The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-11-08 00:00:00

Illisrtilancons 4ntelligenct,

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL,

THE ABSENT MINDED ONE I —The Court Journal
says: —"A landed proprietor, a kind and sym-
pathizing person, but at the same time curiously
absent-minded, called on a tenant to tell him
that he forgave him 99i per cant, of his rent,
or something of the f,ort, and was then asked to
condole on the death of a valuable cow—a very vain•
able cow. The cause of the misfortune had been
enveloped in mystery. The farmer began a long.
winded history of the untoward event, his landlord
soon going off into the clouds. The last words of the
narrative were,—' And, can you believe it my lord?
when we opened her, we found she had been choked
by a large turnip that was sticking in her gullet.' At
that point the bympathetic but absent-minded land.
1041 wok o up, mid said, in rather a congratulatory tone
of voice too, ' Ah, yea, and oo you got your turnip,'"

MEM

ANCIENT TREASURE.—There has been a long-stand-
ing tradition among the people of the Rosenberg. dis-
trict, in the province of West Prussia, that a cons!dr
able treasure lay buried in the Feldmark, a plain in
the district. A West Prussian newspaper announces
that a large amount of ancient treasure has actually
been dug up on the Mosgau estate, which includes the
place referred to. It consists of some hundreds of gold
pieces, of the time of the Kings of the Saxon dynasty
(919 to 1024). A local antiquary suggests that they
may have formed a portion of the contents of the
travelling chest of St. Adalbert, the Apostle of
Prussia, but this (says The Times) seems a far-fetched
conjecture.

RELIGION AND PATRIOTISM.—Mark Twain contri-
butes 25 dollars towards defraying the expenses of the
battle flag celebration at Hartford, but takes it out of
the money he intended to spend for a pew in a chinch.
The following is his defence of that course :—" Thero
is nothing nobler than for religion to support
patriotism, and nothing wiser than for both to uphold
and encourage domestic economy ; therefore; I sub-
tract this sum from the pew rental."

" SHOWING LONDON." —ln reply to " Inquirer,"
(says P.R. in Land and Water), it seems strange that
the same custom should prevail in a district so remote
from London as North Lancashire, and under the same
designation, namely, "showing London." It is usually
practised as a sort of punishment for boyish pranks,
and the operator stands behind and places his hands
under the ears on each side, and in this manner lifts
and holds the person suspended. I have frequently
been thus operated on, bat never heard of it as a
remedy for a stiff neck, or other ailment, It is a pain-
ful operation, and no doubt a dangerous one.

A /sTzw Dams MATERLLL. —Land and Water
says :—Cinderella's traditional glaze slipper is likely
to be outdone by Professor Grenier, a well-known art
worker in glass at San Francisco, who is engaged in
weaving the materials for a lady's robe with coloured
strands of glass made thus :—He heats a piece of glass
which he spins into a fine thread, this is caught on the
disc of a slowly revolving wooden wheel, by means of
which the strand is converted into a number of
sparkling threads, and is then washed in a solution of
water and beet sugar, which renders it tough. When
thus spun it is woven at the slow rate of ten incheq
a day into a materia which, if sufficient be completed
for a dress, will cause its fair owner to be envied by
all who behold it.

NRIV MZTHOD OP CREMATION.—The necessity of
employing very intense temperatures in cremation, Be
as to convert the body into ashes, appears likely to be
done away with by the experiments of M. Lissagarry.
The difficulty in cremation is to decompose and reduoe
to ashes tissues containing 75 per cent, of water; but
M. Lissagarzy overcomes this by exposing the body,
first of all, to the action of superheated steam, which
chars the tissues and enables them to burn easily in an
ordinary simple furnace at a very much lees coat of
fuel and without the least unpleasantness.

SZEGEDIN AGAIN THREATENED.—The Psster Lloyd
announces that in consequence of the heavy rains the
Theirs has been much swollen, having risen in five
days to half again its former height. If it continues to
rise at this rate for another week, the country around
Szegedin will be inundated, and the works in progress
for the protection of the city will be in great Jeopardy.
Great regret is now felt that the embankment which is
to surround Szegedin was not completed before the
rainy weather set in,
THE IMPORTS OF AMERICAN AND CANADIAN FOOD.—
The arrivals of fresh meat from America last week
show a decrease as compared with the previous week.
The arrivals of cattle and sheep from the United
States and Canada are also considerably below the
figures of last week. The steamers last week with
live stock were the Bohemian, with 83 cattle, 161
sheep, and 197 pigs; and the Helvetia, with 60 sheep.
With fresh meat the steamers were the Indiana with
1,175 quarters of beef, and 194 carcases of mutton;
the Bohemian, with 1,016 quarters of beef, and 50
carcases of mutton; the City of Montreal, with 714
quarters of beef, 150 carcases of mutton; the Mon-
tana, with 800 quarters of beef and 500 carcases of
mutton; the Germanic, with 660 quarters of beef and
250 carcases of mutton; and the Helvetia, with 540
quarters of beef, making the totals-43 cattle, 221 sheep,
343 pigs, 4,905 quarters of beef, and 1,144 carcases of
mutton.

AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The follow-
ing are the average prima of British corn for the
week ending Nov. 1, as received from the inspectors
and officers of Excise :—Wheat, 50s. 4d.; barley,
41s. id,; oats, 225. Li, per imperial qr. Correspond-
ing week last year :—Wheat, 394 Od. ; barley,
395. 9d.; oats, 228. 11d.
FIFTEEN TONE or GADIE !—G-eneral Randolph B.
Marcy, Inspector-General of the North American
Army, also an author of various books on hunting,
camping, prairie travel and woodcraft, has, according
to Forest and Stream. just returned from a tour in the
regions between the Mississippi and the Pacific. Big
game wanders over the vast plains and along the
mountain sides of those regions, and the General is
said to be a mighty hunter. His party killed in their
recent excursion what was estimated at thirty thou-
sand pounds of game, embracing 37 elk. 37 deer, 9
mountain sheep, 4 grizzly bear, 1 black bear, and 12
antelope. Many of the numerous posts in the order
of his official tour was supplied with venison from his
abundant store.
PRESENCE OF MIND IN A BOT. —A. brave lad has
just performed a rare feat of courage, common sense,
and presence of mind in Berlin, in the presence of very
few observers. A milkeart, containing no one but a
little girl about three years old, was being wildly
dragged along the Mithlenstrasse by a furious horse,
and no one dared to rush at the bridle of the galloping
beast. A boy, apparently not more than thirteen years
old, sprang forward and rolled a large empty tub,
which was standing at a shop door, into the centre of
the road. This brought the horse to an instant's
pause, and when he tried to pass at its aide the boy
seized the bridle and hung on, at the same moment
throwing up his legs, and clasping them tightly round
the horse's neck. This heavy burden in so tmusual a
place brought the terrified beast to a full stop, and
the bystanders hurried up, and lifted the little girl out
of the cart. While all manner of questions and sooth-
ing speeches were being addressed to her, the hero of
the action quietly slipped away, no one knowing his
name or dwelling,
THE PRESERVATION or MlLL—Herr Maurice
Phillipp, of Riesbach, Zurich, claims to have dis-
covered a process whereby milk can be kept good and
fresh for any length of time in any temperattre. The
nature of the plan is not stated, but samples of the
preserved milk have been subjected to severe tests by
the Chemical Agricultural Commission, who failed to
detect any doubtful ingredients. Herr Phillipp pro-
poses to send his milk to England weekly, and to dis-
pose of it at a very cheap rate.
HALLOWE'EN AT BALMORAIL.—On Friday night in
last week, this festival was celebrated at Balmoral
Castle with weird effect. The Qaeen and Princess
Beatrice remained interested spectators till the close,
Two large processions, picturesquely attired, met on
the Castle lawn, and Princess Beatrice lighted a great
bonfire. A body of gorgeously dressed figures with a
band of music then appeared. Subsequently a witch
was tried and condemned, and an effigy burnt. After-
wards there was a" witch hunt." The Queen took great
interest in the proceedings, which closed with drink-
ing Her M‘jesty's health and singing the National
Anthem, The weather was particulary favourable
for full effect being given to display.
RAT AND MICE EXTEICIIINATOR.—A German con-
temporary recently published a letter from Baron von
Backhofen describing his success with a simple pre-
paration for killing rats. As several correspondents
of the paper have since written to confirm the Baron's
statement we here give it Ler the benefit of barn and
householders (says the Graphic). "A mixture of two
parts of well-braised common squills and three parts
of finely-chopped bacon is made into a stiff mass, with
as much meal as may be required, and then baked into
small cakes, which are put around for rats to eat or
mice to nibble."

THE GROSSER KURFURST.—The German Admiralty
has, it is announced in Berlin. agreed to extend the
contract for the raisimg of the Grosser Kiirfurst, sunk
last year off Folkestone. The original agreement ex-
pired at the end of October, but the term has now
been extende I to the end of the year, The leak
having been completely stopped, the contractors will,
it is stated, attempt to raise the vessel about the
middle of the present month, if the weather and state
of the sea should be favourable.

A SENSATION SCENE.—Cook. "If you please, mum,
which Ann an' me 'av"ad a haccident and broke two
teacups."—Rising China Maniac (only just beginning
to get up a collection). "Two teacups! What tea-
cups ? "—Cook. "Oh, not them as master gave ten
shillings a set for. Only them two cracked uses as was
on the parlour mantel.piece."—Judy.

THE EARL OF DARTMOUTH ON ART AND MINTY-
FACTURRE3.—On Saturday evening the Earl of Dart-
mouth, in presiding over a meeting of students of Free
Library Claws in Wolverhampton Town Hall to
listen to a lecture on "Art," said he had long regarded
art as one of those subjects on which all classes might
agree. It was both aristocratic and democratic. It
was none the lees democratic because there was
nothing to prevent members of any class from
taking an equal and refined interest in it.
He had always thought, too, that they could
not have too many gentlemen in any class, and he
knew nothing that had so refining an influence, and
taught them better how to become gentlemen in the
true sense of the word, than the study of art. He
suggested to the young students of these free library
(lame that they should form themselves into a sort of
combination, and subscribe sufficient money annually
to enable two or three of their number, selected by
ballot, to spend a portion of their summer holidays on
the Continent, where they might study the many
beautiful productions of art there to be found—art
in its most perfect forms—and so bring back with
them that increased knowledge of the subject which
would prove useful both to themselves and other
members of the classes in the studies they were
pursuing.

A. DIVER'S RUSE.—An old deep sea toiler, with long
chapters of thrilling adventures in his memory, tells
the following about some of his under water coin.
panions : "I dived once in Mobile Bay, where I put
over three hundred chains under an ironclad. The
greatest annoyance that we had there was sharks.
They didn't hardly tackle us, because with our armour
we looked more like scarecrows than anything else.
They would come sailing along, and gradually swim
towards us with their great big mouths wido open; but
when within a few feet of us they would stop and lie
there flapping their fins, and looking, it seemed to me,
like the very evil one himself. Finally we devised a way
to scare them off that never failed to frighten them, so
that they would stay away an hour or longer before they,
dared to come back. The armour we wear is air-
tight, you know. Oar jacket-sleeves were fastened
around our wrists with an elastic, so that-the air could
not escape. By running my finger under. the sleeve of
the
water jacket,
t d
t Iwcoouulld letma the
at airsooru f rushedahnissdasingitncis
e, intoiteo
he
volume of bubbles shoot up. So whenever those sharks
awrouldcwoles em, and,prtohwling tin
aroundputmeg mlwy fingerouldh underoldout th
my
m toe
elastic of my j auket-sleeve, I would let a jet of air out
and send a stream of bubbles into the shark's faos, with
a hissing noise, like steam from a gauge cock. The
way that those sharks would go scooting off was funny
to behold,"
_

EN

AN Aurruaar REFLECTION.
Cora, everybody
knows, will grow as well upon t
as
he foot aeon the field;
but there is this difference, that, vnt!le both are equally
easy to cut, in the latter case the octrur'e anxiety Is
spent upon getting it in, in the former—upn
getting
it out.—Fun.

DEVOURED BY SHARES.—The Tuita records ,Z
sad accident. A canoe left Loma Loma with twenty-
five natives on board, bound for Totoya. They were
going about when a sudden squall sent the sail against
the mast, capsizing the canoe. The unfortunate pas-
sengers clung to the canoe, and might have escaped
with consequences no worse than those which would
have attended discomfort and exposure, but for the
fact that the capsize occurred in a locality infested
with sharks. These ravenous monsters seized their
victims one by one, devouring twenty-three out of the
twenty-five unfortunates whose lives were thus placed
at their mercy. Of the two who emaped one is a
woman ; but her situation is very critical, the whole
of the flesh having been taken off one leg,
A TEDIOUS LAW SUIT. The most celebrated
instances of "the law's delays" ever quoted by law re-
formers from the records of our English courts seem to
be fully equalled, if not surpassed, by a case just con-
chided in Hungary (says The Tines) The Poster
Lloyd states that on October 28 a division of the
Senate of the "Royal Table "(the Hungarian Supreme
Court) gave final judgment in a suit commenced in
1768, and which has since passed through all the
possible phases of Hungarian litigation. The object,
of the original suit was the same as would be aimed at
by an ejectment suit with us—to get rid of an alleged
wrongful occupier of a large family estate. After 111
years of litigation, the Court placed the represents..
tives of the original plaintiffs in possession of a
portion only of the property. It is stated that a large
portion has been swallowed up by expenses—a familiar
story.
THE CANADIAN NORTH-WEST. Official records
show that 63,000 homestead and pre-emption rights
have been taken out in Manitoba and the North-West
during the present year.
FOREIGN MISSION CONTRIBUTIONS.—The annual
summary of British contributions to 67 societies for
foreign mission work, during the financial year 1878,
has just been completed by Canon Scott Robertson, of
Sittingbourne. It shows an increase in the sums con-
tribute I to the majority of these societies; but seven
or eight societies have received so much less than in
1877 that the grand total is £28,000 leas than that of
the previous year. The separate details for each
society are too numerous for qinotation, but the sum-
mary of the whole is as follows :—Church of England
Missions, £473,110; Joint Societies of Churchmen and
Nonconformists £164,900; English Nonoonfornaist
Societies, £290,844; Scotch and Irish Presbyterian
Societies, £133,601 Roman Catholic Societies,
£9489; total British contributions in 1878,
£1,071,944.

A DIMINO:111MM ARRIVAL.—The Daily Telegraph
in noticing a recent addition to the animals in the
Zoological Gardens, remarks :—Every week the
Zoological Society publishes a list of its " dis-
tingulihed arrivals," and one of the most recent
oomere, we observe, is "an Indian jackal," who,
however, it seems, was only " lent " But what
a ransacking of the world's forests and mountains and
plains there goes to the furnishing forth of the
Zoological Society's weekly "additions 1" Bonnet
monkeys from one end of Asia and macaques from
the other; an alligator from the Mississippi and
marmozets from the Brazils; a banded ichneumon
from Western Africa and an antelope from the East.
Syria and India, North and South America, the (RIM
coast and Abyssinia, all are represented in a single
seven days' return of arrivals. Do old friends or
enemies ever thus meet? Perhaps the bonnet monkeys
have this week been restored to relatives long lost
from the Nerbudda's banks. Perhaps the marmozets
have just recognised the jaguar that tried to eat them
years ago in the Brazilian forests!

Piran FROM WOOD.—The British Consul at Chris,
tiania calls attention to the rapid development of a
modern industry in connection with the timber of
Norway. In the period 1866 70 the amount of wood-
pulp manufactured for paper annually was about 110
tons; in 1871.75 it was about 4,600 tons • in 1876 it
reached 12,200 tons • in 1877 it was 14,900 tons; and
in 1878 it rose to 19,00. This last quantity represents
a value of about 1,200,000 kroner, 18 kroners being
equal to £l. The Consul speaks of about 20 mills being at
work in Norway on the preparation of this material,
and says the exporters in 1878 had the advantage of
unusually cheap freights.

DORMANT FUNDS IN CHAms.EY.--The Sunplement
to the London Gazette, dated March 1, 1877, has just
been reprinted, and contains a list of over 2,000 causes,
&c., to the credit of which funds were standing at the
Chancery pay office on the let of September, 1875,
the greater part of which are still unclaimed. It is
published "By Authosity," pursuant to Rule 91 of
of the Chancery Funds Consolidated Rules, 1874.

STRANGE. —When a watch is sold it always changes
hands: this strikes one as being odd on the face of it.—
Judy.

A PERILOUS RIDIL—As the passengers were waiting
at the Sutton station for the 8.39 up-train last Satur-
day morning they observed a horse ridden by a man in
shirt sleeves, and, without saddle or bridle, dashing
along between the down metals at headlong speed
towards the station. A train was standing on the
down-line in the station, and was just on the point of
starting. The animal, quite out of the man's control,
seemed to make straight for the engine. Upon arriving
within a few yards of it, however, by a sudden swerve,
the horse galloped on to the up-line, right through the
station, in the direction of Carshaltan. The horse and
rider had hardly reached the end of the platform when
the man observed a train approaching on the up-line.
The animal did not in the least slacken its pace, but to
the consternation of the powerless onlookers made
direct for the advancing train. Great excitement and
horror were caused until, arriving within only a few
feet of the engine, the man with remarkable courage
and presence of mind threw himself from the horse on
to the six. feet way, just escaping the train; and the
horse also, by a timely effort, swerved from the track,
and likewise escaped. It appeared that the horse had
become unmanageable at Cheam, after having been
shod at a blacksmith's near the line, and had run away
with the man.

THE HEALTH Or PRINCE BISMARCK.—The Kra=
Zeitung, speaking of the ill•health of the German
Chancellor, says :—"ln spite of the fact that his
neuralgic sufferings have increased to such an extent
as to be almost unendurable, Prince Bismarck con-
tinues to take an active part in all questions of internal
and foreign policy, and in the retirement of his country
seat devotes himself to work without cessation.
Between here (Berlin) and Varzin an active exchange
of telegraphic despatches is constantly going on.
Before leaving Berlin, as is generally known, the
Chancellor complained that he had pains in every
limb. Since then his sufferings, as is clear from the
latest communications, have considerably increased,
and through their uninterrupted continuance they
keep the sufferer in a constant state of excitement and
sleeplessness."—The Cologne Gazette siva :—"The
news, which is received from Varzin resiiecting the
German Chancellor's state of health, continues without
variation of an unfavourable character. Prince Bis-
marck suffers the most acute pains, and the recent
death of the Minister Billow, who had been se long
and intimately associated with the Chancellor, has in.
creased his depression of spirits. Among other utter-
ances of Prince Bismarck of late, he is reported to
have said that, `lf his present condition should con.
tinue, he felt that he should soon share Billow's fate."
—The Globe of Tuesday says :—" The reports of the
'serious illness of Prince Bismarck' are said to be
exaggerated. He is suffering severely from neuralgia
and gout, but his medical advisers do not consider his
condition by any means dangerous."