The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-09-04 00:00:00

OATITIMAY, SFYT. 4, 1869

Hued the Left Centre in those demands whim: led
the reform of the French constant in "It will a 1.% ays
be the same refrtin with them." said M. de 1 illancourt
" only, whet eat they weed to way Amin to eve, y word
that fell f rim the Minister, now they will say Kr-aaten."
The last thing reported of him is a sayuig ahi ut the
coming Council at Route. It was anuoininitt that NI.
II troche would Learnt to represent the Fret ch lovetm
unmt. The indefatigable de Tillaticiiurt jauite lip to
insist that th- I roper person to send is a Go tat.
Need we trouble our readers with the reason why? It
11 is a jumble of uannon and ration.

•
Tug WaIST OF Tile Pr.R.IOD.— Oar rid friel,d,
tight lacing, has again made his appearance isms the
Lancet.) Beaten back for a time, probably more by
fashion than by the spread of knowledge, he has not
been killed, but has only recoiled apparently for a
bettvr spring, lOr his victim s are 88 numerous and piti-
able. as ever. The foliy is one which wan formerly to
be found mainly in the drawing-roost, but now it also
fills our streets. It is lamentable to observe at every
turn a woman, young or old, who moves forward in a
stooping position, unable even to hold herself upright
in consequence of the constraint upon the muscles of
the back. If the evils of tight-lacing were confined to
the distorted appearance which it never fails to pro-
duce we might regret indeed to see the female form
divine so defaced, but it would scarcely be in our pro-
vince to comment upon it. But, as medical practi-
tioners we see its effect every day in the train of ner-
vous and dyspeptic symptoms by which it is ccuistantly
indicated, and in the still more grave internal mischief
of permanent character which is often caused by it.
Until some little physiological knowledge is made a
part of female education, and is considered an "accom-
plishment," we suppose it is of little use to protest
against the cruel injury to health which women thus
inflict upon themselves. The matter is one that is
" worse than crime—it is folly," for beauty is destroyed
by the process which is intended to increase ir.

- -
THE EXCAVATIONS IN ROME.—A letter from
Rome says :—" This week sixteen great blocks have :
been dug from the excavations, one amongst others of
Oriental ose•coloured alabaster of very great value,
another was of pavonazetto, and several of giallo
antico. Everything that could be serviceable in re-
storing the Pantheon of Agrippa is at present furnished
by the Emporium, and work is going on in twenty.
one churches of Rome either for repairing the pave-
went or renewing the marble skirting. It would be ;
sufficient to mention theca circumstances in order to
enable an estimate to be made as to the result of the
excavations ; but the fact is known that the Pope has
already sent soma of Vie marbles to numerous churches
in the different countries of Europe. We learn even
that Prussia has addressed her thanks to his Holiness
for the magnificent gift to the cathedral of Aix.la-
Chapelle. It is said that a present of a similar de-
scription is about to be made to a Swiss church. All
the workers in marble are now employed. Rome only
possessed two columns of African production, which
may be seen at the entrance f the portico of the
Vatican. The Emporium has already supplied four-
teen, the first of which, transported to the summit of
Mount Janiculum, will serve, as already stated, as a
monument for the coming Council.
TEERIBLE ACCIDENT F/AOM FIREWORKS.— A
letter from Piacenza, in the Movimento, describes a
terrible accident that took place on the night of the
15th in the great square of that town, where the people
were collected to witness a display of fireworks. At
about half-past nine a mortar, destined to discharge a
bomb of large size, exploded with terrible effect. The
pyrotechnist was killed on the spot, as was a child,
whose stomach was torn open by one of the fragments
four persons were desperately wounded, and about
thirty others received injuries more or less severe.
A HINT FOR WATCH-MAKERS.—An American
watchmaker has made a chance discovery that the
balance wheel in nearly every watch is, if made of steel,
converted into a magnet. By what process in the
manufacture it has become one it might be difficult to
say but whether the wheel be indeed a magnet (Sr not
may easily he discovered by fixing it upon a small piece
of cork, letting it float in still water, and seeing if it al-
ways turns in one direction. The fact of the magnetic
character of the wheel will account for many pertuba-
tions in watches which have hitherto been inexplicable.
A key, or the steel blade of a knife in the same pocket
as the watch, will exert a disturbing influence. But
even if there should be no piece of steel in the pocket,
the magnet will necessarily tend towards the north,
and so far interfere with the calculations of the watch-
maker in a very delicate piece of mechanism.
THE NEW Poon RATE ACT. —The New Poor
Rate Assessment and Collection Act, of which "hon-
ourable mention" was made in the prorogation speech,
will come into operation on the 29th of next month.
There are large numbers of occupiers affected by the
Act with regard to the New Reform Act. The occu-
pier of any rateable heriditament let to him for a term
not exceeding three months is to be entitled to deduct
the amount paid by him in respect of any poor rate
from the rent due or accruing due to the owner, and
every such peyment is to be a valid discharge of the
rent to the extent of the rates so paid. In the metro-
polis to £2O a y,ear ; in Liverpool to £l3 ; in Man-
chester and Birmingham to £10; and elsewhere to £8;
the owner agreeing to pay the rates, and paying these
before the sth of June, is to he allowed a commission
not exceeding 25 per cent. Notice is to be given under
the Reform Act of rates in arrear, and an occupier
paying in default of the owner by his agreement is to
deduct the same from his rent. There are other pro-
visions to make the Act effectual for voters under the
Reform Act.
A Weems or PRECEDENCE. —The delicate
question of precedence which has for some time agi-
tated the Life Guards and Horse Artillery has been

settled —as questions often az, settled now.a.days—hy
a compromise (says the Pall Mall (ioate) It has
been decided that the Life Guards and Horse Guards,

as part of the body guard of the Sovereign, have pre-
cedence of all other corps whatever—thug reversing the
positions if the two corps as laid down by the Queen's
Regulations. But the rights of armed science could
not be ignored, aod a second clause therefore provides
that the Royal Horse Artillery, when on parade with
their guns, shall take the right, and march past at the
head of the Household Cavalry. We trust that both
the Household Cavahy and Horse Artillery are satis
fled, but on this point we should be sorry to express a
confident opinion. This decision seems to suggest
another difficulty. The Foot Guards are part of the
body guard of the Sovereign. Do they, therefore,
take precedence of all other corps whatever—prece-
dence of the regiments of cavalry, artillery, engineers,
mud military train, which at present stand before them
in the table of precedence in the Queen's Regulations.
Here is a nice question to exercise the ingenuity of
our military lawgivers.

- -
HYDROPHOBIA AMONGST SWINII.—III June last,
two pigs, belonging to Mr. Mitchell, Hebdenbridge,
were bitten by 'a mad dog. The dog was shot. The
pig which was most severely bitten soon showed signs
of hydrophobia, and it was shot and buried by the
owner; but it was not untl a week or two ago that the
other was affected. Remedies were at once sought for
and app.ied with a view to save the animal, but in vain.
It became more like a ferocious tiger than a pig,
and barked frantically about the sty like a doe. It
jumped about in so wild and savage a manner that it
knocked one of its eyes out. and Its hide was almost
entirely torn off. It dashed fiercely against the door of
the sty, which for safety had been An tugly barricaded,
and it was extremely dangerous for any one to go near
it. There being no Bil-1118 of recovery, it was ultimately
shot. The two pigs were quite fat before being bitten,
but the dreadful disease had the effect of making them
quite lean before they were destroyed.

. -
FASHIONABLE ARSIVAL.—Mrs. Malaprop, whose
1.4 ktt.-r was dated from Frankfort on the 0/our, has
returned home to her family mansion at Ball Pond.
She rather lit:locked some Temperance friends by tell-
ing them that ehe came in a "screwed" steamer.
Punch.

CATTLE IMPORTS. —A total of 511,564 live stock
of all kinds were imported into the United Kingdom
during the past year, consisting of 103,726 oxen and
bulls, 11,143 Cows, 21,819 calves, 323,447 sheep, 17.708
lambs, and 33,721 swine and hogs. An analysis of
port.s at which they were imported shows that 332,630
animals were brought to London, 70,909 to Harwich,
24,820 to Hartlepool, 27,662 to Hull, 11,109 to New-
castle, 9,797 to Leith, 6,305 to Plymouth, 2,449 to
Falmouth, 4,107 to Liverpool, 5,275 to Grimsby, 4 325
to Portsmouth, 3.429 to Southampton, 3,042 to Sun-
derland, and 2,762 to Dublin. Of those landed in
London 6,293 were detained on account of disease or
injury, consisting of 729 beasts, 58 calves, 5,072 sheep,
and 434 pigs. A comparison of statistics with those of
former years shows that the trade has hattly yet re
covered from the depression of 1867, and that the tots
quantity of animals imported does not yet reach half
that brought in 1866. It is noteworthy that the im-
portation of cattle from Spam and Portugal into the
port of Liverpool has largely increased since the cessa-
tion of the cattle plague. Although cattle imports
have d creased considerably, the quantities of all kinds
of dead meat sent to London is smaller by 28 per cent,
and of fresh beef and mutton by 81 per cent., as corn.
pared with the statistics of the previous year.—Cham-
ber of Agrindlare Journal.

SHOCKING MURDER IN FRANCE. —A shocking
murder has just been committed near Poissy,in France.
A widower, named Potard, 5:3 years old, a man of disso-
lute habits, herd in his own house with his two nieces,
Olympe and Ernestine Sizain, with whom he was
believed to be on terms of improper intimacy. The
latter was engaged to be married to a young man called
Noel, and that seems to have excited the jealousy of the
uncle. Three evenings back he watched the return of
the sisters from a walk, and on their entering the house
fired two shots at them with his pistols, killing the elder
on the spot, but only slightly wounding the other. At
the noise of the report the neighbours hastened to the
sjs4, and found him walking coolly up and down, and
when asked what was the matter, he replied, " I have
destroyed one of my nieces, but unfortunately, I have
missed killing the other." He waa at once taken into
custody.

A DREAD OF THE TREADMILL.—At the Middle-
sex Sessions, George Jones, • smart-looking fellow,
was convicted of felony.—The court inquired if he was
known. Warder Reeves, of the House of Correction,
Cold bath-field preyed two previous convictions against
prisoner. During the time he was serving one of these
periods, he strenuously refused to serve on the tread.
wheel, and when before the police-court magistrate at
Marlborough-street, he said if he got twenty veers' penal
servitude he would not work the wheel. He was sen-
tenced to imprisonment and hard labour for nine
calendar months. As prisoner was leaving the dock be
was understood to say he did not care how they " cut
his back about," but he wouldn't work the wheel.
THE AMERICAN CROPS. —Accounts by telegraph
from the different Northern States state that the
weather was very warm, and that a fall of rain was
greatly wanted. In North Carolina it is stated that
the corn crop has suffered very much, and that the yield
this year will not exceed two-thirds of last year's. In
the more Southern States the corn had been got in, and
the accounts state that the rain would not in any way
he injured. The first hale of the new crop of Southern
,o, ton W. received in Boston on the 17,11. It was put
op at auction, and after a spirited competition bid off
•Hk.. per pound.
COUhTESEI SPENCER'S TOILETTE AT TP.ALEE.-
113 e toilettes of the Viceregal party were extremely
.rraceful and beautiful (says the Cork Reporter). That
of the Countess Spencer was so brilliant as to try
severely any woman leas beautiful than its wearer.
Her dress was of white grenadine, so thickly oorwed

With loci es of pink silk as to obscure the origin.
material. She wo e a white lace bonnet, with ohe or
two small pink fl ,wers in it. As far at we could see
she wore no jewellery save a small brooch. On the
previous day, at Ktilarney, she wore a magnific.to gold
titire of great rize and heauty. Hsr dress at Killarney
was ot blue cilk, and did not become her so well as the
our she more at Trater. On both occasions tbe ladies

of her suite were dreiieilin white jeaue or muslin:
anti the reniarkehle plainness of their attire con-
tra,' .ticugly with the rich drees of the Countwa
:4peucer.

A VISSFL DISABLED BY A SWOI.O FISTL—
S me nhort time ago (says an Indian pain) there was
a trial in England as to the possibility of as tweed-fish
penetrating the planks of a ship and afterwards with-
drawing his horn. A somewhat similar accident has
occurred to the N. G. ship Bertha, which i. now under
repair at Singapore. The vessel wail lying-to in a gal,
of wind at niebt, s,mewhere on tld, #l,ie of the Cape,
when a Niol,nt shock was felt under the bottom;
a aeoond blow almost immediately followed, and
then a third Bg:dust the rudder. The taptain
supposed he had struck on a sunken wrack, as the
last shock broke the tiller and sonde of the rudder
pintles, and entirely disabled the rudder. After re-
pairing damages the ship went on to Singapore leaky,
and on docking it has been found that elle must have
be:n struck by a sword-fish ; a considerable piece of
the bone still remained in the plank, and was takes
out in the presence of the surveyors. From the injuries
sustained by the ship, it is supposed that her hod first
struck the flab, as • considerable hollow is broken into
it; that the fish then became enraged, and attai:ked its
supposed enemy, broke off its horn, and On n gave a
final blow on the rudder. Had the fish's b ‘ne ii. it been
left in the hole, the captain and surveyors wculd have
been under the impression that the injuries were caused
by a sunken wreck.
-

SAVINOS-BANIK New I NVEFTNISYT cr.— An
Act was peened n the 9 Ii ult. to 811,1141 the laws re-
lating to the Investments fo Savii.gs.t auks autl Psi
Otte, savins,..b.ikk& l'he pay tof Amnia, Cutler
the Acts resite.l has been h .11• yearly, and tile .6p-et .4
the Act is to cancel the some, and that terminable
annuities payable at Vali, .111,1 periods during the year
should be substituted for them. New annuities u_ay
now be created terminable not later than the sth 01
July, 188,3, chann.able the consolidatsst fund • Pay-
able at times io be fixed by the wan ant .4 the Treasury
.
Commissioners, Tior Act provides for the investment
of surplus annuities by
the Commissioners for the
Reduction of the National !.
lebt as are not for the time
being required to pay the den,Th I. of the trustees of.
t
savings-banks. Several statutes reited in the schedules:
to the Act are now repealed.
A NEW METIEIoD OF MAKING iceand
cold producing machine has been invosuted by."'race
Windhausen, Brunswick. The action of the machu.
is based on the principle of liiilucing cold and warmth
by the expansion and compir.jision of atmospht ric air,
which is accomplished by means of mechanical power.
The machines require no chemicals, nothing being used
in them but water and atmospheric air. They may be
wrought by steam, water, or wind, and they pro, tics
from 100 to I,ooolbe. of ice per hour, according s. toss,
at a cost of from 2d. to sd. per 1001 b. ; this dirt'', ace
resulting from the varying prices of fuel and the mode
of working chosen. One of their uses is to cool rooms,
cellan, theatres, hospitals, compartments of ships, tke.

To BE SEEN FOE NOTHIN6I.—The Play of the
Features—Punch.

DIAMOND COT DIAMOND !—Jo large bond
robberies in America it is the usual custom to call in
"detectives," who, by agreeing to divide the plunder
with the thieves, protect the latter from arrest, re.
cover some of the stolen property for its owners, and
get a commission for themselves. This kind of
business recently gave rise to an adroit swindle in
New York. Some men went to a broker and of.
ferred to sell him 128,000 dole of alleged stolen
bonds for 100.000 dole., much leas than their market
value. The broker at once communicated to the
authorities and the detectives were called in. 11cre
was an excellent chance for a fat commission, and
with intense mystery for many days they worked
up the case. Finally, the detectives and bondsellers
met at a New Jersey tavern to coulummate the sis.

The p—Scia-ges of bonds and money were exchanged,
and then with dramatic show, the detectives arrested
the bondsellers as thieves. The packages were opened;
the "money" was found to be 100,000 dole. in counter-
feit notes; the "bond' to be three pounds of waste
paper, having on the outside a genuine I,boo dol.
bond. Both sides were swindled, the detectives quite
as much as the thieves.

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.—Many years tip the
discovery was made that Common soldiers were not to
be trusted off duty with their sidearms. It remained
to be found out by the authorities at Head Quarters
that there was any danger in trusting them with the
possession of balbeArtridge.—Punch.
KILLED Ey LOBTRING.—A terrible storm broke

over the town of Caldwell, New Jersey, United States.
on the evening of Sunday, the Ilith of August. A
young man, Stephen Pierce, was walking home from
the Methodtst Episcopal Church, in company with a
young lady, when the village was suddenly illuminated
with an intense light. and Pierce and his companion
fell to the ground. The lady was stunned, but she
soon recovered and screamed for help. When help
arrived nothing was found of the young man who had
accompanied her but mangled remains. His boots
were stripped from We feet, his limbs were severed
and lacerated, and the features were not recognizable
by those who had known him in life. The unfortunate
young man is said to be the third of his family who
have lost their lives by the same cause.

WHY THE BICYCLE KEEPS UPRIGHT.—But what
keeps the velocipede in its upright position, for two
wheels in a line are as difficult to balance as a single
wheel by itself ? The very same power which holds
the spinning-top in its upright position. Of course the
machine must be mounted while in motion, or the pas-
senger must be supported until the motion it com-
menced. The same force ih hlustritte I in the gyro-
scope, which is a heavy lion of metal round an laid.
When this is set in swift rotation the axit silil remain
stationary in a position, provided one of its ends be
supported. This strange pr.iperty whioll a revolving
body possesses is called the fixity of the axi. of rota-
tion, and it is the result of a general law th t when
matter is in rotation, its axis, or the line upon which it
rotates, remains stationary. So the axis ,if the top of
the velocipede, and of the gyroen.p., all leinain in
their various positions in defiance of the ordinary law
of gravitation.

A THoUGHT AT MOT-. TLAIEF.—The rtw with
America is over. The "row" with that country, with
which we have often been threatened, we hope will
never begin.—Punch.
A MAORI SoNG OF WKI.CoMF.—OUP p. APIS
(writes the Wellington Incitpendant) will no doubt
recollect the unearthly ovate in of yells, issuing from
hundreds of Maori thtoats, which greeted the arrival
of the Duke of Edinbiugh's barge at the wharf. and
which caused ouch great witonishinent amongst his
Highness' crew, who were somewhat surprised at the
Cerberian song of welcome, for such it really wio—in
fact, a Maori mean. The foil i iwing is the original and
translation, and will, no doubt, he interes'ing to our
readers as a specimen of a Maori ode—ali rig way after
Tennyson's ode of welcome to Alexandra
"A kunwa mat te waka,
A tom matte was,
Ki to nrunga to wake,
Xi to immense to wake,
Kite takotorsaiga I takoto at
To wake."
"Now then, draw hillier the canoe, now then drag up the
canoe, to the place prepared for the canoe, to the bleeping
place for the canoe, to the resting place where the canoe
shall lie"
ACTION FOR THE Loss OF THUMB AND FINGER.
—The case of " Lawlor v. the Metropolitan Railway
Company' was heard before the Recorder and a common
jury, at the Lord Mayor's Courton Saturday. Plaintiff
was a carpenter and joiner, and when travelling on de-
fendants' line on the 4th of May last his thumb and
finger were injured by the door being closed too sud-
denly, as he was getting into a "workman's train" at
Farringdon Street to go to Nott;ngshilL The jury found
for the plaintiff—damages, £35, i. e. £l5 for loss of
wages, and £2O, for the damage and injuryreceived.
NARROW ESCAPE —Early on Sunday morning
last, a visitor at Broadstairs went out for a sail with
his wife, five children, and a nurse girl, in a small sail.
ing boat. While out at sea they were suddenly caught
in a gale which was prevalent on Sunday, and, though
anxiouely looked for, they did not return all that day.
Telegraphic messages were despatched all along the
coast, tut without gaining any information so to the
safety of the frail veasel and her occupants. The first
news heard of her wan at three o'clock on Sunday
afternoon, when she was seen said ng past Mon-
day morning came, and still there was no I.7r.vs, and
their friends were beginning to give them up tor lost.
At a later hour, however, news arrived that they were
all safe. They had been caught in the gale and un-
able to make for land, and seeing no other chance of
safety they had sought shelter all night in a schooner
lying off Dover.
THE PRIZEFIGHTER AND THE POLICPMEN.—At
the Glasgow Central Police-court on Monday, two men
and a woman, one of the men being the celebrated
prizefighter James Warnock, were convicted of tile theft
if swatch from a ship carpenter, a stranger in the city,
and the three were sentenced to sixty atom' imprison-
ment each. One of the witnesses was a woman named
Hamilton, whose evidence WM somewhat hard upon the
pugilist, and he, on being sentenced, demanded it the
bailie why he was to be sent for sixty days to prison.
He was, however, taken from the bar, and in passing
relieved himself from his custodiers and aimed a blow
at the woman Hamilton. He was instantly seized
by half a dozen stalwart constables, including several
detectives, whom he made spin about in all directions.
Additional constables rushed in to the rescue of their
comrades, but 'James's fists were active, and several of
them were "punished." Wilson, one of the detectives,
was severely hurt in the face. He was beiug removed
"per force," when, by order of the court, he was
brought back to the bar, and the court ordere I that
when his sixty days for the theft had expired, lie should
be brought again to the bar on the charges of contempt
of court and assault.

AN ILLUSTRATED DAILY NEWSPAPaR.— The
Californiane now boast that they are ding—or at all
events attempting—a little more than any other oty in
the world. A daily illustrated lather baa hP.-111 warted
in San Franciaco. It is called_rke lihnslrai.d Sia
Francisco News. The daily nuallalt will, id .iurte. lie
cultected and published as a weekly Tiiedaily contains
eight pagee, is to a certain extent a newqmp.,r, hut is
more of a literary paper, with a strohg Ca iha nia smack
to it. The illustrations are txecuted in the new
proceas of zincography, having very much the appear-
ance of lithography. The drawing it made direct
on a zinc plate, whitened and aleo rougben-d, P. that
it has a grain like a lithograph stone. It is then sub-
mitted to an aci.l bah, which eati out the elite parte.
rha only ohjection to the pr, oeha ia that the faint,
ilelMate triya come either whiter or dark.-r than ,he
artiat intended ; the acid yid-I-mines thrum. Tie
advant .ge of the promas in that when the plate hihaed
in, a suitable wooden Ilk, it can me printed with the
letter press It would be impowthle, in a city like
San Francisco, to get three ilitutrations up in nod
engraving. This new proceins is a cianparatively
one. The drawing is made am rapidly an on paper, and
thirty or forty hour.' chemical treatment, /to., fite at
I for the priater.