The Demetian Mirror

ADDRESS. ANY person who has been accustomed to con- verse with the intelligent classes of society annually resorting to this rapidly-improving and highly favored Watering Place, must have often heard from them expressions of surprise at the non-existence of any thing like a News- paper, or medium of communicating public information on matters of local and general interest: whilst others having information which they have felt a desire to convey have had as often to deplore the want of such a medium. To supply, in some measure, this deficiency, is the object of the present undertaking. That a properly-conducted Newspaper is a valuable acquisition to any Community will hardly for a moment be questioned but the importance of such a vehicle for diffusing in- formation on passing events and occurrences to a rising Town like Aberystwith, striving to compete with powerful rivals, is too apparent to need the aid of argument: for it must not be concealed that Southampton, Cheltenham, Leamington, and other places of fashionable resort, are straining every nerve, not only to preserve their present respective positions, but also endeavouring, by all possible means, to extend a knowledge of their peculiar attractions. The celebrity of Aberystwith, on the contrary, has been chiefly acquired by its own natural resources, unaided and unadvocated, save by those who, in their own immediate circles, have been enabled to speak of it as the proxi- mate means of their restored health. This spontaneous advocacy, however, is not consider- ed sufficient toenable it to keep pace with the rapid progress of other Towns, who do not neglect to take means to increase their popularity. It has been said that Aberystwith has had no other than the advocacy of occasional Visitants in fairness, however, it should have been stated that the Periodical Press of the neighbouring and Border Counties, have always favoured us with a notice, whenever they have been furnished with information but, as the nearest of them is distant 50 miles, and there are but few within the circuit of 100 miles, an adequate knowledge of our Sayings and Doings" cannot be acquired and imparted by them if, therefore, benefit will be derived by a more extended knowledge of our place and its attractions, it will be seen that we, at home, who are interested, must do the work. By the establishment of this small Weekly Periodical, which is intended as a faithful chronicle of local events, and a vehicle of information to the Visitants, both by Adver- tisement and otherwise,—the Inhabitants and Owners of property here, who have, during the last ten or twelve years, expended great capital in buildings and other improvements, have an opportunity of assisting to diffuse a more extended knowledge of the resources and attractions of the town and neighbourhood and it is left to them, as well as to all others interested in our local welfare, to shew whether they will give to the undertaking that support without which the efforts of the Projector can- not be expected to succeed. In the full and confident hope that he shall receive that support for this publication, to which the Proprietor considers it justly and fairly entitled, he at once enters upon the task, pledging himself, in return for the promised assurances of support lie has received, to spare no exertion in furthering the interest of the Town generally, by rendering the Demetian Mirror as attractive and useful as may be in his power, as well as by circulating it gratuitously among the public Libraries and places through- out the Kingdom. To estimate its own intrinsic value, in com- parison of other Newspapers, which may be obtained of double or treble the size, for only a penny or two more, would scarcely be fair, seeing that the great source of the profit of a Newspaper is derivable from the Advertisements alone, amounting, in many instances, to a fortune;—to speak plainer, perhaps, the support of the Public must be rendered in the same spirit as that in which this effort is made, viz:—THAT OF PROMOTING THE PROSPERITY OF THE TOWN OF ABERYSTWITH. We must here however distinctly state that POLITICAL or PARTY DISCUSSIONS will form no part of the Demetian Mirror, though brief reports of what is actually taking place will occasionally be given, without the addition of any tint or shade of colouring whatever. Every effort will be made to render it as attractive as similar Periodicals, by the publication, inde- pendently of Advertisements, of any incident or occurrence of interest, in the Town or Neighbourhood; an accurate List of the Arrivals, Departures, and Fashionable Move- ments a faithful Report of Public Meetings; Extracts of the News and Literature of the day; Original Communications Occasional Papers on the History and Literature, and Manners and Customs of the Country Infor- mation relating to Places of Interest in the Neighbourhood a Weekly Tide Table ;Arrivals and Departures of the Mails State of the Markets, &c. &c. &c. We were prevented by the non-arrival,

ASSEMBLY ROOMS, ABERYSTWITH. F. & G. CARESWELL BEG most respectfully to announce to the Nobility, Gentry, and Visitors, that the annual RACE BALL AND SUPPER, will take place at the Rooms, on Wednesday evening, the ]9th Instant. W. T. R. POWELL, Esq.ls;e A. L. GWYNNE, Esq. J Dancing to commence at Ten o'Clock.—Tickets to blJ had at the Rooms. August 10 th, 1840.