The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-10-30 00:00:00

RUSSIAN SHIPS FOR THE OXTTS:

A few days ago the ceremony of commencing the
building of three new ships for the Oxus took place
at St. Petersburg. Two of these boats are steel
steamers and the third is a large barge which is to be
towed. All ot them are to be constructed with the
cbject of solving the double problem of navigation in
extremely shallow waters, and of having the greatest
possible capacity of transport. They are specially
intended to maintain cpmmunication between the two
sections of the Transcaspiau Railway where they are
separated by the Amou Darya. The two steamers,
which are to be christened the Czar and the Czarina,
and which are to be 149 ft. Gin, long and 23ft. broad,
with a draught of only 2ft. Gin., are to cost 140,000
roubles each. Their speed will be 12 knots. The
barge is to be capable of carrying 10,000 pouds
(360,0001 b. with a draught of only 2ft. Its cost
will be 50,000 roubles. They are to be finished in
11 months.

THE PROHIBITORY LIQUOR LAW OF
THE NORTH-WEST TERRITORY:
A correspondent of the Times, who is travelling in
the Canadian North-West Territory, writing from
Fort Macleod, Alberta, says: "Ths mounted police
(who seem to do most of their travelling on toot)
give amusement to the passengers by their searche
through the train for violators of the prohibitory
liq sor law of the North-West Territory. They train p
up and down the long aisles of the coaches in their
scarlet coats, boots, and spurs. This liquor prohihi
Mon has the good object in view of keeping whisk v
from the Indians. Before it was enforced, ' whisky-
traders,' who came many miles across country from
the States, sold fire-water 'to the Indians in ex-
change for furs and made enormous profits, while
the unfortunate red man was the sufferer. There
are many thousands of Indians on reserves in this
region, and the strict enforcement of this law
does great good. But it is at, the same thee
a general measure; the Dominion Parliament holding
that what is good for the Indian must also be good
for the white man, and these policemen are paid 2s,
' a day mainly to enforce this law. It is, however, a
, rather comical commentary on the prohibitory
principle that on the railway the traveller can get all
fluids he wishes when in the dining-coach,' but at
the same time commits a deadly sin if he does his
imbibing or carries a bottle on any other coach. The
Governor's 'permits' ere availed of in the Cornier ;
the railway management having discovered that a
great transcontinental tourist line cannot be success-
fully run on a prohibitory liquor basis in free America.
In the other parts of the trains, however, these good•
looking detectives have a keen scent for liquids, and
some of them are said to be very good judges of spirits
and beer; buttbey are sometimes nonplussed. I wee
told of a ease on a west-bound train, where some
passengers had had lunch just before entering the
territory, and when the train stopped at a station the%
went out on the platform, leaving a partly empty
bottle of Sauterne on the seat. The lynx-eyed police-
man pounced upon it, smelt and then tasted; but,
having never before seen such a liquid, was unable to
decide whether it was contraband. He called in another
policeman, who applied the same tests. Still doubtinv.
they consulted the corporal, and then the three
sampled the wine, and discussed the perplexing case.
rhev were sure it was neither whisky nor beer, but,
what it was they could not decide, and, giving up the
problem, went off, leaving the bottle empty on the
car seat. While mentioning this, however, I must
not overlook the fact that if strong liquids are cut (in'
in this remote region, a substitute is provided. They
sell out here a strange decoction which is warranted
not to intoxicate,' and is known as Moose Jaw beer,'
and this has become a popular drink in the North-
West Territory. But I notice that few drink it who
have influence enough to secure a permit to get some-
thing stronger. Some of the seizures of spirits inarie
by the police are very large, fcr the contraband iraile
is carried on extensively, most of the whisky comins
in from Montana, and being vile stuff, though often
:ioinmanding 1.55. or 20s. per bottle._

MANY n man is the architect of his own fortune, but
never gets money enough to build.
THE little one, being a gue.4 of her grandma, had
Deen liberally feasted, when a second dish of pudding
Wile on. Looking at the -stearning -dish.-sh4 i'ai-
31aimed with a sigh, "Gran'ma, I wadi I was
NOTHING annoys the keeper of a railway refresh-
ment-room more than to have one customer ask in a
rather loud tone of another, "Rave they ever tried
lating war-ships with this !dad of sandwiches?'"