The North Wales Times

CAMBRIAN GOSSIP. Sir George Osborne Morgan is back again, after a short confinement, to the House, and looked strong and vigorous on Thursday night sitting next to Sir W. Harcourt on the Front Opposition bench. Sir George has promised to take the chair at the annual dinner of the London Cymru Fydd Society on St. David's Day. • » Mr. T. E. Ellis, M.P., the chief Liberal Whip, spent the Sunday with Mr. Cecil Rhodes,. Mr. Ellis's acquaintance with whom dates from the time he went to the Cape in search of health. He has been Mr. Rhodes' guest at the great country house which was recently burnt down, and his recollections of Mr. Rhode*' personal charm and kindness have never been effaced, it is said. » « A Welshman, Mr. John Davies, has just been appointed general manager of the West Australian Government Railways. Mr. Davies was formerly in the service of the Cambrian Railways Company, and sub- sequently general manager of the Central Wales Railway. In 1891 he was appointed for five years general traffic manager of the Government Railways in Western Astralia. The salary attached to the office to which Mr. Davies has cow been promoted, the West Australian believes to be 21,000 a year. m # » The most curious remains of the old bards are the tribanau, or triplets. Each triban consists of three short rhyming lines, their peculiarity being that there is very little or no connection between these lines. The first line contains some trivial remark upon some phenomena of nature the second savours more of reflection, while the third line con- tains some moral precept, and is in reality the pith of the triban. Here is an example, with its translation :— Eiry mynvdd-gwangeils lAr Gochwiban gwynt ar dalar- Yn yr ing, gorau yw'r Car. Snow of the mountain the bird is ravenous for food, Keen whistles the blast on the headland. In distress, the friend is most valuable. #• « It is curious that Penrhyn Quarry Choir, a small but excellent contingent of which is now singing in London to augment the re- lief fund for the workmen, partly owes its existence to Lord Penrhyn, at whose cost the whole choir, representing some 300 voices, were sent to the Chicago Exhibition to compete in the chief choral competition. The late Lord Penrhyn, as is well known, like his successor in the title, was proud of his workmen and of their devotion to the quarry. He loved to tell of a visit paid by a party of the quarrymen to London, whence they returned disgusted and disappointed because they had found tiles used so exten- sively instead of slates. « A very pleasant story is told by the Welsh correspondent of the Record of the late Bishop of St. David's: Like his great pre- decessor (Dr. Thirlwall) his charitable gifts were most lavish, generally with the request that the donor's name was not to be men- tioned. The following may serve to exem- plify this When the anti-tithers in North Pembrokeshire and the lower part of Car- diganshire refused to pay the tithes, many of the clergy were reduced to the greatest straits. The Archdeacon received a cheque for XP,00 for distribution among the most needy incumbents,the name of the donor not to be mentioned. It is believed that only two persons knew from whom the cheque came, and perhaps not more know to this day that the Bishop himself was the giver of it. • • The Rev. J. Gwynoro Davies, J.P., of Barmouth, who had Professor Mabaffy as a fellow-traveller on board the steam yacht, Midnight Sun, one afternoon, on the voyage from Naples to Athens, had a chat with Pro- fessor Mahaffy with regard to the allegations against Welshmen and the Welsh language made in his article in the Nineteenth Century. Mr. Davies says that the Irish professor has evidently been misled by the eminent Welshmen' whom he consulted, and has swallowed in perfect confidence all that he was told. One of the charming fairy tales related to the guileless professor was that a secret agreement exists among Welshmen to prevent anyone except Welshmen from obtaining any office or appointment in the Principality. Mr. Davies intends to publish the substance of the conversation. ftew The following lines (says the Daily Cliro, niele) were picked up in the House of Com- mons Lobby on Thursday night:— When Howorth raves on Dynamite, And Lowther joins in showing fight, Who helps the Tories on that night ? Our Harcourt. When Vincent talks of Marks of Trade, Condemning all things German made, Who is it comes to Ritchie's aid ? Our Harcourt. When Bromley shouts for Lord Penrhyn, And blames the Board of Trade for sin, Who rises up and rubs it in Our Harcourt, And when Maclean comes down on Joe,' And Rhodes's virtue tries to show, Who shields good Joseph from the blow ? Our Harcourt. Who keeps the Tories thus afloat, With helping speech and friendly vote, Till the right time to strike the note ? V' <2 Our Harcourt. The late Edith Wynne created a great sensation at the Carnarvon Eisteddvod, held in 1862. A rumour had been in circulation for some time that she had 'verted and joined the Church of Rome. At the eisteddvod she silenced all her traducers by singing the following touching words that had been specially written for the occasion by that prince of Welsh Lyricists Ceiriog. The words have additional interest at present by the death of the eminent soprano 0 mor barod ydyw dynion I drywanu at y byw 0 mor gyndyn ydynt wedy'n, I roi eli ar y briw. Dodwch gareg ar fy meddrod I Fel y mynoch bo'r coffad; Dyna'r pryd i dd'wedyd hyny, I mi golli'm serch at Gymru* I mi golli iaith fy ngwlad Mr. Joseph Bennett, of the Daily Telearaph, adds a graceful tribute to the late "Edith Wynne. 'As a ballad singer she had no superior, and her rendering of Schubert's 'Young Nun' will never fade from my memory. For chastened intensity of expres- sion, for purity of enunciation, and vocal skill within the {limits to which she kept herself, the Welsh artist was truly remark- able.' » Mr. William Jones, M.P., who scored so signally in the Penrhyn debate, is, by reason of his past history, one of the most notable of the younger generation in the House of Commons. Young as he looks—and he is really older, for he is 35-his career (says the Morning Leader) has been one of unen- ding toil. He began life as a pupil teacher, and in the natural course of things became a schoolmaster in a Welsh country parish. But that did not content him. He secured what many country schoolmasters are wont to regard as the height of ambition-an ap- pointment under the London Board. That, however, did not bring his development to a close. By intense application he has made himself not merely a fluent conversationa- list in four languages — English, Welsh, French, and German-but an accomplished musician, and an acknowledged authority on all questions of ancient history. He is no longer a Board School assistant teacher, he is a coach at Oxford for Honor Greats,' though he has never taken a degree himself. But with all his strenuousness and learning he is a man of very winning personality.

FUNERAL OF MADAME EDITH WYNNE. The remains of Mrs. Agabeg (Miss Edith Wynne) were laid to rest on Thursday, the 28th ult., in West Hampstead Cemetery. The funeral procession left the residence of the deceased lady in N ewtown Gardens, West Kensington, shortly before 11 o'clock, the open hearse which bore the coffin being covered with floral wreaths, crosses, crowns, harps, and other emblems sent by relations and friends, including the following:—Mr John Thomas (harpist to the Queen), the Misses Howell (Rhiewport, Montgomery- shire), Mr. and Mrs. Matthison, Mr. and Mr-. Ganz, Mrs. Mary Davies, Miss Macmillan, Major Sumner, Mr. and Mrs. R. Wynne, Mrs. Hollman, Mr. Ben Davies, Miss Agabeg, and Lieutenant and Mrs. Wynne Hanna. The pretty cemetery at West Hampstead was reached shortly after noon, and a service at once effective and devotional was conducted by the Rev. E. Killin Roberts. The princi- pal mourners were Mr. Robert Wynne (brother), Mr. B. N. Davies (cousin), Mrs. Hoyland and Mrs. Matthison (sisters), and Mr. J. Thomas. Two Welsh hymns were sung at the graveside by the Penrhyn choir in a most impressive manner.

LLANDUDNO PIER COMPANY. The annual meeting was held at the Pier Pavillion on Saturday, Mr. Williams (chair man presiding over a good attendance. The Secretary (Mr. S. Hughes) submitted the report and balance sheet for 1896, show- ing a gross revenue of £ 12,417, the working expenses being £ 8,145. The profit on the year's,working was £4,271 15s. lid., which, with S999 10s. 4d carried forward from last year, made the sum available for divi- dend and other purposes £ 5,261 6s. 3d. The Directors recommended a dividend of 12i per cent; that Si,ooo be added to the re- serve fund and that Xi.,377 6s. 3d. be car- ried forward. The Chairman moved the adoption of the report, and congratulated the shareholders upon th9 fact that the £ 8 shares now fetched E15 18s. 9d. Before next season the end of the pier would be widened, gaining 700 square yards, and making accommodation for 2,000 more promenaders. The steamers' landing stage was also being greatly im- proved: They had engaged Mr. A. E. Bartle, Southport, as conductor of the concerts for another season: also Mr. Arthur Payne, London, as leader and solo violin. Dr. William Nichol seconded, and stated that the concerts would begin at Easter, earlier than was ever attempted yet. The report was adopted. Messrs. T. Williams, W. Bevan, B. Wood- cock, and Cooke were re-elected directors, and a fee of 360 guineas was voted to them for the past year's services. In reply to shareholders, it was stated that the company would oppose the proposed erection of a new pier on the ground that it would interfere with the navigation and de- tract from the beauty or the bay.

_> A ROYAL GHOST AT WINDSOR. WHAT LIEUTENANT GLYN SAW AT THE CASTLE. INQUIRIES BY THE ROYAL FAMILY. Following on the report that the ghost of Queen Elizabeth had been seen at Windsor Cas- tle, a reporter of the Daily Mail was sent to the Royal borough to make enquiries. It appears that the Bishop of Peterborough (Dr. Carr Glyn) has told several people about an uncanny appearance, and the bishop's nephew, Lieuten- appe ant Glyn, was mentioned as one who was pre- pared to vouch for a strange occurrence. Investigation of the matter was not so easy. The Bishop of Peterborough had gone abroad. Lietenant Glyn was in Argyllshire. At length, however, the mother of Lieutenant Glyn, the Hon. Mrs. Sidney Glyn, was found, and this lady astonished the inquiring newspaper man by remarking quietly, in reply to the question introducing this eerie topic, that there was truth in the matter. The Hon. Mrs. Carr Glyn said:—'It is per- fectly true that my son has witnessed some- thing abnormal. He was, he tells me, SITTING IN THE LIBRARY of Windsor Castle, reading a book, the 'His- tory of Dorsetshire,' to be exact. As he read, he became aware of somebody passing in the inner library. He looked up and saw a female tigure in black, with black lace on the head, falling on to the shoulders. The figure passed across the library towards a corner which was out of view as my son sat, and he did not take much notice, thinking it was somebody reading in the inner room. 'This was just upon four in the afternoon, and an attendant soon afterwards came up to close the place. My son asked who the lady was who was at work in the inner room, and the attendant replied that no one else was in the library. 'My son assured the attendant that a lady had just before walked across the inner room. I I Then where could she be?' asked the atten- dant, having ascertained that nobody was in the inner room. She must have gone out of a door in the corner,' said my son, indicating the corner to which the figure had passed. But there is no door,' said the attendant. 'My son said nothing about this incident, and did not think very much about it, I under- stand, until Mr. Holmes, the librarian, asked him about it, the attendant having mentioned the matter to Mr. Holmes. Asked by Mr. Holmes to describe the figure he had seen, my son did so, and Mr. Holmes replied that my son had seen the APPARITION or QUEEN ELIZABETH. Mr. Holmes added there were records that this apparition haunted these rooms, but Lieu- tenant Glyn was the first man in our time who had seen it. The Dean of Windsor also asked my son about it, and several members of the Royal family have interviewed him on the sub- ject. < As for Mr. Holmes I am given to under- stand that he has spent nights and days in the library since, in the hopes of being vouchsafed a visitation.' The Hon. Sydney Carr Glyn. the famous Crimean veteran, and father of Lieutenant Glyn, here entered the room, and upon learn- ing of the topic under discussion, said :—' If my son says he has seen anything, you may take it from us that he has seen it. He is a fresh, honest English boy, only a subaltern, but foid of held sports, like most guardsmen, and unlike some guardsmen, fond of reading. He wouldn't exaggerate anything a hair's breadth.' Both the Hon. and Mrs. Carr Glyn gave per- mission for the publication of this statement by their son, subject to the sanction of Lieutenant Glyn. On, Sunday night a wire was despatched to Lieutenant Glyn, soliciting leave to give the story on his authority, and yesterday morning came the answer:—'Certainly, if you like.- GLYN, Grenadiers, Islay.' WHERE THE GHOST WALKS. The reprentative of the Daily Mail next saw Mr. R. R. Holmes, F.S.A., the librarian of the Castle, and writes :—Mr. Holmes conducted me to the scene of the alleged apparition. He pointed out the chair occupied by Mr. Glyn, which stands Qn the east side of the first room, and I seated myself in it. Immediately before me was a large globe, looking past which a few steps lead up into a gallery, the sides of which are lined with books, there being windows on the left hand and a series of bays on the right, various windows of which look down upon the Terrace and out over the broad expanse of water, in the midst of which, at the present moment, Windsor town lies like an island at- bached to the mainland by lines of trees, and telegraph-posts marking the sites of submurged roads. At the far end of the gallery is a turret, two windows of which looking on the west make a broadish space of light, against which any figure traversing the gallery would be sharply silhou- etted. On the south side of the gallery—which was built by Q ieen Elizabeth and used by her as a picture gallery in which she was accustomed to walk, and wherein she devised, or reflected upon, those masterpieces of statecraft which have made her reputation what it is-stands a fine chimney-piece, over which a bust of the Virgin Queen looks down somewhat severely upon the spot where her shade has been so re- cently seen. It is here that Mr. Glyn says he saw the ap- parition which, passing from him along the gal- lery, turned sharply to the right and disap- peared into the bay from whence in former times a staircase led down to the Terrace, on which also Queen Elizabeth was wont to pro- menade. Mr. Holmes says that this gallery had had the REPUTATION OF BEING HAUNTED by the ghost of Queen Elizabeth from time out of memory. His own recollection of the story dates from twenty-seven years ago, and he has been in the liafeit of spending Hallowe'en in the gallery for several years in the hope of encoun- tering her deceased Majesty. He had heard some rumour to the effect that the Empress Frederick had, when a child, seen an appiration in the gallery, and on her visiting Windsor next week hopes to secure corroboration or denial of the rumour.

The air ia so clear in the Arctic region that conversation can be carried on easily by persons two miles apart. It has also been asserted on good authority that at Gibraltar the human voice has been distinctly heard at a distance of ten miles.

SEQUEL TO AN ARREST AT BANGOR. ALLEGED THEFT OF BICYCLES. In London on Friday, Elizabeth Perry, 23, a smartly-dressed person, saying she was a dress- maker, with no home, was brought up in cus- tody from Carnarvon, North Wales, charged with being concerned in several thefts of bicy- cles. Frank Ashton, son of a cyclemaker, of Clarence-Road, Hackney, said that on the 9th of July last the prisoner and a man called at his father's shop and wished to borrow a couple of bicycles for a two hours' spin. He only had a lady's machine available, and allowed the prisoner to have that, at the same time sending thman to London-road, Clapton (his uncle's), for a machine. They obtained the two machines and paid for the hire, and were not again heard of until in custody at Bangor, in North Wales, where they were tried for cycle stealing, the man getting six months' and the woman three' months' imprisonment. (The man is at present in jail). The next that was seen of the machines was at, Northampton, where the prisoners had disposed of them Detective Sergeant Nursey, of the J division, said he went down to Bangor on Thursday, and arrested this prisoner, when she answered, 'Yes, it is quite right. I'll tell you the whole truth tQ clear the whole matter, so that I may start again fresh. We wanted money. We could get no work. We had the bicycles and rode them to Northampton, where we were arrested for stealing the cycles.' The value of the machines taken respectively from Thomas and David Aston was 920; and that of three machines similarly obtained last April from Charles Muggi-idge, a cyc:e agent, of Clarenie road, Notting-hill, was also £10. The prisoner now pleaded guilty, and said that the machines had been sold, she did not know to whom but she would like to be dealt with at once, so as to get away from her husband. Mr. D'Eyncourt thought it far too serious a matter to deal with offhand. He would remand her to see if there were any other charges to be preferred.

-iCi\ FESTINIOG. SCHOOL BOARD. At the ordinary meeting on Saturday last, presided over by Mr. E. P. Jones, the resigna- tion of Mr. J. Oliver Jones, who had been ap- pointed assistant master of the Llanrwst Inter- mediate School, was accepted. Miss Ellen Jones (Llanrwst) was appointed to the Tanygrisiau Girls' School, and Jennie Parry (Merthyr Tyd- vil) to Maenofiferen School. On the motion of Dr. Evans, seconded by the Rev. R J- Williams H was resolved, 'That this Board concerns the appointment of an Englishman unable to speak Welsh to succeed the late lamented Mr. W Williams as chief inspector of schook for Wales.' A letter from the National Committee of Education askmo- the Board to express an opinion upon the new Education Bill, was read, and on the motion of the Rev. R. J. Williams, seconded by Mr. W. W. Jones, it was unani- mously resolved That this Board views with great disfJatisfaction the intention of the pre- sent Government to grant large sums of public money for the xnaintainance of Voluntary schools in the control of which the ratepayers have no voice.'

BIS T It I C T COUNCIL. This Council held its monthly meeting on Friday evening last, Mr. R. Roberts (Dolawfil) presiding. The Inspector reported that 17 notifications of infectious diseases had been received since the last meeting, but that the general health of the district was very satisfactory. He again called the attention of the Council to the scarcity of houses, and mentioned several cases of over- crowding, He felt that immediate steps should be taken to abate this nuisance, lest an epi- demic should break out in the neighbourhood. It was resolved that the owner of certain pro- perty should be notified without delay and that the premises should be vacated forthwith, and placed in a habitable condition. The inspector further reported that he had visited a butcher's establishment and found raeat exposed for sale which he considered unfit for human food, and which he condemned. The manager of the shop, however, objected to his seizing the meat. ¡ It was decided to refer the matter to a sub- commiiicee. The Clerk reported that 91,4ooo had been paid to the credit of the Council by the Local Government Board, and that the purchase of the new cemetery had been completed, and that several interments had alieady been made in the new ground. Letters from the London and North-Western and the Great Western Railway Companies were read acknowledging the receipt of a resolu- tion asking them to have one central station for the town instead of four as at present. Both promised to give the matter consideration. The Surveyor reported that_ the sewage scheme for the village of Festiniog was now complete, and, after recording a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Thomas Ellis, M.P., for the as- sistance given by him in the negotiations of the Council with the Woods and Forests Department regarding common and Crown lands in the district, the meeting terminated.

(Batknmg. [If anyreaderwhoisin a difficulty with reference to his garden,. will write directly to the ad- dress given beneath, his queries" will be an- swered, free of charge, and by return of post. —EDITOR]. THE FLOWER GARDEN. A great many of the principal flowers should be sown this month, but where there are only indifferent appliances for protecting the young seedlings from advej se weather it will be better co wait until the beginning of March. Where beds of annuals were sown in autumn for early spring flowering, it will now be necessary to attend to the thinning and transplanting of the young plants. Very few people attempt to raise some of the rarer flowers, such as begonias, dahlias, &c., from seed, yet the process is per- fectly simple, provided that a good greenhouse be available. Tuberous root pots must above everything be well drained and it is best to use a fibrous compost, covered with good sandy loam. The seed is very small, so that only the slightest sifting of fine earth must be shaken over it. The soil is sprinkled with water im- mediately before sowing as a rule. Stand the pots in a steady temperature of about 60 to 65 degrees, and wait patiently for the seeds to germinate, potting each seedling off direcly it is large enough to handle. As begonia bulbs which have been stored during the winter show signs of growth, they may be potted. Unfortunately, begonias do not receive any- thing likarthe attention they deserve as bed- ding plants. Planted out in June, they con- tinue blooming until the frost come, and afford abundance of flowers when other blossoms are scarce. The great point is to make the ground thoroughly rich for them. We have seen them defy drought and excessive wet when most bed- ding plants were utterly spoiled. It is always a good plan to make a sowing of the shrubby calceolaria during February in a frame or greenhouse. The seedlings possess great variety of colouring, and the method obviates the ne- cessity of keeping cuttings through the winter. It is not generally known that perennial chry- santhemums are easily flowered the first year from seed, if sown during this month or in March. The seedlings are ea&ilv raised in mo derate heat, though they must be stood outside as soon as it is safe, to keep them stocky and healthy. A mistake is sometimes made by ama- teurs in giving the plants too large pots, with the result of putting off the flowering season until the second year. Amongst perennial chrysanthemums the white and yellow mar- guerites deserve attention, the latter being one of the test plants for town gardens. The technical names of these are respectively C. frutescens and C. frutescens Etoile d'Or. Few plants are so pleasing for out flowers as the single dahlia, combining as it does great beauty and diversity of colour with the most brilliant colours. The seeds of both single and double- flowered kinds, sown now, will afford a show of bloom during the coming autumn. The seed must be sown thinly in pans of some light, rich compost, a very light sprinkling of soil be- ing placed over it. Piick out each plant as it reaches about an inch or an inch and a half in height, covering it right up to the base of the two leaves. Delicate seedlings, as in the case of herbaceous calceolarias and various other plants, often, if not generally, eventually pro- duce the most lovely and novel flowers. A moderately good beat will be required by the newly potted plants, and they will need to be moved to other pots from time to time. Each will want supporting with a stick when a few inches in height. Grow steadily on without a check of any -kind, and admit as much air as may be consistent with safety. Some of the dianthus family are exceedingly pleasing, and any of them may be grown from seed, sown now in a temperature of about 55 degrees. So much heat is necessary only during the period of actual germination, and it is best to grow the seedlings on in a much lower temperature to prevent them becoming soft and lanky. A neglected, but very lovely, flower is myosctis azorica, the most charming and floriferous of all forget me-nots. Treated as a half hardy annual, like asters, it succeeds alike as a pot plant and in the open border. Sow phlox drummondi seed very thinly in shallow, well- drained pans. Personally, we prefer to place the seeds an inch apart. Prick out some of the seedlings two inches asunder in other pans, and let them grow until it is time to put-them' out of doors. In the course of a week or so it will be time to sow the seeds of bedding petunias in the sa.me way. Latterly the delightfully fragrant white flowers of nicotiana afhnis, the popular tobacco plant, have been greatly ap- preciated and where a good show of blossom is desired, a sowing should be made any time from now until early March in pans of rich in a warm house. The seedlings must be potted otr as soon as possible, a sturdy growth being encouraged in every way possible. The colossee variety has a noble effect in sub-tro- pical gardening if abundance of manure be pro- vided. Seedling verbenas require very little artificial heat, and as a general rule they do best when sown early, as they then have a long period for growth. Sow in mellow and sweet soil in pans at once now. We always prefer to have the seed safely in the ground by the end of January, or quite at the beginning of this month. Pot off the seedlings when they are big enough, and treat hardily. Occasionally a really fine new variety occurs in a batch of fuschia seedlings. If the seed be sown soon in a temperature of from 05 to 70 degrees, the plants will flower in the autumn or early win- ter. Lift the seedlings so soon as they can be moved safely, and pot them of-i sing\ in small pots. Lobelias are amongst our me popular and useful bedding plants indeed, there is practically nothing which would take their place. Sow the seed now in gentle heat in pans or rather sandy soil. E. KEMP TOOGOOD, F.R.H.S., Pro TOOGOOD & SONS, The Royal Seed Establishment, Southampton. "rot.o\ iii

MERIONETHSHIRE INTERMEDIATE EDUCATION. THE quarterly meeting of the Merionethshire County Governing Body was held at Barmouth on Friday. A letter announcing his resignation as chair- man was read from Mr. Osmond Pen- rhyndeudraeth, which was accepted with re- gret. Dr. Edward Jones, Dolgelley, was prevailed upon to accept office again. The Clerk (Mr. R Jones Griffith) reported that there had been live applicants tor the ag- ricultural scholarships at the University Col- lege, Aberystwyth. Copies of a number of resolutions received from the Central Board were read and consi- dered. On the motion of Professor Ellis Edwards (Bala), a similar resolution to the one directing attention to the injustice that Wales should receive no share of the museum grants was adopted. The resolution as to pensions for intermedi- ate school teachers was referred to the Pensim Committee of the Body Another resolution asked for an estimate and report as to the total revenue for the year ended March 31st 1896, administered for the purposes of the Welsh Act under the county scheme. The Chairman said he had not had the oppor- tunity of ascertaining whether, as regards- in- spection of the schools, they were governed by the Central Board scheme or by the county scheme. If the Central Board charged 5 pet- cent on the revenue he feared the total would amount to more than the £ 100 stipulated in their own scheme. The Clerk: About X- 116. He added that JE69 only was paid last year for the examination of the schools to the Aberystwyth University Col- lege authorities. It was agretxl to send the return asked for, but that if the county was taxed more than gloo they should protest against it, as they were limited to that sum by their scheme.