The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-09-20 00:00:00

tlisaltantous ntelligente,

HONE, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

hto IN Se ow .—The Athenttu et says that
duciig an unusually heavy snow storm in Stockholro,
whi .11 continued for five or six days, in December,
1871, Nordensktold detected, even t th°oo P°.11." of
the snow which fell latest, a black carbonaceous powder,
charged with very small spangles of metallic iron. He
has since found similar substances in the snows of the
Attic regions and from the heart of Finland. It will
be cwiuus to learn from the &label's, which he has re-
osetlizzipromisedzm,ric irom
whether the iron in this comnical dust
is ibr o m
(Inger STORM IN AMERICA.-- A letter from
Sydney, Cape Breton. says that the settlement of \Vest
Bay on the Grand Lake has been almost demolished
by a tempest. On one eide of the bay only about six
houses remain standing. Advices from the Magda-
lene Islands give the following particulars regarding
the etorm there. The tide rose to an extraordinary
height, and at daylight on the moral* of the 24th,
nine American schooners were already ashore between
Amherst and Bacon° Harbours, and daring the day
vessel after vessel continned to break adrift from the
mooring ground. When night closed, fortythree
I Teasel. were wrecked, and twenty-six others afloat in
Amherst Barbour, with lose of anchors, cables, boats,
spars, and otherdamsge, only nine remaining outside
lin the bay. Fortunately the loss of life has been small.
I ALLEGED MURDER. —A shocking affair has
occurred at the colliery village of if etton, six miles
I from Durham. It would appear that George Smith,
a collier, was jealous of Michael Bainbrid4e, one of his
neighbours. On Monday evening Smith returned home
the worse for drink, turned his wile and seven children
into the street, and fought • neighbour named John
noisy, Bainbridge ran mitts take part against Smith,
who ultimately went into his house. He shortly after-
wards presented himself at • small window and
threatened to shoot Bainbridge with • gun. Bainbridge
picked op • brick and pitched it through the window,
whereupon Smith fetched his gun and t&ot Bidubridga
dead on the spot. He barricaded himself in his house
for twohoura, but was persuaded by the police to sur-
render: He was taken before the Houghton-le-Spring
magietretee and remanded. The deceased nos 38 years
of age, was a native of lietton, and leaves • widow and
four children.

MR. Laws AND THZ FtNUN PRISONERS.—
The folbwing letter has been received by Mr. John de
Morgan, the secretary of the "National Republican
Brotherbod," in reply to a request that the Govern-
ment world grant an =nasty to the Irish "political
prisoners" :
" "

•
"Whitehall, September 9, 1873. Slr,--I am directed by Mr.
Secretary Lowe to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of
the let last, and to acquaint you, in reply, that the question
of the liberation of the prisoners referred to In your applica-
tion has been repeatedly under the consideration of lier
Majesty's Government, who have declined, and still decline
to deal will them differently from ordinary convictr—l am,
Sir, your oherlitot servant, A. F. 0. Liddell. Ti Mr. John
de Morgan, 99, Longacre, %%C."
Mit. HALLIDAY'S ApTICE TO THE MINERS.—
Mr. Halhday, the President of the Amalgamated
Association of Miners, speaking at Silverdale, Stafford-
shire, on Tuesday, said that miners must make the
beet of their money for there may be a time when they
will require it, and when work will not be so good se at
present. They must get good food, but they must not
spend the money foolishly, but only what is sufficient
to make them happy. Ile also advised them to get
musical instruments into their houses, and to have
their eons and daughters taught to play on them, no
that their homes may be happy.

HORTICITLTURAL.—Mr. Malaprop, who ia
fond of gardening, takes great pride in showing her
friends and neighbours her "Pompous" grass. —Pune&

DIFFERENTIAL DUTIES. - United States'
papers repert that information has been received at
Washington that the French Government will soon
apply for a revcaotion of the order of the President
with remora to tee differential duties between the
Unite 1 States and France. It appears that the French
law of January 30, 1872, which compelled President
Grant to promulgate the order in question has now
been abrogated by the French Government. The ab
rogation has only been suspended until October 1, to
allow sufficient time for the diplomatic action neceie
nary to the revooation of the order of reprisal. The
differential duties have been very binder:mine to
French commerce, and have amounted to a practical
prohibition. French ships going from South America
to France have been inhibited from taking freight at
New York mince the promulgation of this order. As
the French Government has practically abandoneclthe
discrimination duties against American vessels, there is
no longer any reason for maintaining the retaliatory
duties which were virtually forced upon the United
States' Government.

LINKS or illaroar.—A Path eorrespoudent
of the Pall Mall Gazette writes—

" A hatter of the town of Limoges has jutt died at the
immense age of 105. ills name was Ala Moiety, and he was
born on the 2nd of July, 17(9, or more than a fortnight
before the First Napoleon. Louis IV. was then on the
throne, and the Parliament, as now, was sitting at Verlaine..
One can hardly imagine a person who attained Ids majority
before the Reign of Terror living In our time, having escaped
all the wars of the Empire and subsequent convulsions.
Vet it le only a few month, ago I had the pleasure of break.
Motif g with • descendant of the great Colbert who remem-
bered it doespfewo She informed me in • hslf whisper that
he was suspected of being a reartionnatre, and looked can-
Mouldy round, ae if afraid the ghost of the " lea green Incor-
ruptible ' might rise up and protest."

-
THE END or A BOOKWORIf.—To be Buried
in a Book.--Punch.

STATLe NAVY.—Tho list of the
United States' Navy shows that in July there were on
the books of the Department 1,629 officers, comprising
14 admirals, 25 commodores, 50 captains, 90 com-
manders, 141 lieutenant commanders, 225 lieutenants,
99 masters, 27 ensigns, 129 midshipmen, 150 medical
nffio..r. 131 pay department officers,
cidtplains, naval construct°ro arid
civil engifteers, 197 warrant offic•-rs, an I 64 mates.
The officers on temporary service are 19, including
members of the volunteer navy. The retired list in-
cludes 251 persons. The vessels of the United States'
Navy include five first-rate steamers, 31 second-rate,
2'2 third-rate, and five fourth-rate. The wooden sailiug
vessels comprise five second-rates, 10 third-rates first.
class, 10 third-rates second-claw, and one fourth.class.
The ironclad, number 48, and the tugs 27.

"CIRCUMSTANCES ALTER CASES." Bunting
was using his telescope on the delightful new pier at
Haroldstown. Briggs came up to him and said,
" What's that?" taunting, surprised, "Why, a tele-
scope, of course !" Whereupon Briggs rejoined, "I
should call it a pier glass."—l'unch.

CHEAP FISH AND THE WORKING CLASSES.—
During the last few weeks very large quantities of
mackerel have been caught off the Kentish coast, and
despatched to London in the beet possible condition to
Billingsgate Market. So plentiful has been the supply
that they have been selling at the rate of three farthings
each; and the ocetermongers, who naturally take
advantage of a cheap market, might reasonably have
expected to have done • good trade in theee fish among
the London poor. The oontrary, however, has been the
case. The poor decline to buy them, under the im-
pression that mackerel are now out of season, and
partly because they consider them too cheap to be good.
The truth is that no better mackerel have been in the
London market during the whole season. They are
plump and hard, "round," as they are called in the
trade, and of excellent flavour, and as wholesome an at
any other period of the year. The prejudices of the
English poor, and particularly of those in towns, are
most unaccountable. Cheap and wholesome food seems
really to be their special aversion, at least, it does in
the case of macke

lIIPPUYHAOY.—It would be interesting to
know the cause of the unpopularity of horse-fleeh in
this oountry (remarks the British Maiical Journal). It
is said that in the tenth oentriry the missionaries of
Hagen the Good of Norway. who first endeavoured to
establish Christianity in that country, dennunced most
strongly the eating of horse flesh, which indicated be-
lief in Odin. It hal been further alleged that the re-
pugnance to hippophagy still felt by all nations of the
Germanic family has its origin from this. There is
certainly some evidence in favour of such an opinion;
for we find that hippophagy has been pretty extensive
among the French, a neighbouring nation, and that
horse-flesh continues more and more to be considered
suitable food in that country; and that the con-
sumption of horse-iesh, both in Praia and the
province. of France, appears te be on the increase.
According to an official return just published, during
the first half of the current year 5,186 horses, mules,
or donkeys have been eaten in Pans; that is to my,
883,840 kilogrammes (about 21b. each) of meat, ex
elusive of heart, liver, brains, tongue, &c., which are
eaten in the same wives those of oxen. During the first
six months of 1870 (before the war), 1,992 such animals
were slaughtered in the French capital, and only 893
in the corresponding period of 1867. Probably the ex-
perience during the two sieges of Paris explains the
markedly increased consumption. But, however that
may be, the strange fact remains that, although we are
becoming fastidiously desirous of variety in our
dietary, we decline, at least knowingly, to avail our-
selves of the excellent flesh of several of our well known
herbivore.

ALPINE ANTIQUITIES. —" G," writing to the
Standard, Kays i—On the lit of this month, in com-
pany with two friends, I ascended the Eiffel Horn, in
the neighbourhood of Zermatt. While on the top of
the mountain we detached a large block of stone from
the place in which it rested. Beneath it we found a
bronze implement, much oxidised, but otherwise in
perfect condition, and apparently of very ancient
date. It is in length eight or ten inches. The head
is of semi circular form, bevelled off to produce
an edge about two inches wide. About half way
down as length on each side are two projections
or shoulders, and at the lower end is a hole, by
which it would appear to have been fastened
on to a wooden gaff. The general appearance
gives the impression that it originally funned the head
of a spear. The rock under which it lay was of great
weight and sins, and hod probably remained in the
same pleition for a great length of time. We searched
for further remains of the kind, but without success,
nor could we learn that any similar object had been
found In the neighbourhood. On mentioning the fact
to M. Seiler, the landlord of the " Monte H 0.." and
" Eiffel " Hotels, he allowed us a fragment of a sword
of ancient date which had been found in the Matter-
horn glacier, but it evidently could have no connection
with the Implement found by Da, which appears to
belong to *far earlier period.
THE COBT OF A VIOLIN.—At Dresden there
has just been sold by auction the famous instrument of
Count Trautmanedorf, Grand Equerry to the Emperor
Cbarlee VI., and which he had purchased from the
celebrated Jacob Steiner on the following strange eon-,
ditions :—lle paid down, In .coin. 70 golden carolnie
undertook to provide the vendor, as long as he livecl,
with • good dinner every day, as well as 100 florins a
month, in cash; and yearly • new coat with golden
brandenburglas ; two casks of beer; lighting and fuel;
and, in case he should marry, as many hares am he
might require, with 12 baskets of fruit annually for
himself, and as many for his old nurse, As Steiner
lived 16 years afterwards, his instrument must have
cost the count, in ready diuney, at learnt 20,000 florins,
which has just been sold to a Russian for 2,500 thaws.

. _ _--.---
l'xis Paws OF /00A1.. —The men employed at
the Hettou colleries, which proelnoe some of the beet
house coal ie Englend, held a meeting laet Saturday
evening. In the course of the proceedings Mr. W.
Crawford referred to the iestements conetently put
about that the miners had caused the excesidve ether'
of coals. He said he was prepared to show that during
the last four years the getting of coals had not cost an
increase of 9d. per ton to the coal-owner, while on the
other band, prices had during that period gone up from
19s. to 425., 431., sad even to 45e, per ton. Havieg
referred to the fortunes that from very smell beginnings
have been made in the county of Durham in the coal
trade, he pointed to the fact that the pitmen's portion
had always been hard work, smell pay, and little sym-
pathy. This had gone on long enowgli, and what
they wanted was a more equal distOntion of viealth.
Wax ? —According to an official return, just
&sued, there were last year in the metropolis 1,683
known thieves at large.
THB MIDLAND COALFIELD. —The vast profits
said to be made by colliery owners during the pot year ,
have lad to capitalists investing is mining property to '
mush an extent that in map distriAs for m&ii in a
straight line where there Is railway comreunleation,
all the available coal has been purchased with avidity.
Lesson have been able to obtain almost any price they
asked, the ad VADIA in some localities for thick coal being
from £OO to upwards of .C 430 per acre. The largest
coal district in England in that known as the Midland
Coalfield, extending in nearly a straight line from
Nottingham to Leeds' the entire length blind sixty',"
miles, varying in breadth from five to twenty miles.
In this greet field a very large number of collieries are
being opened out and others about to be commenced,
so that in the course of from one to three years there
will be an increase in the production of from 200,000
to 220,000 tons • week. Several other districts are
bristly engaged in opening out new collieries, and it Is
evident there must be • great change in two or three
years if our output of coal is not very much greater
than our requirements—more especially se the high
prices have led to the increased development of the
vast mineral resources of Rued*, Prussia, and other
continental =atria, whilst America promises to coin.
pete with us in many markete we have hitherto had
almost excluidvely to ourselves.

LET THE "TOAST BE 'DEAR' WOMAN."
Fathers and Husbands will be much cheered by an
announcement that meets the eye on all railways.
"Messrs. So-and-No respectfully solicits a visit from
their Patronesses, as they have made a great reduction
In the c ist of dream, &c. We always stuck up
for the British Lady. Her heart is in the right place,
wherever her back hair may be, and we rejoice to
read of her economy in these dear times. Punch.

DEATH or THE DUKE Di RIAD ZARIS —We
have to announce the decease of this nobleman, hus-
band of Queen Christina of Bourbon, that event having
taken place on Saturday in his villa at Sainte Adresse,
near Havre. He was the second husband of the widow
of Ferdinand VII. of Spain. He was a simple soldier
in the Royal body guard, when the Queen. then Re-
gent duriug the minority of Isabella 11., took him into
favour and afterwards married him. Through that
union he was created duke and grandee of Spain. He
leaves only a small fortune, which might have been
larger had it not been lost in hazardous specula-
tions. The Duke had several daughters, one of whom
is married to a Prince Czartorvai. The fortune of
Queen Christina will belong entirely at her death to
the Duchess de Montpeniner, as on the liquidation of
the succession of Ferdinand VII., Queen Isabella
made over to her sister whatever share she might
eventually have a right to in tho property of her
mother. Most of the members of the Bourbon family
have arrived at Sainte-Adresse in consequence of the
death of the duke. Queen Isabella, who was staying
at Houlgate, went to join her mother.
--- - -

• - - •
MlLrrias PRIBOBS. —ln the report of Major
Da Cane, Inspector-General of Military Prisone, for
List year, given in a Parliamentary Blue Book issued
on Saturday, some interesting information appears as
to the discipline and management of the establish
menta. The accommodation for military prisons in
Great Britain and Ireland was for 1,236. A large
number of men were laat year discharged as had
characters-1,691 in 1872, &gaud 1,032 in the pre-
ceding year. Of 4,723 sentencee 2,836 were passed on
men who had been previously tried, of which 1,002
were sentences on men who had been pre-
viously tried for the same offence. Desertion
is the crime that sends the largest number of
men to military prisons; out of 2,034 tried for the
offence, 333 had previously been tried for desertion,
one man no less than four times. In 1872 the &yang
strength of the Army at home was 99,306; the sen-
tences by courts-martial were 9,163. and minor punish-
ments by commanding officers 156,979. On the list of
December last there were 1,041 soldiers undEr puniah
ment, of which 575 were in Millbank Prison.

•
A PROPOSAL or M•txxmor.—The following
is the copy of a proposal of marriage to an Edinboro
lady eighty-two years of age (!), received the other day :
—"My dear Miss—, Youl perhaps think Strange at
the Communication from ef °lstria a portion of the
Earth. I feel A serious to inform you of my intention
to return Home shortly and to take to Myself a loving
helpmat for the journey of life, from what I know of
your Benevolence and Aimgiability, I beg to propose
to you that we eh old form an intimate acquaintance
for our Social and towards a Matrimonal happiness, I
May only add to this, that your name is and Shall be
ever dear to me above all others. Pleas Wright by the
earliest Meal if Convenient and say will you Accept
of a Continuation of Correspondence, and oblig your
evr truly—, Hulk Realm, Old Calabar, Wee,ern
Afr.cse I mall say of your Name as the poett said of
Jerusalem Name ever deer to me when shall My
trouhles have an end, and all my joys be placed on the
Mire Could I but ad to—ld therewith be
content,

MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE. —A very mys-
terious death has just occurred in the Avenue Saint-
Cloud, at Versailles About half-past ten at night the
passers-by were attracted by cries of "
murder ' " and they 1,.1a1.1 a uumari—ln her night-
u.mgmg !NMI] the balcony on the Ili cowl floor.
Efforts were made to enter the house, hut tome delay
occurred, and before any one could obtain admittance
the woman fell and broke her spine, death being in-
stantaneous When the police arrived, the master of
the house, and his wife, wineshop keepers, were found
occupied in making up their accontils, and they de-
clared that they had not heard any notse iv disturb.
ance. No person was found in the room from the
window of which the woman was suspended. An in-
quiry has been commenced.—Galignani.