The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-03-05 00:00:00

Ulistellantous

HOME FOREIGN. AND COLONIAL.

THE FRENCH CONSCRIPTION.—The French Army has
been claiming innumerable victims just now, as
February is the month of the conscription. Peasants
in general greatly dislike military service, and try all
kinds of expedients to escape. There are two chief
means of producing incapacity and avoiding the con-
scription. (1) Maladies due to pernicious potions;
weakness of constitution resulting from voluntary
over-fatigue and starvation; and chopping off the
thumb with a hatchet. (2) Black and white magic,
spells, talismans, and other inoffensive tricks, which
are of course ineffectual.

THE LARGEST STEEL VESSEL AFLOAT.—The steam
ship Servia, for the Cunard line, of 8,500 tons, was
launched on the Clyde on Tuesday. With the ex-
ception of the Great Eastern, she is the largest vessel
yet built for the mercantile marine, and additional
Interest is centred in her from the fact that she is
built of steel. Her length is 530 feet.. She will be
fitted with engines of 10,500 indicated horse power.
WHICH HAS THE BEST OF IT ?—Elderly Man. "Why
did you look back at me, sir? "—Young Man;-' " No,
you looked back at me."—Elderly Man. " Yes ; but I
only looked back at you to see whether you were
looking back at me.—Young Man. "And I only
looked back at you to see whether you were looking
back at me to see if I was looking back at you."—
[With this exceedingly satisfactory exposition they
bow and part.—Funny Folks.
THE ARMY ESTIMATES.—A revised Army Estimate
was issued last Saturday. The vote for the number
of men of all ranks on the establishment of the regular
army, exclusive of India, will be, in 1881-82, 134,060.
In 1880-81 the number was 131,859. The vote shows
an excess of 850 men above the numbers stated in the
Army Estimates. The addition is required to pro-
vide for the reinforcements proceeding to Africa.
_ _

THE IMPORT OF AMERICAN AND CANADIAN FOOD.—
The arrivals of fresh meat and live stock at Liverpool
from the United States and Canada last week were
greatly below those of the preceding but quite up to the
average of recent weeks. The total importation was
309 cattle, 437 sheep, 7,428 quarters of beef, 968
carcases of mutton, and 1,043 dead pigs; against a
total of 1,070 cattle, 377 sheep' 11,245 quarters of beef,
1.802 carcases of mutton, and 551 pigs.
A LOTTERY AT DIIBLIN.—In the House of Commons,
on Monday evening, Mr. Anderson asked the Attorney
General for Ireland whether his attention had been
called to a lottery at Dublin, under the patronage of
the Lord Mayor, said to be on the plan of the Art
Union' but at which considerable sums of money were
offered, either directly or as alternatives to the prizes;
whether that circumstance put it out of the category
of Art Unions and made it an illegal lottery; and
whether any steps would be taken to vindicate the
law in Ireland as would be done in England or Scot-
land under like circumstances.—The Attorney-General
for Ireland: My attention has been called by the
question of my hon. friend to the bazaar and distri-
bution of prizes to be held in Dublin next month in
aid of the fund for erecting a memorial convent. The
arrangements seem to be of thp same character as those
which have been adopted fti time to time for other
charitable bazaars in Ireland. and which for many
years past have been suffered by successive Govern-
ments to pass unchallenged. I see no sufficient
reason for departing from this course in the present
instance.

LLAMA LEATHER. —The skin of the ilama is coming
more into use in Paris, particularly for shoemaking
purposes. The skin is said to weigh on an average
six pounds, and to contain about eighteen cubic feet
of leather. The price averages about £l. This kind
of leather is obtained from Peru, where llamas are
very plentiful; this animal is found generally in the
mountainous portions of South America. It is esti-
mated that Peru contains within its borders from
three to four millions llamas, the animal being in
common use there as a beast of burden.

SPELLING REFORM IN OLDEN DAYS.—The following
is communicated to Notes and Queries respecting
spelling reform :—A Quaker, who subscribes himself
"John, the servant of the Most High God, the former
and upholder of all things," &c., wrote from a place
called " Great Gomara, on a certain island in
Hungary," ngary," a pamphlet entitled "The Arraignment
Christendom. Printed in Eurape in the year 1677."
of
In the preface he says he tries to spell as people speak,
and three advantages are pointed out as likely to result
from this: 1. Children would learn to read in leas
time; 2. All would learn to write more correctly; 3.
Foreigners "would master our pronunciation more
readily. He points out that " righteousness " has
four superfluous letters' which he strikes out, and
spells it " ryteosness." Truly "there is nothing new
under the sun."

MARRIAGE LAws.-IClir. Blennerhemett is about to
ask leave to introduce a Bill to enable Noncon-
formists and Roman Catholics to celebrate marriage
without the presence of the registrar. This privilege
is at present possessed by members of the Established
Church, by the Society of Friends, and by Jews.
The object of the proposed measure is to remove a
religious disability, to reduce the cost of marriage, and
to put an end to an inconvenience which is seriously
felt, especially by the poorer classes.

REACTION AGAINST FASHIONABLE FRIVOLITIES.—
"Finger Cosies" is the American name for those
scraps of satin and lace which English and Transat-
lantic ladies alike call "muffs." Fashionable frivo-
lities have reached such a pitch in San Francisco that
a reaction has set in, according to the News Letter,
and a band of reformers have inaugurated a new club,
"eel and Toe No. 2," at which the members will
spend their evenings in darning stockings, to the
accompaniment of harmless gossip. Less sober beings
prefer the "masked dinner, which the same journal
tells us is already the rage in London and Paris.

YANKEE ADVERTISING.-" Hats off! Hats off !"
was the cry which, at a late exciting horserace,
greeted those who had been lucky enough to get next
to the rails. An exception, however, was made in the
case °Mine gentleman, and one only. And why was
he an exception to the general rule? This is the
reason: The hat he wore excited not only the envy,
but the admiration, of those whose privilege it was to
get a glimpse at this masterpiece of haticulture. The
artist was 'White, 614, Commercial-street.

THE WAY TO RETAIN HEALTH.—YOUng Lady.—
"I'm glad to see you looking so well, Mrs. Wickens.
You never seem to get any older." Mrs. Wickens.—
" Well, Mi=s, you see, I always 'ave 'eld temperance
as a blessin' and moderation in drinkin' sperrets a
nartue. What I se s is as three or four glasses o'
gin afore breakfus in the mornin' is as good as a
'undred."—Fun.

AN ENTERPRISING NATIVE.—The Austrian papers
state that an Indian Prince was struck with the
accounts he read of the electric railway exhibited
at the Austrian Industrial Exhibition that he has
purchased it, and ordered it to be sent to India. He
has also secured the services of the engineer in charge.

PROTECTION OF WILD BIRDS.—On Tueeda.y, March
1, the Wild Birds Protection Act, 1880, came into
operation, and until the Ist of August it will be
illegal to kill or take any wild bird in Great Britain.
Only owners and occupiers of land or any person
authorised by them are allowed to kill or take wild
birds on such land that are not included in the
schedule of birds attached to the Act. The schedule
includes, besides a large number of sea birds, the fol-
lowing land.. birds—cuckoo, goldfinch, kingfisher,
nightjar, nightingale, owls, plovers, woodpeckers,
&c. The penalty for any person (not an owner or
occupier of land or authorised by such owner or
occupier) for killing or taking any wild bird not in
the schedule is 59. for each bird and costs. Anyone,
whoever he may be, killing or taking a bird men-
tioned in the schedule is liable to a penalty of £1 for
each bird. The Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals announce their intention of
enforcing the statute, and notice of an infringement
of the Act should be given to the police or to the
society.

NOT HAPPY YET !—The Detroit Free Press says:
We are rich in Yankee land but still we are not happy,
for we have been eclipsed. That we have some very
rich people in this country there is no doubt, but where
are they, asks the incinnati Star, as compared with
the Roman aristocrats? Vanderbilt may be able to
give his cheque for 50,000,000 dols,, but when Cyrus
returned from the conquest of Asia he was rated at
500,000,000 dols. Mrs. Astor may give an entertainment
at the expense of 25,000 dols., and Mrs. Mackay may give
dinner parties that cost 50,000 dols., but a festival given
by Ptolemy Philadelphus cost 2,239,000 dols. Alex-
ander's daily meal, frugal as it was, cost 1,700 dols. ; and
money was of so little account to Claunius that he once
swallowed a pearl that was worth over 40,000 dols. James
Gordon Bennett has been known to give many thousands
of dollars to people for whom he had acquired a fancy,
but, according to Tacitus, more than 97,000,000 dols.
were given away in a similar manner by Nero.
Queens of fashion in New York and San Francisco
have appeared at balls wearing jewels estimated to
have cost 200,000 dollars, which pales into insigni-
ficance when compared with the alleged fact that
Lollia Taulina wore jewels valued at 1,662,500 dols.,
an'd that when she wore these it was only on the oc-
casion of a plain citizen's supper.

ROUND THE WORLD IN 430 DAYS.—The Anglo-
Brazilian Times reports that the Brazilian corvette
Vital de Oliveira returned to Rio Janeiro on the 24th
ult., after completing her voyage of circumnavigation
of the world in 430 days 268 of which were spent at
sea. During the trip she traversed 35,045 miles. At
Valparaiso, when leaving, the officers found that some
unknown Chilian officers had paid their hotel bill. In
all ports the officers received great attention.

THE LABOUR MARKET.—Owing to the prospect of a
speedy settlement of the wages question in the cotton
and coal districts, there is a decided improvement in
all branches of the labour market. The cotton trade
is active, and prices are well sustained. During the
week the shipments in the North of England iron
trade were very large, and they are expected to im-
prove every week. There is continued activity in the
finished iron trade, engineers and iron founders being
well employed. The shipbuilding-yards are very busy.
Business on the Clyde is good, and the men in all
branches of shipbuilding are fully employed. After
a duration of eight weeks, the colliers' strike at
Wigan has terminated, nearly the whole of the men
baying returned to work. The textile trades are busy.
The hardware trades are rather dull, but there is a
fair export businesstbeing done. The hosiery and silk
industries are active, and both give fair employment
to the workpeople. There is a briskness in the boot
and shoe and woollen and clothing trades. The de-
mand for watches and ribbons is slack, and there is
considerable dulness in printing and bookbinding. In
London the demand for female labur is rather quiet,
and efforts areibeing made to organize a good emigra-
tion society so as to enable many who now from various
causes live from day to day with only a precarious
means of subsistence to emigrate to the colonies,
where they are likely to find good and profitable em-
ployment.

SUPEItSTMON ABOUT FEATHERS.—Writing anent
superstitions about feathers, a correspondent of Notes
and Queries says :—A curious piece of superstition has
recently come under my notice. A lady of these parts
tells me the following story (as a fact) which illustrates
the point in question. A young man, having been
for some time seriously ill, at length apparently arrived
within "a measurable distance" of death, and was
evidently in distressing pain, tossing from one side to
the other in the greatest agony. Nothing that could
be done seemed to alleviate the pain. At length an
old nurse of the family was called in, who, after look-
ing at the dying youth, apparently detected the cause
of pain. She left the room, and immediately returned
with a, flock pillow, which she substituted for the one
being used by the dying man, which was made of
feathers. He immediately becanie calm, and died in
a few hours. lam assured that a person cannot die
on a pillow of game feathers. lam also informed that
it is very unlucky to keep peacocks' feathers in one's
house. It would be interesting if any correspondents
would communicate the recurrence of these beliefs in
other parts of the country.
BOUND BY A " SPELL."—Coachman (who has
borrowed a Dictionary). 'Ere, Bill, turn to 0, and
jest see vether there's vun "s" or two in "085."—
Funny Folks.

LOCAL TAXATION IN IRELAND.—From a parliamen•
tary return recently issued, it appears that the
total local taxation in Ireland amounted, in 1879, to
the sum of £3,368,113, of which £2,619,183, or 778
per cent., represented the rates on real property;
£539,174, or 16 per cent., tolls, fees, stamps, and dues;
and the balance, £209,756, or 62 per cent., was made
up from "other receipts." Compared with 1878 there
was a net increase of £116,691. In the rates on real
property there was an increase of £109,286, and in
"other receipts" of £22,192; but tolls, fees, stamps,
and dues produced £14,787 less than in 1878.
DUET FROM "THE MAID OF HONOURS."—" Where
are you coming from, my pretty Maid ? " "Coming
from Girton, Sir," she said. "Then Iwill not marry
you, my priggish maid." "Nobody asked you, Sir;"
she said. She was a Senior Wrangler.—Punch.

ITALIAN WINES.—The failure of grape crops in
France and Spain is said to have occasioned a heavy
demand on Italian vineyards (says the Globe). We
get a good deal of their produce in this country,
though this source of it does not always appear in
official reports. Indeed, official reports until recently i
have indicated a decided falling off n the importation
of Italian wines into this country. During eleven
months of 1877 the value of such imports was
£132,717. The corresponding period in the next
year gave £109,322, and in 1879 only £93,983. Last
year showed, we believe, a slight recovery.
BRAVERY REWARDED.—At a chapter of the Order
of St. John of Jerusalem in England, held at St.
John's-gate, London, last week, the medal awarded
for deeds of gallantry for saving life on land was
unanimously voted to Corporal George Clarke, 95th
Regiment, and Police-constable William Maguire,
90 11, for conspicuous courage in saving lives at fires,
the former at Limerick, and the latter at Whitechapel.
Both the gallant recipients displayed exceptional
heroism, each of them rescuing two persons from
the flamesl and both suffering more or less personal
injury. or his conduct on the occasion Clarke was
promoted by his commanding officer, Colonel North
Crealock, C. 8., while Maguire received a pecuniary
reward from the Commissioners of Police.
AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The follow-
ing are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending Feb. 26, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 40s. 9d. ; barley, 31s. 10d. ;
oats, 20s. 10d. per imperial qr. Corresponding week
last year :—Wheat, 435. Od. ; barley, 355. 2d. ; oats,
225. 3d.

A CAPITAL CEIOICE.—COUsin Amy.—"So you
haven't made up your mind yet what Profession you're
going to be when you grow up, Bobby? "—Bobby.—
" Will, yes ! I don't exactly know what it's called,
you know, but it's living in the country, and keeping
lots of horses and dogs, and all that ! "—[ Bobby's papa
is a Curate, with £2OO a year].—Punch.
THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER.—A Parliamentary
Paper just issued contains the accounts of the Duchy
of Lancaster for the year ended the 21st of Decem-
ber, 1880. The charge for the year 1880, including
arrears on the 21st of December, 1879, amounted to
£92,677, but of this £14,500 was in arrear on the 21st
of December, 1880; the net receipts of the year
amounted, therefore, to £78,177. Of this sum £41,000
was paid for Her Majesty's use to the Keeper of the
Privy Purse, and after allowing for the expenses of
management, &c., there remained a balance at the
close of the year of £18,158. The capital account of
the Duchy shows a sum of £58,277 stock.
BRITISH AGRICULTURIL—Mr. James Howard, M.P.,
has received the following letter from Mr. Gladstone,
dated Feb. 28 :—" Mr. Gladstone has had the honour
to receive the resolution enclosed in your letter of the
23rd inst., which was passed at the recent meeting of
the Hampshire Branch of the Farmers' Alliance, in
reference to the claims of British agriculture to the
early attention of Parliament, and in reply I am
directed to say that Mr. Gladstone is very sensible of
the urgency of questions connected with land in
England and Scotland, and he much regrets that they
have been, for the present,. thrust back from the im-
mediate front of public affairs.—l remain, &c., E. W.
HAMILTON."