The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-10-23 00:00:00

Visailtanerrts Nfelliffente.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

ADDING INSULT TO INJURY.—"Mamma, isn't it
very wicked to do behind one's back what one wouldn't
do before one's face? "--" Certainly, Effie ! "---" Well,
baby bit my finger when I was looking an'other way ! "
—Punch.

SUPPOSED FATAL SOMNAMBULISM—An inquest has
been held at Shenfield, near Brentwood, touching the
death of Susan Adkins, aged 29, a single woman, who
was found dead on the. Great Eastern Railway, early
on Saturday morning. A train had passed over the
body, and the legs and one hand were cut off. The
deceased had no clothes on except her night-dress and
drawers, but there was a waterproof overcoat belong-
ing to her on the hedge skirting the line. Her father
suggested that she had walked upon the line in her
sleep. He said she had on several occasions walked
in her sleep, and once jumped out of a window. he
medical witness, in reply to a question, said he thought
the deceased was not lcnocked down by a train, but
must have laid down upon the rails. An open verdict
was returned.

TROTTING HORSES.—It is curious that Englishmen,
the most horse-loving people in the world, should take
so little interest in trotting horses. The trotting
Turf is a matter of lively discussion in American
circles, quite removed from professed horse racers,
mid in Wallace's Monthly may be said to have a well-
established organ of its own. The speed achieved is
something wonderful. Forty years ago a horse named
Columbus did a mile in 2 min. 50 sec. trotting, and the
speed kept on increasing till Rarus did the mile in 2
min. 15 sec. This seemed the very acme of speed, yet
it has now been surpassed, a mare called Maud S.
having at Chicago the other day covered a mile in a
fraction under 2 min. 11 sec.
THE WHITBY JET TRADE.—The Whitby jet trade,
which has been in a depressed state for so many years,
is again looking up. When the had times came the
Whitby jet ornament trade was one of the first of the
fancy industries to suffer, and the fashion or the
taste for jet ornaments as articles of mourning
changed. Jet, however, now appears to be coining
into favour again, not only for mourning purposes,
but for ordinary adornment. On inquiry it would
appear that the increased demand is by no means
confined to England, but extends over France and
Germany. The chief exportations, however, are to
America.

A MILITARY PIGEON POST.—The Russian Ministet
of War has (the United S'ervice Gazette says), increased
his vote this year to 0,000 for the maintenance of the
military pigeon post at Warsaw and Kieff. Large
numbers of carrier pigeons are kept at both places,
and are regularly trained in conveying letters from
ohe military post to anothsr. Several officers have
made themselves very expert in their management of
the birds, and two have just received decorations for
their energy in organizing the pigeon post and formu-
lating rules for the successful management of it in time
of war.
A RELIGIOUS FEUD IN NEW CALEDONIA.—Advices
from New Caledonia received by the last mail state
that a conflict of a terrible character had taken place
in that colony, in which no fewer than twenty-two
Roman Catholics lost their lives. It appears that at
Mare for some time religious feuds had taken place,
resulting in loss of life. On Sunday, the Ist of August,
the Roman Catholic portion of the natives, it is
alleged, provoked the Protestants to fight, and on the
following day hostilities commenced, the result being
that twenty-two of the Roman Catholic natives were
killed. No mention was made of any deaths on the
Protestant side.

VOLUNTEER UNIFORMS.—The work of transforming
the uniforms of the Volunteer Rifle battalions from
grey to scarlet is making steady progress. Within the
last year or so, the Army and Navy Gazette states,
eight regiments have adopted the "national colour,"
and the numbers now stand as follows, namely—in
scarlet 104 battalions; in green, 56; in grey, 46.
Five years ago the numbers were—scarlet, 64; green,
63; grey, 79. - ,

,
"LISTENERS NEVER HEAR," &C.—Old Chickory (of
Crutched Friars) had lounged into the Garden with
his cigar. He was on a visit to his brother-in-law,
and had been potting about his Preserves for a day or
two with his keeper—(the Squire wouldn't go). He
hears voices round the corner—it was—William
(talking to his Master). "We got on better to-day,
Sir. But a choke-bore ain't no use to he—he want a
gun as'll Cover a _whole barn, Sir, he do !" [The
Alderman returns to London at the end of the month,
a wiser if not a better shot !—Punch.
THE COsT OF FoX-HI.INTING.—The Standard, in a
leader, remarks :—" Years ago, when railways spread
out in all directions and the business of mining in.
creased, it was prophesied that the days of fox-hunting
were numbered. There are, however, no symptoms
that the end is approaching, but, very much on the
contrary, the sport has more adherents now than it
ever had before. Railways, instead of putting a stop
to hunting, have aided in immensely swelling the
fields, so much so that masters of packs near
London and other large towns do not let their
meets be known except to subscribers, lest
the attendance should be inconveniently great.
Last year besides a dozen packs of stag-
hounds and harriers innumerable—fox-hunting was
carried on in England by a hundred and forty-two
packs of hounds, added to which Ireland had at least
a score and Scotland half as many. The amount of
money spent it is difficult to calculate, but the cost of
the establishment in England alone has been esti-
mated at considerably over two hundred thousand
pounds a year ,• it being supposed on a rough
average that each pack costs fifteen hundred pounds,
some running to more than thrice this sum, and
others being much below it. If to this be
added the cost of hunters to mount the fields
attending these hunts in England, it will be found
that not far short of a million of money repre-
sents the expenditure ora English fox-hunting. And
whatever the opponents of the sport may say,' it
cannot fairly be represented as aristocratically exclu-
sive. A hunt gives employment to numerous men,
from hangers-on up through earth-stoppers, to kennel-
attendants, grooms, horsebreakers, whips, huntsmen,
breeders, farmers, to say nothing of the hundred and
one trades that minister less directly to the well-being
of a pack of hounds and the necessary adjunct of some
stables of horses." . . . .

DISESTABLISHMENT IN SCOTLAND.—A conference of
the friends of the Liberation Society took place on
Tuesday, at Edinburgh, in the United Presbyterian
Hall. Mr. Dick Peddle, M.P. presided, and Mr.
Richard, M.P. Mr. Grant, M.P. and deputies from
different places took part in the proceedings. Resolu-
tions in favour of the immediate disestablishment and
disendowment of the Scotch Church were unanimously
adopted. A public meeting was held at night, Mr.
Duncan M'Laren, M.P., in the chair, when resolu-
tions to the effect that the time had come for a decided
movement in favour of disestablishment was agreed
to.

THEATRICALS IN JAPAN.—Stage management in
Japan is somewhat eccentric. When an actor is killed
during the play a man in black rushes on and holds a
large cloak before the supposed corpse, who rises and
runs off the stage. The scenes are never shifted, but
the whole stage revolves upon wheels, while between
the acts the children amongst the audience rush
behind the curtain and play until the drum beats for
another act. The performance begins at ten a. in., and
the audience provision themselves for twenty-four
hours, curling themselves up on mats and .smcking the
whole time.

A STEAMER ON F/RE.—A dispatch from Norfolk,
Virginia, to the Associated Press of New York, gives
an account of the steamer Isaac Bell, of the Old
Dominion Steamship Company's Line, taking fire
while lying at her wharf in Portsmouth, on the 2d of
October. The fire originated among the bales of con
in the forward hold. The vessel had on board 800
bales of cotton, 40 hogsheads of tobacco, and 40
barrels of resin. The inflammable nature of the cargo
made it impossible to do much towards saving it, and
only 15 bales of cotton were raised from the vessel
before she was a mass of flames. Efforts were then made
to scuttle the steamer, but her light cargo buoyed her
up, and she was towed to the flats off the Naval Hos-
pital and abandoned to her fate. She was on 1,612
tons burden, and had accommodation for 123 saloon
passengers. She was valued at 200,000 dols., and was
not insured.
PROTECTION IN AMERICA.—This is how "Protec-
tion" works in America (says the Echo). At the
Wool Convention just held at Philadelphia it was
shown that in the last fiscal year the United States
Imported more than half its consumption of wool.
For the year ended June 30, 1879, the importations
were 39;000,0001b., equal in value to 5,034,000 dols. i
This grew n 1880 (notwithstanding the tariff) to
128,131,0001 b., of the value of 28,700,000 dols. The
question naturally arises, Why do not the home
growers improve the native breed of sheep, and meet
the whole home demand. The answer is that the
tariff, which was framed in their interest, has ren-
dered foreign woollen goods so dear that American
manufacturers can afford to pay almost any impost
on foreign raw material, and still manufacture at a
great profit.
THE NEW SAVINGS BANK SYSTEM.—The London
Correspondent of the Liverpool Daily Post says the
experiment now being tried by the Postmaster-
General of allowing people to save by means of
postage stamps has been, so far as Cardiganshire is
concerned, quite successful. Between the beginning
of the year and the 13th of September there were
only nineteen new accounts opened at the Aberyst-
with Post Office Savings Bank ; but since that date
up to the present there have been no fewer than 135
new accounts opened, nearly all of which were the re-
sult of the new forms.
ANCIENT IRREVEVENCE IN CHURCH.—On the sub-
ject of ancient irreverence in church, Mr. B. Nichol-
son writes to Notes and Queries. As showing that
King James I. and his Court sat during sermon time
with their hats on, I quote the following from Ar.
"Life of James," pp. 151-2, 1653. I say
King James did, because it is certain that the Lora
Treasurer would not have acted so differently from
his master in a point of religious etiquette in his
master's presence :
"An. Christ, 1620. For about this time one of his own
Chaplains, preaching before him at Greenwich, took his
Text, 4 Mat. 8. .So that he concluded the Devill to be a
great Monarch.. and no doubt he had his Viee-Royes,
Council! of State, Treasurers, Secretaries, ktc.J..he gives a
character of every particular Officer, who were fit to be the
Devils servants, running through the body of the Court..
And when he came to describe the Devils Treasurers exac-
tions and gripings „he fixt his eye upon Crantield, then
Lord Treasurer, and pointing at him with his hand, said
with an Emphasis, That man (reiterating it) That man,
that makes himself rich, and his Master poor, he is a fit
Treasurer for tke Devil!. This the Author heard, and saw,
whilst Cranfleld sat with his hat pulled down over his eyes,
ashamed to look up ;..the Ring, who sat just over him,
smilineat the quaint Satyre so handsomely coloured over."

UNEXPECTED SPORT.—Sportsmen in France com-
plain that game, great and small, is very scarce (says
Land and Water). Two, however, in the north of
France came recently upon some unexpected sport.
At the little hamlet of Else, a young shepherd was
disagreeably surprised by seeing a gigantic bear
coming down upon his flock with felonious intentions.
The young fellow did not lose his wits; being armed
only with his crook, he conceived the happy idea of
blowing his horn, which so startled and disgusted
Bruin, that he stood transfixed for some time. Just
as the shepherd was quite out of breath, four rifle.
shots laid the bear low. By a fortunate chance two
sportsmen passing near were attracted by the plain-
tive wailing of the musical shepherd. The appear-
ance of Bruin caused some alarm, as no wild animal
had been seen in the neighbourhood in the memory of
the oldest inhabitant. The flesh and hide of the dis-
tinguished traveller was sold for five hundred francs,
and the ready-witted shepherd was handsomely re-
warded.

SHOCKING DISCOVEBY.—A letter received from
Normanton gives particulars of a shocking discovery
on Bountiful Island, Torres Straits, where it is feared
a shipwrecked crew has perished from starvation. It
appears that the ketch Rosebud was wrecked on
Bountiful Island a short time ago, but her crew
managed to reach the shore in safety. While wander-
ing about the island the men came upon 16 skeletons,
apparently of white men. It was conjectured that
these were the remains of some shipwrecked crew who
had escaped the sea only to perish on the island.
There were indications of the poor fellows having been.
making a search for water on the island, which they
had failed to obtain.

AN IMPROVEMENT TAKING PLACE.—The Pall Mall
Gazette remarks :--" Some light is thrown upon our
industrial condition by the Savings Banks return pub-
lished in Tuesday night's London Gazette. That shows
that in the year ended the 16th inst. the sum at the
credit of depositors in the banks was increased by
about £1,600,000; while for the four weeks ended the
same date the increase was £200,000. The rate of
growth during the past month, therefore, was fully
(30 per cent, greater than the average for the year ;
and from such figures as these it is not unreasonable
to infer that in the condition of ,our working popula-
tion a sensible improvement is now taking place.'

A SNAKE STORY.—A.. German butcher, named
Wiger, becoming fatigued, sat down by the seaside
near Harrison, Ark, and fell asleep. He was sud-
denly aroused by a clutching of his legs. Looking
down, such a sight met his eyes as would have made
the stoutest heart bound with agitation. Clasping
both legs were two rattlesnakes of the diamold
species, coiled, and looking him greedily in the face
from both sides. It was a moment to try the nerve of
the bravest hero known in history, and Mr. -Wiger
trembled from head to foot; but, knowing that his
salvation was inaction rather than action, he dropped
back and lay as one dead. How long he lay in that
predicament is hard to tell, but some time after dark
both snakes uncoiled themselves, and, after crawling
under his neck and around his head several times,
removed quietly away. Wiger made tracks for the
nearest house and fell fainting. After some little
trouble he was revived, but it was found that during
his lying still blood had oozed from his eyes and
mouth' and his hair, which, he said, before was raven
black, had almost an iron gray cast.
TRUISMS TRIFLINGLY TREATED.—"Let well alone,"
as the tippler said to the teetotaller.—" Give me none
of your jaw," as the filbert observed to the schoolboy.
--` Honesty," remarked the worthy tradesman, "is
the best policy. I know that, because I've tried
both."—"Where there's a WILL there's away," as the
Premier playfully put it at the last Cabinet Council.
—"Never say dye," as the gentleman observed when
he extracted some gray hairs from his favourite
whisker.—" Nothing succeeds like success," as A.
SLOPER murmured on being told that two hundred
and eighty thousand of his "Comic ICalendar fo
1881" had already been sold.—Judy.
"NAME THAT NO ONE CAN SPEAK, AND NO ONE
CAN SPELL."—Many ingliiries have been made as to
proper way of writing and pronouncing the name of
the Russian clipper engaged in the naval demonstra-
tion, which appears daily in such guise as Zhem-
tschottki, Djenitchoug, Zenichook, &c. The best way
spelling it is Jenitchoog, sounding the initial letter as
French J (or like s in the word vision, and the final
letter as guttural German G (or like ch, in the Scotch
word loch). The English for the word is "Pearl."
GETTING ON !—Squibb's boy has been for some
months an inmate of a lawyer's office. He entered
with the determination, as he announced to his family,
to become Secretary of State. There would seem to
be some probability of his succeeding, to judge from
the following note, sent the other day to his anxious
mother, who had inquired why he did not come to see
them oftener :—" The impossibility of my absence will
be readily apparent when I convey the intelligence
that my senior principal is at this juncture exhaustively
engaged in the preparation of a voluminous series of
intercalatory interrogatories to be propounded to a
supposedly recalcitrant witness whose testimony is of
cardinal importance in the initial stages of an approach-
ing preliminary investigation involving the most
momentous consequences."
A BORN STRATEGIST.—Military Examiner: Now
supposing you were stationed here, and the enemy
hold the terminus of this line—what would you do ?
Subaltern (of Hebraic descent) : Do, Sir ! Why, have
the line up, and sell it for old iron, dirt cheap !
Funny Folks.
AVERAGE PRICEiSicoeFs BRITISH
tisChoßcoNr.i—i Tfohre
thefollowing
lve week
are the average p
ending Oct. 16, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Excise :—Wheat, 41s. 5d.; barley, 355. 2J.;
6d. per imperial qr. Corresponding week
_Wheat, 495. 9d. ; barley, 40s. 10d. ; oats,
loaastts , y
e2a Ors
225. 2d.
THE COST OF ENGLISH PATENTS.—Those foreigners
who praise our patent laws as a model of what such
laws should be are evidently not fully aware of the
expense and difficulties attending the taking out of
patents in England. A Treasury return issued shows
the total receipts of the Patent Office in the twelve
years 1868 to 1879 to be £1,779,892, and the total ex-
penditure £504,322, leaving a net gain to the public
exchequer of £1,275,570. This is satisfactory from
one point of view, but, on the other hand, it shows
that the cost of securing patents is still very heavy,
and that the excess is derived from a class of persons
who, in very many cases, are staking their last savings
on a pet invention. The general tendency is to
cheapen and improve production. But in the case of
patents this is not so. The trouble and outlay in-
volved, it is well known, operate as serious checks
upon the inventive power of the nation, and moreover
deprive intelligent workmen of the means of rising.
Those best able to judge, affirm that the present
regulations of the Patent Office hinder our industrial
development needlessly. Patent fees and charges
should therefore be reduced to their lowest possible
limits, the only requisite being that the office should
be self-supporting, and not be made a source of
revenue.—lran,