The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-09-07 00:00:00

HOME, tREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

KILLED ItY LIGHTNING. —The Sheetl.l niegraph
says that on Friday afternoon a party of three brothers
named Pocock and a boatman went out to sea in a
coble at Scarborough for the pu'rpose of fishing and
shooting gulls. When they had gone about a mile and
a half from land a violent thunderstorm came on, and
the whole of the occupants of the boat, save the man
engaged, were stunned by a vivid flash of lightning.
Two of the brothers soon recovered their senses, but
the third was found to have been struck dead. His
face had turned blue, and a hole was found to have
been burnt through his macintosh, coat, waistcoat,
and singlet, just over his left breast. The medical
evidence at the inquest held next day went to show
that deceased had died from the effects of a shock to
the nervous system.
ESCAPE FROM FIRE.—A correspondent throws out
the following hint in The Times:—

Sir,—Will you allow me to suggest that in all cases of fire
in dwelling-houses, where a ladder is found to be of insuffi-
cient length by two or three feet (as at Birmingham), a stout
kitchen table, a waggon, cart, or van should be immediately
procured, on which the foot of the ladder should be placed
and steadied. By this simple plan many a valuable life
might be saved. Or two or three feet additional length
might be secured by placing the table in the cart, and the
ladder on the table. If this plr.n had been adopted at the
lire at Birmingham, it is probable that four lives might have
been saved.

LOAN TRACTS.—The Rev. Mr. Spurgeon presided
on Monday night at the twelfth annual general meet-
ing of the Metropolitan Tabernacle Loan Tract
Society, in the Metropolitan Tabernacle. According
to the report of the committee, upwards of 50,000
copies had been distributed during the past year, and
the society had had added to it thirty new members
during that period. The balance sheet showed that,
inclusive of a balance of £l2 from last year's account,
the total receipts had been £62 170. 2d. ; while the
expenditure, including the cost of printing sermons,
stationery, tea meeting, &c., amounted to £57 is. 7d.,
leaving a balance of £5 15s. 7d. The proceedings
were brought to a close with a hymn and prayer.
METROPOLITAN COMMONS.—By an Act just issued
(41 and 42 Vict., c. 71) certain provisions in the Com-
mons Act of 1876 are extended to the metropolitan
commons. The Metropolitan Board of Works are
now empowered in respect of any common situated
within the metropolis to exercise the same power to
purchase and hold, with a view to prevent the extinc-
tion of the rights of common, any saleable rights in
common, or any tenement of a commoner having an-
nexed tnereto rights of common, as conferred by the
Bth Section of the Commons Act, 1876, upon an urban
sanitary authority in respect of a suburban common.
Sections 30 and 31 of the Commons Act, 1876, are now
to apply to metropolitan commons within the meaning
of the Metropolitan Commons Act, 1866 andl669.
GIFT BY THE EMPEROR OF BRAZIL.—The Emperor
of Brazil has proved himself, during his long reign,
one of the very few emperors whom the world has
reason to respect. A man of unusual culture and
liberal sentiments, his aim has been to establish jus-
tice and good government among his people. He was
one of the friends or students of Coleridge, and has
lately sent a silver vase, as a tribute of regard. to Mr.
Thomas Allsop, the oldest living personal companion
of the great master. Mr. Allsop's "Recollections of
Samuel Taylor Coleridge," a book which throws more
light upon the opinions and character of the famous
Gamaliel of Highgate, and gifts of letters and docu-
ments interested the Emperor of Brazil very much,
recalling the characteristics of his honoured friend;
hence arose this graceful gift to Mr. Allsop, which
may be chronicled among the courtesies of emperors
to men of letters. The vase has been sent from Rio
Janiero, an came to England through the hands of
the Brazilian Ambassador. The inscription is :—"To
THOMAS ALLsor, from PEDRO 111., in recognition of
interesting documents and letters, throwing light on
the life of S. T. Coleridge, as the only surviving
friend of the Philosopher and Poet, whom I loved
living and honour dead." When the Emperor was
last in England he paid a visit to Coleridge 's tomb at
Highgate, one morning as early as six o'clock.—
Birmingham Post.

ELECTRIC ALARM! SAFE.—Mr. Max Koloseus, of
New York, has recently patented a safe which is in-
geniously connected with a battery and alarum
apparatus, Bo as to render the drilling, picking, forcing,
or removal of the safe almost impossible without debec-
tion. The outer wall of the safe is insulated from an
inner plate, covering the sides and door; and the safe .
stands upon plates inserted in the floor. On tampering
with, or attempting to remove the apparatus, the
battery current is either broken or shunted, and a relay
is caused to act, through which the alarum is influenced
and continues ringing until stopped. The alarum
apparatus can be placed in any suitable place about
the house, in the night watchman's room, police
station, &c. The safe in question does not differ in
appearance from any other.
A MISAPPLICATION OF TERMS.—To call a young
lady who sedulously selects the dances in which she
will take a part a hop-picker.—Fun.
SNAKE CHARMING. —On Saturday a gentleman
visited Borth Church, and was startled by seeing a
large snake of a brownish colour on the floor at the
foot of the reading-desk. He ran for assistance, and
Enoch Carter, a villager, returned with him and found
the reptile still there. Carter commenced operations
for its capture, but the snake slipped away down a
hole. The difficulty was how to get at it. Carter
suggested that the harmonium should be tried as a
"charmer." The music of the harmonium brought
out the snake, when Carter slipped a noose over its
head, and conveyed it alive into the village of Borth,
where it was suspended in the public streets for
inspection.

AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The following
are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending August 31, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 455. Bd.; barley, 425. id.;
oats, 265. 2d., per imperial qr. Corresponding week
last year :—Wheat, 625. Od. ; barley, 345. 6d.; oats,
275. sd.
NOTHING LEFT BUT THE TOUCH-HOLE !—Old Joe
Wattles claims to, be one of the survivors of the
American Revolutionary War, and possesses a gun
which be says did excellent service for "Uncle Sam"
in years past. It was his delight to show this ancient
weapon to his friends, and recount the numerous
daring deeds which it enabled him to perform. One
day, when Joe was exhibiting his gun before an atten-
tive crowd, and speaking of the conflicts through
which he and it had passed, Sam Pickles, a shrewd
listener, elbowed his way to tke front, saying he
wanted to "look at that 'ere gun." Sam took it in
hand, and pretended to admire it, but said the stock
looked very new for a Revolutionary gun. "Well,
well," "the old stock was badly worn, so I had a new
one made." Bat Sam thought that somehow the
barrel had a modern aspect. "Never mind," said Joe,
a little riled; "I had a new barrel put in, the old one
was so worn." "But," remarked Sam, "I thought
the lock—" "Oh, never you mind about the lock,"
said Joe; "that's new too. But you needn't make
so much fuss about so small a matter. The fact is,
there's nothing left of the real old gun except the
touch-hole."
A MULE ON THE STAGE.—At one of the theatres in
a town of Nevada the play of the Forty Thieves was
lately presented, but in rather a meagre manner, as
may be inferred from the lack of abundant scenery and
properties in the Far West. When All Baba had seen
the thieves enter and quit the cave he went to the
wings and brought in a mule, which, having taken
grave offence at something, awaited his opportunity
for revenge. No sooner had Ali come out of the cave
with his bags of wealth and attempted to put them on
the back of the beast, than he began his part of the
performance, He let fly with his heels, kicked the
shavings (the supposed riches) out of the bags; kicked
down the cavern; kicked the end of the bass viol
leaning against the stage, to pieces; smashed the foot-
lights; and finally doubled up All by planting both
feet in the pit of his stomach. The mule fairly cleared
the stage and set the audience into a great roar, the
miners laying wagers that he could out-kick any mule
in the States. The quadruped continued kicking as if
he were hung on a pivot, until a rope was fastened
around him, and he was dragged off by the united
strength of the company. The Nevadsne want to
give the mule a benefit.

THE SHAKEAS.—Mrs. Girling appeared before the
Lymington District Magistrates on Saturday on a
charge of obstructing the highway at Hordle. The
Police Superintendent stated there was no obstruc-
tion now, the goods having been removed to one side
of the road. The magistrates allowed a fortnight
longer for removal. Mrs. Girling said she hoped by
that time not to need further indulgence. The
Shakers are likely to have their field again, an offer
to purchase it for them having been made.—The
Times.