BILLY BOYS’ WORKSHOP

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1933, Page 6 (Supplement)

BILLY BOYS’ WORKSHOP

MAKING A BATTEBT CARniEtt. Every owner of a valve wireless set needs a carrier for use when the accumulator has to be recharged. You can make the carrier shown in the diagrams from odd pieces of packing case wood half an inch thick. No sizes are given, as accumulators vary a good deal, but you can easily measure your accumulator and cut the wood accordingly. The top diagram shows the finished carrier with its handle; the lower one shows how the various parts fit together. The bottom part A, should be sawn a quarter of an inch longer and wider than the accumulator. The two ends B, B, should be the same widths as the bottom part, and half an inch higher than the accumulator. The four side strips are a little les than one-third the height of the end pieces in width. In fixing the parts together, first screw; the two ends to the bottom, putting three screws in each, as shown in the diagrams. See that the ends are quite square with the bottom. The four side strips are fixed by two screws in each end. At a quarter of an inch from the lower edge of each lower side strip, make four holes with a bradawl right through into the bottom part of the carrier. Then

drive four screws in each side. Countersunk screws should be used throughout, so that all the holes must be countersunk with a rose-bit before the screws are driven in. , ' For the handle, obtain a piece of stout leather strap, about one inch wide and twice as long as the carrier. Half an inch from each end of the strap bore a I hole large enough to take the stem of a stout round-headed screw five-eighths of an inch long. >Screw the strap to the sides of the carrier, as shown in the first diagram, after making a slit, C, in it with a sharp knife. The slit will enable the strap to be slipped off at any time without removing the screws. To finish the carrier, give all the woodwork a coat of dark oak varnish stain. The Hut Carpenter. STILL LIVING. The other day an employer asked if a little maid’s invalid mother liked reading, “because I could lend her some books.” “She only likes good books,” came the rather crushing reply, and afterwards, “books like Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” So the old story still keeps its hold on the heart. It was not after all, one

of those books of the hour which perish when the . hour has passed. The battle against slavery has long been over in the United States, but the book which was written as an anti-slavery tract goes on. . The new readers of Uncle Toms Cabin may sometimes be inclined to ask if the book was true? Mr. T. B. Widdowson of Leicester could tell them it certainly was, for he actually met Uncle Tom. . Uncle Tom’s real name was Josiah Henson, and he came to Leicester in 1873 to lecture on slavery. He was a most lovable, genial old soul, says Mr. Widdowson, and talked freely about his life as a slave. Then, says the reader, the flogging of which Uncle Tom died was made up? No, that brutal thrashing was indeed given, like many others, but in reality it cost Uncle Tom the use of his arms instead of his life. If a fly walked on the old man’s face he could not brush it off, but had to lay his hand on the table and lower his face to it. He could never again raise his hand to his head. Those bad old day are not so very old. . We have moved a long way towards Christianity since 1865, when slavery was abolished forever in the United States. There is no doubt Uncle Tom’s Cabin played a great part in that victory. It went to the heart because it was true, and because it was true it has its readers still*