HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16350, 12 February 1921, Page 8

HERE AND THERE.

MAN-HATER OF 103. Aldlle Menter, of Neuehatel, th 4 oldest woman, in Switzerland, celebrated her 103rd birthday recently and wr* congratulated by the local authorities. She has a prodigious memory, recalls Queen Victoria's visit to Lausanne, and was present when King Edward climbed the Sale's-© Mountain. She nursed soldiers of General .Bourbaki’s army when they were forced to cross the Swiss frontier in 1871. Owing to a shattered romance in her youth Mdlle w Men ter became a man-hater and refused eleven offers of marriage. ELECTRICAL SHIPS. Imagine sailing from Southampton on* Monday and landing in Nsw ork es» Thursday, seventy-two hours later! And then remember that to talk cf crossing the Atlantic in three days is not a wild flight of imagination, but a scientific development which, according to the experts, may be accomplished this year or, at the latest, m a very few years’ time. This modern miracle will be achieved by electricity (remarks a London writer?. The latest American Dreadnought, the New Mexico, driven by electricity, has amazed the naval experts of the world by developing a speed of twenty-four knots, or almost the speed with which the Mauretania, broke the world's record in 1907. If this speed is possible in a heavily armoured warship, what- wiil be the speed of the first electrically driven liner to cross the ocean ? Some experts say thirty knots, some forty, some even more. * What is certain is that on the day the first electrical liner is launched New York will be brought nearer to London by one. two, or even three days’ travel. China and Australia will be onlv three weeks away, while South Africa will be able to send flowers and fruit i help cheer us up during the winter. The tremendous speed at which the boat is travelling will make promenading impossible, exeept on enclosed decks that protect the passengers from the wind currents outside. It is probable, too. that each ship will carry fewer passengers and more cargo—for two reasons, to keep her steadv as she rushes through the sea and to cater for the big demand that is bound to arise for fruit, eggs, and similar perishable stores in England. If it he found‘that the vibration of the engines is too great,, sheets of rubber will be inserted between the docks i to lessen the move-men* and deaden the j sound. Passengers will then be able | t-o write Tetters in comfort while j ploughing through rough seas at almost j the speed of an express train. hixperiments made with smaller craft have satisfied marine engineers that tho * ?hin of the future will V controlled and driven hy electricitv. ! FOR A BIBLE i A Mazarin Bible belonging to tbo ttaronees Zouclie was bought at Sothe- ! sale rooms in London the other dav i b T Mr F. Sabin for £3750. The Mazarin Bible was the first important specimen of printing with movable type, and gained its name because it was found in Mazarin’s library. PREHISTORIC FLEA IN HONEY It is believed that the earliest food store laid aside for his wants bv man. and which is still in existence, is a jar of honey found in an Egyptian tomb, and probably placed there for the sustenance of the dead during the journey across the Stygian River, says tbo “ American Forestry Magazine."' When found, the honey had changed into a very dry candy, and it had lost its sweetness though it could still be identified as honey. In the bottom of tbo jar. well covered with honey, was a dead flea of precisely the earn© sort as those which plague Egypt *o this day. Apparently the insect had hopped into the jar while the last rites over the dead were j being observed, and when the jar was : corked the little fellow was abut -p | within, and. like the true patriot, be j probably could bar© declared that death , we c sweet Anyway, he sank t-o the ! bottom while the honey was still soft, and there the archaeologist* found him after a gbod many thousands of veer?. DEPORTED FROM BROOME. The wa rehip Geranium, which was dispatched to Broome. West Australia, fro mMelbourne some weeks ago to suppress the riot? between the Japanese and Koepangers. seems to have carried out her work most effectively. One hundred Japanese wore landed at Thursday Island. Queensland, awaiting riei portation. They wore picked up by the j Tango Mara, of the Japanese mail line. The Japanese- from Broome were men who came from Singapore, and were apparently without any license. They had been swanking about Broome boasting openly that they were as good as white men. and claiming racial equality. Affairs reached a climax on December 22. when a riot occurred, which resulted in two Japanese being killed and several Koepangers injured- Sergeant Spry ami Fisheries Inspector Stuart, while rescuing two Koepangers from the Japanese, were slightly injured, and Dick Francis had his face gashed while helping to nut the men on board a pearling lugger, j Japanese residents of Australia gene- , rally express no regret that these breakers of the law are being sent away PAPER FROM VENEER WASTEIn the wood waste from veneer factories the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory sees considerable raw material suitable for the manufacture of high grades of paper. The cores of many kinds of veneer logs, now used in a large part for fuel, would make excellent pulpwood. Tn addition, a large part of the clippings could be turned into pulp stock with profit. Arucng the veneer woods whose waste has priser making possibilities are red gum. yellow poplar, cottonwood, birch, tupelo. basswood and beech. Many veneer factories cutting these species are already within shipping distance of pulp mills. In. certain other cases renwr factories arc «o grouped that they might furnish pulpwood enough to warrant the election of a cent rally-located mill. Other economic, factors being favourable, such a mill could prrrfitnbL on a daily supply of veneer waste equivalent to 50 cord« of ordinary pltrpwcod.