The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-12-14 00:00:00

Fins ART GOUIP.—We understand that an
eminent Entlity Draughtsman is engaged on • work of
Art, which he hopes to finish painting in time to be
able to send it to the exhibition of the Royal Aca-

demy.—Punch.
A WATERLOO VBTZRAN.—The death 18 an.
notuiced of Dr. William Gibney, at Bath. He obtained
the degree of M.D., Edinburgh, in 181.3, entered the
army, and served as assistant-surgeon in the 15th
Hussars at Waterloo. He subeeuu•mtly practised at
Cheltenham, and becams physicist', mid afterwards
consulting physician to the Cheltenham General Hos-
pital. On retiring from practice he resided at Totnes,
and afterwards at Torquay. He died at Bath on the
. .

-- --
4th inst., aged 78.
Tai PROPOSED BANQI7RT TO M. DISRAELI
AT GLASGOW.—The banquet proposed to be given to
Mr. Disraeli at Glasgow is to be postponed in conse-
quence of the following letter :--
" Ilughenden Manor, Dec It, 1873 —Dear Mr. Dalglish,
Lady Basconsfteld, who during the last two month, has been
slowly but continuously recovering from • severe illness,
was suddenly attacked • few day. back by inttsmmation on
the lungs. and lain • critical condition. Under thaw dis-
tressing circumstances, highly appreciating the distinction
which she gentlemen of Glasgow propose to cooler on me, I
thought, aud cannot but still think, it my duty to suggest
that the entertsiument should be at least postponed. I
deeply regret the trouble I have given you and your friends,
and while I ask for their sympathy, I beg to aasure them of
my respect—Faithfully yours, R. DIORAMA—R. Dalglish,
Faq."
THE Lail MRS. SODIRRVILLI. SIP D.
Holland, who for more than 50 yews was inti-
mately acquainted with the late Mrs. Somerville.
contributes to The Times a few personal recollections
of that lady, which he thinks may be of interest.
After noticing facts connected with her scientific

career, he says :
She was a woman not of science only, but of reaped and
highly cultivated tastes. Her paintings and musical talents
might well have won admiration, even had there been no-
thing else beyond them. Her classical attainments were con-
siderable, derived, probably, from that early part of life
when the gentle Mary Fairfax - gentle she must ever
have been—was enriching her mind by quiet study in
her Scotch home. It may surprise some of the node's
of this letter to be told that she was admirable in
needlework also. A rent in old lace she would so re-
pair that the new work could hardly be dietinguithed
from the old. A few words MOM on the moral part of sere.
Somerville's character; and here, too, I .peak horn intimate
knowledge. She was the gentlest and kindest of human
beings; qualities well attested even by her features and con.
venation, but expressed still more in all the habits of her
domestic and social life. Her modesty and humility were
as remarkable as those talents which they concealed from
common observation. Reverting to • time forty or fifty
years ago, I recollect dinner parties in London, at which
guest!, strangers to Mrs. Somerville, have commented to me
upon the charm of her appearance, Ignorant of, and not
perceiving, those other qualities which have made her
eminent in the world. Scotland in proud hi having produced
a Crichton. She may be proud also in having given birth-
place to Mare Somerville
A YANKRI INVENTION.—TIIO Yankee, es-
pecially he of the Connecticut variety, is unquestion-
ably an extremely ingenious person, and has given to
the world a large number of exceedingly useful inven-
tions. His last effort is, (says the New York Tintes),
perhaps, the most ingenious of all his inventions,
though there me y be some doubt as to its practical nee-
tutees.. The naked condition of our trees during the
winter months is by no means attractive, and it is,
therefore, • benevolent idea of a particularly benevo-
lent Connecticut person, to prevent the falling of
leaves by the artificial warming of the trees. He
asserts that a system of steam pipes twining among
the roots of shade trees, and kept hot by ',team from
a& ordinary furnace boiler, will have the effect of per.
enacting the trees that the cold of December is merely
delusion, and that it would, therefore, be folly to
lay aside their summer foliage. It is not koown that
this plan has been tested by actual experiment, and it
I. possible that the average trees may decline to be de-
ceived by the device of artificial warming.
How TO ROUT RABBITS.—A lion, as the story
goes, will run from the sudden crowing of a cock, or
the braying of an aes—it is related that before now
lions in Parliament have beenecared by the braying of
asses and an old writer, Nicholas Cox, in • work
published in 1697, informed hie readers that "the drone
of
saudbBdgenpipe
,tillinsemrtatiln a e
cony
burroiesbolwt.'"anNdosowunded
wonder;
and, if Shakepeare may he credited, it has wrought
greater wonderment than that.
A New WORD.—MT. Beresford Hope says
that walking up Goudhurst Hill he fonde a bit of iron
dropped from some machine, and deposited it at the
nearest cottage, observing that the owner of the iron
might give the housewife something for restoring it.
"Oh I" said she, "I don't know that; hereabouts they
are not very perish." Mr. Hope thought a spirit of
"givishness" would settle the laud question.
SWALLOWING PINS AND NZEDLREI.—The Fort.
William correspondent of the North British Mail
write. saying;—
There appeared recently in the Mail an account of a ser-
vant girl, In the employment of Mr. Ewen Cameron, Speen
Bridge, who, while hanging out some clothes to dry, acci-
dentally swallowed s quantity of pine she kept in her mouth,
and alter being attended to he the Belford Hospital, Fort.
William, vomited twenty-eight. At that time she left the
hospital apparently quite well, and went back to service.
Shortly afterwards, however, the former symptoms returned.
and she was advised to go back to the hospital, where, under
the treatment of Dr. Hutichmon, she remained till last week.
Extraordinary and slmost Incredible as it may seem, during
the time since she first came to the hospital no fewer than
seventy-eight pins and sixteen needles have been abstracted
from her body. The greater part cf these she vomited, but
some were token out through her thin on different parte of
her person. The pins included . large one, nearly the sire
of a earning needle, and a " safety " one. The articles are all
preserved at the hospital, where any person may see them.
A CENTRNARIAN.—There is now living at
Layrume, a hamlet a few miles from Bridport, in
Doreetshire, an old lady who is now in her 101st year.
She was born on the lot of May, 1772, and married a
man named Stanton in 1797, who died about six-
teen years ago. Mrs.' Stanton has a small army of
children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-
great-grandchildren mattered more or less throughout
the globe. She retains all her faculties, with the ex-
ception of being rather deaf. She is also a great
smoker; even in bed the pipe in her companion. Mrs.
Stanton is an old servant of one of the oldest families'
in Dorset. From the age of seven until her marriage
she belonged to the household of Mr. Hugh Trenchard,
of Maudlin, a descendant of Sir Thomas Trenchard.
CHRISTIAN Coesseance Dr 1873.—A meet-
ing was held in America, on the 12th ult., in the
Church of the Pilgrims, Brooklyn, to hear the report of
the Rev. Dr. Schaff, who is connected with the Evan-
gelical Alliance, on the subject of the general Confer-
ence which it is proposed to hold at New York in
1873. Dr. Schaff said that between 40 and 50 distin-
guished men from almost every country in Europe
would attend the Conference, and take part in its de-
liberations. Altogether, from 300 to 500 visitors might
be expected on that occasion. There would be a great
variety of subjects to be diecuesed, such a. "The pre-
sent state of Christendom," "Christian union,"
"Foreign and domestic missions," "Christianity and
Government," "Christianity and philanthropy. The
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher addressed the meet.
bag, and said the Conference of 1873 would be a meet-
ing of universal Christendom. There would be a
larger number of brethren from the different Christian
Protestant denominations than, perhaps, ever met
before on the American shore. It was to be an inter-
change of Christian thought and Christian sympathy.
It would be worth something for those on this side of
the Atlantic to know what the trial and difficulties
were which had to be encountered by those on the
other side of it, and to show them what the Gospel
could do amoog a free people where it was not limited by
the interposition of the State and not hindered by a
general scepticism of the people.
ITALY AND DR. LITINGSTONE.—The Italian
Government (says the Pall Mall Gazette), haa ordered
• gold medal, with a suitable inscription, to be prepared
for presentation to Dr. Livingstoue. A letter from
Rome, dated the 3rd inst., says :—The medal is to be
ready to-day, and will be consigned- with an official
letter addreseed to the great African traveller—to Sir
Bartle Frere, in the hope that he may either present it
in person, should Livingstone reach the coast in time,
or forward it to hien by some safe hand. The Corn-
mendatore Negri Cristoforo, President of the Italian
Geographical Society, has been the prime mover harbring•
leg about this gratifying reeognition of Liviogstones
labours in behalf of science and humanity; and the
Italians generally appear to be delighted with the idea
of being the first to tender to him this national proof of
the high estimation in which they hold hint. The
letter to Livingstone is written in the King's name,
and signed by His Majesty's private secretary, the
Commendatore Vagherno. The medal is of massive
gold, and bears on one side the bust of the King, with
the legend, "Vittorio Emmarenele IL, Re d'ltalis,"
and on the obverse, "A Davide Livingstone, Vittorio
Ernmanuele, 11., 1872."
HUMOURS OF nut BOSTON DISASTER.— SoMO
of the signs erected in the ruined district are re-
markably funny, and show the good-nature and
philosophy that prevail to so large an extent among
us, and which is so distinctive a featnre of the national
character. One sign reads, "Removed for repairs
another, "Gone up?' another, "Great sacrifices
here ;" another, "Closed during the heated term
another, "Out ef evil conaetla goods ;' another, "A
burning shame ;" and so on to infinity.
Berrie CONDUCT.—It is a long lane that has
no turning. The moat hardened offender may reform,
Wonders will never cease. Somebody is not so black
as he is depicted. Strikes may come to an end, coals
and meat may become reasonable in price, the rain may
sop, Mr. Ayrton may grow polite, next May may be
warm—tor November has peered and gone without a
g ! —Punch.
_ _ _

BIOUSTAIN RAILROAD.—The Western Di.
vision of the Colorado Central Railroad (narrow gauge)
has been completed from Golden, a distance of 16
miles, to a point within three miles of Black Hawk
(says the Omaha Herald). It is now open forbusiuess,
In some respects this railroad is the moat remarkable
that has ever been used for passenger transportatior..
The line follows the canon of Clear Creek, which is EX,
tremely narrow, in some cases contracted to a width of
401 t. It has precipitous aides, from 80ft. to I,oooft.
in height. Through this canon the railroad finds its
way, following closely the side of the etream, but
built upon rock foundation and beyon I the reach of
high water. The descent of the creek for 16 miles ia
100 ft. per mile, but it is extremely irregular, in many
places moving along with very slow velocity, and at
other points plunging over falls from rift. to 40ft in
height. The steepest grade used in 1751 t. per mile,
and the shortest curve is 19)ft. radius. All the car.
need are fitted with one loose wheel on each axle, be
which expedient the friction of the curvature is elim-
inated, and the locomotives are enabled to draw trains
with ease which it would be found inapoosible to move
if the cars were supplied with wheels of the ordinary
construction. The average speed on the road is eight
miles per hour. The operation of a road with these
peculiar characteristics being in some degree an ex-
periment, the speed has been reduced to a limit which
is perfectly safe. It is anticipated ths.t a higher speed
may hereafter be used with entire safety. During the
construction of this road many doubts were exiremoxi
as to the practicability of its operation, but the large
amount of business which is now being transacted over
it and the freedom from accident which has attended
its operation has rendered it a matter of certainty
that, with proper care, roads of this oharacter, and
often with grades exceeding 200f1. to the mile, may be
advantageously used.