The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-06-22 00:00:00

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

General Todleben has ordered Jewish traders to
quit the Russian lines, and effect has already been given to
the orders of the Commander-in-Chief.
The Mayor and Notary of Prundl, a place about
thirty kilometres from Bucharest, were stopped the other
day by twelve brigands, who first robbed them and then
administered a severe beating.
"The impotence of the Ottoman Navy during the
late war and the recent loss of the Grosser Kurfiirst have
inspired the Greed Duke Constantine with such a disgust for
ironclads that he has declared his intention of adding no
more vessels of that description to the Russian Fleet, at
least for the present."—Mayfair.
The fore and mizen masts of the Eurydice have been
removed, and it is expected that another attempt to raise
the ship will be made in the course of this week. A belzlY,
which has for some time been seen by the divers in the fore
chains, was brought into harbour on Monday. It proved to
be that of an ordinary seaman, named C. Wilkins.
The Emperor of Brazil, who loves travelling, is
coming to Paris for the Exhibition, and has engeged for July
the apartments in the Grand Hotel now occupied by the
Shah.
Two brothers have left Boston, United States, in
a boat called the Nautilus, 19 feet 2 inches long, for Havre.
I was at the Zoo last Sunday, and had occasion to
see an American gentleman singularly exercised in mind.
His eye had caught the inscription on the lower part of the
bear-pit, "Visitors are requested to keep outside the bars;
and I heard him mutter to himself' "It was a mean thing of
Jonah to stow himself inside of the whale; but no one but a
Britisher would ever think of introducing himself into the
innards of them critters 1 " Vanity Fair.
The Bishop of Manchester, speaking on the Lanca-
shire strike and lock-out, remarked that the land could
never be again prosperous unless the English people become
more sober and industrious Drunkenness seemed to be
creeping everywhere, like leprosy.
The way the money, or at least the silver goes, is
pointed out by Professor Vogel in the Deutsche Rundschau,
as he reckons the annual consumption of sale r for photo.
graphic purposes as amounting to nine million marks
(£450,000), The Nevada mines are wanted to supply this
Immense demand.
A contemporary estimates that there is invested in
the dairy industry in the United States a total capital of
1,450,000,000 dols. Of that amount, 450,000,000 dols. is in
cows, 900,000,000 dols. -in land needed for their support, and
100,000,000 dols. in teams, dairy implements, bc.
It is said that the death of King George of Hanover
is likely to be followed by a formal renunciation on the part
of his son, Prince Ernest, of his pretensions to the Crown,
and by his acknowledgment of the annexation of the king-
dom. to Prussia On this uederstanding the sequestered
estates of the late King, which are now " administered " by
the German Government, and estimated at about £2,400,000,
wiil probably be restored to him.
Our Yankee cousins have hit upon a capital method
of viewing their University boat race between Yale and
Harvard. A train of platform cars, with seats for spectators,
Is to run along the track by the river side, keeping even with
the competing crews. Each car will be boarded up at the
back and sides, and will have four tiers of seats, accommo-
dating eighty people.
At a recent fancy fair in Paris the popular actress
Madame Judie inaugurated a new mode of extracting contri-
butions from the pockets df the sterner sex by selling her
smiles. A theatre being organised, and the audience ushered
in, M. Parade appeared, and asked those present if they would
like to see the veritaule original " Molda." "Yes," shouted
the spectators. "Twenty francs, then," remarked the
popular comedian, and a score of bands at once handed the
requisite sum, and Madame Judie duly made her bow.
"Would you like to see her smile?" asked the showman.
"Certainly," was the unanimous reply. " Forty francs,
then," and again a score of hands simultaneously offered the
requisite amount. "Now, then, who would see her laugh ? "
cried M. Parade. "I, 1," exclaimed the spectators. " Five
napoleons, if you please," demanded the insatiable im-
presario, and again the money was forthcoming, while
Madame Judic's face at once beamed with the brightest of
giggles.— Graphic.
The Duke of Cambridge arrived at Malta on Sunday
evening, and at six o'clock on Monday evening held a review
on the Floriana parade-ground of the whole of the garrison
and the Indian troops. The spectacle is described as very
fine, and the appea, ance of the Indian troops excited admira-
tion. At its conclusion the Duke called together the Colonels
of the Indian regiments and addressed them in a tone of the
warmest congratulation on the appearance and hearing of
their men. A very large crowd of the inhabitants of Valetta
witnessed the spectacle.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer acknowledges, in
The Times (as "Conscience Money ") the receipt of £4, in
stamps, sent anonymously.
The crops between London and Oxford, by the
Great Western line appeared to have suffered much less than
those of the Eastern Counties, and many other parts of the
country, from the excessive rainfall; but then some of the
land, as that near Slough, for instance, is very good, and
some is light. At the same time although the corn covers
the ground well, it is light in colour, and looks like pro-
ducing a quantity of "frothy" straw, which invariably im-
plies a small proportionate yield of grain. —Mark Lane
Express.
The following figures show how popular music sells in
America " Put me in my little 'bed, " by Dexter Smith,
250,000 ; "Come, birdie, come," same author, 100,000;
"Mollie, darling," by Will S. Hays, 40,000 ; " Silver Threads
among the Gold," by Danks (who is very popular), 75,000 ;
"Come home, father," 50,000 ; " Evangeline," 25,000;
"Tramp. tramp, tiamp," 100,000; "Nora O'Neill," 100,000;
"Sweet Genevieve," 20,000. Many of these still sell steadily
and will doubtless continue to do so for a number of years.
Songs written to suit the times frequently reach immense
sales, and, as in book publications, those which appear the
weakest are not unfrequently the most successful.
M. Salmon, a retired judge at Auxerre, aged 70, was
stung by a wasp on June 3. His arm swelled rapidly, and the
Inflammation extended to the shoulder. A doctor called
iii reduced the swelling, bUtthe venom, acting in a pheno-
menal manner, poisoned his blood, and he died on June 5.
A flying machine has been tried in the Permanent
Exhibition Building at Philadelphia with some success. At
the first attempt the machine did not ascend, the gas cylinder
allowing the gas to escape. This, however, was remedied,
and the supply of hydrogen having been renewed, the operator
sprang into his saddle-like seat, and, revolving the paddles,
was soon sailing twenty or thirty feet above the heads of the
people, dodging the chandeliers and high pavilions with as
much skill as a practised pilot avoids the hidden rocks and
shoals of a river.
By the way, why should not the Doolc, while he is at
Malta, cause two men to be selected from each regiment of
Use Indian Division and send them to England, "free-
gracious," on a month's furlough? They could be lionised
scion—"Spectatumveniunt," &c.—and their experiences and
reception retailed in India would spread, and the leaven
would work to a good issue. I know that the men of the
West Indian Regiments sent here on certain duties have given
6.n impression of "de modder country' which has been pro-
ductive of much respect for it among their sable confreres.—
Whitehall Review.
On Tuesday the match between the Australians and
the Gentlemen of England resulted, rather unexpectedly, in
a one-innings defeat of the colonists. At the conclusion of
the first day's play the Australians had scored a first innings
of 75, and the " Gentlemen " had made 85, with four wickets
to fall. On Tuesday the " Gentlemen " resumed their
innings, and before the remaining wickets had fallen, suc-
ceeded in putting together 139 runs, or 61 more than the
Australians had scored. On going in again no one amongst
the Australians, except Midwinter, who scored 26, could
stand against the bowling of Messrs. W. G. Grace and A. G.
Steel, anti together they only made 63, thus losing the match
by an innings and one run.
Mr. R. Wright has received the following letter
from Mr. Gladstone, with reference to a song entitled,
"Peace," which Mr. Wright proposes to publish :
" Hawarden, June 11 am sensible of the compli-
ment you pay me in proposing to dedicate to me your
spirited song; and, agreeably to my rule in such cases, for
the purpose of preserving the independency of all parties, I
beg that you will use your own free discretion in the matter.
—I remain, sir, your faithful servant, (Signed) W. E. GLAD-
STONE.—To Mr. It. Wright."
Captain Burnaby, who was nominated and unani-
mously adopted at the recent meeting of the Birmingham
Conservative Association as a candidate for the representa-
tion of the borough at the next general election, will deliver
an address to the electors in the Birmingham Town Hall on
the 23rd July. It is the intention of the Conservatives to
run two candidates, but the second has not yet been chosen.
A. party of Mormons, numbering 222 persons, left
Liverpool on Saturday for Salt Lake City. They were ac-
companied by four returning elders. One hundred and ten
of the number were from Berne, and the others came from
various parts of England, Wales, and Scotland.
A little hut represents Greenland at the Paris Ex-
hibition thickly strewn and hung with furs, upon which are
arranged panoplies of walrus's teeth and other Esquimaux
attributes.
Herr Krupp has contracted to supply the Russian
Government with a large number of forty-ton guns for the
defence of Riga, Sveaboarg, and Cronstadt.
At Manchester last Saturday evening the six days'
walking match, which commenced on Whit-Monday, at
Pomona Gardens, terminated. Out of the 24 who started
more than half had fallen out earlier in the week. The
chief scores were made by Ide (Woolwich), 382 miles; Cross-
land (Sheffield), 356; Parry (Manchester), 349; Courtney
(Barnet), 338; and M`Carthy, 312. The prize won by Ide
consists of a champion belt worth £l5O, and an equal sum
In money.
Farmers in Oxfordshire have been requested by the
clergy of that count, not to give intoxicating drinks, during
the harvest time, to labourers, and a circular has been issued
to the clergy by the Archdeacon of Oxford, asking them to
try and influence the farmers to substitute non-intoxicating
beverages for strong drink.
Some workmen were engaged on Monday taking
down a bridge on the Loudon and North-Western Railway,
near Winsford, in order to make room for new railway
works, when the structure gave way with a loud crash, and
carried with it three or four of the men, one 9f whom was so
severely injured that but slight hopes are entertained of his
recovery. Another workman had left the bridge only a few
minutes before the accident, because he was afraid it would
give way.
We learn from India that an order has been
issued for the destruction or disposal of all old guns, arms,
Sze., having any histoiical interest attached to them in con-
nect' on with the British conquests—a wise and precautionary
step, as it seems to us, and one which might Noe been
taken before.— Whitehall Review.
"The Japanese are now making a kind of paper,
which from its pretty and tasteful colouring ought to be very
popular. ills intended to be used for an economical purpose
as well as an artistic. Some of our great folks have thought
of using Japanese paper serviettes instead of the cold looking
linen which now adorns our dinner tables. I should not be
at all surprised if these paper serviettes were to become the
rage in less than a year or two."—" The Tatler " in Pictorial
World.
In London, last Saturday, Lord Napier of Magdala
Inspected the 3rd London Rifle Volunteers on the parade
ground of the Horse Guards, in the presence of a large
number of spectators. In addressing them afterwards, his
lordehip said recent events had shown the country the real
value of the volunteer force, and the nation could not but
feel, from what had taken place, that should any circum-
stances occur to take the regular troops into foreign
countries and in active service, they could safely trust
themselves in the hands of the volunteers to defend them at
home.
One of the leading New York photographers has
30,000 pictures of stage celebrities.
Twelve British and foreign wrecks were reported
during the past week, making the total for the present
year 666, or a decrease of 273 as compared with the corre-
sponding period of 1877. The property lost was approxi-
mately valued at £75,000, including British £45,000
It is stated in the report of the Registrar-General
that the number of small-pox patients in the Metropolitan
Asylum hospitals, which was 854 on the 20th April last, has
since steadily declined to 529 on Saturday last ; the number
of new cases admitted to these hospitals, which had been
170, 126, 108, and 84 in the four preceding weeks, rose again
to 100 last week. The Iligbgate Small-pox Hospital contained
88 patients on Saturday last, against 48 and 43 on the two
preceding Saturdays; 8 new cases were admitted during the
week.
On Tuesday afternoon a sad accident occurred at
Windsor. While a cab-driver, named Trantum, of London,
was in the "New Inn," his horse, es hich was attached to a
hansom, started off down Sheet-street. Trantum pursued it,
and clambering up the vehicle, seized the reins. The hone
swerving, the cab was turned over near the Mechanics'
Institute, and the drivers falling upon his head, received
Injuries which resulted in his death.
The Rev. James Brown, 28 years of age, graduate
of St. Andrews University, was drowned on Sunday in a mill
dam, near Dundee. He was subject to fainting fits, and
while walking by the side of the dam fell in, and was
drowned. Mr. Brown was assistant in St. Stephen's Church,
Broughty Ferry, and had just been appointed minister of
Strathloch, Pertiashire. Re took the highest honours at St.
Andrews.