The North Wales Weekly News

Abergele Sparks. Journalism has its tricks of the trade like every other business and calling, and I shall never forget how one of my first attempts at writing to the newspapers made me look and feel a veritable ass. It was like this. A young pulpiteer was about to leave a cer- tain village in Anglesey for fresh fields and pastures new-as well as, for more £ s. d. Well, his friend's were desirous; < V showing in a prac- tical form their appreciation of his past good work in their midst, and they decided upon pre- senting the young fellow with a handsome mar- ble clock, which was to be presented to him at a public meeting .called for the purpose. Being only flesh and blood, the recipient was anxious that a report of .the meeting should appear in a certain weekly newspaper, and he therefore hunted up the local correspondent to that journal, who happened to be myself. But as the meeting was to be held in the evening, and my home being about sixteen miles distant, I told my friend that I could not very well manage the business. But we got over the difficulty by my suggesting that everything '91, would be all right if I called upon him early in the afternoon on the day of the meeting to take down in writing his prepared speech, as weill as the oration of one of the elders of the church who was to make the presentation. And that is just what happened. On leaving the little village I felt I was in. clover, and that I had done my duty to the State, as well as to the marble clock and the man who sold it! Be- 'in fore mounting my bicycle the young minister ful- filled another important part of the contract by slipping into my hand a gdlldl coin of the realm value 20s. After an hour's hard riding I was at home pegging away full speed writing a des- criptive report of the meeting in order to send it away with that night's post, because the news- paper was published at Carnarvon on the fol- lowing afternoon, and when it did appear the account of the never-to-be-forgotten farewell meeting to the Rev. So-and-So and the presenta- tion of the lovely marble clock was given special prominence, headed in the blackest and boldest of type in its columns. < Don't think me egotistic when I say it was a glowing report, with dozens of interjections, such as Hear, hear," Loud applause," Thundering cheers," and Laughter." But I have only given you one sidle of the picture. There's another side to it. Here it is. The great meeting did not take place at all that par- ticular night as reported, for the simple and sufficient reason that the reverend gentleman met with a rather serious accident by being thrown out of a trap whilst driving to the school at which the function was to take place. He was taken back home and was laid up for a fortnight, with the result that the meeting was postponed for that length of time. But the vil- lagers badly wanted to flay hands on the joker who had sent to the newspaper that prophetic re- port in which it was stated that the Rev. So- and-So was so visibly affected with emotion that he shed copious tears! I verily believe that even the marble clock was so disgusted with the whole business that it refused to tick a single second for six weeks. Well, that was my first and last attempt at trying to act the prophet. There was no harm done, and a good report, whether it be true or not, will live for ever. -.r:

Millions I have discovered that MAYPOLE is the very best m "I TEA Yet Costs 7m Why Pay only I jUJL More? /— MAYPOLE DAIRY Co., Ltd. The Largest Retailers of Choicest Quality Butter, Tea and Margarine Over 600 Branches now open, including Branches at all the great Holiday Resorts. Manchester House, Station Rd., COLIYN BAY; 1, Rnssell Buildings, High Street, RHYL; 93, Hostyn Street, LLAKDUDN0 (T1ST) 62 i SPEC'AL VALUE FOR j CHRISTMAS ;!v AT ,'V I Misses Thomas 1 VI'I INCLUDING |Vr '< Useful Presents VI'I IN ,'V HANDKERCHIEFS, \\|! GLOVES, FRILLINGS, JV Mv BLOUSES, CRAVATS, ,V, FURS, PALETOTS, !jl|| MILLINERY, &c. v! 7, HIGH STREET, Vii CONWAY. Agents for ill' Pullar's Dye Works. //j1 Established 1884. THOMAS DAVIES Wheelwright and Coach Builder, Waggon, Van, Cart and Lurry Builder, ABERGELE ROAD, —— COLWYN BAY. Mangle Rollers of the best Maple Wood supplied and fitted at the lowest rates. Wheelbarrows for Contractors and Farmers. ESTIMATES FREE. TERMS MONTHLY. CHRISTMAS, 1909 JONES BROS., MEAT PURVEYORS, High Street, CONWAY, and Deganwy, Invite the special attention of the Public to their XMAS DISPLAY OF MEAT. The Excellent Stock includes: The Champion Bullocks at the Tal- y-cafn Auction Mart, Bred and fed by that well-known Exhibitor, Mr. Hugh Davies, Gorswen, Roewen. Z, 7 Prime Fat Bullocks, Fed by Lady McLaren; Mr. Thomas Jones, Tanyberllan; Mr. Joo. Roberts, Ty Ucha, Eglwysbach and Mr. Jno. Hy. Owen, Groes- ffordd, Glan Conway. We have also a Choice Supply of Mutton, which includes: 10 Prime Fat Wethers, Fed by Mr. Elias Davies, Farmyard, and which gained second prize at Tal-y-cafn Mart. Also 45 Ripe Wethers, Fed by the leading Farmers of the District. 8 Prime Fat Porkers, Fed by Mr. John Davies, Bryn Siri, and others. An Excellent Supply of Fat Turkeys, Geese and Ducks, from well-known breeders. Our Christmas Show will be on Monday and Tuesday next, December 20th and 21St, 1909. A visit to our Establishment will be greatly appreciated. yourself is quit* simple If you use BIFURCATED RIVETS. N0 need to punch holes. Simply drive Rivets and bend back the prongs. Neatandstrone. Of f £ yi(Mr £ M^HHi^Pall Ironmongers, or send Is. I m for box assorted to Bifurcated I £ Qd Tubular Rivet Co., Ltd., Hj *3SUpp«r Thames St.London. H 'JjSF llMi Price List on application. H THURSDAY FOR FRIDAY. PRICE ONE PENNY tbt Ilortb Wales Weeklp UtWs And series of 12 Popular Weekly Newspapers. I I | The Colwyn Bay Weekly News- J The Conway Weekly News, | The Penmaenmawr Weekly News. I The Llanfairfechan Weekly News. I The Bangor Weekly News. I The Llandudno Weekly News, 1 The Llanrwst Weekly News. 1 I The Bettws-y-Coed Weekly News, I I The Vale of Conway Weekly News. I I The Abergele Weekly News. I I The Vale of Clwyd Weekly News. B 8 The North Wales Weekly News p I The Llanfairfechan Weekly News. I The Bangor Weekly News. I The Llandudno Weekly News, 1 The Llanrwst Weekly News. 1 I The Bettws-y-Coed Weekly News. I I The Vale of Conway Weekly News. I I The Abergele Weekly News. I I The Vale of Clwyd Weekly News. B 8 The North Wales Weekly News B (General Edition), SPECIAL NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS. Advertisements appear in the whole of the above News, •>apers at ONE INCLUSIVE CHARGE, and at a price usually sked for insertion in one newspaper only. Scale of Charges will be forwarded on application. SPECIAL PREPAID ADVERTISING SCALE, For SITUATIONS VACANT AND WANTED, ARTICLES FOR SALE APARTMENTS AND HOUSES To LET, MISCELLANEOUS, &C. One Three Six Thirteen Insertion. Insertions. Insertions. Insertions 16 Words. s. d. s. ad. is. gd. 3s. ad. 24 os. 9d. Is. 6d. 2s. 6d, 4s. 6d. 32 is. od. 29, od. 33. 6d. 6s. 6d 40 IS. 3d. 2S, 6d. 4s. 6d. Ss. od 4B „ IS 6d. 3s. cd. 5s. 6d. 10s. od 56 is. 9d. 3s. 6d. 6s. 6d. 11s. od. 64 2s. od. 4s. od. 7s. 6d. 13s. od. It booked, double these rates will be charged. RELIGIOUS SERVICES, &c. SPECIAL PREPAID SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS RELATING TO RELIGIOUS SERVICES AND PREACHERS, CHARITIES, ENTERTAINMENTS, &C. 1 week 2 weeks. 4 weeks. 20 Words IS. od. IS. 6d. 2s. 6d. 30 1. i s. 6d. 2S. 6d. 4s. od. 40 11 2S. od. 3s. 6d. 6s. ad. 50 11 2S. 6d. 4s. cd. 7s. od. And 6d per insertion fer every additional 10 Words, Half-penny stamps accepte in payment of all sums under 5s The charge for Births and Deaths is is. each. In Memoriam Notices, 2s. 6d. Marriages, zs. 6d. An extra charge is made for booking. The aanounceinents of Births, Marriages, ard Deaths must be authenticated by the name and address of the sender. Thursday morning's post is the latest time for receiving Advertiseinettis. Address- Head Office)—R. E. JONES & BROS. (Proprietors), "The Weekly News" Office, Conway Telephones- No. 31-Editorial and Publishing Offices, Station Road Colwvn Bav. No. 12-3, Rose Hill Street, Conway. No. iza-Printing Works, The Quay, Conway Telegrams-" Weekly News," Conwav.

TIDE TABLE FOR THE NORTH WALES COAST.* DECEMBER. Date. Morn. Even. height. 17 1 28 1 39 16 6 18 2 I 2 26 15 11 19 252 3 19 15 6 20 3 49 4 21 14 9 21 4 57 5 36 14 2 22 6 13 6 51 14 2 23 7 22 7 53 14 11 24 8 20 8 46 15 8 Conwav 10 minutes later.

THE GENERAL ELECTION. New conceptions ot public duty, new develop- ments ot social enterprise, new estimates of the natural obligations of the members of the com- munity to one another, have come into view, and demand consideration. THESE WORDS, as true to-day as they were then, were written by Mr. Joseph Chamberlain in July, 1885, and yet he, condemns a Budget framed in the very spirit of the truth he ex- pressed so .well. But if Mr. Chamberlain has turned his back upon his principles, those prin- ciples are still at work, and they are leaveuuig the whole mass of public opinion in this country. Unfortunately, however, there still re- mains a small but powerful minority of citizens of our land who are not responsive to the "new conceptions of public duty," but consider that their whole duty in, life is to safeguard their own vested interests. This minority includes the Lords who had the temerity and the audac- ity to reject the Budget, the fairest Budget ever framed, and in 001 doing to defy the unwritten Constitution, and toi usurp (the arighits of the King and the Commons. All the authorities on our Constitutional law and history are unani- mous in showing that -the Lords had no right to refuse their assent to the Finance Bill and thus force a Dissolution anid) all who are capable of judging human motive are unanimous in say- ing that the Peers in performing such a .serious action were seeking to safeguard their own inte- rests in< preference to the interests of the nation as a whole. 'This is their conception of public duty"; this is their estimate of the natural obligations of the members of the community to one another." In other words, they must legis- late for the country, but the people must pay. But are the people going to submit to such "L one-sided arrangement? To this question they will have an opportunity of answering Yes or No in the General Election now at hand. Selfish men, fighting for their Dockets, sometimes do desperate things. The House of Lords," said Mr. Chamberlain in July, 1884, have more than once brought the county to the verge of revolu- tion." The revolution has come. The Peers have ventured near the edge of the precipice once too often; they are over at last. John Bright, the great orator of democracy, speaking of the House of Lords in the same historic year of 1884, said "Shall we submit? Shall we submit, or curb .them-curb the nobles—as our fathers curbed our kings? It was at Denbigh, in the October of 1884, that Mr. Chamberlain oasket), that question even more bluntly. "Are the Lords," he agked- Are the .Lords to dictate to us, the people of England? Are the Lords to dictate to us the laws which we. shall make and the way in which we shall bring thiem in ? Are you going to be governed by yourselves? Or will you submit to an oligarchy, which is a mere acci- dent of birth? Your ancestors resislted. Kings and abated the horde of monarchs, and it is unconceivable that you should be so careless of your great heritage as to submit your liberties to this) miserable minlority of individuals, who rest their claims upon privilege and upon ac- cident. What was true then must be equally true a quarter of a century later, for truth is ever the same. Why, then., did Mr. Chamberlain uro the House of Lords to reject the Budget, and at the same time urgie the people to be so careless of their great heritage as to submit their liberties to this miserable) minority of in- dividuals"? It was because his interests and the Lords' intetests were identical; it was be- cause they were) alike concerned in an attempt to blind the people. In. other words., they sought to remove taxation from the rich and impose 11 on the food of the poor. The poow will indeed .be careless of their great heritage if now they submit their liber- ties to this miserable minority." But will they so submit? We cannot believe that they will be either so careless or so foolish, if they can only be induced to think for themselves, and not to allow their judgment to be influenced by I the appeals to selfish instincts which are the stock-in-trade of the Tariff Reformers. The truth about Protection, is carefully hidden by its advocates; but let them trick it up to look ever so attractive, Protection it still remains, and Protection now as always, in this country as in every other country, means dearer food for the people, and especially for the poor. Under the best conditions it is possible for human ingenuity to dervise, the poor must al- ways pay more than the rich for the necessities of .life, for the simple reason that they must always purchase their goods in small quantities. But Tariff Reform, instead of lightening the load, must inevitably make it heavier. To say that food can; be made .cheaper by taxing it is obviously false. This has been proved by the experience of our own country under the Pro- tectionist system wrhicht was responsible for so much want and starvation it is daily proved by the experience of every Protectionist country, whether America, Germany, or any other. And already it has been shown that a return to Pro- tection on the part of Great Britain must pro- duce the same results. One of the principal journals of the bakery trade recently showed how such a system would operate. Supposing, they said, a duty of two shillings per sack were levied upon all imported wheat. In order to re- coup themselves, the bakers would have to add at least a farthing to the price of every quartern loaf. B7ut this would mean, not two shillings, but four shillings per sack extra charge to the consumer, who would thus pay two shillings to the State and two shillings extra profit to the bakers, and, of course, would be the whole four shillings worse off than, before. And not only would this apply in, the case of bread made from imported wheat. The farmers would add the two shillings, the amount of duty in force, to their charge per, sack, and the small consumer would have to pay four shillings per sack. This is an illustration, supplied by an impartial authority, of how the poor would fare under Protection. And the farmer, who is led to De. have that he stands to gain by such an increase in the price of corn, would be no better off. He undoubtedly would secure higher prices for the corn and other produce of his farm. But as against this he would have to pay more for feeding stuffs, for tools, and for labour; and, what is more important still, he would have to pay higher rent for h-is land. It is more rent that the landlord wants; he would raise the rent to the high level of what he descrbes as the good old times," which really were the bad old times in this country; and that is why he wants the people to submit to Protection and to allow him to make their laws. What, 'then, are the questions which the elec- tors are now called) upon, to decide? First and foremost, they must make their choice as to whether they are to be governed by themselves or by the wfealthy ffew. And, secondly, they must choose between the Budget and Free Trade on the one hand and Protection on the other. Which is it to be? In regard to the first point, are tlhey going tto place themsellves under the heel of the wealthy few, or are they going to continue the fight for the grand old principle of government of the people by the people and for the people "? And as toi the second point, are 'they willing to return, tie the old Protection- ist system which created so much pauperism and suffering, or do they wish to adhere to the Free Trade system which has made our country so prosperous and! to the Budget whose application of the principles of Free Tradte im the sphere of finance makes it an invaluable instrument of real social reform. If the people want to lilvle under fairer and juster conditions there can be no doubt as to the side on which they will vote. They will decide in favour of self-government and of the wise and statesmanlike proposals of Mr. Lloyd George's Budget. Tariff Reform will make life harder for the middle and lower Classes. The Budget, when it becomes law, wiill make life easier and brighter for the same classes, who constitute the great bulk of our population. Tariff Reform would remove taxes off luxuries and place them upon food and other necessaries. The Budget would reverse the pro- cess. It would tax luxuries, and remove the taxes on food and other necessaries. And, while gentle to the poor, it would be just to all. It provides for adding eight milhons to the fund lor old-age pensions, which evervone admits to be an act of justice. It would raise three mil- lions for the cost of the navy, thus increasing our national safety. It would raise £ 200,000 for a great dlevelopment scheme which would prove a good and' wise .investment. It would spend ..100,000 on Employment Exchanges, which would go a long way to .solve the terrible prob- lem of unemployment. It would give us ^ooojooo for the much-needed improvement of our main roads. And it would provide Z650 000 for the Post Office, which, would mean better hours and wages for the workers and cheaper colonial and 'foreign rv.tes for the public. IW monev?1"' W ge P^P°Se to Taise a11 money? Here are the taxes: —Incomes £ 3,500,000 Death Duties, £ 2,050,000 licences' £ 2,600,000; stamps, £ 650,000; land, £ 500,000 • spirits, £ 1,600,000; tobacco, £ 1,900,000; motor- cars, £ 600,000. This is a fair division of the cost of running the country," because whilst all classes share the burden, the heaviest burden is placed on the broadest back. There are no taxes imposed on such prime necessities as bread, butter, eggs, cheese, timber, and wool, and no new taxes on sugar, tea, coffee, cocoa' and earned incomes. Plainly, then, Mr. Lloyd George s Budget is ia just Budget. And its justice is acknowledged by rich as well as poor. It is supported by Mr. J. Herbert Tritton, one of the great group of banikers and world-known business men in the City of London, who re- cently spoke in its favour as a farmer, as a landowner, as a banker, and as a humble stu- dlerut of political economy." Mr. Arthur Cham- berlain. one of the most representative and in. fiuential men of business and brother of Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, has declared himself in favour of what he describes1 as the greatest Budget of, modern times." This is the Budget which we call upon the people of North Wales to vote for next month. And the only way in which they can do so is by returning to Parlia- ment such Sincere representatives of the oeonre George, Sir Herbert Roberts, Mr. Wilham Jones, Mr Ellas Jones Griffith; Mr. Ellis W Davies, Mr. J. Herbert Lewis, Mr. Hemmerde, Mr. Haydn Jones, J" Sumroers- In the words of Mr. Asquith at Southport, "I ask you ?'W "rtrymm to support this Budget both for what it does and what it does ? 1°' ^or t^e taxes which it imposes and for thci tariffs which it avoids. I say to them, Support it because for the first time it is mak- ing some of the richest monopolists in this country cont-ribute their fair shan:, to the com- mon weal; support it (because it calls upon all classes, rich and poor alike, to make provision if our natiional necessities I say, support it, last and most of all, because it opens the gate and paves the way to social refoim."

PERSONAL AND SOCIAL. The Rev. J. E. Morgan, Vicar of St. Asaph, has been appointed Vicar of Bistre, in. succesr sion to the Rev. L. D. H. Pryce, warden of Rutthin. Mr Morgan was. ordained in 1900, and held curacies at Brymbo and Llangollen. The patron of the living of Bistre is the Vicar of Mold, the Rev. Evan Janes.

WEEK BY WEEK. Llewelyn ap Gruffydd was slain near Builth on December nth, 1282. He opposed Edward I., and his grandfather, Llewelyn the Great, op- posed King John and Henry III. Education is an expensive business nowadays, whichever way we IOOlk at it. Of a Barigor woman it was stated at the police court that her failure to send her children to school had cost the ratepayers hundreds of pounds. In its notice of Mr Lloyd George, the Daily Mail Year Book speaks of his great suc- cess at the Board of Trade; his great cour- age as a strategist; the" great" political storm roused by his Budget, and the greater pro- minence it has given him than ever before. Three greats and a greater in twelve lines WaJles is undeniably the land of song. In this connection a shrewd observer remarks —When an Englishman is drunk he is belligerent; when a Frenchman is drunk he is amorous when a Scotchman is drunk he is argumentative when a German is drunk he is sleepy when an Ameri- can is. drunk he brags, and when, a Welshman is drunk he sings, and sometimes dances." After all, there are advantages in being Welsh Mr. H. M. Pemberton, in a descriptive article in the Art Journal on BLewbury, writes of Morgan Jones, a Welshman, and a miser, who was once cur ate-in-charge of that place. He died worth fifty thousand pounds, and some curious stories are given of his economy. It is .said that he wrote his sermons on pieces of paper torn from the walls, and was obliged to lie in bed whilst his one shirt was being washed. On one occasion, when walking in the fields, he saw an old scarecrow having a hat, the rim of which was sound. Jones seized the hat, and, taking off the, one he was wearing, re-placed it by that of the scarecrow. His coat, of many tatters, is still in existence, and is kept in re- membrance by photographs, which are sold in the neighbourhood.

SA YI, V G S OF THE WEEK. MR. GODFREY A. SOLLY. The days when all mountaineers were looked upon as foolhardy are long past.—At Coniston. MR. WM. ARKWRIGHT. Man is not ruled much by fashion in his own clothes, but he is by fashion in his wife's.—At Birmingham. MR. J. SEDDON, M.P. There is quite as much, if not more, sweating and bad conditions among shop assistants and clerks as among factory workers.—At Saltley. HON. C. S. ROLLS. Up till quite recently flying has been looked upon as the recognised standard of impossibil- ity.—At the Authors' Club. MISS LLEWELYN DAVIES. Woman's position in the labour market is one of the most difficult questions of the present day.—At Norwich. MR. R. MASON. It is now as important for a servant to know the character of the employer as for the em- ployer to ascertain that of a servant.—At Bir- mingham,. DR. F. H. COWEN. There are two occasions on which musicians are prepared to assemble together. One is wnen they are well fee-ed, and the other is when they are well fed.—At the Wharncliffe Rooms.

The Late Lady Florentia Hughes, of Kinmel. Several noted families have been plunged into mourning by the dearth of Lady Florentia Hughes, of Kinmel, wife of the Lord- L-i out enact of Flintshire. A daughter of the late Earl of Ravens worth, her ladyship was a great favourite of the late Queen Victoria, and one of her daughters, the Hon. Mary Hughes, became a Maid of Honour to Her Majesty, while another married first the late General Wynne and next the Hon. L. A. Brodriek, brother of Lord Midle- ton, the ex-War Secretary. A third daughter marri-ed Mr. St. John Charlton, of Cholmonde- ley, Cheshire, at whose residence her ladyship passed away in her eighty-second year. The golden wedding of Mr and I-ady Florentia Hughes a few years ago was the occasion for extensive rejoicing in North Wales, where the Kinmel family is almost worshipped. The Lord- Lieutenant of Flintshire is a descendant of one of the old Welsh Kings—Gruffydd ap Cynan, King of North Wales from 1079 to 1136. The descent is traced through the Hugheses, of Llew. erllyd, Dysertih, in the male line from Prince Cadwaladr, second son of King Gruffydd. THE FUNERAL. The funeral took place on Friday at St. George's, Abergele, and was attended, by large numbers of the working class, artisfans and their wives walking for milies to attend the interment. The coffin was carried from Kinmel Hall to St. George (.upwards of a mile) by workmen on the estate. The chief mourners were Mr. H. R. Hughes (husband), Mr. Seymour Hughes and Colonel Hughes (pons), the Misses Mary, Frances, and Horatio. Hughes (daughters), Mr. and Mrs. St. John Charlton (son-in-law and daughter), Mr. Laurence and Mrs. Brodnck (son-in-law and daughter), the Misses Charlton, Mr. Alan Charlton, Mr. Edward Wynne, Sir I-ledworth Williamson (nephew), and Sir Richard Bulkeley. Among those present were Lord Mostyn, Mr. Herbert Lewis, M.P.. the Bishop of Bangor, Colonel and Mrs. Lloyd Howard, Calomel Wynne, Colonel Hughes, Mr. MacNicoll, Col. Mssham, Major Birch, Mr. R. E. Birch, the Vicar of Abergele, the Vicar of Gorsedd, the Vicar of Bodielwyddan, Archdeacon Wynne Jones, the Chairman and members of the Aber- gelle District Council, the Chairman, governors, and senior scholars of the Abergele County School, as well as the leading tenants on the Kinmel estate and tradesmen of Abergele. The funeral, service was conducted by ,the Bishop of St. Asaph, assisfted by the Vicar of St. George and the Vicar of Llanrhaiadr. The church was crowded, and hundreds of beautiful wreaths were deposited in the sacred edifice I previous to the interment, the floral tributes of the family alone being carried to the grave.

I TIHE GHOST OF CONWAY CASTLE. In the summer or early autumn of the year 1908, a visitor to Conway, Mr N. E. C-, a solicitor, of London, took a few photographs in various parts of the ancient Castle, amongst which was one taken on the East Terrace look- ing along the path leadingi to the Tennis Court. Nothing unusual was observed during the taking of this particular photo, either by Mr N. E. C. or his friend. On his return to London he gave the plates to a well-known firm for develop- ment the name of the firm,, unfortunately, I have forgotten. They developed them in the usual way and returned them to their client, who was utterly astounded to find on the plate exposed on the Terrace a ghostly looking figure of a YOUNG MAN IN PICTURESQUE ANCIENT COiSTUME. Unable to account for this spectral appearance, he consulted the firm who, developed the plate, but without any elucidation of the mystery. The spirit of inquiry being strong within Mr N. E. C., he sent a portrait to the Town Clerk of Conway (Mr T. E. Parry) asking if he could explain the matter? Mr Parry, a native of Con. way, now an elderly gentleman, could in no way account for this extraordinary phenomenon, nor could he, after making inquiries in the dis- trict, elicit anything to solve the mystery. The story at the time appeared in the Weekly News and other papers, but without any satis- factory response. It is well known in WTales that legends and traditions, as well as extraordinary occurrences, are sometimes handed down verbally from one generation to another without any record of the same, and possibly in the end some of these weird stories pass into oblivion. Aware of these customs, Mr Parry, whose various duties take him into many parts of Car- narvonshire and Denbighshire, and at times into very remote country districts, has ever been on the alert for anything which might throw light on this mysterious affair. Recently he was sent for to an isolated ham- let, miles in the country, to make a will for an, aged lady, a Miss 0., the last of her race, and well over, ninety years of age. Mr Parry knew this old lady's family were! natives of Conway for generations back; and having taken her in- structions respecting her estate and effects., settled down to a chat about old times in Con- way, and old family traditions. An innocent- looking plain gold ring was among the effects which this ancient dame1 had to dispose of, and respecting which she appeared to be somewhat superstitious through not having any direct des- cendant to inherit the ring along with its story. Mr Parry at last induced her to relate to irrrn the history of the ring, and at times, as he lis- tened to the following extraordinary tradition, his blood ran chill. He is of opinion that the tradition is the explanation of the spectral photograph. He has rendered the old lady's story, which took long to narrate, into the fol- lowing statement, which may be fittingly called THE SPECTRE BRIDE. Over six hundred years ago- one of my pater- nal ancestors was a retainer of King Edward the First, and was present at the Christmas festivi- ties held by that King in Conway Castle in the year 1291. The festivities were continued for a whole week. Oxen and boars were roasted whole in the streets of the town. Barons of .beef, boars' heads, geese, ducks, brawn, and every good thing loaded the tables in the holly-decked Banquet Hall of this beautiful Castile; the wine drawn from the many hiogsheads stored in the cellarage, produced good and generous feeling and joviality all round. Knights and ladies were in evidence and behaved in true courtly fash- ion. One night my ancestor was on, sentry duty in the shadow of the tower on the East Terrace. A knight and lady came to th eTerrace and there plighted troth with each other—they ex- changed love tokens, and it was arranged that, onl the return of the knight (who was commis- sioned by the King on a journey) they should be immediately married she made a terrible vow to meet him an that very spot. and go through the marriage ceremony with him in the adjoin- ing Cpel or Oratory, and she said these words at parting: — Depart, sweet Knight; haste to return, I long to see thee here again Keep to thyself what we have said, For I have voWd none else to wed. My love will burn as it bums now; And, alive! or dead! I'll keep my vow." My ancestor's blood ran. cold as she solemnly and earnestly repeated the last, line. His pres- ence was not noticed. The Knight left for some distant part; and at the close of the festivities the Court departed, leaving the Constable in charge of the Castle with the regular lady in whom we are particularly interested being one. Her name and the name of the Knight are forgotten. Time passed, and the day of the Knight's re- turn was drawing nigh. The lady, having been called to the other side of the river, was taken over in a boat, the boatmen waiting for her. Towards evening they set out on the journey back. About three parts of the way across ia a dangerous eddy or slight whirlpool, in which the boat was caught, whilst a sudden squall of wind almost overturned the boat, throwing the ltady into the pool, which quickly drew her under, and from which she never re- appeared, at least as far as could be seen, for darkness had obliterated everything beyond a short distance, and no sound, save the howling of the wind and the rush of the turbulent waters, could be heard The event cast a gloom over all, and withrn three days the Knight returned having reported himself to the Constable and changing his dress, he hurried to the East Terrace (the place of .meeting), none daring to tell him the sad news. To the surprise of all, there stood the lady, looking more radiant and beautiful than ever; an angelic expression overspread her face she was arrayed in a magnificent wedding dress. Their meeting was most affectionate; a proces- srioTh was at once formed and proceeded, to the oratory, where the wedding ceremony took place with all due observance, and the party returned to the Terrace, where, upon the spot at which they firSlti met, the bride stopped and said: — 'Tis here we met, 'tis here we part- Oh! dearest love,—why dost thou start? I have now fulfilled my vow. With sorrow graven on my heart, The time has come for us to part, We must now part. and part for ever, My bridal bed is in the river." And to the horror of all present, she disen- gaged herself from her dumb-struck husband, and giving him her left hand, which he grasped as he stood appalled at the change in her ap- pearance her hand was icy cold, and dissolved within his grasp, her whole body became trans- parent and she silently floated away into space over the walls to the river. The wedding ring, which remained in the hand of the distracted1 husband, fell to the earth as he lifted up his hands in amazement and dis- may, as, with his eyes, he followed the spectral figure over the water. It floated to the whirl- pool, where it stayed appealing to her husband, the long train of the dress whirling round and round in the water. At last one piteous ap- peal seemed to break the spell which had oome over him. He now rushed down the steps to the water, and, springing into a coracle, made swiftly for the phantom striHl appealing to him. As he reached the pool, the coracle was swirled round and round, whilst the apparition sank deeper and deeper into the water. He then, with a wild cry of desperation, plunged into the pool to attempt to rescue what he could not grasp. They disappeared together, and were never seen again. It is said that the bridegroom, in his weddin-, dress, pays periodic vis-its to the spot on the Terrace, in search of the wedding ring. Their spirits, it is believed, will never rest until the ring is .found and taken to spirit-land. To the above effect was the old lady's story, and the ring about which she was so anxious, was the one picked up on the Terrace by her ancestor and jealously kept as the talisman of her family. It is a plain gold ring of ancient make, and as there is some talk of converting, at no distant date, one of the towers of Conway Castle into a museum for the reception of relics of old times, there is no doubt that both the ring and the coraclc will. in the days; to come, be inte- resting relics of the above episode. 88II1II[

Colwyn Bay Young Man's Bravery. PUBLIC PRESENTATION. A very interesting ceremony took place at the meeting1 of the Urban District Council at Col- wyn Bay, on Tuesday afternoon, when Mr. Maurice T. Roberts, assistant to Messrs. Lewis and Thompson, Roumania House, Station-road Coiwyn. Bay, was presented by the Chairman (Mr. D. Gamble, J.P.) with the certificate of the Royal Humane Society for his bravery in rescu- ing a fellow-bather from drowning on the 4th August last. Superintendent Beresford, who was present, presented a report of the brave act to the Chief Constable, and it was through their instrument- ality that the certificate had been awarded. Addressing the rescuer, the Chairman said it was very brave of him to go out in reply to a shout for help from a man in difficulties. Thev all knew what a difficult thing it was to attempt to rescue a drow-ning person, and the danger was almost more to the rescuer than the man in difficulties, because the latter was liable to im- pede the ..movements of the rescuer, and his clutch was .so strong- that it was almost impos- sible to remove it. It gave him the greatest pleasure to hand over the certificate. (Cheers.) Mr. Maurice Roberts thanked the Chairman for his kind words and for making the presenta- tion., and he also wished to thank Superintendent Bererford for having secured the certificate from the Humane Society. (Applause.) Superintendent Beresford thanked, the Chair- man of the Council for presenting the certifi- cate on behalf of the Chief Constable. This pre. sentation was made publicly so that the matter could be brought before the bathers who might be on the beach and' so see a bather in diffi- culties. (Hear, hear.)

Christmas Posting. Early posting of Christmas cards and parcels is again urged by the postal authorities. In an officals notice is just issued dealing with this matter and with the general regulations for Christmas posting, it is pointed out that when greeting cards are sent in envelopes care should be taken to see that the envelopes fit them, as, if the covers are too large they are liable to be torn, and the cards damaged in transmission. If the cards are sent as postcards they may not exceed 5t in. in length, or 35 in. in width, and they must conform strictly in other respects to the regulations regarding post- cards. If they are sent as half penny packets in open envelopes, any written formulas of courtesv or of a conventional character which may appear upon them must be restricted to five words or initials.

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