The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-04-17 00:00:00

Illisttibitteons nftJlcntt

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

THE Nr.w Prmt.—William Archer Amherst, Vis-
count Holmesdale, whom her Majesty has been pleased
to summon to the House of Peers by the title of Baron
Amherst of Montreal, is the eldest son of William
Pitt, second Earl Amherst, by his union with Ger-
trude, sixth daughter of the late Right Rev. the Hon.
Hugh Percy, D.D., Bishop of Carlisle. He was born
in March, 1836, was educated at Eton, and entered
the Coldstream Guards as an Ensign in 1854, and was
appointed Lieutenant and Captain in 1855. He served
in the Eastern campaign of 1854, including the battles
of Balakla,va and Inkerman, at the latter of which he
was severely wounded, and at the subsequent siege
Sebastopol, for which he received the medal and
three clasps. He retired from the Service in 1862, in
which year he married Lady Julia Mann Cornwallis,
only daughter of the fifth and last Earl Cornwallis.
In 1866-7 he was a Captain in the 37th Kent Rifle
Volunteers, and also a Justice of the Peace and
Deputy Lieutenant for that county. He has sat in tire
House of Commons for over twenty years, having I)-!an
first elected M.P. for West Kent in 1859, and sitting
for that division of the county until 1868, when he was
elected representative for Mid-Kent in the Conserva-
tive interest, which division he has since continuously
represented as a Conservative.

A CROOKED ANSWER.—A clergyman asked his
Sunday school: "With what remarkable weapon did
Salmon at one time slay a number of Philistines?" For
a while there was no answer, and the clergyman, to
assist the children a little, commenced tapping his
jaw with the tip of his finger, at the same time saying,
"What's this?" "What's this?" Quick as thought, a
little fellow innocently replied, "The jaw bone of an
ass, sir."

REACTION.—First merchant. "Well, what's fresh?"
—Sesond Merchant. "Oh, I think things are looking
better, people getting on their legs again—"—First
Merchant. "Think so? "—Second Merchant. "No
doubt of it !—Good many people used to ride, you
know—Walk now !—Ta,

PAWNBROKING IN FRANCE.—The French Minister of
Agriculture and Commerce has published a statement
of the business transacted by the monts-de-piet6, or
pawashops, in France during the years 1873-76. In the
rear 1876, the la,st to which the report refers, 3,175,068
articles were pledged for a total of £2,190,121, while
2,763,096 articles, representing a value of 2,1,961,605,
were redeemed. It is a rule at all the monts-de-pi6t6
that persons unable to redeem their pledges at the
expiration of the limit of time assigned may renew the
engagement by paying the interest and the difference
between the value as estimated at the time the article
was pledged and when the engagement is renewed.
Nearly two miwere thus renewed in 1876, so that the
llion pledges, representing a value of
which the public avail themselves
favwberyoiulittmy2ulics,oooho.n,eoooToht
monts-de-piet4 of Grenoble, Mont-
pellier, and Nice lend without interest, while at
Angers and Nimes a fixed charge of fifty centimes is
vpade on each article. It need hardly be said that
these establishments carried on business at a loss; and
at Arras, Calais, Lille, Valenciennes, and other
bureb,ux the returns showed no profits. The other
establishments earned a total of £37,000 during the
year; and the greater part of this sum was given to
the hospitals of Paris, Lyons, Rouen, Avignon, and
Lille, or to other charities, this total being much in
excess of the profits made by the same establishments
in the four previous years.

INSECT ENEMIES.—A w-armtdry summer is beyond
all doubt favourable to a z:onsiderable number of our
insect enemies. And not only is it favourable to them
in the present, while the warmth and dryness continue,
but in the future also; for a gObd season enables them
to deposit a large crop of eggs, to insure an insect
plagtio in the, folloWing year, unless the subsequent
circumstances happen to be particularly unfavourable
to the development of the hi:trod. The so-called "new
potato disease" that we traced to wire worm in the
year 1875 was bequeathed to us by the favourable
weather of the year preceding, when the click beetles
made the best of their opportunity to ensure a plenti-
ful posterity. We learn from the report that in the
year 1879 caterpillars and weevil's were unusually
abundant and proportionately mischievous. "The
crane fly larvce have fairly ravaged various localities,
ariii the carrot and celery fly' have played their part,
whilst the onion fly has been particularly hurtful in the
Isle of Mull. Great injury in many tilaces from the
gooseberry sawfly, and locally from other species, as
also the appearance of Cynips like a scourge'
at the Glen, ,Tipperary, ancl4although wasps and bees
appear to have been respectively less present or less
productive than usual) the great abundance of some
species of humble bees in the spring show that the
Hymenoptera survived, and on the whole it certainly
cannot be said that the cold of last winter has
dimished the amount of insect presence in the summer."
The Gardener's Magazine.

SEVEN QUESTIONS FROM FARMERS TO MINISTERS.—
What should these vital questions be? We (Graphic)
.would say :-1: Will you shift the malt tax on to
beer, or else promise its abolition as the first tax to be
remitted on surpluses allowing remission? 2. Will
you curtail the extravagance of School Boards, fixing
a maximum rate not to be exceeded on any pretence
whatever? 3. Will you thoroughly revise the present
unfair incidence of local taxation? 4. Will you give
farmers and landlords concurrent inalienable rights of
destroying ground game? 5. Will you give the
farmer absolute security for unexhausted improve-
ments? 6. Will you give the counties strong local
boards and extended powers of self-government? 7.
Will you maintain the Contagious Diseases (Animals)
Act? 8. Considering that the Royal Agricultural
Commission consists of twenty members' ten Con-
servatives and ten Liberals, will you accept its report
as both impartial and authoritative, arid will you
give the Commission' t recommendations prompt legis-
lative effect?
THE RELICS OF OLTMPIA.—A great deal of unneces-
sary indignation has been expressed in Germany in
reference to an unfounded rumour that the British
Government was negotiating with the Government of
Greece for the purchase of all the relics discovered at
Olympia. It is pointed out that these priceless monu-
ments of Greek antiquity have been brought to light
entirely by German sarans, and that the German
Empire, which has expended about a million marks,
or 1!50,000, upon the work, has voluntarily resigned
everything found into the hands of the Hellenic
Government. Germany, therefore, would have the
right to claim the first refusal of purchasing the relics
if they are to leave Greece at all. If the rumour
should prove true, the Cologne Gazette says, there
would be some consolation in the fact that the collec-
tion would in London be much mere accessible to the
cultivated nations of Europe than if it were retained
n Athens or in a special museum at Olympia itself.
A STANDING JOKE.—Scene : A country road.—
Squire (who is a candidate for the representation in
Parliament of his county) : Well, John, and what do
you think of my chances for a seat in Parliament ?
John (a canny-going countryman) : Well, Squire, a
really dinna like to say, but sin ye ye pit a stracht
question, an' am thinkin' a should but add an honest
answer. A'm thinking you should staun as lang as ye
can, for a doot if ye'll ever sit.—Judy.
STATISTICS OF PRUSSIAN HOSPITALS.—From a
report recently issued, it appears that in 1877 the
number of hospitals in Prussia was 643. Statistics are
returned from 401, showing that 66 hospitals were to
be found in towns or over 20,000 inhabitants, 171 in
towns having from 5,000 to 20,000 inhabitants, and 164
in the towns of lesser size. The average duration of
the patients' stay in the hospital was 'p2, 31, and 27
days respectively in the three categories, and the
average cost per day 2s. 2,1 d., is. 70., and Is. Bd. show-
ing that both duration of treatment and daily expendi-
ture were less in smaller towns.

INTERNATIONAL DOG SHOW IN HOLLAND.—From the
26th to the 28th of June next an international dog
show will be held at Haarlem, with special reference
to the chase. The invitations to send specimens of
phunling dogs emanate from the Dutch 'Nimrod Club,
the president of which, Baron an Puijll van Seroos-
kerken, is willing to give information respecting all
conditions and aTrangements of the show. Dogs sent
from abroad will be lodged, fed, and cared fox by a
committee composed of noblemen and gentlemen,
through whom also they may he sold, should the ex-
hibitor desire it. In addition to one prize cup of gold
and 'mother of silver, a sum of £lO will be given to
the builder of the boat most suitable for water-fowl
shooting.
A TRTMMER.—eountry Doctor (as they came from
Church). "But now really, between ourselves, Man-
gles, how did you vote ?"—Rustic. "Well, Sir, both
parties they come and axed me, and I says to one, says
I, yes, and I couldn't say no to t'other, so I takes my
ballot card, goes into the box, shuts my eyes and makes
a big cross, pops it in, and lor' only knows 'ow I
voted ! "—Punch.

TEMPERATURE AND MOISTURE OF THE AIR NEAR
LARGE LAKES.—Any one who has been on the banks of
.one of the large Italian lakes, or in a boat on the
water, on some quiet, clear autumnal evening, will
have noted the remarkable fact that the air at the
border of the lake, or over it, seems much moister than
at a little distance from the lake over the open country.
This is especially striking at times in the end of August
or beginning of September, when somewhat fresh even-
ings follow days that are still very warm; one then ob-
serves shrubs and other plants getting coated with
dew, but not in the immediate neighbourhood of the
lake. Having often had his attention attracted by this
phenomenon, Professor Cantmi last autumn made a
number of exact measurements of temperature and
moisture at different points in the neighbourhood of
Lake Como, with a view to determining the exact
condition of what was observed. The facts elicited
afford quite an adequate explanation. The increase of
temperature of the ground (Professor Cantati points
out) is so considerable, compared with the smallfrheat-
ing of the water, and the air above it, that though the
evaporation of the pare water increases more with the
temperature than that of the.moist ground, yet the latter,
which is heated to nearly 50deg. Centigrade must
form much more aqueoxs vapour than thelree water
surface. On the other hand, the ground cools by radia-
tion when the sun goes down much more quickly than
the surface of the lake. These two circumstances bring
the air over the lake and over the land very quickly
under very different conditions of relative moisture.
The air over the land, which during the day has been
heated to a higher temperature, and cools much more
quickly after sunset, must reach much more quickly its
maximum of moisture than the air over the water.
A QUARTER'S IMPORTS OF AMERICAN AND CANADIAN
Foon.—During the past week the arrivals at Liver-
pool, both of live cattle and of fresh meat, were on a
very limited seale, the totals being only 575 head of
cattle, 4;043 quarters of beef, 830 carcases of mutton,
and 375 carcases of pigs. The conv,eying steamers were
the Lake Winnipeg, which brought 346 live cattle;
the Bavarian, with 195 cattle and 1,621 quarters of
beef; the England, with 34 cattle, 628 quarters of beef,
430 carcases of mutton, and 75 carcases of pigs ; the
City of Brussels, with 1,194 quarters of beef, 200 car-
cases of mutton, and 300 carcases of pigs; and the
Republic, with 600 quarters of beef and 200 carcases of
mutton. The figures for the past quarter show that a
largo quantity, both of live stock and dead meat, has
been sent to Liverpool since the beginning of the year,
the totals being 10,910 head of cattle, 2,487 sheep, 657
pigs, 75,488 quarters of fresh beef, 15,826 cal-cases of
mutton, and 5,536 carcases of pigs.

AUSTRIAN PETROLEUM BEDS.—A considerable in-
dustry eNists in the province of Galicia in the shape of
petroleum wells, though its value is much depreciated
by the difficulty of transportation, the nearest railway
station being 30 miles distant. The petroleum field is
some 400 miles long by 40 wide, extending from the
north-west at Klenyzany to Remain, in the south-east,
and across the Carpathian Mountains to Jaslo. The
most westerly of the districts in work produces about
400 barrels of oibper day, the wells varying from 5004.
to.Booft. and the oil being refined on the spot. The
other diArists are very fluctuating in their yield. The
Galician wells, however, produce a kind of wax called
ozokerit, which is known to English housekeepers in
connexion with candles.

AN ENGENEOUS THOUGHT.---Trains at a Drawing
Room get so entangled and mixed that it well-nigh
requires a locomotive at last to draw them out of their
inextricable confusion.—Fan.
THE DIMINUTION OF DRUNKENNESS.—A report
signed by Earl Stanhope, Mr. Samuel Morley, and
other justices of Kent, contains a series of suggestions
for the dirhinution of drunkenness. -They recommend
the restriction or absolute prohibition of the sale of
spirits by grocers, a scientific investigation as to the
actulteration of beer, the adoption of some well-con-
sidered plan for reducing tke number of licensed
houses, and the carrying out of recent•legislation as to
the custody ana recovery of lialittuld drunkards. The
report approves the establishment of coffee taverns and
workmen's clubs.
THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS OF PARW.—The property
of the City of Paris,. which comprises all buildings
devoted to public use is estimated at one milliard and
fifty-two millions of 'francs (42,080,000). The total
number of these edifices is 760, among which are in-
cluded the Hotel de Ville, 'Valued at `271,- million francs;
20 official residences of mayors, about 2 million francs
each ; 76 churches, terhples, and synagogues, in which
St: Roch figures for 1612 Millions, St. Germain
l'Auxerrois for 12 millions, the Madeline for 111-
millions, and St. Sulpico for 9 millions. Among the
educational buildings arc a vast number of schools and
colleges, such as the Lyc6e St. Louis, valued at
9 millions the Coll6ge Chaptal at near,ly 5 millions,
the Turgol School at 312 millions, together with a great
many primary schools. some of them estimated at a
million each—one group, indeed, in the Rue Servan
and the Avenue des Amandiers being put down at
1,916,000 francs. Among the items are included the
barracks, public offices markets, and bonded ware-
houses, those of Bercy being valued at over 30 millions,
and those of the Qua,i St. Bernard at 27 millions. In
the smaller category figure the monuments, fountains,
basins, &c., in the several squares and places.

A WILD GOOSE CARRYING OFF BUCKSHOT.—A gun.
dealer of Baltimore, has, according to an American
sporting paper, received the breastbor e of a wild
goose recently shot, and which had, previous to its
final coup, carried about with it for some considerable
period a very fair charge of buckshot. On the breast-
bone were found three S.G. buckshot, probably from
one of Eley's cartridges, as none of that number or
peculiar size are made in America. They were dis-
covered in the upper portion of the breastbone in one
cluster, covered over by a thin cyst or skin, which was
found to hold them firmly down to the surface of the
bone. It is thought that these buckshot probably
struck the goose in the rear amlfolrEtd their way along
the breastbone until their power was expended, which
was not sufficient to pierce through tke front part of
the bone. Seeing that it only requires eleven of
Eley's S.G,.shot to weigh an ounce, it is wonderful
how the goose could have survived after receiving such
a charge,

GrjaELMITS REDIVIVUS. —'William the Conqueror,
A.D. 18801—Punch.

SUNDAY CLOSING.—The recently issued details of
Inland Revenue for the financial year 1878-79 show
that in Ireland no fewer than 6,048 of the licences for
the.sale of intoxicating liquors for consuMption on the
prejnises were six-day licenses. In England with four
or five times the population (nearer five than four),
6,866 of the licences were six-day. The total number
of six-day and early closing licences (added together)
was but 8,038 in England with more than 25kaillion
people, but was 8,692 in Ireland with less than 5 mil-
lions of population,

A FLOWER OF SPEECH.—Daffodiles were largely
worn during the Midlothian contest as the Liberal
badge. Why not choose a flower appropriate to both
parties, like the Poll-yanthus ?—Fun. _ _

JEWISH STATISTICS.—According to the Society for
the Propagation of the Jewish Faith, the head-
quarters of which are at Berlin, there are at the pre-
sent moment scattered over the face of the earth from
six to severimillions of Jews, that As to say, the same
number of Israelites, or nearly so, as it is alleged
existed in the time of King David. Of these, five
millions live in Europe, 200,000 in Asia, 800,000 in
Africa, and a million or more in America. In
Europe Russia reckons the highest number of . Jews,
2,621,0+60 being established in that country. Second
on the list comes Austria-Hungary, which possesses
1,375,000 Israelites, 44 which 575,000 reside in Galicia.
Germany gives hospitality to 512,000 Jews Holland
to 70,000, England to 50,000, France to 49,000, Italy
0 35,000. Spain and Portugal together have but
from three to four thousand Jews in their territory,
Sweden 1,800, and Norway only 25 Israelites in the
whole kingdom. In Berlin; alone, there are 45,000
Jews, nearly as many as in the whole of France.
There are 25,000 Jews in. Palestine, the majority being
at Jerusalem, where the Israelite population is esti-
mated at 13,500, of which 7,000 are Mussulmans.—
Evening Standard.
PRINCE BISMARCK'S BIRTHDAY.—Since the Franco
Garmau war Prince Bismarck has regularly received
a birthday present of 101 plover eggs from the North
of Germany. This year the annual present could not
be got together by the Ist of April. A few days after-
wards, however, the requisite number arrived with the
following wishes written in Plattdeutsch verse :

" To-n teinten Mal bring wy van-t Jahr
" Gluckwunsch to-n Geburtsdag dar.
"Lew lang ! to Diltschlands lieu und Segen,
" BOod Dy Gott up al dyn Wegen
("For the tenth time we send thee this year our happy
returns of the day. Live thou,- long for Germany's
weal and blessing! God speed thee on thy path! ")

A DUCK WITH FOUR LEGS.—" R. B." writes me
from Birkenhead :—" I send you a duckling that was
in a brood hatched yesterday by ene of my hens. She
brought out seven perfect, but the curio was outside
the nest. It has four legs and four wings." Many
thanks. Ducks and chicks with four legs are not un-
common.—F. Bucldand in Land and Water.

HINTS ABOUT POTATO PLANTING.—The Graphic
remarks :—" The present dearness of potatoes will
possibly tempt f,armers to put in a considerable quantity
of those tubers. This resolution however, if entered
upon, should be carried out forthwith, for early plant-
ing is of primary importance to the safety of the crops.
Late sown crops suffer much more from blight and
disease than do early sown ones. The selection
for planting of good varieties is of course very neces-
sary. In the past, the selectiod has usually been of a
very haphazard sort, but recent losses have led to in-
vestigation, and investigation has clearly shown the
pre-eminence of a few special sorts. A third point is
that potatoes will only do on 'certain soils, and hope of
profit should not lead to the planting of unsuitable
land."

THE FOREIGN COAL AND IRON TRADES.—It ap-
pears that during the three months ending Feb. 29,
this year, about 9,000 tons of iron rails were ordered
in France, at an average price of £8 18s. 4d. per ton,
and 33,900 tons of steel rails, at an average price of
£ll 18s. 4d. per ton. The bulk of these latter rails
went to the Eastern of France Railway, and the re-
mainder to the French State Railways. The current
condition of the French iron trade has not materially
changed; the situation is generally pretty good.
Merchants' iron has been firm at Paris at £lO Bs. per
ton. The tone of the Belgian iron trade has not been
very brilliant ; some establishments are rather in
want 8f work, aikl they have accordingly been driven
to make rather discouraging concessions in regard to
prices. One of the principal establishments of the
Lidge basin has issued a circular anneencing a fall of
16s. per ton in iron. It is evident that when an im-
portant company thus makes a reduction in its rates
the rest of the basin can with difficulty avoid follow-
ing the example. The Belgian coal trade has been in
a somewhat sluggish state. Orders are obtained with
difficulty, and prices are not likely to revive under
existing circumstances. The Li6ge basin continues in
a less satisfactory condition than the Mons. The con-
sumption of coal in France in 1879 is estimated at
25,229,995 tons.

A BRIGHT LOOK-OUT.—According to The Times
things are looking up. The prospects of the season
are pronounced good, trade is said to have revived,
and, in fact, to quote the leading- journal verbatim,
"the turn has at last come." We are sure we are
exceedingly glad to hear it, and suppose that is the
reason of our circulation having increased so many
millions per week lately. Sincerely do we warble,
"Hard times, Come, again no more, but of course it is
hardly likely under a Liberal Government. No, no;
peace and plenty forthwith, -and plenty of "pieces,"
for "the turn has at last-tame," and 'does not the
adage say "One good turn deserves another" ?—Fun.
AN ITALIAN ANTARCTIC
News
Naples
Correspondent of the Daily says that a plan has
been proposed for an Italian Antarctic expedition, to
leave Genoa not .later than May, 1881, touch at
Monte Video, Terra del Fuego, Falkland Islands, and
the Shetland Islands, remain In the Antarctic region
two winters for the purpose of scientific investigation
and exploration, making use of the period during
which the ice is firm for sledging excursions, and re-
turn, touching at Hobart Town or Capetown, to
Naples. It is calculated that the sum required will
not exceed 600,000 Italian lire. The number of per-
sons on board not to be more than 40, part of them
being selected from the Italian Royal Navy, part
from the Italian whale fishers who frequent the
Southern Seas. ,
WHAT IT HAS CONE TO.—lrate Gentleman: Porter.
—Porter: Yes, sir.—lrate Gentleman: This is a,
smoking carriage, isn't it ?—Porter: Yes sir, cer-
tainly.—lrate Gentleman: But there are Yes,
in it.
—Porter: There generally are, sir.—lrate Gentleman:
But—but what am I to 'do 2—Porter Ask them if
they object to you, sir, I suppose.—(Whistle. Train
starts.)—Judy.