The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-12-05 00:00:00

some Jerediah Buxton has calculated it, some sixty
thousand words by way of recommending himself to
South Lancashire. One need go no further nor deeper
for a reason why South Lancashire rejected bun.
South Lancashire, being of human flesh and blood,
could not stand this interminable levturing. The
present number of Notes and queries, in investigating
the meaning of the vulgar phrase about "talking a
horse's hind leg off," says that it is "a Lancashire ex-
pression." If this be so, it seems to point out a certain
innate and vernacular distaste to profuse talk and sixty
thousand words of self-assertion. _ _ _

WORKING MEN IN PARLIANIENT.—EarI Russell,
in reply to a letter from Mr. George Howell, late can-
didate for the representation of the borough and
Hundreds of Aylesbury, thanking his Lordship for
the interest he had evinced in his canvass, has written
the following note :
Sir,-1 am sorry that you are not in Parliament. I wish
Mr. Odger was there to. Von might be of great use on
questions of labour anti capital, as well as u other ques-
tions.—l remain, your obedient servant, RUSSELL.

A VOTIVE URN.—A Ballot Dn.—P/000.
AmrslNG INCIDENTS AT THE MONTROSE
I:iv:rum—Some amusing incidents are reported to
have taken place at the polling booths in the contest
for the Montrose Burghs between Colonel Macdonald
and Mr. w. E. Baxter. At one the booths in Brechin
a stalwart voter, having given his name and address to
the polling Sheliff, was asked for whom he voted,
when he shouted his reply in stentorian tones, " Cornal
Macdonal " of course ; I kent him when he was sookin'
his thither !" At another ,f the booths, a req.:table-
looking voter, evidently one of the newly-enfranchised
classes, and knowing nothing of the election formali-
ties, advanced to the Sheriff's table, when the follow-
ing colloquy ensued? Sheriff : Do you wish to vote,
sir Voter: Yes.—Sheriff : What is your name?
Voter: What's yours ! —Sheriff (after having got his
name) : Who do you vote foe? Voter (placing his arms
akimbo on the table, and with a knowing and familiar
smile) : Whit are ye for yersel'?
SUICIDE OF AN EX-CONFEDERATE GENERAL.—
H. E. Reed, an ex-Confederate general, recently shot
himself dead in his office at Louisville, Kentucky.
On the office table lay the following hastily-written
note :

My life has been one of varied successes, from the creation
of my existence to the present moment. I have been the
farmer's sou, the mechanic, the soldier, the ministerial
officer, the professional gentleman, and the statesman in
all of which I am confident that I am entitled to respectful
consideration. The pecuniary want of my life has at all
times been embarrassing, which, perhaps, Is the cause of my
discomfiture, at least so much so as to render my life un-
happy. So, with the fresh memory of the honour of my
native state, and the love and kindness towards my family,
I bid farewell to life.—ii. E. REED.

SOAP GhOWING ON TRlCES.—SoapberriCt4 are to
be found in immense quantities throughout Alaska.
They grow on a bush about the atme in appearance as
whortle-berries. When ripe they are red, of a juicy
and quinine taste, and generally bienniaL One quart
taken and placed in a tub the size of a bushel, when
stirred, will completely till the tub with froth, and the
more it is stirred with the naked hand and arm the
stiffer it becomes, until you oan cut it with a knife. It
is eaten with horn or wooden spoons, all the family
sitting round the tubs. It is undoubtedly an acquired
taste, but the commodity is notch sought for. The
froth is of a beautiful pink colour. Green berries will
make nearly the saute amount of froth, but is of a
white colour and is not so highly flavoured. Foreigners
stir it with port or sherry wines, and add sugar, in
which case it is a delicious luxury. Large quantities
are dried, by being placed in a tub with their leaves,
forming a cake, which is placed on wicker tables, with
fight fires under and the sun overhead. When dried
they will keep in a dry place for some years. The
dried berries are black and look dirty. A piece two
inches square beaten in a water pool, will fill it full of
froth, of a dark pink colour. _

NOT TO BE BEATEN !—They tell in New York
two "naturalized" citizens who had great trouble
in getting their votes taken. Both were "challenged'
for not producing their naturalisation certificates. One
was a German, and, not to be deprived of his vote, he
went home and brought back t 3 the polling-place a
huge walnut-framed picture, containing his certificate,
his discharge from the army, and his license to keep
a "beer saloon," all arranged within the plate glass.
Of course his vote was accepted. The other case was
that of an Irishman whose certificate was pasted fast
to the door of his house. He deliberately took the
door off its hinges, carried it on his back, showed it to
the election officers, and put in his ballot amid the
cheers of the bystanders.

MOCKERY AND MUMMERY.—What a Pnrehaa
naturally demands—A Ca.—Punch.
EXECUTION OF AN ARAB. An Arab named
Ahmed ben Ka,ddour, condemned to death by the
Court of Assizes at Blidah, has just been execut.d at
that place. His crime was, that on January IC he
wonted by the absence of his neighbour Alxlel Kader
Ben Mohamed, who lived with his sister Fatima in a
natural grotto of the Zacca hills, near Milisnah, to
try and obtain possession of some jewels of small value,
and on the woman opposing resistance to his purpose
he murdered her. He denied the charge to the last,
but the trinkets had been found in the hood of his bur-
nous. On the scaffold he betrayed no emotion.

THE SOMERVILLEB.—A certain literary interest
connects itself with the recent death in the hunting
field of the 18th Baron Somerville (says the Athoutum).
The family came in with the Conqueror. The elder
branch got lands in England, the younger lands and
title in Scotland. In the last century, Somerville, the
poet of "The Chase," represented the elder branch.
His love of sport and of drinking brought his estate,
however, to the brink of ruin. He was a bachelor,
and in consideration of the bathetic on his property
being paid off by his kinsman of the younger branch,
the Eith Lord Somerville, the poet, settled the rei er-
sionary of his estates upon that Scottish baron. On a
part of the land thus acquired the lfith lord has met an
early death.
To FORM A GALLERY !—General Grant is com-
ing to New York to spend a week or two. We (New
York Times) take the liberty of letting out one of his
secrets. He intends to get the photograph of every
place-hunter that approaches him and to send all off to
Washington to be filed in a conspicuous place for
information during the entire term of his adminis-
tration.

A ROMANCE IN PAROCHIAL LIFE.-At the last
meeting of the Govan Parochial Board, Mr. WOnie,
one of the members, said be availed himself of that
opportunity to bring under their notice the following
transaction embraced in the finance report, which he
was sure they would be pleased to adopt :

some eleven years ago an old Highland woman became
chargeable on Govan parish, and she remained so till very
recently. Her original weekly allowance was Is. (id., rising
gradually till lately she si as paid 3s. 64. a week. Seventeen
years since anon of that poor woman left for America. She
was then in comfortable ciremustan ire., and he wrote to her
several times, but owing to changes of residence his letters
. . . . . .

. , ....
never reached their destination. !hey both therefore be-
lieved each other dead. After his long absence, however,
some thoughts of home revived, and he returned to this
country very lately, shore he found out his mother, in her
84th year, living in the position he had already stated. Like
a true-hearted Scotchmen his first care was to see about his
permit's comfort, and bear of her weary Pmrney since they
parted. lie then called at the poorhouse to repay the ad-
vances which had been made to her, amounting in all to
£74 I hid. Ile paid £3O to account, and the balance was to
be paid by him n the maturity of a bill, in which his hard-
canted savings were brought home.

BEST STONE FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL FABRIC.
—Glad-stone.—Ptineh.

A STICKLER FOR A MIRACLE —A singular trial
has just taken place before the Correctional Tribunal
of St. Nazaire (Loire). M. de Kerguenec, residing
near Guerande. being ill and on the point of dying,
invoked St. Joseph for a cure, and some time after-
wards recovered. The Esperanre du Prairie attributed
this result to a miracle, but the Pharr dr in Loire and
the A rcnir of St. Nazaire gave the credit of it to the
doctors. M. de Kerguenec was excessively indignant
at finding his restoration to health thus reduced to
ordinary proportions, going to the house of M.
Merressee, an advocate, the writer of the article in the
last-named journal, and so far forgetting himself as to
strike that gentleman in the face. For this assault a
prosecution was instituted, and the tribunal sentenced
him to a month's imprisonment and 1,500 fr. tine. The
end of the miracle was rather awkward.
WHOLESALE RUSTICATION AT OXFORD.— Con-
siderable excitement %Vali caused at Oxford on Tuesday
by the whole of the undergraduate members of New
College being ordered " down " in consequence of
damage done by them to a fellow Collegian's windows.
As they positively refused to deliver up the actual
offender, the authorities of the college deemed it expe-
dient to resort to this extreme measure, and in the
course of the day the ungraduates had left College, with
the exception of those at present engaged in the schools,
but who will have to quit the moment they have
finished their examinations. It will doubtless be re-
membered that last summer term the authorities of
Univerity College adopted the same course under
similar circumstances ; but in this case the ungraduatee
were permitted to return the next day, the Dons having
changed their minds. Whether the new College
authorities will follow this course is not known, but at
the present time the College is empty.
ANOTHER TIDAL PFIENOMENON.—A Canadian
paper states that on the Ist of November, at Cobourg
(on the north shore of Lake Ontario), the waters of
the lake receded from riOft. to 100 f t. from the usual
water-mark, returning again rapidly, with a loud
rushing sound, similar to that heard when the tide is
coming in on the sea coast. The ebbing and flowing
were repeated a number of times, for the space of
three-quarters of an hour.
A FRIENDLY CAUTION.—(From the New York
Times.)— The banquets to Reverdy Johnson in England
have lately been far too numerous to chronicle. We
fear the effects of these constantly recurring banquets
upon Mr. Johnson's health. The English are tremen-
dous eaters and enormous drinkers at their "ban-
quets." Elie solid, sanguinary meats, and strong,
heavy liquors are suchas no American constitution can
long stand; and, though we have no doubt Mr.
Johnson is willing to surfer -ind undergo a great deal
for his country, yet there are limits beyond which
patriotic endurance should cot be tested.