The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-06-05 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The census taken last February shows that Denmark,
including the Faroe Isles, has 1,980,675 inhabitants. Ten
years ago the total was 1,784,741.

The Birmingham Post says that no fewer than eleven
suicides had to be made the subject of inquiry by the coroner
in the month of May. This is more than twice the number
for the whole of the first quarter of the year.

General M'Murdo writes that he concurs with Lord
Elcho in thinking that the reason alleged against holding a
Royal Volunteer review in Hyde-park is insufficient; the
mere risk of causing more or less injury to the shrubs ought
not to be allowed to weigh against an event of so much national
im ortance.

The Prince and Princess of Wales Prince Albert
Victor, Prince George, Princess Louise, Princess Victoria,
and Princess Maud attended divine service in the Chapel
Royal, St. James's, on Sunday morning. The Dean of the
Chapels Royal preached.
A Press despatch from Cooktown, Queensland,
reports the arrival of the mission steamer Ellangowan
Thursday Island on April 4, and states that Captain Redeich,
the naturalist explorer, fell overboard from the Ellangowa.n
on theYday after leaving Port Moresby, and was drowned.
On baturday night last the Ranelagh and Hurling.
ham Clubs decided a polo match by electric light on the
ground of the former at Fulham. There was a very numerous
assemblage of visitors present. The ground was encircled
by a complete ring of Chinese lanterns, similar lights being
placed amongst the trees, and the effect when the area on
which the opposing teams contended was illuminated by the
electric light was singularly picturesque.

-
A supplement to the London Gazette issued *xi
Saturday morning states that the Duke of Connaught is to
be Colonel in Chief of the Rifle Brigade, vice Field Marshal
the Prince of Wales, transferred to the Colonelcy in Chief of
the regiments of Cavalry of the Household Brigade.

The ship Killochlan, Captain MacFadzeam, which
arrived at Queenstown last Saturday, reports that on May 25,
in lat. 50 N., long. 14 W., she passed a large lifeboat painted
white inside and outside, with a dark gunwale; had two air-
tight tanks in her. She was 2ft. out of the water. They
could not observe any name on her. The weather at the
time was too heavy to have her picked up.

A Parliamentary return just issued gives the quan-
tity of hops imported into the United Kingdom for the
year ending September 30, 1879, at 179,395 cwt. ; correspond-
ing period previous year, 285,414 cwt. The quantity of
foreign hope exported from the United Kingdom for the
year ending September 30, 1879, 2,686 cwt. ; previous year,
5,456 cwt. British hops exported in the same period
amounted to 10,935 cwt. ; in the previous year, 12,718 cwt.

The Geneva Correspondent of The Times says that
the body of a tourist was found on Tuesday last on the
Fritern Alp, above Linthal, not far from the Klausen Pass.
The position of the body and other indications leave little
doubt that, overtaken by a storm or bewildered by a fog, the
unfortunate man wandered from thic track between
Kinzigkulm and Linthal, and fell down A precipice. From
an hotel bill found in one of his pockets, the body is sup-
posed to be that of a gentleman from Zurich, who, leaving
his wife at Seelisberg, had set out alone a few days pre-
viously for an excursion in the mountains of Glarus.
A conflagration has occurred in the village of San
Luis, near Santiago de Cuba. A great number of houses
were destroyed, and 2,000 persons rendered homeless. Seven
persons are reported to have perished in the llamas.
The stock of natural curiosities now on view at the
Westminster Aquarium has received a further accession in
the person of Chang-yu-Sing, the Chinese giant. This is
Chang's third visit to London, the last having taken place
some twelve years ago. He stands Bft. 2in. high. In conjunction
with Chang, a somewhat smaller giant now appears. He is
a Norwegian, named Henrik Brustal, and is ift. sin. high.
Mr. Chaplin, M.P., has given up his game to the
tenants upon the payment by them of an additional Is. per
acre. The tenants have all accepted this arrangement,
which will add £1,163 per annum to mr. Chaplin's rent-roll.

The amount of the National Debt purchased and
cancelled in the financial year ended March last by the
operation of the new sinking fund was £659,713, of which
£650,000 were in Exchequer Bonds and £9,713 in funded
stock. The amount of cash applied for this purpose was
£657,970.

On the night of Sunday, April 3rd, 1881, a census
of the United Kingdom will be taken, and during the present
short Session a Bill will have to be passed to authorise the
expenditure necessary for the purpose.

Dr. Richardson, in presiding at the annual meeting
of the Sanitary Institute, expressed his disappointment that
the announcement of sanitas sanitatura at the advent of the
late Government proved to be only a voice. He advocated
the bringing into the department of a Minister of Health all
the divided Government offices whieh deal with that sub-
ject; and said the Institute meant to agitate ceaselessly
until they made national health the bank of national wealth.
The "Wire Age" is the apt title given to the pre-
sent epoch by a Boston journal in consideration of the mul-
titude of wires used throughout the world for telegraphic
and other purposes.

The month of May is connected with innumerable
traditions by the French peasant. You must neither sweep
out your house with a broom during the "Mois de Marie,"
nor sleep near a bouquet of flowers, nor eat too heartily;
whilst May marriages are thought specially unlucky. If it
rains on Whit Sunday also the crops will be poor and the
weather stormy, while, should the sun not shine during the
day it is a sign of ill omen

A levee was held at St. James's Palace on Momday
by the Prince of Wales on behalf of her Majesty. The pre-
sentations were about 400 in number.

_
On Lochleven, the other day, an angler laid dcwn
his rod projecting over the boat, with the flies in the water.
A trout took the lure, aid dragged the rod over the boat
and out of reach. Next day when the surface was calm,
the angler sailed out in search of his lost property, and re-
covered it with a living trout on the line.

An inquesehas been held at Richmond, on the body
of William Albert Barrett, a little boy, who was killed
through a blow from a cricaet ball. The deceased
(who was
staying with some friends) went to play on Richmond-green,
where a large number of cricketers were at play at the time,
and while the boy was watching some men who were playing
at bowls, a cricket ball struck him on the side of his head
Deceased did not appear to be much hurt, and Was able to
walk. to the residence of his friends, but he afterwards
became unconscious, and convulsions set in. Dr. Maybury
attended him, but he died next day from concussion of the
brain. Dr. Maybury stated that he had recently had two
similar cases, one of which ended fatally. A verdict of
"Accidental death" was returned.
"I was at a garden party a few days ago when a
dance on the lawn was proposed. On asking where tho
music was to come from, I was introduced to a novel instru-
ment, which at first sight appeared like a small sewing
machine, but proved to be an orguinette, a most ingenious
little instrument Which is autornatitally worked by means of
perforated strips of paper, sold by the yard. The 3,lodus
operoli is that of an ordinary grinder organ, only much
more easy to turn. I was told that upwards of three thou-
sand of these instruments, and twenty miles of music have
been sold since last tutrimer. I ha* heard of writing by
the yard, but measuring music by the nine is an original
motion.'—" Argus," in Land and Maar,