The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-02 00:00:00

THE EXHUMATION OF ST. XAVIER.

A correspondent at Goa writes to the Indian States-
man :—" An important ceremony in connection with
the Roman Catholic Church in India is shortly to be
ct-lebrated at Goa. It has been determined by the
King of Portugal and the Pope that the time is oppor-
tune for the exhumation of the body of St. Xavier,
the Apostle of India, which has remained seated in
its gorgeous mausoleum erected by the piety of
Donna Maria &minds, late Queen of Portugal,
in the cathedral of ancient Goa since 1859. At
each of these exhumations the rema'ns have been
subjected to the most rigid inspection by the best
medical faculty procurable, in the presence of all the
great dignitaries of the Church and Realm, including
the Governor General in person, that no deception
may be used, and that every minute circunnscance
in the appearance of the body may be observed and
clearly and distinctly noted down in the report, which
report, after having been signed by all the officials
present, is sealed up in the coffin to remain until its
next presentation. It is affirmed that no species of
fraud could by any possibility be admitted.
I happened to be travelling in that part of the
world in 1859, and as I was intimately acquaint.d
with the then Governor, having served in the same
regiment with him as a youngster, he readily ad-
mitted my request for a private
.inspection, al-
though not of the Roman Catholic faith. Proceeding
accordingly to the cathedral, accompanied by the arch-
bishop's chaplain and an aide-de-camp, I found the
body in its massive silver coffin, inlaid with the richest
embroidery, open in a glass case lying at the foot of
the altar. The front of the case, forming a door com-
posed of one solid piece of glass, was unlocked with
a key brought, firmly fastened ronnd his waist by a
gold chain, by the aide-de-camp. The coffin was
drawn out on truckles, and I knelt by the side for a
closer view. It represented a man of about 40 years,
rather under than over the medium height, in a most
perfect state of preservation. The frame was that of
a slightly built man, and the countenance had
the appearance of holy calm and peace. In fact,
it wore an expression of unutterable love which
was fascinating. I remarked that a slightly darkened
spot appeared under the left eye, and this I was told
had appeared since the previous inspection some twenty
years before, and was supposed to be occasioned by a
blow received by the apostle at the time of his murder.
The present occasion, it is thought, will be one of the
greatest gatherings that has ever occurred, as notifica-
tions have already been received of the intended
presence of almost all the Roman Catholic bishops in
India, as well as several from Europe, who will take
advantage of the Suez Canal, available for the first
time, for the pilgrimage."

[From Funds.]
THE POWER OF SPEECH.
(.48 !ate.ly exemplified in the MidVnd Countiga)

SCENi—The inierior -of-a Birmingham befrrsho.p after the
break up of a political meeting. Two highly intelligent
Operatives diacovered, rapt in thought over a pot of four
ale.

First Operative (rousing himself). Yes, it must be so!
Our most worthy Chancellor of the Exchequer is un-
questionably right! Never was the outlook brighter.
Our beloved country has at last "taken its place in
the great Council of Nations."
Second Operative. As highly intelligent Operatives,
let us hail the change. To quote Sir Stafford's own
apt and beautiful words, now that we are there—" We
will not shrink back, and let our Empire collapse, as
if it were an air-bladder which had been pricked with
• a Pill."
First Operative. No; for, ag our admirable guide
adds: "Nobility implies obligations on those who are
noble." And to think that for the priceless privilege
of nobility, purchased for Us by such noble sentiments,
we pay but a paltry fourpence extra on our tobacco!
The thought unmans me I [He is overcome.
Second Operative (handing him the pot). Nay, cheer
up! Our good Sir Stafford never meant to depress us
with a sense of our blessings. Think of his lighter
touches Don Quixote's pasteboard helmet, Baron
Munchausen's tiger jumping down the crocodile's
throat, and—ha! ha! that capital story about Sheri-
dan and the letter! Why, it was all killing! What
a blessing that we, the intelligent Operatives of Bir-
mingham, are no longer in "leading strings," but able
to understand and relish epigram like this! Ha! I
thought so ;—you cheer up as you recall it.

First Operative. I do. For by the light of such
brilliant flashes the thought of the Berlin Convention,
the Afghan difficulty, the expanding expeuditure—
even fever in Cyprus—besorne, not only tolerable, but
delightful. Here sto " Imperialism !"
[Finishes the ale.

Second Operative (looking thoughtfully at the empty
pot). A. noule toast—worthy the oration that inspired
it! And to think that whcn I rose this morning I
would, like you, in honour of Chamberlain and the
Caucus cheerfully have thrown a couple of brickbats
at the head of our eloquent, our patriotic, our pro-
found, our excruciatingly funny, Sir Stafford!
First Operative. Yes. But that was before we had
listened to his irresistible oratory.
Second Operative. True! Ah, may each long be
the effect of the right man on the right stump!
(Curtain falls.)

THE EFFECVS OF THE COMMERCIAL CRISIS.—Hue.
band (who has been hard hit by recent teilares, to
wife) :—" Alas! my dear, I am going to the dogs."
Little Innocent (who has been listening) e--" Oh,
Papa, do let me come too."—Fun.
THE MOST ESSENTIAL OF ALL REFORMS.-....M. de
Marcere, the French Minister of the Interior, opened
on Srinday the new mairie of the 19th Arrondissement
(La Villette). M. de Marcire said there was a true
erei a false Republic, but the only one he recognieed
wasbased on liberty for all. Conservative Republicans,
he eaisi, while objecting to reforms impo ed by pro-
cedures tinctured with Coesarism, accepted maturely.
studied reforms. The most essestial of all reforms,
however, was individual reform, resulting from educa-
tion, integrity, order, thrift, and mutual toleration,
whereby everybody could raise himself in society to
the level he desired. He urged his hearers to set them-
selves to preserve blessings more difficult to retain than
to create, and to cement that concord which the head
of the State, in a recent speech calling for gratitude,
had pointed as the pledge of the durability of the
institutions dear to them. M. de Marare, on present-
ing himself at the railway, was loudly cheered by about
20.000 nersons who cad assembled out,ide.

NEW MODE OF PBESERVING EGGS.—Mr. Joseph
K. Boone, of Boonsville, Mo., is the inventor of a new
process for preserving eggs (,Ftys the Canada Mail).
it is said to consist of a compound of alum and lime,
in equal proportions, dissolved in hot water, in which
the eggs are dropped and allowed to remain fr ten
seconds. A cement is formed on the egg shell, pro-
ducing an airtight, nolihhed surface.
SELF•EXAMINATION.—An art critic (says the Paris
Figaro), going into a gallery in a state of mild inebria-
tion to criticise some pictures, sees himself in a glass,
and taking out his note-book, writes as follows: "First
room; head, of a drunkard, no signature, has a great
deal of character; red nose remarkably truthful.
Must be a portrait from life ; think I've seen that face
somewhere."

A SNAKE STORY.—Of the mortal enmity existing
between the black snake and toe rattlesnake, two in-
stances have come under notice, in each of which the
rattlesnake proved an arrant coward, making a great
noise, while the black snake did all the fighting; it
was rather a strangling and squeezing. My attention
(gays the snakist reporter who interviewed the snakes)
was aroused to it by the rattlesnake passing close to
me, paying no attention to myself, but apparently
endeavouring to get away from something in pursuit,
his rattles springing to their loudest note. I was in
the act of throwing the gun up to atop him, when the
black snake passed like a flash, going five yards to the
rattlesnake's one, and the way he seized that rattle-
snake by the back of the neck and went round him was
something wonderful. My experience with the king
snake and the moccassin runs through a course of six-
teen years, and in that time I have seen the king snake
get outside of the moccassin many times. When the
king first seizes his prey he coils around it until they
are almost like a ball, turning occasionally and biting
the coils of the moccassin. After being some time in
the coil he will open out, and if the moccassin shows
any signs of life it receives another embrace. When
life is extinct the king snake stretches out its victim
and begins at the head. It takes some time to gorge,
especially if the one going inside is about as large as
the one crawling outside. It is as bad as the reader
trying to get down a snake story of some of my rivals
who do not adhere to truth as I invariably do.

CRIME IN LANCASHIRE.—At the Kirkdale Quarter
Sessions, the chairman, Lord Derby, in charging the
grand jury, said he was sorry to tell them that they
had before them one of the heaviest calendars he re-
membered at those sessions. The number of prisoners
for trial was 11,., and that number had in his recol-
lection only been exceeded once, and that was in 1876.
In general the number of prisoners ranged between 60
and 80. He was quite unable to tell the grand jury
what the cause of that remarkable increase was, but
from looking through the calendar he observed that
the offences with which the prisoners were charged
were, as far as he could judge, of the ordinary class,
and did not call for any special remark.
ALARMING FIT OF. THE VAPOURS.—Among Gas
Shareholders. —Punch.

A MELANCHOLY DEATIL—In London, on Saturday,
Dr. Diplock held an inquiry at 110, Lancaster-road,
Notting-hill, as to the death of Miss Isabella Gallo-
way, aged 39. Surgeon-Major William Galloway. of
the Bengal Army, identified the body as that of his
sister. Martha Brackley, a servant, said she had been
in service at the above address for three weeks.
On Tuesday night, as she was going to bed, she saw
Miss Galloway lying on the floor of one of the rooms.
She had been drinking to excess, and had been asleep
on the floor all the evening. The witness tried to get
her to bed, but could not lift her. There was no one
else but the witness and Miss Galloway in the house.
On the following morning the witness saw Miss
Galloway lying on the couch, and visited her at inter-
vals during the day. Between seven and eight o'clock
in the evening the witness went out for some assistance.
as Mies Galloway was still lying partly on and
partly off the sofa. She was then found to be dead.
The witness had never seen her intoxicated before.
The witness was aware that some bottles which had
contained chlorodyne had been found. Four %ere in
Mies Galloway's box and twa in the dining-room. Dr.
Jacob Pickell said he was called to see Miss Galloway
about half-past nine o'clock on Wednesday evening.
He found her dead and quite stiff, as if she bad been
dead four or five hoisrs. On making a post-mortein
examination of the body. he found that the internal
organs were diseased. Death was due to asphyxia,
cau•ed by Miss Galloway's head being bent forward
while she was lying on the couch. The witness was
of opinion that Miss Galloway had not taken a poisonous
dose of chlorodyne, but sufficient to make her fall
down in a stupid state.—The jury returned a verdict
of "Death from suffocation while intoxicated."

ELKS IN HARNESS.—Mr. A. H. Moore, of Min-
nesota, possesses two elks, named Dexter and Dasher.
Dexter weighs 5161b5. and Dasher 5001bs. They are
two years old, each well broken in harness, and are so
well trained that a woman can drive them. They were
captured on Rice River, eight miles south of Fargo,
Dakoto, when four or five days old. They can travel
sixteen miles an hour, and have two men and a buggy,
and it is said they can travel one hundred miles as
easy as a horse team can fifty. Their antlers are in
what the hunters term the velvety stage.
FOREIGN MissioNs.—The Bishop of London has
addressed the following letter to his Archdeacons :
"My dear Archdeacons,—You are aware that the
Bishops lately assembled in conference at Lambeth
have recommended that in future the Tuesday before
Ascension Day should be observed annually by our
Church in all its branches as a day of intercession for
foreign missions. I should regret, however, if the
present year, signalized as it has been by unwonted
blessings and by the addition to the Church of Christ
in British India alone of more than 20,000 souls, should
be allowed to pass without an opportunity for special
thanksgiving and prayer. I recommend, therefore,
that St. Andrew's Day, November 30, or some one
day in the week following, should again, as in previous
years, be observed in the churches of this diocese as a
day of intercession with thanksgiving for missions in
foreign lands.—l am, my dear Archdeacon, your
faithful friend and brother, J. LONDON."
DISASTERS AT SEA.—There wctre twenty-nine British
end foreign wrecks reported during the past week,
making a total for the present year of 1,180, or a
decrease of 242 as compared with the corresponding
period of last year. The approximate value of pro.
perty lost was £475,000, including British £360,000.
The aggregate tonnage was about 14,609 tons.

A TERRIBLE SHIPWRECIL—The American papers
just received give an account of a terrible shipwreck,
in which 22, out of a crew of 25, were drowned. The
bark Susan, of New Bedford, Captain Peaks, left
New Bedford on Saturday morning, October 12, with
a crew of 25 men on a whaling voyage. At twelve
o'clock she encountered a hurricane and hove-to under
fore and main staysails. At seven p.m. the vessel
capsized. Eight men were in the forecastle at the
time. They got on some boards and chests and thui
kept above the water. On Sunday at noon two men
dived down and came up outside, through the com-
panion way. One man who could not swim was left
in the forecastle. The other five finally fell through
into the water and were drowned. The two who had
got out lashed themselves on the weather side of the
wreck. On Tuesday morning a New York pilot boat
fell in with the wreck, and took off the two men who
were on the outside, and cut through the bluff of the
bow and took out the man inside alive. One man,
who had lashed himself in the rigging at the time the
ship capsized, was left. The roll of the vessel had
nearly cut him in two. Throe men only of the ship's
company of 25 wore saved.

ON THE MEND.—Master Tom (who has been from
home). "Well, Simmons, how are you getting on? All
right ?''—Simmonds. "Yes, sir. But this fox-hound
puppy has been and killed a lot o' chickens."—Master
Torn. "I am glad to hear that. I thought he was
going to die of distemper."—Punch.
FUN FOR DINNER !—" Twenty minutes for dinner I"
shouted the guard as we approached Lathrop (recounts
an American tourist.) Arrived there, I entered the
dining room, and inquired of the waiter :—" What do
you have for dinner?' "Twenty minutes ! " was the
hurried reply. I told him I would. try half-a-dozen
minutes raw oi the shell. He gave it up, and waited
upon some one else. I approached a man who stood
near the door with a lot of silver in his hand:—
"What have you, for dinner ? " " Half-a-dollar ! "
said he. I told him I would take half-a-dollar well
done. I asked him if he couldn't give me, in addition
a boiled pocketbook stuffed with greenbacks, and
some with ten-forties garnished with postage-stamps
and ten-cent scrip. And I would like to wash in
dinner down with national bank-notes on "draft.'
He said they were out of everything but the bank-
notes, and as soon as the train left he would order
the waiter to " draw " some. I had my fun for my
dinner, and resolved not todo that sort of thing again
—when there was a hurry.
PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA.—The British Consul at
Jeddah states that in the season 1877-78 there were
42,718 pilgrims landed at that port, an increase of
nearly 4,000 over the preceding year; but this was
more than counterbalanced by a falling off in the
number at Yernbo and Leet. The Ha) having fallen
on a Friday, the Mahomedan Sabbath, it was ex-
pected that the assemblage at Mecca would have
eclipsed that of preceding years, but it was not so.
The concourse at Mecca on the great feast day was
estimated to have exceeded 180,000 souls.
MR. LEATIIAM AIioi,HUDDEBSFIELD.—Mr. E. A.
Leatham, in addressi „ his constituents at some length
on Tuesday night, said the Government had done
more to lower us in the eyes of the world than any
Govsrnment that ever existed in our time, and had
brought sorrow and poverty to the people. The Tories
had made everything uncomfortable. Business was a
matter from hand to mouth, and no merchant or
manufacturer had the courage to increase his stock.
That state of things occasioned enforced idleness,
wages fell rapidly, strikes caused deplorable misery, and
the confidence bttween master and man was endangered.
All this was the result of the Government policy.
But for their foreign policy there would have been a
recovery of trade long ago. They might feel satisfied
that on this policy of brag and bluster war would
break out somewhere. The gigantic war which we
were preparing for in India might at any moment be-
come a gigantic war in Europe, and no one could say
that this was an isolated accident—it was the result of
international p,licy. He denied that the increase in
population had kept indiviaNal taxation at a (gra
there were so many mcirelMbuthe to fill.