The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-01-30 00:00:00

alistellantaus nt.elligenrn

HOME, FOREION, AND COLONIAL

IsmoarALs.—Tablets, with inscriptions, have been
placed on the house in the Rue de Richelieu where
Diderot died in 1784, and on the house in the Rue
d'Aumale where Mignet died just one century later.
OLEOMARGABINE.—AII the oleomargarine sold in New
Hampshire, U.S.A., has to be dyed pink. It is perhaps
unnecessary to point out that pi•-': butter is not a
popular table delicacy in tbt: parts.—" Sanitary
Record."

THE TEA PLANT.—The recent attempts to cultivate
the tea-plant in the neighbourhood of Messina have
been very successful. Similar experiments have been
made some years ago without giving any satisfactory
results.

SCHOOL BOARD MASTERS' SALARIES.—An educational
journal gives some statistics on the subject of teaching
in Board Schools. In one large provincial town which
it mentions there are ten teachers in Board Schools
receiving salaries of from £450 to £5OO, while 25 are
paid from £3OO to £450. Even second masters draw
as much as £2OO.

FRENCH FERIODICALS.—According to statistics tust
prepared, the total number of periodicals of all kinds
published in France and her colonies amounts to 4092,
of which 1586 are issued in Paris. The departments
next in order are—Nord, 130; Bouches-du-Rhone, 97;
Gironde, 91. The political newspapers number 87 in
Paris, and 1360 in the provinces.
VALUABLE INSECT COLLECTION.—Dr. 0. B. Riley, the(
entomologist to the Agricultural Department,
Washington, has just presented his collection of
insects to the United States National Museum. It is
said to contain 115,000 specimens of 20,000 different
kinds or varieties of insects. The value of the collection
has been set down at 25,000 dols , and Dr. Riley has
refused several offers from European museums.
A PRODIOV.—The youngest performer in the London
theatres is the infant that takes part in the baby song
in the last act of "My Sweetleart " at the Strand.
It is 18 months old, and is the fourteenth child of a
working gunmaker in Edinburgh. It is put to bed
every afternoon at four, is brought to the theatre at
nine, and is in bed again half an hour later, eaming
for this duty, it is said, more than its father.
THE SLAVE TRADE. —A Parliamentary paper has been
issued containing the declaration, signed at Cairo, on
21st December, recording the accession of Italy to the
Convention concluded between Great Britain and Egypt
on the 4th August, 1877, for the suppression of the.
slave trade.

SCHOOL ACCOMMODATION.—A Parliamentary Return
shows that the schools erected up to the present by the
London School Board provide accommodation for
390,753 children. The purchase of the land has cost
£2,331,762, and the erection of the schools has cost
-23,672,019, making a total of £6,003,781.
RESULTS OF MISSIONARY LABOUR.—RCV. Dr. Clark,
in reviewing the work of the American Board of Foreign
Missions during the last twenty-five years. says: "As
a result we note an advance in churches from 103 to
292; of church members from 3500 to over 23,000; of
pupils in common schools from EOOO to 85,000; of
native pastors from 25 to 147, not to speak of the
growth of a large and efficient body of native preachers
and teachers acting as co-labourers with us in the
evangelisation of their people."
TIME TELLING ON BARNUM —Barnum is much bent
over by his years and activity, but otherwise, accorclog
to an American paper, does not show his age, and would
pass in a crowd for an easy-going gentleman of inde-
pendent means, excepting that his features as the
greatest showman on earth are PO well known. Ile
delights—H.l3e has the time to spare—in reminiscences,
his memory being remarkably good. _

EQUALLiD ONLY DY SOTO.IIION. There has been
nothing like it since the time of Solomon, or, at least,
nothing like it outside the far-famed "Isle of Ebony."
Mnzzafer Eddin, the late Emir of Bokbara, has-left to
mourn his death 280 wives, 290 female slaves, 50
washerwomen, 22 seamstresses, 10 female barbers, nine
female cooks, and four midwives. The new Emir has
pensioned his father's wives off at the rate of 3s. tll. a
day each. He retains in his service all the others above-
mentioned, and many a score besides.
MYSTERIOUS ASSASSINATIONS.—AUSt in, Texas, is in r,
state of terrible excitement over a series of assassins:
tions, which have continued for a year past, the victims
in nearly every instance being women. These mysteriauf
murders, apparently without motive, horribly brutal in
character, and vaguely attributed to a maniac with a
mania for killing women, recall Poe's mystery of the
Rue Morgue, in which an orang-outang was finally
discovered to be the murderer of the two women.

GOETHE.—The Goethe archives at Wehnar are be-
coming more and more a storehouse for the important
writings which left the poet's hands. The autograph
or dictated letters which passed between Goethe and
Schiller will before long be added to the archives. They
are now in the possession of Baron Carl von Cotta, of
Stuttgart, who purchased them in 1875, but he has
sgreed to sell his treasures to the Grand Duchess a
Saxe-Weimar, the owner of the archives, for the price
originally given. There is one condition, however,
attached to the transaction, and it is that Baron von
Cotta shall retain the MSS. duting his lifetime, and
use them without restraint for literary purposes.

THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.—The additions to the
Zoological Society's Gardens during the past week ins
dude a bonnet monkey, from India, presented by
Messrs. Phillips Bros.; a vervet monkey, from South
Africa, presented by Mrs. Sinclair; a ring-tailed coati,
from South America, presented by Mr. C. E. Dashwood ;
a northern mocking bird, from North America, pre,
seated by Mr. F. Green; a jackal buzzard, from South
Africa, preaented by the Rev. C. W. H. Reynolds; :s
jay (British), presented by Mr. E. R. Collins; three
hoary snakes, from Constantia, South Africa, presented
by the Rev. G. H. R. Fisk, C.M.Z.S. ; a white-throated
Capuchin, from Central America. deposited; four cid
buntings; two pied wagtails (British), purchased; a
vulpine phalanger, born in the Gardens.
HISTORIC PAGEANTS.—A Berlin correspondent
writes: I mentioned some time ago that at the
approaching centenary of the University of Heidelburg
there will be a procession of twelve groups representing
the chief stages of the University's existence during
four centuries. The central group will be of special
interest to Rtiglish visitors, representing the entry of
the English Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I.
This group, which will consist of 130 persons, will
comprise representatives of the Princess and her
husband the Elector, and of many celebrated English
personages of the period. The costumes will be
wonderfully luxurious and correct, some of them cost.
ing several hundred pounds. All the twelve groups
will consist of about 1800 persons.
A LIBRARY DECIMATED.—When Mr. Stanley started
for Central Africa he took with him a whole reference
library—dictionaries of biography, geography, dates,
natural history, and science, all the great classics
ancient and modern, novels by Scott, Thackeray,
D:ckens, George Eliot, Charlotte Brontë, Hawthorne,
Kingsley, Lytton, and Whyte Melville, Dicks's English-
Plays selections from the Old Dramatists, "Selections
from Ruskin," &c.—in all 1801 b. weight of books.
Pound by pound, as he proceeded, the library lessened,.
famine, fighting, and sickness diminishing his carrying
power. The leaves of Homer and Horace, of Cervantes
and Gibbon, and Byron and Tennyson, lie bleaching
along the route of his caravan. At last the library was
reduced to the Bible, Sbakespeare, Sartor Resartus,"
None's Navigation, and a nautical almanac. The people
of Zinga insisted on his burning Shakespeare,. and ulti-
mately he was left with the Bible alone.
INTERESTING RELICS.—The Jewish Chronicle says :
"-A remarkable and interesting history is attached to
the railings or panels for the reading-desk presented by
Mr. David Isaacs, of Westminster, to the New German
Synagogue, Spital•square, which was consecrated on
Sunday last. The panels, which are of real bronze,
formed part of the original stern gallery and quarter-
deck of the Royal Oak, one of Nelson's line-of-battle
ships. This ship was broken up last year; and Mr.
Isaacs, having purchased the whole of the metal-work,
preserved some relics which were found during the
process of demolition. Among these relics were the
railings or panelr, which Mr. Isaacs caused to be gilded
prior to their presentation to the German Synagogue.'?
RARE BIRDS.—The eastern part of the county cf
Kent is just now being visited by a number of singularly
rare birds, which seem to have been brought over to
the south coast by the recent wintry weather. The
capture of two fine specimens of the golden eagle has
already been recorded, and there is another hovering
over a park a few miles from Ashford. A few days
ago a golden-eyed female duok was shot near Wingharo,
and has come into the possessien of a local naturalist.
This species of wild duck has its natural home as far
north as Siberia and Spitzbergen, where it spends its
breeding time. nere are also several of the beautiful
bramble finches flying about East Kent, and a pair with
fine plumage were secured one day this week at
Higham, near Canterbury.
A:WINING INCIDENT.—A correspondent, writing to
" Notes and Queries," quotes the following extract
from a speech by Mr. Thomas Sheridan in the "Itjøb
Debates" of last century, showing the extent of the
privileges accorded Irish members by the English House
of Commons: "By a courtesy of the House of Cony
mons in England members of the Irish Parliament are
admitted to hear the debates. A friend of mine, then
a member, wishing to avail himself of the privilege,
desired admittance. The doorkeeper desired to know
what place he represented. 'What place? Why,
am an Irish member." 0, dear, sir, We are obliged to
be extremely cautious, for a few days ago Barrington,
the pickpocket, passed in as an Irish member." Why,
then, upon my soul, I forget the borough I represent,
but if you get me Watson's almanac I will find it for
you."
PRIVATE BILLS.—The number of Private Bills io
respect of which application has been made to the
House of Commons this session is 197. Of these 71
relate to railways and 17 to tramways. The Manchester
Ship Canal Company have a bill, as also have the
Argyll Ship Canal Copany. There is also a bill for
the enlargement of Hampstead-heath, and another for
the preservation of open spaces at Highgate and Kil-
burn. The Kensington Vestry are promoting a bill,
and a bill has likewise been lodged entitled" The South
Kensington and Knightsbridge and Marble-arch Sub*
ways and Knightsbridge Improvement Bill."
PARLIAMENTARY ANRCDOTE.—The "Daily News," its
its comments on the proposed new Rules of Procedure,
tells the following good story: Many years ago a
measure was introduced by a private member, who
rose shortly after the meeting at noon, and in ao
argumentative if not convincing speech recommended
his charge to the favourable notice of the House. lAr•
Vincent Scully rose to move its rejection. He begat
his speech at half-past one, and, rivalling a feat which
made Mr. Biggar's earlier Parliamentaay reputation, he
was still talking at twenty minutes to six. There re'
mained five minutes before the debate must necessarilf
close. Looking at the clock, Mr. Vincent Sculll
observed," And now, Sir, I will proceed to discuss the
general proposition of the bill." It was necessarl
only that ha should talk for five minutes. When the
hands of the clock pointed to a quarter to six tlr,
Speaker rose with ominous cry of " Order ! order! ,
and Mr. Scully immediately resumed his seat, se'
nothing more was heard of the bill for the Session.

Timpkins : "You're looking kinder down in tbe.
mouth this morning. Jones: "Feel so." Timpkins •
"Dead broke?" Jones : "No, pawn broke."
Advertising doesn't always pay. A Louisvilll
manufacturer recently advertised for a "good hancVt
That night, at a social party, begot aband which 05
hi,D 785 (lois. cash, and his unto for 1000 dola. mores