The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-10-14 00:00:00

FRENCH REPUBLIC.

Citizen Aret, son .4 Jean Louis Aret, and citizen.'.. Maria
Saint engages herself to follow the above Citizen ii lets
he may go, and alx ays to love him. . . . .

Aret. Marie Saint.

Done before the underbigneil.
Pat 2311 April, le7l.

•
Faehan, Laroche.
MUntsEng IN INDIA.— Tho Indian papers give
some particulans of the murder done by a " Kooka,"
member of a new Sikh sect, on Jaishi Ram, acting
J Ige of the Small Cause Court at Lahore. The late
Judge hail issued a decree against the murderer which
the latter thought most oppressive. Furnishing himself
with a long iron-bound stick, or "lathi," he set one
evening upon his victim, and hail beaten him to death's
door before the judge's servants came to their master's
help. Jaishi Rain lingered for another day, but gliegl
at last, and his murderer wa-, promptly tried and stil-
ts-need to death. A day or two after this outrage a
Mahomedan Fakir attacked the assistant secretary ggf
the Lahore Municipal Committee with a similar
weapon, but that officer, albeit taken by surprise and
badly wounded, turned upon his assailant to such pur-
pose that help came before mortal barns was done.
nese munitions outbreaks, coupled with the pre-
vious attacks on Mahomedan butchers, have given
birth to sundry dark rumours of a general conspiracy
against the Government of the Punjab, and one jour-
nal writes as seriously as if the scenes of 1457 were
about to be re-enacted. But for the present we fail to
see any grounds for such misgivings. There is some-
thing in the air, no doubt, but in all likelihood the
something in the air may answer to the east wind which
so often produces a crop of violent deeds in this win.
try.—Allea's Indian Mail.

A WISE PREcAUTlON.—Jerrible Jenible has
a large family, limited mean., and a goosl many swell
relatb,no with foolish prejudices. So when he takes
his wife and the Ax youngest children to Margate, he
softens it to his kinsfolk by saying that he is going to
the Isle of Thanet —Psnch.

A SWOONING EPIDEMIC !—llampton Court
Chamd was once the scene of a singular epidemic. One
Sunday a youthful beauty fainted, and the handsome
Sir Horace Seymour carried her out. Next Sunday
another young lady was similarly attacked, and Sir
Horace, with like gallantry, sprang to her relief. And
thus the epidemic went on. On successive Sundays
successive youthful beauties fainted, and the handsome
Sir Horace carried them successively out, till he got
tired of bearing such sweet burdens. An announce-
ment was mad that in future all swooning nymphs
would be carried out of the chapel by the dustman,
whereupon the malady rapidly disappeared.
A PISCATORIAL WELCOME ! Just befor3
Lafayette's last visit to America, Webster WAR orc of
a fishing party in Massachusett's Bay. He bad been
selected to deliver the welcoming speech to the great
Frenchman on his approaching visit, and during the
piscatory occupation he seemed very abstracted. A
gentleman who was fishing next to him addressed
him several times without receiving so much as a nod
in answer. By-and-by Webster began puffing in his
line, hand over hand, with an effort which plainly
signified that a large fish had been hooked ; but insdi
his face there was not a single gleam of that eager in
which usually accompanies such an event. At length
the fish was seen approaching the surface. gleaning
through the green water like burnished silver; stile
Webster's face gave not a sign of pride or gratification;
but just as the fish left the water he burst out, in tones
of solemn rapture, " Venerable man ! Sage, patriot,
and soldier! Representative of two hemispheres!
Welcome to our shore 4Once more I" And down dropped
a monster cod upon the deck.
FOREIGN NOTIONS ON ENGLISH TRATE UNIONS.
—We find in the Journal due 14l,ricants de Papier, an
article on the English Trade Unions, in which it is
stated that, " according to the latest statistics, the
number of members of TraAle Unions here is 850,000,
each having on the average a family of four, giving a
total of 4,150,000 hull, iduals connected with the
Trade Unions. These societies possem already such
funds that the possible withdrawal of the money from
the kinks in which it is now deiamited, in order to plat-s
them in banks established by themselves, is regarded
with dread, as this would be quite a social revolu•
tion. The Carpenters' Society has an annual income of
more than £lO,OOO, with reserved funds of 1:8,300. The
income of the Association of Engineers is .C 87,000 per
annum, with reserved funds of £140,000; during the
last ten years they have paid £459,000 in helping sick
or invalid members. The Founders have an income
of 00,000, with reserved funds amounting to 1:28,000.
The funds of thole societies increase every year, as
they do not spend the whole of their income, and when
they want to support a strike they impose a special
levy for the occasion, and by such means avoid trench-
ing upon their capital." --211tehaniei Maga:ine.

- -
"Down' rPON HIM !"—Auguste Villemont,
one of the pleasantest of French writers, who died dur-
ing the first siege, was at one time secretary at the
Porte St. Martin Theatre, Paris, and it was deluged
with pieces by rising authors. It was inipossible to
read the outpourings of all these spirits, and most of
them were never examined at all. However, Aoguste
Viilemont used to relate, with that nasal twang
pmuliar to the south of France, that he had not always
fools to deal with. " One day a young author canie to
Inc," he would say, "and asked if the administration
had come to a decision respecting a manuscript which
he had left to be read. I must acknowledge that the
rose-colonred ribbons with which the manuscript was
tied had determined me to reject it, and I made up my
mind to tell a lie sooner than to penus.. the drama.
assured the rising author that I had conscientiously
glanced over his work, and had found it written in a
style not suitable to our theatre. It was perhaps too
well written, &c. ; and by way of finishing up, I re-
marked that people should endeavour to write as they
spoke. 'Even when they speak through the nose?'
tranquilly demanded the young gentleman. I nil.
derstood the allusion, and hastened to add that the
scenario was devoid of interest. The youth smiled
untied the roe-coloured bows, and spread before my
eyes the pages of paper, upon which nothing %vita
written! I could no longer defend myself, but
wised the author, on my word of honour, that it he
would bring me a piece I would read it. He did so,
and it was produced with great SIPTCPS."
THOUGHTS ON THE WAY.—Aniongst newly
formed Companies is the "('minimn Viaduct Works."
An appropriate sentiment suggests itself,--may the
Vialmit orks never crumble Panrh.

COMMUNISTS AND ALIF.NISTS.—DT. Legend
de Sanlie, a French kihysician, in imitation of Dr.
Starcke, of Stuttgart!, is about to publish a book on
the Mental State of the Parbians- -c r,ially of the
Cf!mtuunists and their hostages, whom he visited
pnson (says the Lanett). Under the Commune the
National t atards brought to the depOt only two mad-
men per diem, instead of the average number (between
seven and twelve). Labium trenuns was largely re-
presented among them, as well as a form of madmai
produced by fear and suspicion. Captain HoiAlk.;
brain, he hints, was affected by the thought that thu
French army had been betrayed. Interesting detaila
will be funnelled by the doctor as to the mental state
of poor President Bonjean, whose life was sacrificed by
the Prefect of Police having, while intoxicated, signed
a wrong name to the order for Bonjean'e removal to
the Hospice Dubois. The order was, of course, di.
regarded, and Bonjean, detained in his cell, was only
liberated to be shot. Ferr,,, it seems, ordered a gem
derma, who had lost his reason, and was in a strait
waistcoat, to be shot. The keeper remonstrated :
"Madmen are not shot." Ferr,i remained silent ; but
on the keeper pointing out other victims to the leader
of the firing party, the lunatic was spared. Rich as
French literature is mu works on moral insanity, Dr.
Legrand di Saifile nosy be exported to heighten its
ecientific as well as its sensational attractions.