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

FACTS AND FANCIES. FIRST AND LAST SHOT IN THE WAR. Referring to the report that the last shot in the war was fired by an Australian, says Clubman" in the Pall Mall Gazette, Sir Joseph Cook made the interesting statement that probably the first shot in the war was also fired by an Australian. An hour after the declaration of war," said he, the first shot was fired in Aus- tralia across the bows of a scouting Ger- man steamer, the Pfalz. The ship was captured, and has since carried many thou- sands of Australian soldiers to the front.

THE GREAT MOSQUE AT MECCA. The Great Mosque at Mecca stands in the broadest part of the valley, says a Globe writer, and consists of a large quad- rangle, capable of accommodating 35,000 people, surrounded by arcades, with stone and marble pillara, and entered by nine- teen gates surmounted by seven minarets. In the centre is the famous Kaaba. Pilgrims pass around the Kaaba seven times, kiss the Black Stone, touch the Southern Stone, and proceed round the Hijr, or semi-cireular enclosure, contain- ing the reputed graves of Hagar and Ish- mael. Since the day6 of the Prophet, the Kaaba has always been splendidly decor- ated, and has been for a long time annu- ally re-covered with rich brocaded tapestry presented by the Sultan of Turkey, and brought, in solemn state, together with the traditional Mahmal, or Holy Carpet, by the Egyptian Hajj, or pilgrims. The other notable features of the Kaaba are, the sil- ver-gilt door, which is rarely opened, the marble inlay work, silver-gilt plating, and I silken hangings of the interior. Next in point of interest is the well of Zemzem, a deep shaft covered by a cupola. The tepid water of this well at some time may have possessed medicinal properties, and is still regarded as miraculous, small bottles of the muddy fluid forming a staple commodity among the Meccan pedlars.

PITTSBURG'S SOOTFALL. The sootfall of Pittsburg, as determined from careful measurements a few years ago, range from 595 to 1,950 tons per square mile per annum. The destructive ) possibilities of this immense deposit may be illustrated by stating that if an equal j amount of lamp-black were ground with oil so as to form black paint it would ) cover from seventeen to fifty-seven square miles with two coats.

QUAINT OLD WEDDING IDEAS. It was customary, in olden times, for the bride to present her future husband with a bunch of rosemary, tied up with ribbons, t on hie first appearanoe on the wedding morning. This was supposed to secure his love and loyalty, and to make her happy for ever. In Yorkshire the old superstition still i abounds that nothing more unlucky could j happen than for a newly-made bride to leave the church by a different door from I that by which she entered. Another quaint custom, for which there 1 io no known origin, is that practised in ¡ some of the Midland and Northern Coun- 'I ties. This is to ring a merry peal of church bells at tbe first reading of the banns of an intending matrimonial oouple. j It is called the spur peal," which in old Anglo-Saxon means simply" ask." I Of course, it is well known that it is the I height of luck for a bride-to-be to dream of fairies the night before the actual oere- I mony. So much was this idea believed in, that many girls would peruse fairy tales I before going to sleep. I In Sweden it is the custom for a bride to I fill her pockets with bread, which she dis- penses to every one she meets on her way to the church. Every piece she thus dis- I poses of is supposed to avert a misfortune. I

LLANGYNiDR. Prayer Meetings.—United Prayer Meetings were held by the Congrega- tionalists and Baptists last week, on Monday and Wednesday evenings at the Baptist Chapel and on Tuesday and Thuvisday evenings at the Congregational Chapel, -^Lomo on Leave.—All are glad to see 1-!Jill(; on Leave.—All are glad to see Sister Gv/enllian Roberts home on leave She has had a strenuous time of it, and it is to be hoped her stay at Llangynidr will help her to recuperate and become once more, fit to carry on her noble work. —Scrgt. Evan Evans, Gelli Duffryn, is also home on leave looking well.—Cyril Cox, the yQungest son of Mrs Cox, Turnpike Cottage, has returned home from Saloniga.; his first leave since he joined in 1014, Whist Drive and Presentation.—On Saturday night a very successful social and whist drive was held in the School- room. A large number attended and a very pleasant evening was spent. Mr R. P. Griffiths took charge of the garner n dtid Mr Gweulan acted as M,C. The whist drive prizes were won by Mrs. Evans, School House, Cwaidu, Mrs Isaac Jones, Sergt.-Major Chainey aud Pte, H. S. Jones. At the interval a very pleasing ceremony took place. Gunner J W. Jones, of Barclays Bank, the son of Mr and Mrs John Jones, Glasfryn, has 1 been on farm service in the neighbour- hood as substit«+« and has made himself most popular by his pleasant manner and his readiness to help in any way. He proved himself a very successful clock 'doctor. and over twenty-five uilem- ploved "grandfathers" have proved amenable to reason in his nimble hands. He has also been a warm supporter of any movement for the welfare of the inhabitants, especially of the younger portion and has been of great assistance with the whist drives. Hearing that Mr Jones was leaving, owing to his discharge from the army, some of his friends resolved that he should have a gift to take with him. A collection was made and a handsome clock was constructed by Sergt.-Mechanic Hotchins, of the R.A.F., who kindly let the Committee have it at the cost of materials only. It I is made from wood and ball bearings of an aeroplane, and has been much admired. Mr Tom Pugh collected the subscriptions 11 ions and on Saturday night, in a neat speech, gave an account of his experiences. Mr D. H. Roberts then presented Mr Jones with the clock and a purse of money on behalf of the subscribers. Mr Jones having suitably responded, Mr W. Pugh also spjke very highly of Mr Jones' services in the neighbourhood and of his sterling character. The following ladies ¡ did much to make the social a success:— Mrs Roberts, Mrs Gandern (Red Lion), I Mrs Isaac Jones, Mrs T. Pugh, Mrs Morris Francis, Miss Davies, Miss Nina Jones, Miss May Francis, Miss Jennie Powell and Miss Edith Pugh.

CKICKHGWSLL, Correction.—The name of the late Capt. P. A. Hill, South Wa!c.? Borderers, son of Dr. P. E. ii 1. was erroneously printed in the report of the Church memorial service in our last issue as Corpl. P. A. Hill. Foothill.—Crickhowell Football Club received it visitfrom Clydach Juniors on Saturday, when the visitors won by 2 goals to nil. Travelling Inconvenience. — Much inconvenience has been caused by the breakdown of the G.W.R. Motor between this place and Abergavenny this week. It was mentioned at a public meeting at Llangattock last week that it time some better system of transport was provided for the district, and Lord Gianusk is reported to have said that he did not think the public would have to wait long before hiving a light railway through the valley. We suggest that those who are keen on local interests, and would like this district to come under the reconstruction schemes of to-day, might take the hint. Board of Guardians.—Monday, Mr Gwilym C. James presiding. A letter was received from Mr Joseph Isaac resigning his appointment as assistant overseer for the parish of Brynmawr and Llanellv, as from 31st March next. The resignation was accepted, and the Clerk (Mr T. Yaugharf) was instructed to convey to Mr Isaac the Board's high appreciation of the excellent manner in which he had carried out his duties during the long period of 45 years. A letter Was read from the Rev. E. Row- land, Crickhowell, applying for an increase in his annual remuneration of £ 10, as religious instructor at the house. He pointed out that the salary was the same now as when he was appointed 14 years ago. Mr W. G. James, chairman of the Finance Committee, said they had carefully considered Mr Rowland's application, and recommended an in- crease of 50 per cent. He gave notice to move a resolution to that effect at the next meeting.

GLASBURY. Correction.—Our reporter regrets that through a misunderstanding the social given on New Year's Day in All Saints' parish was not reported quite correctly. It was a committee of seven ladies who provided the entertainment not the gentlemen, viz., Mrs deWinton, Mrs Griffith, Mrs Synge, Mrs Fielden, Mrs Mortimer Baylis, Mrs Gunter and Mrs Vulliamy they also generously gave a te"- to oil th children of the parish on Thursday, the 2nd inst. The Late Mr Jno. Beavan.-The mortal remains of Mr John Beavan, Grove II<Jüö (biuiher of Mis GW}llliO), were laid to rest in S. Peter's Church- yard on Thursday last. By his death one of the oldest aud best known figures of Glasbury has been removed. He had the misfortune to be born blind, but his life was an example of cheerfulness and kindliness. He loved everybody and was beloved by all who knew him. His capacity for knowing people by their voices, for getting about and making him- self useful, was marvellous. He was one of the oldest members of S. Peter's Church, and when younger always went up the tower to wind the Church clock, attended every service and was a regular communicant. For years he was organ blower and always knew the psalms for the day and the numbers of the hymns. As befitting such a faithful member, his funeral was a choral one, his favourite hymn, "Jesu lover of my soul" and the "Nunc Dimittis" being sung. As the cortege left the church Mr Gardnef, the Organist, played "0 rest in the Lord." I The Yiear and Rev. F. Whitehead officiated. The coffin was of unpolished, J oak with brass fittings and bore the inscription :John Beavan, died Jan. 6th, 1919, aged 75 years." The under- taker was Mr J. W. Morgan. A number of floral tributes testified to the esteem in which deceased was held, onewbeing from the old members of S. Peter's choir in "memory of a faithful friend."

BEULAH. Whist Drive. A successful whist drive took place in the Reading Room on the 7th inst. It was the first held in Beulah, and as it proved so pleasant and interesting it is probable that more will j follow. The neval arrangements were ¡ in the capable hands of Miss Evans, the Yicarage, and Miss Phyllis Arthur, Emlyn House the room was tastefully arranged by Mr C. Paines and Mr Ivor Williams, and Mr Painca also acted as M.C., while the refreshments were in charge of Mrs Paines, Mrs T. Arthur and Mrs Jones. A large contingent from Garth greatly helped to make the affair a success. Miss Kathleen Evan-Thomas, who is now at Llwynmadoc, and Mrs Evans, the Vicarage, generously provided the prises. At the close the Vicar, Rev. J. Y. Evans, thanked all present for their support of the fund for honouring the boys who had been fighting for their country. The winners in the ladies' class were—1 Miss James, Garth Hotel 2 Miss Rose Jones, Beulah, and 3 Miss George, Garth House consolation, Miss B. Davies, Gwyneb-yr-haul. The win- ners in the gentlemen's class were—1 Mr Dan E. Davies, Ashfield House, Garth 2 Lance-Corpl. J. E. Price, Beulah 3 Sergt. Sid Jarman, Garth consolation, Private J. P. Jones, Godrefan. Success in France.—It is with pleasure that we record the success of a Beulah boy in France. On August 12th, 1918, at the XIII Corps' Horse Show, Private T. Griffiths, 9th Bn-Welsh Regiment (19th Division), son of Mrs Griffiths, Dolberthog, won the first prize and was also presented with a medal and certifi- cate, in No. 11 Battalion Turnout. V

i LLAiNG&MMMOH xVELLS, j Another- Prisoner of War Returned. ] There were three prisoners of war in Germany from this plr.ee, at; 1 tic last I one. in the person of (Vrpl. Richard I Davies, 15th Welsh, arriveJ home on Monday, the Gth ins'. His time of v, arrival was not known and rr.i-iy were disappointed ih.tt the., ■■re at the I Railway Station to meet him. C/poral Davies joined the Colours on the 11th January, 1915, and he has been through many tight places and was wounded when taken prisoner. He went out to I France on the 15th December, 1915, and took part in the battles of Laventie, I Neuve Cha;.elie, Riechbourg, Festubert, and Glycnchy during the first six months. Then he was sent to the Somme, and in the battle of Mametz Wood, on July 1 Gth, he had a narrow escape, being one of the five ort of his platoon who were nci. hillc:1.. Here he gained his first I stripe. Next he was at Gomme Court Wood, and from August, 1916, till July 27th, 1917, the date of his being wounded and captured, he was on the Ypres front. He was in hospital at Lazarelh Yerden for seven weeks, left Verden September 20th for Soltau, where he arrived same date and where he stayed until his release on,the 22nd December last. At Soltau Camp he was employed in the sorting of parcels from the Red Cross, London, to 1,500 prisoners' camps and commandos. While there Corpl. Davies met a fellow prisoner from Llandovery, who proved a true friend. Although he was fortunate himself, he saw many cases of cruel treatment. Their exist- ence depended on the food sent from England, and his impression is that the Germans themselves were in a plight for food. He arrived at Hull on Boxing Day. Corpl. Davies enjoys good health and with the exception of two bouts of trench feverbas been well since he joined the Army. He is now visiting his many friends round Beulah and Llanwrtyd, ) where he was extremely popular in pre- war days. He spent much of his boyhood at Tygarw, Beulah.

LLANBEDR. Memorial Service.—A war memorial service was held at S. Peter's Church, Liadbedi-, the rector (the Rev. T. C. I Wyndham Lewis) officiating. The names on the "Roll of Honour were as I follows :—Second-Lieut. Douglas D. R. Lewis, Durham Light Infantry Private Walter Jones, New Zealand Expedit- ionary Force (whose home was at Gellyfamv, in this parish). Mr Browne- fV v AOfc ±J1CL j txic xtxiii. Cll ill Saul immediately before the Last Saul immediately before the Last Post." which was blown by Gordon Griffiths, of Glangrwyney. The service was very well attended and most im- pressive. The School Treat.-—The annual treat to the Sunday and day school children was given on New Year's Day by Mr and Mrs Browne-Davies. The children have been entertained at the schoolroom for 26 consecutive years in this way by the good people of the Neuadd. The follow- ing girls received prizes for good attend- ance :—Tansy Francis and Mary Jones, fist prize Mabel Lewis and Winnie I Salter, 2nd prize. Also the following boys :—Edgar Lewis, 1st prize Reggie I Jones, 2nd; Bertie Jones, 3rd Jack I Griffiths, 4th. Needlework prizes were given to Sybil Jones, Elsie Meredith, Agnes Griffiths, Connie Meredith and I May Ramsey and Miss Evelyn Cripps presented the following Sunday School pupils with prizes :—Lily Meredith, 1st; j Basil Brute, 2nd. Consolation prizes were presented to Elsie Meredith and Connie Meredith. A bran tub was provided by Miss Kathleen Cripps, into which each one dived for a present. A very enjoyable evening was spent in j playing games, and a vote of thanks was passed to Mr aud Mi's Browne-Davies and the Misses K. and E. Cripps for their great kindness. I Choir Supper.—Mr and Mrs Browne- Davies, with their usual generosity, invited the Choir and Girls' Friendly j Society to'games and supper at the j Neuadd on Wednesday, the 8th inst. At the end of a most enjoyable evening a ( vote of thanks was proposed by the Rector and seconded by Mr Jesse Jones.. Concert.—The annual concert held at I Lhv.ibedr C.E, School met with the usual success. Tlie're was a long and J uaried programme and Mr Browne- Davies presided. Among those who sang were :-Miss K. Cripps, Miss B. Lewis, Miss C. Jones, Miss Elsie Powell, Miss M. Davies Jones, Miss Mamwaring, j Mr Browne-Davies, the Rector and his j brother (Mr Chas. Lewis), Mr Rumscy j Powell and Mr W. Howell. We were J favoured by a flute solo from Mr Gervas j Hughes, from Glynpedr, and a recitation from Mr Tom Pembridge. Owing to the temporary indisposition of Miss Evelyn Cripps, Mrs Browne-Davies, at very short notice, took her part in a i dialogue with Miss K. Cripps. This proved a most amusing item. The school- fl children contributed two songs and a recitation. The audience was very responsive, several of the items being f encored.

ST. THOMAS'S DAY. j The custom of collecting Christmas boxes, or gifts, which gave to December 26th the name of Boxing Day, still sur- vives, although much shrunk from its traditional importance. Few, however, are even aware, says the yGlobe, that oa December Met it was a mediaeval custom for poor persons to go agooding "—that 1 is, to make a round of the parish in calling j at the houses of their richer neighbours and begging a supply of provisions, or money in lieu thereof, in order to provide j themselves with good things for tike j approaching festival of Christmas. I

THE OIL BIRD, I One of the animal curiosities of South America is the oil bird," or guacharo. It breeds in rocky caves on the mainland, I and one of its favourite haunts is the island of Trinidad. It lays its eggs in a nest made of mud, a^id the young birds are prodigiously fat. The natives melt the far down in clay pots, and produce from it a I kind of butter, The caves inhabited by the birds are usually accessible only from I the sea, and the hunting of them is some- times an exciting sport.

BEAUTIFUL THINGS. The child's conception of beautiful things is wonderfully expressed in the fol- lowing answers to "What ie the most lieautiful thing you have seen? The sun- set in summer; a big' cake of chocolate; a waterfall; the sea on a rough day, dashing against high cliffs; the sea; the sunset; a rainbow; a moonlight night.

PRAYING FOR A MODEL WIFE. A solution to the problem of unhappy marriages is suggested by the celebration in China of the annual festival of Pro- pitious Day," The festival, according to Pearson's Weekly, is the outcome of a very ancient Buddhist legend. The story runs that a young man and a young voman one day happened, entirely apa. from each other, to offer prayers to Buddha: he for a model wife and she for a model hus- band. Buddha decided to unite the two as husband and wife. For a time they lived happily together, but then began fol- lowing their own wills, and so got to wrangling and quarrelling. This outcome of his match-making angered Buddha, and he banished the two to opposite sides of a broad and deep river, so that while they could see each other they could not reach each other, or even converse. Once a year, however, they were permitted to meet. The result was that they longed for each other and looked forward eagerly to the coming of the reunion day, and thus became a model husband and wife. The supposed anniversary of this re- union day is the Propitious Day," which women celebrate. On that day Chinese maidens implore heaven to send them worthy husbands, and they offer to Buddha miniature dolls, or figures made tef a special kind of paper. These little figures represent the two married people of the old legend.

PARTHIAN SHOTi PARTHIAN SHOTi A Parthian Shot is usually a telling re- mark delivered when leaving by one who is apparently beaten in argument. The Parthians, an ancient Asiatic race, were magnificent horsemen and bowmen. In warfare they fled before opponents, appar- ently routed, but in retreating turned in their oad&w aW witil deogy sq.

r RANDOM READINGS. LONDON'S BALLOON" APRONS." The idea of balloon aprons sus- pended over the suburbs to net Gothas originated, says the Daily Mail, with Major-General E. B. Ashmore, V.O., the man responsible for the London defences during the first aeroplane night raid in September, 1917. It seemed at that time there was no answer to night raiding. The lifting of complete nets to the heights attained by the Gothas was obviously im- practicable for tschnical reasons, but next morning General Ashmore put forward the suggestion of the aprons," in which single strands were suspended from trans- verse cordage joining two or more obser- vation balloons, and experiments were at once begun. The details were worked out by Colonels Bovill and Roxby, both of the Kite Balloon Service, and the earliest experiments witnessed by Lord French in Richmond Park showed 'that the balloons would lift the aprons to a great height without huddling together. A NASTY ACCIDBNT. Shortly afterwards a nasty accident dur- ing a further trial in Richmond Park nearly led to the abandonment of the scheme. An apron of five balloons was sent aloft in a light wind, when three bal- loons broke adrift, one carrying two men with it. Ono man released his hold, and, falling from about 1,000ft., was smashed to pieces in Richmond Park. The other, who tried to climb into the rigging of the balloon, fell from an immense height on tne way to the coaet. The balloons were afterwards shot down by a Dover battery. Officers and men, however, were very quick in learning the business, and the aprons soon began to appear round the East End of London. A depot in Epping Forest trained and supplied the men, and the Apron Balloon Wing was soon or- ganised and divided into squadrons, the squadrons being sub-divided into aprons, A COMPLETE SUCCESS. They were a complete success. Their main duty was to heep the Hun at a cer- tain height in order that our night-flying aeroplane patrols should only have to watch the sky above that height. Inci- dentally, they prevented low and accurate bomb-dropping on London. The Huns would not come down low over London, knowing they would have to climb again, and therefore fly slowly, in order to get over the aprons OIl the way out. The aprons were an added terror, and with the powerful searchlights, guns, and patrols, kepi some 75 per cent. of the raiding machines out of London. Our night- fighting pilots at first did not like the aprons, but when they found the aprons gave them a better chance in meeting the Hun they became warm supporters of the- scheme. j i

METALLIC PROPERTIES OF ZINC SULPHIDE. Experiments of the United States Bureau of Standards have shown that zinc sul- phide may be prejpared in the form of short wires or strips, like a metal, and that when thus prepared it has many of the properties of a metal. The wire, which may be drawn hot, is found to con- duct electricity like a metal of high speci- fic resistance and practically zero tem- perature coefficient. The strips, rolled at zoom temperature, h*ve a large tempera- ture coefficient, and show both metallic and electrolytic conduction at the same time. The resistance of these strips hae been examined with both alternating and direct current, and hae nearly always been j found higher in the former oaee than in the latter. The pttaaage of a email alter- j nating current of a frequency as low as j sixty cycles increased temporarily the re- ] swtance of die sulphide, while a small direct current produced the opposite effect, j <

■—■■ ) Loan of Horses for Farmers. I The attention of -farmers is drawn to an advertisement in another column by the Brecoushire War Agricultural Executive Committee, the Elms, Brecon, showing that the Board of Agriculture I are prepared to lend light draught Army mares with the object of encouraging the breeding of horses suitable for Artillery I, work. A small annual rental of £ 2 is charged for each mare and the farmer must care for her properly and use liei I reasonably in work. The scheme seems to be a good one, and we invite Brecon- I shire farmers to seriously consider it.

CEFN COED. I Lecture.—The Rev. J. Dyfnallt Owen, J Carmarthen, gave an interesting address I at Ebenezer on Monday on his experi- j enccs in France in connection with Y.M.C.A. work. Prese.,it-,ttiot,At Ebenezer Welsh Congregational Church on Sunday, Mr William Morgan, son of Mr Morgan Morgan. Holford street, Cefn Coed, was presented with a marble timepiece by the members of the church as a wedding gift and also as a mark of appreciation of his services as precentor. The presen- tation was made by Mr Win. Williams, deacon of the church, who in the course of his congratulatory remarks referred to the interesting fact that Mr Morgan's grandfather was one of the founders of the church. Memorial Service.—A memorial ser- vice for Mr Richard G. Price, son of Mrs T. Price, Vaynor villas, and headmaster of the Dowlais Central school, was held at Tabor Welsh Congre- gational Church on Sunday. The Rev. J. Seymour Rees, pastor, officiated and spoke his personal appreciation of the late Mr Price, whose characteristics, he said, were manliness, cheerfulness, and I godliness. Mr Alun Williams conducted the singing of appropriate hymns and Mrs Wm. Evans presided at the organ.

-=>o=- LMNWRTYD WELLS. Military Notes.—The following are home on leave from France — Pte Reggie Jenkins, Dolecode Hotel Pte Fred Collins, Taliyeoed Corpl. D. R. Price, Penrhos Gunner R. P. Pugh, Berthddu. Sergt.-Instr. Tom Davies, Irfon View Pte Stucley Lucas, the Bungalow, are also paying a visit home. F èe Library.—At a reeeni meeling of the committee it was decided that a small donation would have to be asked for to meet expenses until the 31st March next. A request was made that old memhers would kindly return the books they have in their possession.

LLANFRYNACH. Whist Drive and Dance. — A very enjoyable evening was spent at the Parish Hall on Wednesday, when a whist drive and dance was held. The prize for the successful lady at whist went to Miss Alice Price, Tregare, and Mr Morgan Davies received.the gentle- man's prize. Miss E. M. Davies, Belle Vue, Brecon, rendered valuable assist- ance as accompanist, and was ably assisted by Miss A. Jenkins, Talybout, and Miss Dolly Davies. The proceeds of this and other entertainments to follow will be devoted to a fund to provide suitable mementoes for the men of the neighbourhood who have served with the Colours during the great war.

TALY BONT-ON-USK. The Late Mr John Evans.—A well- known and respected farmer passed away after a brief illness on Monday, the 6th I inst., in the person of Mr John Evans, of Ffynonwen Farm. Deceased, who was only 43 years of age, was a kind and generous man and an excellent neigh- bour. and he will he greatly missed in this district. He was a faithful member of the Congregational Church at Aber, and the respect in which he was held was shown by the large attendance at the funeral on one of the most stormy days of this winter. The burial took place on Hie 9th inst. at Cwmwysg, of which district the decepsed was a native. His fermer pastor, the Rev. W. H. A. Morgan, now of lAberyschan, officiated at the house and fin the chapel, and was assisted by the Revs. J. C. Jones, Cwm- wysg, Hughes Jones, Llanellv. and the Rev. D J Teague, vicar of Traianglas. The' chief mourners were Mrs Powell, Ffynonwen, sister Misses Jane and Margaret Evans, lllwynmellrig, sisters [Messrs Roger, David, and Samuel Evans, Llwynmeirig, brothers Mr and Mrs Benjamin Evans, Ynysmarchog, brother and sister-in-law Mr and Mrs Morgan iv/ans, Ynysfawr, brother and sister-in- law Master D. J. Evans, Ynysmarchog, nephew rr and Mrs D. Edward*, Ffosddu, uncle and aunt Mr and Mrs S. Edwards. Cwmclyd, uncle and aunt Mr L. Williams, Watton, Brecon, uncle Mr J. Williams, Dryn, Bolgoed, uncle Mr D. Williams, Upper Bolgoed, uncle Mr and Mrs D. Morgan, Bwysfafawr. cousins Mr T. Edwards, Bwysfafacb, cousin Mr E. Jones, Penbont, cousin Miss E. Jones and Mr G. Jones, Blaenau, cousins; Messrs J. and E. Griffiths, Ystradgynlais, cousins Pte. D. J. Edwards, Llwynmeurig, cousin ;iMiss M. J. Edwards and Mr W. Edwards, Cwmclyd, cousins Miss Annie Evans, Tymawr, Trawlln, cousin Mr G. Evans, Tymawr, Trallwn, cousin Mr E. Evans, Stange, Llanddeusant, cousin. Wreaths were sent as follows :-In loving memory of dear John, from h:s sisters in loving memory of dear John, from his brothers m deepest sympathy, I from the members of the Aber Congre- gational Church with sympathy, from Mr & Mrs Evans-Bevan, Cadoxton House, Neath with deep sympathy and kind remembrance, from Mr and Mrs Bendle I with deepest sympathy, from Mr and Mrs Lawrence, Tynewydd with sin- cerest sympathy, from the family at Station House, Peutirrhiw. Our Tre- castle correspondent also makes a reference to deceased.

UPPER CHAPEL. Farmers' Union.—The annual meeting of the Merthyr Cynog and Upper Chapel Branch of the Farmers' Union was held at Upper Chapel on Thursday last. There was a good muster of members. The Secretary (Mr 1. M. Probert) reported an increase in the membership of 23, the number now standing at 48. This was considered very satisfactory, but it was remarked that there were still some farmers in the parish too indifferent toj the better interests of their pro- fession to join the union. A vote of condolence with the General Secretary II" as passed, the members all standing. The balance sheet was presented and found satisfactory. The balance this year goes to the county. central fund. Mr T. B. Williams was re-elected chair- man of the branch for 1919, and Mr J. L. Davies, J.P., C.C., and Mr W. T. James vice-chairmen. Three delegates were appointed to represent the branch on the County Executive Committee. The parish was divided into four dis- tricts and four canvassers appointed to collect membership subscriptions, and an !effort will be made to induce every farmer to join the union. After con- siderable discussion, a resolution was passed making a serious and emphatic protest against the high prices charged for feeding meal," and pointing out that I if the Government fixed the price to be paid to the producer, it would be only fair to fix the price also charged to the ¡ consumer, and not allow the middleman a free hand in his sale of feeding meal, as now he reaped enormous profits." This was directed to be forwarded to I the Executive Committee. The question ¡ of the conveyance of lime was again I discussed, and if was resolved to invite 1 tenders for the work.

-4.. -=- -=- SCIENCE NOTES AND NEWS. ALTITUDE OF THE AURORA. The question of the altitude of the aurora. polaris has been discussed from time to time in scientific journals, and it has been pointed out that the photogra- phie «'!<*?<?uvewe?*ts of Rtermor and others do hi:" bear out the belief, ouec generally entertained, that the aurora frequently occurs at low levels in the atmosphere. In a letter to Nature, Dr. G. C. Simpson, who was a member of the Scott Antarctic expedition, describes certain instances in .which fellow-explorers thought they saw auroral beams between their position and Mount Erebus, aud hence not far above the earth. In each case, however, he himself was able to observe that this appearance was illusory. In one case bands of moonlight were mistaken for the. aurora in another the aurora was'seen in a patch of clear sky between the mountain and a cloud, which appeared to be n part of- the mountain; while in a third the alleged auroral beam was a part of a lunar halo. Dr. C. Chree, commenting on Simpson's letter, points out that the Maw- son expedition recorded a greater number of apparent cases of aurora at low alti- tudes, and he thinks that we are not yet in a position to deny the possibility of the occurrence of the aurora at low levels near the magnetic poles." It is to be hoped says the Scientific American, bat future polar explorers will make special efforts to settle this question, and that they will carry out measurements of auroral heights by photography, according to the mthod of Stormer. EARTHQUAKE WEATHER. An article in the Monthly Weather Review revives the old question whether a particular type of weather is or is not commonly observed to prevail just before an earthquake. The expression "earth- quake weather" is frequently heard in California and in some other regions sub- ject to earthquakes. It is applied to a heavy oppressive feeling in the air; heat, calm, little eloud, and more or less haze. This is much Uw E&iiie kind of weather as prevails before a summer thunderstorm, and perhaps the popular mind has ex- tended the association from one pheno- menon to the other. Professor Hum- phreys, in charge of the Seismological work of the U.S. Weather Bureau, has made the plausible su^sestion that the earthquake weather notion is probably of psychological origin; the general etate of irritation aud sensitiveness produced by the kind of weather above described in- clines aA to sharper observation of earth- quake disturbances and accentuates the impression they make on our senses; thus we rotain mere vivid mcmorios of the quakes occurring during such weather than of those occurring on more soothing days. In some countries particular forms Qf "¡t"\IH fire '1"(T.n tn fnr"bode earMt- quakes, and the-re is a widespread belief that earthquake shocks produce miet, teg, ailu .L¿;'ii. Tlic iutit oliai uaiOiuetiic xlltC- tuations are connected with earthquakes rests upon a much more inline mful foundation. V PLANT GROWTH IN STAGNANT AIR. Whether plants, like animals, need ven- tilation when growing indoors is a ques- tion concerning which there has been some discussion. A series of experiments eaar- ried out at the University of Mi led to the following conclusions: No il effects manifested themselves as due to oenfming. plants in stagnant air in small or large chambers. The greatest objection to small chambers, as bell jars, comes from the growth of injurious fungi on the plants, owing to excessive moisture. With few exceptions the culture showed that in small chambers seedlings grow tatter,, pro- duce larger and more numerous kwtws, and then become exhausted, so tb&t they fall over a day or two earlier than in a larger ventilated chamber. Not only is ventilation of no effect in producing better seedlings in a small or large chamber in the dark, but it has no visible effect on the sensitive reactions of geotropwwa aud heliowopieiu. V. THE LIGHTEST KNOWN WOOD. A consular report from Port Limon, Costa Rica, gives interesting details con- cerning the trade of that regioa in balso or corkwood (Ochroma), said to be the lightest of all known woods. It has loag been used in tropical America for making canoes and a special type of raft, also known as balsa. It is very porous and a good insulator against heat and cold/and the report above mentioned states that it would be valuable for aeroplane construc- tion. The young trees are soft and very sensitive to injury from vines. The trees are dioecious, the male tree being known as burillo and the female as balsa real. OIL-SWITCHES. For electric switches carrying heavy currents, and for those on high-voltage supply, it has long been the practice to immerse the contacts in oil, to prevent damage by burning' the metal when the circuit is broken under load (with conse- quent arcing). Oil, however, is not with- out it- danger—the danger of firing; especially is this possible when the liquid is already heated after extended use. This danger, nevertheless, says the Engineering Gazette, can be, and is, guarded against, and oil continues to be not only the usual, but the best medium for this purpose of dousing the arc. The Central Empires were, early in the war, faced with a difficult position, owing to the scarcity of oil within their borders, and they sought out substitutes. The most suitable of these they found to be carbon-tetrachloride--the liquid so largely used in certain fire-extinguishers. This liquid possesses two admirable qualities for this switch immersion purpose: it is (1) not only non-inflammable, but possesses fire-fighting properties; and (2) is a per- fect insulation (so much so, indeed, that extinguishers of this type are those em- ployed in tackling electrical fires, owing to their obviating possibility of shock to those operating the extinguisher). There is, however, one trouble with oarbon- tetrachloride: it evaporates. Printed and Published by THE BRECON COUNTY TIMES LIMITED at the Bulwark and Lion Street, Brecon, in the County of Brecknock, THURSDAY, JANUARY 16tb, 1919, and registered at the General Post Office as a newspaper.