NEWS FROM ALL QUARTERS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1929, Page 7

NEWS FROM ALL QUARTERS

A LUCREY BLUNDER

Tile prosperity of a busines liou.se in Boston lniil a quaint origin. The foundation of its .success was laid by an early member of the firm, several generations ago. who shipped a cargo or warming-pans to the West Indies! It would be difficult to imagine a more absurd investment, but it so happened w .iat these warming-pans were found to he just the thing that was wanted at a certain stage in the process of sugar manufacture. The result was an immediate demand for more.

COW CHARGES BUS

In the sequestered uplands oi Northumberland a bus load of passengers had an extraordinary experience when a <oiv charged violently out of the darkness of the night into the blaze of the lamps. It struck the vehicle which jolted violently. The bus, one of a service running rom Alnwick to Wooler, was going up Uiirmitage, a stoop bank near Whittingham, when the collision occurred. The animals head struck tne front of the bus which was travelling at a fair speed, smashing the lamps and doing other damage. Its body swung round and bumped the side of the vehicle. Nobody was hurt. When the beast was looked for at the roadside it was standing evidently undamaged, but looking a trifle dazed.

THE HUMAN BODY AS BATTERY

Herr Zacher, a Berlin electrical engineer, has devised an apparatus for electrotherapy, by which a person’s body will generate electric current as needed. The inventor is an expert in the use of small electric currents for curing bodily ills, and claims that as the body contains a large amount ol salt solution it can be made into a generator of electricity if the electrodes are inserted at the right places. An experiment with a human circuit with a galvanometer inserted in the electric circuit showed that a current was really circulating, and further tests in conjunction with Dr A. Sperling demonstrated that such electric currents have a decided therapuetic value.

HATLESS AT WEDDINGS

“Weddings should not he looked upon as social entertainments,” said the Rev. R. M. Rutter, the Seauomlie Primitive Methodist minister, when inerviewed at the close of a marriage service to a lady guest without a hat. .Mr Rutter said in future lady guests coming to a wedding service in a house of God should come with their heads covered.. “In view of the growing! laxity regarding the marriage service,” he added, “I feel strongly that the set-redness of the service should he emphasised. I felt I could not let the irreverence pass, otherwise it would he weakening the Christian position and the custom that women should have their heads covered in church.”

CAT KILLS BABY

How a baity was billed by a cat was told at a Brixtun inquest on Richard Donald lin rye, aged six months. The baby’s foster mother, -Mrs W. Whittle, of Pulross Hoad, Brixton, said site left it in the cot. She returned forty minu. les later Lo find the cat sleeping on the baby's chest. The bayy was blue, aiid she could hot revive it. Her son tried artificial respiration in vain. Dr. Anderson said the baby died from suffocation. A heavy cat lying on a baby’s chest was sufficient to cause death even when the mouth was free. Mr Douglas C'owhurn, the coroner, recording a verdict of ‘‘accidental death,” said it was not the first case in his experience of a cat causing a child’s death. Care should be taken to prevent animals like cabs having access to elyldren’s cots.

SOBER SMITHEJELD

Mr W. Hood iwn, known as the “Smilhfield Pidre,” reports in the current issue, of the London City Mission Magazine that a great change in tneir attitude to religious work has come over the 15,000 men employed in the biggest meat safe in the world. Bad language is stated to have disappeared from Billingsgate, the famous fish market, hut while it is still heard in Smithfield, the meat porters are complimented on their temperate habits. He says that lie has never •ceil a drunken Smilhfield market porter. Mr Goodwin says that when lie was being questioned on Biblical matters bv a crowd of porters one of them sboued, “I’ve just left prison alter serving fourteen days for punching my brother-in-law. To kill time T read the Bible every day, and what I don’t know about these matters now isn’t worth knowing.”

GUINEA PfGS £3OO DOME

A' £3OO scheme for housing guinea pigs which are used in the county analyst’s department was passed hv the Worcestershire County Council. Mr T. W. Parkes said they should not have guinea pigs in parlour type bouses. The medical officer ot health said flic department bred the guinea nigs and sometimes had a stock of 100. 'lhe animals’ quarters will lie in the

new £20,000 offices of the county's clerical staffs.

THE GUILLOTINE -MYTH

It is useless now to say about the guillotine, “ Jt was invented by a man of that name during the French Revolution, and used in course ol time t’ behead him.” He didn’t die in that way, but lived until 1814. And lie didn’t invent the guillotine either.. He merely proposed that beheading should lie the usual fboeau.se the most) humane form of capital punishment. The first machine was made by a German named Schmidt, -who was given his instructions by aDr Louis. It was called for a time after him, “ Louisrm ” and “ Louisette.” r lhe name guillotine came into use later.

RUST-PROOF CARS

Important developments in the pro dilution oif all-weather cars in rustless steelwork are being carried out by leading British motor manufacturers. The Austin Motor Co., Ltd., are undertaking research in the production of rustproof cars at their Longbridge works. British developments of an important now steel process which, it is claimed, will revolutionise the motor industry, ,wcre announced recently. Those arc- now proceeding rapidly, progress is being made in the manufacture of nitralloy steel, which is rustless, reduces wear-and-tear on en gines, and increases efficiency while reducing petrol consumption.

SANG AT lITS WORK

Because he sang at his work while selling newspapers at a street corner at Merthyr, Glamorgan, Johnnie Harris has won for himself a stage career. The sole suport of his widowed mothei lie was overheard by a searcher for talent, who brought him to the notice of Mr Arthur Sleet, the well known revue producer of Newcastle. Stage tests followed, and it was found that the lad also had the makings of a brilliant actor, besides being the possessor of a remarkable voice. VHe is a crenius ” says Mr Sleet, “ and is easily the greatest find I have come across duriim mv 20 years’ connection with the stage. Within a short time lie wi» he one" of the most-talked-of boys m the country.”