The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-03-11 00:00:00

Ms ctilant oils c4ittriligentz.
HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

GOOD NAME FOR A HARD WORD AT A
SPELLING BEE.—A stinger.—.Tudy.
NOTICE. —As the recent discussion about
Crossed Cheques has produced a state of anxious agita-
tion, difficult to describe, among several nervous
elderly Ladies and amiable Clergymen, it is requested
that all Cheques, about which there may be any bed.
tation as to their immediate destiny, be made payable
to 31r. Punch or order, Fleet-street, without crossing
of any kind.—Punch.

_
A BOILING LAKE.—The discovery of a boiling
lake in the Island of Dominica has excited much
E cientific interest, and investigations of the phenomenon
are to be made by geologists. It appears that a com-
pany exploring the steep and forest-covered mountains
behind the town of Rosseau came upon the boiling
lake, about 2,500 feet above the sea-level, and two
miles in circumference. On the wind clearing away
for a moment the clouds of sulphurous steam with
which the lake was covered, a mound of water was
seen ten feet higher than the general level of the sur-
face, caused by ebullition. The margin of the lake
consists of beds of sulphur, and its overflow found exit
by a waterfall of great height.
THE PREVAILING EPIDEMIC. —Paterfamilias
(dismally, to Uncle John, who has called to ask the
young people to dine, and go to the "play "). "Well,
we've rather a sick house! 'Fact is, we ve been rinking
a good deal lately. Matilda has damaged her knee cap;
Grace has got a blaok eye and lost some of her teeth;
George has sprained his wrist; and Fred's in bed with
a comminuted fract— " Servant (at the Door). "Dr.
Splinter, mum! I [ Tableau !]"—Punch.
EXTENSIVE LAND OWNERS.--The following
table contains the names of the twelve most extensive
land-owners in England and Wales, with the total
amount of their acreage, and the estimated gross value
thereof :
Acres. Valuation".
Duke of Northumberland .. • 101,481 .. 4182 560
Duke of Devon,hire 32,998 .. 140,405
Duke ol Cleveland .. .. 303,786 .. 95,769
ExIDS:
Earl
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ofl'f
Rutland
Carlisle
fied Wynne
:56!
668;1
580:055
990032421
95,
45522.
11
686679444
3573101
30343464183350!
;32:0
F,EEarl
rrrLordßooLftre,pi:cwoo.ennwr f
wl d

NAVAL OHAPLAIr,S. A Sailor writes to
The Times Will The Times, as the allo ratio of
the aggrieve), " w&
v:e—d,lend an ear to the pleading of widows
and orphans subject to a peculiar hardship! There is a
pension of £5O for widows of naval chaplains who have
served five years, and of £7O for those who have served
ten years. In the case of the former, however, unless
he fulfil the condition of A peuding 12 months after
his marriage at sea, the chaplain's widow forfeits
every farthing of the pension to which his five years'
service had rendered her eligible. No similar condition
*aisle in the case of any other class of officers. The
poor naval. clergyman, having toiled at sea, would be
comforted m the closing hours of life by the thought
that lie was not leaving his partner destitute, yet she
might be awakened to the miserable knon ledge that
she was not eligible for the Government pittance be-
cause her deceased husband, after baying served nine
years and 364 days, had not, subsequently to his mar-
riage, served another twelvemonth. The particular
grievance of the naval chaplain is that a boon fairly
earned by length of service is taken away from him
except on a virtually impracticable condition. The
small sum that would be requited to afford him effectual
relief is too trifling to be worthy of mention, and would
draw forth on him who conferred it the blessings of a
olass peouliarly meriting anuPoithYs".