The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-09-08 00:00:00

tourbtiby Obserber.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER Bth, 1883.

THE AUTUAN HOLIDAYS.

Among the many claims which the Nineteenth
Century will possess upon the attention of the
future student of social science will be that
during its prog.ess the world for the first time
has realised the desirability of taking regular
holida3s. It is no:, of course, to ba contended
that our forefathers knew nothing of such insti•
tuti:ns, for in the Englani of the olden time
there were, as in the Russia of to-day, a number
of days dedicated to saints and devoted to merry
making. But these were days after all, and the
busy toiler of the present, whether his labour
be that -)f the brain or that of the hands, knows
very well that a day's cessation from work, how-
evrr occasionally desirable, does not give all the
s ifli :i.atcy of rest that is required. Yet when
lit-try everyone in these times insists upon at
least a fortnight's holiday in the course of each
year as being absolutely essential not only to
comfort but to health, it is interesting to look
hack and see what a very modern idea all this
is. Fifty years since it was a phenomenal oc-
c =mice for any man of the middle classes to
stop working for weeks together in oraer to
have a thorough rest. Citizens, if they were
prosperous, occasionally took a day's' outing inthe
country with wife and family as did good John
Gilpin wh,n he executed his wonderous ride
pat the "Bell," at Edmonton; but dwellers in
small towns still live who can remember the ad-
ditional respect which was inspired in the breasts
(-4 all by the fact that some local lawyer or doctor
could afford to take himself and his belongings
to the seaside for a week. The multiplication
of stage-coaches contributed so.uething to the
spread of the holiday system ; but it was re
set ved for the railways to effect a thorough re-
volution. It is not now the lawyer or the doctor
who alone can muster sufficient means to remove
his family to the side of the surrounding sea,
and it is not for so short a space as a week that
folks inferior in wealth and social position are
now content to go. The desire for a fortnight's
holiday in the autumn of each year has spread
it may also be asserted, through all classes of
society ; and the result is as we see it to-day.
'f h re are pessimists who urge that all this run-
ning about is productive of as mach evil as ex-
cease, tha:, the worry attendant upon the trip
tare than swallows up the good to be derived
from it, and that folks would be mu :11 better
home attending to their bu-iness than gadding
a- oat at the sea-side spending their money and
wisiag their time. These are the people who
asscr, that travel teaches nothing but that all
ho'el-keepers are extortionate, all lodgings un-
coadortable, and all watering - places badly
drHioed, ant, that even if any benefit could
pos4ibly Le obtained f. om it, a fortnight is not a
sufficiently long time to allow of its being
acquired. But these dismal tales are little
itteded by the true holiday keeper. As soon as
the days begin to shorten he commences to feel
hts a change is desirable. Either he himself,
or his aife or one of his children has been som.t-
tt cut of sorts, and the whole family are per-
sakaled that the only cure fur the ailment,
~vit alter great or small, is the change of air.
The change of air is taken, the head of the
household throws off for a time the cares which
.inzing fifty weeks of the year weigh him down,
It ehildrtn enjoy themselves as mach because
of The str- ngeoess as of the intrinsic beauty of
the scenes, and the whole family rdrnrn home
fe, ling the better in health and spirits for the
tr:p that has been taken. This is no fancy
piture ; it is an unvarnished description of what
s place every autumn in thousands—it may
t,irly be said in tens of thousands—of 'instances
awt it is an experience well within the reach of
al!. Who then so wedded to ideas of the past
:hat he would forbid a fortnight's holiday solely
n, cause our forefathers had not the means of
inking one ! We have beard enough of the
,Lrgument that Sir Isaac New on worked a great
uaalber of years and never once had a vacation.
s a in titer of fact, if that gnat man had lived
in :.liesa days he would have kept holiday with
;ho res:, even if he h ,d spent s-me portion of it
seien itic congresseg. Man is bound to as-
co tuoc ate himself to th.. 3 times in which he
and in these days of hard racing for suc-
c, ss in life, the man is not likely to fall the
fur hest behind wao braces himself for renewed
s,.:aggle by kaking an aatumn holiday.

IRON TRADE SUMMARY.
THE HOME IRON TRADE.
The Eaglish iron market continues quiet. Thu
(1, egow warrant market has bean depressed this
and prices have receded about 6d. on the
svuek, warrants closing on Wednesday at 465. 71.
easAs and 493. 94-1, a mouth with buyers, sellers
asking one halt penny pr ton more. Seipments
ke p up well, but there is a large over production.
l'he slu,ggi-h state of the Scotch mark t has im-
parted its dulness to that of Cleveland, although
the shipments there have turned out better than
was anticipated. There wis not much activity on
l'ues.lay at Middlesbrough, but there was a fair
demand for No. 3, which is wanted for :he Con-
tinent. As much as 395. 6d. has been given for
No. 3. prompt delivery, but 393. is the ruling quo-
tation amongst merchants, makers still insisting,
up an higher rates. The pig-iron market of New-
catfle has been steadier, the price of No. 3 Cleve-
land pig being queted 3d. per ton higher, or 41s. 3d.
delivered in the Tyne. The Lancashire pig-iron
market is fairly steady, but there are indications
of weakne-s, although makers are very firm at
458. for forge aid 45s 6d. for foundry qualities
There is no change in the pie-iron tra, ie of Staf-
fordss2lre and Worcestershire, but the market is not
very animated. The hematite iron market con-
tinues inanimate, and prices remain undisturbed
at 505., 495., aud 433. for NO3. 1,2, and 3 Bessemer
respectively, at the west coast, the top price at the
east coast being 525. In the Forest of Dean, pig-
ir )u is steady and best classes are fetchi g 555. t
563. per ton. The finished iron market is in the
same condition as it was last week. The prices
asked for prompt delivery in Cluvelandand Durham
for ship plates are £9. 5. ; boiler plates, £7 ; ship
argles, £5. 12s. 6d ; common bars. £5. 15s. to £5.
17s. 6d. For forward delivetiis, from 2s. 6d. to ss.
less per ton is the rule. There is little change to
note in the finished iron market of Newcastle. Ship
plates are selling at £6 55.; boiler pl tes, .47 2s. 6d.
angle iron, 1.:6 15s. ; common bars, at £5 17s. 6.1. to
£6. A moderate business for prompt delivery is
dein,. in Lancashire in manufactured iron, at about
late rates, £6 2s. 6d. to 3E6 Si. for bars, £6 124. 6d.
for hoops, and £8 ss. to .£8 7s: 61 for hoops, and
ES sa. to £8 7s. 6d. for sheets, delivered in the
Manchester district. Trade is increasing in Wor-
ce-te-shire and Staffordshire, and most mills and
forges are busy. Marked bars keep firm at £7los
eecond cl ,es, at .f. 6 ss. te £6. 103. Weigh bars are
quieter but s'i 1 £5 to £5 ss. ; Welsh p'eites are
brisker, at 2; ss. Prices of hardware g aerally
are unaltered, hut they are rather weak 1 , trade
being very dull and competition severe filen is
no change in the tin plate market; prices are firm
however, at 16s. to 164. 3d. per box. Ther has been
a slishtly better diesued for steel rails during ths
past fortnight but it has had no effect as yet upon
prices which remain at a very low figure, some sale
on fureisn accouat having been effected at about
£4 153. p r ten free on board. The shipbuilding
; trade is becoming quieter. The shipyards are as
busy as ever, but very few fresh contraT are
t
' corning in. It is anticipated that next nw„
usher iii a very dull time for this branch o industry
. Engineers are still wool lemployed, and there appears
' to be no lack of now ord re.

.7,
THIt SKlN.—The Ui.ry of Wo o.u. the Pride of
' Man —lt a ,ntaina the debug:e lin•is of beanty, sod eon-
al;tutes all that we t.rm “Lovelluess," yet how many
bVe tneir slaw. ble-nisapd i.ritint soaps a bolic
tar, lilyc,-rtne, toad. ef putri I fs 1 tit;
Ai,tifoN .!lILK AND SU i,PH UN, 60AP" is Vie purest
Ithe whitaAt, aud molt pufifyi ig of all siaps it re-
moves all pimples, btote'les, siil ronghners. By all
herniate, in tablet, Gil. sad is.