The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-05-26 00:00:00

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.

A young woman in Chicago, who lost her speech by
a severe cold, had twenty offers of marriage in one
week.

It is reported that the first silver dollar coined in the
United States ha 4 been found. It is held by twenty-
eight different American citizens,

A schoolmaster in Chicago, who asked a small pupil
of what the surface of the earth consists, and was
promptly answered, "Land and water," varied the
question slightly, that the fact may be impressed on
the boy's mind, and asked, "What, then, do land and
water make?" to which came the immediate response,
"Mud."

A Boston gentleman who had been at great expense
to adorn hie garden with statuary, was much chaerined
recent)y to hear an old man from the country say to
his wife, as they gazed upon the statues," Jes see what
a waste, Belinda! Here's no less than six scarecrows
in this ten-foot patch, and any one of 'em would keep
the crows from a five-acre field,"
During the dessert a young New Yorker recounted
that he had had a miraculous escape from a frightful
shipwreck. "Yes," he said, "fifteen of my friends
were in a ship ; it capsized, and all were swallowed up
by the waves. "And how," asked some one present,
were you able to escape-from this terrible accident!"
"0," he replied calmly, 'I was in another vessel."

A St. Louis editor says :—Trenton has passed a law
providing for the burial of dead animals found in the
street. 'Phis is unnecessary here, and in case of cats
each citizen generally builds a monument over his own
dead ; bootjacks, coal, and other articles of bedroom
furniture, for instance.

I'm glad to see that our child is a generous little
body. The other day her grandfather gave a cent to
buy herself some candy. As she was going out, she
discovered a little beggar-boy on the front step% She
stopped, and looking first at him, then at her cent;
then looked down on the ground apparently lost in
thought. -Finally, with the sweeteet smile mailer
beautiful face, she stepped up to the forlorn child; and,
laying her hand on his shoulder, said in a gentle tone:
"Here little boy, take this cent, and go and buy your.
eelf a stilt of clothes and some dinner,"

sabisots.

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

When schools "break up," what becomes of the
fragments ?—So many families find their peace-is
gone.—Judy.
Emigrants are arriving in New York from Europe
at the rate of nearly twenty thousand a week.
Martin Luther's statue, which is to be erected at
Washington, November 10, will be a counterpart of
the bronze statue at Worms, and will cost about
6,500 dole,
Fifty families, consisting of 287 souls, who have
been sent out by the Kenmare board of guardians,
embarked at Liverpool on Saturday.
On Saturday night the Pennsylvania Railroad car
shops at Hackensack Meadows, near New York, were
partly burnt, the loss occasioned amounting to 400 000
dole.
The Standard says that the promoters of the English
Sunday Closing Bill have given no all hope of being
able to bring on the second reading of the Bill this
Session, and their attention is now concentrated on
the county Bills relating to the same subject.
The Geneva Correspondent of the Daily News says
that the village of Longefoy or Tarentaise, in Savoy,
has been destroyed by fire. A hundred buildings were
reduced to cinders, and four hundred peasants rendered
homeless. Only the church and four other buildings
were left intact.

A great fire has occurred, at the village of Neuen-
kirchen, Germany, which is totally destroyed. Not
only the church, the school, and 90 houses, but even
the fruit trees, telegraph-poles, and the wooden crc sees
in the churchyard were burnt. The entire population
of 1,300 persons is destitute.
In McClennon County, Texas, there is a live stock
ranche consisting of 126,000 acres of land, and it
takes two car loads of wire to fence it.

There has just died at Hincaster, in Westmore-
land, a man who had attained the age of 102 years.
He was born on the 15th of August, 1780, at Killeen,
near Drogheda, and was an old servant of the Lancaster
Canal Company.
Orders have been received for a reduction in the
standard of chest measurement of recruits for the
Royal Artillery, the minimum chest measurement
being reduced from 35 to 34 inches. The standard for
recruits for the regiments of Foot Guards is also re.
duced from sft. Bin. to 51t. 7in.
The Nile has commenced to rise at Khartoum, and
is higher now than at the same date last year. The
canals in Lower Egypt are fuller than usual. The
crops generally look well, and, with the prospect of a
good Nile and improved irrigation, the agricultural
outlook is excellent.

The Yeomanry Cavalry last year only mustered
11,173, a smaller number than in any year for twelve
years. In 1870 the numbers inspected were 14,982.
A telegram from Lisbon says that a great fire has
occurred at the petroleum bonded warehouses, by
which five persons lost their lives.
Twenty-seven British and foreign actual shipwrecks
were reported during last week, making the total for
the present year 862, the increase against the corre-
sponding period of last year being 212. British owned
vessels numbered eleven, with a tonnage of 5,800 tons.
Seven were steamers, with an aggregate tonnage of
6,090 tons, five being British owned with a tonnage of
4,432 tons. Total tonnage lost for the week 12,254
tons; number of lives lost and missing 32.

The Daily Telegraph says that as a result of the
House not sitting on Wednesday Mr. Morgan Lloyd's
bill for amending the Church Discipline Act and the
Public Worship Regulation Act is practically shelved
for this session. The same remark applies to Mr.
Rankin's Bill for insuring uniformity of weight in the
sale of corn.

The expenses of the candidates at the recent elec.
tion for Mid-Cheshire are returned as follows :—Mr.
Alan Egerton (Conservative), £4,140; Mr. G. W.
Latham (Liberal), £2,811.
The number of failures in England and Wales
gazetted during the week ending Saturday, May 19,
was 147. The number in the corresponding week of
last year was 215, showing a decrease of 68, being a net
decrease in 1883, to date, of 154.

It is officially announced that, subject to the ap-
proval of the Secretary of State for War, the Volun-
teer Artillery Camp at Shoeburynesa, and Prize Meet-
ing, will be from August 4-to August 10, for the Nor.
them Division, and from August 11 to August 17 for
the Southern Division. Fifty-four counties in Eng-
land, Scotland, and Wales will be represented.
A statement j ust published show3that, while during the
decade 1863.1872 (both years included) 10 persons died
leaving more than a million, 53 more than half a mil-
lion, and 161 more than a quarter of a million, the
numbers rose in the decade 1873.1882 to 13 persons of
more than a million, 56 of more than half a million,
and 191 of more than a quarter of a million.
There were 2,4(.1 births and 1,530 deaths registered
in London last week. Allowing for increase of popu-
lation, the births were 122 below, whereas the deaths
exceeded by 9, the average numbers in the cone-
spot dng weeks of the last ten years. The annual
rate of mortality from all causes, which in the two
preceding weeks had been equal to 19 8 and 218 per
1,000, declined again to 202.

The new Sunday law in New York removes all re-
strictions to the sale of fruit, confectionery, and
tobacco, and the penalty for all violations of the Sun-
day law—except liquor selling, theatrical perform-
ances, and public processions—is a fine of from ore
to twenty dollars,

A Berlin telegram says that a large fire broke out
on Saturday at Ruedesheim. A detachment of
Pioneers arrived from Castel, but the conflagration
was not subdued until the evening, after thirty houses
had been destroyed.
Resolutions condemning existing taxation of licensed
victuallers as excessive, denouncing the Ministerial
acceptance of local option, and insisting on adequate
compensation, as respects both owner and occupier,
where the value of property was affected by legiila-
tive changes, were unanimously passed at a represen-
tative gathering of licensed victuallers held on Tues-
day at Freemasons' Tavern, London.
On Monday Mr. Quartermaine East, Mr. Biddulph,
and Mr. Beecroft, of Nottingham, had a private in-
terview with the Claimant, in the Convict Prison,
Forteea. Subsequently Mr. East stated that the con-
vict appeared in very good health, although some•
what despondent. In bidding his visitors farewell,
the Claimant remarked that should he be liberated on
ticket-Pf•leave on the usual terms his imprisonment
would end in November next year.
The number of live stock and the quantity of fresh
meat landed at Liverpool, during the week ending the
19th May, from the United States and Canada
amounted to 2,062 cattle, 470 sheep, 7,499 quarters of
beef, and 588 carcases of mutton. The figures show
an increase in both live stock. beef, and fresh meat
when contrasted with those of the preceding week.

The latest official return states that the number re-
quired to complete the establishment of the militia at
the beginning of this year were 23,638, a higher
ntimber than at any period since 1876. The number of
men deficient in 1880 were 10,850; in 1881, 11,170 ;
and 1.. t. 17,110.

The Court Journal says that the Duchess of Slither.
land wore her temperance badge conspicuously at the
private view of the Royal Academy—a knot of dark
blue ribbon tied into the meshes of her little black
chenille cape worn over a brocaded silk dress, and
bonnet of black lace, the little scrap of blue being the
only spot of colour in her whole costume.

A great storm from the south-weft with much rain
occurred at Rio Janeiro on the 26th and 27th ult. The
lower parts of the city were inundated, and many
landslips tonic place in the outskirts. Trains and all
vehicular traffic were stopped; 500 or 600 men were
employed in clearing away the daris washed down
from the hills.
A Bill has been introduced into the New York
Assembly of which the following is the enacting
clause :—" Any person who shall sell, loan, or give to
any minor under sixteen years of age any dime novel
or book of fiction, without first obtaining the written
consent of the parent or guardian of such minor, shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, punishable by
imprisonment or by a fine not exceeding 50 dollars."
The cultivation of the olive in California promises
to be a great success. The trees begin bearing in three
yeat s, and continue to yield for centuries. Some of
the olive trees are already eight years old, and pro.
duce 250 bushels of fruit to the acre, representing the
value of £250 in oil.

Monday (21st) was the anniversary of the great
battle of Bautzen, which was fought in Saxony in
1813, between the French, commanded by Bonaparte,
and the allies, under the Emperor of Russia and the
King of Prussia. The allies were compelled to retire
but Bonaparte obtained no permanent advantage. A
great number were killed on both sides.

In London, on Saturday night, a fire which resulted
in the death of an aged lady, occurred at a house in
Gresse-street, Tottenham-court-road. The front room
on the third floor was occupied by a Mrs. Elkin,
lodger. A paraffin lamp was accidentally upset, and
the clothes of the unfortunate woman caught fire, and
although aid was speedily rendered by the occupants
of the house, Mrs. Elkin died shortly after the °cur-
rence.
Through the Mayor of Nottingham the bronze
medal and certificate of the Royal Humane Society
have beet presented to Miss Emily White, aged twelve
years, the daughter of a member of the Nottingham
Town Council. A younger sister having fallen into
the canal at a dangerous part, Miss White imme-
diately jumped into the water, and succeeded, with-
out assistance and at imminent risk, in rescuing her.
In a paper by Professor Sumner, of Yale University,
it is stated that statistics of pig iron show the capital
invested in the business in the United States to be
105,000,00 dole.; hands employed, 41,700; wagei,
12,600,000 dole. ; averaging 1 dol. per day to each
labourer ; product, 3,700,000 tons; value of all pro-
duct, 89,000,000 dole. ; value of material used,
58,C00,000 dls, ; product raised in value, 31,000,000
doll.
In London, on Saturday, the Duke of Connaught
presided at the thirty-second annual general meeting
of the Royal Cambridge Asylum for Soldiers' Widows.
In acknowledging a vote of thanks. his Royal Highness
expressed a wish that provision might ultimately be
made for 100 widows, and he hoped the committee
would keen this object before their minds. He con-
gratulated those cunnected with the institution on the
admirable manner in which they had carried out
their onerous duties, and on the very satisfactory state
of the funds,
According to the Journal Officiel de Tunisie, ern-
siderably more than one-third of the whole sum
payable by way of indemnity to the victims of the
bombardment of Sfax is due to British subjects, who
fora) as nearly as possible one-half of the total number
of sufferers. The claimants, distinguishing theil
nationalities, are—Englishmen 196, Italians, 96,
French 89, Greeks 6, and others 16; and the iniemnity
divisible among them amounts to 1,447,854 fr., of
which 669,933 fr, are to be handed over to British

On Tuesday the Indian and Canadian Lacrosse
teams visited Inverness, and in presence of 2000,
people played a game in the northern meeting grounds.
The game was won by the Indians,

The steamer Granite State, from New York for
Hartford, has been burned in the Connecticut river.
Five of the crew perished.
A lighthouse has been erected by the Chinese autho-
rities on a dangerous headibnd at the extreme southern
point of the island of Formosa.
- - -

TuePday being the birthday of the late Ricl-ard
Wagner. flowers and wreaths were received from all
parts at Bayreuth, to be placed on the grave.
The other day in Paris an oil hou.e in the Rue
Chaotal,. to which two new stories had been
fell in, when a mason at work inside was killed and a
number of persons injured. st,
Sir Saul Samuel, K.C.M.G., Agent-General for
New South Wales, has been informed by telegram of
the arrival in Sydney of the ship Loch,cc, which sailed
from Plymouth with emigrants,in March last.
According to a telegram fromrßucharest, all the
rivers of Bessarabia have overflowed, and the rail-
way bridge of Ungheni, Kishinew, has been partly
destroyed.

In Berlin on Satur isy a violent storm caused con- -
siderable damage at the Hygienic Exhibition. The
rain poured in through the unfinished cupola, and in
the Austrian department the partition-walls were .3fit
broken down and several persons injured.
The Duchess of Connaught has fixed the 7th of July to
for presenting prizes to scholars and puril teachers in 1W
metropolitan schools who shall he successful in the •
Annual Essay Competition on Kindness to Animals,
organised by the Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals.
At Turin on Saturday a boiler exploded while under
trial at a soap and oil factory. One of the proprietors,
the fireman, and an apprentice, were instantly killed.
Three engineers were severely wounded and conveyed
to the hospital.
On Sunday a violent storm, accompanies by heavy -
rains, passed over Aden, causing serious damage. 1.1
Such a hurricane has not been experienced there for
twenty years. 4a
The remains of Isabella, Queen of Denmark, sister
of Charles V., have been disinterred at Ghent (where
they were buried in 1526), on the demand of the d
Danish Royal Family, for transmission to the Royal
burying vault at Denmark.
The cotton warehouse of Messrs. Cussons and Co
Liverpool, was burnt down on Tuesday morning.
There were some four thousand bales of cotton, only
a small portion of which was saved. The damage is
estimated at £lO,OOO.
The Hereditary Prince and the Hereditary Princess I
(eldest darigher of the Crown Prince and Crown 4
Princess of Germany) of Saxe-Meiningen arrived in
London from Berlin on Saturday morning on a visit
to the Prince and Princess of Wales. 1
Messrs. Alexander Field and Co., of the Aberdeen '
Granite Works, have been commissioned by the Queen i
to prepare a handsome grey granite monument to be
erected over the grave of the late John Brown in . I
Crathie Churchyard.
The ship Hereford, Captain Gordon, has left .
Plymouth for Townsville, having on board the follow- I
ing emigrants :-151 single men, 52 single women, and 1
182 families, making a total of 449 souls, equal to 385
statute adults.

The other day Princess Christian presented prizes
and certificates at the Windsor Albert Institution to
the successful candidates of the Girls' Friendly Society,
for long service, &a The distribution was witnessed
by a large number of persons.

A New York telegram says that the visible supply
of wheat on May 18, was 21,000,000 bushels as against
20,700,000 bushels the previous week. Visible
supply of Indian corn, 15,600,000 bushels, as against
16,200,000 bushels the previous week. The export
clearances of wheat for Europe during last week
amounted to 710,000 bushels ; the export clearances
of Indian corn for Europe during last week amounted
to 1,300,000 bushels.

An electric railway is to be laid down at Wimbledon
this year for the National Rifle Association. The line
will be a mile long, and the train will consist of six
vehicles, each carrying twenty-four persons.
On Tuesday the King and Queen of Holland were
received with much enthusiasm in the town of Luxem- .
burg. The purpose of the King's visit is to declare,
after an inspection, that the dismantling of the for. t,
tress, as st;pulated in the Treaty of London of 18.67,
has now been completed.
• A telegram from Mug laj (Bosnia) states that an
extraordinary snowf All has just occurred there. During
Sunday and Monday the quantity which came down
was such that the snow stood over three feet high all
over that part of Bosnia. All the crops, both of grain
and fruits, have been ruined.
An inquest was held on Monday at Sedgley respect-
ing the death of Daniel Cox. The deceased arranged
during the previous week to compete in a foot-race,
but when starting he stumbled and fell again-t a wall
with such violence that he died instantly from a
broken neck and concussion of the brain. The jury
returned a verdict of "Accidental death."
The value of property destroyed by fire in the
United States and Canada last year was 90,000,000
&is., being 6,000,000 dole. in excess of the yearly
average for the past eight years. The aggregate loss
for the whole period of eight years is placed at
672,000,000 dols,, or upwards of £134,000,000.

Stephen Lewis, a retired Gunner, died at South.
ampton on Tuesday, aged 106 years. He wc4fs pressed
into the navy, was present at the Battle of Trafalgar,
and was pensioned in 1847.
- -

Circulars have been issued by the Local Government
Board for Ireland to the various local Poor•law Boards,
stating that the £lOO,OOO voted by Parliament to-
wards carrying out the emigration clause of the Arrears
Act have been expended, and that no more applica-
tions from intending emigrants can be received.
On Tuesday, at Lord's Cricket•ground in London,
the match between the Marylebone Club and York-
shire ended in a victory for the latter, who had 118 to
vet to win, and these were hit 3ff by Ulyett and
Emmett without the loss of a wicket.

In Vienna, on Tuesday, the Crown rrinc,ess
St6phanie celebrated her nineteenth birthday.
Among other gifts, the Crown Prince presented his
wife with a black poodle of the purest Spanish breed,
and thoroughly trained, which his Imperial Highness
discovered in the course of his rambles about Vienna
with Prince William of Prussia.
A Return just published shows that the live stock im-
ported into the United Kingdom in the week ended
May 19, 1883, was as follows :—Oxen, bulls, cows, and
calves, 12,593; sheep, and lambs, 28,718; swine, 2,025.
Lady Goldpmid has again presented to the Royal
Academy of Music a scholarship for female pianists
for the years 1884 and 1885, the last-named being the
tenth year of her donation.
Writing on the subject of the Queen's health, the
Lancet remarks :—" There is nothing to be said except
that, as so often happens, the effects of the sprain do
not paps off as quickly as must be desired At the
same time, there is no cause for uneasiness. Her
occasions no other anxiety than the desire of all
around her that the progress she is making may be
more rapid."
The di 4ribution of the medal for the late operations
in Egypt is now completed. The total number of
medals issued has been 44,000, and the whole of these,
amounting to a ton and a half of silver, have been
engraved with the names of the recipients by work-
men employed in !he Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, and
have been sent thence to all parts of the world.

A large number of persons visited Hawarden last
Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone drove nut in the
afternoon in an open carriage, and were received by
the crowds with cheers and waving of handkerchiefs.
On Sunday Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone, accompanied by
Mr. W. H. Gladstone and Mr. Herbert Gladstone,
attended Divine service in the parish church, which
was crowded to excess. The Premier read the lessons
in his usual clear and impressive manner.

An American paper gives the following :—The
United States burns about 322,000,000 dols. worth of
wood every year. Railroads burn over 5,000,000 dole.
worth. Brick and tile factories burn 4,000,000 dole.
Mining operations consume, as fuel, 3,500,000 dole,
worth. St,amboats burn about 2,001,000 &lc worth.
New York State burns more than any other State. It
uses 11,290,000 cords. Next is Ohio, 8,191,000
On Sunday morning the Lord Mayor of London,
with whom were the Lady Mayoress and the Sheriffs
of London and Middlesex, attended Divine service at
the parish church of St. Giles, Csipplegate, when the
vicar preached in aid of the clergy charities. In the
course of his sermon the preacher stated that there
were 23,000 clergymen in the Church of England, and
that many of them dicd leaving their families totally
unprovided for.