The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-08-20 00:00:00

A FATAL ALPINE ACCIDENT.

The Times has published the following letter:—

Sir,—The visitors to this charming Alpine resort
have for some days past looked forward with great
interest to advent of Signor Damiano Marinelli, one
of the most distinguished members of the Italian
Alpine Club, who proposed making the ascent of
Monte Rosa from this side—a most difficult feat, only
twice, I believe, accomplished before.
He started yesterday morning, accompanied by the
experienced and well-known guides F. Imseng. of this
place, and B. Pedranzini of the Val Furva, and a
peasant who acted as porter. The weather was not
propitious ; heavy clouds hung around the summits
of the higher mountains, and distant thunder was
heard in the afternoon. At eight p.m. we were hnrri-
fied by the return of , the peasant with the appalling
intelligence that the whole party, with the exception
of himself, had been swept away by an exceptionally
great avalanche near Pedriolo, a hamlet si'Luated at
the base of the mountain at an altitude of over 6,000
feet above the sea level. _

An active search has been prosecuted all to-day,
but without the smallest result. It is to be resumed
to-morrow, but those best qualified to judge give no
hope of a successful issue. _

_
Signor Marinelli was about 38 years of age. As an
accomplished linguist and a most ardent and enter-
prising Alpine explorer, his loss is to be much deplored.
—Yours faithfully, THOMAS HANBURY.
Macuguaga, Val Anzasca, Aug. 9.

Writing again on the 10th, Mr. Hanbury says :
The body of Signor Marinelli was found this morning.
The terrific blast of air caused by the falling avalanche
had torn his clothing to shreds, and, judging by the
wounds, death must have been instantaneous. The
bodies of the two guides have not yet Nen recovered;
but the search will be renewed to-morrow.

The Daily News understands that the will of the late
Dean Stanley has been sworn under £OO,OOO.

Some remarkably heavy bags were made on Tuesday
on the Scotch Moors. On Glenprosen Mr. Bruce and party
had 210 brace of grouse. On Glenfe3hie Sir Charles
Morclaunt and party had 130 brace. On Glentromie Colonel
Hargreaves, and party of six guns, had 188 brace of grouse
and 30 hares. On Tilehen Sir George Chitwood bagged 92
brace of grouse. Weather now very wet, and the birds are
packing.

ntisultancons iltrifigenrt.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL,

THE END OF THE SEAS-ON.—Getting to Calais !
Punch.

ACTS OF PARLIAMENT.—The number of Acts pas-
sed this Session up to the present is 37 public and 204
local. In the Session last year the numbers were 48
and 211.

UNFEELING.—NeIIie (who is rather a bad sailor, to
her brother of the it. Y. C.).—" Oh, Harry, do take
me for a sail this afternoon."—Harry (who has a
lively recollection of a former experience).—"Can't,
dear. Made other arrangements."—Nellie.--" How
unkind ! What has changed you so? Once you were
so good-natured ! "—Harry.--" That's just it. I was
'once,' but not twice !
THE Two VACANT SEATS.—The two seats which
have been vacated within the past few days by the
deaths of Mr. Laycock and Colonel Joicey were
notable as having been among the most brilliant
trophies of the Liberal triumph in 1880 (remarks the
Pall Mall Gazette). At last election in North Lincoln
Mr. Laycock wrested the seat by a majority of about
300 from Sir J. D. AF tley ; while in North Durham
Colonel Joicey defeated Sir G. Elliott by a majority
of 1,141, thus securing to the Liberal cause the only
seat of the thirteen in Durham county for which a
Conservative was returned last Parliament. The
exact figures were :—ln North Lincoln: Laycock,
4,159; Astley, 3,865. In North Durham: Joicey,
6,233; Elliott, 5,092.
WHAT FANCY FARMERS HAVE DONE.—A contem-
porary makes a spirited rejoinder to the derision
customarily cast on "fancy farmers." "These men,"
it says, "have given to farming a glory it would not
otherwise possess. Fancy farmers have changed the
wild hog into the Suffolk and Berkshire, the cattle
into Shorthorns, the mountain sheep with its lean body
and hair fleece into the southdown and merino. They
brought up the milk of cows from pints to gallons,they
have lengthened the sirloin of the bullock, enlarged
the ham of the hog, given strength to the shoulder of
the ox, and added to the fleetness of the horse.
Foreign manures and foreign plants we have at the
hands of those who tested theories while others raised
crops for market."
A TOWN SLIPPING AWAY !—Castelfrentaro, a small
town of 6,000 inhabitants, is, it is feared, about to dis-
appear altogether (says the St. James's Gazette). The
town stands on a hill overlooking the Adriatic, and
has a deep valley on one side. As long ago as 1858 a
storm seemed to shake the foundations of the hill, and
on the 31st of July last the alarm was given that the
town was slipping down. Efforts were made to arrest
the process, but in vain ; and at three a.m. of the Ist
of August the greater part of the town fell in. Of the
6,000 inhabitants, 4,000 found themselves thus de-
prived suddenly of house and home, and the remainder
had only the expectation of a like fate in a short time.
There is, It is said, no possibility of remedying the
evil, and the total destruction of Castelfrentaro can
only be a matter of time.
THE COST OF CANONIZATION.—Some curious details
are given in the Flandre Liberale as to the expenses
which have been incurred in a recent canonization,
amounting to about 52,450 crowns, or, roughly speak-
ing, £ll,OOO. The items are thus given :—To the
secretary of Monsignor the President, 200 crowns ;
the architect, 1,239 crowns; ornaments for the cere-
mony, 2,418 crowns; decoration of St. Peter's, 39,795
crowns; presents to dignitaries and employes, 4,778
crowns; illumination of the exterior of the church,
752 crowns; sundries, 3,276 crowns.
AMERICAN OARSMEN IN AUSTRIA.—The boat race
between a Viennese and an Americnn crew recently
came off on the Danube. The contest, which was wit-
nessed by a hundred thousand spectators, resulted in a
complete victory for the Vienna men. The Americans
were distanced early in the race, and resigned long
before reaching the end of the course. That victory
would declare for the Vienna team was hardly
expected; but that the Americans should be so
thoroughly defeated was a complete surprise to the
people of the capital, and has accordingly caused the
greatest jubilation.

MORE MORAL MAxims.—(By our Own Maniac.)---
Love, we are told, is blind, yet is matrimony fre-
quently an eye-opener.—Flattery is the "glycerine
and honey" soap of life; compliments the bubbles
blown from it.=—Poeta nascitur, non fit, is a time-
honoured maxim ; yet is the inspiration of some
of our modern poets frequently g-inspiration.—
Never take a nap when travelling ; the train
always runs over slcepers,—Life is but too fre-
quently like one's shirt-button; both hang by a
thread.—" Fancy" goods are very often just the
sort of goods that customers do not fancy.—
Few are the folks who are wise in their generation; on
the other hand, many are those who are otherwise.—
Woman, lovely woman, may sometimes be angry if
you tell her you love her; she will be more angry,
though, if you say that you don't.—Judp.
A QUESTION TO BE SOLVED.—The Globe remarks :
New English wheat has, it seems, been sold at 565, a
quarter, and some people are coming to think that a
reduction of rents would, after all, enable the home
farmer to compete successfully with the American pro-
ducer. But, as Land says, in some sensible remarks
on the subject, this is a fancy price, and the question
to be solved is whether good English wheat can be
profitably sold at 40s. a quarter; and if that result
were obtained—supposing it can be obtained—only by
reduction of rent, the benefit would be a doubtful one.
"'When English farming is carried on under fairer and
more free conditions a gnat increase of capital will be
attracted to the land, and the production be largely
enhanced ; " but "it will ho found impossible to restore
prosperity to the tenants entirely at the expense of the
landlords."
THIRD-CLASS PASSENGERS.—At the next half-yearly
meeting of the London and North Western Railway
Company, the official statement to be submitted will
show that in the past six months there has been a
decrease of 51,755 first-class passengers and of 162,488
second-class passengers, when compared with the
numbers for the corresponding period of last year ;
but, on the other hand, the number -of third-class
passengers has increased in the same time b,y 452,990.
Inclusive of season ticket-holders, the Loildon and
North Western Railway Company carried last year
over 22,700,000 passengers, and nine out of every 11
were carried third-class.
GLAD HE WAS SATISFIED.—Customer to waiter:
"Well, sir, how much do you think I oxve you ? "
"Let's see—about seventy-five cents, sir," "You
think I owe you that?" "Yes, sir." "And are
satisfied?" "Yes, sir." "All right; mighty glad to
have some one satisfied when I owe him. Good after-
noon."

AN ORCHARD ON THE FIFTH STOREY.—In a recent
number of Revue Horticole there appears a description
of a fruit garden on the fifth storey of a house in the
Rue Washington. The owner, Mr. Lockroy, was
fond of gardening, and his garden having been appro-
priated for other purposes, he carried his trees to the
roof of his house. There, in his aerial garden, the
proprietor successfully grows pears, currants, goose-
berries, and roses; and on the testimony of M.
Carriere, the plants are as vigorous and healthy as
could be wished, and produce fruit and flowers of
quality and beauty. Eighteen varieties of pear are
cultivated in this novel garden.

WOODEN SWEARING.—A minister once said, "I
hope, dear children, that you will never let your lips
speak profane words. But now I want to tell you
about a kind of swearing which I heard a good woman
speak about not long ago. She called it wooden swear-
ing. It's a kind of swearing that many people beside
children are given to when they are angry. Instead
of giving vent to their feelings in oaths they slam the
doors, kick the chairs, stamp on the floor, throw the
furniture about, and make all the noise they possibly
can.'lsn't this just the same as swearing?' said
she. 'lt's just the same kind of feeling exactly, only
they do not like to say those awful words; but thqy
force the furniture to make the noise, and so I call it
Wooden swearing.' I hope, dear children, that you
will not do any of this kind of swearing either. It is
better to let alone wooden swearing and all other
kinds of swearing."

"QUEER" QUERY.—Can an ever-ailing person be
"known well" to anybody ?—Funny Folks.
FINDING COMFORT IN MISFORTUNE. A Colorado
physician sends the following : "One bitter cold
night, early in the winter, I had a call to visit a
patient about thirty-five miles distant, the trail lying
over an uninhabited plain, vast tracts of which were
enclosed in fences of three wires, fastened to cedar
posts; we entered one of these ranches, as they are
called here, through a gap left for the purpose, and
after a short time the trail was entirely obliterated by
the snbw. No shelter was near, and we wandered
about for some time, when I remarked to my driver,
an old timer,' that the advantage of being inside a
ranche of 5,000 or 6,000 acres, enclosed by a wire fence
was not very apparent, as we had lost our way all the
same. "No," drawled my companion, swinging his
arm vigorously, 'but I s'pose we aren't so liable to take
cold, '

AMERICAN PASTURE.—The largest pasture in the
world, according to the Montreal Gazette, is on the
border between New Mexico and Texas. The Indian
territory bounds it on one side and Colorado on the
other. On one side there are forty miles of perpendi-
oular rock fence, and yet it will require 200 miles of
fencing to inclose it. The owner, Taylor Mendlin,
has sown 1,000 tons of oats. He ill feed on it
100,000 head of cattle.
A PERILOUS POSITION.—UntiI a few weeks since it
is probable that no one in Australia was ever in danger
of perishing from cold (remarks the Evening Standard).
Heat and drought rather than cold are the prevailing
scourges of that country, and we believe that the oldest
living colonist has never enjoyed in Australia the
pleasures of a slide upon a pond. Nevertheless, Mr.
Jervaulx, the manager of the Orange Slaughtering
Company, has had a narrow escape from death by
freezing. This company prepares meat for sea carriage,
and Mr. Jervaulx entered the freezing room to inspect
the progress of the operation. As it happened with the
young bride whose fate is mysteriously associated with
the refrain of "The Mistletoe Bough,' the door closed
with a spring, and the manager was a prisoner.
The eegine was running at the time, and the
shouts of Mr. Jervaulx for aseistanee were un-
heard. He was rapidly succumbing to the extreme
cold, and would soon have been frozen to death,
when happily the engine was stopped for the oiling of
its bearings. Then the clerk in the room outside
heard the voice of the prisoner and released him; but
the rescue was only effected in time, for Mr. Jervaulx
was already completely benumbed and partially
stupified from the effects of the extreme cold. When
it is remembered that sailors in the Arctic region, and
indeed the inhabitants of some parts of America, are
able to resist without much discomfort a temperature
of fifty degrees below eero, it is singular that the far
lesser degree of cold to which Mr. Jervaulx was ex-
posed should have had such a speedy effect upon him.
Persons in closed chambers have resisted an amount
of heat sufficient to cook meat ; but it is clear that the
human frame, unless protected by furs, or animated
by exercise, is far less capable of supporting the effects
of unusual, cold than it is of resisting excessive heat.
It would s-;e interesting to scientific men to know
what was the degeee of cold in the chamber, and
the duration of the confinement of Mr. Jervaulx.

"MEET ME ET MOON LIGHT ALONE."—D ; is stated
that at Clifton, and seve ml other places of L'ashionable
resort, moonlight concenks are being given with great
success. We are glad to. see there is some 3 romance
left in this too too practical world, whichha s hitherto
associated music with " stars." We hope thi .3 idea will
be universally followed, for we can imagin e nothing
more jolly than listening- to delightful strain s (the joke
that's coming is more or less strained), and ast the same
time to be allowed to money about.—Fun.
STORIES OF TRAVEL.—Captain Basil gall, whose
stories of travel have charmed many readers, was one
day endeavouring to enliven a remarkasbly stiff and
dull dinner party in Glasgow, by the recitai of some
striking incidents in his experiences of travel. At the
conclusion of a very extraordinary narraitive he added,
"Did you ever hear any story so wonderful as that?"
and at the same moment his eye chancedl to rest on a
footboy opposite to him, who immedirstely blurted
out, "Yes, mon, there's a lass i' our kitcl len that kens
a lass that has two thumbs on one hand!"

CINCHONA PLANTATIONS IN INDlA.—olthe report of
the Gevernment Cinchona Plantations in Southern
India indicates the astonishing progrem made since
slips of this valuable tree were first planted in that
district, twenty years ago. The number. of trees now
planted out is more than ,q millions. it 'present the
greater park produced appears to be contsvcmed in sup-
plying the medical depots at Calcutta, :Bombay, and
Madras; but upwards of 3,0001 b. was last year sold
to the public, and the annual yield is rapidly increas-
ing with the growth of the trees. The actual profit
last year on the capital of the plantation is stated to
have been 8 per cent. There can no huger be any
doubt that India is destined to take a leading place in
the production of bark and quinine, so loag a practical
monopoly of the Peruvians.

A HINT FOR IMITATION.—A " Penneylvania Mar-
riage Benefit Association" has been formed at Phila-
delphia. A member is enrolled from the age of fifteen,
and pays an entrance fee of a pound, which is invested
by the society. On his marriage he will be entitled
to receive a certain specified sum—varying according
to the amount for which he has insured himself—to
start his household. This amount will be taken at
first from the invested fees, and when these are ex-
hausted the sum will be made up by an assessment
upon the members.

"COME, I SAY I"—Why is a waiter and a clergyman
so very much alike !—Well, you know, because they
both wear white ties, and both take orders.—Judy.
A FIREFLY COSTUME.—A short time ago a New
York lady gave a masquerade ball at her summer
house in Newport. The dancing was on the lawn, and
the guests were requested to be there half an hour
before dark. The hostess wore the costume of nigh,
and in the daylight her black dress, covered with tiy
leaves, did not attract special attention, but when she
appeared in the gay throng after dark she presented
a perfect blaze of light, and was the centre of the
admiring and wondering company. Tremulous waves
of reddish-yellow flame seemed to move over her entire
dress, while a cap on her head gleamed one great fiery
star. The cause of this illumination was the phos-
phorescent light of more than 5,000 ireflies. For
weeks previous to the ball the designer of the costume
had been storing away fireflies, and on the day of the
fete they were rapidly put on the dress.

BYRON'S GRAVE.—In the floor of the chancel of
the parish church of Hucknall Torkard, Nottingham-
shire, and immediately over the coffin containing
Lord Byron's remains, there has this week been fixed
a slab of marble sent for the purpose by the Byron
Memorial Committee. The marble is of the kind
known as "Rosso Antiquo," of a dull red colour, and
was obtained from a quarry which, until recently,
had not been v. orked for a very long period. The
slab, which is a little more than 2ft. square, is a por-
tion of the large block presented to the committee by
the King of Greece as a pedestal for the Byron
statue in Hamilton-gardens, Hyde-park. The follow-
ing inscription has been inlaid in the marble in brass,
surrounded by a poet's wreath :—" Byron, born
January 22, 1788 ; died April 19, 1824." In aocord-
ance with the desire of the Memorial Committee,
over whose deliberations the late Earl of Beaconsfield
presided, no ceromony was observed in the laying of
the slab.

CARRIER His OWN WELL WITH HIM,—At a recent
meeting of the California Academy of Sciences a very
tine specimen of the desert land tortoise, from Cajon
Pass, San Bernardino Co., in that State, was received.
The specimen had been carefully prepared and was as
large as an ordinary bucket. The tortoise is a native
of the arid regions of California and Arizona, and
Prof. E. T. Cox, who was present, related a curious
circumstance connected with it. He found on dissect-
ing one of them that it carried on each side a mem-
brane, attached to the inner portion of the shell in
which was about a pint of clear water, the whole
amount being about a quart. He was of the opinion
that this water was derived from the secretions of the
giant barrel cactus, on which the tortoise feeds. This
cactus contains a great deal of water. The tortoise is
found in sections of 'country wheie there is no water,
and where there is no vegetation but the cactus. A
traveller suffering from thirst could, in an emergency,
supply himself with water by killing a tortoise. They
are highly prized by Mexicans, who make from them
a delicious soup. The foxes of the desert attack the
tortoise and finally overcome them by dragging them
at times for miles.
DIDN'T MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE.—He walked

into the office this morning looking much like a man
pretty well satisfied with general results, and said :
" Can I see the editor?" He was shown that emi-
nently useful adjunct to a newspaper at once. "Good
morning, sir," he cheerily began. " Mornin'," said
the editor. "I came in," he proceeded, "to tell you
of a misprint in the paper," "Yes I What is it ? "
•‘ Well, you tee, I sent a notice around yesterday that
Mr. Smith had just been married, and your com-
positor, I see, has got it 'Mr. Smith has just been
martyred,' but I guess it don't hardly make enough
difference to change it." The editor scratched his
head a minute and thought of house-cleaning and
other female eccentricities and told the visitor, of
course it did'nt and he wont away whistling, "Why
should the spirit of mortal be proud? "—Stuebenville
Herald.

THE LAUGHING JACKASS.—The laughing jackass,
whose hilarity is so irritating to the nervous listener
thereto, has one good quality, which is sufficient to
make up for his objectionable voice. According to a
correspondent of the Albany Banner (N.S.W.) the
laughing jackass (Daceto gigas) displays great courage
and diligence in snake-hunting, and is looked upon in
Australia as a pei feet ophiophagist. One Mr. Westen-
d orff, of Jindera, was clearing some timber land when
he observed that his operations were keenly wat.Thad
by a laughing jackass, perched on a neighbouring tree.
Just as a large log was being moved, the bird swooped
down from its perch and seized upon a large snake
which had been concealed there. In a moment the
bird flew up to the tree with his prize, which he had
seized immediately behind the head, and struck the
snake violently against the boughs of a neighbouring
tree until it had fevered it in two. The head was left
on the ground, but the bird carried away the rest of
the body, apparently intending to feast upon it.
NICEST CLEANING FOR THE HOT WEATHER.—
Sweeping the horizon with a glass.—Judy.
AN ADMIRABLE PLAN.—There is an amicable way
of arranging all: domestic disputes, if one is only
willing to take a little trouble. Two hot tempers are
not likely to make things smooth, especially when it
is the fashion to be extremely polite to strangers,
even when they are offensive, and to be cross to one's
own, even when they try to be agreeable. • "How do
you get on with your wife, now-a-days; "was the ques-
tion asked on one of the Paris boulevards. "Splen-
didly," was the reply, "we have just discovered a
secret and it works admirably." " And pray what is
it ? " was the next question. "Why, you see," was
the reply, "my wife and I are never at home at the
same time. When she comes in, I go out, and when
I comes in, she goes out. The plan works admirably
and we are both very happy."
A CURE FOR A TERRIBLE DISORDER OF THE
Mouni.—Take of "Good Nature" one ounce; of an
herb commonly called by the Indians, "Mind your
own Business," one ounce ; mix these with a little
"Charity for Failings," and two or three sprigs of
"Keep your Tongue between your Teeth." Simmer
the whole together in a vessel called " Circumspection "
for a short time, and it will be fit for use. Symptoms:
The symptoms are a violent itching in the Tongue and
the Roof of the Mouth, which invariably takes place
when you are with a kind of animal called 'Gossips."
Applications When you feel a turn of it coming on,
take a teaspoonful of the above, hold it in your mouth,
which you will keep closely shut until you get home,
and you will find a complete cure. Should you appre-
hend a relapse, keep a phial full about you, and on
feeling the slightest symptoms repeat the dose.
A CONDENSED LOvE POEM.—Doc. Wood, the great
condenser, once got a long love poem from a reporter,
recounting the love, the refusal, and the departure of
an impassioned swain (says the Detroit Free Press).
It was cleverly done and would have made a cDlumn.
Fancy the poet's suprise when he saw it in the paper
in the following shape:
Do you love me little maiden?
No
Then I think I'd better go.
That's so.
Adieu.

AN ARMY OF GENERALS.—The last official census
of the population of the Republic of Venezuela returns
no less than 32,222 generals. Some of them are stated
to be on active service, others in the reserve. The pre-
sent President, General Guzman Blanco, has created
8,000 of them. The army itself is not so numerous as
are its generals.
JOSH BILLINGS ON THE QUAIL—The quail is a great
bird, about one size bigger than the robin, and bo
sudden that they hum when they fly. They have no
song, but whistle for music ; the tune is solitary and
sad. They are shot on the wing, and a man may be
good in arithmetic, fust-rate at parsing, and even be
able to preach acceptably, but if he ain't studied quail
on the wing, he might as well shoot at a streak cf
lightening in the sky as a quail on the go. Briled
quail, properly supported with jellies and a Cham-
pagne Charlie, is just the most difficult thing, in my
humble opinion, tew beat in the whole history ov
vittleis and something to drink. lam no gourmand,
for I kan eat bread and milk five days out ov seven,
and smak my lips after I git thru, but if I am askod
to eat briled quail by a friend, with judishous accom-
pa,nyment, I blush at lust, then bow my head, and
then smile sweet acquiescence—in other words, I
always quail before such a request.

THE LABOUR MARKET.—Latest reports from the
various centres show the labour market to be in a
fairly satisfactory condition. All the numerous
industries in the metropolis continue active. The
large works now going on in new buildings and street
improvements gi l e full employment to the workmen
in that and other trades. Seamen in the port of
London are on strike for an advance of wages, and also
for an alteration in the "advance note" system.
The coal trade is dull in some districts. The
iron and steel business continues brisk and prices
steady. Iron shipbuilders are busy on all the rivers.
A fairly good tone is manifested in the silk trade at
Macclesfield. In the Leeds district some good orders
have been given out, and the demanda for the season
are on the average very good. The hardware trades
at Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Sheffield, con-
tinue active.