The Montgomery County Times and Shropshire and Mid-Wales Advertiser

CRICKET. Oswestry placed a very strong team on the field at \eL;hl'ocl against the home XI. A capital game was witnessed by those fortunate enough to bo present. The score of Oswestry amounted to 73. Four wickets, and good ones too, fell with the score at 11, and a small score seemed probable, but then Capt. Huphurst-France joined X. E. Tidy, and these tw-o by very good batting improved the state of things for their side. The innings of the Captain was a very tine and useful one. and his batting was greatly admired. H. W. Sabine, who came late, assisted his captain and played admirably for 17. S. Owen and L. Jones bowled well. The speed of the latter on the fiery wicket was rather dangerous. Owen got five wickets for 29. and L. Jones four for 56. The Welshpool innings commenced disastrous- ly. Tallis was caught from one of his miss-hits on the off, and D. R. Jones unluckily played on. Lniuley Jones played with confidence aud scored 19 in form, but although the tail played fairlv well the bowling of Sabine and Gough was too good for them aud all were out for 56, or 17 behind. The match was in every way a good one. and the Oswestry team and the spectators were evidently pleased with the great improvement shown in Welshpool cricket this season. While the Oswestry senior team were having a few anxious moments at Weisiipool, no such feeling prevailed WIth the second string who were visired by C/iirfc. Here the fan was fast and furious. G. Whitfield and YValter Gough opened the Oswestry innings in sensational style. Both played cautiously at first, but when set hit away merrily. The score was 102 before Whitfield was caught for an admir- able innings of 45. W. G. Gough soon followed for 68, made in the perfect style for which W. G. was noted only a few years ago. Now that he has broken the ice we hope to have the pleasure of seeing him again with his old comrades in the first t¡.am. He will be heartily welcomed. J. F. Gough t in a very short time hit up 41 bv most dashing'play. No matter what ball came it bad to go. With the score at 178 for three wickets, Oswestry declared. F. J. Gough and England were well set, and the latter played steadily for 14 runs. Chirk were out for 46. Mates (13) and J. Roberts (12) played well, but the others fell an easy prey to the Guuglis. The Goughs had a day out oa Saturday. There was plenty of excitement at Welshpool, but it was nothing o that at Xewtown when, after a good long clay's cricket, Machynlleth pulled the match literally cut of the fire by two wickets. The first innings of Xewtown onS; reached 53. Yaughan, Lloyd Jones, and Edmunds bowled very well, and only Richards (13) and Breeze (11) really got at home with it. The innings of Machynlleth exceeded this by 20, but the result was nearly all due to the excellent work of one man -P. Vaughau- who by grand batting scored 47. He hit very hard and made a six in audition to fours and threes. A. O. Davies scored a dozen and was settling down nicely when he was run out. Richards was the most successful bowler for Xewtown and got six wickets for very few runs. In fact after he went on the score was only increased by 13. The second innings of New- town was a little worse than the first, and only reached 48. H. Hibbott 10 and Breeze 15 not out were the only men to do themselves justice. Edmunds and Lioyd Jones bowled splendidly and completely stuck up the home batsmen. This left Machynlleth with but 29 to win and they entered on the task with light hearts. Before long how. ever C. Parry and Richards caused a different feel- ing in the minds of the visitors. By some of the deadliest bowling ever seen on the ground wicket followed wicket, duck followed duck, with alarming rapidity, and it seemed after all all over with Mach- ynlleth. One good man stuck his ground—X. Lloyd Jones—and to him and to him alone belongs the credit of pulling the match off. By most stubborn defence he carried his bat for 18 of the 29 require: Twelve a side played. Many good matches have been played at Xewtown but never a better than this. Richards aud Parry deserve as much praise as X. Llovd-Jones for their magnificent bowling. Who said that W. F. Richards was done with ? He is a better man now than ever he was. There is always plenty of keenness between R.W.W. and Montgomery, and thi3 year there was no exception to the rule. The teams met at Lymore on Saturday, and opinions were in favour of the home team. R.W.W. won the toss, and Cannon and W. E. Prvce-Jones started. The latter was in rare form and played the bowling with confidence and judgment. His 30 runs were very useful, and went a long way towards the victory of his side. Chase Davies played steadily for 11, but the others fared badly before the deliveries of C. B. Williams, who bowled splendidly—7 wickets for 23 testifying to this. P. Eaton and Tom Harris at one time looked like placing their side winners, but Wood's bowling played havoc with the tail, and the last wicket fell with the score at 58, or 11 behind. Tom Harris carried his bat for a very good innings of 19. P. Eaton (11) was the next scorer. Wood's bowling told well-4 wickets for 6. For the loss of one wicket R.W.W. scored 31. E. A. Taylor (15) and E. R. Pugh (11), both not out. The game was well contested all through, and in a most friendly spirit. y Owing to the vagaries of their steed, most of the Llanymynech men did not turn up at Whitting- ton, till 4 p.m., instead of 2.30. As Whittington wished to draw at six, only two hours remained for play. In a. little over an hour Llanymynech had scored 08, when their innings was declared with 4 wickets down. The batting of VYilshaw 16 and R.Morris 12, was good. Whittingion never at- tempted to make the runs, but killed time as much as possible. Time arrived with 3 wickets down for 30. H. Humphriesplayed a good sound innings of 16 not out. The Varsity match ended, as most true sports- men wished. The victory of Oxford is the most popular one for many years. The action of the Cambridge captain allevated sympathy from him and his su e-even old thorough goin- supporters of the Light Blues were disgusted at what they considered his unsportsmanlike work. Its all very well to win a match but it should be so done as to leave no sting behind it. A victory bought in this way is a dear one at best. The only thing that can be said in favour of the action of the Light Blues is that it is cricket. So are many other things one would not like to do. Most people were glad to find that Mitchell after all fell into the trap that he laid for others. The Indian Prince easily heads the averages this week. Abel is falling a little, while the Prince has increased his average. FIRST-CLASS AVERAGES. Calculated to Saturday July 4 inclusive. BATTIM; AVERAGES. No. Times Most of not Total in an inns. out. runs, inns. Aver Ranjitainhji, K. S. 24 2 1214 171* 55.18 Abel 24 2 1021 231 54.32 A, Gun a 26 5 1055 207* 50.23 Grace, Dr W. G. 27 2 1251 243* 50. 4 Brown, J. T 32 6 1186 203 45.61 Havward 24 6 799 229* 44.38 Palairet, L. C. H. 14 2. 527 147* 43.91 Jackson, F. S 19 2 746 117 43.18 Woods, S. M. J 21 2 825 158* 43.42 Storer 22 5 728 142* 42.82 Marriott, H. H 13 1 503 146* 41.21 Xewham, W 18 2 657 201* 41. 6 Burnup, C. J 18 0 720 95 40.00 Hayman, H. B 20 3 669 152 39.35 Kev, K. J 24 9 588 73* 39.20 Stodciart, A. E 23 2 819 121 39.00 Peel 19 2 633 210* 37.23 O'Brien, Sir T. C. 13 1 441 137 36.75 Leveson-Gower, H. 17 2 550 93 86.66 Signifies not out. BOWLIXG AVERAGES (25 wickets). O. M. R. W. Aver. Hearne (J. T.) 889.4 377 1589 142 11.18 Lohmann 3o9.3 118 613 46 13.32 Hallam 319.4 124 614 41 14.97 Atte-n:'¡¡ (W rn, 798.2 368 1227 80 15.33 Richardson 822 264 2039 130 15.68 Hay ward 368.1 124 814 51 15.96 Mold 602.1 208 1350 14 16. 7 Curliffe F. H. E 466.4 159 983 60 16.38 Hardstaff 204.2 69 460 28 16.42 Rawiin 376.3 125 857 48 17.85 Briggs. -T. 757 243 13ö2 74 18.40 Shine, E. B 273.4 103 736 37 19.19 PRESEXT POSITIOS. One point- is credited for a win, one point deducted for a lose, and drawn games are ignored. W. L. D. Tot'l. Pts. Surrey 12 2 1 15 10 Yorkshire 9 0 4 13 9 Lancashire. 8 2 0 10 6 Middlesex 5 1 1 7 4 .Essex 2 2 0 4 2 Notts. 2 2 2 6 0 Hampshire 1 3 1 5 -2 ,Sussex 1 3 2 6 -2 Derbyshire. 2 5 2 9 -3 Glomvvter 2 5 2 9 -3 Warvvickshira. 1 5 2 8 -4 Somerset. 1 5 2 8 -4 Leicestershire. 1 6 0 7 -5 Kent. 0 6 1 7 -6 ELLESMERE v. ST. JAMES'S.—Played at Wrexham on Saturday, and ended in a victory for the | visitors, for whom C. Tabor bowled finely. S. Mann and F Brown batted well for Ellesmere, waile T C Dodd did good service with the ball and A Lea with the bat for St James's. Score:— ELLESMERE. F J Brown b Dodd 18 H Hare b Ingman 11 F E Roberts b Dodd 2 C Tabor c and b Dodd 1 T P .Jones b Dodd 5 S Mann b Jeffrey 23 A Skellorn c Edwards b Dodd 5 Whitfield b Dodd 2 Wellings c Whitaker b Dodd 0 Leech not out 0 E L Mylius c Dodd b Jeffrey 0 Extras. 14 Total 81 ST. JAMES'S. W Griffitbs b Tabor 8 T Ingman run out 1 W X W Jeffrey b Tabor 7 A Lea c Roberts b -Tones 13 J A Berkeley run out 0 T C Dodd c and b Tabor 0 H Edwards not ant 7 H E Copleston c Jones b Tabor 0 R Davies c Mylius b Tabor 0 G Whitaker b Tabor 0 W Humphreys b Tabor 0 Extras 3 Total. 39 OSWESTRY A v Ciiip.K.-Played at Oswestryon Saturday. Score:— OSWESTRY A. W G Gough b Jones 68 G Whitfield c Jones b Cutting 45 A England not ont 14 H G ough run out 5 F Gough not out 41 Extras. 5 Innings closed for 178 H Aston, W H Gough, J D Lees, Babbington, M E Morris and H Parsons to bat. CHIRK. J Morris b F Gough 0 T Davies b H Gough 0 E Wayne b F Gough 7 JMatesbFGough 13 S Jones c H Gough b F Gough 0 B Morris c H Aston b H Gough 0 F Cutting b II (rough 1 W J Farthing b F Gough 2 J Roberts c Whitfield b J D Lees. 12 C Morgan b J D Lees 2 J D Minchen b J D Lees 0 # Extras. 9 Total 46 PARK HALL V. OSWESTRY HIGH SCHOOL.—P'ived at Park Hall on Saturday and resulted in a winfor the home team. Score :— HIGH SCHOOL. G Benfield c Clapp b Sanderson 18 H Ifuglie's b Bagulev J Home b Bagulev 0 T D Parry b Bagulev 16 J E Mills b Bayuley 0 W P Weldon b Baguley 4 F C Kerslake b Bagulev 1 T J Jones c Clapp b Baguley 3 D H Waterhouse b Charles 1 1\1 W Davies not ont 8 R A Lewis c and b Charles 8 Extras 6 Total 65 PARK HALL. J Charles c Parry b Hughes. 50 A I-, Clapp c Mills b Parry 24 E Baguley c Hughes b Benfield. 21 ,u W Sanderson not out 10 W .Jones c Jones b Hughes 0 T Copper b Benfield 3 H Youens b Benfield 13 F Brown b Benfield 3 H Read c Waterhouse b Mills 1 J Jones b Mills 0 F H Jones b Mills 1 Extras. 9 Total 135 OSWESTRY V. WELSHPOOL.-Played at Welshpool on Saturday. Score OSWESTRY. R T Gough c Cronk b Owen 3 J Moore c and b Lumley Jones 4 F A W How b L Jones 0 F Corfield b L Jones 0 X E Tidy b L Jones 11 Capt Hayhurst-France, b Owen 20 H W Sabine b Owen 17 F C Campbell b Owen 3 W H Ellis lbw Owen 0 F O Roberts not out 7 P H Lacon runout 0 Extras. 8 Total 73 WELSHPOOL. C F Tallis c Corfild b R T Gough. 0 D R Jones b H W Sabine 1 Lumley Jones b R T Gough. 19 C T Cronk b H W Sabine 2 J Hart c Lacon b H W Sabine 3 G Owen lbw b R T Gough 0 W Jones b H W Sabine 7 R 11akepeace b F Corfield 4 J H Addie run out 7 T F Hiles not out 1 H Blackith b R T Gough 0 Extras. 12 Total. 56 LLANYMYNECH V. WHITTINGTON. Played at Whittington on Saturday. Score: LLANYMYNECH. G Pitt b Rodenhurst 1 R Morris b Bradley 12 T Wilshaw run oat 16 C E Rees retired hnrt 0 A W Sabine c Bradley b Rodenhurst. 1 J Pugh not out 5 H Pryce not out 5 Extras. 17 Total for 4 wickets. 58 H Colman, F J Davies, E Davies, R Brown to bat. WHITTINGTON. H Humphreys not out 16 G Bradley b Pugh 5 G Roberts c Rees b Pryce 0 G Rodenhurst c Davies, b Wilshaw 4 W Williams not out 3 Extras. 2 Total for 3 wickets 30 T R. Fovllkes- w Owen, I) Griffiths, W H Boown, Griffiths, A Groom to bat. j TV^°FI AL WELSH WAREHOUSE V. MONTGOMERY. i"St ™atc^ °f the season between these clubs thp °n Lymore '>ark on Saturday, when by 11 runs" Icores :PleaSant and exciticS game W V T> T R" w-n- VCe"Jone9 c W Shaw b C B Williams -q W G Cannon b Williams' °i i iams V P PnSh ? Shaw b Williams o E Rees b Shaw V 0 Davies run out -i? A FH ? Shaw b Williams 7 A Edwards b Williams o A W Pryce-J ones c Eaton t. Tomley 0 A Marston, b Williams. 7 V E A Taylor not out i H Lewis b Williams i Extras Total 69 2nd innings.— E A Taylor not out 15 p nl v Tipping 0, E R Pugh 11, extras 5, total (i wick^Sl MONTGOMERY. S Davies b A W Pryce-Jones 7 W Shaw c Taylor b Edwards 4 P Eaton lbw b A W Pryce-Jones n .J E Tom ley b Edwards. 6 C B Williams c Edwards b A W Pryce- Jones 2 E Davies lbw b A W Pryce-Jones 0 T Harris not out 19 E Jones b Wood q J Tipping c W E Pryce-Jones b Wood 0 W Fitzhugh b Wood 2 H Evans b Wood 0 Extras. 7 Total eg MACHYNLLETH V. XEWTOWN (12 aside). The above match was played on the ground of the latter club on July 4th, produced an exciting finish owing to the collapse of the Machynlleth batsmen 111 their second innings, but they managed to gain the verdict by 2 wickets. Xewtown won the toss and elected to bat, their innings realising 53 ATL1 „ Richards scored 13, and Breeze ll' Machynlleth started disastrously, three wickets being down for three runs, but Vaughan and Davies by plucky batting added 57 for tho 4th wicket. At this point Richards went on to bowl and dismissed the remaining batsmen for 13 runs. aughan only gave one chance in his splendid innings, amongst his strokes were a 6, two 4's and five 3's. Xewtown at the second attempt were dismissed by Edmunds and Lloyd-Jones for 48, Breeze again being the chief contributor with 15 (not out). This left Machynlleth 29 runs to win, which were not obtained without the loss of 9 wickets. X. Lloyd-Jones, who went in first, was responsible for 18 (not out) out of 26 scored off the bat. In the match Edmunds secured 5 wickets for 19 runs, Yaughan 7 for 22, and Lloyd- Jones 9 for 41 NEWTOWN. V» F Richards b Yaughan 13 b Edmunds 0 H Hibbctt c Hanamond b H Hibbctt c Hanamond b Lloyd-Jones 2 b Edmunds 10 Worthington lbw b aughan 0 b Lloyd-Jones 5 HBreezebVaughan 11 not out 15 C Parry b Lloyd-Jones 1 b Edmunds. 3 E C Morgan run out 0 b Llovd-Jones 0 F R Hall b Lloyd-Jones. 5 b Edmunds 0 H Morgan c A 0 Davies b Edmunds 4 c and b Llovd- Jones 5 P W Jones b Yaughan 4 b Lloyd-Jones 0 EWBinnsuotout. 2 bLloyd-Jones 3 J Roberts c Lloyd-Jones b Vaughan 5c Edwards b Vaughan 1 J Harper b Yaughan 0 b Lloyd-Jones 0 Extras. 6 Extras. 6 53 48 MACHYNLLETH. E Davies b Jones 0 b Parry 3 B Davies b Parry 0 b Parry 3 A 0 Davies run cut 12 lbw b Richards 0 X Lloyd-Jones b Jones 2 not out 18 C R, kenvon b Richards.. 4 sub b Parry 2 P Yanghan b Richards 47 b Rich-,trds 0 F Xeighbour c Breeze b Parry 0 c H Morgan b Richards 0 | G Griffiths c Harper b Richards 0 b Parry 0 A Hammond c Parry b Richards Onotout. 0 M ans b Richnrds 2 runout 0 J hamuncls st Breeze b Itichards 0 b Parry 0 J Edwards not out 1 Extras. 5 Extras 3 Total 73 Total (9 wkts). 29 1

CRICKET FIXTURES. (All matches played on the ground of the first-named Club.) JULY. ll-Ruabon v. Oswestry High School II-Ellesmere v. Overton 11—Shrewsbury Schools x. Oswestry 11—Wem v. Ellesmere College 11—Oswestry 2nd v. Gobowen 11—Montgomery v. Welshpool 18-Elles,ne.re College v. Oswestry 18-El les mere v. Hanmer 18—Tedsmore v. Oswestry High School 20—Montgomery v. Meole Brace 20-0swef;try High School-Past v. Present 24-Llanidloes, v. Montgomery 25-0swestry v. Xantwich. -+-

FOOTBALL. 11 BY VETERAN."] Welshpool people will be delighted to learn that owing to the energy and enthusiasm of Mr T J. Bratton. ably backed up by one or two good friends on the Committee, the Welshpool club has gained an entrance into ths Welsh League. Good matches are certain to be witnessed on the ground this next season, and subscribers should be prepared to in- crease their subscriptions which are ridiculously low at present.

• COUNTY CRICKET. The Oxford eleven gained a brilliant victory over Cambridge at Lord's on Saturday. The Light Blues in their second innings scored 212, thus leav- ing their rivals 330 to get to win. After a begin- ning which seemed to foreshadow a bad defeat, G. O. Smith, C. C. Pilkingtou, H. D. G. Leveson- Gower, and G. R. Bardswell played a splendid game, Smith contributing 132, and in the end Oxford won by four wickets. At Old Trafford the North of Englaud" were beaten by the Australians by 42 runs, and Yorkshire defeated Derbyshire by nine wickets. High scoring was again the rule in the cricket field on Monday. Lancashire, batting against the Notts bowling at Trent Bridge, remained at the wickets the whole day. and when stumps were drawn had scored 340 for nine wickets (Baker 84 and Ward 83). Derbyshire, playing against Leices- tershire at Leicester, made 389 runs for six wickets, Bagshaw contributing 121. Kent in similar fashion scored 398 runs for nine wickets, off the Sussex bowlers at Hastings, Marchant's total being 128 and Alec Heame's 92. At Leeds Warwickshire were dismissed for 167, and Yorkshire, with six wickets in hand, are now only 46 behind. The Australians disposed of Hampshire for 134, and put together 231 for three wickets, Iredale being the chief scorer with 106. The match between Gentle- men and Players at the Oval was deprived of much of its interest by the unrepresentative character of the teams. The Players scored 248, and the Gen- tlemen, with five wickets down, were 100 behind at drawing of stumps. Rain interfered very greatly with the cricket at Trent Bridge on Tuesday. The Lancashire innings finished for 347 runs. and No,.ts had lost one wicket for 54 when play had to be stopped. At Leeds Yorkshire defeated Warwickshire by an innings and 14 runs. At the Oval the Gentlemen, having been set by the players 137 to make to win, have scored 39 for two wickets. Derbyshire were all out at Leicester for 436, and the home team had lost four wickets for the small total of 30 run when rain stopped further play. Sussex have four wickets down in the second innings, and want 98 to avoid a single-innings defeat. The Australians defeated Hampshire by an innnings and 125 runs. Within two mir.utes off time on Wednesday even- ing, the second innings of the Notts team Trent Bridge came to an end, and Lancashire ran out winners by an innings and 63 runs. The match between Leicestershire and Derbyshire ended in a draw. Leicestershire, with two wickets down in their second innings, required 122 runs to avoid being beaten in a single innings. The Gentlemen defeated the Players, after an exciting game, by one wicket. Kent gained their first victory in the county competition this season, defeating Sussex by an innings and sixteen runs. The Australians met the Players of England at Ley ton on Thursday. Going in first, the Colonials batted all day, and had lost only four wickets for 325 runs when play ceased. Iredale was not out 154. At Huddersfield Notts were got out for 226, and Yorkshire with seven wickets to go down are now 189 behind. Surrey disposed of Sussex for 116, and" then collapsed in an extraordinary fashion before the bowling of Hartley, the young Oxonian taking six wickets for Sl, and the innings terminating for 94. Sussex in their second innings had scored 53 runs without loss. Gloucestershire put together 178 against Warwickshire, who made a bad start by losing two wickets for three runs. Somersetshire batted all day against the Hampshire bowling, find had put together 417 runs for seven wickets when play ceased, Lionel Palairet being not out with 251.

HOW WILL THE AGRICULTURAL RATING BILL AFFECT THE RATING OF HOUSES ? There is a great deal of misconception with regard to the actual effect of the Agricultural Land Rating Bill. The allegations of the Opposition have been studiously directed to creating the idea that there must necessarily be an increase of the rates upon houses and buildings directly the Bill becomes law. This is not so. The ratepayer, qua ratepayer, will pay no more. Half of the rates now levied upon agricultural land will be in future paid our of the Imperial Exchequer. If, when the deficiency has been so redressed, there is in the future any rise in the local rates, then, and not till then, will any additional sum have to be levied upon the ratepayers. This would have been the case, Bill or no Bill. had the rates risen. The Bill itself brings about no rise in the rates, but offers inducements to economy. If there is any rise in the rates land as well as houses will have to con- tribute to the increased rate, though not in the same proportion. If the rates do not rise, and there is no reason why they should, no ratepayer wii) pay any more than he does now. The money paid for the relief of agricultural land will come out of the surplus. The general taxpayer will not necessarily pay any more than he does now. What he has lost is relief from taxation, in which he might or might not have participated.

Sir John Pender died on Tuesday at his house in Kent.

CYCLING. f B Y "PUMP HABDEB." ] A biker asked a farmer, Has a hidy wheeled this way And the farmer told the biker, It's mighty hard to say, From the costumes they are wearing, From the mountains to the sea, If the biker isashe one, Or the biker is a he." I have received a number of letters from would- be lady cyclists asking me for the name of the gallant young gentleman referred to in these notes a week ago. They have been forwarded to the proper quarter, but I may be excused for remind- ing my fair correspondents that he has not yet got rid of the blisters, which, he now tries to make me believe, were brought about by woiv ing too hard in his papa's garden. Xevertheless he is still pre- pared to teach u real lydies of all ages the art of cycling. Ionly hope they won't work him too hard. In the course of my wanderings I often come across some views of an interesting character, but the sight I witnessed the other evening was more instructivethau otherwise, and it forcibly remin- ded me of the words-" When the cat's away, the mice will play," for I then noticed a cyclist with his machine moored near a wall at a place where it appears whispering lovers meet, and I only regret that my presence caused the young lady to blush so. I know she would have run away had it been possible, but it was otherwise. Further on I met a near friend of the young lady, and I thiuk it would only have been charitable on the part of the young "farmer" I espied a little further on, to have offered his services. She was learning to ride. I congratulate G. L. Tilsley of Xewtown, on his success at the Liverpool meeting on Saturday, when he succeeded in wiuning first prize of the value of ten giiineas in the three miles open handicap, agains a large number of well-known cracks. The last issue of Wheeling contains the following We cannot deprecate too strongly the ap- parently growing custom of riding with the hands off the handles. It is not clever, it is not graceful, it is bad form, arid this way accidents lie." I have more than once given expression to this opinion, and also had occasion to refer to one case in partieulai. It again falls to my lot to allude to it, for tjie reason that the smart. young man has met a croyjper in consequence of this gallery play. It'is fortunate for him that he was not knocked abolh so much as the machine; other- wise I am afraid face would have presented a by no means pretty picture. Xevertheless his hands now suffer from the gravel rash." This will be sufficient readers will readily understand the amount of datnage sustained to the machine. We have often had our attention called to the fact that cycling is a boon to the city man who delights in the of botany or natural history. My enthusiasm over the former science is hardly strong endugh to impel me to dismount whenever 1 see a hedge or ditch in which one might find some interesting specimlns of flora. I love the country in a general sense. The green fields, the umbrage- ous trees, and the country lanes have a charm for me, but I do not care for much research for curiosi- ties either in the botanical or the animal world. Yet unconsciously the cyclist gets to learn a great deal more of the country, the productions of the land in many parts, than he ever thought he would know before he took to the wheel. Some oi his knowledge probably comes to him in an undesir- able fashion. Lt is ùelightfu] to lie on the grass far away from house or building of any kind, and smoke the pipe of peace, but unless one is a per- severing student of animalcula there is no special advantage to be derived from the knowledge that something of peculiarly strange construction is crawling up your arm or down your neck, or that a novel little insect fceeps endeavouring to make an uncomfortably close examination of your optic. I am reminded of these things by an incident which occurred to tf>e one day last week. A friend and myself cycled into the country, talking of hill climbing, speed poWers, gears, lever chains, handle bars, pedals, bearj,Ogs--everything, in fact, con- nected with a bicycle, and at last it seemed almost time to change the subject. Accordingly I ven- tured to ask whether he had ever come across any- thing in the way of a novelty in the animal world during his rather IODS and varied wheeling exper- ience. He was a very matter-of-fact young man, not without a sense of humour. Yes," he replied, one thing has struck me very forcibly in connec- tion with the animal world. Only terriers 'go' for the cyclist. pass a colMC'at the rate of 20 miles an hour, and he simply looks at you as much as to say he would not be working like yon are when he can lie downan sleep all day, and bigger dogs, such as retrievers and St. Bernards' ignore the rider altogether. But you always have to be on your guard for terrIers, and of these the fox-terrier is the worst. SOtne of them take no notice one day but on another occasion they come to the conclusion that it is their duty to go for your legs. Other dogs will tolerate you if you do not happen to be travelling fast, but the moment you exceed a certain rate their ire is raised. Some of them are most persistent when they mean business, and stick to you for a longtime- others give up the struggle the moment they see your foot come off a pedal. Tho bull-terrier_ sometitnes takes it into their head to go for a cyclist, and the best thing to do is to scorch for a time. The dog soon gives up pursuit, for they are never very speedy over a distance of ground." fox-terriers are the worst to deal with, and it i? generally advisable to ride slowly and speak in a coaxing way t") them. They are more likely to leavo you alone than if you attempt to kick them besides, there is a danger of over-balancing in trying to punish a dog with the foot. Wanderer" writes as follows:—"Finding myself in Shrewsbury the other day I determined upon a bit of exploration 111 the valley of the Upper Severn, and so, crossing the W elsh Bridge, I set off on the road the iirst two miles of which most tour- ing cyclists know, because it is the trunk road to Holvhead. But when I reached the first important branching of the ways I bore to the left for Welsh- pool, and began the climb which must here be en- countered. Presently, lying off to the left, fronting a short length of loop lane which for a moment leaves the road on that side, is the cosily situated inn at the sign of the Bill, and further on, towards the fifth mile, is the plce. known as Pavement Gate. A little further still is the junction called Cross Gates, and hers I kept to the left, again. At the sixth mile there was a on the left of the church at Cardeston, with the odd little octagonal tower, clad, about half-way up, in clinging ivy. Then came Rowton Castle a building the bulk of which is of modern date, well buried in the woods to the right" Rooks were clamouring in their upper branches, and a cuckoo, somewhere far away in their depths, was shouting lustily. c. Beyond this point the road lises again, and there are good views ahead and to the right. Mountains with sugar-loaf tops bein to J™ up against the sky-line, and one feels that one is leaving the broad Shropshire valley for rugged Wales, where the Severn in its infancy is cradled. After the wind- mill at the top of the hill there is a nice descent, and I sped easily down it, just making passing note that the Half-way House is for a wonder, correctly named so far as its geogra phlal position between Shrewsbury and Welshpool IS concerned. After skirting Wattlesjporough Heath, and before reach- ing the tenth milestone, the right-haud way should be taken, where the road divides, the other leads to Winnington, spelt Vennmgton on the Ord- nance sheets. My way 'ay through Wollaston, be- yond which is a dangerous descent called Garreg Hill- the first bit of Montgomeryshire. It is marked by a danger board so admirably placed that I must compliment those who erected it. With a good brake this decline can be ridden with security, while the eye may sweep over the precipitous slopes of the valley, uow grandly, bare, now richly clothed with wood. Making the intersection of the Cam- brian Railway by a level crossing, and immediately afterwards bridging the Severn, a turn to the left gives access to Welshpool, at the centre of which, just by the Cross, stands the Royal Oak, the well- appointed quarters of the Cyclists louring Club. One wishing to follow the course of the river further must leave Welshpool by the road exactly opposite the one he entered by. It soon crosses the Shropshire Union Canal, by the s:de of which lie great numbers of gigantic tree trunks, which look as if they had lain there undisturbed for many years. When in the neighbourhood of Berriew, and approaching beautiful Glan Severn, the tourist will cross the Hhiw, a right-bank tributary which conies babbling down over stones of many colours. Near Garthmill, and just before coming to Abemvale, the Severn must be crossed by a substantial bridge, as if II ontgomery were the bourne, although that town will be left some dis- tance to the eastward by a turn to the right, which enables the road thenceforward to keep company with the river. And 90, winding pleasantly with the road, the wheelman reaches Newtown, a clean and pleasant place, with broad streets, and old inns and houses, and all sorts of fine walks and climbs in its neighbourhood. Some time A will tell of a run with Xewtown as its base, but for the present I will leave the reader in the comfortable parlour of the Elephant and Castle or the Unicorn." Saddles should be chosen with a view to the roads over which they are going to be used. On such surfaces as that of the Xewtown road almost any- one can use a light, spriugless saddle with comfort; but for riding on roads that vary in surface and goodness a full roadster saddle will more than repay its extra weight. I have often noticed elderly or delicate riders using springless saddles, and suffering considerable discomfort from them, and have found on inquiry that they had bought a light machine to make the work easy, and this was the saddle that was on it." Of course, the racing type of saddle had been fitted to it to cut down weight, and the seller of the machine did not think it worth the trouble of inporming his elderly customer that springless saddles were only meant for fast riding, and were a distinct disadvantage for everything else. When a coil cr corkscrew spring breaks in a saddle it can he made quite comfortable to ride home on by simply insertiug a common beer-bottle cork into the broken coil. This tip is well known to old riders, and in the solid tyre days, when saddles were constantly breaking, many people always carried a cork in the tool bag. The accident is not so common nowadays as to make this necessary, however, especially in a land where beer bottle corks are as plenty as autumn leaves in V allom bra sa. It cannot b" too often repeated that a distinct loss of power is caused by placing the handles in the absurdly high position which is fashionable at present among a certain s"t, and which makes the rider look exceedingly like a dog set up to beg. With the arms bent up at the elbows steering is bound to be unsteady except at a slow pace, and it is. moreover, impossible to surmount hills easily, since the rider cannot get a good pull at the handles. It is curious, but a fact nevertheless, that a ride at a very slow pace is trying and fatiguing to a cyclist who is accustomed to go fast. A friend of Üle, who used to he well known as a fast rider, and is still by no means a crawler, lately went for a thirty-mile run with two or three lady novices, and came back fairly tired out. ] should not like to say how many hours the ride had occupied, and this, with the constant back-pedalling down hills, walking up them, and almost balancing on the level, had tired him a good deal more than a fast fifty would have done. There is reason in all things, and I am inclined to think that until a rider can keep up an average of at least seven miles an hour he or she had better not try longer runs than fifteen or twenty miles. That valuable chestnut What to drink when cycling has once more lifted up its head in the press. I cannot understand why people are in- capable of applying ordinary common sense to the matter. Every athlete knows, and is ready to ten his non-athletic friends, that the best thing to drink during athletic exercise is—nothing. Oatmeal water, cold tea. and other thirst-quenchers (?) may be indulged in if the cyclist likes but the penalty for this want of early self-restraint is the in- capability of riding without drink of some sort or other ever after. A little resolution at the beginning one's cycling career is all that is required. "Do not drink" while riding, in spite of the thirst and the latter win very soon disappear altogether. The writer has followed out this plan personally, and never suffers from thirst, even in the hottest weather. Xenr to check the gear of a [new machine as soon as you get it home mistakes in this par- ticular are extremely common. I recently looked oyer a machine that had been bought for a delicate girl; she found it very heavy uphill, though the gear was supposed to be only 56. On checking it I found it to be 62. It is astonishing that manu- facturers are not more careful about this matter, since nineteen out of twenty cyclists would never find out what was wrong, and would only conclude that the machine itself was no good. A big effort is being made at the present time to sell American machines in England. It is claimed that these are lighter than those manufactured in England, but it must be remembered that wood rims are generally used by the manufacturers across the herrintr pond," and also that gear cases are not fitted except to special order. Wood rims are also used by English makers, bnt not to the extent that steel ones are, and, for my own part, I should be loth to buy a machine with wood rims so long as I could get a IWestwood or a Jointless. The American machines are doubtless good ones, but I have a great deal more faith in the home article, and I cannot understand an Englishman buying an American bicycle when he can get one equally good if not better of home manufacture, and without paying any more for it. No one can wish for any- thing better than an English bicycle, provided the make is a good one, and surely a novice is not to be deceived in this respect now that the names of the best firms are almost household words. Oae or two of the cyclists' papers assure us that Royalty and nobility are taking to the Simpson chain, and although they do not say so in plain words, the inference is that the lever chain must therefore be a good one. It is perfectly ridiculous for technical papers to print such balderdash as this, because anyone with an atom of reason will readily see that ladies and gentlemen who are only just learning how to ride know nothing about bicycles or lever chains, and the opinion of a Prince or Princess on the Simpson lever is not worth tuppence." The trade papers of course could not exist without advertisements, but it is hard lines on the general public, who go to those journals for information to find that the reason for a nice little paragraph concerning such and such a tyre or bicycle is influenced by a big advertisement to be found on another page. Most of the writers in the cycling press think there is nothing in the Simpson chain, and though they may have said this in print they have never shown any anxiety to re- peat thf. statement, inasmuch as the Simpson people are big advertisers. And;while condemning the chain, would it not be more honest if such paragraphs as the Princess So-and-So using the Simpson chain were never inserted ? They are apt to convey a wrong impression. The ordinary reader, who knows nothing of the inner workings, is led to believe that the Simpson chain must be a real good thine: for notability to take to it, whereas nothing is easier than for a firm to make a present of a eyele fitted with the chain to some Royal personage, and then to send out a paragraph calling attention to the fact that this Royal personage has adopted the lever-chain. I do not for a moment say that the Sampson people would do this, and I only gue t 11s instance of how paragraphs concern- irf the adoption by Royalty of this or that idea might be o » amer], and how worthless moat of them are in sbowmn the value of anything in the market. Communications for this column should bo addressed to 1 ump Harder," County Times Office Welshpool, not. ,:<ter than Thursday in each week, to ensure publication in the" current issue. Secretaires 11 c n is will oblige hy sending their fixture hsrs as soon as possible.

SIAlvL AND UPPER MEKONG. There has jus; been published by the India Office a very important despatch from the Governor- General of India (appointed by the Gladstone- Rosebery Governments) and the Council of India on "Lord Salisbury s agreement with France in relation to Siam and the Upper Mekong No more eloquent tribute cou d be given to Lord Salisbury's action in this difficult question, nor could there'be a more complete refutation to the accusation that Lord Salisbury had given up to France territorv which the Rauic-a! Government- were determined never to eeùe. ThG following are extracts from the despatch "Vve concur with her Majesty's Government HI tmnkmg that the port of Ke;;a-- cheng, east of the Mekong, has no great importance in itself. Mong Using is off all main trade routes and none of the country has any real present or prospective value. Accordingly our right to it has been asserted principally with a view to the equit- able settlement of other claims in the same neighbourhood. We were prepared to cede this district to Siam in 1893, and to include it in a buffer state in 1894, and though we were reluctantly compelWl to occupy it in 1895 we have all along- recognised that this small excrescence on the other side of the Mekoug could be of no advantage or profit, to us." Lord Salisbury has pointed, out in the despatch "whICh we have already referred, that the most- important provision of the agreement is that which secures the stability of 'Siamese dominion in t Lu valley of the Menam. The interests, commercial and political, terved by this provision, extend over many parts of British Empire, and are not those of India alone. We, therefore, abstain from expressing any opinion upon this wider aspect of the arrangement, and confine our- selves to saying that, as regards our political rela- tions on the eastern frontier of Burma, important advantages are secured by the removal of any uncertainty as to the future of Siam, and that India cannot fail to share in the benefits resulting- to the commerce and industry of the world from the development of the resources of the Menam Valley." ——

In the Grand Challenge Cup boat race at Hen- ley 011 Tuesday the Leander crew easily beat the crew representing ale Lniversity, U.S.A. Two of phe Yale crew had to be lifted from the boat at the end of the race, and one of them fainted.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF NORTH WALES. The College authorities have just received from the Education Department an intimation that the application made tor an extension of the day training department has been granted. The College is now entitled to received in all 100 Queen's scholars, i.e., 50 men and 50 women. The Education Depart- ment have also sanctioned the arrangement made by the College with the Blaenau Eestiniog School Hoard, whereby a part of school practice of the students in the day training department is to be taken at Blaenau Eestiniog. Mr. H. W. C. Davis, B.A. ,Fellow of All Souls' College, Oxford, has been appointed by the Senate temporary lecturer in history for the session 1896-7, during hichprincipal Reichel, who is professor of the subject, will be fully engaged as l'ice Chancellor of the University of Wales. Mr Davis won the Brackenbury History Scholarship at Balliol College, Oxford, in 1891, took a first class in classical honour moderations in 1893, and a first class in literaj humaniores in 1895. In this year he was also awarded the Jenkyns Scholar- ship at Balliol College, and subsequently was elected to a modern history fellowship at All Souls College. Mr Davis is a native of Monmouthshire. -+-

Mr. Edward Davies, J.P., Llanainam, has sent a cheque for £1000 to the T'revecca College Fund. The bill for legalising marriage with a deceased wife's sister came before a very fully attended Grand Committee of the Lords on Tuesday, and after various amendments had been made it was reported back to the House for third reading.

9 CO EKES PON DEN CE. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR- — • for thig To Correspondents. — Commumca and. column should be addressed^ 10 tie gr 0rdy must be written upon one .sine of tie p They should in all cases be acc°nlPa^' ariiyfof name and address of the sender, not ne. ■puoLication but as a guarantee oj goo T INTERMEDIATE EDUCATION WELSHPOOL. To the Editor of the County Times AND poST. Sir,—In a recent number of your that temporary, attention wa? drawn to t ie unless subscriptions towards the Ne^\ *^1 mediate School buildings be obtained by the c-> .1(1 C1' rO 25th, the amount due for such building o.eIieral County Governing Body-will lapse to nurrent fund. This is similarly true of Welshpoo • rP. reports convince us that there is a ^,artiv to specting the schools here. This is B^u' ignorance concerning the Welsh Interme< 1 yg}jjre cation Act of 1889. aud or the Montgoni^ S"heme in particular, and partly conditions under which secondary ct uc £ ortoer, carried on in England. With regard to ie^ tj|0gt' the Act evidently contemplates only helpinn who help themselves. As the schools not °nJ a local rate of id. in the but a 1 rea»ur^ equal to the amount so raised—it was t'jOU"oUUt of any district would gladly raise a. certain arn jarY money for a sui'.able building, in which s^ecjeDtly education, so amply endowed, could be e carried on. Considering the inestimab e jfc tages which accrue to a district under t »s 0ple cannot be supposed for a moment that the. P pltSS of Welshpool will let the golden opportunrtr If of subscribing adequately to the new schoo^^ the money cannot be raised, it can only b letter crass ignorance, which it is the object of tai to remove. With regard to the second poia secondary schools in England-nearly all our I::> &e" public schools-Eton, Harrow, Shrewsbury^ are charitable foundations; the building an were paid for out of private, in some by public, monies. fn our town, in rapldl) gbeen ing towns, excellent secondary schools ^aVgeCOnd- built entirely by private munificence. The s Oo ary schools in England have no local ra > Government grant; all that has been dOf tbe been through the energy and generosity I' case, people who benefited by them. Takeanothe our viz., that of the' Higher University EducatIon tbOSe Colleges, both for men and women, not on J -jge, of the older Universities, Oxford and ^.aII1^yale0> but those of the newest University, viz., It is have been built largely by private donations- n Hsll a truism that anyone who goes through an E 1Iot public school course and the University doe u1l' pay the full cost of his education. In fortunately, either we were too poor, or we I in grasp the necessity for endowing educate y is either case the fact remains that the princip9, curiously destitute of educational endowing > the inevitable result that secondary educati0^ seriously suffered. A good education is exp If the parents pay little for it in these Schools it is because the State by the Wels" e mediate Educatii n Act has acknowledged t that the people cannot afford the full cost. t øJI this splendid Act, this provision for endowm6 to be null and void because the people of We J10 are so blind to its advantages that they WI raise a paltry £ 1,000?—I am, &c., July, 1896. A Native of WELSIlPOO THE LIGHT RAILWAY TO LLANFAl ——— To the Editor of the County Times aNP <($ Sir,—Kindly allow me a small space in. valuable journal, in reply to the swaggefl^jjo^ marks of A Burgess" in your last issue. leS me to remind A Burgess" that Llanfair fol t It uot mean to consult him from where to t1 0 railway here. If for the reasons I gaVe lø former issue of your paper the Llanfairites ? the Meifod route, why should he rave and C itber a vain idea"? I can assure him we tle f mean "to ruin" nor "strangle" the tr hIs Welshpool. The ruin and strangling is tpiØ heated imagination. Why can't he trea. d t10t question iu a cool and charitable manner &tifeg & accuse us of unworthy motives ? Let us a? differ if needs be and discuss the matte^^#- friendly spirit. Xo good can come of hlC 'A As to the route through the Meifod Yalle)r) MPT Burgess and your reader*wait, the rriil1*" impending survey. In a few weeks botli from Welshpool and Four Crosses will be ggei*0 before the public, which will doubtless r your editorial remarks and be ventilated columns.—lam, »tc., .John Lloyd -—— ft PASSAGE OF THE ROYAL TRAIN XEWTOWN. Po& To the Editor of the County Timks and Pt&cS Sir,—As the erracious message from the of Wales to the disappointed spectators at town station has not yet, I think, appeared ;qne>! columns, I shall be much obliged by the i°s of the enclosed letter "purporting" to como Sir Francis Knollys, K.C.M.G., C.B. Your obedient servant, Edward Carlton Club, Pall Mall, S. W.1 Illy 8, 1896. Marlborough House, Pall Mall, S.Tv\> ,,96. 30 oj D*5ah Major Pryck-Joxes, — The Walts has just heard that, through, he is Pelj.0 some accident, the special train fa^0l^er slowly through Newtown station the ot as had been arranged, His Royal Highness be' sorry that this should have happened, you will ha ve the kindness to assure the inh of Xewtown how much he regrets the nii= Believe me, yours truly, ^g. Fraxcis KS<^ .———

THE ROYAL VISIT. ——— ved *1 The following is a copy of a letter re.ce^a,t^ the Lord Lieutenant of the County 0 Williams-Wynn) from Sir Francis Kn° behalf of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales: y., Marlborough House, Pall Mall, S. -iog6- 28th June- Dear Sir Watkin Wynn,— I am desif6 g go'' Prince of Wales to request you to have \VJ ness to inform Capt Williams-Wynu, oflSc0 J liams-Yaughan, and the ncn-cotnmissione^^ gfl^ and men who composed the Escort on the. pressed 26th inst, how very favourably he was lnce with their smart and soldierlike appeaiv grcø.tlt with their steadiness. His Royal HighueSSted to appreciated the loyal feeling which pv.ota^bioQ- f men to respond so readily to your m undertake Escort duty ou this occasion. Believe me, 1, Dear Sir Watkin Yours truly, oTli/i'?' (Signed) Francis

THE BIRKBECK BANK- The 45th annual meeting of the Birkl.Jef!iCgS e. ing Society was held on Thursday at t aud 30, Southampton Buildings. l„\ rece%t» Tho report adopted stated that the t0eaChe<J ^<1 from all sources during the year had 1 large sum of £ 14,563.877. The depos1 gOff&i se to £ 12.815,129, and 1 he subscriptions to ioCr^. and, after allowing for withdrawals, a V A is shewn over the preceding year o bringing up the total liabilities on subscr j deposits to £8,075,088. The amount 1\ IJ1evt 91J111 ing the year in the purchase of Govervl the 'I1f! other stocks has been £2,097,717, a -^cla 0{ standing to the credit of those fun 5 £607,844 cash at Bankers, now reaches of £61'etg £7,834,860, which amount is exclusive tot;ll ig balance due on mortgages mak:ng 11 £8,445,546. The balauco in excess oi £370,458. y

GREAT WOLLASTOI^ The School.—The following eveuing school held during the past 1" :Dlr 13 pig been received by the managers • in imports a considerable amount of etl sg,tif evening school work, and with ^er attfi'Q „ results. His class is small and t # gli9> et> varied, but qyery pupil Kets a. pepaf e^1 individual attention." 'I'he Educatio^ fof has again awarded the higher S subject. v (e- ———. -+- ——— Thurs^i^ 011 'f b J1 t¡¡lø.tl f

The London City Corporation ?n0 solved to present an address ° jncess enclosed in a gold casket, to the r Wales on her marriage.