The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-12-11 00:00:00

SAI Ul,l , iJLU. 11, 1880.

UNCOMPROMISING. The Doctor's Daughter: I
declare you're a dreadful fanatic, Mrs. McCizzom. I
do believe you think nobody will be saved but you and
your minister I "—Old Lady: " Aweel, my dear, ah
whiles hae ma doobts aboot the meenister ! '—Pu•nch•
A REMARKABLE PHENOMENON.—A curious question
for savants has recently presented itself in Mexico.
According to the Epoca of Madrid a lake exists in the
neighbourhood of Guelato about three miles in cir-
cumference, and which has never been fathomed.
About twenty-five years ago the water of the lake sud-
denly assumed a red colour, and the cause of this
phenomenon was never discovered. A short time
back, and when every one had nearly forgotten the
strange occurrence, the water again assumed the
strange red colour, exciting the terror of the super-
stitious inhabitants of the neighbourhood. A com-
mission has just been formed by the Government to
make a scientific analysis of the water of the lake,
when no doubt the mystery will be solved.
EXTRAORDINARY PEST OF RATS.—For some time
past the inhabitants of the burgh of Maryhill (says OA.
North British Daily Mail) have been greatly annoyed
by a legion of rats which have taken up their quarters
in the town. They are actually running about in
thcusands, and there is hardly a house or shop in
Main-street that is not invaded. The only persons
who seem to be benefiting by the invasion are the
chemists, who are busy selling rat poison. A shopkeeper
has invented a very ingenious machine for killing them, -
and has killed no fewer than 136 in his own shop during
the last fortnight. A dairy-keeper states that
the .rats have killed and eaten fourteen young
pigs and forty fowls belonging to him, leaving
nothing behind but a few well. picked bones. '
It is not yet known where the rats are coming from,
but it is supposed that they have been hunted from
the fields by the stormy weather. There has also been
a great number of them seen coming from the Kelvin.
A gentleman walking along by the side of the river one
evening last week observed what he thought to be a
number of planks floating down the water, but on
going closer he discovered it to be a whole army of rats
swimming down the river towards Maryhill. They
are also visiting the Kelvinside district, and a man
there discovered a nest of young ones under his bed.

THE MEETING OF PARLIAMENT. —The following oir'
cular has been issued : " Pynes, Exeter, Nov. 20,
1880. Dear Sir,—Parliament has been summoned to
meet on Thursday, Jan. 6, and there can be no doubt
that business of great importance will at once be
brought forward. I trust that you may be able to
attend the House of Commons on that day.—l have
the honour to be, yours faithfully, STAFFORD a
NORTHCOTE.'

A NEW RIFLE.—The Berlin Correspondent of the
Standard says :—" The Lowe Magazine Rifle assumes
an importance of political magnitude. Great as it
was at the time, the progress made by the adoption of
the needle gun appears small in comparison to the
results obtained by the new invention. The extreme
rapidity af the fire, which at first was supposed to
constitute the one merit of the apparatus, in a nevi'
series of experiments has been discovered to form only
one, and this not the greatest of the advantagee
gained. To the astonishment of experts, the apparatus'
very considerably steadies the an and increases the
capacities of the soldier's arm. At a distance of ei%
hundred metres a column target fired at by a cow'
pany ranged in two files, the other day, showed the
marks of ninety-nine per cent. of the bullets die'
charged. Thirty-six figure targets ranged in a broken
line at a distance of four hundred metres were hit hi
eighty-five per cent. of the bullets fired. It is true
the experiments were carried on by a crack rifle cony
pany ; but as the above results were secured during
the quickest of quick fire, the terrible effect of the
new arm in battle may be easily imagined."

AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.— The follow-
ing are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending December 4, as received from the inspectors
and officers of Excise :—Wheat, 445. 10d. ; barley,
335. 2d; ; oats, 21s. ld. per imperial quarter. Corre-
sPonding week last year :—Wheat, 465. 7d.; barley,
38s. 4d.; oats, 21s. 4d.
EXTRAORDINARY AERIAL PHENOMENON.—" A jii9"
of steps."—Funny Folks.
INCOME TAX.—Mr., F. B. Garnett, writing fro''
Somerset House, in answer to a correspondent on this
subject, says :—" With referenoe to your letter of the
15th inst.' I am directed by the Board of InlanA
Revenue to inform you that, in case of chief rents,
income tax at the rate of sd. in the pound only vi„„ss
deducted in respect of the quarter ended June, 186 v,
the Act 43 and 44 Vict., cap. 20 (the Inland Revenue
Act, 1880), sec. 51, provides that the duty shall be
deemed payable at the rate of sd. in the pound for the
qtarter to Michaelmas, and at the rate of 7d. in the
pound for the other half-year. It follows that as 5
payment for the half-year to Christmas, 1880, will cora'
prise one quarter at 5d., and one quarter at 7d., the
deduction will be at 6d. in the pound on the whole, and
that 7d. in the pound will have to be deducted in res•
pect of the quarter to Lady-day, 1881.
NAPHTHA DISCOVERIES IN THE CASPIAN.—The Bak°
Isvestie says that within the last few weeks discoveries
of almost incredible quantities of naphtha have been
made in the Baku districts. In many places the reser-
voirs are overflowing, and the material is running to
waste from the wells. In consequence of the enormous
quantity waiting purchasers the price of naphtha lls-5
fallen to 1 copecks the pood (Is. 10d. the ton), in
spite of a telegram from Kazan announcing that,
owing to the recent break up of the ice, 12 large
barges with naphtha on board have foundered in the
Volga.

"TRUE, TO YOU."—" A Constant Subscriber"
been at it again. C. S. now "wants to know " whB"
requires more philosophy than to take things as WY,
come ?--The answer, says "Constant Subscriber," 1
obvious—videlicet, to part with them as they g°'
especially when it is to your unele's.—Judy.
THE ELCHO SHIELD.—A deputation consisting ci •
the Irish Eight waited upon the Lord Mayor al
Dublin Town Council on Monday, for the purpose °
delivering into the custody of the Lord Mayor the
Elcho Shield, recently won by the Irish riflemen;
Captain Maxwell, who, in the absence of the Duke,e'
Abercorn, headed the deputation, said this was Of
fifth time the Irish team had carried off the shield. -"
resolution of congratulation was passed, and the depn'
tion, on leaving the council chamber, was wareall
cheered.

AN OLD CURE FOR HYDROrHOBIA. —The followil.
recipe from the Weekly Amusement, 1767, may interee
your readers (says D. R. D. in Land and Water) :1
"'An Approved Cure for the Bite of a Mad Deg,
brought from Tonquin by Sir George Cobb, Bart.ci
'Take twenty-four grains of fictitious cinnabar, all
sixteen grains of musk: grind all these together into
an exceeding fine powder, and put it into a small tor
cup of arrac, rum, or brandy; let it be well ini2o°'
and give it to the per Son as soon as possible after the.
bite • a second dose of the Aame must be repeat ,
thirty days after, and a third may be taken in thirtY
days more; but if the symptoms of madness aPloar
on the person they must take one of the doses Winn' •
diately, and a second in an hour after, and, if wantee, .°
a third must be given in a few hours after.'" .
WEEKLY REVIEW OF THE CORN TRADE.. —PP .
Weekly Messenger says :—"The wheat trade durini
the past week has presented scarcely any feature 0' .
interest. The weather has been mild, and mall '
have been purchasing less freely, the result being that
prices have declined to the extent of about is. Pe
quazter. The statistical position has not varied to 3%
important extent, but the shipments from Amer' 0 ,
have been upon a very moderate scale, while ther
has been some further increase in the visible suPPI4,
ahe value of wheat in the United States has a,'',
somewhat declined, and this fact, together with T.'.'ii .
approaching close of the year, produces quietness ia
the trade. Wheat, however, is by no means posse ,
4.. .
for sale, and there seems to be very little expeetaoo
of any material variation for some weeks to cool: '
On the Continent the trade for wheat during th
week, though somewhat quiet, has been firm in tone'
and there has been no material change in prices. Tbri
supplies of produce offering continue very moderate.
"
ENGLISH FASHIONS IN PARIS. —A thick garland of_,
real violets carried down the front of the dress fr°; ,
throat to waist between two lace frills is being
in Paris just now. So-called "English fashions.' 6,"ha.
prevail, and the newest ornament for the hair 0 "rs . ,
"Prince of Wales's plume "—three long feathe
arranged on the model of the Prince's crest, with
stems outlined in diamonds. Shirt-studs for dane',
are made of mother-of-pearl crossed by gold thre, ac;
intended to look as if sewn on by the gold thr.eV,
A large number of pious fashionable Parisiennes, ,4
the way, have determined to buy no new dresses
winter, and neither to give nor to attend entertele'y
ments of any kind, intending to give the re°
raised to the expelled Religious Orders.
,
SCOTCH CATTLE FOR LONDON. —T wo special tra,4
left Ross-shire on Wednesday morning with cattletleyd
the London Christmas market. The trains cont of
of seventy trucks, and carried five hundred hei% he
prime cattle. Further large consignments would
dispatched during the week.
....She
PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURAL IMPLEmENTS. plop
Daily Telegraph, in noticing the Smithfield i'the
Cattle Show, remarks: "As may be snpPo;se"',.est•
implement collection is a peculiarly full and inteas-
ing one. There is scarcely anything a farmer can„rriet
sibly use from an engine to a churn, which Nviii. ay
be found at the Agricultural Hall. Almost eis
agricultural implement and machine maker of 11°'s,ve oi
represented, 4nd some of the finest specimenl,4,
workmanship exhibited for many years are on
,l'i ili6
The great point of attraction to the outsider
rests upon the progress which from year ',, o rtlisli
apparent in the various mechanical aio,:s to 1-Aig 00
farming. Engines change their sharie ; threshersfia
made lighter, more effective, and stronger, figaer
with all kinds of newimProvtments,
ea
such as le` „st
c
guards, improved (Irwin, better bearings, -1
screens; ploughs are devised that more fully wee" ts;
demands made upon that class of impleineeo
reapers are exhibited with all manner of contriOre: e 3
for rapidly harvesting cups; and even the s: iie•
ploughing apparatus shown is seen to be a yes" • a.
. die
provensent upon its predecessors. •All this is in arirl
tive of great labour, ingenuity, and perseverance, cly
is in itself proof that the study and practice of ". ,
culture are rapidly one increase amongst us• '
"THE CRT OE THE CHILDREN.'—A public 104
has lately been made for donations and subserilLty,
in aid of the "Destitute Children's Dinners Soe•—dini
Here, certainly, is an innocent and praiseworthY oct
a mite plot which all may safely conskire to hell)
encourage,.—.punch. be
,:if tut
ANCIENT BABYLONIAN KINGS. —At a, meeting be,,
members of the Society of Biblical ArchreologY,diug
in London on Tuesday, (Dr. S,aniuel Birch Presid V"
a paper was read by Mr, Theo. G. Pinches, lovisl
British Museum, 0,11 "A New list of BabYtaiee„(
Kings, c. B.C, 400 to 2000." This paper e°nl„gy wee
some retraarks upon the place in the chron° -004
Ow East of certain Babylonian Kings whose to
had lately been discovered, and which will helP f the
up many gaps in the chronology and hi:torY crie re.:
country. saps
tablets upon which the namested 01
corded come mostly from the excavations er„nclee
by M. Rassarn's overseer upon the site 01 1 00
Babylon, The principal ta,lilet is of unbakeu,litioil;
very small in size' but in an almost perfect cots tli
The obverse, which contains the principal list, nia e!
names of eleven Kings of Babylon, with the Lei,enrpsovi
their reigns, and is a duplicate part of the taw title..
tidied b_the late George Smith under ,thfl of
" Fiagments of an Inscription giving parbous 0
Chronology from which the Canon of 1343112
copied.'

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