The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-06-15 00:00:00

SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 1878,

A Dr., CASE.—A curious duel case has just been
decided at Nuremberg (says the Correspondent of The
Times). A law student, during his compulsory one
year's service in the army, deemed himself insulted by
the treatment he received from a lieutenant. . On con-

alitling his term a duel was fought and the lieutenant
was killed. The questions before the jury were
whether a duel had been fought, whether it had had a
fatal result, and was it the accused who was guilty of
that result. The jury gave a verdict of "Not Guilty"
on all three charges. The German pagers are puzzled
to account for this repetition of the decision of a recent
St. Petersburg case. Some say the reason of the
verdict was pity for a promising young man whom the
jury did not hold responsible for acts which custom
demands and the law half sanctions; others that it
was an instance of the dislike in which Prussian
officers are held; and, lastly, it is believed that the
jury found itself confronted with the difficulty that if
the officer had been in the student's place the case
would have been one in which the law, after com-
pellino•' him to fight, punished him according to its
, result.

- ---
SENSITIVENESS OF THE TELEPHONE.—An instance of
the telephone's wonderful sensitiveness is furnished
by its inventor. He relates how a private wire was
established between the houses of two friends, the dis-
tance being about two miles. Night after night one
of the gentlemen heard through his telephone the
sounds of a piano accompanying songs, many of which
were familiar to him. He was much surprised to learn
that this music did not proceed from his friend's
house. Thinking, therefore, that some one had played
a trick upon him by attaching an independent tele-
phone at some intermediate point of the circuit, a
search was instituted, which, however, resulted in
nothing being discovered. Where these phantom sounds
came from remains to this day a mystery, but the cir-
cumstances have been advertised, together with a list
of the songs recognised, in the hope that one of the
performers will come forward and help towards the
elucidation of the enigma. It is probable that the
wire passed over some house in which the music was
produced, but how without help it could reach the
telephone it is impossible to guess. The occurrence of
the aurora borealis seems always to disturb the equa-
nimity, for during the display it is said to emit various
sounds, and whether appreciative or the reverse it is
not stated.—Science for All.
HORTICULTURAL.—Something to bear in mind when
the rose season comes on—A thorn in the bush is
worth two in the fingers.—Judy.

DOG LICENCES AND HYDROPHOBIA.—A return just
issued shows that last year 1,238,867 licences for dogs
were granted in England, and 153,309 in Scotland.
The numbers granted in the preceding year were
1,209,490 and 152,686. During the year 1876 the
number of deaths from hydrophobia was 53, the
number in 1875 being 47 ; in 1874, 61; in 1873, 28; in
187.2, 39; in 1871, 56; in 1870, 32; in 1869, 18; in 1868,
7; in 1867, 10; and in 1866, 36.

SLUGS AND ZINC COLLARS.—Several of your corre-
spondents have mentioned that rings of zinc around a
plant willkeep off slugs; but, supposing that a colony
of young slugs were concealed under the ample foliage
of a Polyanthus when the ring was placed round it—
slugs so small that old eyes do not find them during the
short time that rheumatic limbs allow of the head
being so close to the earth—what is to be done then?
Will soot suit the plant as well as clothe the slimy
victims in a suit of mourning ?—W. T. T., in the
Garden.
THE BOOK POST.—The Athenceum says it is under-
stood that the Postal Congress held the other day at
Paris has agreed on an amended treaty to come in
force on the Ist of April next, by which the limit of
weight of books to be carried by the Postal Union
Mails is raised from 21b. to 41b. Nothing appears to
have been agreed upon that will hamper the free de-
livery by post in America of English books. This will
probably lead, sooner or later, to the abolition of duty
levied by the United States on books.

NEGATIVE PROOF.—OId Gent (who firmly believes
in the School Board, to Cow-boy). "Oh, you go to
school, do you? Now, I daresay you can tell me who
it was that was saved when the world was drowned,
can't you ?"—Cow-boy (all abroad). "No-a, Zur-r !"
—told Gent goes his way, a firmer believer than be-
f ore.]—Punch.
WEEKLY REVIEW OF THE CORN TRADE. - Bell's
Weekly Messenger says :—" Although the weather
during the greater part of the past week has been, un-
settled, and although the supplies of home grown
wheat offering have been very moderate, the trade re-
mains in a dull and inactive state, and the value both
of home-grown and foreign produce has still a down-
ward tendency. Millers are operating with the
greatest caution, and, as they foresee abundance, are
reluctant to purchase in excess of their actual wants.
The large supplies of wheat now on passage from the
United States and the continued weakness of the New
York market render buying increasingly easy, and
there seems at present very little hope of recovery."

." Man " the

THE BEST MAN FOR ENGLAND,—
Navy ! —Judy.
PEACE VERSUS WAR.—A letter from St. Petersburg
in the Post of Berlin says that on the 27th of May a
council was held in the Emperor's chamber in conse-
quence of the receipt of news from. London. The
council was attended by the Czarewitch, the Grand
Dukes Vladimir, Constantine, Nicholas, and Michael,
Field-Marshal Prince Bariatinsky, M. de Giers,
Deputy. Chancellor, M. Milutine' Minister for War,
and others, The Grand Duke Constantine was, as
usual, very warlike in feeling, and seemed greatly dis-
contented at the pacific tone of the majority of the
council. The letter adds that "the Russian nation is
unanimously in favour of peace. The war has deprived
thousands of families of their means of support, the
finances are in a deplorable condition, and the trade
and industry of the country have been thrown back
twenty years. At the annual parade which is held in
the month of May on the 'field of Mars' 26,657 men
and upwards of a thousand officers were present this
year • but the absence of the guards, the grenadiers,
and the hussars was much commented upon. More
than half of these brave fellows have perished in
Turkey on the battle field and in the hospitals, and the
rest are still before Constantinople."
THE POPULAR AIR.—" I'm so glad you've come,
Charley; we want to hear one of your songs." "All
right; I've only brought one though—`Nancy Lee."
"Oh, dear! how unfortunate! We've had that twice
already, and all the other gentlemen have brought
it ! "—Fun
AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The following
are the average prises of British corn for the week
ending June 8, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 495.; barley, 395. 10d, ;
oats, 245. 9d. • per imperial qr. Corresponding week
last year :—Wheat, 655. ; barley, 365. 6d. ; oats,
275. 7,1.
THE FAMINE IN CHINA.—The following telegram
has been received from the committee of the famine
relief fund in Shanghai:—" Distress must increase
until October. A hundred thousand families are re-
ceiving relief. This committee is trying to support
them until the harvest is available. Our means are
exhausted. We appeal for prompt transfer of £5,000."
Sir Rutherford Alcock, chairman of the London
committee, says that in the present state of their
finances they are utterly unable to send more than
about one sixth part of the sum asked for. He feels
sure that the extent of the need for help only requires
to be thoroughly realised in this country in order to
secure a continuance of the support which has been so
generously afforded to them up to the present time.
FEE SIMPLE.—The money given by credulous young
ladies to fortune-telling imposters.—Fun.
TH.E COINAGE.—The report of the Deputy Master
of the Mint for the year 1877 states that the total
number of pieces struck at the Mint during the year
was 30,131,130, as against 11,239,050 in 1876, and their
value, real or nominal, £1,567,936 15s. 6id. The total
number of British coins struck during the year was
27,856,130, and their value £1,557,520 2s. 21d. The
value of gold coin struck was £1,098,741, of silver
coins £407,822 17s. 3d., and of bronze £50,956, 4s.llid.
The smallness of the demand for gold coin is attributed
to the importation of sovereigns from Australia' the
amount of these coins struck at the Sydney and Mel-
bourne Mints which were leceived at the Bank of
England during the year having risen to £3,748,000, as
against £2,075,000 in 1876, and £2,726,000 in 1875.
THE WALTER PRESS.—The Daily News of Satur-
day, (Bth) says :—" The great increase in our circula-
tion having rendered the machinery—seven Walter
presses—no longer adequate to produce the numbers
required, an eighth Walter press, ordered a few weeks
ago, has this week been erected in the machinery room
of the offices in Bouverie-street, and was yesterday
morning brought for the first time into use. The
result, which is an extraordinary one, deserves mention
in the history of machinery. Yesterday morning the
eight presses, working simultaneously at the astonish-
ing rate of 104.000 perfect copies per hour, accom-
plished the printing of no less than 120,000 copies of
the Daily News in time for the departure of the early
newspaper trains."
A NEVER-FAILING REVOLVER.—The earth !—Judy.
THE NILE.—The Correspondent of The Times,
writing from Alexandria on the 28th of May, says :
"An annual event of no mean importance to Egypt
has occurred in the last week. The Nile has risen
some 3ft. at Khartoum. The rains in Abyssinia have
flooded the dry bed of the Atbara, have thence en-
livened the marshes of Low Nile in the Soudan, and
the effects have been flashed down by telegraph from
Khartoum, 2,000 miles from the sea. Dwellers in
Egypt alone can understand what this announcement
means. It comes early ; the rise is considerable. It
means a good Nile; plenty would drive out dearth,
and want will yield to prosperity. Some six weeks
afterwards the rise at Khartoum will come down to
Cairo, where its appearance is always greeted with,
religious honours. In the old days the Nile was a god,
and even in the 19th century little less than divine
honour is paid to the bounteous river on which depends
the prosperity of the country."
FATAL ACCIDENT.—The accident which happened
to Mr. William Baker, analytical chemist of Sheffield,
several weeks ago, has terminated fatally. He was
very fond of all athletic exercises, and one night when
leaving the gentlemen's club he threw his leg over the
balustrades to slide down. He fell over, a distance of
nearly 30ft., and alighted on his head. Kis skull was
fractured, and he was otherwise seriously injured. He
rallied for a short time, but a fortnight ago unfavour-
able symptoms set in and he died on Thursday even-
ing.

HOME, SWEET HOME !—A little boy, so runs the
story, was taken to see the Queen's palace. After he
had walked through many gorgeous galleries and
noble rooms, and seen many beautiful pictures and
costly toys, Mamma," he sighed, wearily, "please
take me back to my own day nursery." The same
thing has been said in various ways by a hundred
wanderers. Here and there a profane and vain tra-
veller may be found who adds to the apophthegm,
"There's no place like home," the irreverent remark,
"No, thank goodness " ; still it must be allowed that
most of us experience on the whole very pleasant feelings
in returning after, say, a year's absence, to the old home.
Your own books, your own pictures' your own arm-
chair, have charms for you greater than any you have
tound elsewhere, even though your rooms appear
strangely small, your ceilings unaccountably low, and
the staircase terribly steep, after the spaciousness of
the hotels in which you have been staying. If the
weather is fine the difference of climate does not
make itself at once apparent, and your cheerfulness
is only mitigated by the lesser ills inseparable from
' life either at home or abroad,—Saturclay Review.

LIVE STOCR AND FRESH MEAT FROM AMERICA.
The quantisy of fresh meat landed at Liverpool during
last week amounted to 4,210 quarters of beef, 75 ea?'
cases of mutton, and 295 tubs of fresh butter. This
quantity is much below the previous week as well
under the average. The deficiency in dead meat was
more than counterbalanced by the great excess in the
number of live stock landed during the same period.
Eight steamers reached the Mersey, bringing the
large totals of 2,119 head of oxen, 2,300 pigs, 56 horses,
and a number of sheep, these arrivals far exceeding
any former period.
THE PRINCE OF WALES IN PARIS.—A correspon-
dent of the Daily News, writing from Paris, says :
" Certainly the Prince is one of the most popular per-
sons at the present time. Go where you will the
people talk of him. His affability, frankness, andgood humour charm every one, and the public experi-
ence a sense of want when he is absent from the
Champs de Mars."
A PRIMITIVE PEOPLE —The Moscow correspondent
of the Cologne Gazette writes :—From Samarcand we
receive some particulars relative to the territory of
Karategin, which belonged formerly to Kokhand, but
has been ceded by Russia to Bokhara. Karategia,
with the smaller territories of Dorwa, Wachia, and
Shugnau, as well as the greater part of Kogistar,
adjoin immediately the plateau of Pamir, the highest
in the world. Karategin, which is completely isolated
in winter, and has intercourse only during summer
with the neighbouring territories, has never yet been
approached by a European. The habits and customs
of die inhabitants are described as those of a com-
pletely primitive state. They have no conception of
measure or weight—no fairs, booths, caravanserais, or
any institutions of public life. Theft is unknown
among them. They carry on the breeding of cattle,
have little agriculture, and all is, so to speak, common
property. If provisions are wanting in one family, it
is a matter of course that their neighbours help them.
To KEEP COLOUR IN BLUE PRINT.—I was told the
other day a capital receipe for keeping the colour in
navy-blue linen or print; and as you have many lady
readers, I give it you. It simply consists in soaking
for some time green ivy-leaves in the water in which
they are washed. The best plan is, however, to have
a strong decoction of ivy-leaves that have been stand-
ing some time, and to mix some of the water with
that used for washing.—Navy Blue, in Land and
Water.
PROVERBIAL.—A rule without an exception—lt
carpenter's.—Judy.
THE UTILIZATION OF SEWAGE.—Among the rnanY
devices for the utilization of sewage that of convert-
ing it into cement is not the least curious, and it has
actually been put into practice at Burnley. The town
sewage runs into settling tanks, being mixed on the
way with "lime cream." After settling the sludge is
dried, and finally packed in kilns and burned, no other
fuel being necessary than just sufficient coal and
shavings to set it alight. "Cement clinkers" are the
result; and these ground into coarse powder make the
cement, which is saleable as Portland or other
hydraulic cement. Either Portland or Roman cement,
or agricultural lime, is produced according to the
quantity of lime employed. The corporation of
Burnley are said to be satisfied with the purification
thus effected of the sewage, and the company working i
the invention (General Scott's Cement Process) find t
profitable. The system is alleged to be applicable to
London.
THE LAND OF MIDI.—The Queen has been
graciously pleased to accept a copy of the narrative
Mrs. Beke has just published of her late husband's
last journey, entitled—" Dr. Beke's Discoveries of
Sinai in Arabia, and of Midian." She has received the
following communication from General Ponsonby
Balmoral, June 4, 1878. Lieutenant-General
Ponsonby presents his compliments to Mrs. Beke. He
has been commanded by the Queen to acknowledge,
with thanks, the receipt of the volume which Mrs;
Beke has had the kindness to present to Her Majesty'.
OUR IRONCLAD FLEET.—" Flag Officer" writes to
The Times :
Sir,—Mr. Brassey writes on naval affairs with Intelligence
and expetience, and almost with authority. He consistently
advocates more small men-of-war and fewer big ones, but
he seems to lose sight of the fact that to carry enormous
guns protected by enormously thick armour, and enormous
engines to insure speed and staying power, we must have
tonnage. No small vessel could float in a sea-way under
such weights. Should Sir Joseph Whitworth's steel 21ln•
armour prove a success, that might alter the matter; but
we should undoubtedly soon have heavier guns to pierce it,
which would add top weight and in small vessels increase
the tendency to capsize.
A NATURAL CANON.—The Globe says, "No doubt
the science of manufacturing heavy ordnance, Ate.,
is still in its infancy." Woolwich infancy, we pre-
sume.—Fun.
EFFECTS OF LIGHT UPON DIAMONDS.—It has long
bun known that certain minerals are peculiarly affected
by the action of sunlight. Ancient writers note 9114
certain coloured precious stones grew pale in the light
of the sun, and mention as one thus acted upon the
beautiful green chrysoprase, the colour of which ha.'
ever they asserted, and it is said truly, could be
restored_ by wrapping it in a cloth previously soaked
in wine and excluding it in a cellar. There are maul
known cases in which the beauty of emeralds has been
destroyed by leaving them exposed to strong sunlight.
A writer mentions a dark green emerald which he had
worn seven years as losing its colour and value frog!
this cause. Doctor Schnauss has recently redirected
attention to the subject, and has pointed out that
-
coloured diamonds under the infleence of extreme
heat lose their colour, and in most cases permanentlY,
although in others the colours return after exposuye
to sunlight. According to Dr. Fright, under certain
circumstances the coloured diamond is as sensitive
to light as the photographer's chloride of silver is. '
diamond merchant exposed a diamond to a very big.
temperature in order to destroy its brownish colour,
but the stone became of a permanent rose-red. Coster
treated another diamond in the same way, and thattee
turned rose-red ; but the most remarkable part wag
that this colour was only permanent in the dark, and
disappeared in four or five minutes if exposed to the
sun's light, the stone acquiring a weak brown col9ur:
This change also took place in a room where the 110 t.
was by no means bright. Another diamond, of a dirty'
yellow colour, was ignited in a current of hydrogen in
a. porcelain tube, and allowed to cool there. The colour_
disappeared, but not the lustre. If this specimen wereexposed to diffused light for six or seven ,minutes,
original yellow colour returned. Dr. Schnauss attri
butes such phenomena to phosphorescence.
GOOD FORM. Fancy buttons, with bank-notes,
postage-stamps, and so forth on them in enamel, ar.B •
very fashionable in Paris as trimmings for dresses. 0:
quiet style of costume to go to church in would be
dress with a row of buttons down the front decorated
with all the cards in the pack—beginning, of course,
with the ace of spades.—Jude.
THE ONIONS OF BERMUDA.—Mark Twain in hig
latest articles, "Random Notes of an Idle Excursionta
gives an interesting account of the Bermudas, it
more particularly of Hamilton, the leading port, in b%
.",„
course of which he says :—" There was an ample 13"..
e ret
of heavy masonry; upon this, under shelter,
some thousands of barrels, containing that Procllli
4
which has carried the fame of Bermuda to many lan""t
—the potato with here and there an onion. That
sentence is facetious, for they grow at least tHo oniS;
in Bermuda to one potato. The onion is -the pride
and joy of Bermuda. It is her jewel, her gem af geP3jo
In her conversation, her pulpit, her literature, 4_„
her most frequently eloquent figure. In Bermua.r,,,
metaphor it stands for perfection—perfection
lute. The Bermudian weeping over the departe,t,
hausts praise when he says, "He was an onion. .."„.
Bermudian, extolling the living hero, bankruPts
plause when he says, "He's an onion." The Bernina
dian setting his son upon the stage of life to dare a„d.
do for himself climaxes all counsel, supplication,
monition, comprehends all ambition, when he earr
"Be an onion." When the steamer arrives at the P"or
the first question is not concerning great vlaFoo,
political news, but concerns only the price of On' spa
All tbe writers agree that for tomatoes, onions,.,_a ;
vegetables generally, the Bermudas are unequalT,"
they have been called the market-gardens of I

York.
WEATHER FORECAST.—The following cable west%
has been received at the London office of the ~
York Herald, from New York :—" Deep depret„tiu
will probably arrive over the North British and ile`a
wegian coasts about the 12th, attended by raineh!'idis.
strong south - easterly and south - westerly
Stormy weather will be experienced in the AtL"'''
east of lat. 50 during next week."
THE EARTHQUAKE EARTHQUAKE IN VENEZUELA.—The ann°
a the
ment of a terrible earthquake in Venezuela, a_ An by
loss of three hundred lives has been briefly n15•"1,"00
telegraph, and full particulars of the catastrophe,r4o-
now been received. It appears that the fine all° Tb a
mising town of Cua has been totally destroYeutif oast
disaster occurred on the 14th April, about ile"a`ves,
eight in the evening. The ground rolled like ic fur. a
throwing down houses and walls, and crushing /33 the
persons in the debris. To add to the calareitP,.oo
roofs, which were constructed of light material, beiling,
ignited from the lamps which hung from the feavol
and the flames rapidly extending caused grew, •h Thep
amongst the people, who, in many. cases, we ret the
fast by the falling structures. The inhabitants 00 the
outskirts were unable to render any assistance t,.eard
unfortunate residents, whose shrieks could he,,,laateci
far above the crackling of the dames. It was 01,, .1"-suon
that fully three hundred persons perished.
as the disaster came to the knowledge of the 7300$
tants of Caracas relief was despatched. The Pre;Tig to
of Venezuela also started for the scene. Ow-- 105
the roughness of the roads he was thrown froni
carriage and injured.
had
ns
kubianel
called
d ruHepceolcop
T L
HE LITTLE SHOES DID IT.—A young mall ue,
reil
naarose,
t bef
lralotmhlootwohkeehde vice o f inteco P e iy a u p
confused. All he could say et
1 'ge
t_. 5:1 I:Si :
did it ! " With a thick voice, as, if his heart wore
his throat, he kept repeating this. There svss:ooght'
of perplexity on every face, and at length some !',, All hi°
less young people began to titter. The mant once.
wasfwora:lailheneclioi
embarrassments, heard this sound, and rallieuswhier.
The light came into his eyes with a flash—he (ire ,011.
self up and addressed the audience; the chokinrojue
from his throat. " Yes, friends," he said, in:steaer
that cut its way, clear as a deep-toned bell, "Ist:cl'e ill
you may think of it, I've told you the trath—,k
shoes did it! I was a brute and a fool; strong an 80
made me both, and starved me into the bargain. _1„...09
fered ; I deserved to suffer. But I did't suffer sion_ gets
man does who has a wife and a child, for the won:toe; ,
the worst abuse. But lam no speaker to enlarg. ielt :ovilli
I'll stick to the little shoes. It was one 11,g,.,d VA '
I was all but done for, the saloon keeper's eau iteal
shoes. It was a simple thing; but friends,_ ~boef ing out her feet for her father to look at her 6110e0 filA
ever struck me such a blow as those little ne7 hoe f
They kicked reason into me. What bu 5
es eve.:
to clothe others with fineries, aria provideoe uot? 010
Coarse clothing for my own, but let thein go, ..iwo Wei
I; and there outside was my shivering wile k boyet.
o
I too 0
. ,
chilled child, on a bitter cold night. hilleo ..,t
the little one with a grip, and saw her c
_a_st fuT,
Men, fathers! if the little shoes smote me, " breDiAl
little feet do? I put them, cold as ice, to
they pierced me through. Yes, the little loos i
right into my heart, and away walked ray !.. of brew, ,
I had a trifle of money left; I bought a ofntea Oa Y;
and then a pair of little shoes. I never r" nu
thing but a bit of that bread all the Sab%coo
i hfstrinall:st del
.
went to work like mad on Monday, andl
have spent no more money at the. Ptie shoes W
That's all I've got to say—lt was the 1"

did it,"—Albany Press,

, ‘,
„ -

1111