The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-01-03 00:00:00

BRITISH BNB FOREIGN.

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Mr. Gladstone, who was born on the 29di Daernber
1809, com;deted his sixty-fourth year on Monday.
ThrPubheite of Ade*, wifeof the ax-King of *alp,
is serlou.is di In *owe. - ,
r
lin SsAu, laY if tertolaw gotids pord, named George
Gee, wa.litt neer the Yictorli;iisliwgy station atenhealstel•
lie was alalkink skins tlefline, en he was It-cocked down
by some trucks.
The amine, ier the three quarters. of 1873 frona
April to D,enitier will be alm.bt exactly the Lime as It was
in the same period ol bOlt
A letter in the Moscow Ga:ette rays that 70,000,000
. of &umiak' people hisPuctively to liege the cannon found,,kp
thins to Lave I,en ell, plied by the English.
s Ifreiy in the spring of 1874 it is the intention of the
Cunard Coupany to despatch one of their a/earners to New
York twice each week, and to Boston twice each week elec.
Several cases of cholera which have occurred at
Augsburg during the last meek hero been strictly queen-
Lined under a special ordinance, Leanly all being recant
arrivals from Munich. At the latter city the &some, after
creating t.--rral, sham by the severity of its sec old visit,
her diminished recently from its maximum of My cases to
less than twenty per day, but the epidemic la by uu means at
as. end.
A Ferious collision occurred about six o'clock on
Sunday morning at the Sudbury station on the main line of
the London and Nortb-Weeteni Railway between two goods
trains, throm.h which the rolling stout was shattered to
Pieces. The line was strewed will bales of cotton goods, &a.
F vtunately, tie eugibe-drivers aria stokers mad. a nere.”l
escape. The traffic waif suspended some hours.
The work thio year on Christiana-eve and Christmas-
day at the Liverpool Post-office was heavier than on ally
former occasion Over and above the ordinary correepondenoe
about 166 000 letters and parcels had to be dealt with between
the evening of the 24th and the morning of the 25th. The
letter carriers could not possibly complete their deliveries
until a very late hour on Chriatinas. day, and the all-dais
generally had to give at lead double stoic ordinary at-
tendance al "tart themselvee to the utmost in ceder to cope
with the ex'reordinary amount of extra work thrown 50
suddenly upon them.
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•
OD Wednesday evening in last week four young men
went out 1.. a boat from Joney no fishing excursloe. The
weather came on very fuggy, AIM as they did not return
next Sty or Friday it was col adored they had perished, and
all hope of ming them again was abandoned. To the surprise
MD joy of their frienda, they arrived back at Jersey on Mon-
day morning male and sound. They had lost their course in
thefog, and drifted to the French coast, where they wore
picked up ant cared for, and were brought over by the
Revenue cutter, and landed at Rom' Harbour, whence they
walked to town.
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The executors of the late Charles Dickens, with the
sanction of the Than and Chapter of Rochester, have just
erected to his memory In Rochester Cathedral a handsome
brats tablet on the wall of the southwest transept, oiler the
monument to Richard Watts, a local benefactor. the tablet
records the dates of the birth sod death of the deceased, that
he Is buried in Westminster Abbey, and that the tablet Is
erected 'to connect his memory with the scenes In which
his earliest and Ins latest years were passed, and with the
associations of Rochester Cathedral and its neighbourhood,
which extended over all his life."

"Mr. Gardner, bookseller, Damian street, Edin-
burgh, whose prompt and seseonablei..forms'ion led to the
arrest of George Bidwell, the American fork,er, has been in
communication with the Messrs. FreshAeld, sr licitors to the
Bank of England, respecting the reward of £5OO offered by
the Bank for the discovery of the criminal. It is under-
stood that this sum will he divided between Mr. Gardner
and Mr. Maclellan, a clerk in the office of Messrs. Gibson-
fraiw, Delete!, and Brodie, W.S., who are the Bank of Eug-
lAnd's eoqcitors for Scotland. Mr. klaclelien co-operated
with Mr. Gardner in furthering BilllV6ll'll selzure."—Glaegoir
IV ewe.

A terrible explosion has taken place at Vincennes
In a email private manufactory of percussion caps, and
similar object.. for children's toys. Ten women were at work
at the time. 81: of them were killed on the spot, two being
blown In pieces, the other four were so fearfully mutilated
that thenm recovery is almost helpless. The building In which
the diluter happened was blown down, and the remains of
the poor victims were found pelt-melt among the ruins.
Some of the women were married and mothers of families
A subscription, to widish M. do Rothschild has given £lOO, Is
being gut up for the sufferers.
"An effeminate imsr," says a recent writer, "te a
weak poultice. He is a cress between table-beer and ginger-
pop, with the cork left out, a fresh-water m-rmsid found in
cow pasture with her hand. lidA with dandelions. lie Is
a teacup fall of syllabub ; a kitten in trousers . a sick
monkey with a hlnnte moustache. lie is a vb. Withollt any
tendrils ; a fly drowned to ell; a paper kite in a ded calm.
He lives like a butterfly—nobody can tell why. lie Is al
harmless as a pennyworth of sugar-candy, aud . useless s a
shlst-buiC n without a hola He la as lazy as a sluz, and has
no more hope than laq year's summer Hy. He goes through
life on tip-toe. and cies like Cologne water spilt over Ithe
ground."

At Brietol, on Monday morning, Captain Urquhart,
of the ahip Pinion/train, was presented with a silver salver
and a cheque tor 25 gun eat in the al erceant-Veuturers'
The oh drinan of the society presided and after expressing
the a.t.se of gratitmle, that was felt in the city to Captain
Uiquhart and his officers and crew, presented the sa:ver and
che tue Whim. The salver bore she following Inscription :
"Presented Dec. 59, 1673, by the Mayor, the Master of the
Society of Merchant-Venturers, and a few of the citizens of
Bristol. England, to Captain Urquhart, of the ship Trimoun-
fain, of New York, in recognition of hie gallant and humane
conduct in rescuing from the ship Lochcarn nod conveying
to England the eighty-five surviving passengers and crew of
the Ville du Havre, which sank on the morning of the 22nd
of November, In a few minutes aiter having been In cdillsion
with the Lochearn.
Mr. T. Brassey. M.P., has written to one of his
temperance c institnente at Hastings repudiating the princi-
ple of the Permissive Bill, but indicating other amendments
of the licensing system, which he believes to he reasimiable
and pra^ticable, tie would impose redrictions o the grant-
ing of new licences. He agrees with Mr. Bright's propaal
to tno,sfer toe 1iCC114.71, authority to the muulepal councils,
and thinks that the it en-el vi:tuallers should have their
wish granted as to the ~,,iilterattoli, Jurisdiction being ere,
d by the Excise oftle,rs Instead of by the police.

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Melancholy tales are told of the amount of suffering
In Pal,. A J urnal not int., rested in maktn4 nut a bad case
says it could mime twenty women who used to emnloy 500
workmen, and who now can hardly find work for 50. It is
not only the trade ID article, of luxury which is In a lau.
menhir* condtiinn, but that of the moat ordinary articles.
he furniture trade the Faubourg St. Antoine, for example,
lain. I an itate, and numbers of families are now living on
their ravings. A large number of workmen have emlaratod,
but still those who remain behind are more than sufficient.

A duel took place last week at Mouecron, on the
Belgidu frostier, between Viscount de tienou and Baron
Oeay de Mont esson, In consequence of a dispute at play. Two
shots trout each were exchanged without retult, and the
combat was then continued with the sword. After a few
passes the Vh.c mat received a thrust which penetrated the
lungs. Be lies In a very dangerous state.

_
The new park preeented to the town of Eastbourne
by the Duke of Devonshire is faat approaching completioli.
The cricket ground, a hich Is el acres in extent, to being
prepared for next season's matchee.

_ _
There WAS a large arriva reported at the London
coat-market on hi °tidily lamming, and although the top mioo
of houso coals was maintained at 31.. 81., business was dull,
and the tendency downward.

General Sir Abraham Roberts, 1C.C.13., one of the
°keit officers In the British army, died on dunday at Clifton,
at the age 01 9) yen... The decease d general who entered toe
army In 1800, nerved in the Indian campalkd mt that and the
succeedit g two year. in the Nepanl war of 1814, and nem-
mended a brigade throuatiout the campaigns of 1838 and
1839 ,n Affshanistan, and Was present at the storming and
capture of Ohusnee.

The City Press says the total quantity cf meat re-
ceived at the Metropolitan Meat Market on Monday last seal
1,095 tone, this being nearly a hundred tone in excess ol the
consignments of any previous day. The average daily
weight of the most and poultry received during the year is
500 tons.
At the Greenock Sheriff e' C nut, on Monday, Sheriff
Smith a, arded Mr. Andrew Weis £OOO sterling as compen
nation for the death of hie wife from the results of bijurleo
sustained by her in consequence of the collision at Houston
Station In January last, on the Caledonian Railway Con,
pany's Line
The governing body of Rugby School hove formaNy
announced by advertisement that the head mastership will
become Vacsnt on the 7th of April, end that On Thursday,
the 1911, of February, they will proceed to the election. Dr.
Hayman writes that he kaa received a number of letters
expressing a mpathy with hiniself and Indignation
at his utordissel, trorn various friends, old Rugbelane, and
persons hitherto unknown.
We (The Times) are requested to state that the sum
of £t'hoi has beet, pal,l by “G. M. E " to the Nods of the
Cancer Hospital, lirompten ; and that a similar nun has been
pall by " C H." to the funds of Queen Charlotte's Lying-to
Hospital.
The bears of the roountains of Dauphin 4 have lately
ehowu themselves at several poll to In the netghbourhood of
dwelling-houses. In the Vosoes, the Haute.Slone, the
Menge, the Haste Marne, and. the Yonre, the number of
rfOlVea seem; to Increa,e alarmingly, but the populations in
those di pariments carry on a continuous war against them
and kill several every week.
An inquest has been held in London, on the body of
me. .j ,septi Moslem, 24 years, aseedssnan and florist, residing
at Pimlico. 'I he evidence showed that on Christmas-day the
dem oleo joined apart) oefriend• at No. 17, Dory lane, and.
while In the middle of a dance he fell down hat risible The
post mortem examination showed that the cause of death was
rupture of the auricle of thli heart, acoelerat, d by drink and
the excitement of dancing. Verdict accordingly.
A return stating the number of persons receiving
relief from the rates In Ireland in the third quarter of the
year 1,73 shows an Increase, as compared with the cone.
spending period of 1872, though not quite so large an In-
crease as was shown In the second quarter of the year. In
the third quarter id 1073 the average number of inmates cr
workhouses on :laturdays was 41 607, an increase of 1,.87
over the average fcc tao c Irrespond leg quarter of 1872 and
the average weekly number of persona receiving oudoor
relief was 29 171, an Increase of 3092.
Three hundred pairs of handcuffs for use by Captain
Glowers forces form part of a heavy consignment of good.
shipped by the Admiralty in the Ritzabeth Martin at Wool.
wich for the Gold Coast. The consignment for Captain
Glover also Includes three more cases of Oars beads for
barter with the nibs' along the slave tout and up the
Volta, from whence most of his reinforcem Lts are drawn.
These cases weigh together about hall a ton, making a total
f three tons of beads sent to Captain Glover. The beads
ore o! varlous SIZ-N, from that of a peppercorn to a flibert,
and the natives use them tor both exchinve and or nom ut,
stringing them with conaideratile ta,tes into the shape of
bracelets, anklets, necklaces, girdles, and hinlingo for the
par.
Mr. John Stirling, the chairman of the North
British It entail), company, In a lett, r replying to the circular
of Mr. Coicheoter Fortescue op the subject of railway acct.
dents, remarks :—"The financial condition of the company
has not for many years past been prosperous. During the
part seven years the average dividend upon the ordinary
stock of the company has been 50. 44. per cent. per annum,
11,,ad for some years many of the I reierence Stockholders even
I were without • dividend. Notwithstanding this, a sum of
I not less than £44onte has, during that period, b.,. es.
! pended in the mstroction of sidings, signal., extension. if
station., block telegraph, and other works designed to pro-
! mote the c inventence of the public, and to facilitate the
safe and expeditious working of the traffic."
Her Nlsjesty has graciously consented to lend nine
pictures by Wilkie—' The Bfindman's Cuff" The Penny
Weddirg," "Tie :Vega of Sarogysse," The Guerrillas'
Departure," "Gnarl las' Return, ' Councli,"
and others, to the Art Instruction Department of the ',ter
-
national Exhibition of 1874.
At most of the collieries in the neighbourhood ef
Sheffield the price of engind coal will be reduced in. a ton
from the Ist of January. Saould there he a further decline
In trade—a state of things which le far from linprohable—
there sill doubtlero he a greater redact' in In the course of
a few weeks, in ke Is becoming somewhat easier to pur-
chase, and In some cases it Cab he obtained for 290. ed. •
t 0.,. The price regularly quoted is 355., but sales are effec' ed
at the first fl rue It a hug qu allay Is taken u .der a con-
tract. The gsnerel impression hers Is that there will &con
be • great r..lectit n In the price of iron, and that then the
cat of ca ai d chow 11 rapt ‘l7 decline. No change has
been mane in the cost of house coal. The recent cold
weather has caused a great demand, and while this eon.
Image no decline In price must be looked fon—The POW.