The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-09-15 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The first Licensing ‘3o.alops at Rotherham hince the
crf ation of the Boeough Commission of the Peace have
just been held, The MagiArates reduced the licences
from 77 to 45.

According to tba official statement of the American
National Cotton Exchange, the total cotton crop for
the year ending August 31 last, amounted to 6,950,000
bales, being 1,493,000 bales above last year,

. _
The Building and Enginoring Tim„es states The
number of failures among builders and dealers in
building materiale in Vineland and Wales last week
was 29, as against 28 in the corresponding week of last
yea, and 25 in 181.
Two-thirds of all the wealth in the United States a
witness recently asserted before a committee of the
New York Senate, is in the hands of one-tifth of the
people. Within the city of New York there are one
hundred men who have it b their power to change
the value of every piece of prcperty, every article of
merchandise, and every pound of food.
Bread-wianers.—Harvestn.—The missing link.
..The light a other days.--Maonshine.
Sir it. A. Cross, M.P., speaking on Monday night
at Barrow-in-Furness on behalf of the foreign missions
connected with the Church of England, made a strong
appeal to his hearers to do what they could to support
the missions. He said it was not only the duty of this
great Empire to do all tb,at was possible to Chris-
tianise the world, but it was the duty of every indi-
vidual to take an earnest intereAt in the work.
The traffic receipts of the railways in the United
Kingdom for the week ending Sept. 7, upon a mileage
of 16,6274, amounted to £1,442,443, being equal to
£B6 15s. per mile. For the corresponding week of last
year the receipts were £1,409,018, the number of miles
open 16,422 i, or gB5 16s. per mile. A comparison of
the two weeks shows an increase in the total receipts
of £33,425, and an increase in the number of miles
open of 204 i.
Slight shoaks of earthquake, accompanied by sub-
terranein rumblings, were felt in Casamicciola at
half-past nine last Saturday night, and again more
severely on Sunday night, the movement extending
along the sea shore.
Miss Catherine Booth and Miss Charleeworth, when
returning from a Salvationist funeral near Geneva on
Monday, were arre.ted end taken to the police-office,
whence they were conveyed in a carriage across the
frontier.
novel kind of Trades Union has sprung into
existence in New York, It is an association of fat
women giants skeleton men, and other natural
curiosities uktially exhibited at booths in fairs, and is
called the "Freaks' Union," the word freaks being an
abbreviation of the term "freaks of nature" by which
these monstrosities are described.
The first consignment of Ilusaien petroleum burning
oil has arrived at Liverpool in the steamer Burik,
from Batoura. The oil is described as being of a very
high teat,
The number of visitors to the Fiaheries Exhibition
on Saturday was 32063, making a total for last week
of 109,680. The total number from the opening of tha
exhibition is 1,666,296.
The ship .Rialto, of 1.182 tons, Captain J. William-
son, chartered by Sir Saul Ss,muel, X.C.M.G., Agent-
General for Now South Wales, sailed from Plymouth
for Sydney on Saturday, with 364 emigrants.
A luminous waterproof paper, the Papierzeitung
says, may be made from a mixture 40 parts pulp, 10
parts phosphorescent powder, 1 of gelatine, 1 potas-
sium bichromate, and 10 parts of water.
The Comte de Chambord, who was in the habit of
sending a generous offerirQ tp,the Pope each year, has
left a testamentary it,ey of 400,000 f. to Peter's
Pence,
The statue of Mr. Glathtorie, by Mr. E. Onslow
Ford, which has been i.uhcribed for by the members
of the City of London Liberal Club, will, says the
Architect, be placed in its position in the Hall of the
Club in the second week of Octobee, •
The Galeria Assembly al the Presbyterian Church
of the Tjnitecl States have just issued an account of
the actuel I,cAtioo of that body. The total number
of their churches is new 5.860, showing an increase of
116 as comnared with la 4 year. The number of
ministers is 5,218, not including 282 licentiates of last
year or 678 candidates. The contributtona to the
funds of the Church during the /est church year for
all purposes was betwew. n'aie and ten million dollars.
A few days ago the Emperor Francis Joseph, visit-
log' the _Pharmaceutical Exhibition at Vienna, was
requested by the exhibitor of an ingeniously con-
trived a eiahine machine to allow himself to be
weighed. His Majesty geod humouredly consented,
thud was found to w. lab exactly 65 kilogratpw, a, Or a
little over 143tb.
The Utah C0.nA)1.;,;,V.i F.tior4,+ to the Interior De•
partrne that finder the operati,or of the Edmunds
14W-depriving ptlygoarlit-ts of the suffrage nearly
15,000 Mernsons have been disfraechised jfl Utah
territory.
On Tuesday the Mayor of Sundt:l)4Ni, presented to
,j R. Hodgson, bettnr lenoien as the " Stormy
Petrel," a lkaaeleoeie gorfcl medal, in reaognition of his
siaiwkly dtkring exploits in Paving life. a The Mayor paid
&high tabu'', to Mr. Hodgeonie bravery in saving
life, and the latter, in responding, said he would pri7a
it more than any other medal he bad received, as It
had been given him by his towtistne4. Mr. Hodgson
is the holder of a number of medals from Napoleon 111.,
Royal liopane Society, Board of Trade, aco., for
441141We'