The London Welshman

Home News. ANGLESEY. Mr. Evan Roberts, the Revivalist, will commence a fortnight's mission in the county of Anglesey during the coming week. At Gwalchmai Parish Churchyard, in Anglesey the following epitaph may still be seen on a tomb- stone "Dyma lie gorwedd fy anwyl dad, Pridd ar ei ben a phridd ar ei draed; Pridd ar ei draws a phridd ar ei hyd, Dyma lie bydd ef hyd ddiwedd y byd. CARDIGAN. The total amount promised towards the fund for the establishment of the Welsh National Library at Aberystwyth is £ 20,082, exclusive of the cost of the site at Grogythan. Mr. H. L. Evans, late borough accountant to the Aberystwyth Corporation died at his residence on Monday morning. Mr. Evans, who had reached an advanced age, resigned his position a few months ago owing to ill-health. The funeral of the late Colonel W. Picton Evans, of Treforgan, Cardigan, took place at Llangoed- more Churchyard on Monday afternoon last. At Cardigan the bell of St. Mary's Church tolled mournfully throughout the day, and every token of respect was shown to the memory of the deceased. The funeral cortege was a large and imposing one, representing every public body with which Colonel W. Picton Evans had been connected. At a meeting of the Aberystwyth Board of Guardians on Monday the estimate for the ensuing half year was presented, which showed an increase in contribution orders required from the different parishes of £ 2,372. This, the Clerk explained, was due to the increase in the county rate, and especially the education rate. Mr. J. B. Morgan said he thought it was time they should protest against the unceremonious manner in which the County Council was voting away the ratepayers' money. He referred especially to the £ 2,000 voted by the Council at its last meeting towards securing the Welsh National Library. The Library might benefit. Aberystwyth, but other parts of the county would derive no benefit from it. The Chairman (the Rev. T. A. Perry) dissociated himself from Mr. Morgan's remarks, and said it would be an honour to their county if they secured the National Library for Aberystwyth. A daring robbery took place on Monday morning at Pontsaeson, near Cardigan, resulting in the loss of silver plate valued at from £300 to £4°°, the property of Colonel Western, who now occupies the mansion. About a week ago the Colonel took into his employ a German butler. On Saturday after- noon the man received a telegram, and on Sunday afternoon he was seen with a stranger walking in the Pontsaeson drive. About six p.m. they were again seen at Cardigan. Early on Monday morning, about five o'clock, a servant girl at Pontsaeson heard footsteps, and states that she saw the butler going downstairs. At 5.45 the tenant of Pont- saeson Farm alleges that he observed the butler and the stranger going down the drive together with a bag with them. Up to Monday evening no clue had been obtained of their whereabouts, although the police are actively prosecuting the search. It is supposed there must have been several confederates, and that someone must have driven away rapidly from the place. Nothing but silver goods were taken, the plated goods having been left behind. CARMARTHEN. Sir Lewis Morris's ode on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of the Alltymynydd Sana- torium is to be translated into Welsh. A Carmar- thenshire contemporary offers a prize for the best translation of it. Another attempt is to be made to sell Craig-y- Nos, the beautiful Welsh palace belonging to Mme. Patti (Baroness Cederstrom), the world-famous singer. The announcement is made that it is to be sold regardless of cost or associations." The first attempt to dispose of Craig-y-Nos proved a fiasco, as the result of a remarkable incident. On June 17th, 1901, the estate was put up by Messrs. Lumley, of Tokerihouse Yard, and one gentleman present bid £ 50,000. On second thoughts, how- ever, he withdrew it, after a consultation with the auctioneer, explaining that he had been carried away by that official's eloquence. The estate was eventually bought in at £ 50,000. Craig-y-Nos is magnificently situated in the Vale of Tawe, one of the most picturesque parts of Wales. It contains a theatre; an electrically-heated conservatory, and two billiard-rooms, in one of which is the famous orchestrion which plays an indefinite number of tunes. CARNARVON. Carnarvon must look out. Last week a cargo of slates from the Llwynpiod quarries were sent away in a sloop from Carmarthen. It is generally admitted that Carnarvon has made a very strong case for the National Welsh Museum before the Commissioners in London. A recent religious census at Bangor showed that at least 300 families in that city never attended a place of worship on Sunday. Truly there is need of a revival in these parts. As Dr. Jones Morris, chairman of the Portmadoc Urban Council, was driving on Saturday, accom- panied by his assistant, the horse bolted near Brynkir station. The assistant promptly jumped out and escaped uninjured. The horse galloped along, eventually leaping over a wall three feet high and dragging the trap over into a hay yard. The doctor was pitched out and landed on a soft mound of hay, except for a few bruises none the worse. Mr. D. P. Williams, presiding at the Carnarvon County Magistrates' Court on Saturday, alluded to the death of their late clerk, Mr. Lewis Rees Thomas. He proposed that the Court should record its deep sense of the loss of the esteemed services of its late clerk, and that a vote of con- dolence be forwarded to his widow. Mr. G. J. Roberts seconded the proposal, a letter being also read from Mr. J. Menzies, another magistrate, who was absent in London. Mr. J. T. Roberts, on behalf of the advocates, remarked that they had all lost a genuine, honourable, and courteous friend. Mr. H. Lloyd Carter wrote asking to be allowed to associate himself with the expressions of regret. Superintendent Griffith also spoke on behalf of the police, and the vote was passed in silence. In the current Church Monthly for the parish of Llanbeblig, Carnarvon, the Vicar (the Rev. J. W. Wynne Jones), refers to his resignation as one of the foundation managers of the National Schools, a step which he has taken in consequence of a dis- agreement on the question of transferring the schools to the county education authority. He complains that during his absence a meeting was held at Caegwyn with a view to raising funds for the National Schools. It being pretty well known that he strongly dissents from the so-called fighting policy, he was neither informed of the date nor invited to attend. Since then, in order to give those who believe in fighting a perfectly free field, the vicar has resigned his position both as corre- spondent of the school and foundation manager. The managers have appointed Mr. Carter as correspondent, and it rests with the Archdeacon of Bangor to appoint a foundation manager. DENBIGH. At a meeting of the Conway Corporation on Monday, a silver salver was presented to Councillor Dr. M. J. Morgan as a wedding gift. Dr. Morgan has been sixteen years a member of the Council and was Mayor for two successive years. On Sunday last a new Congregational chapel, which has cost, including site, £ 900, and has seat- ing accommodation for about 300 persons, was opened at Southsea, near Wrexham. The offi- ciating ministers were the Revs. R. Roberts (Rhos), R. Peris Williams (Wrexham), and T. E. Thomas (Coedpoeth). There were large congregations. The annual Psalmody festival of the Llangollen Welsh Baptist Association was held on Monday at the Tabernacle, Cefn Mawr. The massed choirs, numbering over 2,000 voices, were drawn from Ruabon, Acrefair, Cefn Mawr, Cefn Bychan, Llan- gollen, Garth, and Vron, and were under the leader- ship of Professor J. Owen Jones, Cardiff, who com- plimented them on their efficiency. The afternoon meeting began shortly after two o'clock, and during an interval Mr. E. M. Parry, Llangollen, gave an interesting model lesson. Alderman Simon Jones, in the course of an address, spoke of the great value of religious instruction for the young. In the evening Councillor E. Jones, of Rhosymedre, pre- sided. The first trip in connection with the new motor- omnibus service took place on Monday last over the thirty-three miles of road between Llangollen and Bettws-y-Coed. Amongst those taking part were the chief promoters, Sir Watkin Wynn, Sir Henry B. Robertson, Captain William Best, Mr. J. H. Davies, chairman of the Llangollen Urban Council, Mr. Joseph Nanson, chairman of the Board of Guardians, and other local magnates. The route traversed is via Corwen, Cerrigydruidion, and Pentrevoelas, and the service links Llangollen with Snowdon. At the various villages along the route the inhabitants turned out in hundreds to cheer the car, which traversed the 66 miles under six hours. Major Leadbetter, Chief Constable of Denbigh- shire, and Colonel Parr Lynes joined the company at Bettws. The distrtct traversed is one of the most picturesque and interesting in North Wales. GLAMORGAN. A new English Calvinistic Methodist Church, built on a site until recently occupied by a brewery, has been opened at Ferndale. As a result of the decision of the Conciliation Board on Monday, miners' wages in the South Wales coalfield will, as and from June 1St next, be reduced 5 per cent., bringing them down to 33i per cent. above the standard rates of December, 1879. LIVERPOOL. The Rev. R. J. Williams, of Liverpool, the secre- tary of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Foreign Missionary Society, has received £ 100 from a lady, who wishes her name not to be disclosed, towards the funds of the Society, and £ 50 from Mr. Sidney Evans, the Welsh revivalist, of Gorseinon, being half the amount which he received as fees for his services as evangelist. The other half he contri- buted towards the Gorseinon Calvinistic Methodist Church. MERIONETH. Mr. Osmond Williams, the county Member, made a very lucid speech in Parliament on Mon- day, on the education position in the county. Speaking at Towyn on Sunday evening Professor Ellis Edwards, Bala, inquired whether provision had been made at Towyn for the establishment of counter attractions to public-houses for the con- verts of the revival. Being informed in the nega- tive, he strongly advised them to provide means, such as libraries and institutions, so that the young people should meet together, and not have to face the temptations of a public-house. He thought that there should be some kind of counter attraction in every town through North Wales. Some towns had taken advantage of schoolrooms. They had been open nightly for the free use of converts. It was their duty as Christians to provide for the pre- servation of converts from backsliding. The establishment of libraries would be a blessing to the community. MONMOUTH. On Sunday last, May 14th, the Rev. D. Bevan Jones entered upon the 40th year of his pastorate of the Baptist Church Caerleon, and two of his predecessors occupied the same position for 35 and 33 years respectively. Mr. Fred Jones, who had held the position of conductor of the Newport Choral Society from 1896 till last year, was on Monday the recipient at Alma Street Baptist Church (where the society was first started) of a handsome presentation, marking the respect in which he had been held. The testi- monial took the form of a gold watch and an illuminated address, which set forth some of the successes of the society during the time that Mr. Jones wielded the baton. Amongst the eisteddfodic successes were the following :—Treorky, 1896, £ 5°' Mountain Ash, 1897, £100; Abergavenny, 1898, £100 (divided) Mountain Ash, 1899, £100; Mountain Ash, 1901, £ 100 (divided) and Aber- gavenny, 1903, £ 100. MONTGOMERY. The Rev. W. Gwynne Vaughan, vicar of Bettws (Montgomeryshire), has been appointed to a chaplaincy at Gibraltar, and will be leaving next month. PEMBROKE. In the Divorce Court on Monday Justice Bar- grave Deane granted a decree nisi to Mr. Charles Joseph Lennon, formerly of Pembroke, and a ( colour-sergeant in the Connaught Rangers, for the dissolution of his marriage with Mary Lennon. The case had been adjourned for formal proof as to the marriage at Pembroke in 1892. The suit was unJ defended. RADNOR. Mrs. Evans, who has been closely identified with the management of Llandrindod Wells Post Office, since 1869, is about retiring from the position of postmistress which she has filled with such success- for so long. She is to be succeeded by her son, Mr. Stanley Evans. The education rate is so low in Radnorshire that the county is much envied in this respect. At Knighton Board of Guardians, Mr. F. T. Bircham (Local Government Board Inspector), on learning that the rate is only I iLd. for the half-year, declared 2 that he should have to consider the practicability of taking up his residence in Radnorshire.