The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-10-07 00:00:00

Ulisttlintous

BONE, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL,

AN IRISH " SEQUITUR."— Travelltr (they had
already walked a mile from the station). "Hi, I say,
Porter, do you call this 'No way at all?' I thought
Donnybrook Lodge was near the Terminus"—Pat:
" Faix, I cannt Fay, Sor, I was a follerio' o' you
Gintlemen I ! "—Punch.

THE CALM
.STYLE. The following is an
instance of the "reverely calm" style of Western
people :—Yesterday morning a boy sauntered up ta
sard in Eighthestreet, where a woman was scratching
the bosom of the earth with a rake, and leaning on a
fence said, "Are you going round the bAck yard after
a while?" The woman severely said, "No ! Why?
"Because, I just saw the water-butt lid drop on the
baby's bead a minute ago, and thought if you went 3 ou
might lift it off, as the butt's fall of water."

NOT GENERALLY KriowN.—The game of cro
quet has long been considered a pastime in winch
curates and other members of the clerical profession
could take part without any impropriety. Also, though
It is not very widely known, the English Biahops,
to a man, are devote to the game of " Lawn "
—Judy.

HEALTHY HOUSES.—" I. E." writes to The
Times :—" In The Times of September 26 there is a
letter from Mr. Whitmore regarding the mode of pro-
ducing a draught in the ventilating shafts of house
drains. Having been employed in India many years
ago in ventilating some barracks, it may be of use to
mention the method adopted, which was taken from a
work on pneumatics published in Ameri3a. Over the
top of the ventilating shaft a revolving cowl, formed of
two frustrated cones joined at the small ends, was
placed • one two, or three inches larger in diameter
than the other, had its mouth kept towards the wind
by a vane on the smaller one; the current of air
passing through the cowl produced a vacuum, and con.
sequent draught up the shaft. Of course, this only
acted when there was wind; but then it acted very
efficiently."
FATE OF THE RED INDlAN.—Within the
territory of the United States, the red man is slowly
but surely disappearing before the paleface (says The
Field). Recent events are likely to precipitate what
would seem to be the inevitable result. The disaster
which befell the force under General Custer is not un-
likely to lead to a war of extermination against the
Indian race. "In Canada the Indian treaties call
these men the Indian subjects of her Majesty.'
When civilisation approaches them they are placed on
ample reservations, receive aid in civilisation, have
personal rights in property, are amenable to law and
protected by law, have schools, and Christian people
give them their beat teachers." This picture is
creditable to us, and we believe it not to be overdrawn.
Let us hope that in future, whatever just vengeance
the Americans may think it right to take against the
Sioux for their temporary victory over a small military
force, they may, in their ultimate dealiegs with these
poor savages condescend to take a leaf out of our book,
and thenceforth find, as we have found, that with
them, as with civilised people, honesty is the best
policy.
AT LAST. --The Court of Common Council
have finally resolved to carry out the recommendation
of the City Lands Committee, and remove Temple
Bar. Considering the manner in which it has been
found necessary to support the poor old structure,
there can be no doubt that to remove it is the prop-er
course. It is supposed that the authorities, when it
is taken down, intend to send it to the American Cell-
tennial.—Judy.

SMCGIGLII;C IN FRANCE.— English smokers
travelling to the Continent may have remarked lately
an extreme severity on the part of the custom-house
people at most of the French douanes (says the Globe).
The rwist rigorous searches are made into all sorts of
luggage, and although the suspicions of the officials
are manifested in an unsparing hunt after all
prohibited articles, it is for tobacco that they seem
more particularly to be upon the look out. Some
time ago it was considered reasonable and allow-
able for an Englishman to carry with him a
moderate allowance, say a box containing a hundred of
cigars fur his own personal consumption. Bat this
mild infraction of the law is, it seems, no longor to be
tolerated, and every bundle, almost every single cigar,
is ruthlessly dragged forth, weighed, and charged for
at the enormous rate imposed by the French law. One
of the consequences of this strictness is that the pre-
mium on smuggling foreign tobacco has become very
important, and such an impulse has been given to
smuggling as has not existed far a long time.

AT THE SEASlDE.—Finding those awful swells,
the Spiffington de Veres. bent on the same excursion
as himself and family, Tomkins, in a weak moment,
takes first class tickets too. "Just for the look of the
thing, you know." Unfortunately that dreadful little
Tommy Tomkins shouts, "We're going first class
We're going first class r While his sisters clap their
han-ls bnd madly jump for joy.—Punch,
FfiESH BEEF FROM ABIERICA..—" L." writca
to The Times :—" Oar butcher on Tuesday sent us a
piece of ribs of beef which he said Was off an animal
killed in America, and that a thousand sides had come
over. The price was 9.1. a pound. The meat was
perfectly fresh and tender, and though it had not the
full flavour of the best English beef it was very
palatable and good. I ask you to insert this in order
that growers of beef in other places besides America
(Russia and the Danubian Provinces, for example,
where beef costs 3cl. a pound) may read it for their own
as well as for our advantage, for henceforth it would
appear that the exorbitant prices we have been paying
need no longer put good butchers' meat beyond the
ranae of moderate weans, and it will be in the power of
every family almost to dine cif a fresh joint."

A "RAILROAD SMABll."—Rall Way " casual-
ties " are in America termed "railroad smashes," and
one of the most extraordinary of these smashes on
record as regards the escape of passengers is reported
es having occurred the other day on the Newark and
Elizabeth branch of the Newark and New York Rail-
road (says the Pall Mall Gazette). A well-tilled train
of two passenger and baggage cars started from
Newark for Elizabeth. A few miles beyond Newark
the track had been washed away by a storm, leaving
the rails supported by "a mere honeycomb." The
engineer saw nothing wrong until it was too late to
pull up. On dashed the train, until, in the twinkling
of an eye, it was smashed to a wreck; the engine flew
one way, ths tender another, the cars a third, and the
tracks were "spun in a heap in the ditch." The pas-
sengers were, as was only to be expected, "severely
shaken up," a grocer from Newark being the most
severely "shaken up" of the lot; but even he escaped
with no more eerious injury than a severe cut on the
cheek, which, it is hoped, has only temporarily dis-
figured him. Railroad men, it is stated, say that,
considering the entire freedom from loss of life, the
smash is the " completest " they ever saw.

FEATS OF TELEGEAPEING.—The interest at-
taching to the speech delivered by Mr. John Bright, in
Manchester, on Monday night, is attested by the fact
that although accommodation could only be provided
for 13 reporters, no less that 371,076 words were tele-
graphed of the speech to different parts of the country
(says The Times). Of this number, 167,559 words were
sent through tbe Press Association, 148,642 words by
the Central News, and 54,876 by various ind-pendent
reports. The total number of words represents about
178 columns of matter. The speech was sent direct
to 30 towns, and the completeness of the telegraphic
syaem in Manchester may be judged when it is stated
that the speech was sent direct 113 far north as
Aberdeen in Scotland, Belfast and Dublin in Ireland,
and all the principal towns in England, even so far
south as Plymouth. The message was also retrans-
mitted from London by the Press Associa`imr, and the
Central News from London. The message was got off
from Manchester with great rapidity, Mr. Bright rising
to speak at half-past seven o'clock, and most of the
London and provincial messages, thi,,ugh extending to
over three columns apiece, were completed by about
midnight. This, we understand, is the first time that
a speech of this magnitude has been telegraphed direct
to so many towns from any provincial Offiee. The
arrangements of Messrs. Hall and Mason, the local
telegraph superintendents, were very satisfactory.

PAINTERS AND EDlTORS.—Working for forty
editors and scores of authors, every one of whom is as
sensitive as a sore thumb and as lively and interesting
as a hornet, no wonder that I,rintera die young, and
only pachydermatous, grizzly, mulish specimens get
their fair share of life. The writer wishes he could
offer himself as an awful example of the perils which
enviroa the man who meddles in any way with cold—
type. A thoroughly-trained printer should have had
a stepmother, and then a stepfather, and then have
been bpund out to a tanner, and then have married a
scolding wife (a collateral mother-in-law of a similar
desirable description) and then have had a f tmily of
ugly babies who were all afflicted with colic. He
should have added to all this discipline, a thorough
knowledge of art, law, languages, theology, history,
and biography; and a slight acquaintance with hiero-
glyphics would be a valuable addendum. If, in addi-
tion, he has a vicious-looking countenance and a
patient, cheerful disposition, he may stand some chance
with these editors and authero ; but the probabilities
are, after all, that they will worry h;nl to death.
ASCENT OF MOUNT ARATLAT.—The Times of
Monday says :—" We by letters hear from Tiflis that
Mount Ararat has been successfully ascended by an Eng-
lishman—Mr. Bryce, of Lincoln's inn, London. This is
believed to be either the third or fourth ascent, the first
having been made by Parrot in 1834, and the second by
Abich in 1850. The mountain is 17,212 ft. in height,
and the last 4,000 ft. had to be climbed alone, the
Cossack escort refusing to go further. The Armenians
of the neighbourhood believe the mountain to be in-
accessible, and insist that Noah's ark still exists upon
the summit." _

ENJOYING TIIRMSELVER.—The two native
Indian aides-de-camp of the Prince of Wales arc en-
joying themselves immensely in England (remarks
the Court Journal), They find themselves not only
petted and lionised, but their own colonel is compara-
tively a nobody to them in their new position. It
appears Anup Singh, one of the aides, writes frequently
home to Lahore and the neighbourhood, in the most
glowing terms: He says that he has at length dis-
covered Paradise, and that he has no desire to return
to the dull routine of a cavalry ressaldar's life in the
East. Rather than return he would retire, and marry
a rich white-faced, blue- -yed houri, and settle down
like his fellow-eountryman Maharajah Duhleep Singh.
He says .—" My brother and 1"—meaning the other
aide.de camp —" think that., now we have seen all here,
the Field- Marshal's visit to India was only spoilt by
the royal lady, his wife, not being with him, for had
she been, then the cup of j 3y in India would have been
full. I cannot tell properly her goodnei-s and sweet-
ness." Anup Sing is said in another letter to remarle
on the strength of the English people, for, says be, "
it
takes a very great deal to make them drunk.., alien,
again. comes a quaint little word-picture,, which every
one will appreciate at a glance. "The Field-Marshal,"
says Anup Singh, who seeminglyalwa;s calls the Pilia9e
of Wales by that title, "ie as land as i
always. He is in
good health, and is cheerful, and his bosom s dilated
with joy. We know this, for his laugh is as loud as
etyr." Ann!) Singh also describes how he wrote his
name in the Queu'e album, and how he has eat for his
portrait many times. A Lahore paper remarks con-
cerning the position of these Indian aides-de-camp in
England, and, the special lionising of Anup Singh :
"Never before has a ressed,ar of native cavalry under-
gone so beatific a change! .!

Tax TRADE IN HunsulT HAIR.—The hair
which adorns the heads of our belles and matrons comes
mainly from the heads of the peasant women of France,
Germany and Italy. The hair buyer, supplied with
sundry stoles be.it calculate:l to captivate the rural eye,
travels from village to village seeking out those whose
wealth of hair gives promise of a handsome price in the
Paris market, the great centre of the hair trade, ar,d
drives the b-St bazgaiii he can in obtaining it. Some-
times the price is paid in money, but more generally in
finc:ry of varicus kinds, such as ribb(uis, cheap laces,
trinkets, &;., a trade in which the buyer rea'iscs
handsome profit both ways, and the seller parts with
the adornment which nature has provided for almost
worthless ornaments which the will soon tire of and
throw aside.

THE INTERNATIONAL POTATO Snow. —The
Pictorial World in remarking upon the above event (in
the clever article "Farm and Garden"), says
The show surprised a few thousand people by its beatify,
variety and completeness. It was a remarkable thing to sce
the long tables with white cloths covered as with rnyries of
gigantic apples and pluncs, and to know that they were all
apples of the earth—merely selected samples of well-grown
potatoes brought together to enable cultivators to compare
them as to relative merit, and to interest the general public
In the important subject of potato culture. Those who will
take the trouble to analyze the prize list will soon discover
that the prizes were for the most part won by men who are
expert cultivators; and this will suggest that it is not the
chance finding of a handsome tuber here and there that
enables a man to win in such a competition, but the skil!ul
cultivation of a crop, and, it may be, a very careful manage-
ment of a collection of varieties. Now, this exhibition is
designed to promote Improved cultivation and the improve-
ment of varieties; the hope of the promoters being that in
time it will be possible to ensure to every man who eats
potatoes a plentiful supply of the finest quality at a lower
rate of cost than must now be paid for bad potatoes that
very few can eat. . . .

A FORMIDABLE TASK.—There is a curious
story in the history of the English settlements in
North America. The Indian Princess Pocahontas
was accompanied to England by a priest named
Vitomotomakkin, who was instructed by Powhatan,
his chief, to make himself well aoquainted with all the cir-
cumstances of the country, and particularly to learn
the exact number of its tribes and warriors. For this
purpose Vitomotomakkin was provided with a bundle
of sticks, that he might make a notch for every man
he saw. The moment he landed at Plymouth be began
patiently to cut notches, though evidently astounded
at the magnitude of the task before him. He continued
indefatigably at the same work while on the road to
Llndon, but as soon as he entered Piccadilly he flung
away his sticks in despair, and told Powhatan on his
return that to know the number of the English he
must count all the trees in the forest.

MASTER TOMMY'S VIEW OF IT. —Master
Tommy (he had been very naughty, and was now
amusing himself with his Scripture prints). "Here's
Daniel in the lion's den I "—Mamma (incautiously).
" Ah, what was he cast into the lion's den for? "
Master Tommy (with triumph). "'Cause he was
qood // "--Punch.
THE PORTRAIT OF AN EgGLISH TRAVELLER.—
We have had a tolerably large number of portraits of
the English traveller on the Continent. The San
FranCLICO News Letter gives the following portrait of an
English traveller bound to remote districts :
It occasions a smile, always, however, a good-hrmoured
smile, when we meet in the streets of San Francisco the
English tourist, who is doing the world. He probably has a
helmet cork hat, because it is never hot enough here to need
one; he carries an enormous white alpaca umbrella, as if to
convince us that such things exist; and if his shoes are not
made of canvas and some extraordinary kind of untanne6
leather, he at least carries a satchel or a dressing-case slung
round his neck, whilst his clothes (invariably gray) contain
so many pockets as to render the idea of their possibly
fitting him—exce:it as sacks would—ludicrous. If he comes
here to settle, you will find at his hotel fiahing•rods, dog.
whistles, fox-hunting whips, and, very likely, a red coat with
his county hunt button on it. Inasmuch as Americans rarely,
it ever, ride in breeches and boots, the young gentleman Is
sure to have provided himself with several pairs, and his
wardrobe will be constructed especially with a view to ac-
commodating endless daggers, pistols, and patent apparatus;
for catching lions and antelopes. His great treasure is gene-
rally the latest invention in a buck-horn handled knife con-
taining twenty blades, two pairs of scissors and endless
gimlets, picks, panches, lancets and screw-drivers, which
either drop out of their holes or break off, after he has had
it a week. It Is a complete carpenter's chest and surgical
Instrument case in one, with the additional merit of contain-
ing everything necessary to build a steam-boat. If his re-
mittances, 'you know,' fail to arrive, and all that sort of
thing, 'you know,' he finds out in a month or two that all
he can borrow on it is seventy-five cents, and from thinking
this is an awfully j,lly place, 'you know,' he comes to the
conclusion that he is sorry, by Jove, that he didn't stay at
home, 'you know."

SELLING HIM A PENNYWORTH. Philan-
tbrovist. "There's a penny for you, my 1,..d. What
will you ao with it?"—Sweeper. "What all this at
once! I'll toss yer for it, double or quits! '—Punch.

POPULARITY OF BEOYOLING.—A late trial in
connection with bicycling has proved that this pastime
has not died out to such an extent as some of its de-
tractors would have people to believe (says the Court
Journal). Seven or eight years since, when bicycles
we/a generally introduced in the place of the more un-
gamly but much more easily learnt tricycles, they
became immediately popular, and no young man in
the middle classes of society seemed to consider the list
of his accomplishments complete until he could grace-
fully surmount a velocipede. It was no matter of sur-
prise that the passion cooled in after years, but the
number of bicycle clubs in the country shows that
there are a great many who still believe that this style
of riding is the preferable one, being swifter than
going on foot, and cheaper for short distances than by
road or rail. The number of falls which occur during
a bicyclist's noviciate don't count for much, and are
sufficiently compensated for by the pleasure of running
over a dea or a eat, or a fat party ; the sensation, in
the latter case, is said to be quite comforting after going
over a bad road.

THE CAArEL.—Colonel Long, in his book on
Central Africa, does not give the camel over good a
character. It may, he says, not be uninteresting to
note the extravagant powers of endurance attributed
to that most useful "Ship of the Desert" the camel.
The popularly•received notion that the camel may go
eight to ten days without water has no foundation; in
fact, three or four days is the limit, and unless his
strength be greatly economind he will succumb the
fourth day. His vaunted docility is generally the result
of advanced age; for when young he is vicious and at
times ungovernable; the many dashes from our ranks
was a proof of this, causing the hapless rider to bite
the dust, relieving often the tedium of the route in
the merriment that ensued at the misiaap. Unlike
other animals he does not possess the instinct that
protects them against poisonous herbs; and the most
careful attention on the part of his driver is necessary
to avoid the not unfrequent cases of his death from this
reason.

THE COLORADO POTATO BEETLE.—The Times
publishes the following :

Sir,—lt may be worth while to acquaint the public that
one at least of the reported recent instances of the arrival
of this beetle In Europe prows to to erroneous The speci-
men that was found in Germany was forwarded for identi-
fication to Paris, whence I have Just returned, and I learnt
from If. Chevrolet, one of the entomological experts to whorl,'
it was submitted, that it was not the true Doryphora deem-
lineata but an allied species very muc's resembling it
(Doryphora juneta), which inhabits the Confederate States,
and does not meddle with the potato. Specimens and illus-
trations of both may be seen In the Bethnal•green collection
The consolation is small, for if the one can get across the
Atlantic alive, so may the other, and as the numbers of the
potato species are infinitely the greater, so must the chances
of its coming be multiplied. However, "let us still he just."
In this instance it has not come. ANDREW MURRAY.
Bethual•green Branch Museum.

Two WAYS OF' DOING A THING. —A French.
man, while at Naples, was introduced at an asrembly
of one of the first ladies by a Neapolitan nobleman.
While he was there his gold snuff-box was stolen from
him. Soon after, being at another house, he saw a
person taking snuff out of his box. He turned to his
friend: "There," said he, "that man in blue, with
gold embroidery, is taking snuff out of my box, stolen
yesterday. Do you know him? Is he not a profes-
sional sharper "Take care," said the other, "that
man is of the first quality." "I do act care for his
quality," replied the Frenchman, "I must have my
box again. I'll go and ask him for it." "Pray be
quiet,' said his friend, "and let me get it back for
you." Upon this assurance the Frenchman went away,
after inviting his friend to dine with him next day. He
came next day, and as he entered exclaimed, "There,
I have brought you your imnff-box ! " " Well, how did
you obtain it ? " " Why," said the Neapolitan noble
man, "I did not wish
picked his pocket," to make a noise about it, so I

"HARE AND HOUNDS."—At the Brentford
Petty Sessions on Saturday, six young gentlemen and
their teacher, of Bolton•house Academy Chiswick,
were summoned for wilfull and maliciously damaging
seven fences, value Yby playing a game called
"Hare and Hounds,' upon land land occupied by Mr.
George Davis, farmr
deposed to seeing the defendants the road
reen fcoormi .e f
ro Complainantm
on his land, one of whom carried a large bag contain-
ing paper. Witness cautioned them that if they came
over the stile they must keep the footpath; but they
crossel the meadows in all directions, and went
over six or seven fences, doirg the damage com-
plained of. In reply to the chairman, witness said
he had been annoyed before by boys crossing
his meadows and fences in a similar manner, and
it cost him £2O a year to keep his fences in repair, be-
sides which his cattle of:en strayed. On being wired
what they had to say fir themselves, the senior defendant
begged to by allowed to read a defence which bsgan :
—`' Sir, we are charged with wilfully and maliciously
damaging seven fences.' The word 'wilfully'
implis
obstkacy, stubbornness, a thing something in despite
of all advice to the contrary. The word maliciously'
implies extreme enmity of heart and a disposition to
injure others without any cause," &c. Too chairman
said that in some rural districts the case ml2ht he
thought little of. but in a populous district the farmers
were greater sufferers. It was the first case brought
before the bench, and the magistrates considered a fine
of ss• each would meet the case.

_
LORD BEACONSFIELD'S COAT OF ...A.RMs.—
e
Upon the elevation of untitled persons to the ranks of Baroneta it is necessary,
or Peerage, or even of the g nary,
or at all events customary, for them to apply to the
a corn. of Her Majesty's " College of Arms,"
monly called the Heralds' College, for a grant of
armorial bearings, or for some augmentation to those
already borne, in the way of charges, supporters, crest,
re &e. (says the Court Journal). The usual form
has
been gone through by Lord Beaconsfield,
osttloa, lately
wbo3e arms and supporters are now for the first time
duly " registered "at the College. The motto which
his lordship has chosen, " Forti nihil difficile," resembles
the motto used by Lord Musketry, " Fora et fideli nihil
difficile." The armorial bearings granted to Lord
Beaconsfield are as follows in heraldic language :
"Per saltire, argent and gules, two lions rampant,
sable, between a tower, argent, in chief, and an eagle
di:played in base." The crest is "a tower, triple.
towered, arzent, surrounded at base by an oak.wreath
proper.' The supporters are as follows :—" Dexter,
an eagle, or, collared gules, on an escutcheon pendant
therefrom, a tower, went. Sinister, a lion, or, collared
gules, on an escutcheon pendant therefrom." It is to
be observed that the supporters of his lordship's arms
are the same as those chosen by Lady Beaconsfield,
and recorded in Lodge's Peerage, on her being created
a peeress in her own right in December, 1868, althon4h
the charges of the shield itself are quite different.
Lady Beaconfield's arms were,
en two haunches, sable, each
charged with a boar's bead, "Argent, a bunch of
grapes proper betwe
of the geld."

ACCOUNTING FOR IT.—There is but one step
from the sublime to the ridiculous. Perhaps this is
why so many persons, in the newspapers and else-
where, have been talking such abi.urd immense lately
about the Sublime Porte, and what is to be done with
it. Let these read Lord Derby's speech to the City
deputation, and amend their ways. Jud y.
THE COAL SUPPLIES. The earth is rich
enough in coal to supply the needs of all for centuries
to come. Far,most in this respect are North America
and China. The coal deposits of the Uuited States
cover a su,h..ci of 200,000 square miles; those in the
British p).s.esions 20,000, while in England they cover
9,000, and in Belgium 900. China is perhaps richer
still than the United States in this respect. In the
single province of the four rivers deposits have been
explored covering 5,000 square miles, in uninterrupted
heavy layers, while the province of Sjansi is situated
over the richest deposits of the most excellent quality,
so that by digging in any place leads to the c3al de-
nosits, which form under and around this province an
incredibly large store.
TriE DEPRECIATION OF SlLYLR.—Allen'Sindian
Mail says 0-at Indian civilians appear to be taking a
Are vd r,verige for the annoyances caned them by the
present rates of exchange. We learn that some of
them are sewing home small consignments of wheat,
Delhi jewelry, or any other article that is likely to
give them the chance of recovering some portion of
the 25 per cent. loss involved in changing rupees into
pounds sterling. This is a practice which the rules of
the Service are not supposed to encourage, but neces-
sity "non ha bet lcges," and the lot of our countrymen in
India is by no means enviable just now.
SOLDIEP.S IN THE lII.E,VEST FIELD.—The em-
ployment of soldiers in the harvest field formed the sub-
ject of a paper read at the meeting of the Trade Union
Congress at Manchester. It WO urged that the system
was a "violation of the rights of labour," and a resolu-
tion was passed expressing the sympathy of the Con-
gress with the agricultural labourers, whose occupation
has been interfered with by-the employment of soldiers
in the harvest field ; also requesting the Parliamentary
Committee to communicate with the War Department
with the view of seauring an amendment of the regula-
tions, so that soldiers may not be permitted to engage
in agricultural work unless it is shown that there are
not sufficient labourers to secure the ingathering of the
harvest. Certainly the condition of the agricultural
labourer is not so flourishing that he can be expected
to bear without emotion the spectacle of a email army
of soldiers engaged in harvest operations at a lower rate
of pay them that which he asks for his services; but, on
the other hand, the soldier, unless he has some practice
in agricultural pursuits, will be unable to turn his
sword into a ploughshare at a moment's notice, when
arbitration is decidedly substituted for war. —Pall Mall
Gazette.

DEODAND.—" Cautious " writes to The Times
on the subject of street accidents :—" I would beg to
suggist the adoption of the plan followed at St Peters-
burg—namely, when any one is sun over there the
carriage causing the accident is oonfisoated, the horses
are taken for the use of the fire brigade, and the driver
is often flogged by the police authorities; the conse-
quence of which is that very few accldents do occur."
THE BEGGAR'S ADVICE. —An article in
Appleton' s Journal sneaks of au old and wealthy
Parisian beggar who, in a moment of communicative
confidence, gave the following as his " code " of beg-
ging:—Never ask alms from-1. A man who is coming
from dinner; roast beef renders one selfish. 2. A
gentleman who is following a lady. 3. Men who are
too fat; it annoys them to stop. 4. A lady who is
I alone and unobserved. 5. Gentlemen who are putting
on their gloves. But ask always from-1. A man who
is going to dinner; he sympathizes with the empty
stomach. 2. A lady who knows she is being followed.
3. People who are walking two by two; their amour
propre makes them give. 4. Officers in full-dress
uniform. 5. Office-seekers going into cabinet ministers'
bureaus; they give in hope that it will bring them
luck.

DECLINE OF SHEFFIELD TRADE WITH
AMERICA.—For the last three or four years the returns
of the exports from Sheffield to the United States
have shown a large falling off, caused mainly by the
high protective duties there, and to a less extent by
the fact that the Americans are now manufacturing
their own steel cutlers' tools and all kinds of hardware,
for which at one time they were entirely dependent
upon Sheffield makers; much of the decline, too, is
also due to the depressed state of trade. The returns
for the quarter ending September 30 were completed
on Saturday night, and they show that the Sheffield
trade with America is still falling off largely. During
the Saptember quarter of 1875 the local exports to
America amounted to £183,183. The same quarter's
exports this year amount to £132,772, sho.ving a
decreaee of £50,311. This falling off is shared by three
of the chief branches of Sheffield industry steel,
cutlery, and files. In tools only is there a slight
increase; the decrease in the value of steel is no less
than £25,773. In cutlery the falling off is £16,842,
and in files £2,214. The June quarter of the present
year shows a total decrease of £50,160 as compared
with the corresponding quarter of last year.