The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-10-08 00:00:00

MAIDEN NEWTON.

Tun Wesleyan Methodists (who for 30 years tried to
establish & society in the, town) bare during this
summer been preaching twills on Sundays in the open
air. A small shop la now to be converted into use for
their meetings. The village of Cattistoek is also to be
visited as soon as possible.

GAS FOR MAIDEN NEWTON.
For twelve years Maiden Newton has been the junc-
tion of the Great Weatern and Bridport railways, and
this ready oommunication with the world at large has
infused new life into the place, and so enlarged the idees
of the inhabitants that that they shun the application
to Maiden Newton of the term village, prefer the
hobbledehoy designation place, and spire even to the
title of • town. And why not? For Maiden Newton,
with its near relation Cattistock, has a population of
wellmigh 2000—quite as large as not a few boroughs
returning two members to Parliament in the "good old
tiines." But fancy a town in these letter days having
one solitary oil lamp to illuminate (?) its street. at
night Of courts, it buns on half.heartedly, but seems
ashimed of it. weakness and that it should be such a
"snare and delusion" as it is to strangers, and to the
townsfolk too, for it only renders the darkneas beyond
more dense and dismal. This the wliole place - not to
put too fine a point on it—smells abominably of
parrafine, and the lamps occasionally protest against
burning such horrid stuff by bursting with indignation,
to the danger of all around; while, where candles are
used, they sputter and flicker with efery breath of
wind, throwing emits in all directions and rendering
seeing • hopeless endeavour; and the people Sit about
in the se,,-darkness of their houses like bate, and at
the chief inn of the plat*, though the ligh.ing there is
excellent of its sort, visitors accustomed to gas have
almost to feel their way about I But a brighter state of
things went+ to be dawning for Maiden Newton.
Lest Wednesday theirs was • meeting convened in the
sehool.room to bear the details of • project for providing
the plus with gas, and, if the people are bet equel to
the task of helping themselves, this time next year, we
shall no more think of calling Maiden Newton a village,
or a place, hut it will be a town, and one, we trust,
worthy of the name.
There was a fair attendance, and it included : The
Its.. F. T. Simon (emirate), the Rev. .7. R. Miall (Inde.
pendent Minister), Mr. Randall, Mr. Bestride., Moues
Cox, J. Br iwn, Read, Champion, Packham, Stieklend,
Hodges, Roberts, Manley, Bock, Clements, R. Gale,
A he man, Garland, H. Cox, B. Morris, J. Medway,
Whittle, Hood, La.
On the motion of the Rev. F. T. Salmon, seeonded by
Mr. Swatrielge, Mr. Kendall was called to to chair.
In opening the proceedings, the Chairman said they
bed met in order to see if it was possible to form • coop
pony in that place to light their parish with gas. They
would all reeollut that some time age a muting for a
santlar purpose took place, but he thought that at that
period the 'object had not been sufficiently mooted—
they did not then know their requirements, aa they now
felt them. Gas had become neoesaary in every town
and village—(hver, hear)—while it was so cheap, com-
paratively speaking, and could be brought into a place
so readily, that he thought he need not hesitate much
in saying. it was very likely to be introduced ere long at
Maiden Newton.- - (applause). Of wares he wee not
, very well acriueinted with the subject of supplying gas,
but he should have the pleasure of introducing to them
' •pntlemen who would tell them as to the meens—the
easy means of bringing gas into that plaoe. They all
felt that now there was so much travelling it was indis-
putable that on dark nights more light should be
afforded them in ping to and from the railway —(hear,
bear). He did not speak of this from interest, for
asoidents were not quite such inconvenient thinp to
him—(he is a surgeon)—as to many—he meant those
, who experienced them—(laughter). An explanation
would be 'teen them en to how pis might be provided,
and if by their means—by taking shares in • company,
or Promoting it as consumers, or in any other way—gae
weld be introduced there he for one should be highly
elstased—(bear hear). In conclusion he introdueed Mr.
Veary. • gas engineer of St. Margaret's, Herts.
Mr. Vasty said he had come there for the purpose, if
possible, of establishing gas works In that place. He
teed not tell them what • very great benefit it was to
have the use of gas. It's chief advantages were, cleanlit
WON cheapness, convenience, and, more especitlly,
safety; this with regard more particularly to private
spacemen As to it's convenienee—they knew that
they could have gas at a moment's notice, and without
the slightest trouble: it wee not like • horse in • stable,
, for though kept ready, it ate nothing, but mull be
I brought into service immediately it was required. Con.
earning its cleanliness, it was by far the most deeply of
all the lights we have. With it there was us " gutter-
ing" as they saw with the composite dandles teed in that
I row= As regarded its cheapness; • pound of COM.
posit* candle. at la per lb., would give • light equal to
25 cubic feet of pa, whioh at is. per 1,000 cubic, feet
wont I co-d 2.1. and one-tenth of a penny, so that gas-
light at is. per 1,000 would be rather less than one-fifth
of the price of the best composite candle... Certainly,
gas found • strong competitor in the parrafioe oil now
no extensively toted ; but, the saving in burning gas at
the price he had mimed over parrafine would be about
25 per sent., or one.fourth. besides which, in burning
parralloe there were many breakage., and last though not
least, • dreadful stench arm from the coal
hoar). As to the safety of gam: though they oceasioeuly
heard of explosions of gas, there were testy few accident.
caused by it compared with the number there used to
be when candles, and oil, and other lights were in
general use. In support of this he might tell them that
many insurance companies refused to insure at all
pattern shops and other places where inflammable sub-
stances were kept unless they were lighted with gee,
while paper worts were insured at • lesser rote ohms
gas Lad been used. In the event of gas works bring
established there, they could not aspect the large
dividends obtained by the Londoo companies, and by
Mr. Burdon for the lighting of Weymouth, for so many
veer.: in the first year he would not promise them any
dividend, for they would be engaged getting the works
into good working order, but ASi time twelve °sondes
there would be every prospect of a dividend of five per
cent. That was b sed on • calculation that 150 burners
would be employed, and the gas be charged 6s. 8.1. per
1,000 cubic feet for the first year, and in the nest fle.
per 1,000. He calculated the cost of eoels such as they
would use at 113. per too delivered at the works. He
pointed them to Buntingford, in Herta, where they had
only 50 gas °milliners, yet the eorepany the Out year
paid 4 per cut., the veered 5, and this year Ti per
unt. At somali place in Derbyshire, the company laid out
about £9OO in the works, and bad declared dividend. of
10 per oent, after the mond year; that had been dons
now for three years. He had taken a rough 'nutty of
Maiden Newton. He noticed that at • former meeting
on this subject held in 1863, the engineer proposed a
gasometer capable of bolding 3.000 cubic feet of pa.
That might have been capacity enough then, but he did
not think it would do now. Further on he found the
engineer at that time estimated his works to last for ten
years. If he were favoured with their instructions to
form • company he hoped his works would last much
longer than that. Ho was not a contractor, sad had no
interest in repairing or altering works when they were
once erected. He should propose that they had •
geometer which would hold 5,600 feet of pa being 25
feet in diameter, and other works in proportioa. This
would supply 550 burners if required. 'The cost of such
works he estimated at £6BO, and the mains according to
the distance. If they carried the main. into Cattistook
they would get a good consumer in Lord Poltimore, who
was there during the winter and kept • large number of
horses. Ote was very useful in singeing horses, and its
employment would be • good help to the company. The
cost of mains throughout the plum would average
2.. V. per yard, taking /dub and 3-inch pipes as re-
coifed. It was for them to consider whether it was
advisable to introduce was into Maiden Newton, and, if
they thought it was stivisalge, whether any one of them'
we. prepared to go into the business alone, or whether
it should be done by • company. He suggetted the
formation of • company under the Joint Stock Cool.
panic Acts of 1862 and 1867 conjointly, with • nominal
capital of £3,000. They might be rattier staggered at
the amount, bet it was not necessary tecadlit all up, and
the fees under the Act would be just the sante is if they
had (500 capital, whilit that would put them in • posi-
tion to extead their work@ as might be required. At
the utmost there would not be more Muni= expended
in the works such am he bad sketched. He suggested
that the shares should be £5 0500, so that every perm
desirous of • good and cheap light could become • share.
holder in order to attain it. and he would propose that
tia payments should be in El calls extended over five or
six months, so that IMMO would have to pay for • singl
shin atom this SI per moola-416w, bar). 11