The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-10-04 00:00:00

glisttitantous

ROME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

BRLow STAnta.—Much attention at the pre-
sent time is being paid to Cookery. This is highly
commendable, for whatever the proverb may say, we
cannot have too many cooks—of the right sort. The
royal road to happinem runs through the kitchen.
Who was it that said Man's heart lies in his stomach ?
Was it Brillat-Savarin or Dr, Kitchener? But the
movement must not go too far—it must not extent to
" cooking " accoonts.—Puncit. _

GOOD OLD Timss.—To preserve the bride-
groom of a Gretna Green match from ac riminal pro-
secution for running away with an heiress, care was
always taken to make it appear that the lady had played
the abductor's part, and had carritd off her lover, whose
worst fault was weakness in suffering himeelf to be
borne away by his charmer. At Carlisle the bride
always ordered the post-horses for the last stage, in
the absence of the spouse, who left the room whilst
the lady requested the host of the posting-house to
put four horses at her service. At Gretna Green it
was she who paid the postillions, sent for the coupler,
and paid the rascal for his services and certificate.
SELF-DEVOTION !—By the Australian mail it
Is stated that the lamentable disaster at the Heads to
the pilot schooner Rip, has excited the sympathy of the
community in a marked degree, and liberal contribu.
Vona have been made for the relief of the families of
Pilot Mackenzie, and Wells, the steward. An inquiry
which was held by the Pilot Board showed that the
catastrophe had not happened from the carelessness or
Inefficiency of the pilots or crew, but that all on board
had behaved with admirable coolness and intrepidity.
The seaman, James Mare or Maher, who was the first
washed overboard, gave up his only chance of life
with a devotion and self-sacrifice that did honour to his
calling. He was clinging to the mainmast, which was
carried away by the same gee which swept him out of
the schooner; but when he saw that the wreck
hampered the vessel he motioned to his mates to cut
the mast adrift. His comrades bade him good-bye, he
nodded his farewell, sad, the wreck having been cut
away. be was seen no more. A memorial stone is to be
placed in the Melbourne Sailors' Home in commemo-
ration of this galLoat fellow.

NAUTICAL INTILLIGINCE. The Admiralty
haa issued a Circular warning those whom It may
concern that marriages heretofore wont to be performed
on board Her Majesty's Ships, on foreign stations, by
the commanding officer—no chaplain oeconetil being
in the neighbourhood—have been declared not valid by
the law officers of the Crown, and directing that no
marriage shall in future be solemnised on board a
Queen's Ship by the commanding officer. In •
British man•of•war, therefore, excilpt by a parson, or
consular authority, for the future, no more couples,
but ropes, only are to be spliced.—Pench.

INSECTS AND BIRDS.—FoW persons are aware
of the innumerable number of insects thus destroyed
by birds. The following observations, and several of
them are much below the mark, will skew this :—The
blue titmouse has been watched, and found to feed its
young from 3.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. 475 times, bringing
one large or two or three small insects each time. The
thrush from 1.15 a.m. to 915 pm., 206 timed. The
blackbird from 115 a.m. to 8.43 p.m., 113 times. The
Mistletoe thrush, from 420 a.m. to 8 p.m., sisty-six
times, each time bringing several large worms or in-
sects. The sparrow, from two or three to six or eight in-
sects at once, and se this goes on for all the day, and they
frequently have two or three broods in the year, they
must destroy an immense number. I watched the
other day a wagtail catching insects to feed its young,
and it tooa eight or nine into its bill in a minute or
two, ana had .iot left off when I turned away. The
starlings 1 frequently observed this spring getting
caterpillars for their young.-7he Garden.
A Rear, CENTENARIAN.—The Aloe. —Punch.

THE BumfExma OF THE END.—A firm of
perhaps the largest wine Iterchants in the world, using
b Ades enough to keep busy a large manufactory in the
north of England, found, consequent upon strikes,
dear coals, &c.' that bottles got five, ten, twenty,
thirty per cent. dearer (says the Court Journal). It
began to get rather serious, and at last they wrote to
the manufacturer to say that, as far as they were con-
cerned, they had gone to the end of their tether.
"Come down and speak to the men yourself," the
manufacturer's wrote. So down went one of the fir
and talked in a friendly way to the men, and showed
them what would be the end of it. The next week
they sent in a demand for a fresh advance in wages,
and the price of bottles was put up five per cent.
The firm immediately went over to Belgian, looked
about them, and being able to give a pretty big order,
made a contract for bottles which will be delivered here
at considerably less than the North of England will
sell. "We have got a piece of ground," says one of
the firm, "that cost us £20,000 and in the sheds ran up
upon the we mean to store a few dozen shiploads of
foreign bottles, which we shall keep in stock, and then
we shall be able to snap our fingers at the English
bottle-makers, who, knowing our daily necessities, have
hitherto had us on the hip. We shall have our first
delivery in befote the end of this month, after which
date the men In the north must look out for fresh cus-
tomers, and earn their wages out of somebody else's
puree."

CROWNING A PAGODA.—The new Blue-blok
on India, showing its progre.s and condition in the
financial year 1871.72, gives an account, in referring to
British Burmah, of the presentation of a new htee, or
umbrella, to the Shwe Dagon Pagoda at Rangoon, by
the King of Burmah. A htee ia an ornament to crown
a pagoda as a mark of reverence to Guatama Buddha.
The present, which was brought down the Irrawadi to
Rangoon. consisted of seven successive circular tiers,
like inverted tambourines, diminishing in size, and
terminating in a spire. It ia 471 t. high, and the
lowest tier 13ft. in diameter, of iron, covered with
plates of solid gold plating, studded with precious
stones. It was valued at £62,000 A grand procession
warn formed, consisting of 50,000 orderly and well-con-
ducted persons, to escort it to the great pagoda,
which stands on three terraces or platforms on
the spur of a hill, with the summit f the clr
shaped edifice 388 ft. above the roadway. The whole of
the I.hour and rotionial for crowning the pagoda was
gratuitomdy supplied by the p.ople, and vast crowds
flocked into Burmah while the htee warn being raised.
The thousands of labourers, all arrayed in white gar-
ments, with sacred white flags in their hands, dis-
played much earnestness and sobriety in their work.
The people kept holiday, and young girle scattered
flowers and scented water, and distributed sherbet and
lemonade. Throughout the whole period that the
ceremony lasted there was not only no increase, but an
actual decrease, in the average number of offences at
Rangoon. A quasi-political significance was supposed
to attach to the event, because in 1755, and again in
1774, former Kings of Burmah had asserted their
sovereignty ever Rangoon, after suppressing rebel-
lions, by the ceremony of ()rosining the Shwe Dagon
Pagoda. _

A THOUGHTPI7L ONE !—A gentleman wired a
Highland clergyman the me of his pulpit for a young
divine, a relation of his. "I really do not know," said
the clergyman, "bow to refuse you, "but if the
young man can preach better than I can, my congrega-
tion would be dissatisfied with me afterwards; and if
he should preach worse, I don't think he is fit to prea 3h
at all.

"HANDS WANTED "—The City Press Says that
no one can take a walk through the City of London
without being struck by the unusually large number of
notices that "hands" are wanted. Every city industry
seems to be represented in this demand, which is a very
cheering sign, and a good answer to those who are
always warning us that our" trade is going away from
us."

The VAGRANT Am.—Rogues and vagabond'
will do well to note that on and after Wednesday
(October I) a new Act, the provisions of which are
specially applicable to them, will same into operation.
On that day the Vagrant At of 1868 will be repealed,
and the new statute is to be construed as one with the
sth George IV., c. 38, for the pianiehment of idle and
disorderly persons and rogues and vagabonds in Eng.
land, The law is now extended to gaming with coins,
cards, tokens, or other articles, in any street, road, or
public highway, and the offender to be deemed •
rogue and vagabond within the recited Act, and may
be imprisoned under that Act, or in lien of each
punishment be fined for a first offence a sum not ex.
ceeding 405., and for *subsequent offence not exceeding
O. By gambling in the streets at "pitch and toes "
persons are to be deemed rogues and vagabonds.
DIME'S its ENGLAND.—An official document
has been issued, showing the average annual propor-
tion of deaths from specified causes at specified agea
in England generally, and in each registration divi-
sion sod rewistratiou district during the decennial
period 1861.70. The return embraces a mass of dpires
of interest to the statistician. The deaths in the
ten 3 ears numbered 4,794,500 in the aggregate. The
ottathe are calculated per 100,000 living of each class
reierred to. In 1871 the population in England and
Wales was 22,712,266. In London the deaths from
all ages and from all causes were per 100,000 living
of each class, 2,431. From fever, "typhus," 89;
diarrhoea, di sente,y, and cholera, 129; scarlatina,
114 ; diptheria, Is. The tables show the average
deaths at certain ages and the causes of the same,
both in London and the 11 districts in England and
Wales.

A VICTIM OF THE PARIS COMMUNE.-" We

learn," says the Paris Figaro, "that the Abbe Bay If.,
vicangeneral in the dioceee of Patio, is so seriously al
So to be rent to a tuaison-de-aante. De was taken as a
hostage under the Commune with Mgr. Darboy, and
when on the 24-1 of May, 1871, the prisoners were
taken from La Roquette to the place of execution, he
escaped in Ovate clothes with another eocl.isetie,
who, being unable to disguise hanself, was taken back
by the insurgents and shot. The abbe's health has
been ever sitexr affected."

AN IcELANcic FESTIVAL. —The Cologne Gazette
says :—" Iceland has in c ntemplation next year to
celebrate the thousandth year since the settlement of the
island (874). As early as 860 a Dane named Gard sr
was drifted from Scotland in stormy weather north-
wards to an unknown coast. He wintered in the
country and called it Gardarsholm. Shortly thereafter
a Norwegian, Nadod, was also drifted there. In 868
the island was visited by another Norwegian,
Floke, who remained for a year there and named
it Island. Ingolf, driven hit° exile on account of
crnelities perpetrated by the Norwegian King Hagar
Haarsager, proceeded in 874 with his foster.brother
to Iceland, and there founded the earliest settle-
ments. These were near the place where Rrikjavik,
the capital of the island, DOW stands. Others followed
the two brothers, and the bland was soon inhabited.
From Iceland, Greenland, as is known, was discovered,
and from it hardy Norge seam-n, about the year 1,000,
reached that part of the coast of the American conti-
nent now forming Massachusetts. It is, coisequently,
not without some historical justification that the cele-
brated Norwegian violinist, Ole Bull, has been collect-
ing subscriptions at concerts among his countrymen to
erect a monument t .„.8e Nor wegian, Leif Erikson, the
first disc,verer 1 America, as the latter touched
Âme' ion gr-uhd from four to five hundred years
before Columbus, and there are indications that the
, Genoe,e was not only acquainted with the voyages of
the old None sailors to America, but that they were
' not without influence on his plan and its execuaksan

great
under

A Pir.oinuos To J isusauni.—A _
pilgrimage to Jerusalem is being organised uncle the
auspices of the Archbishop of Paris. The pilgrims will
leave Marsalles about the middle of October on one ot
the steamers of the Menageries, and after doping
few days at Alexandria, will visit the works at the
Isthmus of Suer, and then proceed to Jerusalem. Ex-
cursions will afterwards be made to Bethlehem,
Jericho, Jordan, the Dead Sea, Mount Carmel, -Saint-
Jean d'Acre, Beyrath, &c. The return journey will
be effected by Smyrna, Athens, Sicily, and Marseilles:
The duration of the whole will be about two months
and a half.
Par's RITORT.—A clergyman who enjoys the
eubetantAal benefits of • fine farm was slightly taken
down, the other day, by his Irish ploughman, who was
sitting at his plough, In a tobacco lield, resting his
horse. The reverend gentleman, being& great econo-
mist, said, with much seriousness, " Patrick, wouldn't
It be a good plan for you to have • stub-scythe here,
and be bobbing a few bushes along the feaciewhile the
horse is rating ?" Pat, with quite as seriousa counts,-
1111111C8 as the divine wore himself, replied, "Sir,
wouldn't it be well foryon to have a tub of potatoes in
the pulpit, and when the congregation are singing to
peel 'em awhile to be ready for the pot r The reverend
gentleman laughed hardly and left.

- _
I•ONGIEVITY IN IBILAND.—Mr. H. Ff suns%
writing in Land and Wafer in reference to a tour
lately made through the Donegal Highlands, gives MY
remarkable instances of longevity in Ireland. He
says :
•• 12p in a valley (near Bancrena, county Donegal) lems
upon a curious instance of longevity, and wee pointed mil
three oottaass--cabins, indeed, I may call them—in We of
which, in May last, there resided a human being aged ME
years—two men and a woman, all of them born In the MEM
year. One of the men died in May. bet the old man nmE
woman are still living, and seemed hearty enough, though
they looked their age. Evidently the poor folk around was
proud of those three old people, and speak with the gratbal
respect of the poor old fellow who dropped off lathe WA
I wan sorry I did not salt whetlm tee enters into the
Innishowenpaseentry, for further on in my inadmissible's.
South Donegal I was told they had no old people aSalllS
teadrinkiim came into fashion. Many Instances of Mai
killing qualities of tea were revel" deectibed to me, and I
was told how the priest from the altar mused the me of It
again end again"
CUBAN ETIQUETTE OE StIOXINO.—A singular
etiquette is observed all over Cuba with respect to
smoking, which a rough Britisher does not always ap-
preciate. An utter stranger is at liberty to stop you
In the middle of the street to beg the favour of your
"candela," or light from your cigar. If you are
polite, you will immediately hand him your weed, with
the ashes carefully shaken off, and the lighted end
conveniently pointed in his direction. Tart of
your fire having been imooessfully transferred to
his cigar, the stranger is bound to return your pro-
perty, presenting it, by • dexterous turn of the wrist,
with the month end towards you; an operation which
requires no little practice, es It is accompanied with •
downward jerk to express deep obligation. If, after
this, you are inclined to abandon your cigar for a fresh
one, you may not do so in the stranger's presence, but
wait till he ILI dhappeared. There is a sort of
smoking freemasonry, too, between Cubans all over
the world. A Cuban recognises • compatriot anywhere
by the manner in which he screws up his cigarette,
holds it, and offers or aooepta a light.—Fronv ' The
Pearl of the Antilles." _

OBOBS-EXAMINATION.— Q.—Was there any-
thing in the glass ?—A.—Well, there were summit in
it. Q. —Ah ! I thought we should come to it in time.
Well, my good friend, what was the something in It!—
come, out with it. A.—(fif ter thinking.) Well, it
wur a spoon."
SLEETING SALOON RAILWAY OARS.—The
directors of the London and North-Western Railway
have issued a notice that on and after the Ist of October
a sleeping saloon car, fitted up with every convenience
and appliance for night travelling, will be attached to
the down Scotch limited mail train leaving Engem
Station at 8.40 p m. for Glasgow on Mondays, Wed.
neadays, and Fridays, and to the up limited mail
leaving Glasgow at 5.53 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays. Passengers to or from Perth, Stirling.
Edinburgh, and other Scotch stations will be allowed
to avail themselves of this accommodation. All persons
availing themselves of the proposed accommodation to
the sleeping !saloon will be called upon to pay 10s.
each, in addition to the ordinary first-class hire, far
each seat. Should the experiment succeed in •
pecuniary point of view, the system will be extended to
all the long Journey trams.

- - -
SUBMARINE RAILWAY TO FBANCII—The
Birder of Public Works at Versailles, M. Deseilligny,
has addressed a circular to the French prefects regard-
ing the proposal to construct a submarine railway
between England and France. He states that a scheme
has been submit'ed to the two Governments by an
Anglo. French company, to construct a tunnel under the
Channel, of about 34,400 metres long, connected with
the railways on each shore by underground lines of
about 10 kilometres in length, the company asking no
pecuniary assistance or guarantee except the perpetuity
of the exclusive right to work the railway and freedom
from competition. The English Government replied
that it saw no objection to the proposal, except so far
as regarded the monopoly, to which it <void in no mos
give its assent. Before any building engagements were
made, the principle of the project should be submitted
to public examination. With this view, instroctiona
have been issued to the Prefect of the Pas-de-Calais to
open an inquiry, and at the genie time the Minister
thinks it desirable that • work of this international
Importance should be placed before the Chambers of
Commerce, and he requests the prefects to invite the
Chambers of their several derartments to favour him
with their views on the scheme.