The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-04-06 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Russia has sent the complete skeleton of a Mammoth
to the Paris Exhibition.
By the breaking of a bridge between Tours and
Mans, an engine and fourteen luggage wagons fell into a
tributary of the Loir a few days ago. The driver and stoker
were drowned. Floods have occurred in many directions.

The daughter of Baboo Chunder Sen was married to
the Maharajah of Kooeh Behar on the 6th inst. with great re-
joicings. The Queen of England sent her congratulations on
the occasion.

Despite the fact that in Madrid there is one police-
man for every 300 persons, theft and outrage continue, and
about one-tenth only of the cases are brought before the
Courts.
"Some five or six years ago a fine schooner carrying
full sail was capsized at precisely the same point off the
Isle of Wight as the ill-fated Eurydice. This passage is so
noted for violent and sudden gusts that such squalls are
called by Isle of Wight fishermen ' Luccombers, from
Luccombe, a little place dote to Dunnose. It is surely time
that a danger locally so well known should be recognised in
the charts."—The World

Fish-eating sheep! This is from the Albany Cul-
tivator :—" The discussion on care of stock brought out the
fact that many farmers in Washington county, which is on
the sea coast, keep their sheep in good condition by feeding
on bog hay and herring pomace. This is what is left of the
fish after the oil is extracted. It is salted and barrelled,
and when fed is dry and inoffensive." I wonder haw the
mutton tastes. One would think it must be like neither
flesh, fish, no good red herring.-2.fatic Latta .Expreis.

It is pointed out by the Registrar-General that the
deaths from small-pox in London, which had been 63 and 42
In the two preceding weeks, were 48 last week, of which 29
were recorded in the Metropolitan Asylum Hospitals, and
three in the Highgate Hospital, while the remaining 16
occurred in private dwelling-houses. Of the 48 fatal cases,
23 were certified as unvaccinated, and 9 as vaccinated.

. _
The electric light was used for the first time by
authority at the Lizard Signal Station last Friday. It is ex-
ceedingly brilliant, lighting up the surrounding laud, rocks,
and the sea for some miles, so that vessels are plainly visible.
It has been decided by the Horse Guards that, if
any of the Highland Regiments proceed on, swtive service,
they will leave their feathered bonnets in store' and, wear
the new helmet. The leathered bonnet is 'tery handsome,
.ancltt would be a pity to abolish it in peace time :ibUt it is
tats igc,f 144
tag. Moreover, it ix not Scotch at all.—Contting Ott*.

Two or three severe shocks of earthquake have
recently been experienced in the Punjab.

The Prince of Wales is taking the keenest intereo
in the present state of affairs Copies of all importafft
telegrams received at the Foreign Office are forwarded to
wherever he may be.—The World.

Cardinal Manning is now completely restored to
health, and will return to London shortly.
The new American ship Iceland, 1,179 tons, Captain
eardner, which sailed from Boston, United States, on the
11th of September for Bombay, has not yet arrived at her
destination. She was on her first voyage.

The Marathon, which sailed from Cardiff on the
11th of October for Singapore, and which has been before
reported as overdue, arrived at Singapore all right on the
31st of March. Re-insurances at the rate of 25 guineas per
cent. had teen effected on this vessel within a few days of
the news of her safe arrival.

A telegram dated St. John's, Newfoundland, April
1, reports that the Falcon, steamer, had arrived there loaded,
and reported having spoken with the Eagle, steamer, with
15,000 saals.

•
The Wages Committee of Lancashire, Cheshire and
Derbyshire on Saturday issued a manifesto relating to the
proposed reduction of wages in the cotton trade, in which
they assert that the antidote for the present state of things
is not a reduction of 10 per cent. in the wages, but a
reduction of the production so as to make it commensurate
with the wants or abilities of the public to purclaase.
A fatal case of somnambulism has eccurred at
Sherncliffe Camp. An artilleryman stepped out of the
barrack sleeping-room window and fell on the pavement
below, a distance of about 30ft. He expired very soon
afterwards.

A seaman of Her Majesty's ship Cygnet, at Galli-
poli, asks us (The Titeles)on behall of the crew, "to thank
some unknown friends for their kind feeling towards us in
forwarding us newspapers, periodicals, cite., which we re-
ceive every Stuiday and Thursday, the reading of which
enables is to pass many an hour in a more lively and satis-
factory manner than we should do without them."

Said Prince Bismark jocosely to an English lady the
other day :—" Whatever may be the result of the Eastern
Question, Russia must eventually, in retreating, go under
the yoke but then we must make the yoke as much like a
triumphal arch as we possibly can."—Whitshall Review.

• It is officially notified that her Majesty the Queen
and Empress of India has signified her pleasure that the
salute of 101 gene shall be reserved for the contingency of
the personal presence of the sovereign in India, and that on
all other occasions, such as anniversaries and the like, which
t is customary to celebrate by a royal salute, the salute
ihall be 31 guns.

The tersest and most precise explanation of the
political situation which I have heard is from the lips of a
noble lord who is well-known on the box. With Carnarvon
gone and Derby resigned, Dizzy,' he said, 'has got the bit
beneath his teeth.' —May/air.

It has been found necessary to flood the mine in
which the explosion took place at Aped&le last week in order
to extinguish the fire, which was spreading to such an extent
as to threaten the destruction of the Burley pit, if not of
some of the adjoining mines It is feared that a consider-
able period must elapse before the bodies in the pit can be
recovered, and in the meantime several pits are closed, and
hundreds of men are out of work.

"When I was at Constantinople, a German diplo-
matist thus explained to me the policy of Russia: If a
Russian has a field next to yours, you suddenly find that he
has pushed forward the dividing landmark between your pro-
perty and his, by a dozen yards. You ask what this means?
He is profuse in his apologies, says that it is a mistake, and
that he will at once withdraw. He does so, but in putting
back the landmark, he manages to retain half-a-yard of your
field. You regard this as a trifle, and hardly worth a lengthy
discussion. But he plays this game so often, that, in the
end, you are surprised to find him in possession of your
entire "—Truth.
- -

The ladies of Wrexham are signing a petition in
favour of a settlement of the Eastern Question without re-
course to war. It will be presented to the House of
Commons by Mr. Osborne Morgan.
- - -

The grievous calamity whieh has befallen the un-
fortunate ship Eurydice has plunged many families into
mourning—among them that of Mr. W. Tollemache, so well
known as an active member of the committee of the London
Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews, and of
other kindred ins4itutions. His daughter, Mrs. Hare, the
devoted wife of the eaptain of the ill-fated vessel, was
hastening to London to meet her husband when she
casually received in the train the tidings of the dire
catastrophe ,by which she had been made a widow I—The
.Rock.

it is known, now, that a large number of persons
will be in Paris to attend the opening of the Great Exhibi-
tion on the Ist of May. At all the hotels and lodging-
houses rooms and apartments are being retained, and the
Paris tradespeople are becoming jubilant over the improved
prospect.
- - - - - -

- -
Our cook has been giving herself great airs lately,
and has demanded a higher " salary " this morning. She is
labouring under the impression that she is the Minister of
the Interior.—Fun.

The Lyons Railway Company has resolved on
placing telephones at all its principal stations.
-

- - -
The proposition to give the poorer classes free entry
to the Paris Exhibition has been modified from fear of a
crush. There will be no gratuitous admission during the
first two months, and for the next two there will only be a
reducticm of the price on Sundays. For the last two months
there will be no charge for one day a week.

There were 2,391 births and 1,766 deaths registered
in London last week. Allowing for increase of population,
the births were 145 below, whereas the deaths exceeded by
19 the average numbers in the corresponding week of the
last ten years. The annual death rate from all causes,
which in the two preceding weeks had been equal to 22.3
and 241 per 1,000, further rose to 25.8. The increase was
due to the cold. The 1,766 deaths included 35 from measles,
47 from scarlet fever, 12 from diphtheria, 158 from whoop-
ing-cough, 28 from different forms of fever, and 11 from
iarrhcea.

The additions to the Zoological Gardens, Regent's
Park, London' during the past week include a Rhesus
monkey, fromlndia ; a green monkey, from West Africa; a
Vervet monkey, from South Africa; a Malayan bear, from
Malacca • a short-toed eagle, South European; a Savigny's
eagle owl, from Persia; two reindeers, from Lapland; a
Beccari's cassowary, from South-East New Guinea; a
plantain squirrel, from Java; a spotted eagle owl, from
South Africa; a one-streaked hawk, from West Africa; two
Matamata terrapins, from the Upper Amazons; an anaconda,
from South America, received in exchange.
The Grand Duke Nicholas having given £2,000 to
the International Refugees Fund, a deputation from the
Committee waited on him at Beglerbey, where he still re-
mains, to thank him. Perceiving the British Consul General
among the deputation the Grand Duke singled him out, and
intimated how pleased he was to see an Englishman in Con-
stantinople.
Coming back frdm a little trip to Havre, a Parisian
bewails his misfortune to his railway companion: "One
thing is certain • you won't catch me on any more of these
excursions. I lost my wife and my cane." And then he
added with tears in his voice: "A new cane, too."—Court
Journal.
The Earl of Hardwicke is recovering from the very
severe accident he met with whilst hunting. Last week he
suffered a good deal of pain from his wrenched shoulder,
and could not get sleep. Since the 25th ult. his lordship
has passed comfortable nights, and has since been progress-
ing favourably.
I have reason to know that H.R.H. the Duke of
Connaught is desirous of seeing service should we become
involved in war, and that he would express a wish to pro-
ceed out, either in command of his battalion of the Rifle
Brigade, or on the Staff; but it is doubtful whether it would
be deemed expedient to allow His Royal Highness to take
any active part in the operations. The subject would have
to be considered by Her Majesty in consultation with her
Ministers.— Whitehall Review.

There were 29 British and foreign wrecks reported
during the past week, no less than sixteen occurring on the
coasts of the British Isles, and making a total of 380 for the
present year, or a decrease of 24,S as compared with the
corresponding week of 1877. The property lost was approxi-
mately valued at £220,500, including British £183,509.
The scheme for Ending employment in. Liverpool
for young women from the distressed districts of South
Wales is being vigorously carried out, and it was reported
at a meeting of the local relief committee held on Monday
that a house had already been taken in which to give Welsh
girls some preparatory training for domestic service. It
was stated that the distress in many localities was increas-
ing.
The warlike attitude of the Russian Press is found
to be so inconvenient to the Imperial Government, that the
leading newspaper of St. Petersburg—the Golos—has been
suspended for a fortnight. —Mayfair.

The quantity of beef landed at Liverpool last week
from the United States was less than the previous week,
though in mutton there was a slight excess. Five steamers
reached the Mersey, bringing collectively 4,337 quarters of
beef and 1,749 carcases of mutton, as well as 260 dead pigs.
No arrivals of live stock havecome to land for several weeks
past ; but last week two consignments arrived consisting of
307 head of oxen.
From Monday, April 1, all the prisons in the coun-
try will be transferred from the local prison authorities to
the control of the Secretary of State. The maintenance of
the prisons will be provided for under the Prisons Act of
July last, by parliamentary grants instead of by local rates.
The Justiees, however, will still possess the power of appoint-
ing certain- of their members as a visiting committee, with-
out the power of appointing officers or the responsibility of
levying rates. The committee will have power to suspend
officers from the performance of their duties pending
inquiries under the authority of the Secretary of State.
St. Heliers Harbour, Jersey, has been found to
possess a valuable spring. During the past fortnight
borings have been going on in the harbour and at its mouth
with a view of ascertaining the feasibility of forming a deep
water channel so as to allow tbe mail packets to enter at all
times of the tide. In the course of the operations a spring of
fine fresh water was opened by the boring tools, the supply
being very abundant. It is proposed to utilise this for the
benefit of th shipping.
The Paris Exhibition will be ready by the let of
May. The exhib3ors have taken possession of the spaces
allotted them, and are commencing to instal themselves.
The average number of daily arrivals of waggons containing
packages of goods is stated on good authority to be about 90.
The Exhibition building itself, which was originally in-
tended to have occupied a space of 240,000 metres of ground,
has now been enlarged 40,000 metres, the first-named space
being much too small for the intended exhibits. The ex-
penses have thus been raised to 44,600,000 francs. This
makes an increase of 9,000,000 francs., of which Paris pro-
vides 3,e00,000 franee ; various additional subsidies have
been given., and the estimated new charge to the State is
10,000,000 francs.—The French workmen at the Exhibition
have presented a bouquet to Mr. Adams, the first English
competitor whose goods have been completely installed.

On Monday night a crowded meeting was held at
Blackburn by the card-room and blowing-room hands. The
first resolution expressed regret at the proposed reduction of
10 per cent. In wages in the 'Blackburn district, where wages
were already lower by 15 per cent. than in those towns where
a reduction of 5 per cent. amongst card-room hands had been
agreed to, and pledged the meeting to resistance. The second
resolution deplored all violations of the Factory Act by run-
ning overtime, and so glutting the market. A third resolu-
tion requested an interview with the masters. Tho meeting
adjourned until Monday, the 15th inst.
It is the mode now to be buried in an open wicker
work coffin, filled with flowers. Some folks are said to even
leave particular directions as to what sort of flowers are to
be placed with their remains. The custom, however, of
leaving these sort of last wishes is, after all, a very old one.
In a copy of the will of Richard Dawson, of Woodford,
Essex, dated 1635, that gentlemen, after reciting his bequests.
adds that he wants "To be buried between the hours of
eight and twelve with secresy, and laid in the ground with a
sprigg of rosemary."—" The Tattler" in Pictorial World.
A seaman belonging to the Victoria (schooner), of
Exeter, was lost whilst at sea early on Sunday morning.
She was coming down channel, when, being some eight miles
off the Isle of Wight, her main gaff struck One of her crew
knocking him overboard. The wind was blowing so hard at
the time, and the weather was E 0 dark, that nothing could
be done to save the poor fellow.
From a paper prepared by Captain Cyprian Bridge,
R.N., and read by the United Service Instftutlon on the
subject of "Lighting the Docks of a Mtui of War," we learn
that, with respect to the pecuninary saving, a Ship of the
same design as the Audacious, lighted on the old plan,
burnt on an average about 15,3001 b. of candles of various
numbers a year; the same vessel lighted, on the new plan,
used an average quantity of 10,9001 b, lhe money value of
the saving was on an average £159 yearly. Experience went
to show that if the new system were in use in every
ship in the service all would be better lighted, and this
might be done at a gain of many thousand pounds to the
country.

Mrs. Lincoln, a lady of Boston (U.S.), possesses two
strange pets, in the shape of a couple of African lions. 21
mouths qicli Alite ukftle.weigilp gkolbr,an
less Ahau 2Q011). iljitlt receptly. the/ had: the run ertatone,
'honisti, ttk police liaiingairttarle.red,,they are
.restrained, Mre.Lintehtbi, l'otAlJter.r
•§lp
I kiss ber at her bidding,

The sixth hospital Saturday collection in Birming-
ham was made on Saturday, and resulted ia a total of
£2,141, being £B4 in excess of last year The increase is
attributed to the adoption of the system of small weekly
contributions by the workpeople at various establishments.
The New York Herald estimates that Mr. Stanley's
expedition brought to light 16,000,000 heathens, and as his
expenses amounted to about 115,000 dollars (L 23,000 "he
thus discovered savages at the rate of six for five cent a.
(2d.)—a very reasonable rate for heathens."

The National Agricultural Labourers' Union have
resolved to take a farm of 140 acres in Lincolnshire for co-
operative farming. The capital of £1,500 is to pe raised in
£1 shares, which will be allotted only to members of the
union; 250 shares will be purchased by the union.

At a public meeting, held at Leeds on Tuesday night
a resolution was passed hailing with satisfaction the enthusi-
astic selection of Mr. Gladstone as one of the Liberal candi-
dates for the representation of the borough of Leeds at the
next election.

Canine madness has made its appearance in the
county of Glamorgan. At Reath it has been found neces-
sary to destroy a couple of dogs affected with this disease.
"It may be supposed, that our Conscript Fathers
are directing their great minds to a consideration of the
critical condition of the Empire. Not exclusively. They are
greatly exercised, as to whether there is likely to be an im-
mediate dissolution."—Truth.

A Paris paper says that England has offered to re-
store Gibraltar to Spain in consideration of 100,000 Spanish
troops against Russia!
- - -- - -- - -

- -
The captive balloon at the Paris Exhibition will be
113 metres in circumference, and will support from 40 to 50
persons. It is to be constructed of linen and muslin, united
with india rubber, one coat of which willbe vulcanised. The
cable will be COO metres long, and the ascent will occupy
three minutes.
Medical stores are being bought in large quantities'
and every kind of hospital requirement is being provided,
both for service in the field and service afloat. When one
hears of linseed meal being bought by the tons, it may be
supposed that the authorities imagine there will be a
demand for poultices before long.—Whitehall Revico

An Omaha telegram says that Miss May Fisk, an
actress, a cousin of the late .Tames Fisk, jun., delivered a
lecture on "Womanly Duties" in a Pullman palace car
Lately, on a through train from the West. The lady stood
at one end of the ear, her audience facing her She kept her
feet notwithstanding the vibration of the train, and spoke
for about half an hour.

Mr. Thomas Jessop, a Sheffield manufacturer, is
about to hand over to the Women's Hospital in that town,
for the purposes of the charity, a block of buildings which
have been erected at a cost of £30,000.
A telegram from Florence says that the remains of
the Indian Prince Nadser Radja Ring, who died suddenly
In that city on Saturday last, were burnt, according to
Hindoo usage, in the Canine near this city, at midnight.
The suite of the deceased Prince, Sir Augustus Paget, and
the members of the British Embassy to Italy, and several
other personages were present.

"'I happen to differ,' said Prince Bismark to a
friend the other day, 'with twelve gentlemen in England.
Unfortunately, these twelve constitute the Government.'
Truth.

A return issued on Monday shows that in the year
ended December, 31st, 1877, 52,544.252 bushels of malt were
charged with duty in the United Kingdom, the duty amount-
ing to £7,939,099 2s lid. The duty paid in England
amounted to £7,130,621 Bs. 7d., that paid in Scotland to
£398,746 31. Rd., and that paid in Ireland to £409,731
15s. Otd. The quantity of barley imported into the United
Kingdom daring the year was 3,628,667 qrs.

Her Majesty, it is said, has not given up her inten-
tion of conferring the vacant Garter upon the Prime
Minister. Lord Beaconsfield has sent in two names of Peers
whom he wishes to make K G.'s ; but the Queen has not
thought fit to adopt either, intending, it is believed, to keep
it till the Eastern Question is over. The story is very likely
to be true; for no public man has a better right to this, the
highest honour the Sovereign can confer upon a subject, than
the Prime Minister.— Court Journal.
A piece of sculpture representing Helvetia support-
ing a wounded French soldier is to be presented by Toulouse
to the Swiss Federal Council as an acknowledgment of the
hospitality extended to Bourbakili army in 1871. The work
will appear at the Exhibition.
A Workmen's Rest was opened on Saturday in
Sheffield by the Vicar, the Rev. Canon Blakeney. In addi-
tion to presenting the usual features of a cocoa and coffee
house, the Workmen's Rest is intended to be made the
centre of spiritual agencies.

A telegram from the Government at Adelaide says
that "splendid rains have fallen, and the drought has
broken up in South Australia."

There were 81 candidates for the office of secretary
to the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowled,e, to
which Mr. Grove, one of Mr. Wilkinson's curates, of St.
Peter's, Eaton-square, London, was elected on Tuesday. The
salary is £4OO a year.
Last week a labouring man from Liverpool attended
the Aintree races, and made a small bet and won it. He
was so overjoyed at winning that he laughed heartily. All
at once he fell down a corpse. The bystanders thought it a
trick, but a doctor pronounced the man dead.

The Magnet of Monday says the effect of the sharp
weather upon vegetation can hardly be otherwise than salu-
tary. The growing crops were in some districts making
rather too rapid progress, and a check will consequently
prove beneficial. Taken altogether, agricultural prospects
both here and on•the Continent are fairly satisfactory.

Ignatius made a happy hit whilst preaching to a
large and fashionable assembly during his "mission" in
Cheltenham. Being hurt at finding his collection plates re-
turned to him almost empty, he said with much empresse-
ment to his congregation, "I find it my blessed privilege to
preach the Gospel in this town to the poor I " When the
plates were next examined they contained between two and
three hundred pounds and some jewellery.—Whitehall
.Review.

In Paris, on Sunday afternoon, two hundred
Spiritualists repaired to the cromlech erected in Pere-la-
Chaise over the remains of their founder, Allan Kardec, it
being the 9th anniversary of the eve of his death. Wreaths
were deposited and speeches delivered. The transmigration
of souls is the distinctive tenet of French Spiritualists.

Royal personages of the present day appear to have
a special tendency for literary and musical competition.
Thus amongst authors and poets we have Queen Victoria,
the Queen of Sweden, the imperial Princess of Germany,
King Luis of Portugal, and the Emperor of Brazil, to say
nothing of the Shah of Persia; while now a number of Latin
poems by Pope Leo XIII. are to be translated into Italian
and published alter his Holiness's revision. The Pope has
also written a good deal of Italian poetry.

Lord Leconfield has written to the papers to say
that the attempt to break into Petworth House to steal Lady
Rosebery's jewels has been exaggerated. Lady Rosebery's
dressing-room looked out to the front over a flat plain. The
burglars, betvreen the hours of one and three a.m., attempted
to force three of the front windows on the ground floor, and
one window on basement floor, with a jemmy, but without
success, no entrance having been effected As one of these
windows was a false window, not made to open, his lordship
is led to the conclusion that they were not a very scientific
gang. Lady Rosebery's jewels were not taken down to Pet-
worth,

It has been decided to immediately recall his Royal
Highness the Duke of Edinburgh from the Mediterranean,
and to-day his ship is to leave the flag of Admiral Hornby
and to proceed to Malta, where the Duke will return from
his cruise in the Antelope and will take command of the
Sultan. The two years for which her engines and boilers
were repaired have expired, and the Sultan will be paid off
at Portsmouth, and be immediately taken in hand with the
view to bring her forward for further service.—Wednes-
day's Evening Standard.