The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-01-10 00:00:00

Misallanetats

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL,

• MALE SERVANTS.—There were 194,814 maleleer-
vants taxed in the last financial year at 153., the
duty realizing £146,061 15s.
A SAD SEQUEL TO A "DIAMOND WEDDING."—The
Berlin correspondent of the Globe writes :—" A few
months ago a M. Marzgraf, a highly esteemed former
principal of a private school, and his wife celebrated
the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage, or as is
called here, their diamond wedding. All classes of
society joined in congratulating the aged and still
hearty couple on the rare event, which they solemnised
amidst a large circle, composed of their children,
grand-children, and great grand-children, as well as
numerous relatives and friends. On Christmas Eve
when the family was again united, old Mrs. Marz-
grail, who had herself made the necessary prepara-
tions fer the holidays, suddenly fell ill, and expired
after a very short time. The husband, although
terribly grieved and broken-hearted at the loss of the
dear companion of so many years, sat down to write
the mourning cards. Whilst doing so he repeatedly
sighed, "Oh ! if I could only be soon with her I"
The wish was to be realised in a few hours, for on the
morning following the old lady's demise M. Marzgraf
peaceably expired. A double funeral took place, and
was attended by an immense concourse of people, in-
cluding nearly all the celebrities of Berlin.
DANGEROUS PERFORMANCES.—On the let of January
the new Act to regulate the employment of children
in places of public amusement comes into operation,
Any person who shall cause a child under the age of
fourteen to take part in any public exhibition or per-
formance whereby, in the opinion of a court of sum-
mary jurisdiction, the life or limbs of such child shall
be endangered, is to be deemed guilty of an offence,
and liable to a penalty not exceeding £lO. The pro-
visions extends to the parents and guardians. Where
In the course of a public exhibition or performance,
which in its nature is dangerous to the life or limb of
a child under fourteen taking part therein, any accident
causing actual bodily harm occurs, the employer is to be
liable to be indicted for having committed an assault,
and the Court before whom such employer is con-
victed on indictment to have the power to award
compensation not exceeding £2O, but he not to be
liable to be punished twice for the same offence.

AGRZED.—OId Prosy: "What I say is this, Doctor
I approve entirely of foxhunting as a manly, health
giving, and invigorating amusement, but not as &pur-
suit, sir I "—lrish Doctor: "Faith, ye'll find mammy
t' agree with ye there. Espicially foxes I "—Fun.
MORE SURVIVORS FROM THE BORUSSIA.-A Reuter's
telegram, dated from New York, January 3rd, says :
" The bark Giacomino arrived at Baltimore to-day
from Aberdeen, bringing five of the passengers and six
of the crew of the steamer Borussia, whom she had
pickeel up in an open boat 250 miles from the Azores.
They had suffered terrible hardships before they were
found by the Giacomino." Another Reuter's telegram,
dated from Baltimore, JAM 3. says :—" The names of
the six men belonging to the crew of the Borussia
picked up by the Giacomino and landed here are :
Sutherland, second engineer; Lorsen, quartermaster;
Garritz and Fisher, ordinary seaman ; Slaver and
Calahan, firemen. The other five persons rescued at
the same time were steerage passengers."

ALPINE CLIMBIN G.— 0 a Christmas.day various mem-
bers of the Swiss Alpine Club spent the holiday in
mountain climbing. The weather was brilliant, and
all reports agree that the warmth of the sun's rays at
the great elevations was really surprising. Three
persons ascended the Wengernalp from Interlaken
(5,800 feet above the sea), and afterwards the Lauber.
horn (7,527 feet). They started at four o'clock in the
morning, and arrived at the summit at half-past two
in the afternoon, and, descending by the difficult and
wearisome way towards Grundelwald, reached Inter.
taken again at nine o'clock at night—a tolerably long
and hard piece of work for a winter's day. On the
same day Dr. Stramer, Dr. Michel, and two others
ascended the Niederhorn (6,050 feet above the sea), a
height from which the Alpine panorama is magni-
ficent. These gentlemen were also surprised at the
extraordinary heat of the sun which they experienced
at this elevation, a little over the line of perpetual
snow.

FEMALE CANDIDATES FOR SEATS.—The poor girls
behind the Linendrapers' counters.—Punch.
TRE VICTORIAN PREMIERS IN THE BRITISH
MUSEUM. A correspondent of the Daily News
writes :—" Of the Eight Prime Ministers whom Eng-
land has had in the Victorian epoch, the Right Hon.
William E wart Gladstone has the largest number of
entries under his name in the Catalogues of the
British Mureum Library. These entries amount in
this case to no fewer than 242, They refer to
rffittflhAll-nsmnhlsta. hrsniza br thwt groat attateaman ;
to biographical sketches of him; and to pamphlets,
books, &c., written, some for, some against, his views,
political or religious. Next in number of entries to
Mr. Gladstone comes Sir Robert Peel, under whose
name we find 192, referring similarly as in Mr. Glad.
stone's case to Sir Robert's own productions and to
the productions of friends and foes who wrote about
his opinions. Then we have Earl Russell, and the Earl
of Beaconsfield; the first provided with 181, the
second with 113 of such entries. Viscount Palmerston
has just 93. while the Earl of Darby has but 46,
and the Earl of Aberdeen only 24. Viscount
Melbourne, in point of time the first of these eight
Victorian Premiers, has only ten entries under his
name. 'There was not so much printing done in
Lord Melbourne's days as in ours ! ' was the suggestive
remark of the learned stud courteous superintendent
of the British Museum Reading Rom, Mr. Richard
Garnett, on my showing him those figures,"
A CHIEF AND A CHEER.—The Ute Indians in
Colorado are reported to have been giving trouble to
their civilised neighbours. The Head Chief of these
aboriginals bears the name of Ouray. Their war-cry
is naturally, " Oaray for our Leader l"—Punch.
AMERICAN AND CANADIAN FOOD IMPORTATIONS,
—The supply of fresh meat and live stock landed at
Liverpool, last week, from the United States of
Canada was little above the previous week. There
was not a single live sheep landed, a circumstance
which has not occurred for many months past. The
conveying steamers with fresh meat were as follow :
The Wisconsin, 1,996 quarters of beef, and 600
carcasses of mutton; the Bavarian, with 853 quarters
of beef ; the City of Berlin, with 800 quarters of beef,
125 carcases of mutton, and 125 dead pigs; the Adri-
atic, with 780 quarters of beef and 250 carcases of
mutton; the Egypt, with 658 quarters of beef, and
the British Crown, with 914 quarters of beef. The
steamers with live stock were :—The Bavarian, with
128 bead of cattle, and the Egypt, with 44 head of
cattle; making the totals, 6,001 quarters of beef, 975
carcsees of mutton, 125 dead pigs, and 172 head of live
cattle.

ALUMINIUM TELEGRAPH Winn. German tele-
graphic engineers hays lately been experimenting
with aluminium as a material for telegraph wires.
This metal can easily be drawn out to a very much
finer guage than is possible with iron, and its con-
ductibility is twice as great as that of iron wire. Its
excessive coat has hitherto prevented its use for the
purpose indicated, but it is found that an alloy of
aluminium and iron can easily be made, which will
produce a wire both finer and stronger, and ieEs sus-
ceptible to atmospheric changes than iron wire, while
it is much superior as a conducting medium.

DEATH OF A GALLANT OFFICEL—The death is an-
nounced, on Friday, in last week at Bath road, Houn-
slow, of Major Anthony Cunningham, one of the few
survivors of Sale's "illustrious garrison," and of those
who marched through the famed Bolan and Khyber
Passes. The deceased served in the 13th Prince
Albert's Light Infantry with the Army of the Indus,
1839 42. and was present at the storming of Gtinznee,
July, 1841; the storming of the Khoord Cabul Pass,
Oct. 12; the affair of Teheen, Oct. 22; the forcing
of the Jugdulluk Pass on Oat. 29; the reduction of
Fort Mamov Khali on Nov. ; the heroic defence
of Jellalabad ; the sorties on Nov. 1, Dec. 1, 1841
(when he was woundeo), and March 11, March 24,
and April 1, 1842; the general action and defeat be-
fore Jellalabad, on A,ril 70, 1842, of Sirdar Mahomet
Akhhar Khan Berdczye, eon of Mist Matiommed,
and the assassin of the British Envoy, and treacherous
destroyer of the CAW forces (medal and gunshot
wound); storming the heights of Jugdulluk, Sept. 8 ;
general aition of Teheen, Sept. 13; recapture of
Cabul, S,Tt. 15 (medal). He proceeded to Suffuk Kak,
tinder Su. R. Sale, for the purpose of bringing in the
Cabal captives (Lady Sale, &c) Tale gallant officer
also.served throughout the Crimean war, 1854 5, and
in the China war, 1857 8.
THE BUILDING TRADE AT SHEFFIELD.—The master
builders of Sheffield have resolved to enforce a reduc-
tion of l. per hour in the wages of motions, brick-
layers, and j.,inerts. They allege that the building
trade continues in a most depressed condon, and that
this reduction is absolutely necessary. Some time ago
the masters demanded a reduction of Id. pr hour. A
long ditpute was the result, and in. the end half the
reduction was conceded. It is believed that thi re-
duction now sought to be enforced will be vigorously
resisted.

A SMART LAD.—The Atlantic Monthly says :—This
boy has a readiness, a faciiity of adaptation to the needs
of the moment, which will stand him well in hand
all through He gave a striking instance of it
the other day in school. It is a small private school;
once a week a young lady goes to teach all the children
drawing. Our boy is not fond of drawing, in fact,
he cannot draw,
will not draw, does not draw. One
day, not long ago,
his ingenuity in evading the draw-
bag exercise reached its climax as follows :—" I
can't draW tO•daY, my throat's too sore. It hurts
seeing in the teacher's face some incredulity
as to this incapacity, he continued, "Besides
I doil't feel like drawing, and my mother said I
needn't ever draw if I didn't feel like it." " Are
yotl sure your mother said that ? " asked the
teacher. "Yea," he said stoutly, "she did. She said I
ain't to draw when I didn't feel like it, and I don't
feel like it now • my throat's too sore." "Very well,"
replied the teacher, " I shall go and see your mother,
It won't do to leave one pupil out of the class this
way. When the rest of the chiliren draw you must
draw. I shall go and speak to your mother about it.,
This was a contingency the boy had not reckoned on;
but he rose to the occasion. Quick as a flash he re-
plied: "Well, if I was you, I wouldn't take the
trouble to go and see her • because, you see, it Was
way back when we was Winoonsin that she
Bald edit and se like,* not she's forgot all about it
by thii time."

AMERICAN CONSUMPTION OF GOLD AND
Accarding to the last report of the Mint Superin-
tendent, the annual consumption of precious metals in
the United States in all forms of manufacturing now
averages 7,000,000 dole of gold and 5,000,000 dole. of
silver. The gold coin in the country at the end of
het June was e.timated at 286,490,698 dole., and of
silver 112 050,085 dole , the gain in the last six years
being 151..490,698 dole. gold and 107,050,985 dole.
silver. Since the close of the last fiscal year and up
to the Ist of November the imports of coin and bullion
and the donof etic coinage have increased theseamounts
to 305,750,467 dol. gold and 121,436,355 dole. silver,
being a total of 427,06 822 dole.
A WEALTHY SAVINGS BANS.—The 64th annual ree
port of the Liverpool Savings Bank shows that the
total amount due to the 65,144 depositors at the close
of the financial year was £1,808,903, while the total
amount to the credit of the bank was £1,813,509,
showing a surplus of £1,696, besides the valuable bank
premises and a sum of £16,000 on separate surplus
account. In the past year 13,309 new accounts were
opened, 5,843 old accounts were reopened, and 556
dormant accounts were carried to "suspense." The
po.ition of the bank has improved in the year by
£36,276 in the amount due to depositors, and by
1,767 in the number of open accounts.
A NEW USE FOR THE TELEPHONE.—In the United
States a series of experiments have been made by the
Ordnance Department in the use of the telephone to
assist in determining the time of flight of small arm
projectiles, which has hitherto been a matter of great
difficulty at long ranges, owing to the impossibility of
seeing them strike. One telephone was placed within
a few feet of the gun, and the other (both being pro-
vided with Blake's transmitters) in the shelter, about
301 t. in front of the target. The telephone being
placed to the ear, a stop-watch, beating fourths of a
second, was started at the moment of firing, and
stopped on the bullet striking, The observations
founded on a large number of experiments never
differed more than a quarter or half of a second from
each other, the slight delay in starting the wateh
being neutralized by the delay in stopping it. It was
found that the time of transit was affected by the
wind, being shortened by a rear and lengthened by a
head wind.

A JAPANESE Box,—A correspondent of the Lad Id
Gazette of Fashion gives instructions for utilizing
Japanese pictures in decorating ordinary cigar boxes,
He says "After having used some of the pictures for
the panels of a door, I had some strips remaining. I
suddenly thought of using them to decorate a cigar box,
which in its normal condition was scarcely an ornament
in the room. Having cut up the strips (and these pic-
tures resemble in their divisibility the wonderful worms
that may be divided again and again), I pasted them
on the top, sides, and bottom of the box, and then
added an edging of black paper about three-quarters
of an inch in width. The finishing touch consisted of
a thin line of chrome yellow round the edges. No
one would think that the box, as it now is, was made
at home; everyone naturally imagines that it came from
Japan." One certainly obtains a good deal for one
penny in them.
THE FRANKING SYSTEM.—The abuses of this system
soon became so great that we find a witness employed
by the Post Office giving evidence before a Parlia-
mentary committee that, amongst other ridiculous
articles which had been sent through the Post Office
free, were :—" Fifteen couple of hounds to the Sing
of the Romans;" "Two maid-servants, going out as
laundresses to my Lord Ambassador Methuen;"
"Doctor Crichton, carrying out with him a cow and
divers other necessaries ; " "A box of medicine, for
my Lord Galway, in Portugal ;" "A deal case with
flitches of bacon for Mrs. Pennington, of Rotterdam ;"
and "Two bales of stockings for the Ambassador to
the Court of Portugal." These, however, were all
Government franks; but as at that early period no
limit was put to the size or weight of Parliamentary
franks, there is no reason for doubting the assertion
that live deer, haunches of venison, pianos, ecc., had
been sent free through the post by members of both
Houses of Parliament. —Antiquary.
CALIFORNIA.—The population of this State being
about 900,000, there are, on the average, six inhabi-
tants to the square mile, but the distribution of the
settlement over the State is unequal. Thus, San
Francisco has about 8,000 people to the square mile,
while those portions of San Diego and San Bernardino -
counties in the Colorado Desert and Inclosed Basin,
with an area of 14,000 square miles, have at least seven
square miles to each white inhabitant. -Less than a
dozen counties, fronting on San Francisco, an Pablo,
and Suisun Bays, and the deltas of the Sacramento
and San Joaquin rivers, all within 30 miles of Mount
Diablo, and distinctly visible from its summit, have
580,800 inhabitants, or about 58 to the mile, leaving a
little more than two to the square mile for the re-
mainder of the State. In general terms, one-fourth of
the State belongs to individuals, one•twelfth is fenced
in, and one•fourth is cultivated.—San Francisco Alta.

HAD HIM THERE.—" How is it," asked the boot.
maker blandly, "that, although you may be as par-
ticular as possible in choosing a pair of boots, yet, ten
to one, you will make a mess over it? The customer
gave it up. "Well," said the bootmaker, more
blandly, "because, don't you see, whichever boot you
may choose to select you will be sure to put your foot
in it.—Judy.
THIS OPENING OF MUSEUMS ON SuNDATe.--Abont
4,000 people assembled on Monday night in the largest
building in Nottingham to hear a public debate on the
opening of the Castle Museum of Art on Sundays.
The debaters were Mr. Walter Gregory, a member of
the Town Council, and the Rev. Fred. Bell. A letter
was read from Mr. Jacob Bright, M.P., in which he
stated it to be his opinion that more serious efforts ought
to be made to lessen the gulf which separated the rich
from the poor, and that one of the means which would
help to give brightness to the existence of the great
body ot our bumbler fellow, citizens would be to have
places of public resort where pleasure and instruction
might be found, and these places should, of course, be
open seven days in the week. The voting was divided,
half being in favour of the opening of the museum on
Sundays, and half against it.

OVERHEARD IN CHEAPSIDE.—Brown. Ali, Smith,
how do? Isn't Robinson cutting a dash? I wonder
who finds him in clothes! Smith. Everybody, I
believe. Brown. How can that be? Smith. I
never heard of anyone finding him out of them. Good
morning. [Exit R I Brown (so/us). Smith is too
clever by half. [Exit L.] —Judy.
THE RUSSIAN PEASANT.—The Russian peasant is
not an inventor, but he has a genius for imitating.
He has only to be told to go and do so and so, and in
time it will be done. He will in this manner become
a blacksmith, a wood carver, a copyist of painters, an
engineer, or a lapidary, provided that he is only given
time enough. He will watch the next workman to
him using his saw, chisel or file; then he will
cautiously imitate him, doing a little at a time, and
nothing rashly. Next day he will show more skill,
until in a few weeks he becomes a sufficiently skilful
workman to be entrusted with tasks requiring great
judgment and even knowledge to execute. In the
Graniloi Fabrik, in Ekaterinburg, for example, the
visitor is astonished to find men not above the rank
of peasant, and in all likelihood convicts under Bur.
veillance, executing the most beautiful engravings on
beryl, amethysts, topaz, and emeralds, or carving on
jasper, and porphyry vases with a skill which could
not be exceeded, if equalled, in the great centres of
fine art workmen of Europe. Yet such inteWgent
labourers are—or were, at all events, in Erman's day,
fifty years ago—not paid more than 3s. Bd, per month,
with rations of a few pounds of black bread. Yet
they are quite content with their lot, and toil on to
make fortunes for the rich mine owners who live in
great state in fine mansions. Even the master work.
men or overseers are only paid some Ell or £l2 per
annum, but they, like the ordinary labourers, have
their perquisites, in the unrecognised pilferings which
they manage to effect among the treasures they handle.
—Countries of the World.