The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-08-23 00:00:00

Xocal an piotrict

HARVEST PROSPECTS.—.-The crops on the light,
good land in this neighbourhood are promising well.
While in many other districts the yield will be under
the average, wheat and barley will here, in all prob-
ability, be over the average. They have yet to en-
counter the uncertainty of the weather at harvest
time, but if this is favourable the result in other
respects will be satisfactory. The observations, it
will be understood, apply to the best of the light
soils. On the colder land a little further afield the
cereals are unpromising, and cannot now be much
helped by the weather, though they may be further
injured if it is waspish. Hay has been a heavy crop.
It has been gathered with various success, according
as advantage could be taken of the weather. There
is a great crop of clover. Roots are a tolerably
good crop but are late. Disease is appearing among
the potatoes, which, apart from this, are turning out
well so far as quantity goes.
ANOTHER FLOOD.—On Saturday night and Sun-
day, this town was again visited with thunder,
lightening, and heavy rains. The river Stour had
risen so high that the water overflowed the drains
and the bottom of the town was again flooded to a
great inconvenience and loss :to many tradesmen.
Considerable loss was sustained by Mr. J. W.
Turney. Mr. Baxter had about -2280 worth of
corn spoiled. Mr. C. Firmstone also had consider- i
able damage done a wall being washed down. The
new railway works in the mill meadow were flooded '
and a quantity of timber was floating about. The
canal had been emptied for a length of about a
quater of a mile on Saturday night with a view to
its being cleaned out. After the flood water c.ime
down the Stour, it filled the canal again till river
and canal were the same level. A boat floated upon
the metals of the railway siding at the side of the
canal, and another boat was floated on the wharf
opposite Messrs. Jno. Bradley and Co,'s works.
The water entered the offices here and was 6in.
higher than i) was in the flood a fortnight ago. At
Mr. Parker's plating forge the water was over the
top of the engine, and the contents of the building on
Sunday were covered with mud. In the stables
of the London and North-Western Railway Com-
pany the eater wai two feet deep, and the horses
had to be removed to the Mitre. When the flood

occured on the 3rd inst. it was iiilege.fii-laC-a good
deal of the mischief was due to the floodgates not
being drawn at Parker's forge. The gates were
open in this instance before the floods came on, but
the mischief was greater than before. There appears
to be no doubt that the mines drainage works and
the removal of the flooigates higher up the stream
bring the water much more quickly down the Stour
than used to be the case, and when the water
reaches the bottom of the town the narrow passage
loon chokes up, and 11 flood is the inevitable result.
From recent experience it appears that there will be
a probability of recurring mischief until something
is Cone to give a freer passage for the water.
Persons had to be carried accross the
.water in

wa,Tonetts, and a good trade was done in this line.
AssocuaroN FOOTBALL CLUB —The - annual
_

meeting of the Stourbridge Association Football Club
was held at the Reading Rooms, on Wednesday, the
13th inst. when a balance in hand was shewn from
la•,t year, and off cers elected for the ensuing :ea.scin,
and judging from the number of members present the
club bids fair to turn out a much stronger team than
it previously has done.
STOURBRDIGE SCHOOL OF ART.—GOVERNMENT
EXAMINATION. —The following students of this School
have been successful at the examinations held in
May last, viz :—Harry Billingham' model drawing;
hn F. Blurton, free hand ; Frank Bottomley,
practical geometry ; Arthur W. Hammond, model ;
Howard Harris, free hand ; William Hingley, model;
Thr.odore King, model ; Louis F. Muckley, geometry;
Charles Murphy, geometry ; Frank Portor, geometry ;
Millward J. Porter, free hand ; Miss Elizabeth
Richardson, geometry ; Miss Charlotte Scott, model ;
George William Thompson, free had : James Harry
_ _

Walker, geometry and free hand: William Windley
free hand and model. One external candidate, Alfred
Heath passes for free hand drawing. Miss Annie
Short, William Hingley, and John Elliot are reported
to have sent up a satisfactory amount of work for
the past year. Special advanced subject: Design
executed in a given time, Thomas Woodhall. Awards
on works sent to South Kensington. Elementary
section : Harry Billingloon, outline from casts ;
William Hingley, outline from flat examples.
Advanced section ;William GethilW design for iron
work ; Thomas Woodhall, design ft r glass decorations
These two students take priz s in the National Com-
petition. These results must be highly satisfactory
to all interested ia the success of our School of Art.
DRUNK AND DISORDERLEY.—A t the Police Court,
vest erdav, before Col. Fletcher, Cu]. Barrows, C.
P. Noel, Esq., and the Hon. Spencer Lyttelton,
Thomas Maybury was charged with being drunk on
the 13th inst. Police-constable Widdows proved
the ease, and sail the defendant was drunk and
lying in the road. Fined 2s 6d and costs.—Samuel
Worrell was charg, d with being drunk and dis-
orderly, at Oldswinford, 18th inst. Police-constable
Turner proved the case, and said the defendant used
very bad language Pleaded gui:ty. Fined 2a Gd
and costs.—Benjamin Cartwright was charged with
being drunk and disorderly at Cradley, on the n'ght
of the 17th inst. Police-constable Oakey proved
the case. Defenlant pleaded guilty and said he
was very sorry. Fined 2s 61 and costs.
COWS STRATING.—Henry Pearman, farmer, was
charged with allowing 11 cows to stray on the
high-
way at Broom, on the 12th inst. Police-constable
Wallace proved the case. Defendant admitted that
7of the cows belonged to him A previous con-
viction was proved, and defendant was fined 59 and
costs ; in default 14 days.
CHARGE OF WILF i'LL DAMIGE.—Four boys
na d Griffiths, Marriott, Hill, and Barton were
summoned for wrlully damagiul a quantity of pea,
the property of Sohn Gilbeq Saunders, firmer, of
Wollaston. Complainant said he did not wish to
press the case as their parents were very poor, but
be was oblige 1 to take steps to put an end to tat;
tresoa.,s. Withdrawn on payment of 5s 6d each.
CHARGE Ok' CAUSINGt AN OBSTRUCTION.-..41101X1M