Towyn-on-Sea and Merioneth County Times

THE WELSH SENIOR CUP. FOURTH ROUND. ABERYSTWYTH v. NEWTOWN. A Machynlleth correspondent writes: — The "great fite" to which I alluded last week came off on Saturday. It is a well-known fact that there is no love lost between the football teams of Newtown and Aberystwyth. The words How pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity have no force in the teams above mentioned, and do not apply to the football enthusiasts of these towns. The energy of brotherly love is being preserved for legs and loins, and there was plenty of it exhibited on the Vicarage Field on Saturday. A large number of would-be internationals left Machynlleth with me on Saturday, and the train was well packed, and if the Cambrian officials at Oswestry or Welshpool had had au ounce of common sense and" gnmtion" about them they would have put on two or three extra coaches, instead of making the train much smaller than usual, and so compelling gentlemen-like myself for instance-to be cooped up in a corner with a lot of infirm old ladies with big egg baskets and over-loquacious working men with ribbed trousers and ten sized boots, who would insist upon express- ing to you their views of the war, and take jealous care to smoke and fumigate you with delightful shag, and the windows all shut for fear of giving the old lady a "could." It was an experience I don't wish to have again. I arrived at Aberyst- wyth at last, and having given myself a right good long stretch, after having been cooped up like a. hen in a basket, and made tracks at once for the Vicarage Field, being one of many scores of pilgrims wending their way to the land of promise. The guards at the entrance eyed me with a wee bit of suspicion, I thought, but I soon set their minds at rest, and I was politely and kindly directed to the "reporters' gallery," but in that the sanitary surroundings of that shanty" are not over sweet in odour, I declined the generous offer and preferred to stand on the "bob" side of the ground, and take my notes accordingly. The game started very punctually, and the town end of the ground was not altogether a model bit of turf for classy football. To begin with, the homesters were playing up-hill, although by no means were they playing an up-hill game. Of foot- ball, strictly speaking, there was next to none— usually the case in Cup ties-the main point at these contests being chiefly to get a goal by hook or by crook, by rush or by push, anything to win the match. Now this is not as it ought to be and I was delighted to see that the referee was as smart as a needle, although several little shady movements escaped his observation. The game started in a lively fashion, and the Newtown citadel was often in danger, but Edwards was on the alert and not to be caught napping. The Newtown forwards were, if anything, smarter on the ball and were not so easily robbed as the home quintette. Then the home goal would have a shave and Roose fisted out two very nasty shots from the Newtown right-wing, Miller being very dangerous, a heavy man and very speedy when once on the trot. Some loose play on behalf of the home forwards and halves very nearly brought their downfall. Fouls were much too frequent and the home forwards were playing a very poor, ragged, and disjointed game. I never saw Green playing so poorly, but his place is out- side and not inside-right, and I was glad to find him in his old place in the second half. If it were not for the gallant defence of Parry, Evans, and Edwards things would have looked black for Aber- ystwyth. By and by a spurt was made by the home string. Whelan, the outside-right got posses- sion and ran up well and after a lot of loose fiddling with the ball drove across the visitors' goal- mouth. Oswald James had only to touch the leather and first. blood was drawn for Aberystwyth. The game re-started and Newtown all but scored— a marvellous escape for Aberystwyth. Newtown were playing now very pluckily and deserved to score, but the home defence was sound as a rock. Half-time came as a mighty relief to both sides, for the pace had been hot although the play was poor in the extreme. During the interval the players were given a big long-necked glass bottle to suck and it evidently contained something nice. The second half commenced, and Marshall, the home centre-forward, had a splendid opening, but made a mess of it. Oswald Jones had two open- ings, but he likewise made a mess of it. I suppose it was the mud. For charity's sake we will allow it was so, although it would require a jolly big cloak of charity to cover the rottenness of the play of the Aberystwyth forwards last Saturday afternoon. Marshall had another opening, with not a soul near him, but wide went the ball, to the disgust of many on the ground. Newtown made one ugly sweep later on, and all but scored. Fouls were frequent and limping became the graceful order of the day. The game-a very tame one-ended in a win for Aberystwyth by one goal to nil. Aberystwyth probably desired to win, although the credit must be given "in toto to the halves and backs, and not to the forwards. And now a word or two before I wind up, on the players of both sides. The two best men on the field were Charlie Parry, the home right full-back, and Swettenham, the Newtown right-half—a beautiful player. Nexbto these two would come the Aberystwyth skipper, J H Edwards, and the Aberystwyth left full-back, George Evans, as plucky and safe a little player as ever donned a jersey. When the home goal would be in danger, frail puny and fragile Charlie Parry would utter his peculiar war-whoop, and swooping down on the ball he would clear amid cheers. On the other hand it should be rememberd that his partner-little Evans-had more to do than Parry, because the attack was much stronger from the Newtown right than the left. Evans had to tackle Miner and Swettenbam-and these two are not exactly children—and right pluckily did Evans tackle and relieve time after time. As for John Henry, the home skipper, he did the work of any two men on the field, although he is not quite so speedy as he used to be. His heading was fine, and his partners on the wings gave valuable help. As for the forwards, I have no praise for them, they don't deserve it. Whelan is much too fat, and is not speedy nor tricky. Barson sadly lacks resource and stamina. Marshall disappointed me very mnch; he used to play a nice, cool, and determined game. A Green on the right-wing did much better in the second half, but he played a very weak game all through, and his partner was no better. Oswald James is a nice little player, but is not strong enough. Roose did all that was required of him. Now for Newtown, a strong plucky team, but rough. The best man in the team is the right-half, who plays without show, and is equal to any two of the forwards. I thought the left-back sounder than his burly partner, who was not very popular with the "mob." As a team they were much more tricky and speedy than Aberystwyth, and as I said before, the credit of the day is due to the back divisions on both sides. The defence was superb, Edwards did very well in goal, and compared favourably with Roose, there was nothing to choose between them. The Aberystwyth forwards will have to improve, if they hope to figure in the final. WALES v. SCOTLAND. The Council of the Welsh Football Association has selected the following team to represent the Principality against Scotland at Aberdeen, on Feb- ruary 3rd :—Goal, F Griffiths, Blackpool; backs, D Jones, Manchester City, and Smart Arridge, New Brighton Tower; half-backs, S Meredith, Chirk, J L Jones, Tottenham Hotspur, and Sydney Darvell, Oxford University and Corinthians; right-wing, D H Pugh, Lincoln City, and W Meredith, Manchester City; left-wing, A G Morris, Notts Forest, and A E Watkins, Aston Villa; centre, Trevor Owen, Wol- verhampton Wanderers. THE LEAGUE. RESULTS UP TO DATE. Goals P. W. L. D. F. A. PTS Sheffield United 22 14 fj 8 45 16 36 Aston Villa 23 14 5 4 51 24 32 WolverhamptonW 21 10 4 7 30 21 27 Sunderland 21 11 8 2 32 23 24 Notts Forest. 21 9 6 6 36 29 24 Bury. 21 10 7 4 33 28 24 Stoke. 22 9 9 4 26 30 22 Everton. 22 8 9 5 26 33 21 Derby County 20 7 7 6 25 24 20 Newcastle United.. 19 7 7 5 34 24 19 Manchester City. 21 7 9 5 33 28 19 Burnley. 21 7 10 4 23 35 18 West Bromwich A. 21 6 10 5 23 33 17 Notts County 21 6 10 5 13 43 17 Preston North End 21 6 11 4 21 30 16 Liverpool 22 5 12 5 27 34 15 Blackburn Rovers. 18 7 10 1 28 37 15 Glossop 19 3 12 4 18 48 10 DENBIGHSHIRE & DISTRICT LEAGUE. RESULTS UP TO DATE. Goals P. W. L. D. F. A. PTS Wrexham Reserve. 9 6 1 2 21 13 14 Oswestry Reserve.. 8 5 1 2 36 11 12 Adwy United. 8 5 1 2 17 10 10 Chirk Reserve 7 3 1 3 22 7 9 Druids Reserve. 10 3 5 2 23 24 8 Ruabon Albions. 8 2 4 2 17 23 6 St Martins. 7 2 4 1 10 25 5 Ellesmere Rangers 7 1 5 1 9 24 3 Vron St Albans. 7 1 5 1 8 26 3 THE COMBINATION. RESULTS UP TO DATE. Goals P. W. L. D. F. A. PTS Chirk 15 10 2 3 35 14 23 Wrexham 12 9 1 2 46 19 20 Druids 14 7 4 3 27 20 17 Bangor 9 4 4 1 15 18 9 Newtown 10 4 5 1 24 30 9 Aberystwyth 9 3 4 2 17 22 8 Oswestry United. 10 2 6 2 19 23 6 Birkenhead 7 2 4 1 12 16 5 Rhyl & 1 4 3 13 23 5 Llandudno Swifts.. 10 0 8 2 14 37 2 SHROPSHIRE AND DISTRICT LEAGUE. RESULTS UP TO DATE. Goals P. w. L. D. F. A. PTS Iron-Bridge 6 5 0 1 14 5 11 Singleton & Cole's. 8 5 2 1 32 12 11 Bridgnorth 8 3 3 2 22 23 8 Newport 8 3 4 1 14 16 7 Wem 9 2 4 3 10 23 7 St. George's United 6 2 2 2 12 16 6 Stafford C. C .5 2 3 0 16 12 4 Welshpool United.. 6 1 5 0 9 22 2 „

PRINTING of every description executed with JL dispatch at the COUNTY TIMES Offiee, Welsh- Pool. First-class Commereial Work a speciality Estimates given.

DEPARTURE OF TOWYN VOLUNTEERS. ENTHUSIASTIC SEND-OFF. Towyn has experienced many a proud day in its forward march during the last few years, but it cannot look back upon any of them with more genuine pride and admiration than upon last Saturday, when the send-off given to the four Volunteers whose offer to go to the front had been accepted, was of the most animated description. It should be said that on Christmas Day after the Church parade, the men, without the least show of compulsion were asked if any of them were:desirous of offering their services for Queen and country, and no less than seventeen men stepped forward and gave their names. From that time great was the expectation for a reply from headquarters, and last week came the welcome announcement that the services of Lieutenant H Kirkby and four of the men had been accepted, and instructions were received to have the men sent to Newtown on Saturday morning, for mobilisation and for the purpose of undergoing instruction in musketry, drill, and marching, and from thence to proceed to headquarters (Brecon). It should be stated that the Towyn Company has been well honoured amongst the companies of the battalion. We find that Lieut. H A Kirkby has been selected by the officer commanding 24th Regi- mental District, to act as a subaltern, an honour of which the company is justly proud. Sergt E L Jones who volunteered as a private, will hold the rank of corporal, whilst the others are privates. We understand that Color-Sergt. J C Edwards, who had also volunteered, would have received a very responsible position on account of his efficiency had not the fact that he is married been considered a sufficient reason to elect another person in his place. The company is, of course, in connection with the South Wales Borderers, a regiment of which the whole nation has from time to time had cause to be proud. This regiment, better known as the Gallant 24th embarked on 13th for South Africa, where ten at least of the 16 Victoria Crosses that the valorous regiment possesses were won. It was in 1689 that the old 24th foot was raised with the object of consolidat- ing the protestant power in the United Kingdom. Since then the 24th have won as much glory and honour as has fallen to the lot of some whole nations. The great Duke of Marlborough referred to the regiment's "extraordinary bravery." The Duke of Wellington said that it was impossible to extol too highly their gallant conduct." Sir Charles Napier said that their conduct had never been surpassed by British soldiers on a field of battle." The four young men who have volunteered are highly respected citizens, and it is worthy of note that they were presented with a Bible each by the pastor of the Congregational Chapel (Rev J M Williams) and a hymn book each by the officers of the church, tbey;bcing members of the above-mentioned place of worship. Having received the consent of Capt Edward Kirkby to give the men a good send-off," Mr David Gillart and Mr T Llew Davies, N.P. Bank, went round the town in the morning, and in a marvellously short time collected C14, to be pre- sented to the men. A feature of the collection was the willingness with which the inhabitants contri- buted so soon after the last collection. Before 12 o'clock nearly every house in High Stieet and on the route to the station had a flacr or a banner waving from the window, the town was ablaze with enthusiasm, and/the gallant young men had now become heroes. As a scene of this kind was quite unusual, it is but natural that they were to some extent affected. Before the one o'clock train was due there were hundreds of people in front of the station, where it was decided to hold a brief meeting to present the men with the sub- stantial good wishes of the townspeople and to wish them God-speed and a safe return. Mr Maethlon James was the first to speak. Hardly had he uttered the words My brave boys" when his feelings overcame him, and for a time he was unable to proceed. He afterwards went on to say that that was true patriotism, and a sign of what was felt, generally in the Company. They thanked them for volunteering to go to the front in just the same way as they would have thanked them if no one else was ready to go. They would feel from this to the front that the Queen, the country, and the dear ones they left at home were well worth fighting for, and if called upon to render active service he felt sure they would not fail to uphold the character and reputation of the British soldier and the honour of their beloved old town and country (applause). Mr David Gillart said You four men, brave defenders of our country, in the flower of your youth, have bravely come forward and volunteered to defend the honour and glory of Old England." You are about to proceed for service in South Africa, and only late last evening we, as citizens, were given to understand that you had volunteered and that your services had been accepted at the front. We therefore at once determined to appeal to the inhabitants of Towyn with a view to show our appreciation of your heroic conduct. Mr Davies (N.P. Bank) and myself this morning started to collect subscriptions.inMaengwyn steeet,and worked our way to the shore. We were met everywhere with evidence of appreciation of your gallantry. Everyone was anxious to subscribe to such a worthy object, and in about two hours, we were, to our great surprise, in possession of over C14, and had time allowed we should have collected a much larger amount, and now on behalf of your friends and well-wishers I hand you each a purse contain- ing X3 10s, in the hope that you will:dnd it useful, but you must please bear in mind that it is condi- tional that the purses are to be brought back in good condition (laughter). I speak the sentiments of your town and country when I say you have earned our everlasting gratitude (Joud applause). I wish you God-speed and a safe return.—The purses were accepted with a salute by the men. Captain Kirkby (commanding the Company) said they had endeavoured to show that they did not lack in their feeling of patriotism. He hoped that by the time the men reached the Transvaal there would be no need for them to take up arms, and that the fighting would be over, but at the same time he hoped they would have the honour of up- lifting the "Union Jack" at Pretoria (applause). He trusted that when they returned they would be given a heartier welcome even than the animated send-off that day (applause). The Towyn Volunteer Band, as well as members of the company, paraded the streets from the Armoury to the station. The band, under the leadership of Mr Griffith Jones, played Men of Harlech," "Tlii-ee cheers for the Red, White and Blue," The girl I left behind me," and as the train left the station Auld Lang Syne," and "God save the Queen." Fog signals were fired and altogether thej send-off" was of the most ani- mated description. We understand that in addi- tion to the sums of money, many other presents were given to the young men. On arriving at Newtown the Adjutant complimented the men on their clean and smart appearance.

♦ — THE DEATH ROLL. RUSKIN, BLACKMORE, STEEVENS, TECK. To-day the casualty list is not to be found in any telegram from the front but in our own home records. The Duke of Teck, Mr Ruskin, Mr Black. more, and Mr Steevens are all dead. It is a curious association of names, but, in their very varied ways, all have this in common, that they were well known to great masses of their fellow countrymen. The Duke of Teck had lived long enough amongst us for us to reckon him as one of ourselves, and his daughter was universally acclaimed as a distinc- tively English Princess when she became the wife of our future King. At the present moment there are sons of the Duke's at the front in South Africa, following the example of active service set them by their father. Mr Blaekmore was a writer of novels for other people's amusement and a market- gardener for his own. For the past few years, perhaps, he has not written anything that has taken the public fancy much, but he has had an enduring source of popularity as the author of "Lorna Dcone. The book was intended to be a story, not a text book, and we shall remember with gratitude the creator of John Ridd and many another delightful creature of fiction. Mr Blackmore dies at a ripe 011. age; Mr SteevtJns falls a victim to typhoid in a besieged town, at the early age of thirty. Yeti even so, he was known to the man in the street as hardly any writer of the time. Mr Kipling is a popular poet but we doubt if he had as many readers as Mr Steevens, whose articles in the Mail were followed with extraordinary interest by the readers of that paper. Nor was that wonderful, for the articles were extremely vivid, and Mr Steevens had a wonderful knack of seizing the point of interest and of making it clear in a few living sentences. By his death journalism certainly loses one of the most brilliant and talented of its more recent recruits. We have left Mr Ruskin to the last for obvious reasons. It is not merely that he is head and shoulders above the others, but that with him goes another of the few remaining of our really great men. It is true that the latter years of his life have been lived in retirement, but whilst he lived he could hardly be classed as a writer of the past, even though for a good many years his pen has been put aside. The man in the street may know everything there is to be known about South Africa, but his idea of Mr Ruskin very often is that he was an angry old gentleman who objected to railways and smoke from factories, and said so. That he did so is undoubted, but this was only the fringe of his philosophy. His great task eonsisted in insisting on certain artistic truths at a time when taste in this country was deplorably at fault. In that task he succeeded, and it is not to the point that his artistic criticisms and theories cannot now be all accepted without reservation. He had to achieve a certain end, and as is always the case with advocates he had to use exaggeration, where judicial impartiality would have failed. In all sorts of ways he not only left the world a better place than he found it, but a better place because he had lived in it. His books are an enduring monument of his genius, a source of inspiration and refresh- ment in an age when there are none too many to protest against the material and the sordid in life. There is much in his writing that cannot now be accepted as sound, whether it be his political econ- omy or his art; but his English is a precious heri- tage, and his teaching is always on a high plane. No one could be a worse man if he were a convinced Ruskinian, even though he might possibly be wrong- headed on a good many points. The Queen has been fortunate in the great names which will apear in the literary record o2 her reign, in inone more fortunate than in the name of John Ruskin.

+ LOCAL PATENT. The following abridged description i specially drawn for the County Times by Messrs Hughes and Young, Patent Agents, 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., who will give advice and assistance free to our readers on all patent matters. Railway signals. Patentee: Mr J Swinburne, Woodlands, Blaina, Monmouthshire. Relates to means for enabling the guard of a. train to signal to the driver. One of the axles is provided with an eccentric or other means for operating the piston of an air pump, &c., to compress air into one or more reservoirs which are connected by the pipe to two whistles. One whistle is intended to signal all right" and the other "stop," the desired signal being given by opening the cock of the correspond- ing whistle. The rod of the eccentric can be dis- connected from the operating lever of the pump by means of the lever the arms on the rod enabling the parts to be again connected whilst the train is running. The apparatus may also be employed for passengers' communication, the provisional specifi- cation also stating that it may be employed for warning the driver of a following train.

GREATLY EXTENDED ARRANGEMENTS FOR THF. ISSUE OF WEEK END TICKETS (Friday or Saturday to Monday or Tuesday), TO CAMBRIAN COAST STATIONS AND WELLS FROM STATIONS IN ENGLAND, Are now being put into operation. They include Bookings from Bath, Bristol, Can bridge, Darlington, Durham, Gloucester, Lincoln Cheltenham, Harrogate, Middlesborough, New castle-on-Tyne, N otlllngham, Norwich, Scarborough Sunderland, Tynemeuth, Worcester, &c. PIC-NIC & PLEASURE PARTIES' Tickets, at reduced fares, are issued (with certain limitations) at all Cambrian Stations to Parties I not less than Six First-class or Ten Third-class passengers desirous of making Pleasure Excursions to places on or adjacent to this railway. Single fares for double journey will be charged for parties of 30 First-class or 50 Third-class pas. sengers. To obtain these tickets application must be made to Mr. W. H. Gough, Superintendent of the Line Oswestry or at any of the Stations not less than three days before the date of the Excursion. Further information regarding Excursion Traina and Tourist Arrangements on the Cambrian Rail. ways can be obtained on application to Mr. W. H. Gough, Superintendent of the Line, Oswestry. C. S. DENNISS, Oswestry, Oct., 1899. General Manager