HALCOMBE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8910, 2 September 1907, Page 2

HALCOMBE.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Tho Rifle Club ball was tho social ovout of tho past wool:. Though tho weather on Friday night was not such as would tempt any persons to travel far, "and though- there wore counter attractions iu other centres, tho couples came and bulked largo enough to comfortably occupy the floor space and enjoy dancing to the music of those Stauway artists —Mr 0. Oalliugbam (piano), Mr Christian (violin), Mr O." Thorby (cornet), assisted by Mr H. Woddo (trombone). During the supper interval tho president of the club, Mr J. Morrison, welcomed tho guests, and complimented the Ball Committee, 1 its lady helpers, -and tho secretary; Mr F. ’Pleasants, upon tho success of their labours to pleasantly punctuate tho history of tho Halcombe Defence Rifle Chib. Mr F. Pleasants suitably acknowledged the compliments paid the ladies, his fellow workers, and himself. Tho Club’s secretary took advantage of tho captain’s absence to direct attention to the regrettable fact that Mr St-rachan was about to leave them, and tho Club would therefore lose his valued services as captain, haudicappo.r, and marks? man, which dated from the birth of the institution. Apart from Oiuij affairs, Mr Strachau bad been the popular and successful head master of our State School for tho past xurtoen years, and wo do not intend to permit him. to depart iu peace, but would bail him up some night soon and toll him as best wo can how wo appreciate the services he has rendered ua in many directions during his lengthened residence iu Halcombe. The dancing programme, with extras, contributed by tho Misses Pleasants, Fyke, Bradbury, and Morrison, was then continued and, with the dancers, was exhausted at 2 a. ni. Mr Dick Tiibxiipsou writes from London; 1 giving '"some of' bis experiences in and out of tho village Among other novel and sensational tilings ho saw was a motor car race; and't'ho first- (JO h.p. car that whizzed by at a speed of as many miles pep hour and disappeared like a flash, loft him gasping’ dazed, and speechless. On another occasion Dick, ip a prominent position and as one of a, loyal crowd, had the gratification of seeing tho - King and Queen pass closely and slowly by, “and because I shouted the loudest and raised my hat with colonial vigour their majesties graciously acknowledged my enthusiastic greeting.” Sovyj tUnt'a too modes* • of v * Dick. -Had Edward ' YII. And his charming consort distinguished 'mo that manner I should have remembered that our King is ope of tho keenest observers and meat perceptive ! of men, and theretoro had recognised me as a' distinguished visitor froni “God’s Own Country,”, Mr Wilhui; Fip'Jd'fTfif tin talk about science to the man in the. street "apt pears in' tho July number of Life arid those talks will, no doubt, make that street walker ' sit down and think his h ay-dps p )ge might have better chance of getting 'the hang o| things if he lived in the same street as tho geioufigt, lji\t nufortunately lie does not and is apt to feel himself fa,r-a-liejd when fie is told that “an electron is cme.thousandth pars of the mm vi the kuo .,vn atom” that of hydrogen, and when he learns that a “radium electron” travels 150,000 miles in a second, tiiQ man in the street knows he’s.left,' at the post. Me perhaps feels more closely iu touch with such a personal matter as this. ‘ ‘ Tho smallest paring of his linger nail contains billions of atoms but is a complicated stellar system of these electrons” and he will probably exclaim “that’s a nailer.”, Thou again, the man in. tho street may consider himself somewhat of an autocrat at thd breakfast table ‘ when ho tells hia ! missis on 1 "Wilbur's’ authority that sodium arid chlorine are both unfr valent while tho former is electro; positive and tho latter olcctro-negas live. (Mix’um mother.) The sodium atoms want to lose an electron each, while the chlorine atoms are cheerfully willing to accommodate them as they want to gain one. The result is that each sodium atom loses the electron and so becomes positively charged, since the departed electron was negative electricity and each chlorine atom gains ono of tho discarded electrons and so becomes negatively charged. A. positively charged body attracts a negatively charged body, except when one is drunk the other sober. So tho two unite and form—table salt—or the

man in the street may here pause and “pass it’’ and try to get homo on Wilbur’s next ileal. “Man the supreme wonder” is the wonder because ho wonders with a brain composed of just these same eleertrons and nothing more and with this instrument ho measures, weighs and explains their motions and finally determines that matter is electricity and that electricity is—the mystery, and now and here the man in the street feels “he is up against’ l the scientist when the latter j com fosses ho can neither see nor raise the blind and is ' compelled to “chuck in his hand.” My special South African corres, poudent writes under date July 23ud 1 Last week we had a three days’ show in Durban, but it was a very poor affair compared with the A. and P. shows of Palmerston North. Wo have neither the industries, stock or produce in this colony. There were no cattle shown, as a number of the districts arc infected with tick fever and the animals are not permitted.;,to move from an affected to a clean district for fear of spreading the ‘disease.” I itave to thank the secretary of onr Forester’s Lodge/Mr G. Heappey, for an invitation to be present at their 23rd anniversary ball, which takes place oii the SOth instant' and • at which I expect to soo the usual splendid muster' and meet friends from far agd near who can always roly upon being hosuitably entertained by their experienced and gonial hosts'. The members of our rifle club will compete on Saturday next for a trophy kindly presented by Mr 0. 0Pleasants; competition to”commence at. 1.89 p.m., ranges two, five and sis ■ hundred yards,