The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-02-15 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Spain boasts of 92 dukes, 866 marquises, 632 counts,
92 viscounts and 98 barons, besides 44 ennobled foreigners.
Two dukes, 53 marquise., 30 counts, six vicounts, and two
barons have been created by the present King
The oldest inhabitant of Broglie, aged 100 years and
three months, has just died while smoking his pipe ; and an
inhabitant of Toulouse, also a centenarian, has likewise died.
—Paris Obrrespondent of The Times.
Under the title of the "Home Memorial Fn. nd," a
proposal is made to endeavour to perpetuate the memory of
the great services rendered by the late Colonel Home to his
country, first by some slight memorial to himself, and
secondly by .11 fund placed In the hands of trustees for the
benefit of his six children.

The decayed el tn trees in the Long Walk, Windsor
'Park, many of which are said to be nearly 200 years old, are
being gradually removed and replaced by young trees.
Cremation, it appears, is not a profitable business
in America. A cremation furnace in Pennsylvania is paying
so poorly that there is talk of turning it Into a pop-corn
factory ,

The Frankfurter Zeitung announoes several suicides
In the German army. •
Owing to the melting of mountain snows and
torrential rains, the Lake of Geneva reached a higher level
last month than it has been known to attain at this season
in the 41 years dariag which its fluctuations have been
noticed.
In Sir Arthur Guinness's Coverts in Mayo, six guns
shot list week the surprising number of 352 woodcocks,
besides pheasants and other game. The birds were in very
fine condition too, which, cannot be said of the etolopidco
(Is not that the scientific term?) of the eastern coast. The
World.
The Statisque de France shows that there are in
France 112,873 lunatics, of whom 39,887 are at the charge of
their familtes, and 42,986 supported by the State. The pro-
portion is about two per 1,000 of the population.
With regard to the famine stated to exist in Upper
Egypt, the two Englishmen dispatched by the. Egyptian
Government to distribute relief to the sufferers have
ascertained that the reports of the Caress were greatly
exaggerated.
The plumbers in the city and suburbs of Glasgow,
who have been on strike for the past six weeks, on Monday
agreed to resume work on the master's terms, viz., a reduc-
tion of id. per hour on the present rate of wages of Bid. per
hour.

The King of the Netherlands has directed that one
of the largest men-of-war in his navy shall be named the
Prince Henry of the Netherktnds, in memory of his deceased
brother.

With reference to the rumours prevailing as to a
contemplated reduction of the army, the Army and Navy
Gazette believes it to be the case that the forthcoming Esti-
mates will slaow a decrease of some four thousand men in
the infantry.
The latest novelty in the way of gunnery is a steel
cannon of seventy tons, which is to surpass all the doings of
the monster ordnance rebently tried in this country. The
seventy-ton steel gun is the work of the great Westphalian
ironmaster, Herr Krupp, of Hessen, and is to be tried in a
few months' time on the practice ground adjoining the
famous steel works where it was made. It is a breech-
loader.
Captian Bogardus and Dr. Carver have agreed to
shoot a match between the Ist of next September and the •
81st of December, 20,000 glass balls to be broken by each
within six days, the person who finishes the 20,000 first to
be the winner. The stakes are 10,000 dollars a side.
It was stated during the proceedings in a probate
suit last week that tee late Major Knapman accompanied
the Emperor Napoleon to St. Helena in H 3LS. Bellerophon.
A correspondent points out to us (Grobe) that in Alison's
"History of Europe" it is stated that, "after remaining a
fortnight in Plymouth Roads, he was transferred, in spite
of his vehement remonstrances, from the Bellerophon to the
Northumberland."
The Overland Mai 2 says a murderous assault has
been committed bus native butler (a Pathan) on Mrs.
Gordon; daughter of Colonel Willes, and wife of Captain
James Gordon, now serving with General SteWaff's column
at Caudahar. lira Gordon was wounded severely in the
throat and face, but is reported to be progressing favour-
ably. • •
, . •
The number of wild beasts destroyed in the three
departments of Algeria during the tour years 1873 to 1876
was 16,542, consisting of 111 Hann, 575 panthers, 1,072 hyneas,
and 14,784 jackals. The greatest number of large animals
killed was in the province at Constantine, which is more
.thickly wooded than those .of Algiers and Oran.
An'ingenions person has calculated that a Deputy
who has travelled from Paris to 'Versailles every day that
the Chambers have met since the seat of Government- was
transferred to the town, eight years ago, has passed over a '
number of kilometres equal to about three times the circtun; •
ference of.the earth.
Early on Tuesday morning a fishing boat, belonging
to Clyth, in Caithness, was, struck by a heavy tea while ap-
proaching Lybster Harbour, and was swamped. The whole
of the crew, five in number, were drowned. Some of the
othar fishing-boats had a narrow escape.
A Cal mitta telegram announces that Irrza Mahomed
Hassan has arrived at Cahill from Tashkend. He states that
the report of the death of Share All is untrue and that it
arose from the announcement of the death of the Ameer of
Bokkara. The Russian aultiorities have declined to inter-
fere in Afghan affaire, and Share Ali will endeavour to reach
Herat.
On the 30th of last month (says The Times thirteen
Bosnian robbers were shot at Dolny-Tuzla, under sentence of
a Court-martial. Eleven of them were heads" of families.
The band, consisting of fourteen persons, had been plying
their vocation in the neighbourhood of Blasenica and
Srebernick aid had been caught redhanded after the
murder of a Mahomedan farmer, from whom they took
1,700 florins. The life of the fourteenth was spared, he
being only 14 years old.
" Ketch-click-vry-o," that is the proper way to pro.
flounce the Zulu king's name, gentlemen of funetik pro-
calvities. Te '• click " is but an approximation to the
mind; it is made by a sharp impingement of the tongue on
he front of the palate, just over the teeth, something
similar to the carter's enciouragement to his team.—The
World.
There died at the village of Skewsby, near Mahon,
trkshire, on Tuesday, a woman named Elizabeth Potter at
e advanced age of 105 years. The deceased had gained a
livelihood by taking oat coals in a cart, and this laborious
occupation she kept up until a short time before her death. ,
She is reputed to have been always very hale, hearty, and
active. -
On the occasion of the Duke of Connanght's mar-,
risg‘i his Royal Highness's regiment, the Ist Battalion of the
Rifle Brigade, will furnish the guard of honour, and the
band of the regiment will likewise attend at Windsor. All.
the officers of the battalion will be invited to be present at
the ceremony.
A new book by the Shah will be published almost
immediately. His Majesty has written an account of his
lastyisit to Europe, and it was expected to appear soon after
the beginning of the present year.
. The marriage of the Duke of Connaught with the
Prineess Louise Margaret of Prussia,. will, it is stated, be
celebrated in strict family privacy at Windsor on the 13th
of March, on account of the double state of mourning im-
posed on the bride and bridegroom by the death of the
Grand Duchess of Hesse-Darmstadt and Prince Henry of the
Netherlands.
Five Pathan fanatics dashed into the British camp
at Candahar on the 6th inst., wounding four Europeans and
three natives. In the confusion one soldier of the 50th was
killed and two were wounded by shots-from their comrades.
The five Pathans Were killed. .
' The -Bishop of Manchester, speaking before the
Oxford University'on Sunday, said lee did not believe that
the doctrines of sacerdotalism and sacramentalism were
doctrines of a true priesthood, and of a true sacerdotalism.
It they could be rightly called Catholic at all they were only
so in the sense of being medaevali. not In the sense of being
primitive.
Madame Greivy held her first morning reception at the
Elysee on Monday. It was attended, by the Ambassadors
and their wives, the Wives of the Ministers, and many other
persons of diatinction. Ills said in official circles that the
cordiality iihown by Lord Lyons towards the . GrevyGovern-
meat has been much commented on and appreciated.
There were 37 British and foreig„n wrecks reported
during the past week, making the total for the present year
265, or an increase of 76 as compared with the corresponding
period of last year. The approximate value of property lost
was £620,000, including British £560,000. Eleven vessels
were wrecked off the British coasts.
Small-pox, typhus, and an unknown disease are ex-
tending, with very fatal effects, in several districts in-Russia.
A large number of Cossacks who fled from the plague in the
village where it first appeared have been found frozen to
death on the banks of the Volga. The cattle plague has
destroyed a thousand head of cattle in Ekaterinoslav and
neighbouring localities.
Vanity Fair says :—"There is a thing which de-
serves to be recorded to Us) honour of the Guardian In
snrance Office. It appears that Duncombe Park was insured
in two offices. In one case the premium was paid in the
regular way by Lord Feversham's bankers, but in the other
case—that of the Guardian, the insurance in which amounted
to £BB.ooo—Lord Feversham was accustomed to pay it him-
self as it became due. Now when it last became due he was
too ill to attend to any business, so that the premium was
not only not paid when due, but it was not paid within the
days of grace allowed. Twenty-four hours after those days
of grace had expired, Dunoombe Park was burnt down, and
the office was of course not liable for a farthing of the Bunt
assured. Nevertheless, the directors of the Guardian have
met and decided to pay the £38,000 as though the premium
had been duly received by them—extremely handsome con-
duct, which should be remembered by those about to In
sure.'

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