The Brecon County Times Neath Gazette and General Advertiser for the Counties of Brecon Carmarthen Radnor Monmouth Glamorgan Cardigan Montgomery Hereford

FORTY YEARS AS ORGANIST. Presentation to Mr. R. T. Heins at Brqpon. There was a representative gathering of townspeople, including a number of Noncon- formists, at the Parish Hall. Brecon, on Thurs- day evening last, when Mr R. T. Heins was pre- sented with a wallet containing JEGO, a hand- some clock in oak case with Westminster full chimes' and repeating action, a large framed photograph of the clergy, choir, and church- wardens, and an album containing the names of the subscribers, on his resignation of the post of organist and choirmaster at the Priory Church after nearly 40 years' service. The Bishop of Swansea, who presided, said they met with mixed feelings. They were glad to pay some small honour to one to whom they had owed so much during a long period of years but they had also a sense of regret and of loss in the fact that Mr Heins, under the stress and pressure of work, had resigned the post which he had occupied with so much profit to them. It was therefore with feelings partly of satisfaction and partly of sorrow that they were met to cto what little they could to honour one who was so entirely deserving of the respect and gratitude of all townspeople. The extra- ordinary willingness and eagerness with which everyone responded to the invitation to take part in the presentation was a witness of the sense of the town generally of a very deep debt of gratitude to Mr Heins. (Applause). The Mayor (Mr W. F. Parry deWinton) re- marked that in his very early days he remem- bered Mr Heins coming to Maesderwen. Now he had returned to the home of his fathers and worshipped at the Priory under the musical leadership of Mr Heins, and it had added very much to the sincerity and pleasure of one's worship to have had him there. Since he had been back, and particularly since he had been mayor, he had always found Mr Heins ready to co-operate in bringing to a successful issue any scheme he put before him—(applause)—and as mayor he wanted to tell him how grateful the people of Brecon were—not only Churchpeople, but everybody in the town—for his work, in which he always excelled. Whether in the church or in the Town Hall conducting con- certs and so forth, he had always acquitted hinr- self with great success, and the townspeople owed him a deep debt of gratitude for his interest in every public musical movement that had been set on foot for many years. (Applause). Mr A. J. Corbett, senior churchwarden at the Priory Church, said the Bishop did his best to get Mr Heins to reconsider his decision to resign, but he adhered to it. They felt they could not allow Mr Heins to leave without some recognition, and there had been a willing response from the town as a whole. To have served 40 years as organist in one church almost ) constituted a record-at any rate very few people could have served longer in one church in that capacity. (Applause). The Priory Church and Mr Heins seemed to have become interwoven, as it were, and it would be a long time before they got used to his absence. On behalf of the Priory congregation, he wished I him long life and happiness, and they hoped to have him for many years as a member of the i congregation, knowing that they would have his hearty co-operation in anything they promoted I in connection with the church. (Applause). Mr J. P. Jones-Powell, as a member of the Priory Church choir for 17 years, said whilst i there were members of the choir who could I easily beat his record, no one could speak more heartily-iii appreciation of Mr Heins's work in I the musical part of the service. Choirs were 'I frequently awkward bodies to deal with, occasionally they heard of strikes—(laughter)— and sometimes the clergy and the organist did I not get on together but during the 17 years I he had been at the Priory there had never been anything approaching trouble and he was certain that during the whole 40 years Mr Heins had been the organist there had been the most cordial and happy relations between him and the clergy and the choir. Not only musically were they very much indebted to Mr Heins. but the churchwards were very much indebted to him financially. They knew what Mr Heins had been getting, and he was told by a former curate of Brecon that in the early days of his office he was out of pocket, as he bought the music himself. Knowing what he had been getting and what he ought to have had, it only required a small calculation to work out the enormous sum he had saved the church- wardens of the Priory during 40 years' service. With him money was a secondary consideration, because when he was offered a rise in his salary to stay on he said" X o. money is nothing to me." (Laughter). They all knew his work I was done for love of the Church and in par- I ticular for the grand old Priory Church. (Ap- I plause). They wished him many happy years in his retirement, and he carried with him the friendship, as he always had it. of the t;hoir of the Priory. (Renewed applause). The Rev. H. J. Church Jones, Rural Dean. remarked that for nearly a quarter of a century he had been connected with the clerical staff of Brecon, and that entitled him to speak as to the relationship between the clergr and the organist. He did not think there had been any occasion, either at S. John's or S. Mary's, when the clergy and organist had come into conflict, and he had always found Mr Heins (plÍte ready to fall in with any suggestion made to him. It was the strongest testimony* an organist could have, he thought, when the clergy could say that during a very long period there had never been any shadow of disagreement. (Applause). It was nearly 40 years ago that he (the speaker) first put his foot in Brecon, and Mr Heins's retire ment seemed to him to be the breaking of the last link with the old officials of the Priory, and he personally felt the severance very much. He was glad to add his little testimony to his work during during all those years, and hoped he would be with them for many years to come I to worship in the Priory and help them in all manner of ways in the town, as he had done in the past. (Applause). Mr Charles Hughes. now in his 84th year, and formerly for many years a member of the Priory choir, gave some welcome reminiscences. The first organ at the Priory, he said, came to Brecon on January 8th, 1787, from Old Drury Lane Theatre, and was installed in S. Mary's j Church. Mr John Evans, of the Old Bank, presented a new organ on the restoration of S. Mary's Church, and he (Mr Hughes) assisted Mr John Tudor to collect 952 to buy the old one for S. John's. As it came originally from Drury Lane Theatre, he wondered whether it was in existence during the time Mrs Siddons performed there. (Laughter). Mr C. E. Weaver Price spoke as a neighbour of Mr Heins, and testified to his personal good qualities. The Bishop, before making the presentation, said they would have very much rejoiced if they could have had Capt. Leslie Heins there. He met a man home from India that week who said Beyond all people I admired when we mobilised Mr Leslie Heins the way in which he threw himself into what was quite a new existence for him was beyond all praise." And he (the Bishop) could testify from his own ex- perience of those early months at Scoveston and elsewhere, that there was no one in the bat- talion who won such golden opinions for the way in which he threw himself into things as Capt. Leslie Heins. (Applause). He now had very great pleasure, on behalf of the sub- scribers, in asking Mr Heins to accept their gifts, and hoped he would regard them as some evidence of the really warm feelings of respect and affection which they had for him, and the deep gratitude they were under for his many services I during the long period of nearly 40 years he had occupied the post of organist at S John's. (Loud applause). I MR. HEIXS'S REMINISCENCES. I Mr Heins, who had an enthusiastic reception, said those proceedings made him feel over- whelmed with his own unworthiness, and he wished somebody would make him the object of whelmed with his own unworthiness, and he wished somebody would make him the object of a practical illustration of that new word which I had lately come into our language, camouflage. (Laughter). Whatever ho might say would be quite inadequate to express the deep feelings of gratitude he had for the kindness of heart which h;id prompted the testimonial and for the magnificent gifts they had made him. It was something of a coincidence that when he was appointed organist of the Priory Church we were at war with the Zulus, and during that year the war finished and peace was proclaimed. He trusted now he had resigned, that was a good augury for peace -being declared this year. (Hear, hear, and applause). It was in February, 1879, he was appointed organist and choir- master at the Priory Church, at the salary of £ 12 a year. (Laughter). Some few years later he was surprised on opening a letter one morning to find that the authorities, without a word of warning, had doubled his salary. It was a great shock, and he was pleased to say the shock was never repeated. (Laughter). The interior of the church was very different in those days there were no stained glass windows, no gas, no heating apparatus—they had to sit and shiver all through the winter—and there was a very old organ. He understood oue of the inducements held out to the Priory to buy that organ from S. Mary's was that Handel once played on it. Handel was supposed to have played on a good many organs, and as he died in 1759 this one must have been nearly 150 years old before they had it. It was a curious instrument, all the keys being black, and it was a little difficult to find one's way about it. (Laughter). They put up with it for a few years, and then they raised £ 1,300, and pur- chased a new organ for Y. spending f200 in the re-building of the chapel. The new organ was opened by the organist of Hereford Cathedral in 188/i. There had been some very beautiful services since then, which had reflected very great credit on the choir, notably the jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 and her diamond jubilee in 1897, the memorial services for the late Vicar and for the late'Queen, the King Edward coronation and memorial services, and the coronation service for King George. They also had a performance of the Creation" in 1884 with full orchestra, aud the members of the old Philharmonic Society, of which he was conductor, joined the choir and made an excellent chorus. In order to pay the expenses they had to charge for tickets, and they took about which paid the expenses and left something over. He remembered a wedding e I many years ago, fixed for 2-15. The bride- groom came well up to time, as usual—(laughter) but the bride did not come. They waited and waited, and he played all the things he knew to cheer up the poor bridegroom and the guests, who were getting very anxious but it was not until about 2-45 that the young lady put in an appearance. It transpired that the coachman who had been told off to bring her to church quite thought he had brought her- when he brought the bridesmaids he thought he also brought the bride—and the town had to be scoured to find him. By a little shortening of the service and a very short homily at the end, the knot was tied before the fatal hour struck. (Laughter). During the whole of his time as organist he had only served under two vicars, the late Preb. Herbert Williams and their much- respected Bishop. He thanked the members of the choir most sincerely for the very long and faithful services they had rendered. Some of them had been with him 10, 15, 20, and 25 years, and one or two had been right through the whole time. They joined as boys. came backjis basses or tenors, and later on their sons had joined as trebles and they had passed up, so that he almost felt like a grandfather to the choir. No choirmaster could have had more cordial or better relations with his choir, and the testimonial would recall to him a great many happy hours he had spent with them in the services of the church. He trusted he would live in Brecon many years and have the privilege of worshipping in the beautiful old i I I p Priory Church, and the great pleasure of listening Sunday after Sunday to his old choir rendering the services and adding fresh laurels to their reputation. He thanked Mr Jones- Powell and the rest of the collectors for the great amount of time and trouble they must have given to the work. Finally he could only ask them all to believe that he was very deeply grateful, and that he should look back upon that evening as one of the most trying and yet one of the happiest of his life. (Loud applause). Before the gathering dispersed the Bishop offered A welcome to Mr Ernest Baker, Mr Heins's successor. During the evening the choir, conducted by Mr Baker, sang two part I songs, unaccompanied, out of compliment to their old leader. The singing was good, and was much enjoyed by the audience.

é' POULTRY KEEPING. A PROFITABLE HOBBY. BY "UTILITY»" POULTRY ON THE FARM. Keeping poultry on a farm is not the easy matter many people other than the farmers think. The hens lay everywhere and sleep anywhere if given the chance. Eggs are likely to disappear mysteriously, and some may be laid in out-of-the way awkward places among the buildings and stacks. The only method by which poultry may be made profitable on a farm is by penning the birds on the colony system in a field. Pens of from twenty to thirty birds may be made, with, if preferred, a large house in the centre of the pens; though, if the flocks vary much in size, it is ,better to have separate houses for them. The chief difficulty of this system this year is that there is hardly likely to be a field that can be spared just for the poultry. This may he so for the present,- but after the hay and the corn harvest, some field, even if it is only a small one, will be available, and if the pens have to be moved from field to field as they are wanted this is cheaper than losing all profit from the birds. If the pens are put on the stubbles very little other food will be re- quired, and young birds will come on well and start laying early in the autumn to be a profit during the winter. The only building necessary-for the colony system is a portable, house, and there are many excellent types of this on the market, or a handy man could—provided lie could c-et. the "0 wood—soon run up some kind of one himself. But, however it is made. it should be strong and weather proof, and perches, dropping- boards, and nest-boxes should all be movable, A PORTADLE POULTRY HOUSE. fO as to lessen the weight when moving it, and make it easy to clean and dry. Two, three, or four wheels may be needed, not less than 2in. wide these can often be obtained at a smithy, where there are generally all kinds of iron scraps. The house should be placed so that it faces south, and may be provided with a sliding shutter or panel, so that, if the weather is very rough, this may be arranged so as to afford some shelter to the birds. But it is far better to leave the front of the house, half way up at all events, open to the air and sun- iigiit. For the birds will not get on as they should, even if supplied with plenty of food, if they are allowed to sleep in hot, crowded houses at night. THE FARMER'S BEST METHOD. Unfortunately, a great many of the poultry- keepers in this country cannot house their poultry on the best of all methods—what i. known as the colony system. But farmers and smallholders and others who have even a small amount of grass land should be able to put their birds on it and save a considerable amount of food, especially after the hay and corn harvest. Farmers oftea grumble that they mak", nothing out of their poultry. The reason is generally that they have no system at all of keeping them; the birds wander about every- where, and lay just where they feel inclined. In these days, when time is more than ever precious, no one wants to waste time looking for eggs, and consequently a great many are overlooked or disappear in a mysterious manner. But when a portible house is used and put in the fields after the mowing the birds will soon get accustomed to it and go there to sleep at night and lay there too. The fields, after they have been cut for hay or corn, pro- vide abundant food, borli vegetable and animal, and the birds do well, and really re- rjuire litt'e food at all, especially when they are first put on the stubbles. And the con- stant effort to find food will not only result in healthy -nd vigorous birds but will be the means of destroving an enormous amount of worms and grubs; and, further than that, the birds will probably eat up a number of weed I seeds which if left in the ground would seriously poil the next year's crop. In addi- tion to this, something like a ton of poultry manure may be expected from two dozen birds in tli ,Par, and as this :s one of the richest forms of animal manure the benefit to the fields is considerable. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Dissatisfied." SMALL WYANDOTTE EGGS. I —I have heard other poultry keepers com- plain about the smallness of their White Wyandotte eggs, but I have never bad tins r-nplaint to make myself. It is true in the j Harper Adams laying trials the White Wyan- | dotte eggs are the smallest of the breeds, the j avorasp weight being only l"95oz. per egg for the flll ncriod. I think the reason for this is very largely a matter of strain, and very likely bv 'selected breeding much might be done to increase the size of the eggs. Unless the eggs j rre much under the average, though it is usually only the white that is smaller, the yolk rcnains very much the same in a large as in a usually only the white that is smaller, the yolk rcnains very much the same in a large as in a fair-sized egg. I "Reader." QUESTIONS OF VENTILATION. Q 'EF, -if your houses have wooden doors and no windows, a good plan would be to take out the j doors and replace them by frames filled in with wire netting. This would provide ventila- i tion. and yet would keep out intruders such a? foxes and'stoats, &c. If'you have not any wire netting, tarred r.tring netting answers the purpose. But I should advise you to re- arrange the houses so that there is some other ventilation than by the door. Fowls need nlentv of fresh air, and small houses such as poultry have to sleep in become unbearably nlentv of fresh air, and small houses such as poultry have to sleep in become unbearably hot during the summer, especially if they are placed in-a sunny position. "1. R."—GETTING DTTCKS IN AT NIGHT.— I quite agree with vou-cnie ducks are a. Great trouble to get in. and you can waste a great deal of time chasing them nomew aiu^. [ ;;ovi> found, after much experience of this son of thin: that a tin pail containing their r.nrl a 'metal spoon ore a very effective home. dueks will vyy soon learn to I !0": the rattle of the two things which mean ffeni-ng lime, and after a- while they will come bar-k at the same t'-ne of I heir own accord and j wailing for their food, L.Do DUCKS XEED BREAKFAST?— Opinions differ on this point, but I have nhvavs found with ducks on a good range that

I PILES CAN BE CURED without an operation OR MONEY BACK from your own chemist. Thousands of readers who suffer the acute agony and debilitating effects of piles, haeffl01^" rhoids, pruritus, etc., will be greatly interested to know that these afflictions can now be cure" without resorting to the knife and all its pain, danger, and uncertainty of permanent result It was once said by a prominent medical11130 that such operations are often like pruning tree. They stop the growth in one place ow to promote it in a dozen others. A well-known London consulting chemist-sod expert in analytical work devoted most of time for nearly a year to research and expetr ments with a view to perfecting a cure eczema and other serious skin diseases, only did he discover a soothing, antisepta and non-astringent curative compound whicD was amazingly efficient in banishing skin affeC' tions by correcting their cause, but this cotf' pound, known as Xemolin, has now been fou'1 to possess remarkable curative powers wh6° applied to piles. Heretofore, pile treatme0^ have consisted of powerful astringents, whi^ gave only temporary results, since by shrinki^ the tissues and blood vessels they merely increased the congestion, which is the primal cause of all piles, etc. Nemolin has just tlle opposite effect. It stimulates the local blood circulation, so all pain, itching, burning, aU smarting stops, congestion is entirely dispersed- and affected parts almost immediately return to perfectly normal and healthy condition. Nemolin can be obtained of all chemists- NOTE.—An interesting treatise on the action of Nemolin in cases of chronic etc., written by the eminent chemist referred in the above article, will be sent prepaid to anyone sufficiently interested to enclose penny stamp for the return postage. Address • Chief Chemist, Research Laboratories, 6" Bolsover-street, London, W. 1.

BRECON GUARDIANS. Friday, Mr. Owen Price (chairman) presidi^ It was reported that in the four weeks ende(I the 13th instant 44 vagrants were relleved-O decrease of 55 as compared with the corres' ponding period last year and that on the fit" instant there were H8 inmates of the house. decrease of 12 compared with last year. VOTE OF CONDOLENCE. The Chairman stated that since they last one of the members of the Board had suffered a severe bereavement, and he was sure the) 1 would wish to show their sympathy with hiJ11' Mr. Jenkin Williams had lost his only son- t\. s. young man of very great promise, who volu'1 teered for service, but whose health bi'O^ down whilst he was in the Army, with thØ result that he had to be discharged, and was invalid until his death. He moved that a of condolence with Mr. Jenkin Williams his family be entered on the minutes. The Bishop of Swansea, in seconding. ste that one of the sad features of the war was t number of cases where an only son had sac1"1^ ficed his life for his country. While 10 ol]^ sense it was a sad thing, in another sense th^} was all the more pride in the sacrifice But however great the pride in the it could not do away with the sense of terrih^ loss which must fall upon those bereaved, a" it was only right they should give what little consolation there might.be in such a vote of sympathy as they would pass th* morning. Mr. Jenkin Williams, who was much iiloveif assured the Board that he appreciated tbel vote very much. Similar votes had been 0 great help to them in their bereavement. CARE OF SICK PORTUGESE. Mr. J. H. Furhiedge wrote on behalf of Timber Supply Department asking the Bo:1f 1 to admit any sick Portugese at the l°c £ camp requiring hospital treatment to the v.*o-- house infirmary. ir Replying to the Chairman the Master ( Elliott) said there was ample accommodation- e Mr. E. J. Hill (deputy clerk) stated that 011, man who was taken jll at the Cast-ell Madoc caCl was admitted on the 4th instant. He was fir of all taken to the Brecon Infirmary, but the was no vacant bed. The man discharged hi1' j self on the l^th instant. If the Board to accept these cases it would be necessary to fix a charge to cover the cost of maintenance- It was resolved that an}- further cases slid1 be admitted, and that the charge for mainte ance be .£ 1 per week.

r — CANDLESTICK AND TINDER BOX. f Much less than a century ago a tinder-" was an absolutely essential part of the equtPJ ment of every home, but so. suddenly completely did it become obsolete and appear from the list of necessary things wL. e\en to men in middle life its name is re lent of antiquity, mid few could with donee give an account of its shape or 11 writes J. T. Herbert Buily in the Connoistf*1 One that was rescued from a heap of unc sidered trifles in a Suffolk farmhouse was Jj, parentlv an ordinary deep candlestick, Sthj9 as way still be found in common use. In ûØ case, 'however, the candle-holder could lifted off, and the tinder box. complete A" its accessories of damper and steel, was o vealed. Of this handy and convenient- j Lunation few examples now exist, though was once, no doubt, a fairly common type. ——-——————- — eJf

tnov ire rearty TO JO ana fOrage ior TfI, brenkfast soon as let out, and if give^ good 'V--e<wf«st before being released they fly more likely to wait about and not bestir t^gre <=ri">s activelv. The only difficulty is 4 du-k" have to bn kept in their house; -t- "hi I- past in the morning for fear of p0ti 1 rr.vav. i -v may be very hungry i* -;i- egg yield. These ^reat niTViings it is Vsj lo give a fair-sized en. ^■u-Iv in the morning between six and_ s Bv flie time th- y are let out this has diges unci thc-y are ready eEonzh-to forage. I

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