The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-10-20 00:00:00

Illisallantotts
ROME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

A Qpyratmernm,—..A story Of
.:Baron James
Rothschairs blindnesar,lesich .has be* is, everybo,
mouth,-turne 014,0A1* ehaterefitil esiesard circulated
by • Paris !meet the, Beenentent, which thus jauntily
and flippantly,pontradicts its own news as folloWs:
A paragraph hi the Eseneenent has caused great commo-
tion in thehnancial world,einti most involuntarily on our
part alarmed the family end numerous Maude of the
Itothschifde. We 'were misinformed. Baron lamer de
Rothschild was never better in his life, Ills eight is ex-
cellent. and only last Sunday he was out pheasant shooting
In hi, Ferrieres covers.
The Ertnement not only reported that Baron James
had lost the sight of one eye, and was likely to lose
that of the other, but backed up the statement with
titails about the long progress of the disease of the
-cal organs and the oculist who had bad been Con-
stilted, which no reader eould have supposed to be in•
vsntion. The government journals, the Pays and
Patrie, re-produced the painful false news the other
evening without • word of contradiction or doubt.
Talmo THE BULL BY THE IlonNS. —A young man
named Charles Buck undertook to exhibit a Bramah
bull whose keeper was sick in a circus in St. Louis re-
cently (remarks an American paper). The animal
did not relish his familiarities, and suddenly turning
upon hint made a terrible thrust at him with his borne.
Buck caught hold of his horns and a policeman nanied
Smith rushed into the arena and caught the bull by
the tail. The animal, at thie, turned his fury upon
Smith. but the latter hung stoutly to the tail, and as
'the bull turned Was swung violently around. Others
now came to the rescue and the bull was secured.
GOOD TultsoB FOR Goon Mew--" The inaugu.
;Aiwa of the Jesuit's palace ,ist Arlon," says the Eeho
du Luxembdurg, "has just taken place. The proceed-
ings commenced with a mass, were continued by a ser-
mon, and ended by a banquet. Half a dozen laymen
and about sixty ecclesiastics were present at the cere-
mony. The banquet was magnificent ; we are indebted
to a grateful lay stomach for being able to place before
'sour readers the bill of fare of this, rimed of anchorites.
which will make the mouth water for all those who
have not taken vows of poverty and abstinence. It is
as follow* :
lk • Beare' d'Ostende, potage ala tortue, crepinettes ala
Richelieu, anumon a le Hollandaise. filet de Neuf jardiniere,
I cenneton aux olives larder., filet de soles, matelote Nor-
mande, perd reaux au nature': sorbets an kirsch, celerts fares.
Bowe I la poivfade dlndonor sun taut!os a l'eplempale, be-
tomes, anguille au henrre Moutirellier, j.mhon d'Ardenne en
g. Lee homaeds. pates de idea OM, bavarotee pariazhee, Ma.
cedotrie an champagne, glaces, fruits, dessert.'
It is hardly necessary to add that this encculent repast
seas ealivened'with old wince of the choicest vintages.
Among others in mentioned a certain white Tokay,
which thew exclamations of. delight from the pious
guests. In short, it will he seen by the description of
this bountiful love feast that our re ligious communities,
cures,, and biehops have an rimy and agreeable life of
nritwiihstanding the abominable persecutions and
siadieions of which they are made the victims by the
liberals."
AN OSETINATE \Volum !—There is an old
woman at Pimlico. London. who is driving the
medical and parish authorities to their wits' end
in attempting to put her down, or get her into
the workhoese, or abolish her four cats (remarks the
Pall Mall Gazette). She has lived for seven years in
a wretched room, clothed in rags, in extreme poverty,
and the odours are so offensive to the neighbours that
they have called in the police, the inspector of
nuisances, and the medical officer of health, but the
old woman refuses to stir. She will not go to the
workhouse, and she will not give up her cats. And as
there is no law against kerping cats, or to compel
people to keep themselves clean, the old woman is
mistress of the position. The police magistrate says
it is a most remarkable and difficult case, and the only
thing he can suggest is to circumvent the old woman,
as he cannot order her to be washed against her will.
So he has given an order that her room shall be washed
and disinfected under the Nuisances Removal Act,
evidently expecting that the 01,1 woman will offer some
such resistance as shall bring her within the reach of
the law. It seems likely, too, that during the disin-
fecting and cleansing of walls and fl poring the cats
may come to grief. Anyhow, it is a striking pheno-
menon that the nation which won Waterloo and put
down the Indian mutiny is content with laws which
allow an old woman in Pimlico to defy authority, with
pestilence spreading all around her.
A SOOTHING REPLY ! The "New York
Tribune" relates the following affecting anecdote
In a sleeping car recently a man in one of the berths be-
came greatly annoyed by a crying child, whom the father
was trying in vain to quiet. The irate Individual at last
shouted out, What the devil is the matter with that young
one ," And soon smith, " Where is the mother of that
child, that she is not here to pacify it!" At this time the
pea, gentleman In charge of the child, stepped up to the
berth, and raid, "Sir, the mother of that child Is In her
coffin in the begaage car." The grumbler immelletely arose
and compelled the afflicted father to retire to his berth, and
from that time until morning he took the little orphan under
his own care.
A WONDERFUL OLD LADY.—The Mrteony
(Georgia) Telegraph" says an old lady named Martha
Carson. aged 103 yearn, six months, and three days,
died lately in Bibb county, Georgia. She had cut
three sets of teeth, the last being small and like a
squirrel's. She never took an active dose of medicine
in her life. Up to within six years she would walk
two or three miles with the greatest ease. About
eight years ago her sight failed, but when she cut her
last set of teeth, about two years since, it improved
very much. She was born in North Carolina, but has
lived in Georgia for sixty years. Her eldest son,
William, died in Louisiana a few months ago, at the
age of eighty-one or eighty-two years. She had eleven
children, five of whom are now alive.
"How we Arem.s Swim !"—Under the above
heading the London Standard quotes the following
from the Daily Telegraph :
Perfection we can afford to wait for, but ref,rrn ree most
have As practical men we know that each vote is pre •ious;
that :re must unite the aiesentiente and reclaim the erring.
If Lord Dunkellin comes hack clothed in sackcloth and
ashes we shall let bygones be bygones. If some other mem-
bers demand too much we shsli not the less gladly go with
them Imo the right lobby. We nest now have no more
blundering we most unite. We have no objection to Mr.
Norse is move the introduction of a Reform Bill. We
await his measure in • spirit of the most polite patience.
We shall see. Meanwhile, we must he ready tor the worst;
we must be prepared to bring forward a bill of our own.
And our new bill will not be a copy of the one rejected
last year, rt.,.
A WOMAN GORED BY • COW.—An inquest has
been held at Coventry, on the body of an old woman
named Phiebe Hoggine, who hail died the preceding
day in the hospital from injuries received on the 29th
of last August. The circumstances of the case were
peculiar. It appeared from the evidence that on the
day named, the woman, who was nearly blind, and
seventy years of age, was sitting in her house at about
seven o'clock in the morning, when two cows came in,
one of which attacked her and frightfully gored her
about the head and other parts of her person. She
was removed to the hospital, and, after a great deal of
severe "'offering, died on Saturday morning. The young
mei who were in charge of the cows appear to have
don, 11 they could to manage the cows properly; and
a verdict 0f "Accidental death " was returned. Great
sympathy was felt by the jury fir the man Hoggine,
and a subscription was made for him, to enable him to
decently inter his late wife. Mr. Fawcett, the owner
of the cow which caused the death, generously gave •
sovereign towards the fund.
No SURRENDER !—A "sensation story" ap.
pears in the Mobile Times. It is stated that in
removing some extensive breastworks near the gaol, on
the 19th ult., the workmen came upon a cave in which
were found six veteran Confederates., who had taken
refuge there at the capture of Mobile rather than sur
render. The cave had an outlet among some thick
bushes at the side of an old moat, and some persons
living in the neighbourhood are supposed to know how
the init men have aubeisted.
A HINT TO FARMERS.—Mr. William Smith, of
Woolston, Bletchley station, Bucks, has sent the fol-
lowing letter to the London Times :
Mr Henley tells nein your paper of the 21st of September,
1866, that "it seemed to him that the invention the steam
plough; had now come np to a certain point and there stood
' still, going neither backwards nor forward." I can enppoet
his statement, for I have sold only two sets of tackle this
year. Why ibis steam plough progress, or rather stand still,
should thus stand I cannot understand, for the evidence
on my farm is opposed to such sluggishness. To support
this I will, with your permission, give my lith year's practice.
On Saturday, the 29th of September, I began working my
tackle, and to-day. sty ate, I finished the whole of my work
for the year. Here Is the sum total of it :—Heavy Land
Field, No. 2, eight acres ef bean stubble ; field, No 3, 12
acres of bean stubble. Light Land.—Field, No 1, 12 acres
of pea stubble; field, No. 2, 13 acres of bean stubble. Total,
45 acres. Them 45 acres have not only been cultivated, but
have been cross cultivated and seeded with wheat, tile cross-
ing and seeding have been done at one operation, Kr that
within 124 days I have worked 90 acres, doing the seeding
Into the bargain, and have thus taken advantage of the
last fine fortnight. The consumption of coal has been five
tons nine cwt., 155. per ton. Ilere am I at the end of this
wet season with the principal part of my wheat seeding done,
and the first planted coming up well. The rest of my year's
work will be done by my three horse.; to complete it they
have to plough npon the turnover plan 14 acres of closer hay
and seed it with wheat ; 29 acres of wheat stubble for balms
or root, and their year's work will be done. Your readers
may draw their own eonolusion from this, keeping in mind
the wet season.
A FIRE SELF•EITIVIIIIIRITID.—A fire broke

oni—on-SiStUrdaY—in—t—h-e--e;li;;;;IX druggistn-am—ed-
Christain, in the Avenue Montaigne, Paris, and was
brought to a termination in a singular manner. A
boy had let a lighted lucifer fall on some rags, which
became ignited, and the flames spread to some bottles
and carboys containing various 'kinds of spirits and
alcohol; these bursting soon flooded the cellar with a
blaring liquid which emitted a smoke so suffocating
that the firemen mere unable to enter. Suddenly a
loud explosion was heard, and the flames became ex-
tinguished as if by enchantment. Three bottles of
sulphuric ether, containing in all about three quarts,
bad burst, and the vapour mixing with the atmos-
pheric air had put an end to the combustion.
"ALL RIGHT ! "—At the Worship-street police '
I court, London, a young man WAS charged with stealing
a silver watch from the person of a stone-mason. Pro-
secutor stated his loss with much drollery in the fol-
lowing words:—
Last night I was In the Mile-end-road, looking with
1 other persons at a man selling Molten with a aten-
torten voice. Suddenly I felt my watch chain drop from
my waistcoat pocket, and of course my watch was gone.
The prisoner directly I looked at him ran away. I did not
see him steal It, but I felt quite certain that he had done so,
and saying to myself 'all right," followed him up and down
and In and out places. Presently he turned, and seeing me
stooped over a stall in the road, and I think dropped some-
thing. Thinks I all right ;" away he went again, and away
I follows him. Then he stopped, looked at me, and I looked
at hint. "What are you looking at," say. he. "All right,"
says I. Well on. again be goes, and fakes to running, and I
followed him. Then he stopped "Whet are you running
after me for?" he asks. All right," says I, " Have I
got an thing of yours?" says he. "All right," says I. "flare
I stolen anything of yours?" says he. "All right," Bays I
"What do you mean by all right?" he asks; "ii I've robbed
you give mete charge." "Alt right," I says again.
Magistrate: What made you continually answer him
in those words ?—Prosecutor : I was looking out for a
constable all the time, and when I eatv one I gave the
thief into custody.—Prisoner cross-examined the pro-
secutor with some tact, and denied all knowledge of
the watch, which has not been found.—Magistrate
I Is Lie preleale kW/WA ?-••PSWASMIS. : Never been here

before.—Jailor : Yee you have, for stealing a handker-
chief, and then said you were a tailor, which is false.
—Prisoner: Ah, 1 forgot that—He wee then re-
manded.
I e. ..
' A
1 rdelliTY DAYS' CAPTIVITY IN PRUSSIA .--st
pamphlet published in -Vienna by Dr. Roth,: the
burgomaster of Nntenad, entitled " Eights Map'
Captivity in Prussia," has excited great interest thine
on account of the ill-treatment which the doctor asserts
that his received. Ho states that when he was brought
before the Prussian comnuinding officer, that gentle...
man drew a pierAfrem hitbelt, and putting it to Dr.
Roth's forehead, exclaimed, "You blackguard, you
hav• drawn us into a snare. I have a great mind to
shoot you at once." In spite of the modesty with
which the doctor speaks of his own conduct in such a
tremendous conjucture, In seems to have showilipt
preaencenf mind. Though his life hung upon a t ,
he appears to have answered the angry Prussian in
words so convincing hat the lattfnreplaced his pistol
id his belt and stood silent for a 4ew momenls, aftse
which he dismissed the burgomaster. Dr. Roth
solemnly avers that not a single shot was fired by the
inhabitants of Trantenau upon the Pruseians ; as for
the stories about boiling water, oil, &c,, asserted in the
Berlin papers to have been poured upon the soldiers'
heads from private houses, he treats them as pure-ab-
surdities; and goes on to say :
I ask how can it be believed that any Treuteneuer In the
possession 11 his sense. would have fired upon the Prussian
troops at aims when the *hole town and Its viclidty wee
occupied by them, when many private houses were full of
Own front top to bottom, and when a vigorous combat was
ac•ually raging in the southern pert of the town Truly such
Ia stupid, purposolcsa, and yet generally aceredited lie I could
not hsve believed possible{ II I had not in penion experienced
the coniequences of it.

A NOW. ER INTIMPFIETkTfuN OF " 8.C." —ln
almanacs and other books for titular reference B.C. is
universally adopted as the initials of the phrase " Be-
fore Christ." An abstract was recently required and
obtained from the office of the Registrar-General,
which, after narrating the names and designations of
the parents, quoted in extract, "A son named James,
twelfth April, one thousand eight hundred and seven.'
-"8.C." The cirtificate was repudiated and sent
back for explanation of the "8.C." It turned out
that in those days session clerlut put "8.C." as a con-
traction for ceitification that "the child was I:anti:red
Before the Congregation."
FRtclAlc COMBUSTIBLIS.—On Saturday a number of
magistrates and town councillorsaieremhled at the Liver-
pool police-station to witness •flperimente wth the
Fenian combustible fluid recently seized. A portion
of the fluid was poured on s quantity of loose cotton
and sticks, and in about four minutes it spontaneously
ignited. A bottle containing fluid was then dashed
against the wall, which immediately became a mass
of flames. The spectators were deeply impressed with
' the destructive quality of the fluid. Many persons
have doubted the existsnce of a Fenian organization in
Liverpool, but the police caws which are coming to
light will undeceive them. As an instance of the
marvellous unextinguishable qualities of the liquid,
we may state that a short time ago t Mr. Superin.
tendent Hewitt poured some of it on cotton, wool, and
wood chips, and then placed the whole completely in
water, where it remained for a week. It was then
taken out and placed on the floor, and in five minutes
had burst into flames.
• A TALK or A Duo.—" La Petit Journal," of
Paris, which contains from time to time some very
strange stories indeed, has the following anecdote of •
dog, which may be pronounced interesting if true :

Lately a traveller passed in a carriage along the Avenue de
Sentlly : the night was dark. all at once the horse stopped,
and the traveller saw that the animal had met an obstacle.
At the same moment a man raised himself from before the
horse, uttering a cry, " Why don't you take curer said the
tray, her. "A 1 cried the man, 'you would do better, in-
stead of helloing, to lend me your lantern." "What for "
"1 had three hundred franca in gold on my person ; my
pocket has broken, and all Is fallen on the street. It le a corn-
mission with which my master has entrusted me. If I do
not find the money lam s ruined man." "It is not easy. to
find the pieces on such a night; have you none left ?" "les,
I have one." "Give it to me." The man heeltated. "Give
. . .

it to me, it Is u • means of recovering the others." The poor
devil gave him his last coin. The traveller whistled,' mag-
nificent Danish dog began to leap around him. lime," said
the traveller, putting the coin to the nose of the dog—
'. look." The intelligent cream, sniffed • moment at the
money, and then began to run about the road. Every minute
he returned leaping, and deposited in the hand of his master
a napoleon. In about twenty minutes the whole sum was re-
covered. The poor fellow who had got his money back turned
full of thanks towards the traveller, who had now got into
Ms carriage. 'Ak, you are my preserver," said he, 'tell me
at least your name."" I have done nothing,' said the tra-
veller, "your preserver is my dog his name is itabat-Joie
And then, whipping his horses, he disappeared in the dark-
ness.

FACTORY SMOKE AND HOUSE SMOKE.—From
the researches of Dr. Crace-Calvert, F.R.S., it is
ascertained that whilst dwelling house smoke is coon-
paratiyely harmless, factory smoke in highly delete-
noun (remarks the Mining Journal). He explains
that the smoke from private dwellings carries with it
(and that solely at the time, and shortly after fresh coals
are added) carbonic acid, carbonic oxide, and sulphuric
acid gases, and a small quantity of the most volatile
hydrocarbons, the less volatile products forming
"soot " which remains in the flue. The gases, the
escape of which continues but a few minutes after
tiring, have but little or no action on vegetation or
man. In burning coal under steam boilers the results
are very different. The fuel is not, as in private
dwellings, perfectly conenmed, but there is a con-
tinuinui distillation of deleterioustarry products which
by the draught of the tall factory chimney are carried
with all the other nozione products into the cold at-
mosphere at the top of the stack, where they quickly
condense and fall, to poison all within their reach.
TUE CHURCH Or KNOLAND IN ACBTRALIA.
The Church of England in Victoria 11 not a very
vigorous plant (writes a Melbourne correspondent).
More zeal is to be found among the other Protestant
denominations, and on the whole there is more talent
among their preachers. Few Church of England
clergymen are adequately remunerated here even with
the assistance of the 50.000/. annually and rateably,
according to numbers, divisible by law among the
various sects; while other churches occasionally pay
their ministers very well, and only the other day the
rpxbyterian congregation of John KTIOX.tI Church in
. . - . .

Melbourne secured the services of Mr. Dykes, lately
the assistant of Dr. Candlish in Glasgow, for the re-
muneration of 800!. for the next year.
WANTING A TIMM! !—The Flaneur of the
Morning Star writes :
It surely is to this dearth of subject' for c Immesh!, that we
must attribute the fact that • ',key who has lately been
killed by an accident has afforded • text for eulogistic lead.
Ins articles in journals where such theme. are not usually
treated. If not, it speak. badly for the Lone of joornalism
and of the society which journalism is supposed to reflect.
That tho accident should have been notice,' with regret In
all the newspapers, and made a prominent subject of In the
sporting press, was natural enough; but that • leading daily
journal, and the review of "politic., literature, science, and
art," should devote the beet portion of their space to the
laudation of a young man who, at best, was ro.rely • clever
horse jockey, and of whoin nitio-tenths of their readers had
probably never heard, is, to say the least of It, • strange
and a not too pleasant sign of the times Sixty two years
ago Mr. Wordsworth lamented
To think that now our Wet. only rest
In show mean handywork of coil:men, cook
Or Groom !"
if the old high-priest of nature were alive now more than
ever would h.o he prompted to escial
. . .

We must rim glittering like • brook
In the open sunshine, or we are noblest
The wealthiest man among us lath, beat
hio grandeur now in nature or in book
Delights us Rapine, avarice, expense—
This Is idolatry and these we adore :
Plain living and high thinking are no more.
[We may remark that poor Grimshaw had insured
his life in the Accident Insurance Company for 1,0001.,
and this amount will, therefore, be payable to his
young widow.]

- EXTRAORDINARY DINCOVERIES.—The following
la from Cialtgrsarti, a French paper :

_ .
The floods on the SeMe have stirred up the deposits in
It. course throaeh Paris with the following effect cook
at the baths of Henri IV., fished up, mar the Quay Conti,
the body of a man of thirty, emotingly • mechanic. Ms
linen without a Truk, and who had •ppmently been about
two months in the water. Near the Pont Neuf, that of •
man of forty was found, who had been thud • week In the
water. Near the Qua, de Javel, a workman attached to the
drag boat Wm lap • human trunk, with the right arm and
part of the left arm misting ; the two legs were found 1
little farther on, with a shoe in which mui still • piece of
the right foot. Some fragment. of olothing still adhered to
these remain.. In unrecognisable human head was fished
up near the Pont an Change; the body of a new-born male
infant was taken nut of the Canal St. Martin ; • child of
seven years old, who wits floating down, carried away by
the current, near the Pont de Pantin, was taken out alive ;
finally, at the same place, opposite the Quai Jemmapes, the
body of an old man of sixty was found, and recognised as
that of • lock-keeper who had been some days misting.
THE IRON CROWN OF LOJIBLEDT.—A correspondent
write,:—

There seems to be a general Ignorance of what the iron
crown really Is, though often mentioned. In a woll.known
newspaper the editor in • leading article writes of it thns
" The lime crown sold at it. strict value would be bought,
In all likelihood, at the price of a horse shoe." The little
relic, of Insignificant appearance and of no value !" The
editor eillently considers It to be something like an old
coal scuttle, to be worn with the bottom upwards. I wish
to Inform him and others that the crown is composed of a
broad circle of gold, set with large rubles, emeralds, and
sapphire., on a ground of blue and gold enamel. Itut the
most important part of the Iron crown, from which it
derives its name, is a narrow rim or band of Iron three.
eighths of an Inch broad and one-tenth of an Inch In thick- I
nese, attached to the Inner circeniference of the circle.
This inner band of sacred iron is believed to have been
made of one of the nails used at the crucifixion, and
accounts for the veneration In which it has been away.
held. An account of the crown, with An engraving, win he
found In Brayley's frapAte Illustrator, and In Chambers's
Deck of Days.
THE FAMINE IN INDlA.—Private advice, re-
ceived in Liverpool give deplorable accounts of the
famine in Orissa, and the endeavours that were being
made to send ausiconr to the various diets-lots where
the famine prevailed (earl the Daily News). One writer
states that "unless assistance comes from England,
all the efforts that are being made in India will go but
a little way to alleviate the want and suffering of the
natives." We understand that several of the prin-
cipal East India housee in Liverpool are about taking
steps to raise a fund, to be called the India Famine
Fund, which will, as its name indicates, be used for
the purpose of ameliorating the distressed condition of
the natives of °Hasa, and other parts of India where
the famine prevails.
A Lasas Faam.—The Horner (III.) Journal
' mars :
A few days since Michael L. Bullivant sold his farm of
22 000 acres, lying eix to ten Mlles south of this place, to
Mr. Alexander, of Morgan county, for seventeen dollars per
acre, or 874,000 dollars, cash. Mr. Alexander also bought
the stock, grain, bay, and farming utensils on the place of
Mr. Sullivant, which made the whole amount of purchase
money nearly or quite 500,000 dollars. Mr. Sullivan& has
yet a "place" of 45.000 acres in Iroquois county, besides
more land. Mr. Alexander will "Mork" the "farm" im-
media, ely with 8 000 or more head of cattle. He will ship
600 head per week to market from this point. We "farm"
out here, and do business generally on • large scale.
EXECUTION Ow FoUR PIRATES IN FRANCE.—
Advice, from Brest announce that the four Bailors of
the Fmieris-Arere' lately condemned to death, were
executed there the other morning in the presence of
an immense crowd of the population and of troops of
all arms. None but the partisans of the abolition of
the punishment of death in all oases will blame the
French government for the firmness it has ehown on
this occasion. It is very rare indeed that the spectacle
of the execution of so many as four men at a time is
exhibited in France. Some excuse is almost always
found Ise sosuaatiag twatsassa au arm equally railty