The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-10-05 00:00:00

SATURDAY, 00T. 6, 1814.

A PANTHER AT LARGE.—An animal, supposed UP
be. a panther or jaguar escaped from some travelling
menagerie, has for several days been committing
depredations in a part of the Pas-de-Calais. A battue
was organised in the forest of Huechin, but without
result owing to the thickness of the wood. A trap was
then set for the wild beast in what was thought to be
a convenient place. Eight sheep were placed in a pen
at the end of the wood, and a detachment of gen-
darmes was to take up its place of concealment
near, and to shoot the brute when it appeared. When
they arrived on the ground they found the sheep all
killed and the depredator gone. The damage done is
estimated already at 10 0001 r., and some small owners
whose whole property consisted in little flocks are
ruined, More regular and extended batipes are about
to be organised.
STORM WARNING.—The following cable messege has
been received at the London office of the Neld York
Herald :—"A depression, attended by rains and strcen
winds, and gales from the south and west, will prde
bably arrive from the north-west on the North British
and Norwegian coasts about the 30th. The energy
of the disturbance will probably increase eastward of
British coasts."
A NEW RUSSIAN MAN-OF-WAIL—We (Globe) are
informed that in the course of a few days a new man-
of-war, named the Nayezdnik, will be added to the
Russian navy. The vessel is built clipper fashion, like
the Rasboinik, launched at St. Petersburg a few
months ago. Its length between perpendiculars is 214
feet, breadth 33 feet, depth 14i feet, and displace-
ment 1,334 tons. Its armament will comprise threw
6-inch rifled guns placed on a revolving platform on
the upper deck. Four 4-pounder rifled guns will also
be placed on the same deck, two on each side, The
engines are of 250 nominal, or 1,500 indicated horse
power, and are now under course of construction at
Messrs. Penns'. The vessel itself has been built at
the "New Admiralty," St. Petersburg, from the
designs of Captain Subboin, who had charge also of
the construction of the twin clipper' Rasboinik. It
will, it is believed, be despatched to ViAdivostock, to
replace one of the men-of-war on the Pacific station. The
Nayezdnik is the fourth vessel of the Krestzer class
constructed since 1875.
LAST WEEK'S WRECKS.—There were 33 British rod
foreign wrecks reported during the past week, makistV
the total for the present year 1,043, or a decrease a
199 as compared with the corresponding period of last
year. The vessels and cargoes, many of the latter.
Ibeing very valuable, were approximately valued at
£525,000, including British property £379,000.

THE QUARTER'S REVENUE RETURNS.—The returns
of the revenue of the United Kingdom up to Monday
night (Sept. 30), show that the receipts for the past
quarter amounted to £1V08,527, being a net increase
of £83,545 as compared with the corresponding period
of last year. For the past half-year, however, the net
increase is only £34,372. During the past quarter
there has been a decrease in Customs, Excuse, stamps,
land tax and house duty, and miscellaneous receipts;
but an increase in property and income tax Poet Office
and Telegraph service, and interest on advances.
HINT FOR QUARTER DAY.—Someone has suggeeted
that if the inventor of the phonograph would brlng•
out a little machine to be attached to the front door-,
which would say, when the landlord called for the,
rent, "Come again next month," it would have a
good sale. So it would; and if he wanted a name for
it he might call it the Postponograph.—Judy.

NEW CONVENT IN LONDON. —On Sunday Cardinal
Manning performed the inaugural ceremonies at the
establishing of a new order of nuns at Notting-hill.
The community is at present a small one, consisting of
twelve sisters of the Carmelite Order, Lady Minna
Charlotte Howard, eldest surviving sister of the Duke
of Norfolk, being of the number. Soine five years ago
the intention of founding the order iv London was
formed, and at the latter end of 1874 the' project re-
ceived the benediction of the late Pope Pills IX., but
it was not until Sunday that the plans wee carried
out. On Saturday the sisters arrived from Faris,
being part of the Carmelite community of that city.
The building consists of house anct chapel, wl;lci2,
together with an enclosed garden, covers an area of
a couple of acres. It is situated in St. Charles-squarep
Ladbroke-grove-road, Notting-hill. At eight o'clock:
on Sunday morning Cardinal Manning commenced
the ceremonies of the day by solemnly blessing - the
convent and chapel, and afterwards celebrated in the
latter the first mass heardwithin its walls. Devotions
usual to the order were continued throughout the day,
and in the evening were brought to a close with the
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

A MISTAICE.—OId Lady (emerging wrathfully from
Cabmen's Shelter). "I say, Conductor! if you don't
send this 'ere tram on directly, I'll report you! An
a hour I've been settin' a-waitin' a'ready. Ain't you
ashamed of yourself ? "—Punch.
CURIOUS NESTING PLACE OF A SWALLOW,—A notice
occurred in your paper recently from one of your cor-
respondents of an interesting instance of a swallow
rearing her young in a bedroom. A similar instance
occurred to my own knowledge. A swallow selectscl as
the position for her nest a place just above the window.
frame inside a bed-room at a neighbouring rectory..
Though the room was occupied, she was unmolested,
and the window left sufficiently open for her ingress
and egress. She safely reared her young, and for three
years in succession a swallow, presumably the same,
returned, and built in the same place. Is this any clue
as to the length of a swallow's life ?—J. CONWAY
(florncastle), in Land and Water.
A WILDFOWLER'S PARADISE.—In his recent vmrk
on Monghyr, in the Presidency of Bengal, Mr. Lock
wood says that the waters swarm with wild fowl, andl
states that on one lake near Sakarpoor he computes
that he saw no less than—wildgeese, 5,000; red-
crested pochards, 20,000; pin-tailed duck, 20,000;
pochards, 50,000; teal, 20,000; garganey, 20,000;
gadwall, 10,000' shoveller and ferruginous duck,
10,000; glossy ibis, 10,000; red-crowned ibis, 1,000;
black-headed ibis, 100; curlew, 100; purple heron,
100; common heron,`2oo ; egrets, 10000; purple cock,
50,000; godwit, 50,000; stilt plover, 5,000; cormorant,
10,000; Indian snake bird (Plossus), 5,000; crested
grebe, 100; dabchick, 200; osprey, 20; white-tailed
eagle, 29; kite, 100; other birds of prey, 20.—Land
and Water.

TRAVELLER TOO BONA FlDE.—Dusty Pedestrian—
"I should like a Glass of Beer, Missis, please--"
Landlady—" Hee ye been Trevellin' by Bell?"
Pedestrian "No, I've been Walking—Fourteen
Miles." Landlady—" Na, na, nas Drink will ony yin
get here, wha's been Pleesure-seekin' o' the Sawbath
Day! ! "—Punch. _ _ _

ACCIDENTS BY RAIL AND ROAD.—A French au-
thority has just published an interesting study on the
relative number of accidents by rail and road, and
some elaborate statistics showing the proportion of
accidents to railway travellers in various European
countries. From the figures adduced, it appears that
there is no comparison between diligencies and rail-
ways in the matter of safety. In France, in pre-rail-
way times, there was one traveller killed to every
335,000 carried, and of every 30,000 one was wounded
•
whereas out of 1,781,403,678 passengers who tr ll
avee
on the railways of France between September, 1835,
and December, 1875, only one of every 5,178,890 was
killed, while in proportion of wounded during the
same period was one to 580,450. This is highly satis-
factory to all except to the one.
BIRTHDAY COINCIDENCES.—The following noblemen
and gentlemen celebrated their birthdays on Tuesday,
having been born on October 1 in the several years
named :—Viscount Doneraile, born 1818; Lord Ave.
land, born 3830; Lord Grantley, born 1855; Earl of
Mountcharles, born 1857; Sir John Wallis Alexander,
Bart., born 1800; the Hon. Martin James Ffrench,
born 1813; the Hon. Alfred Nelson Hood, born 1858;
and Edward Wingfield Verner, Esq., M.P., for the
county of Armagh, born 1830.

LESS SHARP THAN SBEARS.—Mr. Punch has re-
ceived innumerable communications relative to Sher*
Ali. They all agree in the common property of being
sheer nonsense.—Punch,
ROBINSON CRIJSOE'S rsrAND—A late visitor to the
Juan Fernandez Isles, describes thus the island made
famous by De Foe's celebrated romance (says Land
and Water) :—"Finding,to our delight, a very clear and
beautiful morning, we were ready for the boat to take
us on shore by eight o'clock. We found a nice land-
ing place, with a few houses close by the shore. The
gentleman who leases the island from the Chaim Go-
vernment, Alf de Rode—an enterprising S wiss—met us
on the mole, and very cordially invited us to his house
and gave us some fresh milk and bread, as the morn-
ing air had sharpened our appetites. He then said
he would go with us to see the cave where Alexander
Selkirk (the original of Robinson Crusoe) lived so long.
When we arrived there, a beautiful lunch was set
before us, composed of various viands, wines, fruits,
etc., while there was nice cool water close by, making
it altogether lovely. After an hour or so spent in
examining the far-famed locality, we took our leavet
well pleased with our visit. Mr. de Rode has leased
the entire island for a period of eight years, and is
stocking it with cattle with which to supply passing
vessels or to ship to the mainland. Fine feed abound_si
and there is an ample supply of fresh water. wild
goats are abundant, and many are consumed by the
natives for food, the skins being handed over to the
proprietor. There are also a great number of fine fish
in the surrounding waters. The highest part of the
island is about 3,000 feet high. The scenery is varied
and exceedingly beautiful. The climate is tropical,
and life in such a place, although of necessity verY
isolated, must still possess all the romantic charin
which for ever inve,ste the far•off summer isles of the
_

Pacific Ocean."
A KIND WlSH.—lnebriate (to friend, who is helping
him home) :—" Thanksh, o' boy, awfully ; hope
may have the o•op-op-portun'ty do shame for you
shome day."—Fun.
DANGEROUS RIFLE PRACTICE.—AE Major Kincaira
Smith, with his daughter, was riding over the Brighton
Downs on Saturday evening the young lady remarked
that her horse was going somewhat strangely. T,he
Major dismounted, and had no sooner lifted bloB
Smith from her saddle, than her horse dropped dowo
dead. It was then discovered that the animal had
been shot by a spent bullet, which had been fired bl
some member of the Ist Sussex Rifles, who were at
ball practice at the butts in Sheepcote Valley. 14:,
the time of the accident Major and Miss Smith plus:,
have been in the line of the fire, though out of eigur
under the crest of the hill.

SENSATIONAL HEADINGS IN NEWSPAPERS.
modesty of British newspapers appears to have rase
a considerable impression across the Atlantic (reniert
the Graphic) and the Transatlantic Press—seeming,ll,
somewhat ashamed of adorning their notable artict
with sensational headings and interlinings —Pral,""
highly the simple manner in which English jourer
!
insert important communications. Letters from Oa
most distuiguished men in Great Britain, says the
Francisco News Letter, are printed without a word at
bluster, " Peers and M.P.'s say their say without coreci
ment, while in this country enormous headings sveul,
tell the world that a great man had spoken, and, fl
editorial would dilate upon the superiority of the eue.esi
honoured by such correspondence. If any sPecl t
journal be favourably alluded to in Parliament, thlia
journal lays no stress on the matter next morning, id",
its rivals do not suppress the speech. Here we shalt
find the particular speech reported only in the
mentiore,i, Rhile the speaker would be lucky it °-
escaped the enmity of the other journals. Let us,shaku
the brass from °lir cheeks, and take a lesson from onr
English cousins."