The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-10-20 00:00:00

A CAT CAUGHT BY A FisH•HooK.—On Monday, in the
window of a tishing-tackle manufacturer at Birming-
ham was found a young cat suspended from the hook of
a fishing-rod and line. The animal was struggling like
a fish at the end rf a hook, cryieg piteously. Some
neighbours had heard the cat squealing for an hoar,
hut did not know whence the noise came. Five police-
men f. 'reed open the window and tried te extricate
the hook, but, being unsuccessful, drowned the poor
creature. The cat, it is thought, was trying to seize
the artificial fly at the end of the hook, mistaking it
for a real one, when she was caught.
A GREAT DEAL OFF —An Ohio man, who had
viited Gotham and kot many new ideas, retureed
home and re•maiked. most of his goods so that he could
say the price of this and that was so much, with so
much off. Everything seemed to work pretty well for
a week or so when one of the clerks said he needed a
little more posting.—" For inst -nee," he exclaimed,
"we ate giving twenty off on all wooden-ware."—
" Yes."—" Arid pails are twenty cents apiece ?"
" Yes."—" Then every time a man wants a pail he
gets it for nothing, and if he takes two I give him
twenty cents? "—" James, are you a born fool?" de-
manded the merchant,—" No, sir!" was the prompt
reply. "I've got rid of the eight dozen pails we had
stored upstairs in less than a week, and have promised
five dozen more. If you have a clerk who pleases
customers more than I do, trot him out."—American
Paper.
TRICHINOSIS IN SAXONY.—The Berlin Correspondent
of the Daily News writes :—Consideiing the Draeonic
measures taken by the German Government against
the importation of American pork, it is very str•nge
that a most alarming outbreak of trichinosis is re-
ported from Saxony. In some ten vil'ages nearly
400 persons, including entire families, are prostrated
by the terrible disease. Deaths are occurring daily,
and over fifty cases are stated to be beyond hope,
while the physicians expect still further spreading.
The police are actively eugaged in searching for the
origin of the epidemic.
THE CORAL REEFS OF CUBA.—A study of the ele-
vated coral reefs ot Cuba has been recently made by
Mr. W. 0. Croshy, an American, and his conclusion
is that they indicate a slow subsidence of that island
during their formation, and hence that Darwin's
theory of the origin of ci ral islands is the true one.
The reefs are in terraces along the sides of the island,
especially on the northern and eastern sides of the
island. The leewest terrace is 301 t. high, and varies in
widtn from :;-*lew rods to a mile. It was obviously the
fringing reef of the shore at one time. The second
terrace rises abruptly from the level of the lower to a
height of 2001 t. to 2501 t. The third reef has an alti-
tude of 500 ft. ; the fourth of 8001 t, These terraces run
round the whole island, but are best preserved on the
western part of the island, where the erosion has been
less rapid, and on the summits of the highest hills
l'he hills about Havanna and Metanzas, which reach a
height of 2001 t., are entirely comeosed of reef-limestone.
In the mountain of Et Yunque (the Anvil), five mi-es
west of Baracoa, the reef-stone is I,oooft. thick, and
composes the upper part- of the mountain, the lower
part being of slate and eruptive rocks. Originally the
upper limit of this reef-stone must have been 2,000 ft.
shove the sea level. The Jainaies reefe:tones are of
the same altitnde, and it is probable that during their
formation the Caribbean area was sunk until the
Great Antilles welt) reduced to a few small islands.—
Engineering.

-
SUICIDE FROM THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.—In
London, on Sunday night, when a number of persons
were walking on the Victoria Embankment, they
noticed a woman dressed in black behaving in a
frantic manner. As she neared Cleopatra's Needle
she exclaimed, "Oh, good heaven ! I cannot stand
this life any longer," immediately ran down the
Adelphi Stairs, and before aoy person could render
assistance she leaoed into the river and was drowned.
The river police shortly afterwards arrived, but they
failed to recover the body, which was carried away by
the flood tide.

A RESUSCITATION.—The Vienna Correspondent of
the Stlndard writes :—A ghastly story is reported
from Mscheno, in Bohemia. A man, who was ap-
parently dead, had just been lowered into the grave
when the mourners were horrified to see the coffin-lid
begin to move, and the linen shroud gradually appear
until the corpse at last sat up. The man said that he
bad throughout his illness heard all that had been
said. He was aware they thought him dead, but he
was unable to make any sign. From the graveyard
the man was taken home, and there is now every pro-
spect of his recovery.
POLICE AND CONSTABULARY.—The total force of
police and constabulary in England and Wales is,
according to the recently published " Judic;al Statis-
tics," 33 173, being a larger number by 1,141 than in
1880-81. Relatively to population the number of
these guardians of public life and property seems to
si-ow a steady and regular increase. Thus the total
number gives one constable for every 782 of the popu-
lation according to the census of 1881, whil-t, as the
official introduction points out, the total number in
1872 gave one for every 821 of the population of that
year.
Missiorie IN CANADA.—Every effort is being made
to extend the Church of Ecgland mission work in the
North-West of Canada. The province of Prince
Rupert's Land covers an area of 130,000 square miles,
and has now only 38 missions within its joriadiction ;
the diocese of Saskatchewan covers 214,030 square
miles, and has 16 clergymen and 10 catechists; and the
new diocese of Assiuiboia, lying between Manitoba
and the Rocky mountains, contains 95,000 square
miles, and has only 10 clergymen.
THE SPANIARDS IN FRANCE.— From the French
Census of 1851 it appears that out of 379,289 foreigners
resiaing in Fri,nce :ten, Kaere thsn 299 Spaniard".
often 3 ears later, in 186.1, the census snowed 35,495
persons of foreign nationality. In this total the
Spaniards figured to the homier of 32,650. Accord
ing to the; last census in 1882, out of the enormouri
ti al of 1,000,000 foreigners, the Spaniards numbered
73,781. As to numerical rank the Spaniards occupy
the fourth position. The three nationalities in the
foremost rank are—The Belgians, with 432.265 ; the
Italiane, 240,733; and the Germans, 81,986 '; cud, as
already said, the Spaniards, 74,781.
NAVAL UNIFORM.—The London Gazette publishes
the fullowin.4 description of the uniform great-coat,
which, in pursuance of her Majesty's pleasure, may
be went by officers of the R iyal N ivy over full dress
and other uniform, and which is substituted fir the
reat-coat hitherto authorised : "Blue milled cloth.
Length—to come_to 14in. from the ground. Double-
breasted, six uniform buttons on each side, the bottom
button not to come below the level of the hip, two
pockets wVh flaps across the skirt in front of the hip.
A plait down the back with an opening at the bottom
18in. long with a fly, and four small plain buttons. A
cloth strap behind with a button-hole at each end, Bin.
apart, and two corresponding uniform buttons to con-
fine the waist ti the required size. Stand and feat
collar, with hook and eye in collar team. Edges of
coat to be doubls stitched."
THE APPLE CROP IN FRANCE.—The Paris Corre-
spondent of The Times writes :—There is a great
apple crop this year, such a crop, it seems, as was rot
witnessed even Li 1870. The average crop since 1866
has been 10290,000 hectolitres. Durin4 this period
the quantity produced has varied from 2,128.100
hectolitre. in 1871, and 4,281,000 in 1880, to 17.122,001)
in 1881, and 19,12400 in 180. M. Herve Matigon,
deputy of La Manche, in a speech delivered at an
agricultural meeting, has recommended his &der
producing constituents to exclude rotten fruit and to
use clear and clean water as the best means to pro-
mote the consumption of cider. The Normans are
nat satisfied with the little favour which their cherished
beverage enjo3 a in Paris, where six times more beer
and a hundred times more wine are consumed.
COLOURED PRINTS OF FLOWERS.—A pretty process
for taking coloured prints of flowers by means f ani-
line colours has been devised by M. Cyme, of Mar.
Haines. The fern or plant is flattened and dried by a
hat iron as if for preservation in a herbarium. The
surface to be copied is then painted over with aniline
dissolved in alcohol or wood-spirit. The paper to re-
ceive the print is damped with water, dried with blot-
ting•paper, then placed on a sheet of tin-foil. The
painted plant is is then laid over it with the coloured
face downwards, and pressed on the paper below by
la 3 ing another sheet of paper over it and passing
a roller or cold iron over the latter. Several im-
pressions may sometimes be got from one plant,
especially if a violet print of methanylene be taken.
To prevent blurring of the first proofs from redund-
ance if colour, the painted surface may be re-touched
by a brush dipped in a solution of saltpetre or marine
salt. Aniline colours have it variety of shades, and
with a little skill the natural colours of the plant can
he closely imitated in this WU —Cassell's Family
Mapazine.
KILLED BY A HORSE.—On Monday an inquest was
hell at Stanton Fitzwarren, near Swindon, on the
body of E twin Titcombe, aged 64, farmer and haulier,
who was killed the previous Friday. The deceased
was in charge of a timber carriage drawn by two
horses, and was seen to ssiza the rein of the fore horse,
when it turned upon him, reared, knocked him down,
jumped on him several times, and was with some diffi
cnity beaten off by a man who ran to the spot. The
horse next turned upon the second man, who, however,
kept out of its way. Titcombe was conveyed home,
but died before his arrival tnere. The jury returned
a verdict of " Accidental death."
DEATH FROM HYDROPHODIA.—In London, on Tues-
day, Mr. Geor,e Collier held an inquest at Dalston on
tile body of Frederick Ambrose, aged two arid-a-half
years. It appears that while the front door was being
opened one day a dog rushed in and bit deceased on the
wrist. The dog then ran off, and was not seen again.
On Wednesday in last week deceased became very
restless, and on Thursday a potion was given him, but
he gradually got worse, and died in great agony.—Mr.
Bunting, surgeon, stated that when the child was
brought to him, after it had been bitten, the usual
remedies were applied. When he saw the deceased
after symptoms of hydrophobia had set in, he could
see that the ca-e was hopeless.—The Jury returned a
verdict that "Deceased died from hydrophobia, cau-ed
by misadventure."
THE. CALCUTTA EXHIBITION. According to the
Ironmongir's ape:tial correspondent the CaVutta Exhi•
aition promises to bean unqualified success. The dis-
play of In +jail jewellery, precious stones, &a., by
native princes and others will be unprecedented it,
magnitude and value. The total area of the Exhibi-
tion will exceed 4 0,000 squat.) test, of which Great
Britain has 110,001, the Australian colonies 23,000 act!
India 700)0. Already over 7,000 passages have been
taken from Australian ports, aid 500 AmericAns have
chartered a large steamer for passave, and to remain
as a floating hotel in the river Hooghly during the
Exhiuition.
THE GOVERNMENT SAVINGS BANK AT WINNIPEG
It is interesting in connexion with the progress of
Winnipeg, the principal town of Manitoba, to notice
that the balances due to depoAtore in the Dominion
Savings Bank there present a notitieu Os increase. In
1880 the balance at the end tif June 30 was 118,299
clots.; this increased to 558,629 dols. in 1882, in watch
year there was so much activity in land speculation.
Notwithetaridieg, however, that this has somewhat
subsided, it is clear that the working cheers are making
steady progress ; for on June $O last the balances
united to 586 291 dela , an increase over the pre-
vious year of nearly 28,000 dole. Tin majority of the
depositors belong to the labouring and artisan classes,
and very few accounts reach 3,000 dole, which is the
limit.

LORD G. ITAMILTON ON PEASANT PROPRIETORS."'"
Lord George Hernitton MP, speaking at a meet.
lug of the Tyrone Constitutional Ageociation At
Omagh, on Sat tdy, the Marquis of Hamilton Pre'
siding, defended his scheme of yeoman proprietarYi
saying nothing would more C induce to restore order
and etehility.—The Earl of Belmore, addressing the
steeee meeting, said that when the Government took
upon theinselvee to viel.te the prin_eples of polirical
economy in laud legislation they must be prep ered to
extend to landlords such terms as would enable thetnt
if so desiring, to eet rid of their estates on reasenable
terms.
SUPPOSED MURDER IN LIVERPOOL,—On Seturdal
night a man and a iroman were seen straggling en the
banks of the caeal at Liverpool. The man is said to
have pushed the woman into the water, ane then waded
across the canal and got away b?f ore an alarm could be
raised. The body of the woman, who is about twenti
years of age, has been recevered by grappling iron., 1)120
has not been identified. Toere was a fractured wound on
the forehead and a lecerateci wound on the kit eye'
brow, a clean cut wound under the eye, and all the
front teeth were knocked out. It is believed ti at the
injuries to the body would have been sufficient te lisce
caused death.
MR. GLADSTONE.—On Saturday morning the pre
mier attended divine service at Harwerden Chnrch
and was afterwards engaged at the Castle till ltin,
charm, when he took his axe and walked in to the
woods, and attacked a large decaying tree with steal
straight blows that he felled it to the ground single,:
handed in about an bour. Several other trees wilic°
have succumbed to Mr. Gad-toue's skill with the fae
lie around. The Premier then walked back to the
Castle On Sunday morning Mr. and Mrs Gladstone,
and Miss Mary Gladstone, accompanied by Mr, aso
Mrs. G. 0. Trevelyan, attended Divine service et
Harwarden Cnurch. Mr. Gladstone read the legal)
for the day.
THE ICELAND COD FISHING.—This fishing is Ovie
closed tor the eeasen. Two English smacks wh
were about the last to leave the fishing groupds be
arrived at Orkney, and landed about 12,000 cod eseb'
besides a number of live fish. Tne captains report the
season's fishing as somewhat variable, same vessels
doing well, while others will not pay expense' °
rule two voyages are made in the season to Iceland;
but some vessels have only made one this year, el°
getting sufficient fish at early fishing to come home
with. Tne cod have sold at an average of £l2 Per
ton.
DISCOVERY OF TFIR CHOLERA GERM.—Princo 13Yr
muck has received the report of the German CoMri
sion which was sent to Egypt to inquire into the 0111'
break of cholera there, the result of the investigation
heini4 apparently a highly important disc very. Pr.
Koch, the celebrated biologist, who was the first tO
report upon the bacillus of consumption, has sent home,
a comprehensive statement, according to which be
found that cholera is due to a living microscoll
oreanitatn of a thread-like character,
resembling tb
which is seen in phthieie. The learned professor en
his colleagues have asked to he allowed to continue
their researches in India, where the conditions for the
production of the been/us, its communicability to other
animals, and the diffusion of its forms are still noore
favourable than in Egypt. The Chancellor has
sented to this proposal.
ALARMING BOAT ACCIDENT.—Late on Saturdal
night an alarming accident took place at Stanley °Pe
the Tay. Colonel Macdonald Macdonald, of RooBl'
and St. Martin's, was returning home in a phaetent
drawn by two horses, and had to cross the Tel l/f
Stanley in a broad boat adapted for the purposee%
ferrying horses and vehicles. Colonel Macdonsiu,
phaeton was leaving the boat when one of the toilets
stumbled and fell with its fore feet in the river, anu'ee
bind feet in the boat. While the groom was eugag%
cutting the harness, the liberated horse in endeavouriee
to regain its footing on the boat, knocked down theotbo
horse, which threw Celonel Macdonald into the river'
where he lay in shallow water stunned and considebr;
ably bruised until some persons, attracted bY tee
shouts of the groom, came from the other aide of tu
river and rendered assistance. r!
MORE BLOODLESS SPORT. "Hullo, Bagste,,
What's the matter here, eh "—" Well, my Lord,
this way. The childer they've brought up the Pb,ebe
sante by hand, and they're that distressed abontet
shootin', that my miesus sheive brought her v'ip
chaney tea set, which she'll let Tommy here cholre'eclo
up for your honours to shoot at, if so be that
instea3 of the birds ! "—Punch,
DEATH BY BURNING.—In London, on Sate- e
morning, Mr. Carter held an inquiry at St. Thooli,
Hospital into the circumstances attending the derhaei
of William Thomas Debenham, twenty years of %B.
of 127, Oakley street.—The deceased was eri
sistant to a fishing-tackle maker, and on the Previiif
Monday he returned home at midnight. 0,
sat down on a chair, and fell asleep in the kitche,.,
About two hours after his brothers were awoke
i 5
a loud knocking at the front shop door, Theler
downstairs, and diseovered the deceased on tbe n2ro
fearfully burnt. One of the members of the ued
brigade had burst open the shop door. The deee°osp.
was removed to St. Thomas's Hospital. It evi45,5 set
posed that the deceased upset the candlestick ou'efe
his clothes on fire.—After hearing the evidence of eeet
G.oper, the house surgeon, the jury returned a veroiy"
of accidental death.
L-rt•ICVI
INCREASE OF BURGLARY AND HOUSEBREA.---
The general belief that the crime of burglaei-
d housebreaking is on the increaeti is strongly confir
by the official volume of judicial statistics just
Relied. The number of cases retorted throi
England and Wales within the official year 1881
:3,985, as against 3,527 only in the previous year.
ot breaking into shops, warehouses, &c., not
Lin ly within the definition of bui,;lary showed'
wheel a slight decrease, being only 2,512, as
2,545. From this it would appear that houeel
is I rogre-sing from the mil ier to the more aggrre`
form of offences of this kind. It is further notew011).
that the number of cases of "offences agalo,to
person "is found to have risen from 2,879 to 3,231,0 •
increase of rather more than twelve per cent.
single year. " Off- nces against propertY jøi
violence" also rose in number from 6,698 to 7' if
whereas the increase in offences against propertletible
out violenceeia represented by a scarcely pereer
fraction. eel?
AN ICE IDEA.—Wait.r : "Take pudding, Ill°peor
It 'e a nice ,me."—Mre, Sprigs: "An ice one!
me ! and it is smoking hot."—Fun,
e fee
THE CBOCUS TUB.—Amateur carpenters MB/ toer
agreeable employment in the way that I .01)ili
myself, in making tasteful receptacles for „I
flowers. A cut down butter tub or cheap flour ,wieell
makes a good foundation, and a finishing coat 01.4
or virgin cork is easily applied by one accustoolcreOf
the use of tools, With two or three of these t
suceeseion of table flowers may be secured eithea le
planting the bulbs in the tubs, or by groPingetbieirtl4l
a tied of light earth in a common frame, 500 deetl,:
and tubbing them when in flower. 0, eof the ad till'
tages is that for at least a week after the flawerls to,
is placed in the wiedoee, or wherever else, thereeget"
need for Riving water' as the earth retains o°o'ol
keep the flowers fresh for some time, and when
jog is nece-sary the tub can he taken swilipiN
brought back clean, without spilling a drop ,Vee. '
or carpet. I Ilona my sketch will please you.
n the Gardener's illavazint.
POPULATION IN GERMA.NY.—During the cilliniereld,
nial period 1875-1880, notwithstanding C"6l—boo p
depression, the censue of the German Empire letli
an average increase in population of about dive lo
million of souls. Since 1880, however aeoilreet
statisties lately pubtiehed, a contrary moverilwaiev,e,
set in. The falling, however, is somewhat till-cteoet
divided ; and in Prussia there is still a slight if) twe
amounting to between 8,000 and 9,000 pinioned lersiti)
Rhenish proviuces, Westphalia, Saxony, f 1"6,4
den burgh. On the other hand, the province
is etlted to have 1(04 87,7e0, Eastern PrusBisi3,olPd
and Pomerania 22,322. The diminution ini.tiory
has been more considerable. Out of a popOi" obt /or
5,284,778 inhabitants which Bavaria possessedie
end of 1880, there is now a loss of 23,186; Will
temburgh bee lost 14,052 out of 1,911,118.
A DOMESTICATED EAGLE.—" A worknoillii !V le I
El Dia," who has acquired a certain celebraccepllio
fortune in the hunting field as well as for his elreed
training wild birds and animals, had sae jacelie
domesticating an eagle so far that the bird *o°o L'ol
down from the greatest height in ansteeret°, 01100
pie sign or a slight whistle. The eagle 0,400"
with the pigeons, causing no little c 0081,7,010
among them at first. It used to fly long u'tell,e4f.
but came back two or three times a day
food out of the hands ef its master. After a'l,o°
however, a flock of eagles was seen in the ne':3l'o
hood, and their domesticated fellow disapPer'r-
his friends never to return. " 101"
, tete I,
THE ALTERED POSITION OF MATTERS r""f peel
lowing anecdote, whicti is related ot Sir Jsi:os4d 30
intosh, the Scotch philosopher and hietoriani bee
celebrated Dr. Parr, is a notable illustrstiott4oo
apt people are to give advice and counsel Clog
action when they ace in no danger of ineocreeeereooo
themselves :—Sir James had invited the ibeetif
Doctor to take a drive in his gig. The fore geeiei
very restive end unmanageable. "Gentili te 11
Jemmy, " said the doctor, "pray don't irrit'trateel-te,
veys soothe your horse, whatever you die. vdet,o
—You'll do better without me, I am certain ;_!ate9lf
down, Jemmy ; let me down," Once on Ms Poll
the doctor's view of the case was ch.ngel.
Jemmy, touch him up," said he. "Nevereaeoer
get toe better of you. Touch him tip, 03"
don't spare him. And now I'll leave s'oll to ,
him—l'll walk back."
tinlree°l)
A PLEA FOR THE SPARROW.—The 05- 13rita- br
the "German Agricultural Year-Book CO 10 s'a Of
interesting article on the diet of the eparroweeeedebeft
Dr. Sehleh, on the strength of euieence sriaee ope'
the interiors of 116 sparrows. all of which ci
minutely examined, acquits the acetified bit e
e, W 00
guilty" destroeing crops. It is true, yo jt,lef
that while the sparrow is as yet unable to glleiterlreeleeel
living it feeds exclusively on grain, but 'O4OlO
when both animal food and vegetables sreti eoe clef,
it contents itaelf with plants. Dr. Schle, toil Vat
by saying that while it would be unedviesibieblekOo
r p
the sparrow in the select number of birds wotec.ek
ish under the care of the society for the Pe
anitnals, it would he equally unadvisable tlfloo
the whole race; inasmuch as he believeep
sparrows would form an appreciable sdul" eelst
re 0,
articles of food. tbe 1,00,
osO•i
THE GOOD rEMPLAEIS IN SWEDE,,.
annual session of the Grand Lodge of -8 pite,sfie tale
Good Tetni.,laro, the following tnes'alge
tween the Grand Ledge and the K•iligi tbe
Kin • .—The Grand Ledee of Sweden °
eedent Order of Good Temp:ars, joi
420 represeetatives of the 710 °tow
the various districts of Sweden.
Lecture Hall of the Alueical elio°"`"; o
to your Majesty its humb:, greptkg
for all Vie goodwill Elio tbi
and be,eeches the bfessin,g of God 11P(' if of
lie"Plei and the Fatherlatiti.—On
Lodge, A. H. Bead, G.W C. l'." ,Ti A.
folliiwing reply was received e et
eire
President of the Good Templar wee
Academy. Stockholm.—The /Chug, wi-wa
yreocueibvieadmyaointrayte,slegthraanmk, hfoars
tohrodegrreed?rtervogl
behalf of the Grand Lodge of Goodat r
humility, LnuEnowc, Adjutant of I,me

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