The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-11-12 00:00:00

THE MN& OF THE SANDWICH
ISLANDS.

King Kalakua,, having returned to San Francisco,
has completed his tour round the world. The whole
journey occupied about eight months. On the Bth of
February His Majesty set out from San Francisco for
Japan and China. Thence he proceeded to Siam,
through the Straits Settlements, asross to Calcutta,
overland to Bombay, and then, vid the Suez Canal, to
Cairo and the Pyramids. Crossing over to Europe, he
spent some time at Naples, Pompeii, and Rome. After
an audience with the Pope he sailed for London, and
from there proceeded to Brussels, Cologne, Berlin,
Vienna, Paris, Madrid, and Lisbon. He next re-
turned to England, visiting Glasgow, Edinburgh, and
Queenstown, taking passage at the last-named place
for ,New York. On reaching the United States the
King visited many places of interest, including Wash-
ington, Fort Monroe, and Lexington, Kentucky.
Colonel Judd, who had the management of the tour,
says that favourable weather was enjoyed throughout,
and that not the sliightest accident or inconvenience
occurred.

A. return of the recent revision of voters for the
City of London shows a Conservative gain of 124 on the
Livery list, 383 on the householders, and 15 on lodgers,
making a total of 522 votes. The gain last year was 311,
and including the Conservative majority at the general elec-
tintrit is estimated that tlre'ConsertAtive'voters nbw exceed'
the Liberals by 5,308.

Vistellantus
OflldE, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL

THE COST OF SEWAGE FARMING. The:-.!..ant!ai
statement of the Reading Sewage Farm Committee
has just been published, from which it appears that
there has been a total less on the year's operations
aMounting to P;146. The loss en the crops could not
be put at a sitall6r stilt than £1,500 • but from the
cattle had been received, for butter &and milk,
£2,743 13s. 11d. • cattle sold, £434 ss. 2d. ; increase of
valuation, after deducting expenses of purchase, &c.,
£535 ss. ld. ; sheep, paid for keep, £lO2 13s. 2d. ; total
£3,815 17s. 4d. It was stated, hoWever, at the council
meeting at which these figures were presented, that,
looked at from a sanitary point of view, the farming
operations had been a great success, and that Reading
has never before been in such an excellent sanitary
condition.

RELIC OF THE " ALADAMA."—There is now being
exhibited at the Boston Institute Fair (U.S.) a flag
which claims to be the only existing relic of the rebel
privateer Alabama, the genuineness of which can be
proved. It is the favourite flag of Admiral Semmes
It was made on board the privateer, and is about
4ift. in width and 7ft. in length, with a white
ground and a red jack, containing a blue cross with 13
stars. The high value placed upon it by its owner is
indicated by the fact that, in order to secure it for ex-
hibition, it was necessary to obtain a heavy insurance
at an appraisal of 10,000 dols. An emplove of the in-
stitute is specially detailed to guard and protect i
from injury.

COLONISING IN lOWA, U.S.—(A. hint to the younger
sons of our Aristocracy, and eke t 3 the daughters
thereof.)—Lady Maria.—" How late you are, boys!
Your baths are ready, and I've mended your dress
trousers, Jack. So look sharp and clean yourselves,
and then you can lay the cloth, and keep an eye on the
mutton while Emily and I are dressing for dinner."
Lord John.—" All right. How many are we to lay
for?" Lady Emily.—Eight. The Talbots are coming,
and Major Cecil is going to bring the Duke of Stilton,
who's stopping with him."—Punch (with an Illustra-
tion).
- - - •

SILVER CRADLE FOR A MAYORESS.—On Monday
the Maycress of Liverpool, (Mrs. W. B. Forwood)
was presented with a "silver cradle" in honour of the
birth of a daughter to the Mayor during his period of
office. The testimonial consists of a complete dessert
service, the cradle being represented in a large centre
piece. The presentation was made by Mr. Whitley,
M.P., on behalf of the subscribers in the City Council
Chamber, and the Mayoress responded.

THE " BLOW-PosT."—A writer in the current num-
ber of Fraser advocates the extension of the " blow-
post "to London. He contends that if London were
encompassed by pneumatic tubes it would be possible
to carry on the " local "telegraphy of the metropolis
without wires and instruments. A message must now
be handed in open, and has to be rewritten in dupli-
cate at the further end, and enclosed in an envelope
before being sent away. But under the pneumatic
tube system messages are written on a certain pre-
scribed form, folded up, and addressed, all that then
remains to be done being to blow, or suck, them
through to their destination, by the application of
compressed air in the one case, and the exhaustion of
air in the other. The actual message, and not a mere
copy or translation of it, would thus be delivered.

- -
THE NUMBER OF JEWS IN THE WORLD.—Professor
Brunialti, of the statistical archives of Rome, esti-
mates that there are altogether in the world 6,568,000
Jews, of which number 5,500,000 are in Europe,
240,000 in Asia, 500,000 in Africa, 308,000 in America,
and 20,000 in Australia. Taking the European coun
ties, by far the largest number of Jews in proportion
to the population are in Roumania, where the average
is 7'44 per 100 inhabitants. Russia comes next with
357 per 100 inhabitants, while Germany has 122,
Great Britain 020, and Portugal only 004.
WANTED TO BE DEAD SURE.—When the Third In-
fantry of this State was encamped just above George-
town, in 1861, a picket was nightly thrown across the
Potomac into Virginia. One night, when the Muske-
gon company was detained for this duty, the counter-
sign was "Portland." As the advance pickets were
posted the officer took care to explain : " Now, then,
if any one approaches, you must halt them." "Yes."
"And ask who goes there." "Yes." "And
if they answer that it is a friend with the countersign,
you must tell them to advance and give it. Be sure
that they say 'Portland.'" All the sentinels seemed
to understand, and by and by the last man was posted
and the officer returned to the reserve. Half an hour
had slipped away when one Joe Cook came sauntering
in off his post and observed: " Say, Captain, I ain't
quite dead sure on this countersign business." "What
Have you forgotten the word !" " Oh, no—the word
is Portland.' " " That's right, and now what's the
trouble?" "Why, there is a Portland in Maine and
another in Oregon, and I'll be hanged if I know which
is the one you mean ! If it's the one in Maine just say
so, and I'll bayonet the first rebel who tries to git in
on the one in Oregon.— Detroit Free Press.
A RICH GOLD REEF.—The Mel,,ourne Argus of
September 27 says :—"Much excitement has been
caused in Sydney by the reported discovery at Upper
'Femora f an inimei.s,ly rich reef, which is estimated
to yield 1,000 oz. to the ton. It is said to have been
struck in an abandoned claim by Penman and party,
who unearthed in a trench at a depth of Pin. the
richest stone ever seen at Temora. One small piece,
which was crushed, yielded Thoz., and of the remain-
ing 201 b. weight of stone which was taken from the
reef nearly all was gold. The escort has left Temora
with the largest quantity of gold yet taken from the
field, the total amount sent by the banks being
4,0820 z. The Amelia Company have struck rich
stone."

MODERN PRECOCITY.—LittIe Miss: "If I give you
a penny, little girl, what will you do with it ?"
Little Girl: "Go yer Tommy Dodd' who pays for a
I.enn'orth of 'ardbake. hi course ! "—Fun.

COURT MOURNING.—The London Gazette of Nov. 4,
contains the following: " Lord Chamberlain's Ottice,
Nov. 3.—Orders for the Court's going into mourning
on Friday, the 4th inst., for his late Royal Highness
the Duke Frederick William Alexander of Wurteui-
berg, first cousin to Her Majesty, viz. : The ladies to
wear black dresses, white gloves, black or white shoes,
feathers, and fans, pearls, diamonds, or plain gold or
silver ornaments; the gentlemen to wear black Court
dress, with black swords and buckles. The Court to
change the mourning on Friday, the 11th inst., viz.:
The ladies to wear black dresses, with coloured ribbons,
flowers, feathers, and ornaments, or grey and white
dresses, with black ribbons, flowers, feathers, and
ornaments; the gentlemen to continue the same
mourning. And on Monday, the 14th inst., the
Court to go out of mourning."
GARFIELD AND HIS HORSE.—A fanciful story has
been told of the killing of General Garfield's
horse at Chickamuga. The title story as related
by General Garfield is thus told by a Cincinnati
paper He said he was writing, sitting on the
ground where there was a depression such that the
flight of shot was overhead. His horse was held by an
orderly, when a round cannon ball came close to the
group and striking another horse full in the breast
killed him instantly. Gen. Garfield said he looked
up, hearing the thud, and saw that his horse was frantic
with fright. He had seen the terrible death of the other
horse and had abundant sense to be scared. Garfield
got up and stepped beside his horse, speaking to him
kindly and patting him with his 'hand, soothing and
reassuring the animal, which at once became calm
and manifested his gratitude. The horse, Garfield
said, as much as said to him, 'Old fellow, this doesn't
look well to me, but I have confidence in you that it
is all right.' The horse was not hurt."
A LIGHT-FOOTED BATHER. A lady who went
bathing in the river put on a pair of slippers with
heavy cork soles to protect her feet from the pebbles
(says the Detroit Free Press) She had scarcely waded
out to a point where the water reached her waist ere
she was seized with a wild, untamed desire to stand
on her head, but the conventionalities of society would
be shocked by such an act, she knew, and, by a re-
markable exercise of will power, or something of that
sort, she managed to keep her feet under her. After
wading out a few feet farther, however, the desire to
indulge in a little gymnastic exercise overcame her
scruples and in a jiffy her feet were pointing up to
the north star, while her head was groping about for
a good resting place in the sand at the bottom. A
gentleman who witnessed her dilemma swam to her
assistance, and holding her head above water, towed
her feet ashore. When she next bathes she will pro-
bably wear leaden shoes.
A LITTLE BOY'S SYMPATHY.----A little boy (says the
Albany Express) whose father, a poor man died a
short time since, when he heard of President Gar.
field's death, climbed into his mother's arms and wept
convulsively, and the tears of mother and child
mingled. At length the mother said, "Why do you
cry, Charlie? You don't know Mr. Garfield, you
n•-ver saw him." "Oh, matinna,, I was thinking how
had the little boys will feel when their papa will never
come home any more." And after a pause, Charlie
said, "Mamma, will they let my pa speak to the
President in Heaven ? "
THE TUNNEL UNDER THE MrhsEY.—Rapid progress
has been made lately in sinking the two new main shafts,
from which the main tunnel between Liverpool and
Birkenhead is to be driven. The shaft on the
Bithenhead side was commenced on the 19th Sep-
tember, and has now reached the formation level of
te tunnel at a depth of 100 ft. The second Liverpool
shaft was begun on the 9th October, and is now down
to a depth of 60ft., I.Bft. of which are through made
ground and 421 t. through solid rock. The winding-
engine and pithead gearing will be complete by the
end of the present week, and the sinkin,, will then be
proceeded with at an accelerated ate.
AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The following
are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending Nov. 5, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 465. 9d. ; barley, 359. 2d. ;
oats, 20s. Bd. per imperial qr. Corresponding week
last year :—Wheat, 435. 4d. ; barley, 355. 2d. ; oats,
203. 9d. •
HOW TO COLLECT :MONEY IN CHURCH.—A niw
mahod of collection has been adopted in a Presby-
terian Church in America. Small boxes with a slit
in the top and glass in the sides are fastened to the
backs of the pews. Then before the sermon the
pastor steps to the desk, and after repeating 1 Con
xvi. 2. "Upon the first day of the week let every
one of you lay by him in store as God has prospered
him, that there be no gatherings when I come," says,
" Let us further worship God by contributing to his
service." Then is heard all over the house the drop•
ping of the change into the boxes. It requires but a
minute of time, and the plan is pronounced most suc-