The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-10-01 00:00:00

EARL SPENCER ON AGRICULTURE.

EXTRAORDINARY VOYAGE OF A

BOTTLE.

The number of Strange stories of the stormy ocean
have just been increased by extraordinary particulars
which have been sent to us with respect to a long ,
voyage made by a bottle (says the Liverpool Albion).
Mr. W. A. Lewis, of Alexandra-terrace, Prince's-road,
Liverpool, was •on his way from South Australia to
OaPetown, 'South-Africa, when the vessel encountered
a heavy -storm. -Thinking he might he shipwrecked
,Mr. Lewis threw a bottle overboard, containing an
Envappe, addreased to himself in Liverpool, in which
was a piece of paper, on one side of which was written
in pencili' •
"in a• terrible storm, Hoping we shall all be saved.
March,. 'Bl,. W. A. Lewis."
`. On the other side were the words also written in
pencil,
:" Whoever finds this bottle will greatly oblige by writing
to (enclosing this paper) W. A. Lewis, Alexandra-terrace,
Prince's-road, Liverpool, England. Two thousand mile:: from
. The vessel in which Mr. Lewis was voyaging,
fortunately. came safely through the starm to port,
014 the bottle also weathered the gale and escaped the
dangers Of the deep. A letter in the following terms
'half just been received by Mr. Lewis, who is now in
this city, from a gentleman named Mr. Abraham W.
Moulton, general dealer and storekeeper :
Bridgetown, Blackwood, Western Australia :—" Dear Sir,
—Enclosed in this letter I forward you a scrap of paper that
was found on the south coast of this colony in May last by a
man named John Hayes, who gave it to me yesterday (19th
July). It was found in a corked bottle. Hoping it may
prove of some service I have written, and enclose it for your
information. I should be glad to hear from you at any time
respecting it.
The writing on the scrap of paper is singularly
legible, and there are only a few brown marks on it
which give any evidence of the perils through which
it passed in the bottle in which it was corked up,
Mr. Lewis calculates that the bottle and its con-
tents must have been thus safely carried a distance of
nearly 2,000 miles, and he points out the advantages
which might accrue if similar means of communication
with those on shore were adopted by persons filaCed in
such a position as he was on the voyagv.

Now is the time when the poor newspaper man gets
a chance to handle a cool million—a cool watermillion.—
Texas Siftings.
"When the days begin to lengthen, the cold begins
to strengthen," and, conversely, when the days begin to
shorten, then the heat begins to hotten.— Lowell Courier.
The total absence of mosßuitoes in Boston is due to
tha network of the telegraph wires passing over the house-
tops.—Boston Globe. Thiladelphia would be quite safe for
the same reason, but every now and then a Jersey mosquito
flies over, lands on a wire, and breaks it.—Phila4felphics
News.
Standing jokes are common enough, but nobody
ever hears of sitting ones.—Lowell Courier. Oh, yes Brother
Marden. What of the young man who sat down on his
sweetheart's new bonnet, and sang, "I'm sitting on a style,
Mary !"—Somerville Journal.
- - •

What a picnic would be without hornets is a
matter of conjecture, as there never has been a way to
find out. A hornet is not denominational. It goes to
all picnics. And it is a desirable adjunct. It tends to
modify greediness, besides adding largely to the general
enthusiasm. Five hornets at a small table will do more to
level social distinctions, and to promote social intercourse,
than an awful disaster in a village.

Niagara Falls—And what's to prevent it ?—New
York News. _ _

"A large part of our happiness," says Mr. Beecher,
"Is due to our mistakes." The printer who got bounced for
setting up "infernal' reception for "informal" reception
may coincide with Mr. Beecher, but we doubt it.—. Norristown
Herald.