The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-09-09 00:00:00

Visa'lanterns ittelligtntt.

HOWIE, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

LITERARY. —An article in a daily, entitled
The Political History of Bucks, is to be followed up by
Social Memorials of &Wis.—Punch,.
PETERBOROUGH RAM FAIR.—The annual fair
was held on Saturday. There were nearly 600 sheep
penned, being a slight increase over last year. The
highest price realised was 110 guineas, for a magnifi-
cent animal from the flock of Mr. W. F Marshall, of
Branston, Lincolnshire. It was purchased by Mr.
Lister, of Coleby Hall, for Mr. Pears and Mr. Byron.
Mr. J. S. Graham gave 54 guineas, and Mr. Smith, of
Cropwell Grove, Nottingham, 53 guineas for animals
from the same flock. The average of the 27 offered
' was £24 15s. CA Mr. S. E. Doan, of Dowkby
offered 51, the best of which w cola lo Air. D.
Me.ckinder, of Mere nail, for 22 guineas. bin
Thomas Mayfield, of Dogdyke, between Boston and
Lincoln, showed some splendid sheep, one of which he
valued at not less than 150 guineas. It was not sold.

MERCHANT SERVICE.— A Parliamentary paper
has just been issued relative to the deaths of seamen
serving in British vessels during the past year. From
this it appears .that a total of 4,076 seamen of all
classes were repartt d to the Board of Trade as having
died from various causes in 1875, and of these 357 were
mates, 2 midshipmen, 14 quartermasters, 117 boat-
swains, 1,446 able seamen, 371 ordinary seatn,m, 290
amentices and boys, 9 surgeons, 302 cooks and
stewards, 96 carpenters, 27 sailmakers, 64 in minor
capacities, 98 engineers, 223 firemen, 4 "stowaways,"
and 656 whose ratings are unknown. The causes of
death, compiled in accordance with the returns of the
Registrar-General, show little variation as compared
with previous returns, and the total numbers exhibit a
decrease as compared with 1874 and 1873. But, as a
matter of fact, the statistics in this return do not at all
indicate accurately the number of deaths that occur
afloat among seamen. The return contains some of
the cases of deaths in British Colonial ships, and also
many, if not most, of the cases of men who die abroad
after their discharge sick from British ships. But it
does not it chide the cases of men who die under similar
circumstances in the United Kingdom—in the Dread-
nought Hospital and elsewhere. _ _ _

SOLITARY TOURISM—The protracted disap-
pearance of a tourist in the Cumberland Lake district
leads to the probable conclusion that he has met with
some fatal misadventure in his solitary ramble (says the
Graphic). The warning is thus again repeated, as in-
deed it is almost every year, that our English, Scotch,
and Welsh mountains, though mere molehills com-
pared with the Alps' are not without their dangers.
But the chief lesson to be learnt from Mr. Barnard's
disappearance lethal tourists should not venture alone
for anything like long walks in mountainous dis-
trict., especially in those in which rain and mist, as in
the Cumberland district, are of very frequent occur-
rence. We would strongly urge the inadvisability of
solitary journeys in rough' and exposed districts, and
even in localities the traversing of which presents but
little &I:amity, and suggests but little or no danger.
The suggestion that finger-posts or stones with direc-
tions painted on them should be placed in the Like
district, at least in those mountainous localities where
tourists are most in danger of mistaking their way, is
not a bad one, but to many it will savour somewhat of
cockney ism.
TRH JURY LISTS.— On Sunday (10th) the lists
of all persons in England liable to serve as jurymen
will be exhibited on the church .doors, and those who
are sixty years of age and upwards can claim exemp-
tion by applying to the overseers at their respective
parishes. It is a mistaken notion that if summoned
they oan be excused on account of their age, and judges
have constantly to tell the applicants that until their
names are removed from the lists they are bound to
serve. There is a provision in the new Poor Llw Act
by which the justices of counties can make an allow-
ance to their 'clerks for their service in relation to the
jury lists. Lsae jo—d f-ritpt‘

RAILWAY SPEEDS.—The Engineer remarks
"A somewhat unfortunate tendency has laways been
manifested by a few of the leaders of public opinion to
attribute railway accidents to high speeds. The public
like to travel at high speeds, and they patronise com-
panies who supply what they wish to have. But there
is some danger that a warning often repeated will
have the effect of creating a groundless alarm; and we
should fail to discharge our duty if we did not point
out that while high speeds are not necessarily unsafe,
it is certain that slow speeds will not prevent accidents.
The public wish to travel feet, and they patronise the
laes on which they are conveyed most quickly. A
general reduction in the rate at which trains now
travel would seriously disorganise trade arrangements.
It would infallibly lead to a diminution in the amount
of accommodation supplied to the public, and it would
militate against the aispatch of business. Toe true
remedy lies in the improvement of the road, and not
in the adoption of minimum velocity. The duty of
those who would influence public opinion lies not in
recommending the acceptance of low speeds and their
irritable consequences—bad roads —but in urging
railway companies to permit those who serve them to
maintain roads, engines, and 3arrlages in that high
state of efficiency which is so dear to the hearts of
English railway engineers.
A LONG SERMON.—The Court Journal gives
the following :—An amusing story is just now going
the round of clerical circles in connection with the re-
opening services at Chester Cathedral. One of the
selected preachers was the Dean of —. He is well
known as eloquent almost beyond equal, and the
exercise of his particular talent in that respect led to a
rather awkward curtailment of the service. It should
be said that it was not taken in the usual order. The
sermon was to be preached first, and then prayers and
anthems to follow, members of some of the neighbour-
ing cathedral choirs being in attendance to assist in the
musical part of the service. They were to leave by a
certain train, and having that fact in his mind, at the
expiration of 45 minutes, this preceptor quietly passed
the word, "Omit the next anthem." Toe Dean con-
tinued, and when he had preached an hour, another
whispered message was passed to the choir—" Omit
the two anthems." Still the Dean kept on. A third
message, at the end of 75 minutes—" Miss the
prayer," The end of this emarkable state of things
was that the Dean monop lized so much of the time
that even the collection was omitted. But almost the
best thing, perhaps, was the bon mot with reference to
it made by a bishop who was present. .After the ser-
vice had at last concluded, friendly critics were re-
viewing the very reverend preacher's style. One
characterized it as very "broad." "Yee," replied the
bishop, " almost—as broad as it was ion,"

-I him