The Pontypridd Chronicle and Workman's News

It is stated that Bishop Eden, whose recovery is considered hopeless, has resigned the office of Primus of Scotland. A fire occurred the other morning in the bulling sheds of the Harbour Trust at the Prince of W&.ea Dock, aild it was not subdued before much damage was done. A Methodist minister named Turner has been committed for trial at Lowestoft on the charge of latathe wife of a caretaker named White.

THINGS WORTH KNOWING FouxTAma.—Formerly, when the supply of wwter- within houses was comparatively unknown, every leading street in London, and every town in tlie provinces, had its fountain, or conduit. It it worth noticing that these were more generally or- nameutod with a lion's head than with any other etfigy. This symbol was adopted by the ancients, from the circumstance that the inundation of the Nile happened during the progress of the eun in Leo (the lion). Tu r. NAVY.—The navy of England may be said, to have had its origin at the beginning of the 15th century, up to which period our vessels of war were almost entirely composed of merchant ships and others hired by the crown. The formation of a regu- lar nn vy originated with Henry VIII., who founded dockyards at Deptford, Woolwich, and Portsmouth, and established the Trinity House. In the time of Cromwell our naval power was very formidable, and from that period till the present it has gradually in- creased until it has attained that pre-eminence which it at present boasts. USE OF GOLD AND SILVER PLATE.—In the reign of Henry VIII. the luxury of the table had descended even to citizens, and there were' few whose tables were not daily provided with spoons, cups, and salt- cellars of silver and gold. Those of a higher sphere affected a greater profusion of plate; but the quan- tity accumulated by the great Cardinal Wolsey, though the precious metals are now so copious, still continues to excite our surprise. At Hampton Court, where he feasted the French Ambassadors and their splendid retinue in 1528, two cupboards, extending across the banquet-chambers were piled to the top with gold and silver plate, and illumina- ted; yet, without encroaching on these ostentatious repositories, a profusion of a magnificent service remained for the table. Two hundred and eighty beds were provided for the guests, every chamber had a basin and ewer of solid silver. ANCIENT Music.—The Egyptian flute was only a cow's horn with three or four holes in it, and their harp or lyre had only three strings; the Grecian lyre had only seven strings, and was very small, being held in one hand; the Jewish trumpets that made the walls of Jericho fall down, were only rani's horns their flute was the same as the Egyptian; they had no other instrumental music but by percussion, of which the greatest boast made was the psaltery, a small triangular harp or lyre with wire strings, and struck with an iron needle or stick; their sacbut was something like a bagpipe the timbrel was a tambourine; and the dulcimer was a horizontal harp, with wire strings, and struck with a stick like the psaltery. They had no written music had scarcely a vowel in their language and yet (according to dosephus) had two hundred thou- sand musicians playing at the dedication of the Temple of Solomon. Mozart would have died at such a concert in the greatest agonies MOURNING.-The usual mode of expressing grief for departed relatives and friends among the ancients was by rending the clothes, by laying aside the externals of rank and honour, by going unshaved and by neglecting certain of the ordinary duties of life. As mankind became more practical, it was considered that the purpose of mourning might be sufficiently carried out by the adoption of some par- ticular colour of dress. These colours vary consider- ably, according to local influence or national senti- ment. In Europe the general colour for mourning is black, for that colour, being the privation of light, is supposed to represent the privation of life. In China it is white, that colour representing purity. In Turkey it is purple or violet, colours which are supposed to express a mixture of sorrow and hope. In Egypt it is yellow, that being the colour of vege- tation when it fades and decays. In Ethiopia it is brown, that being the colour of the earth, to which the dead return. WHY THE GERMANS COME TO LONDON.—The slums of London and Paris are bad enough, but it appears that the slums of Berlin are, if possible, worse. Das Echo has just published some interest- ing details on the subject. There are about 40,000 houses in the Prussian capital. A small number are inhabited by one or two families, but the great majority are divided into several distinct lodgings. Two thousand five hundred contain from 16 to 20 lodgings, 20,000 from 20 to 30 lodgings, and 10,000 over 30 lodgings each. Seventy-five thousand of these lodgings are composed of one room only, and inhabited by no fewer than 270,000 persons, which is an average of nearly four persons per room; 75,000 other lodgings are composed of two rooms, and occupied by three hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants; while the remaining thirty thousand lodgings are formed of three rooms, inhabited by one hundred and forty thousand people. These figures will suffice to show the promiscuous way in which the masses of the Berlin population are lodged. The houses in the poor quarters, often five or six storeys high, are built so close to one another that they are nearly totally devoid of both light and air. As wages in London, low as they often may be, are a good deal higher than in the German factories and workshops, it is not wonderful that some Lon- don slums are almost entirely inhabited by German tailors and others of the same nationality. BURNING DIAMONDS.—In the year 1004 it was discovered, by actual experiment, at Florence, that a diamond would burn. Cosmo III. had one fixed in the focus of a burning glass, and after some ex- posure to the rays of the sun, it cracked, coruscated and finally disappeared like a ghost, leaving no trace behind. Another potentate, the Ktnperor Francis I., tried a number of valuable diamonds in the heat of a smelting furnace, and may have felt some gratification in finding they had disappeared. This was in 1750, and about twenty years later a magnificent diamond was burned in France. A jeweller named Le Blanc denied the possibility of burning diamonds, and suspected some unfair play on the part of Macauer, the chemist who conducted the operation. He had often, he asserted, exposed diamonds to great heat, with the sole result of in- creasing their brilliancy. Then another jeweller, Maillard by name, who seems to have had a sus- picion of the scientific truth, put three diamonds into an earthern-bowl pipe packed in powdered charcoal, and exposed them without injury to in- tense heat. Lavosier, who was present, proved in 1776 that by shutting out the air the diamond was preserved in a furnace, but that the admission of oxygen with which the carbon combines, allowa the diamond to burn like a piece of coal. ORIGIN OF THE PENNY POST. -A traveller saun- tering through the lake districts of England some years ago, arrived at a small public-house just as the postman stopped to deliver a letter. A young girl came out to receive it; she took it in her hand, turned it over and over, and asked the charge. It was a large sum—no less than a shilling. Sighing heavily, she observed that it came from her brother, but that she was too poor to take it in, and she returned it to the postman accordingly. The tra- veller was a man of kindness, as well as of observa- tion lie offered to pay the postage himself, and, in spite of more reluctance on the girl's part thnn he could well understand, he did pay it, and gave her t e letter. No sooner, however, was the postman's back turned, than she confessed that the proceeding had been concerted between Iter brother and herself, that the letter was empty, that certain signs on the direction conveyed all that she wanted to know, and that, as they could neither of them afford to pay postage, they had devised this method of franking the intelligence desired. The tra- veller pursued his journey: and as he plodded over the Cumberland Fells he mused upon the ba I ness of a system which drove people to such straits for means of correspondence, and defeated its ob ect all the time. With most men such mus- ings would have ended before the close of the hour but this man's name was Rowland Hill. And it was from this incident anl these reflections that the whole scheme of penny posiajre was derived.

L -eioo WEN AIAY! GIVEN AWAY I! s J^ADER8 E the Chrome!t have now a magnificent Opportunity of obtaining a valuable and hand- 19 present which is GIVEN A WAY FREE. &1MUEL having purchased, at a considerable ^^ction on coat, a large Bankrupt Stock, to the £ *tt»t of £ 100. 6f ION ABLE ALBERTS AND GUARDS • Of the new material, AURANIAN GOLD. ia ao close an imitation of real gold that the experienced judges fail to distinguish one from has decided to allow readers of this paper by the investment. H. SAMUEL will present tt ELEGAST AUBAKIAN GOLD ALBERT ^otchaaera of every Gentleman s Watch, and Very Beaatifnl Awanian Gold Long Guard *11 Purchasers of Ladies' Watches. Readers are seated to Bend their orders at once, so as to be in to participate in this wonderful presentation, will continue for a few weeks only from date. The above beautiful chains are .QU.AL IN WEAR AND ATPEARANCE TO REAL GOLD, form a handsome adjunct to any watch. Bounding VALUE! EXACT TIMEKEEPERS t I RETAIL PROFITS ABOLISHED! HIGHEST SATISFACTION is obtained JtjPorchasing your Watch direct from H. SAMUEL'S Jq way the Purchaser, in dealing with saves the intermediate profits jJ**Red by dealers, middle-men, and retailers, and, ition, becomes the possessor of a genuine high- er?8 Watch, the performance of which is guaranteed, ^hich will, even after years of wear, be a source TA %Usfaction to the wearer and more than represent ■ actual price paid for it. ■fcaftd! Bead! Two out of the many Thousands received. Bell Corner, Wheatley, Oxon, June 26, 1886. —I beg to acknowledge the leceipt of mjr and Warranty, also the Silver Chain, which I fftrg ed quite safe. I am pleased to say they both U jg Bte&tjsatisfaction. I like the watch very much, Vy ? of cheapness. I have shown it to sev- fiends, and they are astonished at so good a H for i-2 12s. Od. Yours truly, 1. O. Lawrence. Cwmgarw Road, Brynaman. June 28th, 1886. 1titlt ar Sir.-Excuse me not writing sooner. It is "Ch £ reac pleasure I now inform you that the tn^ooograph Lever Watch you sent me some ago gives me the greatest satisfaction. In ap- lt i8 a per{ect gem and keeps time to a V) I can with confidence recommend your firm oae wanting a good watch. I remain. Yours respectfully, J. H. Roberts. B^^J'^ION. —Beware of base imitators of H. XfyTj UEL S grand system of supply, who, instead of w.e?ril3g a benefit upon the public, supply them Of Q mferior and WortlAs^ Watches for the purpose gain. Ensure a Genuine Watch by purchas- e's from H. SAMUEL. SAMUEL supplies every Watch on a WEEK'S £ EE TRIAL. Any purchaser who is at the end of that time dis- jSjisfied with his Watch, may have the FULL h^OUNT RETURNED. By this means, SATIS- FACTION IS INSURED, as the Purchaser has nity. of proving the truth of H. ■pp.. EL S assertions. nic to H. SAMUEL'S at once. It may tare you many pounds. ^tfe8erve t^e following, and compare with those sold ^^k'hpTo ar rinnhla the lvriees:— A* ENGLISH LEVER (Gentlemen's-) | Tge size), high finish, splendid [ with dust ana damp- I J^jt cap, fitted in Solid Silver Hall- tjf^ked cases. A marvel of workman- no i o C P- Also LADY'S small size, in r la 0 engraved silver cases, similar but fitted with dust-tight I A most handsome present, and j passed timekeeper. Worth £ 5 5s.J AUTIFUL LADY'S REAL") n l-plate movement ^tra jewelled, fitted in elegantly en- I Waved gold warranted) cases. Gold or L J?'-c 3 ft *hite dial as preferred. A Beautiful Jtaa Inexpensive Adornment." Accu- I rately tuned. W orth £ C 6s I THf sm £ ?hST^yLARY" WATCH") in hnnti^ f massive English Lever, I silver CTo na,es' extra heavy and real ft&marked), highest finished I » ement, jewelled and fitted with i r>A Oft ^t and damp-tight cap. A most com- j &nd complete Watch, eminently wliP, for nae by members of the Con- J^bnlary, the Army, Navv, &c. Thou- dsj m wear. Worth £ 7 10s J CE^ATED True Timekeeper.^ ChronomeTe^ BSNUMSH I fitted with dust^X' extra JeweHed, | Wt 4 0 *lall-marked cases. j | feaordinary accuracy me? to mo,8t f," Production. Worth £$g8 wonderful THE "DBHEE/' a Railway English Lever, of foSest^ and finish, combining the extromfi accuracy necessary for railway aervanta "Hh the greatest amount of strenRth n* in n paired for the exigencies of their *4 ID (J ?ork. Timed to a minnte a month. I movement, expansion balance. I ^mpered hair-apring, very maasivfe 1 tkges. Worth X9 9s J H SAMUEL'S SPLENDID IN-") >'• DESTRUCTIBLE." A Opiate i ir^glisn Lever, crystal besel, flat glass, | L^ds set at back, cut expansion p. PMance, tempered hairspring, jewelled 10 U thxee pair extra. For clerks, trades- atid official wear — the most Popular "Watch in the world. Worth £ 88s.J WONDERFUL ENGLISH LEVER" Silv»r OLOGRAPH. Heavy i B t 5-plate, extra jewelled of 1 tonometer balance, pide i OA 1 *7 A watch invaluable \±* U U purposes. Indi- ^tes tim P^e-fifth of a second. Wand opportunity. Worth £ 1Q 10g j |^ADIES_ JEJtt ELEGANT 18ct.~) GOLD rAlKNT LEVERS Most Wonderful productions, aliate move- Jent, extra 5 0 SAMUEL. Worth £ 8 8S J ~j "T"HE Renowned ACME Watches,1 J i-plate, extm jewelled movements best workmanship, fitted m Sold Sil- Cases, and timed to great accuracy ■ ^.aclies' small size, with tinted or plain }- £ 1 R ft ^>*1 as desired, and exqusitely engrave^ cases. Gentlemen's large size, in hand- I ^ttie engine-turned Extra. I °fdinarv value. Worth £ >■' 3d j BEFORE BUYING A WATCH ANYWHERE. I Write to H. SAMUEL for full descriptive pampnlets 5*f his wonderful Watches ana Jewellery, containing ^20 page's, upwards of <00 lhnstrations, and detailed descriptions ot his world-famed manufactures, to- other with hundreds of astounding testimonials, and Valuable information to all wearers and intending yttrshasers of Watcbea, This catalogue is 4 COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BEST MEANS OF SAVING MONEY. I Sent to any address, gratis and post free, without charge whatever, on receipt of letter or postcard. fiOTJi THE GfU KD (CONDITIONS OF SALE. A Written Warrantu for Fire, Tears given with each -Watch. A Weel's free trial allowed, and if dissatisfied Por- chasers can have the full amount returned at the end of that period. Theso unrivalled Conditions are the highest guarantees that H. SAMURL'S marvellous Watches are precisely as represented, and are the beat security against possibility of dissatisfaction. NO R ISK NO RISK!! NO RISK! IMPORTANT.—To obtain a really good Watch, of first etnas manufacture and exactness, which will give satisfaction throughout a lifetime, purchase only direct from the celebrated manufacturer, H. SAMUEL, and yon will be utterly aatonpbed at the high quality and wonderful excellence of the Watch you receive. INSTRUCTIONS.—Cut out and enclose the Coupon be- low with price of Watch required, and it will De sent by return of post, securely packed, and at our own risk, with key complete and full instructions how to wear it. All P.O. Orders to be made payable at G.P.O.- Manchester. OlIlWNJ('LE" COUPON. The holder is entitled to any of the Watches specified above at the reduced rates of £ 2 12s 6d, X3 3s, £4, X4 4s, S4 10s, X4 15s, 1:4 17s 6d, £ 5 5s, and £1 5s, on a week's Iree trial, and with a five years' warranty, and also to the magnificent free free present of ail Auranian Gold Albert or Guard as mentioned above. Signed) H. SAMUEL, Lever Watch Factory, 97, Market-street, Manchester. P.O. Orders to be made payable at G.P.O. Manchester. H. SAMUEL, I V V F, n WATCH factory, ;)7, MARKET STREET, MANCHESTER.

MURDER OFA CAPTAIN AND CHIEF OFFICER Information which has been received from New Guinea shows that several of the German authorities in the island are laid up with fever, the climate not being as genial as they anticipated. A massacre was reported from Moresby Island, the victims be- ing the captain and chief officer of the cutter Pioneer. Thompson is the name of the unfortunate com- mander. Moresby Island is the same place where Captain Frier was murdered by the natives, who appear to be of rather a ferocious temperament. A large number of Chinese and Malays, who had arriveJ at New Guinea, were reported in the des- patch to have gone into the interior to clear the country.

SELLING-UP LORD ST. LEONARDS. The Melbourne Daily Telegraph of June 24 con- tained the fullo\ving The licensee of the Cathe- dral Hotel (Mr. O'Neill), Swanston Street, yester- day carried into execution his threat to have the effects of Lord St. Leonards sold by auction, if a sum of X19 owing for luxuries supplied was not paid. Accordingly, in the morning sundry tin boxes and huge portmanteaus, &c., were conveyed to the Hus- sel Street Police Station and mounted on a table. Police-constable Quinlan, who had executed the dis. tress warrant, assumed the role of auctioneer for the nonce, and submitted to the large assemblage, prin- cipally 'old @Io.' dealers whom the sale had at- tracted, the various articles. The collection was a varied one, and many were the jests indulged in at the expense Of his lordship as his horse racing ap- parel, dressing-gowns, ivory-headed dressing-table requisiees, bearing his monogram, &c.. were com- peted for. It must be confessed that his lordship's wardrobe was in a state of great disorder, but his dirty shirts, both white and Crimean, werq competed for with an eagerness which exceeded the expecta- tion of the promoters of the sale. For a writing desk, a box of paint, and such articles the buyers vied with each other, and the total realised was beyond the amount of the debt. Mr. Thomas Lloyd, finan- cier, of Little Collins Street, who is acting for his lordship in a case at home, whereby he hopes to ob- tain £ 70,000, offered a certain amount in liquidation of the debt before the sale, but the offer was de- clined. It must not be understood that his lordship lias been completely sold out. It was only those things left at the Cathedral Hotel that were sold. Nor is lie financially ruined. He is, the gentleman who has lent him some hundreds of pounds recently says, only embarrassed. All is to be well soon, and he is to have a large income. As it is, lie only en- joys a small one."

THE VANISHING LADY" IN COURT. In the Lord Mayor's Court, London, before the Common Sergeant and a jury-the case of Franck v. Lewis was tried, in which the plaintiff, an Ori- ental merchant of St. Mary Axe, sought to recover the sum of £ 13 Is. for Japanese lanterns, &c., sup- plied to the defendant, Mr. Louis Graham Lewis, an auctioneer in Chancery Lane. Mr. Glyn was counsel for the plaintiff, and Mr. Wildey Wright for the defendant. -The case excited considerable in- terest in court in consequence of the presence of Mr. Charles Bertram, of "the Vanishing Lady" notoriety at Msiskelyne and Cook's entertainment, as a witness. Two clerks in the employ of the plain- tiff deposed that the goods sued for were taken away in a cab by the defendant, for the purpose of illu- minating St. James's Hall, and that on application afterwards for payment a promise to do so was made. -The defence was that the wrong person had been sued, as Mr. Lewis was simply a clerk at a weekly salary to Mr. Bertram while lie (Mr. Bertram) was carrying on his conjuring busines at St. James's Hall in the spring and summer months of last year. The defendant in his evidence said Mr. Bertram was with him at tie time the goods were purchased, and it was known to Mr. Franck that they were for him. —Mr. Bertram stated that lie was quite willing to pay the account, and would do so. His reason for giving up the conjuring performance at St. Jame's Hall was that lie was losing money by it, through the counter-attractions at the South Kensington Exhibi- tion.—Mr. Glyn I suppose you have not come here to conjure? (Laughters—Mr. Wildey Wright: If my learned friend is so anxious to see this gentleman perform lie can easily do so by engaging a seat at the Egyptian Hall. (Renewed laughter.)—The Witness I shall have great pleasure.—Mr. Glyn But supposing, like the celebrated lady, he vanishes? (Loud laughter.)—Mr. Wildey Wright: He might, perhaps, if my friend were there. (Renewed laughter.) P, .—In the result the jury found a verdict for the de- fendant.

"XGHASTLY TALE. The Paris correspondent of the Standard tele- graphs :—At the end of last October a landship oc- curred at Chancelade, in consequence of which a quarry below fell in, burying a number of the men engaged at work. For some days afterwards sounds were heard, and smoke was seen issuing from the quarry, which it was believed came from a fire lighted by the men as a signal. Some time, how- ever, elapsed before any explorations were under- taken. At length passages to a certain distance were opened, but no vestige of human remains could be found. Further investigations were subsequently made, but with a like result, and the conclusion arrived at was that the bodies must have been crushed by the falling rocks at a greater distance inwards than could be reached. Not satisfied with this conclusion, however, several of the victims' comrades resolved a few days ago to attempt to penetrate into a portion of the quarry which they judged not to have been sufficiently examined. The result was that two bodies were found, together with the clothes of at least five men. Among them were those of a man who had gone into the quarry after the disaster in search of his son. The intrica- cies of the approaches seem to have been such that this man was unable to find his way back and con- duct the men through the passages which he had entered. The emaciated bodies found appeared to have been gnawed by rats. What has become of the bodies of the other men whose clothes are found is the question. Two skeletons were found lying at full length with the faces turned towards the ground. It is believed that the unfortunate men tried to keep off starvation by eating the clay upon which they were extended. The engineers are severely blamed by public opinion for not exercising greater prompt- ness in their attempts to reach the interior of the quarry, and the magistrates have opened an enquiry on the subject. It is certain that air was not excluded from the quarry, and,therefore, that the men died of starvation. i .l1 M

TOPICS OF THE WEEK. JUDGMENT has been delivered at Mons, Bel- gium, in the case of the men charged with be- ing concerned in the burning of the Batidotix Glass Works during the labour riots in April IIaat. Five of the prisoners were acquitted, and others were sentenced to terms of imprison- mont varying from three months to twenty years ponal servitude. INFOEMATIOBT has just been received of a frightful accident on board H.M.S. Opal, in which two of the crew received such terrible injuries that one died almost immediately, and the other succumbed to his injuries in the hos- S! ital. The Opal was in Australian waters— few South Wales—when a Royal salute was being fired by all the war ships in the harbour. This was on June 21. A seaman named Joseph Harvey was ramming home a blank charge, being assisted by an artilleryman named Joseph Talbot, when the charge exploded, and Harvey's arm was blown completely off, and he was otherwise injured. He died on the spot. Talbot was very much injured about the head and the upper part of the body. He was removed to the hospital, where he lingered until the following Friday-four days afterwards—when he also died from his injuries. The sad affair cast a gloom over the vessel. Now that one fool has done" Niagara rapids in a tub, we hear of two fools following the example, and of 15,000 fools encouraging the insane performance by journeying to wit- ness it. This process of tempting Providence will continue till some bideous tub tragedy occurs; then public opinion will be very much shocked, and we shall have a respite from sensational imbeciles till another craze springs up and at- tracts multitudes of mordid gapers. Theultimate development of the Niagara craze is difficult to predict. One n»an builds a tub to take him down the rapids, and then two jealous members of his trade build a bigger tub to cut him out. Perhaps the next thing we shall hear is that a still bigger tub is being built for four men, and so on till accommodation is found for every fool in the country. This sort of thing is bound to go on till the treacherous rapids show that na- ture has not designed them as pic-nic pools for every crack-brained adventurer. Ana what a cheap way of gaining notoriety ? If the ghost of poor Matthew Webb haunts the fatal spot, it is enough to make him pull down every tub and beer barrel that bobs up serenely on the surging flood. Fancy comparing the mounte- bank feats of the Yankee coopers with the at- tempt of the Channel swimmer, to brave the buffetings of the terrible rapids unassisted, save by his strong stout limbs and lion heart THE herring is par excellence the people's fish. It supplies a cheap, nutritious food, and is no very bad substitute for those viands which are beyond the poor man's reach. Happily the supply of herrings is abundant, the only draw- back being the defective facilities for circulat- ing them amongst the community at large. In the fourth annual report of the Fishery Board for Scotland, being the year 1885, ad- dressed to the Earl of Dalhousie, K.T., Her Majesty's Secretary for Scotland, a large amount of valuable information is given concerning the sea and salmon fisheries of Scotland, and as much attention is devoted to the herring as if it were one of the kings of the deep. It appears that the fisheries of Scotland continue to be most productive, and that in 1885 the total quantity of herrings landed was, with the single excep- tion of that of the preceding year, the greatest ever recorded. The fish curers have, however, sustained heavy losses in two successive years, and it is much to be feared, say the members of the Fishery Board, that this important branch of the fishing industry will greatly suffer for a considerable time to come, owing to a number of the curers not having sufficient capi- tal left for its efficient prosecution." Here is a chance for philanthropic effort! On the other hand," the report states, the herring fish- ery of these last two years provided an abund- ant supply of wholesome and nutritious food, which was sold at a very low price, and thus a great boon was conferred on the community, especially on the poorer classes. This boon would have been much greater had better means existed than were available for getting the fish rapidly and cheaply conveyed to towns throughout the country, particularly those which are inland and have a large population." There is sustenance for all if man only knew how to utilise it. IT canifot be said that Mr. George William Jones is never enthusiastic in his admiration, for in one of his letters, read in the Secondary's Court, he summed up the perfections of "Dolly by describing her as an angel." The merits of this favourite mare seeip, however, to have been much more keenly appreciated than those of the fair plaintiff in the proceedings referred to, if we may judge from the absence of all hyperbole in his correspondence with Miss Martha Brown. His letters, it was ad- mitted, were not those of a very ardent lover, but the jury were not called upon to judge of the intentions of the defendant by the amount of sentiment displayed in his epistles. Mr. Jones candidly admitted that he had promised marriage to Miss Brown, and that he had, with- out justification, failed to fulfil that promise. Admissions of this nature save a good deal of a jury's time, and simplify matters consider- ably but they are not often made, the majority of defendants, even when the evidence against I them is very strong, preferring to have their fickleness proved before yielding to the force of circumstances. The jury in this case had only to assess the amount of damages which Miss Brown had sustained but their task was not without its difficulties. Mr. Jones, on the one hand, was represented to be an artist of con- siderably promise, with a picture that had found a place in the Academy, and a studio at Hampstead. He often figured, too, in the hunt- ing field, and has supposed to ride his own horses. On the other hand, it was stated that a wealthy father provided the horses, and in fact was the main support of his son. Mr. Jones took, not unnaturally, a modest view of his ability and prospects as a painter, though admitting that he had been so far favoured as to have had a picture in the exhibition of the Royal Academy. Upon the whole, the jury took a fair view of the case in estimating the damages at two hundred pounds, just one fifth of the amount claimed.

NEWS IN BRIEF. Unusual activity prevails in the American War Department. The Badakshan mission, under the^ command of Colonel Woodthorpe, is returning to Cashmere. A tunnel, in course of construction on the Dublin, Colonel Woodthorpe, is returning to Cashmere. A tunnel, in course of construction on the Dublin, Wicklow, and Wexford Railway, near New Ross, has collapsed, and six men killed. The heat in Croatia is very severe, and is a iding to the severity of the cholera epidemic. II p to the present the total number of cases has been 2•>>, and deaths 1HL J. Wall, T. Loates, and E. Martin, who worn sus- pended from riding for disobedience at the p 1, having made the required apology, have had their licenses renewed. The fund being organized by the New York I! o, td for a testimonial to Mr. Gladstone has now reached the sum of 930 dollars, has been contributed by 1;00 subscribers. An attack has been made upon a detach merit of British troops in Hurmah by a party of Boswiili's men, the rebels being driven out, although ourtroopt were unable to come up with them. Mdme. Patti, before going to America on a concert tour, is to appear at a farewell concert at the Albert Hall in October. A donation of .£100 to the Royal Colonial Institute Building Fund Ita8 just been contributed by Mr. F. H. Dangar, of New South Wales. A portrait of Mazeppa has been discovered !a a monastery at Kief,lmfi an etching of it has been I undertaken by the academician M. Duithef Kar- kazky. Mr. Warner has resigned his part in the new melodrama at Drury Lane. This, according to the Em, is due to "some little differences at rehearsal." Herr Albert Niemann, the celebrated tenor of the Berlin R -yai Opera, is going to America next win- ter, and is to take part in a series of performances there. The Earl and Countess of Carnarvor, who have been staying at Highclere Castle for the past two mouths, are expected to leave shortly for their Not- tingham estate. Lord Londonderry has ordered the distribution of the fruit and flowers of theVice-regal gardens among the Dublin hospitals during his absence from the Vice-regal Lodge. The Due d'Aumale has decided upon fixing his town residence in Ennismore Gardens, where he has purchased the house which was built at a large cost by Mr. Sandeman. The Empire Theatre, which has been closed for a fortnight, will reopen with a new spectacular and musical entertainment, the name of which is not yet announced. The Era, says Mr. David James is much im- proved in health. He is at present recuperating at Buxton. Mr. James is under engagement to Mr. Charles Wyndham for ten months. The manager and trustees of the Cardiff Savings Bank have decided to wind up the affairs of the bank at the earliest possible moment, having made tin offer to the depositors of 17s. t.id in the pound. Mr. Clark Russell's new novel, "The Golden Hope," which is about to appear in several provin- cial papers, is the first of a series of illustrated storie.. to be published in the provincial press. The murderer Kelly, who took the lives of a mar- ried couple named Schiffling in Berlin some time ago, effecting the deed in a peculiarly brutal man- ner, has at lust been captured near Breslau. Commander V. Lovett Cameron, R. N., has in the press a new work, entitled "A Strange Journey," the scene of which is laid in the unexplored country behind Marka, on the east coast of Africa. It is expected that in the new comic opera, La Bearnaise," at the Princess's Theatre, Mr. Snazelle will take the baritone part. The production is likely to be fixed for the 18th of September. Mr. Justine McCarthy, M. P., is to sail from Liverpool on the 16th of September for the United States, where he is to deliver a course of lectures of a non-political character during the winter season. Mr. F. H. Macklin has been engaged for the autumn revival of "Jim the Penman," at the Hay- market Theatre, when he will play the part of "Louis Percival," formerly represented by Mr. Barnes. Mr. William Farren, who has no equal on the stage as Sir Peier Teazle, has been engaged for the rest of the season of the Haymarket, and to go on the subsequent tour of the Conway- Vaughan company. Upon the occasion of the visit of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales to the Prince's Theatre, his Royal Highness sent for and personally complimented Mr. Dion Boucicault upon his new comedy "The Jilt." At the Dublin Commission Court, John James Moriarty, formerly a teller in the Hibernian Bank, has been sentenced to seven years' penal servitude for having robbed the bank of cash and valuable securities valued at about £2,000. There will be no further service at the Temple Church, London, until Sunday, October 3, the Church being closed during the Long Vacation. The chapel of Gray's Inn is also closed for the vaca- tion, and will reopen for Divine service on Sunday j October lo. The Indian office has received the following des- patch from the Viceroy:—"2nd Battalion Somer- setshire Light Infantry: No. 92, Private Andrews, killed near Mingyan on the 5th. The Prime Minister found time the other even- ing to visit the Haymarket Theatre, where The School for Scandal" is running in full tide of sue- cess. He was accompanied by the Marchioness of Salisbury and Mr. Arthur Belfour, the Secretary ( for Scotland. Mrs. Bernard-Be ere commences her autumn tour with "Jim the Penman" on the 30th inst., Mr. H. Standing and Mr. Charles Brookfield being amongst her company. When Sir Charles Young's popular piece returns to the Haymarket Mr. Willard will make his appearance in it. c The London Gazette contains the text of an address of congratulation on the occasion of the Queen hav- ing entered on the fiftieth year of her reign, which has been presented to her Majesty by the Lord Pro- vost, magistrates, and council of the city and royal burgh of Glasgow. The leading members of the Britis h Medical As- sociation have visitedEastbourne, and inspected vari- ous public works. They were afterwards entertained at the Pavilion by the Eastbourne Medical Profes- sion, the Mayor presiding, and in the evening there was a fete in Devonshire Park. An interesting memento of Mozart has been found in the shape of a Theatre bill dated To-day, Sunday, February 26, lï96," announcing the performance in the Royal Theatre at Berlin by Mozart's widow and a company of singers of "the last work of her de- ceased husband, 'La Clemenza di Tito. A man named M'Adam has been found burnt to death on board the fishing-smack Eureka, lying in Lowestoft Harbour. He appears to have fallen asleep with his pipe in his mouth, the result being that his clothes took fire, and he sustained fatal in- juries. Some of the planks in his berth were also burnt. The other evening a widow lady, residing in Newry, while in the act of removing an old safe dis- covered a deposit receipt for £200 which, it is sup- posed, had been lying there for a number of years unknown to any person. It is conjectured that the receipt had been placed there by the lady's de- ceased husband, who had evidently forgotten all about the matter. Splenic apoplexy has broken out in some herds ot bullocks in Leicestershire, causing heavy losses through the deatit of the animals. The disease has spread to a number of people, through the carcases being sold as hum an food. One man who cut his finger with a bone, died of the disease. A large nnmber of families in Leicester ate the meat, and grave results are apprehended. V- T» • A private in the Royal North Lancashire Regi- ment, of the name of Hartley has committed suicide at the rifle range at Penally, near Tenby. He was engaged in class firing, and had fired four rounds, when he stepped to the rear, placed the rifle to his left side, pulled the trigger, and fell to the ground. Dr. Mathias, of Penally, was called, but life was extinct. A movement is on foot in Lewisham to purchase a large piece of ground in the neighbourhood of Cat- ford at a cost of about £6,000, and to lay it out as a public recreation ground. The Lewisham vestry has juii passed a resolution in its favour, and the Metropolitan Board will be asked to subscribe a moiety of the cost, the remainder to be raised by public subscription and from other local sources. An inquest has been held at Woolwich on the body of a young sailor who was drowned through the barge on which he was being sunk by a Dutch steamer. The deceased's mother stated that her husband and another son had been drowned in the Thames, and she begged the deceased not to take t.) a seafaring life. He apprenticed himself on a barge, however, and was drowned the first voyage. A correspondent of the Times writes:—Farm land in East Yorkshire is still very difficult of disposal at any but exceptional low rates. One of the be*t farms in that division of Yorkshire, at Sibthorpe, containing 335 acres of splendid grass and tillage land, is now in the market: and although all the buildings and farmhouse are of modern construction the highest offer yet made for the estate is 0:,0. At Croydon. William Brown, a carpenter, has been committed for trial at the Central Criminal Court for burglariously entering the residence of Christopher Robinson, at Mitch am, and stealing therein a clock valued at two guineas. The pri- soner offered to sell the clock to a gipsy named Bull and in explaining how he became possessed of it, said he carried a little revolver which he should, have used if he had been disturbed. Sir Charles Warren, the Chief Commissioner of Police, on the recommendation of Mr. Superin- tendent Thomson, of the E Division, has appointed Chief inspector Wood of the Bow Street Division, to the superintendence of the G or Clerkenwell Di- vision, in the place of Mr. Superintendent Keeting, who has been appointed superintendent of the J Division, formed in Bethnal Green and its vicinity to meet the grossing requirements of that district.

BURNING A BABY TO DEATH. A horrible jittit-lor lits from Linn- dyssul, in (South Walt's. It i* sai 1 that a woman residing at Cefimarii. exasperated at the COUrlllelllent of her <ilighter, placed the hahy when a week old it% R I, Ati(I I)itrttt it t,) When charged with I lime, the old woman is said to have ex- pressed i..gret that she did not burn the bed ou which her daughter lay.

I7IE LAW AS TO DOG BITES. In the East Kent County Court, at Canterbury, the Rev. It N. Gaudy, vicar of St. Mary Bred- man's in that city, was sued by a club steward named Miller for expenses incurred in surgical treat- ment of a dog which had been bitten by a coliie dog belonging to the defendant. The defendant's soli- citor submitted that there was no law holding a man liable for injury (lone by his dog to another dog but the judg-o paid he could not agree with the con- tention that a man might keep a ferocious dog which might lie allowed to go about destroying other per- sons' dogs. lie therefore gave judgment for the plaintiff for the amount claimed, with costs.

INT K I KSTING DISCOVERIES. During the construction of a sewer in Sheath Street, Northwich, a number of very interesting discoveries have been made. Sheath Street, it shonid be explained, is the street leading to the an- cient "sheath or brine well, called Biot" at Nautwich, and annually blessed. Underneath the surface, varYlllg from tw) to three feet in depth, the workmen came upon what appear to be wattled thorn walls, used by the early English in the manu- facture of salt. Stakes were driven into the ground, and twigs were then interwoven with them until a high wad had been erected. Over the wall V- shaped truths with leaky bottoms were placed. The brine flowing through tiie trough trickled over the thorn wall, and was evaporated by the heat of the sun, leaving salt crystals on the thorn wall. This-pro- cesS is said to he still carried on in some parts of Germany. Imbedded in the vegetable mould were found a number of the upright stakes, as well as quantities of hazel boughs and nuts. There was little or no charred wood, which indicates that the process was one of solar evaporation merely. There were also found an oak raker-head 6in. by 3in., with a cleanly cut hole in the middle an inch in diameter; an excellently preserved wooded hand-shovel, and fragments of early English pottery. A long piece of splint wooden pipe, belonging to the period when the manufacture of salt was controlled by the Court Leet, was also discovered. The articles are now in the possession of Mr. John Weston, the Heysoms, Hartford.

MARRIED WOMEN'S MAINTENANCE. The new Act enabling magistrates to compel hus- bands who have deserted their wives to contribute towards their support, appears, the London Echo ob- serves, to be giving some trouble to those who have to administer it. A case in point was heard at Westminster, where a married woman who was earning wages claimed the benefit of the Act, and refused an offer of 4s. a week on the part of the hus- band, whose weekly earnings were 22s. 6d. The case was adjourned, but the magistrates who heard it re- marked that the Act did not make provision where a woman was able to support herself. As we under- stand the Act, it rightly leaves a large discretionary power in the hands of the magistrate. It is impos- sible to lay down any hard and fast rule. A popular actress who had quarrelled with her husband has ob- viously no need of a maintenance order, and the same would be true of a woman who was carrying on an extensive business. Any married woman, in- deed, without the encumbrance of young children, ought to be able to do something towards earning her own living. As the desertion is the husband's act, she is fairly entitled to claim compensation for the disadvantage in which she is placed, but since she no longer fulfils the duties of a housewife she ought uot to be allowed full maintenance unless èn- cumbered by very young children, who prevent her from working. Every case must be taken upon its merits. There are women who do not deserve main- tenance to the extent of sixpence a week, and others who deserve it to the utmost extent of their hus- band's earnings.

DISCOVERY OF PETRIFIED REMAINS. Excitement is running high in the neighbourhood of Akrom, in America, owing to a most curious dis- covery made, quite accidentally, by a person resid- ing in the locality. He was setting up some posts when he was greatly surprised to see one of them break through the ground and disappear. His na- tural impulse was to see what had become of the post, and following it he dug into the earth, which after a few minutes gave way, exposing to view a cave about twenty feet square and nine feet deep. This discovery added to the curiosity of the digger, who lost no time in procuring a ladder and a lantern to enable him to pursue his investigations. He de- scended into the cave, where a wonderful and un- accountable sight met his eyes. Stretched on the ground were the forms of twelve full-grown men, whilst the thirteenth leaned againsi the side of the cavern, one hand outstretched as if in the act of earnestly addressing his companions. All the bodie. when more closely examined, were found to be pe trifled and residents in the neighbourhood, whe have visited the singular scene by thousands, are lost in speculation as to how they got there, what they were doing in the cavern, and how long they had been hiden. The person who discovered it, like a true American, finding the public curiosity grow- ing daily, has determined to make the cave a profit- able concern by demanding payment for admission STRANGE WIFE DESERTION.

Less advice and more hands. Fear 1.1. man who fears you. Mirth and motion prolong life. lie who doubts nothing, knows nothing. One sword keeps another in the scabbard. Jf you can't be quiet, hang yourself. (ioo 1 soup may be made in an old saucepan. It is better to flatter one who strikes us than to fialler one who separates us from goo:l. To quarrel with a man of good speech is batter than to converse with a man of rade address. It is estimated that £ 130,000,000 is invested in the liquor trade of this country. Contentment is a pearl of great price, and who- ever procures it at the expense of 10,0 )0 desires makes a wise and happy purchase. Associations supported by working men recently paid in benefits to their members £: H50, 305 in a single year. Religion can be no more learnt out of books than seamanship, or soldiership, or engineering, or paint- ing, or any practical trade whatsoever.