The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-02-08 00:00:00

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.

An ineenions dairyman near Millbrae has trained a
cow to that the walks up to the patent milking machine
herself, and turns the crank of that invention hertelf until
her teats are entirely emptied. He is now hard at work
trying to complete her education at the pump-handle.
Great excitement was caused at Burlington a few
days since by the supposed discovery of a sea serpent's
skeleton. The wonder turned out to be nothing but an old
striped stocking which a Troy girl had carelessly left there
during a late visit.

A young Connecticut lady was taken aback when
her swain got upon his knees before her and read a declara-
tion of love which he had nicely written off.

A clergyman in Illinois, who had been marrying
several parties of young folks, was asked by a brother who
called on him, how he was getting along. "Oh, finely,
finely," he replied. "I'm sailing right along at the rate of
thirte„en knots an hour."

The editor of a religious paper, which had one
month's precarious existence in Cnicago, says that is a good
city fqr a religious paper, providing Satan has three pages
and the fourth is mixed.
"

An Illinoisian has invented a " safety.sand-valve,"
to be attached to the legs of one's pantaloons juicy weather.
By touching a spring sand is scattered over the s'ippery
places, making locomotion safe.
A Yankee who had never paid more than 25c., to
see an exhibition, went to a New York theatre one night to
see the Forty Thieves. The ticket-seller charged him 76c.,
for a ticket. Passing the pasteboard back, he quietly
remarked, "Beep it mister; I don't want to see the other
thirty-nine," and out he marched.

- - -
"That young lady tried her best to catch your
husband before you married him," remarked one Boston
lady to another, as a mass of curls and braids, flounces and
overskirt passed the window at which they were sitting. "I
wish she'd got him!" was the quick reply, and then a dead
silence fell upon the two, and wonders in crotchet-work were
accomplished in the next half hour.
Mr. Goodyear is mayor of Memphis, and it is to be
hopeq that city will have a good year for the next twelve
months.
There was an ingenious amount of devotion implied
In the remark of a love-stek millionaire when the object of
his affections became ecstatic over the beauty of the Even-
ing Star. "Oh do not, do not praise it like that!" he cried
"I cannot get it for you."

A MAN, NOT OF " STABLE MIND."—A doctor was
one day called to visit a gentleman who had been
suddenly attacked with illness, when the patient said,
in a trembling voice, " Doctor, shall I die, do you
think? The doctor assured him he had no apprehen•
sion of so melanoholy event. "Then do you think,
doctor," hastily inquired the patient, "that I shall be
well by such a day?" naming an early date.—"
In-
deed," replied the doctor, "that is a question beyond
my skill to answer with any certainty; but why are
YOU so particular as to a day ? "—" Because," said the
anxious invalid, "I an to be married on that day.'
The doctor was naturally inciuisitive as to the lady to
whom he was to 1e UMW!, and inquired her taw,
saiLthe' patient; "I have ha
exactly- deod:ed, but el iv to Bilis Bl or Biiis
. _

I

AIME

ART EXHIBITION AT ULM.

The people of Ulm will hold, during the first nine
days of February, an exhibition of the productions of
the wood•engraver's art and of everything connected
with the ornamentation of printed books. The objects
exhibited are to include :—(1) Miniature paintings
and initial letters from the hand of the illuminators
and rubricians ; the first beginnings of the art of
printing, previous to 1500, including specimens of
pripting from almost all the then existing printing-
offices title-pages, initial letters, and words ;
(2) specimens of printing from the 16th century,
including title-pages from German, Italian, French,
and English presses ; initials of all styles,
head and tail pieces, vignettes ; (3) similar
specimens from the 17th zntury ; (4) the specimens
from the 18th and 19th centuries will include imprints
showing names of printers and publishers and their
special trademarks; (5) early beginnings of form•print-
ing,.including woodcuts, metal engraved plates, figure.
castings. These will be followed by specimens of
wood engraving from 1.500 down to the present time,
illustrating its vicissitudes ; (6) assistance given by
chemistry to printing—aquafortis etching, galvanotypy,
photozincotypee photography, Ste. It is intended to
take off on the spot by hand presses copies of some of
the more interesting woodcuts for distribution among
the visitors.
The place where the exhibition is to be held is the
Neubranner-haus, in a most convenient position in the
middle of the city. It promises to be of interest not
only to professional and technical students, but also to
all lovers of art.