The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-01-15 00:00:00

RI/Stellart CU ii. J lite!! igenct,

HOME, FOREIGN,
.AND COLONIAL,

NAUTICAL MEBL—It is not generally known
that when the captain of a ship orders "Silence, fore
and aft," even the vessel is not allowed to answer her
helm.—Judy.
IVY ON TRIES. —A gentleman who knows all
about ivy says :—" Ivy does not extract nourishment
from trees. In a young state it is furnished with little
soft feelers, by which it is enabled to cling to the bark
and grow upwards. As it advances in age, these ap-
pliances die away and wholly disappear, and the stem
'of the ivy has no more to do with the tree than a rope
would have loosely coiled round it. Any one may
then pass their hand between the stem of the ivy and
that of the tree around which it coils, and that it does
-not injure the growth of trees, excepting when it be-
comes too heavy for the boughs on which It rests,- I
can prove from numberless instances."

THE PRINCE AT CEYLON. -Mr. Punch is
authorised to state, in commemoration of the visit of
H.R.H. the Pzince of Wales to Ceylon, Point de
G-alle is, in future, to be known by the name of Point
de Prince de Galles.—Punch.

STARTLING STATISTICS. —The Sheffield Tele-
graph of Tuesday publishes a series of statistics,
obtained from the official records of the Sheffield Con-
sulate, showing that one leading branch of the local
trade with the United States—the Bessemer steel
rails—has entirely collapsed. Not a single ton of
steel rails has been Sent from Sheffield to the States
for nine months! In the first three.quarters of 1875
the total declared value of steel rails exported from
Sheffield to the States was £356,180. The last
quarter of 1874 the value fell to £L,156! In the first
quarter of this year the value was £2,301; and since
that date the trade has been a thing of the past.

THE STORY OF CINDERELLA.—Many of the
most popular nursery rhymes and stories have an
origin quite different from what is usually supposed.
Thus it is generally thought that the story of Cin-
derella was invented by some one in a happy fit of
imagination; but it is said to be founded on facts.
The Greek historian and geographer Strabo says that
one day, as a lady named Rhodopis was bathing in the
Nile, the wind carried away one of her sandals, and
laid it at the feet of the King of Egypt, who was
holding a court of justice in the open air, not far off.
His curiosity was excited by the singularity of the
event and by the elegauce of the sandal, and he offered
a reward for the discovery of the owner of it. The
lady claimed it, and it was found to fit her exactly.
She was very beautiful, and the king married her. She
is remembered in history as the "Rosy-checked
Queen" of Egypt, and she lived two thousand years
before the Christian era. —Pictorial World.

ANOTHER AQUARIUM. Rhyl, one of the
most favourite watering-places on the Welsh coast,
has been the scene of great festivities during the past
week, in connectiou with the inauguration of winter
gardens and an aquarium. These pleasant and useful
institutions are fast becoming general in all our water-
ing-places; and those seaside resorts which have not
yet got one, might Rhylly do worse than Imitate Rhyl.
—Judy.
AN OWNER FOR THE BASTILLE COLUMN.—A
crowd was attracted to the Place de la Bastille the
other day (says a Paris paper) by the eccentric pro-
ceedings of a young woman, who, young and tall, wear-
ing a dress covered with mud, a fur cloak thrown back
over her shoulders, paced with a feverish step the foot-
path surrounding the column. At intervals she stopped
and made menacing gestures when regarding it. Idlers
were soon attracted by the performance, and closed in
a circle round her. "What do you want?" she ex-
claimed, "are you the minions of Robespierre? You
wish to confiscate my property, but I will install my-
self there in spite of you." Malame is a proprietor"
facetiously remarked a bystander. "Yes, wretch !
the entire place .belongs to me! lam the Countess de
Launey, grand-daughter of the Governor of the
Bastille. This column is my property, and in spite
of you I am going to install myself on the top 1
The houses are too low for me. I wish to live higher
up?" " Ela my good woman," cried a ragged urchin,
"yo I seem to me to be in the clouds already 1" The
crowd laughed, the poor mad woman became more and
more indignant, and the scene might have become
tragical had not two police-agents conducted her to the
commissary of the quarter to enable her to establish
her rights to the column of July. She will probably be
placed in lunatic asylum.

ADTICE FOR THE NEW YEAR.—Think before
you Rink.—Punch.
RATHER STARTLING !—The Messager du Midi
tells the following: —A merchant vessel arrived at Mar-
seilles a few days ago, laden with sugar, from Batavia.
While in the act of unloading the workmen suddenly
left their task, and, rushing up to the deck, gasped out
inarticulate words. Amongst the hampers they had
found three immense boa constrictors. These reptiles
seemed to wake from a state of lethargy, and advanced
towards the terrified men, who had only just time to
heist themselves on deck and close the hatches. The
cuptain was, of course, obliged to suspend the operation
of unloading, and to look for a means of getting rid of
these strange passengers. Two pigeons were poisoned
with strychnine, and dropped into the hold. They were
devoured at once, but only two of the serpents died.
The third reptile has not been seen again, and it is
with the greatest trouble that the captain can get men
to assist him in unloading his ship.

,• TEACHING A CHILD How TO SWlM.—Captain
Webb writes in CaneWs Family Magazine for
January :—" It is the duty of every parent to insist
on his sons learning to swim. Now, to teach a very
young child to swim, the best place of all is a large
puddle in the sands at low tide. The child, like a puppy,
will begin by paddling. If you throw a cork into the
water, you will see the puppy run in up to its depth,
and give a short bark; and the chances are, especially'
if there is a grown-up dog that can swim to set him
an example, that in a day or two hp will take his
plunge of his own accord, and very proud he
will be of his first success; only here again, don't
overdo it; as soon as the puppy has been in, Walk
e hh e
will be afraid to go into the water deeper than hi
away and call him, and he will be the more anxious to
6tthteer,fibrsutt d let the
go into the water ahother time. The principle is
somewhat similar to Sam Weller's letter—` She'll vish
there vos more, and there's the, great art o' letter
writin'.' Now, pity your child like your putpy ;
entice him in, and if you can get some older child who
ccahnusswdime
jtuoegtoeian
hweithlikheims. , all
Perhapsrthhaebs
lines. Here again a little artifice may be employed.
Get two children to play at splashing one another—
they; will enjoy the fun, and gradually getting excited,
will very likely venture in deeper and deeper."
QUIDDITY.—Poor Quilldrive has a large family
and a small salary; the former increases annually,
but the latter obstinately sticks at two pounds a week.
Still he is not happy. He weakly Bays a tertium quid
is wanting.—Fun.

RISEN FROM TILE R ANICS. —The Army and
Navy Gazette remarks :—" Lieutenant-ColoLel R.
Wadeson, V. 0,, who has succeeded to the Lieutenant-
Colency of the 75th R-giment, makes the third officer
commanding a regiment who has obtained his commis-
sion from the ranks. The two other cases are those of
Lieutenant-Colonel J. M'Kay, of the 2nd Battalion
12th Regiment, and Lieutenant-Colonel W. M'Bean,
V.C., of the 93rd Highlanders. Colonel Wadeson ob-
tained his ensigncy in the 76th, from Sergeant-major,
June 2, 187; became lieutenant, September 19, 1857;
captain, December 9, 1864.; and major, July 17, 1872.
He served with the regiment in the Indian campaign
of 1807 from the outbreak on May 12, including the
battles of Budlukeserai, siege operations before Delhi,
and repulse of sorties on June 12 and 15, and of night
attacks on the camp on June 19 and 23, and July 14
and 11; storming (severely wounded) and capture of
Delhi, (medal with clasp, and Victoria Cross). He
' Obtained the Victoria Cross when an ensign for ' con-
'apicuous bravery at Delhi on July 18, 1857,, whenthe.
.15th was etikaged 'in the- Subjee Muhdee' in having
saved the life of Private Farrel when attacked by a
sowar of the enemy's cavalry, and killing the sowar.
Also, on the same day, for rescuing Private Barry
when wounded and helpless he was attacked by a
cavalry sowar, whom Ensign Wadeson killed.'"

PREVISIONS. -Mr. W. Whitworth, for
Newry, writes to us (The Times) from Drogheda
"As there would appear to be great interest mani-
fested ict the new Russis.n ironclads called Popovkas,
I would beg to refer your readers to the volume of
Punch for 1847-48, page 233. They will there find
pictured a small fleet of such circular ships cruising
in the channel, and in the letterpress this form of
ship is recommended (ironically, no doubt) to the con-
sideration of the Admiralty as an improvement on the
form of ships the Government were then building."

AN AQUATIC COURTSHIP. - The following
story of an aquatic courtship comes from one of the
fashionable seaside relorts (says the Court Journal).
It is reported that one young gentleman, who swain
indifferently, followed into the sea a young lady who
swam excellently; that, panting with emotion and
exertion, he assui ed her, in the briefest possible manner
of his attachment, and almost 'choked himself in the
attempts to seize and kiss her hainl that, floating ni--iou
his back, hse explained quietly his position and circum-
stances, and breathed words of tenderne7s, while the
fair one again and again plunged under water to con-
ceal her blushes; and that, finally, when they swam
to shore, the daring youth had been accepted at the
cost of being almost paralysed with cold.

INTELLIGENCE IN A PIG.—A correspondent of
the Animal World writes:—" A tenant erected a pump
in his piggery to pump the whey out, of Use cheese-
rocm. One day I saw an old pig deliberatel7take the
handle of the pump into its mouth and pump itself
some whey."

A GOOD HAUL.—The pretty lake of Enghein,
near Paris, was drained cempletely, a few days back,
as ifs done regularly every five years. At nine in the
morning, the sluices which retain the water were
opened, and the fluid was allowed to flow by a canal
to the Seine, near Saint-Denis. At that moment
some fishermen cast an enormous net, and imprisoned
in its meshes nearly the whole of the finny occupants,
perch, roach, carp, bream, eels, tench, and jack; one
of the last weighed 271 b. At this moment the bed is
completely dry. To replenish the stock a quantity
of minute fish will be put in and left during five years
to become suitable for the table. The total taken on
the above occasion amounted to six tons weight.
CURIOUS FACT.—At a furniture auction the
other day, a mahogany table was knocked down to a
certain bidder, who, however, neglected to come and
remove it. Long afterwards that table was an 'ln-
come-for-table, though the man in charge of it was
happy enough, for he had had the money in advance.
This shows how little sympathy there is in the world.
—Judy.
DEATH OF THE MARCHIONESS OF CLANRI-
CARDE.—After an illness of about a fortnight, the
Marchioness of Clanricarde died between twelve and
one o'clock on Saturday afternoon (the Bth inst.) at her
house in Stratton-street, Piccadilly. The deceased,
Harriet, Marchioness of Clanricarde, was the only
daughter of the Right Hon. George Canning, the
eminent statesman, by Joan, his wife, and sister of the
late Earl Canning, Viceroy of India. She was born
13th April, 1804, and married 4th April, 1825, Mick
John, late Marquis of Clanricarde, by whom she leaves
surviving issue, four daughters, namely, Lady Emily,
married to the Earl of Cork; Lady Catherine, married
to Mr. John Weyland ; Lady Margaret Anne, married
to Mr. Wentworth B. Beaumont, MP. • and Lady
Harriet, married to Mr. T. F. C. Vernon frentworth ;
and an only son, Hubert, Marquis of Clanricarde, who
inherited his uncle, Lord Canning's, property. The
late Marchioness's eldest daughter, Lady Elizabeth,
was the first wife of the present iarl of Harewood ;
and her eldest son, Lord Dunkellin, who, it will be
recollected, was taken prisoner in the Crimea, died
in August, 1867.

PROLIFICNESS OF RAIS.—" The Loiterer" in
the Pictorial World remarks :

Rats are prolific. I bought two white rats on the first
Saturday in August, 1875, and by the end of December they
had increased to forty-nine. The increase would have been
greater had I not committed a series of infanticides, and
given three litters, in all thirty-two, to some tame owls,.
who evidently found them very nice tor breakfast. I now
.believe the story of the "Pied Piper of Hamelin," which -
Robert Browning has turned into such delightful doggrel.
I, rats do get the upper hand, they must be. iomething
tremendous. I wish the painter of that capital picture, "A '
Fascinating Tail," well reproduced last week in the Pictoiial
World, could see my sixteen white rats (three generations
of them) fr,licking about in a large cage, and emitting occa-
sional squeaks, while a Skye terrier (as quick a ratter as
ever breathed) sits on his haunches and looks at them with
melancholy eyes. He knows he must not touch one even if
It should squeeze through the bars of the cage, which now
and then happens, since they eat away the woodwork; but
I think Master Rory, who is called Dolls for short, believes
I am keepirg those rata for a grand field day, when he will
have his innings. The fur of these white rats, when clean,
is very soft and beautiful; I should think it would be quite
possible for furriers to make good use of it for the decora-
tion of ladies' mantles; and as they multiply sosrapidly aI
give no trouble, the nation seems worth a thought, seeing
that we hunt ermine and sable at a vast expenditure.

A COOL CRIMINAL.—The execui ion of Riand,
a butcher, condemned to death at the last Court of
Assizes of Ille-et-Vilaine for the murder of his wife,
took place at Bains on Saturday. The governor of the
prison entered the cell of the condemned man soon
after four, and found him sleeping profoundly. When
aroused, he dressed rapidly, and, after taking a glass
of wine, went to the chapel, where mass was cele-
brated. Ile was perfectly calm, and talked about sub-
jects for the most part indifferent, and among others
of how he had learned to play the violin, and indicated
a place where he had hid 60fr. which were to be ex-
pended in the purchase of a similar instrument for his
son when of age to use it—he is now only four years
old. The criminal retained his composure to the end.

THE NEW PEERS.—Tuesday night's Londcfla
Gazette, in formally announcing the Lew peerages,
states that the Duke of Richmond will take the titles
of Earl of Kinrara, in the county of Inverness, aud
Duke of Gordon, of Gordon Castle. The Earl of „-
Abergavenny will assume the titles of Earl of
Lewes, in the county of Sussex, and Marquess of
Abergavenny, in the county of Monmouth. Lord '4ll
Wharncliffe will be Viscount Carlton of Carlton
and Earl of Wharncliffe, both in the West Riding,
with iemauider, in defeult of male Issue, of
his brother, the Hon. Francis Dudley Stuart-Wort-
ley. The Earl of Erne willtake the title of Baron Fer-
managh of Lisnaskea, in the county of Fermanagh, .
John Ralph Ormsby-Gore, Esq., will be Baron Harlech
of Harlech, in the county of Merioneth, with re-
mainder, in default of male issue, to his brother,
William Richard Ormsby-Gore, Esq. Henry Gerard '1
Sturt, Esq., is created Baron Alington of Criehel, in
the county of Dorset. John Tollemache, Esq., be- 4
comes Baron Tolletnachc, of Helrningham Hall, in the 16_,
county of Suffolk; and Sir RqbPrt Tolver Gerard,!-
Bart., will be Baron Gerard, of Bryn, in the County-I--
Palatine of Lancaster.

CARNIVOROUS PLANTS.—' Pinquicula." writes Ais
to The Times :—" Within the past three or four years
the subject of carnivorous plants has received a con-
siderable amount of attention from men of science and
others. It bas been asserted that certain plants. such, -
for example, was the Sunden (Droserarotundifolia),
capture, dissolve, digest, and absorb flies and insects
which are placed upon or happen to touch specified
portions of these plants. The insects and flies are, it
is stated, devoured in this manner for the purpose of ,
supplying the plants with food. The attention the
subj set has excited, and the surprise expressed by many .7
persons, led several to suppose that the utilization of **4
insects as food by drosera was a new discovery, and
perhaps some readers of The Times may like to be dis-
abused of the idea that it is so. I met the following
passage in an edition of " Coombe's Constitution of
Man," printed in 1835, at page 88 :--` Sec. 5, No. 6. De- •
structiveness is given, and man is constituted with a
carnivorous stomach, and animals to be killed and eaten,
exist Not only has Nature taught the spider to
construct a web for the purpose of ensnaring flies, that
it may devour them, and constituted beasts of prey
with carnivorous teeth, but she has formed even plants,
such as Drosera, to catch and kill flies and use them for .
food.' The italics are my own. Coombe probably .
copied from another writer, so in all probability the
vaganir3 of carnivorous plants were known half a cm.
tury ago .instead of the other day, as one would sup-
pose bad h's nothing else to judge from but the sudden
-1+
demand for Suudew by hundreds of persons who
desire to gratify a cruel curiosity in observing the
wriggling agonis 9 an ant or fLy placed upon
leaves."

CHARITY ORGANISATION.—PIaying a barrel
organ to get twopence to go away.—Fun.

A "DEAD LETTER SALE." —The annual
"Dead Letter Sale" of the Post-office at Washington
is to take place on the 17th inst., when 8,534 un-
claimed paekages will be sold by auction. The
articles specified in the catalogue, which contains no
fewer than sixty-six pages, include a library of about
1,500 books, a quantity of sham and real jewellery, a
black lace shawl, endless gold dens, white kid gloves,'
knives, necklaces, spectacles, handkerchiefs, "144
clock hands," soap, a wolfskin, a souirrere tail, and the
wings of a bat, two skirts, emir of "calfskin uppers,"
microscopes, revolvers, a blanket, a piece of rubber
hose, a fire kiroller, two large plugs of tobacco, a pie.. aios
crust cutter, a scouring brick, a soap gauge, a box of 01
chewing gum, a gas-burner, a harreonicon' a pack of I.ai")
cards and fifty poker chips,' a flute, a boy's jacket,
a box of pumpkin meal, a towel, a shirt, a pair of
slippers, a briarwood pipe, a can of fresh pineapple, a
pocket compass, a baby yoke, a collection of foreign
stamps, three odd gloves, a gold-tasselled necktie, five
imitation birds, a tape measure, a fish line, some ..
small saws, eleven buttons, and ten fish-hooks. This
valuable property, which will be sold withont reserve,
is well worth the attention of speculate's with "un- 1.
employed capital" in their hands. Bids for the.
various lots may be made by telegram.—Pall Mall
Gazttle.
sits -
.
Sow IT OUGHT.—The Prince of Wales has uw.:
knighted Mr. frpgg, of Calcutta. This -quite istoues,..we
for the.pig-sticking.—Fun. - • .4, osss..4.,4li.sses,
THE SANITARY CONDITION OF BERLIN':-.•-•ATVI4II
1.
interesting paper on the sanitary arrangements of
Berlin, and other large German towns was read last 'IA
Thursday by Dr. Stamm to the members of the Berlin ima
Hygienical Society. Re showed that from 1867 to
1873 the average mortality in Germany was 1 in 3; '
v hile for the whole of Europe the average was 1 in 42
:at
only; that the mortality of Berlin is considerably. 40
greater than that of Paris. Aussti rdam, or London;
and that it has been -from 3to 8 per cent, more than
in the country districts in its immediate vicinity. Dr.
S;aanto attributes this mainly to the overcrowding of
the population in the poorer quarters of the capital, 4%
owing to the exosbitant sates to which house rent
has risen during the last few years. The number of
people reeiding on each hectare of ground in Berlin
is nearly five times as great; as in London. The
practice of letting houses f.r a long period at a fixed g,
rent, as in Lendon and Paris, is almost unknown
at Berlin, where the landlord, owing to the scarcity of
accommodation, is nearly always sure of a tenant 3
even at an increased rent. Numbers of people live itt
cellars; houses may be built as high as the street is
wide, and a small courtyard at the back if often made
the pretext for adding three or four more stories. In
1867 there were 15,574 dwellings in Berlin where up-
wards of six persons lived in one room, and 14,292
cellar dwellings, and since then the evil has consider-
.ably increased. Dr. Stamm concluded by urging the
Government to amend the legislation regarding house
property in the German towns so as to make it un-
lawful to build heuses of such height as to be pre-
judicial to the public health, and to abolish
altogether the practice of living in cellars,—Pall Mal
Gazette.