The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-01-05 00:00:00

AMERICAN FOOD.—The fresh meat supply at Liver-

pool -last week from America was chaia-cterised by a
great falling off; in fact, the quantity was below any
previous period. Only one consignment arrived in the
White Star steamer Celtic, from New York, and this
consisted of 700 quarters of fresh beef and 120 carcases
of mutton. There were no arrivals of live stock or
fresh butter.
A SOUTH AFRICAN WEDDING.—The Goldfields
Correspondent of the Natal Mercury writes from
Pilgrims' Rest, on the 4th of November :—" The
marriage of Mr. W. G. Compton (late of Natal) to
Miss Alice Mary C. Marshall (third daughter of Mr.
William Marshall, for many years a resident of Maritz-
burg, and the well-known sportsman of that city) took
place to-day. The camp was gaily decorated with
bunting, every flagstaff showing its colours. A novel
feature was a rope stretched across the street, with a
lot of old boots and slippers attached to the rope, which
was lowered down as the bridal waggonette passed
underneath. This, at any rate, can boast of originality,
though the oxen drawing the vehicle did not appear to
appreciate it. The happy pair intend to spend their
honeymoon travelling about this part of the country
for a fortnight. They have the good wishes of every
pilgrim. The bridal waggonette deserves a passing
word, it being one of the prettiest little conveyances of
its kind any one could wish for—complete in every par-
ticular, nicely cushioned throughout, and placed on
good springs."
THE DOG TAx.—On Monday the licences for dogs,
no matter when taken out, expired, and in conse-
quence of the new regulations, the tax is likely to be
strictly enforced. In Great Britain the number taxed
last year was 1,399,330, and £349,743 ss. was realised
by the Excise. The penalty in each case is £5, and
cannot be reduced under £1 ss.
DEATH or MISS PATTERSON.—A strange career has
just closed in Baltimore, Miss Patterson, known to
some as Madame Bonaparte, having died in that city
at the age of ninety. Elizabeth Patterson, the
daughter of a rich planter, was married on the 24th
December, 1803, in New York, to Hieronymus
Bonaparte, who was then a naval lieutenant, and was
subsequently known as Jerome. The marriage was
celebrated in due form, the French Consul having
countersigned the contract and the Catholic Bh-hop
Carale having performed this marriage ceremony.
The Emperor Napoleon would not hear of the mar-
riage on the part of his brother, and forbad Miss
Patterson to visit Europe. When she notwith-
standing, arrived in Amsterdam on board the steamer
Erin, she was threatened with severe measures, and
obliged to fly to England, where, on the 7th of
January, 1807, was born a son, who was christened
Hieronymus Napoleon. Two years later his father
married the Princess Fredeficka of Wiirtemberg, and
became King of Westphalia. After the death of the
king, his firstborn son endeavoured, by bringing an
action against Prince Louis Napoleon, to establish the
validity of the first marriage. But the question was
never decided, and Madame Bonaparte has died as
Miss Patterson.—Mayf air.
LIVERS AND THEIR COMPLAINTS.—" IS Life worth
living ? " Mr. Matlock has been asking in the Cdnteni-
porary Review. 'We suspect it is, in a great measure,
a question of the Liven—Punch.
A MONSTER SERPENT.—WhiIe one of OUT sportsmen
(says a Chicago exchange), was hunting lately in the
Tres Pinos country he killed a fawn and left it on the
ground to go in pursuit of other game. Returning a
short time after, he found to his amazement and
horror that a huge serpent was coiled round the body.
Judging from the mischievous look of the reptile's
eyes, the nervous curving of its neck, and the threat-
ening poise of its elongated head, that it would not
surrender the prize without a fight, the hunter con-
cluded to retreat and take aim at the glittering thief
at long range. After seating himself behind a rock
100 feet distant, and getting his nerves somewhat
steadied for work, he blazed away, and spent about
twenty charges of treble B shot without any visible
effect. Feeling his pulse, he concluded from its rapid
run he must be nervous. The snake by this time had
uncoiled itself from the carcase, and had twisted itself
in the form of a corkscrew, ready for a spring. With
a manly effort our hero controlled himself, and gave a
firm and steady pull at the trigger. The serpent's
head was nearly severed from its body by the shot, and
its form was at once relaxed and stretched out prone
and powerless upon the ground. When the hunter
considered it safe, he advanced,to get a closer view of
it, and in stepping over the ground found it measured
20 feet in length. The body was as large round as a
child's waist. While looking on and wondering to
what genus of large serpent it belonged, he was
horrified to see about 120 small snakes twirling,
hissing, and emerging from a nest close by. Each
particular hair of his head stood on end, and his legs
were suddenly electrified with wonderful motion as he
skedaddled from the scene. There is a non-venomous
serpent of the boa family in California. but is attains
, full growth only in warm climates. This was one of
uncommon size, and some of its offspring may yet
attract the attention of naturalists.