The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-05-12 00:00:00

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1883.

by the last froßts, hut these are hardy plants and
generally recover. Perhaps the greatest disappoint—
ment lies in the backward state of the grass paddocks.
The frosts have checked the growth so much as to have
affected the price of lean stock considerably, a con-
summation no donbt by some devoutly wished for.
Potatoes are pretty well all in, and seldom have they
been planted with better prospects. . . .
On the whole it is certain that the prospects of the
farmer have not, for a long time, been brighter than
now, and should the coming summer only prove as
seasonable as the spring has done, the nation will begin
to 'regain a portion of the enormous losses sustained
through the failure of crops during the past ten years.

THE LATEST ARISIVCRATIC MOVEMENT.—Teetootalt
Countess.—Good graciou., Perks what are you abu
—shaking the gingerbeer ? Baler. Beg WI
mlady—not used to lemperance beveridges mYee
but I'm tpld by the greengrocer, which I've had
arks his advice, m'lady, that it can't be drunk with'
out !—Funny Folks,
The
COMPENSATION FOR THE SFAX BOMBARD3fENS---
Decree of the Bey of Tunis, just published in Pao'
awards compensation to the amount of 1,447,854 k tet
400 foreigners settled at Sfax when the bombardmel,l,
took place. The particulars are as follows :—Vu
English, 669,933 fr. ; 96 Italians, 455,8241 r. ; 89 French'
258,5271 r.; six Greeks, 4,062 fr. ; four Belgians,
8,730 fr. ; two Spaniards, 10,740 fr. ; three Austriaue,
34,650 fr. ; one Dutch, 1,200 fr. ; one American, 3450';
snd two Germans, 3,841 fr.
AT A anon COENER.—" Sir," said a short spa
stout gentleman, "you are talking simple rubbish
"Exactly," said the tall and thin one ; " because'
don't you see, my dear feller, I want you to coruPre.
hend me."—Judy.
AGRICULTURAL TENANTS' COMPENSATION.
Kettering and Northampton Chamber of Agriculture,
at a meeting held on Saturday, passed a resolution to
the effect that none of the Bills at present before Par'
liament relating to agricultural tenants' compensatiou
are satisfactory, and that the Chamber trusted 04
the Government in the Bill they were about to intro:
duce would recognise and 'act upon the principle ol
compensation according to improvements effected+
and would secure to an outgoing tenant the full 1/612,6
of all improvements he had made, and as those "5.
provements existed at the time of leaving.

FRANCE AND AMERICA.—Mr. Morton, the American
Minister to France, has presented M. Gr6gl °l3
behalf of the Municipality of Providence City, Ito"
Island, with an album, commemorating the erectioo
of a monument to the French soldiers who died there
after the surrender of York Town. The album 001:3'
tains numerous autographs and sketches. Mr. Grey/
has reciprocated this compliment from Americans,
visiting the foundry in which is being cast Bartholdi I
gigantic statue of "Liberty," which is to be presented
by French subscribers to New York, and to serve as 16
lighthouse at the entrance of the harbour.

AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS.—The Magnet of Monde,l,
in its review of the British corn trade during the
week, says :—The cold winds and low temper:Au!:
have kept back vegetation, and not much progress 11"'
consequently been made during the week. ball the
general outlook is encouraging. Vienna advice' et*"
that the condition of the corn crops is at present rather
favourable both in Austria and Hungary, although
must be remembered that everything is a month he*
hind its time. A rich harvest of fruit is hoped f°,,,r'
because fruit trees have only just commenced
blossom, and are, therefore, nGt likely to incur WI
•
danger of a severe frost. It has been ascertairle".
that the abnormal weather has destroyed vermin alla°6ll
entirely.
FOREIGNERS IN PARIS. —The last Census shows that
the number of foreigners living in Paris is very c°l3.
siderable. There are 45,281 Belgians, 31,190
mans, 21,657 Italians, 20,810 Swiss 10,789 Engue,"S
9,250 Dutch, 5,927 Americans 5,786 Russians, 4,90'
Austrians, and 3,616 Spaniards: The German oolti
in Paris has greatly increased since 1876. It condew—
at that time of only 19,024 souls.
DISCOVERY OF A COLOSSAL BRONZE.—The Gres!!
paper Parnassos states that recently as some fEgifl_oll".
fishermen were fishing for sponges, near Delos, tivi
came upon an ancient bronze horse at the bottom °
the sea, about two fathoms and a half deep. It IS
colossal size, and is almost covered with shell•fie',:
After much effort the fishermen succeeded in breahilLe
off one of the feet of the horse, and took it home
2Egina, where they offered it for sale. The matter
came to the knowledge of one or two archseolog/ett
who purchased the equine bronze foot. This 0...0
found to be of excellent workmanship, and it apPea'.
clearly to indicate that the equestrian statue le "
valuable relic of antiquity. It has accordingly bee°
derermined to endeavour to discover the wheseabotl°
of the horse, and to fish it up, if possible, entire.

WATER SUPPLY IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.—The South
Australian Commissioner of Crown Lands has eve;
some interesting information respecting the progref,
made in water conservation in South Australia.
appears that since July 1, 1881, six reservoirs W.
been completed of a total capacity of 5,500,000 gallon° '
more are in progress of a total capacity of 1200,02
gallons, sixteen have been deepened or repaired, ev:
are in course of being deepened or repaired, four stoat
and cement tanks have been constructed, three Sre_ri
progress, and one is being repaired. Twentrelg
11
wells have been sunk and supplied with fittings, eflfiA.
In progress, twelve have been deepened and repair%
three are being repaired. Six shafts for artesian wel
are being put down, one at Snowtown, another
Farina, a third at Tarkamima, a fourth at WatiV,l,
ringa, a fifth at Coglin, and a sixth at Willowie.
addition to the above, two contracts are let for 81264—
at Peela Weela and Eurelia.
A NINETEENTH CENTURY MIRACLE.—Bnt twelvote
months since to have suggested the possibility
causing a statue to feel emotion, would have
treated as the utterance of a lunatic who had seen2r,
Giovanni. And now—what has happened? The if n
of Wellington's Statue has been both touched an
moved !—Punch.

THE SWISS ARMY.—The effective of the Swiss aril
at the beginning of the year was 205,176 men, 5
whom 114,917 belonged to the first eategorn an
90,259 to the landwehr. The total cost of the arta
for the past year was £528,542, or about £12,600 les°
than the estimates. Out of this sum £263,000
spent upon drill and training, 80,000 upon unifo7l,,,
and £51,000 upon the purchase of cavalry horses, "
great majority of which are bought in Gern3sg
The number of recruits enrolled last year was 14/11
r the
THE WILL OF AUGUSTUS CESAR.—Anaco.
additions which have been made through the labol
of Kerr Karl Humann, the excavator of the gin
altar of Pergamon, in Asia Minor, to the Ber
Museum, is a copy of an inscription which turns
to be the text of the last will and testament of
7° 13‘
first Roman emperor, Augustus Cesar. At the „
sent time, tbe celebrated historian Professor Moratorri;
assisted by Dr. von Domassevski, is engagetot
endeavouring completely to decipher this imporw
inscription. The original is cut on the face of tillede
rock, and is of considerable length. It was ooP,lbe
in plaster of Paris on pieces of canvas, and :),6
latter are fixed on about two hundred tablets, "
whole of which now lie in the Berlin Aluset!Vo'
Additional copies are now being prepared from 741
original copies, and placed in the Assyrian &Po'
ment.
WHAT OUR ARTIST HAS TO PUT UP WITII 013
friend (with unnecessary surprise and effusl,°l3ii
"What I Sold your picture I I Nno !1! You c,_w"
mean to say so !!! ! "—Punch.
SUSPICIONS OF MODERN IMPROVENRNTS.--y
11 ob
tral New York there lived a man who was a Aston f
o
adherent to old-time customs and very suspicion ~
modern improvements, Railroads he particuls7';
denounced, prophecying that they would never co:
into general use; and for years he carried his aversftw;
so far as not to look upon a train. But one da3c.,
friend induced him to accompany him to a railo,%/
station, in order to examine a locomotive, with a T" •
of softening his prejudice. His examination vnlbe
cynical one, and while he yet stood looking at "azt
train, it started up, and after goings few rods zeta*
to its former position.—" There there 1 said "
man, "I don't, want to see any more! It's just se_o
knew it would be! The thing's just as likely to go
way as another. It's all a humbug, I tell Yon--°Pehe
humbug ! "—And the poar man lived and died,
same faith.—" Editor's Drawer" in Harper'
Monthly Magazine,
ANOTHER GOOD ONE.—Why is the coal fire
f
burns so cheerfully in your parlour grate rear 0.400
dissipated turn of mind ?—Why, because, don t 7
see? it goes out every night I—Judy.
THE THEATRES OF Lord DoN.—According to an le
rican calculation, there are thirtrsix theatres, of
London, which represent an investment in
more than £40,000,000, in buildings of more tats
£25,000,000, and in other property enough to roake,„As
the gross amount of £100,000,000. These thesbehlit
regularly employ 10,000 persons, and give emploSijog
indirectly to as many more. Their aggregate sea,,bt
capacity is 75,000; the average attendance each 0'7,,t,
is 51,004, as shown by the Lord Chamberlain's rePo'"
The average admission is is. 7d.
A TELEGRAPHIC PEAL tele—An interesting feat fa
graphy was made some time ago, which is recaner
a San Francisco paper. The exchange of words bOO
place between that city and Valencia Bay. in Trento
An unbroken circuit was made from San Franeisc°4o
Heart's Content (a distance of about 4,500 miles), log
cable landing on the American aide, and the oper,.°oo/
there was asked by the operator in 'Frisco to see
soon he could get an answer from Ireland. .„,•:",e,
message sent was :—" To operator, Valenoia
Ten o'clock here; what time is it with you?" 'the
few seconds the reply came :—" Six o'clock io
morning, and the maids are milking cows," Tbe,„i
change of words between the operators did not occur
quite three minutes.
ea°
"A SOFT &swirls," &c.—Stout lady
(wincing—he had trod on her beat corn). " Fner;3os7
clumsy—"—Polite old gent. "Very sorry, rol ,gl3.
madam, but if you had a foot large enough to be
such an accident couldn't occur! '—Punch.
e big
A NATIONAL QUESTION.—I am 0, gra,. oa
fellow ; my better half is hardly half my slza' gook
baby took after its father in physical prop 07,70g10
Attracted by the fine weather last Sunday, weitli"e
we would take the hope of the house out, and
agreed, after he had been carefully wrapped UP oil
cloak, that I should carry him. I receivenoa
necessary instructions regarding his being Prl3"isei
held to prevent his taking cold, and everythiog to $
well enough until we heard a passerby remarsiog a
companion: "How funny to see a big man ctirrYhat
small baby!" After that my wife insisted t" gbe
must surrender the baby at once to her. N2°l,'sit
baby, by comparison, looks small with me, yule
big with her, and we had not gone far before ,w! 01o_og
this remark: "Look at that big fellow loauna t 1:144
and letting his poor little wife carry that
baby " "Now, what I want to know is, 11711° s
carry the baby ?"—Detroit Free Press. dot ot
SAGACITY OF A WILD DUCN.—A oorresPou •go
Olio
Land- and Water writes t—Some two years two
hatched some wild duck's eggs under a hen:. 0(11
which lived and grew up very tame (a due' a oil'
drake), coming into the yard regularly to foe we to
WOW
the poultry. They were both pinioned, and the ,go
do more than shuffle along. About a month_
drake got killed, and thinking it a pity to ilikr'lept!
duck by herself, I sent her in a basket to:A.oixe°
living fully two miles from here, who has a g ft.; if se
piece of water with several wild ducks on it. forpia_
turned out there in the evening, but the next ni,l3 tbq
she had disappeared, and could not be found:rvfooec!
following morning she was back here, havli ',eft!
her way back to her old home, where she
BP:
ever since, and is now sitting in the same Forfor epA!
hatched a brood in last year. Being unable tou,u.,'; 0;1
must have walked the whole distance, oror;,.
G. W. Railway, and over a very rough c°ul
ilj
fancy she must have made her nest befall ..t.
taken away, but I am not sure on this.P°_
need hardly say she will now be allowed %,4j
where she is, and to bring up her young
peace,