The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-09-17 00:00:00

Nisallancous lonttlligente,
ROME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL

FATAL CLRELIif S IDOL—John Holloway, a work-
man employed in an ieonfoundry, was on Sunday
evening upon the platbrin of the Wandsworth•road
station of the Chatham and Dover Railway, waiting
for the train. Hi a wife and five children were with
him. He stepped off the end of the platform, and
stood between the metala and the wall, saying, "We
have not long to wait for the train." In lees than a
minute the 11,w express passed and knocked him
down; hia I,;s went underneath the engine, and were
cut off. The poor man cried, "Oh, save me," and
woe lifted on to the platform, but died three•quarters
of an hour afterwards. There was a space of five
feet between the wall and the metals. An inquest
was held, and a verdict returned, "Kill-d by ar ex-
press train."

HOHENEOLLERNS AND HARD NAMES.—M. Ed-
mond About, in the Soir, calls the Germans "Teutonic
vermin," and says that. " France must sweep away the
liohere sllems and their feudal followers" by next
New Year's Day. This talk is homogeneous with the
caricature which represented the King of Prussia's
troops as mice marching upon a cheese • but if the
Germans are miee, what are the people who sing
" Itotaplan" but other mice? We will not say rate,"
for more reasons than one; au intention to pun might
be imputed to us by some of our correspondents who
send us puns of their own. How would M. About
represent Huhu,. 'Horns if he were to draw them in
the shape of vermiu? Perhaps he would delineate the
typical Hohenzollern as a cockroach, or some extra-
ordinary beetle. The "Teutonic vermin," however,
would be more aptly depicted as hot, ets brought by
M. About's countrymen themselves abut their own
ears.- -PIO&

Tux EPIRIT OF PROPHECY.—There was lately
published, in several Garman papers, a curious pro-
phecy of Nostradamus, according to which Louis
Napoleon was to reign an Emperor exactly seventeen
years and nine months. It is worth noticing how thin
prophecy has been fulfilled. On the 2od of December,
1851, Napoleon was made Emperor, lied on the 2nd of
September, 1870, he became prisoner to the King of
Prussia.—Another seer appeared in 1868. "An Italian
publisher has "—Co said the inicrnotiono/ in one of its
issues of that year—. brought out en almanack, re-
presenting the dial of a clock. Is the centre was the
Emperor's likeness, and the hours were marked as
follows : One o'clock, Republica ; two o'clock, Pre.
sidenzo : three o'clock, 2 DlcAubre ; f o'cLck,
Sebastopol ; five o'clock, Proclama Mi'ano ; six
o'clock, Magenta e Solferino ; seven o'clock, Villa-
franca; eight o'clock, NiZZ is Savoie •' nine o'clock,
Messico ; ten o'clock, occupazione di Roma; eleven
o'clock, Guerra stla Prussia (war against Prussic);
twelve o'clock, Cadata dal trono (fall from the throne)."

• •
lIALPPENNY POPTAGE LAMLE AND STAMPED
NEWSPAPER WRAPPERS —The following notice to
newspaper proprietors and news agdats has been issued
from the Generel Post Office :--In connection with
the reduction in the rates of postage on inland news-
papers, printed matter, and patterns or samples, which
vial take effect on sad from the Ist of October, half-
penny postage labels, said newspaper wrappers bear
mg an impressed half penny stamp will he introduced.
A eupply of each is in course of incur to head pest-
maiden in the country, and to tie district offices and
receiving offices in Loudon. Previowly to the I.t of
October the sale of these labels and wrappers will be
confined to the newspaper proprietors and news pgents,
who might possibly be inconvenienced were time not
alt.wed for preparation; but as the re drictionof postage
dues not commence before the Ist of October' anything
bearing a halfpenny stamp punted before that date
will be treated as unpaid. Newspaper proprietors aid
neweagenta, by applying to a head postmaster, will
be able to obtain at very short notice any ouantitv of
these labels or wrappeas. The wrappers (the dimen-
me nsions of which are 14in. by sin.l will be sold at the
following prices : 500 for El 2a G, 100 for 4e. 61,
50 for 2s. 31, 25 for le. lid. 10 for NI, 5 for 31., 2
for 1.1.1., 1 for 0,1 t ; but a discount ot 1 per cent. will
I be allowed to persons purchasing at one time not less
; than 21.0 worth of either labels or wrappers. News-
paper propriet re and newsvenders who may desire to
I have their own wrappers or papers impressed with the
halfpenny stamp, must make application, not to the
Post-cffiee, but to the Commissioners of bland Re-
venue. Wrappers must be of white paper.
. .

M F.LAN caoLY.—The year shows signs of burniog
itself out when we see the first ember—Sept•eniber.—
Punch.

_ .
MacMailoY.—An American writes from Paris
to the Cincinnati Communal :
" I was not lion-hunting, but sudienly I heard a man exclaim
in the crowd, Why, there is Slut:Mahon! And, sure enough,
there was the moat clebrated of living French Generals, the
beat personification of the French soldier, the hope of the
French army in the struggle ac hand, and a great popular
favourite. Mac Mew n wore a new silk hat, aid its evf eclat
Floss was all that made him prominent Ills hair is white—
a soft, brilliant white—and cut dote; and his moustache Is
also white—as white as Fernando WooTe, but not half so
large. He fa sold not to be an Imperialist, evil so smell a
cirenims'acce as that he does not wear hts beard in the
Mutton of the E'nperor gives conflemstion to the report. He
wears no imperisl, his lower lip being clean eleven. In spite
of his whi; e hairs, he has not the appearance of advanced year..
His eye, compleai,n, and carilege Indicate that he Ida the
prime of life. His face tea healthy scarlet ; the enu of Africa is
resporside, I auppisso, for the brilliancy of the bronze on
hi. cheeks. Ili. fester" are not grand, but are refined; his
nose is afloat delicste in Its tine outline and sharpness, and
his mouth Is sail rather than severe. You can sea this ex-
pression of sadness—there is something that touches the
pathetic in it—in the pictures ot him that will now appear
everywhere, sod which are bee( in'ng as plentiful hale as
those of the Emperor, whose ab,undlrg photographs are one
of the troubles of the times. Mac alahon's eye is a little
zunken, and a light blue, I think, with a cheery, intelligent
emirkling hi it (that lam sure oil l his walk he is qMck,
and in gesture rather deliberate for a Frenchman. Not
many lessons seemed to recognise [dm, and he paid no atten-
tion to these who did and wore staring at him wiih evident
curiosity. or was there ens thing iu his manner to chow eon-
slowness that be was °burred. Two or three times was
Ike cry • Viet MaeMahen !' but he gave no sign of hear-
ing It."
—•

A MERCIFUL INTERP,‘ETATION.—First Young
Lad) : 0 what do you think, dear? I have just
seen our curate in the smoking carriage !" Second
Young Lady : "Ah, he is always doing good. Ile goes
there not to smoke, of course, but to keep or.i.c ; for
he Rays the company in the smoking carriage is very
unruly."
SMALLPDX AMONG TUX FRENCII SOLDIERS.—
Smallpox, which has been so common in France, and
especially in Paris, is preval,nt also in the French
army. Five of the wounded French now in the hos-
pitals of Berlin were taken ill with it, and were taken
to the smallpox wards of the Chanit, Hspital; two of
them died. The invasion of France by the German
armies will be a test, on the largest scale, of the
tliciency of the vaccination and re-vaccination per-
Limed on every recruit of the Prussian army.—Bnitish
Mcdtcal Journak -

TUN EDUCATION Q CJESTION.—The Nat bard
Educational League haa just leaned a circular relative
to its future action, and embodying the object., in ad-
dition to fume in its original pro,rvamme, for which the
organization of the league should be maintained. The
new purposes for which the organization id to be car.
ried on are as follows I. To assist in putting the
Education Act in operation, Co as to secure, as far as
possible, the eretabliihment of urusectarian, compulsory,
and free schools. 2. To promote amendments in the
Education Act, by cmverting the permissive into ob-
ligatory clauses, and seeming the recognition of the
principle of equality in rate-aided school.. 3. To
resiet the increase of Parliamentary grants to sectarian
schools. 4. To watch the progress of educational
legislation in reference to the Irish system. 5. To in-
fluence public end Parliamentary opinion by meeting.,
publications, petitions, and all other available means.
in favour of a national, nusectarian, compulsory, and
free apt. MI of education ; said with this view to secure
the return of members to the House of Commons
pledged to support the principles advocated by the
League."

-- -
REMEMBER, THESE AP. not CONTRABAND OF
WAR —Alum f.,r the wounded. And remember Ye.
2, Saint Martin'a Place London. [An approprEte
locality, by the bye, for it '.ea i St. Martin who tore
Lie cloak in halves and gave half to a sick man,l—
ronch, . . .

A PAGE OF 11 IBTJAY.-At an harvest thanks.
giving festival at Pendleton on Saturday afternoon
the Bishop of Manchester referred to the war in the
curse of hie sermon. Hi. lordshin said that all civil.
heed nations in the world bad sprerul before their eyee
at the present moment a spectacle which would fill a
large page in future history, and which signally illus.
trated the goodness and severity of God lin; goodness
to our nation, and His severity to poor, down-trodden
France, and even to triumphant Previa. Had they
read the sketch by Tht Tones' Correspondent of what
he saw on the memorable battlefield of Sedan?
He thought ho had never read anything so on
epeakably ternble, or FO utterly unmanning; and
when we thought of the horrors of this and of
half a score of other battle-fields, strewn with their
slain, heaps upon heaps, the desolation of Strasburg,
the starvation of Metz, the agony of Paris, hospitals
full of maimed and wounded, sick, and dying, homes
deserted, fields left uncultivated, children made father.
less and wives made widows, we might be sure that the
gilding of the glory of war, which men talked of so
lightly, would not take off the edge of all the euffering
which it occasioned. Compared with the state of these
unhappy countries, our lot in England, though not
without it difficulties, necessities, and even disasters,
such as that narrated in that morning's newspapers of
the sudden lone eta gallant ship, the pride el our navy,
and our mightiest ironclad, illustrated the goodness of
God to us. and served to show no that peme was the
greatest blessing that the providence of Gad could
bedew upon a nation,

EPITOME OF NEWS,

CRITISII AND FOREIGN.

I have always a weleome for thee !" as the Spider
mild to the Bluabottle.—Punch.

The report that Brasted-park, near Sevenoaks. had
been told to the et Emperor ot the French is contradicted by
the owner of the estate.

The French srmy i nnanimoul in declaring t at
their " Intendunet, which is equivalent to our Control
Department, has proved the most hideous fakirs ezperienc set
In the war.
The Rev. Principal 'Pollock preached before the
Qneen on Sunday in the parish church of Crathie. Principal
ltUloch and the Rev. Dr. Taylor dined with be? Majesty in
the evening.

The refusal of the Admirelity to allow the use of a
ship for the proposed eclipse expeditious to Gibraltar
mid Syracuse hal made a painful Impression in 'dada*
circles.

Land situated near Freshwater Gate, Yarrnoutb,
isle of Wight. la now Nailing at from goo to £.600 per Aare.
Aboutee years ago the price of land in this locality was only
about £3O per acre.

All assets of French residents in London have
ealablishtd a Committee of National Defence for the purpose
of st-engthening the hands of the new Governmentin defend-
big the soil of Francs from the invading armies.
In London, on Saturday, the well-known swimmers,
Coulter, Morris, and Pamplin, contended to the Thames,
below London-bridge, in a £5O sweepstake, distance, one
mile. Morris, who was the favourite at the starting, won
the race.

A tradesman named Bowe, of Penzance, has been
killed while emitting to excavating ground for the foundations
of some houses In the town. A Bud° en fall of earth corned
him, and he died almost 10 1000 as he was dug out.

The Colonial and Contiwntal Church Society have
received so good a resp mile to their recent appeal that on
Saturday they forme ded three large cases, containing linen,
hut, cherple, Etc., to Luiselira, for the German and French
Bich and wounded.

Among the articles of French produce most largely
Imported luto this country, it appears that the stock of
brandy at the present moment is unusually greet. Accord-
ing to a statement of Memos Matthew Clark and Bons it is
equal to two and a half years' deliveries. An advance of
price, therefore, seams unlikely.
On Saturday morning in last week, a large vessel
struck on the Goodwin ',ands, and In shout two bourn
li,ame a total wreck. The Itaminzate lifeboat Bradford and
a steamtug went out to render assidsuce, but nothing could
be learnt as to the fate of the crew. The vessel wu to:eight
to be about 700 tons. On a place of her stern which was
floating about were the words "Sew York."

Henry Allen, a London bootmaker, met one day
last week an old friend named Smith, to whom he was numb
attached. and whom he had not seen for some years. Smith
hailed him cheerily-, and Allen responded by a cordial shake
of the hand, bet in the same instant fell forward helplessly
upon lila friend's ehoulder. They thought he had fainted,
but It was death; the sudden surprise (said the .urge ole at
the inquest; had stopped the action of the heart, which was
•good deal diseased.

On Tuesday morning • vi-itor named Charlotte E:iza
Wicklson, a married woman, 36 years of age, of Frahm,
conmoitted suicide by throwing herself from the Fort Green,
Margate, on to the sands beneath, a distance of about sixty
feet She received eome very extensive scalp wounde and •
fracture of the skull, leer right leg was broken, and she
sustained other thlurles. Death was instantaneous 'Her
husSand identified the body about an hour after the 00-
CLAlTellee.

--------
The Prlnce Imperial, on Monday afternoon, while
walking on the teach at liaatinp, was surrounded by a
crowd, and when the prince stopped a moment to look at
the chips in the offing, a man came out from the tmwd, end
catclung him by the heal shook it warmly, at the same
time expressing his deep sorrow for the boys fate and that
of his ii eons. Toe Prince appeared much bewildered, but
was relieved of his embarrassment by the arrival of his
tutor. This, it Is slated, is not the only Instance in which
the Prince has been rudely treated by Inquisitive people.
At he last meeting of the Liverpool Chamber of
Comnerce, it was resolved to memorialise her Majesty's!
Government, to the effect that they should recommend to the
favourable consideration of the European Powen ins addition
of the following words to the resolution of the Cmiseesa cot
Parse abolishing privateering:— "That the private ireperty
of subjects and c. 11 zens of a Lelllgerent, on the high sees,
should be exempt from wfzure by the aimed veuels of the
other belligerent, except Übe contraband."

His Highnese. the-Nawah Nazim of Bengal, Behar,
anti ()risen, accompanied by his sons and suite, are making.
temporary sojourn on the sea coast at lieurnemouth, pre-
paratory to utilising by a visit to the principal seats of mina
facture and commerce, the protracted residence in this
c- entry rendered compulsory on his Ilighnees by the unfor-
tunate delay in replying to his memorial addressed to her
Majesty's Sycretary of State for India, on the 28th July,
n 69.
A Southampton correspondent says that the Tanjore
which arrived at that port on Sunday, brought one of the
rnorst valuable cargoes ever landed at Southampton part.
It was estimated to be worth £1,500,000, upwards of a million
of which was in specie. She passed II ILS. Captain a few
boars befcre the latter waft lost. It was believed on board
the Tanjore that some of the top gear of the Captain most
have been blown overboard by the severe southwest gale
which was blowing on the 7th and got entangled in the LOB
of her screw.
-

A tai story of int umanity was told the other day at
an is.quest held in London baore Dr. Lsuksster. About tarto
week+ ago, a poor little boy, two years of sge, was found
sitting on a doorstep In the Hampstead-road. The child's
clothing consisted of a frock and petticoat, and It was dirty
and emscistod. It was taken to St. DanorAs Workhouse. but
death ensued as • consequence of neglect and exposure.
Every effort had beau made to find the parents, but In vain.
The Inquiry acited the curious fact that when a Mu:idling
is broaght to the wJrkhonee it recoils, the Lama of one of
the Guardians.

An advertisenunt appear. in an Irish paper an.
noanciag the bequests of Patrick Hardman, of Dunleer,
cout,ty Louth, to the it mean Catholic Caurch. He has left a
reversion in £lO,OOO to a Roman Catholic orphanage : £5OO
for a memorial window In the Catholic Chapel of Logher ;
£OOO for a Free Bann In Mavnooth College £5O for the
Prone:ration of the Path Soctety, £1,0)0 to the College of
Si. hollows; £5O to the St. Vincent do Paul Society ; LEO
for the Catholic Deaf and Damb ; 4.100 for the Roman
Catholic Catimdral at Armagh; £125 for masses for the
tout, and various smaller donations.
A dreadful explosion of nitro-glycerine took place on
:ituaisy evening near Greenock. During a shower of rain
twelve y ouths entered • deserted smithy, in which one of
them found a tin box, about a foot square. lie lifted it up
cod examined it, and saw what he thought to be a little oil.
He then laid it down, hut he had hardly done so when a coat-
panic u struck the box with a hammer, cod to an instant the
whole butidiug—a wooden one—was blown to atoms. Of
the twelve youths only one was able to walk home. One
was killed on the spot, another died on his way to the hos-
pita', three have since died, and the recovery of five others
is considered hopeless. •
•

A comylimentary dinner was given a day or two
agd by the West India Association of Glasgow to Mr John
Pcter Grant, P., the Gavernor of Jama,c t. Mr. U. E.
Crum-Ewing, M.P., presided T. »spending to the toast of
his health, Sir John Grant of the advantage which
Jamaica had derived from toe now Constitution, undor which
he had beets ensblid not only to reduce the expenditure,
but to obtain a surplus. Ha also spoke of various symptoms
of improvement which had to manifest themselves in
the Wand, and urged the in ve.isy of irrigatisdi and improve-
ments in the modes of cultivation and the processes of
meting sugar, to whto he was disposed to give every en.
courac.etneut. In conclusion, he expressed Isis firm belief
that is Ph reference to Jometca the worst was now passed,
and that better days ware la store for all classes interested
In the Island.

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