CURRENT TOPICS OF THE DAY

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 4 September 1914, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS OF THE DAY

(from various sources)

An English publication (" The Engineer") has fallen into a error. In a recent issue it says : " The longest stretch of railway in the world without a curve is said to be in New Zealand, where there is distance of 136 miles in a perfectly straight line ; this fact being the more remarkable when it is considered that New Kealand is one of the most difficult countries for railway construction, as it is very mountainous, necessitating sharp curves and heavy grades." Enquiries show that the longest stretch of railway line without a curve in New Zealand is a section of 14 or 15 miles between Rakaia and Ashburton.

Two London County Councillors are said to have experienced a surprise at an elementary school at Clerkenwell the other day. They questioned and crossexamined the elder scholars most unmercifully, and when the class had reached the point of restive-ness-one of the councillors asked for " a short quotation from Shakespeare." A hand went up and the youngster began, "Ye gods, ye gods ! must I endure all this ?" — from " Julius Caesar." The visitors expressed doubt of authenticity of that, and asked for another proof. Promptly came the response, " Ye blocks, ye stones, ye .worse than senseless things !" The two London City Councillors went away from that school bewildered.

With the prevalent cold weather, chilblains are a trouble to those of defective circulation and of sedentary occupation. A correspondent of a contemporary, who has brought up a tolerably large family, states that these troublesome swellings can be easily cured by the application of equal parts of olive oil and laudanum, applied night and morning to the affected parts with a feather. This remedy, the correspondent states, he found a dozen years ago in Dr. Gordon Stables' suggestions in the Boys' Own Paper, and he has never known it to fail; but the genial doctor who wrote so much for boys also recommended judicious and regular exercises as One of the best antidotes for chilbains.

Some idea of the condition of settlement in the New Plymouth district 50 years ago may be gathered from the following extract from a leading article in the Taranaki Herald of July 2, 1864, dealing with the cost of the militia:—" For this sum (about £10,000 a month, or £124,000 a year), leaving the Imperial expenditure out of the account, we secure our existence here ; we keep our hold on the town and seven or eightlautposts, and we. secure, too, a right of way for small armed parties along the main road eight or nine miles on each side of the town. The land to seaward of the Devon Line between Bell Block and Oakura may also be said to be in our possession, and a small region round the town ; beyond this is a debateable land, where either party goes at its own risk." So, says the Herald, when we talk of Taranaki being one of the earliest white settlements in T%.2L, we must r-en^en^Der. that 2$ years after, it was nrs.t settled the occupied area was limited to that above-named—from Bell Block to Oakura' on the seaward side of the main road. So the growth of Taranaki must be dated from less than 50 years back.

" Albert Cajshier.^ an inmate of the, Soldier^ Home at Quincy, U.S.A., who has been masquerading a man for 60 years, and who served as a soldier in Gener^], Grant's army diinng. the civil war., has just b.een' found to, b ; e, a woman" Hex sex 'was discovered only while she was imder the care of the Hiu'geon. She was born in Ireland 72.years ago, and came to America as a stowaw^^ clad in boy's clothes.. Vv hen the civil war broke out she enlisted m the 95th Illinois. Infantry, and partioipAteq in " some of . the Muddiest battles, always behaviour with great gallantry. When mg war closed she resumed eovil life as a workman, uut-il ag-e and the results, or exposure during th \Y.ar 'made her unable to support herself. She then entered the. soldiers' home. She has tell her history.