HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16455, 17 June 1921, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

BALLOONS MARK AIR ROUTE. In order to assist airmen flying above* cloud or fog on the French part of the Paris-London lino the French Air Ministry are experimenting with captive balloons. At Boulogne-, Beauvais and Paris a balloon will be put up during the day, between sunrise and half an hour after sunset, and will be kop£ above the low cloud, generally at a height of about 5000 feet, and never above G 560 feet. The cable is to have a red streamer at every 984 feet. Pilots navigating by dead reckoning above fog or low cloud will be able, to use the balloon to find their position. Signals in the shape of streamers suspended from the baloon will indicate the condition of atmosphere at different altitudes and whether landing is possible. STARVED AMID CHEQUES. Many uncashed cheques and dividend warrants were discovered scattered about the house in Brandling Place South, Newcastio-on-Ty no, in which Frederick Staples was found apparently starved to death. Staples, who was regarded locally as a miser, had lived alone for several years. For a long j time he had not been seen out in daylight, but bought what food he required after dark at a small shop not far from his houEe. A next d,oer neighbour: who had not seen tho man for some time | informed the police, and on Friday I night the house was broken into and ; Staples was found lying dead. Therei was no food and no money in the house, hut the documents found represented a considerable sum. It is supposed that Staples would not leave i the house during daylight even to cash cheques. I BAD FOR THE RABBIT. Mr David Devant, the famous conjurer, tells that many years ago he was I giving a one-man show at a small town i in the Midlands, and in th© usual way during the performance invited any i gentleman from the audience to step up on to the platform. A man in knee-breeches and a velveteen coat responded to the invitation. “ Now. ! sir,” T said. “ 1 suppose you think it s impossible for me to make that rabbit: in the box c-n the table pass into your coat-tail pocket? ” 44 1 don’t know about that, but 1 wouldn’t do it if I ! was you,” was tho reply. “Oh, jt : won’t hurt you,” 1 assumed him. “ I ' wasn't thinking of myself,” answered the man. “But I’ve got a couple of ferrets in that there pocket.” LAND HO! There js a splendid little yarn goingj the rounds concerning a commotion j which one© occured on board a ship. A 'j sudden bump sent one of the passen- ! gers up to find out what the matter | was, and ho encountered the chief ; engineer. “ What’s the “trouble ? ” asked, tlio passenger. “ Tbere’s something wrong? ” “ Yes.” replied th© engineer. “But don’t ask too many | questions.” “Dear me, then there is j something wrong! ” “Yes,” said the j engineer, hurrying away. “ What’s i wrong—what’s wrong? ” cried the passenger, rushing after him. “ What’s | wrong?” said the engineer. “Oh, ! nothing, except there is laud in the ; blinking engine-room ! *’

APE-BURGLAR. Poe’s celebrated tale, “ The Murder in the Rue Morgue,” lias found something of a parallel in real life, to judge from an incident described in the “ New York Times.” A man and his wife, living in the city, were awakened by a scratching noise outside their bedroom window. As they listened the blind of the- window flew up. In tho dim light the people saw a hideous face peering through at them. Th© woman shrieked. Her husband fired a revolver, and the faco dropped from sight with a scream. Policemen found a trail of blood to the edge of the porch. While they were searching for more clues a dark figure appeared and slid like a flash down the front of th© house and into the basement. There the police found that their quarry, bleeding from a shoulder wound, was a largo ape. It pounded, like a pursued human being, on the door of a f*asement flat, which was opened by the unsuspecting inmates. In it dashed, pursued by the police, who captured it. Suspicions are entertained that the animal had been trained by its owner to enter houses and steal. RACECOURSE GANGS. Special measures are to be taken to break up the gangs of ruffians who hare for a long time infested racecourses in various parts of the country and levied blackmail on bookmakers and Other racegoers. It was stated in a case heard at Keltham. Middlesex, recently, in which three men were convicted, that the Commissioner of Police had taken up the matter, which had become very serious. Bookmakers were blackmailed by these pest 3 ! and their lives were endangered if they ; did not pay.

The ruffians are known as " Tampers,” and one racecourse authority told a “Daily Mail” reporter that they are well known to the police. Their method was to demand money from a bookmaker .and if he did not immediately yield to the demand he would be robbed of everything he possessed and his life made intolerable. “ This reign of terror,” said this authority, “has already been checked on racecourses within the Metropolitan Police area bv the employment of uniform and plain clothes officers wlio know the ‘ Tampers ’ well and keep a sharp eye on them, but it frequently happens that on provincial courses sufficient police protection is lacking, and hence the ruffians do pretty woil what they like. “It would be a good thing if the services of a number of Metropolitan Police officers were engaged on the occasion of every race meeting in th< country.” PHOTOGRAPHING SNOWFLAKES. The task; dft photographing snowflakes is one that is more delicate than difficult. The utmost haste must b© used, as once the crystals are separated from the mass they evaporate very rapidly, even when it is extremely ~ cold. * Th© crystals are usually caught on a black board as they fall, and are then removed to a glass slide under an observation microscope. Only a brief glimpse of them is possible, during which it is necessarr to hold one’s breath- If suitable they are placed down on th© glass slide with the aid of a feather, after which the slide is placed on the stage of the miscroscope centred, focussed, and an exposure of from ten seconds to several minutes given, according to magnification and cloudiness. Snow crystals are remarkable in many ways for ouantity, distribution, origin, and all th© important parts they play in Nature’s plan. Although built usually according to tho rule of six, every crystal grows in kaleidoscopic fashion from start to finish, and almost even' moment in cloudland sees them changing form. ■ They ar© perhaps the most varied and exquisite examples of Nature’s art. These ©ver-varyino: growth while uniting to the parent crystal often do so imperfectly or m such ;i manner as to bridge over and imprison minute quantities of air, forming tinv air tubes within them, or diffuse shadings, which outline more or less perfectly the transitory shapes. These present the appearance of lines, dots and fairy-like geometrical figures in endless variety, and give exquisite beauty, richness, and complexity to their interiors.