The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-02-09 00:00:00

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The thirtieth list of subscriptions for the Gambetts
monument has just been published, bringing up the
total amount received or promised to upwards of
337,000 f.
By the foundering of the ill-fated ship Simla the
Bishop of Sydney has lost nearly the whole of his
library of some thousand volumes, and of his manu-
scripts and note-booke.
A sad fatality recently occurred near Fullamore,
King's County. While a labourer named Gononge
was engaged in a field in close proximity to a large
oak tree, it suddenly and unexpectedly fell upon the
man, causing instant death.
Tie eitvAtors of Messrs. Adamson and Chapman
and Sons at Toronto have been destroyed by fire, with
thei: entire contents. The loss is estimated at 250,000
dollars.

The King of Italy has directed that in future, at the
State banquets and Court dinners, Italian wines, with
the exception of champagne, are to be served instead
of foreign.
Lady Siemens has presented to the Society of Tele-
graph Engineers, for their library, 230 volumes, which
formed part of the library of her late husband, Sir W.
Sie men s.

Information has been received that the Republic of
Hayti is prepared to receive double or reply post-
cards, and to return the reply halves. On and after
the Ist of February, therefore, reply cards impressed
on each half with a 11d. stamp may be sent to Hayti.
The Canadian Postmaster• General has announced
that the Government will not reduce the postage from
3c. to 2c., and declines to entertain a scheme for the
establishment of a parcels post by the Post office.
An exhibition of motors, machinery, tools for
artisans, and agricultural implemeLts is to be held at
Pesth in 1885. The time for applications for space has
been expended to the end of April, 1884.
There are 2500 yachts owned in the United States,
about ten per cent. steam. The sailing craft are
valued at 2,000,000 dole., and the steam vessels at
1,000,000 dole.
The Turkestan Gazette states that very large
quantities of copper copecks, of the Russian frac.
tional currency, have been lately uttered and cir-
culated by the Chinese on the frontier.
The Italian Minister of Agriculture is again this
year buying a large quantity of American grape seed,
for distribution in the diAriets which have suffered
from phylloxera.
The Public Library and Museums Committee at
South Shields have just taken a vote on the question
of opening the Library, News•rooms, and Museum on
Sundays. Twelve voted against and six in favour of
Sunday opening. This vote harmonises with a recent
vote of the ratepayers, who, by 1022 votes against
535, decided against Sunday opening.
The City Press says that there are 07 members o
the House of Commons who hava livery qualifications
for the City of London. There are also 131 who are
commercially connected with the City.
Last week's receipts of cotton at all United States
por4 s were 10,0(0 bales; since let September
3 047,000 bales. Week's exports to Great Britain,
123 003 bJes ; week's exports to the Continent,
37, 00 bales ; total since Ist September, 2,405,000
bales ; stock at all ports, 1,C67,100 bales.

A bill has been reported in the American Congress
intended to eaablish a Bureau of Animal Industry,
aLd to prevent the spread of contagious diseases among
domestic animals.

Quantities of arms are being conveyed from the
distrieta of Novi.Bazer and Benne into Bosnia and
the Herzsgovina, where an insurrectionary movement
is reportsd to be in preparation.
The parcel post service continues to extend in a
wonderful manner in all the provinces of Italy. The
stat'stice of 1883 show an increase of 1,141,260 packets
on t,-Ic precading year, the total numbr of packets
sent by post during the year being 3,737,182, Milan
bein,, credited with 667,103 packets.
The total quantity of pi', iron exported from the
Tees during January Wa3 62043 tons of which 31,867
tons were sent coastwise and 27,176 foreign.
In a collision which occurred between two goods
trains near Entine le Cote, Belgium, an engine
driver was killed and a guard seriously injured.
A deputation of licensed victuallers have had an
Interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the
Treasury with the object of laying before the right
bon. gentleman certain information in reference to
clubs. The proceedings were private' but it is under.
stood that Mr. Childers admitted the necessity of
legi-dation to bring clubs under some system of control,
and indicated that the Government intend to intro-
duce a bill dealing with the question at an early date.
The Maeda of Ohinernutu, New Zealand, spend
half their time in the hot water. Hot springe
abound in the country, and the temperature is always
boiling; hut the water is, of ccurse, allowed to run
exposed until sufficiently cool.
The Manhattan Athletic Club, which is the chief
American athletic association, proposes to send ova
to England a team of its best athletes abaut next
May or June. Besides the celebrated Myers, the
team would consist of the American champion 100
yards runner, the champion miler, and, in all proba-
bility, the champion walker.
A rgmr,.rkabla cc eurence is reported from Mulina.
sic, a fi =fling village near Billintra, county of
Donegal. During the recent storm the sea rushed over
a protection wall, and swept away five houses. No
lives were lost, but all the property, including two
boats, was completely destroyed.
A elerding to a telegram from Mirecourie a most
violent o.orm has been razing in Alsace-Lorraine. At
Me' z it wes accompanied with thunder, lightning,
hsil, and ar ow. At Kiehl a house was struck by
lightning. At Nienearthein a man was blown into
the Saar, and at Wolmunster the upper part of a
church is said to have been blown off.
James Welch, a boy, has committed suicide at
West Bromwich, by hanging himself from the ceiling.
The boy's mother said her son had seemed much de.
pressed in consequence of being unable to pass the
sixth standard at school. A verdict of "Temporary
insanity " was returned.

In L-ondon, the other day, while a funeral procession
wa3 in its way from the Old Kent-road to the
Brockley Cemetery, Mr. Marks, the undertaker,
suddenly turned faint, and fell. On his being lifted up
it was found that he was dead.

The remains of three Knights Hospitallers of St.
John of Jerusalem have been discovered at the Manor
of Templeton, near Kintbury, Berke, which was the
site of a Commandery. In accordance with the vow
of poverty professed by the "{capitaHers, the bodies
had been buried each within its narrow cell, without
coffin or other ecclosure.

The strike of window-glass workers in Western
Pennsylvania and Ohio has ended, after a lock-out of
seven months' duration, in 7000 men resuming work
at last year's wages, subject to the provisions of a
scale arranged according to the market rates which
prevailed after April 1.
A cording to statistics just presented to the Federal
States of the German Empire, the total value of silver,
nickel, and copper coins handei over for circulation
to the various States till the end of last December
amounted to 475,807,580 marks.
The Cincinnati Price Current estimates the total
supply of wheat in America at 175 million bushels,
and 35 million bushels of flue; that the demand for
the home supply will be 125 millions, leaving the re-
mainder for export. It is calculated that the exports
will be 120 millions, against 148 last year.

Ice•yachting, one of the most exciting of pastimes,
is now in full swing in America. One yacht claims to
have sailed tiventy miles in less than eighteen minutes,
in practice.
The total imp,rts of merchandise into the United
States in 1883 were 687,620,122 dole, in value, being a
decrease of 65,823,355 dole. as compared with the
return of 1832. The total exports in 1883 amounted to
795,091,806 dole., an increase of 27,109,860 dole,
The miners at the La.sodie Colliery, near Dunferm.
lire, h Ave struck work, in consequence of a dispute as
to the system of weighing the output.

A prize of 10,600 lire has been offered for competi-
tion between Italian and foreign exhibitors at Turin
for the I:.est inv,-.ntion or apparatus for the application
of el:ctricity to industry.
At Durham County Police court, on Saturday,
Henry Whutle, beerhouse keeper, was charged with
the attempted murder of William Fairbair Hall, col-
liery proprietor, by shooting at him with a loaded
revolver, at Harwell Station, It was stated that it
wouid be some time before Mr. Hall could appear, as
during the previous few days he had not progressed so
well, although no serious consequences were appre-
hended. The prihoner was remanded.
Torpedoes of the best manufacture are reported to
have been ordered through a London firm for China.
Some of these weapons, but not of the quality now
ordered, have already been shipper
It is reported from Matamorak.. Niexioo, that the
Rev. Father Damato Soto, of Concordia, in the State
of Vera Cruz, has discovered a key to the Aztec
writings.
The total expenditure for the medical relief of
entTeri:,,7, in Paris for the year 1884 is estimated at
41,556,000 francs, about £1,C63,000.
The joint committee of the Society of Arts and the
College of Physicians have awarded the Swiney Prize,
which consists of a goblet, value 2100, containing gold
coin to the game amount, to Professor Sheldon Amos,
11.1. A., for his work entitled, "A Systematic View ol
the Scipoce of Jurisnrwlence."
'he Arawological Society of Athens has decide to
send out an expedition to examine the bottom of the
Gulf of Salamis' where five centuries before the
C'. tiara era the famous ia fight between the Greek"
nod Persians took place' in which the Greeks lost ISO
vesicle and the Persians 200.

The traffic receipts of the six great French railways
for the second week in January show a decrease of
120,132 francs as compared with the corresponding
period of last year.
An explosion of gasoline has occurrs were
n
Alliance, Ohio by which six pencen i
killed shop at
'
several injured. -
The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens,
Regent's Park, London' during last week Included
three bonnet monkeys from India, a toque monkey
from Ceylon, an Arabian baboon
enapbroeosnftreodm
bA Arabia, aebai
pal
au
ai n
Indian gazelle from In
Spencer Stanhope ; two bonnet monkeys from India,
presented by Mrs. St. .Tehn Mitchell; a huanaco from
Peru, presented by Mr. J. W. Frith ; fonr harvest
mice, British, presented by Mr, G. T. Rope ; a greaten
sulphunerested cockatoo, from Australia, presented
by Mr; George Wood; a great grey shrike, British,
preQented by Master Arthur Blyth ; two American
flying squirrels from North America, presented by
Jr. V. S. MoselY. F.Z.S., ; a Cape adder, from South
Africa, presented by Mr. C. B. Pdlans; a black
tanager, a whito.throated finch, a tropical seed finch,
a common boa, a South African rat snake from South
At:yak-a, a Cli,-Ca eagle fr.,:r. Cry ion, two Lliger's
tnaoaws from Brazil, a common gaiilem3t, British,
Varchai'l trr^ brown tailed born fn the
CCArdcm,