The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-07-26 00:00:00

KIDDERMINSTER.

Master Ellis Talbot, son of Mr. W. H. Talbot,.
solicitor of this town, has won the first junio
scholarship of £2O in a recent competition a'
,Brighton College. Master Talbot was until very
recently a pupil at the Kidderminster Grammar
School.
IMPROVED STEAM ENGINE. A number of
gentlemen, representing various interests in Kid-
derminster, accepted an invitation on Monday
morning to witness the starting of a new engine
of great motive power, at Messrs. J. Brinton and
Co.'s carpet works. When it is mentioned that the
new engine will work 250 Brussels and tapestry
carpet looms, and drive spinning and accessory
machinery, finding employment in the aggregate
for 1,200 workpeople, some general idea of its
effectiveness will be gained. It displaces three
' other engines of 570-horte power. The stroke is
a five-feet one, the fly-wheel making seventy revo-
lutions per minute, thus giving a piston speed of
700 feet a minute. The fly-wheel is 16ft. 6in. in
diameter by 9ft. 3-1 inches across, and the power is
transmitted from it to the main driving shafts by
two double belts 34 inches wide, and a third, 30
mclies wide. The air-pump is a patent of Messrs.
Pollit and Wigzell's, of an ingenious kind, and one
of Berryman's interheaters has been put in by
Messrs. Joseph Wright and Co. Limited (Tipton).
One of Cameron's double-cylinder high-speed fire
pumps has also been provided, which will be used
for feeding boilers, supplying tanks, and also be
available in case of fire. Mrs. Brinton started the
engine, which she named the "Hercules."
_

FLOWER SHOW AT STONE.—The annual flower
show of the Chaddesley Corbett, Rushock, and Stour
Cottage Gardeners took place on Wednesday, in the
grounds of Mr. H. Howa rd, of Stone House. The
day, for once was a delightful one, and the warm,
bright sunshine gave an eclat to the affair all the
more noticeable from its contrast with the long and
dreary period while the sun has been "on strike."
The exhibits w‘re arranged in a well-filled marquee,
and, besides the cottagerE' specimens, a number of
ornamental plants were lent for the occasion with-
out reference to competition. Mrs. Perrins. of the
Spenuels, sent a handsome collection of ferns; Mr.
liatton, of Hill Grove, and Mr. T. Wight, of Monks
House, sent ornamental foliage and flowering plants:
and Mr. Godfrey, of Stourbridge (who, with Mr.
Anderson, acted as judge) contributed dracmias,
crotons, begonias. &c., which added to the attrac-
tiveness of the tent. At the entrance, the Union
Jack and French tricolour, arranged in bright floral
colours by Miss Fitch and Miss Malcolm' caught
the eye, and had a very pleasing effect. The en-
couragement of window gardening is one of the
objects of the committee, and the cottagers sent
satisfactory contributions in this class. Another
feature was the competition among children under
12 for the prizes for designs for nosegays of wild
flowers. The large number of nosegays sent
showed that a considerable number of little ones had
been interested in this part of the exhibition, and
the committee will, we hope, be able another year
to increase the number of prizes in this healthy
juvenile contest. The general floral display was
very good considering the season, which necessarily
prevented competition in certain of the classes. The
strawberries and black currants were the marked
features of the fruit entries, and some capital dishes
were exhibited. In the vegetable section potatoes
were a strong show, and the specimens appeared
equal to those of an ordinary season. Miscellaneous
vegetables were as rule smaller in growth than
generally seen. A stall in the tent was devoted to
the sale of fancy and useful articles in aid of a fund
for the improvement of Stone Church, where, it is
intended to remove the old," three decker," and
effect other alterations. The Cradley Heath Brass
Band was engaged, and played at intervals during
the day. Dr. Fitch, the hon. secretary, had made
excellent arrargements for the show, and has to be
congratulated lon having made a weather forecast
when he fixed the date of the show which puts the
Meteorological Office to the blush.

THE NAILERS AND THE WAGES
QUESTION.

On Monday, the adjourned conference of nailers'
&legates was held at the Royal Exchange Inn, Old
Hill, for the purpose of rot:dying the report of the
deputation appointed at the previous meeting to
wait upon the masters in respect to the wages ques•
tion.

Mr. J. W. Noakes (Bromsgrove) was voted to
the chair.

The deputation, Messrs. Hackett, Noakes, Byng,
and Hadley, reported that the result of the inter-
view with most of the employers in the Old Hill,
Dudley, and Bromsgrove districts wits satisfactory.
All the masters but three would agree to attend
a meeting of the trade if one was convened.
It was the unanimous opinion amongst the re-
presentives on Monday that the question might
now be amicably arranged without the painful
necessity of a strike.
It was decided to draw up a memorial to one of
the principal masters praying, him to convene a
meeting of masters at which° representatives of
the men shall also be present to discuss the present
condition of the trade, and the desirability of re-
turning to the January list, 1879.