The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-10-26 00:00:00

AN ILLUSION DISPELLED.—In a recent letter
from Tucson, Governor A. K. P. Salford, of Nevada,
writes:—

" A year and a half ego I learned to a certainty that dia-
monds had been found either in Arizona or near the line.
The information I received was confidential, and I knew it
to be true. I with three others then commenced the work
of finding the place. We followed rumours, winks, and
nods, with about as much earnestness as Japhet looked
for his father. Finally, on the Naysjoe Reservation, we
thought we had found it; but as rubies were much more
easily obtained than diamonds, we contented ourselves with
gathering rubies. We collected the value of a trillion or
two of each, and concluded we had enough to make our-
selves comfortable and our friends also. We took them to
San Francisco and sent them to Boston. They proved to be
gamete, and of no value; and the beautiful dreams of
schools and colleges we would build up, and poor people we
would make happy, all vantahed, and we found ourselves as
before, etruggling to make the elide meet.

A HUNGRY LUNCHEON PARTY.—Last Friday,
at one o'clock (says the Liverpool Albion), about 200
street Arabs partook of a " luncheon " in the Common
Hall, Hacking Hey, having assembled there in answer
to invitations distributed amongst them half an hour
before. The invitation cards bore the following
words—" Come and have eomething to eat to day,
Friday, Common Hall, Haektns Hey." The cards
were given to children found selling matches or news-
papers, or who were idling about in the streets imme-
diately adjoining the Town Hall. It was intended by
the founders of the feast that no child should be in-
vited who was over fourteen years of age, and none
who wore shoes or stockings; but by some means or
zither a great many of this class managed to get in.
The company WaS a most amusing one, and the little
urchins ate and drank the sandwiches, buns, and milk
provided for them with an avidity which bhoweil the
keenness of their appetites. Beyond theanere charitable
object of giving the youngsters a feed, there was a
practical purpose' however, in view, namely, to ascer-
tain and record the names ages, residences occupa-
tions, (to., of the lads, and to send these returns to
the School Board. There were 110 among them of
school age; only four or five were orphans; and ac-
cording to the statements of the majority, their parents
were well able tc prJvide for them.

INSCRIPTION FOR STUDY DOORS.— "No admis-
sion, even on businese."—Punch.
THE TEST !—Four seamen came to the door
of a certain Member of l'arliament (at least they re-
presented themselves as seamen)—and said they were
in great distress, having been shipwrecked off hulL
• I went to speak with them, as my sympathies are,
and I hope always will be, with seamen. As soon as
I saw them, I saw that one was a seaman; but, as we
say in Lancashire, I raw with half an eye the other
thre were hail fellows, well met, picked up on the
road. I said, 'lam very sorry to hear of your acid
dent. What vessel were you wrecked in?' They said
the Elizabeth. I told the seaman to stand where
he was ; I told the first of the other three men to
go ten or fifteen yards to the right; the second
to retire ten or fifteen yards to the left; and the
third man to stand off in the front. Well, they could
not tell what I was after, and I went quickly up to one
and said, I am very sorry to hear of the Elizabeth
bviug lost. What was the captain's name?' Jones,'
was the reply. I went to the next, told him I sin-
cerely regretted the accident, and asked the name of
the captain of the Elizabeth. 'Captain Brown, sir.'
I went to another and said, 'My good Mend, I am
exceedingly distressed on your account. What was
the name of the captain?' Captain Smith, sir.' I
said, 'Ccine here, men. You are a pretty set of fel-
lows here to go and sail in the ship Elizabeth, and you
have three captains. You might well be lost, and
deserve it too."

THE LICENSING ACT AND THE INCREASE OF
DRUNKENNESS IN LIVERPOOL—OK Monday, the Liver-
pool coroner, who presided in the "Drunkards Court,"
in the course of the morning took OCC9Aioll to allude to
the great increase of drunkenness in Liverpool since
the Licensing Act came into existence. Mr. Aspinall
observed that the list of drunkards brought to the
various bridewells between Saturday night and Mon-
day morning amounted to the number of 158. This
condition of things was very disappointing, tnough he
w mld be ery cony indeed that the evidences of
drunkenness as Peen that day were owing to the lack
of preventive operations under the new act ;and he still
hoped that time would show that the measure was doing
good work for the community, as he believed it was
calculated to do. Several young people of both sexes,
of an extremely early age, were placed in the dock,
charged with being drunk, while not a few women,
with infants exposed to the inclemency of the weather
and to the rough treatment by the drunkenness of their
parents, were in the same position. This, he said,
though occurring every Monday morning, was a very
sad feature in the social lifs of Liverpool. Major
Grei3, the head constable, concurred in the disappoint
merit felt by Mr. Aspivall at the increase of drunken-
ness, but he ventured to hope that when the new
Licensing Act had a fair and reasonable time to
operate its results would prove beneficial to the corn-
munfty_at large.

-
WIRE.—Mrs. Malaprop says wonderg will
never cease. She hears that there has been a letter in
the paper about sending "money by telegram ;" so she
supposes the next thing will be that people will send the
clothes to the wash, and the dinner to the bakehouse,
and the children to school by the eccentric telegraph.—
Punch.
THOSZ PRINTERS !—The following old quo.
billion might have been sacred from the printers varia-
tions :

Whom the gods love die young..
MIR was, however, the issue of the second-hand
thought of the author—

Whom the gode love, die.— Young.

TnE TRAL-PMANN TRAGEDY.—A man has sur-
rendered himself to the magistrates at Brussels, who
states that he was an accomplice of Traupmann in the
murder of the Kinck family. Two more accomplices,
whom he wwild make known, had dug the graves.
Gustave Kinck had been murdered a day after the
rest of the family, which was the reason that his body
wan found in a separate place. Kinck, the father, had
been murdered by Traupmann alone. Tie also declares
that he was an officer under the Commune, and had
taken part in the shooting of the hostages, amongst
whom were the Archbishop of Paris and the President
Bonjean. A medical examination has resulted in the
opinion that the person is of sound mind. This event
has created a neat animation iii Brilemels.

NOTICE TO TRESPASSERS.—WhIIAt the Law
is in course of being Finished inside of a gacii, a black
flag is usually hoisted above the penal edifice. This
serves as a sufficient notice to all those whom it may
concern. But during the infliction of secondary cor-
poral punishment there is no signal to notify the process
going on to outsiders. Much of the deterrent effect it
ought to have thus fails to be produced. In future let
this deficiency be supplied. Hoist a flag, also, over
the prison in which a criminal is undergo=g ,Jae cas-o'.
nine-tails. There let it float in o,h;i byetae for so long
as the continuance of his floang. For due distinc-
tion's sake it chouid not be a black flag; would be more
mastic if black and blue. Better still w be a
piece of striped bunting; and, by way of a dnliiate
compliment to our American kinsmen, the :liars might
be conjoined with the Stripes. Fe: uon't the Yankees
whip Creation ?—Pue;•l;.

CLOZE Or A STRIKE.—The strike of Liver-
pool dock labourers, in consequence of tho refusal of
the employers to comply with thsit demand that all
foremen should be members of a certain society has re.
suited in a complate victory for the masters, the men
ha,ing withdrawn their demand, and presented them-
selvea on Saturday for work ot the old terms. The
ea sjority of the masters, however, refused to allow them
to resume duty uniess they renounced their oonnection
with the society altogether ,• but cubstquently Mr.
Wm. Simpson, a gentleman who has interested himself
a good deal in the struggles between labour and capital,
waited upon some of the large shipowners, a few of
whom consented to take on the men as usual. It is
doubtful whether the remainder of the employers will
consent to let the men rettun to work,

Me. —ANGLO.FREN CM COMMERCIAL TREATY.
—The Law Material may offer material for a Raw, .

THE ALBERT MEMORIAL CHARM. WINDSoR
CASTLE.-A number of artists from the l'aris alvin r of
Baron Triqueti have arrived at the Castle for the pm.
pose of superintending the placing of the memorial
tomb to the late Prince Consort. The place assigned
for this rich and very beautiful piece of sculpture
fronts the east end of the chapel. The base is formed
massed, eand highly polished slabs of black and gold,
black and white, and Sicilian marbles. Delicately-cut
pilasters, bases, capitals, and arches of Sicilian marble
form niches around the tomb, the panels being of
red marble. Altogether there are eight niches,
three on each side and one at each end of the me-
morial. White marble statuettes of female figures, repres
renting Charity, Truth, Justice, Hope, Science, &c.,
will occupy the niches, the razne of each figure, in gold
letters, being placed upon the pedestal. Two of the
fiorres line shields, upon which, engraved in goll
letters, is the inscription—" I have fought the g0,,,4
right ; I have finished my course.-2 Tim. 4. The
corners of the tomb will be supported by statues of
angels. Tile recumbent effigy of the Prince Consort
is not expected to reach Windsor Castle before April.
Upon its arrival it will be placed on the top of the
tomb. Marble seats have been placed along ths north
and south walls, but the pavement has v, t to bt ;au
The fixing of the various costly sculptures has been
executed by Messrs. Pool, cathedral masons, of West-
minster.

MAY AND DECEMBER—At this present junc-
tion Mrs. Malapr.-ji is greatly interested in a marriage
which is about to take place between two of her most
intimate friends. The only drawback to her sati.fac.
tion is, that she is afraid there is too great a dispa
ragement of age.— Ps rich.
GALLANT RESCCE.—WO have to record the
very [anent conduct of a young Irieh gentleman, third
officer on board a steamship in American waters, be.
tween New York and Port Richmond, Philadelphia,
on the Delaware. upori the afternoon of the 4th of
October (says a Philadelphia paper). The captain's
daughter, a young lady of 18 years, was a passenger On
board, and while leaning over the after-part of the
ship, this sea being rather rough, a sudden lurch of the
vessel threw her overboard. This accident being seen
by Mr. Stephen J. Casson, third officer, he instantly
plunged after her, and, being an expert swimmer, suc-
ceeded in grasping her, after sinking the first time.
The ship was instantly stopped, when the first officer
and some sailors were lowered in a boat, and succeeded,
after much difficulty, in rescuing them from so perilous
and dangerous as adventure, the more wonderful as
sharks were seen to follow the vessel that day, and were
noticed in the water when the boat was rowed to their
aid. Mr. Cassan is finite a young man, not 20 years
old, from the Worcester training ship, Thamee, Lon-
don, and has made several voyages to India.
BLACK SEA CURRENTS. —A strange phew:,
mown has, it seems, been discovered by her Majesty's
surveying ship Shame/Jaffe, which vessel, having ac-
complished her task for this season, has lately returned
Ito Gallipoli. The labaurs of the surveying party on
board have, says the Dardanelles correspondent of the
Levant Herald, been crowned with satisfactory re-
sults, and one highly interesting fact ham been aecer-
tabled of which the existence was never before sur-
mised. It was found that the proverbially rapid
current which runs from north to south both in the
Dardanelles and in the Bosphorus is only superficial,
for at the depth of 20 fathoms the surveying party
discovered in the course of their soundings that there
exists an under-current running with prodigious force
into the Black Sea. To test the strength of this under.
current a special apparatus was constructed and
attached to the ship's boats, when, astonishing to re-
late, the boats were in many places driven along against
the upper-current with a velocity greater than that of
the steam launch belonging to the ,S'hearscater.
THE LAST DAYS OF THE HONEYMOON.—
Bride: No, but look here, really Fred, seriously.
You've had enough of the Seaside by this time; awl
Clara says there are all kinds of Gaieties going on juse
now at home. There's the Mayor's Ball, and the
Garrison Theatricals, and somebody's Centenary, too,
going to be celebrated.—Bridegroom. Oh, bother the
Ball and Theatricals; and as to Somebody's Centenary
—can't we go to that the next time it cornea round?--
Judy.

THE PENALTIES OF GREATNESS !—A Paris
paper tells the following story apropos of the penalties
of greatness, and how one may occasionally avoid pay-
ing them. A very well known physician in Paris
could not show his nose out of doors without being
every minute accosted by some one. "Ah ! doctor,
how glad lam to see you. All this morning I have
felt . . . What do you suppose it can be?" To
such an extent was the poor man plagued that he de
tenanted at all hazards to rid himself of the torment.
A few days since, in a very public place, he heard as
usual, " Ah, doctor, how glad, &c., "Good
gracious," he replied, "this is a serious business. I
must see your tongue; put it well out please." And
there in the open street, the man obeyed. The doctor
studied it for some time. "Very good," said he at
length, "now shut your eyes." Again the patient
obeyed, whereupon the doct tr went on his way, leaving
his tormentor standing in this ridiculous position in
the midst of an amused crowd.

FROM OUR SENSITIVE CONTRIBUTOR.—There
are certain most agreeable amusements in the world
which can hardly be indulged in by men of certain
callings, s ithout conveying to the mind a disagreeable
idea. For instance, who, without a shudder, can enter-
tain the notion of a Dentist playing cricket, anm.
detected in the horrid act of Drawing a Stump !
Ps sch.

NAPOLEONIC Itnues.—An old and esteemed
Liverpool lady, Miss Isabella Mathes., who was well
known for unostentatious charity, has just died in her
SOth year, and by her death a large number of inter-
esting and valuable miniatures will be added to the
town museum. These miniatures were formerly the
property of the ex-Emperor of the French—then plain
Louis Napoleon—hsving been bought from him by the
brother of Miss Mather when he was in pecuniary
difficulties, before his accession to power. The minia-
tures represent different members of his family, includ-
ing the parents of Napoleon the First and his celebrated
marshals, and after the Emperor's declaration he en-
deavoured, but in vain, to induce Mr. Mather to part
with them. The deceased lady WM one of the last re-
presentatives of an old Puritan family, who were pro-
bably among the original members of the first Dis-
senting chapel in Lancashire.

A SKATING 'RINK" FOR LONDON.—A cane-
apontient of a London contemporary says, that. in an-
ticipation of the approaching winter, and with 'a view
of obviating as far as possible the numeroua accidents
and deaths from drowning which yearly occur, owing
to the great depth of water at most of the places acces-
sible to the metropolitan skaters, a society is in course
of formation which will number amongst its members
most of the leading supporters of the various athletic
and swimming clubs, for the purpose of establishing a
"Rink "Club. It is proposed to rent a piece of ground
of about 4 acres in extent, and having excavated the
same to a depth of about 2 feet to lay on a supply of
water from the main. As this " Rink " can thus
nightly be flushed with water, the ice will always be in
good condition, and death from drowning (owing to ita
shallowness) be rendered impossible. A charge of two-
pence a day will be made, and after paying incidental
expenses, the balance will be handed over to the Royal
Humane Society.

A SINGULAR "TARE."—A fishing and pilot
boat, of Guernsey, was off the north coast of that
island this week in quest of shipping, and fell in with
a beam which bad evidently been in the water for
some time, it being covered with marine deposit. Be-
neath it was a large number of fish, which in the
tropics are known as "old wives." So nnmerona were
they, that by the process of gaffing 112, averaging
from 61b. to 71b. each, wers drawn on board. They
were afterwards packed in hampers and sent to an
English market. They are described as resembling a
whiting 8.8 to their skin, thour;h they are much broa.ler,
and have a head resembling that of the garnatd.
DEATH OF A VETERAN.—We have to record
the death of Lieut.-Col. C. E. West, late of the 3rd
Regiment of Guards, on the 17th inst., at 8, Lower
Sandgcte-road, Folkestone, at the age of 83. In 1804
he entered the army from the Royal Military College,
Marlow, and ffirtained an Ensign's commission in the
3rd Regiment of Guards, lie was posted to Lieut.-
Col., West's company, in January, 1804, and accoms
parried the regiment on the expedition to (lei,
many, under the command of Lord C'atheart.
He was present during the whole of the cam.
paign. On the return of the army to England ho
embarked with the expedition to Denmark, and was
present at the siege of Copenhagen. On his re.
turn to England he embarked, with his regiment, in
the expedition to Portugal and Spain, and after the
battle of Talavera he obtained Lis promotion to the
rank of a Captain and Lieutenant in the 3rd Guards,
He was selected to take charge of the despatches to
England, and ordered to embark on board the frigate
commanded by the Hon. Captain Rodney, MY',
proceeded without delay with the despatches to lf,ng.
land. He immediately afterwards returned to 1": ort„,ai
and rejoined his battalion at Albuera,
moved with the army in adyanee b.
on the French
army at Salamanca. Ile was
PeeeLe-st at that battle and
at the siege of Burgos, and at th:
e battles of Vittoria and
St Sebastian' lie was.Bs--erwards at Bayonne, where
hewas
u rely
weeeked, during the sortie, by a
musket bullet in th:,
which was rrinch shattered.
He enablivketo_
with his regiment each returned to
e England promoted to the rank of Lieut.-Colonel,
with rise command of a company in the 3rd Guards,
and immediately proceeded with the regiment to join
the army at Brussels, preparatory to the battle of
Waterloo. He was present at Quatre liras and at
Waterloo, where be again received a severe wound,
which disabled and retained him for a long time in
the hospital. Ile retired from the service by leave,
with the highest reputation for honourable conduct
and the courage he had displayed in the great battles
in which he had taken part.
COMIC E.PIRODE ON A RA/LWAT.—One of the
moat comic episodes in railway travelling it has ever
Lee n my fortune to witness, writes a correspondents
occurred the other day. A gentleman, evidently a son
of the Great Vaterland, had installed himself in a
coupe lit, doffed hiaptaid black frockcoat and truncated
drainpipe hat, and donned a dressing-gown of many
colours and a smoking cap of brilliant hue, when sud-
denly recosmising an acquaintance in the coup of the
Maraeilles train, standing stationary alongside his "Mr
the gentleman of the dressing-gems opened the dt,or of
his compartment, and, stepping across the ',Me, got
upon C., steps of his friend's carriage. there cora-
. mowed such a vociferous greeting and. handshaking
th.st the train had started for Marseilles,
and had :a some few yards on it.,, journey, before the
motion attracted their attet.tion. When at last the
owner of t'le dressing gown became conscious of his
position, he bid a final adieu to his friend, and pre-
pared to descend to terra firma ; but alas ! the folds of
his gorgeous raiment embarrassed him sorely. Counsel
from twenty different yoke,, in a dozen different lan-
guages was shouted to him in a down different keys.
The train was gathering speed, and Mein Herr, in a
state of nervous dejection, was holding on by one hand,
and waving one leg to and fro, and the other arm
round and round like a windmill, when the train dis-
appeared iu the neighbouring tunneL The point of the
joke is perhaps the doubt as to whether he was smashed
If RA