The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-01-19 00:00:00

Viiisallan CD 115 "11-tet Rpm.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

HANDWRITING IN SCHOOLS.—" In Loco Parentis"
writes to The Times :
Sir,—There are many ills to which the flesh of a guardian
is heir. May I ask you to cure one for me? I have at home
for the holidays four wards, the eldest of whom writes an
ill-formed, crabbed, characterless, scrambling hand; the
other three write fairly and promise well. The eldest boy
goes to a school in which, I find, the old senseless practice
of setting "lints" is in force, the lad sometimes being
sentenced to 500, sometimes to 1,000, and once to 1,600. He
is condemned to " lines" for even most trivial offences, and
is constantly engaged in scrawling them; and though he
thus atones for his misdemeanours he utterly ruins his hand-
writing. Could not the senseless old custom be superseded,
and a new era of learning lines—say, of Goldsmith or Ma-
caulay-10, 20, or 30, according to the offence, be Inaugu-
rated? By this means, mind and memory would be served,
and handwriting saved from illegibility and disfigurement.
This, at least, is the opinion of one who stands—ln LoCo
PARENTIS.

PROFESSION AND PRACTICE.—" Professor Agassiz
has recently estimated that a man's finger-nails will
grow to be 3,000 feet long if he leaves them uncut for
1,000 years." The next to discover is, how long a
man's nose will become in
,half the time if he keeps
poking it into business that doesn't concern him and
cannot be of the least use to the world in general.
Will Professor Agassiz kindly say ?—Furs.

A WHITE ELEPHANT !—An important personage
has lately died at Siam in the shape of one of the
King's white elephants, and according to custom it
was buried with the highest funeral honours. One
hundred Buddhist priests, we are told, officiated at the
ceremony, and the body was conveyed to its last
resting-place accompanied by a procession of thirty
State bargee.
SWISS LUXURIES !—The proposal to remedy the low
state of the finances of the Swiss Federation by taxing
tobacco and brandy, to which we referred some time
since (says the Echo) is receiving a very hot and dis-
agreeable welcome in some of the Cantons. All the
stress of the tax upon tobacco, says one journal, would
fall noon the working elasses, and the most needy
poor. "We scarcely ever see a poor man who does not
smoke, and there is something impudent in the nomen-
clature which can deliberately set down tobacco in a,
list of 'Articles of Luxury. ' " The same print con-
tends eagerly for the taxing of such article; but for
the assistance of the Federal authorities, it draws up
a queer list of undoubted luxuries, each and all of
which it would willingly see taxed. This list, however,
is by no means exhaustive. The first instalment
stands as follows :—" Carriages, ponies, lace, gloves,
silk dresses, earrings, gold rings, jewels, chamber-
maids, male servants in houses, lap-dogs, canary-birds,
chignons, dressing-gowns, pianos, whose owners can-
not play them decently, oysters, caviare, porter,
sparkling wines, journals of fashion, piquant and un-
clean French novels, and long-winded newspaper
articles." Another instalment is reserved for later
publication.
CHRISTMAS PARTIES (1878).—The War Party and
the Peace Party.—Fun.

THE QUEEN AND VICTOR E3IMANUEL.—TIe World
says Of all foreign sovereigns received in England
by the Queen none was so entirely delighted with his
reception as Victor Emmanuel; and, in fact, by some
chance everything on that occasion was cordial and
genial. Admiral Persano, who came in his suite, told
me that the King never forgot an informal act of
friendliness on her Majesty's part on the morning of
his departure. Having taken leave of his hosts on
the previous evening with all ceremony, he and his
suite were snatching a hasty and very early break-
fast, when the door opened and the Queen tripped in,
unannounced, for another and a last 'shake-hands.'
Persano himself brought over as his servant a young
untrained Italian peasant, whose remembrances of his
visit to England were simply ecstatic. He and all
the Italian servants were driven to the Crystal Palace
in the royal carriages, and waited on by the royal
footmen—beings almost terrific in their magnificence
in the eyes of the eon tadino lad; as to the pineapples
and hothouse grapes at the servants' table, those are
imperishable memories."
TAKING HER MEASURE.—SHMIIIIBh Lady Tourist.
Farmer' could you let us have sixpence worth of new
milk? Farmer (doubtingly.). Saxpence worth, did
ye say? Slimmish Lady Tourist. Yes. Farmer.
All gi'e ye a pennyworth; 'a think it's as muckle as
ye.ll haud.—Judy.
THE CROWN PRINCE OF AUSTRIA.—Now that the
Crown Prince of Austria is with us, an anecdote of
his childhood will have interest (says The World).
When a boy of twelve he was in the habit of meeting
a lad of his own age in the park of Sclucubrunn and
playing with him. A friendship rapidly sprang 1.113
between them. One day he asked his companion's
name. The boy told him, and asked his familiarly in
return. Und du ?' • 'Papa calls me Burscherl,' an-
swered the Prince; 'mamma calls me Rudy; and
everybody else calls me "your Imperial Royal High-
ness !". Like his father, who speaks every dialect
.f his polyglot dominions, he is an excellent linguist.
On his birthday the officers of a Hungarian regiment
of which he is proprietor called to offer him the cus-
tomary felicitations. While their colonel was com-
plimenting him the boy artlessly turned to the Em-
peror and whispered, but so that he was heard, 'Papa,
what awfully bad Hungarian he does speak ! '

A RE3IONSTRANCE.—A correspondent of the leading
journal says that a great many people are ignorant of
what a billion means. This is not surprising, consider-
ing that no billion has ever been discovered yet
capable of explaining its own meaning. A billion
may have the very best of intentions, but if it doesn't
communicate them, it's certainly not our fault, nor the
fault of anyone else who unfortunately remains
ignor ant.—F'un.
AGES OF REIGNING SOVEREIGNS.—Victor Emmanuel
died in his 59th year, Here are the ages of the other
reigning sovereigns :—Pio Nino, 86; Emperor William
of Germany, 81; William 111., King of Holland, 61;
Christian IX., King of Denmark, 60; Alexander 11.,
Emperor of Russia, 60 ; Victoria, Queen of Great
Britain and Ireland, 59; Charles 1., King of Wurtem-
berg, 55; Peter 11., Emperor of Brazil, 53 • Albert 1.,
King of Saxony, 50; Oscar 11., King of gweden, 49;
Francis Joseph 1., Emperor of Austria, 48; Leopold
IL, King of the lelgians, 43; Louis 1., King of Por-
tugal, 40; Abdul Harnid, Sultan of Turkey, 36;
Louis IL, King of Bavaria, 32; George 1., King of
Greece, 32; Alphonse XII., King of Spain, 21. The
new King of Italy is 32 years of age.
A CENTENARIA.N.—Mrs. Mary Burfield, the widow
of an excise officer, has just died at Colchester aged
100 years last June. She had been a widow for 53
years, her husband having died at Hadleigh, in
Suffolk, in the year 1824. Of her 12 children only two
survive her. She retained full possession of her
faculties to the last.

SCIENCE IN THE HOUSEHOLD.—" How far," says a
contemporary, "the telephone can be employed in
warfare remains to be seen." It is more probable that
it remains to be heard; but the telephone, under all
circumstances, is a wonderful invention. A man not
many days since, who had his wife's mother staying
with him, was told that by means of a telephone he
would be able tohear anything he liked " at a distance,"
and he immediately purchased a telephone to see what
effect it would have on his mother-in-law's voice.
And yet men are accused of spending their money
wastefully ?—Judy.

AN 'UNEXPECTED FREIGHT. —A singular discovery
has been made on board the Irvine, a full-rigged vessel,
now in dry dock at Rotherhithe. The ship recently
arrived from Peru, at whi,.l place the body of a
woman was found embedded in the cargo, which con-
sisted of soda. The body is in a good state of preserva-
tion, and it is supposed to be that of a victim of an
earthquake which occurred many hundred years ago
in Peru. The body is at present lying. in the captain's
bath-room in a crouching position. Rings are inserted
in the ears.

RATHER VNGRACIOUS.—One of the " star " prima
donnas of the Imperial Opera, St. Petersburg, recently
took her benefit, On being called for the 2-th or 30th
time before the curtain, she advanced to the footlights ;
and, addressing the audience in the Russian language,
offered to show her geatitude by singing a national
Russian song. The song was received with enthusiastic
applause; but the prima donna was much disgusted
when the management subsequently fined her 2,000 f.,
for "addressing the audience without permission."—
Theatre.

AN EARTHQUAKE.--The Times publishes the follow-
ing letter :
Sir, —An earthquake was distinctly alt in this neighbour-
hood at twenty minutes past two this morning. Many per-
sons were alarmed, thinking their houses were giving way.
To me the feeling was just like that experienced in the upper
rooms of a tall house rocked by a violent gale. There was a
deaci calm at the time. The rattling of the windows and
furniture continued for several seconds. The barometer ex-
ceptionally high and rising, equal to about 3015 at sea level.
I am twelve miles due south from Chester. on new red sand-
stone.—Your obedient servant, C. WOLLEY DOD, Edge-hall
Malpas, Cheshire, Jan.ll.

LET US SUPPOSE.-Truth says : "I cannot, myself,
understand our regarding the closing of the Bosphorus
to ships of war, as of such vital importance to us. Let
us suppose, that the Russians have ironclads in the
Black Sea, and that there is war.hetweea Russia and
England. The theory would he, that all neutral
Powers would make the passage of these iron
dads into the Mediterranean a casus WU. But
this is pure theory. The way to seal up the
Bosphorus, and, indeed, the only way, would
be for us to send a fleet to the Sea of Marmora. 'But
before the de zdaration of war, the Russian ironclads
might have already emerged from the Dardanelles.'
So much the better for us. We should prevent their
return, and take them. The fact is, the command of
the seas belongs to the nation which has the best navy,
the best sailors, and the strongest fortresses. No
country ever became, or ever will become, a strong
naval Power, by moans of treaties,"

How WE LEARN Now.—Colonel (to Instructor of
Musketry). "But I should like to know if the?:
understand anything about the Theory of Musketry.
(Private O'Grady is called out of the ranks). 'What
are the Objects of Position Drill ? "—Private O'Gracil
(after deep thought). "Sure it's thim marks on the
Barri,.k wall, sirr I "
—Punch. "
PROFITABLE PAUPER LABOUR. —The City Press says
that the problem how to profitably utilize pauper
labour seems to have been fairly well solved at the
Homerton Workhouse of the City of London Union,
where a profit of nearly £3,000 has been made during
the past 5,1 i years on wood-chopping. without enter-
ing into any undue competition with outside labour or
with the vendors of firewood. Mr. Workman, the
master, had not been content, however, with makin4
profitable workmen of the inmates, but has applied
himself with equal success to the business of pig-keep-
ing, from which there has accrued during the above'
named period a balance in favour of the Union of
£1,285, making the total of profit, £4,245. In pre-
senting this very satisfactory result to the Board, the
House Committee state that they are of opinion that
the labour of wood-chopping is not only remunerative.
as compared with that of breaking stones, upon which
a loss has always been shown, but that it is much
better adapted for the purposes of employ-frig the
different classes of poor maintained in the House. .
FISH FOR AMERICAN WATERS.—A consignment 01
soles and turbot was sent from the Southport Aqua-
rium on the 3rd inst. to America, in charge of gr.
Mather, agent to Professor Baird, United States Com-
missioner of Fish and Fisheries. If they arrive safely
they are destined to be turned adrift in the Bay of
Massachusetts. It appears that while so many mem-
bers of the Pleuronectithe are common enough on the
American coast, soles and turbot are entirely un-
known. Hence a journey to England was arranged
by Professor Baird to see if these desirable fish could
not be safely transmitted across the Atlantic.--•
Nature.
FOOD Faom ABROAD.—Last year the amount pad
to foreign nations for corn, cattle, and meat wag
£96,879,737, to contrast with £87,129,386 in 1876. For
live stock the sum disbursed was, in 1877, £6,015,690,
as against £7,260,303 in the preceding year. The
items for fresh meat were much larger, consequent
upon the shipments from America and Canada of
quantities of beef and carcases of mutton. The total
sum paid for foreign stock alive and dead was, in 1817,
£17,313,674; in 1876 it amounted to £19,030,455. For
corn, last year, the sum paid was £63,192,224' in 1876,
£51,534,648. Butter cost in 1877 £9,538,305; cheese,
£4,763,053; and eggs, £2,472,481, to be compared re-
spectively with £9,702 624, £4,251,428, and £2,610,231.
HIPPOPITAGY. The use as an article of food
of horseflesh having made great progress id
France and notably in Paris, where more than DCO
special slaughter-houses now exist, and where over
12,000 horses were consumed last year, the Committee
of the society founded in Paris in 1864, known as the
Comite de la Viande de Cheval, are desirous of open-
ing similar slaughterhouses and establishments for the
sale of horseflesh in London in the interests of the
working population and of the large number
of foreigners staying here. With that view, money
prizes stimulating the starting of the experiment have
been offered, and there will be a competition for the
prize for opening the first horse-butcher's shop '-
London.

-------
A YEAR'S EMIGRATION FROM LIVERPOOL.—Re;
tarns compiled of the emigrants that left Liverpee,;
during last year show that the number was 54,97.7
persons, conveyed by 762 vessels. Of these 32,461
were English, 425 Scotch, 5,021 Irish, 14,288 foreignere,
and 2,672 whose nationalities were not recorded. Their
destinations were: 43,674 went to the United States,
7,405 to British North America, 684 to Australia.
1,094 to South America, 180 to the West Indies, 1,129
to the East Indies, 150 to China, and 557 to the West
Coast of Africa. The official returns for the month 01
December have also just been issued, from which it
appears that the total was 2,109 emigrants into 69
ships, their nationalities being 1,172 English, 12 Scotch,
220 Irish, 511 foreigners, and 194 not distinguished.
During November the number was 3.041, which is 932
in excess of last month, which was 306 over Decerebert
1876.
CLIPPING HORSES.—An agitation against horse
clipping has arisen in North America. In favour of
the practice it is observed that hunters or fast going
horses are liable to faintness if worked with the
winter coat of long hair, and return in a profuse per-
spiration, which often lasts all night. Horsemen wh°
denounce the system of clipping state that profuse
sweating is necessary to the health of the horse; for
without it too much extra work would be imposed on
the lungs and kidneys, and that diseases, the result of
clipping, would supervene. Upon a sudden chill given
to a clipped horse, it is well known that inflammation
of the lungs may be produced, also that the skin f_rera_,
the continuance of cold becomes congested, vallc"
sometimes ends in mud fever, but this occurs simPlY
because due care had not been taken of the horse
during his work whilst out, or proper protection
afforded against a chill on his immediate arrival at
home.

-----
How TO MARE A TELEPHONE.—Professor Barrett,
in a recent lecture on the telephone, gave a receipt for _
making a cheap one. Take a wooden tooth-powder '--
box, and make a hole about the size of a half-crown
in the lid and the bottom. Take a disc of tinned iron.: _
such as can be had from a preserved meat tin, elle;
place it on the outside of the bottom of the box, ac°,
fix the cover on the other side of it. Then take a smell
bar magnet, place on one end a small cotton or silk ;
reel, and round the wheel wind some iron wire, leaving
,'•
the ends loose. Fix one end to the magnet near-1
near as possible without touching—to the disc, sca •
then one part of the telephone is complete. A similar
arrangement is needed for the other end. The two
are connected by the wire, and with this Professer..
Barrett says he has been able to converse at a distauce
of about 100 yards.
MORMON MIRACLES.—A Sacramento (California) .
paper says :—" A local correspondent soberly infornoe ;
us that we are in the midst of miracles. He says thaS -
in a religious meeting just held by members of the
'Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Dal -
Saints,' a woman for many years afflicted with deaf'
uess was blessed with a perfect restoration to hearief
by the imposition of hands in the name of the Lora.
The same correspondent further relates that the of •
elating elder at the same meeting presented before
the Lord the suffering condition of his people in cOn. - -
sequence of the threatened drought. He cited as e
precedent in point the willingness of the Almighty t° --
spare Sodom if ten righteous could be found therein.
and informed Him of the statistical fact that al:
1,000 Latter-Day Saints reside in California, and thaa
therefore the decision in the case of Sodom was strictlY
applicable. Upon this showing rain was invoked. The
rain of Monday last is devoutly attributed to this w •
plication by our correspondent.'
THE "TRAVELLERS' REST."—The British Naiad
Journal learns from an official document that theg'
famous "Travellers' Rest," known as the Hospice Oz
St. Gothard, between October 1,1876, and September,
30, 1877, gave shelter to 15,651 travellers, to when/
52,783 rations were gratuitously distributed, as well
a certain quantity of clothinq ; 143 sick persona-- .
were also treated there during more or 100
lengthened periods. The total expenses amounted to e
13,860 f. 45c. (about £551), and the receipts to 13,507 f•
75c. (about £520), showing a deficit of 3 )2f. 70c., but -
the cantonal governments and private individual°
will, as they always do, come to the help of this use:,'
ful institution, which welcomes the indigent of aa
nations without distinction.
AN INDIAN MURDER.—A very singular murder
was committed at Callian, in the Bombay Presidencli
on Sunday week. A respectable Bunnya went out,
driving himself, in his bullock cart, to collect debts
lfl
villages near Callian. In the afternoon the cart sou
bullocks returßed and stopped at the Bunnya's doO
The Bunnya was seated in front with the reins in ill°
hands. The Bunnya's wife and family saw hiul
arrive, and after waiting some time wondered that be
did not enter the house. They went out to spe.ak
him, and found the dead body of the Bunnya tied t°
the seat and the reins tied in his hands. There were
marks of wounds on the body, which leave no dot':
but that the Bunnya was murdered. Some native';' •
are in custody on suspicion.—Times of India.
COURT T MOURNING FOR THE LATE KING OF AT,--
—A supplement to the London Gazette, issued 011'
Monday, contains the following orders issued front '
the Lord Chamberlain's office for the Court's 5.041,
into mourning for his late Majesty the King of ital.:
viz, :—The ladies to wear black dresses, white 0017'
black or white shoes, feathers, and fans Pear'
diamonds, or plain gold or silver ornaments. ne,
gentlemen to wear black Court dress, with Nile
swords and buckles.," The Court to change the inoure'l
ing on Tuesday, the 20th instant, viz. :—The
to weer black dresses, with coloured ribbons, flower%
feathers, and ornaments, or grey or white dresses' -
with black ribbons, flowers, feathers, and ornamectl-
The gentlemen to continue the same mourning.
on Tuesday, the sth February next, the Court to b
out of mourning.
FATTENING A.NIMALS.—In relation to the queStPl",
of the profitableness or unprofitableness of fatteula
cattle in winter, a quotation from the excellent PaPe.eer
read by Mr. R. Stratton before the Monmouthsl9
Chamber of Agriculture may be given in sup Port
my previous statements (says the Mark Lane Exprest
After stating that the farmers of his district collet
better afford to make beef at 7d. per lb. in sunoel;
than at Oil, in winter, he added, referring, I presurVe
to winter feeding only : " If you can show me a Woo
who can raake beef-making a profitable business,.
will show me a very clever man indeed, and if he
this room, I hope he will get up and give us his
cipe ; but he must reckon his food and litter at 019:51
ket price, and the manure made also at its reaeuri
value compared with other kinds which may be pa
ohased lathe market."
CANADIAN LOBSTERS.—The American par--„ors ing -
that Canada is doing an immense business in shiPP__
lobsters to England. Three weeks ago one ship fi,°_
Halifax took 83,000 dols. worth in cans for feono7,„;
which represent something like 655,000 lobsters, lout.
few days before a shipment to the value of 72,000 the
was made. Mr. Frank Buckland has warueal ttio .
Canadians against thus destroying a fishery %dile
future years will be even more valuable than now'
THE HARVEST OF THE SEA.—The recently lestiosel
report of the Fishery Board of Scotland is a tinted
interesting document. We learn, in spite 0%.har,•,,
stormy and unfavourable character of the we 3"
that the herring season on the whole is a better,,,,e
than last year's, though still under an average. 46" b
entire "take" of herrings over the whole See' 13-••
seaboard during the year was about 700,000 bar!,7003
the quantity cured being slightly above °
59ntiti
barrels, or about 345,000 barrels under the qua this
:ured in the previous year. The loss of life tiler
year, notwithstanding the exceptionally rough 'lode -
has been greatly under the average, ar,d gres•
one man on the Caithness coast, one at rola
dale, two on the Aberdeenshire coast and one In
south—in all, five. Last year by one storm
of forty men were drowned. The destruction ot
and nets by the storms this year has been greatex:t,liel,
usual. There seems no reason to retract forrnerlY the
pressed convictions that, with favourable weatheer,e, to -
Scottish herring industry will every year yield
the value of from a million to a million and
sterling, and that the chief drawback to itec_otiee
tonance is the went of suitqble harbours in lo,ae•bue
whyre the herrings appear in enormous shoeeLlo of --
where the districts are unable to provide the mirruaits...! -
the funds necessary for the required herb°t
Fishing Gazette.

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