The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-06-13 00:00:00

THE MEDAL FOR THE ASHANTEE
WAR.

The following General Order has been issued from the
Horse Guards:—

"1. The Queen having been gra,ci only pleased to
signify her pleasure that a silver medal be granted to
all her Majesty's forces who have been employed on
the Gold Coast during the operations against the
King of Ashantee, with a clasp in the case of those
who were present at Amoaful and the actions between
that place and Coomassie (including the capture
of the capital), and of those who, during the five
days of those actions, were engaged on the north of
the Prah in maintaining and protecting the communi-
cations of the main army, officers commanding regi-
ments and corps, and heads of departments at home,
will cause nominal lists of officers, non-commissioned
officers, and men who may be entitled to receive such
decoration to be prepared and forwarded to the
Adjntant-General. 2. Staff officers who may be at
home will forward their applications direct to the
Adjutant-General. 3. The rolls are to include the
names of all officers and soldiers belonging to Her
Majesty's forces who served on the Gold Coast between
the 9th of June, 1873, and the 4th of February, 1874
(the date of the fall of Coomassie) inclusive; also the
names of officers and soldiers who during that period,
or for any portion of that period, were on board ship
on the coast."

DOG SHOW AT THE CRYSTAL
PALACE.
The fifth annual exhibition of sporting and other
dogs was opened on Tuesday at the Crystal Palace,
and it is under the entire control of the kennel Club.
This society, formed about two years ago of private
HOW THE LOCKED-OUT LABOURERS ..,,entlemen, aims to do for dogs what the Jockey Club
EMPLOY THEMSELVES. has attempted to do for horses, and under its auspices
the best Dog Show ever known at Sydenham has been
How do the locked-out men employ themselves? is successfully organized. Mr. S. E. Shirley, M.P., I
a question often asked, but not very easily answered the chairman, and other members of the committee I
(writes the Suffolk Correspondent of The Times). were present to superintend the disposition of the
Lounging about with blue ribands in their hats and 2,000 and odd annuals, and take part in the judg-
their hands in their pockets seems to be their most ing. The Prince of Wales is patron of the club,
general occupation, though the word is terribly mis- and it is on account of this circumstance that
placed. The ale-house is less frequented than it used his Royal Highness for the first time appears
to be, for the men have no spare money to spend there, in the list of exhibitors. The Prince exhibits his
Marbles used to be a favourite pastime; but, like bloodhound Vulcan, which has the honour of beMg the
most pleasures too often and too easily enjoyed, this first entry in the catalogue; a light-coloured deer-
game has now lost its charms. Allotments are well hound, to which the third prize was awarded ; a fine
eared for, of course; but at this season, like the far- Roman Boarhound, which also took a prize in an extra
mers' land, they do not demand much work. Many ~f class; and three red Dachshunds. The Princess of
the men, I hear, enjoy the unaccustomed luxuryof lying Wales exhibits a brown and white St. Bernard, with
in bed till nine or ten in the morning, and thereby not black ears, is beautiful dog in all points but rather
only satisfy their consciences and rise late without small; and a pair of Skye-terriers, bred, points,
the Duke
reproach, but find the appetite more easily satisfied of Sutherland, which deservedly took the first and
too,-5 convenient result in these days of straightened second prizes above a very strong array of competitors.
means. It is certain that the labourers are heartily The young Prince Albert Victor exhibits a small and
sick of doing nothing, and in some cases bands of beautitnlly-shaped Dalmation.
them have hoed the fields of farmers who have not
locked-out, working "for love "—and a little beer. I
Another mode of filling up spare time is less praise- The Daily News, in noticing the show, says
worthy. There is now hardly a Petty Sessions in the The show is beyond doubt, in most classes, of a first-
game districts of Suffolk at which two or three men class character. The bloodhounds are a fair lot. The
are not charged with taking partridges' or pheasants' champion mastiff is admittedly Mr. 0. Green's
eggs from the preserves or the hedge-rows. Some- Monarch, a grand fellow with a tremendous pedigree,
times the men go singly, sometimes in pairs ; often and whose only fault is a roughish jacket. Seldom
there is an advance and a rear guard to give the alarm, is mastiff seen with such &noble head as Mr. De Fiva's
Many are caught, and fines of 6,1. and Is. an egg are Granby: the dog is rather light in the quarters, and
inflicted, amounting, withcosts, to a go,slroundsum. It certainly not worth £lO,OOO, the fancy price entered,
is significant that the money is generally paid, and this we presume. by way of avoiding the obligation of
fact shows either considerable past profits or some- sale in the catalogue, but that he would re-
body behind—perhaps a dealer—who isable and willing ceive the blue ribbon everybody at once fore-
to pay the fine and costs with an tlye to future business. saw. There are no fewer than seventy mastiffs in
Clearly, also, there must be a market for such produce, I the show. Mr. Shirley, H. P, gives a piece of plate
and the only people likely to purchase it are the game- for the best dog in the Champion class, and this was
keepers, who wish to rear as many birds as possible awarded to Monarch. The St. Bernard's, often a
on their master's estates, and, with that view, ask no weak class, is this year particularly strong, the
questions As the masters must ultimately pay for the largest in fact ever known. Mr. Thornton's Monk
eggs, a nice question of morality and of ultimate cause was adjudged best amongst the rough coats, and Mr.
and effect is raised. Layland's Monastery first amongst the smooth coats