The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-08-30 00:00:00

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HOME :OBEIGN, AND COLONIAL.

MODERN MYTHOL6(.Y.—Venus is the Queen
of Love. Hymen may be regarded as her Finiaher of
the Law, Jack Ketch, or Calcraft of the nuptial
nuoee.—Punch.

A CURIOSITY IN JOURNALISM.—The London
correspondent of the Seottnum statee that " Before the
67th Regiment left England for British Burmah the
officers spent sawn of £lioo, which had been saved out
of the canteen fund, in thesuurchage of a printing press
and types. Soon after their arrival at Rangoon they
produced what is, I believe, a phenomenon in British
journalism—l mean a 'regimental newatiaper,' the
editors, printers, and publiehers of which are all at-
tached to the 67th Regiment. The publication began
with the first month of the present year, and I have
had an opportunity of perusing all the numbers which
have since reached this c tuntry. Our Chroniee, as
the journal is called, contains leading articles dramatic
and musical criticisms, poetry, a history of the regi-
ment, sketthes of Burrnah and Burme-e life, local and
military intelligence, &c. After reading that OM in-
quest had been held on toe body of a soldier who was
found in a ditch, It was believed quite dead, but who
turned out to be only dead drunk, it is gratifying to
be assured thau instances of the excessive nee of in-
toxicating liquors have been comparatively rare among
the mu of the regiment since its arrival in Rangoon.
A single couplet from some amnsieg lines by the poet
of the 67th will sufficiently indicate the discomforts
which are experienced at Rangoon—

" Whet f(rtld swa.ms of reptiles, great and small,
'Upon the dinner-takde madly talL'
One good feature in Our Chronicle is the publication of
regimental gazette, in which all promotions of non-
commiesioned otti”ers are announced, on the model of
the London Gazette, a recognition of deserving men
which ill well calculated to maintain the esprit de corps
of the regiment.

JAPANESE TEA. —il4Torte from our COESUIS
OU the production of tea in Japan have ust been
issued, and they are illustrated by a series of drawings
by a native artist, showing the process of preparing
the tea. The best tea i, it is stated, produced in the
province of Yanashiro. At Ogura, in that province,
there are trees from 400 to 5;10 years old, producing tea
worth five dollars per pound. The hedges in the lanes
and round the kitchen gardens in the vid&ges are gene-
rally tree shrubs. The production of tea in J..pan in
1871 is estimated at about 36,000,0001 b., about half the
quantity being consumed in that country and ab int
half exported. It is thought that an increase of about
15 per cent, per annum may be counted on for some
years.

LONGEVITY —The report recently issued by
the Registrar-General relating to the year 1871 con-
tained further testimony on the subject of long life.
In 1871 the full .wing leaths were registered in Eng-
land, the ages (like other particulars) being taken on
the statement of the relative. or other persons supply.
int/ information of the death. There were 27 persons
registered as dying at the age of 100 years, 17 at 101,
10 at 102,5 at 103. 3 at 104, 2at 105, 2 at 106. 1 at
107, lat 108, 1 at 109 years. The last three should
have special mention; a man in the district of Seven.
oaks was registered as dying 107 years old; a nil
the distri t of Ledbuey, 108; a woman in the district
of Chester 109 years old. Seven centenarians died in
the metropolis, and seven in Lancaehire. Of the whole
69. 25 were men and 44 were women. From 1861 to
1871 the deaths of pe.ple registered as being 100 years
old or more averaged 78 a year; 21 men and 57 women.
The Registrar General mentions, as the only known
instan e of an insured If. reaching 100 years, that of
Jacob William Luning, who died in 1870 at the age of
103 years. His age was clearly established by docu-
mentary evidence submitted to the Registrar-General,
and published by him in his weekly return.

AN Auro-DA-Fa.—On the 16th inst. the
foll,:ving ',heard was posted at the most fregnen•e3
placesf the island of Heligoland :

"Several persons found guilty of having carried on,
agalicit the laws of this col ,ny, games of hazard, have been
sentenced by the Court of hie Excellency the Governor to a
fine of Z. 50 each, and the proprietor of the house to a One of
£lOO. ihe money found in the gainlng.room has been con-
fiscated, and the said persons have been expelled from the
Island. I.y order of the Governor the gaming implements
will he pucllcly burnt on Monday, the 18th init. at two
o'clock p.m., on the strand opposite the hone, of the police
magistrate. Court of Seulon, August 10, 1873."

The burning took place at the appointed hour, when
• finely worked roulette table, the green cloth with the
cords. and a large box for containing the whole were
brought to the spot. These articles were cut out in
pieces with a hat Met, put on the pile which had been
prepared, and set on tire in presence of numerous
spectators.

CLOTHING OF A POSTULANT. The ROHM.
Catholic ceremony of the "clothing of a postulant,"
or the "investing with the habit of the novice," took
place in the church belonging to the Servite Fathers in
Fulham-road, on Sunday afternoon. Before a large
congregatit n assembled in the church, the " sujet"
was brought in, in secular dress and placed kneeling
before the altar. A procession of priests and ac-ilytee
then came out from the sacricity, and took their places
within the sanctuary. The officiator advanced to the
altar rails, and proceeded to ask the postulant whether
the desire to enter religion was forced, arid whether,
after having studied the rules and constitutions of the
order, he was desirous of becoming a member. Having
received an answer it. the negative to the first query,
and one in the affirmative to the others, a religious
habit of the order was blessed, and then placed ueon
the postulant. The cincture, itc, was added, after
which the newly-made novice prostrated before the
altar, whilst an antiphon was being chanted, after
which the kise of peace was given to the members of
the community, and the ceremonial ended.
MIES NEILSON ON THE STAGE. —An American
" interviewer" represents Mies Neilson as saying :
—'• I remember once 'haying in Dublin. It was
Juliet. In the death scene, when I seized the
dagger and stabbed myself, a very excited Irishman
in the pit, overcome with sympathy and terror,
shrieked 06, Jim, she's done it ' I was so convulsed
with laughter that I could only get up a giggle for the
death struggle.—And, again, I was plea ing Paulire in
The Lady of Lyons, with a weak Claude. He had been
sick, and was not strong, so I told him when I rushed
to him I would clasp my arms round him, and he must
just give way a little, I flew to his embrace, and
he gave way indeed, and down to the floor we
both went together entangled in my train. We
gathered ourselves up as best we could, and I
caught him again with fervour, and the audience tried
to stifle their lanehter, when Claude's next words
brought down the house, 'This is the heaviest blow of
all!' Of course we had the laugh out then.—But the
most awkward accident happened to me once in a pro-
vincial theatre, where the anode arrangements were
most meagre. We had a kitchen for the ball-room, and
the tomb was set in the midst of the garden shrubbery.
I said, ' That will never do. Bring me some drapery,
and I will shut off the shrubbery." So I was mounted
on top of the tomb, and was engaged in pinning up the
inuprovised rartition, when up went the curtain, and
who should have been quietly sleeping with the
Cepulets, was caught in this very practical employ-
ment."

Tag FIRST GUN.—A curious instance of the
correction of a current historical error by careful in-
quiry comes ti us from the United States. It had been
generally thought that the first gun of the great Civil
War was that fired on Fort Sumter; while other ac-
emote have given the doubtful honour to a battery at
Pensacola Harbour, in Florida, where Admiral Porter,
then but a lieutenant, distinguished hiws-1f by rein-
forcing the United States' garrison with extraordinary
vigour and promptitude before the actual outbreak if
the war. But the War Department at Washington
hat ascertained on clear evidence that the original
overt act of hostility was comudited at the then very
little known city of Vicksburg, on the Mississippi,
where an attempt WAR made, some days before the
Charlestown and Pensacola affairs, to stop a small
steamer passing down the stream with stores on board
belonging to the Federal Government. As the arma-
ment of the place at that time consisted of but one
four-pounder, the property of the city, and intended
for salutes, it is not surprising that the steamer went
by unhurt; and the circumstances had been almost
forgotten in the greater events of which Vicksburg
was the scene, until late inquiries revive 1 the memory
of them. The gun was brought away when the works
of Pemberton were dismantled after his surrender to
Grant in 180, awl was lately found in the Ordnance
Stores at %% ashiligton, whence the President has
directed it to be sent to West Point, and presented to
the Academy as a public memorial of the triumph of
the cause against wtii, h it was used for the first act of
defiance. —Pall Mall (iazelle.

Dlt. CUMMING ON THE VIPITS OF THE SHAH,
SULTAN, AM) KHEDIVE.—The Rev. Dr. Cumming, in
eermon to his ci intonation in Crownicourt Chapel,
Covent-garden, on Sunday evening, alludsd to the visite
to England of the Shah, the Sultan, and the Khedive.
The Shah had been articularly struck with the ci‘ilisa-
tion and the Christianity of England. His Miijesty had
been taught several lettoina, and he has determined to
profit by them. Some of the lessons he (Dr. 'nerving)
knew the Shah would carry out. On the Occasion
of his Majtvity's visit, a number of the congregation
of Crown-court Chapel had the honour of an audience,
and asked him if be would accept the present of a
Bible. He replied that he would. Accordingly a
splendid Bible, bound handsomely in the beet morocco
leather, was offvred him, but he refused to accept it,
explaining that, as head of the religion of Persia,
he could not touch either the flesh, blood, or skin of an
animal. On the Bible being bound in red velvet he
graciously accepted it. The same person asked his
Majesty to repeal the Persian law, which made it a
capital offence for a Penman to embrace Christianity,
and he promised that he would. Therefore as soon as
the Shah would reach Penile, Christianity would be
openly tolerated. The Sultan had been much struck
with the greatness and civilization of England, and at
the results of t lbristianity. One of the chief results of
his visit was to minim him on his return to Turkey to
rt peal that law which obliged ladies to go in public
with their (aces veiled. At the present moment his
Majesty took Ma wife into public with her tat, Un-
veiled. and leaning vino., his sei,, ice was the ieenien in
tal• rtiteit Christianity as it had
110V,2 been tiilerated previ msly. The Poeta of Egypt
hail also profited by his visit.

THE SCOTS GREYS.—Referring
sence of this regiment at Dartmoor, a
of The rillttl " Scotus," who served wZry:ll,4ll
th
Crimea, says :
" It Is not so generally known 55 11 ought to be
for lamed regiment has mince the time It left its lea E,Lw
Is Scotland, performed the ingest match posslh's
Islands ; that it has been on the march and under
upwards of ft or months; and that pc 1,1, tit to he
at the North Camp, Aldershot% on tho7t Jua keesi
ben for three years broken up into numerous dstugao
When these circumstance. are token MU) cousld.rauo-7,_
those able to judge of such matters it win hewn go. s
credit it das to evert member of the Grey., from th4tlitt
lent Gimlet down to the youngest soldier who wsan.._lll
the march past, for pronucing the impression r4;olil
your correspondent's letter in Saturday's paper that taivi:
the bean Ideal of calvall7."
THE FIRE AT PORTLAND, 0R6001.—11
stated that the fire at Portland, on the 2ad of A Ii
swept away from one-sixth to one eighth of the
Inge of a thriving town of 10,000 inhabitant& Th,d
number of d selling, Was probably about 201 k etd
three 250 have been destroyed, together with hg
hotels mills,foundries, factories, Sic.,
tion, like most of the destructive fires of the pa,
coast, has occurred in the dry season. The
country between the sea coast and the Sierra Ne%
mr.uutains has no rains from May mug octob,„
November, so that at the time of the fire at Portl.4
there had probably been no rainfall in that viejeity
well on to three months. Oregon is a timber ce&eg..,
and the houses in Portland are nearly all
braises, and what condition they wool I be ia.ea‘ti,
bl.zioe sun of June and July, without run fat
that time, can be imagined.

ARDENT SPIRITUALISM.—PeopIe affect tode.
ride Spiritualism, many of whom thtraselvee
jogs with a familiar Spirit. This bl the Spirit
many circles as " Old Tom," who usually 4
name communicates by taps."—Punch.

DIENS IN THE H ARV E3T FIELD.
Chatham correspondent writes to the Pall
Gazette :

0 In consequence of the dissatisfaction which toga,
last year owing to the employment of soldiers Is s"
operations, all applicaLions made to the anthorts"
Chatham by the humors In the vicinity of Chatham sk
Rochester for the assistance of the military In yowls,
hares it hove been refused and under no circumstessus,
soldiers to be allowed to assist the farmers in hams.*
This refusal on the part cf the military authorithaffelost
stoned considerable inconvenience among Mai
farmers in Kent, who bad calcodsted on 'oldie's Islss.;
allowed to be employed in securing the barn*
pllcatioil be made for their services, as Ism bees coa,
previous years."

FATAL AFFRAY BETWEEN LIJNATICIL-412ir
(peat has been held at the Hanwell Aylvm tipos
body of a female patient named Di:earthy, aged
who died on Thursday morning from the effect. of
kick given her at the time by another patient mimed
Elizabeth Buist. Hannah Stevens, a nurse, said tad
on ikuraday morning she was in the airing co-ai
charge of eight patient., among whom were dasast
and the woman Buist. The two patients had iogkid
round the court once, and had arrived in front cisa
of the window., when Bnist suddenly put her hat
through one of the panes of glans and commeareii
savage asaault upon the deceased. Wither
prevent the fight, and called two other seeistanti, irk
succeeded in separating the women, but not beta
oeveral blows had been struck. While they am
parting them the patient Buist kicked decent
violently in the stomach, when she fell immediately
and expired in about three minutes. Other midela
to a similar effect!.vaa cailed, and the jury reamed
verdict of "Death from natural cameos, owed*
through the struggle with another patient."

"Tug MAN READS ! "—I have a distinct Yet..
lection (says Charles Young in bin diary), one Suit
when I was living at Cults, and when a stranger
officiating for Dr. Gillespie (who bad been summons:llo
Edinburgh on Midwife) obsirving that he had nottee
ceeded five minutes with hie "discourse" before ties
was a general commotion and stampede. The outs
at last became so serious that, conceiving something to
be wrong, probably a tire in the manes, I caught**
infection, and eagerly inquired of the first person la
countered in the churchyard what was the matter, sad
was told, with an expression of sovereign scorn ag4
dirgust—" Loeb keep ye, young loan! Rae ye es,
and see not? Ilse ye ears, and hear not? Tile Mu
reads 1"

THE 4` QUAKERS AND SHAICEES."-011
apolication being made to the Liverpool magistest•
on Saturday for a renewal of the licence to the klex
audra Theasre, Mr. Robertson Gladstone called the
attention of the Bench to ii play ctlled Quakers all
Shakers, which was rect performed there. Tie
object of that piece, he said was to hold up to ridicule
the religi in of • certsen section of the community ;serf
he added, that on the cc caeion ol his visit, in July,
several of the audience were so disgasted that they'd:
the theatre. Ile did not wish to oppose the raisin;
of the licence provided an a‘surance was given by the
lessee that no such performance should be again pe.
nutted. The nececeary assurance was given by Mi.
Saker, and the licence was thea renewed.
DE•LINOS IN Plis.CtolD3 SrONES. —A curiedi
account is given of the place where the dealer.
precious stones assemble in Paris to transact bush.
—namely, at the Café des Varidtds, Boultvard Mies
martre. The following is an extract from the listpwl
of the article As soon as the various chapinee as
assembled and have taken out their stores, 'Ho,'
cries one, 'it a real bargain, one of the finest andet
pieces of jewellery known. It is • necklace which be.
longed to the Princess Guifmom6n4e, the setting ard
diamonds being all old. Prince Troimetoiloff refined
75,000 f. for it 20 years ago.' The article prate from
hen Ito hand, and each person examines it attentively
with his magnifying glass Some countenances ems
doubt and indecision, and the necklace at last ruche
Michael, who is the great authority, lie weighs ie
his band, and inspects it with an air of inclifferese,
and then says, 'The stones at each end are sadist
and both with their setting belonged to the Couto
de Prei-an ; two others, which are still finer. formed
part of a collection stolen at Venice in 1004 INA
Madame MCIOSilli ; the necklace afterwards heloegei
to Lady Temple, whose husband bought it at Caadahit
of Isaac Lieven, your grandfather, M. Lion; she kit
it to her daughter, Madame de X—, who sold
three days after her marriage; as for the sapphire ii
the middle, it came from Mille. Schneider's sale; slid:*
rest is new, diamonds and settings, and came direct
from Haniburgh ; however, it is well made, sad its
75,0000. demanded seems to be a fair price.' The
all sir is settled.—However extraordinary the whow
may appear, there are in the world five or six indr
widuals who know all the diamonds of value sad all tie
articles of jewellery of importance that exist, and wit
can recognise them thirty years later if they have only
seen them for one minute."