The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-22 00:00:00

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THE STOtIRTIRIDGE OBSERVER. SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1879.
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This is the time of the vernal equinox, when ZEolus
tulle:, 'es the imprisoned winds of winter, and these,
weeping wildly o'er land and sea, carry death and
devastation in their train. After a severe winter,
such as this has been, when the wind appeared to
stand still, and allow biting frost to have its sway, it
would not surprise our meteorologists if the equi-
noctial storms which burst over the Altantic were of
more than usual severity. We are all taught at
school that twice a year—namely, on the 21st of
March, and the 21st of September, when the sun crosses
the imaginary line known as the enuator, every
nation in the world gets twelve hours of the
presence of that great luminary. This is especially
welcome after such a time as that through which we
have passed; and if there be any virtue in the seasons
coming in their proper order and in their rightltime,
we ought to have before us a very genial spring. We
do net now expect frosts and bitterly cold east winds
in May, nor a June temperature such as we often get
colder than that of the traditional December. We
have had our share of that "hard grey weather" so
much admired by the late lamented Canon Kingsley,
and should be able now, to look forward with confi-
dence to brighter timed, and to long an 4 genuine
summer days.

not the last erected being for the sale of spirits, though the
authorities have since compelled their removaL

outfit suitable to a Princess of the Royal Prussian
House.

their exit by a cut right through the skin, thus causing
a compound commuted fracture. The portion of the
bone below this fracture—tough and strong as the red
deer's shanks are—were shattered into minute frag-
ments the size of dice. The bone was again fractured
at its lower part, and the thick skin entirely lacerated
through. The large sinews at the back of the
bone, as well as the wire-like sinews that work the
toes of the foot, were elongated and pulled out, and in
fact everything was broken right off except two very
slender sinews and a smalMortion of the skin. The
total length of the portion of the deer's leg caught in
the tree is seventeen inches; from the fracture to where
it was torn off, eight inches. The leg was caught by
the branches of the tree about four feet from the
ground, and the lowest boughs carrying leaves were
about nine feet from the ground. The deer was dead,
and it is not known how long he had been held a prisoner
by his foot. As there was no eye•witness as to how
this occurred to the stag, it becomes somewhat difficult
to account for this extraordinary event. It is probable,
however, that in consequence of the weather the
animal was short of food, and that in his wanderings
he had observed above his head something edible on
the lower bronchi" of the thorn tree, Possibly leaves,
moss, or lichens, on which deer feed in snowy weather.
These he could not reach when standing on all fours.
He therefore, probably raised himself upon his hind
legs, and when stretching himself upwards and for-
wards, the hoofs of his hind legs slipped frakn under
him,*or, else, when letting himself down again, his
right leg slipped suddenly between the forked branches
of the tree, and was instantly held there tight; The
animal then probably began immediately to struggle,
but the more he kicked and fought the tighter the
wrist of his foot got wedged in; in fact, when the
preparation was brought to me the foot was so tightly
fixed into the notch of the tree that it could not have
been more jammed if it had been hammered down, and
then a long screw passed right through it. In his
struggles to get loose (he was a fine heavy stag, carry-
ing antlers with 13 points) the first thing that happened
was the fracture of the leg-bone. This allowed the
animal to fall on his back, from which position, of
course, he could not rise. Terribly alarmed at what had
happened to him, the poor stag then began to pull and
tug at his captive leg, assisting himself so to do by
means of his horns. In his frantic exertions to get
free, the stag a second time broke his leg, then the skin
gave way, and lastly, the large tendons. If his strength
had lasted long enough to have ruptured the two small
tendons, it is possible that he might have escaped,
leaving his leg in the fork of the tree.
"His Royal Highness, having been informed of the
accident, judiciously ordered the portion of the tree
which held the foot to be sawn off bodily. He then
kindly sent the whole thing to me, with a request that
the foot should be preserved for him without being
removed from the fork in which it had been so tightly
jammed by the animal itself."

and 30 percent. ad valorem. The average percentage,of
revenue from imports is 13i; the proportion on imports
from Britain being 174, and from the United States less
than 10 per cent. The Finance Minister believes that
the country, owing to the manner in which the new
tariff is framed, will receive the greatest portion
of the 2,000,000d015. from foreign countries, and
but a small portion from the mother country. He
claims that, owing to the great decrease in values,
the new tariff will produce no more than would
the tariff of 1873, supposing specific duties had
been made by levying the taxation on all articles
manufactured in Canada and exported. A drawback
of duties paid on material is given on evidence of ex-
portation.; new vessels are to be treated as exports of
this kind, except as regards the cordage used, the duty
On which is 10 pe'r cent.
"The above figures indicate the leading changes in
the fiscal policy, and the strongest Protectionists
acknowledge that the Government have abundantly
fulfilled their pltdge to enter upon a Protective policy.
The OppeAition acknowledge that apparent prosperity
may temporarily result from this readjustment of the
tariff, but are sceptical as to its producing the promised
blessings for the country."

ANOTHER GREAT FACT.—An irritable customer who
bargains much, but buys little, is frequently produc-
tive of counter-irritation.—. Judy.
Tin NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.—It seems that
the native races of North America 4re not decreasing
in numbers, as is generally believed; but, on the con-
trary, are sensibly increasing. This curious fact has
come to light from an official investigation of statistics
on the subject decided upon last year by the Com-
missioner of Indian Affairs at Washington, and which
has since been diligently prosecuted by the medical
attache of the Indian Bureau, Dr. Kellogg. The rate
of increase has not yet been determined; but the
figures examined by Dr. Kellogg, as furnished from
more than seventy agencies under the control of the
United States Government, put the fact beyond dis-
pute that the births among the tribes are in excess of
deaths from normal causes. Allowance is made even
for death from dissipation, and, indeed, for every
ordinary cause of death among the Indians except
gunshot wounds or injuries din battle. The census of
the Indians shows a total of about one hundred and
seventy thousand. The popular notion that the
"noble savage" is extinct, or nearly so, seems, in fact,
to be a delusion. He still exists, as we have lately
found to our cost in South Africa; and although,
owing to the influence of civilization, he is not quite so
" noble " as formerly he is as much a savage as ever,
and all the more formidable now that he has dropped
his nobility.
DE GoosE-Tmus, &c.—lt is the settled opinion of a
mighty hunter that a wild goose chase is better than no
chase at all.—Fun.

"Although nothing positive can be known abut the actual
loss of life, there are several well-authenticated- data which
go very far to show that it will not have been very large.
There is, first of all, the statement made by the special com-
missioner to the Emperor that only 2t corpses had been found
drowned, while 27 persons had died from exposure and other
causes. Household animals are constantly appearing on the
surface of the waters, and the same would, no -doubt,
be the case with a portion at least of the human
bodies had there really been a great number of
them buried in the ruins of their houses. In most
places only the roofs of the bonzes are visible above the
water, many being perforated, showing that the people had
sought refuge there, where also many were found. On the
first day the work of saving life began with the people on the
roofs and those who had taken refuge on trees. There is
another fact which tells indirectly in favour of the aupposi•
tion that few of the inhabitants of Szegedin perished, and
that is the comparatively small number of the people
missed_ Thus in the town of Temesvar 1,200 Szegediners are
housed, some of them being families with half-a-domo
children, all belonging, almost without exception, to
the poorest class of people and coming from the
Hoehn/ quarter of the town, which lies very low and was the
first reacted by the waters. Nevertheless, among all those
families not one misses a child r- a domestic. The same with
those who have taken refuge in the neighbouring town of
Mako. Five hundred and sixty-seven families are there and
312 single persons, and yet not one misses a relative. Among
other fugitives from Szegedin in the town of Temesvar there
are six blind beggars, who have found their way thither in
safety. All this goes far to justify a more hopeful view of
the case, and to attach the character of exaggeration to the
estimates which count the loss by thousands.

"Art. s.—Her Royal Highness the Princess Louise
Margaret, in accordsnce wth the existing practice in
the Royal Prussian Houseand the House and family
compacts, with the concuvence of his Royal Highness
the Duke of Connaught, hr future consort, renounces
formally and permanently, in favour of the male line
of the Royal Prussian Margravian Brandenburg
family, all contingent rights of hereditary succession
to land and people, in such wise that, so long as male
descendants of the Royal Prussian Margravian Bran-
denburg line shall be living, she shall have no claim
whatever and no sight thereto.
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"But if (which may Almighty God forbid, all male
descendants of the Eoyal Prussian Margravian
Brandenburg line should have died out, then whatever
appertains to the Princesses of the Royal Prussian
Margravian Brandenburg House in' virtue of testa-
ments, settlements, laws, and compacts of the afore-
said House shall not be lost, but shall be reserved to
her Royal Highness the Frincess and her heirs.
" Art. 6.—The preeetu Treaty shall be ratified by
her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, and by his Majesty the
German Emperor, King of Prussia, and the ratifiers.
tions shall be exchanged ar, Berlin as soon as possible.
"In witness thereof the respective plenipo-
tentiaries have signed the same and have affixed
thereto the seals of their arms.

Princess Louise, with some members of the house-
hold, occupied seats on the floor of the House during
the delivery of the Budget speech.

"The Minister-President has to-day decided that, In view
of the immediate dispositions which have been taken for the
safety, housing, and removal of the inhabitants, there is no
farther necessity for the special commissioners sent there,
and that the municipal autnorities may again resume their
full powers. Bafore his departure a deputation came to
thank him for his visit and for all the Government had done
towards relieving the distress, asking also for further assist-
ance in repairing and rebuilding the town. The Minister, in
reply, assured the deputation that everything possible should
be done in this direction, and that the work of draining off
the water would at once be taken in hand."

"Done at Berlin, the tcnnty•sixth day of February,
in the year of Our Lord we thousand eight hundred
and seventy nine.

(L.SI " ODO WDLIAM LEOPOLD RUSSELL.
(L.S. " SCHLEROTZ."

A USEFUL TREro—The milk-tree, which grows in
.the forests of Venezuela, and which has been described
by Humboldt, yields large quantities of vegetable
milk, which has been subjected to a chemical analysis
by M. Bonssingault, who, at Humboldt's request, had
tested its nutritious properties when he went to South
America many years ago. M. Boussingault declares
the milk to be a very close approximation to cow
milk, and even richer in cream. It also contains sugar
and phosphates.—Land and Water,
A DAVID WITHOUT A SLING.—A small boy, twelve
years of age, named Francisco Rios, of Monterey, in
the employ of Frank Garrissere, a farmer in Paris
Valley, Monterey County (otherwise known as the
French Settlement), California, killed a full-grown
buck under the following circumstances: —The lad was
engaged in herding hogs, and on the afternoon of the
6th inst. was resting under a tree' when he was
suddenly confronted by a large buck. Being naturally
surprised at the time, the boy had no other thought
than to scare off his unwelcome visitor. He halloed
to him, but with no good effect. The buck, instead of
retreating as might be supposed, advaneed furiouslY
towards his young disturber, lowering at the time his
head in style of a Spanish toro. The little fellow,
although much frightened, had enough courage and
presence of mind to pick up a rock about the size of an
egg and hurl it at his assailant, striking him on the
head between the horns. The missile, strange to
relate, did fatal work. The buck came rolling down
the hillside into a small'creek in close proximity to
where the encounter took place. The animal was
dead when our youthful hero recovered from hie
fright. _ _

On Saturday the Lord Mayor of London (Sit
Charles Whetham) received nearly £6OO at the
Mansion-house in aid of the fund recently started
there at the request of the Austro-Hungarian Ambas-
sador, for the relief of the many thousand sufferers by
the above disastrous floods.—On Monday the sum
contributed had amounted to nearly £2looo.—On Tues-
day evening nearly £4,200 had been received.

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Writing from Rome on the 18th, the Correspondent
of The TiMCB says :—" The Pope has sent 5,000 f. in
aid of the sufferers from the inundation at Szegedin.
It is especially noteworthy that in almost every case
of public disaster since the beginning of his reign Leo
XIII. has been among the first to send material aid to
the safferers."

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THE LONDON ENGINEERS' STRIS.E.—On. Saturdal
the usual amount of strike pay was given to nearly
950 engineers, composed of about 550 society and 380
non-society men, the weekly amounts paid thens
ranging from 13s. to 20s. each. In addition is. each
was paid on account of 1,130 children and 6d. each for
120, relief pay being given in all for 1,250 children of
engineers. These figures show a reduction in the nulfl.
hers on the stxike rolls, as compared with the previous
week, as some of the men on strike have got emplor
ment in shops where no reduction of wages has been
proposed. The amount disbursed last Saturday 113
strike pay, including the children's allowance, ws.e
close upon £BOO.
THE ONLY "ROUND SUM."—A cipher.—Punch.,
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MARRIAGES AND BIRTHS IN FRANCE.—The excess ol
births over deaths in France is steadily increasing
year by year, although the increase in population
not nearly so rapid as in other European countries.
In 1875 the excess of births over deaths was 105,900,
in 1876, 132.600; and in 1877, 142,600. SO far the
returns are satisfactory, but yet the number of mar'
riages in France is decreasing. In 1872 the marriage°
numbered 352,700; in 1876 they had decreased to
291,900; and in 1877 to 279,000. To account for till
diminution various causes are brought forward.
amongst them being the extension of military service,
the industrial distress, and the phylloxera. In the
matter of increase of population France far behind
our somewhat overcrowded country. Thus France.
with a population half as large again as that of Eng:
land, returns an excess of 142,000 births, and Eng Lana
an excess of 304,000 births, The United Kingdonis
with a-population numbering 3,000,000 less than that
of France, gives an excess of births amounting te
387,000, or not very much less than three times tia
great as that of France.— Pictorial World.
FARMERS' GRUMBLING.—" No," the honest fan-L.O
remarked, in tones of deepest dejection, "the big croo
don't do us a bit of good. What's the use? Coro
only thirty cents. Everything is dead set against 0°
farmer. Only thirty, cents, for corn! Why, by
it won't pay our taxes, let alone buying our clothe..
It won't buy us enmigh salt to put up a barrel of poll',
Corn only thirty cents! By socks, it's a livin col t
blooded swindle on the farmer, that'll what it is.
ain't worth raisin' corn for such a price as that. It
mean, low robbery." Within the next ten days
man had sold so much more of his corn than he P
ntended that he found he had to buy corn to fe74
through the winter with. The price nearly knock')
him down, "What," he yelled, "thirty cents far coil) !
Land alive—thirty cents !", What are yau giving OA
Why, I don't want to buy yonr farm; I only sV
some corn. Why, I believe there's nobody left in -
world but a set of graspin', blood-suckin' old misoli
Why, good land, you don't want to buy a nation
bank with one corn crop! Thirty cents for colt;
Well, I'll let my cattle and horses feed on oornstaPili
all winter before I'll pay such an unheard of outrage°4
price for corn as that. Why, the country's flooo,
with corn, and thirty cents a bushel is a blamed robberi;
an' I don't see how any man, lookin' at the crop
had, can have the face to ask such a price. —Burling"'
Hawkey&
DISASTER AT SEA.—The Italian barque Armerdi;
which arrived in New York on March 3, reported thili
when nearly 60 miles to the northward of Cape fienro
a partly capsinel barque was met with, a longh° ,
containing six men being made fast to her sterfo
They are part of the crew of the British bar%
Yousquiza, which 'left Baltimore on FebruarY bt
bound for Newry with grain. Op the morning of to
t-20th the vessel was struck by a terrific hurriceo ;
which threw her on her beam ends. After two dila
and three nights of continuous work the longboat 1,1,8
the pinnace were launched. The latter boat, with
13' balance of the crew, steered to the westward, andDi
not since been heard of. The longboat remained a
the ship, and three days afterwards the men sce

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rescued:
AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORII.—Tho to
wee
ing are the average prices of British corn for the w_„a
ending March 15, as received from the inspectorsi;
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 393. 7d.; barley, 345.1„y
oats, 201. 9d. per imperial qr. Corresponding S'S,
last year :—Wheat, 495. 6d.; barley, 425. 2d. ;
23e, 91.
WHEN SCOT MET SCOT.—A weaver, tired and We J
wending his way slowly by the banks of the Forth irle
Clyde Canal towards St. Mungo, recently hailed
tiel
steersman of a passing barge and asked him if he voto
" tak' him on to Glesca'." "On, ay," replieiii,
bargeman, "gin ye'll work yer passage, MOD." Sip
do that," answered the weaver, with joyful alsc''S
"There then," cried the steersman to him) at the o'7
time casting a rope's end ashore—" tak' that an' 01,',
CONSUMPTION OF SPIRITS. The annual retlP-00
again show a decrease in the quantity of spirity
which duty is paid for consumption in the -Uhlor
Kingdom. In the year 1878 the quantity of h°A4
made spirits paying duty for consumption as bever''',4
• was 29,358,715 gallons, being 529,461 gallons less tili)ie
in the preceding year. The quantity of foreign 000
paying duty in 1873 for home consumption boo
10,438,637 proof gallons, being less by 179,927 gol of
than in the preceding year. In both classes the
1877 also showed a decrease when compared wit°
predecessor.
"Up IN A BALLOON, Boys."—Which is the neerrhs.
place in the world ?—That above the atmosphere,
cause there all bodies lose their gravity.—Fun. 130
STORM WARNING.—The following cable message tjo
been received (March 18) from New York, at tir
London office ot the New York Herald :—"Distild
ance will arrive on the British and Norwegian 0.70-
between the 18th and 20th; south, veering to ne:list
west. Gales, rain, snow, possibly lightning. Ano".,cls
will arrive on the British coast, affecting the Ftet'ip;
coast, between the 21st and 23rd, with snow and re
south-east backing to north-west gales."
THE SILKWORM CULTIVATION IN ITALY. 00
silkworm cultivation of Italy has been carrie%se
during the past year upon an area of 296,305 equ:rei
kilometres, and has produced a total of 37,201.!,;),
kilogrammek of cocoons. Of this amount Loneblooo-
- produced fourteen, millions; Venetia, eight old
lions; Piedmoat, seven and a half millions; thetv
kingdom of Neples, two millions and a halt;
Emilian provinces and Tuscany, two millions TO
and the Marches, one million of cocoons
yielded 320,000 kilogrammes. The valua of 00°000
imported into Italy is estimated at nearly 144 ulilvafei
and a half of liras (francs).—Y. I. in Land
Water.
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A SUGGESTION.—" Hussar" writes to the Sta,e-140e
—Seeing that the army now engaged in oP
suffers from the want of mounted .7en, nnay rPrgt°
that a small corps should be' torn:lt'd to procee elf)
Africa? I would suggest that each member of .p 1
force should be of gentle birth, and have sufo or
means to equip a hone himself and provide his Pt
sage, though I think it possible the authorities Ta.
give the passage. There must be many men in
land young, active, and good leorsemen. Even *44s
determined men could do wonders, Buell as eceo?
and carrying despatches ; in facts I think such $4.67,40
would have numberlees opportunities of distinguish
itself. Tt would, being composed as I proposei
every opportunity of desperate or dangeeens ogre sie
Lhope same of your readers may be induced to 0°
forward.
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DYNAMITE EXPERTMENTS.—Major Lo.ayendie D.
te
ti
has made a series of experiments in order to aseer
or
whether dynamite in the frozen condition was nw-etlif)
less suscept!e to explosion by percuesion and 1)1
action et dine:mite in an unfroeen plastic C,.
Tuis question is one 'which had neit, s
he is aware, been carefully investigated or deterrOw„-el
at any rate in this country. He has come to the 'co"
elusions that frozen dynamite is considerably Iplitei
tive to explosion by a blow than tinfro4en-dyn
that cartridges of dynamite he4ag marl quantitle•ore
e clecidediYlielt
sensitive to oxpiosion'by a' blow than cartridgesxuded nitro.glyceei^e within them are
in or:I; is
there is no such exudation; that frozen dynlo37-;teol4
much more susceptible to explosion by simple igni_•-ab
than unfrozen dynamite; that frozen dynaneite
less sensitive to explosion by the impact of a bullet t
the
unfrozen dynamite; that the danger attending . •
mere breaking in two of a frozen dynamite cartrlf
cb)e4 not seem to ba of the formidable character h:"6
cated by the Austrian regulations • and that friezto
nitro-glycerine is not susceptible of detonation by ae,,"es
nators of the same strength as those with which "."
detonation of unfrozen nitro-glycerine may be reed°
and certainly effected. Mayor Majendie's report 11°
been printed by order Of the Home Office,

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