The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-03-14 00:00:00

glistelantous nteiligturt,
HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

HABIB CONFITENTEM RIMIL Suitors writa
to the papers to complain of the "block in Chancery."
Who but • block (we must ask) would helix Chancery
P unch.
A CHAMELEON PLANT.— Land and Water
says that • puzzle for horticulturists has been for-
warded by the French Bishop of Canton to the Ardis
d'Aeclimala lion in Parts, in the shape of • plant white
Is • conspicuous specimen of the wonderful art pos-
sessed by the Chineee of leading nature astray. Not
content with improving on the human foot, and pro-
ducing pollard oak, apparently of hoary antiquity, In
Chinn bowls, they have succeeded in growing • plant
which changes colour three times a day.
THE Larecittios OF RINGS !—The language of
flowers is succeeded in France by the language of rings.
A pearl and garnet ring signifies Its owner is unhappy;
• thin circlet of fine turquoises intimates the fair one's
Inability to retain her lover's sentiments; while •
thick, plain gold ring, in the shape of • knot, ex-
presses her willingness to share his fortunes. One in
the shape of • gold serpent, with a brilliant in his head,
Indicates the lady's doubts of her lever's sincerity;
while her faith and her wish to confide in him always
Is shown by a ring formed by two clasped hands.
A VALUABLE HINT TO ARTISTS. —The follow-
ing valuable hint to artists is given in • French jaw.
nal :—" A cattle dealer arrived in Paris the other day
with the iutention of having his portrait painted in oils.
He applied to an artist near the Madeleine, and, in
conoluding the bargain, dwelt strongly on his wish
that the likeness should be striking and unmis-
takable. The painter promised that it should be OD,
Indeed,' he added, 'I will appeal to the most &dn.
tereeted judge possible, to your own bull dog; we
will show him the picture, and see whether he
recognises you.' Accordingly, when the picture
was liniaheil, it was brought into the merchant's lodg-
ing, placed on the floor, and the dog was called to. He
instantly ran up to the pottrait and began to lick it,
wagging his tail, and showing every sign of delighted
affection. The grateful merchant, convinced of the
accuracy of the likeness, Instantly paid down the sum
demanded by the artist, quite UnOonaciotin of the fast
that the • counted eit presentment' of his manly
features had been well rubbed with a bit of bacon."
Tug REAL TICHBORNIII TRlAL.—Having to
sit under the Shower of puns and pane les it has called
down on Punch's devoted head.— Punch.
MAssaCRII IN Mexico.—The New
York Herald of February 26 reports a fearful occur-
rence in the State of Vera Cruz. The inhabitants of
two towns quarrelled, and had a pitched battle, in
which seventeen pfzeons were killed and many in-
jured. The vaneuished townsmen returned in the
night reinforced, and, breaking into the houses of
their opponents, commenced an hnificriminate mass
same, killing the children act mutilating the women.
A regiment of soldiers had been sent to check the
massacre.
Goft RENAIBBANCE ? A "battle of
styles" has been going on at Vienna of late on the
occasion of the proposed erection of a new House of
Parliament. According to the Government plan the
building was to be erected in the Greek style, at • cost
of 7.000,000 florins. Several influential members of the
Reicherath, however objected to the Greek style of
architecture as too costly, sni thought • Renaissance
building would be preferable. Ultimately it wasehoem
by a m-mber of the building department of the Ministry
of the Interior that a Renaissance building would be
mere cottly than &Greek one, as it would require more
internal decoration, and the plan of the tiovernment
wag then adopted by a large majority.
HOPELEMI MINORITY. —A sigh may have been
heaved by many a reader on perusing (through spec-
tacles) the remark, in • recent Tames' le•der, that, by
the resells of the late general election, " Mr. Glad-
atonas majority of sixty was 'suddenly charged to a
minority of fifty." A return, if possible, to a minority
of fifty would, no doubt, be acceptable to many per-
eons who have attained to threescore; and there are
probably a few who would not be glad to be reduced,
if they conic], to a minority of yeare under twenty-one.
—Punch.
AN EXPENSIVE HU-EST.—OH Saturday the
makter of the Cheater workhouse reported the death
of a wi man, at the age of 76, who had been an inmate
of the house for 55 yearn.
WHAT MAY BE DONE !—The Times has pub-
lished the following letter invoking aid for the "Red
Shoeblacke" of London :
iste—ft is exactly 23 years since a few gentlemen In she
Temple began the Shoebtack movement, to give temporary
employ rant to poor boys while they are being educated for
better work. Now there are six such societies In London,
with 400 boys, ami their united earnings are E. 12 000 per
annum. The Central /Society has sent 4,000 boys into active
life by this means, end out of the seviep from their earellige
the hoes have contributed £1,200 to build a new home, last
roofed in, near the Farrinedoc-street railway station, where.
30 toys can be lodged and the rad of the 100 lads caa be
managed, taught, and fed. A lige sum ham been obtained
from private subscriptiom, but we need still £l,OOO more to
ht up our " Shoeblacke Home" As the society has been for
along time sell-supporting, an 1 is doing real good to many
poor little fellows, we venture now to ask for contributions
from Mud blends of the homeless, ',Mon will le thaokfully
received by the hon. secretary, Mr. M. Ware, 25, Old-square,
L mdon, or by myself, as one of the committee
from the begluning.—Yonre, &c., JofIN IdICdRZOOR, Van-
brugh!perk, Blackheath, March?.
THZ COLORADO POTATO BEETLE. —1 he reports
of the ravages made among the potato crops in the
United States last year by the Colorado beetle have
naturally canoed coneiderat le alarm to growers in this
country, as it is feared that this insect pest may be
brought over in the large quantities of seed potatoes
which are imported from the other side of the Atlantic.
With a view to pm eventieg its introduction, Mr. J.
Algeloon Clarke, secretary of the Central Chamber of
Agriculture, on the 10th February widreseed a letter
to Mr. Gladstone, calling his attention to the imminent
risk to which thq.,United Kingdom, especially Ireland,
is exposed, and Imigeating that the imeortation of
potatoes from the United States and British America
ehorild at once be prohibited. In reply. a letter was
received last week from the office of the P•ivy Connell
for Trade, to the effect that, according to the Arnerfran
official reports, it does nol, appear that the rgge or
lorvse of the Colorado tee, Jr have been or are deposited
or are conveyed in the tuber of the potato, and, there-
fore, Curzon is consicered to be no reason to prevent the
importation of seed potatoes from America into the
United Kingdom until the case is proved to be other.
wise.
GREAT WINDFLLL. (fir liiheritante in the
Gnat Pyramid is advertiacd. The new Crown
Lawyers should be interrogated to know whether the
Succession Duty Las been paid. It might prove •
welcome addition to the next Surplus.—Punrh.
A TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF • GALLANT
SOLDIER.,—" A. D. c." writes to The Ttma on the
death of Lieutenant Eyre
"Few who knew the circumstances of the case could bare
reed with a dry rye of the (teeth of Lieutenant Eyre, whose
gallantry is quolel by a correspondent In you, columns ol
Friday. It ts one of the IldfidastrylsAte of the Ashantee War.
He was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
His father, the late Lieutenant-General Sir Wllliam F.yre,
B.C.'S , the intrepid Colonel Eyre of the l.lefire Wass, and
the brave Crimean General who took the Cemetery on the
IStb of June, died of disease the direct result of Me hard.
sbips of his campaigns. (lateral Fare was a very Flayard
among aoldlets, tans pour et snot reprochc. I
know that Arthra Eyre on re.chlog man's edge would not
be balked lu his cesire to follow In his father's footsteps, bat ill
teens, to uoderstand how sadly ids mottar must have at
quiesced In his choice of the same chaneeful wear, lie
misgivings, too, must have crilminated In the keenest An-
guish wneu, with all the instlocto of a true soldier, he
volunteered at the da.t opportunity for active sent. In the
field. No words that 03n can pro could hope to soften this
blow to I.ld, F. 4 re, yetitmay be some consolation to • mother
to remember that her sot, has met a hero's death, worthy in
every respect of the reputation he inherited will his 1111111/."
THE REVIBID CoDI3.—A deputation of ma-
nagers and teachers of church schools waited upon the
Lord President and Vic!--Preeident of the Privy
Conseil last Saturday. with reference to the working
of the revimed code. The Rev. Canon Gregory raid
that the effect of the revised code had been to lower
the character of the education given in the primary
schools, greater attention being paid by the master to
the dun es, and the advanced boys beingioyns.i,dmertablfoy,
neglected. A great objection wss that the present
system was purely mechanical, the higher develop-
ment of listen! et being in no way encouraged. He.
therefcre, suggs sted the, the prMciple of the Scotch
code ehould be followed, which gave p
waters which the English code did not recognise, rho
danger of ice less intelligent boys being neglected
might, he thought, be obviated by a clause mulct'
log the echool if • certain proportion of the
children fell below a certain standard. After other
me oboes of the deputation had spoken, the Duke of
Richmond remarked that the discussion had (rope to
the very root of the revised code. He promised, how-
ever, that the suggestions made should receive the
consideration of his department,