The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-08 00:00:00

SATURD.AY, MARCH 8, 1879.

also in journeys through the wilds of the interior. While
in that quarter of the globe. Mr. Howitt wrote "A
Boy's Adventures in the Wilds of Australia," and
shortly after his return to this country he gave to the
world, in a more elaborate form, the results of his
observation, on the Australian Colonies, in a work in
two volumes, entitled, "Land, Labour, and Gold, or
Two Years in Victoria, with Visits to Sydney and
Van Diemen's Land."
Alter their return to England the Howitts settled at
West•hill, Highgate, where they continued their inde-
fatigable literary labours. The most important work
on which they were employed was "The Illustrated
History of England," Which they wrote for Messrs.
Cassell. This work was followed by another on" The
Ruined Castles and Abbeys of Great Britain and Ire-
land," a volume on "The Cruelties of the Game Laws," a
"History of the Supernatural in all Ages and Nations,"
and an antiquarian and topographical work on Hamp-
stead, Highgate, IRlington, Holloway, Highbury, &c,,
entitled "The Northern Heights of London." About
six or seven years ago the Howitts quitted Highgate
and took up their residence abroad.

THE DISASTER AT ISANDULA,
in connection with the above disaster, The Times pub-
lishes the following letter, which we have no doubt will be
heartily responded to :
Sir,—lf the public considers that the Spartan
bravery evinced by my gallant old regiment at the late
engagement in Zululand constitutes a claim to their
country's gratitude, I feel confident that the appeal
which I now make will not be a vain one. Thirteen
years ago I had the honour to receive the colours,
which it afforded me infinite satisfaction to hear were
never lost. Their defence will ever be looked upon as
a glorious romance in the annals of warfare, and it
is now on behalf of the wives and families of the
devoted band who fell around them I ask for contribu-
tions. Messrs. Cox and Co., Craig's-court, and
Messrs. Vesey, Holt, and Co., 17, Whitehall-place,
have kindly consented to receive them, and in the
meantime a committee will be formed to carry out the
desired object.—Yours faithfully, EDMOND Wonn-
HOUSE, Major-General, late Colonel Commanding Ist
Battalion 24th Regiment. Bramdean, Alresford,
Hants, March 2.

TEE CurarrATloir or TIM/W.—At a time when
landlords are asking bow they are to reduce rentals
bearing no greater profit than 3 per cent. it may be
worth while to calculate every possible means of In-
creasing euch rentals, especially in districts where the
soil does not suit the principal cereal crops. The
profits to be made from timber are beginning to be con-
sidered, and American authorities with a vast and
varied experience are generally in favour of forest
culture. Unlike corn, timber seems to yield equally
well with successive series of growths, while the demand
for firewood, for shipbuilding, for posts, for telegraph
poles, for railroad sleepers, and for a multiplicity of
other purposes is materially increasing. The bulkiness
of timber as an article of tratipport gives home cultiva-
tion a special advantage over foreign production.
A BEAVER SETTLEMENT.—The Beaver settlement in
Rothesay pinewoods, established some time since by
the Marquis of Bute, has been considerably disturbed
in its equanimity by the severe winter. A complete
change occurred in the creatures' habits, according to the
Live -lock Journal, and never were they known to re-
main so idle as during the late violent storms. When the
deep snow was on the ground they appeared perfectly
dazed, and the swollen torrents, rushing down upon
their habitations, half swept them away. Now, how-
ever, the beavers are busy putting their houses in order,
and as they seem quite happy in their present quarters
and have bred there, the Marquis proposes to intro-
duce more beavers in another part of his estate.
STOPPING THE INTEREST.—I heard the other day
(says Mayfair) a rather good story told of poor Charles
Mathews, who was, perhaps, more ready at asharp
rejoinder than any man of his time. After dining one
day with a friend who possessed an excellent cellar, a
bottle of splendid claret was put on table, and his host
drew the actor's attention to it. " Ah, my boy," ex-
claimed the host, "try that. That wine, sir, has cost;
me nearly four shillings a glass, taking into calculatiox.
the original cost and the interest on the money.'
"Good gracious," replied Mathews, "give me another
glass at once; at any rate, I'll try and stop the
interest !"
OUR GO-AHEAD COUSINS. The Cour4 Journo
says :—" It has often been remarked by English
travellers in America that our Yankee cousins appear
to labour under the amusing delusion that the business
of life in their country is carried on with a rush and
impetuosity that must necessarily be very bewildering
to slow people who have never seen anything less dull
and drowsy than the Strand or Cheapaide. If the
Philadelphia Record is not mistaken in the signs of the
times, the truth of this transatlantic notion will shortly
be conspicuously illustrated. This authority has ex-
pressed a confident opinion fleet at no very distant
day " the whole city will be upon wheels," and pedes-
trians will be everywhere skimming through the streets
at the rate of ten miles an hour. This would certainly
be lively work, and might well impress the stranger
with that sense of Brother Jonathan's " rush " and
"go" of which he is himself so profoundly conscious.
Somebody, we are told, has just brought out a " pedo-
meter " compared with which, for all practical purposes,
the ridiculous little wings at Mercury's heels would have,
been laughable. The new machine is not precisely a.
roller skate, though it seems to be a modification ol
the idea. Four tough light wooden wheels with an
india-rubber rim are strapped to the feet, and by
means of them a pedestrian who has a natural stride of
thirty-two inches will, without additional effort, be
enabled to cover forty-eight inches in an ordinary,
stride and a half. The wheels are not under the ',vet
but at the side, thus affording good firm footin, and
the hind wheels being slightly larger than Citiose in
front, incline the body forward and accelerate the
speed. There is a brass wheel behind Intended to
serve as a guide and a brake, and there is a contrivance
called the "pusher," which comes into play when
going up a steep incline. The whole machine, it ia
added, weighs scarcely a pound. The most signal
illustration of its use has hitherto been by a news
carrier at the permanent Exhibition building, who
goes his rounds at the rate of twelve miles an hour:
but Philadelphia would appear to be rapidly taking
wheels to its feet, and we may shortly expect to hear
of a series of alarming collisions and some sort of
legislation against such
larch,
ara.tgmerph: foscueoetofhtirhaoßg,mthitefhoEhteou shseitfuoTecoiwunslonrlog.
mountainous
certain
prevalenthoitatlniisamrrutattop
species
rgmorserainopeptr
ke.
or'
e:
comprising
ogt
ras
rejbssos:3o:l
tstttrmbhwohheemToaeeeeesccnHetfihbhktEreiyi,ratsn:hebeorghruHaeisd:enotvohu,
r:dmelteereasa4emn.enpo,l
and
:11h:1:ate
teeca:mahcei
nebetenoall
forest-trees are: the oak, the beech, the eybstohe
nebefg-peilttul the ee:
districts;eetrees.
onlhwewhere
it is found in great abundance. The greater portion
of the Hungarian forests are the property of the
Crown, the revenues derived from the occasional sale
of large tracts being very considerable. The activiti
of the commerce in wood in Hungary has necessitated
the multiplication of the means of transport, the e'en.
struction of additional roads, canals, and even re,iiwal
tracks, in order to facilitate the removal ot timber,
both for building and domestic purposes. During the
period of the last four years the Hungarian forests
have produced 1,751,580 cubic metres of timber-
this amount the oak alone contributed 116,200 cubit;
metres, the remainder of 1,635,380 cubic metres being"
furnished by the other species mentioned above. The
sum derived from the sale of this timber, and the
wood used as fuel, amounts to 6,388,977 florins, the
net produce—upon deducting from this amount three
millions of florins for expenses an maintenance
being 3,388,977 florins,—Land and Water.

FROM A WERSHOT.—Wheu the British fleet was set
anchor in the Black Sea, contributions of periodicao
and newspapers were invited for tha benefit of our
sailors. But in the ships which take our soldiers t,e'
the Cape, things are different, They carry Vetoo
magazines with them. One literary venture tney
compelled to omit—the Duke of Cambridge's reviesq'
—Judy.
A STRANGE DISCOVERY.—A strange discovery is re"
ported from the Lake of Geneva (says the Court
Journal). A tourist having lost his trunk, two diver'
were employed to search for it. While they vier!
below water they found what they supposed to be
village, since covered by the lake. Their etatementj
led to an investigation of the spot by the municip
authorities, who took measures to ascertain the trutP
of the extraordinary account of the divers. Oe cove.
log the plecid suiface with oil, they were able to d4e.
tinguish the plan of the town, streets, squares,
eetne;
detached houses' making the bed of the lake. J.
ruddy hue which cheraeterised them led the observe
to suppose that the buildings had been covered wire
the famous vermillion cement which was used by ti',„
Celts, Cimbri, and the early Gauls. There are aboll'
21)0 houses arranged over an oblong surface, near thee
middle of which is a apace more open, supposed tobsiri;
been used for public assemblages, At the easter,
extremity lies a large square tawer, which was take.;
for a rock. A 'spoerficial investigation seems '0
indicate that the construction of these buildings dateg
from sonee centuries before our era. The Council ot
Vaud has decided to have the site of the dwellillga
enclosed by a jetty stretching out from the land. Ode%
drain off the water, so as to bring to light s4',':l
promises to be cue of the most interesting archologic
discoveries of our day.
AVERAGg PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The
lug are t'ne average prices of British corn for the Weed
ending March 1, as received from the inspectors to ,
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 385.; barley, 335.
oats, 19s. 7d. per imperial qr. Corresponding weep
last year :—Wheat, 50s. 10d. ; barley, 435. 6d.
235. 10d.
ee of
A WISH GRATIFIED.—The GOVerROX•GeLIarwi
18
Canada and the Princess Louise recently paid a
to the Gloucester-street Convent, in Ottawa. ie
main hall was beautifully decorated, and the PlWeil
were dressed in white. After verses had been re
and hymns sung, the young ladies asked among tin;
selves what would be the beat method of recelvoo
the visitors, and one gave expression to the wish tl3,
some good fairies would bring them Scottish thistleel
English roses, and maple leaves. Scarcely weel
wish uttered when fourteen little girls attired
fairies, bearing floral tributes and wearing glitter'.l3o
crowns, entered the room, presented the Princess Ncjeo
a beautiful floral ceeptre, and scattered flowers at R4l
feet, 4 s4ocond company of fairies presented a 0
wreath, and strewed flowers on the throne. The tele
honours were paid to tha Marquis of Lorne.
young ladies next approached the throne, and 00 t'ei
die Feed the Princess in French and preeented her Wl,O
a bouquet, and a second young lady concluded by o'6,
ing that, in the narne of her Royal mother, she Plte
sented bougget of violets, roses, and heartsease,
Albion's daughter, fair Louise;
THE PARIS Pitesg.—The Parisian Press now num-
-1,190 jouenele—daily, weekly, and other periodicaloa
and including 49 daily political newspapers. Of 04
153 are devoted to commerce and finance, 139 to
literature, 131: era technological and industrial, 160
legel, le^i literary and biographical, 71 religiouSe
medical, 45 scientific, while 31 are generally amustrt::
23 sporting, 11 artiztic, 7 belonging to the fashisees;
eluding 3 occupied by hairdressing, 1' tibeatriesAeo,
musical, and the rest belong to military and nS'ese
agricultural and miscellaneous subjects. Last
the Exhibition produced 11 periodical publications.
so
AIfERICAN MEAL—At a tinge of widespread distreie
and trade depression when the use of American Orel
has been highly recommended, it may be of gene ef
interest to mention that the entire quantitY jog
American meat imvirted into Great Britain &If of
he year 1876 was 10,165 6321bse. the money valules,
which amounted to £389,395. In 1878 53,681,216,u,:4.
were imported, with a money value of £1,264, O
The total money value of dead meat from Eeeeope, vises
only 266A35. The value of the import.; be all elsE.o
of live stock into Great Britain 'met year from Al33e,reied
arid the continent was 27,454.482, and, with c'6oo
meat added, £,783,8L0f that sum nearly £4,oo°'
was
thrre rzte 7,l4Atjt,
,1141 E
ONNAUGHT'S
ar
‘3l7'
fof
,
to the bride of H.R.H. the Dultes
Conuaught is a souvenir, received by her a few '0
ago from the "Prussian Society of Matrons
Maidens," consisting of a large basket in gold-101,0e
lined with purple velvet, and supported by et-ree
golden claws upon a massive metal frame. t
medallions adorn the exterior of this resplene..dene
basket; and upon the central medallion are en'''.
dered in flat-stitch the Royal bride's initials, "
myrtle-bleesores and "M.' in daisies, surmounted ',lel
princely coronet embroidered in gold and erieles
outside
pearls;daisi
daisies
st hat intl ed 3 tdchoe elvi
eco
rat ht
is
gr
crt
oawsmos
epmso
in
ne dha infodnaes
mehxbi
ghrhoi
ydi te.
pbr
oyi
screq
deo
irror; and upon its inside surface are framed
portraits of all the members of the Princess's fausillt
wreathed i garlands of wild roses and myrtle-blossoiret
Each gerland encircles a portrait, which looks, afedele
were, out of the very heat of a full-blown raga.
three central central roan enshrine the counterfeit peesen
ments nt the krince and Princess Vrederic Charksl
of Prince Frederic Leopeld, their only Ben, ju tbd
two roses on the right hand side of the cover nestle the
likenessee of the Princess Marie of the Netherlareio
ettsd her late husisand, Prieoa Henry of Orange; iS
those to the left are set the portraits of the lieredttari,
Grand Docbeze of Oldenburg—Princeee Elizabeth o'
t'eseiet—end of her youthful eenteert, the Heredit
'rand Duke Frederic, Augustus. The embroide
are pronounced by all who have seen this cheld'ow,
of needlework to be masterp.ieces, and have all bee
executed by member': of the association since the
announcement of the Princess's betrothal to the Duk.
of Connaught was made public in Berlin,—r
*urtzcq.

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