The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-02-27 00:00:00

VILE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

—— -
FALUROOD AND ITB REVERBIL—It is SatisLte-
tory to know by telegram that :
" The Sultan of Zanzibar has imprisoned the man Mom,
eq., gave false intelligence regarding Dr. Livingstone."
Mr. Mosa or whatever his name is, will now, perhaps,
learn to tell the truth, by lying in prison. -Pooch.
AN AMERICAN DAIRY.—The second largest
dairy in America is located shoat four miles from St.
Louis. There are 800 cows in the stables They are
all attended by Swiss cow-milkers. The chief food
used is ground corn, mixed with malt and oil meal,
cooked by steam. A large will is owned and run by
the proprietors, 0. I'. Leser and Co. The average
amount of material consumed at this dairy per day is
400 bushels of malt, 6,000 pounds of cut hay, 60 bushels
of cornmeal, 15 sacks of bran and oil meal; cut hay
and bran, mixed together, are also furnished the cows
for food. The summer pasturage of this mammoth
dairy embraces an area of over 1,000 acres of line rolling
land, with numerous springs of pure water. The
average daily yield of milk at the present time is 800
gallons, with SO gallons of cream.
A SINGULAR AFFAIR.—An extraordinary story
of the abduction and restitution of a child is told in
the Liverpool papers. A widow named Coleman,
about ten days ago, gave her baby fourteen mouths
old to a boy, and asked him to carry it out in the
street, which he did. A widnan came up to the lad,
and remarking that the baby was cold, mid she would
take it to its mother. The boy allowed the woman to
get the child, and nothing more was heard of it until
! Tuesday, when a woman, described as respectably
dressed—whether the one who originally took the
child cannot be known—canto nip to a girl in the street
where the baby was taken, delivered it to her, and
desired her to take it to Mrs. Csleman, which she did.
The oddest part of the story is that the baby was
poorly dressed when taken away, but had rather costly
clothes on when it was brought back.
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IN THE NINETEENTH ...CENTURY !---A witch-
craft case is reported from South Devon. Two or three I
young women living at Dittishatn fell ill. Their
mothers, thinking they had been "ill-wished" —that
is, looked upon with an "evil eye "—consulted a
wizard, who said the young women were "deeply
wounded," but promised a cure for a certain amount
of money. The money was paid, but the girls still
remained unwell, and at last the wizard said nothing
could be done for them, and he gave the affair up as
hopeless, after receiving a good round sum. A "witch"
was then consulted, and several pounds, it is said,
were expended on her—the money being sent by
"some secret friend" to ensure success. Subsequently
the young women got well, and the cure was attri-
buted to the witch, who demanded £4 in one sum.
The mothers, however, were unable to raise the
amount, and got a friend to interpose with a person
known as the "white witch," and he so alarmed the
woman by threatening to bring the case before the
magistrates that she not only relinquivhed her claim
to the lA, but returned part of the money she bad
previously received.
- - .

•
A ROYAL Gtrr.—Her Majesty the Queen has
been graciously pleased to forward for the use of St.
George's and Prionilee Working Man's Association
(Salop) a copy of the Early Years of hi., Royal High-
ness the Prince Consort, and also a copy of Leares from
the Journal of our Life in the Highlands. The value
of the gift is enhanced by the inscription and auto-
graph in Her Majesty's own hand, which are written
on the fly leaf of each volume. This mark of Royal
favour to the association is the result of application
made by the president, the Rev. Mr. Allen, which was
at once granted.
EXTRAORDINARY IThAi ui
:ELECTION EXPENSES.
—The following was ' items in an account
produced at the electm.. or at Cashel: "Mary
Glasgow, £3, for governing 40 women during the
election." In a letter read during the evidence, the
following account was given of Mary's services "She
spent night and day in ruling the women during six
weeks. Shook hands with the honourable gentleman.
Kept loyal and true during the whole time. Her exer-
tions during that time had thrown her rather back-
ward in health.

A TICLLING ADVERTISEMENT.—The following
advertisement is from a recent New York paper:—

If you want a really pure, unsophisticated, "family pill,"
buy Dr. Rumbolt's liver-encouraging, kidney-persuading,
shoot perambulator-27 in a box. 'this pill is as wild as a
pet lamb, and as searching as a small tooth-conib. It don't
go fooling about, but attends strictly to business, and is as
certain as an alarm clock.

FRENCH TM's--The chief French toy now in
vogue is a doll, not a representation of an infant for a
child to fondle, but a model of a lady attired in the
height of fashion, a leading manufacturer changing the
costume every month to ensure accuracy. As an ex-
cuse for this apparently early inoculation of childhood
with a love of finery, it is explained that these dolls
serve as models to colonial and other extra-Parisian
milliners before they are handed over to their children.
French dolls, unlike our wax faced natives, have china
heads. Mechanical toys made in tin out of such refuse
material as empty biscuit and sardine boxes by M.
Dessein, are, however, in more commendable taste.
This ingenious toy maker manufactures a train, con-
sisting of a locomotive, tender, and carriage, in sepa-
rate compartments, with a finish that admits of their
running smoothly, packed in a cardboard-box ,for two-
pence halfpenny. His economical genius is rewarded
with an annual sale of a million railway carriages.
Another train, having. clockwork movement, which
enables it to run round a table, he sells for less than
I three shillings. The mechanical singing-birds of M.
Boutemps, shown in the Exhibition, attracted touch
admiration, but were too costly to become general
favourites. Military toys, too, in France, command a
large sale. M. Andreux manufactures 10,000 toy guns
per annum, besides immense quantities of cannon,
gun-carriages, swords, and other military equipments.
The taste for military toys is. however, on the decline,
owing, Mr. Barclay says, to the present notion of
giving children objects suggestive of the arts of peace.
Nevertheless, M. Andreux sold 38,000 toy imitations
of the Prussian needle-gun in three months, when that
weapon was under public consideration.
CLERKLY CRITICISAL—Cietk in Civil Service

log. " Minieters don't say this time that the Estimates
have been framed with a due regard to economy.
Raw! No! Fact is, they've been framed with an 1
undue regard to economy."—Punch.
RATRENCHMENT THE ORDER OF THE
The best best friends of the Volunteers must regret the
position in which the force has been placed by its re-
nenewed demands on the Exchequer (remarks The
7'inies. in a leader). We shall not prejudge the case by
describing the present claim as unjust, but it is cer-
tainly unseasonable, and it comes in the least accept-
able of fashions. Something, of course, is fairly due
to the Volunteers from the State, nor could there be
a greater mistake than to suppose that a Volunteer
Army meant an army costing nothing at all. But we
never seem to know what this cost is to be, or where
the subvention of the State is to end. It is very un-
fortunate the capitation grant was not fairly measured
once for all when the movement began, instead of
being brought forward for increase by successive
dribleta. Applications of this kind are always pro-
voking, while, as it happens, the best of claims would
have but a poor chance with retrenchment inexorably
proclaimed as the order of the day. In fact, one of
the most distinguished champions of the force has ac-
knowledged the mistake, though upholding the reason
of the proceeding.
SCIENCE IN THE RAGGED SCHOOL.—A rather
novel feature in connexion with the ragged school
work was introduced the other evening at the school-
room Walworth, by the delivery of the first of a series
of chemical lectures by Mr. Couch. The subject was
"Chemical action as manifested in fermentation."
The lecture was illustrated by a series of simple and
pleasing experiments. The eagerness and astonish-
ment which were manifested by the youthful audience
gave conclusive evidence that the experiment will prove
a success. At the conclusion the scholars were ques-
tioned upon the subject of the lecture, and the replies
afforded both instruction and amusement.
MARRIAGES OF INCLINATION.--" Ah. dear
madame, a young girl wants guidance in such a serious
step. There is nothing more dangerous than a
marriage of inclination." "They do turn out badly
sometimes," Mrs. Russell assented. "What can a
young girl know?" cried madame. "Shall I tell you
how I married? One day, at dinner, my father
presented me two young men, both good-looking, and
of nearly equal fortune. My father said, after they
had taken leave, 'I give you yGur choice. Take either.
But it is time you were established.' It was a toss-up.
I said, I don't know which is nicest. They are both
nice.' He replied, 'My daughter, of the two I prefer
the one with fine light air. The dark one you per-
ceive, has hair of a bristly nature. As far as I know,
that is his only defect; still, I have observed that men
with this peculiar wiry hair are generally hasty, pas-
sionate men." Then let it be the fair-haired one,' I
cried." "And that was H. Fleury?" " Yes ; and
he has been a perfect husband to me. Never once has
he been out of temper; and that is saying a great deal
for nearly twenty years. And I oily to think, madame!
but for my father's advice I nsight have chosen the
dark man instead of the fast"— 'Estelle Russell," in
Macmillan's Magazine.
A WARM RICCEPTION.—A Crowded Levee.—
Puna.

POPULAR HOMAGE TO RALEIGIL—Though
Raleigh was now lodged in the Tower, with three poor
servants, living on £5 a week for food and fire, the
men in office considered him far too strong. His fame
was rising, instead of falling. Great ladies from the
court cast wistful glances at his room. Men from the
streets and ships came crowding to the wharf whence
they could see him walking on the wall. Raleigh was
a sight to see, not only for his fame and name, but for
his picturesque and dazzling figure. Fifty-one years
old ; tall, tawny, splendid ; with the bronze of tropical
suns on his leonine cheek, a bushy beard, a round
moustache, and a riple of curly hair, which his man
Peter took an hour to dress. Apparelled as became
such a figure in scarf and band of the richest colour and
costliest stuff, in cap and plume worth a ransom, in
jacket powdered with gems ; his whole attire, from
cap to shoe strings, blazing with rubies, emeralds, and
pearls; he was allowed to be one of the handsomest
men alive. The council got alarmed, at the crowds
who came down to see him. Harvey was thought too
careless; and a strict gaoler was appointed to abridge
the very few liberties which Raleigh then enjoyed.--
Her Mojesty's Tower, by Hepworth Dixon.
RED TAPE IN AMERICA,—The New York Times
gives the following as a very good illustration of the
extreme vigilance which prevails in Congress over
public expenditure :
Among the appropriations asked for the committee found
one providing for paying the "Superintendent of the Crypt"
As nobody was aware that there was such a thing as a
"crypt" connected with the Government, still less that it
had or needed a superintendent, inquiry was made, and it
was found that the appropriation had been regularly made
for the last fifty years. Further investigation showed that,
soon after General Washington died, Congress provided for
the construction of a vault under the Capitol, to be called
the crypt, in which his remains were to be deposited. A
light was to be kept burning Lear it, and a superintendent
was appointed to watch it, atl he has been doing daily for
the last fifty years! Meantime. Washington's body was not
deposited there, and everybody, Congress included, forgot
that any such thing was in existence. The only memorial
that exists to keep the memory of the affair alive has been
the annual appropriation for the superintendent.
The New York Times finds that the Circumlocution
Office and Tite Barnacle, Esq., are not confined either
to Dickens's novel or to the English Government,