The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-10-29 00:00:00

, SATURDAY, OCT. 29, 1881.

I THE POST OFFICE AND THE RAILWAYS PARCELS
SERVICES.—An official of one of the most important
railways writes: "In France, by a joint arrangement
between the postal and the railway authorities, the
parcels services are at the following rates: Three
killogrammes, or a little over 6gb—ln Paris 25c., a
fraction under 2d.; from any station to any station
in France, 85c., about from any station in
France to any station in Belgium, Germany, or
Switzerland, if. 45c. about is. 2d. These rates all
hi clode delivery. We have nothing near this cheap-
ness in gflgl:lnd, and we never can have without the
co-operation of the railway authorities."
CANADIAI lIIMORTS.—The following is a statement
of the value of the Imports of Canada for the fiscal
l
*9l' 611' 607*
aloe I entered for home consumption, , zear ended June '4O, 1881 :—Total value 105 330 72t-
rdth last year, these figures show,
Bdriolien.
ert:071a814,Lb.977
dols., and 19,829,255 dole.
v mtn:ns of the exports have not yet
' rempectively.
been received. Country
mother r Girl.—"
oin Please,to
"INNocEsti Y9ll KNOW:
Miss, I'm glad I met yew, 'eo-.
-n, as she's
end some eggs and butter errinss.,-1 to yewrgpa, the
au think he 'till
rector, and she do so want to hiicevsll
accept' She see she do 'opts he srt..., .'—Fun.
a-goin' to ask him a very great favour room'
JELLY FROM IVORY.—The last sale of ivory at A er-
pool was the largest which has taken place for a
time (says the Engineer). Manufacturers who were
present tell us that the prices realised showed an ad-
vance of from 20s. to 80s. per cwt. All the lots were
sold. There were buyers not only from the English
towns, but from America and the Continent. Ivory
is very largely used in the Sheffield trades, more
especially for hafting cutlery of all kinds. The de-
mand for billiard and bagatelle balls, as well as for
piano keys, has greatly increased of late years. One
leading cutlery house made a calculation some time
ago, suggested by a question put by a visitor, They
estimated that to supply themselves with the ivory
they needed for the handles of their cutlery, Itcs, they
needed 1,280 elephants every year, and that even on
the basis that each tusk weighed 23ilb. In a magaziase
the queetion was recently put, "What becomes of the
ivory waste ? " There is no ivory waste. In the cub.-
ting of the ivory, the powder which comes away in
sold for making jelly. It has long been used abroarL
and is now getting pretty well known in this country..
It is sold at 4d. per lb., made up into parcels, and is,
regarded as an excellent material for making jelly,
particlarly in the country, where calves feet are not
always prdearable when required.
ARCHEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES IN ITALY.—The exca-
vations commenced some years ago in the province of
p
Aquila, and now' centinued on account of the Italian
Government, under' the direction of the insector
Cavaliere do Nino, hay:" given splendid results during
the present year. A fell' (UP ago a discovery was
made of more antique walIS ithout cement, about
,d
seven to eight feet below the gron,, and among the
ruins were ariou objects
in iron and bronze, and
medals of different epochs, among
te.‘'liali is one of
vs
Prusia, King of Bithyma. The necropa:lis at Con-
solino continues to yield a quantity of obj„.^.ts very
important to the history of the people there int...7re
The tombs discovered up to the 27th last month naZ.m.
ber more than a hundred, and are all walled and
paved with native stone.
LAST WEEK'S WRECES.—There were 90 British
and foreign actual wrecks, of which 50 were British.,
including eleven British and four foreign steamers„
reported during the past week, making a total off
1,454 for the present year, or an increase of 417 SW
compared with the corresponding period of last year..
The increase on the week was 53. The approximate
value of property lost was £7,000,000, including
British £4,000,000. Fifty-eight vessels, mostly
English, were lost off the coasts of the United King-
dom. The number of persons lost and missing was no
less than 673, a very large total. and almost unpre-
cedented, for one week. The absolute" lose of coals
was 7,400 tons, or a pecuniary loss of abont 27,090-
BUILDING IN THE UNITED STATES.—JUdgittg fFOO2
.an announcement recently issued by the Bricklayer's
Union in New York, it would appear that the de-
mand for labour in the United States is unusually
keen.. The Union gives notice that its members are!
to cease work henceforth at all establishments which
are not paying a minimum of four dollars a day. In
some cases, it is said, as much as five dollars a da,y, or
over six pounds a week English currency, has been
paid to workmen. The rifle in the rate of wages, it
appears, has proved a serious misfortune to the great
building firms who have large outstanding contracts
to perform.
FISHY.—One has heard of "odd fish," also of "fish
out of water," but surely that must have been very
"odd fish "who, when taken out of his native elmment,
declared that there was "no plaice like home." Why;
where could he have flounder-ed from ?—Judy.
GYMNASTICS AND GYMNASIA.—SOMe able lecturer
should discourse on the use and abuse of gymnastics
and gymnasia (says the Lancet). Feats of strength
are worse than useless as exercises for the body per-
formed in the interests of health, unless they are so
wisely planned and carried into effect as to fulfil the
conditions of muscle and nerve culture. A mere
output of brute force implies little or nothing as re-
gards the integrity of body functions. A man can do,
or may soon acquire the power of doing, many thing's
which it is not in the least degree desirable he should
do. It would be well if before resorting to
gymnasia, or engaging in the sports and exer-
cises carried on in these establishments, even
the seemingly healthy would ask their ordinary
medical attendants to examine their hearts and
lungs, and give precise directions as to what
may or what shall not be attempted by them. Cases
are of two frequent occurrence ;:4n which serious
physical mischief is done in the pursuit of health,
because those who "feel well and "look well" resort
to unadvised exercises. " Looking " and "seeming"
are very uncertain indications of the state of health,
The apparently robust are not uncommon subjects of
great weakness, and those who seem in rude health
may be the victims of grave and even what is called
"incurable" disease, though it is well to regard all
maladies as amenable to some treatment, albeit it
may be diffieult to determine the precise form of
remedy most likely to prove successful. The best
policy is to avoid putting any part of the system to
exceptional uses, or subjecting it to unusual stress of
energy without taking the obvious precaution of first
ascertaining how far the aobual state of the organism
is likely to justify the test of strength and stand the
strain.

THE GREAT TREE OF PENANG.—In answer to s
previous inquiry, a correspondent from Penang writes
to Notes and Queries as follows :—I have delayed
answering "B.'s " query about the "great tree of
Penang" until I had visited the island. The tree
is marked on the naval chart. It was 30ft. in cir-
cumference near the base, 110 ft. to the lowest branch,
and at that height 20ft. in circumference. Mr. Norris,
in "Notes on Penang," records this, and adds that it
was called "the milk tree, for it produced milk sweet
and drinkable." I have ascertained that the tree was
a jelutong, also called kayu susu milkwood (lit.
wood milk). Botanically an alyxia, it is common
on Singapore island, and yields an inferior kind of
gutta—the "milk." Its timber, white, light, only
moderately durable, is worth about 20 or 80 cents. a
cubic foot. There are trees as large in the Malay
peninsula, and probably were formerly on Penang and
•gsingapore islands. I have seen a sketch of the "great
tree" in question. It stood tall and graceful amidst a
growth chiefly of secondary jungle. Mr. Norris says,
it died from old age and decay." Isolation, from
the destruction of timber around it, tapping, and
cutting names, no doubt accelerated its end; but I
hear that a fire lit at its base finally deprived this
beautiful island of an object of which it was justly
proud, yet sadly neglectful to preserve.
MR. JOHN BRIGHT'S SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY.—For
the last twenty years it has been the custom with
many of the inhabitants of Rochdale to cammemorate
the birthday of Mr. John Bright by a social gathering
and a feast. As years rolled on the event became
more popular, and as on the 16th November next their
d stinguished townsman attains his seventieth birth-
day, for several weeks there has been a growing wish
that the event should be celebrated by a public
demonstration, and that Mr. Bright should favour
them with his presence. Accordingly a deputation
from the Rochdale Reform Association waited upon
the hon. gentleman and made known the wish of the
inhabitants of his native town. Mr. Bright was not
desirous that such a demonstration should take ulace,
and endeavoured to discourage the promoters of it,
but the deputation were firm in their resolve, and 4
brought to bear in their favour the influence of one of 4
his brothers and other members of the family. After '1
many days' consideration Mr. Bright informed the
deputation at their second interview on Monday night
that he had decided to accept their invitation.
THE SCOTCH SYSTEM OF LEASES.—The Galashiels
Farmers' Club met on Tuesday and discussed the
Scotch system of leasing farms. Long leases were con-
demned as a sort of gambling which had proved
ruinous to men of moderate capital, and, with no
adequate security for permanent improvements, this
system hindered the efforts of men desirous of seeing
the land of the country kept continuously productive
It was resolved that short tenancies, with from two to
five years' notice to quit, with compensation to the
tenant for improvements, was a system under which
capital would be more freely employed in land cultiva-
tion, and agriculture would best thrive.
A QUAINT CUSTONI.—In London, on Friday in last
week, a quaint custom was cbserved at the office of the
Queen's Remembrancer (Sir Frederick Pollock) at the
Royal Courts of Justice, where the formal service,: due
to the Crown on behalf of the Corporation of London
in respect of certain of their property were duly
rendered. Mr. Secondary De Jersey and Sir Thomas
J. Nelson, the City Solicitor, with Mr. Archibald
Hanbury, the late Under Sheriff, attended there,
and proclamation having been made as follows :
" Tenants and occupiers of a piece of waste ground
called the Moors in the county of Salop come forth
and do your service," the City Solicitor presented
himself, and cut one fagot with a hatchet, and another
with a bill-hook. Proclamation was then made
"Tenants and occupiers of a certain tenement called
the Forge, in the Parish of St. Clement Danes, in the
county of Middlesex, come forth and do your service."
The City Solicitor, in answer to that, counted six
hoz se-shoes and 61 nails, the Queen's Remembrancer
saying "Good number." With that the proceedings
ended.
WALKING MATCH.—An eight-mile walking match
for £lOO a side, between Hancock, of London,
and Raby, of Yorkshire, was contested on Monday at
Lillie-bridge Grounds before a considerable concourse
of people. At 3.34 the signal to go was given, and an
excellent start was made, there being scarcely an inch
in favour of either competitor up to the end of the
first quarter of a mile lap. Raby now drew
slowly away, until at the end of the first mile he
led by nearly 60 yards. The Londoner at this early
period began to force the pace, while his opponent
continued walking fast, but evidently not at his highest
speed, and before the end of the second mile
Hancock came abreast, passed, and for a lap or so
kept in front. The Yorkshireman, on the two miles
being reached, spurted in turn, and soon overhauled
his rival, who from this point never again came up.
The pace during the first four miles had been terrific,
and at miles Hancock threw up the sponge.
Raby continued to the finish in the same light and
springy style, and finished the course in excellent
style amid general cheering, and showing scarcely
a sign of fatigue. His time was 1 min. 40 2-5 sec. ovtr
the houry or at the rate of Ti miles per hour/
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