BIG BROTHER BILL and the BAIRNS

Evening Star, Issue 22460, 3 October 1936, Page 8

BIG BROTHER BILL and the BAIRNS

NOT FOR OURSELVES ALONE Winners of competitions published September 5 are;—Under 10: Dawn Walker, 18 Canbngate, Dunedin, C.l. Over 10: Arthur John Doig, Pine Hill, Dunedin. Congratulations. THE POSTIE'S BAG 4 Elbe street, Mornington, Dunedin, W.l. September 23, 1936. Dear Big Brother Bill,—This is my third attempt at the competitions, but bo far I have not been successful. However, the saying that the third time is lucky may be true after all. I should also like to join the happy family, if I may, and also my younger brother, Phillip. Well, as time is not too plentiful, I may as well set to work on the competition.—l am, etc,, Joyce Watt. [Welcome to the family, Joyce and Phillip Watt. Brother Bill is glad to know that you try the competitions, and there is another saying that is very true. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.” There is hound to come a time when your name will appear among the winners, if you remember that one, too. Write again soon.] 101 Forbury Crescent, St. Clair, Dunedin, 5.2. Dear Big Brother Bill,—l have entered for the competition in Saturday’s paper, and, although not very good at arithmetic, I hope to be successful. A boy told me that he had a stamp wortli about £3 or £4. It is the same as the one I am enclosing, except that it was postmarked January 1, 1901 (not official). —I remain, yours etc., Maurice H. Miles. [Thank you for your letter, Maurice Mil es. It is a good fish story, but then, as the picture showed, the little gnome could not bull the fish out of the water, so it must have been a big one. About your, stamp. Brother Bill is afraid that the boy had a lively imagination' about the cash value of his stamp. Ordinary stamps, over-p'finted “ official,” are simply those used 'by Government officials in the Public Service. Some stamp collectors do not bother about putting them in their collections, unless they are specialists in collecting this particular kind of stamp. Certainly no recent stamp of that nature would he worth that much money. Thank you for sending it to Brother Bill. It will he returned to you by post. Brother Bill hopes that you had, an enjoyable visit with dad.] Beaumont, September 22, 1936. Dear Big Brother Bill, —Are you going to start the Model Aeroplane Club again? I think it is on© of the best, boys’ hobbies in existence. Nearly all papers and magazines have a column or more about this fascinating hobby. In America the men seem to be crazy about model airplanes, as they call them. I once saw on the pictures some petrol engine models in a competition. Some will fly over 10 minutes, but rub-ber-driven models are good if they go for one minute. There is great competition between England and America over the Wakefield Cup. I think America holds it at present, although lam not sure. As a rule, stick models fly better than fuselage ones, and they put up greater duration figures, because they fly more slowly. Scale models are difficult to make fly, because the wing cannot be shifted. High wing monoplanes are best, because the wing can be held on by a rubber band. 'Biplanes are difficult to make fly, because it is hard to get the same angle of attack on both wings. I have a Gipsy Moth which 1 keep for show, as it will not fly very well. I have put cockpit-operated movable controls on the tail, and minor details such as machine guns, exhaust pipes, etc. The best flyer I have at present is a fuselage model Swift, which with luck does slightly over 300 ft. One stick model flew for 25sec, and the same one covered 150yds at a height of about 80ft. I have a big on© with a 35in wing span waiting for its trial flights, as it crashed a short while ago. But the weather must improve before I risk it again. We fly our models on the racecourse. Happy landings!—John Child. [Many thanks for your letter, John Child. The Model Aeroplane Club has been in existence all the time, although there have been no field days during the winter. The trouble is that we do not get good enough weather to fly models outside in. the winter, and there is no building large enough to do so inside. But now the longer days are here, with milder * weather and less wind, the “ Aeroman ” will be meeting the club on Logan Park, as was done last year. It would be splendid if you were near enough to be a member. The Passmore Challenge Cup will he competed for in November or December. What about joining the club, and sending down your model for petition ? The members will be interested in reading your letter. Write again soon.] Main road, Sawyers Bay. Dear Big Brother Bill, —May I join your happy family? We have quite a large bush outside our place, and a creek runs through our section. I have not any pets, but I would love to have a little lovebird as a pet. My brother has a great big Chinchilla rabbit. We named it Fuffy. I read your page every Saturday night. Kind regards to all the bairns, not forgetting yourself. I am eight years old and in Standard 11. —Merle Mains. [Many thanks for your letter, Merle Mains. Brother Bill is glad to welcome you to the family. The Chinchilla is a very beautiful rabbit indeed, and makes a lovely pet. Perhaps one day dad will buy you a lovebird for a pat. liro;her Hill is ; lari to know that you u: ;.iy reading the columns. Write aguiu soon.]

46 Helena street, South Dunedin, S.W.I. Dear Big Brother Bill, —I am sorry I forgot to send my address with the competition on August 22. I was pleased to win it. Will you please put the shilling into your Christmas cheer fund? Daddy took me up to Mr Nichol’s “ Hilltop Farm ” last week, and I saw the big incubator, which holds 10,500 eggs. It was great. Daddy took up 72 eggs, and I hope we get a lot of chickens. It is great to see all the wee chickens fall out of the shells when they are hatching. We have a chicks now, and we still have five hens sitting on eggs. Some of the wee chicks come and drink the milk with pussy, out of pussy’s dish. Kindest regards to all the bairns and yourself.—l am yours truly, Marjory Jones. [Thank you for your letter, Marjory Jones. Brother Bill notes your request, and will do as you wish with the shilling. Many'-thanks for your kindly thought. The wee things that you. saw at the poultry farm are always interesting. Brother Bill hopes that you will soon have a good number running about your own place. Write again soon.] 8 Guthrie street, Timaru. August 30, 1936, Dear Big Brother Bill, —As I have not written to you for some time, I thought I would like to send you a little note. While I was in Dunedin during the Christmas holidays I asked my grandfather whether he would send me the ‘ Evening Star ’ every Saturday, so that I could read your poems, letters, and stories, which I enjoy very much. Every Sunday evening our family listens to your talks over the wireless, which I think are wonderful. I wish very much that I was in Dunedin when Otago played against South Canterbury for the Ranfurly Shield, because I think your team played a very fine game. Just before I close, my mother reminded me to thank you for the badge you sent me, so thank you very much, Big Brother Bill. I think X shall have to close now.—Yours lovingly, Ivan Sims. [Thank you for your letter, Ivan Sims. Brother Bill was glad to hear' from you again. He is glad to know that you are able to read the columns each week. The Otago football team has been playing splendidly, and we are all glad, of course, that* the shield will remain in Otago. But Brother Bill thinks that all good sports would have been just as pleased to congratulate: a better team if they had succeeded in winning. He is glad to know that you like the Bird Club badge. Write again soon.] St. Leonards, May 30, 1936. Dear Big Brother Bill, —I am writing to you to ask to join your Bird Lovers’ Club. I am signing the pledge and I shall try very hard to keep to its promises. I live very near the bush; in fact, we have a small piece of bush of our own, and so I see many native birds. Do you not think birds are lovely things, Brother Bill? I do, and I often feed them. Are not the fantails and tomtits comical P The way they cock their heads and fly from branch to branch. My father and I know of a place in the bush which is surrounded by trees, and one day we saw about 14 or 15 fantails flitting around in it. It looked just like a fantails’ playground. lam glad to say that our cat does not seem to worry the birds much, Brother Bill. This morning I saw the cat sitting on the window sill watching two birds which were very near to it, but pussy just looked up at them and then went to sleep, I must close now. I shall write again and tell you more about the birds in our bush.—Yours sincerely, W. Middleton.

[Thank you for your very interesting letter, W." Middleton. Of course the birds are beautiful, but they are _so common that very few people think about them. It would be quite a different matter if they suddenly disappeared. They are useful, too. They are Nature’s policemen to keep the creepy-crawly things in order. The fantail is a quaint little chap always. There was one came to Brother Bijl’s place not so long ago, and he was like a comedian among the trees. Also ho was as -friendly as can bo. Write again soon.]

If you wish to join the Bird Club fill in the px-inted pledge, and send it, together with a shilling postal note, or stamps, to Big Brother Bill, '•care ‘ Evening Star,’ Stuart street, Dunedin, C.l. Mark the envelope “ Bird Club.” THE FANTAIL (Piwakawaka). Common all over New Zealand, conspicuous in appearance, and fearless of man, there is probably no bird better known than the pied fantail. Similar species of the flycatcher family to which the fantail belongs are found in many parts of the world, some in Australia being closely related to the New Zealand bird. The special prey of these birds arc small flying insects, such as gnats, midges, and sandflies, and the long tail is primarily useful in enabling them to twist and turn quickly when in pursuit, for they almost invariably feed when on the wing. All the acrobatics of a modern human flyer and many more are second nature to a fantail;