The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-10-24 00:00:00

Our yonbon Corrtspdent.

17e deem It right to state that we do not at all time/
izmtkly ourselves sith our Correspondent's opinions.]

The International Exhibition of Inventions
and Music—or "The Inventories," as it is
familiarly called—will not close its doors for
another week or ten days, but already South
Kensington resounds with the notes of prepara-
tion for the one which next summer will take
its place. A somewhat cumbersome title Ims
been chosen for it, as was the case this year, and
it may be expected that very few of the general
public will really call it "The Inter-Colonial and
Indian Exhibition." Not only for the sake of
convenience, but from the general character of
the major portions of its contents, it will almost
certainly be commonly known as "The Indian,"
and that name will be sufficiently long for
common use. Hindu fabrics and Hindu workers
will be the chief features of the show, but in
addition there will be a small tribe of Red Indians
from Canada, a body of Greeks from Cyprus, and
not improbably some other tribes from distant
lands. An Indian " bazaar " will be fitted up,
in which busy workers from our greatest
dependency will be seen exercising their daily
toil; and it will be but a stride from "Old
London," with its relics of feudal times, that a
host of artificers from the far East will engage
in their intricate workmanship. Altogether the .
Exhibition promises to be a most interesting
one, and success will in all probability attend
upon the eflorts of the Commissioners at South
Kensington.
When Shakespeare observed that "The evil
which men do lives after them," he provided us
with a proverb which is only too frequently, .
applicable. To take as one instance the dyna-
mite explosions which occurred at Westminster
Hall and the Tower of London in January last,
complaints are just now being made that the
indirect results have been almost as embarrassing
to the general public as the destruction which
was caused. The Tower, which is one of the
most interesting eights possessed by the
metropolis, has had to be closed to visitors
for many months for purposes not only
of repair, but of protection; and West-
minster Hall, which every winter proved of
great value to over three thousand volunteers,
who had the privilege of drilling there, is denied
to their use this season. It is probable, however,
that this prohibition will be taken off now that
public attention has been called to it. As has
been pointed out by a prominent officer of ono
of the four bodies of volunteers interested in
the question, obstacles ought not to be placed
in the way of securing the efficiency of those
who have taken the oath of allegiance, and have
in the most unmistakeable way proved their
willingness to serve Queen and country. It is
not from such men that dynamiters are re-
cruited, and probably before long we shall hear
that the authorities have seen matters in the

same lit, and that they have granted to these
three thousand volunteers their old privilege.

Using the word " dynamiter " is a reMinder
of the necessity which is continually incumbent
upon as of adding to the language. As new
things arise, so must new names be invented to
describe them. Before dynamite itself a
recently-devised name—came to be used as an
engine of seditious warfare, there was no need
for such a word as "dynamiter," because
there was no such a person. But
when the outrages commenced with which,
unhappily, we are too familiar, then a
name was wanted, and opinion varied between
" dynamitard" and the one which was ultimately
adopted. It was the same with a matter which
is just now attracting much attention, and that
is boycotting in Ireland. Five years ago, when
Captain Boycott, at Lough Mask, was the
observed of all observers, and when it was felt
that a word was wanted to describe the treat-
ment to which he was being subjected, it was
suggested that his own name should furnish
what was required, and " boycotting " will take
its place in English dictionaries for all time as
meeting a distinct want. The prejudice which
used to exist against new words merely because
they were new has been rapidly dying away, as
a glance at a number of other terms would
show. And of these it would be surprising
to find how many had been derived
from the names of persons. Those who travel
in a tram-car, for instance, could scarcely be
expected to know that it was because the first
layer of a practical tramway was called Outram
that his name was shortened to fit the result of
his labours; and when artisans use a derrick for
lifting purposes they would be rather surprised
to be told that the name is derived from that of
the hangman, who invented this apparatus as
an improvement to his gallows. It is, of course,
desirable to import as few words as possible into
a language already so wealthy, but it is of no
use ignoring tho fact that new things require
new names and to act accordingly.
Hand in hand with the improvements which
are continually being made in the _of peace
go those which just as constantly are being mac'e
in the arts of war. There has just been per-
fected a new rifle for the British army which,
it is confidently asserted, will be far in advance
of the service arm of any other nation. In
this will be retained the breech-action in-
vented by M. Martini (which, with the barrel,
designed by Mr. Henry, made up the Martini-
Henry rifle as at present used), but a
new barrel, with a different diameter of bore,
will be affixed, and the weight of the projectile as
well as of the whole rifle will be reduced. The
weight of the powder charge will, however, be the
same as at present, and it is calculated that better
results will be obtained from this new combina-
tion, which is to be called the Martini-Enfield,
just as they had been obtained from the Martini-
Henry when compared with its predecessor as a
service arm, the Snider. And not only will there
be the improvements mentioned, but experiments
are in progress with a view of providing the new
weapon with an attachable magazine, so that in
case of emergency the soldier may be able to
deliver a rapid fire of several shots without re-
loading. Should these experiments succeed, :
very terrible engine of death will be placed in th
hands of our men, which it will be hoped by •
will remain a long time unused.
Those who remember the sensation which was/
caused in political and society circles ten years
ago, when the first volumes of the " MemcArs
of Charles Greville " wer given to the world,
will at the first blush find it somewhat difficult
to explain how it is that the three volumes
issued some days since, bringing the story down
to 1852, have created comparatively little excite-
ment. But a few moments' thought will give
a clue to that which, at a casual glance, looks a
strange inconsistency on the part of the public.
The fact is that since Mr. Henry Reeve com-
menced the performance of his editorial duties,
a number of memoirs, covering the early portion
of the present reign, have come from the press.
There is not, therefore, the mystery attaching to
this period as there was to that of George IV.
and William IV. which was previously dealt
with. Further, the record is not so scandalous
—or, as some would phrase it, so piquant—and
that counts for a very great deal in the circula-
tion of a hook of this kind. With its publica-
tion has been revived the old controversy
as to whether it is justifiable to keep a
diary with the direct design to have it
printed after death. Casuists can find a
good deal to say upon both sides of this
question, INA they are very likely to end with the
same opinions as they began. The fact which is
of most interest to the student is that, without
such diaries as those of Pepys and Evelyn and
others, whieh could be named, much of that
which is now most interesting, in English
history would never have been handed down to
us.
A body of sanguine persons thought some
years ago that it might be possible by persistent
efforts to get rid of the London fog, and they
laboured to that end with great perseverance
and little result. Perhaps one of these days
there will arise an equally sanguine body
i deter-
mined upon abolishing London mud, and fso it
may be hoped that there will be better result.
It is natural that every largo town should think
its own especial nuisance the worst of the kind
that can be produced ; but even those who have
been accustomed to cope with mud in all its forms
in various great boroughs are forced to admit
that the London specimen touches a
depth of vileness which cannot be ap-
proached. This may to a large extent arise from
tho imm.enge .mount there is of it, and the
manner in which it is continually being churned
by a myriad of moving feet. But, whatever the
cause, the arloya.nce is the same. Ordinary
syste2ls of scavenging seem to be of little avail,
and there are always some nr?positions beim, put
forward to cope with the ev!l. These, as'inay
be imagined, are of very v.arying value, and some
of them are almost ludicrously impracticable.
Perhaps, in the halcyon daj:s when everything is
settled as it should be, this matter of mud will
be disposed of; but such a desirable consumma-
tion is hardly to be expected before.
The promoters of the memorial to the late
Lord Shaftesbury have every reason to helatis-
fied with the reception their prcject has Ara at
the hands of the public. They could hardly litive

AZ

doubted that this would be the case, for, if any
prominent man deserved a memorial, Lord
Shaftesbury was certainly entitled to it. There
has been a fear expressed in some quarters—not
with regard to this proposal in particular, but
with reference to the system as a whole—that
public memorials are becoming too common, and
that their value is likely to be underestimated
on that account. Doubtless there is something
to be said on this aspect of the case, and it is
certain that all these projects should be carefully
watched so that only those who thoroughly deserve
such an honour shouldreceive it at the hands of the
public. But there are some men whose name the
world would not willingly let die, and Lord
Shaftesbury's is one of them. It is felt that a
lifelike his should be commemorated not only in
the pages of history,—but in some tangible
form, so that he who runs may read, and the
future be left in no doubt as to what the worth
of such a life was to the country which he loved
or the age which he adorned. For this reason
it is felt to be desirable that the memorial should
not be merely a statue, but that it should take
the form of some institution with which the
deceased nobleman was connected. His public
work was devoted to the poor and lowly, and no
monument would have been so acceptable to
him, could he have had a voice in the matter,
than one which considered the claims of those
whom in life be had so much and so often
befriend° -1.

It is for this reason that many have especially
sympathised with the project to devote the fund
raised for a national memorial to General Gordon
to the establishment of boys' homes. One of
the most loveable traits in that distinguished
soldier's character, was his love for boys, and
especially for those who were waifs and strays
on the ocean of civilised life. His wish to raise
them in the social scale amounted almost to a
passion: and it is but fitting that a fund com-
memorative of his services to his country
and mankind, should be devoted to the
assistance of those whom he had al-
ways shown a desire to help. And no
one who has to walk the streets of a great
city can doubt the necessity for some such effort.
There are thousands of boys who, if they were
given a helping hand at the most critical period
of their lives, would become honest and credit-
able men, but who, from lack of such aid, drift
into the wrong channel and are wrecked. If
only a comparative few of these are saved for
better things, all the trouble and all the treasure
expended in the effort will have been well
bestowed; and those who assist this particular
movement will feel that in doing something to
show their admiration for the late General
Gordon, they are doing much to advance a cause
he held dearly to heart. G. R.