The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-12-08 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The British possessions in India comprise 938,366
square miles, and the population reaches upwards of
290, 000,000.
The fellow-townsmen cf the late Mr. John Henry
Chamberlain, of Birmingham, have contributed £2,572
towards a memorial. It is not let decided what form
the memorial shall take.

The consecration of Canon Barry as Bishop of
Sydney, Australia, has been definitely fixed to take
place in Westminster Abbey on Tuesday, January 1,
at eleven o'clock.

The surveying expedition to Takht-i-Sulieman,
Afghanistan, has been attacked by Ghazis. Twenty
of the assailants were killed. There were no casualties
in Major Hnldich's force.
There are nearly forty newspapers issued in Calcutta.
About one-half are English; the rest are in various
languages and dialects.
On Monday two men were blown from the roof of a
house in Limerick during a furirms gale, and killed
instantly. Several houses were blown down.
A fire has occurred in the upper part of the Masonic
Temple at New York, causing damage to the amount
of 100,000 dollars.

A Cincinnati paper says that Mr. Betts, of eflapel
Swamp, Cal., has a plant which produces a frcii; like
an egg. The product is plucked when ripe, is of a
tough, firm nature, and is used with success by poultry
raisers as a nest egg.
The Japanese are planting oyster-beds near Yoko-
hama, and expect to be able to export oysters very
soon in large quantities. The oysters of Japan are
among the best in the world.
An official report states that the silk produced this
year in Italy amounts to 42,000,000 kilograms, show-
ing an increase of 30 per cent. on the three previous
years.

The King of Sweden and Norway has awarded £lO
to the owner of the smack Vivandiere, of Grimsby, for
having saved the master and crew of the Swedish brig
Susannah, of Warberg, which was abandoned in the
North Sea.

On Saturday the contract was signed between the
Syndic of Rome and the contractors for the erectionrof
a new bridge over the Tiber, to be finished in twenty
months.

The latest reports from Ottawa state thait the indi-
cations are that the present year will be the best yet
experienced in the cattle and sheep export trade of
Canada. The quantity will be in excess of previous
seasons, while the quality of the shipments is un•
doubtedly greatly superior to that of last year.

The little island of Atafu, in the South Seas, is said
to be the only purely Chribtian country in the world.
Every adult on the island is a member of the church on
confession of faith.

Twenty•nine Roman Catholic families at Niederad,
in the Rhine Valley, have formed a free religious com-
mnnity, and it is reported that a similar movement is
agitating other districts in the same locality.

Five hundred farmers, representing nearly all in
county Waterford, and a great part of Kilkenny
county, have given notice prohibiting bunting ,;,ver
their lands by the Curragbmore foxhounds, of which
the Marquis of Waterford was the late master.

On Monday morning two large cloth drying stores
belonging to Messrs. John Orr, Ewing, and Co.,
Oroftengea Works, Alexandria, Dumbartonshire, were
burned down. The buildings were filled with Turkey
red cloth. The damage is estimated at about £B,OOO.
The sparks from the one building ignited the other.
During the present year 10 per cent, of the cattle in
many districts of South ,Russia have fallen a prey to
cattle plague.
Nineteen actual shipwrecks were reported during
last week, five sinking with all hands. Twelve were
British owned. The number of wrecks for the year
is now 1,679, against 1,476 last year, when 53 were re-
ported for the week.

The surplus from the Fisheries Exhibition will (says
Truth), probably be between £5,000 and £lO,OOO. To
this will have to be aided the rent, which will accrue
from the beneficial lease of the buildings in the Horti•
cultural Gardens during the next three years to other
exhibitions. The money will be devoted to purposes
connected with the fishing interests.

It is stated that the £l,OOO offered by the French
Government as compensation to the missionary, Mr.
Shaw, has been paid over by the French authorities.
The money was not pressed tor by Lord Granville, hut
was offered by the French Government through the
British Goverment to Mr, Shaw.

The total of the beast supply entered for consump-
tion at the Metropolitan Cattle Market for the week
ending Saturday last, was 2.740 head ; the correspond-
ing week of 1882. 4,040 ; 1881, 4,070; 1880, 4.060; 1879,
5.460; 1878, 4 720; 1877, 4,930; 1876, 6,220; 1875,
6,950; and 1874, 5,950.

During the early hours of Monday morning a fire
broke out at No. 3, White's-court, Ropemakers'-street,
London. The outbreak was limited to the front
room on the ground floor, in which lived Mary Stenton,
54 years of age, who was unfortunately burned to death
before she could be rescued.

There were 2,423 births and 1,656 deaths regittered
in London last week. Allowing for increase of popula•
tion, the births were 214, and the deaths 134,
below the average numbers in the corresponding weeks
of the last ten years. The annual rate of mortality
from all causes, which in the two previous weeks had
been equal to 222 and 220 per 1,000 further declined
to 2PB.

The company of hunters at, d trappers in Samtschatka
do not appear this year to have been particularly sue-
sessful. but nevertheless a c7csiderable amount of busi-
ness has been Lransacted, as the following sales of
various kinds of furs will show :—Beaver' 3,000; fox,
700; ermine, 1,000; bear, 1,300; seal, 2,000 ; por-
poise, 20; blue fox, 10; wolf, 20 • wild sheep, 300;
wolverene, 1,800; and various other fawn-coloured
furs, 900.
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The traffic receipts of the railways in the United
King:lore for the week ending November 30, upon a
mileage of 16,627 i, amount to £1,241,871, being equal
to £74 14s, per mile. For the corresponding week of
last year the recipts were £1,211,603, the numhor of
miles open 16,422 i, OT £73 16s. per mita. A compari-
son of the two weeks shows 1,-,n inorease in the total
receipts of £30,268, and an increase in the number of
miles open of 204 f.
Umb:ellas of natural flowers have been introduced
at Nice. The blossoms entirely cover the outside, the
handles are of bamboo in rustic shape, and the lining
Is thin white silk. One of these floral curiosities, re-
cently Bent to a Parisian bride, was made of Parma
violets, with a border of white jessamine imitating
lace.

At Liverpool, on Tuesday, Guiseppo Rosselle, an
Italian, wae committed for trial for the manslaughter
of Rsffael Pelusi. The men were playing an Italian
game in a public-house, when a quarrel arose, and
the prisoner struck Pelusi a heavy blow on the head
with a belt buckle, causing injuries which resulted in
death.
The number of steamers which arrived at Liverpool
during last week from the United States and Canada
with live stock and fresh meat on board was the same
as thst for the prevding week, but the total imports
last week show a falling off in the supply of both live
stock and fresh meat, with the exception of sheep,
which were the largest arrivals for many weeks past,
The conveying steamers last week were eight in
number. The total arrivals were 1,586 cattle, 5,048
sheep, 8,773 quarters of beef, and 1,179 czrcases of
mutton.

A shocking occurrence took place at Summerhill,
near Wrexham, on Saturday night. A little boy and
girl were playing t,,lgether at the house of Mr. Bailie,
t.hopkeeper, when their attention was attracted to a
loaded gun standing in a corner. They proceeded to
examine the gun, when it went off, blowing away one
side of the face of the little girl. Death was instan-
taneous. The deceased was four years old, and was a
grandchild of Mr. BeHie

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Three hundred head of cattle perished in a fire
which recently occurred at Walkersville, Ontario.
The Windsor Theatre in the Bowery, New York,
has, together with a number of adjacent buildings,
been burned down. The loss is estimated at 300,000
dollars.
A F potted whale has been driven on shore on the
Islaud of Stronsa, in the Orkneys. It is 30ft. in
length. It was dreadfully battered and cut by the
crags against which it was driven.

A portion of the Farwell Block, Chicago, was burnt
on Saturday ; 75 girls who were in upper workshops
sewing furs hai a narrow escare. Two were killed.
Tht loss amounts to 200,000 dole.
The coast of Nova Scotia has been visited by a
hurricAne, causing the wreck of the new steamer
Princess Louise, near Digby. Eight of her crew of
ten men perished, including the captain.

Mr. James N. Wells, of Riverhead, Massachusetts,
has on his farm an eel-pond covering five acres. It is
so full of eels that they can be raked out with a
garden-rake.
Alfred Spitzer, a captain in the Salvation Army, has
been expelled from the Canton of Neuchatel for
breaking the decree of Octob3r last.

At the abnual meeting of the managers of the Cork
Savings Bank, it transpired that the total deposits
during the year amounted to £76,000, being an increase
of £6,675 on the preceding twelvemonth.

Last week's receipts of cotton at all United States
ports were 222,000 bales ; since let September,
2,408,000 bales. Week's exports to Great Britain,
100,000 bales; to the Continent, 54,000 bales. Total
since Ist September, 1,234,000 bales; stock at all ports,
964,000 bales.
In the year 1882, there landed in the port of New
York alone 476,086 emigrants. From the report of
Consnl-General Booker, it appears that of these
198,468 were Germans, 52,768 Irish, 44,517 Swedes,
40,80 English, and 27,48 T Italians.

In London on Tuesday, Peter, or Joseph, Moriarty
was again brought uo at Marlborough•street for
wounding Mr. Hwfa Williams with a revolver. Mr.
Bloxham, surgeon, said that Mr. Williams, though
progressing favourably, would not be able to attend
the court for three weeks. The magistrate remanded
the prisoner for a week, and refused to accept bail.

All the cows on the home farm at Peckforton Castle
are being fed on ensilage taken from the silo recently
opened by Lord Tollemache. The animals con-
tinue to eat it with avidity, and are milking well. A
meeting of the principal tenants on the Peckforton
estate is to be convened, to consider the advisability
of extending the ensilage system to all the farms on
the estate.

By command of the Queen, a parcel, containing
1001 b. of linen, has been sent from Buckingham
Palace to the London Hospital, Whitechapel-road.
The Duke of Edinburgh has sent 20 pheasants to St.
Thomas's Hospital for the use of the patients.
The difference between France and Switzerland with
regard te the fortifying of certain points in Savoy has
been settled by the French Government ordering the
suspension of all work upon fortifications in the neu-
tralised zone.

A frightful railway accident has occurred on the
Ploermel Line in Brittany. A collision t.ok place be-
tween a luggage train and a passenger train. Eighteen
persons were killed, and many seriously injured.
Two men have been tried at the Middlesex &Wong
for obtaining food at restaurants and then leaving
without paying for their meals. They were severally
sentenced to fourteen days' and three weeks' Imprison-
ment,

Tue progress in the preparations for the Turin Exhi-
bition indicate that the scheme is assuming an immense
development. The space occupied by the buildings is
more than threefold that of the Exhibition at Milan.

Mr. James Robinson was found dead in his bed at
Richmond, Yorks, on Tuesday morning. The de-
ceased, who was about 72 years of ages was for over 35
years a member of the Town Council, and was four
times mayor, whilst for 18 years he served as alder-
man. At an inquest on the body a verdict of death
from natural causes was returned.

Sir William M'Arthur, M.P., has given £lO.OOO,
and his brother. Mr. Alexander M'Arthur, M.P.
£5,000, to the Wesleyan Metropolitan Chapel Building
Fund, in order that additional chapels and mission.
rooms may he provided among the hitherto neglected
districts of London. Other gentlemen have promised
£11,600 more, and it is intended to raise at least
£50,000 for this object.

The Queen's staghounde had one of the best runs of
the season on Tuesday. The meet was near Southall,
and there was a good field. The deer was uncarted
shortly before twelve o'clock, and traversed a splendid
line of country to Ealing and liensal•green, where
it was taken after a very good run.

A circular signed by the Duke of Argyll has been
issued by a provisional committee formed in Glasgow,
proposing to form a ship canal connecting Tarbert, the
Western Highlands, and the Clyde. Donations
amounting to 83,000 have already been promised, and
£38,400 of capital of the proposed company has been
subscribed.

Intelligence received from St. Petersburg states
that agrarian crimes are increasing in the Government
of Kid!. All the landed proprietors near Bojarky
have had much damage done to their property through
incendiarism, pillage, and devastations committed by
peasants.

On the arrival of a goods train from Edinburgh at
Aberdeen on Saturday morning, it was found that one
of the waggons was on fire. By energetic action on
the part of the officials the fire Was extinguished before
it reached the other vehicles. The waggon, which
with its contents was destroyed, was loaded with
hams, drapery goods, and a box of jewellery,

The November return of the Cleveland Ironmastere
Association shows the following as the mcnth's make
of pig iron—namely, 154,000 tons of Cleveland iron.
and 74,000 tons of other kinds—a total of 228,000 tone,
or 10,000 tons less than in October. There are 118
furnaces blowing, 84 of which are making Cleveland
pig iron. Stocks decreased 21,800 tons in November.
The leading American Watch Company propose to
make dials numbered consecutively for twenty-four
hours. The idea meets with popular approval, auid
four hundred applications to patent this scheme havS
been refused.

A man named Pearson has met with a fijghtfu
death at Messrs. Jones's colliery, Coseley. Whilst
engaged in repairing the pit frame be overbalanoed
himself and fell head foremost into the shaft, which is
upwards of 100 yards deep. When found he was dead,
his body being completely shattered, and it was found
necessary to gather his remains together in:a bag,

Mrs. Jennie Morton, of Little Washington, Va.,
died recently, after prolonged suffering from the
effects of a spider bite. Some eight weeks before she
was bitten by a spider on the hand, the poison of
which spread through her whole system and caused
her death.

Daring the first eight months of the financial year
the Treasury receipts amounted to £53,587,354, as cornrn
pared with £52,801,201 in the corresponding period of
last year. The expenditure has been £53,788,892. On
Saturday last the balance in the Bank of England
was £5,601,075, and in the Bank of Ireland
£1,065,067.

A New York telegram says that the visible supply
of wheat on Nov. 30 was 32,300,000 bushels, as against
31,400,000 bushels the previous week. Visible supply
of Indian corn 8,900,000 bushels, as against 9,200,000
bushels the previous week. The export clearances of
wheat for Europe during last week amounted to
470,000 bushels. The export clearances of Indian
corn for Europe during last week amounted to 420,000
bushels.

An explosion took place on Saturday, at a depth of
about 1,200 ft., in a coal mine belonging to the Soci6
du Trieu Kaisin, at Montingy•sur•Sarebre, near
Charleroi. Thirty workmen were at work there, of
whom all hut three were able t 3 make their escape,
four of them being so severely burnt that they had to
be taken to the hospital, and it is reported that two
have since died.

A correspondent, writing of the commericial stand-
ing of Winnipeg, says :—" I have seen Winnipeg in its
best and in its worst, and I can safely say that there
was never a better time than new for the investment
of capital in legitimate enterprises of every kind. The
crpze to get rich in a hurry is over, but the earning
power of money will be very large for many years to
fr
come."

Salmon disease ia reported to have broken out again
in the upper reaches of the Tweed and the Teviot.
The rivers at present are full of spawning fish. The
angling season on the Tweed terminated on Saturday.
Sport has been very good. One angler, Mr. Thistleth-
waite, of London, killed above 100 salmon,

On Tuesday evening the Liberals of the Scottish
border counties held a great demonstration at Kelso,
in favour of assimilating the borough and county
franchise and of a redistribution of seats. The Earl
of Minto presided. The Chief Sehretary for Ireland
spoke in favour of dealing with the franchise before re-
distribution, as the latter measure could best be formu-
lated when the number of voters to be dealt with had
been ascertained.

Speaking near Oldham on Saturday night, Mr. Rib.
bort, M.P., said he did not know what plan the
Government proposed respecting the redistribution of
seats and parliamentary reform, but he thought small
boroughs that now returned members might be grouped,
such as tha plan adopted in Scotland, where the fairest
system of representation was carried out, as no con.
stituency was under 10,000 inhabitants.

On Tuesday Catherine Flannagan and Margaret
Higgins charged on suspicion of poisoning the husband
of the latter, were again remanded at Liverpool pend-
ing the inquest on the girl Jennings, whose body has
been recently exhumed,

In the report by Dr, Daniel Draper on the New
York Meteorological Observatory for 1882 it is shown
that the actual hours of sunshine at Greenwich
Observatory were 1,245 in 1878 and 977 in 1879, when
the possible hours were 4,447; whereas at New York
in the former year the actual hours were 2,936, and in
the latter 3,101, when the possible hours were 4,449,
At the adjourned Conference of Miners' Delegates,
at Sheffield, on Tuesday, the opinion prevailed that it
would he unwise to insist on an advance of fifteen per
cent. It was, therefore, decided that all the notices
he for the present withdrawn, and that the Conference
he adjourned till the 27th inst„ when it will meet in
Manchester,

The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens,
Regent's Park, London, during last week, included
two bonnet monkeys from India, presented respec-
tively by Mr. H. G. Rose and Miss Morant ; a
common fox, British, presented by Mr. H. Vaughan;
two bullfinches, European, presented by Mr. Archi-
bald Aitchison; four Moorish toads from Tunis, pre-
sented by Mr. Frederick Bridges ; twelve tulle, or
pope, from Britißli waters, presented by Mr. T. E.
Gunn •, two Michie's tufted deer, a Chinese water
deer, two Elliot's pheasant's from China, presented ;
six coal titmice, British, purchased; a spotted
ichneumon from Nepal, five blue•orowned hanginv,
parakeets from Malacca, received in exchange.


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