The Rhos Herald

RHOS. 1 LEAGUE DRAUGHT CLUB.—On Monday i evening the Liberal League Draught 1 Club met the Wrexham Co-operative Club at the League Club Rooms. Six irembers of each side played two games .e.ch, every win counting two points. The result was a brilliant victory for Rhcs, by nineteen points to five. Much interest centered around the two games played by Mr Ed Charles, Ponkey, who beat the Co-operative champion twice. HOMING.—The Pentredwr Flying Club held an open Race on Monday last. The number of contestants was 30. A very close race resulted as follows :-ist Jones and Davies, Pentredwr, 2nd William Aus- tin, Campbell street, 3rd Williams and Griffiths, Pentrefellin. APPOINTMENT. — Mr Ivor Hywel Jones, A. i. S. E. Architect and surveyor has out of a large number been appointed lecturer in the Science of Building Construction at the Wrexham Science and Art Schools. Mr Jones has acted in a similar capacity for the Education Authority for some years with marked success. "LIVING PICTURES,—The Mersey Cinema animated pictures are now drawing large audience? to the Public Hall. Some very good pictures have been shown including Shadow to Sunshine, The Red- man's Way, The Little Trumpeter, and irany others. Baritone songs are sung nightly by Mr Frank Jacques. THE NATIONAL SCHOOL.—The Dioces- an Inspector's report is as follows :— "The quality of the school in regard to feligious education as a whole is excel- lent. The religious instruction continues to be what it always has been—thorough- ly sound and efficient. The children ac- quitted themselves excellently, with the exception of the infants they will, I hope be up to their usual level next year." The number of children on the books is 325, the number present on the day of in- spection was 292, and 87 were awarded certificates. CONCERT.—Mr C Hotchkins presided over a good audience at a successful con- cert held in the Primitive Methodist Church, on Monday evening. The pro- gramme consisted of the following items, which were well rendered :-Walsh solos, Miss Wood recitation, Mr E P andle action song, Lucy and Saphira Evans d iet, Comrade's Sony- of Hope Mis Flor-ie Edwards and Miss Jones; solo, Last rose of summer," Nils, Jones soK- Miss Lewis. The following ladies assist- ed with the decorations :N,Iesd ames YVynn, Richards, Pemberton. Fred Hotch- kins, J H Gittins, R Parry, Mrs Pember- ton, Misses Rawlic.son and Nellie Powell. THE LATE MR A. EDWARDS —The re- wains of Mr Arthur Edwards, Hill-street, were interred ií1 Rhos cemetery on Fri- day last. The »-ipre-ent:»tive character of the funeral wis a striking tribute to -the esteem in which he was held by all who knew him. The set vice at the house and at the grave was conducted by the Rev R. Williams, Rhos. and the Rev W. ti. Lewis, Beau re-an?, a id at the grave, Mr Edwards's f »v^nrite hymn Duw tdawr y rhyfeddodau," was sung. The chief mourners were the widow, Mr and Mrs Beojamin EDWARDS ('athei and moth- er) Mr and Mrs j. O. Hughes, (brother- in-law and sister) V«R A. Ll Edwards, (nephew) the Mise-s Btodwen. Bessie and Annie Hughes (oitces), Arthur Edward and John Idwal Hi ghes, (nephews) Mrs Mary Roberts, (; ur.t), Miss Jcnes, Hill- street (cousin) Mr B. Thomas, Cardiff, (Mrs Edwards's brother) Mrs Griffiths, South Wales, and Mr R. Roberts (cous- in). Wreaths were sent by the widow, the members of the Wrx^ham Reform Cub, vf-sr~ W. Phillips and Co, Wrex- ham, Mr and Mrs Reid, Church-street, Mr and Mrs Rees Evans, Johnstown, and Nurse Huxley. The bearers were the mm 0.. r ut .U t Ed wards's Sunday School class. M VKRIAGFS :—On Monday last at the tegistry Office, Wrexham the marriage took place of Miss Naomi Richards, se- cond daughter of Mr and Mrs Richards Pearson Street, Rhos and Mr Frank Rimall of Worcestershire. Mr and Mrs Moses Gilpin, Ponkey, acted as grooms- man and bridesmaid. A reception was afterwards held at 60 Johnson street, Pon- key. Many useful presents were received The young couple intend making their 4new home at Rossett.—On Monday last the marriage took place at the Registry Office, Wrexham ot Mr Ellis Griffiths, son of Mr and Mrs Ellis Griffiths, Mar- ket street, Rhos to Miss Sarah Hughes, daughter of Mr John Hughes, Oak street Ponkev. The best man was Mr Price Williams, Hall street, Rhos, and the bndesm iid was Miss Maria Hughes, (sis- ter of bride.) The hippy coupis then Jeft for Liverpool, where the honeymoon was spent. A reception was held at the house of the bride where the numerous ( iends were entertained. HARVEST FESTIVAL.—Amid tokens of plent;ful harvest, the Sp1:W1 services of -} ;I.i.i.Jk,<:f;¿y:t' -1: hanksgiving to celebrate the safe ingath- ring of the crops were held on Wednes- lay and Thursday evening, at the Parish 3hurch, when large congregations partici- Dated in this pleasing festival. On Thurs- jay, Holy Communion was celebrated at 5 a.m. and the special preacher in the evening was the Rev Herbert Evans, B.A. rector of Cerrigydruidion. The choir un der the leadership of Mr R T Powell, sang with effect the anthem 44 O clap your hands," and Mr Jack Davies presided at the organ. The church was beautifully decorated, and the show of fruit, etc., was ) quite as good as in former years and I great praise is due to the following decor- ators, who bestowed much time and pain upon it :—The Misses Forshaw, Mrs Thomas, Mrs Jones, Mr and Mrs David Jones, Mr and Mrs Price, Mrs Joseph Owen, the Rev E Jenkins-Menlove, and the Rev Rees Jones (curates). On Thurs- day evening the preacher was the Rev D W Davies, M A., vicar of Llangerniew.

JOHNSTOWN. YOUNG PEOPLE'S GUILD.-On Monday Mr John Nicholas presided over a very interesting debate, the subject being Which exerts the greater influence, the Pulpit or the Stage ?" Mr R D Evans spoke on behalf of the pulpit, and Miss Ethel Jones of the stage. Two able pa- pers were read. The vote in favour of the pulpit was carried unanimously. The following also took part in the discussion Messrs John Evans, John Edwards, R Brogue, F Aspinal, S Weaver. E Parrish, Isaac Rogers, J E Griffiths, and Miss M Griffiths. There was a record attendance and the debate proved to be one of the most successful ever held. LEFT FOR AMERICA.—Mr David John Griffiths, hairdresser and tobacconist, has left the district to take up a position at New York. On Friday evening last a large number of friends met at a supper at Davies' Restaurant to bid him farewell and to express their best wishes for his success and prosperity. Mr John Evans presided, and in the course of an appro- priate speech, referred to Mr Griffiths' popularity in the district. Prior to his departure, Mr Griffiths was made the recipient of several valuable presentations including a number of books from his Sunday School Class at Mount Zion (C) Church.

The Recent Assault Upon a Rhos Boy. -0- POLICE COURT PROCEEDINGS. Last week we reported an account of an assault upon John Wilfrid Smith, Rhos, by two Rhos boys on Oct 6tb. The news reached this office too late to be inquired into thoroughly, and we gave the account as it reached us. 1u some particulars, exception has been taken to the colour of the assault. As the boy is too ill to make a state ment, it is but fair to state on the other boys' side,, that they deny having kicked him. They also state that they did not purposely waylay him and attack him to pay back a previous grudge. As the case is such a serious one, and the life of the injured boy is but hanging a by a thread, we do not propose to give further particulars until statements are publicly made in the Police Court pro- ceedings, which will be held in a fort- nigh t'rt time. A Ruabon Police Conrt to-day, (Friday) John Thomas Edwards, son of William Edwards, 42, Johnson-st, Ponkey, and Thomas Smith, son of George Smith, Baptist-st, Ponkey, were charged by Sergt Fox, Ruabon, with unlawfully and malic- iously causing grievous bodily harm to John Wilfrid Smith, sou of John Smith, off Broad-street, Rhos. on Oct 6 Sergt Fox said that on Thursday Oct 6th he received information of a boy be. ing injured nt Rhos. He made enquir- ies, and subsequently charged the boys J. T. Edwards and Thomas Smith, with doing bodily harm to John Wilfrid Smith. The injured boy was still lying in a very critical state, and was too ill to make a statement. The officer consequently ask- ed for an adjournment for a fortnight. The Chairman (Mr Peel) said this was a most serious case, and granted the ad- jounjinent. The parents of the boys charged were 1 present in Court, and they were each I bound in their own recognisances in the i sum of jfAO each to appear when ealled i)p.o, with their 10 H.

H Correspondence. j r We do not hold ourselves responsible jor the opinions expressed by our corres- .pondenis. _I-Ed. «

MR HEMMERDE EXPLAINS. To the Editor of the Rhos Herald 1 HARE COURT, TEMPLE, E.C. DEAR SIR.-I said at the Rhos Hall that I had not been asked for a subscrip- tion to the Rhos Liberal League. The Hon Secretary informs me that he did write to me for one. I have no recollection of receiving such a letter, though I quite accept the statement that it was sent. I had several long letters from him, and it may well be that one: of them contained the request. Failure to comply with which seems to have caused such an un- necessary amount of of heartburnings. EDWARD G. HEMMERDE

JOHN JONES TO MR HEMMERDE. SIR,-I attended your meeting at Rhos, and with great interest listened to your reply to my letter I wish itto be plainly uuderstood that I have not the least con- nection wirh the Liberal League, I simply wrote to you to convey the feelings expiessed in the division, and as one who has fought many a battle in his time on behalf of Liberalism in the Con- stituency. You explained that you were unable to subscribe to "this that, and the other movements." Quite so. I should be the last to expect you to do so. But I am sure that you will agree with me in say- ing that the Liberal Association and the Liberal League do not belong to the above category. As regards the Liberal League you emphatically and with great emphasis remarked that you had never been asked to subscribe personally to its fund." Neither had you promised to be responsible for a certain sum of money. Well, my first letter to you has done some good in clearing the air in this respect, notwithstanding the rumours abroad. My remarks may be twaddle," but you might give me the credit for having cleared the air of the nasty rumours that were abroad. I also noticed one or two little incon- gruities in your speech. In one part you stated that you had not the least idea that there was any dissatisfaction in the division." Later on you stated that you would not have taken any notice of "John Jones but for the fact that you had heard theisame rumours up at London some time previously. Perhaps you can explain them again. If you thought my letter" twaddle" why devote nearly an hour to explain it away ? It seems to me that you have room to be thaukful to John Jones. At any rate I am glad for the sake of Liberalism that I drew your attention to these matters, and can even bear with equanimity your great (?) attempt to try and trace my genealogy to Ruabon Police Court. JOHN JONES.

TO "JOHN BULL." SIR.-I notice our old friend "John Bull" rushes to assure Mr Hemmerde that all's well in the Liberal camp, and at the same time makes a most spiteful and venomous attack upon the latest Lib- eral organization-the Young League of Liberals. What a pity it is that some people cannot conceal their identity even though writing under a nom-de-plume. My dear John you must be more care- ful. Have you ever written to the Press but that you must inevitably bring in the sanctimonious cads sentence And how in the world could you have forgot- ten to leave the ministers of the district outside the lash of your pen ? I am only a plain working man, and such high- sounding phrases as I groundlings,' bic- erings,' 4 cadging proclivities,' political washerwomen,' mug.wumps,' 'dull me. diocrities,' &c., &c., are quite out of my poor reach* But stay, have I not read them all before in the correspondence col- ums of the Herald? As Teddy (was it Roosevelt or Jones) once said variety is the soul of wit,or something to that effect. Now "John" take the tip for your future epistles. In any case, try and spare us the sanctimonious cad busin- ess,—I know it will be very hard for you to do so-but then, you know it get's on one's nerves So in the whole of Rhos you have "not yet discovered one person with sufficient political genius and power to turn the di- rection of a straw." My dear" John," is it possible Surely you do occasion- ally give a shy glance into the mirror ? But then, modesty is a virtue that is a so very seldom found now-a-days, and when one does come across a shining example like yourself, we should highly treasure it. And really, do you mean to tell me that you did not 4 spot' any 4 political genius's on Mr Hemmerde's platform on Monday week ? Why, I my- self particularly noticed two at least who tried their utmost to "engineer" the en- :husiasm—but as it proved a most abject

BETHLEHEM CHILDREN'S L CHOIR CONCERT. | —MHBH The Bethlehem juvenile choir has by now become an institution in Rhos. Un- like our larger chcirs, which have their day and are gone, it continues to prac- tise steadily, competition or no competi- tion. Other choirs may come and go, but it goes on. There is no doubt that this steadiness of purpose has had m'uch to do with. the successful record of the choir. The Public Hall was well filled on Tuesday evening, when the choir gave their annual concert. The items by the choir were all comparatively new, and the audience was duly grateful that the time- honoured pieces which have been sung so often, were left out of the programme. Rhos concerts as a rule suffer much in this respect. The same cycle of songs have been sung now for the last two de- cades, until every vestage of freshness has been stripped from them. The choir sang Spring Song" (Myles Foster) A hunting we will go (arr G. Bantock) and Where the bee sucks (Bantock). All three pieces were most enjoyably rendered. The hunting chorus, which is an arrangement of an old En- glish song, was sung with much spirit, and the descriptive accompaniment added to the effect. Both partsongs were daint- ily enough sung, although the pronuncia- tion of some of the words were rather peculiar. Mr Jacob Edwards, the con- ductor, has the children under perfect control, and it was a pretty sight to watch the very little ones respond heart! and soul to his baton. The soprano artist was Miss Louie James. Her first item was the "Jewel Song" from Faust (Gounod); and she sang it with great dramatic expression. The song is not an easy one to sing, abounding as it does with passages which require a very tense temperament to do justice to. Miss James, however succeed- ed in bringing out its varied moods in a most brilliant manner. Her voice has brightness and power, and her style is eloquent and full. Responding to an en- core for her first item, she sang an old Welsh folk-song: Cariad Pur." Her other items were Gwlad y Delyn," and My dearest heart." The tenor items were sustained by Mr Evan Lewis, Capel Curig. He sang Farewell in the desert (Adams) and "Through the forest" (Weber). As an encore for his first item he gave Y Bug- ail (Wilfrid Jones). Mr Lewis is, of course well known as a successful com- petitor on the tisteddfod platform, al- though this was his first appeorauce at a Rhos concert. His performance of "Through the forest" rose to great heights of artistic feeling in some parts, and the dramatic close of the song was intensely thrilling. There was consider- able noise at the back of the hall while he was singing, and what artist breathing can sing a quivering passage of the whispering trees," when the noise of shuffling of feet is in progress ? Mr Lewis sang 44 Farewell in the desert in excellent style. The ultra sweet phrases characteristic of all Stephen Adams'songs suited the singer's voice when he was sioging easy" and the usual outburst at the end gave. him. the opportunity ot showing its extent and power. Mr Bob Roberts, the baritone, has a very pleasing voice, which he used to considerable advantage in his three items —44 The Tempest (R. S. Hughes); 44 Deep in the mine (Jude) and Three for Jack." Mr Roberts could however do much better if he were to develope a broader and more eloquent production. There was a lack of staying power in the sustained parts, which made his singing somewhat cramped. Nevertheless Mr Roberts gave the audience much pleasure and he had to respond to an encore. One of the features of the concert was the violin solo by Mf J. T. Davies. Mr Davies has made great progress in his difficult art, and shows promise of doing something surprising in the near future. His tone was steady throughout, and at times full and rich, For an encore he played the Largo (Handel) very tastily. By special request Mr Emlyn Davies gave a pianoforte solo-a rhapsody by Liszt. The piece was an extreemely difficult one, but its intricacies were most musically overcome by Mr Davies. One of the features of the concert was penillion singing by Miss Ceridwen Hol- land, and Miss Freda Holland. They ap- peared on the platform dressed in quaint Welsh costumes, and whilst one of them played the harp, both sang amusing pen- illion. The little ladies were given a rousing reception by the delighted aud- ience. Mr A. E. Evans was the chairman, and in a short address he referred to the Wrexham National Eisteddfod of 1912, when he hoped to see most of the music- al prizes carried off by Rhos people. He looked upon Rhos district as being the musical backbone of the principality. A vote of thanks to the chairman was was carried on the proposition of the Rev R. Roberts, seconded by Mr James Ed- I wards. < and miserable failure-not their fault cer-- tainly-I must pdt it down to the dull* mediocrities" who sat in the body of the Hall, and who evidenty failed to grasp what the political genius's on the plat*" form so enthusiastically clapped. >M Of course 44 John even we '4 dull rned* icocrites are not so dull but that we can observe that your letter in reality is a- spiteful and jealous attack on the Liberal League. Why is this ? Are you disra- pointed that they did not ask you to fee* ture to them ? Or have you some petty personal jealousy and spite against any of, the officials ? You complain that Billiard are played there. Do you not then be, lieve that amusements should be for the young people ? Are you one of the 44 Vnca Guid," or would you do away:, with Billiards, and introduce 44 pontoon" 44 banker" and card parties until the small hours of the morning ? If you had- taken the trouble to read the Herald of ? fortnight back you would notice that the League have arranged a most comprehen- sive and instructive programme for the winter months, so I am afraid that your terriffic onslaught is founded on your own disordered imagination. As regards a "conspiracy being engineered to boycott Mr Hemmerde's meeting," I do not kntiwr but I noticed that several members of the League were present at his meeting, so l; dont see where the boycott comes ifi. But I am told that some of Mr Hem, merdes so-called friends did try to:pef" suade a few not to attend the meeting and even did their best to keep Mr Hem" merde from visiting the Liberal League Rooms after his meeting. This, as you will admit was a very petty and nieaa thing to do, as very likely Mr Hemmtrdr," by a personal visit might have been abic, to explain certain misunderstandings" away. Now, my dear "John," I thought that you were above such a narrow and bigoted spirit, and that a cause like the Liberal League would have had youiT" whole hearted support. But no, you musf vent your spleen, in a most spiteful man- ner upon an institution that is already doing the neighbourhood an incalulablc amount of good, and which in spite of you and your confederates has every appear- ance of prospering. JOHN JONES,

MR WM GEORGE AT WREXHAK Speaking at the annual meetings of the North Wales Temperance Federation at Wrexham, on Tuesday, Mr William George said it was a matter of agreeablfe surprise to him to find that Wrexbafff had invited the North Wales Temperance Association to hold its annual meetings there this year. Hitherto the town ha<f not been much associated in his mind with temperance. On the contrary, if truth must be told, he had always looked upon it rather as belonging as belonging more or less to the opposite camp, Pjr perhaps it would be more correct to say that the reputation of the town was a somewhatjmixed one. To some its Darner suggested a good supply of Welsh books, whilst to others Wrexham smacke# strongly of breweries but most peoplr perhaps thought of it s a hybrid entity* sending its emissaries across country with a beer bottle in one hand and a book io the other. -,(Laughter). He was afraid that the result of the last election in HMT" I Denbigh Boroughs did not help to reas- sure the country about the future of the' town from a temperance point of view. I He had no wish to be political, although ) coming of a political family (applause^ J but he could not help observing that for [ for the time being at all events their Pal" Iliamentary influence was not favourable" to the great cause which had called them together that night. A Unionist guide- book recently published had two talismans, which appealed most powerfully namely 44 Beer and Baccy." That was the offic- ial creed of Wrexham to-day. Wrexham" has 43 public houses and 14 clubs per 12,000, with the result that whilst that! whilst the average convictions in county boroughs is 76 per 10,000, Wrexham's- stand at 135 per 10,000 These figures" speak for themselves nad betoken a very' deplorable state of things. There is one other point I wish to make and it is this-to make a special effort during the coming winter months to con- vert and reclaim the moderate drinkers- Can anyone tell me at what precise point moderate drinking shades off into drunk- enness ? The victims of strong drink die: off by thousands every year and how* are the ranks of this miserable army re- plenished ? Will anyone deny that it is- from amongst the moderate drinkers whose name is legion all over the land ? And who is the mainstay of the traffic it*' self-is it not the moderate drinker ? Ev.- ery publican will tell you thot it would, not be worth his while to keep open house" but for this class of customer. There is a vast distance between the respectable deacon or church member that takes his glass now. and again 017 the sly and the poor fellow I saw ti-ie otti- er day being dragged in a state of help- less drunkenness to prison by two police. men but the one and the other travel along the same road, and the difference" between them is really only a questionot degree.