The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-01-11 00:00:00

war.

"Mr. Edison has completed arrangements with
Messrs. Sampson Low and Co., London, and Messrs. Harper
Brothers, New York, for the simultaneous publication in
both countries of his new work on 'The Electric Light.'
The work has already been commenced, but, owing to the
peculiar condition of affairs as regards patent applications,
the time of its completion cannot at present be definitely
stated."—Athericeum.
- - -

On the morning of the first Snnday in each new year
a breakfast is given to destitute men and women in Gray's-
yard Ragged Church, James-street, Oxford-street, London..
Oa Sunoay morning there was an attendance of nearly
thousand persons as recipients of this meaL
The Rev. Mr. Spurgeon, though expected to be in
attendance, was on Sunday still unable to officiate at the
Metropolitan Tabernacle, but through his son the Rev. C.
Spurgeon, be announced to his flock that he felt considerably
better that morning. Be also wished to convey to them
his full appreciation of the work of the week in connection
with the bazaar, and hoped it would be continued this

week.
The annual week of prayer organized by the Evan-
gelical Alliance has commenced In London In thè Langham,
hall, Great Portland-place.

Sixty men employed as wire drawers at one of the
Warrington works have struck against a reduction of wages
which is being generally enforced in the trade, and 500 other
operatives are thrown idle.
A gentleman addressed to himself a letter in Hebraic
characters, and posted it. The letter was delivered in due
course, the English translation being written In one corner
for the guidance of the postman. This Is an agreeable tribute
to the erudition of the Yost-office I—Court Journal.

The Marquis of Bute has contributed £l,OOO to the
City of Glasgow Bank shareholders' relief fund.
A vessel named the Effort was driven ashore at the
mouth of Poole harbour during the gale on Tuesday. The
Swanage lifeboat was launched and succeeded in taking off
the crew and landed them safely in the harbour.
The men employed at the Bangor shipbuilding yards
struck work on Monday against a reduction of Ss. weekly in
their wages. A general notice of reduction of wages has
been given throughout the district.
The Rochester Corporation is endeavouring to adopt
the telephone as a means of communication between the
police station and the waterworks, three miles distant, to
give alarm in case of tire.
In the Sheffield district the greatest anxiety prevails
as to the action the coalowners will take relative to the pro-
posed reduction of l2i per cent. The decision of the men at
Barnsley pn Monday to resist the reduction has already had
the effect of sending up the price of coal in some quarters;
and in the event of a strike the price will rise very rapidly,
as stocks are exceedingly low, and the supply even now is
very short.
A meeting of gentlemen largely concerned in the
trade of Lancashire has been held at Manchester, for the
purpore of considering the practicability of opening up
Central Africa as a market for English goods by the con-
struction of a railway from the eastern coast of the continent
to Lake Victoria Nyanza, with a view to bring the produce of
the interior down to one of the ports of Zanzibar. A com-
mittee was formed to receive subscriptions in order to diffuse
Information on the subject.
The increase of drunkenness in Bent during the
past six years was discussed at considerable length by the
magistrates at Maidstone on Tuesday, when it was urged
that Parliament should be pressed to curtail the present
means of drunkenness. Among the speakers were Earl
Amherst, Earl Stanhope, Mr. S. Morley, M.P., and Mr. J. G.
Talbot, M.P., all of whom declared the subject was of press-
ing importance.

- -
The Japanese Government has engaged the ser-
vices at a high salary of a German military bandmaster at
Metz.

---
Mr. Gladstone was prevented by indisposition from
presiding on Tuesday at the annual rent audit of the
Hawarden and Aston estates. It is stated that the illness of
the right hon. gentleman is not of a serious character.
On 'l'm sday evening, in the presence of the Duke of
Saxony and Prince William of Wurtemberg as witne.ses, the
marriage cf the King of Holland with the Princess Emma of
Waldeck-Prymont was celebrated with great solemnity at
Arolsen
-

A resolution has been passed by the Wrexham
Deanery Church Association that it is inexpedient that the
clergy should promote or assist in the establishment of the
new Clergy Co-operative Society, not only bez.ause it is in
contravention of the Acts regulating clerical discipline, but
also because it would itijure local trade and alifnate iron
the Church the support of tradesmen parishioners.
A telegram from Toulon announces that the French
irco.clad tqu,dron is being supplied at a rapid rate with
stores, including powder ami shot, with the object, as some
maibtatu, of maklug a descent upon Timis.
Notices have been posted in several of the shops in
Leeds announcing the determination of the employers to re-
turn to the fifty-seven and a half hours per week system in
regard to the engineers, mechanics, labourers, ezc., in their
employ. The men are strongly opposed to the proposed in-
crease of time, and are determined to resist it,
"Sandy, what is the state of religion in your
town ?" "Bad, sir; very bad I There are no Christians
except Davie and myself, and I have my doubts about
Davie."

A singular case of death was made known in Ports-
mouth on Monday at a coroner's inquisition. A lady of
Southsea, accidentally swallowed an orange pip on the after-
noon of December 29, and, in spite of constant medical at-
tention, died on the following Thursday from inflammation
and exhaustion, after frequent attacks of violent retching,
difficulty of breathing, an • inability to swallow. A post-
mortem examination showed the pip to have become em-
bedded in the ventricle of the edatynx, immediately beneath
the vocal chords on the right side.
"If the electric lighting of houses becomes general,
and we open a direct communication between lightning and
the domestic hearth during a thunderstorm, I understand
the insurance companies will have something serious to say
on the question of fire policies. I should not be at all sur-
prised if there were special rates devised to cover what,
without exaggeration, might be called a 'hazardous risk.'"
—The World.
Last September a census was taken of the Japanese
Islands. Tbe total population of the empire was 34,333.404.
Of these, 1,036,771 dwell in leddo, or, as the inhabitants
name it, Tokio, in 236,961 houses, being about 4•37 occupants
for each house.
"We are gratified to learn that the subscription set
on foot through the intermediary of the Ottoman Bank has
already resulted in the remittance to Philippopolis of a sum
grf £4,000, for the distribution of which a committee, on
which all races and religions will be represented, is being
organized by the British members of the Eastern Roumelian
Commission '—The Times:
At a meeting of the operative bricklayers of York,
held on Saturday night, it was resolved to accede to the
masters' proposal of a reduction of one halfpenny per hour.
The men a fortnight ago decided to offer resistance, but,
after more fully considering the state of trade, they decided
to submit. The reduction comes into force at once.
There were 2,899 births and 1,900 deaths registered
in London last week. Allowing for increase of population,
the births exceeded by 133 and the deaths by 114 the average
numbers in the corresponding week of the last ten years.
The annual death rate from all causes, which in the two
preceding we.-ks had been equal to 29 1 and 27 7 per 1,000
was last week 27 4 The 1,0)0 deaths included 13 from
small-pox, 34 from measles, 29 from scarlet fever, 16 from
diphtheria, 65 from whoop:ng cough, 37 from different forms
of fever, and 9 frmn diarrho3 A. The deaths from diphtheria,
although 6 less than those in the previous week, again showed
a marked excess. Of the fatal cases of small-pox 8 were
certified to be unvaccinated, and the other 5 were " not
stated" as to vaccination.
In a telegram from Philadelphia, under date
January 6, the Correspondent of The Times says :—"After
three days' duration, the extremely cold weather moderated
on Sunday and Monday. A terrible snowstorm accompanied
the change in New York, forming drifts there 2011, deep
and blocliing up the railways. Several disasters occurred.
The railways were also blocked up in Michigan. Tne cold
wave extended fA* south, producing suow and ice in the
Gulf States and also in Florida—a phenomenon heretofore
unknown Jecksotivide was visited with a sleet storm, the
thermometer falling as low as 3 deg.—an event unprece-
dented. Mobile had snow with the thermometer at 6 deg.
Efforts are being made to clear the New York Central and
n her blocked-up railways, but there is such a vast amount
of snow to be shovelled away that it will take a considerable
time to do so."
The snoW in the North of Scotland has been so
severe in some of the hill districts as to have driven the
deer in herds into the valleys, where they devour the hay
previded for the sheep. Great damage in some quarters
has been done by the hares and deer stripping the bark
from the young trees.
A heavy storm occurred at Bath on Tuesday. In
one or two places telegraphic communicAtion was inter-
rupted, and on the Somerset and Dorset line a snow plough,
attached to a powerful eagit,e, had to be used to enable
traffic to be continued,
A correspondent of the Baader Nachrichten calls
atteution to a fact which will doubtiess be highly Interesting
to philologists—the entire disappearance of the Romanisch
language in the district of Sammtune, in the Grigons. In the
churches, schools, said among the people the only tongue
now spoken is Tyrolese German. Fifty years ago the mem-
bers of the commune met together, and, being of opinion
that German was on the whole a more desirable lan-
guage for the ordinary purposes of life than their mother.
tongue, they resolved thenceforth to speak German only,
and to teach it to thsir children. So thoroughly has this
puepzse been carried out that, with the exception of a few
old -people, the Romanisch speech has been completely for-
gotten by the inhabitants of the valley.
It appears from the French population tables draw
up from the returns of the census of December, 1876, that
the foreighers resident in France numbered 801,700 persons,
thus -forming 217 per cent. of the total population. The
most striking fact shown by the tables is the relatively very
great number of adults in France and the small number of
children. Whereas in England children—that is, persons
under 15 years of age—form about 36 per cent. of the popu-
lation and persons of above 16 years 63 per cent., in France
the former number only 29 per cent, and the latter 71 per
cent.
On Friday in last week the Earl of Derby paid a
visit to the extensive manufactories of Meirsrs. Bright
Brothers at Rochdale. His Lordship was shown through
the cotton and carpet mills, and appeared to be very much
interested in the process of manufacture. A telephone
which has lately been constructed from these mills to the
warehouse in Spring-gardens, Manchester, attracted the
noble earl's curiosity, and he tested the apparatus, and was
astonished to find that the transissions were so distinct.
While in the room a report of the cotton market held in
Manchester was received. His lordship next visited the
Right lion. John Bright at his residence, One Ash.
Speaking on Monday night at Whitehaven at:a
public meeting called by the West of Cumberland Liberal
Association., bir Wilfrid Lawson,M.P., expresser ids beliefthat the Liberal party in England would, at the next general
election, follow the example of the te;gnert.. Republic bytr.e.
turoing a large majority in their faveer. linig
etPai:y
Afghan War, Sir Wilfrid said the present wasr
tune es
greatet
one, and that he considered It was one h
crimes tntheecinaricturyakoollthebeciguoveltrty'Emot.ntAweealliouhunimitition
• •