The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-05-02 00:00:00

A curious thing has occurred this year in the flock of
a Rev. Mr. Wood, of Grendon Bishop. near Bromyard, where
a lamb has been born with the letter W in black wool on its
A prominent journalist of New York has offered
a reward of 1,000 dollars for a tale that will make his hair
stand on end Before ambitions authors enter the field it
competithm, it may be well for them to understand that the
• generous Journalist Ii perfectly bald.
The Missionary Board of the Reformed Church adis
for twenty thousand dollars during the month of April. Tho
Intelligfneer soya—You owe God money. You will have
to par it, or lie will take it or an equivalent. We do a
friendly turn in assailing you for your money."
By a return issued on Saturday it appears that the
actual strength 14 the naval reserve on the last day of 1,07
was 15.001 enrolled members. During the year 12.8ti0 meu
presented themselves for drill. 029 were absent with leave,
074 from unknown causes, and 528 were discharged abroad,
deserted, Zee . •

A return published bed Satnrchty gives the numlan.
•.1 paupers in receipt frelief in England on the last day ..f
February on 1,019.g37. as oianparad with 965,404 at the cor-
responding period of last year, thus exhibiting an nuereaN of
54,433.
- - •

The roe of a cod contains 6,875,000 eggs, of a herring
117,000, of a perch 1.55.000, and of a salm, 01 18,000.
A Parisian dressmaker treated herself to halha-
dozen of oysters the other day. It was a good investment,
for, in swallowing the last, it stuck in her throat. It was
recovered and found to contain a pearl for which a jeweller
gave her humediately seventy-five franca.
In a recent trial evidence was given to show that a
writer, when engaged ullOrl the staff of a newspaper, in the
absence of a special agreement, is entitled to receive three
• months' notice prior to the termination of his engagement.
The Times' Dublin correspondent notices, as a moat
curious and somewhat inesplieable result of the Royal visit
to Dublin, that there never was so little crime of any kind
to call for the notice of the police as there was whilst the
visit lasted. Drunkenness disappeared from the streets, the
night chmges were almost nil; it seemed as if the whole
people bad entered Into a compact with their consciences.
The death is announced of General HUSSOII, a French
senator. He was notable as one of the bittereg enemies of
•• perfidious Albion," Of the otlicers nominated by the
first Bonaparte he was one of the few that remained, and he
served to show the present generation that if some of them
wore very remarkable, others were sad blockheads.
The fever at Terling in ESSeN having completely
subsided. it has been resi,"lved to hold a thanksgiving service
on the occasion. and the Bishop of Rmhester has engaged to
preach the sermon in the parish church on sunday.
The strength of the British army at home and
abroad in 1843 was tiut,o4l officers and seen.
Prince George of Prussia has just produced a tragedy
which has been very well received.
The late Mr. Etches, cheese merchant, of Derby,
has left £30,000 of Stook which be held in the CrYatal Palace.
Company, in which he was the largeat shareholder, to pro-
mote the Sunday Opening Movement, of which he was an
ardent supporter.
A marriage cause to a sudden stop in Providence,
the other day, because the bride made it a condition
that the bridegroom should henceforth give up smoking;
and the bridegroom declared that he could manage best with.
out a wife.
The Army aml Nary Gazette understands that her
Majesty's ship Wry. captain J. 0. Johnson. '' has been or-
dered to be prepared immediately for the reception of a dis-
tinguished personage, who is to be conveyed trout England to
Cronstadt."
A young man who has recently taken a wife, says
he did not find it halt so hard to get married as he did to get
the furniture.
- • - •

At the Bow-street Police-court, in London, on
Monday, the two men, Barry and O'Keefe. were charged on
remand with being in possession of a quantity of inflammable
matter, for the purpose of conunittilig a felony. Dr. Noad,
of St. George's Hospital, stated that he had analysed the
substance, and found it to consist of about Ciba of phosphorus.
The prisoners were captured in front of Buckingham Palace.
They were again remanded.
The Jardin d'Acclimatation in the Bois de lion.
legne, Faris, has during the past week added to its attractions
an extentive poultry show, both of Frenchlind foreign pro.
studious, amongst whirls are sane very flue specimens of
turkeys, geese. ducks, guinea-fowls, peacocks, pheasants, and
pigeons. There are also several rald 'its, some of thou re-
markable for size, and others for the fineness of their coats,
Notwithstanding Die very uncertain state of the weather,
and frequent heavy rain, the visitors have been numerous.
Vesey-street in New York is the great tea centre in
that city; one establishment there employs fifty clerks. 400
agents, and sells oftentimes 10,0001 b, of tea in a &Iv. Wien
the Pacific railroad is finished tea will reach New. York from
China in thirty drys.
At the Roman Catholic Church of St Joseph, in
Southampton, the priest, the Rev. Fattier Mount, announced
to his congregation during Divine service on Sunday morning
that a beloved son of her Majesty had been treacherously
shot at, and he hoped that his congregation would dir up
thier prayers to the Throne of Sherry that the Queen may he
sustained and consoled in her great affliction, and the whole
congregation rose spontaneously and chanted "Dead,.,'
salvum fee Reginam nostram Victoriam," eke., with tho
utmost fervour.

A billiard match for the championship of America
and 1,000 dots. has just been played at Chicago, between
John MiDevitt and Melvin Foster. When the game mond
Foster 1,262, WDevitt 1,235, the latter made a shot whisk
the former claimed did not count. The referee being ap-
pealed to decided in favour of WDevitt, whereupon Foster
threw up the game, and WDevitt was declared the winner.
The Dublin &ening Mail affirms that the question
of Cardinal Cullen's precedence at the Dublin Castle dinner
was the subject id an "elaborate preliminary negotiatisn "
before invitation was accepted, and that the cardinal stipu-
lated for precedence next to the royal guests, and before the
Lord Chancellor of Ireland, which demand was finally ac-
corded to his eminence.

It is believed that more pheasantie eggs have been
laid this spring in Hampshire than have been known tot some
years.

"A telegram received at the Colonial Office on Mon-
day afternoon states that O'Farrell was tried on the 31st ult.
for attempting to murder the Duke of Edinlmrgh, found
guilty, and sentenced to be hanged. It is satisfactory to find
that our Australian brethren have not forgotten the virtues
of Jeddart justiee."—London Standard.
"A Widower, thirty-five, no family, wishes to hear
from a Lady who could appreciate a comfortable, plain home
and a kind husband." -"To Innkeeper:4.—A Lady muter
forty . thoroughly aconainted with the business; wishes to
correspond with a Gentleman in the above."—Advertkementi
in Nand, stoi Examiner.
It is authoritatively stated that several thousand
clergymen officiating In England and Wales have already
signed the memorial to her Majesty the Queen against the
disestablislunent of the Irish Church. The Archbishop of
Canterbury will take the chair at a meeting to be held-at it.
James's-hall on the 6th of May, after whiehllo signatures to
the memorial can be received.
The news of the sudden conclusion of the Abyssininn
war caused considerable excitement in the Lives pool freight
market. The fact that the vast number of both steamers and
sailing vessels charterted there and at Bombay and Caltutta
by the Government will shortly be diSehArged will hove the
effect of disturbing the rates of freight for FOllls tit. 15

Twenty-one divorces were granted by the Supreme
Court of Vermont at its February term in Windsor county.
In delivering the judgment of the court in one case, Judge
Barrett remarked —'My: associates think. from the evidence,
a divorce ought to be granted, and I think no too, from what
know of the parties. I don't think these parties ought to
be yoked up together any longer, any more than any other
cattle."

It is reported that a grand naval display will be
made off Cherbourg. in the presence of the Emperor Na-
poleon, about the 19th of May. and that the British Channel
fleet, under the command of Rear-Admiral J. Warden, C. 8.,
will be present in Cherbourg roads to do honour to the oc-
casion.

The strength of the Naval Reserve on the ast De.
camber last wee 15,091.

One thousand persons embarked on the two vessels
wild, sailed last week trout Quetustown for New York.

AN a proof of the industrial progress of Canada, the
Toron!o Woh.. says that a new description of handcuff has
been completed which will shortly come into use ! It is
made to fit any wrist, and refleeta the highest credit o local
industry.

The -following advertisement in the London time. is
a curiosity in its way :—"The descendants of Dr Paul.
Bishop of i Mord 163, are requested to communicate with
he Rector of Brightwell, Tetsworth. Oxon."

Mr. Darby Griffith will shortly call attention to the
manner In which the exercise of the prerogative I d the Crown
in the granting of titles anal dignities has come to he con-
sidered to lie part of the ordinary patronage of the Mime
3linister, and to the extent to which the exercise of that
power for political purposes may effect the Independence of
the House of Commons.

There now exist in France (so says the Imperial
Commis:4Al on Technical Education fifty farm setiatls for
giving th7oretical and practical agricultural instruction of the
first degree to youths who intend to follow the occupation of
farm servants. The expenses. so far as regards the salaries of
the masters and partly 14 the board of the pupils. are defrayed
by the State ; but all the outlay and risk of the taming are
borne by the director.

Under the heading "The Fire Won't Light," the
Examiner comments upon the failure to get up an agitation
in defence of the Irish Church, and suggests that it I. owing
to the fait that we are drifting towanis a system of redistri-
bution of the Irish Church property among different ctn.-
munions for the maintenance of their respective creeds.
A number of men were aseembled in the Hue de Bre-
tagne, is Paris, when one of them offered to het that lit woi,ht
kiss a young lady who was coming down the street. The w ager
was accepted, and the adventurer emerged from tars group
and int,•rmed the young lady that he Wished to emlintre her,
as he had a "bet on." The young lady declined, but,he kissed
her. The husband arrived, gave the sportsman a goosl kick-
ing, and handed him overt,, the police.

In the Marylebone Workhouse is a blind inmate, 80
years of age, who has been 72 years in the house. Ha kinars
the realms by heart. and leads the singing at ehurell. His
only regret is that in his younger days the guardians did at
teach him sonic useful trade. Although he has been hrEal 1,1
a workhouse, and has passed more than a full teim f life
there amidst workhouse associates, his learning and conver-
sation are those of a man who has seen much hettardayik

Her Majesty the Queen, with their -Rnyat High-
nesseg Princesses Louise awl Beatrice and Prince Leopold,
attended by the ladies and gentlemen of the court, is ex-
pected to leave Osborne about the Bth of May, and return to
Windsor, whence, after a stay of about a week, her Majesty
will probably proceed to Scotland. Prince and Sri era
Christian and their infant eon are expected to return to
Frogmore on Friday next, the let of May.

"`NV. H. Custanee, CoL" dating from Foyern Court,
writes to The Tinter to contradict "a most mischievous
report' that he regrets having signed an affidavit in favour
of the Australian claimant to the Tiehborne succession,
Colonel Custanee says that after having seen the claimant,
he has never for one moment doubted that he Is Sir Itog,r
Tiehliourne.—Tlie editor of Lend nod Water having stated ,o
Saturday we, k that 10 to 1 were freely betted at Tattersall's
in favour of the Australian's claim, " al. J. 11." has writtou
I', that inter to say that he will give a bonus of £lO to who-
ever will procure for him these muds to the amount of £l,OOOlO
€lOO, provided that the nicintiy on hot It sides shall be post.-1
in Messrs. Tattersall's hands. " M. J. KV name and
addi es is to be had on application to the editor of Land
and Warr,

The reagen Doi/p /Vern records the death of three
tigers which had been feasting for some numths past on the
....kn.') and mechanics employed on the Estut Indian Rail-
way near Jublinlpere. D. was at last found absolutely neces-
sary to despateli a large body of native shikarrics in pursMt
if them, and, ./11 falling in with the tigers, the sliikaivies
saint A them with a shower of arrows, the shafts of which
had been smeared with a vegetable poison. The wounded
1111illlee, in esceavouring to tear the IIITOWS 011 t of their
flesh. swallowe, sunitient quantity of the poison to cause
nn utoo.i thirst, and the moment they drank, from the
peculiar mien, of thorison, they died.
The visit of the Pritice and Princeen of Wales to
Ireland terminated last Pi-day!, and with it such a round f
rejoining as Dublin—gay as ft *hem fs—bas not witnessed
for Many years. Theg. Royal Ltighnerisse reached llolyheA
on Saturday morning, and, after a brief stay at Carziarven,
where they were "addressed " in Wei* oni Kaoli,h. Pros
ceedel on a short visit to Trentham Hall, Staffordshire, the
seat of the Duke and Duchess of S.Ahefland.—On Sunday
.the Prime attended merles iu Trentham church, seem,
panted by his suite and the Duke of Sutherland. The Rev.
Kii Edwards, rector, preached. A very large imbiber of
people went to Trentham on Sunday, Inuit the Potteries and
surrounding district, in the hope of seeing the royal visitors,
who, however, slid not oppettr in the halt. ins Monday,
their royal highnesses left Trentham by special trona ier
Stafford, Co 7-owe tor I,nslon. They rode In the Duke of
Sutherland's saloon carriage and were nceonntnnied by hi,
grave mid the dadICFS. there wren at tear perscns at the
iitietinn, we sine pi we departwe having Wien kept secret,
and heavy rain fill up to wiring ball out hour Oi of