The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-09-21 00:00:00

The stamp daty on playing cards in the year ended
the 314 f tif NI arch last amonnted to £14,139 138. Si gross and
£13,93a 94, Oct. net

The body of a retired gentleman of P,,rtsea named
WeUor, who was drowned while bathing, has been picked
up at Gosport.

A correspondent of the Albany Cultivator gravely
discusses the question of what it is best to do wish the
surplus profit of farming. That is a question which has not
greatly troubled English farmers during the past ten years.
In giving directions on the subject the well-known Vrroula
of the old cookery book might be followed—first catch your
surplus. —Nark Lane Express.

Mr. Walter Leman, a San Francisco actor, recently
delivered a funeral oration on Mr. Breaater, the dramatic
critic of a Calilornian newsp,lppl, from the pulpit of Dr.
Stone, who has the largest Congregational church in that
city.

The extent of the depression of trade in Sc9tland is
shown by the fact that in Glasgow, although the population
inceases by about 1,200 per annum, there is a decrease in the
number of voters on the register this year. In Dundee
the number of voters on the register has diminished this
year by 3,204.

- - -
James Bartle, greengrocer, was accidentally shot at
a pigeon shooting match at Stockport on Saturday. He was
standing near the trap containing the birds when a gun ex-
ploded, and the fragments fractured his skull. He died
shortly afterwards.
- - -

The St. Petersburg papers publish a telegram from
Tiflis, stating that the mail, while on its way to Vlaclikavkas,
had been stopped by Circassians. Both the drivers and the
guard were killed, and money to the extent of 300,000
rouPles taken from the mail bags. The robbers then de-
camped, and had not since been heard of.
The Philadelphia Public Ledger of August 31st con-
tains no lees than 138 advertisements of sermons to be
delivered on the following day.

-
In the last financial year the stamp duty on marine
insurances amounted to £121,278 18s. There is no duty on
tire insurances.
A specimen of the very rare tortoise—trionyx argus
has lately been presented to the Brighten Aquarium by Mr.
C. Phillips Lucas. Ills a native of the rivers on the Western
Coast of Africa, and belongs to the soft-shelled tortoises.
The tortoise is now in the tropical department of the
aquarium.

The last report iAsued by Major von Stulpnagel,
inspeetor of factories at Berlinohows that the manufacturing
trade of that city has declined very much within the last
year; for in 1877 there were only 2,213 factories and work-
shops, employing altogether 44,028 workmen, 12,750 work-
women, 995 boys and 493 girls of between 12 and 16 years of
age—or 58,264 persons in all; and this represents a decrease
of 200 fa,tories and 4,000 persons employed as compared to
the figures for 1876. The decrease extends to nearly every
branch of industry.
An inquest has been held at Ipswich on the body of
a lad who was drowned in the river Orwell. The three boys
took a boat and rowed down the river, and during their
journey improvised a sail with one of their coats and an oar.
Afterwards, when two of them were standing up, the boat
suddenly turned over, the water being very rough at the time,
and one them, named Roberts, was drowned, the other two
being rescued after holding on to the boat. The verdict was
accidental death.

On the arrival of a Wigan train at the Edge-hill
station of the London and North-Western Railway on Mon-
day morning, Mr. John Wrenn, of Church-road, Ilayton, was
found dead in one of the carriages. He was 65 years of age,
and member of the firm of Messrs. John Wrenn, and Co.,
clothiers, Liverpool.

A good story from a Berlin paper is worth repeat-
ing. The other day a native of Cologne arrived at Paris on
a visit to the Exhibition. At the station he pat himself
under the guidance of a party who was looking out for
visitors. He oas soon installed in private lodgings in the
"Rue de —." As soon as his luggage was brought up he
wrote a letter to his wife informing her ot his safe arrival
and giving her his address. The wife had scarcely read the
letter when a telegram was handed to her from her husband
asking hPr to send his address in the French capital, as be
had lost himself and had no recollection of where his lodg-
ings were—not even the street.
The town of Wick—that paradise of herring fishers
—is going to have a baby show, and the prizes are to be
given, one to the fattest, one to the prettiest, and one to the
best dressed younker. The Judge who has the courage in the
face of its mother to decide a baby to be ugly or to be ill-
dressed is likely to have a lively time of it for a quarter of an
hour or so.—" Notes from the North " in Pictorial World.

The amount realized in the late financial year on
penny stamps, on receipts, ecc., was 4.839,421 15s. gross, and
R. 814,668 2a. net.

There is residing at Bilton, a village near Rugby,
an old lady named Mary Cox, who a short time ago attained
the age 01 100 years. She is in full possession of her facul-
ties, and can read small print without the aid of spectacles,
and is better able to wait on her daughter, aged SO years,
than the latter is on her centenarian mother.

A shocking fatality has taken place at Hampton
Court. Two Swiss female servants strolled into Bushey-park
and picked what they supposed to be mushrooms, and,
cooking them, ate heartily. After some few hours, not-
withstanding medical aid, they died in excruciating agony.
The German Emperor left Gastein on Saturday last,
as also did Prince Bismarck. His Majesty is considerably
Improved in health. On his arrival at Cassel he wore his
helmet, but his right arm was in a sling. His Majesty was
everywhere along the route received with cries of "Hoch"
or cheers. .

Colonel Harcourt, M.P., spoke on Tuesday night at
the annual dinner of the Woodstock Agricultural Society, and
warmly commended the efforts of the Government to secure
a courageous peace. Ho thought if the Opposition wished
to place themselves well with the country they should assist
the Government in carrying out that which was evidently
the desire of the c,untry, and in placing England in such a
position as they the.nselves would not be ashamed to see her
In if they themselves held the reins of government.

- -
A fire which broke out on Tuesday night in tha
stack yard of Mr Benjamin Eddison, of Shireoaks Hall, near
Worksop, was not extinguished until seven stacks had been
consumed, and damage done to the amount of £l,OOO.

In distributing the prizes at the Worcester Grammar
School, Lord Hampton said the Legislature, had now pro-
vided ample elementary education for the winking classes,
and there already existed public schools for education of
the wealthy. but the great want had been schools for the
middle classes This want such schools as the Worcester
Grammar School was calculated to supply, and it Must be a
great boon to the neighbourhood.
The Gazetta d'ltalia recounts a somewhat remarkable
change in the surface of the earth at the village of Ortagli, a
nao annth .4%••t. nf 72.1nwalniwa fln Is. 0.1111••••• rtf favor
days the tract on which the village stands has gradually
sunk, until the depression amounts to about 15 feet. It has
not been sufficiently regular to prevent the houses from
making threatening divergences from the perpendicular, and
the population has taken refure in the field. Strange to say
another tract of land about 200 yards from the village is, on
the contrary, gradually rising, at times nearly rapid enough
to be noticed with the eye. Several Italian savants are on
the ground studying the strange phenomenon.
A terrible instance of the recklessness with which
soldiers sometimes make use of their arms has occurred at
Perpignan (says the Paris correspondent of the Daily News).
Four soldiers of the 27th Chasseurs, who were under arrest,
made their escape, and a corporal and four men were sent
after them. They were hunted out of a wine-shop, and as
they ran away shots were fired after them, regardless of who
might be hit. One of them was wotuided, but so also was an
innocent civilian, whose leg has been amputated, and the
bullets broke the windows of a private house, and scared the
family at table.
By consent of the workmen the North British Rail-
way Company have introduced in their large engine works
an extension of working hours—namely, from 51 to 54 per
week. Private firms in the engineering trade are following
their example.

According to the RegiBtrar•General's return 2.373
births and 1,259 deaths took place in the metropolis during
the past week. The births were 35 in excess of, and the
'deaths 106 below, the average number during the corre-
sponding week. There was a general decline in the mor-
tality from the zymotic diseases.

-
The chief constable of Cheshire reports that there
were eight cows slaughtered last week suffering from pleuro-
pneumonia in the townships of Faddeley and Knutsford,
which is three more than the week previous.

The Permanent Exhibition at Philadelphia in spite
of opposition, has been opened to the public on Sundays.
That the movement is a popular one is indicated by the large
number of people who passed through the old Centennial
turnstiles each day. On the first Sunday about 6,000 visitors
were registered. On the second nearly the same number
were present. The management have provided a series of
sacred concerts, consisting of fine music on the Roosevelt
org9.n, the cornet, and other Instruments; also vocal music
reniered by talent of a superior quality. On the third
Sunday the attendance was about as large as on the two
previous Sundays, the anticipated increase having again
failed on account of the weather. The assemblage was
orderly, and almost entirely composed of clerks and
mechanics.