The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-09-19 00:00:00

THE NEEDLE GUN AND THE
CHASSEPOT.

The Berlin Coe respond enee , roplyinz tn an article of a quasi-
diplomatic character in the Debar, wherein it was said that
if Prussia was anxious for peace it was heaause the Prussian
government was aware of the superiority of the French
Chasiepot, says

The diplomatist who corresponds with the 'MAU
doubtless has hail personal experience of the compara-
tive merits of the Chassepot and the needle gun to
enable him to pronounce in favour of the former. It
appears to us, however, that Prussia has not passed
such a speedy condemnation on the value if her
weition. And perhaps it is reasonable to believe that •
the power which so much excelled all others in the
perfecting of their armament —without speaking of
corresponding improvements in other branches of the
military art --has not allowed herself to be taken hy
surprise or surpassed by new inventi. MA, or that she
alone has remained stationary when all around her was
progressing. As to the question of diligence, if France
lots manufactured 1,N0;00 ehassepots in one year,
Prussia on her skle has not been so slow that she has
lit been able in the Maine space of time to provide the
whole of her, landwehr, the army of north Germany, the
Baden army, & with the needle gun, and this with-
on requiring to Isorrow 450,000,000 fr.

dii- -

I.e. eededstraight to his own room, thathe might not
turb any one, as he had clone a hundred times before;
but, providentially, as it came about, he had forgotten
to tut some matches in his pocket at the store, and was
obliged to go into his brother's room to get some. The '
gas W 9 burning brightly; the bed had been occ 'pied;
his brother's clothes were upon a chair, but otherwise
the room was empty. Knowing the peculiarities of his
brother and getting more uneasy the longer he waited,
he aroused the rest of the family and inquired about him.
They knew nothing, and all then isomnuenced searching
the house. The elder brother went up into the garret,
where there was a skylight opening upon the roof
, through a trap-door, and this trap-door was lifted.
Fearing the worst, the brother pushed his way through
the aperture, and there, seated upon the furthest and
narrow edge of the southern wall, was the missing
man, with his bawls clasped aroun I one knee, en ties-
hat/b, and the whole attitude expressing dejection.
The brother was a brave mart, but the sight tilled him
with hnrror. The least start backwards, the swerve
even of half a hand's breadth, and the somnambulist
would be dashed to pieces upon the stones below, three
storeys sheer down. But the elder brother's presence
of mind WAS wonderful. Knowing it would be instant
death if he awoke him by calling to hint, and fearing
to grasp him lest in the terror of the surprise he should
sluing backwards from the shock, this man, with
greater love than all else, and lending him nerve and
wisdom, rushed down into his own room, where there
WWI a hong stout rope; said never a word to the family,
although his face was as white as a grave-cloth ;
knotted a noose as heron back up the steps ,• and then,
still unwilling to trust his own strength, he tied one
end to the chimney, and then by a dextrous cast, threw
the rope tightly round his brother's shoulders, literally
I dragging him from his fearful perch before he became
consciotis.