The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-12-17 00:00:00

glisullaneous

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL

CONDITION.—DriII Sergeant (to Recruit) "Throw
out your chest and keep in your stomach! A soldier
should always have a full chest and an empty
stomach! ! "—Punch.
RAILWAYS AND BICYCLES.—A Corresponient, refer-
ring to the excessive charge for the carriage of bicycles
when conveyed by passenger train, as they were
classed with hawkers' hand-carts, street pianos, Ste.,
says :—" This has now been altered, and the scale of
charges reduced by 50 per cent., through the exertions
of the Council of the Bicycle Touring Club, who, at a
meeting held at Glasgow, in October, drew up and
forwarded to the General Committee of the Rail-
way Clearing-house a memorial pointing out their
grievance. The new rates will come into force on
Jan. 1,"
A TOUGH MISSIONARY !—Last fall the New York
Missionary Society sent as missionary to the Cannibal
islands a brother who had lost both arms and both
legs in a railroad accident: He was provided with
cork limbs, and his voice being in good condition it
was believed he could get on in his work with the
heathen as well as though he was a whole man. The
surviving missionary says he shall never forget the
look of pain on the face of a buck-cannibal as he bit
into the elleow joint of the late lamented, and struck a
brass hinge. He picked it out as an American would
pick a buckshot out of apiece of venison, and laid it
beside him in an abstracted manner, and began to
chew on a cork elbow. All those who desire the wel-
fare of the Indian, will with regret picture the feelings
of these poor misguided men and brothers as they
tried to draw sustenance from the remains of the cork
man. Whether they will conclude that all mis-
sionaries have become tough and quit trying to masti-
cate them is not known, though that is the hope of the
missionary society.
A TERRIBLE TARANTULA.—OIiver C. Waddell, who
recently removed to Arkansas from Texas, settling
along White River, in Stone County, was bitten a few
days ago by a tarantula. He was on a hunting expe-
dition in the mountains, and had camped under a large
pine tree. Some time during the night the insect
crawled in between the blankets which enveloped him
as he lay before the fire, and bit him twice, once on
the finger, and again on the arm, near the elbow. He
was awakened by a tingling sensation in that part of
his body, and rousing himself, discovered the cause
and succeeded in killing the tarantula. It was as
large as the hand of an ordinary man. Waddell's
I hand and arm began to swell rapidly, and before he
I could get to the nearest house—some four or five miles
away—the poison had spread, apparently, to all parts
of his body. It was some time before he could get
medical skill, and when the physican arrived Waddell
was found to be beyond hope. He lingered soul time,
however, dying in the afternoon.
EDUCATION IN MANITOBA.—As an illustration of
the growth of the youngest province of the Dominion
of Canada' it may be mentioned that in 1871 there
were only 16 schools in existence, while at the present
time there are 107 • in fact, Winnipeg now contains
more pupils than did the whole province ten years
ago. The schools are under the control of a Board of
Education, which meets four times a year. It deals
with the readjustment of school districts, examination
of teachers, text books, erection of new buildings, ap-
pointment of inspectors, &c. The Board is divided
into two sections, one for the Catholic and one for the
Protestant schools and a superintendent is appointed
for each. These officials are secretaries and executive
officers' of their sections and joint secretaries of the
certral board. The powers of the Board apply only to
Manitoba and not to the north-west. The average
salaries of teachers in the rural districts range from
i'-80 to £9O, the highest paid in the towns being about
2200.

NEW PROVERB FOR THE RECENT MILD WEATHER.—
One swallow does not make a Christmas! "—Punch.
HELPING THE PARTY. —ln the days gone by a
Detriot Sheriff who had made a close shave of being
elected, had the ill-luck to lose a prisoner from the
jail (says the Detriot Free Frew). The fellow made
good his escape to the country, but the Sheriff over-
hauled him about eight miles out and drove him under
a barn. The prisoner was captured and yet he was
not. If he could not get out the Sheriff could not get
in, and threats had no effect on him. In this
emergency the officer called out: "Say, Jim."
'Yes." "You know I had a mighty close shave get-
ting this office?" "You dirl that." "Well, I'm lay-
ing my pipes for a second term. If I lose you I
might as well hang up. The opposition will hold it
up in letters four feet high, and hundreds of men in
my own party will slip my name. Do you hear me?"
"I do." "Well, I ask you to come out, not exactly
as a prisoner going back to jail, but more as a patriot
bound to stand by his party. Come, Jim.'' "I'll be
hanged if I don't ! " replied the prisoner. "The judge
was agin me, my sentence was unjust, and I hate your
jail, but if it's going to help the party and crush the
hydra-headed opposition out I come!"
KILLED ON THE RAILWAY.—Mr. E. A. Carttar,
coroner for West Kent, held an inquest on Tuesday at
Bromley, on the body of Frederick Augustus Barnard,
publisher of the Sporting Times, who met with his
death through falling under a train at Shortlands
Station on Saturday evening. Evidence was given
stating that deceased arrived at Shortlands Station
by the 8.12 train, and that he failed to get out of the
carriage until the train started. He then jumped quite
clear of the train, but turned and tried to shut
the carriage door with his right hand, at
the same time having in his left hand a
basket of fish, a hare, a bottle, an umbrella,
and some newspapers. He succeeded in closing
the door, but the ground being wet and slip-
pery he fell on to the footboard and the platform, and
as the train passed along fell between the couplings of
the second aud third carriages, and the remainder of
the train passed over him. He was picked up and
taken to the Cottage Hospital, where Dr. W. Beeby
amputated the left leg, the bone of which had been
cruehed and cracked in a frightful manner. After the
amputation he remained quite insensible, and died
some hours afterwards.—The jury returned a verdict
of accidental death, and attributed blame to no one.

FACTORY CHILDREN IN RUSSIA.—The Russian
journals publish details of the new projected law rela-
tive to the employment of children in manufactories
throughout the empire, The minimum age is fixed at
12 years, but children already employed in such
establishments are excepted from the bencrits of this
regulation. lip to 18 years of age the day's tabour
is not to exceed 12 hours, inclusive of two hours de-
voted to rest and meals. Plight work is absolutely
forbidden.

MORMONISM IN TIM WESTERN STATES.—DespatcheA
from the western territory of the United States an
nounce that considerable anxiety exists in the districts
contiguous to Utah on account of the spread of
Mormon colonies in Arizona, Idaho; Montano,
Nevada, and Wyoming. It is said that an appeal '
will be made to the central Government during the
coming session of Congress to check this threatened
spread of the authority of the Mormon Chutal.
THE TRADE OF SHEFFlELD.—Statistics of Sheffield
exports to the United States for November last show
a total value of £98,849, which is £33,550 in excess of
the corresponding month of last year. The increase
is chiefly in steel rails and similar goods. Several
Chinese officials are at present in Sheffield inspecting
and passing armour plates which are being manufac-
tured for the Chinese Government. One addressed a
public meeting on Friday night in favour of the sup-
pression of the opium trade.
A CHESS CONTEST.—AR interesting chess contest
took place on Monday evening, at the City of London
Chess Club's Rooms, between nine first and as many
fourth class members of the club, the former con-
ceiing to their opponents the odds of the knight. The
team of first-rates was composed of Mr. Blackburne,
Dr. Ballard, and Messrs. Healey, Hirschfeld, Hor-
witz., Mac Donnell, Maczuski, Mason, and Potter.
Their opponents were picked members from the
fourth class which last winter played a series of
matches with other clubs, including the Oxford and
Cambridge Universities. The result of the contest
was a decisive victory for the first-rates, who won
eight games, the ninth being drawn.
RELIGIOUS CENSUS OF SOUTHAMPTON.—A religious
census of Southampton has been taken by the Hamp-
shire Independent. For a population of 60,235 (muni-
cipal and Parliamentary borough) the Church provides
10,305 and the Nonconformists 12,435 sittings, as
against 17,959 sittings for a population of 36,305 in
1851. The attendance on Sunday morning, December
4, which was fine, but dull and raw, was—Church,
5,111; Nonconformist, 4665; evening—Church, 6,562;
Nonconformist, 6,494; with 3,359 and 3,333 children
at Sunday school in the afternoon; 1,007 adults also
attended early and mid-day communions and afternoon
services in the churches, and 233 in chapels • and 4,500
at Circus services conducted by Canon B. Wilberforce
and Lord Radstock.

STORM WARNING.—The following cable message was
received at the London office of the New York Herald
from the Herald Weather Bureau, New York :—" A
disturbance is crossing which is likely to develope
dangerous energy; will arrive on the British and
Norwegian affecting the French coasts between the
12th and the 14th, attended by south-east, veering
north-west, gales, with snow in the north; another
follows within forty-eight hours. The Atlantic will
be stormy north of 45."
A NEW DISEASE AMONG HORSES.—An epizootic
disease, to which the name of "pink eye" has been.
popularly given, has lately been prevalent among the
horses of Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. It is
really a species of influenza, in which all the
symptoms which characterize the disease in the
human subject are present. Langour, disinclination
for exertion, headache, weeping from the eyes, red and
puffy eyelids, discharge from the nostrils and swelling
of the legs, with much general fever, are among the
symptoms. There is no trouble with the lungs, nor
any cough, as in the aggravated or pulmonary
influenza. The disease lasts from three to ten days,
and with good nursing and rest disappears without
any secondary complications. Fortunately, it spreads
slowly and does not make a general onslaught upon
the horses of a locality at a sudden swoop. One is
taken, then another and another; but in the mean-
time the first is recovering. Even with this, great
inconvenience has been felt.

How HE SETTLED IT.—" Ladies complain "
began an elderly match-making mother to an un-
confirmed bachelor. "They've no right to come
plain " interrupted one Mister Wagstaffe • "they
should come pretty." So he gave a Bachelor's Ball
and a Lass-hopper's feast, and there was no further
complaining.—Punch.
THE BOLD, Ran BURGLAR !—One of the most touch-
ing things we have read off a long time is that story of
a robber and a poor lone woman near Franklin, Ohio.
The robber came to her house at night and demanded
her money or her life. She gave him the little money
she had. "Haven't you anything of value ? " inquired
the bold bad burglar, looking about the scantily-
furnished apartment. She had nothing more she
replied with a sigh. A thought struck him. "Your
husband was a soldier, was he not ?" She acknow-
ledged that he was, and was killed in the war. "Then
he must have had a revolver, he continued, searching
her countenance. She acknowledged that she had,
and had pawned many things when in distress, but
had always kept that. But the robber was unrelent-
ing. Sobbing bitterly, she went to a bureau drawer
and removed the last relic. "Must you have it?"
she said, as she advanced with trembling steps towards
him. "Yes, I must," said the robber, extending his
hand. "Well then, take it," she said, gently pulling
the trigger. There was a loud report, and there was a
robber the less.

"SPEECH 15 SILVER, Bur--" - Housekeeper
(showing party of American visitors round old
Baronial Mansion).—" And this, ladies and gentle-
men, is the ancient banquetting-hall, erected by the
third Baron, in the reign of--" Miss McShoddy
(interrupting).—" My ! It's an elegant feedin'-room,
ain't it, Pa? "—Fun.

TEE " FATHER " or THE BRITISH ARMY.—The
honour of being "father " of the British army is
claimed for General George Macdonald, colonel of the
Bedfordshire Regiment, who entered the army in the
month of September, 1805. General Macdonald was
born on October 10, 1785, and has consequently
reached the patriarchial age of ninety-seven years and
two months.

DISASTERS AT SEA. —An American despatch states
that the steamer South Carolina, from Panama, landed
at San Francisco on Nov. 30, Captain Currie, his wife
and two children, and four seamen from the Brinell
barque Sarah, which was burnt in the South Pacific.
The captain relates a terrible tale of suffering during
a voyage of 23 days in an open boat under a tropical
sun. All came near perishing for want of water. The
remainder of the crew left in two boats, which have
not been heard from.—The South Carolina also brought
la number of destitute seamen from Manzanillo, belong-
ing to the Alnwick Castle and the barque J. B. Bell,
which were wrecked in Manzanillo harbour during the
recent cyclone. She also brought from Mazatlan the
crew of the wrecked barque Antioch, and from San
Bias the crew of the schooner Good Templar.

THE LYONS COURIER.—The last surviving witness in
the celebrated trial of Lesurques, on which is founded
the well-known melodrama of The Lyons Mail, is
reported to ha-ve died the other day at Melun, at the
great age of 96. This was Madame Alfroy, n4e
Mercier, daughter of the Merciers who kept the little
roadway. inn at Lieusaint in which it will be remem-
bered that the real murderers of the Lyons courier
made carousal after the accomplishment of their crime.
Her testimony was regarded as contributing much to
establish the supposed guilt of the innocent Lesurques,
whose extraordinary resemblance to one of the
assassins led to his condemnation and execution.
The trial took place in 1796, when Mdlle. Mercier was
only eleven years of age,
AN ARCH/EOLOGICAL DISCOVERY IN SWEDEN.—A
discovery of mediwval silver work, with some gold
ornaments and precious stones, has been made at
Vufarfre, in Sweden, by a peasant digging in a ditch.
The principal objects were seven silver bowls, one
attributed to the twelfth century, decorated with
plants and animals, anti three of the fourteenth cen-
tury of smaller size, with figures of St. Olaf, the
Evangelist", and the Apostles in relief. Among the
other articles were spoons with Runic characters, gold
armlets, necklaces, rings, and chains. They appear
to have been deposited in a box, the only remains of
which are some pieces of ironwork.
PIGEON-SHOOTING MATCH FOR £2OO.—A pigeon.
shooting contest of an eixtraordinary character was
decided on Monday at the- -Union Gun Club Enclosure,
Hendon. The contestants were the champion (Dr.
Carver) and Mr. Gordon. The stakes were £lOO a
side, and Dr. Carver shot at 34 yards rise, whilst Mr.
Gordon, who was restricted to the -use of one hand
only, stood at the 24 yards mark. Mr. Gordon took
the lead early in the match, and at the end of the
fiftieth round led by three birds, the score being—Mr.
Gordon, 36; Dr. Carver, 33. Mr. Gordon after this
continued to add to his advantage, and when seventy-
five rounds had been disposed of he had killed 55 as
against Dr. Carver's 50. Eventually Dr. Carver
suffered his first reverse in a pigeon-shooting match by
six birds, the final scores standing at—Mr. Gordon, 67
out of 100; Dr. Carver, 61 out of 100.
IN HONOUR OF ST. CATHERINE.—The patron saint
of old maids, St. Catherine, is annually commemo-
rated on November 25th in Brussels by a "Spinsters'
Society" of 400 members, divided into three grades,
according to the Belgian National—the novices from
24 to 25 years of age ; the full members from 25 to 35,
and the honorary members those over 35. At a yearly
grand banquet—whence the stronger sex are, of course,
rigidly excluded—the President drinks the health of
such members as have been married during the year,
and pronounces a lengthy eulogy on the character of
St. Catherine' who lived in the fourth century, and
was martyred in the reign of Maximiauus, after which
the members embrace each other, pronouncing a set
formula in honour of their patroness.—ln Paris this
year also there was a grand gathering of ladies over
25, and thus entitled a coiffer Ste. Catherine, each
spinster being presented on her arrival with a large
gold pin, which she was expected to fix in her hair.
THE LAIIOUR MARKET.—The latest reports from
the various labour centres show a steady improve-
ment in trade, and in several of our staple industries a
cheerful tone prevails. Business in the wool market
is good. Prices are maintained with great firmness,
and a large home trade is being done. The flannel
trade in Ro'clidale and other northern towns is greater
than the average for the time of year, and the opera-
tives are making full time. The home demand in the
lace trade is not quite so good, but numerous foreie-n
orders are on hand, and manufacturers are fairly 'owy.
The improvement in the linen industry is
main-
tained, and the tone throughout is" 1.,„;.;„„ a
firm. In the cloth market, both the ',,,,a7esaajo-revr;
trades have been well represfent6
is a strong impression that after th •
iron and steel trades con'sifu'es
kinds of goods will be dear' -‘f the vest. all
e end i - -
At Leeds there
furnaces lately blown out tire being,The d activity
,v zerift theth the
of all kinds of iron are well ma'
duction in all the districts, es Prices
IP:yained, and thi pro.
increasing. The heavy iron
fordshire and Sheffield t; icially in Clevelan
a;:i.;lightecf.
can
scarcely get hands suffic; Atit the manulaceuiPi
At
all the ship-yards the. ' trade is so btiev t
ent to execute the orders.
'id
contracts for buildin
several firms der.- men are well employed, 2k.
4 new Vessels hAve been taken b;
metropolis is, Ang the Iv e in the
0.4 the whole wee
Busin Business le
people employea in
avenage employment vitrlous inamitriee lr,” "1r %
gOod,
.411 apd the working

1 tIFORTS OE VEGETABLES. —Large quantities of
Vnglish potatoes and cauliflowers are being shipped
' weekly to Neer York for consumption in that city.
The cauliflowers are fetching Bs. a dozen; potatoes,
after paying freightaae, leave a handsome profit; and
sneh is the scarcity of celery, that a quarter-dollar a
stick is paid for it.
AIERAGFE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN. —The follow-
ing are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending Dec. 10, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 445. 9d. ; barley, 325. 6d.;
oats, 204, 2d. per imperial qr. Correspending week
last year :—Wheat, 455. id.; barley, 325. Bd.; oats,
20s. 9d.
THE GOTHA. ALKANAC.--.The celebrated genealogical,
diplomatic, and statistical annual known as the
"Almanac de Gotha" has once more made its re-
appearance in anticipation of the new year, this being
its 110th edition. The changes in the Government
tied other circumstances of the different countries
since the last issue as here shown are not inconsider-
able. Russia is the most remarkable example. A new
kingdom has been added in the case of Roumania.
Tunis, in virtue of the French protectorate, now
appears for the first time under the article of
"France." The annual also takes note of the recent
annexation by France of islands in the Pacific over
which she has till lately exercised only a protectorate.
TOBACCO IN THE UNITED STATES.—The production
of tobacco in the tinned States, as in France is largely
on the increase. The total land under tobacco cul-
tivation in all the States, according to the report to
the Government statisticians, to be published in the
forthcoming census, is 638,841 acres, This indicates
a probable average yield of nearly 500,000,00011e5.,
or about ten pounds for every man, woman, and
child in the country. Kentucky heads the list
with 170,000,9001b5. ; Virginia follows with nearly
80,000,0001b5., and after these come Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Tennessee, Maryland, and North Carolina, in
descending scale.
ORIGIN OF AN OLD kIATING.—A correspondent of
Notes and Queries writes I—Some time ago there was
a query inserted as to the origin of the saying, "All
my body is face," which was then attributed to an
ancient philosopher. I have mat with it in the fol-
lowing passage, in which it Is attributed to a beggar :
" Cloth sure is of the same date with civility in this
land. Indeed the ancient Brittains are reported to go
naked clothed only with colours painted, custom
making them insensible of cold, with the beggar, who
being demanded how he could go naked, returned,
'all my body is face.'"—Fuller's Worthies, "Berk-
shire," p. 82, Loud., 1662.
A HINT TO POOR LAW GUARDIANS.—A suggestive
fact was mentioned at the last annual meeting of the
Newcastle Charity Organization Society, of which
poor-law guardians will do well to note (remarks the
Pall-Mall Gazette). In 1874 the number of tramps
who were accommodated at the Newcastle casual
ward was 6,854, while those who frequented the
casual ward at Gateshead, on the other side
of the river, was only 628. In 1875 the New-
castle Board of Guardians adopted the separate
cell system, while at Gateshead no change was made.
The result was that last year Newcastle only had to
provide for 3,692 tramps, while the number palming
through Gateshead rose to 7,596. Boards perplexed
by the well-nigh insoluble problem of how to .deal with
the plague of tramps may take a valuable hint from
the Newcastle authorities. Like Alexander Selkirk,
the tramp sees no charms in solitude, and the offer of
a separate cell is sufficient in most oases to obviate
any necessity for the exercise of parochial hospitality.
"TAUT "-OLOGICAL. —Fond mother (who has been
teaching) : "Now, Augustus, and what is tautology 1"
—Augustus (making a dash for it) : "Any ology
that's 'taut.' "—Judy.
NAPTHA AT BAKU.—The Correspondent of The
Times at Odessa writes, December 2 :—The Russian
newspaper Poryadok (` Order ') contains the following
information respecting the production of naptha at
Baku. The supply of this article in many places near
that town, especially at the village of Balakhatany,
has existed for centuries. The naphtha, oozing
through a layer of sand, comes to the surface of the
earth in the form of a thick, black liquid. Only in
1859 appeared upon the s-.:ene the first pioneer with
the object of taking profitable advantage of the inex-
haustible supply. That was a Mr. Kokoreff, who, at the
suggestion of the celebrated chemist Liebig, in that
year, established a kerosene refinery at Soorakhanakh,
12 vents distant from Baku. In 1869 there were 50
other similar establishments there, and 200,000 poode
(401 b. to the pood) had been by then exported. At
the end of a second period of ten years the quantity
exported had reached 6,000,000 ponds, and up till the
present time it has reached 10,000,000.
CURE FOR BEE STINGS.—" H. 8.," writing to Lancf
and Water, says :—One of the penalties of bee-keeping
is the painful, and at. times dangerous, results of a
sting. It is a curious fact that bees have their likes
and dislikes to their keepers. A lady friend of mine,
who fed and took great care of two hives of bees during
a severe winter, never succeeded in winning their
affection, and was often stung, whilst her husband
could handle them with impunity. 1 came across a
very simple remedy in a French medical journal
recently : "A dog was severely stung by bees on his
nose; his master watched to see what the sufferer
would do. The dog made straight for a bed of leeks,
and rubbed his nose vigorously amongst them; the
result was a complete cure, without any swelling or
inflammation." Bee-keepers will do well to grow
leeks, as the remedy is equally efficacious for human
beings as for dogs.
DEATH OF A BRAVE SOLDIEB.—The death is ree
ported, on the 9th inst., at the early age of 46, of Mr.
J. J. Sims, one of the first and youngest recipients of
the Victoria Cross. Mr. Sims served in the 34th
Regiment during the Crimean War, and was one of
those whose decoration was pinned on his breast by the.
Queen at the public ceremonial in -Hyde Park shortly
after the close of the campaign. A picture, by Mr.
Louis W. Desanges, of the episode which led to the
bestowal of the "Order of Valour" on Mr. Sims,
appears in the Victoria Cross Gallery of the Crystal
Palace, and is thus described :—" Private John J.
Sims, 34th Regiment. For having on the 18th of
June, 1855, after the Regiment had retired into the
trenches from the assault on the Redan, gone out into
the open ground, under a heavy fire in broad daylight,
and brought in wounded soldiers outside the
trenches." Mr. Sims was at the time only 20 years
old.
A STATION MASTER KILLED.—The fog in London
on Tuesday night was the cause of a fatal occurrence
at the Waterloo Railway Station. It appears that, at
about half-past six, Mr. F. Young, aged 40, who had
been for some time in the employ of the South Eastern
Railway Company as station-master at Waterloo Junc-
tion, was going down the line close to the station, for the
purpose of ascertaining that the fog signalmen were at.
their posts, the fog being very thick at the time, when
an up-train came along unperceived and knocked hirn
down, completely smashing both his legs. The unfortu-
nate gentleman was discovered in front of the engine
only when it was too late for the driver to put on the
break, but the earliest assistance possible was afforded
him, and he was carried on an ambulance to St. Thomas's
Hospital. After consultation, the surgeons decided
to amputate both limbs, but the sufferer died at eight
o'clock, before the operation could be performed. No
fault is attributable to the driver of the engine. ikfs.
Young has left a wife and four children.
A NEW USE FOR ELECTRICITY. —Among the manY
unexpected developments of electrical science is an
application to the hiving of bees when they swarm,
successfully tried by German experimenters. It was
thought that by utilizing the electric force the bees
might be stupefied for the neceessary period of time
without being injured, and tho result proved the
correctness of the idea. The first attempt was made
upon bees that had gathered upora trees, the insects
afadlmlingted of their being safely upon
tthheegrounnd isnaiykind of trance, which
it
jusaed. The next
stage in the experiments was to ca_pisure the bees
when they were about to swarm. ley kntrcductni
the ends of two connecting wires into a IntlyeoecuPleu
honeycomb, and turning on the current, the bees ware
rendered inactive for about 30 minutes, while rise bad
results appeared to follow their awakening.
GETTING RID OF THEM. —Maiden Aunt (cell
visit) : "Well, Nellie, I'm very sorry to hear ttel".
you are such a good girl."—Nellie : "Oh, whya
Auntie ? "—M. A. : "Because I muoh prefer bad chile..
dren ; they are so much more often sent either out of
the room or off to bed! "—Fun.
SINGULAR SPORTING INCIDENT.—The other day
(says the Court Journal) on the occasion of Mr. Chal-
linor and his friends shooting part of BaWngton
Wood, opposite Itickwood, a fine cock pheasant ?ot
up and was fired at, but, it was thought, not hit, being
at a considerable distance from the guns. It flew a
little way down the wood, and then turned to the left
for Rick wood, flying rapidly over the valley, and
ultimately struck against the upper square of plate'
glass in the drawing room window. Though the glass
was more than a quarter of an inch thick the bird
passed right through the middle of the window. mak'
ing a triangular hole of about a foot in diameter, and
shivering to some extent the remainder of the gists&
The sound of breaking glass was plainly heard in the
wood, and on Mr. Challinor, Mr. Elliot, and other/
going up to the house they found the pheasant inside
the drawing-room lying perfectly dead; but, strange
to say, without any mark of a bruise, and, to all 01)*
pearance, without a feather ruffled.