The Aberystwith Observer

CORRESPONDENCE. We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions and sentiments of our Correspondents.

BATHING MACHINES. TO THE EDITOR OF THE ABERYSTWYTH OBSERVER. Sir,—As a visitor for several seasons to this place, I must say that my experience of the bathing women is quite opposite to that related in the letter of The Father of a Family," in your impression of last week. I have always found them willing and atten- tive, and desirous of assisting those using the machines in making their enjoyment of the bathe as great as possible. Considering that these poor women have nothing to support them but the tri- fling gIfts. that they receive from visitors; that they are dabbling in and out of the water from seven in the morning until one, with timid or nervous ladies, invalids, and screaming children, I do not think it a great crime if they sometimes solicit me respectfully (I never was dunned myself) for a trifle. Of course, if people expect that the "usual charge" of sixpence a piece ought to cover every little extra attention they require, the above consideration will not affect them. With reference to the men who have the management of the pleasure boats, I have not en- quired so closely into the nature of their usual oc- cupations as The Father of a Family seems to have done, to know whether they are broken-down tailors, shoeblacks, coachmen, window cleaners, &c. I do not know where he obtained his information from, but I may remark that I have never yet seen a shoeblack in Aberystwyth, (possibly though they work at their trade in the winter and turn boatmen in summer,) and never heard of window cleaning as a special trade or occupation. I think that with very little trouble "The Father of a Family could have found other "seamen" to take his friends for a sail or row, without individually mentioning two names in particular, at the risk of causing bickering among the men. Without wishing to follow his bad example, I may say, I and my family have been out on a great many occasions with different boatmen, among others the coxswain of the lifeboat and a re- lation of his, who I believe have been in the mer- chant service the greater part of their lives, and I have not yet come across any of them, who appeared to have followed the occupations named by your correspondent. In conclusion I would suggest that, as a relative of "ladies of the highest respectability," it would have been in better taste if The Father of a Family had a complaint to make, to have done it in a gen- tlemanly manner, and not write of poor people who strive hard to get a miserable but honest living as rude uncultivated creatures, horde of uncivilized savages," &c. I am, Sir, Yours respectfully, Aberystwyth, A LADY VISITOR. July 16th, 1867.

+ COUNTY BUSINESS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE ABERYSTWYTH OBSERVER. Sir,—I recollect reading of a member of our Royal Family (whose name I forget) exclaiming on the summit of the majestic Snowdon, I am angry with myself for going to distant foreign countries to view stupendous works of creation, and having hitherto neglected to visit the grandeur and sublimity of those in my own nation,"—that observation is a- propos to my present idea. What does it concern the public out of our county what we do with our money, and how we apply it ? With our internal affairs they have no concern; and I think it a reflection, whilst we have within our own limits, and that at a cheap rate, vehicles of communication of our public affairs and interests, we should despise our neighbours and fellow rate-payers, by encourag- ing, to their detriment and loss, foreigners" to ust and enriching them at our own expense. What have we to do with lengthy columns of reports of boards of guardians, harbour meetings, and a host of others, to us irrelevant matters, taking place in adjoining counties! We have two newspapers pub- lished in the county, one at each extremity thereof, the Observer at Aberystwyth, and the Adver- tiser at Cardigan. Should not our public accounts, —notices of our assize and quarter sessions, and all other matters relating to our fiscal affairs in particu- lar, be exclusively published in these papers? by doing so, greater publicity would be afforded, and greater satisfaction given to the rate-payers. Cha- rity begins at home and, If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an in- fidel." I trust that the year 1868 will dawn upon us under satisfactory auspices, and, knowing the spirited and enterprising character of yourself and the proprietor of the Advertiser," I believe you would, if duly encouraged, undertake to supply com- petent gentlemen to record and report fully and faithfully all our public proceedings. If any per- sons in Carmarthenshire, &c., should be desirous to learn our doings, they shall have the same remedy as we have to know theirs. A CARDIGANSHIRE RATE-PAYER.

CHURCH ACCOMMODATION. TO THE EDITOR OF THE ABERYSTWYTH OBSERVER. Sir,—I understand that the Bishop of St. David's will be here in a few weeks to consecrate some new burial grounds close to your town. I am informed also that his lordship will decline at the same time to consecrate the new Welsh Church. These things would not have been believed in Venice. Is it creditable to Christianity that a church already erected is kept closed because, as I understand, the parish cannot provide money enough to cram down the greedy craws of the Ecclesiastical lawyers; and this too in the face of a want of present church ac- commodation, which weekly debars hundreds of visitors the benefit of attending divine service ? Yours obediently, AN ENGLISH VISITOR.

INJURY TO THE UPPER PART OF THE TOWN & TO THE VISITORS. TO THE EDITOR OP THE ABERYSTWYTH OBSERVER. SIR,-I beg to call the attention of the town com- missioners to the great necessity of providing some other egress from the beach nearer the Castle than the slip now so far down the Terrace. I see there are several iron steps between that and the lower end of Marine Terrace, but not one to- wards the Castle. It would be a great boon and saving of time to persons frequenting the beach were there a flight of steps placed, say, ten or twelve yards either side of the Promenade Pier; and with very trifling expense a path might be made from the beach up the side of the Castle. The other day I nearly met with a serious acci- dent, failing to pass the extreme point of the Castle, the tide coming in. I immediately returned, but to my dismay found my retreat cut off that I could not pass under the pier. the tide having fairly locked me in. In vain did I search for an outlet from the beach between the pier and the Castle. At last, see- ing no other means, I attempted to climb the side of the Castle, but got into such a fix that I could neither come down nor climb any higher. Some little boys, seeing my situation, rendered me such assistance as to extricate me from a most awkward position. I recollect there used to be two flights of steps much higher up than that slip now so far down-one opposite No 7, and another opening to Mount Plea- sant. Not only is it inconvenient for visitors to have to walk so far, but the losses to trade of the trades- people residing in Pier Street and Great Dark-gate Street must be considerable. The two hotels, the Lion and the Talbot, must also, I should imagine, feel it acutely. I am really at a loss to understand how is it the inhabitants of the upper, and, in my opinion, the principal part of the town, tolerate so gross an injustice—the abolishing of those former steps without having others erected in their room. The Welsh tradespeople are very different to their English neighbours in this respect. Such an im- position, so detrimental to their trades, would not be tolerated a day in England. I trust that these good-natured tradespeople will take this hint, and be alive to their own interest be- fore the summer is over. They should have a memo- rial drawn up, numerously signed, praying the com- missioners to erect two or three flights of steps between the slip and the Castle. I have no doubt but that those gentlemen would at once see the pro- priety of their demand, and comply with their wishes. Your obedient Servant, A VISITOR.

Through Trains in connection with the Cambrian Railways. DOWN TRAINS. ,a. ni. a. in. a> a> m. a.m. p. m. London .dep. 6 15 9 o 11 20 Birmingham 8 4510 50 1 45 Wolverhampton 9 1811 23 2 22 Stafford 10 5 12 30 3 25 Shrewsbury 1 45 1 45 5 45 Welshpool arr. 2 35 6 40 London dep. *•? 9 0 11 20 2 45| Stafford f" "12 45 3 20 6 20 Crewe 3 40 5 20 8 35! Whitchurch arr. 11 25 4 13 « 5 58 9 11 Oswestry arr. 7 15 Oswestry arr. 715 7 Leeds dep. 7 50 11 0 2 80 3 0 4 0 Huddersfield 8 30 '2 5 3 15 4 0 4 55 Manchester Lond. Rd. 7 45 10 45 1 30 4 15 5 15 6 30 Stockport 7 5811 5 1 50 4 25 5 28 6 50 Preston 9 30 12 20 3 5 4 4 Liverpool, Lime 8treet 7 SO 10 30 1 15 3 45 5 0 7 0 Warrington 8 1311 24 2 8 4 25 5 387 45 Crewe 9 012 30 3 40 5 20 0 40 8 35 Whitchurch 9 30 1 2 4 13 6 20 7 11 t» 11 Oswestry arr. 10 25 1 50 7 15 8 35 Birkenhead. dep. 8 35 rTso 3 30 4 SO Chester 9 20 12 10 4 15 5 40 Wrexham 9 45 12 35 4 39 6 25 Oswestry, G. West. arr.'10 20 1 12 5 17 7 ll Oswestry,Camb.dep. 10 35 2 5 7 20:: Welshpool 11 30 2 50 8 2 Newtown 12 8 3 25 8 37 Llanidloes 12 4 f „ „ "Vfachvnlleth 1 30 4 58 9 57 Borth 2 3 5 25 « 10 20 '• ABERYSTWTYTH arr. 2 25 5 55 10 50 Aberdovey 30 5 55 « « '• Dolgelley,by 'bus, arr. 4 0 7 30 » In addition to the above, the train carrying the English mails reaches Aberystwyth at 10 30 a.m. This is only a passenger train from Newtown. UP TRAINS. a.m. a.m. a. m. a. m. a. m. p. m.fp. m. Doigelley, by'bus, dep. 6 10 11 10 3 5 Aberdovey 7 50 1 0 4 35 ABERYSTWYTH. 8 0 I 5 580 ]Etorth .o. 830128 6 0 Machynlleth 9 5 1 58 6 30 Llanidloes 5 0 9 40 2 45 7 20 Newtown. 6 0" 10 30 3 28 8 0 Oswestry 6 10 '0 35 2 5 7 20 Welshpool 7 SO 11 2" 4 0 8 40 Shrewsbury .••••• 8 30 12 30 6 10 10 8 Stafford 9 45 1 35 6 5 11 7 Wolverhampton 10 33 2 20 6 56 2 0 Birmingham 11 10 30730 230 London. 2 30 5 15 9 50 6 0 Oswestry arr. 8 0" 120450 930 „ dep. 8 5 125510 Whitchurch 856 12 8 12 57 6 15 8 50 Crewe 10 45 1 0 1 20 7 0 9 20 Stafford 140 2 09 30 London. 515a011 Warrington. 10 20 1282358131020 Liverpool. 11 10 2 15 3 30 9 Oil 5 Preston 12 40 2 83 3 23, 9 1511 25 Stockport 10 40 1 31 2 46> 8 5 10 43 Manchester 10 55 14530 810115 « Huddersfleld 12 25 3 0 6 25 9 45 "I Leeds 1 15 4 30 7 0 10 50 Oswestry, G.West. dep. 8 45 1 15 5 55 9 611 15 Wrexham 934 1 58 6 35 9 4311 50 Chester 10 6 2 35 7 010 512 15 Birk-enhead 10 43 335750 11 6 3 51