The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-07-05 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

A singular fatality is reported to have occurred at
Evesham. An old man in getting out of a conveyance fell
forward, and a companion in assisting him fell forward
also, and both were Wiled by concussion of the brain.

A rescript, issued by special order of the Czar, has
been sent to the local authorities in the rural districts of
Russia, ordering them to take measures against agitators
who traverse the country and incite the peasantry to dis-
turbances by spreading false reports about an impending re-
distribution of land.
At a horse fair in Paris. Old gentleman (looking at
a very bob-tailed horse)—" Bless me! how short they have
cat his tail." Attendant—" His master is a member of the
Society for the Protection of Animals. In this fashion he
will not annoy the poor flies. "—Court Journal.
The fund collected on flospital &inlay in London
(op to Monday) amounted to £21,500, and many contribu-
tions have yet to be transmitted to the Mansion-house

The New York Aquarium has lately received a
young white whale, weighing over 1,000 lbs. It has n3w
been on exhibition several days, and appears to be in ex-
cellent condition.

The Dean and Chapter of Gloucester have remitted
10 per cent. of the rents of the farms belonging to them on
the Cotswold Hills.

Jean Claude Frey, born at La Chapelle in 1790, and
one of the last survivors of Napoleon's army, has just died
at Altkirch. in Alsace. He was present at the battles of
Wagram and Waterloo.

The botanical specimens left by Robert Dick, the
"Thurso baker," the subject of Mr. Smiles's charming
biography, are to be bound in volumes as they were classified
by the botanist himself, and in this form to be kept for
pulilic exhibition in the Free Public Library of Thurso.

Miss Florence Hyde and Mr. Ives, members of
Mr. D'Oyley Carte's London "Pinafore" Company, who had
Just flnhhed an engagement at Bath, were crowned on
Sunday, at Bathampton Weir, on the Avon, near Bath, while
boating. Miss Annie Walsh, another member of the com-
pany, was fortunately saved.
The United Service Gazette says :—" The Lords of
the Treasury have directed the Commissioners of Customs
to allow all seized tobacco now available to be sbnt to Natal
for the free use of our soldiers, sailors, and marines engaged
In the Zulu war. The last similar order was issued during
the Crimean war."
The Lieutenant-Governor 6'f British Guiana has for-
warded the sum of 100 guineas to the Rev. T Teignmonth
Shore, as the contribution of that colony to the .Princecs
Alice (Darmstadt) Memorial Fund.
A Select Committee of the House of Commons has
passed the preamble of the Liverpool Lighting Bill, "so as
to enable the corporation to make an experiment only in
electric lighting." The corporation sought power to light
"places of public resort." The opposition came from the
Liverpool Gas Company.

At a meeting of the master coachbuilders of Lan-
cashire and Yorkshire, htld in Manchester, it was resolved
as the basis for reopening the shops where the strike pre-
vails, that each workshop shall henceforth be absolutely
free in respect of the persons to be employed, and as to
wages, pit ce-work, and number of apprentices.

_
The St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Rail-
way, to facilitate traffic, was changed on Saturday from 6ft.
gauge to the standard gauge of 4ft. Biin. (says the American
Correspondent of The Times.) This feat was accomplished
in'ten hours by 3,000 men working simultaneously along the
entire hoe of 700 miles, the wheels of the rolling stock being
also altered to correspond.

The new Viceroy of Egypt, Prince Mohamed Tewfik,
Is the eldest son of the deposed Khedive, and was born in
1862 He is consequently 27 years of age He was married
in January, 1873, to the Princess Emineh, daughter of the
late Prince El Balmy Pacha, and has two sons, Prince Abbas
Bey, born in 1874, and Prince Mehemet All Bey, born in
1876 ; and one daughter,Abal Erineesui.Nazleh Hanem, barn in
1877.
The Times weekly telegrams from India state that
cholera is very prevalent among the troops which are re-
turning from Afghanistan.
" When the Zulus stripped the Prince Imperial's
body, they would not touch the little medal of the Madonna
which he wore round his neck, because it is an article of faith
in South Africa that charms taken from a dead man carry
with them the luck of their former owner."—The World.
An important find of Roman coins, consisting of
several hundred gold and silver pieces, has been made In
the neighbourhood of Zurich. They date for the most part
from the second century, the Emperors whose effigies they
bear being Adrian, Antoninus Pius, Verna, and Commodus.
A correspondent of the Times of India who was
present at a review of 5,000 or 6,000 men held at the
Burmese capital, says that King Theebaw's soldiers are
ludicrously armed and equipped, and "more like stage
demons" than any thing else. the muzzles of the artillery
were the size of ordinary fowling-pieces, and the elephant
guris were toys only two feet long.
At the Devonshire quarter sessions a letter was read
from the Chancellor of the Exchequer stating that he had
felt ever since his appointment to his present office that it
waa inconvenient that he should continue to hold the
nominal position of chairman of the quarter sessions ; and
although he hod from time to time been persuaded to re-
main, yet he now thought it clear that the period had
arrived when he should definitely say he did not wish to be
re-elected.
Prince Louis Napoleon was not the first foreign
Prince who had served as a volunteer with an English army.
In the Sikh war a member of the Prussian Royal Family ac-
companied the British army throughout the campaign.

Mr. James Gordon Bennett's steamer Jeannette,
carrying the New York Herald Exploring Expedition to the
Arctic Seas rid Behring's Strait, is ready to sail from San
Francisco, and will depart this week (says the Correspondent
of 'he Times) The Jeannette, which is very strongly built,
ha been recently strengthened by heavy transverse beams
to resist ice "jams." Lieutenant Delimit, of the United
States' Navy, commands. All the other officers have also
4,,, selected from the Navy. The crew of eighteen men
'e been carefully chosen out of 1,800 applicants. Th, ex-
Mien attracts much attention throughout the country.
sill ender.vour to reach the North role, Lieutenant
long believing that the ice current getting in northward
ingh Behring's Strait will aid him.
'he Paris Correspondent of the Times, says :
Igestions to farmers how to act in wet seasons are to be
anted in the northern departments, and complaints of
bad weather are reported from all parts of France. It
eared that the crops will be more or less it,jured by the
longed rains. Beet, it seems, will be the chief sufferer.
D Journal des Fabricants de Sucre states that it is im-
ible to proceed with the weeding, and the weeds are un-
ally thick this year. In desperation a number of
ters have reset some of their fields, In any case the
vest is a week or a fortnight behind as it is."
mail Paßha started on Monday from Alexandria
Naples. On his departure salutes were fired from the
liah and French men-of-war.
telegram from St. Petersburg states that the
cuation of Bulgaria and Eastern Roumelia is being
rgetfcally proceeded with, it being presumed that both
se provinoes will be completely clear of Russian troops in
second half of July.

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The correspondent of the New York Herald at
Weirnqi telegraphs that the inhabitants of the province of
Khatan lying to the north of India and east of Kasbgar,
bordering on Russian possessions, and situate 300 miles
south-east of Kuldj I, have revolted against the Chinese and
massacred them. Nests has been received that the Chinese
frontier will be closed until Kuldja is restored.

A Small-Pox Insurance Company exists in Arucrica
—lso states the Parts Globe—which, acting on the theory that
many ladies have only thsir Ltee for their fortui e, and
that their chances of a brilliant mateilkare.dirninished by loss
of beauty caused by this malady, nude takes to furnish a
doltry to sufferers 'who have previously insured themselves.
Thl amount of the dowry depends upon the amount of the
darnage done by the smallpox, and a jury decides on the
merits of the cue.
The Crown Prince of Italy seems to be under as
strict a military discipline as the late Prince Imperial when
a ctild. Recently, while the young Prince was playing with
the daughter of the Al arquike lidontrevo, an altercation arose,
he lost his temper, and cried out "It I were Kiug I would
have your head cut off." The Kit g, being told of these words,
at once, notwithstanding the intercession of his mother,
ordered his son—aged nine years—under arrest—and sen-
tenced him to imprhoutuant in his own room fcr a week,
cut down his meg& and Corbaile the pkernent et military
honouts to him 4Mos that peridd.—CrarcAto,

"Sir Garnet has gone out expressly to make peace.
He said so much in the plainest language at a private break-
fast party just before he started."—The World.

_
A correspondent of the Australian speaks of a team
of cattle worth £4,000 being yoked to a bullock dray near
Heide'bury, in the county of Victoria.
The new Khedive of Egypt is said to have relin-
qui-Oled a moiety of his Civil List.
,k sharp thunderstorm broke over Paris on Saturday
aft moon. One very curious accident occurred. The two
ho 6es of the College Stantslas omnibus were struck dead,
w).l:e the coachman and a passenger escaped unhurt.

- - -----
The Eastern Budget hears that the result of the ex-
pecimenta made since 1877 with the steel-bronze 17chatius
gnus have proved that the material is admirably suited for
all kinds of guns.
The Mark Lane Express speaks despondingly of
agricultural prospects. All cereals are suffering owing to
the excessive rain, and the situation is becoming serious, it
being feared that the crops may be damaged beyond
recovery.
Aa.iloyd'e telegram stiktss that the Bombay, from
Galvisotou, bat arrived at- sikierp9ol. The master reports
that manna 17, in lat.'4l N.,•114 palm d between 70 and 80
bales- Of cOtton, all charred by lire. They appeared to be
-Aew Orleans bales. On one bale two, letters were visible,
end taken to be "8.," with 14,D ," Wen, and another with
"0. 0," centre of mark. They appeared to have been not
many hours in the water.
" The Empress of the French, before Sir Garnet
grolseley started for the Cape, made him come and see her,
and spoke to him long and earnestly about her son. 'I do
not lite his being so far off,' she said, 'and in that climate.
The climate is all that I am afraid of; but I do not like his
beipg away. You must promise me that you will send him
home directly you get out there"— The World
gr. M. T. Bass, ISIT. (the senior member for the
borough of Derby), last Saturday formally handed over to the
Corporation the new Free Library, which he has built and
furnished entirely at his own expense. The day was observed
as a half holiday. Mr. Bass, who is in his eightieth year,
seemed in excellent health. The cost of the building and
fittings is nearly £20,000.
The latest fashionable menu in Paris is a handsome
fan, on which the list of dishes is engraved, so that every
lady can take away a pretty souvenir of the dinner.
The telephone as a means of transmitting religious
instruction to those unable to leave the house for public
worship, has been taken into regular use in a Congregational
church at Mansfield, Ohio, where, Ills said, wires are laid
on to the houses of several aged and invalid persons. The
telephone surmounts a floral decoration on the table in front
of the open platform, and is quite unnoticeable, while
although the speaker pays no attention whatever to it,
every word uttered in the auditorium is easily heard n the
rocims to which the wires reach.
The agent of Earl Beauchamp has announced to the
tenantry of his lordship's estates that 20 per cent, in money,
or,; if they prefer it, 30 per cent. in artificial manure or
feeding stuffs, will be remitted at the July rent audit.
he Maidttone Journal says the hop plantations are
getting into a critical condition. In many places the hop'.
blue seems to be at a standstill, the cause of it being the
rather cold evenings of the past week. Prospects are indeed
of a gloomy nature, and grave fears are entertained for the
hop crop.
The Committee appointed at a public meeting,
under the auspices of which upwards of twenty-five thousand
pounds was collected for the relief of the sufferers by the
Hodock Colliery explosion in June, 1878. has applied to the
Gotta of Chancery on Saturday for sanction to a scheme for
applying the balance of the fund. As it would probably
take from fifteen to twenty years to expend the money in
the way intended by the subscribers, and about twenty-
three thousand pounds remain unspent, the Court was asked
to allow a trust to be created. The application was granted.
The Pennsylvania iron trade is reported to be in a
very healthy condition. All the pig iron manufactured is
speedily consumed, and all the rail mills are working to
their fullest capacity, with noon orders than they can fulfil.
CoMpared with June, 1878, prices per ton have advanced—
iron rails 5 dohs., steel rails, 3 dols., pig iron 2 dole. The
Areerlcan output of pig, bar, and rails for 1879 will exceed
ant previous year.
shock of earthquake was felt at Montreal and at
St.tJohn (in the same province) on the evening of the 11th
of ime. ihe shock is described as heavy, but lasting only
about ten seconds.
There were fifteen British and foreign wrecks re.
ported during the past week, making a total of 763 for the
present year, or an increase of 69 as compared with the cor-
restponding period of last year. the approximate value of
prn perty lost was £260,000 including British Z 2.30,000.
A. . 7
chimney, eighty feet high, fell on Tuesday night
at Bolton, completely wrecking two dwelling-houses and
doing damage to the amount of £lOO. Seven persons were
injured, one seriously.

- -
Eighteen Algerian Catholic missionaries have started
for Zanzibar to Join the Victoria Nyanza and Lake
Tanganyika mission. Two of them, named Stewart and
Galvald, are Scotchmen, 27 Germans, and four Belgians.
"A week or two ago a young gentleman whose
friends live near Chislehurst arrived from the Cape. It was
intimated to the Empress that if she cared to see him he
would wait upon her. She was delighted, and listened with
rapt attention to all he had to tell. When he described the
assegai used by all the Kaffir and Zulu tribes she expressed
a wish to see one. They were in the hall, and were forth-
with produced. The Empress all but fainted at the sight of
them, and then burst into a flood of tears. 'Do not think
me weak,' she said; but until I saw these terrible weapons
I never realised the danger my son ran.' At that very
moment he had been killed by assegai wounds, seventeen in
number."—The World.
Although coal- owners are beginning to perceive
thet it is to their interest to sell their coal as quickly as
possible, the output for 1878 falls short of that of 1877 by
more than a million and a•half of tons. The decrease is
partly due to the stagnation in the iron trade, for there la a
falling-off in the production of iron ore, which nearly
balances the decline in the output of coal—Echo.
In order that every man belcnging to the Royal
Marines may be taught to swim. the Admiralty have ordered
a large floating swimming bath to be constructed at the
Chatham Dockyard, which is intended to be moored in
Chatham Harbour, near the Royal Marine Barracks, for the
use of the officers and men of that. corps
On Monday afternoon, shortly after three o'clock,
while the Cabinet IflnDtl was sitting at Durd Beacons-
field's official residence in . Downing-street, a cr ,wd of
persons, preceded by a band of music, demanded to be per-
mitted to present a petition to the Cabinet pwing for the
release of Arthur Orton. The sentry on duty in D
street refused to permit tvle crowd to advance further than
half-way down the street; and finding their efforts to reach
the Premier's residence were frustrated, they proceeded,
headed by the bandt to the House of Commons with the in-
tention, they stated, of .cheering Dr. Kenealy Both in
going up Downing-street and returning the band played the
" Marseillaise."

A popular concert. singer, advertised to participate
in an entertainment in a Missouri village, excused her
absence on the ground of having a severe cold in the head,
and next day received the following from an admirer:
" Thiz is gouse grese ; melt it and rub on the bridge of yore
noze until cured. -Flue you to distraxshun."

The last piece of personal information respecting her
Majesty comes from the Frerndenblatt, which tells us how
to make Queen Victoria's favourite soup, of which we are
informed she partakes daily (says the Graphic) Thus, three
fat chickens are to be washed in warm water, and then
stewed down in veal gravy for an hour. The chickens are
then taken out, and the crumb of two French brioches are
soaked in the liquor. Then the flesh of the chickens, being
taken off the bones, is beaten in a mortar, and replaced in
the soup, together with the yolks of four hard-boiled eggs.
The whole is then poured through a sieve, and, a quart of
cream being-added, the soup is complete.
"The harvest •prospeets are becoming very gloomy.
Whatever hopes still continued are dying out ender the
influence of the persistent bed weather. On wet and clayey
soils both wheat and barley are reported to be turning
yellow, while all crops everywhere are being choked by the
too luxuriant growth of weeds. Even from the grass
counties complaints are loud that the meadows on the banks
of streams are being flooded, and the hay spoiled. In France
the situation is not less critical. Corn and meadows have
suffered as much as with ourselves; the silk crop has been
all but destroyed; beetroot is said to be forced in growth at
the expense of its saccharine matter: hile very general
fears are entertained concerning the vines, more particu-
larly those that produce the commonest kind of wine."—
Pall Mall Gazette.
Lnrd Hartington presided on Monday evening
at the nineteenth annual dinner of the Royal Agri-
cultural Benevolent Institution, and was supported by the
Marquis of Bunny, Mr. Walter, M.P., Mr. C. S. Read,
M.P ,and many others interested in the progress of agri-
culture. Ms lordship, in proposing the toast of the even-
ing, expressed his concurrence in the view recently enunci.
ated by Lord Derby at Liverpool, that the present depres-
sion was merely of a temporary character. The total amount
of the receipts as senounced was about £9,000, including
fifty guineas from the chairman.
A correspondent writing from Filzmoos to the
Salzburger Zeitung states that on the 16th of June the Mar-
grave Alfred Pallaviclei and two companions succeeded,
after two days' exertion, in getting to the top of the front
peak of the "Bishop's mitre, one of the Dachstein range.
This summit is about 7,875fc high, and is believed not to
have been climbed before. The party endeavoured to get
to the top of the hinder peak, which is higher than the
front one by about 16011.; but they found on the west,
south, and east sides smooth, perpendicular precipices,
which defied any attempt at scaling. They were prevented
by want of time from inspecting the northern side, which
may be yet found more practicable.

At a meeting of working men, held in the Albert
Hall, Leeds, attended by nearly 2,000 pertons, it was re-
snlved to recommend the working clarses to uphold the
Nine• Hour League and to support the Trades Councils
generally.

In London last week 2,427 births and 1,272 deaths
were registered. Allowing for increase of population, the
births exceeded by 78, whereas the deaths were 103
below the average numbers in toe corresponding week of the
last ten years. The annual death-rate from all causes declined
to 18 3, the lowest rate that has prevailed in London since the
middle of September last. The deaths included 8 from
small-pox, 76 from measles, 45 from scarlet-fever, 16 from
diphtheria, 40 from whooping-cough, 19 from different forms
of fever.