The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-01-05 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REPROACH OF INTEMPERANCE.
--
The Times, in a leader, remarks :
Drunkenness will not suddenly cease in the land. 'To
destroy a habit it is necessary to extirpate its roots; it is
•
not sufficient merely to repress its effects. If we are ever to
be quit of the national reproach of intemperance, it will
not be by measures which repress or unjustly restrict a
traffic not in itself injurious, and under many circumstance;
beneficial, hut by an elevation and regeneration of popular
feeling, which will make intemperance a public shame 51
well as a private fault This has already been done for
many classes in this country, and we need not despair of
its being done for all. The task may be difficult, and its
end is undoubtedly distant. We shall not repress all in-
temperance, any more than we can hope to make human
nature perfect; but we may be able so far to check drunken-
ness as that it shall cease to be the most fruitful source of
crime. Meanwhile we mist do all we can to protect weak-
ness against itself, and not multiply opportunities of going
wrong to those who have as yet no thought or notion ot
restraint.
To PERSONS "UP IN A BALLOON."—The Albany
(New York) Argus, noticing the progress of the official
survey of that State during the season recently dosed,
says that 175 miles of county boundaries have been
marked by stone monuments fixed in the ground, each
with its number on the top, and that any person
dropped from the clouds, if possessed of certain data,
can ascertain, by an inspection of the marks, his lati-
tude and longitude within two inches. But of course,
he must take care of his book of numbers.
A MAN OF HIGH STANDING.—One who measured
over six feet.—Fun.
CLYDE SHIPBUILDING.—The returns of the number
of vessels launched on the Clyde during 1877 show
deeided falling off in the tonnage as compared with
the four preceding years. Duribg the year there were
launched by 35 firms carrying on business in the
various towns on the river a total of 219 vessels, re-
presenting an aggregate tonnage of 169,710 tons. Of
these 119 were sailing vessels and 100 steamers. The
number of vessels 'launched in 1875 was 229 and the
tonnage 188,323, being a reduction this year of ten
vessels and 18,613 tons. In 1873 the number of vessels
launched was 252, the tonnage 228,088; in 1874, 195,
vessels and 252,309 tons; in 1873, 143 vessels eau
224,792 tons. The falling off this year is to a large
extent explained by the protracted struggle which
occurred between the masters and the workmen,.
though the general dulness of trade throughout the
country has also seriously affected this as well as other
departments of industry.
A CHRISTMAS PRESENT.—Why, this Christmas, of
course.—Fun.
MORTALITY AMONGST BARONETS.—A rathersirar
occurrence in the ranks of the "Upper Ten Thou-
sand" has been made the subject of comment in veil'
many circles namely, the excessive mortality which
has prevailed among the Baronets of the -United
Kingdom. Whilst only, or scarcely, the usual average
of the members of the Peerage have paid the debt
of nature "in 1877, thus far the deaths among the
"Baronets with blood-red hand"
have been nearly double those of previous years*
Already they amount to upwards of forty; and the
average of changes by death in their list may be set
down at twenty or twenty-one. Here is a puzzle, or
at all events a noteworthy fact, for the author of the
Insurance Cyclopcedia to digest.
THE VICISSITUDES OF A HORSE.—A horse that is
at present in Lord Dunraven's possession has gone
throngh a strange number of vicissitudes in his time.
Lord Dunraven—then Lord Adair—acted during the
Abyssinian War as a special correspondent, and was
carried through the campaign by a very powerful
charger. Some time afterwards this horse came int°
the possession of Mr. Stanley, and was with him when
he met Livingstone. Subsequently Mr. Stanley sold
it when he reached the coast, and the horse was shipPed
to Liverpool, where it was purchased by an American
horse-dealer, and was transported to New York.
Lord Dunraven, when on his way back from a sport-
ing tour in the far West, saw and recognized his old
friend, purchased the hero of so many travels, and
now the veteran has returned to England, and will live
in the paddock for the rest of his days.
MANY A TRUE WORD SPOKEN IN JEST.—It is re"

ported that when the Czar met the hero of Plevna
and congratulated him on his bravery, the intrepicl
Osman replied, "Sire, I fight for fatherland." "Treu,
said the Czar, "and I also fight for farther-land."--
Judy.
THE BRITISH FARMER'S COMFORTERS !—"Certairal
the British farmer has no lack of Job's comforters. lie
is said to be a grumbler, but he never anticipates such
awful future calamities for himself as his friends or
rivals predict for him. The Americans are telling hi°
that they can beat him hollowin meat-selling in his ovvll
markets, and intimate that he may as well give up the
meat-producing businoss altogether; and then the
Pall Mall Gazette comes down upon him with a terrible
article telling him to prepare for an ovenvhelmille
supply of corn from India which will render it
quite unprofitable for him to cultivate his land-
All England is to be permanent pasture, and meat
production—at which the Americans tell us they eall„
beat us into a cocked hat—is, according to The Fa"'
Mall Gazette, to be the only business of the British
farmer. What a terrible dilemma for the poor mall
—By the way, would it not be as well to teach our
Indian fellow-subjects to grow rice enough for their
own use, or else to eat wheat, instead of smothering
us with corn here and starving themselves at home?
—After all The Pall Mall Gazette does not gf. far,
enough. What we require to do is to turn Lill,'
Britain into a great pleasure ground for the nut
lionaires who have made their fortunes by farming 111
America and India to come and play in."—Mark Lane
Exprese.
How TO BOIL A -POTATO. First procure 10r1f,
potato. Then wash him all over carefully, and well.
Then set him up to dry. Then scrape him tenderlY
with a sharp knife, but be careful not to break Ili°
poor skin. Then get a nice large saucepan. Thell
make up a nice large fire. Then fill that sauce Pall
half full of tepid water. 'Then put that saucepan
ofl
that fire. Then drop that potato gently into tha
saucepan. Then cover him up carefully. And then
—boil him 1 P.S.—You won't easily beat the above.
—Judy.
How TO PRESERVE FRIENDSHIP.—Take your fried
when young and tender, about the period of roan
jackets and toffee, or short frocks and frills, as the
gender may be. On leaving ycur school v 9"
solemnly eternal vows of everlasting friends/11P,
When next you meet after many years, and Pti
friend, reminding you of the solemn vows abov9i
mentioned, begs "the loan of a few pounds," give Id
him cheerfully. When next again you meet,
,fart
your friend repeats his request—without even hinralle,go
at a return of his first loan—give him a second one
cheerfully as before. And on all succeeding requet'
repeat process as before, only with even greater chee''
fulness. By pursuing this course with strict attelli
tion you will find that the friendship will be most
excellently preserved.—N.B.--,This is quite a new, bU
(warranted) infallible recipe.—Judy.
mid
AN EXPENSIVE DROP SCENE I—A good story is —er
of Meissonier (says the Court Journal). The nattailio
of a theatre thought he would draw full houses if ,
could get the famous artist to paint a, drop scene ,l().0
him. So he went to the artist's studio and made w„„
proposal. Meissonier, who is the most carefulu
ani
minute painter living—whose works are worth so 0
bank notes the square inch—asked the manager 11.,5
serious tone how large the curtain was to be. i'to
metres by 18," was the reply. Meissonier began ht
reckon, and then added that, as his pictures broug
_t
him in 80,000 francs per metre, the curtain would eie
just 21,600,000 f., or £864,000. "But (added it
painter) the price would not be greatest difficul_tY,; 2,5
would be the time. I take three months to paa".„v
centimetres of canvas. You see, therefore, that ,13
age would not suffice to paint your curtain, e
would take me over 200 years to complete." ---a
,
took his leave without the smallest idea that the
manager declared that he could not wait so long
ar'
had been chaffing him. Argent
THE VOLUNTEERS.—The annual return of At
volunteers shows an increase of 8,626 of all ranks. 01
the date of the return the enrolled strength Wu
193,026, of whom 182,810, or 9470 were effieielithe
159,378, or 8256 per cent., having been present at_y•
annual Government inspection. The proficients "to
also increased, 5,195 officers, and 11,111 serge°o
now holding the certificates entitling the holderas
the extra grant of 505., against 4,937 and Aris
respectively in 1876. The gross total of strengT33;
made up _by light horse, 629; artillery, 3,5,'06;
engineers, 7,960; mounted rifles, 144; rifles, 1.4i,_,1ag
and unattached staff, 1,564 ; the aggregate
193,026. The ratio of efficiency in the various ar'''-ero,
—light horse 8314; artillery, 94'28; eng,„ainener
9435; mounted rifles, 72 91; and rifles, 941*0
cent.
GARRICK'S FIINERAL.—Not long did he elli°l woe
retirement. Within three years afterwards therLtet
a magnificent funeral procession to Westnstil
Abbey; the line of carriages reached from the S,Pjt,ll
to the sacred building; the streets were crowd° the
spectators; the Bishop of Rochester received 00,
coffin, the Duke of Devonshire, the Earls 0193,41*
l
Ossory, Spencer, and Lord Palmerston were b&
bearers; Burke, Fox, and other celebrities stoo
ort4
side the grave that was ready to receive the In or
remains of the great actor. His brother Georgebeen
vived him but a few days. He had alwaYs the
David's factotum, and his first inquiry on cut
theatre at night was, "Has David wanted mer: cwieg
one was remarking upon the singularity of il'9„ister,
so soon after his brother. "Oh," answered part".stirl
who was by, "David wanted him," Of the resnA
which Garrick was held a proof was given o°,ooo
before his death. One night he was the sole occur oil
the gallery of the House of Commons during aroalw
discussion between two members, one of wh°ra.eralig
that he should be ordered to withdraw. Burke
up indignantly and opposed the niotion to elcrkaelf,;
man who, he said, had taught them all theY.
Fox and Townshend followed in the same stra“l/3,0
inc him their preceptor,—From "Our Old
"Temple Bar.'
THE SIZE OF THE HEAD.—A scientific qUt
made by Dr. Delaunay among the hatters tba,.
offers some curious results. Accepting it as bf th:
the capacity of the cranium and develop's° e af
th
brain are proportional to the external voluls, to the
head, also that the intelligence is proportion3t'er j
volume and weight of the brain, he shows, tiist
that certain families develop like individuals--nerit;
they have a period of growth, then a stationarY,orn.
then a period of decrease, previous Us extio,cto'w gele;
families in the first period the head enlarges '3.l,d:it tm
ration to generation. The citizens who wr° rather:
Revolution of 1789 had bigger heads than tbe.lrool ,
ing ea°
On the other hand, in families that are near pres,
tion the head grows smaller. The sons of tyIm
ruling families in France have such sti.ll" bilto
according to the author—that they requ'relies
imø
cially made fothem. Among certain fanal,,,sesf,7„,
risen from the Nommon people the head in'r'ed 1010
generation to geteration. The wide-brinl3o to Atile
bolivers—worn by the Republicans from are,o.
were very capacious. The quarter in lvlue The 'foe
largest heads in Paris is that of the schools.
nly f 0,0
ters of the Faubourg St. Germain say they,°,o,ds roal
heads. The Polytechnicians have larger OP
larger than those of St. Sulpice The
the St. Cyrians, and the students of the n°l";yaberloo,
, &c. ri2otatisti
the clergy present a peculiar feature in theeoera thirtioo
"In general," says M. Delaunay, "men fr those ftbelr
forty years of age have larger beads than for
twenty to thirty. Not so with ecclesiastiosiv
heads cease to grow at about twenty-'0 • „As
liø
bishops, archbishops, &e., have no larger be
students of the large seminaries."