The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-23 00:00:00

SATURDAY, NOV. 23, 1878.

- t•-•

Mistellantems cA nfelligena.

HOME, FOREIGN, Al Uld COLONIAL.

DEATHS IN THE ROYAL FAMI v".—The death of the
little Princess Marie of Hesse n Is. v remind the reader
that up to the present date her N.% tjesty has had born
to her no less than 26 grandchildri n,.out of whom she
has hitherto lost only five, Acc:ol 'ding to " LDdge's
Peerage" the list of these cl•raths h I as follows
Prince Francis Frederick Si E fismund, son of the Im-
perial Prince and Princess of Germany, died June,
1866, aged 2; 2nd, Pri- ace Fred erick William
Augustus Victor Leopold L anis, son 44 the Princess
Alice and of the Grand Duk a al lies& e, accidentally
killed by a fall in May, 1873$ aged 2; 3rd, Prince
Frederick Christian Angus tits Leopold Edward
Harold, son of the Princaall Helena „vat] Prince
Christian, died May, 187C4 aged one wee ..1; 4th,
Prince Alexander John Cl/arles Albert, son Of the
Prince and Princess of Ws, Fee, died in April,
aged one day; sth, the. Y..'rincess Marie of Hess.
aged 4.
MR. DODSON, M.P., ON EDUCATION.—On Monday
night the Right Hon. J. G . Dodson, M.P., presented
the prizes to the successt al pupils of Chester British
Schools. He referred to the active measures which
had been taken by the Sclltool Attendance Committee
of the Chester Corporation to compel the attendance
at school with very inconioiderable success, and said it
was only by direct compulsion that they could penc-
trate into the residuum to ignorance and pauperism
which was inappreciative/I of the degree of degradation
in which it found itself. ;Healso referred to the neces-
sity for elementary teachis g being very thorough, and
counselled teachers not to cramp it in order to get into
higher subjects. At the :same time he did not wish
to discourage the teaching of varied subjects, because
he was one who did not lelieve in what was often
dogmatically stated that "a little knowledge was a
dangerous thing."

PRECISELY.—Why does a ilhotographer in the exer-
cise of his business always use, a black cloth ?—Why,
of course, to make his camera dibecurer. —Judy.
-

A REMEDY FOR MILDEW.-4t this season of the
year, when our orchards and gardens are so liable to
be attacked by mildew, a good remedy for it is well
worth knowing. Mildew is commonly supposed to be
the result of wet or damp weatbier ; but in reality it is
caused by a peculiar kind of ftingus, which attacks
our vegetable world, generally at the close of summer,
when the leaves have in a great measure lost their
vitality. The remedy we speak of is a very simple
one. Take a few pieces of fresh lime, and having
piled them together slake them steadily. When you
have reduced the lime to a powder, put it into a
muslin bag and sprinkle it over all the branches and
parts of the tree where any sign of mildew is visible.
On the next day the lime must be washed off with
tepid water, but if there is any sign of mildew remain-
ing, the process must be continued till it is completely
gone. This remedy will be found most effectual, and
it is only in very exceptional cases that any further
appearance of mildew will show itself.—Cassell's
Family Magazine.

H. W A MAN EATS HIS OWN WORDS.—When he
makes (s)peaohes after dinner, and eats them.—Fun.
MARRIED BY NV IRE.—A young lady has been
"wired" under the following circumstances, according
to a St. Louis correspondent :—Three years ago a
young man left Washington for the Far West to seek
his fortune, leaving benind a lovely and lonely maiden
to await his coming at some future time, when his
finances would admit of marriage. The time had now
come, but on account of business engagements the
young man found he could not make the trip East.
A friend arriving here from the West was corn-
missioned to take the young woman to Georgetown,
where the ceremony would be performed. This
arrangement, though entirely in accordance with the
young lady's wi,hes, did not suit her mother, who so
strenuously objected to this way of the thing being
done that some other plan must be adopted or the
affair postponed. The girl had waited long already,
and nothing but distance seemed to stand in the way.
At the suggestion of a clergyman the telegraph was
called into service. This calmed the old lady's
objections and the preacher peformed the ceremony.
No cards. The only spectators were a friend or two.
From the time of the first message till the young man
answered the solemn "I do" was something over
four hours. The bride started at once for a home anc,
husband in the Far West, with the beat wishes of
many friends.
THE ABERCARNE COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—The in-
quest as to the deaths of the 270 and more men who
were killed by the explosion in the Aberca,rne Pit was
resumed on Monday. From a statement made by Mr.
J)rdan, mineral agent of the Ebbw Vale Company, it
appeared that every effort had been made to clear the
pit for exploring purposes and that four bodies have
already been recovered. In answer to questions, both
Mr. Jordan and Her Majesty's inspector, Mr. Thomas
Cadman, stated that it would be advisable to adjourn
the inquiry for a month. The company have made,
it was stated, every effort to facilitate operations and
to advance the inquiry. An adjournment until the
16th of December was ordered.

FIGHT BETWEEN A Fox AND A DOG.-Mr. J. Lello,
of New Cross, Heath Town, and Weduesfield, forwards
the Birmingham Post the following account of a fight
between a fox and a dog :—On Wednesday last a very
large vixen fox, in sesking refuge, paid a visit to Mr.
Lello's garden. Here it was seiz,d at the throat by a
little terrier dog named "Tattler," weighing about 201 b.
The fox made determined efforts to shake the dog off,
and at times rolled him over and over, until it was feared
that the dog would be vanquished. The little terrier,
however, pluckily held to the fox, which at last was
pronounoed to be dead. The fox was then given to a
man, who carried it about a mile and placed it in a
bag. Shortly afterwards he thought he perceived the
bag moving, and on closer examination found that the
cunning animal within was still alive, having
apparently feigned death in order to escape. " Tattler "
is well known, having been exhibited at various dog
,Jhows.

DEFINITIONS FOR A CIVIC DINNER —/:(eii:l7,Ctl'ioll
of Frontier.—Carrying out your garden-wall over the
adjoining premises, so as neatly to take in a slip of
your neighbour's land. Scientific Frontier. —The
more or leas impregnable margin to a territory got by
well-considered annexation. A fence in defence of
stolen goods.—Punch.
A REMEDY FOR HYDROMOBIA.—From the Journal
of Applied Science we ( Land and Water) learn that
the monks of the Convent of Phanesomene, in the
Island of Salamine (Greece), have discovered a new
remedy for hydrophobia, in the shape of kpowder
prepared from the root of Afarsdenia ereeta, by mixing
it with equal parts of the powder of various species of
Mylabris, allied to the ordinary blistering fly, and
having nearly the same properties. The remedy is
administered internally to the person who has been
bitten, the wound having been previously cauterised.
THE OLDEST HOUSE IN AMERICA. —The oldest
house in the United States is shortly to be pulled
down, and a house- warming, got up in the olden style,
As lately given as a farewell to the ancient walls.
The house stands at Southold, Long Island, and
was built by one of a colony of thirteen English
settlers who landed in the harbour in 1639, while it has
remained in the possession of the descendants of its
original owner, Barnabas Hortan, until the last five
years. It was enlarged in 1665, and anothe? wing built
in 1835. For the how-e-warroing the rooms were
arranged in accordance with the habits of two centuries
ago, the ancient furniture was brought out, and family
relics exhibited, while the guests wore costumes to
match, many of them being veritable old dresses which
had been preserved as heirlooms.
AN ECCENTRIC EARL AND Hui DOOM.—The Earl of
Bridgwater lived in Paris during the last century,
when, according to the Kelso Mail, the circumstances
now narrated took place. He was a miserable-looking
little man, unable to walk without the aid of two
lackeys. He had an immense fortune, which he spent
in gratifying every caprice. Was a book lent to him,
it was representative of its owner, and returned in the
earl's landau, occupying the place of honour, and at-
tended by four footmen in costly livery, who handed
it to the astonished owner. His carriage was frequently
to be seen filled with dogs, his special pets, On the
feet of those dogs he bestowed as much -attontion as
though they were human beings. He ordered them
boots, for which he paid dearly as for his own. Not
caring to entertain his own kind at the table, few
people dined with him. Still, covers were daily laid
for a dozen, served by suitable attendants. At this
table he received and dined with no less than twelve
favourite dogs, who seemed to comprehend the com-
pliment paid them, as they occupied their chairs with
decorum, each with its white napkin tied round its
neck. They were so trained that should any, by an
instinct of appetite, transgress any rule of good
manners, he was banished from the table, and degraded
to an antechamber, where he picked his bone in morti-
fication, his place remaining empty until he had earned
his mastcils pardon.—Land and it ater.

THE PERSIMHON.—The New York Times says :
"japan has contributed a new fruit to this country
which in California is called the persimmon, though
very different from the wild persimmon of the
Western and Southern States. It ripens witbout fro3t,
and attains a large size, sometimes weighing as much
as a pound. Of a bright orange or reddish colour, its
flavour resembles that of a plum and fig combined.
The tree has dark., glossy foliage, and when the fruit
is ripe looks beautiful. The fruit is a great favourite
in Japan, and can be successfully grown in the greater
part of this country. We hope it may be introduced
here."

A MATTER OF COURSE.—Elderly Belle. "Now can
you guess my age, Major?'—Gallant Major. "No, I
can't; but you dozz't look a r”—Puii,ch.
A GRAVEDIGGER BURIED ALIVE.—Mr. C. C. Lewis,
coroner for South Essex, has held an inquest at Dagen-
ham, on the body of a man named Palmer, clerk and
sexton of he parish, who was buried alive while
digging a 'grave in the churchyard. On t',aturaay
afternoon the deceased's little daul;hter, aged 10, went
to fetch him to diuner, when she found that the grave
her father was waking had fallen in., and beard him
groaning beneath. She ran to the vicarage, ad told
the Rev. Dr. Moore, who, with hi a coachman and
others, at once went to the spot, and proceeded to re-
move the earth. This operation, however, occupied
half an hour, from a ton to a ton and a half of earth
having caved in, and when the unfortunate man was
extricated he Was fnd to be dead. He had only
lately entered upon the office of sexton, but had been
parish clerk for a number of years. The reccuit rains
no doubt caused the fall of the er.rl,h. The jury re-
turned a verdict of "4.ccidental death."
A MOST UNCOMMON WIND. -- Scene Qlenisla
Market. Three farmers meet, Ane. talk over the
extraordinary wind of e) few days ago. let farmer—
"lt was a mast extraordinary wind." 2nd farmer—
%
"It was a most extraordinar'
.day." 16'4
was that, for there wisn, a stooz left stan'in' on orr
place ava." 2nd F.—"Btooks, mm tell ye fat
it is, there wasna a tap left on a stack in my place;
the whole blew aws' like smoke." 3rd F.--That was
most uncommon, but your farm is gey 11601 set
yonder." 2nd F.—" It's hpighset, of coarse, but it
was a most uncommon, drd F.—" Uncom-
mon ! Ye ken ntgithing aboot it min. I had my
Rtuffinthe corn yaird, and was concerned about hoo
things were gaen, an' gaed pot to tale a glower round
aboot; and, speak aboot wind, I tell ye that when I
was gaen roond by the corner o' the shed there was a
guff o',wind cam' round blew the very soles off my
hoots. I tell you fat it is, ye ken naething about it,

AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The follow-
ing are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending Nov. 16, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 40s. 7d.; barley, 395. 4d.;
oats, 21s. 3d. per imperial quarter, Corresponding
week last year :—Wheat, 51s. Bd. ; barley, 435. Bd. ;
oats, 245. 93.
THE RATES AND TAXES OF RAILWAYS.---The Board
returns for 1877, which-have for some time been in
preparation, are now issued, and the same show the
amount of rates and taxes, exclusive of the Govern-
ment Duty, paid by railway companies, which are as
follows :—England and Wales, 1,178,139; Scotland,
143,356; and Ireland, £72,191, making a grand total
of £1,393,686. The net revenue of the railway corn-
panies of the United Kingdom for the year were
£29,115,350. The amount contributed under these
heads was therefore 41 of the whole net revenue.
Adding to this the sum of £731,832, paid in the shape
of Government Duty and the usual income tax on the
profits, it will be seen that the railway companies con-
tribute to the State, and for the purposes of local
taxation, the sum of about £3,CC0,000 a year.
A WEIGHTY ANNOUNCEMENT.—BristoI has added
three tons to the literary, architectural, and mercan-
tile wealth of the country; a Chatter-ton, a Cliff-ton,
and a Co(a)ls-ton.—Fun.
TRAWBERRIES AND RASPBERRIES IN NOVEMBER.—
Me, F. Hudson writes from the Undercliffe, Ventnor,
Isle of Wight, to the Daily News:—" While your
various correspondents from d,fferent parts of the
country are sending you reports of ' early winter,' it
may interest some of your readers to know that I picked
a perfectly ripe strawberry of good size in the open
garden last Thursday, the 7th of November. It was
quite unprotected, save by a wall, and I came across it
accidentally; there are others in the green state and in
blossom. On Saturday last I also picked a number of
quite ripe raspberries, and left a good many still to
ripen. We have still in the open garden nasturtium,
all the best sorts of fuchsias, lebelia, canariensis, double
and single stocks, geraniums, cythus, sweet peas,
salvia, penstemon, cistus, cuphea, platycentra, ver-
benas, mignonette, heliotrope honeysuckle, &c,
enclose the ripe strawberry arid raspberries and some
of the flowers for your inspection.
THE HUMOURS OF THE MAIL —The humours of the
mail are thus illustrated in the Washington Capital :
A young man stood at a post-office window. A clerk
waited on him. A young fruit tree stood among a lot
of mail-bags inside. " What is that doing there ?
asked the young man, "It came this morning by
mail," said the clerk. "Possible?" said the young
man. "Fact," said the cleric. "Strange," said the
young man. "Not at all," said the clerk. "Why
not?" said the young man. "Because it often
happens," said the clerk; "regular third-class mail
matter." "Never knew it before," said the other.
" Ah, then you'd be surprised at what we get some-
times," said the clerk. "Here." he continued, "is a
snake for Barnum, there is a parrot for a lady, and
here an organ for a street musician,"

PRODUCTION AND INDUCTION. Visitor :—" And
the products of Macasser ?—(a panse)—dear, dear 1
not know the chief products of Macasser ! Now, think,
what do we get from Macassar ?" Smallest child (at a
venture :—" Antimacassars, please, m'm."—Fun.
THE BEST THING OUT.—The Danebury News editor
had a call from a gentleman who said he had just come
from New York expressly to see him, and tell him the
best thing out in order to increase the Danebury's cir-
culation 100,000 a week, and claim a liberal rewark
"Go it," growled the editor. "It is facetious,
governor," responded the New Yorker. "Go it,"
remarked the editor rising and unlocking a drawer
marked "revolver." "Just a moment before you
shoot, colonel." "Go it," said the editor. "Wall,
if you were in the centre of a desert, and starving,
which would you eat?" "Not 'which,' airee, you
mean what." "No which," roared the visitor, mak-
ing for the door; "why a sandwich, you fool. Put
that in your paper." Two shots reswanded, but the
perpetrator lives, and is gay at his succes.

AFGHANISTAN.—The greatest length of Afghanistan
is 750 miles, the least 510, while its greatest breadth is
550 miles, and its least 370; so that it is rather larger
than the whole of the United Kingdom put together.
It is mountainous all through, with a series of elevated
flat-bottomed valleys. It has no large rivers, and those
it contains are generally fordable at all seasons. The cli-
mate varies; at Ghuzni is extremely severe in winter,
the thermometer sinking to 10 or 15 degrees below
zero, while it always begins to freeze in October. At
Cabul in the middle of October the thermometer is
always below zero at night, whilst from June to Sep-
tember the climate is very hot. At Candahar it is also
hot in summer, but in winter the climate is perfect, as
is also that of Quetta. All the so-called roads are
shockingly bad, and there are no bridges. The popu-
lation is about five millions, entirely Mahometans,
almost exclusively of the Sunni .creed. The regular
army consists for Cabul of 31,000 men; Candahar,
18,000; Herat, 22,000; total, 71,0'0, of whom 45,000
are irregular horsemen.— Vanity Fair.

CREMATION IN ITALY.—From January, 1876, till
May last 23 dead bodiea have been cremated in the
city of Milan, one of them that of a woman. Four
bodies ascertained to be cf the weight of 63, 62, 41, and
59 kilogrammes have yielded ashes to the weight of
between 2 and 3 kilogrammes.

GENTLE AND SIMPLE.—Young Sportsman. "Does
your father preserve at all? "—lngenuous Maiden.
"Oh, no; we use all our fruit for making tarts ! "
Punch.

How TO KEEP POTATOES.—The following is the
French method :—A. large kettle or boiler of water
being placed over the fire, and its contents raised to
boiling point, the potatoes, previously well washed,
are placed, a few at a time, in small baskets or nets,
whi,l are then rapidly thrust under water and there
retained for about four seconds. Of course, the intro-
duction of so considerable a bulk of cold matter lowers
the temperature of the water somewhat, and care
must be taken thE t it rises to the boiling point agaixl
after eaoh immersion before a fresh netful of rotatoes
is introduced. As ea-h Itch is withdrawn, it must
bo shaken and spread on on the flooring to dry in
some welbaired place. When all the stock has thus
been treated, and is thoroughly dry, it should be stored
away in some dark room, of course free from damp.
The potatoes will be found to have lost all tendency to
germination, and will remain sound and welbfiavoured
till the next year's crop comes in, It is said to be in
this manner that Parisian hotel and restaurant keepers
preserve their supplies so well for summer use.—Thi
Gardener's Magazine.

YOUNG OIRELAND.—EIder Sister. Don't go out in
the garden, Gussie.—Gussie. Why not, Cis. it's a
tome marnin'. Elder Sister. How can you tell such
naughty stories? It's been wet ever since I got up.—
Gussie. Sure, Cis dear, it's a tome 'wet marnin , I
mane.—Judy.

LAST WEEK'S WRECKS.—There were 52 British and
foreign wrecks reported during the past week, bringing
up the total for the present year to 1,352, or a decrease
of 222 As compared with the corresponding period of
last year. No fewer than 27, chiefly English vessels,
were wreckcd off the coasts of the British Isles. The
total approximate value of property last was £530,000,
including British £270,000. The tonnage aggregated
about 13,000 tris, aLd the cargoas conbisted mostly of
whet. timber, and coals, In addition to the vessels
lost off Britain, five were wrecked off France, five
were abandoneA at sea, four lost off Norway, three off
Italy, two off Germany, two in the West Indies, two
off Brazil, and two off North America,
A AlmnEss or ELOCUTION. The woman who
mude a dumb waiter answer has succeeded in making
a tart reply,—Fun.

_ -
MARRING HER FIRST LOVR,—Prince Bismarck's
daughter, the Countess Marie, whose wedding took
place last week, has married, after all, her first love,
Count von Rantzau (says the Graphic). When boy
and girl together, the young pair used to meet as they
were coming honao from school, and the Count would
carry Marie's hooka, tell her long storie ,s and pay her
innumerable attentions. Count von Rantzau went
into the army, and some time afterwards heard that
his old love was engaged to Count Eulenburg. Henry
von Ranteau fell into a gloomy state of mind. and was
subject to fits of depression which greatly alarmed his
comrades. Typhoid fever, however, carried off young
Count Eulenburg, and Count von Rantzau speedily
recovered his spirits, renewed his acquaintance with
the Bismarcks, and again courted the Countess Marie,
abandoning the sword for diplomacy. One ef the
great feateres of the wedding fetes was the distribution
to each guest of a brief poem, recounting this episode,
written by a young relative of P:ince Bismarck, and
entitled 'on revient toujoure k ses premibres amogrs‘n
Countess Marie's young lady friends also gave her a
large album, containing views of every place she had
lived in before her marriage, and bearing the inscrip,
tion, "The days that are no more."
RANK INSUBORDINATION. Colonel (53.71n0 has re.
ceived letter from Private Smith, Addressin g him
"Dear Colonel "). "What do yon mean by address-
ing ma in this familiar manner, Sir? "—Private Smith.
"Beg pardon' Sir. I didn't write tin myself—l got
somebody else to, And I didn't mean it out o' no
respect, Sir—" Colonel, "What the devil do you
mean, bir ? SergeanteM.ajor, get this man a fourth.
class certificate inanaediately —Punch.
TH.II fiIiERICAN FOOD SUPPLY.—The quantity of
American meat landed at Liverpool during last week
was again .large. The convoying steamers were the
Wyoming, with 2,000 quarters of beef and 00 car-
cases of mutteu the City of Brussels, with 1,129
quarters of beef and 100 caroases of mutton; the
Baltic, with 700 quarters of beef and 200 carcases of
mutton; the En; with 540 quarters of beef and 150
carcases of button; and the Circassian, with 500
quarters of beef, 300 carcases of mutton, 50 pigs, and
2eo barrels and five boxes of eggs. It is stated that
the demand for the American article, particularly in
the prevneea, has increased considerably, so much so
indeed that to keep up with it the supply will have to
be materially augmented. The large number of eggs
by the Circassian came from Canada The previous
consienment found ready purchasers in this country,
eege being extremely scarce at the present time. WWI
live stock the steamers arriving were the Tea with
220 head cf cattle and 1,000 sheep, the Hearten with
60 cattle 4 the Erin with 70 cattle, the gicily with :lot
sheep. and the City of Bristol also with a large 00/4%
signment

LIVING T() A. Goo* OLD AG.—Persons whose
wish it is to live to be old will find some Interest-
, 'en facts recorded in the appendix to the returns of
the Registrar-General of Scotland for the quarter
ended September 30 last (saps the Pall Mall Gazette).
For instance, it is mentioned that in the parish of
Dunnett, Caithness-shire, the average age of seven
out of eight persons who died was eighty-three
yea. In Clyne, also in Caithness, a "veritable
centenarian," a spinster, died at the age of 100 years,
who durillg her long life had never been known to
sutler from any illness whatever. In Cromarty parish
the average age of ten persons who died was over
eighty-one. In Savoch parish, Aberdeenshire, two
man who had reached the age of ninety-four years died
within a short time of each other. In Eaglesham
parish, Ayrshire, the death of a man aged ninety-four
and a half was registered by his nephew, aged eighty-
four. The ages of nine persons who died in Jedburgh
parish averaged over seventy-eight years. At Loch-
maben a lady died who had attained the age of 106,
and who continued healthy until within two days of
her death. In the island of Ramsay the death was
recorded of a man of eighty, who fell down a steep hill
and dislocated his neck. But for this accident another
Oentenariwa's death might have to be recorded.