County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

M18N1 SCALDS, CHAFES, CUTS, CHILBLAINS, and ALL WOUNDS. All Pain at once relieved and quickly cured by THE OINTMENT,

POPULATION OF THE SOUDAN. Sir Beg. Wingate has justly described as amazing the figures which he has ob- tained by an approximate census of the population of the Soudan. It is estimated that the population before the period of Dervish rule was eight and a half millions, but that, more than six and a half millions having died of disease or perished in exter- nal or internal war, the total remaining population is less than two millions. There is, unhappily, no room for doubting the comparative accuracy of this terrible record, and the only consolation is to be found in the reflection that under British rule such a mortality can never occur again. The causes of epidemic disease are being grad- ually removed the people are being helped to deal with such epidemics as may arise, and the wholesale destruction of life, which was one of the factors in Dervish misrule, has been stopped. International jealousies have hitherto prevented Continental nations recognising the services which Britain is rendering to the cause ofahuuaanity, but our French neighbours can now see things in a light very different from that which for- merly presented itself to their vision, and it is gratifying to know that they have in a practical way admitted the beneficence of British administration in Egypt and the Soudan by undertaking not to hamper it in future.

FLANNELETTE. If purchasers of this useful material for underwear all the year round would buy the best English make, which can be obtained from all leading Drapers, they would avoid the risks they undoubtedly run with the inferior qualities of Flannelette. HORROCKSES' FLANNELETTES, made by the manufacturers of the celebrated Longcloths, Twills, and Sheetings, are the best. «nni3T)nnFC!li!C!"»¥'»pea on sel- nUMUUAOJllO vedgeevery5yds.

CLIFTON AND THE LAWRENCES. Clifton has done well to commemorate the interesting association with the locality of the Lawrences, the great statesmen and administrators, who not only rendered con- spicuous service in helping to crush the Indian Mutiny, but also contributed, not a little, to place British rule in India on the most enduring basis. Sir Henry Norman, who spoke with authority on the subject, said he had no reason to suppose John Lawrence knew much more about the approach of the mutiny than other people know, but, however that may have been, both John and Henry Lawrence were ready when the time came, It was the prompt action of Sir John Lawrence which gained for him the title of "Saviour of India," and when the storm burst at Lucknow, Sir Henry Lawrence had already fortified and provisioned the residency. The services of Sir John Lawrence, extending over forty years, were rewarded with a peerage, and his brother would probably have obtained a similar reward if he had lived. Lord Lawrence was buried in Westminster Ab- bey the remains of his brother were interred as he had himself desired, "without any fuss at Lucknow, together with those of some private soldiers. —

THE GREAT REMEDY. fcUAJf?> £ GOUT PILLS GOUT. RHEUMATISM, SCIATICA LUMBAGO. Is quickly relie-ved and cured witout restraint, from diet, by these celebrated Pills. All Chemists and Stores at Is. ltd. and 2s. 9d per box.

A GRIEVANCE OF BRITISH SHIPOWNERS. ) Mr C. McArthur revived a very old griev- ance when he pressed the Prime Minister to proceed with a motion standing in the name of the President of the Board of Trade, for the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire as to the application of British sta- tutory requirements to foreign ships trading to and from ports in the United Kingdom. The British shipowner is compelled to com- ply with a large number of regulations which have been enacted in the interests of merchant seamen, and, to a great extent, in the interest of the owner himself. That is a very proper thing, but compliance with these regulations involves expenditure of money, which makes the ownership of a merchant ship more costly than it would otherwise be. The owner has therefore good reason to complain when he finds that most of the enactments relating to merchant seamen do not apply to foreign vessels trad- ing to British ports. In that way our ship- ping is severely handicapped as against the foreigner, and it is much to be hoped that, before very long, the subject will receive at the hands of our legislature, the considera- tion which it has long demanded.

The Original Cocoa* and a Speciality. Elmo EPPS'S ttNM a B feeing distinguished from all others by Its Invigorating nutritious qualities and its delicious flavour. This Cocoa, con- taining as it does all the substanoe of the Oocoa Nib, maintains its leading position after three-quarters of a Century as COCOA the best form of Cocoa J Cerevenr-day use.

THE BETTING EVIL. A prosecutisn which has taken place at Liverpool calls to mind a strange anomaly which is found in the Metropolis. The Lon- don police force render in many ways valuable service to the public, and as a rule discharge their often unpleasant duties in a most efficient manner. But there are two things which they fail to perceive with the same clearness as the police of the majority of great provincial towns perceive them. They do not recognise that noisy, heavy traction engines, and motor-cars, driven reck- lessly constitute a nuisance and a danger to the public; nor do they inform themselves concerning the large number of shops where the business is essentially that of hairdress- ing, but a much larger profit is made out of betting on horse races. In the case at Liverpool, a London witness helped to se- cure the conviction of a hairdresser who was alleged to have used his premises for the purpose of betting, and the incident suggests that perhaps the metropolitan police would not do amiss to enlist the aid of some people from Lancashire to help them to find the betting houses which exist in some cases within a very short distance of a police sta- tion. In one case, which is typical of many, a hairdresser carried on a betting business for years, within three doors of a police sta- tion. Policemen frequently went to the shop to be shaved, but they never discovered what was going on, and the versatile barber has now made sufficient money to enable him to retire.

THEFT OF CANNON. I The delightful extravagances of Gil- bertian opera almost find a parallel in the theft of cannon from the great military museum of Woolwich. There are, in the grounds surrounding the Rotunda, about 300 ancient cannon, which must be of great intrinsic and historic value. They were left unguarded from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m., and some men, perceiving that the fence was not a formidable one, thought they might as well have some of the weapons in order to sell them as old metal. They accordingly went boldly to the spot with a horse and cart, and made a beginning with two guns, weighing together nearly 3 cwt. The loss was discovered, but nothing was done to protect the remainder, and, having waited a few days, the men paid another visit to the gun park, and this time secured four more cannon. It is possible that they might have gone a third time, had not the fact that six guns had been stolen got into the newspapers.

AN IMPUDENT THEFT. I That was rather a bold thief who relieved Mr Justice Grantham of his purse, but it is not by any means the first time that a judicial personage has been robbed. Per- haps the most impudent of all such thefts was that of wnich the late Sir John Bridge was the victim. Iu the course of a case which was before him at Bow Street, the learned magistrate mentioned-as an in- stance of occasional forgetfulness—that he bad himself left his watch at home that morning. The remark was beard by a member of the motley crowd which repre- sents the public at every Metropolitan Police Court, and, hurrying off to the residence of Sir John Bridge, he stated that the magistrate had sent him for the watch. The trick succeeded, and the watch was never heard of again.

THE BALTIC FLEET TO GO TO THE EAST. During the early stages of the Kus-o- Japanese war the daily papers have been occupied very much in trying to shew that they had important news, whereas they had really very little, and were compelled to dish up the same intelligence day after day in a fresh form. We now learn, not for the first time, that in June the Baltic fleet will start for the East, and will be strengthened by another squadron which will join it in the Red Sea. The best plans are apt to miscarry, and so it may be in this case. but on the face of it, it would appear that some time in July there will be some real news to communicate. Whatever the result of the naval operations may be, they will doubtless depend a good deal upon, whether the Japanese can in the meantime succeed in destroying the remaining Russian warships in the Far East. For this purpose they seem to be following the example of Nelson, who never saw the enemy without finding a way to get at them.

DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE CAUSE OF I RUSSIA'S DISASTER. I There seems to be something so demora- lising in war that people cannot even write about it without departing from the truth, or presenting an incident in a certain light, because they think the public for whom they cater would like to have it put in that way. We see an example of this partisan- ship in the news of the disaster to the Russian fleet, which caused the death of Admiral Makaroff. According to the tele- grams from Tokio, and other places where there are British correspondents, the battle- ship was sunk by the Japanese, whereas in some at least of the messages from St. Petersburg, the disaster was attributed to the vessel striking accidentally a mine which had been laid by the Russians them- selves. The special correspondent of the Parisian Temps stated, for instance, that (i two causes are assigned for the disaster, viz, a submerged Russian torpedo-mine in the harbour, or an explosion on board the Petropavlovsk itself." This anxiety to attribute the occurrence to an accident, which has been displayed in connection with other mishaps to the Russian fleet, is a little difficult to understand. It is surely as honorable a fate to be killed by the enemy as to perish through one of a suc- cession of blunders which ought not to?have occurred, and probably did not occur. I

I NUMERICAL TITLES FOR LINE BATTALIONS. It is not a little surprising to read of reference being made in Parliament to a possibility of numerical titles being restore 1 to battalions of the line. The change from numbers to territorial names was mad-s in opposition to the wishes of many of the regiments who did not wish to part with their old titles, and in fact retained them among themselves for years. Now that a fresh set of men has become accustomed to the territorial titles, it seems to be proposed to go back to the old order, which was declared at the time by War Office officials to be immeasurably inferior to the system which they had devised. Of course, these changes, and those which have taken place in the Royal Artillery and departmental corps, involve something of loss in esprit de corps, and it is very much to be hoped that the War Office will make up its mind, once and for all, by what names the respective units are to be known. It would seem to be desirable that in coming to a decision, the wishes of the regiment should be considered. and if that is so. there appears to be no reason why the 2nd Essex should not be permitted to call themselves the Pompa- dours, as Sir O. Rasch, who represents an Essex division, suggests.

I CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE JEWS. Surely," wrote Macaulay, no Christian can deny that every human being has a 0 right to be allowed every gratification which produces no harm to others, and to be spared every mortification which produces no good to others." These words, in which the great essayist and historian referred to the disabilities of the Jews, apply very precisely to some recent events in Liverpool and Limerick. At Liverpool the police have very properly intervened to abolish a local Good Friday celebration, which in- volved a perambulation of the streets with effigies of Judas Iscariot, and particular demonstrations at the houses of members of the Jewish Church. At Limerick the boy- cott has been applied to people of this faith. Mr Joyce suggested in the House of Commons that the boycott was directed against "extortionate usurers who charge 200 to 300 per cent." If that were so, there would not be any great amount of sympathy for the victims of this system of exclusive dealing," but all the Jews in Limerick can scarcely be money lenders, and it is impossible to justify a campaign against the whole Jewish community, on account of the injustice, or even the iniqui- ties, of the few.

Ecclesiastical News. I At a special service held in the Palace Chapel, on Monday morning, the Bishop of Llandaff collated the Rev Alfred Augustus Mathews, B.A., formerly vicar of Blaenavon, to the vicarage of St. Paul, Newport. The Rev John Jones Lewis, B.A., formerly incumbent of Penrhiwceiber, was collated to the vicarage of Mynyddislwyn, Mon,, and the Rev Herbert Owen Davies, B.A., was licensed to the perpetual curacy of St. Hilda, Griffithatown, near Newport. His lordship also licensed the Rev Thomas Lewis Evans, B.A., to the curacy of Neath with Llantwit, and the Rev. James Dewi Jones to Holy Trinity, Tylorstown. A reader's licence was granted to Mr Gordon Griffith Phillips for the parish of Whitchurch. J

The Chinese Labour Problem. A gentleman living at Roatb, Cardiff, has received a letter from a friend in Cape Town which contains some pertinent references to the Chinese labour question. Mr Laurenson, the writer, thinks that at present the worst thing a young man could do would be to go out to the Cape, as trade of every description is poor. "We only trust," he continues, "that the labour question will be soon settled, because until things boom on the Rand it is not to be expected that, trade will improve here. Money is as tight as it can be, and the banks are stopping overdrafts and calling in mortgages. In the Rand the Kaffirs work a month or two and then clear off to their kraal with their savings, through being overpaid. If some of the people at home, who are raving about the importation of Chinese into the Transvaal, were only out here and knew the actual facts of the case, they would change their minds. The mines must have cheaper and more reliable labour, and the importation of the Chinamen is the only way out of it. Once they make a start money will circulate, trade revive, and we shall get a chance of going ahead a bit; but as things are at present the country is going to the dogs, and I should advise nobody to come out here now, as things cannot be worse at home."

For Printing of all hinds try the County Observer Office.

German Foreign Policy. I Everybody in this country knows that there was no intention to create a menace to Germany in the Anglo-French agreement, which was framed entirely in the interests of peace; but there are, nevertheless, some people in Germany who imagine that they read between the lines of the document a menace to the interests, if not the the safety, of the Fatherland. A Berlin paper for in- stance, says that "an uncomfortable feeling is created by the fact that France and Eng- land, in concluding their treaties, did not think it necessary to consult Germany." But surely there was no necessity for the Powers concerned to consult Germany on the question whether they should or should not agree upon a modus vivendi. Had the agreement completed an alliance, the signa- 0 tories would, no doubt, have informed the Powers, as Britain informed them of the treaty of alliance between herself and Japan. But the recent compact was simply a com- mon-sense arrangement between two nations, to the end that they might not quarrel over any such questions as have helped to es- trange them in the past. Of course, we can quite understand that the introduction of common-sense into international questions is such I AN AMAZING NOVELTY that some of the powers do not know what to make of it, and we must not judge of our 15 German neighbours too severely if they see such an event in much the same light as Z5 that in which the Romans regarded those prodigies which are said to have portended the death of Ceesar. But the Germans need not fear. We have no intention of bring- ing down a mailed fist" upon their deli- cate susceptibilities, and there is no reason to believe that anything short of justice will be extended to the interests which they cherish in Morocco. No doubt, if Germany were to adopt the Chauvinistic attitude of the Pan-German League, there would be very marked friction between France and Germany, but we need not anticipate that the Kaiser's Government will allow them- selves to be forced into pursuing such a foolish policy. The attitude adopted by Count von Biilow, in ha speech which he addressed on this subject to the Reichstag, was an eminently correct one, and it is gratifying to find him expressing the wise and statesman-like opinion that the crea- tion of points of friction between Great Britain and France is altogether ANTAGONISTIC TO OTJR WELL-CONSIDERED INTERESTS." INTERESTS. It would be an impertinence for any nation to attempt to dictate to Germany what her foreign policy should be, but at the same time, one may perhaps be permitted to say that if Count von Billow desires-as we believe he does-to maintain friendly relations with Britain, he would do well to abandon the traditional Bisrnarckian policy. Whatever Germans may think of Bismarck, his methods are altogether discredited in Britain, and none the less so because they brought such awful suffering upon our friends the French. So far as we are concerned with Bismarckianism, it is a policy of facing-both-ways towards Britain and Russia, and, seeing how clearly that fact is apprehended in this country, it can scarcely be a matter for wonder that such an attitude is not regarded with enthusiasm. France and Britain have shown to the nations a better way, and although we think they deserve infinite credit for their splendid example, yet they have no desire to patent their invention for preserving peace, and if other Powers will do them the honour of adopting it they will be more pleased.

Sir Edward Reed on Radical Methods. The Times of April 18th publishes the following extract-taken from a letter written by Sir Edward Reed, the Radical member for Cardiff, to a friend:—"According to the Liberal Party of to- day, we must not now regulate the trade of our Empire; we must not eftablish closer trade relations with our Colonies we must not work the gold mines of the Transvaal by the only plain and palpable means presented to us; we must not adopt the only means open to us of counteracting Russian influence in Tibet—in short, we must do Russian influence in Tibet—in short, we must do nothing, or next to nothing, to the advantage of this country and Empire, but must cavil and dispute over everything which the present Government does or attempts. Well. you know well enough that this sort of thing never has been, is not, and never can be the sort of thing for which I have given my services for Cardiff. The great mistake which the Liberal Party is making, in my opinion, is that of substituting attacks upon the present Government for the better and nobler work of fitting itself to take over the government into its own hands."

Lord Windsor on Chinese Labour. Speaking at a Unionist demonstration at Lowestoft on Wednesday, Lord Windsor (First Commissioner of Works) proposed a resolution congratulating his Majesty's Government upon the wise and prudent administration of home and foreign affairs, and more particularly upon the conclusion of the Anglo-French Convention, and for having laid broadly and permanently the foundations of a great educational reform through- out the country in the passing of the Education Act. Spe3king of Chinese labour in the Transvaal, his lordship said one objection was that the introduction of the Chinese would prevent the country becoming a white man's country; and another contention was that the conditions of the Ordinance in reference to indentured Chinese labour amounted to slavery. The only way in which Chinese labour could compete with white labour was by introducing without any restrictions; but the people of the Transvaal could not stand that, aud the Ordinance was 80 framed as to prevent that disadvantage. He said with confidence that under the regulations which were to be enforced Chinese labour would not compete with white labour. Surely, it was desirable to develop the resources of South Africa by the employment of lower class labour there in order to find work for British skilled labour. It was a monstrous abuse of language to say that the Government was condoning an Ordinance which partook of slavery, while the parties to the contract were perfectly free.

DBTBRMIMBD SUICIDB.-On Sunday morning, a man named Jarrold, of Susannah Place, Treharris, drank about 8oz. of oarbolic acid, after which he called hi* wife and children around him, and wished them good-bye. He died about four hours later. Deceased had been in very good circum- stances, as farmer and corn dealer in a large way otbueineSt iniherefotdshire.

ThePollard Case—Result. 1 The Pollard divorce case ended in a ver- dict affirming the allegations made by the 0 King's Proctor, and Mrs Pollard's decree nisi was rescinded. The President ordered the impounding of the documents.

DAINTINESS AND DIGESTIBILITY. I Daintiness and digestibility are two essentials of good pastry. These desirable qualities can be easily secured if a small quantity of Brown & Poison's new raising powder called Paisley Flour is added to the ordinary flour (one part to eight or twelve) before making into a dough, omitting all yeast or baking powder. "Paisley Flour" is also a great help to plum puddingy, dumplings, and all heavy suet puddings, as it prevents soddennesa and makes them lighter and more easily digestible. Similarly, bread made with Brown & Poison's Paisley Flour is digestible even when new. Buy a 7d packet from your grocer and try it next cooking day. If you are not entirely pleased with it, your grocer will refund your money at Brown & Poisons' expense. 1

DANGER OF CELLULOID OOMBB.-A young vroman named Jane Couls,.<n, at Dunston-on-Tyue, who wore in her hair a semi-circular comb of this material, was reading before the kitchen fire when suddenly her head became enveloped in flames. The burus inflicted were so severe that death occurred shortly afterwards. It was evident that the heat of the fire had ignited the ornament, a cheap French imitation of the tortoissshell comb. The father of the deceased produced a portion of the comb, and on the coroner applying a match to it there shot up a long tongue of flame. He remarked that that was an object-lesson showing what danger lurked in combs of this description. It would be well, he added, if the children in our schools could have this danger demonstrated to them in the way the jury had observed. The comb did not require fire to be applied to it in order to cause it tll ignite-heat was sufficient.

I SOAP NOT A MODERN PRODUCTION. The first distinct mention of soap now extant is by Pliny, who speaks of it as an invention of the Gauls; but be that as it may, the use of soap for washing purposes is of great antiquity. In the ruins of Pompeii a complete soap manufactory was found, and the utensils and some soap were in a tolerable state of preservation. The Gallic soap of eighteen centuries ago was prepared from fat and wood ashes, particularly the ashes from beechwood, which wood was very common in France as well as in England. Soap is spoken of by writers from the second century, but the Saracens were the first people to bring it into general use as an external cleansing medium. The use of soap is thus described: When examined chemically the skin is found to be composed of a substance analogous to dried white of egg—in a word, albumen. Now, albumen is soluble in the alkalis, and when soap is used for washing the skin the excess of alkali combines with the oily fluid with which the skin is naturally bedewed, removes it in the form of an emulsion, and with it a portion of the dirt. Another portion of the alkali softens and dissolves the superficial stratum of the skin, and when this is rubbed off the rest of the dirt disappears. So that every washing of the skin with soap removes the old face of the skin and leaves a new one, and were the process repeated to excess the latter would become attenuated.

I FOB THOSE DEPRIVED OF SIGHT. A reading-room for the blind is a unique depart- ment of the new Congress'onal Library at Washing- ton. No other library in the world has a separate department for those deprived of sight. The nation's new reading-room for this special class will eventu- ally contain practically all the books and periodicals published in the blind alphabets of every language. -0

I RATING THE CHRONOMETER AT GREENWICH. I A visitor who should make the attempt to compare a single chronometer with a standard clock would feel very disheartened, says the Leisure Hour, when, after many minutes of comparison, he had got out its error to the nearest second, were he told that it was his duty to compare the entire army, some five hundred or more, here collected, and to do it not to the second but to the nearest tenth of a second. Practice and system make, however, the impossible easy, and one assistant will quietly walk round the room, calling out the error of each chronometer as he passes it, as fast as a second assistant seated at the table can enter it at his dictation in the chronometer ledgers. The second beat of a clock, sympathetic with the solar standard, rings out loud and clear above the insect-like chatter of the ticking of the hundreds of chronometers, and wherever the assistant stands he has but to lift his eyes to see straight before him, if not a complete clock-face, at least a seconds dial, moving in exact accordance with the solar standard. The test to which chronometers are subjected is not merely one of rate, but one of rate under carefully altered conditions. Thus they may be tried with the XII. pointing in succession to the four points of the compass, or, in the case of chronometer watches, they may be laij flat down on the table or hung from the ring or pendant, or with the ring right or left, as it would be likely to be when carried in the waistcoat pocket. But the chief test is the performance of a chronometer when subjected to considerable heat for a long period. This is a matter of very great consequence, since a chronometer travelling from England to India, Australia, or the Cape, would necessarily be sub- jected to vpry different conditions of temperature than it would be exposed to in England. They are, therefore, kept for eight weeks in a closed stove at a temperature of about 85deg. or 90deg. At one time a cold test was also applied, but this has been done away with.

ARTIFICIAL EYES AND TEETH FOR ANIMALS. In the Rambler an interesting article on the subject of animals with glass eyes and false teeth appeared recently. In the course of a chat with a well-known maker of glass eyes it transpired that blindness in animals is more frequent than is generally supposed, loss of sight being caused as a rule by some un- accountable accidents. The demand for artificial eyes for members of the canine tribe, the maker assures us, is quite brisk, which is accounted for by the strange fashion of making pets of bulldogs and bull-terriers. And some ot the magnificent horses one can see in Rotten-row almost every morning are blind in one eye, though a glass one hides the fact. Artificial eyes for dogs are not stocked, despite the brisk demand for them; they have to be specially made to order, and this being so they are expensive, a single eye costing from £ 2 to £ 3. Valuable horses, dogs, and cats also wear false teeth; their teeth are more carefully tended than are those of the majority of mankind.

CURIOUS DERIVATIONS. A stationer is so called because at one time he ex- hibited his wares (quills, ink, parchment, &c.) at a stall or "station" in the market-place or street comer. No one can have gone into a chemist's shop without having noticed the dozens of small drawers with which the place is fitted up. It was from these that the apothecary took his name, that word being derived from apotheke, a "repository "—theke being the Greek word for a box or chest. A plumber takes his name from the Latin word for lead" (plumbum); this being the substance that he chiefly employs in making waste pipes and speutlngs to housee.

The Far East. Japanese Officers Shot as, Bridge Wreckers. St. Petersburg, Friday. General Kuropatkin telegraphs that the two Japanese officers arrested at Turtchika, in Mongolian dress, had fuses, dynamite cartridges, and pyroxene in their possession, for blowing up the' railway line. They were found guilty by Court Martial at Harbin,, but, as they were officers, they were shot, instead of hanged, on April 16th. Another despatch from General Kuropatkin says a steamer was, sighted on the night of the 19th,. lying to opposite Cap Tower Hill near Kaichon. She sent out a boat apparently to take soundings. All is quiet on the Yalu.

iVo Change In Military Situation. There is no change in the I military situation.

I AlexeidPs Explanation. St. Petersburg,, Friday. Admiral Alexeieff telegraphs to the Czar an explanation of the recent Port Arthur disaster. Å squadron of Russian torpedo boats went out searching the Islands in the darkness, three got separated. Strashny following the Japanese- squadron, mistaking it for Russian. At daybreak, being recognised Strashny had to fight four torpedo boats. Bayan, cruising sixteen* miles off Port Arthur, saw Strashny blow up, but going to the scener. rescued five men. The squadron under Admiral Makaroff went out,. but nine Japanese battleships being seen Russian squadron returned. Petropavlovsk was then blown up. Pobieda struck mine close to entrance she careened over, but reached harbour safely. Paris, Friday. A St. Petersburg telegram says that General Kuropatkin is sending a Brigade of Infantry to North East Korea, to support the flanking- movement being carried out by Russian Cavalry.

I Fire Rates in Toronto. Toronto, Friday. In consequence of the fire, under- writers have raised rates by from forty to seventy-five per cent.

I Fatal Fire inGuernsey. In the fire at St. Sampson* s*. Guernsey, last night, an old lady- aged eighty-four, and her grand- daughter were burned to death. I

A MARBIAGB at St. Luke's Church, Bedminster, Bristol, that attracted much attention, was between William Chapman, coachman, 19, and,, Mrs Lodge, 61, widow of the late Dr Lodge, oi Keynsham, near Bristol. TBEHBBBEBT TRAGEDY,—Benjamin Protheror who on Saturday morning attacked his wife with Ill. pruning knife at 39, Baglan-street, Penyrenglyn, Treherbert, inflicting very serious injuries, and afterwards cut his own throat, is in Cardiff Infirmary, in the custody of the police. Hopett are entertained of his recovery, but Mr. Prothero is still in a critical condition. On Monday three hair-pins were extracted from her head, and it is feared that others are embedded in the scalp. She several times expressed a wish to see her husband and hoped that whatever might become of her he would not get the rope." Printed and Published by cc TaB COUNTY OBSBKVBB," NEWSPAPER and PRINTING COMPANY, Limited, 16Y JAMBS HaNBY CLARK, at their Offices, Bridge street, Utk, in the County of Moumowth, Saturday April 23rd, 1904.

I KILLED IN BATTLE, In regular battles the proportion of loss, ainone men and horses is quite close, and in band"to-hand combats of cavalry, as well as in sharp artillery engagements, for every man killed or woundea there is also a dumb warrior entitled to a place beside him on the roll of honour. The Light Brigadt at Balaclava rode in 660 (not 600) strong, and lost 288 men, but of the 660 horses 360 were shot down by the Russian guns. In the fierce charges of the German Uhlans and Cuirassiers at Vionville, Mars- la-Tour, in 1870, 1,400 men and 1,600 horses were killed and wounded. In the first artillery contest on the same field, 730 men and over 1,000 horses fell around the guns.

I Stocks. I Stocks steady to dull. w