The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-05-10 00:00:00

SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1879.

Iliamarra.—Rector. "And what are your views?"
—Candidate for Curacy. "Well, Sir, I'm an
Evargelial High Churchman, of Liberal opinions."
Punch.

THE LONDON ENGLIEERS' STRIEE.—Last Saturday'
strike pay was given to 460 society men and 330 non-
society engineers. One shilling each was paid for 660
children o, society and 390 children of noxesociety men
—in all, 790 men and 1,050 children were relieved, the
amount expended on this account being nearly £7OO.
Last Saturday closed the twelfth week of the strike,
and up to that day the amount spent by the Amalgae
mated Society of Engineers and the Central Executive
Committee together, for relief pay and working ex-
penses, exceeded £9OOO. The ten employers who insist
on a reduction of 74 per cent. have shown no signs of
giving way, and the men who have left them appear
quite as determined not to submit to thes.- terms.
LE SPORT —Whip (to Mossoo, who has deliberately
headed a fox back into cover). Hi! Pere! What
the deuce do yer mean? Mosso°. But, mon ami, if
it had net been zat I stop him he vould have gone, and
ye should have seen him no more.—Judy.
DRESDEN POLITENESS. The following anecdote
has appeared to the honour of Dresden politeness., A
stranger met a Dresdener, and asked him, where a
certain charch was situated. "Really, my dear sir,"
said the Dresdener, bowing low, "I grieve greatly to
say it, but I cannot tell you." The stranger passed
; after five minutes, he was rejoined by the
Dresdener out of breath, who puffed out, "My dear
sir, you asked me how you could find the church, and
It pained me to have to say that I did not know. Just
now I met my brother and asked him; but I grieve to
say that he did not know either."
THE NORTH-EAST PASSAGE.—Reports from Gotheir
burg, dated April 30, state that the steamer Nordensk-
jold, Captain Sengotache, will shortly leave Gothene
burg. Mr. Sibiriakoff has also equipped two coast ex-
peditione in Siberia, of which one will go out froze
Nishni Kolynish, and the other from the mouth of the
Anadyr, both places in Behring's Straits. The yacht
Jeanette, fitted out by the New York Herald, will go
from California to Behring's Straits, and then meet
the Nordenksjold, in order to carry on the search for
the Vega, according to a concerted plan.

THE FRENCH FLAG —Many changes have OCCUrled
in the coloura of the French flag in the lapse chi ages,
and the approaching distribution of the new ones gives
an interest tea record of the alterations. Under CloviS
__ _

it was turquoise blue; from the time of Charlemagne,
blue with six red trefoils; Charles V., purple with
gold ornaments; Louis XL, azure with golden lilies,
Charles VIII, blue strewn with golden lilies, with s
white cross; Francois 1.. half blue and white; Henri
IV., plain white; Louis XV.' blue, with a white cross
bearing lilies; from 1792 to 1814. tricolour i Restora•
tion, white; from 1830 to the present time, tricolour.

SCIENTIFIC PREDICTIONS.—A CorTeeponclent write
to The Times:—

Oiten has it been asserted that James Watt (the elder)
never believed in thepracticability of locomotion (on land)
by steam-power, and I see no reavon for doubting that lit
had often expressed such disbelief; yet the late eminent
Civil Engineer, Mr. James Walker, told me that he went, 0
a youth, with several gentlemen, to confer with Watt on this
very question. Watt was then 90 years of age, and sat ill
his arm-chair to hear the arguments in favour of stead'
locomotion. At last he gave his opinion in these words
"I think it's worth a trial."
THE PALL IN RENTS.—As an illustration of the fall
in the value of land, the Dundee Advertiser states thibt,
a farm has just been let for nineteen sears at about
£lOO below tha old rent, besides a large sum expended
on improvements free of interest, It is said to be one
of the best farms in Perthshire, and is in high condi'
tion. The reduction of rent will be fully 40 per cente
and in about four years twenty acres are to be addeo
to the acreage of the farm without additional rent.
POISONOUS pItOPICBTIZS OF THE CYTISUS LABIIHNUJI.
—The laburnum is one of the commonest ornamental
trees in our gardens, and as its brilliant yellow flower,
belong to the spring flora, it has become quite a favourifs
with the old and young people. The seeds act so ver
lently as an emetic that they are justly deemed
poisonous, but it seems very little known that all the
parts of this plant, leaves, flower-pods, even the barl
and roots, are largely dangerous and contain the cytisie
discovered by Husetnann and Marne in 1864. A dose
of 0 03 gram syringed under the skin is sufficient to
cause the instantaneous death of a dog or cat. DP
Christian was tke first who observed the fatal poisonin(
of a man by cytisin, and more than a hundred cases
poisoning by this alkaloid, of which the majorifl,
caused death, have been published in the records 01,
medical literature. Particularly children, who 110.,
eaten of the pods or seeds of laburnum (ten seeds kW,
a child), but a's° adult persons who by mistake bt
taken flowers of laburnum instead of the false aceley
to prepare a tea, were dangerously affected. Th°
symptoms of this kind of poisoning are not at all elle'
racteristic, and unfortunately no antidote is knools'
An emetic of salt and water should be given as soc,
as possible, brandy judiciously administered, and
doctor sent for without delay.—Gardeners' Chronicle.
l
CIITTING.—Mrs. Knifegrinder. StNow then, otc%,
man, be quick sharpnin' that knife; you gets elovie;,
and slower; you'll drive me out of my wits one dal'
Mr. Knifegrinder. "Ale, I shan't have to drivel
fur then."— Fun,
*STORM WAHNING.—The following cable messegis
has been received from New York at the Lonl
office of the New York Herald "Disturbance 114
arrive on the British and h'rench coasts affecting
Norwegian coast between the 6th and Bth. Race'
gales, south-east backing north-west."
REVOLTING MEANNESS !—Nurse (examining °ILI!:
tening present, just received) : "Lor, Ma'am,
Macticingy hain't sent dear baby the cup his Cocilw
China fowl won at the poultry show! "—Punch.
THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING A YANKEE.—The eget'
of two rival iron safe manufacturers were recently in
senting the claims of their respective articles. Ile
was a Yankee—the other wasn't, He that wasn't lclot
his story. A game cock had been shut up in one
his safes and then it was exposed to the most intePe'j
heat, When the door was opened the cock stall
'
out, flapped his wings, and crowad loudly, as if notcit
iO
had happened. It was now the Yankee's turn, A 0„e
had also been shut up in one of his safes with a petirle
of fresh butter, and the safe was submitted to the tr. a
of a tremendous heat for more than a week, The e,sg,
of the safe were melted off, and the door itself solo
fused as to require the use of a cold chisel to ge_tee
open. When it was opened the cock was found fr°,,mecl
dead, and the butter so solid that a man who knoceilo
off a piece of it with his hammer had his eye put °
by a frezen butter splinter.
THE MANCHESTER UNITY OF ODD FELLOW.Os
appears from the official statistics, the compilation of
which has just been completed, that on the 101/0
January, 1879, the Manchester Unity of Odd Fell°o
numbered 5,31,599 members, against 526,802 at toe
beginning of 1878—a net gain of 4,757, against 8, ,be
in 1877, and 10,357 in 1876. This shows hoe/
widespread depression of trade has affected the Will
trial Wales, and the fact is still more clearly evidelini
by 15,017 having left the order last year, while of:ia
27.918 were initiated, against 32,241 in 1877, ,51
33,616 in 1876, and an average of 35,000 for each oi
five preceding Tears. The deaths of members dap
the year amounted to 6,916, the percentage being fal
against 343 in the preceding year. The fuFe34l
benefits paid amounted to k:7O 454, against £619 ribi
last )e ir ; and in addition £23,304 was paid as fullers,
benefits for wives and widows of deceased melcoblelde.
The directors considering the present state of tr se
commerce, and agriculture in the country, regard
statistics as satisfactory.
Olt
"IN RANGE."—OId gent (in omnibus). "I trust
ritle is not loaded, air, because with this shalcl9lol
might go off ! "—Volunteer (nettled). "No, it); 01
loaded, sir. And if it were to go off, it would 11
you gent. "Oh, jus' so, sir. But-1,9
pardon me—l was not considering myself so mete'
the poor passengers on the roof I I "—Punch.
AMERICAN ADVERTISING,—A. San Francisco Ilee
says, "Dr. Colenso, ex-Bishop of Natal, who, if
written much to disprove the authenticity 0' tee
Pentateuch, argues that the story of Ham beingiest
father of the African race is false. He maintaine 'tot
Ham died in the Ark. All this is merely a mat fA oil
ti
pious belief, not of essential doctrine. The gePirote
Star Ham is wrapped in pure white canvas, free
all poisonous paints, and is guaranteed by eyed
spectable dealer—only be sure to ask for," &c. tea
THZ VINE IN CALIFORNIA.—It has been &WO. of
that the Slate of California has 15,000,000 actelet,
land adapted to the growth of the vine, but theta,
than 50,000 acres of this vast area are as yet pleiroof
The average number of vines set out per acre is of
900, which give an average yield of 800 gallePiv
wine and 120 of brandy when in full bearing. tbe
progressive advance of the industry is shown blose
fact that the number of gallons made in 1859 Op
100,000; in 1869 500,000: in 1872, 3,000,000; in le
7,000,000; in 1876, 10,000,000. eOl
Causer.-

AN EXPENSIVE CHRONOMETEL—III the ----- of
the Boston Transcript a good story is retold. 431101;
his captains had sailed six voyages to China wi!,01)
a chronometer, depending on "dead reckoning 00
"bearsu_;" just before starting upon the
voyage he suggested to Mr. Astor that it vol.?: ,bio
safer to have a chronometer. "Well, get one. A
the merchant. The captain did 80, and enters'oe
coat in his account current. When Mr. Astor'ooo
fell upon the item, he drew his pencil through it.tor,l
captain expostulated, "Bang it, man," said .0 8j t.
"I told you to get one; I tid'nt say I'd pay
The captain severed his connection with Astor the1;4001
there, went into W all-street; engaged with other 00
and, before night, was in command of as fine a el'ilrea.
ever floated in New York's beautiful bay. 10 0001°
days be was ready for sea, and set sail. At the, ,100,
time. Astor's ship, under a new contain, set ssi,lich
They had a race for Hong Kong, but the eaptal.o :tat
as he used to put it, had discharged John Jacob
by keeping the men at the braces, took advantagoW
every puff of wind, and won by three days. Tbehpfol
was loaded in the shortest time possible, and
Astor 'a vessel, which had arrived meantime, WO fol
loaded, our captain weighed anchor, and with t'dooo
cargo of tea, set sail for Sandy Hook; arrived jOZOO
time, got his ship alongside the wharf, and r,.;00
hoisting out his cargo, which was sold by auctio;for
the splt. This glutted tb,e market, !or the oo130.„109
MOn was comparatively small in those days, and 'die
Astor's ship came in,, prices had fallen. TWA' visft
later, as the gaptalt. was sauntering down 131'00...„1 i
he met hist former employer. "How much o'"burr
chrowatneter cost you ?" askel the latter. " Si%A,esif*
drocl dollars." "Veil," said Astor, " dat vas no'
co4s me 60,000 dole." The merchant and th° tboi
tain have long since pa'd the long reckoning, btl_;tireo
chronometer is still a good timekeeper and a tree'
relic as well,
tile
THE VALTJE 01? BEA great bee-master'
Rev. M. Sauppe, in Likkendorf, makes the follotw
calculation, intended to prove the eminent ligrictil
and economical importance of the rearing of be,e-osst,
Of each of the 17,000 hives to be met with in 6..,„„0--
10,000 bees fly out per diem—equal to 170 Mu."„--10
each bee four times equal to 680 millions, or, 1—
days, equal to 680,000 millions. Each bee, before
homeward, visits 50 it,wers, therefore the whole P 7,1
hlage has visited 3,400 000 millions of flowers. ;`,,
of the ten only one flower has become ferb
340,000 millions of fertilised flowers would
result. Supposing the reward for the fertilisa. 74
5.000 flowers to be one German pfennig, the unite°
of Saxony have obtained per annum a sum pi
million pfennige-680,000 marks (234,000 steer
Each hive reimasents in this way a value 0
sterlingl

two'

flYing

assa'y

fertilUe‘L

.ibl

• 61

" "t,w.=

11..-