently with fright, and making efforts to get away from the tiny creature. A tiger roared with rage when first introduced to a mouse. Then hd lowered his muzzle to smell at It, but would have no more to do with it, and made violent efforts to breajc from his cage. Elephants screamed trumpeted when mice were introduced, shrinking fronp them aB far as their chain 3 allowed. One elephant, however, more knowing than the rest, when a couple of mice were placed on the ground before him, quietly placed' his foot on them.