The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-12-24 00:00:00

SATURDAY, DT7C, 24, 1881.

Pisvitantaits XnteThgente.
HODID, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

A DISAPPOINTED MARKSMALT.—A chap went into
an American crockery store the other day and, feeling
as though he ought to break something, said to the
proprietor, as he viewed a long shelf full of crockery
and glassware, "What will you take to let me throw
my boot at that 'ere ?" " Just one dollar," answered
the owner. The man paid the money, and taking off
one of his boots took aim at the shelf with the inten-
tion of raking it from one end to the other. He threw
it with all his might, and it went forth with a great
deal of swiftness, but missed every bit of crockery,
landing in a tub of water in the rear of the store. A
more disgusted man has seldom been seen.
DOMESTIC SANITATION.—In London, on Saturday
evening, at Exeter Hall, under the auspices of the
Ladies' Sanitary Association, Dr. B. W. Richardson,
delivering the last of a second series of discourses
on "Domestic Sanitation,' dealt with the question of
sleep. He referred especially to the importance of
warmth during sleep, particularly in the case of the
aged, who should always during sleeping hours be
protected from the influence of cold. The bed room
should have a temperature of 60 degrees Fahr., and
care should be taken to keep up the temperature of
the air of the bed room in winter time late into the
spring. In the concluding portion of his discourse
the lecturer referred to the nervous function in refer-
ence to mental and physical education, the effect of
work and overwork: the influence of physical training
and the great importance of maintaing a healthy,
nervous activity in order to ensure the longest dura-
tion of useful life,
THE EMPRESS OF AUSTRIA'S VISIT TO CHESHIRE.
Preparations are being actively carried on in the
stables attached to Combermere Abbey for the recep-
tion of the horses which Her Majesty is to use during
the hunting season in Cheshire. Her Majesty, who
will be accompanied by the same suite as last year, is
expected at the Abbey on the 17th January, and she
will remain until the end of March. Her Linger, the
Controller of Her Majesty's Household, has been at
the Abbey during the past week. The hunting stables
of Her Majesty are now at the Curragh, and her
hunters, nine in number, will be Lorwarded to the
Abbey immediately the necessary preparations have
been completed for their reception. Her old favourites,
Quicksilver and Hard Times, are among the number.

A CASE FOR CHARITY.—One of Detroit's millionaires
was walking homeward yesterday when he encountered
a lame man with a greasy paper in his hand. As the
pair came to a halt the lame man asked: "Will you
do me the favour to read this pager? "—" Can't do it
—left my eye-glasses home, was the reply.
"Then I will state the contents to you."—" No
use—no use. I'm so deaf that I couldn't catch
more than one word out of three."—"l'm a poor
man with a wooden leg, sir."—" Yes—l see—l
see. Lots of poor men have no wooden legs. You are
lucky, sir, and I congratulate you. Must have cost
you fifty dollars, and I presume it is a nice leg."—" If
you had any clothes, sir."—"Yes, but I haven't."
1, —"Or old boots."—" I'm wearing my old boots, you
see. You are just six months too early to get
'em."—" I haven't had a meal since yester-
day."—" Nor I, either. We are cleaning house,
and for the last three days I've had to eat a cold
lunch off the piano."—" Then you couldn't spare a
nickel ? "—" How can I? Ain't I walking home
because I haven't money to ride on the car ? "—" Is
that so? Then we are both hard up."—"Of course
we are."—" And being you're the worst off here's a
cold saggag,e I got at the house below, and here's a
nickel to ride on the car ! I tell you, air, us poor
folks has got to have more pity for the rich and do
better by em or we'll all go to the poor-house! "
Detroit Free Frees.

CANADIAN INDEPENDENCE.—At the convention of
Liberal-Conservatives held in Toronto on the 23rd
ult., the following resolution, among others was
unanimously adopted by the 1,400 delegates present,
and it is interesting in connection with the comments
that have recently been 'made upon the subject:—
"That this convention desires before dissolving to
express its abiding conviction that it is of the utmost
importance to the Dominion that its connection with
Great Britain be maintained, and its belief that the
advocates of independence, with its consequence,
annexation to the neighbourirl States, represent
merely an insignificant minority.'
AN EXTENSIVE DEER FOREST.—The Court Journa
Says that Mr. W. L. Winans has taken the extensive
sheep farm of Knockfin on the Chisholm estate,
and almost the whole estate of Kintail, belonging to
Mr. J. T. Mackenzie of Glenmuick. These grounds
are all now under sheep, and as Mr. Winans is to con-
vert them into a deer forest several thousand sheep
will be thrown into the market. Mr. Winan's shoot.
ing grounds now extend from the East to the West
Coasts of Scotland, from the Beauly Firth to the At-
lantic, aud in a straight line the length is sixty miles.
We believe that Mr. Winans is having plans prepared
for an extensive shooting lodge, which it is said,
will be one of the largest and most handsome in Scot-
land. The situation selected is in the neighbourgood
of Cannich, whet e an extensive range of stables arai
coach-houses are also to be built.
THE IMPRISONMENT OF M. DODIVELL.—Mr. W. J.
L. Hooper, of 8, Orchard-terrace, Lee-green, having
sent a petition to the Queen praying for the release of
the Rev, Henry Dodw Al, has received the following
reply from Sir Henry Ponsonby ;—"Cieneral Sir
J. Ponsonhy presents his compliments to Mr.
Hooper. He returns the petition which Mr. Hooper
forwarded on the Bth just., as it can only te received
by the Queen through her Majesty's Secretary of
State for the Home Department."—The friends of
Mr. Dodwell intend to bring his case under the con-
sideration of the Goverment immediately on the assem-
bling of Parliament.

CURIOUS PUNISH3fENTS.—A. Correspondent of Noies
and Queries sends from Philadelphia the following
specimens of some of the judicial sentences in the
early. days of the colony of Massachusetts :—Josiah
Platstowe, for stealing four baskets of corn from the
Indians, was ordered to return eight baskets to them,
to be fined i!5, and hereafter to be called by the name
of Josias' and not Mr., as he formerly used to be.—
Captain Stone, for abusing Mr. Ludlow, and calling
him "Justass," was fined £lOO, and forbidden to come
within the patent without the governor's pernfission,
upon pain of death.—Serjeant Perkins, for being
drunk, was ordered to carry forty turfs to the fort.—
Captain Lovel was admonished to take heed of light
carriage. Thomas Petit, for being suspected a
slander, idleness, and stubbornness, was sentenced to
be severely whipped and kept in hold.—Daniel Clark
was found to be an immoderate drinker, and Was fined
4,os.—John Wedgewood was set in the stocks for
having been in the company of drunkards.—Robert
Shorthose, for swearing by the blood of God, was
sentenced to have his tongue put into a cleft stick, and
to stand for the space of half an hour,

POLITICAL AITELLATION2 TN ADlERlCA.—Foreigners
do not know what to make of American nicknames
(says a New York paper), " Half-Breeds " and
"Stalwarts" convey no meaning to them. Our
political history is rich in nicknames. We have had
Hard Shells," " Soft Shells," and " Half Shells."
Then there have been "Silver Gray Whigs,"
"Hunkers," " Barnburners," and " Knownothings."
In no other country is there anything like tha signifi-
cance given to the slang political appellations. Abroad
the names of political groups suggest certain definite
views, as, for instance, Radicals, Liberals, Conserva-
tives • but American party names are due to acci-
dental coalitions of office-holden or those who desire
to be such.

AVERAGE PRICES or BRITISH CORN.—The follow
ing are the average prices of British core for the
week ending Dec. 17, as received from the inspectors
and officers of Excise ;—Wheat, 445. 9d.; barley,
31s. fid. ; oats, 20s. 6d. per imperial qr. Corresponding
week last year :—Wheat, 445. ; barley, 31s. 6d. oats,
20s. 7d.

- N- ACCIDENT ALL AROUND. —A most ridiculous
scene occurred at a church in Newcastle, a few Sun-
days ago (says the Detroit Free Press). A policeman
was passing the church as a gentleman came out. The
man jokingly accosted the policeman and said he was
wanted inside. The stupid policeman thought there
was some trouble in the church, and went in. The
sexton, seeing a policeman, said :—" Come right in
here," and he took him to a pew and waved his hand,
as much as to say, "Help yourself." There was
another man in the pew, a deacon with a sinister ex-
pression, as the policeman thought, and he supposed
that he was the man they wanted arrested, so he
tapped the deacon on the arm, and told him to come
along. The deacon turned pale and edged along as
though to get away, when the policeman took
him by the collar and jerked him out in the
aisle.r.che deacon struggled, thinking the police-
man was crazy, and tried to get away, but he
was dragged along. Many of the congregation
thought the deacon had been doing something wrong,
and some of them got behind tiro &aeon and helped
the officer to fire him out. The policeman saw the
man who told him he was wanted in the church, and
asked what the charge was against the deac,n, and he
didn't know; so the sexton was appealed to, and he
didn't know, and finally the prisoner was asked what
it was all about, and he didn't know. The policeman
was asked what he arrested the man for, and he
didn't know, and after a while the matter was ex-
plained, and the policeman, who had to arrest some-
body, took the man into custody who told him he was
wanted in the church, and he was fined 5 dols. and
costs. He says he will never try to cc•nvert a police-
man again, and the policeman says he will never go
into a church again if they get to knocking each other
down with hymnbooks.
DISCOVERY OF COFFINS IN A LONDON CHURCH.
A short time ago Dr. S. W. Saunders, the medical
officer of health for the City of London., discovered
that a horde of rats had penetrated the briaked arches
of the vaults of St. Vedast's Church, Foster-lane,
Cheapside, and that the congregations attending the
numerous services of the church were actually breath-
ing the foul atmosphere which came up into the
church through the large interstices in the brickwork
under the flooring of the building. Ho serious was the
damage done to the brickwork that the coffins in the
vault could •be seen by persons in the church. By
order of the Home Office authorities, between 300
and 400 coffins have been covered up by a 0-inch
layer of concrete, and the vaults filled in. At a
meeting of the parish vestry on Friday Mr. Church-
warden Horwood stated that the work in the body of
the church was progressing favourably, but they had
had a surprise a few days spa in the discovery of from
100 to 150 coffins in a vault under the vestibule of the
church, a vault which was believed to have been
filled up. Between 40 and 50 of the coffins were lying
upon the floor of the vault, some of them being en-
tirely uncovefed, while others had a little charcoal
over them. The sight was a horrifying one, and one
he should not soon forget. The coffins in some in-
stances were very rotten. .Dr. Saunders and an
official from the Home Office had inspected the place,
and had ordered the placing of the coffins under the
soil and the filling up of the vault. The work was now
in progress, and the officials were strictly observing
that nothing approaching to desecration was allowed.
The terrible nature of the work might be estimated
when he informed them that none of the workmen
could continue at their work very long without be-
coming unwell. How the authorities of bygone days
could have so disregarded the first principles of sani-
tary science in placing an almost unlimited number of
ordinary wooden coffins in a vault without sealing it
up he could not understand,

A JOURNEYMAN TAILOR'S WILL.—The City_ Press
says :—The death is announced of Mr. David Hunter,
of 45, Greek-street, Soho, London, where he had
lodged for 39 years. He was a native of Aberdeen,
and had worked in London, as a journeyman tailor,
for upwards of 45 years. By his will he left about
£5OO to be divided amongst his landlord and four
personal friends; £lOO to his employer, and £lOO to
the Old Men's,.Tailor's Association. He was never
married; and, whilst a warm-hearted friend, pre-
ferred retirement."

CRIME IN ENGLAND AND WALES.—WhiIe the
number of indictable crimes known to have been com-
mitted in England and Wales during the official year
1879-80 was as many as 52,427, the number of persons
apprehended was only 22,231. This is in the propor-
tion of 42 per cent., but as in many cases more than
one person is apprehended in connection with the same
offence, the number of cases which result in no arrests
must of course be proportionately increased. It
appears that the known thieves at large number nearly
18,000.

A NATURAL INSECT TRAP.—Mr. Harris Stone
recently exhibited at the Linmean Society a dried
plant, the so-called red German catchfly (Lychnis
viscaria), which he discovered growing in isolated situa-
tions in Norway at elevations of about I,oooft. above
the sea's level. The stern of this plant pours out a
sticky glue-like secretion, which causes ants and other
small insects to adhere and soon to die upon this
treacherous stuff. The insects rarely succeed to gain
the summit of the stalk, which is surmounted by a
flower. What purpose the plant gains by this killing
secretion, so specially fatal to ants, has not yet been
positively determined by scientific naturalists. The
stem of this German fly-catcher may, like the leaves of
Darwin's drosera, also secrete a gastric juice.

THE GROWTH OF MISTLETOE.—The Pall Mall Gazette
says :—Apropos of the article on mistletoe which
appeared in our issue of yesterday a correspondent
writes: "To those who have not looked into tke
matter it will be a surprise to learn that English
mistletoe is rarer on oak trees than on other trees.
But it may be of some interest to state that in other
parts of the world oak trees are a very favourite
abode for this curious parasite. When some years ago
I was travelling in early April through Arcadia, on
my way to visit the famous temple of Apollo at
Bassm, we passed on a rugged mountain side through
what was evidently the remnant of an ancient oak
forest. The trees were but dwarfs compared with our
'British oak,' and they were very thinly scattered..
But on every tree grew one or more big bunches of
mistletoe. It was of a beautiful pale green verging
towards yellow, and very picturesque it looked among
the bare gnarled branches.'
THE KNIGHTS OF THE GARTER.—Sir Albert W.
Woods, Garter Principal of Arms, went to Windsor
Castle last Saturday, and placed the banner and
regalia of the King of Sweden, one of the recently
created Knights of the Garter, in St. George's Chapel.
The standard of His Majesty, with red and blue field,
emblazoned with lion, hatchet, and Castle, and the
helmet, sash, and sword were arranged above his seat,
between the banners and insignia of King Humbert of
Italy and the Duke of Brunswick on the Sovereigns.*
side of the choir. Upon the back of the stall an
ormulu plate, with the following inscription in Nor.
man French, has been affixed :—Du tres haut, trte
puissant, et tres excellent Monarque Oscar 11., Rol de
Suede et de Norvege, des Goths, est des Wendes, Chev-
alier du trbs noble Ordre de la Jarretitire. Dispenses
des cdrthnonies &installation par lettres patentee
dates du XVIIMe Jour DE Mai, lIDCCOLXXXI."

STOBH WAItNING.—The following cable message
was received at the London office of the New 1701*
Herald from the Herald Weather Bureau, New
York :—" A disturbance is crossing north of 45 and
will arrive on the British and Norwegian coasts
between the 20th and 22nd, attended by sleet or rain
an south, veering north-west, gales; another, of un-
known energy, which is likely to affect Portugal, is
crossing at the same time."
THE SPANISH LIFEBOAT SOCIETY.—The following is
an abstract of the report of the Spanish Lifeboat
Society, founded only a year ago, under the patronage
of Queen Christina, when Spain possessed but one
lifeboat :—lt now possesses stations in Cadiz, San,
tander, Laredo, Motrico, San Sebastian, Barcelona,
Vinaroz, San Carlos, and Almeria. In some places
there arc lifeboats and launches, in others rocket
apparatus and saving gear, obtained by local sub-
scriptions, without any State or municipal aid what-
ever. The society already consists of 2,000 members.
Eight hundred pounds have been collected. The re-
port remarks that flue-third of this sum is from Eng-
lish subsaribers. The society is authorised to distri-
bute rewards for gallantry in saving life, and silver
medals bearing the effigy of Queen Christina with a
red and white riband r...elected by her Majesty.

- -
AN ligitow ENGINEER.—On the night of October 27
a heavy passenger train on the Missouri Pacific Road
struck something on the track a a it entered the
bridge across the Osage River, The engine left the
track, broke through the bridge, and was buried in
the swilt waters of the Osage, swollen by recent
rains. That the whole train did not follow is due to
the fat that the engineer stayed at his post, set the
air brakes and went down with his engine, The fire
man and little son of the engineav jumped and were
saved, though seriously bijnred. The little boy, a
hero, by the we,y, Pays the lagt he saw of his father he
was at 143 post. The name of Ong man who died that
others might live is J, F. Wager, of Sedalia, Mo., a
railroad veteran of 35 years' service. He leaves a
large family, a widow and several children.

BODEN SEE, OR LAKE CONST4NOE.—An ihgenious
German statistician reekens that if Lake Constance
were frozen over, every man, weinan, and child oon-
stitilting the human family might stand at one and
the same time on its surfa.se, the allowance of standing
room being four 2quare feet for each person. The calcu-
lation is thus arrived at :—The superficial area of,the
lake is eight and a half German square miles, and as a
German square mile contains 668,500,000 square feet
M ,
the area contains R 2,000,000 square feet. 'The popu-
lation of the world is estimated in round numbers at
1,430,000,000, to each of whom the estimatc,cl standing
room of four square feet might bo allotted. He
further reckons that if the ice gave way, and the
human family fell in, its collective bulk would only
raise the level of the lake to the extent of six inches, •
WEDDINGS IN BORNEO.—On the wedding•day the
bride and bridegroom are brought from opposite ends
of the village to the spot where the ceremony is to be
performed, They are made to sit on two bars of iron,
that blessings as lasting, and health as vigorous as the
metal may attend the pair. A cigar and betel leaf,
prepared with the areca nut, are next put into the
hands of the bride and bridegroom. One of the priests
then waves two fowls over the heads of the couple, and
in a long address to the Supreme Being, calls down
blessings upon the pair, and implores that peace and
happiness may attend the union. After the heads of
the affianced have been knocked against each other
three or four times, the bridegroom puts the prepared
sin i leaf and the cigar into the mouth of the bride,
while she does the same to him, whom she thus
acknowledges as her husband. The fowls are then
killed, and the blood caught in two cups, and from
this colour the lyiest foretells the future happiness of
the newly-married, The ceremony is closed by a
feast, with dancing and noisy music.

I

RENTS IN LONDON.—Lanti say e:—The difference
between rents in London now and a century and ei
half ago, would make a very striking and interesting
table. It is extremely difficulty to get at rents which
were paid so long ago; and it is indeed, as a rule,
only by the casual discovery of an old lease or other
such document that these particulars can be die'
covered. For instance, the extensive premises in the
Strand which Jacob Tonson used for his publiahing
premises were let, as was found from a recently dire
covered abstract of deeds, dated nit at Z 34 pee
annum. Tonson's premises were between St. Mary's
Church and the corner of Wellington•street. Toneons
following the custom of the time, called his shop the
" Shakeepearels Head," and this was the name by
which it was known at the time he held it under the
Earl of Dorset, for £34 a year. He was succeeded by
a publisher named Millar, who thought himself very
clever when he altered the sign from the "Shakes-
peare's Head" to the " Buchanan's Head." It would
be an interesting calculation by how much Tonson's
£34 would have to be multiplied now.

THE "FATHEE" OF THE BRITISH NAVY, The
Morning Poaa says :—" In connection with our state-
ment last week as to General Macdonald baing the
oldest officer of the' British army, it may be noted
that the honour of being "The Father of the British
navy" is claimed for Admiral Robert Loney, who en-
tered the service in September, 1797. With the ex-
ception of Admiral Coffin, he is the last survivor of
those who drew the King's pay prior to the commence-
ment of the present century. He has, consequently,
seen 84 years' service '
Ttig GREAT WHEAT STATES.—AcCOrdinif to the
extra census bulletin just issaed, the 'great wheat
States are Illinois, which raised aLapo,ooo bushels;
Indiana, 47,000,000; Ohio, 4(1,000,000; Michigan,
35,000,000 ' • lowa, $1,000,000; California, 29,000,000;
Missouri, 25,000,000 ; and Wisconsin, 24,000,000. In
theze States were produced nearly three-fourths of the
whole wheat crop of the country,
UNIFORM ToILETTES POE LADIES. The Ware-
housemen and _Drapers' Trade Journal says neW
fashion, of which many leaders ef society speak sa
likely to prevail, is the so-called uniform toilette for
ladies. Already the idea has been " aired" at several
vreat entertainments, and it is said that the Queen of
Italy is actually responsible for the change. When
the Queen was at Vienna, a special ball was given le
her honour, at which all the Viennese ladies appeared
in white, emulating the hue of the daisy, ormarguerite,
after which the Queen is named. Queen Margherita
herself was in satin trimmed with silver gauze, and
berlowered with exquisite gardenias, the effect of the
whole being enhanced by the splendour of her pearl
necklace, King Humbert's latest gift. When the
Queen returned to Italy and gave a ball, she let the
invited ladies know that they were expected to appeal:
in-white, The Roman ladies were not backward, el
course, and appeared in gorgeous white costumes, in
most eases enlivened with stars or daisies in diamonds.
Since then, at several receptions held in Paris, notifica-
tions have been given out with the invitations that
ladies were to appear in certain shades of colour. The
fashion, of course, affords play to the wildest extrava-
gances, each woman being anxious to make an effect
in the startling combinations and contrasts of materials,
but to the ordinary observer it is by no means attrac-
tive, and uniformity becomes monotony, -
THE VALUE OF SAWDUST.—In New York there are
about 500 vendors of sawdust, having a capital of
200,000 dols, invested, and doing a business amount'
kg to 200,000 dole. annually. Forty years ago the
mills were glad to have the sawdust carted away ;
twenty-five years ago it could be bought for flit%
cents a load, but the price hal been increased until
now it brings 3 dole. 50e. a load at the mills, It
used at the hotels, eating-houses, groceries, /In°
other business houses. It is wet and spread upon
floors in order to make the sweeping cleaner.
Plumbers use a great deal about pipes, and builder!
to deaden walls and floors. Soda water men aria
packers of glass and small articles of every kind use it,
and dolls and some living creatures are more or leee
stuffed with it. Washington Market takes two or
three loads a day, and a great deal is spread on the
piers, and stables take many loads a day, Yellow
pine makes the best sawdust, as it is the least durit3l
and has a good healthy smell. But any white wee':
dust will do. They make a great deal of black wabill•
sawdust, but it will not sell, so it is burned.

il__.,