The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-11-24 00:00:00

SATURDAY, NOV. 24, 1883.

A MISSUS UNDERSTANDING.—Mistress (acting on I
inform.ation received"): "I wish to impress upon
you, Bridget, : most emphatically that I allow no fol.
lowers,"—Bridget: "An' it's quite right ye are,
Nla'ain. They're a decateful Ifote:p If -.Vmch anny
fol'owers snakin' round )!e; Ma'atir';,:-.lsnteially
oollin-
tary followers, I'll folly grn whis tkriAtteten poker,"
—fun,
)Ik.
REGRETTING FeczthirEs.—The recruiting for the
.
army, saysotta'tai:.;;•ar, still causes urnia..;koss, tto..
4 under strenAll of estah.
lishmenC Pllt:y,, te lb in msaly instances, in
excess of Ur: men 'recruited., A scheme,
consequently will shortly be carried but in which the
Post Offices in t• e United Kingdom will be nominally
iting offices. 'fine appoint on
application men belonging,. to the army reserve, or
'militia,: or a civilian as " bithgers of recruits ; " having
been so appointed, their' -day will be to seek persons
_desirous of becOmang: soldiers, and upon such recruits
he-"Ciingers" will be entitled to
a sum of fiie stallinga: in each case. It is thought
at headquarters that many who are willing to join the
-army, but do not know the way to go about it, will
thus be assisted, and the army once more augmented
to its required strength.
PISCOTERY o SBILETONS. —The Arena. of ...Verona
says that* San Briocio, near St. Pietro,dl,bavagna,
during tlh excavation of_some foundations for some
fortifications in course of .construotion there were
fouod at a depth of more than 15 feet upwards of 200
skeletons of extraordinary vice, many being above six
feet long. They were deposited side by side at a
di,tanee of about 15 inches from each other, and
be-idethem were weapons, brooches, earrings, &c., in
bronze. Many horns and bones of animals were also
tcanal; one of a mammoth, and an under jaw, a foot
and a half in length, as well as marrowbones similar
t.o those found under the ancient lake dwellings.

1 .reeru:

BURNING OF THE DARLINGTON THEATRE, —On
Saturdity' morning, between one and two o'clock,
Darlington Theatre wall discovered to be on fire.
Every effort was made to save the building but with,
oat avail, and within an hour afterwards it was com•
pletely gutted. The fire brigade managed to save
valuable property adjoining, which was seriously
threatened. The building was erected two years since
at a cost of £6,000, and was insured. The Rainbow
Company, which had been performing during the
week, lost all their property in the theatre at the
time, which was considerable. It is supposed that the
fire had been smouldering for some hours, and must
have originated during the performance of the previous
evening when SOEICe fireworks were let off.

STRIICI AT BARROW.—The directors of the Barrow
Shipbuilding Company determined a few days ago to
bring about reductions in the wages paid to platers,
riveters, caulkers, and angle iron smiths, so as to make
the rates paid in Barrow in harmony with those paid
elsewhere, and with this view, pending the establish-
ment of a new list, submitted a reduced list to be
maintained until the ne w one was agreed upon, and
requested the men to work at these prices in the mean-
time. This they have refused to do, and the whole
of the several departments mentioned have turned
out, representing teveral hundred men. The shipbuild-
ing trade in Barrow is very quiet.
SUIPIPOOATED IN A VINEGAR VAT.—On Friday in
last week a deplorable accident occurred at the works
of the Midland Vinegar Company, Birmingham, re-
sulting In the death of two men named James
Huddlestone and James Williams. The deceased in-
cautiously descended into one of the large vats for the
pulpose of cleansing it without previously ascertaining
whether the at was free from gas, although a notice
is posted in a prominent part of the works informing
men that they must not enter an empty vat until the
foreman has exr.roined and found it safe. Another
workman who was in the room finding that the de-
ceased did not cisme out of the vat raised an alarm,
and on an examination of the vessel being made it was
found that the unfortunate men were lying dead at the
bottom.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN V4SSELS IN THE COAL TRADE.
—During the last month 319 Briti.th and 300 foreign
vessels left the port of Newcastle coal laden (says the
Engineer) From Sunder:and 77 British and 82 foreign
vessels left with coal cargoes for foreign ports. From
West Hartlepool the numbers of the vessels taking
coal for export were 35 British and 125 foreign ; from
the small port of Middlesborough, 10 British and 28
foreign ; from Grangemouth, 18 British and 65 foreign;
and from Grimsby, 35 British and 67 foreign. Looking
over the list of the vessels at most of our ports, we find
that the preponderance is in favour of the foreigner at
the east coast ports, and that it is found that meet of
the vessels are of small tonnage. For instance the
largest number of the vessels from one of these ports
sailed to Kiel, and the average weight of coal carried
was 175 t•in.. From another port the largest number
went to Christiania, and the average quantity of coal
carried was 190 tons; and from a third the average
t )nnage was 370 tons, the vessels going to Dantzic. It
Is evident, then, that these boats ever-a of small dimen-
sion., and that after bringing a cargo here they taok
another home.

No DOUBT OF It —School Inspector.—Well, Sir,
and what is the plural of baby 1 Small Boy.—Twins!
[And as it happened it came home to the poor gentle-
man,—Judy
A CONVICT'S WATOIi-POCKET. —Some persons are
never satiseed. Of such is a man I heard of the other
day, who had been undergoing a term of penal servi-
tude. It is the custom to give " long term" inert
fresh clothing when they are discharged, and it was
followed in his case, The "togs" did not suit him,
however, and being asked what was his objection to
them, he replied that there was no watch-pocket.
"But you have no watch ?" was the rejoinder. "No,
but I don't mean to be without one long," I hope he
will soon be able to save enough money to boy a
watch, but I don't think that is what he meant.—
" Dogberry " in City Press.
ROYAL SPORT. —The Berlin Correspondent of The
Times says that on Saturday while battue shooting in
the Ito} al preserves of Solinge, near Hanover, the
Emperor of Germany brought down 28 wild boars and
eight stags, no bad score for a man of his age, Lieu-
tecant-General Thile, one of the Imperial party of
sportsmen, received a ricochetting ball in the thigh,
and had to be taken home to Hanover.

AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The following
are toe average prices of British corn for last week as
received from the inspectors and officers of Excise :
Wheat, 40s, 3d. ; barley, 335. 4d. ' • oats, 19s. ltd. per
imperial qr. Corresponding week last year:—Wheat,
40s. Bd.; barley, 345. 4d. ; oats, 20s. 63.
MARRIED ON A DRAWBRIDGE.—LittIe Silver, a few
miles from Red Bank, N. J., was on Sunday the
scene of one of the strangest weddines on record.
The keeper of the Port-au-Peck drawbridge, near
Pleasure Bay, is Williem Berlin, who, although 65
years of age, had already led three blushing brides to
the altar and survived them all. Of late he had been
paying court to a Mrs. Lane, a comely widow cf
middle age residing at Oceanport. As the day ap-
proached which was set for Widiam'a fourth entangle.
ment the brideeekesper found that he could not obtain
a substitute to attend the duties of bridge-tender
whde the ceremony was performed. A meeting was
arranged to be held ors the Port-au-Peck drawbridge
en Sunday maim.. A clergyman was procured from
Long Branch. and during the intervals that Mr. Berlin
was not occupied in opening and closing the draw to
permit vessels on the Shrewsbury to pass through, the
solemn words were spoken that made drawbridge
keeper Berlin and Mrs. Lane of one flesh. An im-
promptu lunch was afterwards served on the bridge.
"CUT IT SHORT."' —.ZE,thetio Youth: "What poor
power of poesy the immot tele have granted me ie ever
stimulated by scenes like teis."—Philietine Friend :
"Good gracious, my dear Fellow! I'm so awfully
sorry ! I never thought z However, I know a short
cut on to the high road."—Pun.
A MAN SHOT BY A MONK.—The Rome Correspon-
dent of the Morning Post says that a peasant has been
shot in the Convent of Cassansai, near Veroli, by a
monk under the following circumstances :—The monks
of that convent having perceived that the grain in the
granary was fait disappearing, oae of the nernks, of
the name of Fra Michele, was posted one night in a
corner of the granary armed with a loaded musket.
Late at night a peasant approached the convent wall
with a ladder. No sooner had, the unfortunate man
entered the granary than he fell dead, shot by the
monk,
THE MEDICAL STAFF IN INDIA.—The Field Marehal
Commanding in Chief has cones!) ed his thanks and
nraise to the officers composing the Medical Serif in
Egypt for their feeriess and untiring services during
the late cholera outbreak among the Britisa forces
serving in that country. The success which atteuded
their abdity and zeal, in stamping out a disease which
at one time threatened to reduce the bettelions more
than actual warfare, has called forth his Royal High-
nees'e special adininatien and highest commendation.
PUBLIC LANDS IN MERICA.—Mr. Noah McFar-
land, Cnief Courtnieeioner of the United States General
Lend Office, in hie annual report to Congress for the
past fiscal year, states that 19,030,796 acres of public
land have been disposed of during the twelve months. as
Well as 34,235 acres ef Indium lands, allowing an in-
ereat,e over 1882 of 5,120,866 acres, and over 1881 of
8,5?6,635 acres. The totals of the BUMP paid into the
public Treasury on this account were 11,713,883 dollars,
or 3,319,367 dollars mons than in 1882, and 6,3C5,679
dollars more than in 1881. A large quantity of the
land was sold to railway cmipeniee, and daring the
year 1,219 miles of new lines running through public
property were opened. The total leegt!-- of the rail-
ways new construe ,ecl on State lands is 17,449 miles.
A PRACTICAL VIEW.—As a good illustration of the
mode in which shippng disasters are dealt with in
.ierman courts, we in.,,ance the following coeie, given
by the Hamberger Nachrtehten, A commis ion of in•
Triter had, a short time ego, a case under ceusidera-
, two, and deferred judgment. WilBll the aeseseera and
experts afterwarda met for consultation, they were
two hours in considering what the captain ought to
have done at the moment of the disaster, and each
expert was of a different opinion. At length one of
the assessors got up and said :—" Gentlemen, it it takes
' us two hours to consider what a captain ought to have
done in the one minute he had to decide in, I don't see,
for my part, how we can condemn him." The
captain was discharged upon this practical view of the
case.

AN OSTRICH FARM NEAR SAN FRAN cisoc.—A
German traveller who has lately I.em in San Francisco
visited
found,"
an
s mt. r
‘fvaorin,ffi kept4a pby e
rf
et: Scotcm
gentleman
han. sl
with
distingnishf d manners under the gaih of a simple
farmer; woollen shirt and trousers. His present farm
is only four months old, he having bred ostricnes before
with success at the Cap, but, having lost all his pro.
o-rty on two °cc:odors doriog the wars between th,
['Calling and Basut ,s, he determined to tran.port hie
live stock to South California, This operation cost
riim 1,00') dollars for each bird, of which he has 21 fine
examples. The food they need, consistii gof Lu erne
potatoes, cabbages, and onions, is produced in abundant
quantity on the faim The ostriches are kept in hur-
dles two by two, and look well nourished. I had never
seen any of such a large size. bey have alteady laid
200 eggs, which are being hatched artiiicittlly in large
wooden boxes, I wag sorry that my visit was prema-
tute, and that I could not see what suncees the experi-
ment had, The ostriches can be plucked every seven
months, yielding about one pound and three-quarters
of the valuable feathers, which are used by American
Mies in enormous quantities.".

THE IRON TRADE IN AMERICA.—A number of iron
mills in the viinity of Pitttlourg have closed owing tc.
the had ‘ete of the iron trade. Over eight thousand
workpeople ere thus thrown out of employment.—The
owners of a e et Johnstown, Penneylvanis, employ-
ing five thowed, bands, have notified their work-
neople of a reinction of 10 per c-nt. in their wage&
from December 1.
GOING TO THE DOGS.—Aunt Toweer Seoh doseile
creature, them Sarah Bernhard Doge, my dear, and
S full extinct What them Yalpine Monkiee, as
lose theirs el yes in tin ni 'ay.-hat c'•Ei weuld do without
'em, I can't imagine.—Funny Folks.
A HORNED HORSE.—The Detroit Free Press saY9
that quite a sensation was created the other day in
the Town of Cleburne, Tex., when Mr. Knight, who
resides a few miles from that place, rode into town on
a horned horde. The animal is in every respect ta well- •
formed twoiear-old colt, without the slightest pecu-
liarity with the exception of his horns, svinich are
about fifteen inches long, protnding from either side of
his forehead -abunt two inches -above the eyes, and
curving back beautifully, like a Rocky Mountain goat.
Mr. Knight has heret,fore ktipt the existence of the
horse serr=t, will be taken North
and sold to a showman*,
FIVE THOUSAND MILES IN ONE 11-.Z,NDRED DAYS.
—Edward Payson 'Weeton, ,the „Areertes'ln
athlete,.
started on his remarkable pedestrian taa2c.shmtlY
after twelve o'clock on Tuesday night. Th.' core.
ditions of his present attempt, which have been dm.'"
up by Dr. Norman Kerr, differ in several respect,:
from those which governed, his previous walk, the
principal departure being that Weston is to cover
exactly 50 moles a day, and that although the chief of
the distance will be walked on the high riad, he may,
where practicable, perferm part of his task on a pro-
perly measured track. Three judges wi.l accompany
the American, for whom a route has been prepared by
Mr. C. B. Kerley, of the Ordnance Survey Depart-
ment. The start took place frem the Church of
England Tem ptranre Society's buildings, West-
minster, where a large numher of gentlemen intl.
metely associated with the Temperance cause
_had
assembled to witness his departure.
A MAD DOG IN TME STREETS OE LONDON.—ON
Sunday afternoon considerable excitement and slam"
was occasioned in the neighbourhood of Whitechapely
by the conduct of a large black retriever dog, which
had gone mad and was running at large, snapping sit
everything which came in its way. It sprang at two
children and bit them. It then ran into the yard of
the Leman-street Polieerstation, where it ran at
several policemen who were standing about. One of
them struck the dog on the head with a poker. This
did not prevent its springing at him, but a second
blow killed it.
THE FUTURE OE SOUTH AUSTRALIA,—A writer ill
the Adelaide Observer is full of hope for the future of
South Australia. He says :—" When the Australian
colonies become a great confederated nation, South
Australia will stand foremost on the file. Apart from
her mineral wealth, she has is grand pastoral and
wheat-growing country in ordinary seasons. We have
had three extraordinary seasons of drought, but we
are now on the wet cycle, and may therefore expeet
for several years to come seasonable weather for this
colony, and I have no hesitation in saying that the
coming year will be a prosperous one. The wool clip,
will realise at least one and a half million. The wheat
crop (after deducting seed, home consumption, and
colonial shipments) should realise £2,509,000 for
exports ; and the much,coveted and much-talked of
loan that the Treasurer cannot reasonably float before
January, 1884 million) credits South Australia with
the following amounts of available cash by March
1884 :—Wool, 21,500,000 • wheat, £2,500,000; loath
£1,500,000; total, £5,500,00.
WOMAN INVENTORS.—The women's department in
the Boston Fair has created surprise among those who
think that women cannot ins cut (says an Americas
paper). Some of the contrivances are ingenious. A
California woman has devised a table bedstead. There
are a double piano stool, a bridle rein, an improved
chimney, a birch bark life-preserver, a ventilating
screen, life-size doll babies, carpet stretchers, fl torrcling•
inc dust pans, kidney cures, and stove dampers, a photo,
graph album, a pan greaser, a lock against burglares
and an autumn leaf catcher for cisterns.

A PRACTICAL TIST.—At the Royal Courts of Jule.
tice the other day a somewhat novel incident occurred
during the hearing of a nese before Mr. Justice Lopes
and a special jury. The qualities of two samples of
coffee being disputed, the judge suggested that the
best way to decide the point would be to have some of
each sort made and let the jury taste them. The
refreshment contractors, Messrs. Bertram and Roberto,
accordingly fitted up one of the consultation rooms
of the court as a temporary coffee-house, and at lune
cheon time the jury were therein regaled with cups of
hot coffee brewed from both samples. The learned
judge also partook of the coffee, whi:h was sent to his
lordship in his private room.
PROGRESS OF THE TAY BRlDGE.—Considerable pr•
gress is being made with the Tay Bridge. In addition
to the large abutment, four brick plan and one
cylinder pier have been completed on the south side.
It is hoped that all the piers between the fiity-fourtb
—which is the furthest out pier laid on the north side ,
—and the shore will be completed towards the end of
February. .Workmen have now begun to take down
the bowstring girder over the esplanade promenade
for the purpose of commencing the junction between
the new bridge, and the old brick viaduct, which Will
remain as it is,

---
AN IMPORTANT WANT.—A Russiaii colonel sold one
of his horses to a merchant at a very high price, ifl.
timating at the same time that he was very loath to
pert with it, the animal being so capable and intelligent
as "only to want a tongue in order to be perfect." The
merchant's delight at his bargain, however, was some-
what dashed by the news brought him next day bY
bi
groom, that the horse was incapable of drinking
properly having only half a tongue. At this fatal
revelation of the colonel's real meaning, his victim et
once laid the case before a magistraes ; but the defend-
ant maintained, amid the uproarious laughter of the
entire court (including even the presiding judge hire,
sell), that he had given his customer fair waruirg of
the defect, his words being that the horse "onlY
wanted a tongue to make him perfect," and be
appealed to the plaintiff himself for a confirinatime
of his etatement, which the latter, with extreme
reluctance, eventually gave. The magistrate pro-
nounced that nothing could be done, and recommendeo
that the affair should be compromised.
EXPORTATION OF ITALIAN WlNE.—Dnring the first
six months of the present year there was exported
from Italy 1,561,442 hectolitres of wine in casks. being
678,383 hectolitres more than were exported during the
corresporiding months of 1882. The value of the wine
imported during the first eight months of this year
was 1,287,225 francs. The exportation is valurd at
56,224,44-3 francs, being an iccrease of 32 million
francs over last ear's exports. These figures oho!,
the greater activity that has taken place in the 'WWI
wine trade.
A STREET RIOT AT SANTA LUCIA —A sad accident
which recently happenee in Santa Lucia excited the
inhabitants of the quarter, who are famed for their
turbulence, to such a degree that serious distnrbaneek
were feared. A tramway car ran over and crushed the
head of a little girl three years old, who was standing,
in the way eating a pomegranate. She was tee chii°l
of the owner of a well•known café in the same street.
When her heaeless corpse was carried into the house
all the inhabitants of the district rushed into the street,
the weenen zcreeming, the men seizing sticks and oare.
They woald have executed summary vengeance on the
unfortunate driver of the car but for the interference
of the police. For some time the cars on each Hoe
were stopped, ae the populace blocked up the 404
and would not permit them to proceed. The peesengell
alarmed at the menacing aspect of the crowd, alight°.
and hastened away. It was not till after the arrival
of some carabineere that the excited people were Pe"
euaded to re-enter their houses, and that the cars re'
awned the regular seevice.
1 A CHASE AFTER HOUSEI3REAKERS.—On Friclalr
last week, as the Birmingham police were on dutY
the vicinity of Highgate, they were attracted bY
noise in a corner beerhowe which has recently beet
cloeed, On effecting an entrance they discovered teto_
men in the act of packing up the beer machine fittiflg!
and every article of value they could lay their hen 4
on. The men quickly ran upstairs pursued by tl'f
constables, and succeeded in getting telt upon the r°o„e,
through an attic window. Thither they were pronen'.
followed by the police, and an exciting chase eneuee,
In his effort to escape one of the men, named tj°;"fle
Harebell, rolled cif the roof into the yard. C0133e 41;
into violent centect with a wall in his descent, anu
constable who was rear him when he fell, onl9
hiustelf from a similar fate by clinging to a eb°2i,
While this wee going on the other man had made 'if
way back to the skylight, and had concealed hitle,o
on the rafters cf the roof, and be was only inducea
cente out when his pureness threatsned to throtleb;
brick at him, When the p.lice descended t°
yard they could see nothing of Marshall, but afterut.
search he was discovered up the chimney of en °
house, and eventually secured.