biglam/hmd_newspapers huggingface dataset:
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-30

THE VICEROY'S PROCLAMATION
CONDENSED.
No peace till Shere Ali's sullenness ends;
So we're going to thrash him till he makes friends.
—Punch.

MR. GOUGH'S LECTURES.

In London, on Tuesday night, Mr. Gough ended his
series of lectures, the concluding meeting, like the
opening of this temperance campaign, being held at
the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. causeway.
Mr. Samuel Morley, M.P., presided, and in address-
ing the meeting dwelt upon the great moral force
which a great congregation like that would exercise if
each individual had his will to support the efforts of
Mr. Gough and others who, like him, had endeavoured
to stem the tide of evils which followed in the train
of drunkenness. He urged all to assist in preventing
intemperance, which he declared to be a tremendous
evil, and the great obstacle to the political, moral, and
social progress of the people.
Mr. Gough then stood forward to speak, and was
received with very great cheering. He stated that
this was the 37th meeting he had attended to speak
since his arrival in September, and now he hoped after
ihat night to get some greatly-needed rest. After he
had bad the rest he required he might stay in the
country to address the people on this great question,
encouraged by the favour with which he had been re-
ceived. He then proceeded to speak on the subject of
encouraging children to be total abstainers, dealing
with the important work undertaken in this direction
by the United Kingdons Band of Hope Union. On the
principle that "Prevention is better than cure," he
regarded this, as perhaps, the most important work
which could be undertaken, for though the duty of re-
claiming the drunkard was great, yet the most certain
work was performed in bringing up the children free
from the vice of alcohol drinking. He dwelt upon the
characteristics of children, and held that their ap-
preciation of questions was underrated. In many
cases they were disposed to follow the parental
example. Children imbued with temperance prin-
ciples had been the means of reclaiming their
parents. The speaker passed from the ques-
tion of the young to the general question,
urging the need of self-denial in regard to drink as a
Christian duty to save others, and then returning to
the question of training the young to temperance, he
spoke of the time when this widespread movement
would be victorious—when mothers and wives would
no longer Lose loved ones by this tremendous evil, and
when the drunkard would be known no more by happy
and prosperous people.
The speaker resumed Ills seat, and the chairman' on
behalf of the meeting, expressed gratitude to the
eloquent orator' hoping that his words would find an
echo in the hearts of all who had listened to him, and
expressing the wish that after the rest which Mr.
Gough was about to take he would re-visit the plat-
forms of London.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-30

.--v• nit rir n ("‘ ") T I'l'7 r"7-
sirk
PH)? STOtTRBRIDG-E OBSERVE

THE EDISON ELECTRIC LIGHT.

In the New York Sun of November 15, an interview
between a member of the staff of that paper and Mr.
Edison is reported. Mr. Edison stated that he was
positive his invention would show that the electric
light was mush cheaper than gas, and he was putting
up a new building 125 ft, long to demonstrate the utility
and economy of his discovery. The building, he added,
would be,completed in two weeks. He proposes to light
a park by the aid of an 80-horse power engine, starting
with 2,000-candle lights. He will use the telegraph poles,
with arms across the tops, placing 15 lights upon each
arm. The main object is to ascertain how many
electric jets can be obtained from one-horse power.
Mr. Edison says the experiment will enable him to
diEcover any defects and make the invention complete
before adapting it to the great cities. The thing could
not be done in a day. He was working upon a prin-
ciple without known laws to guide him, but experi-
ments demanded both time and money. He believed
that he would have the light in practical operation in
about six weeks from that time.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-30

THE SIZE OF SHARKS.

Land and Water publishes the following :—" A
Traveller' expresses some doubts in your paper of the
16th as to whether these fish ever attain the length of
six yards. The white shark, known at Calcutta as 'the
maneater shark," is from thirty to thirty-five feet long,
and it occasionally visits the Mediterranean. There-
fore I see no reason why the paragraph in The TirteS
alluded to by your correspondent should not be received
as quite correct. The jaws of this sp,cies are of an
enormous size, and the teeth form a perfect cutting
apparatus. A friend of mine who has been out in India
assures me that a shark, when he was at Calcutta, was
really seen to swallow a bullock's head and horns
entire. Surely no person need doubt after this, that
these fish can cut a man's leg off.—W."
"In reply to the remarks of 'A Traveller,' in your
number of Nov. 36, allow me to assure him that I have
killed many sharks from twelve to fourteen feet off the
the harbour of St. Thomas, West Indies. My method
of capturing them was to turn a dead horse adrift, and
to harpoon them as they seized it. Having a stout
line attached to the harpoon, I let the fish run, towing
my four-oared boat after it until I felt it was begin-
ning to tire, when I worked it up to, and alongside of,
the boat. One of my men then, watching his oppor-
tunity, slipped a noose over the tail, lashing it out of
the water to the stern of the boat, thus rendering the
fish comparatively powerless. We were then obliged
to tow it to the nearest land—sometimes an arduous
task, as you may imagine, in order to cut the harpoon
out, which we dare not do when afloat. Another
plan, when a horse was not available, was to set
trimmers "—octave sherry casks with a large hook
baited with a lump of meat, attached by a chain. It
was splendid to see a good•sized fish going of with one
of these, trying to take it, and keep it under water,
The larger fish, however, I only got with the harpoon.
Allow me to rec,.qmmand any of your readers, who
may have the opporthettity to try the tame exerting
sport.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-30

SIR WILLIAM ARMSTRONG ON
FOREIGN COMPETITION.

Sir William Armstrong, speaking at the annual dinner, on
Saturday, of the Newcastle Association of Foremen En-
gineers and Draughtsmen, said :

It is too much the fashion Among working men to
despise foreign competition. In trade, as well as in
war, there is a remnant of the old feeling which in my
young days gave rise to the arrogant boast that One
Englishman could fight three Frenchmen. But, de-
pend upon it, foreign competition is no bugbear. It
is an indisputable fact that for many years pastforeign
manufacture has been developing much faster than
our own, and at no former time were we so hard run
by the foreigner as at present. Take engines and
machinery, for example, which are the articles with
which you are concerned. We are every year
losing ground in foreign markets, while Ame-
rican cutlery, tools, hardware, steel pens, and other
articles are actually brought into England, defeating
the productions of home makers both in quality and
cheapness. Now, how is this state of things to be
met? Certainly not by repressing emulation, nor by
restrictive trade regulations of any kind, but by every
man, from the highest to the lowest, setting his
shoulder to the wheel and using his powers and abili-
ties to the best possible advantage. The survival of
the fittest is a ruling and a wholesome principle in
nature, and it applies to humanity as well as to plants
and animals. Therefore, let English producers prove
themselves the fittest; otherwise they will not be the
survivors in the struggle for existence among inter-
national trades. I could name other questions which
ought to be cleared up in the interests of working met.
I will mention two or three. 1. Can the workmen in
any particular trade gain greater advantages than
are enjoyed in other trades without being so flooded
with new hands as to render those exceptional advant-
ages untenable? 2. Can the workmen in all trades
obtain higher wages and shorter hours without increas-
ing the cost of commodities all round, and thereby
neutralizing the advantage of the higher wages. 3.
Would not the loss of export trade, consequent upon
the greater cost of all productions, render matters
worse than before? Ido not wish to dogmatize upon
these questions, nor to say anything that might be pos-
sibly construed into a want of sympathy with working
men in these hard times, but there is nothing to gain
and much to lose by ignorance on such subjects.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-30

EXECUTION at HUNTINGDON COUNTY
GAOL.

On Monday morning, at eight o'clock, Henry
Gilbert, an agricultural labourer, was executed in the
Huntingdon oounty gaol, for the wilful murder of his
illegitimate child. He had paid great attention to
the ministrations of the prison chaplain, the Rev. F.
S. Westbrooke, M.A., vicar of Little Raveley. The
scaffold was erected in the debtors' exercise ground,
and Marwood, who was the executioner, had provided
for a nine foot drop. The condemned man did not go
to bed till early in the morning, when he obtained
some restless sleep, and he rose between five and six
o'clock. He partook but little breakfast, and when
submitting to the process of pinioning appeared re-
signed to his fate. He walked to the scaffold with a
firm step, and when about to mount the steps he
cast one hasty glance at the scaffold, but dropped his
head immediately. When Marwood had adjusted the
rope and was about to put the white cap on, Gilbert
asked to be allowed to say a few words. He ex-
claimed, "Lord Christ Jesus have mercy on my
soul." The drop then fell and he died apparently
without a struggle.

THE HEALTH OF THE GRAND DUCAL
FAMILY OF HESSE DARMSTADT.
The Times of Tuesday publishes the following communi-
cation (by request) :

"Darmstadt, Nov. 15.—Concerning the appear-
ance of diphtheria in the Grand Ducal Family, we are
able to state the following facts :—The first symptoms
of Princess Victoria's indisposition showed themselves
on Wednesday, the 6th of November. Immediately
after she had seen the doctor she was completely
isolated from the whole of the Grand Ducal family.
The time, however, which elapsed between the falling
ill of Princess Victoria and the appearance of the first
symptoms in the subsequent eases coincides with the
tune which, according to experience, usually passes
between infection and indisposition. It therefore
appears to be beyond a doubt that the disease had
already been communicated to those who afterwards
fell ill before Princess Victoria had occasion to call in
medical advice,"
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-30

Term s for Yearly Tuning, including minor re-

pairs—
Cottages, por annum ..... ~ ...... 1 1 0
03-rands do
_ .

Single Tunings (in Town).
g. d. s. d. B d a.
Cotta,;es.... 3 6 ttz 5 0 Full Grand 6 6&7
Semi-Grands 5 oez 6 0 Concert Iron
Triebord• Grands.. .. 7 6

Obtigue. . 4 6&5 6
Pisnofcro es Tuned o the French Pitch (now nniver
sally adopted throughout England,i i required.
A large stock of Classical and Modern Music, st.
Half-price. a
Please observe the Acldress-26O,CastleStreet,Dudle

and C 7, Park Streit. Walsall

ASTON .TOWER GROUNDS.

GRAND DISPLAY OF FLOWERS.

The GROUNDS hlye been entirely re-arranged, the
Flower Beds newly designed, and filled with various
specimens in full Bloom.-
BOATING ON THE IMPROVED AND EXTENDED
LAKE. .
The SKATING RINIC. will be open for Three Exercises

Every Day. Pountney!s Band Every Evening. Synyer
and Gi;mer's Band will Play from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in
_ the Grounds on Saturday afternoon, and from 7 till 9in
the Rink.
The CONSERVATORY is replete with a choice Col-
lection-of Flowering and Exotic Plante.
The new Erections of AQUARIUM and ASSEMBLY
ROOMS are rapidly progressing.
Admission to Grounds 3.1. each.
Admission to Rink-. ... 6d. each
Use of Skates.... 6d.
Rink Tickets taken at the various entrances admit
into the Grounds free.
Season Tivlrets can be obtained at the Offices of the
Company, Flolte .11otel, Aston, where any
_other infor-
mation required will be furnished.
Trains run to Witton Station London and North
Western Railway, adjoining the Grounds; and Omni
buses run constantly.
H. G. QUILTER, Managing Direator.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-30

SATURDAY, NOV. 30, 1878.

has oecipled fiibi, in Afghanistan. The country is quiet, and,
though the cold is intense, the health of the Vreeps is good
and their spirits excellent."

TH/4 LAX MAJOR EISCH OF ALI MOSJID.

The Times of Tuesday publishes the following
letter :

will interest your readers to know that the late
Major Birch, who fell so nobly at the head of his regiment
at Ali Musjid on Thursday last was one of the " illustrious
garrison" of Lucknow in 1857.
Major Birch was the son of an Indian officer, and at the
time of the Indian mutiny was an officer on board an Indian
merchantman. He volunteered, with many others, for active
service in the field during the Mutiny, and as a reward for
his distinguished gallantry at Lucknow he obtained a direct
commission in Her Majesty's Army.
He had only recently obtained his majority and the com-
mand of his regiment (the 27th Native Infantry) in which he
had served many years.
He leaves a widow and several children (now in India) to
mourn their loss.—Yours faithfully,
T. P. HUGHES. C. M. S. of Peshawur.

DEAN STANLEY ON THE RESPONSI-
BILITIES OF ENGLAND.

On Sunday afternoon Dean Stanley, who has just
returned from America, preached in Westminster
Abbey, taking his text from one of the lessons of the
evening service, Malachi, chap. 3, v. 16, "The Lord
hearkened and heard." In the course of his sermon he
adverted to the great influence of England. "I know,"
said a young French prince, "the heavy burden I
bear in that name which I have inherited." And
such should be the feeling of every Englishman. Our
far-reaching lines of ancestry and our wide-spreading
dominions were around us like the mountains standing,
around Jerusalem. It was said that even the roar of
Niseara had not the force which its volume of water
would give to it because there was no elevated country
to catch and reflect the waves of its sound. But it was
an additional responsibility of England that she does
possess these reverberatory barriers. We had the
knowledge that what we as a nation do or say can pro-
duce an effect in distant India, rind that our swift mes-
sengers along the wires can awaken the thunder of the
cannon among the snow-clad Indian mountains. This
knowledge ought to produce deep thought in the soul,
and was sufficient to put courage into the most cowardly.
These reverberations were some of the means designed
by the Eternal Providence to keep us alive to a sense
of our responsibilities. We derived responsibility
also, not only from those whom we now ruled, but
also from those whom we had once ruled. There also
was a vast area of hearers—flesh of our flesh and blood
of our blood—who watched us with a preternatural
sensitiveness. All the good or evil of our doing, acting
as a standard, might aid in raising or depressing these
our brethren. They were looking to us for examples
of energy and elevation such as once came from us to
them.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-30

THE BOARDING-OUT SYSTEM.

The Daily Telegraph of Tuesday says.—"ln a letter
forwarded to us by Miss Mary Catlin, secretary of
Mr. Peake's Committee for Promoting the Boarding-
out of Pauper Children, she says that this system has
long been established in Scotland, where it is no small
matter of surprise that England should be willing to
expend thousands of pounds in the erection of large
buildings, in which to congregate hundreds of pauper
children in a manner, to say the least, unnatural and
expensive, while close at hand are known to be an the
appliances for a system proved in Scotland at once
humane, economical, and satisfactory. Our corre-
spondent gives many interesting details of her visits
to the children under the system from the cities of
Glasgow and Edinburgh, and describes them generally
as being happy, bright, and healthy, with nothing to
mark them, either in face or clothing from their play-
fellows. They are scattered in parishes and villages in
connection with the above-named cities, and Miss
Catlin attributes much of the success to be due to the
boards of managers and their officials, together with
the humanity displayed by the schoolmasters, foster.
parents, &c. What hinders England from carrying
out the same system with equal success ? "