The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-01-24 00:00:00

DUST WORKERS.

The prevalence of phthisis among artisans who are
engaged in dusty occupations is well shown in a series
of observations made in the hospitals at Breslau and
Wiirzburg, the percentage of cases being classified as
follows :

' Of those who work in metallic dust the percent-
age was—needle polisheis, 69 6 ; file critters, 622;
lithographers, 48 5 ; sieve makers, 42°1 ; grinders.
40 4; compositors, 36 9; watchmakers. 36 5
•type
founders, 31.9 ; engravers, 26'3; dyers, 25; varnishers,
25 ; painters, 24•5; printers, 21 6; beltm*lcers, 19'7 ;
tinkers, 14 1.
"Of tbose who work in mineral dust—flint-workers,
80; grindstone makers, 40; stone cutters, 36'4;
plasterers, 19; porcelain makers, 16; potters, 14/ ;
carpenters, 14 4; masons, 12 9; diamond cutters, 9 ;
cement makers, 810.
"Of those who work in vegetable dust—cigar makers,
36 9; weavers, 15; rope makers, 18.9 ; millers, 10 9;
bakers, 7; chimneysweepers, 6 5; coAlmiuers, 0 8.
"Of tho.e who work in animal duet—brushmakers,
49 1 ; hair-workers, 321: upholsterers, 25'9 ; fell.
mongers, 232; turners, 162; hatters, 15'S; button
makers, 10.
'Ol those who work in mixed dust—glass cutters,
35; glass makers, 17'S; labourers, 15'1."

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.

"My dear," said a sentimental maiden to her lover,
"of what do these •autumnal tints, this glowing baldric of
the Pities, this blazing garniture of the dying )ear, remind
you? "Pancakes.' he promptly answered. And then
she realized for the first time that two hearts did not beat
as one.

Josh Billings writes to his Editor :—" In some
respects a man resembles a silver coin. He can do more
good by being good than by appearing good when he is not
good. This thought was engendered by receiving a lead
hAf•doilar in change."

You can almost tell that a young man has been
ground through a school of elocution when you hear him get
up and recite "Rock tin theke radle of 'hada sap." We
don't know what it means, but that is what he says.
Hatokeye.
In the room of a railroad depot in lowa is ths
following placard over the clock :—" This is a clock; it is
running; it is Chicago time ; it is right; it is set every day
at ten o'clock; now keep your mouth shut.

When the young man of the period, the gay
mutinee•masher, the cigarette-puffer, desires faintly to
express his emasculated sense of love or admiration now-
adays, he no longer raps out a string of United State.'
linguistic lightning rods, but faintly ejaculates, "Bay, look
at her; isn't sh.-J a daisy I She breaks me all up, paralyses
me and makes me feel tired! "

A. farmer writes to the editor of the Chicago
Express :—"Dear Boy,—l saw in a paper that a Western
farmer planted flax with potatoes, and it kept the beetles
off. I planted flax with potatoes, and the flax came up
first, and the beetles roosted on it, waiting for the potatoes
to come up. Could you give me the address of that
Western farmer, that I may call upon him."
Mark Twain has been lecturing on babies, with illus-
trations. Ile starts with the remark that babies have not
been sufficiently taken into statistical account ab et; no
one has thought, like I have, that there are at this very
moment millions of babies' cradles rocking in all directions.
I can't say how many, any more than I can reckon the stars
In the other milky way—but when one considers the com-
bined force of the motive power moving all these cradles,
likewise the future importance of many of the little covesin
these cribs, the mind is lost in wonder," .15c.
'43s of
next

Intimation halt been received by the eml
the Furness Railway Company that, commencing
month, their wages Will be increased 6 per cent.