The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-09-16 00:00:00

Ji isallanerms Nit!lima,

aord, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

APOLOGY FOR SOME YOUNG LADIES.—GirIs
will be Boys.—Punch.
LIVINGSTONE'S Dm— Our readers (says the
Times of India) will be sorry to hear that the dog
Mabel, "the African dog" which faithfully accom-
panied the body of Dr. Livingstone from the interior to
the coast, and was brought to Bombay in November
last by Lieutenant Murphy, has died at Belgaum from
Inflammation of the langs. Poor Mabel never quite
recovered from the effects of that lopg and dispiriting
march through the interminable wilds by the body of
her old master.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR'S PRESENTATIONS...
The Stamp Duty in the year ended the 31st of March
on the Lozd Chancellor?-5 presentations was £503.

MARITIME DISASTERS.—The Bureau Veritas
has just published the following statistic of maritime
disasters reported during the month of July, 1876, con-
cerning all flags :—Sailing vessels reported lost-11
English, 5 American, 4 French, 3 German, 3 Nor-
wegian, 3 Datch, 2 Spanish, 2 Italian, 1 C reek, 1
Russian, 1 Swedish. 9 of which the nationality is un-
known,—total, 45. In this number are included four ves-
sels reported missing. Steamers reported lost-3 Eng-
lish, 1 German, 1 American, 1 Spanish, 1 Norwegian—
total, 7.
Tan MISSING LINK !—A speaking monkey
from Brazil is to be one of the distinguished visitors to
the Paris Exhibition in 1878. This animal was found
In the arms of its mother, who had been mortally
wounded in a fight with a polecat, by a M. Coulembart
while shooting on the -banks of the Amazon. Little
Jean Larousse—for so he is named—was given over to
the charge of a negress, who was addicted to the use of
the word " carramba." The monkey was noticed to
have caught the first syllable of the word, and by dint
of proper teaching has been taught to say "Papa,"
"Mamma," "Maranon," "Brazll." Has the mis-
sing link" at last been discovered ?—Court Journal.
TRAGIC DEATH OF AN ELEPHANT.—A fine
elephant has just met with a tragic end at Bergamo,
in Italy. The animal, belonged to the menagerie of
M. Passog, was on its way to the above-named town
i
from Brescia. It was placed n its box on the last truck
of the train, and when near the end of the journey,
becoming uneasy or furious, it forced out the back
part of the cage, and in so doing fell out upon the line.
As its foot was fastened to the floor by a strong chain,
the poor beast was dragged along, and when the train
arrived at its destination, the animal was dead. It had
cost its owner 10,000 f.
FR.OM THE EAST.—It is a mistake to suppose
that the Prince of Montenegro is a black man. But,
according to the way the war seems to be going, there
is every probability that, if he is not black, he may be
dun, and most effectually done, too.—Judy.
A SLIGHT MlSTAKE.—There's a good story
and a true one withal, relative to Mr. Gill, long re-
porter for the Boston Post, and well. known as a "fellow
of infinite jest." He was reporting a dinner on the
75th anniversary of the Battle of Banker's Hill. The
dinner was a splendid affair, and everybody was
patriotic. Gill, when the excitement was at boiling
point, whispered to a friend, one of those gentlemen
who are always " happy " in speechmaking, that his
father was engaged in the Battle of Bunker's Hill.
The orator rose,—made a brilliant speech—alluded to
Gill's father and Gill in the highest terms' and pro-
posed Gill's health—which was drunk with the usual
honours, and one or two more. There were shouts of
"Gill, Gill," and he made a speech, returning thanks
In the usual manner, and said, "But my learned
friend omitted one fact—an important fact of which
he might have been unaware. My father was in the
battle of Banker's Hill, hut he, unfortunately, fought
on the British side 1" There was not quite so much
enthusiasm after that, and Gill has not indulged in
opeechos gue I—AnwOcon Cour*, •
alEte

AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN. —The fol-
lowing are the average prices of British corn for the
week ending Sept. 9, as received from the inspectors
and officers of Excise :—Wheat, 465. Si.. ; barley,
36. Od. ; oats, 265. lid, per imperial quarter. Corres-
ponding week last year :—Wheat, 48s. Bd. ; barley,
355. 7d. ; oats, 29!.
PLANT A.ND PARASITIC. --When would you think
of looking for a flea in a Kentish field? Whenever you
go to catch it on the hop.—Punch.
DARING ROBBEE± Ote A BL—The Phila-
delphia correspondent of The Times tel@graphs :—" At
Northfield, Minnesota, on Thursday aft node,
mounted men, heavily armed, rode into the tdwn;
calling to mach people as appeared in the street td
retire to their ons,..is. Riding to Northfield Bank,
three entered, the otherS reainitig ottside on guard.
The cashier, with two clers iiisicls the bii,llo
ordered to open the vault. The cSitier reftising; wM
shot dead. One clerk ran away, jumpilig
window. He wan shot in the shoulder. Betoie, Aks
other clerk could be dealt with the people assembled,
armed with guns and pistols. They attacked the out-
side guard, killing two, wft* the surviving robbers
mounted their horses and iralloped off. Within hall
an hour a party of fifty started in pursuit. The robbers
got nothing."

_
WE MUST Go ON.—The Times, in a leader on
the construction of fronds& and big guns, remarks :--•

Though the British Fleet at Besika- Bay "happens," on
Lord Derby put it, to be visibly superior to its companions,
our Admiralty are unable, as will be seen from our impres-
sion of Friday, to rest content with its condition. Two new
ironclads—the Nelson and Northampton—of a novel con-
struction, are being built in private yards at Glasgow:
even these are far from being supposed to represent all the
addition to our naval force which is requisite. What is, per-
haps, worse, the progress made in the art of constructing
guns disturbs year by year the plans of Natal Constrnototli
and there is no sufficient reason whatever to ballets+ the
the Nelson and Northampton represent any final ideal foi
fighting ships. Nevertheless, for this very reason, the Ad-
miralty are to be congratulated on their resolve to keep
continually advancing, so far as can be done without
extravagance, side by side with the last improvements
In gunnery, and in meeting, as far as possible, the
continually varying changes in the conditions of natal
warfare. They cannot, indeed, very well help them-
selves. However economical a Government may be, 'WI
will decay, and their places have to be supplied. What the
country has a right to demand is, not that a superflaons
number of Ironciada should be laid down, but that when
fresh ones have to be constructed they should embody all the
improvements modern science and new experience as to the
ever•changing conditions of naval warfare can put in out
way. The result it that we obtain, on the whole, a yell
powerful Fleet, containing vessels of an the successive tyPeo
which have commended themselves to Naval Constructor's ;
and if the day should arrive when this motley Fleet has to
pat its strength to thedest, we ought to find in it vessels
capable of encountering any foe which can be brougs,.
against them. Nothing, it La to be feared, can finally deter-
mine the best kind of construction and give us once more a*
settlea a model as the old three•decker of fifty years ago.
We must be content to go on tentatively, making ancceasivn
Improvements as circumstances may suggest them.
THE RAILWAY Huto.—A meeting was held
In Bristol on Monday to consider what steps should be
taken for the relief of the widow and family of John
Chiddy, the railway hero, who lost his life by rushing
In front of the Flying Dutchman on the Great Wes-
tern line, near Bristol, and removing an obstruction.
Lord Elcho wrote, saying a memorial was being drawn
up for presentation to the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
on behalf of the widow and children. Miss Johnstonet
of the Castle, Inverary, wrote saying the Duke ot
Argyll and the Dean of Chester were interested in
the subject. A committee was appointed to act in the
matter.
PUBLIC BILLS IN THE HOUSE OF COBIBIONS.--'
From a return just printed, it appears that in the last
Session there were 255 Public Bills in the Commons,
of which 64 were United Kingdom Bills, 85 English
Bills, 64 Irish Bills, 26 Scotch Bills, and 16 " other
Bills."

A SPANISH RAILWAY ROBBERY.
audacious robbery was committed on the night of the
Ist, on the North of Spain Railway, ' near Avila.
While the express train from Madrid was travelling at
full speed, four individuals got out of a carriage, ands
making their way along the footboards, reached the
guard's van. They seized him, bound him, and put
him in a sack, and then took six boxes, containing
127,000 reals (25c. each) in silver, threw them out ou
the line, and then jumped out after them. At the
station of Guimorcoddo the robbery was discoverFd.
and the guard released. Four of the boxes, containing
95,000 reale, have been found, but no trace has Yet
been obtained of the daring thieves.
LOST IN THE TYROL,—The search for the
body of Mr, W. W. Barry, who was lost in a snow-
storm on the Krimmlen Tarrem, was begun in July
and continued till the end of August. It was greatly_
impeded by the unusual amount of snow which fell
during the winter, and by the late siason in the
Salzburg mountain district. The ground in the Windbadthal and on the Tarrem ascent could only be looked
over as the snow gradually disappeared. On the 23rd
of August only detached masses of snow remained
under the rocks, and in one of these the body probablY
lies. The heavy fall of snow on the 25th, which pro-
bably occasioned the fatal accident at Zermatt, and
the change to cold weather make it almost certain
that these masses of snow will not melt this season.
The search has therefore been reluctantly given up for
this year.

BATHING ACCIDENT IN PARIS. —A sad accident
has happened at Etretat, resulting in thA death of a
young Englishman of 17, named Victor North-Peat,
the only surviving child of a widowed lady well known
in Paris. It appears that the sea was excessivel'
rough, and the bathing men at the Casino refused to
allow anybody to enter the water. In the afternoon
the wind lulled a little, but there was still a heavY
swell. The youth imprudently persisted in bathing,
and entered the sea at a. - - -

He had already taken some lessons in swimming an
thought himself safe; but he was quickly carried off
by the undercurrent. His cries for help brought to his
assistance an American gentleman named Lamber and
another person, who, without waiting to undress,
plunged after him, but without avail. His corpse WO
at length recovered by the son of Zephyr, one of the
swimming masters. The accident is all the sadder se
the lady had lost her husband during the siege of Paris,
and afterwards her only surviving daughter.