The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-09-08 00:00:00

SATUTIDAY, SEPT. 8, 1 8 3.

-THE COST OF LIVING IN ENGLAND.—The Senate
Committee sitting at Washington to inquire into the
question of artisans' Nw-ges in America has examined
as a witness a Wheatstone telegraph-operator, who
deposed that the wages of men of his cratt were from
gl 108. to £2 10s, a week in England, as against 50
dollars (about £10) a month in the United States.
The witness stated, however, that in England the
operator was in reality far better off, as he could live
c.mfortahly and have meat Join times a day for ten or
twelve shillings a week. "When I was in England,"
the witness added, "and travelling about the country,
I lived sumptuously for twelve shillings a week, and
this was living in hotels."l 4

PLEASANT FOR HlM.—Scene—Shrimpington - sur •
Mer, a very retired seaside place,—Girl (in great
state of excitement). "Here, d'yer year, Billee ?
Look up! There's a circus a-coming • I've just seen
the clown."—Vones, the great amateur actor, was
just rehearsing his clever imitation of Mr. Irving, that
was all.—Fun.
WINDOW GARDENING.— The Sheffield School Board
on Saturday made an interesting experiment with the
view of encouraging the love and culture of flowers,
and especially in regard to window gardening, among
the scholars. Five thousand plants were given out to
boys and girls in one district to be reared for competi-
tion. The exhibition took place in Duchess-road
Schools, when 2,500 plants were brought forward,
many in very fine condition. The Mayoress of
Sheffield presented prizes to over one hundred scholars,
and so great was the interest exhibited by the parents
of the children and the public that from 15,000 to
20,000 people visited the exhibition during the day.
The success will lead to general competition extending
to all schools.

SUICIDES IN GREAT CITIES.—It appears from recent
statiKti s on this subject that Paris occupies a very un-
enviable position. The ratio of suicide f* r every mil-
lion inhabitants averages yearly 402, while in Naples
it is only 34. The French capital is thus the saddest
as well as the gayest city in Europe. The ratio for
other cities is as follows :—Stockholm, 354 (this high
average is quite unaccountable in tha northern city,
where the pressure of life is not great) ; Copenhagen,
302; Vienna, 287; Brussels, 271; Dresden, 240; St.
Petersburg, 206; Florence, 180; Berlin, 170; New
York, 144; Genoa, 135; London, 87; and Rome, 74.
London thus o =pies a very advuntageous position
in the list. With regard to New York, it is said
that the majority of the suicides in that city are
Germans.

SUGAR CROPS IN BRAZIL —The Pernambuco Corre-
spondent of The Times writing on the 13th of August,
says :—" Receipts of sugar for the fortnight amount
to 4,026 bags, of which a small portion consists of new
sugar, taken over by local refiners. Entries from the
Ist of September, 1881, to the 7th of August, 1882,
were 2,039,165 bags, and during the same period of
1882 3 they were 1,210,285 bags, showing a deficiency
of 828,880 bags between the two crops. The weather
has been favourable, and several estates in this and
adjacent provinces have commenced grinding, and
unless rains intervene we expect the majurity of the
plantations will be at work at the end of the month."
A NATURAL Cuoss.—An extraordinary peari has
been found at Nichol Bay. It is composed of nine
distinct pearls about the size of peas, of a fine lustre,
and firmly bedded together in t, e form of a perfect
cross. It was found in the shell exactly as it now
appears. The cross is about an inch and a half long.
It is a perfectly unique cuziosity, and is expected
(says the Melbourne Argus) to fetch a fabulous price,
owing to the extraordinary coincidence of its perfectly
representing the symbol of Christianity.

COCOA AND CHOOOLATE.—Many drinkers of these
pleas4nt beverages are unaware as to the method by
which the cocoa seeds are obtained. Cocoa, or cacao,
is extracted from the seed of small trees of the genus
theodroma, which when cultivated, grows from 12ft.
to 18ft. high, but to higher elevation in their wild
state. The flowers are small, and cluster on the
branches and trunk, the matured fruit appearing as
though artificially attached. Out of eact cluster only
one pod is allowed to mature, and this when full
grown is from 71n. to 10in, long by Sin, to 4iin.
wide. The five cells contain each a row of from five
to ten seeds embedded in a pink, acid pulp, the cocoa
bean. The tree is indigenous to Mexico, but it can
be cultivated within the 25th parallels of latitude, and
thrives at any elevation under 2,000 ft., but it re-
quires a rich soil, a warm humid atmcsphere, and
protection from cold winds. The trees are propa-
gated from seeds in a nursery until they attain a
height of from 14in. to 18in., when they are trans-
planted, and carefully sheltered by planting other
trees about them. They commence to bear about
the fifth year, but do not attain maturity until the
eighth, and continue yielding fruit for nearly half a cen-
tury. There is no special time for harvesting the crop,
as the trees continue bearing all the time, flowers and
fruit in all stages being curiously borne on the same
tree. But in Venezuela the principal gatherings are
in June and December. Chocolate is generally made
from the finer varieties of cocoa seeds, and was a
favourite beverage in Central America long before
Columbus discovered the New World. As at present
prepared, chocolate is made in cakes, while cocoa is
usually sold in powder, flakes, or nibs, The consti-
tuents of the average cocoa seed are as follows:—Fat,
cocoa butter, 32 ; 'nitrogeneous compound, 20; starch,
20; cellulose, 2; theobromine, 2' saline substances,
4; water, 10; cocoa red, essential oil, 101.
TWEED SALMON FISHINGS.—These fishings still
further fell off last week, both in the river and on the
coait. Prices have risen considerably, those on Satur-
day being—salmon and grilse, is. 4d. ; trout, is. 3d,
per lb. Prices in the corresponding week of last year
—salmon and grilse, is, lid,; trout, is. 6d. per lb.
The fishing on the Tweed closes on the 14th inst.
THE STRING OF WIND POWEE.—It has been sug-
gested by a writer in the Scientific American that the
enormous wind force now going to waste might be
stored up in the form of compressed air and used as a
steady source of power. It is pointed out that within
an area of 401 t. by 1501 t., no larger than the flat top
of many a store or manufacturing establishment, it is
entirely practicable to place 32 wind-wheels, each 121 t,
high by Bft. in diameter, and so arranged that each
shall have full sweep of the wind from whatever

quarter it may blow. The wheels would revolve on
vertical axles, or horizontal, if preferred, with fixed
blades, one.half rhielded and turning so as to suit the
direction of the current. They would need no attend-
ance, no brake, no check ; they might spin with the
utmost fury of a gale, or lie still in a calm. Rapid
motion could do no harm, and would only increase
their efficiency : whenever they turned they would do
work, and when they lay still they would do nothing.
Each wheel would drive an air-pump of size suited to
its power, and each stroke of the piston would send its
given quantity of air into the common reservoir pro-
vided. The reservoir would thus become a magazine
of compressed air, whose energy would be reported by
he gauge, and could be used by any of the means now
o well known.

A TERRIBLE GUN.—An American paper says that
the great Lyman Haskell Multi-charge Gun' which
has been undergoing construction at Reading, Pa., for
the past two years, is finished. It is twenty-five feet
long and weighs twenty-five tons. It is designed to
revolutionise modern warfare, and was constructed at
a coat of overso,ooo dole. The new principle in this
gun consists of a series of four pockets underneath the
weapon for the holding of powder, each "pocket
containing twenty-eight pounds besides the eighteen
pounds in the breech, thus concentrating the force of
130 pounds of powder, in place of one-fourth this amount
usually put in the breech of the cannon now in use.
It will also hurl a projectile twice as heavy as the
ordinary cannon. It is claimed that it will penetrate
a solid piece of iron twenty•four inches thick, and
that it will easily carry a projectile from twelve to
fifteen miles. It is intended for both naval and sea
coast defence.
FRENCH HOSPITALS —From a recent inquiry con-
ducted by the Department of Public Assistance it
appears that there are at present in France no fewer
than 1,563 hospitals, but of these by far the greater
number partake rather of the character of almshouses
and asylums for the aged, the infirm, and the young
and friendless. Of hospitals, as the term is under-
stood among us, there seems to be 364, exclusive of the
establishmenp which combine medical treatment with
the functions of an asylum. The hospitals which
devote themselves mainly to accidental injuries treat
on a average 360,000 cases a year, while their patients
permanently under treatment number 40,000. The
hospitals dispose altogether of 164,955 beds, of which
54,245 are assigned to the infirm, the aged, and the
incurable, and 16,050 to children; while 23,4')9 are
needed for the officers and attendants. Speaking gene-
rally, the proportion of patients treated in French
hospitals appears to be about ninety for every ten
thousand inhabitants.

PENNY POSTACtt IN AMERICA.—The penny postage
system is to be introduced into the United States on
October Ist next. On and after that date letters will
be carried any distance within the Union, from New
York to San Francisco, for instance, or from Chicago
to New Orleans, for the sum of two cents, The
United States Post Office is just now unprecedentedly
prosperous, so that the experiment, a singularly bold
one owing to the extent and comparatively small popu•
lation of some of the States and Territories, will have
a fair trial.

A FIGHT WITH BRIGANDS.— The Naples Corres-
pondent of the Daily News writes: "Accounts come
from Cantanzare of a severe conflict with a band of
brigands. For some time it had been known that this
band was disquieting the neigkabourhood of the Sila in
Cosenza (Calabria), and search had been made. Oa
the 17th of last month the whereabouts of the brigands
was ascertained, and two parties were sent to the
place. On the 25th the brigands were overtaken, and
a furious combat took place, lasting three hours. The
chief of the band, Giovanni Ricca, was killed, and
his father and cousin hurt, but they succeeded in eacap•
ing. Five of the attacking party were wounded, one
dangerously."
THE INNS OF OW:MT.—It is stated that Henry 111.
had the inns under his protection, and granted them
exclusive privileges, by prohibiting any other schools
from teaching law within the City; and that he also
formed the members of each lodging-house into a
kind of corporation, and established a set of rules for
their conduct, There is no sufficient authority for
this latter statement, but it is certain, however, that
the Crown frequently interposed its authority for the
regulation of the conduct, and even dress, of the
students. Many of the regulations as to dress are not
a little amusing. The Templars, in the reign of Queen
Mary, were forbidden to " wear any great bryches
In their hoses, made after the Dutch, Spanish, or
Almon fashion ; or lawne upon their capo, or cut
doublets," upon pain of 3s. 4d. forfeiture for the first
default, and the second time to be expelled the house.
In the same reign a member of Lincoln's-inn was fined
five eroats "for going in his study gown to Cheapside
on Sunday at ten in the forenoon." Queen Elizabeth
specially regulated the beards, ruffs, and ended hair of
the students; but the I.3earde could not be restrained,
for the fashion of wearing them grew so prevalent as
to effect, at one time, a: repeal of all orders touching
them. A better regulation was made respecting swords
and rapiers. The young students, though etudying
the law, were apt at times to manifest a little order-
breaking turbulence when they "went upon town ; "
and it was ordered " that no fellow of this society
(Lincoln's Inn) should bear any sword or buckler, or
cause any to be borne after him into the town, nor
should any rapiers be borne in this house by any of the
society .—City Press.

J

THE LONGEST PRIVATE TELEPHONE IN THE WORLD
—Mr. John Burns' of Uasle Wemyss, has recently
had provided for him by the Post-office telephonic
communication between his office in Jamaica street,
Glasgow, and his house at Wemyss Bay, a distance of
32 miles. This new feature of telephonic science is
said to be the longest private wire in the world. It is
what is known as a metallic circuit—that is to say, it
consists of two wires, through which the current of
e)ectricity passes round and round, up one wire and
down the other, and always in the same direction and
the two wires are "twisted." Ordinary telephone
' and electric wires consist of only one wire.
AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS.—The Magnet of Monday
in its review of the British corn trade during the past
week, says :—Considerable progress has been made
with harvest work, and a large proportion of the cereal
crops have now been secured in excellent condition.
The farmer is thus in a position to market his pro-
duce at duce. Refreshing rains have also fallen in some
districts, and these have been of considerable benefit
to the root crop; but it is to be hoped that the
weather will not become broken until the harvest is
finally completed.
DISASTERS AT SEA.—The Direction of the Bureau
Veritas has just published the following statistics of
maritime disasters reported during the month of July,
1883, concerning all flags :—Sailing vessels reported
lost—nine American, one Austrian, 27 British, three
Danish, three Dutch, six French, four German, one
Haitain, two Italian' five Norwegian, one Russian,
one Swedish—total, 63. In this number are included
seven vessels reported missing. Steamers reported
lost—one American, two British, one Spanish—total
four. In this number is included one steamer reported
missing.

PETROLEUM AND ITS STORAGE.— S ) much attention
has lately been directed to the storage of petroleum
that the following fiAures, the authenticity of which
may be relied upon, may not be without interest ( says
the Pall Mall Gazette). The present stocks in London
alone of refined United States illuminating oil amount
to 425,655 barrels, containing in all 17,026,200 imperial
gallons. The deliveries in Llndon amounted during
the week ending Saturday last to 9,542, barrels, of 42
gallons each, and the consumption last year was
511,000 barrels. The trade in petroleum i• growing with
great rapidity. The consumption in London, which
In 1863 was only 47,000 barrels rose in 1870 to 100,000
barrels, in 1875 to 242 000 barrels, in 1880 to 400,000
barrels, and in 1882 to 511,000 barrels. The consump-
tion in Europe, according to the statistics of the prin-
cipal ports, has risen from 1,300,000 in 1871 to 2,436,000
in 1876, to 2,937,0 0 in 1880, and to 3,328,000 in 1882.
To supply this demand the United States produces
640,000 barrels per day, and the present stock in the
country is statei to be 36,000,000 barrels. The world's
consumption keeps such close pace with this rate of pro-
duction that the necessity of increasing the supply by
the development of fresh fields known to exist in
other parts of the globe is fast becoming of paramount
importance.

FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—EarIy on Sunday
morning eight men descended Earl Granville's deep
pit, Hanley, to do some repairs. An explosion of gas
occurred almost immediately, John Jones, the fireman,
being instantly killed, and five others being seriously
injured, one of whom was not expected to recover.
The explosion blew out seven or eight air doors, stop-
ping the ventilation and filling the pit with gas, which
rendered the work of those who went down to ascertain
what damage had been done very dangerous. Jones
leaves a widow and eight children, five of them de-
pendent —Another death occurred on Monday. the
unfo!tunate man being Isaac Dighes, a horse fettler,
who was removed to the North Stafford Infirmary
after the accident.

THE OLDEST MEMBER OF THE LEGION OF HONOUR.
—Pierre Jean, an old soldier, believed to be the oldest
living member of the Legion of Honour, has lately
died in Paris at the rips age of ninety-four. Born in
the year of the great revolution be served under
Napoleon in the Austrian campaign of 1809, survived
the terrible march from Moscow in 1812, and was
taken prisoner in 1813 before Dresden. It was on the
17th of March, 1815, during the " hundred days "of
Napoleon's rule, after the return from Etta, that he
received the coveted decoration. At the battle of
Waterloo he was sergeant•major in the 35th Regiment
of the line. Pierre Jean, whose destiny it was after
all to die peacefully in the truckle-bed of an inmate of
the Invalides, twice received wounds; one at Koll*
ingstein, in 1813, the other at Namur during the retreat
alter Waterloo, both wounds being by a curious chance
in the right leg.

i

FISHERMEN'S GRIEVANCES. —The Queen has issued
Royal Commission to inquire into the complaints
which have been made by line and drift-net fishermen
of injuries sustained by them in their calling, owing
to the use of the trawl-net and beam-trawl in the
territorial waters of the United Kingdom; and to
ascertain bow far these complaints are well founded,
and whether any and what legislative remedy can be
adopted without interfering with the cheap and plen-
tiful supply of fish. The Commissioners are the Earl
of Dalhousie, Mr. Edward Majoribanks, M.P., Pro-
fessor Thomas Henry Huxley, Mr. William Sproston
Caine, MX., and Mr. Thomas Francis Brady. Th
are to visit and personally inspect such places in the
United Kingdom as they may judge expedient.
OUTRAGE BY NATIVES IN THE SOUTH SEAS.—The
latest outrage in the South Seas is reported in
despatches just received from Townsville, New
Zealand, from which it appears that a party of
Government officials were attacked by the natives
of the island known as Nes' Ireland, the interpreter
being killed. It seems that the schooner Fanny was
on a labour cruise in the South Seas, Mr. Fowler, the
the Government agent, being on board. Among the
islands visited was that of New Ireland, and shortly
after a party had landed from the vessel they were 0
attacked by the natives in a body. Both Captain
Wawn, of the Fanny, and Mr. Fowler were wounded
very severely, but they nevertheless managed to
escape from their assailants and reach the vessel in
safety ; the poor interpreter, however, was killed by
the natives. The Fanny afterwards sailed for Towns.
ville, where the injured men were planed in the
hospital.
DECREASE OF GERMAN POPULATION. —There has
been a remarkable diminntion in the population of
Germany of late, the number having fallen between
the lst December, 18M, and the 6th June, 1882, from
45,234,061 to 45,213,907. This decrease, however is
spread over the country. in an unequal manner, there
being in some parts of Prussia, such as Westphalia,
Brandenburgh, and Berlin a slight increase to the
amount of 8,749 inhabitants, while on the other hand,
Posen has 104 37,780, and East Prussia, 31,617, and
Pomerania, 22,232. Bavaria, which in 1880 possessed
5,281,778 people, has now lost 23,186; Wurtemburg
has lost 14,052 out of its 1,97018, and the Grand
Duchy of Baden 11,767 out of 1,570,254. The king-
dom of Saxony has been, more fortunate, and has re- •
ceived an accession of 42,017 to its population in 1880
of 2,972,805. Alsace-Lorraine has suffered a heavy
loss in proportion to its numbers, there having been
in 18 months a decrease of 27,090 out of its 1,566,670
nhabitanta in 1880.

;

WOMEN LAWYERS IN ITALY.—The Council of
Discipline of the Turin Bar held a meeting a few days
ago, under the presidency of Senator Vegezzi, for the
purpose of deciding whether the Signora Lydia Poet
should be admitted upon the list of advocates She
had completed all the prescribed course of studies, and
passed all the requisite examinations. Eight votes
were given for admitting ihe young lady and four
against her. She was accordingly enrolled among the
advocates. But the consequence of this was, that two
members of toe Council withdrew from it, as a protest
against the admission of women advocates.
THE CULTIVATION OF TOBACCO IN GERMANY.—It is
officially reported that the number of persons who -
cultivated the tabacuo plant in Germany was 215,2591
and that the area under cultivation was about 55,000
acres, showing a decrease of 30,000 p'anters and 13,000 •
acres on the year 1881. The largest area of land under
tobacco cultivation last year WA+ in the Grand Duchy
of Baden (17,000 acres), and then came Prussia (8,200
acres), Bavaria (8,000 acres), Alsace-Lorraine (7,500
acres) and Hesse-Darmstsdt (2,400 acres). The total ,
weight of the tobacco crop when dried was 38,850 tons,
as compared with 61,315 tans in 1881, and of this
quantity 11,610 tons came from the Grand Duchy of
Baden, 9,884 from Prussia, 8,383 from Bavaria, 6,674
from Alsace-Lorraine, and 1,129 from Reese.
THE HIGHEST LASE IN THE WORLD.—Tbe lake that
has the highest elevation of any in the world is Green
L i.ke in Colorado. Its surface is 10,252 feet above the
level of the sea. Pine forests surround it, and eternal
snows deck the neighbouring mountain tops. One of _
these, Gray's Peak, has an altitude of of 14,341 feet.
The water of Green Lake la as clear as crystal, and
large rock masses and a petrified forest are distinctly
visible at the bottom. The hnnches of the trees are _
of dazzling whiteness, as though cut in marble. Sal'
mon trout swim among them. The lake is 2a) feet
deep. •