The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-03-09 00:00:00

tilisallantrats gnielligtnree
HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLON=

A WORD OF WARNING. —Junior Clerk: Would
you kindly permit me to absent myself to-morrow to
attend my father's funeral ?—Head of firm (deep in
figures) : You may go, Hawkins, but pray—do not let
this happen again !—Judy.
THE PARIS EXHIBITION.—The Prince of Wales, ac-
companied by Colonel Ellis and Rear-Admiral the
Hon. H. C. Glyn, visited the building of the Trocadero
on Tuesday. His Royal Highness inspected the
works in progress in the great hall, calculated to seat
4,700 people, and then ascended to each of ,the terraces,
from which extensive views of the whole Exhibition
can be obtained. The Prince examined the progress
of the various gardens and buildings situated between
the Champ de Mars and the Trocadero. His Royal
Highness next passed through the semi-circular
galleties for the retrospective exhibition ; and after
having expressed to M. Duval the pleasure be had ex-
perienced in vieiting these magnificent works, he
specially complimented the architects, MM. Davioud
and Bourdais, upon the great success they had
achieved.

A. CAUTION FOR COW:M.—Before you collar eels, take
care that the fishmonger isn't looking.—Fun.
ARMENIA AND OUR INDIAN EMPIRE.—" Captain
Norman, late correspondent of The Times in Armenia,
makes some sensible remarks on the possible cession of
Armenia to Rnssia, and the bearing of such an event
upon our Indian Empire, in the preface to his work
just published. He reminds those alarmists, who
would have us believe, that the Russians would be in
a far better position to invade India, that ' Alexan-
dropol and Erivain are nearer the Persian Gulf than
Kars or Erzerouro ; Samarkand and Khakand,
nearer the Punjaub than either.' And he goes on to
express his opinion, that our native infantry, well
armed and organised, would be more than a match for
any troops the Czar could send against them, and
that, as for the cavalry of the army of the Caucasus,
our irregular Indian cavalry could walk round them.
He disposes of the theory, that the Mahommedan
tribes of the Hindeos would join Russia in case of war,
because we failed to help Turkey, and reminds us,
that, in 1857, scarcely two years after the Crimean
War, which was undertaken to bolster up the Otto-
man Empire, the Bengal army mutinied, and our bit-
terest foes in that struggle were the Mahoramedans of
:N.Tortlieru India.— Truth.

THE
—Fun.

:S FAVOURITZ GA.3o.—Curling.

CHARITABLE FUNDS. - The Official Trustees of
Charitable Funds state, in their account made up to
the end of 1877, that at that date they had no less
than £7,686,816 in Consols and other Government
stocks, being funds belonging to various charities be-
sides other securities transferred to their custody by
charity trustees. Many of the charities are of small
amount. In the list of securities which had to be re-
transferred or sold by the official trustees last year
there are as many as 18 which are under £lOO each.

A TURKISH BELIEF.—That the holy Russian eagle is
a bird of Pray I—Judy.

A COMFORTING ASSURANCE.—It may comfort the
hearts of those who dread the publication of the esti-
mates of the year, fearing that they may mean in-
creased taxation, to learn that the navy estimates, like
those for the army, have been framed entirely on a
peace footing. No allowance has been made in them
for the addition of a single soul to the strength of the
fleet, nor for any extra hands to be employed in the
dockyards. Indeed it may surprise not a few to find
that a saving has been effected on about half of the
votes. It is very plain that the 'estimates have not
been framed with a deliberate intention to fight, and
if we do engage in the struggle, we shall have to be
prepared for a series of supplementary votes to keep
the services on their legs.— Whitehall iteview.
SOMETHING IN IT.—A critic think A that it is charac-
teristic of modern witticisms that "they are too far-
fetched." There appears to be a certain element of
truth in this remark when we bear in mind how many
smart sayings have come to us from America.—
Judy.
THE PRODUCTION OF LEAD. One remarkable
result of the development of silver mining in Utah,
Colorado, and Nevada has been an immense addition
to the production of lead, which in those States is
found combined with silver. Up to the year 1873 the
lead supply of the United States had been from
15,000 tons to 20,000 tons a year, most of which came
from Illinois and Missouri, and was consumed west of
the Alleghenies. The Atlantic States consequently
got all their lead from abroad, and its price at one
time was as high as fifteen cents, a pound. In 1873,
however, the silver mines turned out 18,000 tons of
the baser metal; in 1874, 20,000; in 1875, 31,100; in
1876, 33,630.; while last year they yielded 43,311 tons.
At the same time the yield of the Illinois and Missouri
mines increased so that the total production of the
United States was 73,000 tons in 1877, against 16,000
tons in 1870. Importations from abroad have, under
these circumstances' ceased, and the price of the
metal has gradually fallen from eight cents per pound
at the beginning of 1873 until last month it dropped
below four cents. If its price goes on to fall to three
cents and a half its exportation from the United
States will be profitable.

ALL THE DIFFERMCE. - England anchors before
Constantinople, Russia hankers after it. —Punch.

YOUTH IS ALWAYS FLATTERED.—DU Chaillu says the
cannibals prefer to eat persons from 16 to 24 years of
age, and these are roasted, but that women over 50
are generally boiled.
THE LARGEST WAR VESSEL IN THE WORLD.—ltalian
journals give a description of the Italia, now building
at Castellamare, and which will be the largest vessel
of war in the world. It will have a tonnage of 15,000
exceeding that of the Duilio by 5,000: it will have
twenty-six boilers, four engines, six chimneys, in two
groups of three each, four cannons of large calibre on
two circulating platforms, while other smaller ones
will be placed on the sides on the second battery. The
Italia, it is added, will be able to " transport " 500
horses.

SUPEREROGATION.—There is talk of establishing at
South Kensington a Female School of Design. Is
not this a little hard on the male sex ?—Judy.
_ _ _

THE ONE THOUSAND MILE BICYCLE- RACE.—
Stanton, the bicyclist, accomplished last week, at the
Agricultural Hall, Islington, the feat of riding 1,000
miles in six days, with the stipulation that he should
Only ride 18 hours out of the 24. The amount at issue
was £2OO. Frank White, of Wolverhampton, Monsieur
Terront, of Paris (the French champion), and W.
Thomas, of Hampshire, in turn a2companied :Aanton
on his journeys. The start was made at three minutes
past six on Monday morning. His task was steadily
continued, and at 11h. Bm, 335. on Saturday night
Stanton finished his 1,000 miles, and was vociferously
cheered.

THE POPE'S FUNERAL. —A correspondent gives me
an account of the funeral of the late Pope (says
Vanity Fair) :

" On Wednesday, the 13th, all who wished to take one
last look at the features of Pius IX. were allowed to do so,
after which the outer doors were closed to the public, and
the preparations were commenced for his removal to the
same tomb which his predecessor lately occupied. The same
tiara and cushion were laid upon his coffin, and only the in-
scription had to be altered. The body of the deceased
Pontiff was carried by several chaplains, and deposited in
cypress wood coffin, which had previously been placed in-
side a leaden one. Silk purses containing as many coins as
corresponded with the number of years of the late Pontifl
cate were laid by the body, and after being sprinkled with
holy water and incensed, the coffin was bound round with a
bror.d violet ribbon, and sealed in many places by various
Cardinals. The body was then covered with a scarlet cloth,
and after the absolution the lids were nailed down, and the
two coffins were placed inside a third one, made of chestnut
wood, and raised by pulleys to the receptacle above the door
the former resting-place of Pius IX. 's predecessor, whose
remains have now been removed to another part of St.
Peter's. The Pontificial Guards mustered strong on the
occasion, and looked remarkably well in their handsome uni-
form many of them have never stirred out of the Vatican
since 1870. The operation of embalming the body occupied
nine hours."

How TO REMOVE CORNS. —Stamp them out.—
Judy.
sT ale seaward verge of the bare
undulating wild that droops in lessening billows upon
the -Marmora, the once poor and shabby little fishing
village of San Stefano has grown of recent years into
a smart and jaunty looking suburb, the summer resort
of the cockneys of Constantinople (writes the Corre-
spondent of The Times). In the hot months it gathers
to it the Greeks and Armenians of the lower middle
class to enjoy its beach, its bathing, its cafés on the sea,
and the adjacent tea gardens in the bosquet of Floria.
Socially it is the Gravesend of Constantinople. Latterly
a few well-built houses have given a varnish of re-
s?ectability to the a.ppearanoe of the place, but
otherwise it is a mere knot of ill-made dolls' houses,
whose crooked walla are all ablaze with glare of blue
and red and yellow paint. In summer it looks cheer-
ful enough lighted up by sunshine, especially on holi-
days, when it harbours troops of pleasure-seekers.
But in winter it is a doleful spot, desert and damp in
its Feat among reedy tarns and dreary brickfields,
plashy and pool-pitted. Mariners know San Stefano
by its lighthouse; the great far-shining beacon whose
light meets that on Marmora Island, 40 miles away.
Sportsmen know San Stefano by the flights of quails
attracted to its spreading uplands in the late summer.
Otherwise until now obscurity has been its lot. Now
it is to become historically famous, as Dardanus be-
came famous when Saila signed peace there with
Mithridates.

DISGUSTING FAMILIARITY.—Ttsty Old Gent (at his
Club). " Conf-- Why the Dickins don't you wipe
the bottom of the glass before you bring it up? Just
get a cloth and wipe—"—Waggish Waiter. "I
didn't understand you to order dry sherry, sir ? "
[General titter. Old Gent rushes off, and writes to
the Committee ! Punch.
THE TELEGRAPH AND HERRINGS.—A novel use of
the telegraph has lately been adopted by the Norwegian
Government. As is well known, the herring fishery
forms one of the most important sources of income for
the country, the captures being made as the great
shoals come from the depths of the sea to deposit their
spawn in the Norwegian fiords. It frequently happens
that the object of their visit is accomplished and they
return to the ocean before news of their arrival reaches
the fishers on distant parts-of the coast. This diffl!
culty is now obviated by the construction of a tele-
graphic line 200 kilometres in length, composed chiefly
of submarine cables, by means of which the fishers
along the whole coast are enabled to gather at once on
the approach of a shoal to any particular fiord. The
abundant captures made in this way show the invest-
ment in telegraphic wire, to have been a most profitable
speculation. —Nature.

PHYSIC-ALL PAlN.—Doctor :—" What, your mother
worse! Well, I can't understand it. Hasn't she used
that lorge blipter I sent ?" Child :—" Oh yus, sir; but
it took her a rare long time fur to eat it all, and she
says it don't seem to get no furderer than her chest."
—Fun.
A LADY KILLED IN THE HUNTING FIELD.—A
shocking accident occurred on Tuesday in the hunting
field, by which Mrs. William Crawshay, of River-
dale, Newnham, Gloucestershire, and wife of Mr.
W. Crawshay, ironmaster, was killed. Lord
Fitzhardinge had a bye-day with his hounds ,at
Norton. Mrs. Crawshay, who was very fond of
hunting, was following the hounds, and when near
Tewkesbury Park her horse jumped a hedge and came
beneath a somewhat low apple tree. The lady stooped
to avoid the branches and her head came violently
against the trunk of the tree, and her neck was
broken. She fell from her horse, and died instan-
taneously in the arms of Captain Kennard's groom,
who was in attendance on her, and was the only
person near at the time. When the sad news reached
the field they at once desisted from the chase. De-
ceased was a young and beautiful woman, and the
daughter of Mr. Gordon Canning, of Harpury House,
near Gloucester.