The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-06-12 00:00:00

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HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL

AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH Cos.—The following
are the average prices of British corn for the week end-
ing. June 5, as received from the inspectors and officers
of Excise ,:—Wheat, 455. 7d. ; barley, 28s. 4d. ; oats,
255. 3d. per imperial qr. Corresponding week last
year :—Wheat, 41s. 7d.; barley, 265. 6d. ; oats,
21s. Bd.

USEFUL RECIPE.—HOW to prevent rash breaking
out in children—Take half a pint of the best malt
vinegar, and—put a rod in it.—Judy.
THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS. —Th e Magnet
says: "Complaints of a want of moisture have been
effectually disposed of by the splendid rains of the
past week. In many districts doubtless yet more rain
is needed for the roots and grasses, but that which ha.s
already fallen has been of great benefit, and, if suc-
ceeded by brilliant sunshine, must cause a large
augmentation of the hay crop. Wheat and other
cereals look 'very promising. Altogether the Outlook
is most encouraging, and farmers are more than ever
hopeful of splendid results. From abroad accounts
are as favourable as ever."
A PRACTICAL APPLICATION.—Lecturer (on the
Classical Essayists of the Last Century—most in-
teresting). " We talk of food for the mind, as well as
food for the body,—now a good book " Sporting
Man (interrupting—he found it rather slow). "'Ear
'ear !—any gent want to do anythink over the Hascot
Cup ?"—Punch.

ALTITUDE OF CHURCH TOWERS. —The Cologne
Gazette states that the towers of Cologne Cathedral
are now the highest in the world, the height they have
attained being five feet higher than the tower of St.
Nicholas's church, in Hamburg, which has hitherto
been the highest edifice. Ultimately they will be
51ft. 10in. higher. The following are given as the
heights of the chief lofty buildings in the world :
Towers of Cologne Cathedral, 524 ft. llin. from the
pavement of the cloisters, or 515 ft. lin, from the
floor of the church; tower of St. Nicholas, at Ham-
burg, 473 ft. lin. ; cupola of St. Peter's, Rome, 4691 t.
2in. ; cathedral spire at Strasburg, 465 ft. llin. ;
pyramid of Cheops, 4491 t. sin. ' • tower of St. Stephen's,
Vienna, 443 ft. 10in. • tower of St. Martin's, Lamishut,
434 ft. Sin.; cathedra spire at Freiburg, 410 ft. lin. ;
cathedral of Antwerp, 4041 t. 10in. ; cathedral of
Florence, 390 ft. sin. ; St. Paul's, London, 365 ft. lin. ;
ridge tiles of Cologne Cathedral, 360 ft. 3in. • cathedral
tower at Magdeburg, 339 ft. llin.; tower Of the new
Votive church at Vienna, 314 ft. llin. ; tower of the
Rathhaus at Berlin, 288 ft. Sin.; and the towers of
Notre Dame at Paris, 232 ft. llin.

THE BRITISH MUSEUM.—A Parliamentary paper,
issued on Saturday last in reference to the British
Museum, states that during the past year progress
has been made in arrangements for removal of the
natural history collections, and in preparations for
their reception in the new building designed for them
at South Kensington. The transference of these
three collections to the new museum will probably be
effected in the course of the present year. The
galleries vacated by them will be at once made use
of for the exhibition of objects of archmological
interest, which have been accumulating for many
years, and from want of space have been stored away
in imperfectly-lighted rooms in the basement.
GOOD NAME FOR A NIGGER HIIMOURIST.—A banjo-
ker.—Funny Folks. •
DISCOVERY OF OLD PLATE.—In London, a number
of gold and silver coins, together with silver plate,
have been found by some workmen in an old chimney.
shaft in Leicester-square. They appear to have been
in their hiding-place for a great number of years. The
plate, which was perfectly black, turned out on exa-
mination to be of rare workmanship. Altogether
there are 22 pieces, consisting of candelabra, centre-
pieces, vases, cruets, &c., and the weight is 293 ounces
The coins belong to several reigns, from Charles ll.'s
down, and are in a high state of preservation.

VERY EXTRAORDINARY.—It is a most extraordinary
thing about a dentist that, the more he stops, the
more he gets on.—Judy.

A -PULPIT COINCIDENCE. —A young clergyman
having agreed to supply the pulpit of an older brother,
absent from home, escorted to church the daughter of
the pastor, and, after seeing her safely in her father's
pew, ascended to the pulpit, unconscious that his
natural attention to the young lady was sufficient to
excite lively imaginations and inquiries in the audi-
ence. Upon reading the hymn to be sung, the young
clergyman was surprised to see evident efforts in the
congregation to suppress laughter. The daughter of
his friend possessed the mellifluous name of Grace,
and, all unsuspicious of the fact, he had chosen the
hymn beginning with the words, "Amazing grace,"
and proceeding with—
"'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
"Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come.
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home !"
SHOCKING.—Sunday School Teacher (gently) : You
must be "born again," you know, Tommy ?—Tommy
(doubtfully) : Yes, miss.—S. S. Teacher: Don't you
wish you were born again, Tommy ?—Tommy (more
doubtfully still) : Well, no, miss; not while father's
out o' work.—S. S. Teacher: Why ?—Tommy: Be-
cause I might be twins.—Judy.
EDUCATIONAL MEM& The suboudinate masters
employed in large schools for maintaining silence are
invariably spoken of by Cockney parents as "The
hush-ers." The system of treatment pursued in
different schools differs considerably. Some are
Kindergarten, and others Unkindergarten. A school-
boy may speak of a master as a pedagogue, but it is
highly disrespectful to allude to his spectacles as
ped-a-goggles. The system of putting elder lads in
authority over younger ones in public schools is de-
nounced by some persons as a praposterous idea. It
is generally admitted that railway excursions
for school children are amongst the pleasantest
methods of train-ing the young idea hitherto dis-
covered.—The bewildering effect of the modern system
of education is so very marked, that the bulk of our
educational establishments are now known no daze
schools.—Poor parents do not keep a lad at school
any longer than they are compelled to. They believe
he will (I)earn more after he leaves school than
before.—lt does not follow that when a schoolboy is
said to be ." an incorrigible little donkey" that he
will develop into a first-class alge-bray-ist.—The first
Latin phrase learned by schoollibys is said to be cave
carte-'ent (look out for the stick).—Funny Folics.
AN ELABORATE AFFAIR !—The new hat got by one
of the Danbury ladies for Whit Sunday was an elabo-
rate affair, and very bright fancies were built upon it
by the owner. It was a stormy Sunday, unfortunately,
but the excellent woman thought that by completely
covering it with a heavy veil she could get to church
without loss of its glory. She had an old veil that
admirably answered the purpose' and this she donned.
She took her accustomed seat in the temple of worship
and held her beautifully upholstered head proudly
erect. It was perhaps within five minutes of the close
of the sermon when, putting up her hand to further
attract the attention of the congregation, she felt the
the presence of the old veil. You have seen the
electric flash dart from the zenith to the horizon in
the night of a storm. You have been fairly blinded
by the rapidity of the motion. Well, it was some-
thing after that manner that that veil came off.

THE COST OF IT !—A correspondent of an American
paper enclosed for publication a poem in fourteen
stanzas. The contributor hoped that the verses would
be found of sufficient interest to secure their free in-
sertion. He was, however, willing to pay for their
appearance if it were desired; but, with a wise fore-
thought, would first like to know the amount of the
bill. The prosaic editor replied that the poem, printed
in leaded agate type, similar to that with whrch the
paid contributors were honoured, and differing only
from these productions by the customary" Advt." at
the bottom, would cost the author 265 dollars in
advance.

GIANTS AT THE WESTMINSTER AQUARIUM.—The
announcement of sixteen feet of giants is certainly a
novelty, and worthy of the enterprise of the Royal
Aquarium advertisers (remarks the Standard). Chang,
the very amiable Chinese eight-footer, is an old
acquaintance, although still but a young man, that is
is in these days when thirty-five years is not con-
sidered to have passed into the middle-age period.
Brustad, the Norwegian giant, is over 7ft.
and altogether broader and more massive in frame
than Chang, who is nevertheless a strong and power-
ful man, but his greater symmetry and smaller head
give him a more slender appearance. Brustad is only
about a year younger than Chang, and the two giants
hold their levees frequently between half-past two and
nine o'clock. Chang wears the long-robed Chinese
costume, which adds, without doubt, to the appear-
ance of his gigantic dimensions when exhibitin,.;•his
proportions alone—and of the reality of which there
is no doubt—for to ordinary individuals it creates a
decided sensation at the back of the neck to look up
into Chang's face whilst shakinbc, hands But Brustadwalks about in plain black clothes and. his mapnitude
is not so evident to the eyesight' unless some ° one is
close beside him.

SCOTCH CHARACTERISTICS. - In an article in trhec:
Leisure Hour on Scotch characteristics, the wrsivteemr
an
marks :—"The Scot is a keen trader. An
whoold
as
'''' _
was heard in consultation with her son,
about to embark to Australia from the Land 0,
but who loudly grumbled at the idea 0f going to a
Cakes,
country Nl7here he heard there was nothing to trade
'
with but kangaroos. 'Wed,' said
karihe old woman, in
garoo
smoney as
a consolatory tone, 'and is not atr-ue
that this restless
good as anybody else's?' It
is
ho
spirit leaves ma 1y neighbo
,ny
~. old feudal castle
and deserted; many a gr- more than a mere
in the far
.north is littsTch
unrod silent, solitarY,ld souls who cling to
old neighbourhoods,
o
shooting-box, and still, iun
there are some tenaFin
sthe Highland toast of old
country, and may those who
But, in most instances, those
thetin i,
e olds scenes,Here,
e and
ourr e drr iinv k
don't ' ,like it leavedid not depart from any ungrateful
who have left it
-usually the absence of all the
sense of dislikes. 0f _
life drove them away, and, like
means and honees,
i• they find the means and magnifi- '
Richie Moult);
emn it.
oun. t.r,y to increase in proportion to
thel
thece n
icr d
e oi
_Why is a fond mother putting her blessed
like a schoolteacher ?---Beeause she's a
babe to sleet
'ushar---judlh
lE-ry OF FRIENDS AND "THE ORDINANCi:S."
sftance f
THE Soo
_The Society of Friends is just issuing to its con-
4ituent membeas and meetings an "epistle" embody-
ing the views of the yearly meeting, and which
expresses very fully the opinions of the society on
Baptism, the Supper, and other ordinances kept up by
most denominations. Generally, the ground of an
elaborate and argumentative paper is that the types
and symbols needful under the old dispensation passed
away with the introduction of the new; that the one
Baptism now essential is spiritual; and that there was
no intention to found such a sacrament as the Supper,
except in its spiritual sense. The society reiterates at
length the opinions that it has so often expressed on
these subjects. The epistle also commends the efforts to.
relieve the distress in Ireland to the further liberality
of its members,
.and urges the claims of temperance
upon them, It la exPficted to bg widely distributed. .