The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-08-31 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS,

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

"The (lake has thrown him overboard," said one
politiolan, speaking of another who was said to be looking
for place. Yes," was the reply, but he will have strength
enough left to swim to the other side."

It isa curious fact, one well worth knowing, that the
death rate of Europe la nearly double what it 1a in the United
States, averaging yearly one out of every forty-three inhabit-
ants, while there It is only one out of every eighty-one.
- - • • •

Ten months ago a " yellow-fin " trout, weighing
10th., was marked and thrown into the Tweed, and has since
been caught hi the river Forth, near Altos, having increased
ha length from 12 to 15 inches, and gained 7 ounoesin weight.
The splendid playground which the Marquis of
Westminster has presented to the children of Pimlico, In
Ebury-square, Loudon, was thrown open to Its Juvenile pos-
sessors last week.

in Mr. Samuel Smile's Character, recently published
appears the following anecdote of Lord Palmerston :--A
friend one day asked lila lordship when he considered • man
to be in his prime of life. The immediate reply was,
Seventy-nine ! But," he added, with a twinkle in ha eye,
'as I have Just entered my eightieth year, perhaps I am a
little past it.' _ .

The oldest artesian well in Europe is at Liniers, in
the Pas de Calais, France, and from its mouth water has
flowed uninterruptedly for seven hundred and forty-six years.
At the various fairs now held in the villages around
Paris, the "mime biscuit" Is a novelty which meets with
great .cmis. It is simply a cake wrapped up In apiece of
paper on which is engraved the portrait of the President of
the Republic.

In one of the suburban schools the Board of Eduea-
cation man gave out the word " waiter " to a class in spell-
ing. It was a poser to all till it reached the foot of the
class, when a curly-heilded little fellow spelled it correctly,
and being naked to define it, shouted out, •• More salt."

A loquacione blockhead, after babbling Rome time to
Lord Erskine, observed he was fearful he was ontniding on
his lordship's ear. Oh, not at all," said Erskine , "I have
not been listening.* Erskine, though a keen lawyer, dis-
proved his assertion by his prompt answer.

. .
The Abbe Moigno relates a circumstance which
may contain a very valuable hint in relation to the use o•
cement. A workman employed to repair the steps leading to
a garden made use of Portland cemeet mixed with finely
div Ned cast wrought-Iron filings and fragments, in place g
sand. The result is stated to be that the mass has become in
hard as to resist fracture, either with hammer or pickaxes.

"Young man, do you ever drink?' asked- a mild
looking city man, accosting a milder clerk. " Well, ri ,
thank you. I don't mind." he replied. "Don't do it any
more." rejoined the mild man, "or you will eventually be
utterly lost. Good morning. Heaven bless you r'
I once called, said Theodore Hook, on an old lady,
who messed me so urgently to stay and dine with her that,
as I had no engagement, I could not refuse. On sitting
down the servant uncovered a dish which contained two
mutton-chops, and my old friend said, "Mr. Book, you see
your dinner, "Thank you, ma'am," said I, but where s
yours r
_ - -

Houzeau, from a series of quantitative experiment%
has come to the conclusion that country air contains one
450,000 th of its weight, or one 7 o,oooth of its volume of ozone
He belt, ves that its production is due to the continuous
electrical discharges taking place between the earth and the
clouds.

The Leeds Mercury appeals to the Noncomformista
of that two to open their houses to the visitors who will
attend the Church Congress there in October. It says :
" lilo congregations of the Church of England have no
doubt done as much as they are able or willing to do already,
and still the committee is hi much need of mom They are
now appealing through an adverthement in our columns for
neighbourly aid."
The most remarkable engineering feat now in pro-
gress is to be the crossing of the Andes by the Lima (frays
Railroad. The mountain chain will be crossed at an altitude
of 15,000 feet by a tunnel 3,000 feet in length. The grades
are the steepest known on any ordinary railway. The work-
men employed are Clink. Indians, the only operatives who
can endure for a prolonged period the rarefied atmosphere
at this great elevation.

The -smallest German Prince sent a short time since
to an American, obnoxious for some reason, a command to
leave his dominions in three days. 'lie is very good,"
answered the American, 'to give me no long a time. I could
have done it in three-quarters of an hour."

The discovery of an extevudve deposit of sand fully
Impregnated with petroleum, in Alsace, is creating some
sensation In Germany. This promises to open a new and
important industry. The petroleum is obtained by cutting
Into the bed of sand, as into a bed of coal, and allowing the
mineral oil to drain out of it into wells dug to receive it.
This drainage does not remove all the oil ; therefore the
sand is afterwards brought to the surface, and distilled In the
ordinary way.

A Paris jonrnaliat recently encomiterecl a poor
blind man playing a clarlonet in the French metropolis
whom he had formerly Been doing the same thing in St.
Cloud. Be asked him how he had happened to change
places. 'At, sir," answered the "blind" man, "it made
me sad Lola* at the ruins of the war."

Several swarms of foreign insec4s have made their
appearance in the corn fields in Kent during the harvest.
They were at first thought to be harvest bags, but by their
sharp stiogs thcy were found to be mosquitoes. and are sup-
posed to have come from ships lying off Woolwich or Graves-
end The women and children engaged tying up corn were
the greatest sufferers.

An old Iran, an inhabitant of Cernay in Alsace
arrived at the German office, to declare his choice of nation.
ality. "Yen are very old," said the Prussian, "it ia hardly
worth your while to make a choice." "I know I cannot
live long," was the reply, " but as I wish to go to heaven, I
desire to die a Frenchman." The,old men on returning home
tank exhautted, waddled holding his certificate of remaining
''e hand.

Frenth

Dr Stearns writes :—"The photographeruses orange.
coloured glass to exclude the actinic rays of light, and why
some optician has not bad the genius to see that orange is
the proper colour for spectacles, instead of green or blue, for
persons with weak eyes, is beyond my comprehension. A
room in the hospital with which 1 am connected is lighted
through orange-coloured windows, and is used by patients
who have certain diseases of the eyes requiring the exclusion
of the actinic rays of light. It has been very satisfactory.
Orange is also, I believe, the proper colour for bottles con-
taining chemicals affected by light."

- -
There are strong symptoms in many quarters that
the general rise in prices In British manufactured and ethyl
goods has already gone far beyond legitimate bounds, and
that the trade of the country may soon receive a proportionate
check. Only a few days since soihe large ard, l's for front r
marine purposes reached London from the Italian Govern-
ment, but were withdrawn on account of the terms deman-
ded, and tranaferreil to France, where they were promptly
placed.

The great American philosopher, Billings, says a
philosopher Is made of lust such men as the one whom the
wind robbed of his hat recently. lie didn't chase it aIL Ile
simpbsappropriated the coverkg of the loudest laugher new
him, of the same time fetching him a blow that made his
nose bleed ; also he remarks that the American Enoch
Arden was a truer philosopher than the Tenitysonlan one,
tor at Connecticut their Enoch Arden returned home, took
In the situation at a glance, tearfully borrowed a dollar from
his successor, and deportee.

On Monday, a singular attempt at &robbery was made
at a bullion dealer's in the Royal Exchange, London. A man
went Into the shop and asked for a particular coin in • large
bowl of foreign coins lathe window, which he said he wished to
purchase. On the bowl being taken out he threw a paper
bag full of flour in the abopman's face and eyes and made a
snatch at the bowl. The blinded shopman, with great
presence of mind, threw it on the floor on his side of the
counter, and the robber darted off; but he was afterwards
arrested.
An amusing story is told by • gentleman who is
notorious as a long talker. Said be, " Seeing my friend
being bored by • man, who had him button-holed, and
wee talking him blind, I called to binos that I wanted to see
lan at once, on particular business. Ile came to me, when
I explained to him that I bed no business, but was merely
calling him away to save his being talked to death. Very
much obliged,' said II'—; • hut (looking very anxiously
about him), who on earth shall ,l linden save me from your
The epilobium, or fireweed, a species of cotton plant,
springs up spontaneously on evergreen lauds that have been
Mimed over. Hundreds of acres of this plant are to be seen
in then. ith woods of New York. It is perennial, grows to
the height of four to six feet. Carrie I and spun, It made
excellent yarn, from which a stocking was knit. Its fibre
makes the finest paper, being almost equal to silk foe this
(envois,.

- -
In London, on Monday, the marriage of Napoleon
Hugues Charles Merle GhLitani Rant Mallen de Hassan°,
with Miss Marie Ann Claire Aymes, a wealthy Catholic lady,
took place at the Pro-Cathedral, Remington, Loudon. The
ceremony was performed by the Right Rev Monaignor
Cape!, and was his ant public function since his anumption
of that title, which now glees him rank as a bishop. The
gth its were select rather than numerous. After the marriago
ceremony, the register was signed in the Chapel of the Mscred
Heart, and attested by the Dec de inseams, father of the
bridegroom, and Chamberlain to his Majesty the Emperor
of the French, Mr. and Mrs. (funnier, Mr. Erichsen, and the
Baron difooghvorst. After the ceremony the party ad-
journed to breakfast at the bride', residence tn Hyde-pack-
place
place.

Harveat prospects In France would appear to be
very favourable. According to West:nation received from
Marseilles, this year's crop livery good in forty-two depart-
ments In the centre, in the greater portion of the mouth, and
a large portion of the north of France. The mop Is good in
thirty-seven other departments, and an average ia the re.
=thing du The crop in Corsica is good, and in Algeria
excellent It is estimated that the principal pein-exporthig
Countries, such as the rniud States and Eastern Europe,
cannot supply the eustosnary supplies, while Englandand
Italy will both require to import more than usual The
prospects of the French agriculttuists are, therefore, et-
cellont The French inportallon nub, or ens weed.
Amps, hawitena.

From New Zealand comae the Intolligetre that the
adminktration of keemene has had a moat dad led effect la
the cure of chronic rheumatism.
- -

or chloraloohol Is now beemashig a favourite
on the ofelnent fo
ugesysnr rorofoprx. tannin, in
A professor preaching to a clans of collegians abMit
the formation of habits, lid recently:—" Gentlemen, close
your ears against bad discourses." The students tosmecilafaly
clapped their hands to their ears.
The Secretary of State forth. Colonies has approved
of the following device for the dft of South Australia —The
Union Jack with boar stars, to represent the
Southern Cross, emblazoned In the centre, surrounded by g
wreath.

Chloral
St.q.mtltut!..

Of thirty-five persons lately arrested in connection
with the attempt to assassinate the King of Spain, judidal
proceedings are now to be maintained against seven only.
If the HOtel-de- Ville of Purl. does not rise speedily
from its ruins, remarks Galignani, it will not be from •
dearth of architect,,,, the numb, of those who hive already
inscribed their names to take part in the competition for the
reconstruction of the building is 4.22.
- -

From April Ist to the -24th instant the Exchequer
receipts amounted to £27,053,72Y as compared with
a:2*999 *ye ha the corresponding period of last year. The
expendfture bat been i:29,672,195, On Saturday laat the
balance In the Bank of Eugland exceeded fur milhom
sterling.

The greatest blow yet given to the hot liquid theory°
the interior of the earth, was thtt de,i,ondtratett 14 too
artesian well at St. Lois, uhkb develoled a temperattuts
at a depth of Bsoo fret, which was tee cold to he detet•
mined by any instruseeut of science at the time in use for
such purposes.

- -
Anew explosive has been brought out under the
name of fulminatine, which is said to consist of a mixture of
nitro-glycerine and silicion3 matters with fifteen per cent. of
a substance the composition of which is a secret, but which is
dissipated as gas on ignition.
The great defect of preaching now-a-days is, that
the sermons appear to be built upon the supposition that
the preacher is introducing Christianity for the first time to
the notice of hit hearere.—P,ien6 in Council.

A gentleman of Ireland was ostentatious an rather
fine before his guests As soon u the cloth was removed
from the table he would ask, "Does anybody drink port?"
If the unanimous answer happeuTto be "No' lie always
called out to the servant in waiting, "Take away the Mk.'
An Irish proeess-server, 'proverbially smart even,
amongst that smart race, who had a writ to serve, ascertained
that the defender was dead, and tossing the summons over
the wall of the cemetery, he made return upon the writ that
he had left the summons at the last and usual place of
abode.

The States of Jersey have resolved to withdraw the
prohibition against the importation of French c,ttlei uto
Jersey, in consequence of the general disappearance of the
cattle disease In Normandy and Brittany. Meat hat been
even dearer in Jersey than in England.

The companions of O'Brien, a well-known character
at • country house made him dead drunk, Stripped him
naked, smeared him with currant Jelly, and shook a (oath&
bed over him, in which condition he tell asleep. Waking
the next morning, and staggering to a looking-glass, he was
overheard exclaiming, "A bird, by—."

At the annual B—rewater Sessions for the Skyrack
Division of the West Riding, held at Leeds on Tuesday, Mr.
Superintendent Pollard, in presenting his annual report,
drew attention to a slight increase of drunkenness in that
portion of the division where mining opei stions are carried
on. In his opinion this was referable to the recent engines.
tation of wages and the accompanying decrease of working
hours. - .

The late Mrs. Dundee Drummond, of Kensington-
gore, has bequeathed to the Nattobnl Lifeb .at Institution a
legacy of £2,500. She has directed that £l,oeo Is to be
applied in providing a Henry Pundits Lifeboat Eitablish-
went for any part of the coast of England or Wales, and the
surplus amount to be invented by the institution for the
future maintenance of the lifeboat station.

The Grocer calls attention to the fact that there are
at the present time many tons of Amoricm pickled pork of
good quality lying at the London wharves, which could be
retailed at sal per lb., leaving a good margin of profit upon
the wholesale price.
At a meeting of the Grand Canal Company of Ire-
land the chairman referring to the subject of Irish coal, said
there was no doubt that there was a very considerable
quantity of coal In Leitrim if coal should continue at such
a price as would prevent their using the superior English
coal, they would avail themselves of the Irish. They had at
that moment two boat-loads of it as a specimen.
Preparations upon a magnificent scale are being
made at Berlin to give the Emperors of Austria and Russia a
suitable reception on their visit to the German capital. The
principal day will be the 7th of September, when the festivi-
ties will open with a grand parade of troops, and afterwade
the Emperor William will entertaiu hie Imperial cousins at a
banquet. At night there in to be a gala performance at the
Opera, to be followed by a grand torchlight tattoo, and an
Illumination ol the city.
On Monday, Mr. Jonas, the Governor of I.sTewcate,
received an official communication from the Home Office re.
spiting the execution of Lydia Venable., who was sentenced
to death on Wednesday last, at the Central Criminal Court,
for the munier et her child at Islington a few weeks ago,
wider cireumetances which most he fresh In the public re.
collection
A good village cure was recently travelling in a
carriage in France, with a democratic freethinker, who pes-
tered him with praise of democratic infidelity. The curC,
made no answer. Then the democrat closed the windows,
and began to smoke with the ardour of a locomotive The
carp, exhibiting the same resignation as bet .re, quietly drew
a book from his pocket, and said to his unpleasant companion,
In his politest tone s.--" Pardon, monsieur, I hope the
breviary will not annoy you."
We note the following decision of the United States
Internal Revenue Department It is now decided that
those who practise spirit-rapping, table-turning, and other
follies of the pretenders to intercourse with another world
are jugglers, and most pay the tax Impned upou those who
practise 'he art of conjuring, and take out the usual licence."
The question that peeseuts itself for oar eonsiderdion is,
Will the pretenders to intercourse with the other world find it
worth their while to coutributo to the revenue of the State
and remain where they are, or will they try thittr fortune
elsewhere?
During the week ending Saturday last 5,007 births
and 3,417 deaths were registered In Inndon and twenty
other large cities and towns In the United Kingdom. The
mortality from all causes in these towns was at the
rate of twenty-four deaths annually to every 1,000 persons
estimated to be living. In the metropolis 2,089 births
and 1,274 deaths were registered, the former hallow been
110, and the latter 247 below the average. Fifteen pews
died from small-pox, 12 from measles, 12 from scarlet fever,
it from diphtheria, an from whoopingcough, 25 from
different forme of fever, and 197 from diarrlima. The
fatal cases of each of th, se seven diseases were below the
corrected average numbers in the correspuiding week of the
last ten years. The mortality from diarrhoea showed seen.
siderable further decrease. To cholera or choleraic diarrhoea
twelve deaths were referred

A pious clergyman of the Scotch persuasion was
going out of church the other evening. and there was a
shower of rain falling outside, and the people were therefore
detained at the doors, and did not pass out as rapidly u
usual ; and he said to a distinguished elergyruan of the
Baptist denomination, who wia walking out with him,
" Brother, what is the reason of this delay I" "I think,"
answered the other, "there is a shower outside." "Ali
answered the doctor, ",there are quite S number of ;one
persuasion here; they ought not to he afraid of the water.'
"No," said the brothtr, "it is not the water. but tpe sprint.,
ling that they are afraid of." "Ah raid the pior,s clergy.
Man, "I know they are afraid of that ; and yet it cones
from heaven."