The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-10-09 00:00:00

Oh rein
"1:3-if4-ep-ar-
haun t

causing sa painful aen'satiss. in North
skes-the- Pall Mall Gazette). The mon-
ster, who _ ants the neighbourhood of Kit's Swamp,
is described as being in appearance quite similar to
that of the wonderoo, though from the knees down-
wards its feet and limbs are in shape and form pre-
cisely human. In height it measures about 5f 1.. while
its volume round the chest "would eclipse the Cardiff
giant." For several weeks past it has been preying
upon poultry, garden vegetables, and green corn to an
alarming extent. The other 'day a coloured man
named Asa Grandy was at work in a field, while his
little child five years old was playing in a corn crib
with a neighbour's child. Suddenly he heard the
children screaming, the dogs barking, and his wife
shrieking for assistance. Rushing to the edge of the
cornfield whence the cries proceeded, Asa found him-
self face to face with the swamp monster." The
intelligent but 'eccentric being with a child
in each paw was making towards the woods. On
meeting Asa it paused for a moment and appeared to.
hesitate as to the course it would take. Asa, with all
the strength of an enraged parent, immediately
knocked it head over heels by a well-directed-blow on
the foreheads The children fell to the ground happily
uninjured, and the monster, regaining its feet, took to
its.heels, and with "lightning rapidity" plunged into
the recesses of a neighbouring wood. Its conduct has,
it is stated, aroused psuch indignation among the
mothers of Kit's Swamp.
THE MEDICAL EDUCATION OF WOMEN. A
meeting of professors of Queen's College, Birming-
ham has (says the .Birmingham Post), been held to
consider the above-named subject. It was resolved,
by a majority of nine to three, that the professors
could not undertake the medical instruction of women
students "in Queen's College." This resolution was
based, it is understood, on the objection that the ad.
mission of women would endanger the college. as a
school for male students, many of the latter having
intimated their intention to withdraw if women were
admitted. The resolution of the professors was com-
municated to the College Council, which met on
Saturday, and this body unanimously resolved to de-
cline to admit women students to the institution. The
resolution of the Council, with their reasons for it, will
be transmitted to the mayor' as representing the de-
putation which recently had an interview with the
College Council.
THE ROYAL VISIT TO INDIA.
Subject" writes to The Times
"One curious result of the Prince of Wales's visit to India
may not, perhaps, be generally known. A large amount of
property is held under lease for lives in various parts of the
country, and the life of his jtoyal Highness has been, in very
numerous instsnces, selected for insertion, the reason being
that it can never drop without the faCt becoming known to
both lessor and lessee. Lessees are in the habit frequently
of effecting a policy on the Prince's life to protect themselves
against the contingency of his death avoiding the lease. I
have just had a notice from an insurance office in regard to
one of these policies to the effect that the Prince's visit ,to
India necessitates an additional premium for extra risk, and
which must be paid before he sails. No one can find fault
with his Ro3 al Highness for going where he will, and he is,
44 course, no party to the use so freely made Of Ms name, or
rather of hid life; but it is an unlooked-for occurrence that
his movements should unconsciously have important
pecuniary effects on so many people, and operate as no small
windfall to the insurance offices."
THE isiEW ; ACT ON PARLIAMEiTABY . • ELEC-
TIONS (RETURNING OFFIcERS).—On Friday, the Ist
inst., the new law to "regulate the expenses and to
control the charges" of returning officers at Parlia-
mentary elections- topk effect, and will continue in
'force -until the end of the year 1800. It is to be
constructed as one with the Ballot Act, and to apply
to England and Ireland. The charges to be allowed to
retutning officers at elections axe set forth in the
schedules, and the amount of security to be given. ,
They are, moderate in amount, and will considerably
reduce the expenses of candidates. The ballot-boxes
used at municipal and School Board elections may
be hired at an expense of ss. each, and only V' 7s.
is to be paid for a polling station, with two com-
partments. The candidates are to be furnished with
the accounts within 21. days of the return of the
writ, and the same may be taxed" within 14 days.
All claims against returning officers are to be made
within 14 days after the elections. In the City of ,
!London the Mayors court is to tax the bill when re-
quired, and in Eughosii the county court of the die.'
trict. In future the charges of candidates will be
reasonable, and in no case are to exceed the sums men-
tioned in the schedules.
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. This great
library, maintained by grants frotn Coisgress, but re-
ceiving, also, frequent valuable additions by private
.gifts, contains at lead 300,000 'volumes.' The largest
number are Looks of history, of which there aro about
100,000 volumes. Biography and travel stand next in
order, and show some 80,000. The law department,
with its 35,000 volumes, stands third upon the list, and
a poetry there are at_least 30,00 d. . The medical works
'for-esen. a -Vers; handsome front of 8,000, and standard
novels comprise a carefully-selected list or about 5,000.
The books of this library are allowed by law to be
loaned out to the President of the United States,
members of his Cabinet, Judges of the Supreme Court
and the (Joust of Claims, the members Q f the Senate
and llouse of Representatives and the Diplomatic
Corps in Washington. The same privilege is also ex-
tended by courtesy to-manY of the gentlemenemployed
about the Capitol building, and to the clerks of Senators
and Representatives, or those who are chairmen' of the
different Cougres.ional committees. To any other
persons, male or female, over the age of 19 years, is
accorded the privilege of going to the library and read-
ing at all times that the rooms are open.
PRESENCE OF MIND, —A remarkable instance
prstence of On d fill the part of the captain of a
nian-ofs-tvar la-TAM-Est-by the St. Petersburg papers.
About the end of last month tilos Russian war-frigate
Olaf, which had accompanied' the yacht of the Czare-
witch to Copenhagen, was lying at anchor among
hundreds of other ships in the harbour when a fire was I
discovered in a coal-cellar below,, which was only a
.fevrfeet from' thi powtleesseigitzinsr, and aft explosion
'cfr 'the laitge 'stores of dartridites and gunpowder con-
tained in it would probably have destroyed, not only
the Olaf and the surrounding ships, but part of Copen-
fr hage4itserf4 Captain Relabinder, the commander of
the Olaf, saw at once that the only „ thingc bes-clone
.45 prevent the casastrAe wa to sink the. ilhip. -1111.fter
sending tOshy the crew with the ship's papers, cash-
boxes, and most valuable‘ instsumentir in boats he ,
ordered the carpenters' and engineers to make a leak
in the vessel, and half an hour afterwards she sank
in ,not very deep waters Next do she Agasiritised
again, and after some provisional repairs was taken to
Croustadt, where she is now lying in dock pending her
complete restoration for service. The damage done is
stated to ,hv ,nunaparatively riflipg, 'and the !conk-
martial held on tfiq ofAperoc, o thvesfiel.unanimously
expreiised the higheit praise or the conduct of sOles
captain and his subordinates. The Emperor has ap-
pointed him his aide de-camp, whish is one of the
highest honours conferred on Russian naval officers,
and the officers and men under him have received
gratuities from the Emperor's privy purse,

"A Loyal