The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-09-03 00:00:00

()ur yonbon torresponbrnt.
rvf. deem it right to mt., that we do not at all times
tontdy ourselvet with our correspondent's opiuiimal

Sincere regret must be felt by all who have heard of
the I mentable suicide of Mr. Rowley, for fourteen
years the manager of the Crystal Palace, "the i slue
of the people's pleasures." Before Its received this
impartant and valuable appointment, he was known
as the secretary of the Sacred Harmonic Society.
What this st ciety has done for oratorio music need
not he insisted en ; it is well known, but it is not so
well known that Mr. Howley held to the last the post
of a cretary to it, and thom.h he was spared from the
ordinary duties of the post, he continued to exercise a
loving control over the movements of the association.
As manager of the Crystal Pa ace, he it was who
organised those splendid musical festivals which have
been unequalled in the world, and of which the Sacred
Harmonic threirty was the mainstay. the evidence
brought met at the breves' corroborates the opinion of all
*rho ham him—that he had for a long series of years
neee-worked himself. A letter found on him after his
aieplorable d. ath contained these melancholy words in
his own handwriting : lam thoroughly newel], and
cannot do more. It is so hard, as heart, hand, and
energy are all gone." Poor gentleman, be died, if ever
a man 'lid, from a strong and active brain being over-
worked till at last it gave way under the crushing
weight imposed upon it. Such a result is by no means
singular, but it is notewolthy. Few of us who occasion-
ally rijoy the pleasures and entertainments of the
thystal Palmer think at what an expsediture "heart,
hand, tied energy" those pleasure ate provided.
Charming as the Crystal Palace is in itself and all
its acceesorisa it is universally admitted that it is 'a
bad place for sound," and it is therefore consolatory to
bear that the Rayal Albert Hall of Science and Arts
at South Kensington—an institution in which Her
Maje sty takes such natural mterest—wid, when finished
v coommodate 10,000 persons who will be able to (
hear not only the c manned sounds of the monstre
orchestra but even the delicate notes in a solo. I
Ph-aunt, too, it is to hear that the works
which are to connect the hall with the Indus-
trial Exhibition of 1871 are in a satisfactory state of
forwardness ; that the galleries over the Italian Arcades
of the Horticultural Society's Garden are nearly
finished ; and that in sword the Royal Albert Hall is
rapidly approaching completion. Much hoe been said
in opposition to no much money being lavished in the
favoured neighbourhood where this hall is situate, but
at least it will add a new charm to London, as visitors
to our great city will see long prove. The first of the
annual international exhibitions will be held in the
spring of next year, and will inaugurate a series of
friendly contests which it is to be hoped, will do more
to promote friendly feeling than other exhibitions have
done. Very suggestive is it to read that "the French
have not allowed the terrible war now waging, to in-
terrupt, or even slacken for a moment their prepara-
tions at South Kentingtoe."
Anxiously and eagerly as people look for news from
districts of France, the names of which have become
painfully familiar to us of late—much as we crave
news from Metz, B arsle-Duc, Chahar's, Vitry, Stru-
burg, Ithti(lll., Nancy, Toul, Phalsburg, and many
other places, it may truly be said that all eyes, figura-
tively speaking are turned towards Paris. An ins.
menu Cermau tome is marching on the city—in fact
three German armies. "The capture of Paris," hope-
fully says the Van,' " c avonly be attempted by
regular niece, and for such a siege it would require an
army at least three cc four times larger than that
which the Crown Prince will bring with him." But
this view of the case quite ignores a telegram which
was dispatched about the time the ab we remarks must
have been written, and which states that "in addition
to the German armies already in the field, a fourth has
been formed under the command of the Crown Peirce
of Saxony, and to which the Prussian Guard is attached.
This army is destined to ot crate in the direction
of Pare, together with the third army tinder
the Crown Prince of Prussia.' The Stsndard
continued —`' In the meantime France is adding
to her armies every day ; she is repairing her
breaches &MI closing her ranks; her capacity for
making soldiers is at least equal to that of Prussia,
and ins little time she will have a force to match even
the vast host which Prussia has 'sauced into bereaetern
provinces." There is much truth in this, but a sad
truth it is when we cenrider that it suggests how awful
the struggle will be. Paria is making desperate Oaths
to defend herself. The beautiful Bois de Boulogne is
being sacrificed to facilitate these prsparetions for de-
fence ; large numbers of troops have been brought from
the provinces to defend the forts; old forts have been
repaired and new ones made with astonishieg rapidity.
redoubts have been thrown up to guard the princi; a'
entrances ; enctmous muses of paivieions have been
stored up; thousands of useless mouths, as the French
phrase literally eignities, have been expelled the city ;
and, ins word, immense efforts are merle day and night
to defend the capital from capture. This terrible news
every where excites intense interest, and every jaurnal one
takes up, and every re rain to whom one speaks on
the subj act hopes that Paris will rot be besieged ; but it
seems like hoping against hope. "France will n it, in her
present mood," says the Daily News, ask for resew.
She will not yet admit her tleteet, and treat to raoe her
capitaL Paris haa, in fact, neither ine'ination nor
neceseity to change her attitude of confident di fiance
till the German deluge is actually flowing around her
defence'', as it has already flowed round the walla of
Metz" But lamely before that terrible hour arrives
the neutral powers will make some combined effortc
towards mediation. Independently of the awful
slaughter that this war has caused and will yit cause
the whole world has an interest in preserving from de.
structian the palatial buildings, the handsotce
churches, the bright shop', the brilliant salons, the
charming b ulevar to, and the lovely parks and
gardens of beautiful Paris, erewhi'e the gayest, must
sprightly, and mut faecMating city in the world.
On dit that the late Marquis of Hertford has left a
large pottion of his aemonal property to the Prince
ImperiaL If so, will the Prince ever get it? Will he
be Prince should he obtain it! The deceased was well
known to have been far many years an intintam friend
of the Emt erorho.
Two young gentlemea, brother', are amusing them-
eelves in their own garden by rifle-practice; unknown
to lire of them who is about to fire, the rifle is laaded
with a bullet; he era bad shot, and though he dots
not aim at his NY- her—he kills him! How often we
hear some such a tale as this—with many variations
perhaps, but always with the [same sad sequel, some
one fatally ehot. And, often as the tag is told, it seems
to make no impression. In this lamentable case, the
young gentleman who was the unintentional agent of
his brother's death did not aim at the deceased, but the
tumid tale is that somebody comes into a room where a
gun is stanaing ; he believes it is ueload d; he takes it
up, and in fun, says: " I'll shoot 30U ;" he pulls the
• rigger—and somebody else falls dead. And this
occurs every now and again, and seems hkely to occur.
Can no one suggest any means of preventing such sad
calamities?

One of the places to which most visitors to London
make a p iint f goiog is the Polytechnic. Consider.
able changes, I believe, are about t be effected in this
institution. If the directors can obtain a license they
intend to intioduce "draning-room entertainments"
in the style if those produced by M. and
Mrs. German It..ed, aid meanwhile the direc-
tors aforesaid are determined th offer the pube
lic something mere attractive than is the order of the
evening at present. Intact the conviction remote and
more forced el.sin them that science, even popularised
ever so superticially, don't pay, and that people prefer
amusement to instruction.

_
Canada some time since passed a law prohibiting the
introduction of American non-copyright works by
English authors, and Mr. Wilkie Collins's "Man and
Wife" has plat been produced in the dominion, under
the new law. Ile Canadians may be congra-
tulated on renderirg this justice, tardy though
It be, to Erglish authors avd publishers. Whn will
Am erne fo.low the example It is too bad that the
worke of an English author and the property of an
Englieh publish r, may be seized on in America ten
days after its aptearance here, 3.-Al reproduced in a
cheap fiTtll with, ut the &lightest pecuniary sc-
knowledgmeut to wrhar or owner.
More than a year ago an Act was &seed for the
purpose of rota Pshing a forehm metle market and
abattoir near London, and y• t up to the vete IA time
not even a site has been decid-d upon. The City
Corporation has suggested a spat to the went of Dept-
ford, and the Privy Council are supposed to have this
site "under consideration." It ia to be hoped that
"nay lords" will loon make up their minds, for the
matter is really of treat consegnence to the whole
corn try. The m -jority of grLziers, dealers, and
butchers agree that we ongbt to have a separate
market for foreign cattle; Parliament said no thirteen
mouths ago; and yet p Ativt ly nothing has yet been
done towards it beyond the fact mentioned.

RECRUITING rf _IL TIK •6111.—For the last
few days King-street, Wertmiustrw, and its immediate
heiglatakurbraal, the headquarters of the 'Anton recruiting department, hu ben much more quiet and
peaceable than for many we. ks past, the full codiple-
ment of nerukta required for Ile it errs.. of Obi army
havikkg been nearly obtatined. In the Engineers, the
Amy Send, eibps, the nuajarity of the cavalry regi-
ments, and the Morisse, ret exiting has been suapenklekl,
no mole win being at ikrtlik fit requred, while these in
cavalry and infantry rigiments where recruits are
still beit g taken the medical inspectors are now
extremely particular whom they pass, and will car-
tiff for none but strong and active young men who
have been used to field and spade labour.