MISCELLANEOUS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 410, 21 November 1874, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Musro by Telegraph. — Elisha Gray, of Chicago, well known in the electric telegraph world, has succeeded, almost beyond his own anticipations, in perfecting an instrument which will convey sound by electricity over an unbroken current of extraordinary length ■without the aid of automatic repeaters, Tn the ordinary transmission of messages over telegraphic wires to points at long distances, a message is generally reported by automatic working instruments about every 500 miles, in order to renew the current of electricity. Mr. Gray has transmitted sounds which were distinctly audible at the receiving point, over an unbrokemcircuit o£ 2,400 miles. It is one of the grertest discoveries made since the early days of Morse. Such noted electricians as George Prescott says it goes to prove what all electricians have long agreed upon that we know little at present of the possibilities of the future of electric science. The writer has heard music played on a small melodeon, or piano key-board transmitted through an unbroken circuit of 2,400 miles, | and reproduced on a violin attached to the receiving end of the wire. Mr- Gray plays " Hail Columbia " " The Star Spangled Banner" "God Save the Queen," '• Yankee Doodle," and other well-known airs, and they wore unmistakably repeated, noto for note, on tha violin, which lay on a table near at hand Even an accidental false note was immediately detected on the violin. The apparatus, by means of which the feat is accomplished, has been named by Mr. Gray the telephone, or an instrument for the purpose of transmitting sound to a distance. It consists of three general parts, the transmitting instrument, the conducting wire, and the apparatus for receiving the sound at that distant point. The transmitting apparatus consists of a key-board having a number of electro magnets corresponding with, the number of the keys ou the board, to which are attached vibrating tongue 3on reeds, turned to a musical scale. Any one of these tongues can be separately set in motion by depressing the key corresponding to it, Thus a tune I may be played by manipulating the keys in the same way as those of an ordinary piano or melodeon. The music, produced entirely I by electricity, of these notes is so distinctly I audible in the next room that, in spite of mitcli talking, tliere is no difficulty in determining what the mani]Diilator is playing. — " Atlanta California," 25th July. An old farmer who was troubled by owls that invaded his hennery got rid of them in rather a novel manner. One night he ground | a scythe blade very keen, split a long pole at the top, inserted the blade, and hoisted lhe pole. The birds of wisdom never lit on this but once. One gallon of owl toes were picked up next morning, and the farmer has not lost a hen since. — American paper. It may be mentioned, says a contemporary, as indicative of the care taken by Mr Redwood in the preparation of liis horses for their engagements in Victoria, tkat he s hips hence the oats, water, &c. , required for them, that they may not suffer from change of food or drink. The precaution is not unnecessary, for the of the Van Yean, it is wellknown, is for a time not a little troublesome to new arrivals — men as well as animals. A husband in Maryland opened a letter addressed to his wife to see if her uncle in England had left her a fortune. She happened to surprise him in the act, with a clothes stick in her hand, and now he tells his friends tnat the mark over his left eye is where he was vaccinated. Dr Sylvester says he has no doubt that healthy trees may be infected by the poison of diseased ones, conveyed upon saw or pruning shears, and he advises that these implements be carefully washed in a solution of carbolic acid after being used about a blighted pear, or peach with the yellows. Cool Too !— We "(Star)" are used to being plundered of such inconsidered trifles as mere paragraphs, but the " Bairnsdale Courier" is above the " kinchen lay," and on Saturday last stole a whole leading article from our columns. The "Argus" reports that Messrs. M'Meckan, BlacWood, and Co.. in addition to their New Zealand an'l Adelaide shipping business, have recently obtaiued a contract from the South Australian Government for a monthly service to Port Darwin, and, in order to meet the growing trade between the various colonies, are now building two new steamers on the Clyde, of about 1,200 tons each, with a guaranteed speed of 13 knots. Both vessels are expected in these waters early next year. ; As showing the very great desire evinced to settle down on the land in Victoria,, it is stated that at a recent sitting of a Land ( Board near Geelong there were no less than 1 12 applications made for one piece of land, consisting of 54 acres, and about rive miles from town. Lots were drawn on the art union principle, resulting in a James Miller being the successful drawer, I The "Press" is very severe on Sir I George Grey. It says: — " Sir G. Grey's notions are antiquated. The generation he belongs to is past and gone. He conies among us, with his old-world'belon£ings, like a political Rip Van Winkle. There is something almost pathetic in the spec.tacle of the recluse of Kawau emerging from his solitude iv the fond belief that the people will rise at his voice like one man on behalf of a system which everyone but himself knows to be obsolete, and the approaching downfall of which the great bulk of the public view with eager approval, or, at the least, with tranquil acquiescence." The "Sydney Morning Herald" of October 15 says — " Messrs. Craig Brothers, the well-known sailmakers, have juscompleted the manufacture of an immense canvas arena for Chevalier Blondin. It contains 8,000 yards of canvas, or 96,000 square feet. There are 15 miles of sewing, giving 3,801,600 stitches, This is by far the largest order ever completed in the sailmaking line in the colony, and has been finished in 11 working days. The price in round numbers is £540."