INTERESTING NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 310, 30 September 1915, Page 3

INTERESTING NEWS.

A GERMAN ’ S WAR WAISTCOAT. A manufacturer in Hamburg, who had boon tremendously busy from the very beginning of the war putting or. the market all sorts cf possible and impossible contrivances for the use of the Fatherland, lately sent to the proper miM'tary experts in Berlin a model of a bullet-proof waistcoat, out of which he hoped to make a fortune. The War Office’s Department of Tests returned the model with the following communication: —’‘Your alleged bulletproof waistcoat was submitted to proof under musketry fire. We recommend that v n use your best efforts to place a supply of these waistcoats abroad in one cr more of the countries now at war with Germany.”

A REUNION AT THE FRONT. A trooper, who has been invalided home from the front, tells the following remarkable story. After a week in the trenches near Yprcs he was enjoying a few days’ rest in a village in the rear, when lie struck up an acquaintance with a burly Canadian. “In conversation,” he states, “I discovered that my new friend’s native county was Yorkshire. ‘Why, that’s ray county. too,’ I said. ‘What town?’ ‘Bradford,’ he answered, to my surprise, for I. too, come from Bradford. ‘You don’t happen to know any of my folk, do you?’ I asked, and T gave him my name. ‘Why, that’s my name. too,’ ho answered. ‘I am Tom , son of John . of Maiiningham. ’ ‘lf that’s so, I said, ‘you must bo my brother Tom, who went to Canada the year after I was born.’ And so lie was!”

AN AUSTRALIAN’S FORECAST. Mr. Carlyle Smytho writes to the Sydney Morning Herald stating that in England people are only just waking up to the awful gravity of the war position. Ho thinks that we shall not have an adequate British contingent in France before the coming winter, and adds: —'‘From a King's Messenger I learn that Russia, who is short in all things, even in boots, is expected to retreat fighting obstinate rearguard actions until the end of September, by which time it is hoped the Allies will have forced the Dardanelles. AH hr that we shall make the. double offensive. From the look of things even this is r.n optimistic estimate. Yesterdav I w;vs out at the Auxiliary Australian Hospital!, situated in Bilyard Leake's lovely estate in Bucks, he boys there are (officially) 'the very slightly wounded.’ But some of them appeared to mo very bad, and many of them will be nervous wrecks. Some, of course, were old friends, and although now convalescent, they arc unable to read, or do anything above some simple pastime. Most of them desire to go back to the front, for, as one said, 'The Dardanelles will use all us Australians up. ’ It is exactly the same on the western front, where only 150 of Princess Patrica’s Regiment have survived the world ordeal.”

A FATAL FRIENDSHIP. At Ballinasloe, in Ireland, a thirteen-year-old boy named Johnston lost his life th rough playing with a sentry's rifle. Since the outbreak of war a bridge near the railway station and spanning the Suck has been under police guard. This portion of the river is freely used fur fishing. Johnston and ins brother went there one Sunday evening ,and having„ma,d.e friends with the sentry one boy commenced to handle his rifle. He put his right eye to the muzzle of the barrel,"and in sonic way discharged the weapon. The bullet entered the eye. pierced the skull, and the bov died almost immediately.

£4,000,000 IN TWENTY YEARS. Even in America, where men of the typo of Get-ricli-quick-Wallingford abound, Ihe career of Mr Charles William Pest, of Washington, who died recently. was a notable one. Mr Post was proprietor of Grape-Nuts, known by every man, woman, and child in the kingdom. He left the huge fortune of £4,294,423, and as he did not begin his manufacture of foods until 1894. his great wealth, most of which has been bequeathed tc his wife, who was. formerly his shorthand writer and typist, has been lu . t up in the space of 20 years. It w:; at sr. old barn near Battle Creek in (he States that Mr Post began the manufacture of patent .foods on a small scale. To-da.y on the same site stands the huge model plant known as the White City, where thousands cf men and women are employed and on which £200,000 per annum, in advertising has been spent. Other notab'e instances of fortune, derived from the maufacture of patent foods and medicines are: —Mr James Epps, of the famous cocoa firm, £735,837; Mr Fred Boden Benger, of Bengcr’s Food. £420,807; Mr Johann Carl Gustav Melliiß of Mellin’s Food, £114.218; Senator the Hon. Geo. Taylor Fniford, proprietor of Dr Williams’ Pink Pills, £1,311,000; Mr Jeremiah James Colman. of Cciman’s Mustard and Starch. £ 087,024; Mr Geortre Haudyside, of Handyside’s Consumption Cure, £147,860; Mr Water Tom Owbridge, of Owbridge’s Bung IB etc, £112,214! Mr Robert Dyer Ccmmai.s. of Arena Nut Tooth Paste, £119,77?; Mr Thomas Beec’bam, of Beer-ham’s 'Tills, £199.777; Mr Alfred B. Scot* of Scotts’ Emulsion (English property), £174,947.