The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-03-08 00:00:00

Blisctilantous 4ntelligente,

ROME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL-

A WARLIKE Joas.—lt sppears from the cor-
respondence of Sir John Burgoyne that during the
Crimean war, a letter was written by a young lady to
an officer, requesting that when Menschikoff was taken
the officer would send her one of the buttons aff the
Prince's coat. The letter fell into Prince Menschikoff '8
hands. He returned it with a cost•button, and with a
message intimating that, as some time might elapse
before he was taken prisoner, he thought be might as
well forward the object of the writer's wishes at once '

OLD Aag.—The obituary of The Times of
Saturday, the let of March, again contaited some
remarkable illustrations of prolonged existence in ten
persons —viz., seven gentlemen and three ladies
to 853 years, giving an average of 85 years and
more than three months to ea-h. The ladies, as
usual, took the lead, the oldest being 99 and
the youngest 82. They were, however, closely pressed
by the opposite sex, the oldest of whom was 97 and
the youngest 80 years of age. The ages respectively
were two at 80, the same numb < r at 81, 82, 83, 84, 86,
97, and 99 years of age. The same obituary contained
the deaths of 12 persons—viz., seven gentlemen and
five ladies—at ages ranging from 70 to 79, or 22 from
70 to 99 years of age.

LORD LYTTELTON ON "THE Pious FOUNDER.'
—ln his evidence before the Select Committee on En-
dowed Schools on Tuesday, Lord Lyttelton said: I
hold, in accordance with Mr. Hebbouse, that no man
ought after his death to be able to direct the applb
cation of his property ; it should be left to the corn
monwealth to deal with it after a certain time and so
all restrictions in section 19 should be removed. No-
thing is more sacred than a trust, but it ought not to
be peri etuaL The time will come whoa it will be held
to be a super tition that a dying man may direct what
is to be done with his property. These doctrines are
get forth with authority by my late colleague, Mr.
Hobhouse. I think after a time there ought to be a
power to direct the revision of any endowment. I ad-
mit that the principle of setting aside founders' wills
is not approved in the country.
A RACE WITH A TRAIN. On Wednesday
morning a scene was witnessed at Moss Bank, a road-
side station a few miles from St. Helens, of a frightful
and painful character. It appears that lately &labourer
at Blackleyhurst coke furnaces has manifeste I gym-
toms of insanity, which on Monday blazed out with
terrible fkof. While standing atlfoss Bank Railway
Station, as the 10.57 train started for St. Helens, he
deliberately jumped off the platform, ran along the
line at a great speed, and got in front of the engine,
keeping tin his mad gallop until he arrived at
Gerard's Bridge, a station about a mile from Aloes
Bank. Fortunately, the engine driver noticed the un-
fortonate man, and slackened the speed of the train
to prevent the occurrence of an accident. On arriving
at Gerard's Bridge, steps were taken to secure the
poor fellow, but a fearful struggle ensued before that
could be accomplished. On being taken to the police.
elation tie had lucid intervals and conversed with some
decree of intelligence, but in his ravings his countenance
assumed ghastly contortions, his eyes glared, and he
exhibited the most dreadful symptoms of downright
madness. At one time it was only with the utmost
difficulty that he could be prevented from thrusting
his head into the fire, and at another be would fallupon
his knees, and with eyes and hands upturned, give
vent to hurried and disconnected uttering.. Ultimately
the patient was persuaded that he was going to
America, and placed in a cab in safe custody to be con-
veyed to an asylum as a lunatic.

Txmss' CHANoEs!—The daughter of Zachary
Taylor, formerly President of the United States, and
one of the greatest American generals, has just
petitioned the American Government for a pension of
£lO a month. Her father died penniless, and her hue.
band, who was an army surgeon, left her destitute at
his death. This pitiable fact brings out in strong
light how much leas American politics involved money
making a generation back than at present. General
Grant was a captain in the army of which Taylor was
commander. Twenty years only have elapsed since
General Taylor died in office, and now General Grant,
the poor captain, is reported to be a millionaire. His
rapid increase of wealth contrasts strangely with the
career of others besides that of old "Rough and Ready,"
as Taylor was nicknamed. After Washington, the
most illustrious President of the States was Thomas
Jefferson, and he had to sell his library to the country
in order to stave off the ills and miseries of an ignoble
poverty. Monroe, too, the founder of the well-known
" Monroe Doctrine," would have died a pauper had
not his daughters been fortunate in the lottery of
matrimony.

A Bitavz Boy.—The Royal Humane Society's
silver medal has been awarded to Mr. Stanley Le
Flerninz, aged 17, son of General Le Fleming, of
IZydal Hall, for saving the life of • young woman who
sank while bathing in the sea at Southsea, on the 22nd
of August, 1872. Mr. Le Fleming is at Repton
Sohool, and the medal was presented to him by Di.
Pears, the head master, in the presence of the school,
after the afternoon call on Saturday last. The follow.
lug is the resolution which accompanied the medal en-
grossed on vellum :

" It wee resolved uisanlm ousiy that the noble courage and
humanity displayed by Stanley Ii In Fleming in having, on
the 22nd of August, 1,72, swam to the relief of a female who
sank whilst bathii g at Smiths., Hants, and whose life he
saved, calls forth the admiration of this General Court, and
justly entitles him to the honorary silver medal of the
society, which is hereby awarded —Signed, AkOiLL, Fruit.
dent; HENRY PuWNALL, Chairman.
PARLIAMESTABY ANOMALY. The Standing
Orders are only complied with when the House is bit-

LIGHT f httsid.: ST. STEPHEN'S. —We (Ti.
Tirnts) understand that an intense magneto-electric
light, and an exceedingly powerful gas li2ht will
shortly be exhibited simultaneously on the north and
west sides of the upper part of the Clock Tower. The
current in the former will be generated by a com-
paratively novel and remarkable magnets-electric
machine moved by steam power, which a high autho-
rity in this country pronounces to te a decided step
In ads ance of every other machine of the kind. The
latter is in operation at various lighthouses on the
Irish coast, and may in favourable weather be seen at
a distance of 25 miles. The exhibitors have proposed
that the trial shall be made at their own cost, except
in very trifling particulars. The public generally may
be interested in this experiment conducted on the
competitive syetern now on much in favour.
THE AMERICAN STYLE OF ADVERTISING.—
Vandyke drew a portrait of Cromwell, leaving out the
mole on his cheek. The Protector ordered the painter
to put it in immediately. This idea has so run down
of late that it has become a piece of affectation. Por-
traits of Lincoln, Johnson, and Grant usually have a
thundering big wart alongside the nose, and the bigger
it is the greater is supposed to be the fidelity of the
picture. The protuberance on the cheek of the statue
of our late lamented in front of the Lincoln school-
house looks like a large paper wad thrown and stuck
there by some mischievous school-boy. There is a
curiuns history connected with that wart. It is well
known that Lincoln drank Hotalline's Cut whisky ex-
clusively; but he ran out of it once, and had to try an
inferior brand. Hence the melancholy wart.

WITNESS AND JUDGE. —ln the case of" The
Queen c. Russell," just heard at the Warwickshire
Assizes a domestic servant was called into the box and
gave minute evidence as to the arrangements of the
house in which she served. Mr. Justice Denman asked
her some questions relative to the beds and bedding,
and witness laughed a good deal. His Lordship : Why
do you laugh ? I have noticed you do it several times.
Witness continued laughing, but mode no reply. On
111, question being repeated, she said she thought he
would understand bedding to mean mattresses and such
like. His Lordship: Oh, then, it was my folly you
were laughing at (laughter) was that so ?—Witness :
Ye., sir (loud laughter). His Lordship: And when
you laughed during your examination and cross-
examination by the counsel, I suppose you were laugh-
ing at their folly! (laughter).—Witness : Yes, sir (loud
laughter). His Lordship : lam very much obliged to
you for your candour; I have learnt something to.day.
Good day te you (loud laughter), The witness then
leftethe box.
- -

Alt. PLIMSOLL'S Morn:mt.—A meeting of ships
owners and others was held on Monday afternoon at
the Towmhall, Liverpool, to consider the expediency
of sumiorting Mr. Plimsoll's motion for a Royal Corn.
mission to inquire into the excessive loss of life at sea.
The Mayor presided, and the attendance was influeu-
tiaL Mr. T. Stamford Ratil.,s, stipendary magistrate,
moved the first resolution :—" That In the opinion of
this meeting the loss of nearly 3,000 lives at sea in
British shipping every year, from causes which are be-
lieved to be to a large extent preventable, is a matter
which deserves the most serious consideration." 111 r.
liathbone seconded the resolution, which vire carried
unanimously. Mr. Stitt moved, "That a petition be
prepared, signed by the Mayor on behalf of the meet-
ing, and forwarded to the borough members for presen-
tation to the House of Commons." Mr. Darbyshire
seconded the resolution, which was agreed to. The
meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Mayor
for presiding. It is understood that the Government
have decided to grant the Royal Commission for which
Mr. Plimsoll intends to move on Monday.

Sueormart Scruat)e.—An inquest has been
held at Jersiy touching the death of Richard Cuttmore,
late a soldier in the 12th Brigade Royal Artillery.
The th ceased's wife died on Wednesday in last week,
after childb,rth, and the event took a serious etiect on
his mind. He refused to eat, and on Thursday wan-
dered about the whole day, at night telling his brother.
in-law that if anything happsned to him he wished his
watch to be sent to England to a relative. On Friday
morning he left the house bareheaded, and walked
down to the sea-side, lie went into the water, and
when about up to his kneeP, took cff his jacket and
threw it away. He then went farther out, beyond
his depth, and kept swimming about, and " treading "
the water for upwards of half- an-hour, refusing to come
out of the water when called to do so. At length two
young men stripped and went in after him, but before
they reached hi nhe went down. They succeeded in
getting him ashore, where medical attendance was at
once obtained, but all efforts proved fruitless in restor-
ing animation.

DANGERS OF THE GAME 01 " PoLO."— A
letter from Sealkote relates a and occurrence at that
station. A game of Polo was being played. Limits.
Baker, of the sth Lancers, and Churchill, of the 58th
Foot, were both riding hard at the ball, when they
cannoned against each other. Men and horses went
down as if they had been shot, and both riders were
picked up insensible; but poor Baker never apoke
again, and died three days afterwards. It is the inten-
tion of the colonel and his brother officers to erect a
monument over hie grave, and a tablet in Sealkote
Church to his memory.—Lieut. J. W. Carpenter, of
"the Buffo," has lost his life at Benares, also while play-
ing at Polo. During the game his pony come into
collision with one ridden by Lieut. Guise, a brother
officer, Lieut. Carpenter wee thrown, and, falling on
his head, died riorit immediately.—The Pioneer
thinks that "it may perhaps be considered time to
question the good sense of all who chore the responsi.
bility of keeping up a game which, whatever its merits
as an amusement, has cost the Queen's service inludj
two gallant offices" in as many months."

FaxALE D umassrs. —The Paris Figaro states
that a duel was fought last Thursday between two
women living in the Boulevard de Courcelles. The
cause of dispute wan rivalry for the affections of a man
named Juglin, and the two women agreed to decide
their dispute by means of a duel with knives. Tie
frightful conflict was waged in the house 84, Boulevard
de Courcelles and the result was one woman mortally
and the other dangerously wounded. The cause of
this dreadful contest, the man higlin, has been arrested,
MR. MILL ON THE INCOME cri
tical notice which appears in the " Fortnightly
Review," upon Constantino Baer's book, 'Property
and Taxation," Mr. John Stuart Mill says :

'The many injustices of a direct Income-tax are generally
acknowledged ; while perhaps the greatest of all Is that which
I, the least complained of—that it Is • tax on conscience and
a premium on deception and improbity. The Increase of
commercial dishonesty, so much complained of for many
years past, was predicted by good judges as the certain effect
of Sir Robert Peel's Income-tan, and it will never be known
for how much of that evil product the tax may be account-
able, or in how many eases • false return of Income was the
lint dereliction of pecuniary integrity. Nevertheless, an in-
come-tax Is felt to be indispensable on our present financial
system, because without It there are actually no means, re-
cognised by existing opinion, of making the richer clusee pay
their juat share of taxation—a thing which cannot be done
by any system of taxes on consumption yet devised, finc•
cession duties are, no doubt, the least objectionable mode of
making property, as dlethiguithed from income, contribute
directly to the State, and they should he employed as far as
predicable; but, unless the duty io very light, there is great
difficulty In protecting It against evasion."

RECENT DISCOVERIES IN THE PYRAMIDS.--
fhe Pyramids of Egypt were constructed 4,000 year.
ago. Mr. Dixon, of England, has for some time been
exploring the two remarkable chambers known as the
king's and queen's chambers, in the interior of the
Gi eat Pyramid. By means of a wire introduced be-
tween the joints of the masonry, he found • space,
and was thereupon induced to bore into the walls of
the queen's chamber, when he discovered •
way, eight by nine inches in dimensions, eviereangetBlay•
ventilating flue. Its terminus has not yet been found.
Within the passage way he found a brooze hook, which
is supposed to be the most ancient specimen of bronze
now existing. Ile also found a piece of worked cedar
wood and a granite ball, which latter is believed to
have been an Egyptian weight, It. diameter is 2i
inches. As the walls, says the Scientific American,
behind which these arti,le were found were solid on
the inner side of the chai ber, it is believed that they
were placed in the p)l,tiq. S where they were found at
the time the pyramid wee erected.

A WASTE OF TIME.— One of the curi.Aities
of the Vienna Exhibition will be a watch made entirely
of rock crystaL Many years since a workman in a
French maunfactory decided to make a watch, every
part of which, the mainspring alone excepted, should
be of rock crystal, and alter thirty years' labour sc.
complished his task. All the pieces of the watch are
fastened by rock crystal screws, and the escapement
is most intricate. His widow would never part with
it; but when she died the treasure fell into the hands
of a French watchmaker, who intends to exhibit it as a
sample of French workmanship, pricing it at £4OO.
PRATING FOR FINE WEATHER. —A worthy
and well.known Scotch clergyman took a view of this
matter entirely parochial. A deputation of his
parishioners having waited on him to ask him to read
the prayers for fine weather, he replied that he did not
see the need of it, as all of them had got In their
wheat with the exception of Mr. , andlts he had
only ten acres to sow, that was of little consequence,
and so he would have the extra prayer to read for
nothing. A Highland minister, having been requested
by his flock to pray for better weather, and being at
the same time warned to be cautions in presenting his
petition, because the last time he prayed for better
weather it became worse, thus expressed himself :
" An, noo, Lord, I has a petition to present, but I
mum be unco wary o' the wordio o't. Ye ken, Lord,
the kittle state the craps are in. Just send us a
soughin', southern, dreein' breeze, as 'ill save the strae,
and winna harm the heed; for if ye send a tearin',
reevin', thunderin' storm, as ye did the last time I
prayed for gude weather, ye'll play the mischief wi'
the site, and fairly spoil a'."

REDINTEGRATIO Amoms.—The objection to
the new Married Women's Property Bill, that it will
substitute litigation for love between man and wife,
answers itself. That measure, if passed, will renew
the terms on which the married were related in court-
ship preceding marriage. Engaged unier its pro-
visions in Nisi Prins and County Courtship, wedded
partners will again become suitors and sued.—Punch.

THE ADMIRALTY AND THE PRINCE OF WALLS.
--The Lords of the Admiralty have issued a circular
which will prevent for the future any such misunder-
standing as that which formed the topic of so much
gossip in the service last year. It is thus worded :
My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty desire that it
be understood that whenever her Majesty the Queen Is on
board her royal yacht, or any of her Majesty's ships, with
her standard flying; or when his Royal Highness the Prince
of Wales is representing her Molest! at any special cere-
monial, and is on board one of the royal yachts, or any of
her Majesty's ships, with his standand flying, the regulation
for firing the morning and evening gun is to be adhered to
on board any e f her Majesty's ships and vessels prevent ; but
the time is to be taken from the gun which will be teed
from the royal yacht or ship bearing her Majesty's standard
or that of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.
The hoisting and hauling down of colours in the morn
log and evening are to he regulated by the same rule.
A DREAMING 31aTun !—The following bit of
Indian romance is by an American writer in the Wash-
ington Irving style: —When the Indian went to eta
the white man, he stayed with him all night. In the
morning he said to the white man, "I dreamt last
night." "All, what was it ? " "I dreamt you gave
me your grey mare and then you gave me rifle; that
you gave me much powder, much ball, much shot."
"Did you indeed? What a dream ! " "Yes, I dreamt
it aIL" "Well, that's bad, for my wife always rides
the grey mare, and she thinks Phe can't ride any other
horse; but if you dreamt It, why I suppose you must
have her. And my rifle too— my favourite rifle—you
dreamt I gave you that too." "Yes, me dream rifle,
too.'' "Well, if you dreamt it, why I suppose youmust
take that, too but it's verylsingular. So the white
man gave them all into the Indian's preseesi on ; but
persuaded him to tarry with him one night more. In
the morning the white man says to the Indian —" I had
a dream last night." " N ; did you ? " Yev! , but
I did though. I dreamt that you gave me all the land
between Pojunket river and Catapunch mountain,"
about three thousand acres of the most beautiful land
imaginable. "Ah ! bones of my father! Well, if you
dreamt it, I suppose you must have the land—but I
never dream with you any more."

LEGEND REGARDING SHETLAND WOOL. —A
curious historical legend is connected with the Shetland
wool. Three hundred years ago a man.of.war belong.
ing to the Spanish Armada Wal wrecked on one of the
islands. The sailors who escaped taught the natives
to make brilliant dyes from roots which they found, re.
sembling those used for like purposes in Spain. Those
persons who now wear bright Shetland knit "corn
forters " are unconsciously wearing mementoes of the
failure of the Invincible fleet, which sailed for' h to awe
if not conquer Queen Bess, but met with a disastrous
defeat from the elements.

OFFICIAL FACTB.—What are the duties of
" The Auditor-General?' To listen to everything and
everybody. In this capacity he is never at.le to hear
any good of himself. In his diet he is utrestricted,
except that he must live chiefly upon round. He
generally lives to a good old age, and dies full of ears.
Punch.

SNORING RAILWAY SLEEPERS— —The Timi.,
has been informed by Mr. James Ashbnry, Chairman
of the Ashbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company
(Limited), that the first Sleeping Carriage for use on
an English Railway was used on the journey from
Glasgow to London on Monday night, and arrived at
the Great Northern Terminus, King's Cross. at eight
Rm. StICCeBB to Railway Sleeping Carriages.
Pleasant dreams to those who sleep in them. They
will always travel in their dreams, and sometimes
different ways. Heretofore railway sleepers have
mostly occupied a stationary position below thewheels.
May the sleepers in transit repose as securely as those
In site, and may the former never awake to find them-
selves in a situation of unpleasant contiguity to the
latter —Punch.

THE NATIONAL DEBT.—ID a Parliamentary
return just issued an account is given of the receipt
and expenditure of £2,059,197 Bs. id. in one year, from
the 31st of December, 1871, to the 31st of December
last, by the ttommiFsioners for the Reduction of the
National Debt with the Bank of England. The amount
to be received and applied to the quarter between the
list of December, 1872, and the 314 of March next is
£1,227,436 Bs. 10d.

• •
Tits SCARCITY OF HORSES.—The Earl of
Faversham. presiding at the annual meeting of the
Ryerlale (North York) Agricultural Association, held
at Kirby Moorside, allnded to the motion of Lord
Rosebery for a Commiagion to inquire into the subject
of the supply of ho-es, showing its importance from
the fact that the Heir to the Throne had been added
to the committee. His Lordship attributed the decline
of thorough-bred horses to the pernicious rules of the
l'urf, whereby horses are run short fast races before
they come to maturity, causing them to break down,
and when put to the stud propagating interior animals.
liis Lordship did not think that carting and other
classes of animals had deterig ited to the same
extent. Having asked the opinions of those present,
some said that ordinary horses were as lien.
WM an ever; hot the demand for fast going animals
had ontxtripped the supply for the moment; and
others held that growing beef and mutton paid better
than horsefle-h, SO large a percentage of the latter
turning out faulty. It was also thought that the
number of good mares had decreased. It was ulti-
mately decided that at the chow to be held at Kirby
111,mi-bide on the :ilst of July a prigs of £2O be offered
for the best hunter, open to Yorkshire, the breeder, it
resident in the county to receive an additional C..
Viscount Helmsley (son of Earl Feversham) was
elected preeident for the year. It is expected that
railway communication will be available before the
show.
MONEY LENDERS. On• Saturday a Bill, in the
House of Commons, was printed for the protection of
minors from fraud. It recites that divers frauds are
committed by moneylenders and others, who, without
the consent of parents or guardians of infanta or per-
eons under the age of twenty-one, induce such persons
to enter improvidently and recklessly into onerous con-
tracts for loans or advances of money, and by divers
contrivances solicit and entice such infants into such
contracts, and that such money lenders and others
often induce such infants, when about to enter into
such contracts, to make or sign representations that
such infants are of full age, and thereby, as well as by
other wrongful devices, oppress such infants and
compel them to ratify such contracts. The remedy
now proposed for such mischief is that it riball be made
a misdemeanour to induce infants to borrow, and that
any bond or security given shall be void; and, further,
that any payment made in contravention is to be re-
coverable by any person paing the same. A promise
made of payment after full age is to be invalid, and
any representation made by an infant to borrow is not
to be given in evidence against him. Any person who
for gain purchaaes a bill knowing it to be forged is to
be guilty of a misdemeanour. A parent or guardian is
to recover by summary proceedings before Justices £2O
from a person offending. The names on the Bill are
Mr. Mitchell Henry, Mr. Headlam, Mr. Butt, Mr,
Boourfield. and Mr. Charles Gilpin.