The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-07-26 00:00:00

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SOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

ENGLAND'S TROUBLESOME RELATIONS,—Her Foreign
onec—Punch.

A CANINE CELEBRITY.—In a former issue, BOMA
'months ago, (says Land and Water), we drew atten-
tion to rather a remarkable instance of intelligence in
a dog going alone in a train from Galashiels to Hawick
after his master who had preceded him in a train, and
changing carriages at an intermediate station in order
to reach his destination. The same animal, we learn
from a Scotch paper, has again been distinguishing
himself. It seems that one day recently his master
had occasion to go from Kelso to Morebattle, and for
this purpose took advantage of the post gig. He was
followed by this dog, which is said to be aged and worn
out. Little notice was bestowed on him till the post-
carrier called the gentleman's attention to the fact that
the dog was carrying something in his mouth, which
had evidently been picked up on the road. The gen-
tleman, on alighting, was astonished to discover that
the article was his own pocket-book, which was safe
in the inside pocket of his coat when he set out, but
must have been dropped on getting into the vehicle, or
been shaken out during the drive. However or when-
ever it had fallen the dog picked it up„ and plodded on
after the trap for the distance of about three miles,
carrying the book which contained £9 in money, be-
sides various papers which but for the dog's sagacious
conduct would probably never have been seen again.
Not only was the owner to be congratulated on recover-
ing his property that was BO nearly being lost, but the
dog also, for it had been decided, as he was becoming
old and useless, to put an end to his existence. The
sentence, however, has been remitted, and as the
reward of his sagacity, his days will be prolonged, and
he will, no doubt, be allowed to terminate his career
in a more natural and comfortable manner.
BEE CULTURE.—The fifth exhibition of bees and
their produce, hives and bee furniture, held by the
British Bee Keepers' Association, of which the
Baroness Burdett Coutts is President, was opened on
Tuesday at the Horticultural Society's Gardens,
South Kensington. The show was not as large as some
of its predecssors, but it was, nevertheless, full of im-
portance to bee keepers, rnd of no small interest to the
general public. The judges were allowed from nine to
twelve o'clock to themselves to perform their functions.
The show was opened to the public at noon. The attend.
ance during the day, probably on account of the unfa-
vourable weather, was not as numerous as on previous
occasions. The "driving competition," one of the
most important and entertaining items in a long pro-
gramme commenced at two o'clock in a tsnt fronting
the conservatory. There was little or no hurry, the
bees were not in good condition, and the competition
was consequently carried on under very adverse cir-
cumstances. These drawbacks are attributed solely
to the continuous bad weather that has prevailed all
over England. The competition attracted much at-
tention, and afforded a large amount of amusement
for several hours. The principal prizes were taken by
J. Walton, J. A. Abbott, and S. J. Baldwin.
DEATH OF THE "GREATEST" INHABITANT.—We
regret to say that the greatest inhabitant of Berlin is
no more. Originally conveyed thither, some eight-
and-twenty years ago as a prisoner, he soon became
reconciled to his captivity and, even before long resi-
dence had entitled him to naturalisation as a Prussian
subject, acquired considerable popularity in the Ger-
man capital as an august and amiable foreigner. On
one or two occasions, ere he had conclusively
surmounted the bitterness of exile and restraint,
his temper, at once haughty and hasty, be-
trayed him into conflicts with official personages. But
time exercised a calming effect upon his fiery and hn-
pulsive nature, and for many years past be has led the
life of an exemplary citizen. His house in the
Thiergarten, the most fashionable quarter of Berlin,
was a magnificent building erected specially for him
by a leading architect of the " florid and decora-
tive" school ; and in it he daily entertained hun-
dreds of his friends, exhibiting a fine princely
indifference to social rank and class distinctions.
The humble artisan was as welcome to him as the Em-
peror himself, one of his most assiduous and frequent
visitors. He died in his garden on Friday last,
at the age of sixty-six; and, so violent were the throes
of his death agony that, only a few seconds before he
gave up the ghost, he bit through one of the massive
iron rails that environ his favourite pleasaunce. The
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ficent collection, Alas! the largest mammal in
Eproee has succumbed to Death's relentless dart.
Berolina hiss lost her favourite elephant, and the
liver of Dr. Bodinus is turned into water,—Daily
Tekgraph.

I
uARDNESS" OF THE TIMES,—The Daily Telegraph
of Tuesday remarked :—" As proof of the 'hardness'
, of the times, attention has been drawn to the large
increase in the quantity of bills of sale during the last
few months; another sign is the greatly augmented
number of failures; and yet another is the formid-
able list of notices to quit' given by once prosperous
farmers. The first testifies to the growing straits of
a large portion of the working and the lower-middle
classes; the second to the losses made by traders
and mercantile men distinctively; the third to
agricultural depression. When we are told that
1,518 more failures have occurred during the first
half of 1879 than during the corresponding period
of 1878—nearly every week of the twenty-six con-
tributing its depressing quota—we can understand
what is meant by the comprehensive phrase bad
times '—falling off in sales, profits, savings, capital,
heart, everything. As for the farmers, it is perhaps
hardly an exwgeration to say that next week, at
farthest, will decide the question whether they will be
able to save any sort of crop, or whether three-fourths
of them will not sink into acknowledged insolvency.
No doubt the price of wheat has risen about ten
shillings a quarter in the fortnight, and those farmers
who had much to sell made a good thing of it, But
then the consumers were BO much the worse, and thus
' the compensation is hardly a comfort. Although,
therefore, as a matter of form, the public may go on
hoping, it will be understood that momentous issues
hang upon the weather of the coming month.