The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-07-28 00:00:00

unATE, Frqtrav, AND COLONTAIs

0 GOOD GLAZIOUS I—Why is a glazier always more
brimming over with she milk of human kindness than
any other fellow ?—Why, becaus?, cl m't you see, he is
al ways looking a'ter the panes of other people. Come,
now !—Judy
A CENTe,NARIAN.—On Saturday at Holm() Pierre-
pont, in Notts, Mr. Kfiightley Smith a resident in
the parish, received from his fellow larishioners an
addres, and engraved plate in celebration of the com-
pletion of his 100th year. Mr. Smith was born at
Oghourne St. George, near Marlborough. on July 21,
1783. He spent most of his life in his native county,
and he has for 13 years resided with his son, Mr.
Robert Smith, at Holme Pierrepont. In the early
days of his life he spent much time on horseback, and
his health is still very good. Thirty years ago he dis-
carded spectacles as rather a hindrance than a help to
his sight, and he now rea3s without their aid.
INCREASE OF ITALIAN COMMERCE WITH EGYPT.—
From the reports of the Italian Consul at Alexandria
it is seen that, after England, Italy, from the let
September, 1882, t) sth May, 1883, has imported the
largest quantity of cotton, superseding France, from
which country it has taken away the transport of
cotton to Switzerland and Alsace, one of the first
effects of the opening of the St. Gothard Railway.
A few years ago E .yptain sugar was almost bought
by the refineries of England and France, but now
those countries are behind Italy. From the 15th
March to 15'h May this year 63,765 sacks of sugar
were exported to Italy. During the same period only
32,230 were sent to England and 1,350 to France.

ON THE SAFE SIDE.—Boy: I say, Guv'tior, is it
safe to pass t'other side of that 'Oss ?—Good-natured
Cabman : Don't be afeared, sonny—he don't strike
out. —Boy : It's not his etriking nut as I'm afeard on
—its his toppling over I—Funny Fulkb.
A ROYAL AIITHOR.—Prince Louis Iferdinand, a
cousin of the King of Bavaria, who has already dis-
tinguished himself by extensive studies in mote than
one branch of science, has recently published a
"Monograph on the Tongue," considered with refer-
ence to its comparative anatomy in man and in several
kinds of the other animals. SOW 6of the microsco-
pical and physiological inveitigations which have .
served as the basis of the work were conducted under
Professor Ittldinger. and the remainder in the Prince's
own lalyzatory at Nympheriburg. The work has 105
illustrations, and is published by Theodore
Riedel, of 'Munich. Prince Louis Ferdinand, who is
in his 24th year, has lately married a sister of King
Alfonso of Spain.
THE BATTLE OF SALAMANOA.—The anniversary of
the battle or Salamanca (which was fought in 181.2,
when the British under Wellington, defeated the
French) wrs observed in the cestomary manner on
Monday. The ceremony of decking the colours with
laurel was duly observed in every regiment through-
out the British Army which took part in the eneace-
ment, and the subaltern doing duty with the detach-
ment of the let Battalion Grenadier Guards, which
mounted the "Queen's Guard " in London, in the
morning carried the laurel decked colours from Chel-
sea Barracks to the guard-room at St. James's Palace.
THE CHINESE IN SIAM—Mr. Newman, British
Consul-General in Siam, states that the immigration
of Chinese into Siam now amounts to the large
number of 20.000 annually, and that the return
emigration i 3 comparatively small. So flourishing,
moreover, are these colonists that the whole trade
of the country now falls, we are told, into the hands of
the Chinese. Indeed, adds Mr. Newman, "it would
be a difficult matter now to find a Siamese merchant
or shopkeeper."

DESTINATION OF EMIGRANTS TO THE UNITED STATES.
—A statement has been published showing the &Bd.
nation of the emigrants who arrived at Castle Garden
during the last six months of 1882. From this it
appears that the total number of emigrants was
277,020, and they were distributed throughout the
principal States and territories in the following pro-
portion :—New York, 9,627; Illinois, 33,834; Penn-
sylvanial 25,602; WisconEin, 15,232; Ohio, 14 602;
Minnesota, 14297; Michigan, 12,619; lowa, 12,516;
New Jersey. 6.719; Masgachusetts, 6,38!I; Missouri,
5,600; Connecticut, 4,833; Nebraska, 448; the scale
declining to only eight persons for Idaho and two
persons for the Indian territory. It will be seen from
the above theta full third of the total number of emi-
grants settled in New York State.
THE ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON REGATTA.—A prize
cup has been offered by the King of the Netherlands
to the Royal Yacht Squadron. Inside the lid of the
cup the following words are engraved :—" Thi4pri7e
is offered to the Royal Yacht Squadron by his Majesty
William 111., King of the Netherlands, Prince of
Orange, Nassau, and Grand Duke of Luxemburgh."
On the cup itself appear the highly ornamented arms
of Orange and the Neiherlands enamelled in colours,
and resting in a jarretiere with the motto "Je main-
tien dial."

EMIGRATION TO BRITISH COLUMBIA,—A pamphlet
is about to be issued by the Canadian Government
with reference to the resources of British Columbia,
its mineral deposits, its timber forests', and its attrac-
tions from agricultural and manufa,ctu -lug points of
view. The Canadian Government is prepared to give
a bonus of £2 to every adult of, and exceeding, 16
years of age on arrival at Victoria, British Columbia,
on proof to the agent of the Government at that place
of an intention to settle in the province. Forms of
application for the bonus may be obtained from the
Canadian Government Offices. There is a consider-
able demand for labour of all kinds at the present
time, owing to the rapid construction of the Canadian
Pacific Railway, and the development which the
country naturally receives from the progress of the
work
A PRESCRIPTION FOR Low SPIRITS. —The following
is told in connection with John Liston, who, begin-
ning life as a schoolmaster, subsequently adopted the
stage as a profession, and became a most popular
comedian :—Liston was, when at home, the dullest
man imaginable, and a prey to depression of spirits.
By the advice of his wife, he went to Abernethy, the
celebrated physician, who was very abrupt towards
his patients. Liston was ushered into the surgeon's
room, and was received with a slight bow by Aber-
nethy, who was unacquainted with the name or per-
son of his visitor. "Sit down, sir. What ails you?"
said the doctor. Liston stated his complaint with
gravity and deliberation. "Is that all?' inquired
the physician. "There's nothing the matter with you.
Low spirits! Pooh! posh! Go to Covent Garden and
see Liston perform; if that has no effect, go again to-
morrow; that will do it. Two doses of Liston will
restore a melancholy madman. There—go—go." Lie-
ton was very much taken aback by this advice, so
totally different to what he had expected; he however
gave Abernethy his fee, and made a most dignified
theatrical exit. Liston's talents secured the most
handsome emoluments, and he died very rich, in the
year 1846.
TOMATO FLOUR.—The Italians dry and pulverise the
pulp of the tomato (says the Scientific American).
Large districts are devoted to the culture of the fruit
for this purpose, the plant being usually raised between
rcws of vines in vineyards for the sake of economy of
land. The ripe fruit is macerated in water, and when
reduced to a thin pulp is strained to take out the
seeds, cores, &c., and then spread in the sun to dry.
It is afterwards ground and put up for market. There
seems to be no reason why evaporating ovens, so cinch
in use for drying less succalent fruit, as apples, might
not be utilised in this country for preparing tomatoes
by drying. Of course powdered tomato might not
supersede the canned fresh fruit. Its chief Use would
be for soups, sauces, and other auxiliary uses in cook-
ing. But there are many consumers of the fresh
tomato who refuse the tinned canned tomato from fear
of the action of the acid of the fruit on the leaded tin
of the can, the resultant being in their estimation a
virulent lead poison. Tomatoes put up in glass—
quite high priced—have therefore been welcomed by
lovers of the ,fruit—or vegetable. Possibly there is
room here for an addition to our list of dried or eva-
porated food articles.
PEOPLE'S KITCHENS —The Sanitary Record gives an
account of the People's Kitchen, a bright cheery social
cookshop opened in the grounds of the Hygienic
Exhibition at Berlin, where crowds of hungry or
curious men and women get a plentiful, wholesome,
and nutritious noonday meal for threepence ; or, if a
less plenteous repast be required, for three-fifths of
that small price. There are fourteen such kitchens, it
appears, in Berlin, managed by "Pie Berliner
Volkskiichen " Company, which began with one
kitchen in 1866, opened three rnraie the next year,
and gradually went on to fourteen kitchens, now
in operation. The income of the society from its
commencemens to January, 182, was 3,801,197
marks and 75 pfennings, while its expenditure for the
same period was but 3,751,543 !make, 32 pfennings,
The association owes its existence and no little of its
success to a lady, Frau Lina Morgenstern, wile has
been joined by a committee composed of scientific as
well as practical members, so that the meals are pro-
vided on the principle of combining all the food ele-
ments necessary for due nourishment. The mid-day
meal, which comprises the relative proportions of
albuminous, fatty, and carbonaceous matters con-
sidered necessary for the middey meal of a working-
mon, consists of one litre, or rather more than a pint,
of cooked vegetables, and a piece of meat weighing 25
grammes, and may be bought, as already stated, for
3d. English, or half a portion for lid.
LOCUSTS IN INDIA,—The districts of Matheran and
Mahableshwar, in the Bombay Presidency, have been
suffering from an invasion of locusts, huge swarms of
which have settled on the trees, which appear to be
covered with red foliage and clusters of red flowers
during tbe occupation, but when abandoned are no-
thing but bundles of bare twigs. Although no serious
danger has arisen from their appearance this year,
next year's crops will suffer very severely unless some
method of exterminating the eggs be adopted, for as
the female locust lays some 40 eggs on an average,
active measures should be taken during the period of
their underground life. While the locusts are on the
wing, it is difficult to make any impression on them,
although an Italian landowner, resident in Cyprus,
has destroyed vast numbers by placing in their path,
soon after they are hatched and still umprovided with
, wings, pits so prepared that after tumbling in it was
impossible for them to get out. This, however, is only
feasible during the wingless stage, when the young
locusts march across the country, in great columns,
more than a mile in breadth. But the most radical
treatment is that of destroying the eggs, which
fortunately are deposited, not singly, but in masses in
one place, generally on an uncultivated hill side. The
female inserts the eggs by means of a sword-like ap•
endage, and sheds a gill' inous matter for their pro-
tection ; and as traces of this may be seen glistening
on the surface of the ail, it affords an easy clue for the
searcher to discover their whereabouts. In Cyprus
rew ,rds have been offered and taxes imposed with a
view to stimulating the peasantry to destroying the
eggs, 62 tons of which were brought in during 1868, re-
presenting 50,000,000,000 lociests, the result, being that
the pset disappeared tor several years. Enormous as
is the destruction caused by the locust, there kr one
advantage about it—viz., that it is edible, in Arabia
men and horses using it regularly as an article of diet.
By corns of the natives they are eaten with oil after
being stripped of their legs and wings, but Lady Anne
Blunt in her travels was in the habit of boiling them
and dipping them into salt. Their flavour is described
as savouring of a vegetable, not unlike the taste of
green wheat,

TAMATAVE.—Tamatave has a population of from
6.000 to 7,000, of which 50 or 60 are Europeons, 500 to
600 Creoles, and over 100 British Indian subject+. A
London firm largely engaged in the Madagascar trade,
has its hzad•quarters at this port. The other mer-
chants at Tarnatave comprise two American houses
one German, and one French house. There are besides
a number of Creole traiers, chiefly from the Mauritius.
The British imp:ins of the port are cl,ietly cotton
goods, and Sheffield, Birmingham, and Wolverhamp-
ton goads. The chief exports are oxen to Mauritius.
Rbunion, and Natal, hide., indiarubber, beeswax, rice,
sugar, a d caffee. The total vnntral trade between the
United Kingdom, Mauritius, and British India with
Madagascar is computed at a million sterling, while
that of France is not more than one-third of that sum.
Of the British trade, Tamatave on the east coast and
Majunga on the west are the principal trading ports.

MUNICIPAL LIBRARIES IN PARlS.—There are at
present in Paris 23 municipal libraries, and it is hoped
that the number will shortly be increased to 40.
Some of them are situated in the mairiee of the
arrondissements, some in communal schools. The
books may be read in the library buildings, or, under
specified conditions, may be borrowed. During the
three months which ended June 30 the number of
books thus borrowed was 127,963. The majority,
71,087, were romances and novels; 17,011 were works
on natural history, poetry, or connected with the
theatre. The taste for hist,rical reading seems to be
about equally strong with that for geography and
books of travels, 10,313 of the borrowed volumes be-
longing to the former class, and 11,383 to the latter;
637, or less than five in every thousand of the borrowed
books were in foreign languages.
A FRENCH CENTENARIAN.—Mr. Vereker, British
Consul at Cherbourg, writes -" The following in-
stance of longevity is fully authenticated Monsieur
Gilles Louis Bouillie, born May 10, 1781, died at Caen
on the 21st of June, being thus in his 103rd year. He
had been President of the Tribunal of Commerce of
Caen, Administrator of Hospital.; and Town Councillor
at the same place, was a Knight of the Legion of
Honour, and had the St. Helena medal. lam
informed by the late Monsieur Bouillie's family that
be enjoyed good health and unimpaired faculties to the
last."
A TOWN THAT MAY BE SAID TO BE GROWING.—
"What is the population of La Beau, D. T., now?"
we asked. "Well the first lumber was received two
weeks ago last Sunday. Now there are six general
stores, one dry goods store, one hardware store, five
saloons, one meat market, three lumber yards, one
bank, one neweptper office, one telegraph office, a
pet office (with 280 call and eighty lock boxes of the
Yale pattern, in a building 20 by 30, two storeys high),
two hotels, and some ottor structures. Since then
there has been started another bank, a fifty-room hotel,
a hardware store, a dry goods house 30 by 80, and a
Presbyterian Church."—Detroit Free Press.
A GERMAN-AMERICAN 81-CENTENARY. —On August
20 next 200 years will have passed away since the first
pioneers of German migration to America landed on
the banks of the Delaware, and not far from the site
of Philadelphia, where Wiliiam Penn had laid the
foundations of a settlement the year before. Tha
German colonists were a band of 13 families, most of
whom came from Crefeld, under the leadership of Dr.
Franz Pistoriue, of Frankfort-on-the-Main. A German
Committee has been formed at Philadelphia, and a
programme has been arranged for the celebration of
the bi-centenary in a genuine national fashion.