The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-09-16 00:00:00

Alisccllancous

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COUNIAL.

A IIiNT ron FAR NI ERA. —An essay on
"II :try, Aing Corn in Wet Weather," by W. A. I Intim,
of I :Uwe!! Park, Essex, for which the Society of Arts'
11 Medal and a prize of fifty guineas were awarded,
has just 'wen published, and is seasonable. The essay
commences by giving an account of the various nusles
of timing wheat that are in use in different places, and
has given illustrations which exhibit, perhaps more
plainly than any wor.b., the plan adopted. Mr. iibbs
has then piss:ceded to a history of his own attempts to
invent s,,rue means •,f finishing and saving our harvests
in wet F. 1.4,10; Be recounts his failures as well as his
final success ; awl in an appendix we have an account
of the trials of the machines he invented.
HORRIBLE HEATH !—A letter from America
gives further details of the capture of a train by In.
and of the horrible deaths .4 the victims. One
,if the unf,tnnab•fellowg. named, Ilitywsivl, is a native
' s I, Il I 11l IIISS 111th re,ived
by his fdthed. folly eortiii sulte the story, and theses
tilt the ,tatement of Moo,. (viii Was 14why enough
,rape fr ail Ists captors) was Os It at all exaggerate,L
It allele that not 44nly were ,ipite 44 the unfortunate
vietims .14 lt, 411AI:tall:a, SCal pea, but Hayward
and his emnpanion were burnt by slow torture. The
account states that after their ears bad been cut off and
their V 0,114, cut jilt, as already described, the entire
band of Indians formed a circle round them, and in-
dulged in vari. ots modes of tormenting them, and their
three companions in eat.tivity were brought forward
aiol made to Witne,r4 the awful spectacle. Jones, it is
said, Inca 411lietly ; but tytor llayward lingered half an
hour in great agony. Mr. Haywapl is in exnumunica-
tion, though Mr. Stunt, M.P., with the American
Minister, who has kindly undertakep to endeavour to
ascertain the accuracy of the account. There appears,
however, very little doubt that the person spoken of is
Mr. Hayward's son, his father's last letter front hint
stating that he was travelling in that part of the
country.

MEANS OF MATRIMONY. —A corresp,ndent of
of the M. Jam/ s's .Ifowthoc, cites Rh instance, which
occurred as late as twenty-five years ao, .of a collide
married with the church key insteml id a welding-ring.
There aignars to be s,nne .b.old as to the validity of
this sulkditute, but in point of symbolism, at any rate,
a church-key is surely, in ouriparison a marriage ring,
the more suitable instrument of wollock.-- Puneh.

WHAT'S IN A NAME f—lt is stated that the
United States Post Office Department has just made
a decision in reference to the titles that may be placed
on the new stamped envelopes, which are furnished
with printed addresses. It is hal that honorary pre-
fixes, such as Judge," "Colonel," Professor,"
"Reverend," " Doctor," &e. by which an individual
is generally known and styled in his mminunity, may
be )irinted on the envelopes, but that no suffixes, such
as • A. 8.," A.M.," " M.D." &c., can be allowed.
A HORRIBLE AMERICAN MVIIDER.—The Ame-
rican }swell; ti i hand relict a peculiarly shocking affair,
which has made a great Del, in New York, accustomed
as that city is to matters of the kindl. In the afternoon
of August-23 a • an alighted at the depOt of the
Ifuilson River Railway, in Thirteen-street, from a cart
with a box, which she got a boy who was know to his
companions as " Paddy" to carry for her, at the same
time telling him to be very careful of it as it contained
glass. The boy told her he could not pass the box until
she bail taken her ticket (she wanted, she said, to go
a short distance beyond ('hicago). Accordingly, at her
request, he shewed her the way to the booking-office,
and raw her take a ticket for Chieago, As no train
Wlbi due for five hours, she asked the lad where she
could get some refreshment, and was directed to a res-
taurant. She does not appear to have gone there, how-
ever, and was not seen again. In the mean time the
box came unfastened, and a horrible discovery was
made. The New York Times nays --" There WU
nothing to be seen at first but an ordinay quilt: re-
moving this there was an old army blanket. Doubled
up in the bottom of this small flimsy trunk was the
body of a full-grown woman, full five feet in height,
which bad been crammed into a trunk two feet six
inches long and eighteen inches deep. She had been
put in upon the right side, the legs doubled up, and the
head bent forward, so that the face and knees almost
met. Seen even iii this petition and rigid in death, the
young girl, bur she not have been more than
eighteen, had a face of singular loveliness." It was
ascertained on medical examination that the deceased
had been the victim of criminal treatment.
ADVICE TO A HYPOCHONDRIAC.--HOD't mix
your Physic. —Punch.
GENERAL DUCROT.—This well-known French
officer has just published a pamphlet entitled The
Truth Alma A fp, rier , which is drslieateil to " ( kneral
of I fiv isii in the I w• I. Auniale, ex • I wof Algeria,"
In the prefatory address the writer, after noticing the
favour, with which his early career had been marked,
priwissls to say :

" At all events I can boldly affirm that tinder the 'Monarchy,
under the Republic, under the Empire, and again under the
Republic, I have faithfully served say country a Photo ,d,ey-
in,.; any motive lalt a sentiment of duty. tin the 30th ut
November, 1870, I was 11.11e,41 ardent 41e deVOted th3ll WI the
Sri of Nlay, lest, when at the plateau of Villiers I led my
tintillem, into the midst of the enemy's bait:Obit:R. on the
30th of November fluke wy sword as tieueml-iieChiet
the hely I a I:, matt ,dldier. New t..,t •I.
country is anxious as to the present, sur•: !
port of the Nture—that unhappy Algeria. I
our Creator-, a: ,I Our prosperity, also shut., •liii
my thoughts naturally recur to that African land, the suit
ss of our best feat ti anus. when I had lie honour of sec,
hie ender the ~o leis ef your ILoyal II i..4111,t,t, IuIV lire per.
?Mite,' to inv,ike these precious neeeiketi..llA 111 our youth, to
annirunt pernibe:ion hi dedicate Ode Mind dc wort to tilt Colonel
of t4tit, the balder Cormier-tit:Reid Algerhi
-

THE PRINCESS OF WALES AT SCHWALBACH.—
Writing on the 3rd hist, a correspondent of The Times
at Schwalbach says : —The Princess of. Wales in con-
tinuing her curative course, under the direction' of Dr.
Genth, a physician well known and long established
here. She adopts, in the most simple and unassuming
way, the usual customs of the place, coming to drink
at the Weinbrunnen with the other guests, bathing in
the Government bath house every morning, awl taking
the prescribed daily exercise in the public promenades.
She is already looking better. The royal party have
made no attempt to shun publicity ; the rooms they
have occupied are in the most conspicuous part of the
hotel, and they have often hat with the large windows
wile open, almost living in the open air. They are
much about the streets and grounds, and I am happy
to add that, in return for their unceremonious cowl,
seension, they are now entirely freed from any obtruo,ive
attention on the part of the publho, an occasional bow
or touch of the hat from the English visitors being the
only special notice taken of their presence. The child-
ren have a playground fitted up for them only separated
from the main street by an open balustrade, awl they
take frequent rides on donkeys to the neighbouring
wools. The cure ordinarily last about three weeks or
a month, and, therefore, her 'weal highness shoould have
yet about a fortnight to stay. The weather is beautiful.

A DAMPER !—The Empress Eugenie is a sen-
sible lady, and puts down rhapody. An interviewer
thus ill print describes a portusi of her conveisiation
with that august lady:

Madame,"-said I, "had you fallen by the hands of these
wretclu.s, you would have lived for ever in history and in
poetry. Every art would have been evoked to celebrate your
memory. You would have united the beauty and fast:Math on
of Mary Queen of Snits to the virtuous fortitude of Marie
Antoinette. It would have been a glorious Immortality !"
Yes," said she, melting tat., the sweet, at, merriest snide ;
"ye, that is MI very well; but I would like to enjoy 5,1 a
iu uty liie." "Mud grant you may, smodawe ' " uepiiod
The huiprers then glanced at a clod:. Iho glacier %tut an
iieto,il•le a the reioark.

wI.AILATION OF TOR EMPEROR OF (4.11-
V. The wan journals publi,li the following
proclamation 1,1 Ii A Nfajcwty ti ( it u I I I r:
_ • ..

'• l'r m all parts of 14"n:toy, np till the prtsent moment, I
have received telegrams annonnehrt the cordial and Joyous
welcome that has licen evtrywhere.dored to our soldiers who
have recently returned to their homes. In addition to the
pr. anl consciousness of having contributed to the greatness
and the unity of Germany, each of these warriors
mice In this warm reception a manifestation of that errtl-
bide which his country owes bliss, nll4l a thankful roe-gait nit
of his arduous perseverance and admirable services —aervlces
win Ise innuebse significance will be ever warmly apprecia ed
an is proved by the numerous congratulation. I have received
from every possible quarter un the tandem smiles of the
glorious days of Gravelotte and Sedan. With my hearty
thanks for these enthnsiastie cungratula thus I feel impelled
to express my deep gratithmtion at the festal reception that
has been given lover I rote troops.—Gastein, 4th :kid.,

A NOVEL CANAL BOAT.—Dr. Robert Hunter
of (leveland, Seems (says the lI.Gm Adrertiarr) to have
invented a novel canal boat. Under the stimulus of
the New York State prize of 100,000 dollars, offered. to
the author of the best system of steam causal transit,
the donor applied himself patiently And methodically
to the subject. lie began with a series of experiments
whereby he learned that the chief motive power of the
fish is the tnil, and that the fins render little or no as.
instance. Acourdingly, he determinant to apply the
principle to steam usiviiiiation. It was evident that
some stiong, durable, and pliant material would he re-
quisite to counterfeit the tail of a fish, and nothing
seemed so well adapted as rubber. Home the d,sluwuu
invention simply consists of applying a plain plate of
vulcanised rubber in such a way as to give the cause
movement as the fish does to its tail in going through
the water. The rubber plates are, for canal boats, four
feet square, five inches thick at one edge, and tapering
in thickness down to one inch at the opposite edias.
The thick edge is attach.' to an upright shaft which
was caused to rotate back and forth about one-half of
an entire revolution, which gives the rubber plate pre-
cisely the same motion as the tail of a fish makes when
swimming, and of course there is a strong propelling
power secured. A causal boat, with this curious misli-
fication in tin: shape of two "tails," was recently tested
at Buffalo. The result is described as satisfactory ill
the highest degree. A more practical trial was to be
made soon, *hen the automatic fish will start on a
voyage with a cargo of coal.

fORSE M A IZIN ES FOR HAM PSHIR E. The
fampshire Cam' xsigma would, perhaps, be improved if
a Naval Battalion were brigaded with I.ilitary Forces.
The Blue Jackets might impart a serviceable lesson to
the Cavalry in the matter of picketing. A ship when
stationary, is picketed in a way, and is said to ride
thereat, so far, indeed, unlike a horse which, whilst in
tether, neither rides flair is ridden. But your Jack
Tar would very soon teach your bold Dragoon to bring
his horse to an anCher.---Pienek.
PENALTIES FOR HARBOURING Tint:TM—lll
the new Act on the Prevention of Crime, which will
take effect untie 211,1,4 November, tliereal'etWONtaiolllB
with respect to the harbouring if thievea The keeper
of a lodging-Louse, beer or publichouse or any place of
public entertainment, who knowingly fudges or know-
ingly harbours thieves, or reputed thieves, or permits
them to meet, or knowingly allows the deposit of goods,
having reasonable cause to believe them to be stolen, is
to be guilty of an offence under the Art, anal to be
liable to a penalty not exceeding 1:107 and in default of
payment tat be impri,oned for is period not exceeling
fur moths, with or without hard labour, and the
Court may require him to find sureties not exceoling
L'2o, anal in default to be imprisoned for a perbel ts at
exceeding three months. The licence of the offender
keeping such a place is to be forfeited in the discretion
of the Court, alai for a second conviction he is to be
disqualified from receiving such licence for two years.
Th.! livence is to be produced, and if refu :el, then, in
addition, the offender is to la. liable to a penalty not
exceeding trf. There is a similar provision with wet
to brothel keepers harlsairing tide-yes, or allowing them
to deposit stolen goods. The person is to be liable to
ban- months' inquisonment, and may be required to
find sureties.

PROFITABLE SPIRIT RA PPIMI.—The Nem York
Times publishei the. following extraordinT.: y story
. .

A story comes trom the ininin•; dist, lets of Califonita
savours somewhat of romance. Last winters Captain Cook
is said to have visited Chicago WI there he
was induced to attend a spiritualid gathering, at a Melt he
aas informed that, on returning lonic, by sinking a shalt in
a certain direction, he would nod a rich four-had ledg,, and
that this ledge, id a depth of twenty feet, would Increase to
twelve feet. The captain, as the story goes, not having any
faith it. Mal revelations, paid no attention to it until one
evening, at a dinner party, he was telling his •' expt Hence "
to twine friendA, who were so much interested that they hu-
m... Untidy went to work at the point indicated, and in a
short time struek msm a vein which proved to be ot illllllel.o
value ; so far, it is said, that the taken from it
assay as MO as 15.0 w) 1. Is. per ton. Whether the story
was invented to advertise a medium or a mining concern
(1.8 not very clearly appear.

WILL AND BEgur.fiTs.—The will of Dame Jane
Morrison, of the Hermitage, Suaresbrook, Wanstaad,
relict of Sir James William Morrison, was proved in
London, on the Nth ult., by Mr. James ladgler, of
the In awingsdl:ce !lank, and Mr. John Francis Wey-
mouth, Esscx•st rest, Strand, the joint artiag executors
41111 trutea. Tlne pertmalty %rut swot in tueler
The will is dated September 21, 1 iii, no. her ladyship
die I 011 the Jth of July last, in her te...tal year. The
begne,ts are numerous, she having left legacks to
several of her relatives, friends, met others, and ap-
points tile said John nolgley residuary legatee. She
has left the suni of £3OO tO erect a staincd-ela,s window
in the new church, I Irist Waustead ; and has
left directions that It, r cob loc,e shall be shot. The
f. using are tinning her chatital de tannest,: --" Tin the
Waustead Infant orphan Asylum and the Merchant
Seamen's Orphan Asylum each £2,000 liivjnitnnl for
Diseases of the (heat. Victora-park, Dover Banta:try,
and Friend of the Clergy Corporation, each 4:500 ; and
£l,OOO to the Weavers' Company, to he called Lady
Morrison's (lift,' the interest to lomat., of the Weavers'
Almshouses, the recipients to be called ' Lady Morri-
son's iikenßionenC "—///ustrafid London Nam
Mn. SrunoltON ON BAZAAIO4.—Mr. Splm,ronn
has opened a bazaar at a new Baptist chapel at Itrix-
ton. In the outset of his remarks, he said that in his
time he had opened a good many bazaars, mid was
thought by some persons to be a great sinner for so
doing. His conscience, however, did not accuse him.
It had always appeared to him that a bazaar was one
of the most legitimate, and certainly one of the
happiest, modes of obtaining money for a pssi cause,
whether ruligions or otherwise, because those who were
not enabled to render support by the contribution of
money hail at least, by a bazaar, the opportunity of
aiding it by their time, and this was in many respects
more valuable than the contribution of money, which
in most cases was so. nn forgotten, whilst the recollection
of having devoted one's time to the pecuniary aid of a
laudable oblect was both pleasurable and enduring.
A FRIEND IN NEED.—Mrs. Malaprop, who
was early left a widow, has an obliging neighbour to
whom she applies in all her little difficult:es—one of
those handy linen wino can do anything and everything ;
she calls hint her Teetotum.--- Punch,
A HINT TO NURSES.—OOIIBIII Severn, in a re-
port supplied by hint from Rome, and recently laid
before Parliament by the Foreign Offices, notices the
very fine quality of Doman voices, and states that it is
attributed to the mothers swaddling their I ethies. When
a motheris emph•yed out of doors the bally is suspended
from its back to a nail in the wall, and allowed to cry
for several holm twether, " which continued act of
crying exercises mini forms the vocal organs in an ex-
traorainary.
. .

THE " IRIS„H ELEMENT."—WhiSkeV.- -PUHC/I.
CERA-SING THE AXLE ! Captain Halt, of the
Polaris, says an American piper, WAS the recipimit of
many premcnts prior to thedeparture of his expedition.
One of these was a tin can, carefully scaled,and
"Not to be opened until the Polaris has reached the
Arctic seas." ISM on its passage to the navy yard, or
being shipped, it met with an accident, and the secret
kaked out. It was a can of patent axle grease, with
which Captain Hall or his survivors were affectionately
requested by letter to lubricate the axle of this slow
going world if found at the trie.
THE CHOLERA IN PERSIA. —The Li rani
Herald f the 30th ult. gives the following account of
the cholera in Persia, which it states it lias received
while going to preys, in a brief note from its Tabreez
correspondent, dated the 11th ultian. --

•
°The cholera broke out hare on the 15th of last mouth,
and has Imen daily increasing in virulence : the death rate
lately amounted to 240 daily: hut to !Dia 11110 at 123, if
the PrrSirla accounts eau be tecuivea so authentic. A
vioh•ut thonderstorm Immune.] ill the mountains around
Tahre, about tell days ago, followed by such all inun-
dation as hos never been known hitherto. The dear.-
tion of property caused in the bazaars and gardeu,e is
estimated at £1211.000. We are all-- Chrbitiaus BMA 3i11.111-
titans camped out in the monntahis all the bazaars are
closed, eoMlllerre RIK] lawiness if all kinds is at a stand-
still. The mortality among the sot,iietu aas so great that all
the regiments at Tahreez were disbanded, and the soldiers
allowvd to proved to tiwir villages. Them is a nnarantthe
Outer days stilt.' Russian and, I believe, the Turkish fron-
tier. Tlp: advantage of the hornier 18 Nit very eV idlent, as
We hear that Frivan is buffering from cholera equally with
nitliTahretz."

TtIN PAY OF RUSSIAN OFFlCERS.—According
to a return published by the Russian War 01live time
are now in the Ittissian army two field-marshals (oa-
t:in:ling the grand dukes) and 1.110 genends, who.
pay amount all to 4,163.6ns rouble,: 52 of the
g,nerals are p from 10,000 t 63.000 roubles a
year, 111:11 27:3 • them hold civil appoilitionO. Of
tie Miiiisteri, the War Minii.ter has the lowest
salary -15,n00 noible3, and the Minioder of the In.-
i.eiial Court the higliest-127,000 rouble,. The salary
of the Covernordieueral of 3loseow is 36,000 roubles;
•A' the Governor of Poland, 63,571 roubles.

A Itnxt. Ilzuo.—Last week a gentleman
named Smith raved a train by exactly fifty secorclx
Ile is now in town.- -Punch.
THE OLDEST MAN IN EUROPE.—The commune
of Plainpalais, in the canton of Geneva, has the honour
(says the :Orin:, Times) of counting amongst its in-
habitants one of the eldest men living, not only in
Switzerland, but very probably in any other country
in Europe. Ilk name is Jean Louis Chevallier ; he
was born in the island of St. 1 h.mingo, on the Ilth of
May, 1705 ;he is consequently in his 107th year. lie
lived in St. Domingo till he was 11 years of age, when
he was sent to Bordeaux to be educated, where he re-
mained until he had attained his 18th year. Ile then
came to Geneva, and was apprenticed to M. Desir,
watchmaker. At the time of the annexation of Geneva
to France, in 1718, he was appointed secretary of the
perfecture, which post he retained till the fall of the
First Empire. From Geneva he was called to Bourg
to perform the same duties, nntilin 1533 he was super-
annuated at the aga of 70 years with a modest pensn
which has never ceased to be regularly paid to him by
the Fresh Government M. I llevarlier is still in pos.
scoin f all his faculties, except li.n might, but his ls !y
in reduced alno•st to a skeleton. Various foreigners who
have lately visited him have been much struck by the
remarkable clearness of his mind and the retentiveness
of his memory.