The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-01-25 00:00:00

Alisttilantous 4nteitignut.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL. •

A TOUCHING SCENE I—The Toronto Mail says that
a touching scene was witnessed the other day at
Halifax (N.S.). Standing on the gangway of the
steamship Polynesian, Dr. Clay, Immigration Agent
at the Winter port, said to one of the passengers, who
was holding a little child in his arms, "My good
fellow, I want all these children kept cut of the cold
this sharp morning; you had better give the babj to
its mother." There was no answer for a few mome rite.
Then the tears NW( d on he cheeks as he slowly aid,
hugging the child more closely to his bosuim, "Ah.
sir, she has no mott,er. I went home to Engle id to
bring out my wife and family to make their ho me in
Canada, but just as I arrived my wife and litt e boy
went down in the Princess Alice in the Thames, and I
have no one left but this baby, sir."
ROUND THE WORLD IN SIXTY- THREE DAYS. —Mr.
de Hare, American Consul at Alexandria, has recently
made the tour du monde in 63 days. Starting from
Alexandria, he reached New York, via Brindisi,
Paris, London. and Liverpool, in 20 days. From New
York to San Francisco, Yokohama, and Hong• Kong
occupied the same period, ten days were taken up in
the voyage to Ceylon, and 12 days in the voyage from
Galle to Suez, whence a journey of a few hours was
sufficient to complete the circle to Alexandria.
A FIGHT WITH AN EAGLE.—A German paper gives
a sensational account of a tight between an eagle and
a gamekeeper, near Solingen. The latter had shot a
hare, and was carrying it home, when an eagle made a
dash at it, but was repulsed by the butt-end of the
gamekeeper's gun, which he had reloaded. The
ferocious bird returned to the charge again and again,
and at last, settling on the keeper's head, wounded
him severely with its wings and talons and, bin for the
timely arrival of some of his comrades, would pro-
ba,oly have killed him outright

How LONG CAN A FISH LIVE OUT OF WATER ?—I have
more than one occasion had proof of the tenacity of
life in some fishes, particularly those of the petrel'
family. Two instances are still fresh in my memory ;
one where a goldfish which had been taken from an
aquarium had been left on a plate from six till twelve
o'clock at night, and being again placed in the water
swam about as vigorous. as ever; the other, a roach,
had been kept four hours out of the water, with a like
result on being replaced.—J. M. Campbell in Hard-
wicke's Science Gossip
THE BISHOP OF EXETER ON TEMPERANCL—The
Bishop of Exeter, speaking on Tuesday night at
Exeter, alluded to the political aspect of temperance
reform, and expressed his satisfaction that the question
was now making its way rapidly. At one time he was
the orly Bishop on the Bench who was a total
abstainer, but it was not so now; besides which they
tiourid peers of the realm, men holding high office, and
'members of the House of C4,1/11110118, all avowing them-
selves on the side of temperance. He endorsed the
opinion of Lord Derby, that of all reforms the reform
of drinking habits of this country was most important
to the working classes. •

A. TEN 1 HOUSAND-DOLLAR DAUGHTER. —On a
certain ray, on a l'etar.ylvania railroad, a belle of a
thriving Pennsylvania town, the daughter of a rich
lumber merchant, was travelling in the same car with
a shrewd old citizen of her native town and an agree-
able young gentleman from the West, who tells the
story. The latter had been talking to the belle, but
as night drew on and the young lady grew drowsy, he
gave up his seat to her, and placed himself beside the
somewhat cynical Pennsylvanian. The latter
began conversation by pointing to a high mountain,
past which they were whirling, and said
" You see that mountain? Six or eight years ago
it was covered with as fine a forest as ever grew,
nd worth 10,000 dole, and upwards. Now, without a
tree, covered with stump., the land is scarcely worth a
continental. The net produce of that mountain lies
over there in that seat," and he pointed to the re-
cumbent belle; "that is my calculation. It has just
absorbed all of that lumber which her father owned, to
rave and educate the girl, pay for her clothes arid
jewellery, bring her out in society, and maintain her
there. Some of you young men if you were given your
choice between the mountain yonder, as it now stands,
and the net produce on that eeat, would take the net
produce; but as for me, give me the stumps.
EXTRAORDINARY CATCH OF EELS.—One day at the
beioni,iug ot last week there was a great migration ot
eels at Molliegton Hall from the lower pool to the
upper. They were probably in search of air, which
they could not get under the ice, though it was broken
in several places to enable the fish to find air. rite
eels made their way into a narrow gullet of some
length, and there they were stepped by the ice.
Seven hundred of them were taken out alive, filling a
very large hamper, and weighing 200 cwt. More were
taken out on the followiug day, arid hundreds were to
be seen at the edge of the pool under tba ice seeking a
breathing place.— Chester Courant,
Oua EGG SUPPLY —Our egg supply is a curious
study (say e the Daily Chronic/t). It seems almost in
credible that Euz-'p 5 tos payit gto North Italy 10
millions of trios aunitaliy tor its eg,s, arid yet Iroro a
recent report it appeals that this is the case. The
firm of Francesco Cirio, iu Turin, in one einAle year
has despatched 1,30 waggen load of eggs across the
frentier to Germany, Hiliand, Belgium, France, arid
England. Each waggon is reputed to contain about
130,000 eggs. No loss than 1,371 of these egg waggohe
during the past 12 mouths have passed the transit
station Pen i for England and Belgium. Each egg is
valued by the firm at Cirio at 5 1.10 cents; the total
annual cost of their packing is reckoned at 400,000 lire
or francs, and the expense of transit at 900,000 lire.
Before the year 1875 the firm never employe° in the
best seasons more than 200 waggons, while they are
now obliged to use nearly 1,400. The industrious
hens of Northern Italy are at present laying an average
of 500.000 eggs every day, solely to supply the inter-
national traffic carried on by Signor Cirio, while other
firms are employing 918 egg waggons in the same
traffic.
TELEPHONIC CIRCUITS IN GERMANY.—Since the sth
of November, 1877, the German telegraphic system
has eaiployed telephonic circuits. The number in use
is 272. Practical use shows that communication can
be satisfacturilN carried on over a distance of from 30
to 40 miles.—Electrician.

*nd

FINANCING.—" On, gran'pa dear, I've been count-
ing what my Christmas presents will cost, and it just
comes to ten shillings. I've sieved up one and
sevenpenoe. Can you advise me where to get the
rest ?"—Punck.

THE DUTY or LANDLORDS.—Speaking at the annual
festival of the Edinburgh Sutherlanfishire As.ociation,
Professor Blackie, in the course of his remarks, said
the first duty of a good landlord, he submitted, was to
amass as many people on his property as he could con-
sietently with the rules of good farming, with comfort
to himself, and the good of the community. He shtuild
attend to the people in the fir.t place, and his rents in
the second place, He ought to have farms of all sizes,
and by all means ought not to overlook the crofters,
who could do work in small corners.

—NI' ;my
ey
ea
xr
dP aat ti ml
3nr ot so
k lhyanv ew
ir teh.
na
e viewiiPtEi TylintoFunot Mimi i
zaisinnegiFotitsii43.
petroleum as fuel, instead of coaL
At a very trifling cost an enormous degree of heat was
easily attained, estimated at 5,000 deg., by which iron
was melted in ten minutes, it stead of taking, in ordi-
nary circumstances, two hours and glass in two hours,
instead of 16. The petroleum was prepared for we by
mixing the crude oil with pitch. Trie mixture was
placed in a re-ervoir, from which it was forced by a
jet of super-heated steam into the already lighted fur-
nace, arriving there in a state of spray, when, fed by
the oxygen contained and carried in by the steam, it
bu nt rapidly bier with great intensity. Further ex-
periments are to be made with a view of perfecting
the system of utilizing petroleum as fuel. The process
i 1
s a development of the method adopted at th
of re-
resembling pitch, yielded in the early stagesengines
fining is afterwards used as fuel for the engi
refiningwells
oPfe
tt rhoel ice; of us toiilli,zwi n
hg e te he et
the
ee f
hu
is
ten ptoriondouncse dmianet
ttehrle,
em-
ployed at the wells.
suffered much from the depression 7
and severe com-
throughout the country and low
prices the iron trade to
petitier have at length impelled
The Iron Trade
resolve upon a reduction of wages.
sued a notice, which
Employers' Association have is
t if not all, of the
a wr
eede
ul ro
tt
ih, the
o i
REDUCTION OF WAGES.—The port of Liverpool has
prevailed
was on Saturday posted in ,mosa., h .
2s. ; from
trade and of the high rate of wages raidnowin this
port and district to all classes cf workmen,reduious
equivalent to about 7i per cent, will be made at the
2s. 6:1. ; and from 365. to
ie further intimated that
that,
s , oi fi
nI . iyer
consequencep ofolmanadn Birkenhead. if rakftetheistrh eFdrdaTy, etnheo unfavourablet3iclsest.
ta states
jensf.
various works TO
been already made in anti-
taken into consideration
.4
:t.orte7us2c.3tsit: 0 r
334149. re-
duesi2unp.
:,,y.
a. 6ttirdoeoa.
ondn; wages
u34'f
ofs
scr reductioni
tla rir. l
the
bnesg i 12nr4wieo's 8::
t;
of
cc: ftcheroti3ir)
have :3:
n2iu 0. B,lfb2sbt
e 2.
4r skp u; hslei soh.
in the adjustment of the new rating. piece.wor,,
contracts now in progress will be completed at present
rates.
June, ; A.
8p April,
a 7 ;10, 9i 59.
7aBn3d;
the following comparative statement showing the
eurnher ot immigrants who landed et the port ef New
4,965 anal 7,815 ;
York in each mouth of the last two years, 1877 and
EMIGRATION STATISTICS.
1878 :—January, 1,815 and 1,610; February, 1,947 and
BaBn2danB:lB2lll.,;4soo!tober.
Nsstse,:vB,l(oBo9r kaTPOlap:
82J:
u31i93:v71 ,
;;
6,545 March,
aoa 38,5;52 : and
Au
August,
Novena' her, 4 5'5 anat 5 Y 45; December, 3,025' and
3,256—t0ta1, 63,855 anal 794,802. There was, t le,refore,
an increase in the number of Immigrants in 1878 above
the number who landed in 1877.
tenaberM6a,Y2:799.
A REMARKABLE CRUSTACEAN.—In the course of the
scientifiee expedit'on in the American Steamer Black to
the north of Yucatan in 1877 there was brought up from
1,500 fathoms depth in the Atlantic a crustecean the
peculiar features of which have recently formed toe sub-
ject of a note to the French Academy by Professor
Alphonse Milne-Edwards, to whom the specimen was
sent by Prof esser Agarlsiz- rvt. !Wine-Edwards finds it
a type of a new isopod family, and he calls it Bathyno-
mutt giganteus. The animal in question measures 23
ceutirebtres iu length and 10 in breadth. What one is
chiefly struck with is the completely new arrangement
of the respiratory apparatus, It consist, of a numerous
series of branchise in the form of tufts place d between
the false abdominal chews, and each blade ef which
examined in the microscope, is found to be a tube
covered with very fine hairs, This exuberance of
respiratory apparatus is, doubtless, necessitated by the
conditions of life at such a great depth. But it was
hardly to be expected that in a region so clerk this
erustactean should have, as it has, very well-deped
eyes. Each of them cornprive 4,000 facete and is
pieced at the base of the antennas. According to M.
Milne-Edward, the bathynorne probably lives clinging
to algte ; it is carnivorous, and seem to feed chiefly on
oephalopodous molluscs. It is thought the study of
such animals should throw light en the history of fossil
crustaceans, and especially on that of trilobites.

TEE RE•MARRIAGE OP DIVORCED PERSoNe.—The
council of the Church of England Working Men's
Society are preparing a memorial to Convocation on
this question, the purport of which is to force upon
the attention of those ia authority :he foot that such
re-marriages are in direct conflict with the 107th
Canon.
SHOOTING FROM THE HIP.—Dr, Carver, famed as an
expert rifle shot, whilst at Brooklyn. U.S., lately shot
at ten pigeons at twenty-six yards rise, killing the
whole, and then shot three birds at the same rise,
shooting from his hip, and each fell dead.
THE BIRMINGHAM LIBRARY.—Mr. Henry Irving,
the tragedian, who has always taken a warm interest
in the local Shakespearian collection which perished in
the recent fire, has written as follows to a member of
the restoration fund committee :—'• My heart is with
you in the national loss which you in Birmingham
have sustained. Anyl-Meg and everything I can do
to be of any service belie Ye me I will. Give my
sympathies to the committee, and tell them they may
command my service at any time " Several liberal
donations and offers of assistance have; been received
by the committee since the meeting on :Friday last.
Among other contributors is Mr. Bright, iv&P., who
sends £lOO, with a letter of sympathy. The rNtora•
tion fund now amounts to about £9,000.
WORSE LUCK.—The severe season has brought thelf
wolves into the fields in France. England is worse off
still. The hard times have brought the wolf to her
door.—Punch.
MAKING HIMSELF AT HOME !—A correspondent
writes to the Standard :—" It you have room in your
paper will you insert the following account of a robin?
Since the severe frost set in one of our little feathered
friends has taken up his abode in our house, it sleeps
in the pantry, but at breakfast time finds its way into
the dining room, where it helps itself to. anything it
fancies on the table. While we are employed read-
ing or working together, Bobbie is always our com-
panion, hopping about close to us, often if he
feels cold sitting on the mantelpiece, only eyeing
us if we stir the fire, as if he understood that we
would not hurt him for anything, and rarely
flying away. A basketful of corn and peas is kept
in the room, for the benefit of some. pigeons, and be
delights to get into :his and scatter tee grain about,
for fun, not caring to eat it. One day, having a few
school children in the room, for a Christmas treat, to
our surprise the robh hopped about among them, and
picked up the crumbs they threw close to their feet,
with the greatest confidence, and to their extreme
pleasure. A great number of birds come to the
window to be fed, and when our favourite sees them
plc:kb% up the erduibs outside, he flies turiously
against the glass, fiightening the poor little hungry
creatures away, instead of watching them enjoy thole
food ' • so, though we are so fond of him, we must allow
that he is selfish. We thought that when the frost
broke up, our cunstant companion would leave us, but
such is not the case; and we hope, as we have no cat,
that he will enjoy his liberty in our house for a long
time to come."

GLASS-BALL SHOOTING. Captain Bogardus, we
learn, has made two matches, to be shot at Gilmore's
Gardens, Jan. 8 and 9, under the following condi*
flows t—He bets 1,000 dole, even that he will break.
6,000 glass balls out of 6 200, and beta 500 dole. against
1,000 dols that he will break 6,000 out of 6,100, and he
beta 100 dole, against 1,000 dole, that he will break
6,000 without a miss, and to shoot at 3 000 each day;
and he has made a match with Mr. Abe Kleinman, of
Chicago, the champion ilgeon of America," to shoot
500 balls, giving Mr. Kleinman 100 broken balls in
500 each day, balls to be thrown from Bogardus screen
trap, fifteen yards rise.
AMERICAN AND CANADIAN FOOD.—Thi arrival of
American and Canadian fresh meat at Liverpool dur-
ing last week was again very large, though the number
of live stock landed wag much smaller than usual.
eSix steamers arrived with freak meat, having on board
6,, 4 quarters of beet, 1,299 carcases of mutton, and
1,387 dead pigs, while the arrivals of live stock cons.
prised 533 head of cattle and 25 sheep. There were
also landed about 30 carcases of deer.

RECOGNITION OF BRAVERY.—On Tuesday the Ma 7 ,‘r
of Rochester presented to Captain Mazstead, late -f
the vessel Avoca, of Newca-tle-oroTyne, a valei:l,lei
binocular glass, which had been awarded by the
American Government. In December last the
American vessel Robert Kelly came into collision with
the British ship Huddersfield, in the English Channel,
both vessels being lost and members of each crew being
drowned. At the time of the collision Capt-..-ou
Maztead was near and rendered most valuable aid in
rescuing nii,ny from drowning.
A SECRET POST CARD.—The Court journal says s
"To the use of the post card it is constantly and reason.
ably eobjected that 3ne is not safe in confiding thereto
any c aemunication other than those of a publio
character, which all who ' run may read.' There are
many things we should like to write for one pair of
eyes only, which if found on a post card would be patent
to all. Cryptograms are tedious and difficult, and one
must have the key always at hand; An invention of
a very simple and ingenious character ham lately been
devised by Sir Edward Lee. •At first tight the series
of curves, dots, and right lines seem puzzling and coin,
pdcated, but with the aid of the key which can be
mastered in five minutes, and then finally discarded, it
it is seen that the curves form symmetrical ,egmeuts of
• ircle—the right lines are made up of the intersecting
..! -utters. and the number of dots alter the value of
he characters. The simplicity of toe arrangement
is as remark Ale as its ingenuity ; and for practical
purposes the u.ethod is very isle ond secret enough."
I NTERESTII,O FACT. —The New Ni ear is the orthodox
rim., for ,ureing over new leaves, a commendable
a.ctiou which is performed by ev,ry body arid every-
thing exuepting the gay and festive caterpillar, who
lurns over his new leives when toe weather is warmer.
l'his is one to him. Strange that human beings should
know no better.—Judy.
RAISED HIS SALARY.—The Chicago Times tells the
following :—A few days ago, during one of his rounds
through his palatial hotel, the landlord of the Palmer
House entered a room suddenly and discovered a
window washer leisurely engaged in reading a news-
paper. Being very active himself he had no use for •
a lazy man, or one who slights his work. He dia.
chorged the washer on the spot and ordered him
to go to the office for his Pay. The man
obeyed, got his money, went to his room on the
upper floor, arrayed himself in his Sunday suit,
packed up his duds, and descended to the eer,.
vants' apartment to take leave of his former asso-
ciates. About this time Mr. Palmer entered, but
did not recognize his quondam employe in his store
clothes. "Here, my man, you look as though there
wail good work in you ;do you want a job?" The ex.
washer somewhat surprised, admitted that he stood in
need of one. " Can you wasn windows?" The man
allowed that he could. "Well," said Mr. Palmer,
'l've just discharged a man who has been doigg that
sort of work. I paid him only twenty dollars a month_,
but if you take the place and go right to work I'll
pay you twenty-two dollars." The proposition was
quickly accepted, and in half an hour the discharged
employ was scrubbing away in the same old mom.,
NATURAL RESULT OF COOPERATION. Counter.
irritat on.—Pi,nch. .

CATTLE IN AMERICA. —The New York pipers
_just
receive ,t are ut giug on the American cattle breeders to
mak, the moat of the opportunity afforded them by
vie more or less prohibitory regulations aimed by
England against the cattle trade from affected
European countries. These jouraals point out that
America is in an excellent position to take up this
trade which the countries practically excluded must
for a time abandon. In the year 1877 the eumber of
wileh cows alone in the United States was 11,000,000,
which would give, observing the ratio existing in
other countries, at least 20,000,000 more for other meat
cattle. Indeed, the yearly receipts of live stock at only
four of the American seaboard centres are nearly equal
to the whole number of cattle, excluding cows, at pre-
sent existing in Great Brit An.

DISASTER AT SEA.—lnformation reached Liverpool
last Saturday of a disastrous collision by whieh a
vessel was sunk, and ali on board, with the exception
of the captain, perished. The collision took place
between the Spanish steamer Yrurac Bat, belonging
to Liverpool, and the sailing vessel Lancashire Witch.
The former, under the command of Captain 'forte,
left the Mersey on the 13th iustint for Havannah, and
when off Holshead, the same day, she came into
vio!ent collision with the Lancashire Witch. The
dam sge sustained by the latter was so serious that she
foundered, and all on board, with the exception of the
captain, went down with the vessel. ,The captain was
saved by the colliding steamer, and landed at Corunua.
No mention was made in the telegram of the steamer
having sustained any injury.
A HEALTHY PARISH.—The Rev. Arthur C. Wilson
% 'rites to The Times from Nocton Vicarage, Lincoln :
—" The obituary of this parish for the last three 3 ears
seems to me sufficiently remarkable—though I do not
dra-, any conclusions from it—for me to send it to you.
Thel %nd is 'heath,'' park,' 'old enclosure, 'fen • ' the
popul‘ tion is just over 600; Foil, various ;
limesti ; acreage, 5,340 : 1676, six burials —2
months, 74 years, 13 da; a, 74 yeio a (from an adjoin -
ing parisi 1, 20 days, 23 naj ; 1677, nine huriats-150
Years (felt trona a ladder, died in two or three hoirs),
bmonthslll.l 8
months.BBi x 0
85 years, 82 years (from a dis ant parish), 75 years, .;
95 ymeoaurst69, yie2arswe,elkoB,hsk),uirnrei,n4uthezu
4rs ; 187
years, 27 years (in childbirth, aft r injury trom a fall)
—2l burials in ;11 of children under six months,
three of persons over 80, three of persons between 70
and 80, two of children of nine years, two between 26
and 56, of which one was directly, the other indirectly,
from .n acchitnt."

AN EDUCATED SEAL—The general interest taken
by Ihe public in the seals tri.ined by the late M.
Lecnt at the Zoological Gardens has led the natu-
ralist “f the Wes,minster Aquarium to try an experi-
ment in trainig the youngest seal there (.ays The
Titnes). It now goes through a performance which
includes plucking the strings of a guitar, beating- a
tamborine, climbing- a flight of steps, taking a
"header," smoking, br pretending to-Smoke, a pipe,
firing a revolver, and drawing a boat •to which it- is
harnessed. The performance, to meet public taste, is
made more set.sationalthan abything M. Leconte did;
but the way io which the seat enters eag, rly into the
fun, with a keen eye on the fish given to it now and
then in its performance, is a good illustration of how
these animals can be educated.

PRACTICAL BENEVOLENCE —The Citizen is informed
that Miss Lisetta Rost, who for 4;; years filled the post
of organist at the church of Allhallows Barking, Great
To 1,,,nd0n, has lefta considsrable s tin in the
hands of trustees, to be applied "for ever "to the dis-
tribution of gravel in steep and slippery London road-
ways, a work which she had personally superintended
and paid for daring her lifetime,

THE PRICE or VEGETABLES IN LONDON. A oor•
respoudent writes )0 the Pall Mall Gazette :—" I have
just read some remarks on the suppl) or vegetables in
your Occasional Notes. I have) been at the pains to
rind out the prices I pay. I reside in a popuhars and
wealthy suburb of London. Carrots, as you state,
are Id. each. Turnips are precisely id. each. Par•
snips are id. each. SaToy cabbages are 2d. each.
Potatoes bre sold by the pottla for 4d. A pottle, on
being examined, contained fourteetipotatoes. Of these
four were found to be bad; the remaining ten, there-
fore, oust over a farthing each ; including the bad ones
they still cost over X fartnii,g If, then, we suppose a
d.nner furnished with one specimen of each of these
vegetables the result would be—one carrot, id. ; one
turnip, V. ; one parsnip, id.; one savoy, 2d. ; one
potato, . ; total, 4icl. I recommend these facts to
farmers.