The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-06-10 00:00:00

Soto anti *into.

'rite inhabitants of Weymouth, and all interested in
the social and moral improvement of the masses, are
greatly indebted to Dr. Lush, the founder of the
4cexpression of
lately-opened Coffee Tavern, in for this
pr
name. institutions ao sympathy
these are of th inP
e utmost
Importance at the present day, when the mixt and
crying evil of intemperance, the national crime of
England, is attracting the attention of the wisest and
best of our people. We quite agree with a reverend
speaker that them Institutions— 'the public-house
without the drink," as it was termed—form the only
way of stemming the tide of intemperance. and we
trust that the first Weymouth Coffee Tavern will not
be the last, and that there will be found those in our
midst ready and willing to follow the worthy doctor is
example, and to establish the second Coffee Tavern
in other parts of the town, where they are as badly
wanted as is the lament one in Trinity parish. It is
quite time that enmething was done to check the curse
which, as Mr. Robert, truly maid," was weighint( so
heavily upon the hearts of every true-hearted English
man and woman." The proceedings at the opening of
the tavern on Tuesday were characterised by great
moderation In all the utterances of the various
open/cert. There were no harsh expressions used
against those who thought differently on these
matters, and one rev, gentleman went so far as
to speak in extremely high terms of the brewers, and
their legitimate trade. There were, he said, amongst
the brewers in the neighbourhood, those who were
most thoroughly earnest and Christian men. It may
have sounded with a slight jar upon the ears of some
who will never give • word of commendation, or of
praise, to any person engaged in the liquor traffic, but
rather look upon such as their sworn foes; but the
best way is to give every man his due, whether brewer
or publican, and we think Mr. Shuttleworth is quite
right in what he said. Still at the same time, we are
quite cognizant of the fact that there are those who
are not so exemplary in the conduct of their public-
houses, but then, these coffee public-houses will tend
in • vast degree to greatly improve the statelerd of
such places. Altogether there is a very pleasant
prospect for success of the new public-house, and we
trust it will go on and prosper; and with the moral
help for which Dr. Lush asked, we have no doubt
that it will do so.

There was some rather lively debate at the special
meeting of the Town Council on Wednesday, when an
application from the G.W.R. Company for an erten.
sum of the landing-stage was taken into consideration.
There were some strong opponents to the measure,
whose utterances at times were very spicy, and we
might say even rude. We think our esteemed Mayor
deserves a little better address than was used towards
him by one gentleman in particular. It should not be
that a gentleman in his capacity as the public head ,tf
the town, should have such expressions of disrespect
offered to him in a public representative assembly.
The gentleman referred to may have been very
warm on the subject, but such language does
I not the slightest good to his came—rather the
I reverse. The spirit in which Mr. Robens opposed the
application, however, was far different. His remarks
contained some round and cogent argument, and the
bondholders ought to thank bin for such • bold stand
in their behalf. The "look-lefore-you-leap " advice
which hegave, is not, we think, juite 'inapplicable to the
present matter as it may be to most others.
Weymouth haa derived some West advantages through
the Great Western, and, as *moral members said, the
company ought not to be hanuered in their efforts to
further benefit the town; and we are glad to see that
Mr. Robens, as a sensible man gives in at last to the
opinions of the majority of the Council. The applic.
ation was ultimately granted, and we have no doubt
that it WM the proper step to lake. The condition on
which the application was graded was a happy idea,
too, for, as the Mayor said, tiey would now only be
deprived of the revenue of tie Cherbourg steamers
for • short period. The Coundl are not far wrong in
giving what the Company ask, and we hope that the
opponents to the measure will loon see that they would
have stood in their own light he have refused it.
The assault by Dr. Saiven cm the littlefgirl, Beiaie
Farwell, seemed to cause a littl, bit of a stir. There
was some rather hiked swearing ~00. The doctor swore,
"am a gentleman and officer in ler Majesty's service,"
that he committed no assault in any shape or form ; on
the other side the girl and her fiends swore that she
was hurt an badly as to compel let to stay indoors for
several days. So that there was something " gone
wrong" one side or the other, which, it is impossible
to say, the evidence being word against word. The
magistrates, however, thought the doctor to be in the
wrong and mulcted him in s penalty of 10s. and
costs.

These are some "hard tines" for the people at
Portland, if we maygo by the fact there were shout 30
cases in connection with mhzol-attendance, and most
of the delinquents hailed from that "tight little
island." Some of the halpy fathers or mothers
declared that they could not afford to pay the fine or
rend their children to school; but, as it warn
observed in Court, if they had such luxuries as
children they must abide by the consequences, viz, to
see that they went to school. Some of the cameo were
very hard; one in particular. A poor woman who said
she had seven children, but who looked not much more
than a girl, answered for her husband for not
sending her little girl to school. She pleaded that she
was ill, and having no neighbours living anywhere
near, had kept her child home to "do for her." It warn
true, the Bench mitigated the penalty to • half-
crown, butsaid the woman, "where is the half-a-crown
to come from," The Bench of coursecould not alter it ;
they were bound to convict; but the poor soul asked
for a week to pay it in. Some caw were as bad, or
worse than this, and we really think some modifi-
cation should be made in the present law of
school-attendance—we mean of onurse, in such
extreme cases. The Magistrates joined in kindly
expressions of sympathy for some of the ea
and wished they could alter the law, but theyheZ
their duty to perform, and do it they must. The
blessings of education are vast, but are attained at a
very great price in such came aa these' it seems
little better than starvation with some of the poor
folks at Portland, and the sooner something is done
to modify the present state of things the better.

THE METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.
Baromater. I Theascateter. Iliad Wistber.
II ll''
uuillSju..ld I Tow
n. pasoilibta ialp • gest. pan. •rn.
446 I 6 11614
! 6 Cloudy
aw 2I „
U 2 0
WSW 4 Salo &Cloudy
SW S.Raln
SW I !Moody 8 Saha

27 20 66 19.47 WU! 19
26 23 41 19.6.211.1161I.
29 IA 29.411 WU, 67
30 29 70 ,1074 SAW 11
111 29 6019 6111910 66
1 2060 MO/ 11264 64
1126 Si scuts.* 63

0 I 51
51 55
0 65
40 55
61
67 66
40 66

WITMOUTH HARBOUR TIDZ TABU..
DAM In. 111•11111 111111 LOV walla
!
NM :10. 11.11 p.m 8.15 p.m'
10 $6 p.m. 12 31 a.sa. 6501.mrl
10141 a.m 1350 p.m 7.23 pm 7
11.23 p.m 1. 11 a.m. 747 mm 8
11 47 a.m. 147 p.m 8.11 p.m 8
12 11 a.m. 211 a.m. au m. 9
1136 p.m 235 p.m. 8.5111 p.m. 9
12 60 a.m. 260 9.13 a.m. 10
1.23 p.m 3.23 p.m 947 p.m. 10
147 lam 1,47 mm 10.11 a.m. 11
11 p.m 4.11 p.m 10.36 p.m 11
14 man. 4.16 a.m. 5052 a.m. 12
LSO pm. 449 p.m. 11.24 p.m. 12

Friday
Saturday

Scusday
Ilooday

Tuesday i
Redusday {
Thursday I

ill a.m.
11.2$ F.
&50 s.m.
9.911 p.m.
947 ..m.
10.11 p.m.
10 35 sin.
10.69 p.m.
11.13 a.m.
1L47 p.n.

1111 pa
II 36 L.
11.10 pa.

ABROTSBURY RAILWAY.
re gA• 'We?.

Sir,—My attention has just been called to a letter which
appeared in the l'el,grass of May Ord, some portloo of
w filch is • little inaccurate. Al Use shareholders meeting
inWeymouth, the only question I asked was as to the time
ten for cfnatructing the line. I asked ao question Si
the Act of Parliement being obtained free of costs to
the shareholders (although in some way the reports of
the meeting inferred such) that question had been
previously asked by a shareholder, who said such was
what he understood from statemente made by the directors
at the public meeting held at Weymouth some time ago.
The Chairman said he recollected no such statement
and gave au explanation, as far as his memory went, and
what was said at the meeting referred to. Mat I said
was that I had attended most of the meetings for
promoting the undertaking (I was present also at the
meeting referred to), and that I never understood or
expected anything of the kind, but what I slid understand
that we obtained the benefit of a great deal
that was done in obtaining a previous Act of Parliament
for.. railway here."
'A Shareholder" I think takes a too despondent view
of the railway prospects, for myself, and to insure the
whole of the shares being taken up quickly, I am quite
prepared to take more. I know somewhat of its prospects
the iron stone here is almost inexhaustible, our deepest
' wells (over 110 feet) not Teething the bottom of the beds,
and which in many places are only just beneath the
I surfs:, of the land, and are several miles in length,
I reaching from Abbotsbury Gardens to Madden. I do not
for a moment think this mine will lay long idle alter we
get a railway. The stone, too, at Porteaham will I doubt not
prove very valuable if I can believe the statements of •
man who worked under my superintendence for 14 years,
and who helped sink a well down into the very heart of
the beds; from him I learnt the beds are of im,nense
thickness and very solid, and the good quality of the
stone I believe is admitted. The monks at least thought
it good, for we occasionally tome ACTOI.4 ornamental
I portions of stone amongst the old ruins here, which we
I judge to be from Portetham from its peculiar smell when
broken. Mr. Mantield doubtless has much interest in
aettiti,; the line made, but in working for one's own
interest we often work for the good of others, and what-
ever benefit lie will derive, he, will have worked very hard
ti obtain and fully deeerve. For myself, Ido not think the
rid way will stop at Portcsharn, or I should as well as
" A Shareholder lose all Interest in the undertaking, but
when I know that the directors are in treaty for land, and
have already • good portion fenced off, and more being
taken between here and Portealiam, I feel very sanguine
ass to the railway ultimately reaching here, and the end of
the scheme, " Chard Road."—Your obedient servant,
Maim llorsox
Abbotabury, June 3rd, 1871