The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-08-21 00:00:00

On the 3rd inst., the first stone of a monument to
the celebrated Berman geographer Mercator, was laid with
great solemnity at Duisburg.
The following bon mot is attributed to the Bishop of
Exeter. A young lady was visiting, Bishopstowe, and mado
the remark that Torquay was very like Switzerland. "Very."
replied his lordship, •' except that there is no sea in Switzer-
land, and no mountains in Torquay."
A Manchester merchant suggests the formation of
a Lancashire cotton growing company on a large scale, say
with an effective espital of three or lour million sterling, to
grow cotton in India.
The Berlin c.immittee have received subscriptions
to the amount of 5,166 thalers, tor the pur,.ese of erecting a
monument to Alexander von Humboldt.
A Georgia paper says the heat has been so intense
there for ten days past that thermometers fail to indicate the
degree—the mercury pushes the top off, and rues above the

ftgures.
A curious case of " touting " appears in the agony
column of a London contemporary. It runs as follows :
" Widowed Toby, brokeu-hearted. May the new love he as
Intense as the past ! Nothing to hope for now—hut once
more to see you. May it not he too long delayed What a
future ! Tout en tout."
The bill for consolidating and amending the Acts
relating to merchant shipping and navigation has been
Issued. It extends over 300 folio pages, and comprisee 733
clauses and 35 pages of shedules.
A general order has been received at Chatham
garrison from the Horse Guards respecting the employment
of men immediately after they have been vaccinate "Its
order to avoid the injurious effects which may be induced by
drills and niu.ketry instruction immediately after vaccina-
tion, commatelieg officers will assign lighter duties
soldiers who have recently undergone that operation."
A list has been published of the awards made to
schoolmasters who have distinguished themselves is science
and art teaching. It is satisfactory to notice that, on the
whole, these awards are fairly distributed over the three
kingdoms. Loudon certaiuly does not roue in fermatas than
Its share. In the manufacturing districts technical educa-
tion would seem to be extending.
Young ladies who play croquet are known in America
as "maidens all for lawn."
An accident occurred on Saturday to Captain Jens
kinson, of Ealing, which it is feared will prove fatal. Whilst
practising with a velocipede he was jerked Of and thrown to
the ground. lie was taken up insensible.
Another shocking accident is reported from America.
The boilers of the steamboat Curitb,rland exploded on the
Ohio river on Saturday. Twenty persons were killed, and the
boat was blown to pieces.
Mr. Holt, of Glocester, was staying with his friends
on Saturday at Habbicomise, near 'Torquay. He went out to
bathe, and being carried beyond his depth, was drowned. A
workman recovered the body 20 minutes after the accident,
and the two medical gentlemen called in applied restoratives s
but all was unavailing.
The Roman correspondent of the Tab/et says : "The
poverty of the clergy is as great, that poor priests are often
seen dying of hunger in the streets of Northern Italy. Only
stew days since a poor priest tell fainting with inanition on
the pavement of Florence. No one attempted to assist him,
when a Jew, indignant at the inhumanity of the bystanders,
gave him a franc, atel carried round his hat to the Christian
crowd for alms, to save one of Christ's priests from dyiug of
starvation."
On Monday an Act was issued for facilitating the
payment of dividends on the public stocks and for making
regulations with respect thereto. The Bank of England,
with the sanction of the "Treasury, may send warrants, w hich
are to be deemed cheques, through the post. Every share-
holder is to make a request in writing to the Bank in a form
approved. Dividends on stock, after this Act, falling due on
the 10th October, are to become due on the Mb October.
"The ability of the female tongue to keep a secret is
proved by the conduct of a St. John's girl, who did not tell
her lover that she was worth four millions In her own right
until after the marriage. Bat who will believe that he didn't
know it k"—Anterican Paper.
Murrain, or foot and mouth disease, bas appeared in
several places in Ayrshire among cattle; and aLso in Surrey.
Mr. Bryan Mackey, a solicitor of many years' prac
Dee in Southampton, has died from injuries received by a
fall from his horse. Ile was for Some time a member of the
Town Council.
It is said that the Khedive of Egypt, before leaving
Paris, gave an order to one of the principal toymakers for a
doll which is to exceed in its dress and ornaments any
recently heard of. It is intended as a present for one of the
daughters of the Sultan, and some idea of the style in which
It ingot up may be given by stating that in the ears are
diamonds worth £2,050
The great coach-making establishment of Lauens
stein, at Hamburg, which occupies 1,00 to 1,500 workmen,
suffered last years loss of 06,0011 marks bunco, in consequence
of the low prices, resulting frgin xuessive competition. The
proprietors have therefore been obliged to inform the work-
men that a reduction of 25 per cent, will be made in the
wages tariff. This reduction the artisans have refused to
accept, and have struck work since the let of Augu.t.
The name of Mr. Charles Moore, M.P. for Tipperary
county, must be added to the list of members of the House
of Commons recently deceased. He was the son of the late
Mr. Arthur Moore, and was born in 1804. He was first re-
turned to Parliament in 1865. Mr. Moore was a Liberal
There were, during the session just closed, 100 divi-
sions in the House of Commons. Of these 29 took place en
the Irish Church Bill, orison the second reading, 21 in com-
mittee, one on the third readies, and six on consideration
of the Lords' amendments. On the Marriage with a Deceased
Wife's Sister Bill there were nine divisions, and on the
Parochial Schools ',Scotland) Bill eleven.
The Adektide Obserrtr says:—" In accordance with
an arrangemerd which has session by session been recognised
by the House of Assembly bi passitig an amount for colonial
miaplain, the office will cease with the death of the late
Very Rev. Dean Farrell, and the next estimates will not con-
tain the usual line under the head ecclesiastical. Prior to
his departure from the colmy, the Dean made provision for
a lOCUM tel.., and, of course, before the office actually ex-
pires, care will be taken to settle affairs connected with his
position."
Mr. Donnelly has issued a sheet, showing in statute
acres the extent of flax grown in Ireland this year, as com-
pared with last. The total acreage in 1868 was 206,483 acres,
and this year, 229,178 acres, showing an increase of 21,695
acres in favour of the present year. In the province of
Ulster, the increase amounts to 18,814 acres. The number of
scutching mills is 1,542, of which 1,421 are in Ulster, 47 in
Leinater, 41 in Muuster, and 34 in Connaught.
The Belgian papers speak of a curious wager made
the other day by a young man of Antwerp. Ile engaged to
swim on his back in the Scheldt torn quarter of an hotuwith
Iris spectacles on. Scarcely, however, had he *mum a few
yards when the sun came out, aunt acting on the spectacles as
on a magnifying glass, gave him such pain that he was
obliged to swim to shore before completing his task. It is
said though that might have been expected that the unfor-
tunate swimmer has not only lust his bet, but his eyesight as
weft.
The New York newspapers recently contained this
mysterious advertistment —" Don Carlos and the Throne of
Spain —Gentlemen of military experieece please call on
Colonel George W. Gibbons, special envoy, 446, Broome-
street, near Broadway."—This is supposed to he a new phase
of Cuban filibustering operations, and the Governnient and
Spanish agents are keeping a watch on the "Colonel"
A Boston gentleman has invented a rat trap which
kills the animal instantly, throws the body In the air, and
sets itself for another victim.
Dr. Bunny, the coroner for the borough of Newbury,
has held an inquest on the body of Julia Heath, daughter of
a French polisher, in that town, who died on Monday from
the effects of driuking some strong pale brandy
A few days since Richard Wood George died at
Green-street, Kent, at the age of 921 years. He was the
father of ten sons and two daughters, Mee of whom survive
him, the eldest being 71 years of age. His grandchildren
number fortydffne alive; and his great grandchildren ninety-
six of whom twenty-three are dead. Ile lived to see the
fifth generation, and the number of his post, rity alive is no
fewer than 121, many of whom attended the funeral.
A good deal of sympathy is felt in Bristol for Wil-
liam Pulite who was seutenced to death on Friday. lor the
murder of Constable Hill. A memorial to the home Secretary
en his behalf is being got up, and it is saiii that the whole of
the jury are willing to sign it.
More than 100 tons of frozen poultry, packed in ice
during the winter, have been received and disposed of in
Faneutl Hall Market, Boston, since the Ist April. The
largest portion of it came from Vermont, where packing
frozen poultry is made quite a business by a few merchants,
though a . onsiderable quantity was shipped from the West.
It was all sweet and in good order, and brought full prices.
"T. A. to A. L. A.—Will you confidentially confide
to any one (to be named by you) where you are, that your
parents, who are dreadially ili.tressed, may be certain of
your safety. It you will make this one communieation no
further steps shall be taken ."—Advertisement in The Times.
The amnesty proclaimed by the Emperor of the
French, on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of the
First Napoleon, includes not only offenders against the peess
laws and political misdemeanauts, but all soldiers and sailors
undergoing sentence for desertion.

scut-*ing