The Carmarthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser

OUR CENTENARY Ix devoting the greater portion of our enlarged issue this week to our ccntcnary we do not over- astimate the importance of the event either to our- selves or to the public; but we take advantage of this very suitable opportunity to provide our readers with a contrast, however imperfectly drawn, between the social, religious, and commercial condition of || West Wales of to-day and a hundred years ago. The age of a newspaper is not always a proof of its superiority over its contemporaries as a medium for li recording the progress of public affairs. Neither, of course, is it the only proof. Some of the || greatest newspapers of the -world are of recent birth, |' while others equally eminent are the oldest the world knows. Especially is this the case with the daily press of the kingdom which has largely been evolved under conditions which are not yet grown old, and are even now 'undergoing great changes. We do not ask our readers to believe that simply i>ecause the JOURNAL is a hundred years old it is one jf the best weekly newspapers in the Principality. Age in a newspaper may count the same as in an individual. In the case of some unfortunate news- paper ventures the older they grow the nearer they approach senility, and this often not through any fault of their own, but owing to the severe test of modern competition. With a healthy newspaper business, however, age should, of course, not be a iign of decay, but of increased prestige and useful- less to the community it endeavours to serve. Other "hings being equal, the date of a newspaper's birth is a sign of increasing vitality and influence. This ve claim to be the case with the JOURXAL, and if we teed apologise for using our centenary for the pur- loses of a little self-advertisement we must plead the example of some of the largest and most success- j ful commercial concerns in the world, who openly declare that they owe half their prosperity to news- paper advertising. Like most county weeklies of any standing the JOURNAL has suffered periods of anxiety and danger, and like them also it has safely weathered its storms. Like many of them, also, it is better equipped to- day to meet further difficulties than it ever was- better armed to reach another centenary. And it is for these reasons that wo give expression to a natural of gratification at the attainment of its centenary by the JOURNAL. This feeling, we believe, our readers will to some extent share. A newspaper of this kind, in spite of the competition cf the morning and evening press, having estab- lished itself for a century, fulfils a definite and acknowledged role in the public He of the com- ,iu, ti munity in which it lives. It is true its influence is greatly altered from that of a century ago. In 1810 the JOURNAL, with the exception of the "Cambrian" of Swansea, was the only newspaper which supplied the greater part of Wales with the stirring news of those dramatic times. Its character was then as much national as local, but its field, like that of the greatest weeklies in the kingdom, has been nar- rowed by tho growth of the daily press. To-day it is mere concerned with local affairs than imperial or foreign, but in spite of that there is more work for it to do than ever. Its responsibilities, though not so wide, are equally important, if indeed not more so The rapid advances of legislation has pro- duced immense changes in the government of the country. Every county, every borough, every parish even, has a parliament of its .owA; new public institutions for the social, religious and edu- cational well-being of the; people flourish every- where; old institutions have inflaeriec- and have laid foundations all over the kingdom. The responsibilities of citizenship have vastly in- creased, "nth these- new institutions and new responsi- bilities comes the call fur more publicity, more room for th ri-rhtinjj of wrongs and the discussion of in- justices and difficulties, and it is the weekly news- paper wh;ch suppLes and must, we think, continue to supply, that rocm. Deep as is the obligation of the present generation to the daily preys, that due to th3 weekly newspaper is equally important. With the further spread of democracy there will be an s increased demand for the aids to public progress which newspapers alone can supply, and it does no. seern to ija (.fya^; the daijy paper will be awte-to give all that is asked, Even within the last ten years the face of the daily press has been completely changed. Tho public want's the news of the day in headlines and gets it, with the result that the multifarious and important organisations of more local interest are still more summarily dealt with. For the weekly newspaper there still remains and inu-jj, w ohink, always remain, work of a different character to do. Local administration in the counties and smaller j boroughs will still need their mirror and a larger one than the daily proEs, caa supply. The people I:, nig ihuio auli need guardians to watch their interests and to protect them from the slovenly or thoughtless administration of their affairs. Such are the relations of the weekly press to the public to-day and such we think they must remain. Were the people' to lose the nej,p of the weekly press they would suffer a roal misfortune. And this is why We hope our readers take at leasts a moderate interest in the event which we are this week cele- brating. The world is making vast strides towards improvement. There are people who assert that the opposite is the case. They point to the condition of unemployment, the uncertain and' unsatisfactory movements of the trade barometer, the crime, im- morality, and suffering that exists to-day, as a croof i that civilization is making no progress. They de- clare i\1 t'ho same breath that Christianity as a means of making the world happier and more moral is a failure. Such statements as these, wrung as they often are, from the lips of men who live in the midst of suffering and poverty, and who are themselves enduring the extremes of misery and want, are not unnatural. But they are entirely false, and it is at such a time as this that we my be reminded that a glance backward wid show how very false they arp, The world is infinitely kinder than it was. The elaborate machinery which now exists for taking care of the children is one of the most significant signs of this, and also the greatly- increased tenderness for dumb animals. Philan- thropic institutions of the most elaborate character distribute help to the sick and the crippled. A vast amount of wealth flows through them to the desti- tute and the oppressed. Men and women are in. finitely kinder to each other than they were. The spirit of charity in its best sense is quickening. Science has made mighty strides and is giving its highest efforts to the relief of human unhappincss. Malignant and incurable diseaso are its especial enemy and many of them have been erased entirely from the catalogue of human ills or penned in their last refuge. The world is full of hope for those who will open their eyes and see what the last century has done for it. In the work that the coming century will bring, every section of the press may play no mean part if it will. Even the humblest litle country weekly may do its share and should bo encouraged to do so. The influence of the pulpit and the press arc often spoken of together and the time will doubtless come when those two forces will work had in hand more than they do to-day. Each can help enormously the value of the other. As far as our duty to the future is concerned we are resolved to carry it out with as much thoroughness and sincerity as wo can com- mand. Although we feel conscientiously bound to uphold the principles of a political party whenever ] tho interests of that party are in question, we claim to deal with local public affairs from a com- pletely independent standpoint. We have for years deprecated the introduction of party or sectarian influence into the conduct of local administration, and wc shall continue to do so. We are in a posi- tion to take an independent stand upon all questions outside the range of imperial politics and shall always use that advantage with the best judgment we have. Our political principles, as we are always aware, are not acceptable to a great many in this part of the country, but they are never in doubt, and our readers know what to expect. But there is always room for differences of opinion; what really matters is the manner in which they are dis- i cussed. It is our earnest desire to advance our o,,wi opinions and to treat those of people who differ from us with moderation and good feeling; nourishing the thought underneath it all thac. we are all fellow- citizens, the welfare of all of whom depends upon the success of each; that the same wide lonely road which lies before us all may be made less lonely for each if we will it so, and that the same haven awaits us all. If the JOURNAL is permitted to address its public a hundred years hence we feel sure it will not do so with more cordial good feeling or a sweeter sense of fraternity than we do our readers on this completion of our first century.

NOTES OF THE WEEK. In 1814 there were living in one house in the parish of Llanon, Carmarthenshire, two husbands, two.wives, and two sisters (six in all) of the united age of 554 years. 7:" .x- Wo have no record of the weather this time 100 years ago, but it could not have been more depress- ing or dismal than it is to-day. With the exception of about three or four days, it has rained daily for the last three months. It may be of interest to mention that the building- of the present Masonic Hall at Carmarthen (referred to elswhere in an article on Carmarthen Free- masonry) was mainly the result of the labours of the Rev. Canon Brown, late Principal of Carmar- 'then Training College. # An interesting had was made the other day in the basement of Messrs. Barker's Offices, Carmar- then, which, as most people know, was at one time the old Prince Edward's Chapel, which stood out- side Carmarthen Castle, and still retains a portion of its original structure. Buried in some rubbish there, what looks like the death mask of a woman made in white cement was discovered. The find was handed over to Mr. Barker. When the appointment of overseers came under notice at the Town Council meeting on Tuesday evening, Mr. H. E. B. Richards, in seconding the re-appointment of the retiring gentlemen, supported the high tributes that had been paid them for their excellent work in re-assessing the borough, preat amusement was caused by the Mayor remarking, "too you see, gentlemen, they have done" the worll- to the satisfaction of even Mr. Alderman Richards." At the meeting of the Town Council on Tuesday evening, the question was raised as to the expedi- ency of supplying water to certain cottages in Tarterdy-lane, and it was eventually decided to supply the water. This is as it should be, for, as was pointed out by one member, we have an expensive water scheme, and anything that will bring even a few shillings to the revenue should be welcomed. x The current number of tho "Tatler" contains a chariping photograph of Lady Tiverton and her only son. Lady Tiverton, who rendered her husband such excellent service at the general election, is a leading member of London society, and her marriage to Lord Tiverton was one of the chief eve-nta of the social season. f A postcard arrived at the office yesterday (Thurs- day) congratulating us on reaching our centenarv and asking: "But where will the JOURNAL be in I 2010" Some friend of ours had taken the liberty oi aduiug, "Why out as a dady paper for nearly a ¡ century. Where have you been?" -x- The Carmarthen Troop of Scouts were highly complimented by General Sl. J*. Baden-Powell at Swansea last Tuesday. The gallant General re- marked that he had never seen a smarter lot than the "St. Peter's Boys." This 'is to a great extent due to the careful training of Adjutant Wilfred Lewis and Lieut. Fred Humphreys, both of whom take great interest in the movement. Rfed-street and Blue-street in Carmarthen are opposite to each other. In the old days the former housed the hatters, while Blue-street was the centre of the coopers' industry. The latter were always mootly Whigs, and the hatters were Tories, and often they used to meet at the mouth of Dark-gate and engage in gory combat, using the tools and implements of their respective trades as weapons. This is the origin of the names by which the two streets are still known. The complimentary banquet to Mr. Mervyn Peel, the late parliamentary candidate for East Carmar- thenshire, will be given at the Cawdor's Arms, Llandilo, -on April 7th. Tickets, 4s. 6d. each, may be obtained from Mr. E. J. Clarke, sec. of the East Carmarthenshire Conservative and Unionist Asso- ciation, or of the local sees. in the various polling districts. As the number is very limited, application for tickets should be made as early as possible. -x- The following unfortunate accident" is reported in the JOURNAL for January 7th, 1814. "On New Year's Day, Isac Jones, mason, having ascended the roof cf a house in King-street, in this town, for the purpose of passing a faggot through the chim- ney, which was foul, incuriously took hold of some lose bricks at the top, which giving way, he was precipitated to the ground, had his thigh broken, and was otherwise much injured." On Wednesday, the 25th ult., the anniversary of the surrender of the French at Fishguard, was com- memorated at Pembroke. Lord Cawdor's troop of Cavalry, commanded by Capt. Campbell, met, and went through the different evolutions in a'style! highly creditable to them. They afterwards partook of a good dinner, prepared for the occasion, at the King' Arms in that town. "-(Extract from tho CAR- MARTHEN JOURNAL,March 5th, 1813.) 7 On 28th October, 1809, a meeting was held, at which it was resolved to establish a weekly news- paper at Carmarthen. Tho promoters were J. W. Hughes, D. Davies, W. 1-f. Thomas, Rev. E. Holli- day, W. Morris, Morgan Lewis, Daniel Williams. E. Williams, T. Woods, B. Hobday, W. Maddocks, T. Nicholas, W. E. Wilmot (bookseller), and J. Daniel (printer). As a result of that meeting the CARMARTHEN JOURNAL was first published on Satur- day, the 3rd of the following March. "On Thursday last, a largo concourse of the lower class of the inhabitants of Laugharne assembled in that town, in consequence of an information that two sloops, lying in the harbour wero to bo laden with four, barley, and cheese, and proceeded to the house of Col. Starke, to whom they communicated their determination to resist such practice. That gentleman, with his characteristic humanity, immediately applied to the chief magistrate, to whoso united exertions, we are happy to say, a stop has been put to an evil practice, so injurious to the poor, by raising the price of provision. By order of the Portreeve some butter, which was found to be deficient in weight, on the last market day, y was seized, and distributed among the poor of tho i town. "—JOURNAL, March 19th, 1813. 1 It was on January 29th, 1813, that the JOURNAL changed its publishing day from Saturday to Friday. '¡i- .'t Ihe I eg ret and tho oniy one—connected with our centenary is that tho JOURNAL has not been able to find a copy of its iirst-born. The hue and cry that we have set on foot has not, however, we believe, been fruitless, for almost at the last moment before going to prc.-s ws have news of a copy being heid by a resident of the county, and we are not without hopes that the news is true and that we may shortly he to give our reauers a reproduction of the CARMAiiXiiEis JOURNAL of Saiuiiiay, March 3rd, 1810. -no The following recipes to prevent milk and butter llotu tasting oi turnips, taken irom the JOURNAL of -via*cil IGth, ly13, make curious reading:—"To one ouaco of saltpetre pour one patt cf boiling water; one largo reu. spoonful 01 this mixture put to every gaiion of milk w]nie yet warm from the cow, tins punties the mlll" and of course the butter." "At the boctom of the cream vessel, which is kept for churning, leave a small quantity of the old cream; the acidity of this small portion destroys the bad taste of the turnips of all cream put into the same vessel. Although we do not acivise farmers to try these remedies, they show that the JOURNAL, then as now, has a warm spot for the agriculturist in its constitution. Some considerable discussion took place at the Town Council meeting on Tuesday night on the question of the appointment of an inspector of nuisances. Mr. J. Crossman proposed that Mr. J. Evans, inspector, bo re-appointed, and that the appointment be made permanent. This was strenu- ously opposed by Alderman H. E. B. Richards, who, did not think they should depart from the custom of years. The procedure, however, is purely a formal and useless one, for, as was pointed out, if the inspector does his work well he is re-appointed, while if he does not, the Council always has its remedy. Another point is tlmt the appointment cannot be made, nor can the inspector be dismissed, without the sanction of the Local Government Board, so that, in effect, the post is a permanent one. 7(- Some recollection of the late Mr. Bagnall, of Car- marthen, given to an intimate friend, are very interesting. He remembers when the shops in King- street now occupied by Mr. Picton Davies and Messrs. Herbert Jones were thatched cottages. Near them a public passage, called "Bakehouse Lane," ran from King-street through o Wood's-row. A part of the lano still exists. He also remembers David Charles (brother of the famous "Charles of Bala"), who was a ropemaker, and lived where Mr. H. Reeves's promises now are. He was a short, stout man, whose ropewalk ran due north from the turning which runs up near Castle House in Picton- terrace. Mr. Bagnall also recollected all the houses in Picton-terracc, and Magazine-row being built. The ground now occupied by the houses at the mammas-street end of Catherine-street was onoo occupied by shows and afterwards refuse heaps. It was from those heaps that Mr. Williams, mother of the late Mr. John Williams, sanitary inspector of Carmarthen, saw the French prisoners being marched through the town after the attempted in- vasion of Fishguard. lie also remembered the whole row of houses in Spilman-street, where Dr. Williams now lives, being thatched cottages. .x- To-day when General Elections are concluded with the greatest despatch, one day being sufficient for the polling, and declaration in boroughs, it affords interesting reading to turn back the pages of the JOURNAL, and note what happened nine or ten de- cades ago, especially when recollections of the recent memorable election are fresh in ones mind. A century ago a parliamentary contest was a very elaborate undertaking, extcndi.ng over six days, as the following reproduction from the CARMARTHEN JOURNAL of the 6th October, 1812, well illustrate:- County of the Borough of Carmarthen. Parlia- mentary election, candidates Admiral Campbell and J. Jones, Esq. Adm. Campbell. Jones, Esq. 1st day, Tuesday, Oct. 6 25 24 2nd day, Wednesday, Oct. 7.. 36 35 3rd day, Thursday, Oct. 8. 36 24 4th day, Friday, Oct. 9 43 17 5th day, Saturday, Oct. 10 9 ^2 6th day, Monday, Oct. 12 7 30 156 143 rn1 Majority 13 me Election, which commenced on Tuesday, the 6th inst., was severely contested. At the close of the Poll on Monday evening, Admiral Cariipbell was nip declared the successful candidate. The gallant Admiral then rose, and in a short, but energetic and satisfactory address, thanked his friends for the confidence and support with which they had again honoured him by re-electing him as their Repre- sentative, assured them of his earnest solicitude for their welfare, and the prosperity of the borough, and concluded by pledging himself to do everything in his power both in and out of parliament to further those desirable objects. Against this return, how- ever, Mr. Jones made a solemn protest, alleging that the proceedings in the Hall, on Charter Day, which had reference to the eligibility of some of his friends, were unfair and illegal in such a, degree as to impose upon him the task of bringing the business before another tribunal. Mr. Jones, in a long and eloquent address, returned thanks to his constituents, professed his entire devotion to their interests; and those of his native town; insisted that undue influenco had been exerted against him, and finally pledged himself to petition the House of Commons against the return ot Admiral Campbell. Mr. Jones, at the same time, paid a just tribute to the professional merits, and private virtues of the gallant Admiral, and deprecated in the strongest terms everything tending to altercation or personal indignity. Mr. J. was then chaired amidst loud and reiterated acclamation. In common justice to that Gentleman, we have to observe that his solicitude to repress, on the part of his friends, every propensity of tumult, was equally apparent and commendable. When Mr. Jones' procession had repassed the Hall, Admiral Campbell was chaired, and greeted with lo Pceans by his numerous friends. The Admiral afterwards entertained a large dinner party at the Ivy Bush, and Mr. Jones did the same at the White Lion. We are happy to say that tho day was concluded without any disorder. Admiral Campbell and a largo party of friends dined together at the Boar's Head on the following day, and dinners were also given at tho White Lion and tho Old Ivy Bush. It gives us pleasure to state that Admiral Campbell has been mindful of the prisoners confined in tho town gaol."

HUNTING APPOINTMENTS The Carmarthenshire Foxhounds will meet on Monday, Marcli 14th, at Cross Ishmael, for Pen- craig, and on Thursday, March .1 ¡ C' at Moifra; each day at 11 a.m. The Neuaddfawr Foxhounds will meet on Mon- day, March 14th at Alltwalis Hill, at 11 a.m.; and on FrIday, March ISth, at Dol-llan, at 10..30 ami. AT t 1l;y"S!CJ<V„Hc;l,nth vvl11 1Rect °n Mondav, March 14th at Blackcock; and on Thursday, March 17th, at Grymmych; each day at 11.30 a.m. s. I ryse Rice's Harriers will meet on Tuesday. ^aTC1 ^i11' atr>Llttio 1Ia11; on Saturday lVlaicii 19th, at 1 ent.retygwyn Schoolroom, to finish the season; each day at 11 o'clock.

We regret to announce the death, of pneumonia, at, Cannes, on Saturday last, of Mr. Henry do Courcv Agnew, the second .brother of Mrs Dudley Drummond and the late Ladv Drummond, of U Edwinsford. He was the second son of the late Silo Andrew Agnew, Bart., M.P., of Lochnaw Castle, Wigtonshire, by his wife Lady uoulsa, daughter of the Earl of Gainsborough. He leaves a widow and two daughters, and much sympathy will be expressed with all the family in their bereavement. Mr. Agnew had been a frequent visitor at Edwinsford and Portiscliff where his daughter, Mrs. Harold Schwann, resided for a year or more..