The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-08-14 00:00:00

MUdUneßu JitelJxgcllce,

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

A PRACTICAL SUGGESTION.—Any Measure for the
Relief of Irish Distress must be unsatisfactory unless
it contains sufficient provisions.—Punch.

BARRING THE WAY.—A story, which almost caps
that of Napoleon and the sentinel, is related of the
Queen of the Belgians, who frequently drives about
the country in her pony chaise, accompanied only by
her daughter' the Princess Stephanie. The royal
family have been spending a few days at Ostend,
coming up to town only when required for the
important business of the fetes. The other day, on
her way from the Bean bathing station, Her
Majesty, driving her chaise with four ponies, paid a
visit to the quaint old city of Bruges. As the Rue
Breydel is not wide enough to allow two vehicles to
pass, the local authorities have put on an agent de
police to stop the traffic in one direction, and on the
Queen arriving the agent politely, but firmly, barred
the way. The argument that the chance of a vehicle
coming in the other direction was very remote proved
ineffectual against the consigne, and, smiling good-
naturedly, Her Majesty turned her ponies' heads and
continued her way by the Rue Philipstock—says
" Argus," in Land and Water,
VERY ODD.—It is a very extraordinary fact that
as a class, are the most sensitive people
If you give them even one little shilling
Ti
no
ew xni
s- t c terer se t
they will actually cry. —Judy.
A POLICEMAN'S CAT.—A cat keeps the night watch
in the town of Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. with as
great devotion to her self-imposed duties as the fire-
man's dog long known in London. Every night puss
accompanies the night police on their rounds, no
matter whether the weather be wet, dry, or snowy.
During the day she sleeps in the guardhouse, but as
soon as seven o'clock conies, and the night force go on
duty, she is all alert, while if, during the rounds, a
dog barks or rushes out, the cat prudently makes a
detour, but in a few minutes is back again close to the
policeman's heels

THE TAY BRIDGE.—On Saturday afternoon a Fleet-
ing of the directors of the North British Railway
Company was held in their offices, Princes-street,
Edinburgh. The evidence given before the select
committee appointed by the House of Commons to
inquire into the Bill for the reconstruction of the Tay
Bridge was considered. The directors then resolved
to remit to an engineer of the highest eminence to
urepare plans and estimates for the reconstruction of
the bridge on such a footing as to ensure its absolute
stability and its avoiding any objections on the part
of the Board of Trade.
A LINK BETWEEN THE PRESENT AND THE PAST.—
The carpet-beds which are so favoured a feature in
modern flower gardens are apparently a graceful
tribute to the memory of the goddess Floorer, who
waq, as we all know, the patroness of ancient horti-
culture.—Fun.

DISESTABLISHMENT IN SCOTLAND.—The Rev. Dr.
Hatton, of Paisley, and the Rev. Alexander Oliver,
of Glasgow, have just returned from a somewhat
lengthened tour through Orkney and Shetland, in the
course of which they have addressed thirteen meetings
in various places on the disestablishment question.
Some of these were most enthusiastic, as would be
natural, considering that the Established Church in
the Highlands, although it is especially endowed out
of the Consolidated Fund, is nowhere. The Orkney
Herald, in referring to these meetings, says
that the
addresses of Dr. Hutton and Mr. Oliver were irresist-
ible, and that, "apart from all other considerations,
simple justice imperatively demands that the Kirk be
disestablished and disendowed." The same journal
impresses upon the present Government the desirable-
ness of bringing in, in due time, a disestablishment
measure.
GOOD OUT OF EVIL.—A paragraph headed "Dis-
appearance of the Skylark" is troubling ornithologists.
This will be a dreary world with no Larks !—Punch.

THE HERRING FISHERY.— Last week (says the
Scotsman) there was a continuance of the extraordinary
large takes of fish which have marked the present
herring fishing season on the north-east coast. At
Fraserburgh and Wick the average take was increased
by over 50 crans during the week; and the season's
former station is now 142 crans, corn-
average at the
crans at the same date last year, while
pared with 51
at Wick the a,..era,ge is nearly 100 crans. The curers
are " overwhelmed " with the quantity of fish landed,
and at Fraserburgh they have appealed to the fisher-
men to desist from operations for a day or two in order
to give the workers on shore some respite from their
labours. The presence of an unprecedentedly large
body of herrings is reported on the coast.
EISCA EXPLOSION RELIEF Furia—A meeting of
the general committee has been held at Newport, the
Mayor, Mr. Henry Russell Evans, in the chair. It
was reported that the number of widows, children,
and others to be provided for was 302, and that the
amount raised so far was £7,200. To enable the com-
mittee to allow the widows only ss. per week and the
children and other dependants in proportion, a sum of
£lB,OOO would be required. It was decided to make a
further appeal to the public, and to address circulars
to the clergy and ministers of all denominations
asking them to arrange collections on behalf of the
fund,