The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-01-15 00:00:00

PORTLAND.

TRU volunteer coneert at St. George's Stthools on Wed-
useday evening last was a great PISCA," the rooms Were
crowded. and the *mount realised was orar £lO.
VOLUNTRERS FOR TIIE WAIL—On S Ittirday 30 volunteers
from the 20th Reximent left for Aldershot to join the
Pith Foot. which denarte this week from Englund for
terrine in the ear in South Africa.

BOYS BACK. —Tue boys of IL M. B VOMCD,
to the number of about 600. returned on Thursday from
their annual leave.
GOOD TIMPLART. —On Tuesday evening a meeting ems
held under the auspices of "Star of Portland" lodge, when
there was • capital attendance. and they were addrered
by the Rey. R. Hawkey, Messrs. Abel Attsrooll, B.
Comber,. and J. C belt The speechec were interimersed
with singing and readings. Bro. W. Way, W.C.T.,
oreuponl the chair.
Foortmu. —The Portland Football Club have received a
challenge from some young men at Wertniuth. they
immediately accepted the challenge, and the match will
be played on Setunlay afternoon, be‘inning at three
o'clock. .

INIROTIUMIT AT THI Erriuincg..—The Local hare
much improved till entrance toward. Fortune'. Well ; he
curning the footpath Just outside Victoria Lodge Hotel,
and what. now wanted, a pitched crowing from the
path uphill to the corner of the curb, so as to enable
people to get into the town without going through the
mud.

Tug MISSION TILA.-On Thursday lad, the friends of St.
George's church weembiod at tea under the presidency of
the Rector, Rev. J. A. Bawer, the table* being taken he
Mrs. Henz,r and the School teachers. Thu weather was
wet ; but the party wee fail( large. After reeding the
annual report of the Foveae Misaion fund, the Rector
gave a torture on the Arctic Regions.
PRESENTATION.-On Sundae afternoon the young men of
the Congregational school met Mr. Roper, the anperinten.
dent, after school, and Mr. Roper, on their behalf
Presented to Wise stone, who has taught teem for some
year.. • copy of "The Teacher's Bible, The prewnt was
totally unexpected by MiseStone,who was much deliglred
on receiving the gift.
OLD LADY'S FALL-Sine of the inhabitants call it "4
caution to the I, cal Board- that old Mee Met) dila last
week fell off the raised footpath new St. John's Church.
The-old hely thought she had only • step to make ; lest
Ale went down about three f. et, fell and hurt her foot.
She was taken into the Pow-office, and afterward.
removed to her home on the Hill in • carriage. They say
that Mr. Harrieon directed this path should WI relied or
lighted. The latter is done to • certain extent, and if
inheldlenta want more light, they must par in ire rate..
Romans Svgeeten.-On Tuesday list, ler -re Mr. IL C.
Gotelden and Colonel Swale''', Dais Jackson, of the 20th
Regimeut was charged with steeling a piece of cheese,
valise ea Id., the property of James Thrwher, of Fortune's
Welt -P.C. George Stone saw the prisoner go into Mr.
Thresher's shop and come out of it with the cheese in his
hand, when the constable collared him and took ti. (nee
the shop, when Mr. Throatier', niece identified the cheese.
-The rase haviug been prised before the Bench. prisoner
wee sentenced to one month's hard labour—Another
soldier of the 20th Regiment, named Barret& wee brought
up for atwiling !brie shirts from a clotheelin. in Artist's-
row.- RC. Stone proved this ewe also: h. saw prisoner
gceng into Artist's r or, followed him, and by the time be
came op to him. Mns (ebbs arm complaining of loosing-
three shirts from ley line. The eowtelde erarched the
wilier, and underneath hi, coat found the three shirts,.
which Mr..CO',, identilled-Four month*, hard labour.
ALLSOED FORGERY ST • CHINKS'S SIRTANT. -
' di I-'tore the Portsmouth Tees Fel. 20, a
servant to Commander Lord Charles Bereelord, tit H.M.S.
Tnitniierer, was hr ugh, up on a charge of having forged
o cheque in his master's name for £5O upon the Rink of
In land Branch in Dublin. -Deteetive-Inapector Bidgood
mated that he apptehenetekt the prisoner in the charge
name', but having discovered that there was another
cheque for £3O and other similar documents at the hank
in Ireland, which probebly had been forged, he applied
fora remand for eight filly,-The peewee tor deposed that
lie had an account at the bank in question, but that he
I ad not discovered the forged chequa drawn in May until
he latter end of November. The flannel upon the ceeque
erialiiced was not written by him (witness).- George
S'ickland, formerly a measwan on board the Thunilerer,
proved that he ref...iv...1 the £5O cheque from the prisoner,
and cashed it et the Hampshire Rink. Fat had paid him
L 2 from the money no obtained, which he owed bim.-The
, remand for eight days was granted.
ST. GOODOE'II TILACHIDIS AND CHOIR -On Friday even-
ing the teachers awl Bible-Wanes of St. George s whoola,
wen-ding to annual encore, had tea and supper with the
Rector andhis family at the Rectory. About 80 were
prewnt, there being rather fewer than last year, for wine
little private perties had drawn away • part. After tea
the committees were elected for the coming Year W
Attwooll, the superintendent, gave • short wares... sad
so did Mr. Henry Attwooll. The year's work has been
eatisfactory. on the whole: the wheels have increased
largely in size, but there is • Peat DADS of teachers.-
The evening was spent in medal CSIDSS. On Monday
evening the choir of St. George a had their annual treat
at the Rectory. They numbered 47, and the Rector (Rev.
J. k Beazer) in his address remarked that they were
powerful as to number, and be Impressed upon them the
nee amity of singing some parts softly, and giving proper
expression to other parte In order to make this improve-
ment, regular attendance must he given at the precties.
Rolllllllllllll. -The past few days has beau
reguareeble for the number of petty robberies committed
by persons in H. M. Service. First, a wittier of the 20th
Regiment tried to provide for New Year's festivities by
'dealing two Putties of gin from Mr. White's ; the soldier
Was detected, hot Mr. White would not prosecute. On
Wednesday some doseawen boys went to Mrs. Kern's
tobacconists shop, Fortune's Well, and stole her till, which
consisted of • box kept under the counter, and containing.
It is supposed, about 30s. These Young reecale also ,tot
sonic tobacco: but Mrs. Kew would not prosecute. A
policeman went on board and found some tobacco sewn
up in the lining of the boys' caps, and the result wriu that
several bor. bad " two down," by war of teaching them
to turn over a new leaf in the New Year. On Thursday
last, in the evening, another wilther of the 110th went Into
Mr. White'e seised two bottles of whisky, and made off
down the bill. A hue and cry was raised, and amidst cries
of 'Stop thief! the soldier met P.C. Miller, who was
coming up hill, and effectually "prevented"' him, and now
John O'Bryan has been engaged to walk up-stairs daily at
Dorchester for six months Following these came the
robberies of cheese from Mr. Thresher's, and of three
shirts from Mrs. Gibbs, heard of and dealt with before the
county magistrates at Weymouth.

THE ABBOTSBURY RAILWAY.
The capital of Portland people WU asked for invest-
ment in the Abbotabury Railway on Friday evening,
when a meeting was held at the National Schoolroom,
St. John's. In consequence of a Local Board meeting
being hell at five, the supporters of the Abbotabury
Railway adjourned their gathering to seven, by which
time a very tolerable number of the respectable
inhabitants had assembled, including the repreeenta-
tires of both banks,
Sm
Mr. F. Wills and Mr. E. (ire..;
Mr. Flew. jun. Mr. H. ith. Mr. Hodsdon, Mr-
Pstten, Mr. Sc: ore, sen., Dr. McLean, and many
others, while the promoters of the railway included
Mr. Edwards, Mr. Walker. Mr. Hanson, Mr. W.
Manfield (Portesham), and Mr. E. Burnett.
Mr. EDWARDS was called to the chair, but said he
responded to the invitalon with some reluctance,
arising from the fact that they had hoped some one
amongst the Portland people, who woe ac antomed to
take a prominent part in public matten would have
(avowed them with his company to-night., and have
taken the chair. To-night there was a local Board
which had taken away from their presence several who
might have been expected to attend. He offered an
apology for alt-ring the time of the meeting from six
to seven; they had seen several of these gentleman,
and hoped they might be able to finish their own
meeting and attend here after, and that one ..1 them
might take the chair. Passing on to the subject of
the Abbotabury Railway, Mr. Edwards mid it had for
many yean been in contemplation to get a Bill to con-
struct it, and he was happy to inform them that,
working upon other peoples' energies, the present
promoters had succeeded in getting that Bill carried
through Parliament' in fact other people had built the
bridge, and It was for them to help cross it. They
might say "What is the use of a railway to Abbots-
bury?" In answer to that he said—many agriculture.'
districts had been improved by the construction of a
railway; but in addition to that are the special
inducements of an enormous deposit of iron ore, which
they knew enlists in great abundance in the neighbour-
hood of Abbotsbury. He need not tell any one in
Portland of the great importance of iron ore; England
would not hold her position to-day if it were not for
the energies employed in the raiaMg of iron ore and
smelting it, anti thousand,' of ships and sailors are
employed in the transmission of these manufactures,
when they are made, to the people of other nations;
hence it is that iron works combined with coal mine.
have so greatly contributed to our prosperity, and the
more there is used, the more will be require.d. Now,
in the neighbourhood of Abbotabury Mere are vast
quantities of oolitic iron, and it is of such a quality
that, if once worked, it must reaties a good profit for
those engaged in the enterprise. In Abbotabury the
iron exists on the surface, and they have simply to
run trucks alongside of it, fill it in, and then run it to
the Oboe where it is wanted. Not only is it on the
surface, but it is of a quality that justifies any man
having capital in investing that capital in the working,
The per oentage of ir m in the ore varies from 28 to 43
per cent., and, takirg the average it is from 33 to St
per cent. Thus there in a quality that must under
ordinary circumstances pay for working, and it is only
from 7 to 61 miles from a great trunk railway, But Mpresent there is no means of transmitting it. to that
railway, and the Abbotsbury line is propome for the
purpose of taking it to Dpwey, the nearest point to
Abbotsbury on the trunk Him serilioss
tO put down Lim alsollar7oolllll "Ilk
they would sot du se us* She wad hie blew

rated tor making the railway. The expense nf mak-
ing had been gone into, and it VIAn about £48,000, and
the time occupied mould be only 12 er IS in.nths. The
railway itself would be exceeilingl• Owe. ; many
nee. catine frem £eo.ooo to 4;10.000 sal some
£4OOOO a milo, pay races limey well. while the
Ableiteliney reilway will coat only re.ooo Per mil'.
Sem" "f th so sai!wavc are plyit.„• even in ih n't teeee
if depre•-ieti (nen le t 20. and even 40 per twat.
From that thee v re re, other e once t • Ole
c .nelopi in that this shirt Hee id el mile. C .11.11 Z ode
£rt,ooe a idle, mait alinoet if ilece•sitv loe a •.i "ov-
ine e .terprose. if it him an or.linary traffic It it n...ne
and beviinil 'his were the pribabilitiee of an .'norm 'Us
neneral traffic pepsine ever the line, en I adva ming
the inte. eon of them who lova' al capital in it. NI toy
thoneonil. ef p mai. will be required for the ininwiirk.,
an.l this w oil fruetify in many ways, enhancing not
only the value of the land, but alm of the praince.
The trade of the neighbourhood would be benefited.
and in the chipping and commercial interests of
Portland there =pa be an inereow, for il iron were
taken (rem Alemisbury to other parts of the county
in ship... a vest am runt of that mast g war of
Portland. and give an await moo ioupdu. t r the trade
of the pot. Either as to imports or export. Portlaud
meet reap very largely of the &leant:mem to be derived
from the Abbotelory toir, enterpriw, that he
appear.. I with infilence before the Poolatailen to
ask their eel in can ying eut the railway. He and hie
brother direct.., were wit railway c intrectors n r
epeculat ors in the general • use of th.• • e ; lett lied
been engaeeil in bmiliess .11 their lifieene,—lie him-
self fee 25 years. Fortunately lie hail obt env!
'sufficient to iei witheut Fiume. at all ; but in this
enterprese of the railway he caw a were promising
thing which woold pay Mtn well fir the inveetinent if
his money, would De a profitable speculation, and
repay them well for their time and energy, and the
eapitel invented. Tee whole dietrict wenn he
benefited, anti the leirtlenders wet* not looked to join
in an uncertain speculetion. Iron districra increase
in Pro*PerßY marvelously. and in one for in'
Piano, in the :North were 40,000 inhabitants,
where :10 *ear. ago were nothinebut grass, herb's, and
soots. N. mown in the world exists why the district
of Abb 'toiletry, and for 20 miles Around might not be
enriched in the mime manner. They moot remember
that the line is ti he a sharehelders' railway, beleng-
lag who held the share., it will not be •
speoeilato . or ceutenctor's railway, and that makes
all the difference with regard to the inveetment
their money. Some railway acheine. are started. but
the promoters cannot go beyond because the public up
not • ileerilie tor sufficient charee, and tapn thle
some Cmf ra•tor COMIC, in, an.l ion toeing p- raised
perhaps £IOO,OOO instead of £eo,ooo the eriginal
estimate, agrees to make the line. That will not be
so with Poe .eloboteiniry Railway, tor Mlle.* the pro.
meters get enough capital to make th-tr line, they will
not proceed. If persena applied for ahares, and paid
the deposito required, those MUM will be transferred
the Wilts and 1)-net Bank, and remain there at a in-
terest, &nil unlese the line is actually commenced. the
money will be returned, without the pnotuotere
allowing any of it to stick to their fingers. (Applause.)
This 'Mowed the concern wag toad fide and, DA they
had done euccesefully at Weroeuth and D debater,
he asked the people of Patten.' ti eub.cribe.
Mr. T. A. lieenoe, if Kensington, said he and the
others who had joined in the aeheme hail a hearty
desire ti do a goel wiork for the neighbeurhoeut Lie
bad made in Slanchater sufficient money to retire on,
but, being of an active mind, he had taken in hand
the At. siteloury Rsilway scheme, mid when he went
some wombs ago to view the tor lefty, he was stir-
prima, because some 400 um acre., preenated
with iron ore were tio be 'n, and pr. inset was it
that Government itself in tic ion n map referred
to it aa ednething exceptional, no be seen any-
where else. The etatement wag —" Ibe miter be Is
contain. great quantities id iron ore, chiefly in the
form of oolitic crying if hideous oxide." Truck.
ceuld cosily be get to the place, soil the iron reedily
shipped. and A great stimulus to the ',hipping trade if
Poetised wadil be the result Mr. F:dwarde hed
mentioned the co. id the linens £B,OOO air mile; now
some lino ait £40.004 and even £50.000 and mere
nee mile. and vet (tail 41 per cents dividend, awl the
ieviioey railway, fli miles long, end romnine thomeh
an aviculturel district, pay. 25 per irent , indite
EIS ale mile per week. That nee centage Is m
above peee and if it wore only tit it wed., be al. .ve
par. bet 1 an ewer Imes quantity of iron ore were
pa... 4 "yew tip. Abbotebury railway, it wiedd steely
pay better titan the Witnev line; but even if it ply
£lO per cent., that would be • very email part of the
advantage.. they expeete I. P edam! in • vory goal
place for shipping and tide will la mpch increased by
t hi. railway. Ile wan confident the ebb., showy
weed be a Irma paving line. and infinitely better
than having money in foreign mocks, as 'some "(ten
bad pull-re'.! from. This railwey they would have
melee their .iwn eyes, they wail I know what it win
(Ida:. could throw traffic over it, and get tram it
every a Ivelitege it was pomade to get out of a-rail.
way. (.%oplatya.)
The Ceetawee continuer! that the tommotere had
come, net enly to tell the Portieeders about thie rail-
way, hut ale to take counsel with teem, and he
shoed! be glad to hear any expression of opinion,
and r.uswer any qiwatioas, for they tn. ant t prim
them tn take shame. One gentles:nee alone tried to
get a hill for this railway passed throtteli Parliament
three ior four years ago, and he we. prepared, if he
had cur eel, I to tint down 00,000 fie constructing
theanl 1:100,000 ts commence the meltine of the
iron. But he war. leo bothered by the oppoeitien to
the Bill. aid a . anneyed by a partner, that he threw
the scheme up in dierust ; but not because the railway
ram not likely to pay well, air beenno. the iron was
sod profitable. At one time Lord Ilcheeter was •
etreaa opp.oneut to the line. and the cause of its
coating munch to get the Bill pa eied ; hot now his
em 'ship bid taken a number of shares, and at the
learl's pelmet hie lindship had 11A.001110 a iiirecter of
the c ompeny. That fact might he taken as evidence
hi. horolehip hart ',confidence in the undertakin r. end it
would be peeled leeward, and with men like Lord
Ilchester on the Board of Directors there wai, ample
guarantee the interests ef the concern will be well
looked after, and no obstacle. thrown in the way. Dr.
McLean hail, be understood, taken mine trouble to
inform himself in the matter, and he eleonlil be obliged
if he would move a rembition. While tee raolution
gran being drawn Mr. lidwarde stated there are in
'Weymouth already more than 150 shareirililere in the
Aliboteroiry railway, which is a prettv good evidence
of their confidence in the concern. Ile was told
the Diorchater peeple are anxious for another meeting
It. the int. rests of the line.
Mr. JOIIN WAI gt.i (Croydon) remarked there are
not only Itel shareheldere in Weymouth but ha
cepa-Mil 100 more before they finished, and if the
l'ortiond people and others id the neighleourhoo4 ito
not prize the present opportunity of having this line,
they will never have such sonelier as long as they live.
Large ynantitiee of merle are conveyed in 'hip. from
Piortand, aud eitnething tn Wanted to fill the vessels
on the return voyage. Now, if the iron ore is worked
aria smelting carried en in this district, large quantities
.4 coal will be reqeireil, and no doubt this will Menem
the shipping. If ever- one would put his shoulder to
the wheel and do a little, a great deal would he accom-
plished, o.nii if the leortienders would fiillow the
example id the Weyineuth peeple, the construction of
the line will be eteeire, and the railway scheme,
tooether with the development of that iron of the
district will not only In the means of increerting trade
but the isopulatien elm
Dr. NICLEAN, who WY reeniVlAl with applause: staked
If there was any opposition. for there are two sake to
every quatioin. The Portland railway met at first
with mueh opimaition, peopl. said it WM never going
to pay: but now they would be very glad to take
Ames. 'Leewaya unquestionably increase the pro.-
perity id the district they ;14S. di, anal this
Abbetaloury line is not like shine that exhitis only on
paper. Ansi nobody knows anything about It; it in A
1101A1 Me concern. A number of Para mil men were
enel he should lice to he ir their opinion, and
whet they were piing to .In in the matter.
Mr. Peres!' said be tineeratimd the scheme was not
only fee raising iren. but fin quarrying atone, and
that clone quarrying waste, he thought, be an injury
to Piortlend lithe promoters confined themselves to
ironit wood,' do gad.
The CH MINIM( said he would =ewer that question
with any ethers thnt might he put.
Dr. MeLIAN move.' -" That this meeting, having
'heard the oeveral etatemente, i. id °pintas that the
Abhmohnry Railway, if carried -et, would be • great
lenefit tam the shipping and general trade." (Ap-
planar I
Mr. W. Mteetten (Portesham) seconded the rem.
lution, and Mud —" I am very pleaseel to meet you,
gentlemen of Portland. and I bare more reason. than
one fee caving so. lam very glail to renew your
acquaintance, because lot some years my father was
one of your great allies. he sited tn work for you when
any of yen got into diffimiltios or wanted legal advice.
He umil to nay he admired the men of Portlend,
because whenever they took up • thing ttsey stuck to
it until it wee curial ent, nnil when he brimolet
forward A county member he cnuld Always rely upon
500 gnol Piortlandere tan rapport him through thick
anil thin. That 300 ioften turned the election, and
carried the member. epulansed And now I want
AM go el men id Portl-and to carry the Abbotabliry
railway, and then it will be done, for there are no men
in the world, when they stick to it, and put their
shoulaleto to the wheel, can lift like the Portland
men (Applaiim.) Therefore I ask you jelly Port-
ia- dere to i-ome forward and help this little mutter id
the Ihbotslotry railway. It can hurt neboly, and
swill In. a vast amount df goal. I have been werking
-it it f-oe five emirs, an.l now it Is within a nutehell ;
the Bill is olotoined, the imassiolion is got ml I of, the
imeinameon exponwe have been pail, and we simply
reek Ton to assist the pomoters to provide funds to
esonetruct the line. It cermet fail to pay a good
dividend. because it rune fee tour miles on land as
level as thie schoolroom, and only requires the laying
of the rails. There in no cettine, so it Is about the
cheimat bit of line that ,1111 be conatructed, and the
Bill haying been obtained under peailiar cirennuetancea,
after the opposition Is disposed of. and paid for, la
alone the chestiest Bill you could have. (Applause.)
I want you to lo.ok at the matter in a broad, I mean •
natineal. point of view. Would it uot Ire fair the
benefit of the oonntry if this magnificeet Wand were
oronnecteel with Plymenth direct? Would not the
esev tranoport of troops add to our safety? Is it not
desirable to manect Portland with the far erect in the
most direct manner possible' You will. I fowl sure,
rower in the affirmative and support this scheme,
which is for the benefit of the country. One or two
little error* have taken held of the public mind, and
them I would like on the peasant occasion let right.
It ha. been maid the line may be commenced but never
aniabed, and that the elutieboi4ora may be called
Amen to pee more than £lO per share, / deny this
• leto. The directors decided long ago not to com-
mence the works until the capital subscribed is
enfficient to carry the plan through. iApplanw.)
Another ruin me at is that the Greet Western
Company will have the sole control and working of
thither Thie can be simply answered by toying we
have not entered into any working arrangement' with
any company, but am as unfettered aa the air we
breathe. The Abbotabstry railway is now only
seroPueed to go to Abbotabrey t but it is only the first
al the two or three WMa is the cisain end the
moped extension ern be leen fibbotabsuo to Chard
I limk upon your ranwey, meammo o
'with several direct lime, An the trio* el one
tree having its root at Portland. meee *Pest
L.
isstabsirS She brallatil We the drolliget Wei Cr'