The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-12-06 00:00:00

FATAL RAILWAY COLLISION.

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A new suburban railway in connection with ;the
Cheshire Lines was opened at Liverpool on Monday
morning, and was attended by a lamentable accident.
The line runs round the town from south to north.
The first train started at seven o'clock, and accom-
plished the journey in safety. The second train starred
at eight, and on nearing the terminus at Brunswick
Station, the train, which consisted of an engine and
four carriages, came into collision with an engine pro-
ceeding in the opposite direction. The passenger train
was running at a speed of about 15 miles per hour, and
the engine at four miles per hour, and the shock was
sufficient to wreck the two first carriages of the train.
Fortunately there were not many passengers, or the
result might have proved even more serious than it
has. Mr. English, the general traffic manager of the
lines, was soon upon the spot, and a large gang of
men set to work to clear the line of the broken
carriages. It was then found that one gentleman had
been killed, Mr. Samuel Stubbs. collector of sanitary
rates and water rents at the Liverpool Municipal
offices, wag very severely shaken, but in about in hour
be was sufficiently rec ,vered to be removed to his own
house. John Birchall, a youth, son of Mr. John
Birchall, of Woolton, had his right knee slightly
fractured, and was taken home in the same cab as Mr.
Stubbs. George Grace, labourer, and Stephen Carter,
of Garston, were much shaken, and were taken to the
Royal Southern Hospital. It is stated that the per.
son who was killed was in the act of jumping out of the
carriage next but one to the engine when the collapse
caused him to fall back and get jammed under the
heavy woodwork. It was necessary to draw the
carriages off with the help of the engine before the
body could be extricated. It was subsequently ascer-
tained that he was Mr. Philip Lott, 33 years of ago, in
the office of Messrs. Leyland, Liverpool. Upon him
were found some savings' bank books and a sum of
money, from whi,4l it was conjectured that he Intended
to make some deposits at the Bold.street Savings'
Bank, Liverpool. After some delay the line was
cleared and traffic resumed.

THE NATIONAL DEBT.—A Parliamentary paper
issued on Wednesday shows that the total amount of
the national debt on the 31st of March, 1879, wai
£777,585,495 16a. ; and deducting £12,4601000 for
loans recoverable, and £3886300 for Suez Canal
shares, the ret value of the debt was £761,222,195
16s, 51 The total funded debt amounted to
£709,430,593 13s. The unfunded debt consisted of
terminable annuities, £37,664,369; Exchequer bills,
£5162800; Exchequer bonds, £16,276,300; Treasury
bills, £5,431,000; deficit to Savings Banks and
Friendly Societies acco'nnts at November 20, 1878,
£4,583,433 3s, sd.

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HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL:

DEATH OF A POPULAR PREACHER.—At Addhiaton
Churchyard, on Tuesday, the funeral of the Rev.
Francis Covell took place, attended by a vast concourse
of people. The deceased had been a Baptist Minister
in Croydon, where he had regularly preached to a
crowded congregation for nearly forty years. He was
singularly original and very popular as a preacher, his
sermons being regularly published and widely circu-
lated. His congregation usually contributed upwards
of £5OO at an annual collection for the pastor. He
died, after a short illness, at the age of 71.
THE PARLIAMENTARY BILLS FOR 1879-80.—The
whole of the plans for private Bills to be proceeded
with in the ensuing session were deposited on Satur-
day night in the Private Bill Office of the House of
Commons. Last year's total reached 233, but this
year the number has come down to 213, although
there are six more railway Bills than last year, and
this will probably make the actual work of the ensuing
session equal to its predecessor. Thera are plans for
72 railways, 22 tramways, 49 miscellaneous, and 70
provisional orders this year, as compared with plans
for 66 railways, 30 tramways, 66 miscellaneous, and
76 provisional orders of last year.
THANKSGIVING DAY IN AMEBlC:lA.—Thanksgiving
Day was kept throughout the United States on
Thursday, in accordance with the annual custom of
setting aside a day for national thanksgiving for the
blessings of the past year (says the Graphic).
Originating over 250 years ago with the Puritans of
the little Plymouth colony, the day was at first kept
only in New England, but it is now observed in every
State as a combination of religious services and feasting,
in the latter of which turkeys and pumpkin pies are as
traditional dishes as our own Christmas beef and plum-
' pudding. The Puritan Fathers' first Thanksgiving
Day began as a day of fasting and prayer, kept in
consequence of a severe drought which threatened to
destroy the maize crop, their only means of making
bread. While the congregation was assembled in the
log meeting house—the first place of worship in New
England—a heavy shower of rain fell, and the day
was changed from fasting to rejoicing, thus inaugu-
rating a custom religiously maintained by the Fathers'
descendants.
- • - •

" DONE! "—The New York mind is in doubt as to
which of the two was a simpleton in the following
case :—A man who looked like a countryman was
lately walking in the street with a packet in his hand,
sealed and addressed, with a memorandum that it con.
tamed a thousand dollars in bank notes. As the bearer
appeared to be at a loss, he was accosted by a man,
who asked him what he was looking for. The simple
countryman placed the packet in the inquirer's hands,
and requested that he would read the address as he
was unable to do so, and had forgotten it. The reply
was made, as with agreeable surprise, "Why, this
letter is for me 1 I have been expecting it for a long
while." The messenger upon this demanded a dollar
for the carriage of the packet, which was readily paid.
The new possessor of the packet hastened to an obscure
corner to examine his prize ; but on breaking the seal,
he found nothing but a few sheets of paper, on which
was written the simple word "Done 1"
WHAT IS A COLD 7—lt is startling to discover how
little we know about the commoner forms of disease.
For example, a " cold ;" what is it? How is it pro-
duced, and in what does it consist? It is easy to say
a cold is a chill. A chill of what part of the organism ?
We know by daily experience that the body, as a
whole, or any of its part, may be reduced to a con-
siderably lower temperature than will suffice to give
a man a cold if the so-called chill be inflicted upon the
surface suddenly. Is it, then, the suddenness of a
reduction of temperature that causes the cold? It
would be strange if it were so, because few of the most
susceptible of mortals would take cold from simply
handling a piece of cold metal or accidental contact
with ice. The truth would seem to be that what
we call cold-taking is the result of a sufficient
impression of cold to reduce the vital energy
of nerve centres presiding over the functions in
special organs. If this be the fact, it is easy to
see why nature has provided the stimulus of a strong
fit of sneezing to rouse the dormant centres and
enable them at once to resume work and avoid evil
consequences, This explains why the worst effects of
cold do not, as a rule, follow upon a " chill " which
excites much sneezing. Shivering is a less effective
convulsion to restore. the paralysed nervous energy,
but in a lower degree It may answer the same purpose.
The shivering that results from the effect of a poison
on the nervous centres is a totally different matter.
We speak only of the quick muscular agitation and
teeth-chattoring which occur whenever the body is
exposed to cold, and evil results do not ensue. It
follows from what we have said that the natural in-
dication to ward off the effects of a chill is to restore
the vital energy of the nerve-centres, and there is no
more potent influence by which to attain this object
than a strong and sustained effort of the will. The
man who resolves not to take cold seldom does.—

Lancet.
SALUTATIONS.—A large, if not the largest class o,
salutations can be traced to intercession. The deeply
religious character of the Orientals showed itself
specially in their salutations. The Hebrew word
barak, to bless," had all the meanings of saluting,
welcoming, and bidding adieu, the person spoken to
being in each case commended to God. "Blessed be
thou of the Lord;" "The Lord be with thee ;" "And
Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before
him;" are instances which illustrate the usage of the
word. They are paralleled by the Arabian, "God
grant thee his favours," "May God strengthen your
morning," "May your morning be good ;" by the
Persian, "I make prayers for thy greatness;" and by
the Ottoman, "Be under the guard of God," "My
prayers are for thee," " Forget me not in thy prayers."
And we cannot be surprised that this kind of saluta-
tion is found to exist, in some shape or other, among
all national greetings. Our religion has come from the
East, and some of their religious salutations still sur-
vive; as, for example, in the Esthonian "God guide
you," the " Adieu ' of the French, the "Go with God,
Sell )r," of Spain and our "God be with ye," cor-
rupted into " Good-bse."—Cornhill Magazine.
To MORROW AND T. Moßßow.—Young Rover:
"My leave is up; I go to-morrow."—Wandering-
minded Maiden: ' Where ? To morrow? Where is
morrow And how do you get there ?"—Fun.
REVISION OF THE AUTHORISED VERSION.—The
company appointed to revise the authorised version of
the Old Testamnt completed their sixtieth session on
Friday afternoon in last week, in the Jerusalem
Chamber. The following members attended :—The
Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Deans of Canterbury
and Peterborough, Mr. Bensly, Mr. Cheyne, Mr.
Driver, Mr. Elliott, Dr. Gtdsburg, Dr. Gotch, Arch-
deacon Harrison, Dr. Kay, Professor Leathes, Pro-
fessor Lumby, Mr. Sayce, Professor Wright, and Mr.
Aldis Wright (secretary). Communications were
received from Dr. Alexander, Principal Douglas, and
Mr. Geden, who were unable to be present. The
second revision of the historical books was continued
marly to the end of the Second Book of Samuel.
THE USE OF CARRIER PIGEONS.—The value 0
carrier pigeons in country houses distant from rail or
telegraph is urged by a correspondent of the Live
Stock Journal, who shows what practical use can be
made of well-trained Homings. When expecting a
telegram or answer, he sends a bird with a label round
Its leg to the nearest telegraph station, three miles off.
The clerk opens the telegram, writes its contents on
the label, and the owner saves both time and the ex-
pense of a human messenger. If expecting a parcel
by the railway, the bird is rent to the station-master,
who despatches it as soon as the parcel arrives, thus
avoiding the trouble of sending down to the wrong
train, Further, the birds can carry messages to the
tradespeople in the neighbouring towns.
THE SUSPENSION OF THE REV. A. MACKONOCHIE.—
The Times of Monday said :—" As yet no further
steps have been taken towards enforcing the sus-
pension of the Rev. Mr. Mackonochie, as decreed by
Lord Penzance. Tae prohibited ceremonies were
strictly observed at St. Alban's yesterday, Mr.
Mackonoohie himself officiating. There was again a
very numerous attendance, including a considerable
influx of strangers. So large was the proportion of
men to women in the church that the former were
compelled to occupy many of the seat which are ordi-
narily exclusively appropriated to the latter."
" THE TICKET FOR SOUP."—" Now is the time
when all right-minded young ladies in all properly
regulated parishes commence their praiseworthy work
in making soup for the poor."—Morning Paper. Mrs.
J. would add her own little word of advice anent this
question of the day. The old lady would recomm3nd
that all her young amateur soup.making friends should
see that they have not got a leek in their saucepan, or
It might run out.—Judy.
THE WEATHER IN PARIS.—The Paris Correspon-
dent of the Standard, writing on Monday night,
says :—" Paris last night reminded us of that terrible
night a few years ago, when the verglas, or frozen rain,
made the ground so slippery that both foot and
carriage traffic suddenly became impossible, and
people, unable to get home, had to pass the night in
the theatres and cafes. The nfternoon had been corn-
paratively mild; a little snow fell, but it at once
thawed; but towards ten o'clock the weather turned
colder, more snow fell, and soon walking became a
difficult task. The cabs and omnibuses came to a
standstill, and more horses had to be sent for to enable
them to reach their destination. In many cases the
horses suffered severe injuries, and in others the
drivers bad to get down and lead their horses by the
bridle, Farriers were sought to rougti the shoes, but
, it being Sunday and late at night, most of them were
out of doors amusing themselves. To-day the street
traffic is easier, but all the omnibuses have an extra
horse. The care on the Boulevards have four."
FOLDING UMBRELLAS—We (says the Graphic) men-
tioned some weeks ago that a folding umbrella had
been patented in America, and a correspondent now
writes that the invention is by no means new or
Transatlantic in orgin. A. similar umbrella, measur-
ing eight inches when closed, and having a folding
silver stick, was patented over eighty years ago,
while another one was patented thirty years since by
the grandson of the first maker. The latter measures
twelve inches when closed, the stick being of wood,
and both umbrellas are in the possession of the cor-
respondent.
SUNDAY CLOSING OF PUBLICHOUSES.—A house-to-
house canvass of the ratepayers of Wigan to ascertain
their views with respect to the Sunday closing of
public houses has resulted as follows :—ln favour of
the proposal, 4071; against, 741.; neutral, 648; re-
fused to vote, 46; returned because of death, removal,
or other cause 557. The friends of the movement, at
a public meeting passed a resolution calling upon the
borough members to give effect to the wishes of the
inhabitants by supporting the Sunday Closing Bill.
THE YEAR 1881.—The year 1881 will be a mathe-
matical curiosity. From left to right and from right
to left it reads the same; 18 divided by 2 gives 9 as
quotient; 81 divided by 9 and 9 is the quotient. If
1881. is divided by 209, 9 is the quotient; if divided by
9 the quotient contains a 9 ; if multiplied by 9 the
product contains two 9's. laud 8 are 9; 8 and 1 are
nine, If the 18 be placed under the 81 and added, the
sum is 99 If the figures be added thus-1, 8,8, I—it
will give 18, two 9's, Reading from left to right is 18,
and reading from right to left is 18, and 18 is two-
ninthe of 81. By adding, dividing, and multiplying
19 9's are produced, being one 9 or each year required
to complete the century,

THE PRINCESS or WALES'S BIRTHDAY. —The 35th
birthday of the Princess of Wales was celebrated
_on

Monday at Sandringham with the usual festivities.
The Royal circle had been augmented by the arrival
of Prince Ferdinand of Glucksburg. Prince Louis of
Battenburg, and Prince Edward of Saxe•Weimar, and
by other guests. In the afternoon the children of the
schools of Sandringham, West Newton, Wollerton,
and Dersingham received the annual tea in honour of
the occasion, The Prince and Princess, with a large
party, visited the room where the children were enter-
tained,—The anniversary was celebrated at Windsor
, in the usual manner. The bells of the parish church
and St. George's Chapel were rung at intervals and a
Royal salute WM fired in the Long Walk.
TWENTY SQUARE MILES OF WHitai.—The poetry
of the harvest field will have to be re•written. A cor-
respondent of the Chicago Tribune, writing from the
Dalrymple farm, furnishes the rough materials for one
canto. "Just think," he says, "of a sea of wheat
containing twenty square miles-13,000 acres—rich,
ripe, golden • the winds rippling over it. As far as the
eye can see there is the same golden sunset hue. Far
away on the horizon you behold an army sweeping
along in grand procession. Riding on to meet it you
see a major-general on horseback—the superinten-
dent; two brigadiers on horseback —repairers. No
swords flash in the sunlight, but their weapons are
monkey wrenches and hammers. No brass band, no'
drum-beat, or shrill note of the fife, but the army
moves on—a solid phalanx of twenty-four self•binding
reapers—to the music of its own machinery. At one
sweep in a twinkling, a swath of 192 feet has been cut
and bound—the reaper tossing the bundles almost dis-
dainfully in the air—each binder doing the work of
six men. In all there are 115 self-binding reapers at
work. During the harvest about 400 men are em-
ployed, and during thrashing 600, their wages being
two dollars a day and board.

A LARGE YIELD OF WHEAT.—The Indiunap•lis
Journal says A short time ago General John
Gibbon, of St. Paul, made the assertion that 100
bushels of wheat had been raised on an acre of ground
in the Territory of Montana. The statement having
been received with incredulity, he wrote to the Presi-
dent of the First National Bank in Helena for proof.
In reply he received the certificate of the President
and Secretary of the Territorial Fair Association that
one James L. Ray, of Lewis and Clark County,
wits awarded first premium for the best acre of wheat,
being 102 bushels to the acre. This is believed to be
the largest yield of wheat on record."
AMERICAN AND CANADIAN FOOD.—The arrivals of
live stock at Liverpool last week from the United
States and Canada were again small, consisting of
only 141 head of cattle, 115 by the steamer Propontis,
from Norfolk, Virginia, and 28 by the steamer
Bavarian, from Boston. There were no arrivals of
either live sheep or pigs. With fresh meat on board
five steamers arrived.
DRUNKENNESS CURED BY BARK.—It is reported
from South Africa that a new use has been found for
the variety of chinchona known as C. ruira, or red
Peruvian bark—viz., as a cure for drunkenness. The
application of the drug to this particular purpose is
said to have been originated by a Chicago doctor, and
its effects are stated to have been fully tested on
several occasions at the diamond diggings and in other
parts of South Africa with complete success. The
mode of application is as follows :—The bark is reclined
to powder, and soaked in diluted alcohol, after which
its bulk is lessened by one-half being strained or evapo-
rated off. On the first and second days a teaspoonful
of the mixture is administered every three hours'
after the second day the dose is gradually reduced to
a few drops, till the eighth day, when in most cases a
cure is effected. In extreme cases the treatment is
continued for longer periods, in stronger doses; but
the result is usually the loss of all craving for spirituous
liquors, and eventually the manifestation of an extreme
aversion to them. If these results have been achieved
among men noted for their addiction to the most ardent
spirits, as some of the particular " cases " reported
from South Africa are described, the value of the
medicine can hardly be exaggerated. The chief diffi-
culty is that " patients " of this kind are disinclined to
prescribe any remedy for their complaint, and the
application of the cure for the proper period is likely
to be uncertain even among those who might be in-
duced to test its efficiency alter a more than usually
severe attack of " after-effects." If all that is claimed
for the remedy is true, it would be well if a law were
to be made compelling all who are brought up before
the magistrates for drunkenness to submit to a proper
course of "quill bark syrup" as vaccination is compul-
sory on all subjects.—Land and Water.
QUEEN'S WEATHER.—Among the most recently pub-
lished photographs of Royalty there is one representing
the Queen and the Princess Beatrice standing together
under one umbrella. That they should appear side by
side is only what might be naturally expected; but
the reason for the introduction of that umbrella is by
no means so evident, unless it be intended as an
oblique hint that the photograph in question was
taken "during her Majesty's rain."—Fun.
SNOW IN BAVARIA.—A tremendous fall of snow has
occurred throughout the mountainous district of the
Bavarian Forest, causing the greatest inconveri.nro
and loss to the inhabitants. On the rail ivay at ales-
kofen, near Laudshut, the snow on the railway lay
from 81t. to 1011. deep, completely interrupting the
traffic. The passengers on one occasion had to pass
the night in the carriages, and it was not before a body
of soldiers had been requisitioned and employed for
some time with shovels and other appropriate tools on
the spot that the traffic could be resumed.
THE LAST SCION OF AN ANCIENT Housz.—The
Geneva Correspondent of The Times writes :—" There
died here on Sunday, No7ember 23, in the person of
M. Jacob V;gnier, the last scion of an ancient house,
probably 11: most ancient of its kind in Europe.
Fourteen gel rations of Vigniers have followed the
calling of notary in the city of Geneva; for upwards
of four hundred years the business has descended from
father to son, never once since the middle of the 15th
century until the death of its last chief, three days
azo, suffering an interruption. Of the late M. Jacob
Vignier nothing more can be said than he lived
blameless life, was held in great esteem by his profes-
sional brethren and fellow-citizens, that he died in his
60th year, leaving behind him no son to continue the
business which his ancestors founded before Geneva
became a Republic or Calvin was born, and that his
family papers contain materials of priceless value for
that history of the city which has still to be written.
DISTRESS IN HUNGARY.—From occasional state-
ments which appear in the Vienna and Pesth news-
papers, it seems that in some districts in Hungary the
people are in a condition of extreme distress, owing to
the failure of the corn and root harvests. The
Father Lloyd states that Bishop Toth, of Eperies, on
the southern slope of the Carpathians, had lately a
special audience of the Emperor Francis Joseph, in
which he told His Majesty that there were ninety-
eight parish priests in his diocese who were totally
without the means of subsistence : their parishioners
were in a state of such utter destitution that, so far
from being able to contlibute to the maintenance of
their clergymen, they were appealing to them for help
themselves. The Emperor was much moved by the
bishou's representations and has referred the case to
the Hungarian Minister of Worship in order to pro.
vide assistance.
THB CANDID WITNESS.—The clerk of the court
bade the witness give his name, age, and BO forth, and
hold up his hand to be sworn. He took the oath with
such dignified composurs and deliberateness that every
one felt that there stood before them a calm, self-
poised, truthful man whose evidence would go far to
settle the minds of the jurors in this sensational case.
There was a murmur as every one settled himself to
drink in his testimony. "Now, sir," said the judge,
"be good enough to tell the jury what you know about
this important case." "I don't know anythiog about
It," said the witness, blandly. "Don's know any-
thing about it 7 Then why did you have yourself
summoned as a witness?" "So as to get a good seat
where I could hear and see everything—tickets
weron't to be had for love or money."