The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-10-13 00:00:00

REPRIEVE OF THE CONVICT
GOULDSTONE.

The solicitor of the convict G-ouldstone's employers
has received the following letter from the Home
Office :—" Whitehall, Oct. 8, 1883. Sir, With
reference to the applications forwarded by you in
behalf of William Gouldstone, I am directsd by the
Secretary of State to acquaint you that, having caused
special medical inquiry to be made as to the state of
this man's mind, he has felt justi6ed in advising Her
Majesty to respite the capital sentence.—l am, Sir,
your obedient servant, GODFREY LIISHINGTON."

THE DEFINITE ARTICLE.—" L." writes, Oct. 4:—
" I find little article ' the ' occurs 200 times in first
column of The Times—for sake of average, say 1,010
times on every page, making 16,000 for the entire copy,
equal to 48,000 letters. Now, if we reckon that every
line in a column numbers 40 letters—taking leading.
article type as example—and that a column la made
up of 1.P.0 lines, then we learn how 6,000 letters are
consumed. And so we come to ascertain that an
ordinary copy of The Times devotes eight columns of
letter press to article the.' Surely this little verbal
parasite might with advantage be stamped out."

AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The fol.
lowing are the average, prises of British corn for
last week as received , from the inspectom and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 40s. 2d.; barley, 345. Od. ;
oats, 19s. 11d, per imperial qr. Corresponding week
last year :—Wheat, 395, 63.; barley, 348. 4d.; oats,
198. 10d.

REVISION OF THE AUTHORISED VERSION. —The
Company appointed to revise the Authorised Version
of the Old Testament finished their eighty-second
session at the Jerusalem Chamber on Friday in last
week. The following members attended :—The Dean
of Peterborough, Dr. Alexander, Mr. Bensly, Pro-
fessor Birrell, Dr. Chance, Mr. Chenery, Dr. David-
son, Dr. Douglas, Professor Driver, Dr. Ginsburg,
Archdeacon Harrison, Dr. Kay, Professor Leathes,
Professor Lumby, Mr. Sayce, Professor Wright, and
Mr. Aldis Wright, secretaries. Communications were
received from Dr. Field, Dr. Gotch, and Professor
Robertson Smith, who were unable to be present. The
final review of the historical books was continued as
far 113 the end of 2nd Chronicles, if.
THE An'iTimi Assizas.—The London Gazette states
that the following are the days and places appointed
for holding the Autumn Assizes : —Northern Circuit—
October 24, at Carlisle; October 29, at Manchester;
November 12, at Liverpool. North-Eastern Circuit—
October 27, at Newcastle-upon-Tyne; October 81, at
Durham; November 6, at York. Midland Circuit—
November 6, at Nottingham; October 39, atLeicester;
October 25, at Bedford; November 13, at Warwick.
South• Eastern Circuit—October 24, at Norwich;
October 29, at Chesterton; October 31, at Chelms-
ford; November 6, at Maidstone, Oxford Circuit—
October 25, at Oxford ; October 29, at Gloucester;
November 5, at Stafford. Western Circuit—November
10, at Winchester; November 3, at Exeter; October
27, at Bristol. North Wales Division—October 25, at
Chester. South Wales Division—November 3, at
Swansea.

A SINGULAR CUSTOI4.—On the subject of Candle-
mas offerings, H. T. Mackenzie Bell writes to Notes
and Queries:—" A near relative of mine informs me
that at the school in Perthshire which she attended
about 1818, it was customary for each child at Candle-
mas to present the master with as much money as he
or she could. The master then regaled the children
on raisins, almonds, &c., and the boy and girl who gave
the most received the title of king and queen for the
ensuing year. The children were so desirous of
obtaining the regal appellation that they eagerly inn.
portuned their parents to let them have as large an
amount as possible for this purpose."
MESSRS. MOODY2AND SANHEY.—Messrs. Moody and
Sankey arrived on Tuesday at Queenstown from New
York, and they afterwards proceeded to Limerick,
where they will hold a series of evangelical meetings.
They will conduct a week's services in Cork, corn-
mencing on the 16th. Mr. Sankey, in a farewell ad-
dress before leaving America, stated that they will
spend the winter months in London, where a com-
mittee of Christian gentlemen had made arrange-
ments for their reception. Two moveable iron taber-
nacles had been built for their use. These would be
found necessary, as there were many districts in
London where halls could not be found suitable for
large congregations.
Tnis HUNTING SEASON.—Rector : "Is that the
parcels post, James? He 's early this morning, isn't
be?" (Noise without, baying of dogs, &c) "What's
all thia—"—James (excited) : "Yes, sir. Postman
says as how the young 'ounds, a comin' back from
cubbin', found 'im near the kennels, and runned 'im
all the way 'ere. They was close on 'im when he got
In! 'Thinks it was a packet o' red 'errins in the bag,
sir. I see the run from the pantry window "—(with
enthusiasm)—" a beautiful ten minutes' bu'et, sir ! "
Punch.

A SINIIIIMAR FATALITY.—The Calcutta Cor-
respondent of The Times writes :—A strange and fatal
accident is reported from the Central Provinces. Dr.
Jackson, civil surgeon of Pachmarree, while out tiger
shooting with a friend was attacked by hornets and
received over 200 stings. Erysipelas set in and proved
fatal. His friend was saved by the presence of mind
of his servant, who dragged him into the jungle, but
not before he had been stung severely. In his case,
however, no evil consequences followed.

AN " °EVILLY " COCKNEY ONB.—What is the differ-
ence between a bird at the Z)o and the cry of a cat of
the feminine persuasion i—One is a he-mu (emu), and
the other is a she-mew.—Pun.

HORSE HAIR.—It appears that the great milk of the
horse hair used in the 'United States is imported from
the Argentine Republic and Uruguay. The hair sells
in Buenos Ayres and Monte Video at from 26 to 32
Gents per pound, and is packed in bales weighing
about 1,000 pounds, and costing from 250 to 300 doll.
each. The total amount imported in 1882 was 4,082,000
pounds, of which 3,417.000 pounds came from South
America, 196,000 pounds from Mexico, and 469,000
from Russia. In the previous year the importation
was 3,643,972 pounds, and in 1880 nearly 4,000,000
pounds; but in 1879 it was not quite 2,000,000 pounds.
Assuming an average price of 28 cents per pound, the
amount imported last year into the United States
would reach a total value of about 1,150,000 dols. The
bulk of this horde hair is manufactured by four or five
concerns, one of which is in Boston, one in New York,
one in Philadepio, and one in Baltimore.

A FrINT Tilso3.t P who 17,3 io tl e
bulit of bun osolg booliz—but folp.t to rti.wo them—
may take a hint from the following anecdote, which is
related of Mainardo Arlotto, an Italian priest famous
for his wit and satire, who flourished in the fourteenth
century :—He had once lent three measures of cats to
a parishioner, who, with the proverbial neglect of bor-
rowers, had forgotten it. Next year the parishioner
came to borrow three more, when Arlotto said—
"With all my heart ; you have only to go to my gran-
ary and take them." The man went to the granary,
but very quickly returned, Baying, there was not a
grain in the place "Oh, then, " answered Arlotto,
"you must surely have forgotten to return me what
you borrowed last year. "I now lend it you again "
directing him to go to another part of the premises,
where he would be certain to find the oats—" but see
you return them faithfully." The man took the hint,
and returned the oats soon after.
DISESTASLISHMENT MOTIONS VEIT SESSION.—In
fulfilment of the,reeolution of the Triennial Conference
of the Liberation Society held in May last, the execu-
tive committee of that body have made arrangements
for disestablishment motions to be introduced in the
House of Commons next session. They decided that
it was expedient that the question should be raised in
regard to England as well as Wales and Scotland, and
requested Mr. Richard, M.P., to give notices of a
nation for the purpose behre the prorogation ; Mr.
Dillwyn, M.P., and Mr. Peddle, M.P., also giving
notice relative to Wales and bcotland. The corn-
mitt-es have now issued an important circular on the
subject to their friends, in which they urge that it is
"necessary that an agitation in support of the three
motions should be carried on simultaneously in Eng-
land, Wales, and Scotland ; so that whichever motion
may come on first, there may be the fullest amount of
preparation practicable."

SUPPOSID ATTICYPTED SIIICIDII IN A CBI:MM.—On

Sunday morning a shocking discovery was made in
the crypt of St. Stephen's. Hampstead. It appears
that Robert Wagon, aged 70, living with his wife at
Belsize Park-terrace, has been in the habit of adding
to his means of existence by zinging the bell at St.
Stephen's Church at eight a.m. for morning prayer on
Sundays. On Sunday morning, having performed his
accustomed duty, he went into a closet in the crypt,
and there cut a vein in his left arm with a razor. A.
little girl, who is employed to light the fires at the
church, went into the closet about twenty minutes
past nine, and there found Wagon in a pool of blood.
She immediately called Dr. Gwynn, who resides close
by, and he promptly attended and dressed the injured
man's wound. Police-constable Morris, 271 5, was
called in, and by the doctor'a order conveyed Wagon,
to the Hampstead Workhouse Infirmary.

jIINNT LIND'S BDITHDAY.—On October 6, 1821,
Jenny Lind, the celebrated Swedish nightingale, was
born at Stockholm. Her parents were humble, but
her musical gifts were so great that at the age of nine
she was admitted into the Conservatory at Stockholm.
At sixteen she sing with success before the Court, and
four years liter appeared at Paris, where a failure at
the Grand Opera caused her to leave that city. She
appeared at Berlin in 1845, and also at Vienna,
coming to London in 1847, where she won a very
marked success. Her voice was now gradually
acquiring the volume which it was formerly thought
to want, and on her return to London in 1849 she was
received with enthnsiasm, and the receipts at the con-
'oerts where she sang, both in, the metropolis and the
- provinces, were enormous,, and the great liberality
which she displayed in devoting large portions of her
receipts to charitias, made'her popularity very great
indeed. In 1850 site engaged with Barnum, the
American showman, fort a ,concert tour throughout
America; and her'sbarb of Ms profits WM upwards of
sixty thousand pounds. She was married in America
to M. Otto Goldschmidt,• and for many years past
they have resided near Loudon--Casseirs Saturday
Journal. -

' A NEW SMOKE_ CONFIIIMER.-. new nu. e,,gopk-
sumer is be-appiledt to lotitiicothts ot O. Minnie
Central Railroad (says frec). T.A. vertical water table
divides the fire-box or furnace.into_twa compartments,
. Ole of which is charged with fresh Opal, while the other
Zelontains freely burning coal. The oampartrgent con-
iining the fresh coal is closed ak4ne top by a damper
lich confines the gases, and is regulatfll by the &a-
min the ,-engine-cab, The smokettra gaiee arising
an the fresh coal as it becomearkested pass through
iall opening over the
.yvates_ table 3 and above the
13 into the next compartment, where they ,are entirely
Armed. The operation is then reversed by the other
inpartment of the fire box being chkrged
_with fresb.
lel, in consequence otwhlch chef:noire and gases pass
itp the comportment ;opposite, where the fire has
has
/ached cAgivicinperature. oTherie-is in the fitillbox
a fire-brick arch, which becomes highly heated and
Ticeeerves a uniform temperature in the furnace and
i
r
Assistrit: eciThsttrain" the gases fionithe fresh coal.
e-
, . ;

Fpmitterilnel4ateen in*eniekin
..e.hipOrt'efli4 " turliatal;sinottaietinfr prinniptilt e
„?Ig Peat,. of . which there , are -larvigp.a44.timitir.tilie
iff.4 . nntry',ltnii-Wlritll IlitniretrifleralareOtopfoPektftSii
,'" 'bitumen or " chapopote." The fuel is made of five
~ ' erentr-.deacriptions.rl for looeinoti yes, stationary
.. engines, smelting p,orposesi\ensiths' 'fires, and house-
hold purposes. It is said to burn freely and without
much smoke, giving a higher dynamic equivalent of
/heat than the same aaaonnt of wood,. and one,very
nearly as great as the best English coal. It'can' be
manufactured and sold in Mexico at a price considera-
bly below coal or wood, and, looking at the daily
increasing demand for fuel, the advance in the price
of wood, and its growing scarcity, it is probable
that there will be 90 good market for the new fuel. As
all the ingredients necessary for its manufacture are
found in inexhaustible quantities in Mexico, it will
, create a new and important industry in the republic.