Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 47, 24 February 1881, Page 4

A Detective in Disguise. — Mr. Bolas (says the Oamaru Mair) has devised a little apparatus which may well be termed a detective camera. To all appearances it looks like a shoe-black's block, a rough, squarershaped box,, which may be slung,over [the shoulder with a strap, or rested upon th© pavement if need be. Iv fact, when wanted for work it is put down on tha ground. Ife carries gelatine plates already in position, with a lens that is always in j focus for any distance from 20 to 30 feet. The camera may be used without the least fear of discovery. It may be dropped in the street in the middle of the pavement, before a shop, upon a bridge, and time the owner sees a group he wants a picture of. As the box touches the ground, a bulb is squeezed, and the j exposure is made. We have seen an instantaneous sketch taken on board a steamer ot two men by the paddle-box, one of them rubbing his forehead in the most innocent and unconscious manner, while the other relates some story or incident. A correspondent sends us (Christchurch Press) the following : — Mr. D. Maydwell, Harewood road, Papatrui, has been troubled with swarms of bees that have for the last five years repeatedly taken up their residence in the side and roof of a bedroom in his house. Several times he has destroyed the bees with sulphur, only to find another swarm take possession: of the empty combs. This season the busy insects became so numerous- that ;they worked away the canvas, and made their way into the room, so necessitating their removal or the giving up ofi the room to their sole use. Mr. Maydwell last week obtained the services of Mr. C. Chaplin, bee expert/ who removed the bees and broad combs into twp bpxes, which he adapted to the bar frame princi pie, beuides . taking • py.sr 401 b, of prime honey in virgin comb. One of the swarms had built a most beautiful piece of comb, measuring about 4ft long and 2ffc wide, and on the edge that was stored with honey it was 3 in thick. Several visitors watched the operation with some amount of fear, but on being informed by Mr. Chaplin that the bees would not sting, Mrs. Maydwell, Mrs. CharleßWorth, and several lady friends took handfuls from him without being in the least injured by them. A neighbor of Mr. Maydwell has tbis season taken seventeen I swarms that have strayed into his premises. j "Robin Hood," in the Australasian, writes : — " In • all my experience! -in 1 sporting matters on both sides' of the/ world, I bave never yet met a man wbo has been such an all-round popular favourite as is Laycock; Amongst the Putney working men and riverside employes, he is simply idolised ; there hover was a man, say they, like, Lay-' cock. All tho way on both sides the river, Putney to Mortlake, ' Laycock' is the one word on all " men's " tongues. Amongst bettcr-clasa people, too, the same state b£ things.jprevails, his ; great, pluck, the fact that he had by his .four matches amassed some ; £800j : and then lost all bat a £10-note_.on .his ' mate' Trickett.; his steadfast swearing by Trickett, and sticking' to the latter in his "disaster's— all these, added to his quiet, gentlemanly, want of bluster Demeanor, have none what _ hate .'said, and have given him the sympathies and good wishes of all, high or low, rich or poor, who care anything about aquatics. I will now, however, proceed to give an account of the final heat. After going about a third of a mile Laycock yelled at Smith to give^ him a chaiiqe,. and Smith just after bore out. a little, and Laycock got thenosti of his .boat' in and gradually pulled up : alongside ;' and now he had more chance to get on, for Wallace Boss had by this time a lead of three clear lengths, so that Lay-" cock had no fear of a foul onhis ' rigfyt. Getting well alongside Smith,' and rapidly forging ahead of him, he said, ' Well, I have got rid of you, and now I'm after your " mate ';" ' but tlie ' mate' wanted a lot of catching, and Hosmer, too, was far from u>ne with. ;.Thq brave little Yankee/was • sticking' most gamely to his work, and as Hammersmith Bridge was neared ho, was. seen

to be gaining perceptibly on Lay cock. i Now we'll show you all about your Laycocks,' said Ross's supporter to mo ; to which I replied, ' Yes j 1 fear they have done for liim between thorn.' . . Lay cock ultimately passed iho post a seven lengths . winner, and Ross beat Hosmer about three* ' Ross immediately claimed the race on the foul, but the umpire simply replied, ' You gci second prize, Ross.' As. soon as these words were heard, shouts of joy went up for the brave Sydney man, to which he in his boat responded by waving his hat. Never was victory so popular. All the way back on tho Press boat as we returned, we were asked from the bank hundreds of times by the crowds, ' Who won ?' (o which, of course, the reply was 'Laycock.' Then up went hats in the air, and loud cheers at every point greeted our reply. On Laycock's arrival back at Putney, such a scene as that witnessed can hardly be believed, thousands of excited people standing ankle deep in water, the high tide being over tho tOAvingpath, yelling, rushing, cheering — all eager to touch the popular Avinner. It Avas an ovation and no mistake, and Laycock's happy face was all over smiles."