The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-12-04 00:00:00

Rilistiltaneffus 4ntelligtutt.
ROME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

THE FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE.---Sir H. Selwin.
Ibbetson, M.P.' in charging the grand jury at the
Essex adjourned quarter sessions, held at Chelmsford,
called attention to the Order in Council under the
Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, which declares
ten petty sessional divisions in the county to be in-
fected places, and prohibits the holding of cattle
markets within them without the special licence of the
Privy Council. Among the markets thus closed are
several of the largest in Essex, including Romford,
Brentwood, Chelmsford, Braintree, an&Rochford.
The hon. baronet earnestly implored farmers and
others to take every possible care not to spread
the foot-and-mouth disease to parts which were not
yet affected, and to stamp it out as far as they could.
A BLIND INVENTOR.—One of the most remarkable
men in the United States is the blind President of
the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company of Bristol,
R. 1., from whom the Company takes its name. He
is entirely blind, and .yet be invents and constructs
torpedo-boats and small steam vessels for Govern-
ments in all parts of the world. His steam launches
glide through the water at the rate of twenty miles an
hour. He builds a launch in which steam can be got
up in six minutes, which can be carried on board ship
as an ordinary ship's boat, which will contain water
and coal enough to run • three hundred miles. Mr.
Herreshoff can tell us much about an ordinary-sized
steam launch, her lines, method of construction, etc.,
by feeling, as others can by seeing, and he goes on
inventing and building just as if his eyes were not '
closed for ever.
DOM PEDRO AND THE RAILWAY BRAKE ! The
Emperor of Brazil is anxious to introduce into his
country all useful new inventions and appliances, and is
particularly fond of testing personally the value of any
contrivance. Having heard a particular brake greatly
praised, Dom Pedro had it fitted to his special train,
and some days afterwards started on a journey. At
a dangerous point in the road, the engineer suddenly
saw a short distance ahead an immense rock which
had fallen upon the track. The train was then going
at the rate of thirty-two miles an hour, and the
engineer put on the brakes with such vigour that he
succeeded in stopping the train before it cahie into
- collision with the obstacle. On examining the rock,
however, it was found to be made of pasteboard, and
it had been placed there by Dom Pedro in order to
deceive the engineer, and thus afford a practical
proof of the boasted capacities of the brake.
THE KING OF Sr-km—Alfonso XII.' King of
Spain, completed his 23rd year on Sunday, having
been born on Nov. 28, 1857. His Majesty is the only
son of the ex-Queen Isabella, and the Infante Fran-
cisco, and was proclaimed King of Spain at Madrid
on Dec. 31, 1874, soon after which he proceeded to
Barcelona and assumed the Government on Jan. 9,
1875. The young king was twice married, his pre-
sent wife, Queen Maria Christiana, whom he married
an Nov. 29, 1879, being a member of the House of
Hapsburg. Her Majesty was recently delivered of a
princess, who is the heir-presumptive to the Spanish
throne.

THE REVISION OF THE AUTHORISED VERSION.—
The company appointed for the revision of the autho-
rized version of the Old Testament finished their
66th session on Friday afternoon in last week, in
the Jerusalem Chamber. The following members at-
tended. The Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Dean of
Peterborough, Mr. Bensley, Dr. Chance, Mr. Cheyne,.
Mr. Driver, Mr. Elliott, Dr. Guisburg, Dr. Gotch,
Archdeacon Harrison, Dr. Kay, Professor Leathes,
Professor Lumby, Professor Wright, and Mr. Aldis
Wright (secretary). Communications were received
from Principal Douglas, who was unable to be pre-
sent. The second revision of the historical books was
continued as far as the end of Esther 11.
ANOTHER NEW GUN.—A new sensation is in store
for artillerists, and it is likely to be a rather strong
one (says the Pall Mall Gazette). It is understood
that the firm of Sir W. Armstrong and Co. are about
to produce a gun of new construction which is to be
stronAer and"luore lasting than anything yet known.
The principle of construction is not novel, but now
for the first time it has been carried into successful
practice. It has even been patented before, but the
patents have expired; and, besides, the guns made by
the original patentee failed dismally from want on his
part either of mechanical or metallurgical knowledge.
If all we hear about the new gun is true it would
appear that a very considerable step indeed has
been taken. Some idea of its importance may be given
by the fact that the guns will be able to fire
charges nearly twice as great as they do now, and the
increase in their power will be prodigious. The six-
inch gun which with thirty-four pounds of powder
gives velocities considerably over 2,000 feet per
second will now be fired with a charge of 601 b,, and
the power of other pieces of ordnance will be increased
in like proportion. Continental artillerists will not
be quite so happy as they they have been of late ; and
the new Ordnance Committee will be able to start
with something newer, more interesting, and more
important than barren discussions nn the merits of
systems which will practically be dbsolete.

Swiss POSTAL STATISTICS.—According to the last
report of the World's Postal Union, the number
of letters and correspondence cards per head of
population received and delivered in Switzerland
is 2U5; in Holland, 159 ; Germany, I'2; Belgium,
142; Canada, 14; France, 13'l; Denmark and
Luxemburg, 111 ; Austria, 104;_ Sweden, 63;
51; Norway, 51; Spain, 4.9 ; Hungary, 4'7; Portu-
gal, 31. The other states belonging to the Union
have either, like Great Britain and the United
States, not supplied the information, without which
they cannot be classified, or they stand lower in the
list than Portugal.
A DESTRUCTIVE FUNGUS.—During the past ten
years the coffee plant in Java has been attacked by a
destructive fullgus •' all remedies tried have proved
vain. A reward of 250,000 florins has been promised
to the discoverer of a successful remedy for the disease
under these conditions: That the remedy shall in no
way interfere with the growth of the shrub, shall
only cost two cents. each plant, and shall not injure
the health of the workman. It is intended to try
the proposed antidotes for two years upon five coffee
plantations. The liberal reward offered shows how
severe the loss caused by the ravages of this fungus
must be. Both lime and sulphur have proved un-
availing.
STIMULANTS IN WORKHOSES.—The Uxbridge board
of guardians having referred the question of the use
of stimulants in the workhouse to their medical officer,
and that gentleman reports that, wbile quite alive to
the many evils attending the abuse of stimulants he
should be sorry to enforce total abstinence in others,
nor is he sure that it would be wise for guardians to
adopt this course with those with whom they have to
deal and who are most by old and infirm. The use of
wine in the workhouse is now very moderate, and
the guardians have decided to make no alteration.
ORIGIN OF CIVIC ADDRESSES.—A writer of the last
century says :—" Addresses from cities, universities,
towns, and bodies corporate, societies civil and reli-
gious, &c. were for the first time introduced upon
Richard dromwell's succeeding his father Oliver in
the Protectorship, in 1658, when he received them
from all parties in the kingdom, who promised to stand
by him with their lives and fortunes; most of whom,
at the same time, were known to have been plotting
his destruction. Richard Cromwell was not so weak
a man as some historians have represented him, or as
the world generally imagines him to have been; for
after his seven months of mock government, as he
was giving orders for the removal of his own furniture
from Whitehall, he observed with what little ceremony
thertreated an old trunk, and begged of them to take
a little more care of it, because ' (said Richard) 'it
contains the lives and fortunes of all the good people
of England,' thereby testifying a noble and generous
indignation, and plainly indicating his opinion of
addresses."
AN OLD COLONIST.—The Spdney Mail of October
9th records the death of a very old Tasmanian colo-
uist, Lieutenant C. B. Hardwick, aged ninety-two.
Born in Lincolnshire in 1188, he joined H.M.S. Fur?),
and soon rose to be a lieutenant, and in the wars with
the French in 1813 took part in an engagement with a
French frigate. In 1816 he landed in Van Dieman's
Land, coming thence from Sydney. He died in
Launceston. In his lifetime-he had owned some of
the best racing blood in Tasmania. Ile leaves a widow
and no less than seventy children, grandchildren, and
great-grandchildren, the figules being fourteen, forty,
and sixteen respectively.
LAST WEEK'S WRECKS.—There were 55 British and
foreign wrecks reported during the past week, making
the total for the present year 1,472, or a decrease of 11
as compared with the corresponding period of last
year. The approximate value of property lost was
£3,250,000, including British £2,500,000. In addition
to the 239 persons who sank in the Oncle Joseph about
70 lives were lost, the total being 309.
ANCIENT RIGHTS OF LOPPING IN EPPING FOREST.
—The rights of "lopping " in Epping Forest, which,
by the recent arbitrament of Sir Arthur Hobhouse,
have been finally and for all time decided as inhering
in the Corporation of the City of London, as trustees
and custodians of the Forest, were thus defined in
the fifteenth Report of the Commissioners of
Woods for the year 1793. The Lord Warden
claimed 10,000 faggots annually, likewise all the
fallen wood, browzing wood, and perquisites of sale of
excess assignments of wood, ec_.. ; and the master-
keepers claimed what were curiously termed "livery
logs" and the Court of Exchequer, upon inquiring
into this olaim, allowed twenty loads of wood an-
nually to each of them. Seventy-three estates situate
upon the borders of the forest, had annual assign-
ments of 36,500 faggots. The vicar of Dagenham had
two hundred faggots annually. One load of wood
was allowed to every poor widow, not receiving alms,
residing in the parishes of Dagenham and Barking,
or in lieu thereof a compensation of eight shillings
each; and a grant of bushes • was also made to the
occupiers of land adjoining the forest, for repairing
their fences.—City Press.
GETTING ON.—Diocesan Inspector.—Why did
Josiah, when he become King of Judah, burn the
bones of the prophets of Baal? Smart Boy (who has
been studying Elementary Chemistry).—To make
phosphorus, sir I—Judy.
A MUNIFICENT DONOR.—The late Sir Francis
Lycett left a fortune exceeding a quarter of a million
towards the erection of new Wesleyan chapels in the
metropolis, which movement he originated. He gave
within the last ten years the sum of £55,000. The
London correspondent of the Manchester Guardian
says that two days before his decease he handed the
secretary of that fund (Dr. Gervase Smith) a cheque
for £7,500. He has left a legacy of £23,000 towards
the scheme, and at Lady Lycett's death two-thirds of
his fortune, in which she has a life interest, is to be
devoted to the furtherence of the same movement.
Valuable legacies amounting to several thousands of
potwds have been left to the Wesleyan home and
foreign missions, and other conneidonal objects.

THE AMERICAN AND CANADIAN To SPX.—
The arrivals of live stock and fresh meat landed at
Liverpool last week from the United States and
Canada were greatly below those of the preceding
week. As regards sheep there was not a single
live sheep arrived, a circumstance which has not
occurred since April last. The steamers which con-
veyed live stock were as follows :—The lowa with
371 cattle and 385 pigs; the Istrian with 75
cattle; and the Bulgarian with 21 cattle. The
steamers conveying fresh meat were as follows :--
The lArian with 1,926 quarters of beef and 60
carcases of mutton; the Arizona with 1,920 quarters
of beef and 500 carcases of mutton; the Bulgarian
with 1,891 quarters of beef and 60 carcases of mutton;
the City of Richmond with 800 quarters of beef and
154 carcases of mutton and 250 dead pigs; the lowa
with 645 quarters of beef and 99 carcases of mutton,
and the Republic with 620 quarters of beef and 150
carcases of mutton. Making a total of 467 cattle,
7,802 quarters of beef, 1,023 carcases of mutton, 385
live pigs, and 250 dead pigs, against a total of 1,702
cattle 470 sheep, 12,361 quarters of beef, 902 carcases
of mutton, and 592 pigs, of the previous week.
EMIGRATION FROM GERMANY.—It appears from a re-
turn just issued from the Statistical Office of Berlin
that during the first nine months of the current year
the number of Germans who have emigrated to
countries beyond the sea through the ports of Bremen,
Hamburg, Stettin, and Antwerp amounted to 79,058;
48,329 of these being males and 31,629 females. Most
of these emigrants— namely, 39,753 went from
Bremen; and the greater part of them—namely,
77,629—went to the United -States. While in 1872
the number of registered German emigrants was
96,243, the figure in 1878 had sunk as low as 19,758.
In 1879 the number had again risen to 25,546, which
has now been increased by 54,412, or more than two-
thirds last year's rate.

PRIVATE HANSOMS.—A correspondent of Land and
Water says :—" Private hansoms have been for some
time popular with doctors • they will now become
fashionable, for the Prince Of Wales has 'started one
for driving about the country, and a very natty aft tir
it is. By a simple arrangement of the lever principle
the driver can, without dismounting, open or shut the
doors. Besides the usual windows at the sides there
are two small windows at the back. Fixed to the
splash-board is a travelling clock, with a luminous dial-
face. Light and well built, the Prince's cab' is not
by any means expensive."
PRIVATE BILLS IN PARLIAMENT.—Late On Tuesday
night all the plans in connection with Private Bills
that will be brought forward in the ensuing Session
were deposited in the Private Bill Office of the House
of Commons. The total number of plans deposited is
45. The classification is as follows: Railways, 87 ;
tiamways, 16; miscellaneous, 53; and provisional
orders, 89. _ _

SAGACITY IN HORSES.—We have a pair of carriage
horses which are much attached to one another. They
are very sagacious animals, and their capacities have
probably been brought out by the great kindness and
attention with which the coachman has invariably
treated them; at any rate the following anecdotes indi-
cate considerable development. One morning a great
noise in the stable attracted the attention of a maid-
servant, who was in the yard outside, and thinking
something wrong might be going on she looked in at the
door, and saw that one of the horses had made his way
out of his own loose-box, the door of which was unfas-
tened, and had found out a bucket of mash which
was standing in the entrance of the stable, and taking
the opportunity while the coachman was in the loft
overhead, he was helping himself freely to its tempt-
ing contents. The other horse, which was 'fastened
into his own loose-box, caught sight of his friend's
proceedings, and neighing loudly, evidently demanded
a share for himself, and the servant was astonished to
see the horse who was enjoying himself, fill his mouth
with the mash, and poke his nose through the bars of
the loose-box for his friend to take it from his mouth.
This was done several times. The horse that was fed
by his friend had been known on former occasions to
push over the remainder of his hay into his corn-
panion's rack when that had been emptied before
his own.—Land and Water.
CALIFORNIAN ADVERTISING.—
The Curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The lowing herds winds slowly o'er the lea ; "
But who has not heard of Lea's remedy for chest
complaints, corner of Drum-street.
ANOTHER LITTLE " TRUTHFUL " STORY. —Mamma:
My dear child whatever's the matter? Why, you
are quite pale.—Johnny (who has made too close an
acquaintance with a hot poker) : Pale! Not, at all,
mamma; on the contrary, Pm a little son burnt.—
Judy. _

PROPOSED MEMORIAL TO CAXTON.—It is proposed
(the City Press says) to erect a memorial to William
Caxton, in the shape of a stained glass window in the
church of St. Margaret, Westminster, close by where
Caxton set up his printing press. The cost is esti-
mated at £BOO. A committee has been formed to
carry out the object, with the Rev. Canon Farrar as
chairman Mr. G. A. Spottiswoode as treasury, and
Mr. A. "'Owen as secretary.
A VALUABLE SHEEP.—The sum • of £l5OO was
offered to, and refused by, the owner of a ram
exhibited at the recent show of the Australian Sheep
Breeders' Association, held at Melbourne where many
other valuable stud merinos were exhibited:the aggregate
worth of which amounted to several thousand pounds.
The animal in question was bred by Mr. W. Cumming-,
who paid £9OO for its sire. It would be very interest-
ing if some of those prize sheep could be brought to
England to compete at some of our agricultural shows;
but the distance precludes the idea being carried out,
unless the owners were prepared to sell their exhibits.
In the same way a few prize cattle from Camda
would form an attractive addition to the forthcoming
cattle show at the Agricultural-hall, though the risk
of injury during transit in the stormy month of
November would prevent any entries of the kind
being made. During the summer months, however,
Canada might well send over one or two of her speci-
men cattle, to show agriculturists here what the colony
can produce.—Colonies and India.
A LESSON IN MANNERS.—Visitor.—See, now would
you like me to give you a Sixpence? Darling.—Yes.
Visitor.—Yes? yes, if you—what? Darling.—lf you
—can't afford any more.—Funny Folks.
• TRAMWAYS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.—A return
has just been issued relating to tramways, which con-
tains many points of interest. The authorised capital
from 1876 to 1880 amounted to £9,210,758. Of this
sum £6,710,596 was for England and Wales,
£1,429,385 for Scotland, and £1,070,777 was for Ire-
land. The total capital paid up in the United King-
dom was £5,691,669, and the total expenditure
amounted to £5,665,465. At the end of June, 1880,
the total length of lines open was 269 miles in England
and Wales, 50 miles in Scotland, and 48 in Ireland;
in all, 368 miles. To work these lines the companies
had 12,392 horses and 1,10 cars; and the total num-
ber of passengers carried for the years 1878, 1879, and
1880, numbered 173,067,103. - The gross receipts came
• to £1,342,933; working expenses were £1,113,094; and
the net receipts, £229,839.
PAUPERISM IN LONDON.—The weekly return of
metropolitan pauperism shows that the total number
of paupers on the last day of the third week in
November was 89,905, of whom 50,528 were in work-
houses, and 39,377 received outdoor relief. Compared
with the corresponding weeks in the years 1879, 1878,
and 1877, these figures show an increase of 2,426, 9,229,
and 9,418 respectively. The number of vagrants
relieved on the last day of the week was 888, of whom
679 were men, 181 women, and 25 children under six-
teen.

A SYMPATHETIC CIIR.—I heard the other day a
pretty little dog story, which is worth repeating. A
terrier belong to a friend of mine delights, like many
of his race, in getting hold of old gloves, shoes, &c.,
'to play with and pretend to worry. Lately he was
taken down to stay at a country•house, and there
made the acquaintance of a big dog who lived in a
kennel in the yard. Of course he immediately invited
the big dog to come and have a game, and
wa
obviously astonished and grieved to find that his
new friend was a prisoner. The little fellow
pondered on this and forthwith devised a plan to
cheer the big dog's solitude. He returned to
the house, curled himself up on the hearthrug,
and pretended to go asleep ; keeping one eye, however,
upon the movements of his young mistress. In course
of time she put on her boots to go out. He watched
to see where her vacated shoes were placed, and when,
as he thought, unobserved, picked up one of them, and
trotting to the yard, laid it down before the big dog's
kennel. The kind little fellow knew that there was
nothing he himself would have liked better under the
circumstances than to have a shoe to worry, and he
consequently supposed that his friend outside, who
could not fetch a shoe for himself, would be similarly
pleased.—" Rapier," in the Illustrated Sporting and
Dramatic News.
A PERILOUS POSITION.—During the violent gale
which raged in Scotland on Friday in last week, thi3
workmen on the piers of the Tay Bridge who were
engaged in taking soundings of the river were in a
position of great peril. Seven of the men were landed
on pier No. 18, but the tug had no sooner left them
than the gale came, accompanied by drenching showers
of snow and rain. A large barge moored near the pier
sank, and it was found impossible to send a boat to
rescue the workmen who clung in desperation to the
iron columns supporting the girders Bft. above. It was
proposed by some of the more adventurous of the
workmen to climb up to the girder, and then walk
along. It was not till four o'clock in the afternoon
that a steamer succeeded in getting alongside the pier.
The men were brought to Dundee, cold and exhausted
from exposure.
MAKE NO ERROR. —lrate Scotch Lawyer (to future
Solicitor-General) —"Now, Sir, look at this, Sir! Six
mistakes on the first page of this deed, Sir! What
use is this to anyone, Sir?. What use, I say Sir?"
F. S. G. :—" ?What use—what—." (Hopefully.) "We
might make a Writ 0' Error o't Sir ! ! "—Fun.
SPORT IN AUSTRALIA.—Australia has no angling and
no foxhunting, and the only stalking is afforded by
" brumbies," or wild horses, which swarm in such
quantities upon the western or inland frontiers of
(),ueensland and New South Wales, that it has become
necessary for the squatters in those parts to preserve
• the pasturage needed for their sheep by giving to their
shepherds a capitation fee for every " brumbie " they
destroy. 4Not long ago it was stated that in one year
not less than seven thousand wild horses were shot
upon a single station in New South 'Wales, and that
. thousands upon thousands still survive.
TRAMWAYS. —A Parliamentary paper has been re-
cently issued containing a. return to the House of Ciim-
mons of street and road tramways authorized by
Parliament, showing the amount of capital authorized,
paid-up, and expended, the length of tramway autho-
rized, and the length open for the public conveyance
of passengers down to the 30th day of June, 1880; the
number of passengers conveyed, the number of miles
run by cars, the receipts, expenditure, and net receipts
during the year ended on the 30th day of June, 1880,
together with the number of horses, engines, and cars
at that date. From these returns it appears that for
the year ended the 30th of June, 1880, there was a
total of capital authorized of £9,210,758; paid up,
£5,691,669; expended, £5,665,465 ,• and a length of
368 mites open for public traffie. The total lumber of
passengers carried was 173,067,103; the gross receipts
were 4,342,933; the working expenses, £1,113,094,
leaving a balance of 429,839 as net receipts,

lI:M.M=

EPITOME OF NEWS.