The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-07-11 00:00:00

"DEATH ON A GLACIER."

The Times has published the following letter :
Sir, -Unfortunately for the numerous inmates of
this hotel and for myself, Tine Timis is mot yet seen
here ; therefore I know not if one of your übiquitous
" correspondents" may have already. communicated to
your readers Rome incidents relating to the recent
dahaonement of last year's mystery attaching to this
place.
On Saturday, the 20th inst., a poor Bergamasapie
shepherd, in quest of one or more stray sheep upon an
unfrequented hill-side almost facing this village, came
upon what proved to be the skull anal skeleton of the
Rev. Bertie Marriott, who from the 28th of last July
had been missing, in spite of every pains taken on the
day tenoning and long afterwards to find traces of
him, and in spite of £lOO being offered for his dis-
covery. Ms identity, as well as the accidental nature
of his death, appears at once from visiting cards and
letters and is Parisian gold watch being found in his
pockets, from ten pounds' worth of money in French
gold known to have been about him being found
in his puree, and from his Biediker guide book
being found at two or three yards' distance from the
snot.
These and other particulars were ascertained, not
by the poor shepherd, who went in dismay to report
what he had seen to his chief upon the opposite moun-
tain side, nor by the Chief shepherd himself, but by
the Mayor of the Commnne. M. Enderlin liv the
resident Dr. Ludwig; by the coroner of tine Enga- The special Eeporterof The Times, writing from Ipswich,
dine, and by the master of the Had Roseg, at which se Saturday, says
the unfortunate gentleman was staying at the time Four or five weeks hence harvest will begin, and
of the fatal catastrophe. And here I must say that at Newmarket on Tuesday some of the farmers had
nothing could exceed the delicacy, as well as care- already arranged for their labour supply at rates of
fulness, ad these gentlemen s proceedings in the Ell or 1:12. When labour has to be imported from a
matter. After telegraphing to his friends in distance it cannot be had as cheaply as labour sup-
Paris anal London, and awaiting their replies, plied on the spot, for the marriedrr an have their homes
they left nothing for his fellow-countrymen to do to keep up as well as to provide lodgings for them-
but to see in its coffin the poor fleshless carp-se, selves while in a new district. There is a far-
awathed in the garments in which the shepherds found fetched suggestion that shiploads of men should be
it, anal then tan follow it to the parochial cemetery and drooglit from the United States and Canada, but the
witness its interment by the then acting English chap- strong probability is that agricultural labourers who
lain. This gentleman went the same afternoon with are anxious to get back Irmo those countries would
the writer to see the spot—very difficult to reach— not be wawth munch at home. From Dula:, how-
where, at the foot of a tall pine and of a loftier ever, I hear if "a pilgrimage " much more signiti-
precipice, the fox-gnaweal remains hail so lnn. lain ; cant than that healed by :Mr. Taylor. It is the
anal another friend accompanieal the writer to the top arrival of some 2,000 stalwart Irisl. peasants on
of the precipice itself, over the shelving sliriace of th-ir way to East Anglia in search of work. For-
which this daring Alpine climber seems to have fallen merly the Eastern Counties were traversed at bar-
like an avalanche, vest-time by many hundreds of Irish labourers, who
It is with a sense of relief that I conclude this son worked hard, lived at little cost, and went home
rowful account with is brief reference to the circum- with a pocketful of money when they ceased to be
S.:111 A, (communicated to me by a a,sentleman when was wanted. Of late years the annual migration of these
here at the time of the catastrophe) that for sometime men Inas been stopped ; lot it seems that the report
Mr. Marriott's mysterious disappearance was conjec- , of high wages anal vacant places here has reached
terally attributed to violence committed for the sake I them in Connaught anal Munster, and that the Irish
of plunder by some of those very men—viz., Berge, peasant, in more senses than one, is determined to
masque shepherds --whose :successors have now proved profit by the Union. Around Newmarket the
themselves incapable even of plundering the corpse. farmers last year paid more for their harvesting
All honour to these simple Italian peasants- -am than in any other part of Suffelk or Cambridge-
worthy of the proffered reward! All honour to these shire, and the price promises to be higher, instead
censcientions Swiss burgesses !—I am, Sir, your obe- of lower this season. 'ro the Union hands, the loss
client servant, JOHN JAMES, of the harvesting will be a sore disappointment.
Rector of Avington, Berks. ' The men rely upon the L'2 or a week earned
Intel Couronne, Eontresina, Engadine, June 30. during harvest
ay by ato pay rent, wipe off scores at the
xi lage Amps, l little for the winter montlur,
anal start afresh for the year. It will be hard indeed,
MILITARY SCIENCE—The gold medal of the therefore to see this work and the fruits alit appro-
Royal Artillery Institution for 1.874 has been awarded printed by strangers. There is a hope that the Luton
to the writer of the essay distinguished by the motto will pay their locked-out members, say, half what they
" Minna petentibus desuht mutter.' The subject of the might have made by harvesting; but it is doubtful
essay is "The Conetitution and Duties of the Artiller whether the funds of either society will allow of this
of the Advanced Guard of an Army in the Field,' further and deeper drain.
and the successful competitor Lieutenant Sisson C.
Pratt, Royal Artillery, at present studying at the Champagne made from oranges is said to be the
Staff College. atest thins la Florida.