The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-03-31 00:00:00

MSCELLANEOUS ITEMS,

THE BACON-SHAKESPEARE CRAZE.—The Hon. Ignatius
Donnelly, profanely dubbed by some American news-
papers, the "Cryptogram Crank," has arrived in Britain
in the Etruria from New York. He brings, it is said,
"documentary evidence to prove that Shakespeare's
works were written by Lord Bacon." Mr. Donnelly's
work on the subject, in connection with which, it is
said, he has laboured for many years, was announced for
publication months ago, but owing to some mysterious
reason seems to be "hanging fire."
IMPERIAL BRIDAL GIFTS. —The law of China pre-
scribes (so we are told in a society journal) the following
gifts from the Emperor to his bride: A thousand pieces
of fine satin, 20 Indian shawls, 15 lace handkerchiefs,
three diamond birds, and 20 horses elegantly harnessed.
The mother-in-law receives 500 pieces of silk, 1000
pieces of cotton stuff, 10 court dresses, 50 every-day
costumes, and six beaver mantles. European mother-
in-laws would not discredit the Oriental practice.

A MISSIONARY DnowNED.—The Cunard steamer
CePhalona, from Boston, has brought news of the drown-
ing of the Rev. Dr. Sheldon, the well-known Indian mis-
sionary, together with Mrs. Cunningham and two
Indians. The party were proceeding up the River
Otikee, when the boat capsized and all were drowned.
AN EXILE'S APPEAL.—The Chamber of Representa-
tives, after an animated debate, has rejected, by a large
majority, the petition of ex-President Santos, at present
residing at Buenos Ayres, for the repeal of the law of
banishment enacted against him. The result is re-
garded as an important Ministerial success, and is well
received by the press and public opinion generally.
A WATERLOO VETERAN.—There has just died at
Selly Oak, near Birmingham, an old man named
Phillips, 100 years of age, who was one of the survivors
of the battle of Waterloo. He retained his physical
energy to the last in a wonderful degree. There is
another Waterloo veteran in Birmingham who obtains
his living by selling his portraits. _

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY LOCAL EXAMINATIONS.—The
forms of entry for the Higher Local Examination to be
held on June 18-23, can now be obtained from the
several local secretaries for the Higher Examinations,
and must be returned to the local secretaries before
April 20. The regulations for the Examination for
Commercial Certificates, to be held December 17-22,
can now be obtained from the local secretaries for the
December Examinations. The report, with supple-
mentary tables, giving details for the Local Examina-
tions held in December last, will be published on
March 29.

TWOPENCE A DAY.—The average earnings of the
Hungarian agricultural labourer are said to be two-
pence a day. It is little wonder, therefore, that emi-
gration is constantly on the increase there.
THE SITE or SYBARIS.—The Archveological Bureau
at Rome has received news of the success of the search
for the site of Sybaris. This is the most important
discovery of this decade in classical archreology.
AN ANCIENT GATE.—At the Pirmus has been dis-
covered the ancient gate of the town, and near it a
tomb containing the bones of 14 persons who are
thought to have been soldiers slain in battle and there
buried.
THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.—The additions to the
Zoological Society's Gardens during the past week
include two stock-doves, British, presented by Lieut-
Colonel W. G. Dawkins, and a gayal, born in the
gardens.
MEDI2EVAL TREASITRE.—In Arcanania a hoard of
medbaval gold and silver ornaments has been found by
some workmen engaged in digging for the foundations
of a new building. The Greek authorities have already
sequestered 60 pieces, and hope to succeed in secur-
ing possession of the rest, amounting to near a thou-
sand.

OUT or SEASON.—According to the Oldham Evening
Express, what is described as a full-grown summer
butterfly took refuge from a blinding snowstorm in a
dwelling-house at Lusley Brook, near that town. The
wings are said to be beautifully variegated; and on
obtaining shelter in a warm room the butterfly
thoroughly revived.
THE FRENCH EXHIBITION.—The authorities of the
forthcoming French Exhibition have decided to make
arrangements for the holding of conferences, and the
reading of papers in the economic and social section,
with a view to the dissemination of information on
various questions of practical importance to the indus-
trial classes of France and other countries. M. Leon
Say is the President of the section.
THE BYRON CENTENARY.—The Armenian journal at
Constantinople claims for the Armenians a share in the
Byron centenary, on the ground that the poet studied
their language at the Armenian monastery at Venice,
and showed warm sympathy with their misfortunes as a
nation. The writer laments that after Lord Byron left
Venice one of the monks, thinking that he was mad,
committed nearly all his manuscripts to the flames.
FINISTERRE OYSTERS.—Our Consul at Brest, report-
ing with reference to the oyster beds in Finisterre, says
large quantities have been despatched daily to Paris,
Brussels, and Berlin; but this does not prevent the
supply from being much in excess of the demand, in
consequence of which owners of the beds have had to
sell large quantities of oysters at very unremunerative
prices. During last year six million oysters were parked
in the rivers Beslon and Avon.

IN A FOG.—There have been frequent losses of life
this winter through persons losing their way either in
the snow or in a fog. At night there is no other course
to adopt but that of reaching some shelter, if possible.
But during the day, while the sun is still in the sky,
the right direction may be gained by a simple means of
determining the position of the sun. This, according
to an American paper, consists of placing the point of
a knife-blade or a sharp lead-pencil on the thumb-nail,
which will cast a shadow directly from the sun, no
matter how thick the fog or snow is.
LONDON OVER THE BORDER.—The area known as
"London over the Border" lies in the angle of Essex
between the river Lea and the Thames, and is now
probably the greatest commercial and manufacturing
suburb of London. Fifty years ago its population was
30,000; it is now over 300,000, and increases at the
rate of many thousands a year. It contains the Victoria
and Albert Docks, the Beckton Gas Works, employing
3000 hands, the Great Eastern Railway works at
Stratford, and the Tilbury Company's works at
Plaistow, the Thames Ironworks at Canning Town, and
many other factories.
A TAILORING ACADEMY.—When shall WO have a
tailoring academy? Germany already possesses such a
distinguished institution. In fact, we learn that in the
Berlin Tailoring Academy the public examinations are
now going on, together with an exhibition of the work
sent in for competition. The institution was attended
last year by 902 students (21 more than in the previous
year), who included Frenchmen, Englishmen, Italians,
Spaniards, Norwegians, and Americans, as well as
Germans. Two pupils hailed from Brazil, two from
Cape Town, and one from Japan.—lnvention.
RAILWAY TRAVEL.—Mr. Findlay, of the North-
Western Railway, lecturing to the Royal Engineers at
Chatham on the points at which the two professions
touched, mentioned that three years since arrange-
ments were worked out by which a paper army of
130,000 men collected from all points of the compass,
was directed upon Basildon, in Essex, and the last train
of the whole 515 was timed to arrive at Chelmsford only
45 hours and 50 minutes after the order was supposed
to have been given by telegraph. The time occupied
by the railway officials in maturing such arrangements
is not, of course, included in the 45 hours.—Enuineer.
COLONISING THE CAUCASlTS.—Arrangements have
been made, writes an Odessa correspondent, between
the Governor - General of the Caucasus, Prince
Dondukoff-Korsakoff, and the Ministry of Imperial
Domains with reference to a scheme for colonising
those lands on the Caucasian coast of the Black Sea
which were depopulated during the late Turkish war.
Large districts all along the coast have been seques-
trated to the Crown, and as there are extensive tracts
of rich agricultural land lying unoccupied, the esta-
blishment of colonies of peasant cultivators from Russia
in all that region has been finally decided on. It is
probable that the first colonists will be drawn from
the more populous districts of the Kursk and Orel
governments.' . _

- FOREIGN STRAWBERRIES.-Mr. Andrew E. Baillon,
Acting British Consul at Brest, in his report of the
commerce of the Department of Finistere, Cetes du
Nord, and Norbihan, for the year 1887, says that
dulness, amounting almost to stagnation, was the
principal feature of the year. An attempt was made to
ran fast steamers two or three times weekly from Brest
to Weymouth, for the transport of strawberries, of
which immense quantities are grown in the immediate
neighbourhood; but, from various reasons, the results
were anything but satisfactory to the owners of the
steamers and it will depend on the support guaranteed
by the shippers whether a fresh trial will be made or
not. At any rate, the idea is considered a good one,
if properly carried out, as the route indicated is the
quickest to all markets.

A THE HEREFORD FESTIVAL.—The preliminary pro-
spectus of the Hereford Festival has just been issued.
Six oratorio performances will be given on the morn-
ings and evenings of September 11 and 12, and the
mornings of September 13 and 14, and there will also
be a miscellaneous programme and a chamber concert.
The chief works selected are Sterndale Bennett's
"Woman of Samaria," Sullivan's "Golden Legend"
(probably conducted by the composer), Cherubini's
"Mass in D minor," Spohr's "God, Thou art Great,"
Schubert's "Song of Miriam," Sir F. Gore-Ouseley's
"St: Polycarp," Dr. Hubert Parry's ode, "Blest Pair
of Sirens." the "Elijah," and "Messiah," and portions
of the "Creation" and "Samson." The chief artists
will be Madame Albani, Miss Anna Williams, Madame
Enriquez, Miss Hilda Wilson, Messrs. Lloyd, Brereton,
and Santley. Mr. Carrodus will lead the orchestra,
and Dr. Langdon Colborne will conduct.
A SOLAR PHENOMENON.—The following note from
Guatemala, Central America, has been received by Pro-
fessor Tyndall : 'By last mail I receive The Mail, in
which you mention what the editor heads 'A rare solar
Phenomenon.' It may interest you to know that about
two years ago I was walking early one morning on the out-
skirts of Guatemala, in the open space leading to the
racecourse, when I observed exactly what you describe.
I had turned my back to the sun, and was looking at
the misty landscape, when a white well-defined mist-
bow appeared. It is the first time and the only time
that I have ever seen it. The air was exactly as you
describe it at Hind Head. We are here very elevated,
as Guatemala is situated at nearly 5000 feet above sea
level, and the sun on that occasion was exceedingly hot
and powerful. Fred. Pelham Griffith, captain and
senior officer of the Military College of Guatemala."

RUSSIAN RAILIVATS.—The purchase of railways by the
Government is making rapid progress in Russia. After
the absorption of the Morchansk-Riachk Railway, the
Russian state system will have a total length of 4472
versts of workable lines, including 132 versts for the
Riachk-Morchansk Railway, 669 versts for the Oural
line, purchased last year, 830 versts for the Kharkoff-
Nikolaieff Railway, and 360 versts for the Tamboff
Saratoff Railway. The remainder consists of lines con-
structed directly by the government, principally mili-
tary lines. The Transcaspian Railway is not included
in the 4472 versts. Very recently the Russian Minister
of finance has been in communication with the principal
shareholders of the Riachk-Viasma and the Morchansk-
Sysran Railway, as well as with those of the Transcau-
casian Railway, for the purchase of those lines. The
first is 650 versts long, the second 498 versts, and the
third 840 versts; consequently, the Russian State
system will increase by 2088 vents on the inclusion of
these three lines.—lron.