biglam/hmd_newspapers huggingface dataset:
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

WEEKLY REVIEW OF THE CORN

TRADE.

Bell's Weekly Messenger says: "Although
there has been great political excitement during
the past week, the corn trade has been exceed-
ingly quiet, and the amount of business transacted has
been beneath the average. Holders naturally make
the most of the political situation, and contend with
justice that the times are critical, and that war is quite
possible. Such an occurrence would obviously curtail
our supplies, as military necessity would compel us to
blockade Russian ports; but, on the other hand,
buyers contend that the neutral Powers have inte-
rests to protect, and that it would be folly on the part
of the Russian government to carry its policy so far
as to provoke the resentment of England, Austria,
and, perhaps, of Germany and ether less in-
terested Powers. Buyers have, in consequence,
shown a very strong disposition to operate
for the supply of their more pressing wants, as in the
event of peace being signed, a large quantity of cereal
produce would be shipped as early as practicable from
South Russian ports. There is, ,not, perhaps, much
reason to believe in any great change in prices, be-
cause if larger supplies of produce are brought forward,
increased quantities will be purchased, as the trade
will evince some desire to hold moderate stocks. The
tendency would naturally be in favour of lower prices,
as there would he larger supplies available; but it
must always be borne in mind that our wants are
great, and that we shall require very large supplies
between the present time and harvest.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

DOING THINGS ON A LARGE SCALE.

They appear to do things on a very large scale in
the United States—quite in accordance with the
vastness and product\ eness of their country. At
Chicago we are told that 100,000 hogs have re-
cently been on the market at one time, the stock-
yards themselves being on a very large scale. The
Droves' Journal speaks of. a, firm of packers,
Messrs. Libby, McNeill, and Libby, using over
100,000 head of cattle during the year 1877; also
of the Chicago Packing and Provision Company
as being the largest winter packing-house in the
world, having accommodation for slaughtering and
packing 1,200 hogs per day. This Company has
bought up three of the largest private concerns in
Chicago, aisd it requires about 2,000 men to carry
on their operations, which represent the packing of
6,000 to 8,000 hogs daily. In December they packed
14,000 to 17,000 hogs daily, for a short time. The
Peoria T 7 anscript, an Illinois paper, speaks of a
monster cattle-feeding building, 317 feet in length and
150 feet wide, erected at a cost of fifteen thousand
dollars, in which 12,000 cattle can be accommodated—
that number being tied up at the present time. Then
disasters, too, are on an equally large scale, the same
paper reporting a fire wjiich had broken out at Terre
Haute, in the cattle-sheds of a large distillery, where
800 Texan and Colorado cattle were being fattened;
300 of the animals are supposed to have perished, but
the numbers are not yet correctly known. We are
decidedly slower in this country; but I am inclined to
think we are quite as sure.—Mark Lane Express.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

EXECUTION AT WINCHESTER.

John Caffyn, convicted at the recent assizes of the
murder of Maria Barber, at Ryde, Isle of Wight,
was executed on Monday, in Winchester gaol,
hlarwood being the executioner. Since his con-
demnation the culprit has maintained the same
reserved, self-possessed demeanour he exhibited at
the trial. He has been most attentive to the exhor-
tatiDns of the chaplain, and on Sunday received the
Holy Communion. On Monday morning he expressed
penitence for his crime, saying he had a good Lope of
God's mercy. He ate a good breakfast, and sub-
mitted quietly to the process of pinioning, after which
he walked with great firmness to the scaffold. The
fatal scene lasted only three minutes, but life was
not extinct for a considerable time after the drop fell,
the fall being a very deep one.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

EXECUTION AT LIVERPOOL.

James Trickett, a birdcatcher, who was convicted
at the late Liverpool asgizes of the murder of his wife,
was executed within the precincts of the countyprison
at Kirkdale at eight o'clock on Tuesday morning.
Great efforts had been made, but without success, to
obtain a reprieve for the condemned man, who 4 was
strongly recommended to mercy by the jury on the
ground that his wife, in consequence of her drunken
habits, had given him great provocation. Since his
condemnation the murderer had been very attentive
to the ministrations of the Roman Catholis chaplain.
He walked firmly to the scaffold, and died without
the slightest struggle. Marwood was the executioner,
and he used a roi,e which gave a drop of eight feet.

The Rev. Father Bontd says the culprit wished it to
be understood that he died for his wife, whom he al-
ways loved, and against whom he never had any bad
feeling. He deeply repented his crime, which, how-
ever, he did not confess unreservedly ; but he said he
would rather die at once than live another week, even
though at the end of that time the capital punishment
were to be remitted.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

AN UNCLAIMED PACKAGE.

The Post Office in America is used by all classes of
traders and by the public generally for the conveyance
of goods of various descriptions such as are here ordi-
narily entrusted to carriers; and a late sale by the
Post Office department at Washington of unclaimed
packages sent to the Dead Latter Office afforded
some remarkable examples of this practice. Among
other " lots " was an unclaimed package from the
New York Post Office containing apparently
a Christmas dinner for a large family. The
enclosure of this "letter" were as follows :—A
roast spare-rib, a large piece of roast veal, several
pounds of jerked venison, and several buffalo tongues,
potatoes and onions, a pound of butter, a loaf of fruit
cake, a lot of candy, raisins, nuts, oranges, apples, &c.,
several small bottles of wine and whisky, two boxes of
cigars, and two Limburger cheeses, besides other
articles of food. The same package also contained
salt, pepper, and vinegar for the seasoning, and cran-
berries for the sauce, and in addition an abundance of
flour and yeast. Perhaps, after all, this was only a
cook's "love-letter."—Pall Mall Gaulle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

The DEPRESSION in TRADE.—MEETING
AT BRISTOL.

A largely attended conference of representative
workmen and employers was held in Bristol on Tues-
day night to consider the causes of the present depres-
sion in trade. The Rev. Dr. Perci ial presided, and
Mr. Morley, M.P., and Mr. Macdonald, M.P.,
were present. Letters approving the object of
the meeting were read from several memisers
of Parliament, including Messrs. Hodgson, Wait.
Cowen, Burt, Brassey, Brogdeu, &c. Papers
were read, and the meeting was addressed by Mr.
Morley, Mr. Macdonald, Mr. Halliday, and others,
by whom the causes of trade depression were attri-
buted to the high price of coal, the drinking habits , of
the country, strikes, the land laws, war, legislation,
trades unions, the locking up of capital in the hands
of the few, &e. Mr. Morley thought the great remedy
was the securing of fresh markets, and he spoke hope-
fully of the effect of opening up Africa, with its two
hundred millions of inhabitants. Although he believed
in trades unions and had helped to make them legal,
he advocated in all cases where possible an amicable
settlement between employers and employed, without
external intervention. The less trades unions were
allowed to interfere between employer and employed
the better it would be for both parties. This was his
chief point: more freedom for the workmen and the
opening up of more markets for our manufacturers.
A resolution was passed in favour of the establishment
of a just a comprehensive system of conciliation in
settlement of trade disputes.

At the annual meeting of the Seamen'e Friend
Society, Bristol, held on board the Floating Chapel, under the
presidency of the Ilzayor, it was stated that upwards of 8,000
seamen visited or sailed out cif the port every year, and that
520 meetings had been held on board the floating ship during
the past year.

Attention is drawn by the Registrar. General to the
fact that the deaths from small-pox in London last week
were more numerous than they have been since June last.
They amounted to 55, whereas in
.nineteen large provincial
towns, with an aggregate population slightly exceeding that
of Loudon, not a single fatal case was ircorded. This differ-
ence, he points out, is not accidental. There must be some-
thing radically wrong in the treatment of the epidemic. Is,
he asks, the Vaccination Act steadily carried out? Havethe
cases said to be vaccinated been effectively vaccinated. Is
the isolation of patients during and after attack carefully
carried out? There are hospitals, and yet people die oi
inuall-px Vatil tacoptiQuai
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

A WEATHER WARNING.

The following cable message has been received at the
London office of the New York Herald from New York :

"Two storm centres will probably arrive an British
coasts between 13th and 16th, attended by heavy
rains, snow, and gales. Snow squalls will be met
northword of lat. 40 by vessels bound west, North
Atlantic. Weather bad for coming week."
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

GRIDLEY HEATH.

We are glad to hear that by the persevering
exertions Of the committee appoiated to obtain sub-
scriptisit,, this fund has been bronl-,dit to a considerable
sum. Methods of putting it to good use for the allevia-
tiin of th 3 distres, in the distr.:lt have been organised,
and to some exterA already carried out. A quantity
of bread has been distributed in deserving cases, sod
there were several distributions in the course of the
week.

.13,047q144,-3Ce •• • ••• • ••i • - •

SCHOOL BOARD.--111,? moutlilv meeting waa 13.1 en
Muaday ailJrnoun, Al.r. W. Bassauu was
decided that zoo n 2 et the 014 Sill schools phould be
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

DUDLEY.

FAILURE or A PUBLICAN.-31r. Bowen, solicitor,
Bilston, has filed at the County Court a petition in
liquidation on behalf of Benjamin Samuel Ford, of the
Lion Inn, Upper High Street. The liabilities are over
.£1,600, and the assets only £2OO. Mr. Jahn By water
is the receiver add manager.

FENIIIRAL OF THE LITE 'TOWN CLERE.-012 Wednesday,
the remains of Mr. W. H. Brooke was interred in the
Unitarian Burial Ground, the Inhedge t twelve
o'clock the funeral started from the residence of the
deceased, Vicar Street. About twenty members of the
Town Council (including the Mayor,, Mr. W. North), to.
gether with the officers of the Corporation, joined the
procession on its way to the Unitarian Chapel, in Wol-
verhampton Street. The Rev. Matthew Gibson read the
burial serviee in the church and at the grave. There
was a large concourse of people on the line of procession,
and many blinds were drawn in respect to the deceased.
Chief-superintendent Burton kept order with a staff of
sixteen officers.

_
COLLIERY FITALITY.—ShortIy be-fore midnight on
Wednesday a heavy fall of coal occurred in the Prince
of Wales pit, Oakharn, near Dudley, and killed a pitman,
named Amos Worton (26), of Kate's Hill. A number of
pikemen were in the pit on the night shift, getting coal
ready for toe loaders on Thursday morning, and the par•
ticular kind of work Worton was engaged in consisted of
knocking out supports. The other men had narrow
eicapes. „
Sinuous PZT ACCiDRNT.—The son of Mi. Pugh, a
batty at Haden Hill Colliery, was dangerously hurt on
Wednesday morning. Mr. D. Timmins, surgeon, gave
prompt attention to the case, which it is feared wil4
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

GLENFIELD

The
Queen's
Laundress
Says this Starah
Is the best
She ever
Used.
_____

STARCH.

It i auprising (something grevious) every year to see the amount of money—good money, or ought to be—that
is lest to Creditors through heir inability to follow up a Debtor (in consequence of being unable or untealing to
a(ord the time to leave their business, or having tried (end most probably inefectuall,y) to recover it, have become
thoroughly sick of the affair I 1) The Debtor, in most cases, knows and relies upon this and calculates that he will
eventually tire his Creditor out.
DEBT COLLECTING.—The system adopted by these Offiees is the most peremptory and successful ever
submitted to the Pulite. Immediate application to Debtor • prompt remittance to Creditor. Reports on unpaid
debts 'very month. Statement with every remittance, so that Creditor can post direct to his Ledger.
Tanis-5 per Cent, up to £5O 2i beyond. Double this:rate for Irish, Scotch and Foreign Debts,
Debt Collecting only, gl Is per annum, end Terms as above. Non-BabeeriberctirDebte:Colleoted for

DUDLEY AND WALSALL.
11DIANOFORTES and HARMONIUMS
be had on the NEW SYSTEM of HIRING, for Two Jr
Three Years; after which, and without any further pay-
ment, to become the property of the hirer. All Instru-
ments had on this system, or otherwise, will be
Exchanged any time within SiS months for any other ,if
not approved of, and returned carriage free: And fur.
her, &HAI a trial of three years , any Pianoforte or Han
moni..m would be taken back, at its origival cost, and
the money returned, deducting the' chergr foi
hire; thuit.offering 13rea,tOr aava:ltc, than (4.: Louderi
or Birmingham _Fitiioii4:2.—Appty FRElliatleKnitEk:N
Music Warehouse, 260, Gastla•streetipladieYs 1414
Pak-street, Walsall.'

ONE Box of CLARKE'S--‘IOD 41 Pills in
warranted to cure all dischargafroin the Urinar
9rgans, in either sex, acquired or constitutional, Grave
/And Paina in the Back.—Sold in boxes, 4s 6d each, by
all c ts and l'atetlt idedicinc Vendora; or sent to
yttdrese.l,,r c;ti :;Laiaips tpy -oi.Aßree
t:uusulting Chewiat, liigh-street, Lincoln.—Whotesal
Agents, BARCLAY & 60103, Londou,and all the Wholopal
Roues.

()TICE, i ri.:by- Uiven that thb Partner-
-61,i? herttOtara 611bSiSLIDS betWeHil - u,Uus
,IthaseiliigUed ILum!is 441(1 Joseph,illidge, :Ls Auc-
tlj auJApouiscry, cercdoa by,.ws I'4
and•KidderiniDster.tili;,:alv -,:iJLY),,L) by mutual
consent debts due w ana'l)wiT:g froui th'e bald
partuership will be -receiird ani li Uy tie said
iborlias Rees. :;)

Dated this 30th day of Jannaty. 1878:
THOUS RtES,
•• . • JOSEPH ILLIDGE.
Witness to te'at pal urea of Thnrnas Ite.is and Zceph

JOSEPH 5101013,

fhlicity, DIM*

.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

THE FASTEST LOCOMOTIVE BUILDER
IN THE WORLD.

Lately, in Jackson, Michigan, at the engine works
of the Michigan Central Railway, a competition took
place between two young gangs of workmen as to
which could soonest put a locomotive together, and
send her out of the shop in running order. Heretofore
the usual time for doing this work, with a gang of five or
six men, in the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Phila-
delphia, has been from nine days to two weeks. When,
therefore, the fact was published that the same feat had
been accomplished at Jackson by Robert Steward, with
14 men, in 25 hours, and by Walter Edington with
his gang in 36 hours and 20 minutes, the engine
builders of the country were loud in their expres-
sions of disbelief. This piqued the Jackson men,
and they determined to transcend all previous
efforts. Accordingly, on the 16th of November, the
parts of two new locomotives, which had never been
placed together, were collected, while on the two trucks
were the boilers. As the clock struck seven, two
gangs of fourteen each, one commanded by Robert
Steward and the other bykWalter Edington, sprang to
their work. The boilers were raised by jacks on the
massive frames, the driving wheels secured in their
places, the cyclinders, valves, link motions, connecting
rods, levers, smoke-stacks, jacket bolts. &c., numbering
altogether thousands of pieces, were all secured in their
respective places. The fires already lighted convert
into steam the water run in shortly after the start.
Edington's gang beats the other by about a minute
in the finishing touches. The engineer, standing
in his place, blows the whistle, follows its completed
companion. The spectators, 200 in number, who
watched every detail of the work with breathless in-
terest, break into a cheer, to which the grimy work
men, drenched in perspiration, gave a hearty echo.
Two hours and fifty-two minutes is the record from
fifty watches, and the Jackson shops and workmen
are covered with blaze of glory. The two engines
were attached to an excursion train filled with em-
ployes, and the exultant crew went to Detroit. Each
engine made the trip of 76 miles without heating a
journal, and they both ran as smoothly as if they had
been months in commission,
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

EXECUTION AT NOTTINGHAM.

John Brooks, a lace maker. was executed on Wed-
nesday morning. at Nottingham, for the murder of
Caroline Woodhead, a married woman with whom he
had cohabited. Since his trial the prisoner has been
very attentive to the ministrations of the chaplain,
and appeared quite resigned. At the scaffold his
demeanour was calm, and he ascended the steps
with tolerable firmness, though- with a deeply
penitent bearing. In. a tremulous voice he
several times repeated the words. "Lord, remember
me." In his statement he attributed the crime to
drink, 4nd said he had found by bitter experience
that "The way of transgressors is hard." Marwood
was the executioner.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16

was worked in white. Previous to the sermon the following
notice was read : "Archbishop's House, Westminster. Feb.
9, 187ii.—Rev, and dear Brethren,--You have heard with
deep regret the sad news of the death of our great
and beloved Sovereign Pontiff, which took place on
Thursday evening, at a quarter to six o'clock, and in the
absence o :the Cardinal Archbishop I am sure that
I am only anticipating his Eminence's wish in making
the following requests : Ist, That in every Church
in the diocese where it can be done a High
Mass of Requiem be snug on the first possible day, and that
one or more Requiem Masses be said in all other churches
and chapels of the diocese; 2nd, that for nine days after the
receipt of this letter the De Profandis be said in English
after every mass and public service, with any prayer that
the clergy may wish to add; 3rd, that to implore the Divine
protection and guidance upon the Conclave in the election
of a successor to Pope Pius the Ninth, the collect, &c., from
the mass, Pro eligende minim° Pontifice, be added in every
mass and benediction until news of the election reaches you.
In order that the laity may have due notice of these public
prayers, and may be moved to offer also their private prayers
for the same intentions, • request that you will read this
letter at evary mass and other service on Sunday next.—l
remain, rev, and dear brethren, your faithful servant in
Christ (signed) DANIEL GILBERT, V.G.P.S.