The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-06-17 00:00:00

Nisatianaus ntelligenct,

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

hILTATION IS THE SINCEREST FLAITZLY.-
Nurse. "I wanted to go into town this afternoon, if
you could spare me, to get a new bonnet. And—l
admire your taste in bonnets so much, mum, I was a-
thinkin I couldn't do better than go to the same shop
—Punch.

OUR CANAL CHILDREN.—Mr. George Smith,
of Coalville, has received the following letter from the
Right Hon. W. E. Forster, from which it is seen that
the lith section of Lord Sandon's Bill is to accomplish
for the boat children what the sch section of the
Workshops Act of 1871 did for the brickyard children :
"80, Ecc' eston-square, London, S.W., June 10th, 1876.

"Sir,—Mr. Forster has only returned to town to-day, and
desires me to thank you for your letter of the sth, and the
pamphlet and article respecting the children On canals. He
is aware that their condition is very unsatisfactory, but he
hopes and believes that the 6th section of the new Education
Act will apply to them. This section, as you are aware, pro-
hibits the employment of children under ten, or between ten
and fourteen, unless they have attained a certain educa-
tional proficiency.-1 am, sir, your obedient servant,
"WALTER ARNOLD."

A VOLUNTA.BY RITE. —At a meeting of the
managers of the South Metropolitan School, Sutton,
it was stated that the amount thrown this year' to the
children in coins of all descriptions by persons on their
way to Epsom on the Derby and Oaks days was
£lO6 163. The children who number 1,600, and belong.
to the various Metropolitan Unions of South London,
were arranged, as ueual., in three classes—viz., boys,
girls, and infants—within the school grounds at the
side of the road. Hitherto the girls have always had
the most money thrown to them, but this year the boys
obtained the larger sum. The amount thus contributed
is in excess of any previous occasion, being £lO more
than last year. It will be expended upon giving the
children a treat to the Crystal Palace, or some similar
place of amusement.
TEE " PROPEREST " DAYS .—Good day for
parasols Sunday. For mundane affairs Monday.
For eating, Chewsday. For travellers. ?Wendsday.
For drinking, Thiratday. For cooking, Fry day. For
fauns, Satyrday.—Fun..

CHARACTER IN GARDENS.—Were each to con-
sult his own taste in the garden, instead of imitating his
neighbour, every garden, large or small, would assume
a character of its own. This would give variety and
the sense of novelty or 'individuality to each garden,
which could hardly fail to enhance the pleasure to be
had from it. The garden is the very place in which to
ride a hobby. It is much safer to do so than in any
other occupation; for horticultural hobbies are always
innocent, harmless, and, relatively to others, cheap.
Ooe, for instance, delights in lilies—let the garden,
therefore, be mainly a garden of
_lilies. Another cares
for nothing but roses—what more charming than a
garden of roses? Another rejoices in Spring flowers
above all others—let hers be a Spring garden. And so
with all other glints, trees, shrnbs, and flowers. Each
man and woman's garden should mirror forth, as it
were, their individual taste.—The Gardcn.

ADVICE GRATIS TO THE RUSSIAN GENERAL
VENYOUKOFF.—Take a Lozenge,—Punch.

FATAL COLLIERY ACCIDEN T. 011 Monday
moraing a shocking accident, by which three men lost
their lives, occurred at High Brooks Colliery, Ashton,
near Wigan, belonging to the Garswood Coal Com-
pany. The colliery has been recently sunk the Arley
Mine to a depth of 320 yards, and has been standing a
short time awaiting the erection of a pair of winding
engines, consequently, a quantity of water accumulated
in the shaft. On Monday morning three sinkers went
down to take out some airpipea remaining in the shaft,
so as to facilitate pumping. A short time after the
descent, a signal was sent to the engine man to wind
them to the surface, but by mistake he turned the lever
the wrong way, c insing the hoppatt to descend with
full force. His attention was called to the mistake by
some one in the engine-hou,e, who inamediate:y recti•
fled the error, but the sudden jerk broke the rim, and
the nom were precipitated into the water at the ionttom
of the shaft. Assistance were at once procured, but
when the men were got at they were dead. The names
of the sufferers are John Rothwell, who leaves a widow
I and five children; Thomas Horton, who leaves a widow
I and two children; and John Williams, married, who
had only been in the district two weeks.
AN EXPLANATION REQUIRED. —A Suffering
Sister writes to one of the dress magazines am
quite tired of reading the abuse of women's dress in
which men are so fond of indulging. Nothing we wear
seems to please them collectively, though it is not diffi-
cult to please them individually. We are always try-
ing .to look our best, and you are always willing to
help us, but what is the use of it if we are to have
nothing but abuse? Can you explain why it is that
gentlemen enjoy a monopoly of criticism in the matter
of dress? Have they arrogated this prerogative to
themselves, or has it been conceded to them to be
umpires in a contest in which they are debarred from
takinz part—that of dressing gracefully.
A C ASE OF WATER ON 7HE BRAIN. —When
Mrs. Materfamilias insists upon taking the Children
to the sea.side.—Punch.

FREE TRADE AND PROTECTION AS WELL.—
" Tirot's agoln' to win the Hascot Cap, old 'un ?"
"Well, it ain't no 'O3EI as don't want nuth'n' putting
on at no blanked short prices, 'cos i 4 ain't one as is
lust in the betting, and then nowhere in the blooming
race. And I can't afford to tell you what it is for noth'n'
neither. A mans purfession must bc) put tooted. And
that's the straight tip ''—Fun.

CAPTAIN WEBB AS A LECTURER.-011 Satur-
day evening, the "Hero of the Channel," as he is now
popularly gt)led, appeared at St.- James's Hall,
London, in what was probably a new experience to
him—viz., the character of a lecturer. The lecture
was upon swimming in general, and the great swim
across the Channel in particular; and with it, as hig
stock in trade, Captain Webb means to visit most of
the provincial towns of England. There are many
sound practical hints upon the art of swimming given
in the lecture, and some useful advice in the case ef
attempts at rescuing drowning persons. Captain
Webb's delivery is good, and he becomes at once on
good terms with his audienee. A large chart, repro-
duced from the original diagrams in Land and Water,
aeeists the captain in explaining' the two attempts he
made to cross the Channel, and shows the diffi arlties
from tides he had to encounter on the second and suc-
cessful swim. Captain Webb's entertainment is under
the especial patronage of the Duke of E iinburgh, and
among many others Mr. John Macgregor (Rob Roy)
was present on the platform on Saturday evening.—
D xily News.
A IROBLE3I,—A wins of B a bet of 100 to
2) against the Mineral CA. —A gee-3 down to the Derby
a ill a barouche and four, which he persists in paying
for on the strength of his luck.—A gives a dinner to
t venty friends at the Lucullus Club; B never rays up.
—lf A's winnings = x, what does he lcs± ?—Punch.
THE LATE MR. WALTER 'THOP.NBURY.—WO
(The Times) have to record the death, early on Sunday
morning last, of George Walter Thornbury, a well.
H known contributor to the lighter. literature of the
day. Although scarcely 43 at the time of his decea.e,
he had written and published almost a library. In
his 16th year he contributed topographical and anti-
.quarian pepsrs to the Bristol Journal, and from that
time scarcely a year has elapsed without the produc-
tion of one or more works of his pen. His "Shake-
speare's England during the reign of Elizabeth" and
"Songs of the Cavaliers and Roundheads" were
among his earlier works; and his " Old St;ories Re-
t )1d" and "Old and New London" among the liter
ones. He was at one time art critic to the Athenceurn,
and for many years a contributor to All the Year
Round, Although an ardent literary student, he was
by ,no means a mere bookworm,. He knew moat of
Europe, North America, and Syria from personal
observation, and, so far as social life in London is con-
cerned, leaves many to regret hid): A wife and young
family lament his loss.
WHITTY IF NOT Wis.—Teetotallers are
using all their might to make the Maine law a fact.
They went at it, might. and main, at their Demonstra-
tion against the demon Drink last week, and in re-
cognition of their wishes the clerk of the weather made
it a Wet Monday, thereby showing his want of Whit.
—Fun. •

- --
ADAM SMITH.—The Economist observes that
"the Wealth of Nations' was but a part of a much
larger work in which he meant to treat of something
like what we should now call the evolution' of bunion
£otiety and of human improvement. He discovered, as
it has been put, the natural progress of opulence while
looking for the natural progress of all things.' And he
was disappointed to thiLk that he finished so little of
so great a scheme. In this critics, instructei by
longer experience, will not agree with him. These
great plans are the bane of philosophy; • the
master mind,' as has been profoundly said, shows
itself in limitation,' and, fortunate as Adam Smith
was in many ways, it is his greatest good fortune
thst fate constrained and compelled him to it. But
nevertheless, this wider design in which the Wealth
of Nations' began, is one of its peculiar features and
one which we now-a•days much want Adam Smith to
complete. The world is too much divided between.'
economists, who think only of wealth ' and of senti-
mentalists, who arc never so sure they are right a 3
when they differ from what political economy teanhes.
. . . . We must not be deluded into thinking that the
characteriAic work of Adam Smith is over because the
laws of which he disapproved are repealed. Perhaps
there never was a time in which we m sre needed to
combine a stern and homely sagacity resembling his
with the far reaching aims and ample knowledge for
which be was so remarkable."