The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-11-20 00:00:00

ntisallantous 4ntelligena,
HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

SINGULAR LEGACIM —An Edinburgh paper says
that the late Mr. Ellice, who represented the St.
Andrew's Burghs for upwards of forty years, has
bequeathed £lO each to a number of gentlemen to buy
a mourning ring in token of his grateful remembrance
of disinterested friendship and support during the
long period of his political connexions with their
burgh; and he also bequeaths, as a mark of remem-
brance, £5 each to any other of those who voted for him
at his first election in 1837.

W EATHER PRIDIOTIONS.—We know from sad EX-
Rerience how much the Americans have to do with
the weather of this country, and how seriously it has
deteriorated since they undertook its management
(says the Eveniszg Standard). It is, then, with a feel-
ing of dismay that we learn that the weather prophets
on the other side of the Atlantic are agreed in the
prediction of a sinter of unprecedented, severity. We
do not know precisely the basis upon which these
observations are founaed by the citizens of the States;
but we are told that there is no possible mistake as
to the action of the inferior animals. The bears
have gone into winter quarters at a date consider-
ably in advance of the usual time, and have
buried themselves under extra coverings of leaves.
Squirrels have accumulated unusual stocks of
winter food, and are already barricading them-
selves with moss in their holes; and the beavers
have opened their dams, let down the water, and laid
themselves up for the winter. We confess to an abso-
lute incredulity as to whether prophets of the human
race, their predictions being only useful inasmuch as
the exact reversal of them may be looked for with
some confidence. But the teaching of the furred
and feathered creatures is not to be despised. The
newspapers of New York are endeavouring to
minimise the panic created by the news of this
behaviour on the part of bears, squirrels, and beavers,
and suggest that it is no so much fear of the approach-
ing- cold as intense weariness of the late flood of politi-
cal talk which has driven them to seek early slumbers.
It is doubtful, however, whether this theory will
stand the test of scientific examination, and, until
further advised, we must admit reluctantly that the
prospects of a severe winter must be courageously
faced.

FASHIONALE NOVELTIES.—" Argus," in Land and
Water, says :—"This is to be the dress of the French
ladies this winter, who join the hunt on foot. The
riding habit is still severely plain, htt the fair prome-
nader is to wear high boots made of soft buckskin,
and Breton trousers reaching below the knees and
very wide; a Louis XIII. waistcoat cut very long and
fastened with large silver buttons ; a jacquette, set
off at the back by square pockets (thrown open in
front so as to reveal the waistcoat), ornamented with
revers, and held, as also are the pockets, by silver dogs'
heads; and a felt bonnet with a narrow satin ruban
slightly caught up at the left side by two large silver
dogs' heads. This costume is finishea Ivy cuffs, collar,
and frili of Mechlin lace. . . . The comical little pig
ornaments worn this summer in silver and gold are
going out, and la petite coelten is to be succesde4 by
the 'Golden Fleece, in compliment to the new little
Spanish Princess. It is a wonderful little sheep,
made out of either diamonds or pearls; and already,
I am told, a fair Parisian has set the fashion of wear-
ing it suspended from a gold thread, over a black or
dark blue velvet bodice, ix exact imitation of the orna,
mut worn by the Knight!! of the Order."

Tix LADY WlTaorr m CARD. (A Fact.)—
Visitor (who has been announced as "a lady without
a card"): Awfull sorry, I'm sure, for having for-
gotten my cards.—Lady: Pray don't mention it.
Wh. have I the pleasure— Visitor: Well, I
called to see if your situation would suit me as Cook I
—Funny Folks.

SEVERE SNOWSTORMS.—A Correspondent of Land
and Water says :—" With reference to snowstorms I
would remark that in October, 1836, a heavy fall of
snow occurred in London, followed, I think, a short
time afterwards by one of the severest storms of wind
ever known in England, bearing considerable resem-
blance to the great storm of 1703. A great frost sit
in on Christmas night, which lasted some weeks,
together with deep snow. After the thaw in January
or February, 1837, one of the severest epidemics of
influenza ever known supervened."
A WALKING AIITOMATON.—After a year of patient
labour, a very ingenious automaton has just been com-
pleted by Mr. Homburg, of Sydney. Its speciality
is that it walks—walks in the same style, and with
much the same motion, as a human being does. The
place occupied by lungs, heart, and other indispen-
sable organs in the human frame are represented in
Frankenstein—Mr. Hornburgh's creation—by ma-
chinery; and the rattling and gasping sounds which
emanate from him would be anything but reassuring
if they followed the exertion of gentle walking when
undertaking by an ordinary person. Frankenstein is
about sft. 6in. high ; his motive power is steam, sup-
plied to him by means of a horizontal tube, on which
one hand rests. This tube is connected at one end
with a tall upright exhaust-pipe, into which the steam
from a little engine close by passes. As the automaton
man moves, an eccentric in the hip revolves, and lever
action bends the knee, raises the toes from the
ground, and throws the foot forward. Then the foot
drops, and the other one repeats the action, the imi-
tation of walking being very good.—Sydney Morning
Herald.

---
" THAT IS TM? QuEsnoN."—Would it be in accord-
ance with the "eternal fitness of things" to define a
coffin as the house a man lives in when he is dead?—
Would it be proper to describe your nursery as a
bawl-room ?—Would it be quite correct to define the
operation of getting measured for a suit of clothes as a
"fitting opportunity?"—Would you be justified in
describing the process of cheating the sewer's rate as
"doing a drain ? " And, last but not leastly.—Would
it be possible to discover a better way of investing
your last shilling than in buying "Judy's Annual for
1881? "—Judy.

THE ANT-WORLD.—In our scientific contemporary
Nature (remarks the Daily Telegraph), Sir John
Lubbock continues his pleasant chat about the habits
of the ant-world, and reveals several interesting and
almost human traits in these diminutive creatures.
The ant has, according to Sir John's experiments, an
extraordinary hatred of change. If the Quetm-ant is
removed from a nest, the formican politicians settle
down soon into a steady-going Republic, as they
are of course bound to do for lack of any recog-
nised ruler ; but after they have got accus-
tomed to this new form of government, if a
Queen-ant is introduced, the whole community sets
upon the intruder and pulls her to pieces. This
shows that custom is as potent among ants as among
their human superiors. However, Sir John Lubbock
was not willing to allow his well-meant endeavours te
turn a Republic into a limited monarchy to be thus
thwarted; so he adopted "Divide et Impera " tactics,
selecting at first a few ants to be the body-guard of
the Queen, then gradually a few more, until at last
a respectable phalanx of devoted servants were
gathered round her Majesty. After this she was
introduced into the nest, along with her retinue, and
the result proved satisfactory. "I was enabled,"
said Sir John Lubbock, with pardonable pride, "to
secure her the throne." Another thing that shows the
tiny labourers in strong resemblance to men is their
reluctance to believe travellers' tales. Sir John found
that in every, instance the volunteers who went to
assist a comrade, who had brought back news of a
great "find " of fresh meat, journeyed with distress-
ingly slow speed, and were always outstripped by
their enthusiastic pioneer, who had actually seen the
treasure. Directly they caught sight of the blue-
bottle, or whatever it might be, all was changed; the
greatest activity was instantly shown, and the corpse
was speedily dismembered, thus showing that the
maxim that "seeing is believing" holds good in the
ant as well as in the human kingdom.

NOTIONS RESPECTING THE EQUATOR.—A teacher in
a public school has been accustomed to require her
pupils to say, "The equator is an imaginary line
passing around the earth," &c. It never occurred to
her that the boys and girls of her school had no idea
what an imaginary line meant, until recently a visitor
asked them how wide the equator was. Some thought
it was five thousand miles wide, others two thousand,
and others said they could jump over it. The visitor
then asked how they thought ships got over it. One
pupil said he thought the crews got out drew them
over, aid another said he had read that a canal had
been dug through it. "What is the name of the
canal ?" • was asked. "The Suez Canal," was the
answer.

AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISFI CORN.—The following
are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending Nov. 13, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 435. 5d.; barley, 345. 7d.;
oats, 21s. sd. per imperial qr. Cerresponding week
last year :—Wheat, 48s. 9d.; barley, 40s. id. ; oats,
21s. 4d.

A SCHOLARLY JUDGMENT.—" William, you have
again come up unprepared." "Yes, sir." "But
from what cause?" "Laziness, sir." "Johnson,
give William a good mark for uprightness." "Bates,
you proceed." "I have not prepred, too, sir."
' But why not?" "From laziness, sir." "Johnson.
give Bates a bad mark for plagiarism."
A CURIOUS COLLECTION.—The collectionneurs are a
curious race (says the Court Journal). Of all the
objets d'Art ever brought together, the most singular
are culinaly utensils. Yet Mlle. Doane, the sister-in-
law of the late N). Theirs, is devoting the remainder of
her days, and her large fortune, to collecting all that is
modern in the way of pots, pans, kettles' and kitchen
ware in general. She is building a wing to a house in
which to place the jewels. She has a rival, a duchess,
who has the whim to secure all that is ancient in the
way of culinary apparatus; while a third lady has the
intermediate weakness of fitting up her kitchen like a
boudoir. The walls are in fancy tiles, and gas jets
spring out from behind old china plates, &c. She has
her coat-of-arms engraved on all the copper utensils,
and nothing affords her greater pleasure tha-n when
visitors leave to mistake their way out, and stray into
the kitchen.

TIFE AMERICAN AND CANADIAN FOOD SUPPLY.—
The arrivals at Liverpool of live stock and fresh meat
from the United States and Canada last week were of
live stock an increase and of fresh meat a decrease
when compared with the preceding week. The
steamers which conveyed live stock were as follows
The Brooklyn, with 627 cattle and 466 sheep ; the Lake
Manitobia, with 411 cattle and 1,227 sheep; the Vic-
toria, with 245 cattle and 318 pigs; the Guillermo,
with 180 cattle ' • and the Massachusetts, with 88 cattle
and 353 pigs. The steamers conveying fresh meat
were as follows :—The City of Berlin, with 1,282 (luar-
ters of beef, 202 carcasses of mutton, and 275 dead
pigs; the Nevada, with 920 quarters of beef and 250
carcases of mutton; the Spain, with 625 quarters of
beef ; the Adriatic, with 600 quarters of beef and 150
carcases of mutton; and the Baltic, with 600 quarters
of beef and 100 carcases of mutton; making a total of
1,551 cattle, 1,693 sheep 671 pigs, 4,027 quarters of
beef, 702 carcases of mutton, and 275 dead pigs.
DRAM OF A CENTENARIAN.—Captain Isaac Denike,
a centenarian, died at Yonkers, Westchester county,
New York, on the 2nd inst., of old age and general
debility. Captain Denike was born October 1, 1779,
and was therefore in his 102nd year at the time of
his death. He worked on his father's farm during his
early days. Soon after the removal of the family at
Peekskill, young Denike formed a strong liking for
river pursuits, and for thirty-five years was master
of a freight sloop. The Captain saw General Wash-
ington once in New York when a boy, and was patted
on the head by the father of his country. He also
saw Robert Fulton's steam boat when it made its first
trip up the river, and laughed when it was predicted
that steam would supersede sails. Up to the 27th of
May last the centenarian was able to take care of
himself. He was less feeble than many a man at
sixty ; but on that date mentioned he was taken to
his bed, from which he never rose. He was sensible to
the last, freely conversing at times with members of
his family and visitors.
HIGHER EDUCATION.—Aunt. "I suppose you are
very sorry Tim has gone back to school, aren't you,
Amy? "—Amy. "Yes very. But you see, Auntie,
in these days of enforced education one is obliged to
put feeling entirely aside."—Punch.
six, DAY' BICYCLE RACE AT DARMNGTON.—A
week's bicycle race was brought to a conclusion at
Darlington on Saturday evening. The hours of riding
were restricted to eight hours per diem. Nine men
started on the previous Monday, but only four rode
out to the finish. The names of the competitor's
were :—W. Parkes, West Moor; W. Higham, Notting-
ham; R. Roberts, Cramlington ; J. Lamb, Newcastle;
J. Battensby, Seaton Deleval ; J. Wharton, Darling-
ton ; G. Wharton, Darlington; J. Denham, Darling-
ton; and J. Cleminson, Cramlington. The names of
the four placed men and their respective scores at the
finish were as follows :—J. Battensby, 815 miles 9
laps; Parkes, 705 miles 2 laps; Cleminsen, 701 miles
1 lap.; Lamb, 699 miles 4 laps.
THE WAY ONE MAN GOT ON.—HO applied to the
editor-in-chief of a New York daily, who knew him
well and was aware of his ability and experience.
"I've nothing to offer you," he said, "but perhaps
you had better see the managing editor." To the
managing editor, who also knew him well, the appli-
cant went. "There's nothing, I can give you, he
said, pleasantly; "why don't you see the editor-in-
chief ?" The next day he applied to both again, and
the next, each time receiving the same answer.
Dropping in on the fourth day, he noticed a vacant
desk in the reporters room, kept for any one who
might use it. He called the office-boy, told him to
clean up the desk ancl bring writing ma,terials.
Having 'moved in, he sought the city editor's
assignment book, picked out a job that he thought he
could do, did it, laid the result on the city editor's
desk, and went home. The next day he did the same
thing, and the next, and the next. On the fifth day
the editor-in-chief passed through the room while he
was at his desk. "So you have got to work?" ha
said, pleasantly. "Yes, sir," answered ;he self.
appointed repprter. A day or two later the managing
editor came in. ' ('ot at it at last, eh ?" he in.
quired. "Yes, sir," answered the latest addition to
the staff, going on win' his work. Things 'oent on in
this way for two weeks, when one morning the chief
came in. "How do you like your position ?" he
asked. "First rate," he answered; "there's only one
trouble—l haven't had any money yet." "No
money? How's that? Perhaps the managing editor
forgot to put your name on the roll. Never mind; I
will. How much did he say you were to have?"
"He didn't say, sir," said the reporter, telling the
truth very literally. The chief fixed the pay then
and there, dated it back two weeks, and the " hanger
en" became a full-fledged member of the staff on the
spot. And the best of the joke was: not until two
years afterwards did either the editor-in-chief or the
managing editor know how it came about, each sup-
, posing the ether had done it. Two heads were cer-
tainly better than ens that time—for the applicant.

A QUESTION OF STRENGTH.—When is a man PO5-
seemed of irresistible strength ?—When he is armed
with dyne." might" I—Fen.
WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE—The following resolution was
passed by the Central Committee of the National
Society for Women's Suffrage on Saturday :—" That
this committee has 'learned with great satisfaction
that the popular legislative body in the Isle of Man
has passed by a majority of two-thirds of their
number a measure in which the right of women house-
holders to vote for parliamentary representatives is
fully recognized; and the committee beg to acknow-
ledge a debt of gratitude to the House of Keys and to
congratulate that Assembly on having overtaken
those of all Europe on the progress of liberality, and
been the first to divest themselves of worn-out pre-
judices."
EXPLOSION AT HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE, On
Saturday afternoon, during the performance of the
last act of Gounod's Faust at her Majesty's Opera an
explosion was heard behind the scenes. Mdlle.
Widmar, who had been remarkably successful in her
Impersonation of Margherita, went on singing with
wonderful sana froid, and her example was followed
by Signor Runcio ; but the general alarm and con-
fusion were so great that the performance was stopped,
and the conductor, Signor Li Calsi, called out that
there was "no danger." Then. the stage manager
came forward and explained that the explosion had
been caused by an accident to the limelight. Several
persons quitted the theatre, but the opera went well
and smoothly to the end, the only difficulty resulting
from the explosion being that in the final "apotheosis"
of Margherita, the group of angels was obliged to
ascend without the usual lime-light effect.
PRESENT or SHOES TO THE POPE.—The Pope, re-
plying to an address from some ladies of San Fran-
cisco (California), which, together with a pair of white
shoes richly embroidered by them in gold, was pre-
sented by Mr. Murphy, Grand Cross of the Order of
St. Gregory, said : These ladies are inspired by
sentiments like unto those of the women of the
Gospel. In like manner as they followed the Saviour
at the time of the Passion on Calvary, when he was
abandoned by all, so do these in their affection to-
wards me, whom they see suffering on this Calvary
and who, however unworthy, am still His represerra
tative and vicar." The Pope added that he would
wear the shoes at the celebration next Easter.

LAST WEEK'S WRECKS. —There were 44 British and
foreign wrecks reported during the past week, raising
the total for the present year to 1,356, which, com-
pared with the corresponding period of last year, shows
a decrease of 51. The apprcximate value of the pro-
perty lost was £2,000,000, including British £990,000.

_ _
A SINGULAR FATALITY AT SANDRINGHAM HOUSE.—•A
fatal gun accident occurred at Sandringham House _
to a boy named Sells, at the time when the festivities
of the ball given by the Prince of Wales, on the occasion '
of his birthday, were at their height. The deceased
who was employed as a lamp trimmer, by some means
unknown obtained admission to the gun-room, and
when explaining to a companion the method of load-
ing a breechloader, the cartridge exploded andt
striking him under the left jaw, the contents entered
his head, by which he was instantly killed. It is
supposed that the cartridge did not go through the
barrel but became nipped between the stook and the
barrel, which caused it to explode. It was from this
fact that the report was not heard by the assembled
guests, and the knowledge of the accident was confined
to the house officials An inquest was held the same
day. before Mr. Tebb Wilkin, who had also been a
a guest of the previous evenirg, when a verdict of
"Accidental Death" was returned.
PRECISELY.—HOW do we know that pigs are such _
very badly treated animals ?—Well, because, dont
you perceive, they are killed first and cured after-
wards. —Judy.
THE BEER TAX.—This amounts to ss. 100. per
barrel on each 36 gallons of standard wort, 1,057
gravity, collected in fermenting vessel. The Excise
do not take notice of decimal parts of a degree, the -
tenths being given in 'favour of the trade. No sur-
charge on material is made so long as results are within
4 per cent. of the presumptive yield, viz., four average
barrels per 3361 b. malt, or 2241 b. sugar.—Brewers ;
Journal.
A NEW MATERIAL FOR PAPER.—The Pall Mall
Gazette says :—"lt would seem that there is real
danger of the .supply of esparto grass, on which the
paper manufacture now BO largely depends, not
only materially diminishing, but altogether dying
out. It grows sporadically in strong ground under
conditions which do not; admit of any steps being '
taken for its cultivation. According to the newly
issued report of Kew Gaadens, recent specimens
from Tripoli, a comparatively new district, show '
already a strikiag deterioration. Esparto is con- .
sequently becoming scarcer in the market, while
its price is rising. It is gratifying, therefore, to be
told that in rye-straw there is some likelihood of
finding a substitute. According to the Kew report,
Mr. N oble believes that rye-straw will make paper
not inferior to that made from esparto, and that
paper-makers can afford to give a price for it which
will be sufficiently remunerative to the farmer to '
grow it. It is now largely used in the States and on
the Continent. Here is a hint to our desponding -
farmers."
A ROYAL OCULIST.—Some months ago we (Daily
Telegraph) called attention to the interesting fact that
one of the Empress of Austria's brothers, Charles
Theodor, Duke in Bavaria, had successfully passed
the examinations qualifying him to practice as an
oculist, and that it was his intention to devote his life
to that particular branch of the healing art, in which
he had achived no ordinary proficiency. It appear°
that his Royal Highness's first operation for cataract, '
performed by him upon a citizen of Dresden shortlY
after he had obtained his diploma, resulted in the
complete restoration of sight to his patient; and syci
now learn that he has again operated with entire suc-
cess upon upon a sufferer from a cataract in the
Munich Hospital. The Prince is a regular attendant
at Professor Arlt's lectures on diseases of the eye, an
has in no respect relaxed the arduousness of his studies
since he has become a regularly licensed member of
the Faculty. Indeed, if report speaks truly, his
Royal Highness Dr. Charles Theodor von Wirtlesbach
is fairly on the way to attain high rank among the
more emiinent practical °oculists of Southern Ger-
many.