The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-02-10 00:00:00

HEAVY DAMAGES AGAINST A
TRAMWAY COMPANY.

An action was brought at Chester An.siees on Tues-
day by Mrs. Isabella Jones and Mr. Joslxpa Whiting,
executors of the late Mr. John Rowland Joyes, sur-
veyor and estate agent, Birkenhead, for damages sus-
tained owing to the death vf Mr. Jones in a tramway
accident, the result, as alleged, of the negligence of
defendants, a Birkenhead Tramway Company.
The deceased, it was state,d; had been resident for some
years in Birkenhead, and had built up a large busi-
ness, his income being £1,058 net. He was 43 years
of age, and left five children. On the 22nd of January
he was in a tramcar which ran from the Dock Station
to Woodside Ferry, Birkenhead, and which over-
turned at the bottom of a steep incline, owing, it was
said, to the insufficiency of the bralcee. A quantity of
glass was forced into his back, and he died a few days
later.
The jury returned a verdict for £2,875 damages,

Discci(l neint gJiiicJlipnct.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL;

THE " MovxxENT."—Amateur Preacher, waxing
warm.—Oh. Brethren, Brethren 1 what C3II I do to
move you ?—Voloe in Crowd.—Shut up, and scramble
some Coppers, Old Man.—Judy.

SODA FOOTIVARYIRM, --M. Ancelin' a French ex.
perimentalist and the discoverer of the system of
heating with crystalline acetate of soda, ha i demon-
strated the much slower cooling of foot-warmers con-
taining that substanee than that of the ordinary ones
with water. Two leading Frenli lines of railway have
this system in general use, and in ngland the London
and North-Western Railway, which had last year
3,000 of such warmers in service, has this year 6,000.
Applications of the system have also been made in
Italy, Spain, and Portugal; and it is pointed out
that among other applications of the same principle
are the heaters for beds, dishes, poultices, muffs, and
feeding bottles.
A COMPLDMENT. —Gallant Old Farmer: "Cattle
dangerous! Oh, no, Miss! Ony better turn them
cherry-red cheeks o' yourn away from 'em, Miss."—
Nun. •

A NATIONAL ARTILLERY MINTING FOR SCOTLAND'
—ln consequence of the inconvenience to which the
Scottish Artillery Volunteers are put in travelling
several hundred miles to attend the Shoeburyness
meetings, and in view of the letter of his Royal High-
ness the Field-Marshal Commanding-in• Chief respect-
ing the camp of instruction on the lines of Shoebury-
ness, and under War Office authority, held at Irvine
last July, the Council of the West of Scotland Artil-
lery Association state that a general committee has
been formed, consisting of the commanding officers of
all artillery corps in Scotland and office-bearers of
existing artillery associations, with full power to make
arrangements for a Scottish national artillery camp at
Irvine for this year.
THE INDIARUBBER INDUSTRY IN AMEILICA.—It would
appear from statistics published in Bradstreet's
Journal, that the rubber industry in the United
States has no rival in foreigr countries. There is
something like 76,000,000 dohs, invested in the busi-
ness of manufacturing rubber goods, 30,000,000 dole.
of which is confined to the rubber boot and shoe
Industry. The total number of empl,yes is placed at
15,000, and the total number of factories at 120. Ac-
cording to a recent census bulletin, the value of the
annual product is 250,000,000 dole. or £50,000,000.
Some 30,000 tons of raw rubber are imported every
year, which, when combined with other materials in
manufacturing, amount to 300,000 tons. The market
price of the raw material has been forced up to a
dollar and a quarter per lb., while six years ago the
price was scarcely half a dollar. In consequence of
the advance price of rubber, several substances have
been prepared as substitutes for it, of which celluloid
is the most important. Others have rubber as a com-
ponent part. But up to the present time rubber has
been able to hold its own, and America to maintain
her position as the chief seat of the industry. •
HOPELESS !—Mate.—This Bee; is beastly bad to-
night. Inveterate.—Besuely bad ! Whatoher mean?
No Beer's bad; some is better nor others ; but I never
tasted none as was bad.—Judy.
SEcarr SoopmEs.—A pastoral letter from the Rev.
Dr. Strain, Roman Catholic Archbishop of St.
Andrews and Edinburgh and Metropolitan for Scots
land, with reference to secret organizations, was read
on Sunday last in the various churches under his juris-
diction. After alluding to Fenian and other secret
societies, the letter went on to say, "It is to be under-
stood, and it is hereby declared that all who are
enrolled or shall enrol themselves in any of these
societies, or in any similar societies, whatever name
they give themselves, fall under the censure of the
Church, and without absolute renunciation of mem-
bership are debarred from the use of the Sacrament in
life and even at the hour of death."
FIRES IN GREAT CITIES.—A comparison has been
instituted between the populations of New York and
Philadelphia and the fires which have recently oc-
curred in those cities. The population of New York
is given at 1,400,000 and that of Philadelphia at
900,000. The fire loss of the former during the
year 1882 was 4,200,593 dols.' while that of Philadel-
phia was only 2,169,190 dole., or a little more than
half. But the comparison was still more unfavour-
able towards New York for the year 1881, when the
fire loss of Philadelphia was only 1,725 731 doll, and
that of New York no less than 5,750,000 dols., or con-
siderably upwards of £1,000,000; and this dispropor-
tion of fire loss to population is in spite of the undeni-
able excellence of the Fire Department of New York.
The total loss of property by fire in the United States
was rather less during 1882 than during former years,
but t amounted to about 70,000,000 dole., or
£14,000,000, so that New York bore more than one
seventeenth of the whole loss. In Philadelphia the
Insurance on the property burnt during 1882 was
7,193,654 dole., or more than three times the amount
of the loss sustained.

THE CORDON BLEU.—Auut. If the race is rowed
earlier than usual this year, it's very ridiculous, in my
opinion, to go about wearing those blue ribbons,
Dora. But these are not the University colours, Aunt
—we're joined the Army I—Funny Folks.
BLOCKADES NO LONGER POSSlBLE.—According to
an official report lately published in the Marine
Feordnung's Blatt, it is the opinion of German naval
authorities, that for the future an effective blockade
has become impossible. The reasons given are that a
fleet would always be obliged at sunset to gain the
open sea, and to remain sufficiently far off to prevent
torpedo-boats issuing from the harbour coming up t.
the vessels in the darkness; and not even a single
ship could be left on guard in sight of the port without
the risk, almost amounting to certainty, ot being sunk
during the'night ; whilst the port would remain open
not only to light and speedy cruisers, but to any ship
whose entrance might be desired. Under such circam-
stances, the probability of a few torpedo-boats lying
hidden along the coast would, it is thought, be suffi-
cient to paralyse the action of the n.ost powerful
squadron, and prevent the possibility of any serious
operations.
REFLECTING TILESOOPES.—It is not a little curious
that, with all the inventive activity in the United
States, reflecting telescopes have not yet made much
progress in that country, although isolated specimens
of great excellence have been manufactured. The
late Dr. Henry Draper was probably the most success-
ful constructor. But there has just been finished for
the Rev. John Peate, of Greenville, Pennsylvania, a
very large and powerful instrument. It is the produe-
tion of Mr. John A. Brashear, of Pittsburg, who for
many years has made a special study of these instru-
ments. The new telescope is 7ft. Gin, in length ; the
reflector is 121 inches in diameter, and will bear a
magnifying power in the eyepiece of from 50 up to
1,000. The silvered glass telescope was first made by
Dr. Draper, at Hastings-on-the-Hudson, and at the
time of his death he owned the two largest reflecting
telescopes in the United States—the one being 281 n.
in diameter, and the other 15i in. Both these inetru-
ments the doctor himself constructed.

A ROUNDABOUT ANNOUNCEMENT OF A BIIITH.—A
distinquished Boston clergyman desiring to inform his
mother of an interesting domestic event, sent her a
postal card containing the following directions :
From sweet Isaiah's sacred song, ninth chapter and verse

_
six,
First thirteen words please take, and then the following

affix; _
From Genesis, the thirty-fifth, verse seventeen no more,
Then add verse twenty-sixth of Kings, book second, chapter

four
The last two verses, chapter first, first book of Samuel,
And. you. will learn, what on that day, your loving son

befell.
The following is the first passage :—" For unto us a
child is born, unto us a son is given." The fallowing
give further details.
AN ELEOTRICAL RAT TRAP.—Ralph Corbit, an in-
genious twelve-year old boy of Honeybrook, Chester
county, Pa., has devised a novel way of getting rid of
rata which infest his father's cellar. He has con-
structed out of old fruit jars a battery of three Leyden
jars which he connects and places upon a large iron
plate which touches the tinfoil on the outside. The
bait is so arranged that when the rat steps upon the
plate and seizes the bait he at once makes the connec-
tion between the outside and inside of the jars, and
they are discharged through his body, killing him
literally and as quick as lightning. He charges the
jars by mean. of an electric machine, also constructed
by himself. He ran a couple of wires through the floor
to the cellar from the room above, and as soon as he
would hear a rat squeak he would immediately re-
charge the battery. The first time he put the maohine
In operation he slaughtered twenty-five rats in the
space of three hours, and in two days the cellar was
entirely cleared of the pests.—Pall Mall Gazette.

THE COW THEE. —Sir Joseph Hooker, in his report
on Kew Gardens, gives a sketch of a most interesting
botanical curiosity the Palo de vaca, or cow tree.
This tree grows in forests at the foot of certain
mountain ranges in Venezuela, and attains a height
of 1001 t., and frequently the trunk reaches to Tuft.
without a branch. The remarkable characteristic of
the tree is the milk which exudes from the trunk
when an incision is made. The flavour is of sweet
cream with a slightly balsamic taste, but it is very
wholesome and nourishing, the composition being said
to approach very near the milk of the cow. Prom the
fact that the milk is somewhat glutinous it would
seem that the tree is of the caoutchouc order. Seeds
which have been sent to Bombay and Colonies are
said to be thriving well. It is noteworthy, as an
example of the lalv of compensation traceable in nature
generally, that this cow tree seems originally to have
been a native of the country where milk-giving
animals were formerly totally unknown.

EARTHQUAKE AT AGRAII.—It is reported from
Agram that a severe shock of earthquak., lasting four
seconds oc-lurred there at a quarter to nine o'clock
on S4niday evening. It produced almost is panic
among the audience in the theatre. A second shock,
equally violent with the first, and also lasting four
seconds, occurred at one o'clock on Monday morning.
The continued seismic vibrations cause much anxiety
among the inhabitants,

PAPER IN JAPAN.—Paper is an article of great
utility to our sisters in Japan. Not only do they use
paper fans, paper pouches and paper lanterns, but also
paper pooket.handkercbiefs, paper umbrellas, paper
waterproof cloaks, paper walls, paper windows and
paper string. The Japanese obtain it from a different
source from our own. Instead of old rags being con-
verted into clean paper, they make use of the bark of
the Broussenetia papyfera, stripped, dried, and then
steeped in water till the outer green layer comes off.
It is cheap, four sheets of the ordinary quality being
worth about one farthing. It is paper that does not
tear evenly; some kinds are tough—more like cloth.
When required for strength, it is deftly twisted into a
strong twine, which in some cases is made of part of
the paper forming the wrapper. When oiled, it is
made into waterproof clothing, or stretched on a neatly
constructed bamboo frame and used as an umbrella.
One kind is manufactured to assume the appearance of
leather, and is made into tobacco pouches, pipe and
fan-oases. The conjurors use a kind of white tissue
paper in the famous butterfly trick, when a scrap,
artistically twisted, hovers over a paper fan with all
the fluttering movements of the living insect.

TREASURE TROVE DISCOVERED BY A Pro•—A
peculiar discovery of old silver has been made on the
estate of Mr. John Rae, the valley near Springwoed,
on the Blue Mountains, Australia. A pig rooting in
a paddock near the homestead brought some old coins
to view, and by a very brief search about the spot a
dozen were found, the oldest bearing date 1804, the
most recent 1826. There are among them Spanish
dollars, bearing the heads of Carolos and Ferdinand;
also one of those rare old coins known in early
colonial days as the "holey dollar," from which the
dumps were cut, a five-shilling dollar of the Bank of
England, and four lion shillings, date 1826; also, two
Indian coins in an excellent state of preservation.
The dates on the shillings would seem to ineioate that
it had remained buried for about fifty years.
GETTING FRLENDLY WITH THEM 1—" I suppose,"
remarked a Chicago man to a party from Michigan,
"there are plenty of saw-mills in your State." The
man of- Michigan replied: "Should say there was.
Why, Michigan is gettin' so full of saw-mills that you
can hardly meet a man there with more'n two fingers
on a hand," And sticking up a paw on which was a
single finger, he quietly added, "lye shook hands with
'em myself I "—"Editor's Drawer," in Harper's Maga-
zine.

STAMPED ENVELOPES.—A cheaper class of stamped
envelopes, called "commercial envelopes," are now
sold to the public at the following prices :—One enve.
lope, lid. ; two envelopes. 2d. ; three, nd. ; four,
; live, ; ten, laid.; twenty, is. 9d.; 240,
21s. The existing B and D sizes will cease to be issued
by the Controller of Stamps, Inland Revenue, when
the present stocks are exhausted.

THE YOUNG MONYEL—Gassy (who has eaten biz
share of fruit and cakes, to his sisters, who have not):
"I say, girls, let's play at the 'Zoo.' I'll get behind
the chair and make believe I'm the monkey, and you
ought to be two ladies and come and feed me !"
Moonshine.

THE INSTITIITE or Aanicumum.—(3onsiderable
success has attended the efforts of this institute, the
teohnical lectures in agricultural science having been
attended last year by several hundreds of farmers' sons
and daughters and teachers of schools. During the
coming session, which begins on March 5 and oontinues
to May 7, a series of eveninc lectures are to be de-
livered in London at the South Kensington Museum
on a variety of subjects connected with farming, in
addition to courses of technical lectures on poultry,
dairy, and bee management. Examinations are to be
held in connection with both courses, and certificates
of merit awarded.
THE CANAL THROUGH THE ISTHMUS OF CORINTH.—
According to intelligence from Athens the works con-
nected with the piercing of the Isthmus of Corinth are
progressing rapidly. Two hundred and fifty thousand
cubic mbtres of earth have already been removed
from the canal line between Kalamaky and Corinth
and thrown into the sea at either extremity, with a
view to the construction of embankments and locks.
The work is done by means of eliafts and two subter-
ranean galleries running parallel to the axis of the
canal, at a distance of four to five mbtres. Forty
permanent buildings have been erected along the
canal.
THE GAME or LACROSSE.—Representative team§
of the Cambridge University and London Lacrosse
Clubs met for the first time on Saturday last at Wil-
lesden•green, on the ground of the London club, and
after a capitally-contested match, lasting an hour and
a half, London retired victorious by three gaolsto one.
This was the first appearance of a university team in
London.

HINTS TO HOUSEHOLDEIIS.—In Captain Shaw's re-
port of the operations of the Metropolitan Fire
Brigade last year, there is one page which might Be
advantageously printed separately, as a leaflet for
household information (says the Plobe). It shows at a
glance the various causes of fires in the metropolis,
and the number due to each, and on studying it the
householder will be surprised to, fiud how closely he is
concerned in this information.- He has children—
sweet innocents who never do any harm? Very good;
children caused 78 fires last year by playing with
matches and hot coals. Perhaps he dislikes gas? In
that case he will feel comforted, or otherwise, on
learning that 154 fires were caused by lamps, 106 by
candles, and 144 by lights thrown down. Does he
love tobacco? Then, let him remember that in the
short space of twelve months, the practice of smoking
set alight to 22 houses. He had better also look to
the state of his flues, for more than 10a accidents were
due to them last year. But even mere necessary is it
to see that every grate has its guard, no fewer than
126 mishaps being set down to sparks from fires."
Gas does not seem to be nearly such a great offender
as is commonly supposed. We find, however, that the
crass stupidity of seeking for an escape with a naked
light still prevails' no fewer than 20 accidents having
happened through that cause.
PAST AND GONE.—Rustic (to sportsman, thrown
out) : " Wheer th' hounds are? Well, last time I
seen 'em they was arter a fox. 'Arf a hour ago, just
'ere I "—Fun.

THE FEMALE SUFFRAGE QUESTION IN FRANCE.--.
La Citoyenne announces the foundation uf a French
National Women's Suffrage Society, on the model of
those in England and,America. Among the members
of the new organization are several deputies and
members of the Parisian Municipal Qouncil. Wine.
Edmond Adam is ons of the honorary members. .

AN ELEVATED RAILWAY POE VIENNA. The
Emperor of Austria has just granted a concession for
the construction of an elevated railway in Vienna
whioh is to connect all the milway termini with the
principal thoroughfares, as well as with the suburbs.
Four years is the time stipulated for the completion of
the whole work, and the first portion is to be ready in
two years and a half. The estimate of this under-
taking amounts to £5,000,000.
ACCIDENT TO THE PARIS MAIL.—On Monday morn-
ing the night mail from London, due in Paris at ten
minutes to six, came into collision, between La Faloise
and Breteuil, with a goods train which, having
slackened its speed, had not been perceived in the fog.
Five trucks were smashed to pieces, and the guard
posted on the last was seriously hurt ; but none of the
passengers in the other train sustained any injury.
The line was not cleared until 11 o'clock,but a temporary
service was organised on a branch line, and the mail
arrived in Paris about three hours late.

SALMON FISHING.—Rod and net salmon fishing
commenced on the Tay on Monday. The weather was
favourable, and the water in splendid condition. •At
several of the principal stations "takes" were
secured, and the number of fish caught at mid-day
was in excess of those on the same day in previous
yea's. The average weight of the salmon was 20113.
There was no appearance of disease in any of the
salmon caught, and altogether the prospects of the
fishing are brighter than they have been for several
years past.

_ _
THE LATEST JAPANESE NOVELTY IN DBESS.—A
dress worn at a recent reception at Washington by
Mies Van Buren, daughter of the Consul-General at
Japan, which-was embroidered for her at Yokohama,
attracted great attention. It was a sapphire-blue
satin, with an apron covered with quaint heavy gold
embroideries, and with a panel on one side on which
was a huge dragon, while on the other panel was a
golden spider's web, in which was a large, plump
spider,

THE PRECOCIOUS ONE !—Children are sometimes
dangerous neighbours. A gentleman recently invited
a friend to his house to tea. Immediately on being
seated at table a little daughter of the host said to the
guest, quite abruptly, "Where is your wife ?" The
gentleman, having been recently separated from the
partner of his life, was surprised and annoyed at the
question, and stammered forth the truth---" I don't
know." "Don't know ? " replied the enfant terrible;
"why don't you know?" Finding that the child
persisted in her interrogatories despite the mild reproof
of her pareas, he concluded to make a clean breast of
the matter, and have it over at once. So he said, with
calmness, "Well, we don't live together; we think, as
we can't agree, we'd better not." He stifled a groan
as the child began again, and darted an exasperated
look at her parents. But the little torment would not
be quieted until she exclaimed, "Can't agree ! Thera
whv don't you fight it out, as pa and ma do ? "
" Editor's Drawer," in Harper's Magazine.

AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The follow.
ing are the average prices of British corn for last week,
as received from the inspectors and officers of
Excise :—Wheat, 40s, Gcl. ; .barley, 32g. 9d.; oats,
20s. I.ld, per imperial qr. Corresponding week last
year :—Wheat, 465. I.d. ; barley, 335. 2d. ; oats,
20s. 9d.

THE RUSKIN MUSEUM AT SHEFFIELD.—The muse=
established at WaLkley, Sheffield, contains a collection
of priceless articles, which are continually being added
to, but the contents cannot be seen to any advantage
for want of room. Some time ago Mr. Ruskin visited
Sheffield, and the offer previously made was confirmed
—that the museum should practically be a Sheffield
mu.-3eum, with Ir. Ruskin as master, provided the
town found a proper building in which to house its
treasures. The movement seems to have dropped
through, and great fears are entertained that the offer
may be withdrawn and Sheffield lose the privilege
which Mr. Ruskin so freely and generously offered,
On Sunday, in the parish church of Walkley, the
Rev. J. J. Dyson made such an earnest and moving
appeal
vthantitrelasthion lr.
hoped
Rucon_lkmins
committee
will be appointed
t
EMIGRATION FROM IRELAND.— A letter was read at
a meeting of the Swinford Board of Guardians from
Mr. H. Robinson, the Local Government Board in-
spector'' stating that the Duchess of Marlborough had
decided to devote the balance of the relief fund started
b amounting to £2,000, to the purpose of
a plooBPpersons to emigrate. A resolution was
passed
warmly thanking the Duchess. Fourteen
huyassi lln:edterdir lig•n 8
end persons have applied for assistance to emi-
grate from that neighbourhood, and fresh applications
are continually being made.
FARMING IN AMERICA.—I WM talking the other
day with a very intelligent American—and a very
intelligent American is always well worth talking to—.
about the enormous importations of corn we are con-
stantly receiving from his country, illustrating what I
said by a statement I had just read, that one London
firm paid something like fifteen millions of pounds
sterling a-year for imported American corn, and that
it had required no less than fifteen million tons of
foreign corn to be imported to enable the Corporation
out of the almost infinitesimal tax upon it of three-
quarters of a farthing per hundredweight, to par-
clam Epping Forest for the enjoyment and re-
creation of the people; when he said, "I am both
surprised and interested at what you have told me,
and perhaps you will be equally surprised and
interested at what I can tell you. You may go on
purchasing plenty of other magnificent forests for a
bimilar noble purpose, and rely upon my countrymen
supplying you with the means as before ; for this is
what I saw but a few months ago, and it may sorprise
some of your good and worthy but somewhat old-
fashioned farmers to hear or read of it as the ease
may be. I was staying with a friend out Week who
farms on rather a large scale when he asked me one
morning to go with him to :tart his ploughs. There
were six of them, and they started in apposite dire*.
tion: three abreast each way; and they each drove a
straight furrow of six miles in length, or, when joined
together at the starting point, twelve miles in length.
I think that is a sight that would rather astonish some
of the Vice-Presidents of the Royal Agricultural
Society," And I quite agreed with him.—City Press.