The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-03-01 00:00:00

alisallantous

TIONE, FOREIGN, MID COLONIAL

"THE LAST SCOTCHMAN."—" In Pat Flanigan
on board this ship ?" roared Nelson, daring a lull in the
firing at the battle of Trafalgar. "I'm here, my lord,"
said Pat. showing himself on deck. "Then," said the
gallant Nelms, looking satisfied, "let the battle pro-
ceed." The story is told by a Scotch writer who
believe i there is no doubt that Pat Flanigan was an
Aberdeen man.

PEASANT INSURRECTION IN RUSSIA—The
Vorsladtzeilung stater, acCording to intelligence re-
ceived from Brody (G.dicia). that. a socialist insurrec-
tion of peasants has broken out in the Russian
provinces of the Ukraine, Volhyna and Podolia. The
insurgents were committing frightful atrocities, mur-
dering, plundering, and burning in all directions. The
Russian troops had been beaten by the rebels.

A NEW Monvz-PowEE.—Ammonia has been
put to use by G. Baetianelli, of Florence, as a motive-
power. It acts in the same manner as steam, and Uhl
as eaeily controlled; requires but a small amount of
fuel to develop its immense force, the hest necessary
for producing the pressure of ten atmospheres being
limited to 130 deg. to 140 deg. Fahrenheit, and can
now, it is said, be readily adapted to any machinery
worked by steam, the new engine being quite simple in
its oonstructi, al. The saving of fuel is nearly seventy
per cent. The complaated copper boiler, with its 150
tubes, is entirely dispensed with. The ammonia acts
In continuous rotation, as it at once condenses and
returns into the boiler, the quantity escaping being
observable, and re iniring only annual replacement.
If so, coal has looked its blackest at us all, and its price
wil gradually get more benign to our wants.
Ammonia, as a motive-power, is a very old acquaint-
ance, and is said to have failed on account of its danger.

" MILITIL LITSRATDRE."—The following in
the address of a letter received some time ago from a
militiaman at work in one of the Midland counties of
England by the pay.sergeant of his company. It may
be sa well to say that the letter was for Colour-Sergeant
Roderick Chisholm, No. 6 Company, Invemesa Militia,
10, Madras-street, Inverness. The address on the
envelope was as follows :
Rodlrka O'Meara
Ciller Sharing
No 6 C mploy
No 18 Madre. Street
Inverness 11111Ish
Sotland

Tag " Hssnizir CHINEE." At a dinner-
party in New York I had the pleasure of meeting Mr.
Bret Haste, well known tone by his terse and vigorous,
yet touching Californian stories, and by his original
witty poetry. As I sat opposite to him at the dinner-
table, the centre gwelier 'beetling its light on the guests
from under a shade which left the remainder of the
room in darkness, the world-renowned "Heathen
Chines" very naturally occurred to me. I raised my
eyes to look at the face of the man in whose writings
are combined so much pathos and so much fun, when
Jo I there stood the "Heathen Chines" behind his chair !
At first I attributed this vision to an optical delusion,
brought on by the inseparable connection between the
author and his popular character; but no, I was
not dreaming—there stood John Chinaman, smooth-
faced and imperturbable, with his pig-tail and loose
garments, in the ample sleeves of which any number
of "aces" and " bowers " might have been safely
stowed away I The mystery was soon explained to me
by my neighbour (the author of "Little Breeches.")
The Celeetia of my vision was simply A servant. Not
withstanding "Chinese cheap labour" hating been so
much abused and cried down, by their cleanliness,
honesty, and sobriety, the Chinese have, as servants,
proved a boon to those who owed years of misery and
torment to Irish emigrants; and to judge by the =E-
ntry art display ed on this occasion, they can rival a
French chef. From "Our American Cousins at
Home."

SEE ADVERTISEMENT.— Our Navy seem to
have some curious wants. The Contract Department
of the Admiralty invite tenders for Blue Jean, Com-
forters, Duck, Duck Coaling, Flushing. South W esters.
and Stay Tape—the last artic!e of commerce being re-
quired, we presume (the public notice is not explicit on
this point) for lacing the ships' stays.—Punch.

COA.L Itt INDIA.—A Bombay paper Bays
A small quantity of coal obtained from the pits recently
stink at Seati, near Chandah, in his 11,ghneas the Nizam's
territory, has been experimented upon by the Peninsular and
Oriental Company'e agent at Bombay with a resu t that has
far exceeded the most sanguine expectations. The agent,
WO believe, ha. reported that on comparing the Mitsui with
Neacgatle coal, the consumption of the former for a given
period only exceeds that of the latter by II per cent. in
quantity ; and when it is considered that the specimen ex-
perimented upon wits by riv means the best obtainable from
the Seat' pits, and that it had or some mouths previous
been exposed to wind and weather without any protection,
the result is a highly satisfactory one The exploring party
at Warrungul have come upon an excellent seam of coal at
• place called Bingarenny. Thla coal is stated to be of a far
superior quality to the Sadi or ps, and will no doubt com-
pare still more favourably with Newcastle A epecirceu will
shortly be sent to th.. P.ninaular and Oriental Company's
agent at Bombay as vial WS to the gam company for practical
experiment.

WHAT AN OLD-FASHIONED WINTER MEANS.-

Doctor—Chilblaine— Red Nose—Cold in the Head—
Frosted potatoes—Aggravation of the misery of rising
in the morning—Slipperypavements—Falls—Fraxtures
—Coals up—liorsts down—Melting snow—lmpassable
streets—Wet feet—Pump in zsn— Pipes burst—
Plumber—Subscriptions—Unfavourable returns by
Registrar-Conerals.—Punch.

NI LONITIC IN FLU ZN cz.—A f ter the reading
at tie Victoria Instiloula on Monday evening a paper
on " Scieattfic Facile and Christian Ilvidence,, the
following interesting abatement was made by Mr.
Howard ea showiag the swiftness with which the
thril of magnetic influence is communicated :
On tho lot fleptmeber, 1849, Yews. Carrington and Hod&
son were observing the sae, one at Oxford and the other In
London. Their teruldny was directed to certain hole spots
whieh at teat time marked the sun's false. ladO enly a bright
light was soon by each obstrver to break oat on the sun's
surface and travel slowly in appeararce, bat in »alit,'
at the rat* a &boat 7,000 miles In a minute across a part of
the solar disc. Nov, It was found afterwards that the self-
registering magnotic Instramente at Kew bad made at that
very instant a str,mgly-marked jerk. It was learned that
at that raonuiot • sivinetic storm prevailed at the Wed
Indies, in south Amities, and In Australia. The signalmen
In the telegraph stations at Washington ta Philadelphia re-
ceived stroag olectrit shooks. The pen of Bale's telegraph
was followed by a lame of ire, and ln Norway the telegraph
nmehinery was set on tire, At night great auroras were seen
In both hemispheres.

A SI/TOULAR INCIDSNT.—The following Bmll.
gular incident—which occurred on the night of the
13th of November, when the meteors of the November
t eriod were due—ia narrated in a letter from Mr.
Robin Allen, secrete-y to the Corporation of the
Trinity Home, to the Preeideut of the Royal Society,
which appears in the laet number of the Proceedings.
The letter runs thus :

"I am directed to acquaint y, u that on the 13th of No-
vemher last, at two am, a meteor burst against the Seven
Stones light vessel, belonging to this corporation sin moored
about ei miles by N. of the Scilly Islands ; and that it has
been rsported that the watch were struck senseless for a
short period, seeing nothing before the shock. hut that, on
recovery, balls of lire, like large stars, were falling is the
water like splendid fireworks, and that the decks were
covered with eMoi« m's, which crushed nailer the sailors' feet
as they walked. It appeared, the men soul, an if something
was passing swiftly, and met with the obstruction of the
vessel and burst. The superintendent reports that the men
say there was a very decided smell of brimstone, but ads
that they did not mention that until he asked them. There
Is reason to (ear that the cinders were all washed off the
decks by the rain and sea bet ire daylight, and it happened
also unfortunately that the men did not think to observe the
compasses.'

Tax Fustox.— The foreign cabinets (says the
Memorial Diplomatique) have already been informed
that two attempte recently made to bring about a fusion
the two branches of the Bomb me have ended in
failure. We may add that war is on the point of
breaking out between the two camps. The Legitimists
have determined to print and publah all the letters
that have been exchanged between the OrleaniAs and
the Legitimists, and MU expose everything that has
transpired behind the scenes and am ngst the Corn-
nnttee of Thirty. Such an expose cannot tail (aye q.t.
Memorial) to excite the greats at interest in the political
world.

SAVING CLAUSES.—In the Convocation of
York, the other day, the Prolocutor took occaiyon to
remark that "it wail a matter of thankfulness that, in
constquence of what hod occurred outside ad within
the walls of the two Lower Houses of Convocation,the
Creed of St. Athanasius had been 'saved.' If the
Creed were sentient, it ought to be grateful for such a
requital of its suggestions in a perfectly opposite diree-
tion.—Punck.

Tax WILONG MAN !—A little while ago a
gentleman, who is a poet, was returning home late at
night catrying under his arm his dress boots wrapped
in paper, when he was suddenly arrested ny a police-
man, who collared him in a very vigoions manner.
The noet mildly remonstrated, and aeked the meaning
of such very pressing attentions. The constabl
made a sneering reply, hinting that his captive
knew very well why he was wanted, and another con.
stable appeatel on the scene to assist in conveying
the luckless poet to durance vile. After some expos-
tulation he succeeded in mitigating the suspicions of
his stern janitors PO far that they agreed to unhand
him on condition that he walked between them, one in
front and one behind, and made no effort to ea ape.
Arrived at the polity-station, the inspector at once
exclaimed, "Why, this ie 11. t the gentleman ; you
have made a mistake," and tendered an apology to the
poet. " That's ell very wall," was his reply, "but I
should like to know something snore about this rather
singular affair. One sloes not get taken up *very day
of one's life." It was then explained that • lunatic
had got loose from an arflum, and that his friends ha i
told the police to look after him, mid they would know
him by reason of • pectiliatity of his. lie had • cat-
like aversion to wet feet, mad always cerriel a spare
pair of boots under his arm in order to put on directly
Wee which he wore began to get damp.

A Porrass o WontAN's Durne.—Jean Ingo.
Low, in a letter to Lucy Stone, say• she has not found
time to give the subject of women's righta ruck sa
amount of study as to make it wise to utter big
thought.. Other things, she says, appear to be ;STIR
her to do. She, however, adds :—" How to make
clear starching and ironing graceful and pretty wen,
pationa (and such they were thought by our grew
great.griurdmothent), how to keep a house clean, and
to assist, even in a kitchen, without the least tense
being lowered, or the 'sliOtest personal deterioration,
might surely be managed if women gave their alba
to it." Perhaps this was not a desirable view for tan
partisans of women's rights.
BOOTS awn BErno.—Among the various ad.
vertieements round about that beautify every preen.,
able surface, the wayfarer may have noticed one which
offers him boots so constrncted as to be capable of
being continually renovated by having affixed to them,
when necessrry, anew beeL This is an ingenious con.
trivance for prolonging a boot's existence, but, alai
it will make no boot lest for ever. Besides that, the
upper leathers will still wear out, and the renewal of
the heel of a boot can boot but little when we CRIME
depend on the immortality of the sole.—Punch.
PUBLIC EXECUTIONERS IN FRANCE.
former times (says the Litert(), executioners in France
had no fixed salary ; after every execution they pa.
eented their bills. The following is a copy of one of
these bills for items connected with an execution a
Montmartre in the eighteenth century. The ere.
cutioner claims For having gone to Montmartre
with two men, and there remained during the day
301 r. ; for carriage and two horses, 15 fr.; foR
guarding the culprit in qnestion, 15 fr.; for
hanging the said culprit, 30 fr.; for carryA
the body to a place of burial, 311 fr.; T
120 fr.' At the present time executioners are '
regular salaries. In Paris the salary is 8,000 fr.;
Lyons, 5,000 fr.; and Bordeaux and Roues, 4,000 fr. •
the others, from 3,500 fr. to 2,000 fr. The assistant;
or deputy executioners receive 1,000 fr. a year in Pub,
and 000 fr. a year elsewhere. The executioners and
their assistants receive 12 fr. a day for travelling ex.
penses ; the state, besides, pays the expenses connected
with the keeping and repairing of the various guillo-
tines, the cost of transport, and the hiring of the
ground on which they are erected. The washing alone
of the instruments is done at the expense of the execu.
tioners.

FATAL ICE ACCIDENT.—On Monday two child.
ran, named John Irvine and Catherine Wilson
(respectively aged ten years), loot their lives by falling
through the ice on a grain-mill dam, in the town 0/
Dunfermline, while a girl named Elizabeth Stewart
narrowly escaped the same fate. It apnesrs that ths
children were standing on the wall of the dam, whit
is approached from the street by a flight of steps, whin
the boy Irvine suggested that the girls should hold hig
hands while he went down upon the ice to test if it
was strong enough to bear. No sooner had Irvine
touched the ice than befell through, lot inging the guip
down along with him at a point where there is a sluice,
The consequence was that the children were at ono.
carried under the oluice by the force of the water to a
depth of about six feat. The girl Stewart warn rescued
by • man who was passing, but the others were not
got out till the sluice 111,841 raised, and by that time lits
was extinct.

STAGNATION LIL THE COTTON THADE.—Since
the beginning of the year, week by week, a very dull
and unsatisfactory state of affairs haa been apparent
in the cotton market, and tha week just ended is no
exception to its predecessors. Free receipts at the
American ports, and heavy shipmente to this country.
have had • quieting influence on the 'staple," and
dull, stupid, and unprofitable markets have been the
result. Since the let January cotton has quietly
given way in price id. per lb., but tiff, decline does
not show the real state of the case. The export trade has
been restricted to the very narrowest limits, the spirit
of speculation has apparently expired, and although
American and long-stapledcotton has been purchased to
a fair extent by the trade, East India, with the exception
of the very finest descriptions, has been entirely neg.
lected, and become a perfect drug in the market. The
import last week amounted to 115,181 bales, and the
stock of all descriptions was increased by 55,430 bals.
and now stands at 497,850 bales. Although it is not
anticipated that America will give more than a mode-
rate crop of cotton, spinners are only supplying them-
selves sparingly with the raw material, and many of
them refrain from making quotations for contracts
which would extend over a period, on account a the
great cost of coal, and the difficulty which they ex.
perience in procuring (even at the enhanced prices)
adequate supplies. •

NEW BRANCH OF FEMALE Lauoun.--Experie
mente are now making in Edinburgh to train educated
young women ac printers! Three firms have entered
on the task. The Scotsman says :—" The experiment
has proved highly successful, and the largest em-
ployers in the city who have engaged these women—
varying from four to over twenty—state that the
females give every promise of great efficiency as com-
positors.',
A SMALL MISTAKE. —AS a Scotch minister
and a lawyer were riding together, says the minister
to his friend, "Sir, do ye ever make mistakes in
pleading?" "I do," says the lawyer. "Arai-O=C do
ye do wi midakes ?" inquired the minister. 'Why,
sir, if large ones, I mend them ; if small ones, I let
them go. And pray, sir, do you ever make mistakes
in preaching ? " Ay, sir, I have done sae." "And
what do you do with mistakes?" "Oh, I dispense
with them in the same manner as ye do yersel'. I rec.
thee with the lairge, sad let go the ems' .me.. No
lang since, se I was preachin,' I meant to observe that
the devil wan the father o' a' liars, but made • mistake,
an' said the father o' lawyers.' But the mistake
was eae sma', that I let it go.
A MOHAMMEDAN MARECIAGE.—The Judi&
Committee heard on Saturday the arguments in a case
which came from Oude, and the quettion was as to the
inheritance of the estate of a deceased child whose
mother was a slave. A marriage was contracted with
one of the appellants when she was eight years old,
and she died between eleven and twelve. A material
point was whether she had expressed her assent to the
marriage when the Mohammedan law considered she
had arrived at the years of discretion. Their lordehips
reserved judgment
-

Atsa P-uott CARP !—A famous French Carp,
dating from the time of Francis the First, aged three
hundred and seventy-five year, and measuring three
feet in length, and two and a half in breadth, was at-
tackel the other day by an enormous pike and de.
vonred. His poor fish bones, we may suppose, lie in
Jonah-like in emient, and, were it po sible to catch the
devonrh g pike and label him with an epitaph, he
should be made to carry this on his back,—Bequitmai
in Piart.—Puxca.

THE EGYPTIAN MATIRIAGES. - The Levant
Herald of the 12th hut. eye :

The recent trip of Elver Bey to Egypt, as the representa-
tive of the Sultan at the marriages of the members of the
Khedive's family, appears to have been in all IN spects a moot
agreeable one. Not only was his Majesty's first chamberlain
housed in one of the vh.eregal palaces and Tarried with the
best of fare; not only did he receive from the Khedive and
from the Egyptian princes and princesses a number of costly
articles of jewellery and other valuable mementoes; but,
over and above theme elegant trifles, Ismael Pasha crowned
the generous edifice by the very munificent "gratification"
of a sum of ET 25,100. These marriages, with the NU* at.
tending them, and the entertainment of invited guests, are
said to have entailed an expense, while they lasted, of up-
wards of £e.,000 sterling a day.

_
A BROOKLYN HORROR.—A New York paper
reports that a mo 4 horrible discovery has been made
in a small frame building which has been closed for
several months past, situated at the corner of Com-
merce and Imlay-streets. South Brooklyn. The rem-
nants of humanity mutilated, gnawed by a dog, and
scattered about a sleeping apartment, were found by
two men. The information gleaned was telegraphed
to Potice Hea-quarters as follows :—" About three
p.m. the head and portion of the bones, legs, Ac., of
Jacob Knoop, a German, was discovered at the resi-
dence of deceased, corner of Imlay and Commerce-
streets, by John Miller and James Conaughan.
Know, who was formerly proprietor of the play.,
kept a liquor store there. He has not been seen for the
past two month,. Miller' who purchased the place
at Sheriff's sa'e two months ago, was about to lease it
to Conaughan, when he found the remains, and a
Newfoundland dog, the only companion of Knoop at
the time the place was closed. The dog, who could
not get out, devoured the man."
"W. H. JOHNSON WITH A GLASS Erg."—
Here is a singular story of coincidences (remarks the
New York Tribune). The detectives of Boston, in a
case given to them to work up wanted a man named
W. H. Johnson, who had a gime eye. They found
snob a person in Bangor, Me., and he was the wrong
gentleman. They found another W. H. .1-Anson in
Salem, Maw., also with • gleam eye, awl he, too, proved
to be an innocent man. They then received a telegram
from Newhuryptrt, Mass., stating that a W. H.
Johnson with a glass eye bad been arrested there ; and
he like% lie proved to be the wrong customer. There
is a fourth W. H. Johnson, with a glass eye, some-
where, and the Boston authorities would like to have
him, that is, unless he happens to be the wrong W. H.
Johnson with a gime eye.
EMIGRATION PROM SWITZERLARD.—Tho
Times says that,—

" The qusetion of emigration continues to become of more
and more importance in Switzerland. The members mho
ter.ve this country for foreign lands arc increasing yearly. We
announced a few dais ago that the people of the Canton Glarus
had suggested to the Government the purchasing of a lan.e
tract or land in America to be sold In lots t emigrants , this
question will he put to the pnamlar vote at the next Landes.
meinde. A few days ago a Orisons paper announced the fact
that some 50 persons i ming and old, left a single commal. In
that Cantsn for America, and remarked thud thsir depsrtnrs
deprived the Canton of something like 100,000 francs. The
Bursdner TanGlatt attributts thin continually augmenting
rate of emigration In a measure to the laws with reference
to woods, meadows, and 'alp. which have become 01,01
and more absolute during the last twenty years. Adviceri
from Valais indicate the existence of a similar condition of
things In that Canton. Hundreds of persona have taken
their departure for the new world—for the most part to South
America—during the past three months."

A CUTE La.—Lady BTOWIIO and I were
as usual going to the Duchess of Monroe's at seven
o'clock. The evening was dark. In the clove
under the park pale, and within twenty yards of the
gste, a black figure pushed by between the chaise and
the beige on my side. I suspected that it was • high-
wayman, and so I found did Browne, for she was
speaking, and stopped. To divert her fears, I was
going to say, "lo not that the apothecary going tothe
duchess? " when I heard a yoke cry "Stop I " and
then the figure came back to the chaise. I had the
presence of mind, before I let down the Ow, to
take out my watch and stuff it within soy dress
tinder the arm. He said, "Your purse and watches?"
"I have no watch," I replied, " Then your parse."
I gave it t ;it had nine guineas in it. It was oo
dark that I could not see his h.nd, but I felt him take
it. He then poked for Lady Browne's purse, and said,
" Don't be frightened; I will not hurt you." "No,
you won't frighten the lady," I said. "No, I give
you my word.l will not hurt you," he replied. Lady
Browne gave him her purge, and was going to add her
watch, but he said, "I am much obliged to you; I
wish you good night," nulling if his hat, and rode
away. "Well," said I, "you will not be afraid of
being robbed another time, for you see there's nothing
in it." " Oh, but I am," she said; "and now lam in
terror lest ha return, for I have given him 'a nuns
with bad money that I carry on porpow."—Loik
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