MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 26 August 1881, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

There bas just d'ed a lady whose name§ was Soften enough ia men's months during tbe course of lbe Crimean was. Tbe name W3B Seacole, and the history of its owner w.is singular enough. She w;ia a Creo'e by birth, and bad receiving an education in her youth which developed her ruh'ng passion — a desire to name the sick. Tbe Crimean wif gave bet* Mis opportunity; sod whevftthe campaign was over there were many to tesity to her noble st-IT'd^votion and unwearied kiodofss nnd care. Amateur nursiog bas snce taken its place amongst other illustrations of fashion patronising f duty ; but Mrs Seacole herself carried the wooaded offibe field of battle, aod when cholera made its ppoearance io tbe camp before Sebsstopnl, look charge of one of tbe wards. She had otberjwork to do than to beiVere'^'og iaa coatu_»e. It was fou ad when tbe pe.;ce came tbat ber herlfch w.s broken down, anl any fortune sbe had utterly dissipated But such cla»ros on public recognition cou'd not be overlooked. Many military men. including the Commanderin -Chief, interested themselves in procuring subscriptions to a fund, on the interest of wlrca'she has been able to end her days io comfort.— * Home News.'

A recent letter from Miss Mflry Rouse gives the following ludicrous picture of railroading at the Sandwich Islands:— 'This is the funmest rail" road, and strange things happen on it. Tbe train will stop anywhere for anybody to get on or off; it will stop for a man to buy some taro PDd pay for it. Just as tbe train started, a Kanaka woman came alooe with a great big pig, and dog, to get on. A mptt took hold of tbe rope aod bauled ibe pig io'o the colar; tbe woman threw the dog in herself; sbe balanced quite a while on tbe edge of the car, sprawling head'snd hands over on tbe car, and feet out io the air. Finally the man dragged ber ia as he bad done tbe pig. Sbe sat dowa ia tbe bottom of tbe coal car; soon it began to win; she untied an old coat, i wrapped it around the pig, embrrced tbe animal io ber arms, took the dog in ber lap, and there she sat until we reached Paia, vs happy as tbe animals themselves. While in our car a pipe was lighted and passed from mouth, each man, woman, aod ch'ld taking a wb : ffor two. Ob, everything is so queer in this country.

Gradually all the parts of the e'edr-c light are passing voder tbe scrutiny of men of inventive and scientific genius, and tbe result is that its cheapness and efficiency are improving every montb, Tbe latest dis* covery is that that carbons may be made to last very much longer by plating tbem with a thin layer of relractory metal, Tbe cost of carbons formed a very important item in tbe expense of working tbe lights used to i I mmioate tbe Thames Embankment. This item will be reduced by about 50 per cent, by tbe adoption of this sys* tern if found to possess the quanlity of preserving tbem in a greater degree tban any other metal of equal cheapness. A Chicago agricultural journal giyes an account of tbe largest plough ever known to be made, which has been recently turned out by an Illinois firm of agricultural machinery makers for use on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railway, It is attracbed to a platform<car of a construction train in such a way as to cut its ditch a sufficient distance from the railway line. It will make one mile of ditch, 2ft deep and 3^'t wida, every four hours, thus doing the work of about 1,000 men. The beam is made of swamp oak, and is Bin by Hin. the land side being made of ir m Bin. wide and l_-in thick, which had to be forged expressly for the purpose. Its total weight is 17,000. b.

Mr Warmull, a member of a well known firm of English culters who exhibited in Melbourne, visited New Zealand, and wrote to a friend, intimating that he intended returning in the Tararua to Victoria, However

he changed his mind and did not take passage by that illfated vessel. On reaching Melbourne he fouud that tbe Exhibition Comraiss : oners had packed up ali lm good*, and a-ritfen to his firm to the rffjet tint he w..s drowned asking them to break the news to his family. He \c, s compelled to send a cablegram to England to anticipate the Commissioners letter.

A member of the London Photographic Club, nam 3d Mr A L. Henderson, has discovered a method of preparing an emulsiou which will probably solve the question of ab« solutely instantaneous phonography. The idea is to mix with the ordinary

bromide of silver emulsion, as at present used, a quantity of finely divided sulphido of calcium, which being one of iliose chemicals capable of strong light, and becoming phosphorescent after the shortest exposure to rays of any kiud, causes the effect nf the image to rjmain after the light has been withdrawn. The renstiveness of the plate thus produced may be imagined from tbe fact that Mr Henderoon bas taken inatantaneous pic* tures by gaslight admitted through a

pinhole

An Illinois man was arrested the other day and fined twenty-five dollars for disturbing a debating club. We should like to know him, The man who has got the voice and energy to disturb a debating club, providing the latter is healtby and active in iis diabolical wisdom, is worthy of acquaintance, and ought to be given a Government position as a foghorn on a stern and rock-bound coast.