The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-05-29 00:00:00

ntisrtliaiwaris al'uttiligtutt,

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

TOPSY "-TIIIIVEY COSMOGONY (Evolutionist's Motto).
."'Spects I grow'd."—Punch.

THE CROPS IN FRANCE.—The following information
with regard to the state of the crops in the south of
France is given by the .Republique Francaise
"Owing to the warm weather which has followed the
late rains, vegetation is in a very promising condition;
the pastures and cereals present a generally favour-
able appearance; vegetables look well, and vines do
not seem to have suffered to any considerable extent,
except from the attacks of the phylloxera, and the
fruit trees are in excellent condition. The latter,
indeed, promise an exceptionally abundant yield, and
if the trees do not suffer from hailstones, there will
probably be an unusually large quantity of fruit this
year. Corn has reached a very high price in these
parts, as well as in the rest of France. The same is
the case with pigs. In the midlands, where the mar-
ket was merstocked with American pork for a time,
to the detriment of French pig-breeders, live pigs are
selling at if. 20c. the kilogramme.
A HOPEFUL CASE.—Patient : "Then, according to
you, doctor, in order to live at all, I must give up all
that makes life worth living ?"—Doctor : "1 'm afraid
so—at least for a few years."—Patient: "Perhaps
you'd recommend me to marry ?"—Doctor (a confirmed
bachelor) : "Oh no! Come, my dear fellow, it's not
quite so bad as all that, you know I "—Punch.
SUNDAY CLOSING.—Mr. 7 Roberts has reintroduced
his Sunday Closing Bill for Wales. The preamble
states that the provisions in force against the sale of
fermented and distilled liquors during certain hours of
Sunday have been found to be attended with great
public benefits, and that it is expedient, and the
people of Wales are desirous, that in the Principality
those provisions should be extended to the other
hours of Sunday. The Bill then proposes to enact
that in Wales all premises in which intoxicating
liquors are sold or exposed for sale by retail shall be
closed during the whole of Sunday. Premises closed
under the measure would be subject to the Licensing
Acts of 1872-74 just as if they had been closed under
those Acts. The time fixed for the Bill to come into
operation is, as regards each division or place, "the
day next appointed for the holding of the general
annual licensing meeting "there.

THE DIVISION ON THE BRADLAUGH MOTION.—In the
division in the House of Commons on Monday on Sir
Drummond Wolff's motion 170 Conservatives voted in
the minority with about 30 Home Rulers, the balance
being made up of English Liberals. About 15 Home
Rulers and no Conservatives voted with the Govern-
ment. No prominent Liberals voted in the minority.
Sir J. McKenna, Mr. O'Donnell, Mr. T. Sullivan,
Mr. Redmond, and Dr. Lyons voted with the Govern-
ment Mr. O'Connor Power, Mr. O'Shaughnessy,
Mr. Finigan, Colonel Colthurst, and others with the
minority. Mr. Parnell did not vote. About 50
Liberal members present at the debate did not vote on
either side.—Tuesday's Times.

RATHER TOO MUCH OF A TREASURE.—Lady (engag-
ing parlour-maid). "And why did you leave your
last place ? " Candidate (bridling). "Which I were
considered too good looking, mum I—Visitors was
always takin' me for miss's, mum ! "—Punch.
THE ABERCARNE COLLIERY ACCIDENT.—It will be
recollected that in September, 1878, a very disastrous
accident happened at the Abercarne Colliery, in the
Ebbw Valley, Monmouthshire, resulting in the loss
of 258 lives. The sympathy of the public was
invoked by the then Lord Mayor, and funds were
started at the Mansion House in London, and by the
Mayors of Manchester, Liverpool, Newport, and
Cardiff. In all £59,000 was raised, of which £31,000
was contributed to the London Fund. Since then
£9,589 has been administered in the relief of the suf-
ferers-116 widows receiving 7s. a week, 334
orphans sums varying from 2s. 6d. to is. 6d. a week,
six mothers 75., two injured men 10s., and 119 depen-
dent relatives from ss. to 2s. weekly. A trust fund
for the administration of the balance, 249,515, has
recently been created by the Court of Chancery, and
trustees nominated. The trust deed, besides making
due provision for the investment and distribution of
the money, and the auditing of the accounts, gives
power to apply any portion of the Fund which may
remain after the Abercarne sufferers are fully relieved
to those suffering from any kindred accident.
THE WEALTH OF YOUNG LOVE.—Edwin (who has
just sold his first Sketch from Nature to a benevolent-
looking stranger for twenty guineas): ".There, love !
It only took me two hours! Working six hours a day
for six days a week, that makes 18 sketches—at 20
guineas each, 360 guineas a week—say pounds—that's
£18,720 per annum—say £lB,OOO a year, as we must
take a fortnight's holiday, you know! And all that
without reckoning that I mean to raise my prices as I
go on ! "—Angelina: " Splendid, dearest And we'll
always lay by half, you know, in case of a rainy
day ! "—Punch.

LORD PALMERSTON'S LINES ON THE DEATH OF HIS
LADY.—" G. A. 5.," in the Illustrated Landon News,
having asked for a copy of the pathetic lines written
by Lord Palmerston, father of the Premier, on the
death of his lady, has received copies from 126 corre-
spondents. Here are the lines:—

" Whoe'er, like me, with trembling anguish brings
His heart's whole treasure to fair Bristol's springs;
Whoe'er, like me, to soothe disease and pain,
Shall court these salutary waves in vain;
Condemned, like me, to hear the faint reply—
To mark the fading cheek, the sinking eye;
From the chill brow to wipe the damp of death,
And watch with dumb despair the shortening lcreath ;
If chance direCt him to this Artless line,
Let the sad mourner know his griefs were mine.
Ordained to lose the partner of my breast,
Whose beauty warmed me, and whose friendship blest,
Framed every tie that binds the soul to prove
Her duty friendship, and her friendship love.
Yet soon remembering that the parting sigh,
Ordains the just to slumber, not to die,
The starting tear I checked, I kissed the rod,
And not to earth resigned her but to God."

THE PRIDE OF AGE.—Cinderella dances, which
begin early and end at midnight, commend themselves
probably to a majority of girls who have "come out."
We hear, however' of a consequential young lady who
positively declined to attend one because the invitation
said " from eight to twelve," whilst she was fourteen
last birthday.—Fun.
OVER-CRAWDING IN GARDENS.—That was excellent
advice an old gardener once gave to amateur cultiva-
tors of plants when he cautioned them against over-
crowding their greenhouses, and pointed out the harm
flowing from the practice. "Above all things, never
be tempted to beg or purchase plants unless you have
room for them overcrowding is the great bane of
English gardening. Many cram their gardens as
manufacturers do their workshops, until debility and
weakness take the place of vigour and health." It is
a passion in human nature to acquire, hence it is
that some with limited accommodation attend plant
sales, and occasionally purchase many more plants than
they require or have room for, and the consequence too
often is great disappointment. It is far better to grow a
few subjects, and cultivate them as well as possible ;
and there is much reason to believe that the amateur
gardeners who get the most enjoyment out of their
gardens are those that are termed " specialists," who
make pets of two or three subjects, and give their
whole attention to them. How many there are who
have but little enjoyment out of their annuals because
they sow thickly, and leave to flower all the plants
that come up. It is much better to thin out the plants
to an inch or so apart, pressing the soil firinlY abouth
those that remain, and giving them a top-dressin
with
some somegood soil. How can it be expected that
growing close together, and that need room fopsrde-
velopment, can do well or produce flowers of aat
factory character? If plants are to do well they
should receive the warmth of the sun and the full
benefit of refreshing showers • and they enjoy the ie
best when standing a little isolated. Plenty could be
written on this subject, but a few suggestions will
suffice by way of illustrating the evils resulting from
over-erowding.—Ganknea aronicte

" HEARTLESS bISRESPECT FOR PEASANT PLEA-
SA.NTRY."—Rurai Postman: "Glad to see you down
'ere agin, Muster Jones. Hi've got a letter for yer
from yer young lady, I think. Fine gal, ain't she?
Drink yer 'e'lth, sir? Glad to see you alive still, sir."
Jones (who does not appreciate gentle country
familiarities) : "I'm quite alive, Muggins : hand over
the letters, or you may find I'm kicking as well."—
Fun.

A HINT ABOUT THE TURNIP FLY.—A. W. E. writes
to the Standard :—There is not a farmer in England
who, at the piesent moment, is not dreading the at-
tacks of that pest, the turnip fly. If he will only drill
in a small quantity of "peat charcoal" along with his
turnip and mangold seed he will find that the young
plant rushes up into the broad leaf so quickly that the
crop will be secured. If the drought becomes excep-
tionally severe, a sprinkling of this charcoal on the
little plant will also save it from being eaten up. I
have seen the effects of it during the past three years,
and think that your readers should know it.

AN ENORMOUS SPIDER.-Mr. Frank Buckland,
writing in Land and Water, says :—When calling on
Mr. Bartlett at the Zoological Gardens, he kindly
showed me the most gigantic spider I ever saw—an
enormous fellow, just about, if not quite, as big as a
house sparrow with his wings folded. When the
spider's legs are open he is indeed a most formidable-
looking fellow. 'rhe whole of the body is covered
with dark red-brown hair. He is fed upon cock-
roaches, and Mr. Bartlett has observed that he spins
threads across the ground, in which the cockroaches
get entagled. He will also kill and suck the blood of
young mice. He seems especially fond of the brain of
the mice. He is kept in a glass case, the temperature
of which is kept up by warm water. The bite of this
spider (which comes from South America) is said to
be very injurious to both man and beast. I think it
not impossible that this gigantic spider would attack
and kill humming-birds

AN INCIDENT IN THE LATE LEVEE.—At the last
levee an incident occurred illustrating the extra-
ordinary faculty possessed by so many of the royal
family of remembering faces, and, at the same time,
the goodness of heart of the Prince of Wales (says the
Court Journal). A number of officers of the 23rd
Royal Welsh Fusiliers attended the levee, and among
them Lieutenant-Colonel O'Connor, V.C. By some
mistake he was announced as Lieutenant O'Connor.
The Prince said :—" No, no; that is wrong; it is my
friend, Colonel O'Connor." and shook him heartily by
the hand, and addressing the Colonel, said—" I re-
member quite well when I was a boy seeing my
mother decorate you with the Victoria Cross, after
your return from the Crimea, for your gallant con-
duct at the battle of the Alma. lam glad to see you
and hope you are quite well." The incident caused a
considerable sensation among those who witnessed
it ; and it must have been extremely gratifying to the
gallant Colonel to find that the Prince of Wales still
remembered him and the occasion of his decoration
after the lame of nearly a quarter of a century.
A GOLDEN DREAM.—A correspondent writing from
Mhow to a Calcutta paper says :—At a village named
Pitampore a Bunma had a dream in which a pir
appeared before him, and mentioned to him a mosque
where lay concealed enormous wealth in gold and
silver underground. The particulars of this dream
having been mentioned to Scindia's officials, they
readily accorded their permission to dig up the place.
Scores of labourers have accordingly been engaged in
digging the ground under the supervision of Scindia's
Ser Suba. Streams of people are continually rushing
on to see the realization of the Bunnia's golden dream.
Even Sir Henry Daly and the Maharajah Holkar
have not failed to visit the spot.
GARDENING AND GARDENIAS. At Luton Hoo,
Bedfordshire, at the end of April, a large bed of
gardenias presented a sight of beauty almost unparal-
leled in floriculture. About 1,000 blooms were out at
once, and the thirty-six plants bore altogether 8,000
blooms. The lovely scent of these flowers made the
air delightful for many yards all round. This scent is
not overpowering, as is for instance that of many hya-
cinths, but of a remarkable sweetness and delicacy,
recalling that of the English narcissus more closely
than usually do flowers the scent of an entirely different
botanical order. The leaves of the gardenia are very
fine, the deep rich green showing up the cream-white
blossoms, and making a perfection of contrast.

FAST GOING.—Lady :—" I suppose you always
come to the Derby ? " Gent :—" Yes, I've come to
it hundreds of times, and I would not miss it once in
a century."—Judy.
FRUIT CULTURE.—The great profits made in good
years by fruit-growers should lead to an extension of
fruit-growing by farmers. The great strawberry
grounds of Blair Gowrie' Scotland, realise £4O per
acre in a good, and up to £6O per acre in a very good
year. Even the average is as high as £25 per acre.
The cherry orchards of Kent yield up to £BO per acre;
but almost utter loss not unfrequently follows in
another year. At Evesham plum orchards yield about
the same, and are rather less uncertain than cherries.
The strawberry grounds of West Kent are, on the
average, more profitable than the corn fields, or even
the grazing land.

THE PENNY POST.—It may not be generally known
that, since from about two years before the death in
1685 of Charles 11., a penny post has been established
in London (says Land and Water). Robert Murray,
an upholsterer, enjoys the honour of having suggested
that, as the City had grown too large for messengers,
a post should be established from one part of London
to another. Murray's post was afterwards assigned to
William Dockwra. Among the early regulations was
one to the effect that all letters not exceeding a pound
in weight should be charged one penny for the City
and suburbs, and twopence for any distance within a
radius of ten miles. '

AN OUTBREAK OF POKE BONNETS IN PARIS.—
Galignani says :—" Poke bonnets having been revived
by Parisian milliners, it was of course to be expected
that poke bonnets would be worn in Paris. Never-
theless, and in spite of their appearance in reputed
show rooms, none but the smaller sized were sold, and
even when sent home these pokes were considered too
sensational for visiting. Last week, however, an
outbreak of immense Leghorn poke shapes took
gentlemen by surprise. It was as if all this head gear
had of one accord determined to throw off false shame
and show the courage of a forward opinion. Among
the most striking was an exaggerated Quaker shape,
dun outside, crimson inside, with just one brilliant
insect, pinned as it were on the furthest horizon ; that
line of the inner recess which touched the chignon.
Another was more of a coal-scuttle shape, all chip,
with a primly crossed ribbon on the very top and
larve poppies flaring on one side.'

SPELLING REFORM IN AMERICA.—It is only recently
that the advocates of what they call spelling reform
have received any encouragement in the United
States; but now they seem to be making some way
(remarks the Pall Mall Gazette). One of the members
of Congress announces a bill favouring the appoint-
ment of a Commission to consider if national support
to the movement is advisable. The Chicago Daily
Tribune has for some months past partially adopted
the new spelling. "Improvements" such as the sub-
stitution off for ph in words like phase, and the omis-
sion of the silent final e from words like have and
favourite, are examples of its innovations. The posi-
tion taken by the Tribune gave courage to some of its
contemporaries. Among these are the New York
Independent and the Utica Herald, papers of recognized
position in Transatlantic journalism.
A RECIPE.—The editor of an American family
paper started a domestic column recently, and a few
days afterward a female came into the office, carefully
Concealing something behind her apron. "Are you
• the man that published that new and improved way
to make currant cake ? " He said he was. "You
said to mix washing soda with the flour, and stir in a,
little oatmeal and a little sweet oil to give it con-
sistency?" "I-I-believe so." " And to add fifteen
eggs and some treacle, and two ounces of gum arable,
and set it in a cool place to bake ?" "I think that
was it." "Well, take that, then I" and the indignant
housewife floored him with a weapon that felt like a
sand-club; but which he knew in his heart must
have been a half-baked chunk of cake constructed on
his new plan.
STRAWBERRIES IN PARlS.—Strawberries, which first
made their appearance in the fruiterers' shops in Paris
about three weeks back, are now being sent up to the
central markets in sufficient quantities to be sold at
more reasonable prices. Upwards of three million
francs' worth of this delicious fruit is annually vended
in the French capital, and more than six thousand
persons are employed in its culture in the suburbs.
Each plant affords about eight crops a year; the
second crop is obtained four days after the first, and
the remainder in general every third day afterwards.
The two last gatherings, however, requires an interval
of six to twelve days, so that the whole.crop may be
had in less than a month's time. Each are (119 square
yards) produces, under favourable circumstances, six
baskets of strawberries, or six hundred baskets per
hectare. Eight crops at the rate of 600 baNkets each
time affords a total of 4,800 baskets, and as every
basket is sold at an average price of hr. 50c. an aggre-
gate receipt of 7,200 fr. is the result. The expense,en-
tailed is set down at 3,510 f., so that a net profit of
3,690 fr. accrues to the farmer. Many a family in the
suburbs of Paris is thus enabled to make a lucrative
income by the cultivation of this luscious after-dinner
fruit.

factory,
engine-room of P. Lorillard and Co.'s tobacco _
A DOG STORY. As the great fly-wheel in the
in Jersey City, whirled around, apparing
said to the
like a shining disk, Chief Engineer Morr:7s
a remark.
reporter, pointing to the wheel: "The lost a little
to the eye
able story connected with that whee
an experience
o other living
dog, not long ago, that went tiairboicirughn
og, Jersey, was a
with that wheel such as priti),b4.,ie
creature ever survived. My "0"i a good strain. Jersey
as
playful fellow, a Skye terrierarlnd. to the machinery,
had an inquiring turn
very gingerly, and
part within his reach B Went about snuffing at every
and when not watched,
But stepped
half-past nine o'clock one morn-
harm's way.
ing, nearly thre About
ars
ago, I saw him dozing under
we never dreamed that he would trust himself in
e
3N:trent out of the room for a moment
tuned I missed Jersey. I looked for
and
desk
when there
r e.
citnot find him. Then I whistled and
a plaintive wail coming from among
chaimlledb. but
°l.l
I c,he3lr,d It was so faint that I supposed
the nuohinerimve fallen down the fly-wheel race
Jersey mc
igellar. I lit a lantern and groped among
th
into hinery in the cellar, but vainly. Occasion-
e "lac
h ard the wail repeated, each time less dis-
e bt
allY At twelve o'clock the machinery was stopped.
tinctiv.st
la revolution of the fly-wheel threw a little
fiafy object at the feet of one of the firemen in the
cellar. He picked it up, and running to the light saw
tinat it was poor Jersey. He did not appear to breathe,
and his body was cold. The fireman called me, and
I said that it was all over with the dog. But the fire-
man felt warmth in the tip of his right ear, and we
set to work to resuscitate him. In half an hour he
got up, shook himself as though he wanted to find out
whether he was all there, and began to frisk around
me. Well, he had been in the fly-wheel for fully two
hours and a half, revolving at the rate of about fifty
revolutions to the minute. He was probably making
a little private examination of the working of the
wheel, when he lost his balahce and fell into one of
the segments of the wheel. The rapid motion kept
him in plaCe until the machinery was stb`ppe'd. lie
was snug enough where he Was, but the breath was
almost out of his body when the wheel stopped. He
lived, apparently in good health, until s'Ome time ago.
Then he died."—Court Journa