The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-09 00:00:00

" PASSING RENARio."—Sensitive young person :
" Are you following me, Sir ? " Stolid Individual
"Well, really, miss, you walk so rapidly that I was,
but I'm going to pass you now."—Pun.
MARRIAGE or DIVORCED PERSONS.—The Solicitors'
Journal remarks :—" It is said that shortly after the
passing of the Divorce Act a mandate was issued by
a certain bishop (on this side of the Irish Channel) to
the surrogates of his diocese, ordering that they should
not grant a licence for marriage to any divorced per-
son 'if the husband or wife of such divorced person be
still alive.' It is now stated that 'the bishops have
come to a resolution that in future licences shall not
be granted for the remarriage, according to the rites
of the Church of England, of divorced persons.'
The question at the root of this matter is, of course,
wholly beyond our province, and upon it we express no
opinion; but we may be permitted to point out that
some practical difficulty may arise as to the right to
reeuire an answer to the question, 'Have pm, or has
your intended wife, ever been divorced ?;' awl the
officials who will have to ask the question should be
careful to provide themselves with means of self-
defence in case of any emotional display on the part
of the person to whom the question is addressed."
LARGE CAPE DIAMONDS.—Diamond digging at the
Dutoitspan fields has been unusually successful of late,
and, besides several beautiful stones of 50 carats each,
a large diamond, weighing 244 carats, was recently
nicked upon a claim belonging to a Captain Jones.
The " water " of the stone is not of the first quality,
being of a light "off-colour," but the gem is free from
flaw, and will cut very full. This is the'second largest
diamond ever found in South Africa, the " Spalding "
diamond, found in the river diggings some years ago,
and weighing 288 i carats, being the largest.
A PROPO3 OF ST. PAIIL'S PEAL.—Busy City Man
(who doesn't like the disturbance). Bless the Bells!
Confound them !—Punch.
CHILI AND THE ARGENTINE CONFEDERATION.—
American papers discuss the probability of war
between Chili and the Argentine Confederation, the
subject of dispute being Patagonia, which, with its
area of 300,000 to 350,000 square miles, is mainly :
dreary barren land, and thinly inhabited, but has the
Strait of Magellan, and a coast line which offers to
Chili her only possibility of an Atlantic port. The
Argentine Republic claims sovereignity far below that
boundary line of the Rio Negro, which maps usually
mark between her territory and Patagonia. The con-
troversy involves a reference to the rights acquired
when the Spanish yoke was thrown off. Last Janu-
ary a draft treaty was drawn up, providing a basis of
arbitration, but was disowned by Chili as unfair.
Should war result, both Brazil and Peru, might pos-
sibly be drawn in, as well as the two Powers imme-
diately concerned.
SPREAD OF SOCIALISM IN GERMANY.—" A signifi-
cant event," says the Express of Malhausen, has
just taken place at Mannheim. An election was
held in that city for the first time since the passing of
the Anti-Socialist Bill. It took place in a town which
had always returned with a majority the Democratic
party, in opposition to the National Liberals on the
one hand, and the Socialists on the other. The lowest
class of electors of those who pay the smallest p_art of
the taxes had to the present time followed the Demo-
cratic party, and had even carried the day against the
Socialists. But what happens at present? That class
of electors is convoked to renew by half the Municipal
Council; the Democratic and Socialist parties come
into collision, and it is the latter that wins the contest,
the whole of its list passing, with 519 votes against
388, so that there are henceforth to be 16 Socialist
members in the Mannheim Municipal Council. Such,
then, is the effect produced in the largest town of the
Grand-Duchy of Baden by a law which was to tread
down Socialism under foot; the party one thought to
annihilate has grown up even greater.'
DOGS AT A DISCOUNT.—AII varieties of dogs, except
well-bred pointers and setters, seem to be at a dis-
count in the United States, in spite of the vast amount
of doggy talk in the American sporting papers. At
an auction of dogs said to be from kennels of well-
known breeders, the first arrival put up obtained a
bid of 10 cents, and was finally knocked down for 2 dols.;
a bull terrier brought 9 dole.' three Siberian blood-
hound puppies, three months old, "of good breeding,"
sold for 1 dol. 50 cents, 1 dol. 75 cent, 1 dol., respec-
tively. A Skye terrier bitch, said to be imported,
brought 5 dols. 50 cents. Another Siberian hound
puppy sold for 1 dol. Three bull terrier puppies,
"for which the owner expected to realise 50 dole. to
75 dole, each, sold for 2 dole. 25 cents, 4 dols. 25 cents,
and 5 dole. 50 cents." Two black-and-tan foxhounds,
or staghounds, six months old, bred from the pair pre-
sented to General Custer by the Grand Duke Alexia,
were offered and sold for 5 dole. 50 cents, and 5 dols.
75 cents. Two red Irish setters, with a guarantee as
to their perfect field qualities, and a week's trial with
each dog, were the only animals that seemed to be
wanted, and these fetched the moderate prices of 59
and 70 dole. respectively.—Land and Water.
THE RIGHT MAN IN THE RIGHT PLACE.—Lord Duf•
ferin, anywhere.—Punch.
THE NEW ITALIAN IRONCLAD '`DuiLio."—The
massive plates forming the outer armour of the
Duilio, which is lying in the harbour of Spezia, are
being placed in position on the hull of the vessel as
rapidly as they are received from Creusot, and it is
expected that by next spring the monster Italian iron-
clad will be ready to be commissioned and will at
once proceed to sea on an experimental cruise. Each
of the plates weighs thirty ions, and, as sixty plates
are required to cover the portion of the h-11 which is
to be protected, the total weight of the outer armour
of the Duilio will not fall far snort of 2,000 tons. The
inner armour, which is now nearly completed, weighs
some 800 tons, without including the plates, nearly
three inches thick, which protect the decks, or the
armour of turrets, which will be composed of solid
plates 19 inches in thickness, resting upon teak back-
ing. Each of the plates forming the outer armour is -
attached to the hull, which is built of iron and steel,
by six screws of four inches diameter, which, in order
to economize labour and to avoid weakening the power
of resistance of the plate, are not driven right through A
the latter, but are screwed into it from the inside, and
reach only about half its thickness into it.
"A RUMMER."—Hairdresser. "Would you like a

little bay rum, sir? It's n)t extra : included in the
cutting, sir."—Jocose Customer. "Very cheap indeed;
as it's a cold night I will take a drop hot, thank you;
two knobs to the tumbler and one slice of lemon."—

[Consternation of Barber.l—Fun.
THE SIMPLICITY OF FORMER TIMES,—A. lecturer
recently put the facts straight about the vaunted
simplicity of former times (says the Court Journal).
He asked in what lay the simplicity of olden times?
Said simplicity is a myth. In those days he re-
marked the dresses of those who could afford it were
more attractive than anything which the present age
can show. The ruffles, frills, silk stockings, swords,
silver knee and shoe buckles, perukes, toyknors, high-
heeled shoes, and a thousand other expensive devices of
attire, make modern costumes simplicity itself by com-
parison. In manners and customs it seems like a joke
to speak of the simplicity of the olden times, when
the most ridiculous ceremonies were practised in the
first circles of society, and imitated by all the rest.
WAters and orators tell U 8 we are pursuing
the high road of extravagance, but the fact is, our
forefathers, with all their virtues, travelled it quite as
often and recklessly as do their posterity. The idea
that our race is tending to decline is the merest non-
sense. We are progressing as fast as hulitanity can
progress.
AWFUL MAN.—Old lady (with dignity). "I have
paid you your proper fare, cabman, and not another
farthing will you get from me."—Cabman (with much
humility). "All right, mum, since you say so; but
anyways stop and bid us good-bye."—Judy.
AMERICAN HUMOUR.—He had returned with his wife -
from a summer vacation at the seaside, and he stood in
front of the house giving a friend a graphic account of
his season's pleasures. " Went in bathing every day,"
he exclaimed enthusiastically. " Ah," responded the
friend, "wife go in, too?" "Oh yes, every day," said
the returned vacationist. "Can she swim ? " queried
the friend with some interest. " No-o she can't," was
the reply; "she tried and tried to learn but somehow
she didn't get the hang of it. She said she couldn't
get the right kick, and I let her think that was the
reason, but the fact was"—and here he looked up at
the house and sank his voice to a hoarse aspiration--
"the face was, she couldn't keep her mouth shut long
enough to take four strokes, before she'd have some
silly remark to make, when kerwash—she'd swallow a
whole wave, and go plump to the bottom," and the
husband winked rapidly as the scene was recalled to
mind, and he went into the house chuckling with
pleasure, but he hadn't noticed a woman's face peering
out of the curtains of a raised window. The acquaint:
ance saw the front dr or open quickly, saw a hana
reach out and grasp the seaside boarder by the collar,
saw the heels of that individual crack his back as be
shot through the door, which slammed behind hfa
vanishing form, heard a wild and stifled noise as of a;
human body being hauled over a hat rack and banged
against a wall, and heard a muffled voice like unto that
of an enraged woman say: " Take that back and ra
let you up, you wall-eyed yahoo !" And the acquaint-
ance, with a countenance of wonder and alarm passed
on rubbing his head in a bewildered manner.-110d0
/and Courier.
SWORD FISH IN THE EAST SEA.—Advicas feet°
Elbing report the capture by some fishermen of Priib-
bernan in the Frisch() Haff of a largo sword-fisl'o
measuring three metres or about ten feet, and weigh-
ing over fifty kilogrammes (about a hundredweight) ;
its head, and the sword-like prolongation of its jaw
measured fully one metre. The German Fishing
Gazette states that the fishermen brought the rare fish
into the town of Folkemit in the Frische Haff, whera
it was sold for fifteen marks, cut up, and partly pre-
served in vinegar, partly smoked, the flesh of the
sword-fish being preferred even to that of the sturgeon.
Another specimen of equally large size was caught
about the Fame time by some fishermen of Kahlholz4
district of Heiligenbeil, on the Pomeranian coast, sal
sold to a fish-merchant at Brannsberg.—Land
Water.
THE TRUE POLICY OF THE GAS COMPANIES WITO

REGARD TO MR. EDISON'S RanNT.—Make light of 1.
—Punch.
TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS IN NEW ZEALADTJI
tramway, worked by steam power, has been opened ill
the city of Wellington, New Zealand. The engine io
placed in the body of the car, the machinery being
hidden from view, and the working almost noiseless ;
but the escape of the steam and smoke is attended
with unpleasantness and occasionally causes consider'
able noise, which caused some accidents through thg
bolting of horses when the care first commerwe
running. The horses have, however, becorne
accustomed to the appearance and noise of the carol
which are now run without difficulty. It is proposeo
to extend the steam tramways into new districts, will
railways do not exist, as pioneers for the heavier 101,
more expensive system. There are already over Lk':
miles of railway open and in working order in Dow
Zealand, besides several miles in course of construction_;
The Christchurch and Dunedin Railway was °pale°
for traffic in September, and another line connectini
Wellington and Featherston is so nearly comple,,tr.
that engines have run along its entire length. "1"
line will open up the rich plains of the Wairarapth
and the extension of a light-line system, worked bY
steam tramcars, is proposed as a ready and COl/1.
paratively inexpensive means of still further developing
the resources of those parts of the country where th°
traffic is hardly ripe enough to justify the construction
of a heavy railway,