The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-05-21 00:00:00

alisullantous Yntelligtnte.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

SOLDIERS' WIDOWS AND ORPHANS.—A Royal War-
rant, just issued, provides that if a soldier on the
married establishment be killed in action, or die of
his wounds within six months after being wounded,
and leave a *Mon, a gratuity of one year's pay, ex-
cluding good conduct pay aud additional pay, at the
rate of which he was in receipt at the time of his death
or discharge, shall be issued to her. A gratuity of one-
third of a year's pay shall be issued, under similar
conditions, to each orphan child under 16 years of age
whose mother is dead, but who was when alive on the
married establishment. These gratuities will be
issued to the widows and orphan children of all men
who have been killed, or who have died of their
wounds under the conditions above specified, since the
Ist of April, 1880.
AN UP-TRAIN.—" Training up a child in the way
it should go. "—Funny Folks.
THE HARD WORK OF PARLIAMENT.—Fresh de-
mands are continually being made on Parliamentary
time (says The Tates, in a leader). Parliament, it is
conceded, cannot sit longer or work harder; but the
requisitions for its attention multiply daily. It has
under its charge machinery which is always becoming
more complex, and which perpetually needs taking to
pieces and cleaning or repairing. When any especial
measure absorbs its notice, an outcry from twenty
quarters show how many other measures are wanted
to renew the administrative apparatus. On the hours
already too few for legislation the habit of asking ques-
tions before the debate is reached makes grave and in-
creasing inroads. Thirty-five questions on Monday's
paper, with others which were put without notice,
necessarily consumed more than two precious hours.
The proportions to which the exercise of the privilege
has grown are outrageous, and threaten to eat up the
entire Parliamentary evening. Nothing is too small
or too large to produce matter for a question in Parlia-
ment. The House of Lords uses the system in
moderation.

AVERAGE PRIVES OP BRITISH CORN.—The following
are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending May 14, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 445. 10d. ; barley, 30s. 9d.;
oats, 225. sd. per imperial quarter. Corresponding
week last year :—Wheat, 445. 9d. ; barley, 325. 2d.;
oats, 245. 11d.

SPORTING GRAMMAR.—Present or future tense:
"The One Thousand Guinea Stakes." Past tense:
"The Won Thousand Guinea Stakes."—Funny Folks.
A VALUABLE INVEN TION. —A new life-saving beacon,
the invention of Mr. Sherwell, of Portsmouth, the
maker of the Spit bell and other buoys in the Solent, has
been submitted to Admiral Ward and Capt. Prouse,
the Inspector-General of life-saving appliances, and
has been highly approved by these officers. It is
designed as a place of refuge for shipwrecked sailors
and others in distress to swim to, and with this object
it is intended to be moored in a number of selected
places around the coast. It may be briefly described
as a magnified harbour buoy. It consists of a flat
bottomed vessel on which is erected an octagonal dome
capable of accommodating a ship's crew, the whole
being surmounted by a bell which serves not only to in-
dicate the position of the beacon, but the presence of
any dangerous shoal or rock, to which it may be
attached. Access is gained to the structure by means
of ladders fitted to the gunwale, and it is expected that
many lives might be saved by landing shipwrecked
crews upon the beacon when it would be impossible for
a lifeboat to convey them ashore.
THE GRAVE OF GEORGE ELlOT.—There is now
being erected over the grave of Mrs. Cross (George
Eliot) in Highgate Cemetery a handsome memorial
stone. It is in the form of an obelisk 12 feet in
height, designed by Messrs. Macdonald, Field, and
Co., and is a beautiful specimen of the blue or
Aberdeen granite. The pedestal bears the following
inscription in gold letters :

"Of those immortal dead who live again
In minds made better by their preseßce."
Here lies the body of
"George Eliot,"
Mary Ann Cross.
Born 22nd November, 1819.
Died 22nd December, 1880.

THE GLORIOUS FUTURE.—Lady Customer (come to
buy a picture or two) : Yes, the fact is we are furnish-
ing, and want something that will match the draperies;
and, in fact, something of an enduring nature. Hus-
band: Ya-as, ya-as, to be sure! Something that will
wash.—Judy.

THE LABOUR MARKET.—Latest reports from the
various centres of the staple industries show that the
labour market is in a depressed state, which is hoped
to be only of a temporary character. The cotton
trade is fairly good, but the woollen industries are
dull. The London letter-carriers, who are a numerous
body, have memorialised the Postmaster-General for
a general advance of 2s. per sr eek, 6d. per hour for
extra daily work, and is. rer hour for extra night and
Sunday work. At Leeds, the engine works keep
busy, and in the machine and tool branches several
firms have received fresh orders. The felt mills are
running full time, and the cloth mills are reported
busy. The chemical trades still remain fully em-
ployed, and some of the leather-dressers and curriers are
working overtime. Wholesale boot and shoe makers are
busier, and upholsterers, painters, grainers, paper-
hangers, and decorators are well employed. Joiners,
masons and bricklayers are likely to be well off for
work all the summer, and several street improvements
have been commenced. The improvement in the
manufacturing industries of the West of England con-
tinues, but in the agricultural districts the severe
frosts have considerably impeded the progress that
was being made, and added to the inconvenience at
present felt by the want of keep for the stock.
MUMBLE-JUMBLE.—ViSitor. Is Mrs. Brown at
Home ?—Plumbs the new footman (who speaks rather
indistinctly). Yes Sir; but she's dining.—Visitor.
Dying; Why, what's she dying of ?—Plumbs.
Boiled mutton and caper sauce, sir.—Judy.
A Six DAYS' SWIMMING MATCH.—In London, On
Saturday night, the sixdays' swimming match between
Captain Webb and George Fearn, which had been in
progress at the Lambeth Baths since the previous
Monday was concluded, the result being a victory for
Webb. In fact, so well and so strongly did Webb go
during the first few days, that without exerting him-
self to any very great extent he maintained a lead of
a mile or so, and this despite the fact that Fearn was
swimming in a really excellent manner. On Friday
night 'Webb had obtained a lead of about a mile and
three-quarters, and this he maintained with but little
variation during the whole of Saturday. At 33 min.
past ten o'clock Fearn relinquished the contest, his re-
cord at the time standing at 80 miles. Webb con-
tinued till eight minutes past eleven, when he, too,
left the water, his distance being 82 miles, but as a
trifle over 34 yards must be added to each mile swum
since Tuesday, in consequence of the withdrawal of
the turning board at one end of the bath, the actual
distance covered by Webb was 83 miles and about 500
yards, whilst nearly a mile and a quarter is to be
added to that of Fearn. Both these performances are
the best of the kind that have ever been accom-
plished.
ORIGIN OF THE NAME OF CHINCHONA.—" M.D."
writes to Land and Water :—I do not think it is gene-
rally known that this name, as applied to Peruvian
bark, derived its origin from the Lady Ana de Osoria,
Countess of Chinchon, vice Queen of Peru, who in the
year 1640 brought with her to Spain a supply of
Peruvian bark, which had affected some most marvel-
lous cures, not only on herself, but on many other
sufferers, from a certain fever (which is a species of
ague) on her husband's estate. Linnmus founded his
genus Chinchona, in honour of the countess, nearly 150
years ago.
NOT BY THE HEAD-ITOR.—Of what shape is the
cranium of a person who is particularly " long-
headed "?—A nob long.—Funny Folks.
MASSACRE OF CHINESE IN PERU.—In the House of
Commons, the other evening, Mr. James asked the
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether
he had received any information from Her Majesty's
Minister in Peru concerning the massacre of Chinese
referred to in a letter published in The Times on April
27; and whether any steps were being taken to protect
the lives of subjects of Her Majesty in the present
disturbed state of that country. Sir C. Dilke, in
reply, said :—" Mr. St. John has reported to Her
Majesty's Government that the Chinese shopkeepers
of Lima were attacked by a cowardly Peruvian mob
the night before the entry of the Chilian forces, and
that 70 or 80 of them were killed. Seven hundred
persons were compelled to seek refuge in the British
Legation, where the British Admiral and his staff and
five blue-jackets also were. At daylight the foreign
representatives called out the foreign urban guard, and
the riots were quelled by them. Her Majesty's
• Government are informed that Chinese have been
killed up the country ; but Her Majesty's officers will,
of course, continue to do all in their power to prevent
these massacres and protect the lives of British
subjects."