The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-10-02 00:00:00

ftlisaltaneous

, HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

A GERMAN JOKE.—The Ulk (a humorous
Berlin paper) has a cartoon, entitled the Anglo-Russian
alliance, in which whilst John Bull and the Russian
mujik (peasant} are warmly shaking hands and clink-
ing glasses, they kick each other under the table at
which both are seated. The table itself rests on a
Turkish carpet. A Frenchman stands by the side of
Bull, filling a' glass for himself out of a bottle
lhled "revanche," whilst Bisniarck leans over to
Russia to see what is going on. The words accom-
panying the cartoon are," Oben hui und unten pfui,"
which means that whilst, what is going on above the
table is praiseworthy, what is going on below is dis-
graceful.
EmioßATioN TO AMERICA.—The influx of
European immigrants into the United States has been
for a long time jealously viewed by the labouring
classes in America who since the commercial collapse
of two years ago have been by no means revelling in a
_paradise of high wages and short hours (remarks the
Pall Mall (Jazette). All American industries still suffer
depression, and the reduction of the wage-rate by em-
ployers have brought on several strikes, the latest and
and one of the most important having culminated some
ten days since at Fall River, in Massachusetts, where
forty cotton mills, have stopped working, and 15,000
operatives have "turned out." In these circumstances
it is not surprising that some of the New York papers
record with evident satisfaction the decrease in the im-
migration from Europe. In July, 1874, no fewer than
15,634 immigrants were landed at Castle Garden;
while in the same month of the present year only
9,266 were landed.. It is stated, however, that the
lesser number represents a superior class, importing a
considerable capital in small sums.
IN-SOLENT BEHAVIOUR. Getting too near
the Royal Yacht. —Punch.
EARL MANVERS ON EnucArioN.—Earl Man-
vers presided on Monday evening at a meeting in
Nottingham held in connection with the university
extension scheme. His lordship said that while not
underrating the advantages of a classical education,
yet he could not but think if a portion of the time that
many of the boys and young men in large schools con-
sumed in groaning over Homer and Euripides had
been spent in acquiring a knowledge of modern history,
political economy, and other subjects of that kind,
there might have been produced a larger number of
persons better qualified for the spheres of life to which
Providence had called them.

MAHOMEDAN MARRIAGE LAW. —The Indian
Daily .News of Aug. 30, says :—An incident occurred
at the police-court yesterday which ought to convince
our legislators of the necessity of interference in regard
to the marriage laws of the Mahomedans. A Mahome-
dan being summoned to appear before the magistrate
by his wife, on the ground that he had refused to main-
tain her, on being arraigned, with great presence of
mind immediately proceeded to divorce his wife' by
repeating thrice the word Tullak. The result was, that
the wife was henceforth divorced, and that all she was
entitled to claim from her husband, if childless, was
maintenance for three months, at the end of which
time she would cease to be his wife.

SATISFIED ABOUT HIS MANNERS.—" Moister,"
said an old Scotch servant, "whether is't gude manners,
when a gentleman gies ye a glass o' whuskey, to tak' a
drap or drink aff the haill o't ? " The master having,
in homely Scotch phrase, judiciously replied to this
poser that the courtesy consisted in imbibing the whole,
the man exclaimed, with a sigh of relief, "Then, gude
be thankit, I was mannerly 1"
A PIGEON-POST BETWEEN EUROPE AND
AMERICA.—The Live Stork Journal says that an Ocean
Homing Bird, of great docility, intelligence and spirit,
has been found in Iceland, which flies at a meteor-like
speed of 150 miles an hour, and is able to find its home
over sea and land, from any part of the habitable
world. A pair of these birds, a few days ago, brought
despatches from Paris to a lonely spot, congenial to
their nature, in a wild and rocky part of Kent, within
10 miles of London, in 1i hour. Press carrier pigeons
took the despatches on to the City, the whole distance
from Paris to London, by actual parcel mode of con-
veyance, being done within 1i hour! If the experi-
ments at present being made in training and educating
them continue successful, it is hoped by next summer to
establish a daily miniature ocean mail between
America and Europe, the whole distance to be tra-
versed between sunrise in one hemisphere and sunset in
the other.
MoRALisiNG OVER A BROKEN DISH ! In
these days of enthusiasm about Ceramic art, says
Scribner's Monthly, these verses of Tom Hood's, the
moralising of a footman over a broken dish, may be
read with a new interest :

"What's life but full of care and doubt,
With all its fine humanities;
With parasols we walk about,
Long pigtails and such vanities.
"We plant pomegranate trees and things,
And go in gardens sporting,
With toys and fans of peacock's wings,
To painted ladies courting.
"We gather flowers of every hue,
And fish in boats for fishes,
Build summer-houses painted blue—
But life's as frail as dishes.
"Walking about their groves of trees,
Blue badges and blue rivers,
How little thought them two Chinese
They'd both be smashed to shivers." ,
!IiTHE NATIONAL DEBT.—The Financier says
t in spite of the purchase of telegraphs, fortification
loans, and other outlays, the debt of this country is
£41,004,588 less than it was ten years ago. It is the
habit to state the debt of the United Kingdom in
round numbers at £Boo,ooo,ooo—an amount, indeed,
which was rather below the truth in 1870; but since
then we have paid off £26,057,875, and the total
indebtedness—whether funded, unfunded, or in the
shape" of terminable annuities—now amounts to
£775,348,686. During the last five years the annual
reduction of debt has averaged £5,211,500; and accord-
ing to Sir Stafford Northcote's provisions, it now pro-
mises to be still more considerable.
INSTINCT OF Doos.—The instinct of Newfound-
land dogs to save a drowning person has been somewhat
painfally tested by an unlucky Frenchman (says the
Graphic). He was walking in the country with a friend,
who possessed a magnificent Newfoundland, and incau-
tiously questioned the truth of the animal's sagacity.
The dog's master, vexed at the slur cast on his favourite,
gave his friend a push and knocked him into a shallow
river. " Turk " immediately sprang in, and, seizing
one of the tails of the immersed man's coat, commenced
to swim for land. Unfortunately another Newfound-
land, trotting along the other side of the river, saw
the affair, and also came to the rescue. Dog number
two seized the other tail of the coat and wished to
swim back to his master, " Turk " held fast and
struggled for his side, and the owner of the coat cried in
vain for help. At last the coat gave way, and each New-
foundland swam proudly home with a piece of cloth in
his mouth, so that " Turk's " master was obliged to
plunge in himself to save his friend.
PREPARATION Parson's Daughter (to the
Squire's Keeper). "What are you doing with the
Pheasants, Muggles ? "—Keeper. " W ell , Miss, there's
a lot o' City Gents a coming down with Master to
Shoot on the First, HO I'm a takin' a few o' their flight
feathers out ! "—Punch.
REWARD FOR SAVING LIFE.—The French
Government have just given an honourable recognition
of valuable services rendered in the cause of humanity.
In the month of February last the French bark
Bordelais, of Bordeaux, was wrecked off Cape Finisterre,
and Captain Le Boutillier, of the Jersey bark Eva,
who was in the vicinity, at a great risk both to his
vessel and crew, succeeded in rescuing five of the ship-
wrecked men, four of their shipmates being unfor-
tunately drowned before the Eva's boat could get to
their lissistance. The rescued men were oonveyed to
Madeira, where they were landed and sent home. In
recognition of these services the Government of France
forwarded to the Customs authorities at Jersey a large
gold medal of the first class, accompanied with a very
commendatory address, to be presented to Captain Le
Boutillier, the presentation being made in the presence.
of Baron de Cussey,. French Viee-Constill and sevexe.
shipowners and other persons interested in maritime
affairs. Robert Smith, a Scotchman, mate of the Eva,
was at the same time presented with a first-class silver
medal for the part he took on the occasion.