The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-02-21 00:00:00

atisallantons 4ittelligence.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

STORM WARNING.— Toe following cable message has
been received at the London cffi xi of the New York
Herald from the Herald Weather Bureau, New
York :—"lt is probable that a large depresidon,
hs.ving twn centres of disturbance, will arrive on the
collets of Norway, France, and Great Britain, between
the 16J1 and tho 18th, with gales, rain, snow, end
short intervals of clearing, and probably continuing
several days. The Atlantic will be very stormy north
of latitude 30."

COUNT MOLTKE AT HOME !—The daily life of cele
brities is always attractive to thtir admirers, and a
German writer has now described Count Moltke at
home. As beats a soldier, the great strategist strictly
adheres to routine, and rarely changes his way of
living from day to day. He is in his plainly•furnished
study by 7 a.un, where he takes coffee !And a cigar,
and works till his letters arrive at nine o'clock. These
read and answered, he dons his uniform by eleven,
when he breakfasts, receives his adjutants, and write
till two o'clock, the hour for receiving the chiefs of the
different sections of the general Staff, after which he
wAk B or rile, coining boot° to a quiet family dinner.
From five to seven he writes egain, and spends the
next Lo:Ar reading the newspapers, this occupation
concluding his work. Count Moltke then joins his
faintly at tea, plays whist—a game in which he excels
—heath a little music, and goes to rest punctually at
eleven.

COMMERCE Or NEW YORK—The total number of
vessels which i,rrived from foreign ports in the Pizu:
of New Yolk (:.uring January, 1880, was 597. pis'
buted according to nationalities, there were 210
Bdtish, 126 American, 92 Norwegiau, 48 German, 45
Italian, 20 Austrian, it Swedi,h, 10 French, 9
Spanish, 8 Danish, 7 Belgian 4 Netherlands, 4 For-
tuAuese, 3 Harlan, I Brazilian. 1 Mexican. One
American war vessel also arrived from a foreign Pint.
During the month 614 vessels engaged in the coasting
trade entered the port.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.—In answer to a r welt from
Mrs. M'Laren, of Edinburgh, who presided at a
meeting of women held rec?ntly at manchester, that
Lord I.3,:aconAeld weu4l receive 3 deputation of ladies,
the fuilowivg reply has been received :—"10, Down.
ing•street, Whitehall, Feb. 9. Madain.—Lold Bea.
conefield desires me to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter of the 4th inst., and to tell yon that he regrets
it will not be in his power, in tbe pressure of bueiness,
to receive the deputation of ladies who desire to place
in his hands a memorial in favour of the extension of
the franchise to.females. Any communication which
they may make in writing to Lord Beaconsfield shall
receive his attention.—l am, Malan), your obedient
set vent, J. F. DAMN"

PLEASE= AND Busrenass.—Lady : "A pretty sight,
Isn't it, doctor? I don't see any of your little ones
here I hope you don't disapprove of Juvenile
parties ?"—Dr. Littletums (famous for his Diagnosis
of Infantile Disease): "I, ray dear Madam! Oa the
contrary—l live by them t "—Punch.

WEEKLY REVIEW OF THE CORN TRLDE.—Beli's
Weekly Masenger says :—" A firmer tone has been
apparent in the wheat trade during the week, and at
the chief centres here and abroad prices have risen
about is. to 2r, per qr. Supplies are less extensive,
the stocks here having undergone a further diminution,
while the visible supply in the United States and the
quantity of produce afloat have also fallen off. Sup-
plies are, however, atilllarge, and consequently millers.
though they have been buying more liberally of late,
continue to operate with a considerable amount of
caution. Advices from the Continent state that the
wheat trade at till principal centres is firmer, and that
prices have had an upward tendency. The supplies of
native produce remain small, and it is expected that
further considerable importations will be necessary
daring the remainder of the season.

PANTOMIME CHILDREN AT EXETER HALL —A large
number of the children engaged in the London theatres
accepted the invitation of Mr. Forbes to tea on
Tuesday. There were, it is said, among the com-
pany, crabs, lobsters, oysters, demons, sword-fishes,
mussels, Zulus, Egyptians, silver knights, soldiers,
chorus-boys, dancers, black boys, and other strange
characters. After tea, hymns were sung and addresses
were given by Mr. and Mrs. Maynard, Rev. Walter
Hobbs, and Mr. Forbes. As the guests departed,
each one of them was presented with a copy of the
Herald of Mercy.
A CENTENARIAN PEBACHEEL—Next month a Pro.
testant minister, 100 years old, hopes to celebrate the
70th anniversary of his ministry in the little village
of Accum, East Friesland. The centenarian, Herr
Mucke, is the only Protestant pastor in the Duchy of
Oldenburg.
UNEQUALLY " YOKED." aood and bad eggs.—
Funny Folks.
THE SOUTHWARK Faxerzoff.—Mr, Edward Clarke,
Q.C., the Conservative candidate for Southwark, was
on Saturday declared to have been duly elected,
having polled 7,683 votes, as against 6,830 recorded
for Mr. Dunn, and 799 for Mr. Shipton.—ln a leader,
noticing the election, the Daily News remarks The
return of Mr. Clarke for Southwark by fifty:aix votes
more than were polled for both his opponents is with-
out doubt a remarkable phenomenon. It is a groat
Conservative victory and a great Liberal defeat, and
to make the defeat all the more galling it is sustained
in a borough which till recently might have been re-
garded as a Liberal stronghold."—The Times also
says :—" There is no possibility of mistaking the sig-
nificance of the election in Southwark. The return of
a Conservative candidate for one of the most Raoical
constituencies in the kingdom, not only at the head of
the poll, but by a mejority over the votes recorded for
both his Liberal competitors taken together, is a heavy
blow for the Opposition. The Government are
justified in regarding the issue of a battle thus keenly
fought and fairly joined as a vote of confidence even
more decided and incontestable than that of Liver-
pool." . .
PROFESSOR TYNDALL ON ELEOTRIOITY.—Last Satur-
day evening Professor Tyndall, F.R.S„ lectured on
electricity at the Working Men's College, Greit
Ormond-street, London. The building was densely
crowded, so densely, indeed, that Mr. Thomas Hughes,
Q.C., who was to have presided, was unable to obtain
an entrance. Professor Tyndall was listened to most
attentively as he expounded in a popular style the
relations between electric and muscular energy, which
was his particular theme. His experiments, both
with the common electrical machine and with the
voltaic battery, illustrative of the natural law that a
certain expenditure of muscular force or its equivalent
Is necessary for the generation of even the smallest
electric spark, were repeatedly and loudly applauded.
The production of heat by the voltaic current, the
decomposition of water by the same agency, the
oxygen and hydrogen being collected at the opposite
poles of the battery, and the recompusition of the fluid
by the combustion of the hydrogen in an atmosphere
of oxygen, with many other chemical demonstrations
explained in the simpliest manner, brought the sub-
ject within the comprehension of all present.

A FASIZIONALLE RELIC.—The first patent ever issued
In the United States has been offered to the American
Government for the price of £lOO. It was issued at
New York, July 31, 1790, to Samuel Hopkins of
Pniladelphia, for an improvement in making potash
and pearlash, and is written on parchment in a round
old-fashioned hand, being signed by George Wash-
ington, and certifiei by E. Randolph, as conformable
to the Act of Congress to promote the useful arts,
while its delivery to the grantee is certified by Thomas
Jefferson with the seal of the United States.
A LICAP•YZAR BALL.—The New York Hour says
that a "Leap-ear ball" was recently given in
Washington, where the ordinary usages at balls were
completely reversed. Thus a gentlemen received his
guests' one of the chief ladies of the entertainment
cidled for the principal gentleman visitor, presented
him with a bouquet and escorted him to the ball, the
ladies throughout the evening inviting the gentlemen
to dance and escorting them back to their seats.
Most of the gentlemen wore very loe, waistcoats with
bouquets in front, and had lace ruffles at their throats
and wrists, while many of them carried bouquets and
often held them upside down.

BEER DEALERS' RETAIL Lrozwczs.—A strong beer
dealer's wholesale Excise licence enables the holder to
sell strong beer in casks containing not less than 4i
gallons, or in not. lems than two dozen reputed quart
bottles, at one time, to be drunk elsewhere than on the
premises. He may, however, obtain at any special
!sessions for licensing purposes an additional license for
sale of beer by retail for consumption off the premises.
And the justices can withhold their certificate for inch
a license only if the applicant fails to produce satisfac-
tory evidence of good character, or if his house or an
adjaceat house belonging to him is of a disorderly cha-
racter, or if he has been through misconduct previously
held disqualified for a license, or if he or his house is
not duly qualified as by law is required. Mr. Ritchie's
Bill proposes to grant to the justices the power of re-
fusing their certifizate for these additional licenses at
their discretion on any grounds appearing to them
sufficient. It also provides that the certificates should
lie granted only at the general annual licensing meet-
ing of justices.

ANYTHING FOR CHANGZ.—Guard "Yes. air, I've
seen your luggage in, h's all right, and I've got a
smoking-earriage you can have all to yourself, sir."—
Gentleman : "Oh. that's Well! Any change ?"
Guard : "Well, no, sir, I don't think I have, but I'll
soon get you some, sir."—Fun.
A Draw Itlviarriort.—lt is said that Mr. A. D.
, Woodman, residing at Chicago, a chemist and ma-
chinist, who is a thoroughly educated man, and hae
been for years an experimenter in matters looking to
new sources of light and heat, has made an important
discovery. In the course of his investigations he
became satisfied that certain claims of natural philo-
sophers as to the material basis of natural laws were
all wrong. He put himself to work in an exactly oppo-
site direction, disregarding certain accepted tenets of
scientific men, picked up rejected ideas, worked out his
theories as to creative powers, and after years of ex-
periment, study, and poverty, is prepared to demon-
striae, by exhibition, that water can be utilized for heat
and light. His machine is composed of over thirty
pieces. In that machine he .disintegrates water, and
bringing its component parts together again, produces
light, heat, or steam, as he chooses. The light obtaited
is a beautiful and very brilliant flame, and can be
perfectly controlled. Its heat is of the most intense
character. By the turn of a valve he can tranpform
the light into steam. The pronass by which this is
accomplished is a secret. The discoverer admits that
he generates a tremendous explosive powel—a power
as great as that claimed for the Keeley motor; but he
utilises it at once in the manner mentioned. r.
Woodman knocks philosophy all to pieces, denying
many of its most important laws. As a result of his
ei eallg"
of; not
dineededscove discovery
orh he
ther declares
brilliancy
the
of
illumination
economy, beoause his burning water will supersede it. j
As a motor power he thinks he can make a locomotive
boiler of sixteen cubic feet capacity, that will draw to
New York city a train of care of any length.
AUSTRIA AND DISARMAMINT.—Forty-nine members
of the Austrian Parliament have submitted for the early
consideration of that body the following resolutioe
"The House of Deputies exprosses a hope that the
united Lnperial and Royal Government may take into
consideration the plan of such a general, proportionate,
and simultaneous reduction of armaments as shall not
alter the respective position of the States of Europe-;
and that the Government will not withhold such efforts
as may be necessary for the attainments of this Übjecf.”
The Imperial and Royal .Government is also besought
to bring this rest lotion formally before the Minlatiy
for Foreign Affairs.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN Live STOCK, —The valuable
shipments of Bates Shorthorns which Mr. J, IL
Angus made last year for his Collingrove herd have
excited great admiration since their arrival in South
Australia, the only thing which has militated against
their health and well being being the quarantine
which the Government enforced for 95 days, Since
arriving on Cerra tfrma, Fantail Duchess IL has calved
to 2nd Duke of Underley a fine rd and white bull
calf; Dorothea, of the Darlington tribe, has produoed
a beautiful white heifer calf by Doke of Connaught;
and Lady Russell, belonging to the Sweetheart family,
a goad red and white heifer calf to Duke of Oxford
45th.

THE RULING MOTIVE OF VALENTINE MAMMA°.
TUNERS —ouod-ity.—Funny Folks.

ErecnosbnE or Cometaris —The 8h heath-in of tho
Commons Act of 1876 confers ceitain rishts on inhan
sanitary authorities with respect to the enclosure of
0,11-moue in the nci,lhbourhood of towos. The c MI-
/Dols effrcted are those th tt are wholly or partly
situate in towns or within six mites of one, tho term
"town " bring here tat en to ir elude any ninni-
cipal borough, Improvim, nt Ant cliafrct, or L :eat
C4-.)vernment district that has a populAtion of 5 000
iutiabitauts at the least. Mr. Mundella wishes these
"suburban commons " to include also all commons
that are hituate either wholly or partly within ten
miles of any town containing at least 25,000 inhabit-
ants, or within fifteen miles of any that contains at
least 100 000. Toe last secti,n of Sir. Mundella's
Bill would render it unlawful "for any person to en-
c"es except with the consent of Parliament, the
whole or any part of a common or reputed common
Which shall ho situate within the distance prescribed
by the aimmons Act of 1870 in respect of suburban
commons."

FASHIONABLE ORNAMENTS IN A ETERlOA.—Honeshoes
are the most fashionable ornaments in American
society just now, and scarcely a house is to be found in
New York or Baltimore without one of thcsa emblems
of goed luck hung over the doors or the inirrore.
Transatlantic belles wear them in gold, silver, or
diamonds, monster floral horseshoes ornament the
walls at fashionable weddings, while each groomsman
wears a gold laorseshoe- pin studded with diamonds.
Note paper displays the same design, and even cakes
assume the favourite shape. The fashion was first set
by a Baltimore beauty who, when out riding with her
lover, saw a horseshoe in the road, and, picking it up
as a good omen, had it mounted in gold as a keepsake.
Another fashionable freak in New York is the
establishment of "Parisian evenings," at which
French conversation only is permitted.

THE MOM ST. GOTHARD TTINNEL —The work of
excavating the Mount St Gothard Tuntel is very
nearly completed ; and it is expected that in the early
days of March the workmen who are now driving their
galleries from Gaschenen on the ono side and Airolo on
the other will meet; as there are only about 4001 t. more
of rock to be blasted. Toe completion of toe work is
vary anxiously anticipated, as the temperature is
nearly 100 deg. Fahrenheit; and the men are beginning
to suffer very much from the heat. It is intended to
celebrate the opening of the tunnel by an entertain-
ment to the workmen ; and the Federal Council intends
to present to every man who has been employed a
medal commemorative of the event; while the Zurich
Gazette has opened a subscription for the families of
the men who have been killed during the progress of
the works.

ECLIPSES DT 1880.—Six eclipses will take place in
1.880. Vile first, of the sun, was on the 11th January,
invisible at Paris, but visible in the north of Australia
and the Southern Ocean; second, a total eclipse of
the moon on the 22nd of Jane, invisible at Paris;
third, on the 7th July, an annular eclipse of the sun,
invisible in Paris, but visible in the South of America
and Africa, and the Austral Ocean; fourth, a partial
eclipse of the sun, inyisible at Paris; fifth, a total
eclipse of the moon, partially visible at Paris; it will
enter the penumbra at ten minutes to one in the
morning; and sixth, on December 31st, a partial
eclipse of the sun' visible at Paris, beginning at four
minutes to two in the afternoon.

AMERICAN AND CANADIAN FOOD. —Daring the put
stock
there
fresh re wrasaa small f
ll decreaserohe Unitedtinthea Statesrrivalo d
f and
Canada. There Tuhneirteed states Cana
was
not a single
live sheep landed
a circumstance
which has not occurred for many months past, but
there was a larger number of pigs landed. The fol-
lowing steamers brought live stock ; the Brazilian
with 616 head of live cattle and 116 pigs ; the Lake
Nepigon, with 140 head of cattle; the lowa, with 717
head of cattle and 200 pigs. The steamers with fresh
meat were the Germanic, with 1.528 quarters of fresh
beef and 650 carca,es of mutton; the British Crown,
with 959 quarters of beef; and the City of Montreal,
with 760 quarters of beef, 125 carcases of mutton, and
149 pigs.

ANGLOPHOBIA. —When M. de Lesseps was getting
up his Suez Canal, a gentleman afflicted with Anglo-
phobia called on him, and expressed his desire of sub-
scribing for his railroad in the island of Sweden. "It
isn't a railroad. It is a canal," said M. de Lesseps.
"That makes no difference." "It isn't an Island.
It's an isthmus." "Pot my name down all the same."
"But it isn't in Sweden, it's in Suez." "All right.
I don't care what or where it is. All I know is, the
English don't like it; so I want to help it on."
Another enthusiast wrote, "Yield not an inch to
perfidious Albion. If necessary, move your isthmus
elsewhere. Your shareholders will follow you."
"WHAT IN THE CAPTAIN 'S BUT A CHOLERIC
WORD."—The Laird (to hie gardener, who had caught
somebody trespassing) : "Ham ! And you say,
Saunders, that the fellow was impudent ?"
Gardener: " Impident !' 'Deed, sir, if he had been
the Laird himsell he could nu hat, been muir 111, bred "
SUNDAY CLOSLNG IN WALES.—Mr. Roberts has
introduced a Sunday Closing Bill limited to Wales.
The preamble states that the provisions in force
against the sale of fermented and distilled liquors
during certain hours on Sundays have been attended
with great public benefits, and that it is expedient,
and that the people of Wales are desirous that in their
principality these provisions should be extended to the
other hours of the day. It is then proposed to enact
that " in the principality of Wales all premises in
which intoxicating liquors are sold or exposed for sale
by retail shall be closed during the whole of Sunday."
To premises so closed—the Licensing Acts of 1872.1874
are to apply. The date fixed for the commencement
of the operation of the measure is, as to each county
or place, the day next appointed for the general
annual licensing meeting. The Bill is hacked by NI r.
Osborne Morgan, Mr. Richard, Mr. Hassey Vivian,
and Mr. Holland.

LEAP YEAR —ln en article on "Lenp Year" the
Globe remarks :—" Why the year of 366 days should
be called leap year, except on the /netts a n,n lucendo
principle, It is not easy to understand. The Lexie°.
graphere declare that it is because it leaps over a
day more, than a common year. But surely a day
added is not a day leapt over. The title would
seem apprtpriste only if a day were subtracted, and
might cleally indicate a difference in defect till a
plausible interpretation is introduced. It is ex-
plained that, in ordinary years, if the first day of
March be on Monday In one year, it will the next
year be Tuesday, but on the occurrence of leap Tear
as the next year it will leap from Monday to Wed-
needay."
THE EDUCATION GRANT.—In the year 1879 there
was expended from the ParliamentEry vote for public
education in England and Wales. £1,178,282 on schools
connected with the Church of El:lo%nd, 2209,391 on
British, schools, £106,086 on Wesleyan schools,
£1.12,276 on Roman Catholic schools, and £538,067 on
Board schools. The expenditure on administration—
of course, including inspection—reached £179,415.
A Ruler BILL,—" Posting bills without consent"
is a nuisance, which any police-constable mey suppress.
Our " special " has instructions to keep a strict watch
over our tailor's movements.—Funny Folks.
A WONDERFUL TREE !—A miraculous Syringtatree
grows leer a Lama Monastery at Kumbum in China,
and was lately visited by the Hungarian explerer,
Count Bdle Szezh4nyi, during a trip through the
Chinese frontier provinces. This tree is supposed to
have sprung from the earth five hundred centuries
since, at the birth of Gymen-Bucais, the great refoemer
of Buddhism, and has worked numerous miracles, the
last being for the benefit of a mandarin, who dis-
covered a leaf bearing a perfect portrait of Buddha.
The Lewes derive considerable income from their
tree, as pilgrims come from far and wide, while the
fallen leave, blossoms, and twigs falling are ground
into powder, and sold as efficacious cures, at enormous
prices. Count Sz(lchenyi, however, got up early one
morning, while the gaardians of the tree were asleep,
cut off a whole branch, and made off with his prize.
APPRECIATIVE. t Navvy (in the wrong carriage,
and nna 'custorned to such 'neer)). Tnis is fine, Bill?
Second Navvy. Like spring beds, ain't emit—Judy.
THE FARMERS' ALLIANCE.—Mr, C. S. Read, M.P.,
attended a meeting held in Norwich on Saturday on
behalf of the Farmers' Alliance. Invited to address
the meeting, Mr. Read said the Chambers of Agri-
culture now handled vigorously the various subjects
mentioned in the programme of the Alliance, and
therefore the Alliance was unnecessary and likely to
be mischievous. He said this because in the Chambers
of Agriculture landlords united with tenants, while
he failed to see that landlords were members of the
Alliance. Although when in union with their land.
lords they might have done' very little indeed, yet
working without the landlords they would do still
less. The Alliance, too, appeared to be mainly sup,
ported by the extreme left of a certain political party,
and altogether he did not think that the Alliance wee
wanted in Norfolk.

SIR WILFRID LAWSON TO Nora.—lt La a fact, not
nei.rly Bo generally known as it ought to be, that
water, the favourite beverage of total abstainers, IN
shocking to relate, mostly always drunk.—Judy.

TELEGRAPHIC ERROIIS.—A writer on "Some recent
advances in telegraphy "gives the following amusing
instances of blunders caused by the alteration of dots
and dashts in the code now in use :—A dot will con.
vert the word save into rave; pound is easily trsns-
posed into found, and the words deal and bad are made
up of precisely the same number of dots and dashes,
the only difference being the insertion of a space, and
naovuenrcyinsgadthamtessa
faagreouwriaete
dsaeungthnteort.wvas "dead"
dlong d aignosted
an-
nouncing
"bad "—the signals fer DE having exactly the same
element as B, as shown above. After healing this
um. e will be surprised that when a part; of ycung
ladies WAN announced as having "arrived all right,"
the message was delivered as "arrived all tight;" and
that also when a husband went to Brighton to secure
apartmEnts, and arranged with his wife that if he
found apartments he would telegraph for her to come,
but if uusticceFs,ul would return home, he telegraphed
"home to-night," but she received the message "come
to-night," and the result was that they crossed on the
road. Again, a friend of mice was in Manchester, and
his only child was at home an well, he suspected with
the measles; his wife telegraphed "rash all gone,"
but he received a message "cash all gone."