The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-10-08 00:00:00

Visuilanrous yntelligetire.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

ALL BUT.—Lady (to Hibernian driver) : "I told
you to drive faster, Pat; you see I have missed the
train." Pat: "Sure, mum, we are only a minnit too
late."—Judy.
NUMBER OF MEDICAL MEN.—A Parisian contem-
porary estimates the total number of recognised
medical men throughout the civilised globe as
189,009. The largest number, tamely 65,000 is in
the United States. Great Britain and her colonies
figure for 35,000, France for 26,000, Germany and
Austria for 32,000, Italy for 10,000, and Spair‘for
5,000. Out of these 11,000 have contributed to medi-
cal literature, of which some curious statistics are
added. The medical authors number in the United
States 2,800, in France 2,600, in Great Britain 2,000,
in Germany and Austria 2,300. Spain, it appears,
can boast of only 300.
CONSUMPTION OF GAME IN FRANCE.—The enormous
amount of game consumed in Fiance during the
season may be gathered from the subjoined list of the
quantity sent to Paris during the first fortnight,
taking an average of three years :-86,200 partridges,
30,000 quails, 10,900 hares, 600 rails, 400 pheasants,
100 deer and roebucks, 80 woodcock, 10 snipe, 60
thrush and ousel—in round numbers about 128,350
head of game. In these statistics rabbits are not
included, nor are baskets sent to private individuals.
The estimated value of the game is eighty millions of
francs.

WEATHER \YrsDom.—When you wish to know what
the weather is to be, go out and select the smallest
cloud you see. Keep your eye upon it, and if it de-
creases and disappears it shows a state of the air
which is sure to be followed by fine weather; but if it
increases in size, take your great coat with you if you
are going from home, for falling weather is not far off.
The reason is this : When the air is becoming charged
with electricity you will see every cloud attracting all
lesser ones towards it, until it gathers into a shower;
and, on the contrary, when the fluid is passing off, or
diffusing itself, then a large cloud will be seen break-
ing into pieces and dissolving.

THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD "FARM."—The origin
of farna•words is one of the most interesting of studies
(says Land). Take, for instance, the word "farm,"
which is one of the most familiar of our household
words. The estates which in the time of the Saxons
the lords of manors granted to the freeman were but
for years at first, with a render of a rent, which in
those days was of corn or victuals. Thence the
leases so made were called formes or farms, which
soon signified merely victuals. In process of time
victuals were turned into money, and terms of years
to terms of life and inheritance, retaining tht-,- rents,
and those called quit rents, or the rents of those
persons that were free or acquitted.

THE LABOUR MARKET.—Work has been resumed in
the cotton industry, and the mills are in full opera-
tion. The iron trade continues fairly good, and the
advance of 10s. per ton on all descriptions of iron has
had a good effect in South Staffordshire. The ship-
building industries continue busy, and orders are
being received sufficient to keep the yards in full
swing. Amongst the trades that are busy may be
mentioned the carpet, lace, hosiery, textile, and
leather industries. In and around London business is
good, and in all quarters the depression which has
lasted so long is gradually but surely passing away.
Emigration still continues, the funds of some societies
being used for that purpose.

PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY.—" Cleanliness," we are
told, "is next to godliness." Under these circum-
stances, we may assume that soap is next to charity ;
at all events, let's soap so.—Judy.
UNSTITCHED NEWSPAPERS.—Last Saturday the Act,
passed in the late session, "for further regulating the
transmission of newspapers," came into force, provid-
ing that, from and after Sept. 30, 1881, so much of the
Post Office Act, 1870, as requires that a publication,
in order to be a newspaper for the purposes of that
Act, shall be printed on a sheet or sheets, " un-
stitched," shall be repealed, but such repeal shall not
extend to a supplement of a newspaper.
Too BAD.—Tom in boat, to Bill.—" I say, Bill, l'm
regularly parched. I could drink a houseful. Do you
see anything of those other chaps with the liquor? "
Bill.— Stop a moment. I think I do. Yes, there
they are ! They've landed. Other side. Tom, they're
actually pelting a lot of empty bottles with stones ! "
—Fun.
THE "GOOD CHEESE" WHICH INSPIRED THE Rus-
SIANS.—In the course of a note upon the rations of
the Russian .soldier, the New York Times tells this
anecdote : "When the half-starved Russians poured
into the village of Andermatt, of whose famous
cheese they had heard so many stories, their first pro-
ceeding was to devour the contents of alarge store filled
with what they supposed to be the dainty in question,
and then falling upon the French, they beat them
back across the Ruess. When Suvoroff, after the
battle, praised the valor of the men, one of them
modestly attributed it to the good cheese' which
they had eaten, and triumphantly displayed the half.
gnawed remnant of a bar of yellow soap! " Well, it
is not strange that under the circumstances they
should have cleaned out the enemy.

THE ADVENTURES OF A POST-CARD.— A member of
a club at Chaux de Fonda, havin4 made a bet that he
licytice. Some of
would send a post-card round the world, addressed
one to "Messrs. Maniglet and Co., 13, Rue de la
Balance, Marseilles, France; Cairo, Egypt; Bombay,
India; Hong Kong, China; Yokohama, Japan; San
Francisco, California; New York, United States;
return to Messrs. Maniglet and Co.. at Chaux de
Fonds, Switzerland." In one corner of the post-card
were the words—" Postmasters are requested to for-
ward." The post-card in question was duly returned
at the end of August, bearing the post-marks of Mar-
seilles, April 2 ,• Port t'aid, April 9; Suez, April 12;
Bombay, April 26 and 27; Hong Kong, May 20;
Yokohama, June 6 and ii; and San Francisco, Jane
27. The card had been stopped at New York, but on
8.1 ceidagne.7(.,,f
train-
ing Erie,
the 15th of August it was sent on in an official enve-
lope, accompanied by an intimation that, according to
the regulations of the Postal Union, cards of this kind
should not be transmitted through the post.
iiEles°ein.
i,
his
e\- Philadelphiaini
his young birds put upon the road to make records for
distance have made very good time, viz., fifty miles in
ninety minutes, sixty-six miles in eighty. two minutes.
Pennsylvania,ii MEDICALing C.p Ai
gißse,TiolsnEasl; -sP
fortr GI
Homing pigeons are largely used by country physicians
both here and abroad. One doctor in Hamilton
pigeon o
situation
t;u
aatlisecni anyma
may
other
demand.
aci vi c o e
He
r
county, New York, uses them constantly in his
practice, extending over almost two township, and he
considers them an almost invaluable aid. After visit-
ing a patient he sends the necessary prescription to
hisifnr frequently dispensaryqtrullecnttil)n atlshoeblayeeaasveeps pigeons at places from which he
wishes reports of progress to be despatched at specified
times' or at certain crises. He says he is enabled to
attend to a third more business at least through the
time saved to him by the use of pigeons. In critical
cases lie is able to keep posted by hourly bulletins
from the bedside between daylight and nightfall, and
he can recall case after case where lives have been
saved that must have been lost if he had been obliged
to depend upon ordinary means of conveying in-
formation.
THE FORTUNES LEFX BY AMERICAN PRESIDENTS.—
' A list has been published in the Continental papers of
the fortunes left by the American Presidents at their
death, According to this Washington left 800,000
dols.; John Adams, 75,000 dols. ; Jefferson died so
poor that had Congress not bought his library for
20,000 dols. there would not have been enough to pay
his debts. Maddison left 150,000 dole. Monroe left
nothing, and his relations had to bear the cost of his
funeral. John Quincy Adams left 55,000 dole.; Jack-
son, 80,000 dols.; Van Buren, 400,000 dols. ; Polk and
Taylor, 160,000 dols. ; Fillmore 200,000 dols. ; Pierce,
50,000 dole. ; Buchanan, 200,009 dole. ; Lincoln, 75,000
doll,; and Andrew Johnson, 50,000 dols.

CIIRIOUS.-It is a curious fact in natural history,
not so generally known as it might be, that a cat
with nine lives generally falls on its mom feet;
whereas a cat with nine tails mostly falls on somebody

else's baek.—Judy.
A GALLANT OFFICER.—An officer of the 21st Roya
Scots Fusiliers writes as follows from Pretoria .bout
Captain Auchinleck of the same regiment :—Daniel
Auchinleck is here and quite well and jolly. His
defence of Rustenburg with his company was superb ;
they were for three and a half months shut up
in a mud fort only twenty-five yards square, with
no tents, though they had forty-five days of con-
tinuous rain. Daniel was first hit on the head by
a spent ball; next he was shot through the faca
—the bullet entering at the root of his nose, passing
through the nose, and emerging at the left eye. 'Whilst
in this condition, he led twelve men against the Boer
entrenchments at night, and received a shot clean
through the elbow ; the arm was not amputated, but
is, of course, very stiff. Finally, he was shot through
the left thigh. He is going home soon, and the doctors
hope there may still be a chance for his arm. He is
certain to be promoted.
AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The following
are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending October 1, as received from the inspectors
and officers of Excise :—Wheat, 475. 9d. ; barley, 355.
' • oats, 19s. 111 per imperial qr. Corresponding
week last year :—Wheat, 40s. ld. ; barley, 345. Od. ;

oats, 21s. 61.
THE MAN WITH THE CRAYON.—Shortly after dinner
yesterday (says the Detroit Free Press) a man who was
coming down Jefferson-avenue with a framed crayon
under his arm, was met by an acquaintance' who said,
" ! ha! Been to the auction rooms, eh? Crayon
of a female, eh? Who the deuce is it? Looks like
the head cook in a lumber camp. Going to hang it in
the barn, I suppose? Well, so long."—Half a block
further down he met another man, who began,
" Whew ! but I didn't know as you cared for pictures.
Let's see it. Well, I'll be hanged!"—" What's the
matter ?"—" Matter! Why, it's the worst-looking
pioture I ever saw. If you bought that you must
have wanted the frame pretty bad. Say, it's a bad
give a way on you to carry such a picture as that
around." The next Dian who halted him was more
quiet. "Picture, eh ?"—" Yes."— " Crayon—l see.
It isn't a picture of your grandmother ? "—" Oh, no."
—" Well, then, I'm free to say that it is one
of the ugliest faces I ever saw worked up by an artist.
Good day, my friend."—The owner of the picture was
plodding along with a serious look in his eyes when
some one called him, and he halted. "What ye got?"
asked the man as he came up.—"A crayon."—"Let's
see. There—hold it there. Say, old fellow—"—" I
wish to observe," said the owner of the picture, "that
this is a crayon of my wife!" "Your wife—ah—yes
—alters the case—tra-la !" and he went off at a trot,
while the other hired a boy for twenty-five cents to
carry tb3 picture the rest of the way home.

LUMINOUS PAlNT.—There are obviously many uses
to which luminous paint might be put in connexion
with the nursing of the sick (remarks the Lancet).
For example, the labels on bottles of medicine which
require especial care could be' illuminated with this
material, so that poisonous preparations for external
use should not be administered internally by sleepy
nurses in the semi-darkness of a sick chamber. It
might also be employed to give a distinctive appear-
ance to the bottles and wrappers of poisonous drugs
generally in chemists' shops and in private houses. It
is notorious that many of the mistakes made in dis-
pensing occur at night, and it is then that patients are
especially apt to be dosed with the wrong medicine.
In the dispensing department of diuggists' establish-
ments, in the wards of hospitals, and in bedrooms
generally, the use of this paint in the manner indi-
cated would be convenient and useful; but that it
may be so used it must be sold in small quantities and
at a low price.
-

A STRANGE FREAK OF NATURE.—A singular phe-
nomenon was placed on record some time ago in
America (says the Live .`tock Journal). A bay horse,
eight years old—an imported Clydesdale—had some
white spots come under his tail, and a few weeks later
similar spots appeared around his mouth and nose.
After a month or so they began to disappear, but at
the same time other spots, also white, came out all
over the body, and the hair also turned white. The
skin remained quite smooth, showing no symptoms of
disease, and the animal's general health seemed to be
good. It would be interesting to know whether the
colour has again changed, or whether any other
symptoms have developed themselves-
A SEASONABLE CONUNDRUM—Why is the first of
July like a piano that hasn't been played upon for
years 7—Because—no, I don't like to. Go on! Be-
cause it's out of—no, I don't think I can. Go on,
silly. Because it 's out of what! Well, no, really you
must excuse me, but I 'd rather not. Don't be absurd.
Because it 's out of what? Well, must I? Yes, of
course. Because it's out of—l 'd much rather be ex-
cused. Don't be so ridiculously silly. Besides, we
get all sorts of things sent to us. Well then, if you
must have it,—Because it 's out of June !—Judy.
JAPANESE STUDENTS AT THE ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE.
—The London and China Telegraph says :—At the last
examination of the 18S0-1 session at the Royal Naval
College at Greenwich, Mr. Yendo Kitaro, a Japanese
officer who has been studying at the College, took the
first highest place on the general list. We believe
that the Lords of the Admiralty have expressed their
congratulations at the high standard reached by a
foreign officer. We also undertand that the autho-
rities have just granted the admittance to the College
of his Highness Prince Take-fiito, who, however,
while pursuing his studies preserves a strict incognito.

POST OFFICE INSURANCE.-It is stated that the
scheme of Post Office insurance for letters containing
money or other valuables is now pretty well matured,
and that Mr. Fawcett may see his way to putting it
into operation by the beginning of next year. The
maximum amount of insurance will at first probably
be £25, but if the scheme works well it will doubtless
be raised to £lOO. The registration and insurance fee
combined will be 212 d. for £lO, with I.d. extra for each
additional £5 of value.

ROMANCE AND REALITY.—City editor, reading:
"The night had draped its folds around the dark and
steely waters; the lights of the distant city glimmered
on the brink; naught was heard save the churning of
the paddles as the ferryboat Fulton plowed her way
across the dark and threatening tide. There were
but few passengers, wearied men returning to their
well-won rest; hollow-eyed girls, exhausted with their
daily toil in the close and fetid rooms of some city
workshop. One figure only was seen to move rest-
lessly to and fro, his hat drawn firmly down over his
wild and hopeless eyes. Suddenly he darted from the
cabin, gave one last look on sea and sky. There was
a plunge, and all was still." City editor: "Jim, this
is all very fine, but it's not the way we do it on this
paper. Just say: 'Last evening as the Fulton was
making her nine o'clock trip a man apparently about
40 years of age jumped from her deck into the river.
He was fished out by deckhand Smith and handed
over to the police.' "—Detroit Free Press.
WHEN ?—When is a nice little girl coming away from
the dentist's like a naughty young man who has
"chucked" away his property ?—Why, when she has
just got rid of her old acres !—Judy.
COMPLIMENTING AN AUTHOR.—The following story
is told of Bret Harte. In speaking of compliments
one day, Bret Harte said he would give the history of
the greattest compliment which he himself had ever
received since he had attained any distinction as an
author. One time, when he had occasion to take a
trip from San Francisco to Oregon, he reached the
boat just as it was about to move off, and without
having made any previous application for state-room
accommodation on board. Fortunate in being
assured of his destination at least, Which it was neces-
sary he should gain without detention on a required
day, he proceeded immediately to the ticket office on
the boat, and inquired of the agent there if he could
obtain a berth for the night. The agent on this
occasion was a rather curt, gruff fellow, who made it
his special pride to give all information to anxious or
inquiring passengers in about as disagreeable a
manner as men in his position can very well assume
under such circumstances. "There are no state-
rooms for anyone—all sold," said the Cerberus.
"I must have one," returned the author of
"The Luck of Roaring Camp;" perhaps that may
assist me in obtaining what I want;" and he handed
the agent his visiting card. "There is no berth here
for Bret Harte or any other man," was the rough
answer, and the card was handed hack. "Be you the
man as writ "Ile Luck of Roaring Camp?' Be you
Bret Harte ?" exclaimed a voice behind the writer of
that celebrated story. Bret Harte turned and per-
ceived a tough-looking miner, with pistols peeping out
of his bolt, awaiting his reply. "I have the honour
of having written it." said he politely. The miner
took the card from Harte, looked at it a moment,
crumpled it up, and then, suddenly extending his
hand, said with gusto, "Give it ter me, yer son of a
gun," referring, of course, to Harte's own hand ' • "I
have a state-room with two bunks in it; you shall have
one, and I'll shoot the man who's in the other if you
say so, so that we may have the rooms to ourselves."
LORD BEACONSPIERD'S FLORIN.—The great Earl did
not often, of late years, go abroad alone; he was
usually to be seen with his well-gloved hand in the arm
of the faithful Corry. But sometimes whim, and some-
times exigencies of affairs, set out by himself. On
one occasion, towards the close of his administration,
when • perils did abound as thick as thought could
make 'ern,' he found it necessary to be whirled with all
possible speed to Hatfield, where Lord Salisbury was
confined in illness. By some miscalculation lie
reached the Great Nerthern Station at King's Cross
a good half-hour before the departure of the train.
He was not the man to fret or fume over this.
He lit a cigar, and whiled away the time on the bare
windy platform, taking a peep at the bookstall of the
First Lord of the Admiralty, and at the many little in-
dustries around, from acquNntance with which recog-
nisable persons are usually debarred. The sharp boy
in charge of the weighing machine cried in a clear
Voice, which echoed- through the station, "Try your
weight, sir !" and offered him a box of lights. He
looked at the boy and the chair; but he was not to be
tempted even by a sharp boy to do more. As the
half-hour decreased to a quarter, railway porters and
passe-gels began to appear on the platform, among
whom there :mild not tail to be some who would recog-
nise his lordship. Soon there was not a creature on
two legs in the station but knew that Lord Beacons-
field was on the platform, and the gathering eyes soon
became an eninarrassment. "A play-actor' or a
preacher, as he said once, "soon gets used, no doubt,
to having a thousand pairs of strange eyes on him ;
but an ordinary personage never feels so uncoin-
fortably naked and unsheltered as when, by some
accident, he stands the centre of a silent crowd
of eyes before and behind. Ile took his ticket, and
went to take his seat (it being yet eight or ten minutes
till the time of the departure of the train). He was step-
ping into the carriage, when his walking stick slipped
from his hand and fell through between the footboard
and the platform Instantly a man who was standing
by—a workman of some sort connected with the rail-
way—jumped down, crept under, and returned with
the stick, which he handed to the great man with his
cap off and with a very creditable obeisance. His lord-
ship looked at him. "And have you," said he, " InY
good man, risked your life to oblige me? Yott
• deserve, sir "—putting his hand in his pocket—"
deserve "—drawing it out and glancing at the car--
" the Victoria Cross;" saying which he put into the
man's hand a florin. Let any one look at the reverse
of the ooha and he will appreciate the mot,—Lcovfoll