Arizona republican., 1899-12-30
, TOPICS OF THE HOUR ,

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 The Engineering Magazine for Janu- ary contains the following interesting reference to the progress of automobile construction:
 During the past two years the essen- tial lines of construction have received no radical change. In such highly sue cessful vehicles as those of Panhard & Levassor of Peugeot Freres. and of Benz, two years have not pointed the way to any necessity for such change: but they have been marked by very great strides in the removal of mechan- ical imperfections. The memorable feats of the vehicles of Panhard & Levassor, of Peugeot, and of Mors in the Paris Amsterdam race of last year, the aris-Bordeaux race of this sum- mer, and the Tour de France race, have been accomplished by the removal of mechanical defects shown by previous similar severe tests, by the adoption of higher and higher grade materials. by the adoption of methods and workman ship previously looked upon as too eS- pensive for anything but standard tool making, and by a minute attention to every indication of experience and every means of convenience. Even yet, however. in spite of their feats of speed and endurance, they are admit tedly imperfect as machines, although the best as automobiles.
 In the same magazine Charles B. Go- ing writes as follows e6ncerning the fate of the Transvaal mines: Will the mines on the Rand suffer destruction, as has been threatened (according to newspaper report)-will they be seized and worked in the interest of the Boer government-or will they merely lie idle and take only the damage due to neglect? Unfortunately. no direct an- swer seems obtainable. It Is not to be believed, however, that any destruction of equipment could receive official sanction. In the first place, contrary to the generally received opinion, the ownership of the mines Is vested chief ly on the continent. British interests are a minority only, the majority of the shares being held in Germany, France, and other European countries. The large neutral interests involved would deter the heads of the government from directing or sanctioning any wrecking of property or plant. Whether or not the recklessness and lawlessness of the lower elements of the community could be restrained is quite another matter. Wholesale destruction is not to be ap- prehended, but more or less vandalism of a desultory character. For the pres ent, it is likely (as reported) that some of the mines (though only a few) will be worked for the gold needed by the Boer government, and that such work will be so prosecuted as to yield the largest immediate returns. Only the richest ore is likely to be taken: no at tention to maintenance or repairs can be expected; it will, beyond question, be a systematic robbing of the mine and driving of the machinery to death.
 
 The pioneer of modern war corre- spondents was Sir William Russell. His letters to the London Times from the Crimea were general pictures of all that happened there drawn on broad lines, and not little snapshots of incl dents with himself as the central fig ure; whilst so independent was he in his utterances that he never failed to blame where blame was deserved. Much the same plan was adopted by MT. Forbes and other war correspond ents in the war between Germany and Austria and in the Franco German war. But, with very rare exceptions. the correspondents of London papers in South Africa are of very different type. They magnify every little en- c-1r iv, | och, ion, and in every combat great or small they peppcr-cast their contributions with superlatives. In each of them the valor of the British troops is extolled, as though it had exceeded everything previously recorded of British soldiers, and to judge by their telegrams and by their letters one would suppose that they have not got over their surprise at the men not being towards. The air is always full of shells, and the bull lets are like hail when the soldiers ad- vance: and at the sight of their bayo- nets the Boers, whose loss is always vaguely stated to have been enormous, take to flight As for suggesting that there are any shortcomings on the Brit ish side, they deem this unpatriotic. All the officers are strategists whom it is fortunate for Napoleon or Moltke never to have fought. The British prepara- tions are always excellent. and the transport service the perfection of hu- man wisdom. All this may be consid- cred necessary by the jingo papers, in order to keep up the martial spirit at home, and to make things tally with their grandiloquent articles. But the public, judging by complaints we see in some of the London weel1Iies, would be better pleased were they to be vouch- safed little more information re- specting what really is happening. PLEADING FOR MRS. MAVERICK.