The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-12-06 00:00:00

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A Madrid telegram says that vineyards in Malagat
covering an area of 29,660 hectares have been attacked by
the pbyilosera vastatrix. The pest is increasing in the pro-
vinces of Gerona and Catalonia.
The correspondent of The Times says there have
been no 'ewe ) than 28,000 applicants in reply to an an-
nouncement made by the Alta Italia B,ailway that 1,000
employes were wanted at if. 80c. per day.
The first ice accident of the season is reported from
Bamberbridge, near Preston, where a boy was drowned
while attempting to rescue a younger brother who bad
fallen through the ice. The brother was saved by the by-
standers.

An explosion of fire-damp has occurred at Chem-
nitz, and it is stated that seventy or eighty lives have been
lost.
A number of appointments are about to be made
to the Star of India in recognition of the services rendered
by officers in connection with the operations in Afghanistan.
The Times' correspondent telegraphing on Monday
from COW, states: "In accordance with the instructions
from the Viceroy, the Ameer left Cabal this morning for
Peshawur, under charge of Captain Turner, and will reach
his destination in eight marches."
Messrs. George Haynes and Co. write from the
Cotton Hills, Hampstead road, London, to The Times :
"Wllliqni Starling died on Tuesday, the 18th inst., at the
house of his great grandchild, aged 100 years 8 months and
16 days. He worked in our cotton-mill as carder, six.' from
the year 1804 to 1856, and since that date has enjoyed good
health and retained the use of all his faculties."

It has been decided by the Staffordshire nsilmasterri
to grant the demands of the horsenailmakers for an increase
of 3d. per 1,000 on their work. The operatives will now
receive 3s. Od. per 1,000.
Recent eruptions of Vesuvius have somewhat altered
the appearance of the volcano. There are now three craters
around the great cone, two small craters having opened at
the end of last month, and blown off portions of the moun-
tain which obstructed the issue of the lava. The current is
flowing slowly in a north-easterly direction into the valley
between Monte Somma and Vesuvius, and is clearly visible
from Naples to the naked eye.
Mr. E. Hardcastle, speaking at Prestwick, said that
the education the Government insisted upon in day schools
could only be regarded as over education. Children were
crammed witn various subjects, and in that way the real
object of education was defeated, He was glad to think
the Church of England provided a true education int ts
schools, teaching children not only how to live in the present
world, but the fear and love of God. The conscience clause
was a sham, not availed of by the very people for whom it
was enacted.
Mrs. Tait's memorial is nearly subscribed. Ten
thousand pounds is required, £3,000 has been obtained, of
which one-eighth was given by the Primate himself in honour
of his wife. The memorial is to be an endowment of 51.
Peter's Orphanage on the Isle of Thanet, one of the best of
the works of the Archbishop's late wife.
Scene in a Paris restaurant. Customer : " Waiter,
1 can't get on with this lobster ; its as hard as flint?
Waiter ; "Beg pardon, sir; a slight mistake. That's the
pePler mache lobster out of the show-case I Shall I change

AA, •
"Is this Trafalgar-square ? " asked a gentleman UP
for the day, with his wife on his arm. "Yes."—" And Wag
it here," inquired the wife, "where the Battle of Trafaigar
was fought ? " This is a positive fact.—Mayfair.
At the Metropolitan Tabernacle on Sunday, it was
publicly aunounced that a letter had been received from the
Rev. C. 11 Spurgeon, now sojourning at Mentone, stating
that he had been overtaken by a similar attack of rheumatics
gout to those which had before brought him low. Ile
trusted, however, that by the advantages of a genial climate
he would soon rally, and be able to return to his church at
the appointed time in fall vigour of health.—A telegram
received the previous evening was also read, wherein bit*
Spurgeon said his health had considerably improved durioil
the few previous days.
Colonel William Barney, K.H., one of the very few
surviving officers who served in the Peninsular and Waterloo
campaigns, died on Monday, at his residence,
crescent, Kensington Park, in his eighty.elgtith Yea'
Colonel Bureey entered the army in 1808, served at the cap-
ture of Ischia and Procida in 1809, the defence of Cadiz in.
1810, the action of the Coa and &thugs], the battle of
Fuentes d'Oaor, and the retreat from Burgos He also
served in the campaign of 1814 in Holland, including the
bombardment of Antwerp and the storming of Bergen-Or
Zoom, and in the campaign of 1816, in which he was dan-
gerously wounded in the head by a musket-ball at 'lustre:
Bras. He was also engaged in the first Burmese war, and,
was present at the attack of Padowa Pass and the capture of
Arracan.
The Berlin Post states that while at Vienna recent',
Prince Bismarck, in private conversation, explained the
object of his visit to be to discover, with the assistance of hla
friend Count Andrassy, a political magnet strong enough to
attract and hold fast all the elements of peace to be found 111
Europe : in other words, to devise means for enlisting all tha!
-is in favour of peace in Europe in the common service of
peace, and for laying the foundation of a union strong
enough and comprehensive enough to ensure the maintenanCe
of peace.
Mr. Dodson, M.P., addressed a meeting at Chester
on Saturday evening, and observed that so long as there
were men anxious for reform so long would there be a Mere;
party. He condemned the foreign and financial policy el
the Government.
Sir Joseph Whitworth's patent for his improv-
ments in casting iron and steel, and apparatus emplOYed
for this purpose," has been prolonged for five years.
The Glasgow News says a manifest improvement bee
taken place in the shipbuilding trade on the Clyde witau
the past month. Several good orders were secured by the
principal shipbuilding firms, while not a few vessels were con' '
signed to the care of less important builders. Of the vessel,
launched during the month, seven were screw steame
one schooner, one screw tug, and one iron barque, having ,an
aggregate of close on 19,000 tons. This is, however, a of,
crease of about 5,000 tons c,mpared with the same Perk"'
last year. In the lower districts of the river the work on
hand is considerable, while the number of idle men recent!!
to be seen going about is greatly reduced.
One of the features of the present revival of trade le
the enormous schemes of railway construction fast put fo/
ward both in Europe and Asia. The French Governine:,
have sanctioned lines which must cost £150,000,000 ; th_.° d
of the Italian Government, 884,000 millions of francs;
the Austrian schemes are of equal extent. Yet, great Oat:
the requirements of European States, they are but a droP a'•
the buckets in comparison with those of Asia and America-
" Her Majesty, it is understood, is suffering frore_a
severe cold, and has not been very well since her rattly'
from Scotland."—Tuesday's Times.
The Registrar• General reports that last week scarlet
-rmi•
fever showed the largest proportional fatality in I.
cester, Nottingham, Bristol, and Newcastle-upon-pen
measles in Liverpool, Plymouth, and Leeds. Diphther..., ,
caused a deaths in Londrn and 2 in Birmingham. Fe; ,
fatal cases of small-pox were recorded in London and
outer ring of surburhan districts, but not one in any of Ow
nineteen large provincial towns.
• that •
An Admiralty circular has been issued, stating
the maximum amount of pension to be granted to non-or::
mieeioned officers of marines, after twenty.one years' te
vice, has been altered to the following rates per day in
respective classes, viz. :—Class 1, is. a day; Class 2, 23. ,
Class 3,2 s. 6d.; Class 4,2 s. 3d. This alteration will tat.
effect in the cases of all men discharged with a pension ail
the 28th of October, but it will not affect the pension' 0
any men discharged before that date.
It is proposed that the Royal Agricultural Show
1881 shall be held at Derby. Sir Robert Wilmot Hato,
has offered a site in Ormeston Park, within easy access
.e.„;
the Midland Railway, and liberal offers of pecuniary aid '—
forthcoming. Bench
Lord Justice Thesiger, at the dinner of the
and Bar of the Surrey Sessions on Monday night, referrau.,,e
the fact that his father, Lord Chelmsford, joined vt.
Surrey Sessions 60 years ago, and there acquired his firat_e:a
perience in the practice of the law, and added that he
himself the good fortune to begin his career in the aa;,
arena. Alluding to the events in the Zulu war, he e:iria
merited on some adverse criticisms upon the campaign .to
said he was as proud to be connected with the second as '-
first Lord Chelmsford.
'one%
On Sunday there died at Wolverhampton Pena,
Jesse Smith, late of Her Majesty's eth Foot (King's Orroa Ty
the ripe age of 94. This old soldier commenced nis militate
career at the siege of Bayonne, and was present et
affairs of Nive, Bladensburg, Washington, Baltimore,
Orleans,—ending his career at Waterloo and the occupet '-
et Paris. a a
On Saturday last angling closed on the Twee
on the one or two small rivers in England on which
with rod and line is allowed up to the last day of Novernns
Not on the Tweed alone, but in the majority of rivers te
England, Ireland, and Scotland, the season both with ne
and rods has been an exceptionally unproductive one.
A fair lady, well known in English and Irish brig;
lag circles. has met with an extraordinary adventure.
was enjoying the pleature of the chase in the neighbottalf,ie
of Saint Mehaly, in Hungary, and had retired to a peasne.
hut for refreshment in company with a couple of ladY `iald
panions. Suddenly a Customs officer appeared andwo
there was contraband tobacco on the premises. AAt
true," said one of the ladles, "hut the fine vrill be Pai'Der
Once. " "By whom?" demanded the officer. ::13sIe tee
Majesty the Empress of Austria, who is inside, W
answer—Court Journal.
A telegram from the Berlin Correspondent of tib,,er -
Daily News states that the famine in Upper Silesia ling of
more serious than the Government acknowledges. A sh jeg,
400,000 marks, collected at the Emperor's Golden Vryedd
is to be devoted to the relief of the sufferers.
'
Cardinal Manning has issued an address to the -
presidents and other members of the Catholic Total Ar"o,l
nonce League of the Cross. He says the league has sPit
so widely throughout London in the last six years that Ave
necessary to make slight changes in the rates Poll/4050
branches six years ago there are now 28. He then Is_r„ess
certain rules calculated to facilitate the routine bil7oes
transactions of the League, which slightly modify In,e,„voe•
rules'. He thanks the rev, fathers for their zeal and
which has built up and kept the organization togetner.,
also thanks the people who were the real founders o.tore.
league, which was but grafted on Father Matthew's ".000'
Total abstinence, though not a commandment, Iva' ',AI
celled by prudence and charity; it was a high and noble
of reparation for their own and other sins.
Mr. Clare Sewell Read, M.P., and Mr. Albert xjoot
ALP, British Agricultural Commissioners., after
throughout the Western agricultural regions to Mae
Dakotah, Nebraska, Kansas, Kentucky, also souttew;,pee!„
Texes, returned to Philadelphia on November 26(saYS af 0 U;
telegram) They have thoroughly examined the sys. 1000;
cultivation, transportation, and ocean shipment of Vol, 40/
and grain, having travelled on an averse 120 miles ever?,
since their arrival, besides making minute investigrol
They have been everywhere treated with the greatels
ness by individuals, and also by officials. The St. Pe tote
Sioux City Railway gave them the use of a special trill.
week. tbd
At the request of the solicitors practising I_lloo
Sheffield County Court, the Judge has issued an orde'oete
solicitors should wear robes in court to distinguish
from accountants. g 0°
Mr. Sicretary Sherman has presented his repci),ry,
the financial situation in the United States. He ii' i 8
the necessity of economy, deprecates any change ~hro icra
tobacco or spirit duties, end advises, in the event ot
crease of the appropriations, a moderate duty on Se
coffee, and a tax on the manufacturers of opium. , en
ho
A circular issued by Cardinal Manning was
tbe do°
Sunday in the Roman Catholic places of worship illTo 0
tropolis, calling attention to the condition of the
poor and the hunger and poverty existing in the
Ireland. The letter also announces that a collection Jo ir
relief of the suffering will be made at all the WO
other services on Dec. 7. • Df
otl
" Lieutenant• General Arthur Cyril Goectitorti3O,
morning at his lodgings in Cleveland-row, St.
CB, formerly of the 34th Regiment, died on
1-ea
London. He entered the Army in April, 1834, obtatito
commission as lieutenant in November, 1836_.; oe„Preed,Ds
October, 1841; and major in March, 1848. ite s-dea 101
the siege of Sebastopol in 1854.55, and comma,' OP
34th Regiment at the assault of the Roden on Oleo prj
September. For his gallantry on that occasion be, tceiliPi
moted to the rank of brevet lieutenant-colonel, anu....—g00,10
the medal with clasps; was made a Knight of the
Honour, and also received the sth class of the Orderfool!,4
Medjidle and the Turkish medal. He obtained tb,tis ;
colonel in June, 1858; major-general in March, "'"'" a '-ef
lieutenant-general in October, 1877. He was otteljea
general officers receiving rewards for distiognie 1, ,
meritorious services.' ''—Obituary of 1 he Times, D'°'
"Lady Sabine, who died at 13, Ashlel-Plefe:9ll;a
Friday, was the daughter of tt a late Mr el, °pa
of Tottington, Sussex. Daring 52 year. of unix. i." At of
devoted herself to her husband's pursuits, PlachigelY Petso
service the best efforts of a mind such as has but ratl.re
given to any woman Her able( published worksl7,o aps
translations of Humboldt's 'Cosmos' and Aue„c DelP
Natur,' but these do not represent a tithe et to 110
afforded to British science in rendering acceselb..
lish readers the works of German savants
Sabine's fifteen contributious to terrestrial W..' 01 'Ol
which found a place in the Philosophical Transactielo 0
Royal Society, might never have been written Da'
been for her, —Oh in The Times, Dec, 2.

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