The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-07-25 00:00:00

Miscellaneous flielligence,

ROME FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

DAMAGES AGAINST A RAILWAY COMPANY.—On
Tuesday, in the Court of Session. Edinburgh, before
the Lord President and a jury, a case was heard at the
instance of Robert Shields, draper, Falkirk, against
the North British Railway Company. for £5,000
damages, for injuries received in the collision between
a passenger and a goods train at Bonnyiwidge, on the
ith of January last. After evidence had been heard
the Lord President said it was gaits, settled between
the parties that the pursuer was to hate a verdict
upon the issue, and the only question remaining was
What should be the amount of damages. His Lordship
reviewed the medical testimony in the case, and said
that if the jury were to come to a conclusion upon the
question whether the paralysis of the body and limbs
of the pursuer was probably permanent or temporary,
the balance of the evidence was clearly in favour of its
bsing permanent. The jury retired, and after an
absence of twenty minutes, they returned to court
with a verdict finding unanimously for the pursuer,
and assessing the damages at £3,000.

THE ARREST OF HANTHALER.- Hanthaler, the
prieit arrested on suspicion of being an accomplice in
the attempted assassination of Prince Bismarck, has
been liberated, his innocence having been fully es-
tablished. Ile had been anxious to see the Prince ;
and on the morning of the attack he remained or
several hours near his residence, asking the bystanders
when he usually left his quarters. Kulmann accosted
him while thus occupied and solicited alms, which
Hanthater gave him. On the Prince's canine coining
out, the priest endeavoured to procure a goal position.
Finding that from where he was standing nothing
could be seen, he accordingly crossed over right in
front of the horses, and his long robe being entangled
in the horse's legs, the carriage had to be stopped, the
shot being fired at the very moment. When arrested
an hour afterwards at the Schweinfurt Rs lway
Station, he appeared very depressel, naturally fearing
that his conduct might be seriously misconstrued, but
a three days' inquiry, as has already been announced,
absolved him.

AN ASCENT OF THE AIATTERIMEN. —A corre-
spondent writes to the Swiss Times ;—•

•' As the weather appeared to be favourable on Saturday
morn Lug last an English gene lemon (Mr. Nicholson). with
two guides and a porter, lef tZermatt, to attempt this perilous
ascent, for the first time this season. A stone hut bas bees
built by the landlords of the hotels here, as a main gplace for
the first night, at an elevation of 12,000 feet above the
sea level, or 2,800 feet from the summit, the whole
height of the peak being about 14,600 teet. The
party reached the hut all rlold, and in the evening
blue lights, which were seen from below. Very
early the next morning they started for the top,
which they safely reached at seven a.m., and
were clearly seen, having put up a whie flag. The
morning hems quite clear, they had a inageifieent prospect.
Clouds soon after began to form, acid In the evening there
was some min. The party effected their clearest is safety,
but there was not, as at l'harrionnix, any tiring of cannon to
announce It. Indeed, it rather takes I 'if somewhat of the
.'elat of that proceeding there, when it is known that the
tom ist has to pay for making knovni his success The gen-
tleman who recently went up Mont Blanc was charged in his
hill 13f. for the powder—a rather costly honour."

ROPE CORDAGE —On Saturday last a very in-
teresting experiment was made at kirkahly's Testing
Works, Southwark street, London, as to the relative
strength of hand spun yarn rope, machine yarn rope, and
Russian yarn rope. Mr. Plimsoll, 31. P., Captain
Bedford M.P., and others attended the test,
which lasted over three hours. There were nine pieces
of rope. each 10 feet long, being three of each of the
above classes. The ultimate stress or breakage strain
of the Russian rope was 11..0901b., or 1,9341 b. strength
per fathom; machine rope, 11,5271 b. or 2,1551 b. per
fathom ; hand spun ripe, 16,2701 b., or 3,0261 b. per
fathom. The ropes were all of 5 inch cir,umference,
and every piece broke clear of the fastenings. The
prices paid per cwt. were : —Russian rope, 475.;
machine yarn rope, 17s. ; hand spun yarn rope, 445.
all described as bast cordage and London manufacture.
It will thus be seen that the hand made was cheaper
by as. per cw. and broke at a testing strength of
7,1801 b. over Russian, and 6,7521 b. over machine
made.

NEW AM oN AFOTHECARIEs.—An Act of
Parliament has just been printed, having received the
Royal assent nu Thursday, to amend the Apothe-
caries Act in England and Wales. Some ditheulties
as to the exareiaattm of peripms are now removed,
and for criminal offences a member can be struck off
the list. The following provision appears in the
statute :—" Nothing in this Act shall deprive the said
Society of Apothecaries of such ri his as they now
have, or relieve them from any existing obligation to
admit women to the examination required Ca- oertiti-
cates to practise as apothecaries. or to enter on the
list ,d licentiates of the said society any women who
shall have satisfactorily passed such examinations,
and fulfilled the other general conditions imposed
upon parous xettking to obtain frotn the said society
a tlntalisltatitta to be resistant' under the kludital Act,

IDO Mio!—Said Angelina to Edwin, early
in their honeymoon, "Parliament may pass Public
Worship Bill, but there is no fear they will ever vote
is Private Worship Bill; and, even if thoy were, it
should never prevent me, dearest, from worshipping
you!"—Punch.
WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN BURMAH.—According
to • Burmese correspondent, women's rights have long
had a recognised status in that part of the world (says
the Times of India.) The liberty and freedom among
the women is very great, much greater than the ad-
vocates of female liberty in Europe or America have
ever thought of. They mix with men, transact their
business, and laugh and talk very freely. Most of
the shopkeepers are women. in their houses they are
everything. If you go to a Burmese house, the wale or
a grown-up daughter will receive you, make you sit
down, bring cigar and pan freely converse with you
without the least feeling; 01 shyness or reserve, and
even will stand a little flirtation and fun. The girls
are allowed full liberty to receive young suitors,
make lore, and get lovers, and marry anyone they
choose and love, no matter whether rich or poor.
parents do not interfere at all in this matter.
As they perform no ceremony in marriages, some-
times the proud parents don't even know whether
or when their daughters are married, and to whom.
- -

QUESTION FOR COURT ABOVE.-1I ha a been
decided by several Judges that the owners of any
place into which they admit people on payment of
money, with the knowledge that betting is (carried on
in it, render themselves liable to fine and imprison-
ment. If this decision stand, how will it affect
Hammersmith Bridge on the occasion of the Univer-
sity boat-race I—Punch.

AN INDIAN MISSIONARY.—Sume particulars
regarding the Rev. Mr. Johnson, the adventurous
missionary who endeavoured, a few weeks since, to
make his way into Kaffristan, have come to hand. He
counneuced life as an officer in one of the crack regi-
ments of the line and served gallantly through the
Crimean campaign. The regiment was ordered out to
India during the mutiny, but being stationed in
Calcutta, instead of being sent to fight in the north-
west, the inactive life of a soldier in garrison did not
evidently suit Mr. Johnson, who was desirous of be-
coming a missionary. He accordingly resigned, and
was for some time connected with the London Mis-
sionary Society, which he left to join the Baptists,
in the hope of having more uork to do. As a Baptist
missionary he laboured hard for several years in the
Jessore district, and acquired the reputation of being
thoroughly sincere and zealous in his work and he
often underwent personal privations in order to lye
better able to assist the poorer Christians among his
flock with a liberal hand. He then proceeded in the
same capacity to the Sonthal Pergunnahs, where lie
worked indefatigably and zealously as was his wont,
but having lost an arm in an encounter with a tiger,
Ire had to go home for a time. He returned to India,
and worked indepe.ffiently for some time in Calcutta,
finally joining the Wesleyan mission, to which he now
belongs.
RAILWAY SERVANTS AND SAFE TRAVELLING.—
The inspectors and goods guards of the Lendon and
North-Western Railway Company have just sent in a
petition, in which they find fault with the agreement
made with the board in 1872, and ask further conces-
sions, which, while they would mteth improve the
condition of the men, would give additional guarantees
for the safety of the travelling public, especially as
regards the hours of duty, and the graduated terms of
servitude which would secure the possession of well.
trained servants. The petition has been signed by
the men employed over the entire North-Western
system.
THE USE OF ROAD LOCONIOTIVEEL—M steam
cultivation is to be more general in England more of
the counties must follow the example of Bedfordshire
in strengthening the county bridges for the transit of
road locomotives. At the Bedfordshire Quarter
Sessions the surveyor reported upon 23 county bridges
which have been put in a satisfactory state of repair,
and equal to carrying cvdinary traction engines. A
seventeen arch bridge, and other bridges of four and
three arches respectively, were reported as likely to be
hoished by Michaelmas. These works were undertaken
it the instance of Mr. James Howard, and will not
cost a very heavy sum of money.—Chamber qf Agricul,
lure Journal.

"LATEST TIIINO IN STRIKES. "—A Deputation
of Laymen of a Suburban Paribh waited on their
beloved Pastor Last Week, and Stipulated for Sermons
of not more than Nine Heads, and Nine Minutes'
long, during the excessive Heat !—Pum-h.
A MILLION OF COTTON BALES IN LIVER-
POOL—The Manchester Courier says :- " For some
weeks there has been a considerable amount of specu-
lation in the Liverpool Cotton Market as to whether
the stork of cotton in the port would reach a million
bales, and bets have been made very freely upon the
point. A Friday or two ago, when the stork was made
up, it had reached a total of 960,000 bales, when it
began to fluctuate e ich Friday in the most uncertain
manner, at one time reaching on high as 998,770 bales,
causing great excitement amongst those who had laid
bets. Last week, however, the seven figures were at-
tained, the stock standing at 1,003,900 bales, and it is
understood that the amount of money which has
changed hands in consequence has been very consider-
able."

EXCITING SCENE AT A FIRE IN LONDON.—The
house numbered 17, Lamb's Conduit-street, occupied
by Messrs Della Torrot and Co., merchants in fancy
wares, was discovered to be on fire shortly after twelve
o'clock on Saturday night. The building was an old
one, and much timber had been employed in its
construction. Beginning at the lower part, the flames
spread with such rapidity, that within three-quarters
of an hour after the outbreak the whole fabric fell in,
leaving only the bare walls standing. In the mean-
time the escape men brought down several persons
from the top of the burning hmse ; and the occupants
of the premises on either side, fearing danger, hastily
retreated. Several children were brought down and
carried away by some of the neighbours, and most
painful excitement was manifested by the parents,
who were not aware of the safety of the children.
There were rumours of loss of life, which, however,
proved groundless. A number of engines were soon in
attendance, Captain Shaw directing the operations of
the firemen, whose chief aim was the protection of the
adjoining property. It was eleven o'clock on Sunday
morning before the firemen ceased throwing water on
the ruins.

A GOOD LISTENER. —Rereroui Gentleman
"Well, Tim, did you leave the Letter at the Squires?"
—Tim. " I did, your Riv'rence. I blieve they 're
havin' Dinner Company to-day --"—Rt remnd Gentle-
man (angrily). "What Business had you to be
Listenur,' about' How often have I told you--"
Tint. "Plane your Itiv'rence, I only Listened with
my Nose ! !" Punch.

-
A PRINCIPALITY IN AMERICA. —According to
the New York Bulletin, Mr. George Grant, the pro-
prietor of the farcous Victoria Colony, hi Kansas, is
the largest landholder in America. Ile is a Scotch
gentleman, who acquired a large fortune as a silk mer-
chant in London, and who, with an enterprise and
energy as unflagging ifs that of an ambitions youth who
has a fortune still to make, comes over with lus 50 years'
experience and ample fortune, which be invests in the
soil of Kansas and in the improvement of stock. His
land continues to be taken up by Scotch, English, and
American parties. Als.ut 11l square miles have been
already taken up by New Yorkers. An English gen-
tleman, Mr. Ratcliffe, of London, has purchased three
square miles for himself, and four square miles for two
of his friends. They all intend to come out with their
families next spring. This colony differs in every res-
pect from others fonnded in the United States, most
of the settlers being persons of fair fortunes, who are
eeking a healthy climate and country life.

GHASTLY HUMOURISTS. Monkeys have many
pleasing qualities; some of the species are very
gentle, and capable of considerable affection towards
human beings. There is, however, that about mon-
keys, in this country at least, which should effectually
stand in the way of their becoming pets. They have
almost always, every one of them, the seeds of a
fatal consumption; their lives are nearly always to
be measured by a few months; and their antics
are none the fewer that they are racked every now
and then by a dry hectic cough. Their illhealth
depresses them, but nothing can deprive them of .
their love of mischief, and this contrast of buffoonery
and depression is one reason why a tame monkey
makes one of the most melancholy of pets. They are
ghastly humouriste ; they are drone in season and out;
their gaiety is like that ascribed to the Chinese, who
laugh to see the executioner flog or behead a criminaL
A monkey's humour is of a kind that I could never
enter into. It is founded on the doing of mischief.
Let the man who does not believe Inc watch a monkey
playing with puppies or kittens, and compare their
Innocent playfulness with the cruel tricks the monkey
will put upon them—Nem Quarterly Review.

DUKE AND DARLING. —Colonel French had
received a letter of service in the ordinary way,
authorising him to raise recruits for the army. The
levy had been a failure. Each man it brought in cost
the country on an average £150; and the scandal at-
tendant on it was consequently so great that the
Duke was compelled to step it But if the levy in
a public sense had failed, Mrs. Clark had at any
rate made a good thimg out of it. Colonel French
Lad given from first to last £3,300 on account of her
supposed interference with the Duke in his favour ;
and the I hike, it was alleged, was awaie of the trans-
action. A certain MiS4 Taylor, the illegitimate
daughter of one Chance, a disreputable stockbroker,
was a warm friend of Mrs. Clarke's. Miss Taylor
swore that she heard her friend complain ti the Duke
that Colonel French was always bothering her about
the levy, and the Duke replied, " does he behave
to you, darling" Mrs. Clarke answered, " Middling
—not very well ;" on which the Duke rejoined,
"Master French must mind what he is about, or I
shall cut up Lim and his levy too." The House
laughed at the conversation; the onintry laughed at
it. "The joke in the streets,"• wrote the Speaker,
"ii not to cry heads and tails when they toss up half-
pence, but Duke and darling."— Waipo/e.s "/,fe of
Spencer Pm.- M.' •