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Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 14397, 3 January 1911, Page 2

A little Boy Scout story for Sir R. Baden - Powell: “The other day in Canada I heard about a little Canadian boy who, when he wont to bed, suddenly recollected that lie hadn’t done a single good turn that day. His conscience was gnawing at him. Ho hoard a little squeal in the corner of tlie room, and lie got up and released a mouse that had been caught in the trap. Thou he gave it to the cat.”. A journey of 2-119 miles on an Arab pony has been accomplished by Mr. J. H. Bill, a British consul in Southern J’ersia, who has reached his homo in Staffordshire on the hack of this plucky little animal. He told a newspaper representative that ho believed it. constituted a record, certainly for one animal. The early stages of the journey were the worst, for tho pony had to tackle hilly and unbroken country, anil he was unable to average more than 20 miles a (lay. One incident of the journey was an attack by brigands. If a proposed new railway is constructed in I’ersia, London will bo brought within a week of Bombay. An influential group of Russian financiers arc promoting an international company for the construction of a railway from the Caucasus to Baluchistan, traversing I’ersia. It is proposed to obtain the necessary capital in Russia, Britain, Franco and Germany. it is also hoped that the Persians will actively ' participate. The new railway, starting from Baku, will skirt the Caspian Sea to ibi- iVr.MaiHronlier. wbemv Kinnan to the binders' of Baluchistan and Nusliki. Tin- sections within Russian and British territory will be under (be exclusive enatrnl of the respective countries. ’The I’er'."■inn trunk line will be built ami controlled by the international company. it will be Kim miles in length, and will cost fifteen millions sterling. 'rile dlUanee from London to Bomhav, via Alexandrova, Boston' and Baku will be oHHI mill's, tin' whole journey taking not more than seven (lavs and lasting 20 per cent, less limn the journey via Brindisi, which requires twelve and a half de,>s. tVhilo and Sons’ hosiery stork is always of that dependable kind that: gives wear. Perhaps the most popular and best selling line is that at two shillings per pair, in either ribbon or plain. Made of best long staple wool, it. gives a maximum of wear at a small cost. Coloured hose and open-work goods of all descriptions are ready for tho hot days.*

Dunedin vital statistics for Dccemarc nR follows: Mirths 143, deaths 45. marrinßpß 77. The following are f'min-s for the whole of last year: r.ulhs 1*728, deaths 85C, marriages G-S2. The figures for the previous year were: Mirths 1744, deaths 795, marriages 012. Tho marriages for 19J0 eonstitufco a record for iJunedin, the previous best being 6G4 in 1908.

A press message states that Air. T. E. Taylor, AI.P., who has been visiting Akaroa. lias brought back specimens of an inject said to be a natural enemy of the white pine borer. Ho reports that where the insect appears the borer rapidly decreases, in. view of the desi ruction caused by the borer, it is suggested that a (iovornnioni export should iuvo.'stigftrf the reports. T'ne annual meeting of the AVaikanao Macing Club was responsible yesterday for a riot in a small u ay. -Two horses belonging to one owner started in a nice with two others. The former two monopolised most of the betting-H-on-gonuu being at a short price and Stainelia quoted at remunerativb odds. The latter started throe lengths in ftout, of the field at the word ‘.‘Go,” and got tin: inside running. A yell of derision immediately wont up front the crowd, and was continued when il-ongomai came down the straight with hia mouth wide open, hard held by Gray. The stewards idero called and decided that all bets were off, suspended Gray for six months, and let the judge’s placing stand. Tho announcement quelled an ugly situation, and met with approval. —Tress Association.

A Government hotel, a Government general store, and n Government ‘‘credit instrument of exchange” are included in the list ot preliminary works to be undertaken' in connection with tho establishment of Australia’s Federal capital at Yass-Cumherrsi. The sum of £45.000 was voted by tho Federal Parliament last session, after a memorable debate, and in the cairn of tho afterdays (says the Argus) tho Minister for Home Affairs (Air. O’Malley) applied Idmsolf to the of formulating the first schedule of capital site works. This schedule was submitted to tho Federal Cabinet a week or so ago, and it has been approved of. Tho £45,000 is available for expenditure in the 1910-11 financial year, but the whole of it will not ho expended before tho end' of next Juno. It is proposed to begin as soon ns possible after tho Now Year with tho works which had been authorised.

Tho possible danger incurred by. firemen from directing the stream of water from their hose upon wires which carry electric currents of high voltage (says Popular Science Siftings) has not yet been definitely settled. Two curious accidents have recently been reported. Both occurred to men working on an electric railway, supplied with current by a third rail. The first man was washing a portion of the line with water contained in an iron bucket. Having finished his task, he carelessly .throw the water upon the roadway. The falling water struck the third rail, so that the electric circuit was completed by the Water, the iron bucket, tho man’s body, the earth, and the lino. The workman received a severe shock, although it does not appear that ho was seriously injured. The second accident was of a similar character, hut the water was of physiological origin, and no bucket was used.

What might have easily resulted in a double drowning fatality occurred at Moturoa yesterday. A lad named Harold Cooper residing with bis parents at Kent Road was bathing with a number of others at the end of tho wharf under tho, breakwater when ho was struck by a wave, and being on'the edge of tho “cut” made by the dredge was soon out of his* depth. Although surrounded by hundreds of people few realised his serious position, and it was not until he had sunk twice screanrng for help each time that Fireman Hastings from the Rarawa, pluckily dived off tho wharf in his clothes and held the boy up. He soon tired however, and it was fortunate that a boat was handy and took both on board; The police and others soon brought the hoy round. At five o’clock he was still very weak and suffering from the shock, * Hastings’ conduct deserves some recognition. .

The speed of rifle bullets can be determined by tho improved method of Crantz with such precision that the error is estimated not to exceed one foot per second. A series of electric sparks at tho rate of 5000 per second lights up.the bullet as it passes a horizontally pivoted rotating drum covered with-a photographic film, and the distance apart of the images formed on the film show the bullet’s velocity, the frequency of the spark and tho rate of the drum’s revolution being known. To make measurement easier, a glass rule divided into millimetres is photographed with the bullet at each spark. The reduction of speed by air friction is shown from tho lessened space apart of images of the bullet on a second drum, and tho lag of the imago of the second drum gives the time of flight between the two. Special arrangement is made for synchronising tlie drums and identifying tho images on each. A pendulum contract-breaker closes the electric circuit that fires the rifle, and cuts off the current except during the minute fraction of a second, in which tho bullet is passing tho drum. Chinaman’s luck used to he proverbial. Something must have changed it in Ballarat, For twenty years the Woa’u Hawp Canton G.M. Company was the solo property of Chinese, and the annual meetings of the company were a cause of great interest and amusement, being conducted with music and prayer, tho eating of pigs roasted whole, and the horning of yellow paper to scare away Fan Coney (the devil). But the Woah Hawp fell upon evil times. Its stone became poorer, and finally the reef pinched out. _ Tho mine was' abandoned by,the Chinese, and about five years ago was 'taken up by a body of adventurous Australians. Fortune changed. The .reef was picked up, and every blow of the pick has since shown increasing richness. During the past half-year the company (says'a telegram to the Sydney Sun) have expended £3OOO to complete the purchase of a neighbouring lease. Three dividends of Is were disbursed, and the reserve account increased to .LoOOO. ’lhe term closes with a credit balance of X'lo3'i to working account, and there is in addition about £:)',!() worth of smelted gold on on hand. The output for the halfrear was 3107J0z from 2907 tons, and pvriles has yet to be treated. On the returns for ’ the last eighteen months a net profit of ■(.‘20,000 is disclosed, of gold having' been won from 11011 tons of ore. Tills company have ivaliscd a large sum from the nuggets obtained on the indicator reel. 1" October, hist year, a nugget was found which produced Ml’or smelted gold. Tlie idea that “any old thing” wifi do for surf-bathing is a thing of the past. There is no reason why people should not wear smart and lining parol on the beach. In fact, quite the contrary, there is good reason why they should. The advent of the two-piccc all-wool, Canadian costumes heralds a new era in seaside apparel. The new costumes are both becoming and suitable and arc moderately priced at tho Melbourne.* *