The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-09-12 00:00:00

NOTICE.

THE MIDLAND BANKING COMPANY
(LIMITED)

NAVE OPENED
A BRANCH AT STOURBRIDOE
ON THURSDAY, the 10th SEPTEMBER.

155, HIGH STltEr.,l,
General Manager.
London, 3lat August, 1874.

SURGEON DENTIS r.

MR. A. H. BROADHURST ;
BEGS respectfully to announce to the
Inhabitants of Stourbridge and its vicinity, that
he may be Consulted every FRIDAY, from 10 a.m. to II
p.m., at Mr. PAGETT'S, 138, 1110H-SIIiEET (Next
to the Talbot Hotel), upon all points appertaining to
Dentistry, both in the Surgical and fdechan (cal Depart-
ments, and trusts that by atrict adherence to Moderate
Charges and the employment of beet Uteri& and
Workmanship to merit a share of thou kind patronage
and support.

SCALE OF CHARGES.
Single Teeth.s/.. Sete £2 106.,

Stopping, Sealing, and Extracting. and the regulatang
of Children's Teeth, at Moderate Charges.
. .

N.B.—Patients can be waited upon by At pointment
made at the Above Addreas,:or by Lettxr-to-
-17, BENNETT'S HILL, 17
[First door from New-street, and opposite the Theatre
Royal.]
ConsuLations Free.

HOLLOWAY'. I'ILLs.-1 ie Greeeteeft ü iI. eis
751. They correct bilviusuess, previat flatulency
cleanse the liver, and purity the system. rabbi ate the
debilitated, strengthen the stomach, increase the stip.—
tite, invigorate the nerves, pr,inote health, and reinstalls
the weak in an ardour and v utrur veiore saner.
enced. The sal, of the 1., S'.•
tonishes every oody, Col yin. A.......
Holloway'. Pills trans. n.. 1, s.• t • .
vol of disease of every Haul.. ar. •r.
jog to the afflicted and 5i..,.
soy disorder, Inter) ILI : ,
have testified that 4) • •
restored to health aft, • . •t,
unsacceestal.
'• ' •

VALCABLIL DISCOVKRYFOk slit, II UR. -if v.e.r hair t
turning grey or white, or lasing oft. uc, " 1 he MrIICAUB
flair Renewer," for it well positively iestcee is every
ease Grey or White hair to It, origiu•l colour, l. • too
applications, without leaving the disagteeab.• euotiol
most " Restorers." It makes the hair chair:J.l3.6ly
beautiful, as well as promotlng the eroirtli of n. • balk ou
bald spots, chore toe Chad, sir" . tohn.to
from lit V.:n."1..1111 on every bona, • . u ho j... 1
your Chemist foi " las Illokic•• 11E. SW/1,14-
prepared by HENRY C. Coau.r?. .stres I.
loiudon, sod sold by Clieusisio mina Yo.lUlD•ril *war
where.

I

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4e}:-

ur foiu)on orrtspontut.

(We deem It right to Wate that we do not at all timed
'' Identity ourselves with our Correspondent's opiwiongj

Time, it has been truly said, works wonders, and it
ham wrought no greater marvels than in the immediate
neighbourhood of Fleet-street. Upon the site of the
old Fleet Prison, which has been immortalised by
Charles Dickens, now gradually rises the Congregational
Memorial Hall—a massive building, with a graceful
spire. The Fleet Prison was even more an eyesore to
the heart of the city than Newgate is at the pr _
0 N,
y. Amongst e unhappy illustrious w rum
iel time have confined veithin its w was
sung it '' . of Surrey, vibo described,. t as, •
noleome pface, with a pestilent atmosphere." For ages
it was used as an engine of oppression, and a life-long
imprisonment in the Fleet waa no 1111(.0111111011 occurrence
for a victim of Royal oraristocratic dislike. Certainly
the "Memorial Hall " of to-day a • far mote welcome.'
spectacle than the old and gloomy prison. Ludgate
Circus, too, has wonderfully improved the appearance
of that part of London, and has relieved the block of
traffic which so constantly took place at the junctional
Fleet-street with Ludgate-hill and Farringdon-street
with Bridge street. It has, besides, become quite sceptre
of railwa.y..e,ctidtYa MU there- are stations now et-
- liidgate-hill,-Snow-hill, Holbornotiaduct, and Farrings
don-street. Across the Thames la the great etation of
Blackfriare, which was the terminus of the London,
Chatham, and Dover line before the company resolved
to cross the river, and effect a junction with the
Metropolitan. There is a peculiarity about Black-
friars station which I have often remarked, but I have
never seen it mentioned in print. Built in the rafters
are innumerable birds' nests, and the notes of the
winged songsters may be heard above the noise of the
. traffic in the busy thoroughfare outside.
From time to time we receive intelligence of the
wanderings of H. H. S. Challenger, which was com-
missioned by the late Government to undertake a three
years' voyage of scientific exploration. Early in July
the ship was at Wellington, in New Zealand, after •
very bad passage, the vessel having had to beat about
..-I. almost every day, in order to wait for favourable
weather to sound. I see that some soundings extended
to a depth of 2,600 fathoms, and that the sea at the
bottom had a temperature of 33 degrees. Just before
the Challenger arrived at Wellington a sad J.ecident
.00k place on board which cast a gloom over the ex-
ploring party. The leadsmen in the chains had been
relieved, and a seaman gunner took his place. Soon
after he was seen on the stock of the anchor, clearing
the lead line, but before this could be completed, a
heavy sea struck the ship on the lee side ; she canted
ever, and the man was wept away. No one saw him
again, although the veinal was hove to, and sharp look-
euta were kept for an hour. The record of he
Challenger's doings will be a highly interesting one, for
she will have visited all climes, and sailed over every
1110 e.

The inhabitants of suburban London, and more
especially the southern portion of the metropolis,
strongly complain of the abuse of the railway whistle.
While believing that the whistle may very properly
be sounded to prevent a railway accident, they do not
believe that any necessity can exist for the incessant
screaming in the midst of crowded populations, where
annoyance is mimed by the destruction of sleep and
danger by frightening restless horses. The people of
Boston, in Massachusetts, have lately been discussing
this grievance. They regard it as a singular relic of
the crude expedients employed in the past, that rail-
way companies should disturb whole communities,
simply to attract the attention of their own servants ;
and suggest that electric signals and a bell, with flag-
men at level crossings, would answer every purpose.
The railway bridges cross and re-cross each other in
the suburbs of London to an extent which is truly
remarkable, and accidents caused by the starting off of
runaway horses, alarmed by the shrieking of the
whistles, are not of uncommon occurrence.
An excellent system is carried out upon the Shaftes-
bury Park estate, which was lately opened under the
auspices of Mr. Disraeli and Lord Granville. The
mechanics resident thereon are purchasing their
dwellings by payments spread over long terms of years.
There can be no question that the condition of working
men in this country has materially changed for the
better during the past few years, and that if they wish
to keep pace with this substantial progress, they
must cultivate habits of industry and thrift. In all
probability the incomes of the working classes will
increase with the general prosperity, but unless habits
of providence are acquired at the same time, more
money will not be likely to prove so productive of
benefits aa it ought to be. Thriftlessness, no doubt,
Is met with in all grades of society, but its worst
effects are seen amongst the poor, who possess no
superfluous meane to waste. It ought, therefore, to
be easy to see the paramount importance of laying by
something out of the ordinary income, with a view to
provide against the vicissitudes of life. Every married
workman ought to be a member of a life assurance
society, so that his wife and children may not be left
entirely dependent on charity, while, if his means are
sufficient, he may profitably lay by something annually
towards the purchase of a house by instalments.
An official return which has just been issued relating
to the population of Scotland brings out a curious
fact. It appears that to every 100 males there are 114
females; or, in round number., there are 130,000
females over fifteen years of age in excess of the num-
ber of male inhabitants. The compiler of the return
considere emigration to be the only means of reducing
this redundancy.

The merchants who gather upon the Stock Exchange
are fewer now than in the height of the season; but
those who are enjoying their holidays do not fail to
watch the papers for the indications of the state of the
financial world. These are just now of a favourable
eharacter. The bountiful harvest has caused a fall in
the corn market, the Bank rate is at a low figure, the
railway traffic returns show a general and material
augmentation, and there has been a continued rise in
the prices of Stock Exchange securities. The
drop in the corn market confirms the expectations
which had been formed on the reports of the
great abundance and excellence of this year's
harvest throughout the world, and the effect on prices
has been even greater than hal been anticipated. It
has been calculated that within the short period of two
months the average price of wheat and flour in the
principal markets of Europe and America has fallen
from 25 to 30 per cent., so that the basis of dealing in
this staple has been entirely revolutionised. What is
the consequence? The increased surplus of the
masses for general expenditure, and the economy of
resources which becomes possible from the diminished
quantities and lower prices of the food we shall have
to import, give a speedy stimulus to general business.
As the prices of all leading raw materials are all much
lower now than they were last year, the prospect for
the season is that there will be full employment for
labour, and that wages and salaries will go much
further in expenditure than would have been possible
in 1872 or 1873.
Some little dissatisfaction has been created in naval
eircles at the cancelling, by the Lords of the Admiralty,
of some regulations promulgated last year with
the view of affording facilities for the instruction of
young officers serving on board such of Her Majesty's
ships as carried no regular instructor, or from which
that official might happen to be temporarily absent. It
has long been a matter of complaint with young officers
serving in small vessels in which there was no instruc-
tion, that in preparing for their examination for pro-
motion, they were placed at a great disadvantage as
compared with officers in large ships which carried an
efficient man in that capacity. To meet this com-
plaint the Admiralty last year arranged that when
from any cause a naval instructor was not borne in, or
was not actually present on board, any of Her
Majesty's vessels his place might be taken by any
other officer who was properly qualified for the post,
in addition to his own special duties. This regulation
has just been abrogated, and it appears that on foreign
stations some inconvEnience is likely to be caused
thereby. The course taken by the present Board of
Admiralty is, however, defended on the ground that
it is for the real good f the senses. In the case for
instance, of a gun vessel short of officers, and cruising
assang the intricaciesof Chinese or West India waters,
it is argued that a lieutenant should not be allowed to
undertake the superintendence of the midshipman's
studies in addition to his other duties. It is con-
tended that under such circumstances no great injury
to the professional proispects of young officers will be
likely to accrue even if they throw their books aside alto-
gether fora time, and apply themselves to learn practical
seamanship and navigation which, as a rule, can be
more readily acquired in a small vessel than on board
a larger one.

A people so earnest in the suppression of slavery aa
our own, cannot fail to be interested in a recently-
published despatch of Dr. Kirk in which he furnishes
some particulars regarding those East Indian settlers at
Zanzibar and the adjacent coast, who have been often
accused of carrying on a covert traffic in slaves. Zan-
zibar must be a curious place, for every variety of
creed and race is largely represented there. According
to the opinion of Dr. Kirk, no good grounds exist for
suspecting the settlers of carrying on the slave trade
themselves, although they probably assist the dealers
in many indirect ways, and even own a few slaves.
Measures have lately been taken to put a stop to this
Isat.named practice. Dr. Kirk himself has made
efforts in this direction, and the public crier, acting
under irrdere from the Governor, ham proclaimed that
no Indian can hold slaves or advance money on them,
and that all tran4actions in slaves between natives
and Indiaas are illegal

Although the trade between China and Japan
Ii of • penewlat restricted nature, the threatened

rupture between these two Oriental peoples is not
without its interest. According to the most recent
reports, China porosities an army of about • million
men, including 200,000 Tartar cavalry. There is also
• naval force belonging to the Celestials, comprising
nearly 2,000 ships, manned by about 100,000 sailors.
No doubt a considerable portion of the army is vir-
tually almost worthless for active service, being un-
disciplined, badly armed, and to an extent cowardly.
Yet, having ourselves had some brushes with the
Chinese, our experience has told us that in momenta
of emergency the Celestial Empire can p 'e a toler-
ably efficient army in the fold. Aut c re
place the 4apiinese Frnilitary cox at SO, en ,
while sighdliim shiPs collat. 160 eat ary: t
should, hoWer, r embers 4 tb . e gr t
Daimidk or vassal p ces, maintain vast forces not
i included in this estimate, which would greatly swell
the national army in the event of a foreign war. On
the question of efficiency there seems to be no reason
to doubt Oak superiority of the Japanese. Whatever
may be the quality of the miscellaneous soldiery who
follow the different Daimios, the regular army, under
the Mikado, being fairly disciplined, courageous, and
well 'nipped, woulcf.probabty be more than a match for
ten times its number of Chinese. Again, the irouclads
forming a portion of the Japanese Beet would find it a
comparatively easy matter to destroy the. cumbrous
. war junks forming the bulk of the Chinese navy. Let
us hope, however, that the difficulties between these
two enlightened nations, as both regard themselves,
may yet find a peaceful solution.

One often notices in the newspapers the chronicle of
a cricket match headed "The Gentlemen versus the
Players." Has it ever occurred to your readers that it
is in the cricket-field only that gentlemen admit pro-
fesisionals to compete with them on equal terms? Yet
in the cricket field reigns a sort of brotherhood com-
pletely unknown on the river, on the running path, or
on the turf. An eleven of gentlemen plays an eleven of
professionals without a suspicion.of losing caste by the
act. In a match between the North am), the South
players and gentlemen are intermixed on the same side
without fear and without reproach. The association
of the one element with the other elevates the tone of
the professionals and improves the skill of the gentle-
men. There is no such thing as this on the Thames
and the Tyne, and the consequence is that the water-
men are an much below the gentlemen in refinement and
social character as they are superior to them in aquatic
prowess.