The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-04-20 00:00:00

EMPLOYMENT FOR POOR GIRLS.

"A Lancashire Town Councillor" writes to the Globs :

Sir,—ln your issue of this day [Friday] you call
attention to the fact that the young women of South
Wales who are being sent from the distressed dis-
tricts to Liverpool obtain employment as domestic
servants within half an hour of their arrival. The
miserable poverty which now exists in the Forest
of Dean and South Wales iron and coal districts
has caused philanthropic men in Liverpool to,
import the young women, and place them in situH-
tions, where they will be well fed and receive
glod wages. I wish it could be better known than
it is that nurse-girls and plain-cooks get £l4, £l5, and
£l6 per annumn, with the greatest possible ease, in
Manchester and Liverpool. lam an extensive em-
ployer of labour, and I know trade in Lancashire to be
bad, but there is no supply of domestic amsistants at
all equal to the demand. I confess I cannot under-
stand it, and would only ask those who know of poor
and respectable young women to inform them that if
they wish to better their position they must go to
Manchester or Liverpool. Let any one who wishes to
verify my assertions go into one or two of what are
known as registry offices where servants are engaged,
and instead of a row of girls waiting for situations
these bad times, he will find a row of ladies waiting
anxiously for those who apply. My own wife has
only rectntly sat three hours in one of these places
waiting for a nurse who could look after two or three
children; and my wife's case is exactly the case of all
the wives of all the friends I know; and I may say
that these friends live in houses of from £6O to £3OO
per annum in value, to give you some idea of their
social position. Will the press assist poor heads of
families as well as heads of poor families?

TRIALS OF STRENGTH AND
ENDURANCE.
A large number of persons (including many ladies)
assembled at Lillie Bridge Ground on Saturday after-
noon to witness some novel trials of strength and speed
between men and animals. Unfortunately, shortly
after the commencement of the sports the rain came
down heavily, and continued until the close. Pro-
ceedings commenced with a "tug of war" between
teams of six men of the Ist and 2nd battalions of the
Coldstream Guards. After a short struggle the Ist
Battalion proved victorious.
Perkins, the champion walker, and J. M`Leary, the
one mile and four mile champion, next appeared on
the track, to contest a novel race. Perkins was to
walk four miles; J. M`Leary to run the same distance,
conceding 8i min. start. The running man did the
whole distance in 21 min. 50 sec. ; the walker gave up
at 3i miles, doing that distance in 27 min. 22 sec.
S. Hazael next appeared, and endeavoured to beat
Deerfoot's ten miles time of 51 rain. 26 sec. This he
failed to de' taking 57 min. 40 sec. During the whole
of the time the rain fell heavily, which doubtless pre-
vented him from beating "the enemy."
After some running matches between men and dogs,
J. Cooper on the bicycle started against J. Barnes on
roller skates to run a mile. The asphalte however,
owing to the wet, proved ill-suited to the bicycle, and
Cooper, who received two bad falls shortly after
starting, retired from the contest after going a couple
of laps.
The next match was B. Keen on the bicycle against
Mr. Argent's trotting cob Prince for five miles; the
pony won easily.
Some amusing tugs of war next took place, viz.,
horses versus mules and men. Three fine specimens
of the Poitou mules were on the ground, one of which
with ease walked away with teams of the Guards.
Tugs of war between the horses and mules also took
place. The ground was very slippery, and owing to
both horses and mules backing instead of pulling, the
result was hardly satisfactory.
Th closing race wrs for a mile :—F. Cooper on his
bicycle, Mr. Frost's galloping pony Tiny, 12 hands 1
inch, and 'l'. Shepherd running, the latter having
minute start; the pony came in first by the third of a
lap; Cooper was second.

STANDING TREAT.—A Yankee, who has suffered
much,, says :—" Now, boys, if you wish to be generous
and treat each "other, why not select some other place
besides the liquor ;hop ? Suppose, as you go by the
pot-office, you say, 'I say, my dear fellow, come in
aud take some stumps.' rhese stamps will cost you
no more than drinks all round. Or, go to the haber-
aasher's, and say, Boys, come in and take a box of
collars.' Walk up to a grocer's, free and generous,
and say, What kind of coffee will you have?' Why
not treat to groceries by the pound as well as liquor
by the glass? Or, take your comrades to a cutlers"
and say, 'l'll stand a good pocket-knife all round."