The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-04-27 00:00:00

'4llisretlanm co, `,',4intel4entc.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

WINTER NOT A HEALTHY 6EASON.—Ther€ is no
greater fallacy than the opinion, held by many, par-
ticularly the young and strong and vigorous, that
winter, especially a sharp frosty one, with plenty f
snow, is the most healthy season of the year. Very
few persons seem to realise the fact that cold is the
condition of death, and that, in both warm and cold
climates, it is our unconscious effort to maintain our
bodily heat at a temperature of 98 degrees that wears
us out. To this temperature, called "blood-heat,"
every cubic inch of oxygen that serves to vitalize our
blood, must be rai,ed by our own bodily heat, or life
ceases. Since, in cold weather, the maintenance of a
sufficiently elevated bodily temperature becomes very
often a difficulty too great for our strength, the advent
of a severe winter is really more to be dreaded than
the visitation of a pestilence,—Scientific American.
A SAD CASE.—" It may be nny own case to-
morrow," as the undertaker said as he drove the last

nail.— .tude.
ALLIGATORS OF NORTHERN AUSTRALIA.—The
..Pori

Do-u—glTts—W;n7cs-C)f the 16th of February says :—" Mr.
Irving, a cedar-getter at the Salt Water Creek, informs
us that last week, when he and another of the party
were at, work, they observed an alligator lying quietly
at the bottom of a shallow_ water-hole close beside

_
them, and apparently watching their operations with
considerable curiosity. After expending about a score
of Snider bullets on the monster fromadistance of some:

thing like six feet, and proving beyond cavil the perfect
invulnerability of its scales, they succeeded in despatch-
ing him with a couple of discharges into the brain
through the eyes On making a post-mortem a quantity
of small fish, some feathers, and several pieces of quartz
about the size of an egg were found in its stomach.
Leaving the tmskinned carcase on the bank, they pro-
ceeded up the river, and found on their return, to their
no small astonishment, another monster saurian gorging
itself on the remains of its slaughtered brother, the last
morsel of which he swallowed as the men came up,
upon which he retired with a dignified leisure towards
the mud. This last was scarcely less than 24 feet in
length ; the other about 12 feet."
A VETERAN EDITOR.—The Scotsman states that Dr.
Carruthers has just completed the 50th year of his
editor-,hip of the Inverness Courier, a length of tenure
of office probably unparalleled in the history of the

newspaper press.
THE BOY IS FATHER TO THE MAN.—Even at school
the great Harvey was distinguished for his sauce.—

Fun:
A. USEFUL KNlFE.—Messrs. Brookes and Crookes,
the well-known cutlers, of the Atlantic Works, have
produced a " Stanley " knife for the use of explorers.
In acknowledging one that has been presented to bin],
Mr. Stanley writes to this firm as follows: "Looking
at it from a traveller's view, and recalling to my mind
all the pocket or belt weapons, tools, and useful things
I needed while in Africa, I do think this splendid,
artistic, beautifully-made knife supplies a large num-
ber of those ' utilities ' in as compact and ready-at-
hand a form as imagination could conceive. Within
one frame I have a strong blade, which may be as use-
ful as it may be harmful, a good saw, a gimlet, a file,
screwdriver, and awl, the very names of which suggest
a multitude of occasions they might be required for.
.My sails, tents, awnings, and clothes-bags, with the
rid of your brass foot-measure, might easily, with the
addition of thread and canvas, have teen repaired;
and my clothes, often rent by briar and bramble in
th 6 jungle, are brought to my recollection when I see
your sewing needles and scissors. Your extracter also
reminds me of times when I strained and tugged to

extract a spoilt cartridge when life was depending on
it. I see that there are other things there, hut I Slink
I have told you enough to show that I think it a
marvel of 'utility,' for which accept my hearty
thanks."

A KITCHEN FIRESIDE STORY.—He had brought the
butter and was gone. " Ali!" she said, twisting her
rinelets round her dirty finger, " I wonder if it will all
end in a ring; yet rings have no end, but there's no
end to the rings at our bell, drat it." And she went up
orrowfully, and answered the door.—Fun.
POPULATION RETURNS. —The Registrar-General, in
making his annual return for 1877, gives an estimate
of the population of the several counties (the "registra-
tion counties") of England and Wales in the middle of
that year, assuming the annual rate of increase since
the last census to be the same as that enumeration
showed to have been the average rate for the then pre-
ceding ten years. He estimates that Lancashire—
premier county in population—had 3,117,049 inhabi-
tants in the middle of the year 1877, and that Middle-
sex had 2,707,148. and -Srutkrsliire 2,708,07 R, olvrlkioli
last number 2,089,076 were in the West Riding. These
three counties together have more than a third of the
whole population of England and Wales.
A MERE MATTER OF WORDS.—Mr. Punch, Sir, I
beg to submit fr consideration—l. That the difference
between St. Stephen's and San Stefano is merely an
affair of words ; and 11. That the two terms may be
. reconciled, phonetically and otherwise, by the abate-
ment of a little of what Count Schouvaleff calls
" eteefnees" on the part of the former.—Yours apolo-
getically, YORKShIRE TYKE.—Punch.
EASTER HOLIDAYS. —The Times publishes the fol-
lowing letter -:
Sir,—With reference to your remark this morning as to
there being a gradual improvement in the way in which the
Bank holidays are being spent, will you permit me to say
that, deducting re-admissions, there were some 86,000 persons
at the Crystal Palace on Good Friday and Easter Monday,
and that the police have reported that there was not it single
police charge on either day. I may add that I did not see a
drunken person on either day in the Palace or gardens. The
population of Nottingham and Preston is about HAG
Your obedient servant, S. FLOOD PAGE, Secretary ani
Manager. Crystal Palace, April 23.
NOVEL RELIGIOUS OSSERVANCE. -A religious fes-
tival of the Romish Church deserving some mention
took place on Easter Sunday at the Church of St.•
Stock, Kensington. Service commenced at the early
hour of 4 a.m. with matins, followed at five 'clock by
High Mass. The chanting was exclusively rendered by
the Carmelite Friars attached to the institutipn. The
order to which they belong is the oldest known in
England, arid although a few years since, when they
first took up residence at Kensington, their position
was a comparatively needy one, the church and its
belongings at the present moment attest an increasing
prosperity. The primitive music of the church added
, an attractive solemnity to the early morning worship,
almost the concluding act of which consisted in the
bulk of the large congregation assisting in an imposing
procession round the church No discourse was
delivered, and the ordinary Mass service took place at
eleven o'clock.
HAMLET'S SOLILOQUY ON A COLD MORNING.—Tubby
or not tubby—that is the question.—Fun.
JAPANESE STUDENTS —The intellectual abilities of
the Japanese race have been evidenced in a striking
manner by a quartette of students from that country
now studying in Berlin. One of these, Dr. Dirokits,o,
has lately invented an ingenious optical instrument
termed the leucoscope. which measures the variations
in the perception of light and colour by the human eye,
in accordance with the strictest mathematical laws.
Another, who has attained the rank of lieutenant in
the Prussian army, has introduced a remarkable
simplification into the mechanism of the .Manser rifle,
which has succeeded the historic needle-gun. Two
more, who are prosecuting their chemical studies under
Professor Hofmann, have published for two years past
several interesting synthetical researches on the
aromatic series.—Nature.
AVERAGE PRICUS OF BRITISH CORN.—The follow-
ing are the average prices of British corn for the week
endiug April 20, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 51s. 11d. ; barley,
41s. 7d. ; oats 255. 63. per imperial qr. Correspond-
ing week last year :—Wheat, 535. 9d. ; barley,
41s. 43. ; oats, 245. 103.
THAT'S THE TICKET ! "—Friend :—" What is that
enormous medal on the dog's collar for?'—Owner :
" The medal of a new order—for meritorious dogs who
have paid their taxes."---Fun.
HattvEs's PROSPECTS.—Mr. J. J. Mechi writes to
The Times from Tiptrce-hall, Kelvedon :—" Sir, Har-
vest prospects are, so far, unusually promising, espe-
cially so as compared with those of the last three
years at this period. A moderate winter is followed
by a most acceptable, dry, dusty March. The bright
sunshine of that month warmed the soil, and caused
that much-desired tillering of the whelit plants which
generally indicates an abundant yield, but which was
absent last spring owing to the wet and severe weather.
The conditions have been generally favourable for
farm work, and the spring corn is coming through
healthily. There is also a satisfactory promise for tire
fruit crop if we happily escape the wet and late frosts
Which ruined last year's fruit crop.—Essex, April 17."
HIT or. Miss.—A contemporary calls attention to
the great number of predictions relating to floods,
storms, and rough weather which have recently come
true. But this is hardly surprising, for considering
the enormous number of prophecies, it would be
astonishing indeed if some of them did not come out
correct. The principle concerned is the same as that
which finds example in the familiar practice of throw-
ing mud enough because some of it is sure to stick.
Ju
A SOLID ACRE OF .SILVER.—The Rocky Mountain
Tourist says :—" One of the most remarkable mines
in California Gulch is in leads three feet in thickness
the ore from which yields from 240ez. to 2700 z. of
silver to the ton, and lies like a coal bank in a
stratification of limestone, dipping abort 15 deg. Twe
openings have been made at points 600 ft. apart, and
euffident ore is in sight to make millions of the
'dollars of our daddies.' The owners have gone far
enough to know that there is a full acre of the ore in the
one solid body, and some conception may be formed of
the amazing richness ot this discovery by a brief calcu-
lation of its dimensions. A cubic foot weighs 170
• pounds, and, as the ore lies, 12 cubic feat make a ton.
There are 43,560 square feet in an acre, and the acre
of ore' o- bein three feet in thickness, makes 130,680
cubic feet, which, with 12 cubic feet to the ton, makes
10,900 tons, worth 250 dols. per ton, or the enormous
value in the aggregate of 2.700,000 dole. The Cteecent
is another mine worked like a coal bed, the ore lying
horizontally in the large room that has been opened,
the roof beinc, held up by heavy timbers with very
stout caps and tueging poles. The ore breasts from a
100th) three and foer feet, and occasionally very fine
specimens of horn silver are found."