MAKING A FORTUNE WITHOUT CAPITAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 187, 7 September 1871, Page 6

MAKING A FORTUNE WITHOUT CAPITAL.

A "West Coast paper has the following clever skit upon the way in which business is too often conducted in New Zealand, and, for that matter,

in not a few other places : — Mr. Bolter (on his return to the "West Coast) will lecture on " Finance, or the Art of Making a Fortune without Capital." Mr. Bolter will give several instances where this has been accomplished. A, he says, buys of B five tons of flour on a months's acceptance, at £20 a ton. A then sells the whole to C at £16, for cash, and buys ten tons of sugar from D, at £30 10s per ton. Terms : one-third cash, and the balance by bill. A opens a store, and gets it well stocked by E, who takes a bill-ot'-sale over it to secure himself. A realises on the grocery part of the stock, and meets Bs bill for flour, from whom he orders twenty tons more upon the same terms as he obtained the first lot. By selling a portion of this at 25 per cent, less than cost, he meets D's bill for sugar, who, having the greatest confidence in him, sells him fifty chests of tea and ten quarter-casks ofbrandy upon terms. A then pays a portion of his debt due to E, who holds a bill-of-sale over him, and doubles his orders. Ais now in a good position. He realises upon the whole of his stock by selling for cash at one-third off the market price. He then takes a cabin passage, and in another Colony is enabled to start as a capialist. Mr. Bolter himself is a capitalist.

Curtous Experiment. — A recent " Fiji Gazette " says : — Quite a crowd was attracted to the end of Mr. Ilennings' warf, last Saturday afternoon, to witness an experiment for the capture of fish, by means of an explosive torpedo, consisting of a charge of what is known as giant powder. The invention — although new to vs — we are informed by Mr. Wolley (a late arrival by the Cambria from Honolulu), who displayed it, is well known in the American States. It consists of a charge of powder rolled up in a sort of skin, of about an inch in diameter and three inches in length, and one end in of which was inserted the pointed end of a fuse. The fuse was lighted, and the whole affair was thrown into the water, through which it rapidly sank, burning under water the while. Ou its touching the bottom, it immediately burst with the report of a pistol, greatly disturbing the water — lifting, we should imagine, some tons, and producing, belloy upwards, thousands of small fish, as well as a considerable number of large ones. The fish lay on the top of the water for about a minute, arid then gradually sank. Boats in the proximity scooped up a q antity before they sank, and a rush for the others by the darkies, who dived down for them and brought them up in handsfull. Nothing coul-l exceed the astonishment and delight of the natives present at witnessing the magic effects of this explosion upon the fish. Ratu Timocee. who was present, roared out " Samba! Samba !" and clapped his hands most vigorously ; and the others jumped into the water and were diving for half an hour afterwards. We should j imagine this giant powder a very dangerous possession for the Fiji men if they get hold of it, but Mr. Wolley assured us he would not sell it to them on any account. No doubt, if thrown into a house, it would blow off the roof, for its explosive power in the wate-i seemed enormous.

A One Man Audience. — A droll dramatic story comes to us from England. Last month, on the third night of a theatrical season in Eexter, at the hour appointed for beginning, in all the auditorium there was but one man. This was enough to damp effectually the manager's Thespian enthusiasm. He sent his sole auditor to the b x-office, to get his money back ; and the play was postponed, not for that night only but indefinitely — for the manager left Exeter, in disgust. We have seen or heard of. thin houses, but never, except upon a single occasion, of one po attenuated as this. When, in his younger days, John Kemble was managing a theatre in Portsmouth, England, he was playing but three times a week. A jolly mariner who wanted a play, but who was going to sea the morning after an off night, commanded a performance — paying the whole expenses of the house, upon conditions that nobody but himself be admitted to it. Solitary and alone he took his place in the middle of the pit, listening with great gravity, applauding with proper discretion, and occasionally stopping the acting while he went out to moisten his clay.' Kemble, after he had become a famous and prosperous man, used to tell the story, with his acpijstomed solemn humour,