The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-04-14 00:00:00

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIMa

Loaners IN OTPRUEL—Cyprns is threatened with
another plague of locusts. These destructive insects
have, according to the Cyprus Herald, made their ap-
pearance in the neighbourhood of Larnaca, where
preparations are being made to give them a warm
reception. There is no time to be lost; for the eggs,
It is stated, are hatching with unusual rapidity, and
some of the locusts had by latest accounts already
attained the size of house•flies. In the meantime,
every available locust-trap with other appliances Suit-
able for the emergency were being despatched in hot
haste to the infected locality, and hopes are enter-
tained that the measures taken will prove effectual to
avert the dreaded calamity,
THE PRODUCTION OP CHAMPAGNE.—A report On
the trade in champagne or reputed champagne has
been published in Paris, which gives figures of
some interest from a railway and transport point
of view, apart from the other facts given. Ac-
cording to this, 23,000,000 bottles of champagne
are exported annually in the following propor-
tions :—Africa 100,000 bottles; Spain, 300,000;
Belgium, soo,Ooo ; Italy, 500,000; Holland, 600,000;
Germany, 1,500,000; Russia, 2,000,000; England,
5,000,000; Northern America, 10,000,000. The con-
sumption In France is valued at £2,500,000.

SCAFFOLD ACCIDENTS IN PABIS.—New and special
instructions have, the Builder states, just been issued
by the Paris Prefect of Police, so as to reduce the too
frequent occurrence of acciaents in the building of
houses, &c. The local chiefs of the police are ordered
to visit every scaffold in their district before work is
begun. Suspended scaffolding is to be maintained by
three instead of only one rope, and clothes must be so
arranged as to prevent dust or fragments from falling
into the street. In the event of any workman or
pedestrian being wounded, the building contractors
are to be at once prosecuted before the police or
correctional tribunals.

LANGUAGE.—Tommy. "What does 'I beg your
pardon' mean? "—Aunt. "It is a form of apology, my
dear. For instance, if I were to knock up against
you by mistake, I should apologize by saying, "I beg
your pardon."—Tommy. "Oh, mother would'nt say
that I She'd say, Get out, yer young warmint, or
I'll fetch ye sich a slap o' the head yer own father
won't know ye from a twopenny 'bus.' "—Judy.

LUMBER EN CANADA AND THE "UNITED BTATES.—It
appears that there are no fewer than 15,024 saw
mills in the United States, and 637 in Quebec, Ontario,
and Manitoba. The figures of the work performed by
these mills are almost bewildering, and during last
year nearly 750,000,000 feet more timber was manu-
factured than in the year 1881. Towards the close of
the year, moreover, new mills were being built in every
direction so as to be ready for work this spring. Work
In the woods has prospered in consequence of the
favourable weather, and the lumbermen look for
an Increase of 15 per cent., and even more, if the
weather continues to be in good eondition for floating
the logs down. It is confidently stated that from all
present indications the production of pine lumber in
the North-West for the year 1883 will be the largest
ever known. The prices realised by manufacturers on
the stocks sold in 1881 and 1882 were high, and the
business profitable. This fact has given a great
stimulus in the direction of the further expansion of
the great lumber trade.
DISTINGUISHED AMATEURS. THE PAINTER IN
WATEHOOLOURS.—Dietingnished Amateur: " I—a—
rub out a great deal. Most of my effects are got by
that."—Old Snarl° : " Ah, capital process I Only
you don't carry it quite far enough I "—Punch.

SUDDEN DEATH AT A RAILWAY STATION. Mr
William Carter, coroner for the North Eastern Divi.
sion of Surrey, has held an inquiry at Brixton, into
the circumstances attending the death of Mr. James
Mitson, aged 67, lately residing at Loughborough
Park, who dropped down dead at the Blackfriars
platform of the London, Chatham, and Dover Rail-
way on Thursday in last week, Mr. John Coe, sta-
tion-master, said that shortly after one o'clock on the
afternoon of the sth instant, he saw the deceased
: who was a first-class ticket holder) on the down line
platform. Deceased spoke about the weather, and
said he had fiat left his place of business in London,
and had lost the 1.3 p.m train for Loughborough
Junction. He sat one of the seats and immediately
after fell dead.—Dr. Wicks, of Guy's Hospital, proved
that death had resulted from heart disease.--The jury
returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evi-
dence.
AVERAGE PRIORS OF BRITISH CORN.—The follow-
ing are the average prices of British corn for last
week, as received from the inspectors and officers of
Excise :—Wheat, 425. Od. ; barley, 335. 2d. ; oats, 21s.
Bd. per imperial qr. Corresponding week last year :
Wheat, 455. sd. ; barley, 30s. Od. ; oats, 21s. 3d.

ROOKS IN ORKNEY.—Complaints are general about
Kirkwall (Orkney) as to the rooks, which were only
occasional visitors until a few years ago, but have now
become a pest, as they are nearly exterminating all
the favourite local birds, and destroying the gardens
in and around the town, lifting the seed potatoes
away and doing other damage. Trees are not very
numerous about Kirkwall, but where one is to be found
rooks' nests are very numerous.

THE MARQUIS or LOHNE.—The Court Journal says
that the Marquis of Lorne has made himself a name in
the sporting circles in Canada. His excellency is a patron
of several of the leading dog shows, and gives prizes
with a lavish hand. He has taken steps to ensure the
exhibition at Ottawa of a team of sleigh dogs from the
north-west territories, and a pair of diving dogs from
Newfoundland. These animals will dive to a depth of
twenty yards and land their fish in wonderful style.
The marquis on his return home intends bringing a few
of these peculiarly-inclined members of the canine
species.

AGEICTILITTRAL PROSPEOTS.•-•The Magnet says :
" Every advantage has been taken of the continued
fine weather to hurry on field work. Spring sowing
is now well forward, and, except that it was begun.
very late, has been carried out under the most satis-
factory auspices. Early wheats look strong and
healthy, and are by no means too forward, but the
acreage will be much below the average. During the
last week or two a large area has been sown with
barley under the most favourable conditions. So fine
a seed time for barley and pats has not been ex-
perienced for many years past."

TII QUOQUZ.—Army Candidate. "And I only
muffed one thing in the geography paper. Couldn't
for the life of me think where the Straits of Macassar
were I "—Fond Father. "Oh, I say, you ought to
have known that. Fancy—the Straits of Macassar I"
—Army Candidate. "Well, I didn't, anyhow. By
the way, where are they, Dad ?"—Fond Father. "Oh
—where are they? Oh—er—they're—well, they're
—But don't you think we'd better go to lunch ?"
Punch.

EMIGRATION FROM LIVERPOOL. —Com pared with the
first quarter of 1882 the emigration from Liverpckil
this year has been very small. In the three months
just ended the figures were 23,236, and in the corre-
sponding period of 1882 they were 34,333, showing a
decrease for this year of 11,097. Last month (March)
11,608 emigrants took their departure from the Mersey,
being 8,802 below the figures for March, 1882, which
were 20,410.
THE NIAGARA ICE BRIDGE.—An unusually exten-
sive and interesting ice bridge was, according to the
Scientific American' formed early this winter across
the Niagara River below the falls. The architect of
this stupendous structure, says an intelligent observer,
is the south wind. A steady blow from this quarter
causes the ice in Lake Erie, twenty-five miles away,
to break up into gigantic fragments, which float down
the current of the Niagara until they shoot the rapids
and plunge over the cataract—a sight worth a long
journey to see. Below the falls some of these enormous
cakes lodge, here against a rock, there upon the beach
at the foot of a cliff. Others follow, and tossed by
the seething billows against their predecessors, find
lodgment also. They are welded- by the frost and
dashing foam, and this process goes on until the river
is covered from shore to shore. The accumulation
increases, the cakes of ice being forced under the mass
by the pressure of the waters, until, as now, the bridge
extends from shore to shore, and from the foot of the
great cataract away down nearly to the railway sus-
pension bridge, three miles, and of a thiekness often
equal to the tallest of city business blocks..

THE ART or POLITE CONVERSATION.—He : How
wonderfully the Days are drawing out now! She:
Yes; and, do fyou know? I noticed the same thing
about the same time last Year.—Judy.
WOLVES IN LOBIIAINE.—A Germ an newspaper
records the fact that the wolves in Lorraine have been
more daring than usual this winter, the mildness of
the previous winter having, it would seem, contributed
to the increase of their numbers. At Harraucourt, in
the district of Ohateau-Salins, four wolves attacked a
flock of sheep, and after killing sixteen of them, fled,
taking away four of them. It is remarked that the
complete extirpation of these animals is not at present
likely, as the Ardennes forests and mountainous
districts are not in all cases accessible, and it is in these
portions of that district that the wolves congregate.
Recent legislation in Germany will, however, allow of
a regular organisation for the hunting of these animals,
from which arrangement some diminution in their
numbers is confidently expected.
THE MARS-ED VALUE or haw IRSTILT.—A black
eye.—Judy.

AN ANGRY Tit.—A singular species of acacia is
growing at Virgins, Nevada, which shows all the cha-
racteristics of a sensitive plant. It is about 81t. high,
and growing rapidly. When the sun sets its leaves
fold together and the ends of the twigs coil up like a
pig-tail, and if the latter are handled, there is evident
uneasiness throughout the plant. It highest state of
agitation was reached when the tree was removed
from the pot in which it was matured into a larger
one. To use the gardener's expression, it went very
mad. It had scarcely been placed in its new quarters
before the leaves began to stand up in all directions,
like the hair on the tail of an angry cat, and soon the
whole plant was in a quiver. At the same time it
gave out a most sickening and pungent odour, re-
sembling that of rattlesnakes when teased. The
smell so filled the house that it was necessary to
open the doors and windows, and it was a full hour
before the plant calmed down and folded Its leaves in
peace.

PUBLIC LIBRARY Itzeneus.—According to the report
of the Newcastle Public) Libraries Committee, "every
possible trade and profession of the district " is repre-
sented among the borrowers of books from the lending
library. Notably, it is added, may be instanced
among the fair sex, milliners and dress and mantle.
makers, of whom there are ; while governesses,
pupil teachers, and schoolmistresses contribute 263.
Of the male readers 1,848 are clerks; cabinetimakers,
carpenters, and joiners supply 636 ; engineers and
fitters, 497 ; agents, 471; grocers and provision dealers,
426; drapers? 368; merchants, 279; printers, 288;
schoolmasters and pupil teachers, 191; while the pro-
fessions contributed no less than 48L The male are
more than double the number of the female ticket.
holders. As regards the ages of the "non-burgess"
readers, it appears that between 14 and 30 there are
8,279, out of a total of 10,685. It is also noted that
while the males between 14 and .30 are in the ascend-
anti the preponderating number among the female
readers are between the nee of 31 and 73,

Tn. CULTIVATION IN Russre.—The Free Economic
Society of St. Petersburg warmly advocates the culti-
vation of the tea plant in the Caucasus. At Souk-
konm it appears some tea is already raised in the
open air, notably in the botanic garden and in Et
garden belonging to a private gentleman. The experi-
ment so far has proved successful, and the Economic
Society thinks that in time Russia should compete
with China and India in supplying the western
nations with tea. In the western parts of Trans-
Caucasia the climate is said to resemble very much
that of China. The Novae Vremya newspaper, in re-
ferring to the subject, recommends the encouragement
of Chinese immigration into the Caucasus to meet the
demand for the necessary skilled labour.
A Rumex Cannuar MEMORIA.L.—The Grand Duke
Alexis Alexandrovitch, the admiral commanding the
Russian fleet, has received a commission directing the
erection of further monumental honours to the Rus-
sians who fell in the defence of Sebastopol, 18.53-56.
A large marble slab, bearing the names of the ad-
mirals, commanders, and staff and field officers who
were killed or who died subsequently of their wounds,
is to be placed in the Valdimir Chapel at Sebastopol.
Opposite each name will be detailed the particular en-
gagement and the spot where each of them fell. At
the same a similar tablet will be erected recording the
names of all the marine officers, now living or dead,
who subsequently were made Knights of St. George.

DRCRIASI OF RILIGIOUS ZRAL.—Speaking at
meeting of the Society for the Propagation of the
Gospel at Peterborough, the Dean of Peterborough
said it was evident, judging from the few persons who
now attended the missionary meeting, that the early
zeal for the work was failing. It was the same in all
parts of England.
WOOD GROWTHS IN WASHINGTON TERRITORY.—
Reports state that fir, pine, oak, and cedar of unstir-
passed quality, and practically unlimited in quantity,
clothe the mountains, overhang the rivers, and shadow
the plains of the Puget Sound district in Washington
territory. On a moderate estimate it is calculated
that this region will yield the almost inconceivable
quantity of 160,000,000,000 feet of valuable timber.
The trees attain a remarkable development, both in
height and beauty. The yellow fir is frequently found
growing to the enormous height of 250 feet, the white
cedar to 100 feet; the white oak is 70 feet in height ;
while ordinary•sized specimens of the sugar pine yield
from 6,000 feet to 8,000 feet of cut lumber.

ACCIDENT TO A CRICKETER IN AIISTRAITA.—The
Melbourne Argus says it was discovered for the first
time on February 27 that Morley, one of the profes-
sional members of the Honourable Ivo Bligh's team of
English cricketers, had since his arrival in Australia
been suffering from a fractured rib. During the voyage
of the cricketers to the Colonies it was believed that
Morley sustained rather severe bruises and a slanck to
the nervous system during a collision at sea. In the
latter stages of the tour, however, he bowled in several
Important matches, but, instead of improving in
health, got steadily worse. The nature of the injury
shows that nothing but the greatest determination
could have enabled him to continue his exertions so
long as he has done.