The Cambrian

<1^—■—^i————— 11 w vihc Cambrian. FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 1904. -L. NOTES ON MEN & THINGS In Glamorganshire there are no fewer than 500 boards marking hills as dangeroas to motorists, 499 of which boards no notice is taken. Sir George Nevrr.es, M.P., is going for a trip to America in September. S'posing a general election takes place in October? i « » » ♦ In somo places, especially on the Contin- ent., provision is marie, simple but effective, for minimising the- risk to lif?., nd it should not be difficult- to nave, it introduced at Bracelet, La-ngland, and Caswell. By means of a wire rope, stretched from point tJ point at an altitude calculated to place it near the surface of the water at high tade, 'swimmers who are unable to battle with, the curent, or from any reason are in flanger of being carried away, arc able to make to toLe wire rope and hold on until rescued. It is no exaggeration to say that hundreds of lives are annually saved by this simple con- trivance, and the Mumbles District Council migilt serioudy consider the expediency of laying out a. little money to this end. It was once said by a wise judge that every rood of land in Whales represented an acre of litigation. Many a lortune has been lost in our law courts in fighting for the principle of quarrel essentially worthless or next to worthiest- There was a local case in point at the Glamorganshire Assizes, A dispute about the ownership of a hedge engaged one court with an array of expensive coun el for three days probably the costs of the action reached £ 400 or £ 500. The commercial value of the hedge, if it were razed and the ground beneath it utilised, would be about a £ 5 note. The parties would have been better off if at the outset they had agreed to let the ownership be de- termined by the-spin of a coin. It is the practice of the Swansea Council, in voting, that each member shall give as manv votes as there are person to bo ap- pointed. That is to say, if nine Harbour Trustees are to be clected, each member must vote for nine persons. This rule oc- casionally works out in a curiously illogical way. For example, on Friday last, when 2S members of the Education Committee had to-be appointed, and when it was known that a great body of the Liberals were de- termined to vote for no Conserva,*ives what- ever, the eight or nine Conservative maro- bers' in the Council were compelled to vetc for at least 18 Liberals, otherwise their votes would be invalid. The absurdity of such a rule in such cases is manifest. The superiority of Swansea pud Mumbles as holiday resorta was strikingly exempli- fied on Monday, when the largest crowd on record for an August Bank Holidav entered the town. The Mumbles Railway tarried no fewer than 36,000, and the trams in town 58,000—bo(,h establishing fresh re cords. Of course the fine weather was a powerful contributory factor, but irrespec- tive of that we have doubtless to thank the fulness of the programme provided ;o- cally for the enormous influx. L In former years next to nothing was done to attract rtsitors, and more than once it has happen- ed tli.it. a larger number of people have left the town to go to Carmarthen and else- where than have entered it. The substan- tial harvest reaped on Monday should en- tourage t-liose concerned to persevere in efforts to furt tier popularise Swansea. Happily the Dutfryn strike did not last IOil(t" and in the result after a week's stop- page, a settlement was effected upon pre- cisely the terms offered before the members of the Artisans' Union left off work. Mr. W. H. Edwards was prepared throughout to accept arbitraion, and immediately it was as- certained that he could replace the men with others, arbitration was accepted. The fact is of interest as indicative of the expediency of not yielding to feelings of irritation and indulging in personalities that the settle- ment had to be made in the absence of Mr. John Hopkin John, the secretary of the Ar- tisans' Union, Mr. Edwards refusing to rp- -ceive him as an intermediary. Fortunately, Mr. John did not stand upon his dignity as somo Labour leaders might have done, but nu-tt-ed peace to be made without taking ,A~p«Efcan- afiwaogiu £ ^ke4tenns, 0 An article a'.pears in the current number oi "Cassell's Magazine/' ou the Swansea and Mumbies Railway. We're getting plenty of advertising these davs. 111 1t Tho Glamorgan C.C. Educational C om- mittee managed to pay their teachers for their month's labours on the day the schools broke up—only one day (instead a do?:en or more) after the-School Board had paid. One of the jokes in this week's "London Opinion" represents a. Welshman asking at a railway ticket office i "Wass you sell tickets tor 'scursion to LlanfairpwUgwyngyll- andallt herestoft-helongest wordint he-VV c is h lan- g ua.ge .?, Impatient Cockney: "'Ere—shove up in front, we don't wajit no Hitalian Haliens." J Spanish occupied t he Crown Court at the j Assizes on Saturday, and it happened that I the interpreter was himself a witness, and another interpreter was wanted to Interpret him. "Is there nobody in court who csn speak Spanish the Judge asked. There was no answer, but one was soon fetched. A commercial traveller, whose area of business embraces the whole of South W ales, makes a statement which throws a. sugges- tive sidelight upon the relative financial stability oi Cardiff and Swansea tradesmen. At Cardiff, he says, only about Z5 per cent, of the tradesmen pay cash, in order to ob- tain discount. At Swansea aboutï5 per cent. do &0. .1'. Miss Gwladys Wyrill, the plucky daughter of the Swansea, borough engineer, who, with Miss Vera Lewis and Mr. VValiy Jones, succeeded iu saving a ba»tber's lite at I.ang- land Bay on Saturday, is one of the best lady swimmers in South Wales. Still in her teens, she has captained the Swansea, ladies' polo team in several matches. The team, by the may, is one of the strongest in the country, and has won several notable successes. Swansea, as an athletic centre, has fallen from, its once high estate, A few pnthu- siasts continue to struggle to keep an athletic spirit alive, but they labour vncer many disadvantages. The, town has no suit- able track for races, and usually a substan- tial, not to say exorbitant charge is ru&de for the Cricket Field. It is some, wn at humiliating to a local patriot to realist: that the more important athletic fixtures are ar- ranged for places outside the Swansea dis- trict. When will Swansea be relieved oi this position of grievous inferiority: I August is nominally a closed mouth to the Corporation members and officials, that is to say, there is a fiction to the effect that no meetings are held during il" but in reality many special meetings are held; only the ordinary routine business is suspended. Foi example, the Waterworks Committee paid a visit to the Lliw waterworks on Tuesday, and on Wednesday the newly-appointed Education Committee met. By the way, the most exciting part of the work the latter will have to do for some time will be caking certain appointments, canvassing for which is being carried on in the moat strenuous fashion. The competition for the appoint- ment as inspector is particularly keen. "J The arch put up by the Mannesmann Tube I' Co., and illuminated by the borough electri- cal engineer, was, by common consent, the prettiest feature of the decorations on the occasion of the Royal visit. Indeed there is I a strong feeling in the town that an effort should be made to retain the arch as a per- manent feature to serve-as a memento of the Royal visit- A proposal to take action in order that the prico of the arch might be as- certained was, however, defeated at the meet- ing of the Council, probably for no other reason that some members consider it a duty to oppose any suggestion which doe* not originate in their own circle. As it is, the arch has since been dismantled of its (ie- I corations, and it will probably be shifted 1 elsewhere before the nfxt meeting of the I Council takes place; that is to say, un'ess the Mayor, or some one in authority inter- venes to keep it-up until an opportunity has been given the Council of considering the idea of purchase. The holiday bathing season has begun with a vengeance. The life of a young Brynamman collier is so far the only toll of the sea in the vicinity of Oystermouth, and Gower bays has taken of inexperience and rashness; but there was very nearly another casualty the same day at Langlaud, and probabiy would have been if a young Swansea lady swimmer had not pluckily in- tervened. Mrs. Grundy may, and probably does, object to a lady's water polo team; but what has she to say to this? A couple more of these alarming incidents and Lang- land's reputation as a bathing place may perish with the drowning bather. Even the most hardy of bathers does not relish the idea of utilising a spot, with the reputation of a death trap. Outside and inland, how- ever, there has so far been a gratifying fiee- dom oTaccidents iu rivers, ponds and canals. But as these are especially beloved of the juvenile rlreporter in the water, it is a thousand pities that the School Board-erased swimming practice from its curriculum. It is at least as important as gymnastics; and tbe expense is not very great. Here is a hint to the new Education Authorities, How many bathing fatalities would tt;are be if everyone of the usually plentiinl on- lookers who had received a Board School education, was a*; proficient in swimming as such an education should connote? II The most piquant cases at the Assizes this session were the actions brought by a I publican and a club against temperance ora- tors, who, from varying motives, in one I case, it was alleged, not wholly unconnected with small politics, bad allowed their z<-al to run away with their discretion. Public interest in them in Swansea was tickled by the thought that there might have been a third—but that is another story. Verily, the temperance cause has fallen into evil days. Its protagonists like, their facts hot, strong, and undiluted, and take their argu- ments "neat, and in anything but a watery condition. As a rule they content them- I selves with flinging mud at the expansive I and vague target afforded by the "bade" but when they sby their rhetorical missiles at a personal "Aunt Sally," and "accusations I arc brought to a legal test, the result is I usually a humiliating awl ignominious con- fession that they were talking with as much responsibility as attaches to t he utterances of a man in delirium. The general public as a rule remains in bhssf-ol ignormce of the fine frenzy temperaace folk expend upon I their hobby; and only observo. it when the limelight of legal cross-examination h cast upon it searchingiv, as it is being pilloried in its rairn in the witness box. Then public opinion begins to laugh and say sarcastic things concerning temperance ora- tors in general, and the defendant of the action in particular. So the only notice the poor cause receives is the publicity of ridicule and irony that is of all things most fatal to any aigitation. When will temper- ance gentlemen grasp these simple facts and realise that in this rcattey the public t an be, led—and educated out of its own sill—but -by- no- means, driven, ith feminine- carelessness Y Gymraes is not we/i up in the political geography oi Wales. Mr. Brynmor Jones, according to this bright little monthly, is "the well- known M.P. tor Aberdare district." ate Curd iff ratepayers are seeing the word "oankrupt-cy" writ large in their dr-eama these days. A contemporary in the Tafisids town wails loudly that the financial condi- tion of the place is being officially concealed. This is the way the "King" (Sir George Ne.wnes' "illustrated") refers to this "han- cient burrer." Listen "Swansea is a. place of importance rather than beauty." After all those posters, too! A" The flock of the Churches—Holy Catholic and Anglican—in Swansea is believed to be exceedingly strong nevertheless there will be but two members of the Council to vci^ their views and criticism upon the Educa- tion Committee of the Swansea Council. Nevertheless, we understand there is a deep rankling sense of injustice amongst the Liberal members of the Swansea lcwn Council at the brutal and bullying methods of the present Government, in imposing its will upon the nation, despite the frantic protests of the weak and downtrodden gen- tlemen who occupy the Opposition bencnes. Sir Geo. Newnes was not able to be prc, sent at the musical gathering on Monday, and we might infer from that fact, conjoined with the other, that he was not present in the House of Commons, to take part in the division on the vote of censure, that the hon. member is holiday-making. By tbe way, it is announced that ho proposes to visit America in September. If Sir George docs attach any serious importance to his seat in Swansea, it might be presumed that his mind is easier since, Mr. C. W. Laird retired as Conservative condidate. He wonid do wrong, however, to conclude that this means a walk-over at the next General Election, as negotiations arc briskly proceed- ing for putting a successor to Mr. Laird in the field. A week ago we had occasion to remark upon the fortunate circunistance that ",1- though there had been s< v'cral narrow (,"8. capes from drowning in this neighbourhood, not a single fatality had been recorded dur- mg the present bathing treason. Within a couple of days, however, there has been an exceptionally sad and tragic drowning case at Bracelet, and but- for the plucky act of Miss Gladys Wyrill and Mr. Waily Jones there would liave been a second casualty in this week's list. In both instances a point mentioned in last week's issue was particu- larly emphasised, viz., the importance of as- certaining irom the experienced boatmen on the beach the conditions which exist before entering the water. In all our bays dang.ar- oiis ground-swells occur under certain condi- tions. and only those familiar with the signs pointing to those recognise the dan- gers. No one who attended the musical com- petitions at the Market o.u Monday could have failed to have been impressed with the suitableness of the building for events ccm- manding a large attendance. At one time no fewer than twenty thousand were present, and everyone was in a position to see the platform and hear the singing. True, the people who paid a shilling, displayed the usual eagerness to get into the three shilling seats, and there was an inrush at one point which satisfied the eagerness of a large num- ber of them. There is no budding which cau quite dispose- of this object, but with a very little expense the Market could be made a suitable gathering place for eistedd- fodau. It might be argued, and Lot 1111- reasonably, that it exists primarily fur the tenants who run the stails-, but it Sivould not be impossible to reconcile the claims of these with the Serving of the interests of the town at large, by the occasional utilisation of the Market for these extraneous purposes. Cricket has been a, little better patronised this season in South Wales by the general public than heretofore, and it is a ngn of the times that twenty-five hundred people assembled at Cardiff on Monday to witness the match between Glamorganshire and Wiltshire. Such a number amazes both tbe perfervid cricketer and footballer localJy- both are astonished at its dimensions, though in entirely different ways. But County sentiment in Wales is not very strong in this matter, and a football match between Glamorganshire and an English county after all would not draw such a very much more numerous crowd. The game was distinguished by fine cricket by Bancroft and Creber. Both the Swansea men somehow contrive to "come off" away on the Cardiff Arms pitch. Swansea's narrow escape against Cardiff shows what the latter can do when they make up their minds to take the fixture seriously. Swansea on Saturday, however^ were in that "mesmerised" stat-e which pes- scsses all teams one week-end or another, and did not play up to the usual standard. The English Rugby team touring in Australia has crossed over to New Zealand, where it is expected it will receive the toughest opposition of the tour. Enthu- siasts are already speculating on the pf s- sibility of Imperial federation being won like Waterloo, on the playing fields, out with the exception of Australia, this hope is i:n- likoly to be realised. Canada s .national game is lacrosse, of which next to nothing is known in England. New Zealand pos- sesses no distinctively national predilection, and South Africa has other worries to con- cern it. It is rather strange, by the v.av, that there has been no Colonial Derby winner as yet, considering the general de- votion to horseflesh throughout the outlying fragments of Britain. The long sea "oyago necessary of course would upset the torin of any racehorse transported to England es- pecially for the occasion, and the difference in climate and atmosphere would puzde it; but making all allowance for all these hindrances, a Colonial bred Derbv-winer would astonish most devotees of the turf beyond measure. .t" Not for the first time the fact was de- monstrated on Monday that musical adjudi- cation is not an exact science. On the morn- ing of that day, the Cardiff, Manchester, Rhymney, London Welsh, and Southport choirs sang at Carmarthen the "King of the Worlds." The adjudicator was Mr. Cole- ridge-Taylor, whose high position in the musical world is unquestionable. In his judgment the best rendering was given by the Manchester choir, and after it came Rhymney and Cardiff as equal seconds. la tho afternoon the same choirs sang the same piece before another adjudicator, Signor Ran. deggor. In his opinion the order of merit was Cardiff first, Rhymney and London Welsh second, and Southport third. Ex- periejiced musicians who heard the singing, at both places thought the choirs were heard at their best both at. Swansea and Carmar- then, and that the Manchester choir was supericar by reason of its greater refinement and self-restraint. And yet we had Signor Randegger excluding the Lancashire choir entirely from the prize-takers. There is no real excuse for rowdyism at these musical gatherings, but nevertheless there seems some justification for surprise, if not dis- appointment, at the contradictory verdicts of -twp-adjadicators-of established merit. Tho most prominent figure in a photo- graph of the cutting of the first sod of the King's Dock in the current "King" is that of Mr. Rk:ha,rd ilartin, whose smile is ot the "won't come off" order. -»—>- «• -*■ -o In a story by Louis Tracy in last week's "Strand Maga/ine," one of the characters goes back "t I] the dear old days when she rode with the young metallurgical chemist in the steam tra-ms from Swansea to the Mumbles." '8. A snb-oomntitteo meeting of the Swansea Corporation may be held at Amsterdam next week. Councillors David Davies and T. Corker left on Wednesday for a tour of Belgium and Hol- land, a.nd on W7edne«day next Councillor Domrnett is duo at the old Dutch capita!, a-s a, delegate to an international labour con- gress. The Mumbles Railway, like the Cunard Line, is one of the few companies able to boast of no direct loss nf life in connection with its working, though there have been several accidents to people off the cars and upon the metals themselves. On Monday evening this record was jeopardised by the upsetting of a heavily-loaded car near Nor- ton-road, but the projecting footboards pre- vented a complete upsetting of the car, and enabled its occupants to escape with nothing worse than an alarming shock and a few bruises. The accident is strange, as the line is innocent of any curves of importance. The car, moreover, being of the "working class' description, was not top "heavy from the pre- sence of passengers on the roof; in which case the disaster would have been serious as we'l as comprehensible. However, all's w^'l that ends well. Caterers had one consolation, subsequent to the King's visit;thc utilisation of the kind offices of the Cold Storage depot would en- able them after all to clear away the huge surplus stock of eatables which remained en hand after that cruel fiasco—regarding it from the caterers standpoint. So the pork- °rs who fell before the fatal day of July 20th were not sacrificed in vain; though they would have been prouder possibly to ter- minate their mundane career for good and aH on the more dignded and royal occasion. Local refreshment people, however, will henceforth be able to look upon that day ol disappointment more equably, as en all hands it is agreed an infinitely greater num- her of people poured into Swansea on Mon- day than on that historic Wednesday. And yet, although it occurred to nobody i.o erect barriers and import a regiment of police, nobody was crushed to death at all, and tbe streets were perfectly passable! The porniissive clause in the education scheme for Swansea, which provides for twc persons experienced in education being in- cluded irom outside,- shouLd the Conned a* any time be inadequately furnished with such educationalists, is unlikely ever to become operative so long as the view prevails that any member of the Council who says he is prepared to act, is, by virtue of that de- claration, rendered a person experienced in education. A scrutiny of the names of those elected for this important work on Friday- last yields evidence of the peculiar notions which prevail as to the qualifications required for educational work. When it is pointed j out that certain of the elected—to put the point generously—have no special qualifica- tions for the work, the apologetic retort usually forthcoming is, "But after all the Education Committee is a. business body." And, in a sense, this is so, but it is business of a kind, and that kind implies at least an intelligent appreciation of the requirements of education. b A most marked improvement ha<s taken placo in; recent years in the standard of dressing at Swansea—that is, among the ladies. The change might not bo so pal- pable to tho residents of the town, but it is lti.; subject of frequent comment by stran- gers. A gentleman from the North, who spent a couple of weeks in the neighbour- hood recently declared that he had never been to a town where the mass of the people —that k to say, not the well-to-do—dressed so well and with such good taste. All the outward indications suggested to him a highly prosperous community. The carriage of our ladies is not always graceful, in fact, there is an obvious deficiency in this regard, but the faces and complexions are excep- tionally good. A common defect, however, due, it is suggested to the water supplied from a limestone formation—is the rarity of well-preserve 1 teeth. In course of time, for we are advancing in that direction, doubt- less the inspection of cmidren's teeth in our schools by a qualified dentist wiH become part of the ordinary routine. Athletic-sports-obstinately refuse to "catch on" at Swansea. Monday's events at the Cricket Field were fully worth the admission fee, and the quality of the competitions was universally appraised. However, much more congenial fare was to be enjoyed at the Swansea Market, and the attendance at the sports did not roach a ha,If of thai at the male voice contest. Whether or no Carmar- male voice contest. Whether or no Carmar- then's prestige was still unsa.ppoo, and the attractiveness of the opposition unrealised, the results were not what the enterprising and persistent promoters could have hoped for. Welsh devotion to the cult of the male voice was strikingly shown by the thousa.nds who packed that capacious budding on a broiling hot day, with a hundred cool and airy outdoor heauty spots at hand, at the risk of intense personal inconvenience. ,and of a stifling atmosphere. The sole regret was that the local talent remained so unobtru- sively in the background, despite the very substantial chief prize. A contest between a representative West Welsh choir and tho outlanders from the Metropolis and Lanca- shire would have quickened internationaJ jealousies, and attached to the event the in- terest and, possibly, the mortification that attends similar choral duels at the National Eisteddfod. II The Celtic character is supposed to com- bine a love of harmony with a love, of dis- cord, in the shape of a quarrelsome excit ability. These two characteristics found full piay during the Royal visit over the selection of the vocalists, wherein as much accrimony and pe-tty animosity was displayed—accen- tuated by a sense of injustice and palpable bung'ing—as would suffice for an Italian or Kentucky vendetta. Monday's disgraceful ex- hibition of dissatisfaction with Signor Ran- degger's award has, however, the redeeming feature that it confers no local disgrace, siucc tho hissing a.nd general disorderliness was confined exclusively to the defeated choris- ters and the competitors, drawn from Southport and Manchester, London and Re- solven, Pentre and Rhymney, were altogether a too unrepresentative lot for any lasting aspersions to havo been cast by their un- unmannerliness upon Wales. Local sympathy in the contest was clearly with the Rhymney men, and it is therefore cn-ditable to the adjudicator that he made his decision in the teeth of popular favours, and to the audience, who kept cool and judicial under their surprise and disappointment. The con- test in other ways was a splendid success, a.nd its permanency as a hardly annual should henceforth be assured. The Chamber of Trade can congratulate itself that it possesses the magnetic gift to impart success to any enterprise it takes io- haad. Sir George Newnes voted in Monday's Censure Debate in the Commons amongst the faithful and the fated few who were in the minority of 78. He paired by the way against the Gove.rtu ent with Sir Samuel Hoare, who voted.it—a curious way of allying oneself wu tFe enemy that ir evil- ably recalls lemork'S m a short sojourn in the wrong b>ooy and one or two other little Parliameutary eccentricities. According to Mr. Owen M. Edwards, of Oxford, in the current number of Cymru," the two great sins of the twentieth century are giving too much attention to playing and a lack of belief in work, and the strengthen- ing of sectarian bitterness, while rdigious seal is becoming weaker. TO MTas G-WIjADYS WYRILL. Brave w.omam! 'tit; with pride we read Your prowess in the hour of need. Andromeda and Perseus we Re>1i"l"s.ed in you can plaj n'ly see. To rescue her the gallant knight Armed eap-a-pie arrived in sight. Rut here the knight himself were slain Had you not battled with the main. A pluckier act's not often found. The (sterner eex doff hate all ronnd, And many a bather stricken sore Will wish you there to aid to &hore. M. T 1 "It "The latest proposal at Llanelly," accord- ing to "Aleihia" in the "Carmarthen Weekly Reporter," "is to invite'tenders for the posi- tion of Liberal candidate. Failing a satis factory arrangement in this way, a public auction will be held at the new Town Hall on April 1st." In the same organ "Anti- Humbug" states: "The Conservatives of South Wales appear to be busily engaged hunting round for candidates. The Liberals have a few to spare." What conclusion are we to arrive at? A correspondent to the" Pail Mall Gazette writes:—Mr. Snencer Charring- ton's feat of endurance in the recent all- night sitting was by no means without pre- cedent, as a reference back to your own columns will show. Mr. Lewis' Dillwyn, wa.s member for Swansea for Iwarly forty years, remained in the House through the whole of the 41 £ hours' sitting in 1831, and played chess at his dub the same night, being then in his sixty-eight year, while in the thirty hours' sitting of the following year. Dr. Griffith John, the well-known Swansea missionary in China, has just put up a fine college building at a cost of TI.68,200, at Hankow, and iia,s presented it as a personal gift to the Lcr,aon Missionary Society, The college is a handsome two-storey building, with verandah en four sides, and it occupics an area of 34 feet by 65 feet. It contains a lecture hall, capable of seating 200, library, class-rooms, and dormitories, affording ac- commodation for sixty students. This amount has Leen contributed by Dr. Griffith John's friejas. The- office of caretaker would seem to be a good job. There were 22 applications at Swansea School Buildings Committee for the appointment. They included a "platelayer, stoker, tram conductor, boiler naker, watch- man, engine-driver, ship carpenter, con- crete and pipe-layer, sexton, tinplater, police sergeant, picture framer, scaffold rig- ger, quarryman, bridge painter, private 41st Welsh Regiment, sergeant 1st Welsh Regiment, labourer, annealer, bankman. One was under U.S. Steel Company, an- other at L'oines;,ic Supply, another working at a copper refinery. Mr. J. Aubrey Roes, who has just 1 ten appoint ed honorary secretary of the recently founded Young Free Churchmen's League, is well-known as a leader of young men. He was formerly a member of the Mount Pleasant Church, Swansea, where he tcok a loading part in the Sunday School and Christian Endeavour movement. For the past ten years he has taken an active in- terest in efforts to improve the conditions of employment in shops, and has success- fully organised two national societies in that direction. Mr. Rees is an indefatigable worker and most popular with young men. aa Mr. Deffet-t Francis, to whom Swansea is indebted for the unique set of pictures to be seen at the Art Gallery-we say "to bo seen" advisedly, for few have yet seen them seems to have correctly guaged the amount of appreciation likely to be forthcoming from his own generation, for in a foreword to his catalogue he says: "To you, the sons and daughters of Swansea burgesses, I affection- ately dedicate this inventory." Just new it looks as if the old artist should have made it grand-sons and grand-daughters. Dut it must be admitted that many do not know of, and therefore cannot appreciate the art treasures the town possesses. Thus the London "Shipping Gazette," on new docks, and ours in particular: —At Swansea the risk of failure must b-J candidly acknowleged as small in the extreme, for the teccnt history of the port forbids the antici- pation of anything but a progress measured by leaps and bounds. Swansea is doubling its dock accommodation, for that is the arith- metical aspect of the port's enterprise. When it is added that the existing accommo- dation has been brought to a high pdeh of perfection it becomes clear that ro narrow view has been taken of their duties by the harbour commissioners, whose plans were honoured with Royal approbation. All thus kind of thing makes us feel com- fortable. Mr. Justice Kennedy showed a praise, worthy consideration for the jury. It was Saturday afternoon, and suddenly tho Court was adjourned till Monday. The foreman of the jury roso and pointed out that the jurors' summons was for the week ending Saturday, and many of the good men and true had made arrangements accordingly. "It is unavoidable, I'm sorry, gentlemen, said the Judge, but a moment later his Lordship said he had made certain arrange- ments—la private drive, we happen to know)—but he knew the inconvenience jurors were often put to, and he would not like his convenience to stand in the way. His Lordship sat on for several hours. The laio Rev. Edward Roberts, whose biography Dr. Vyrnwy Morgan has just published, was a very remarkable man. He Kept a shop in addition to being a minister, and most of his customers were Irish, who held a very high opinion of him. On one occasion a Mrs. Kelly, a poor old Irish- woman, was summoned for gathering fire- wood on the beach at Abcravon. The wo- man was sent to prison pending the assize at Swansea. Edward Roberts was on the jury. Eleven of them were in favour of a verdict of guilty, and one against. Ho was Mr. Roberts. Every effort was made to get him to agree with the eleven, but it was no easy matter to turn Mr. Roberts once he bad made up his mind. "We can't agree, my lord," said tho foreman to the judge. "What is the difficulty?" asked his lord- ship. "One of the jury maintains that we have no British law on the subject, and that we, therefore, cannot convict." "Who are you?" "A minister of the gospel," was the, reply- "Well," observed the judge, you know enough of law to be a judge." Mrs. Kelly was set free, and Roberts was ever afterwards known among the Irish as Fatber Jtioberts- A sensation of the Swansea Sands on Sun- day morning was the rpmoval of a peripatetic professor's van. The rule of the Sands is that there must be no obstruction whatever on SiHKtay, and all erections, however magni- ficent, must. be removed on the Sabbath. The van had sunk down considerably into the sands, and we are reliably informed that it needed seven men and a boy, in addition to the proprietor and some horses, to raise the van. These "worked with all their might, and according to their right" had the satis- faction of observing the van to glide oveT the sbift-ing sand a.t a rapid rate towards an empty yard near by. A gentleman in Wales has sent a letter to every member of the House of Commons written in Welsh. In this note (says the London correspondent of the "Liverpool Daily Post") he argues that all the officials in Wales should know Welsh, and In order to enforce his view he has written to them in a language which they do not understand. Some members have had the letter translated by their Welsh colleagues, but the majority of them have, I fancy, consigned it to the waste-paper basket. One distinguished mem- ber has made a very neat reply to his Welsh correspondent. He has written to him in German, a language of which he is probably as ignorant as the member is of Welsh.