The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-11-22 00:00:00

Nisttilantons

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

Fitom A 111-BTRIZT.-- The Aeronautical Society
have been Milding a general mettiug, and reading and
du...mixing paper,. Tue one whicn excited most interest
wa4 on "Cantles in the sie."—Punch

Iratssrazo HuUsIC I.h:TY.—rhe 1,250,000/.
produced by the inhabited house tax (en odesteted
dwelling houses in Great Britain worth £2O a Year)
was obtained as follows in the fioaneial year 1871 72,
the latest to which the return. extend :—The tax was
assessed at 61 in the pound on dwelling-honer* used
also as chops or warehouses, of the annual value of
£9,179,929, and beershops (with, we pre4nme, all
publichouses) of the annual value of £3,573 252, both
these values being rather lees than in the p.ecediog
year; also at 61. on farmhouses used for the purposes
of husbandry only, of the auroral value of £717 141,
being £48,000 more than in the preceding year ' • an . at
91. n other dweitaig trouser, of the annual value of
£27,934,416, being £.118,000 inure then in the preceding
posy Tue total to.seseed sonnet value exceeds
£41,000 000; one years Aso it wen he:ow £30,000,000.

ANECDOTIS ON WaTERV.O.—Two anecdtteel
connected with the battle of Waterloo have never, I f
believe, appenred in print (says the anther of "My i
Reco'lextions)." One was of Captain Adair of the
Guards, who just before the advance of that gallant
corp., received a mortal wound in his breast. He
sty, gerel and felL "Fr ward, Captain Admr," said the
commanding officer, thinking he had merely stumbled.
Upon whch the dying man tore open his coat, showed
the blood streaming from the wound, and calmly re.
speeded : 'Bow can I go forward?' Poor fellow he
died shortly af Ter. Toe other happened to Captain
Burgess, who was the Brummel of his regiment He
was shot in the leg, awl amputation was deemed
neceesary. Woife undergoing it (chlorMorm, which is
no a on such occasions administered, was trot then in
prospective ezietence), he said cattily to the surgeon
" I fear this will cut short my waltzing."
Pita INFIaiTISSIMAL IN MODSHN CHEMISTRY.
—Given a number of Spanish war-despatches: re-
quired to ex mit the Truth from them—Punch.
Tue CIISSAPEAILE WATER-DUG.—The Amer'.
cans are always bringing out something new; they have
now got ane breed of retrievers, wh we origin (says
dppleton's Journal) it is difficult to trace. "He is
smooth-haired, which is a great point, an the New-
foundland suffers terribly from the Ire. zing of his
shaggy coat; hie colour is either black, with white
breast and grey nose or tawny yellow, the latter pre-
ferred." He is called the Chesapeake water-dog,
being peculiar to the neighbourhood of that river.
'lie is very sagacious, and loves the water and the
open." One, a mere puppy, was seen to sit for hours
in the summer watching the fish, hawks as they pursued
their craft, and whenever the hawk would make his
plunge " Leo " would dash into the waves and swim
for the spot, and although he had never been known
to bring out a hawk, he was never discouraged by his
numerous failures. Another was in the habit of "re.
trievlng" every duck he could lay his teeth on and
depositing them "on his master's pile." This latter
must have been indeed a very valuable animal.
CHIN ass ReMISDIES. The Chinese Pharms-
col rola is varied and curious, according to an iotereet-
ing account in the Madras Standard. Here are a few
of the most favourite celestial remediee. Leeches are
not utilised alive, but dried and billed down in spirits
for outward application. Toads, prepared in various
ways, particularly 'toad', venom," obtained by irri
tating the animal with a stick, are invaluable opecie cot
The blood-yeesele of the eel are used in" moonstruck"
cases, while boiled crickets are greatly sought after as
bier, purifiers. Snake's skiu, dragon'a skin, with the
inside membrane of an egg and certain roots, cure
jamodice, while epots on the skin are dispersed by a
decoction of spiders and green snakes. Scorpions dried
and powdered, or even eaten raw, calm a fever,
dragon's teeth are good for the liver, butt, rffies make
vod telleiters, while the skin of the porcupine is
mane into pills. Deer and rhinoceros horns are also
nod as strengthening and retooling medicines.
MR. GLAIRroNS AND THE CollelY FRANCHIRE.
—Mr. James Heywood, F.R. S., who presided at the
putolic meettng of the inhabitants of Chelsea, called to
discuss the above con ion, in the Concert-hall,
Cremente, on the llte inst., has forwarded to Mr.
Gladstone a copy of the resolutions passed on that
occasion. These resolution-1 a proved the principles
of Mr. Trevelyan'e Bill, called upon the Premier to
make it a Government treasure next session, and also
urged upon the Government the tat cessity of bringing
forward at the earliest opportunity a comprehensive
measure fir a redistributii fig of seats, as indicated
in Mr. Brigitte spoech at Birmingham. To thwe
resolutions the Premier hail replied as fel owe
"10, Downino-streo t, Whitehall, Nov. 15, 1873. 'Sir,
—I am desired by Mr. Gladstone to licktoowledge, with
the respect justly due to such a community, the re.
ceipt of a copy of the reeolutione adopted at a meet-
ing of the Inhabitants of Chelsea, having reference t
the assimilation of the county and borough franchise,
and to the question of a redistribution of seats. Mr.
Gladstone reed not say that his oats opinions on these
subjects remain as taey were, and he is sore that her
Majaity's overnment wll carefully eel Si ler the
course it may be their duty to take with reference to
three imp,rtant matters.—l am, Sir, your obedient
servant, T. G. Lyttelton. James Heywood, Esq."

- _
DISI I 011 V. SP.I.LING.—That appliance of •
Railway Train which serves the Ecgineer to pull it up
short is called a Brake. Why? Before Railways
were, a brake meant fern, brambles, an instrument foi
dressing linen or flax, the handle of a ship's pump, and
a baker's kneading•trough. None of these things
Lariat progress. A contrivance to break speed, if de-
nominated from its use, should be named a Break.
Orthography, perhaps, is violated to mark a distinction
between the Railway Brake and the Railway break-
down and breakage of holes which the brake too often
proves inadequate to avert.—Pench.
Too BAD OF Tarot ! A party of soldiers
were sitting together talking of their adventuree
during the war, and, as is generally the case, some
pretty hard yarns were told. The talk finally turned
on promotion, when a tall Teutonic broke forth with—
" l'il tell you sorneking about that, boys. When I
joined the cavalry I had not been long in this cyuntry,
and didn't understand much English. We were sent
up in the valley, and at the battle of Winchester we
were ordered to charge a bsttery. Well, the captain
gave the...order to charge, and away we went in fine
style. The Johnnirs opened on us with grape and
canister. Many a harts tumbled over, and plenty of
saddles were emptied. That didn't make any dif.
terence ; we went .traight ahead. Suddenly the cap-
tain gave the order to retreat. The whole company
turned and went back except me. You I didn't
understand the order. so I kept on, and cnarged right in
among them, and captured the whole battery au]
brought it off myself I Now. I'll tell you how it turned
ont. The next day the captain was made a major, the
lieutenant was made a captain, and—"
what did they do for you?" inquired • listener. "Why
they put r m the guard-house because I wouldn't tell
d
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