The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-10-31 00:00:00

Miscellaneous ntelligenct.

ROME FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

ARMY DESERTIONS. —Last year 743 soldiers
were sentences! for desertion from the army. Some of
the reasons given for desertion by the men are curious.
Fifty-seven were annoyed by comrades or harshly
treated by non-commissioned officers and other; 44
married without leave or had "love affairs ; " ic were
were led astray by drink; 229 deserted from dislike of
the army ; 81 were persuaded by comrades or bad
company; 64 alleged refusal of leave as the cause ; 29
deserted to better themselves; 39 went im the " spree "
and did not return; 43 were tired of the army; 18
deserted on account of whims and folly; and 32 gave
no cause.

THE SOrR TRUTH. —Country Parson (with a
few Friends a dinner): "Thomas, that Claret Cup is
not quite Right. It is too Sweet."— Thomas : "Yes,
Sir; but Cook aai.l as the Lemons was all Squoze into
the Jelly."—P mirk.

DISCOVERY AT HAMPSTEAD.—A few days ago,
as some labourers were at work digging out the founda-
tion of a house not far from the neighbourhood of
High-street and Church-row, they came upon a curious
piece of gold, evidently of foreign coinage. It was not
quite so large or so heavy as a half-sovereign, but far
more elaborately carved. On ote side it bore the
figure of a civilian in his robes kneeling before a Saint,
and on the reverse, a figure of the Virgin Mary, inside
what is called a stoics piscia, and surrounded by a
double row of stars, with a legend in Latin, in
abbreviated characters. On being taken to the British
Museum for the purpose of verification, it turns out
to be a Venetian zecchino or ducat," bearing the
name of Aloysio Mocenico 111., who was one of the
"Doges," "Dukes," or " Duces," of Venice in 1722-
The motto or legend round the ed4e reads as
follows :—" Sit tibi, Christe, datus, quem tsi regis,
iste ducatus," the last word meaning "Duchy."
Chambers's " Cyclopmdia" tells us that this legend
was that borne by the old gold pieces formerly coined
in Sicily, and the religious motto was preserved when
Venice began to issue a gold coinage of its own.

REST AND BE THANKFUL.—The Times; in a
leader, noticing the speeches last week by various
members of Parliament, remarks:—

Taken altogether, last week's speeches have two charac-
teristics which are at once natural and gratifying. The first
is their pervading tone of moderation. They bear the mark
of a season of political rest. Men have time to think, and
are disposed both to offer and to receive criticism in a calm
and temperate spirit. The next characteristic is the slight
allusion to foreign affairs. Of six speakers, only two even
touched upon that topic. Lord Malmesbury, re err iug to
Denmark and the North Schleswig question, iriefly
deprecated "the tendency to run hard a small country
which had already been very hardly used." Sir William Stir-
ling Maxwell contented himself with observing that the
foreign policy of the country was safe hi the hands of Lord
Derby; and that if the expenditure on National Defences
was unavoidably large, there was certainly so sentiment "of
aggression or ambition " at Downing-street. Alike at home
home and in its relations abroad the country is enjoying
a period of repose, and we may for the present rest be
thankful.

THE OLD-FASHIONED BONNET COMING IN.—
The present day bonnets—which, as a jovial poet has
remarked

" are so very small
That you scarely can call them bonnets at all'—
are not likely to remain much longer in fashion. They
will actually have to make way for the bonnet of bygone
days—the bonnet which our grandmothers wore and
flirted in. So, at least, says a Paris correspondent.
" A startling announcement from Paris will interest your
lady readers," he writes. "The new style of head-gear is
to be the old-fashioned bonnet, with brims, crowns,
strings, and perhaps, curtains. It appears that the
conclusion ba.s been reached that the prevalence of
neuralgia and kindred diseases, unknown comparatively
a few years ago, has been due to the fashion of leaving
the head, neck, ears, and throat without any protec-
tion. The large number of weak eyes is also attributed
to the want of shade afforded by the fall or curtain."—
"Sayings and Doings," in Ptctorial World.
BETTING ON NEXT YEAR'S BUDOET.—A Mil-
lion to One against it.—Punch.

DIFFEREIS-T SIDES OF THE SHIELD.—A corre-
spondent sends us (The Times) the following extract
from a letter he has received from a medical practi-
tioner in one of the Australian Colonies :—" I have to
attend working-men's clubs, and these clamorous
advocates for eight hours a day and high wages don't
scruple to condemn us doctors to 14 hours a day, and
pay 34d. per week to attend themselves and families
up to 18 years of age.

A THOUGHT IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM.—
Manchester possesses a fine Free Library. An ap-
propriate name for it would be the Cottonian.—Punch.
COLOUR-BLINDNESS. —AR ingeniously con-
trived instrument has been introduced in Germany
for testing cotsw-blindness. It consists of a rotating
apparatus which moves a disc whose centre is a circle,
one-half black and the other white; outside of this is
a ring half red and half green, then another ring of
violet and red, then the outside ring of violet and
green. When rapidly rotated the centre appears to be
coloured rray—that in, black and white mixed. To a
greeipblind person the middle ring will appear grey,
that being the result of a mixture of violet and rod.
The outer ring will appear grey to the red-blind
Patient, and the inner grey to the violet-blind._

GROWTH OF ORF:GOINT.—In remote Oregon
Governor Grover has been able to make the following
statement in his recent M essage to the Legislature:
—" The progress if the State during the last four
years has been healthy and rapid. The Menage of its
rate of development in material products has bem at
least fourfold. The value of our exports has reached
a sum certainly exceeding 810,000,000. I estimate
the export value of our whect and flour at nearly
$4,000,000 gold; oats, other grains, and fruits,
$1,000,000; wool, hides, meat, cattle, and horses,
$2,000,000; salmon, $1,000,000; lumber and coal,
$1,000,000 dols. ; gold, silver, and iron, $1,500,000
This exhibit for a population of 100,000 jeople
is almost without a parallel. We need more popula-
tion. Let us maintain a responsible, just, and prudent
State Government ; let us lighten the public burdens,
practise industry and economy, encourage education,
and maintain our present standards of morals and
religion, and all lands will send us increase.

THE BATTLE OF BALARLAVA.-31-o-oday, the
27th, being the anniversary of the Battle of Balaklava,
the following officers dined together at \Vilna's Rooms,
St. James's, London, in celebration of that famous
action Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Cooper
Hodge, C.B. (in the chair), Major-General Wardlaw,
C. 8., Major General Shute, C. 8., Major-General
Forrest, Major-General Clarke, C.B. Colonel Sir Roger
Palmer, Colonel Godman, Colonel White, Colonel
Trevelyan, Colonel Swinfen, Colonel Seagar, Colonel
Nugent, Colonel Sandeman, Major Manley, Major
Duberley, Major Coney, Major Mussenden, Major
Hutton, Major Wilkus, Major Clowes, Major
Ferguson, Major Prendergast, Captain Clutterbuck,
Captain M'Donnel, Captain Goad, Captain St'Creagh,
Captain G. Hunt, Csptain Brikmock, Captain Scott,
Captain Lee, Surgeon-General Monet, C. 8., VC.,
Deputy-Controller Crookshank, C. 8., Assistant-Con.
troller Murray, Assistant-Comminsary-General J. S. C.
Sutherland, Dr. Anderson, &e.

" MAL Are°Pos."—Rector's Wife: "Well,
Venable', how do you think we Sold the Jersey
Cow ?"--Venables (Factotum and Gardener): 'Well,
Wm, Master Byles has got the Better o' we a many
Times, but—(proudly)—l think as we a' done he to-
rights this Turn! !"—{" So awkward/—and before the
Archdeacon, too I"—}/t: NCR.

THE FORESTERS AND THEIR FUNDS. —The
Forester's Jounial states that the aggregate worth of
all funds connected with the Ancient Order of
Fonbeters up to Dec 31, 1873, was £1,769.135 3s. 11d.
invested as follows ; Post-office and other savings' banks,
£669,100 15s. 6d.; mortgages, £350,392 15s. 3d.;
borough rates and other corporate securities, £164,601
Is. 7d. ; government, £274,461 10a 10d. ; railway de-
bentures, £26,016 is. 7d. ; house property, £62,618 15e.
ll.; private and joint stock banks, £47,088 Os. 2d. ;
gas and water shares. &c., £30,832 Ile. ; invest-
ments sundries, £21,910 4s. 3d.; cash in hand of the
various treasurers. £113,505
"

TOMATOES AS MEDICINE. —The tomato, besides
being one of the most powerful aperients of the matt Ma
medics, is eaid to be a wonder! ully effective curativ e agent
for those affections of the liver and other organs for
which calomel is generally employed. It might, indeed,
entiiely supersede calomel, and is oleo a thorough
remedy for dyspepsia. Some doctors advise its use
by everybody at every full meal, either raw, cooked,
or in the form of catsup.

UNITED STATES MONEY ORDERS.— The Money-
Order Division of the United States Post Office
Department is able to present a good report for the
year ending June 30,1874. The amount of orders
issued was $75,425,854, against $57,516,216, in the
preceding year ; and the fees on orders issued
amounted to $461,322, being $106,720 more. The
expenses were $360,508. The orders issued on British
.socount sffixounted to $1,491,320; the fee., $44,508.
The British orders paid amounted to 8303,773. In
the preceding year the British orders issued amounted
to $1,364,376; the fees, $40,504 • British orders paid,
$215,087. German orders issued. $701,634; fees,
$19,288; orders paid, $535,216. The exchange of
orders with Germany commenced October 1, 1872.
The large increase in the amount of domestic orders is
partially due to the late panic, when other draughts
were paid ia certified checks while Post Office orders
were always paid in act oat money.
LADIES' FANCY WORK. —WOllleIl'S Novels.-
-Punch.

Tux TONGUE TRADE. —A remarkable instance
of the increase in the sale of imported ox tongues is
afforded by the trade done at Paysandu. At this little
town on the Uruguay, during the last season, about
150,0o5) ox tongues were packed in hermetically sealed
tins and shipped to this country. The saladeros in
this neighbourhood carry on their slaughtering opera-
tions upon a gigantic scale, and, in addition to provid-
ing the delicacy known as Paysandu tongues, are thus
also large exporters of hides.
ABOLITION OF SECOND-CLASS CARRIAGES.—
" Are there any second-class carriages on this line,
Rogers?'—" No, my lord."— "Ah ! then take two
first-class tickets, and two third."—" Beg pardon, my
lord ! But is me and Mrs. Parker expected to go
third-class —" Gracious heavens! No, Rogers! not
for the world ! The third-class rickets are for my
lady and me !"—Punch.
A LUCKY TAILOR.—There is a tailor in Con-
stantinople upon whom Fortune smileth. A short time
ago he ma le a coat for a Turkish customer, and when
he called for what Mr. Skimpole would have called
the "little bill," the said customer, being impecunious,
gave the proverbial ninth part of a man a bond in
the Roumelian Railway Lottery Loan as payment.
So the tailor went away downhearted; but when the
lottery was drawn, and the bond in question turned up
a prize of £12,000, he rejoiced exceedingly, while the
man for whom he had made the coat grr ew propor-
tionately sad.—Pictorial World.
STRANGE, IF TRUE.—The following "incident
of the famine," reported by the collector of Monghyr.
is (says the Times of India) certainly remarkable : —" A
woman of the fishing caste," writes Mr. Lockwood,
"was sitting by the side of the Ganges some hundred
miles from here, in the Patna district, about daylight of
the 16th of August. Suddenly the bank on which she
was sitting gave way and she fell into the water, dragging
with her a large bundle of castor oil sticks which she was
carrying at the time. She managed to support herself on
these sticks, which formed a kind of lifebuoy, and she was
carried down by the current, which is now running at
a great pace. As each village or boat was passed she
shouted to the villagers to help her, but no one came
to her relief. In this way she was carried nearly s
hundred miles, and, fortunately for her, when she had
been twenty four hours in the water, she passed by
Monghyr and was rescued by Colonel Murray, who,
seeing her floating by, sent his private boat and rescued
her. The woman did not appear much the worse for
her prolonged stay in the water, but naturally was
much impressed by the fact of her being rescued by
an European when so many of her own caste had
declined to help her. She was provided with a rail-
way ticket to Patna, together with food and clothing
from the relief funds."