The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-09-25 00:00:00

WEBBS' ROOT SHOW.

We beg to call the attention of our readers to
the fact, that this annual display of roots and
cereals will this year be held on Friday, November
19th. There will be prizes awarded to the value
of £l5O, including twenty silver cups, for which
we have no doubt there will be an animated
competition, as the fame of the Messrs. Webbs'
roots and seeds has now become spread far and
wide, and the number of agriculturalists who use
them is constantly increasing. This year
there are extra prizes given for the heaviest
roots in classes (placed in the schedule 1,2, 3, and
4, division one). For the twelve best roots of
Webbs' Imperial Swede the first prize will be a
silver cup value £lO. 10s. ; second prize a silver
cup value £5. ss; third prize a silver cup value
£3. 3s; fourth prize, £2. 2s; and fifth prize, £l.
is. In class (b) for the 12 heaviest roots of
Webbs' Imperial Swede, they offer for the first
prize a silver cup, valued at five guineas; second
prize, a silver cup, valued at two guineas, and for
the third prize for the same one guinea. In class
2 (a) Webbs' Improved Colonel North Mangold-
-12 best roots—there are three prizes offered, of
the value of five, three, and one guineas respect-
ively; whilst for the twelve heaviest roots of the
same there is a prize of two guineas offered. In
class 3, Webbs' Champion Yellow Globe Mangold,
twelve best roots, there are three prizes of five
two, and one guinea offered, and a prize of two
guineas for the twelve heaviest roots in this class'
is also offered. In class (4), 12 best roots of Webbs
Mammoth Long Red Mangold, there are three
prizes, ranging from five guineas downwards;
whilst for the twelve heaviest roots of the same
there are an additional two guineas offered. There
are also several prizes oflered for cereals, which is a
new feature in these shows. There are five different
prizes offered for root crops, grown from roots
supplied by the Messrs. Webb, and we may re-
mind intending competitors that the entries for
this close on Thursday, October 14th; whilst
those fo r specimen roots and cereals do not close
until Saturday, November 15th.

THE DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES AT THE
ASSOCIATED INSTITUTE.

The prizes were distributed to the successful
students who have been attending classes carried
on under the auspices of the South Staffordshire
Association for the promotion of "Higher educa-
tion amongst the working classes," on Monday
night last. Lord Lyttelton presided, and there
were also present the Rev. D. Maginnis, the Rev.
Williams (curate of St. Thomas's), Mr. Shep-
herd, Mr. T. Bland, jun., &e.
The Rev. D. Maginnis opened the proceedings,
stating that as a considerable amount of work
would devolve upon his lordship before he distri-
buted the prizes, he (the speaker) thought it
would save time if he made a business statement
before he did so. In the first place he had,to make
an explanation on behalf of the Society of
Arts. This year, as well as last year, they were
doomed to disappointment. The Secretary, Mr.
Leigh Eoster, had said that in consequence of the
absence of their chairman it was impossible to
send the certificates. He (the speaker) had hoped
they would have been there to be distributed that
evening, as there were six students in Mr. God-
dard's class, and they were all successful. This
was rather an exceptional state of things, four of
them being second-class certificates—(applause)—
rather i high distinction. And it proved that they
had been progressing during the past year, as
there were only four last year—James Hinds, W.
L. James, Charles Scott, and Frank Short, and they
were again successful this year. Two new students
went in and obtained second-class certificates—
William J. Hinds and Walter Pagett. He had
next to give a provisional report touching the
classes of the last session. They were as follow:
Latin, conducted by the Rev. H. Sherrard. There
had been three students in this class, two of whom
had entered for examination. The French class
contained eleven students, of whom six presented
themselves for examination at the close of the
session. In the mathematical class there were
eleven students, eight of whom went in for exami-
nation. The next was algebra, in which there
were six students who came out for examination,
all of whom, as well as those of Mr. Goddard's
class, distinguished themselves. English litera-
ture and political economy had had no students
last year, so that he (Mr. Maginnis) and Mr. Shep-
herd had the whole season free. The examiner in all
the subjects except French was the Rev. H. Wil-
liams, one of the principal masters of the Wolver-
hampton Grammar Schcol, who said, respecting
the papers sent to him from Stourbridge, that he
examined them and found that ' the work was
unusually good this year." The examiner in
French was Mr. Poole, of Wolverhampton. He
had examined the papers sent to him from Stour-
bridge. Two only competed in the first class,
and they were both creditable. Three others com-
prised the second class, and he had mentioned
them in tho order of their merit. Touching the
Latin, Mr. Williams writes, "I have enclosed the
list of the candidates at Stourbridge." He (the
speaker) might mention that the examination was
conducted in the usual way, a number of gentle-
men being present in the place where he papers
were being prepared, and they saw that nothing
was copied or done unfairly. There was another
explanation which he deemed it fit to make touch-
ing the prizes themselves. It was generally sup-
posed that they were given by the South Stafford-
shire Association. They were not; they were
given by the local committee. Aftei the:result of
the examination is made known, a certain pecu-
niary amount is given to the local committee by
the association, on the understanding that it
should be devoted to promoting those classes, and,
if necessary to give a little honorarium to teachers
who could not give their services. The determina-
tion of the amount to be spent upon the students'
prizes rested with the local committee, and they
had decided that 10s per prize was the largest
amount that should be expended in that way; and
they consulted the students as to what books they
should like. And they were not only asked to
state what book they should like best, but they
were requested to enumerate a list of books, so
that in case of any particular book not being avail-
able they could purchase another instead; and
they always spent the whole of the money. If a
person asked for a book, the selling price of which
was 15s, they were able to purchase them at 10s,
as they were allowed 25 per cent. off by the trade.
By that means when a student received a book
which cot the committee 7s 6d its real value was
10s.

Lord Lyttelton then addressed those present,
and said that probably they would not expect a
very long spoech from him on this occasion. He
was afraid that with regard to the affairs of the
institute in the rooms of which they were met the
South Staffordshire Association must be reminded
that they must not despise the day of small
things; bnt if it was
_a day of small things he

IL

thought the speeches should be small in propor-
tion. He had spoken of the affairs of the insti-
tute in which they had met. He believed that
institute was doing good and solid work in this
place, but there was no one connected with it who
did not wish that its benefits might be more
widely diffused than :they were; and with regard
to the South Staffordshire Association, they had to
regret that it had not received the amount of sup-
port it should have received in a district and
neighbourhood full of enterprise and industry like
that over which its influence was intended to ex-
tend, but he did not believe that places which
were much more populous did nearly so well in
this respect as they had done in this neighbour-
hood. They (the Council of the South Sta,flord-
shire Association) had not yet seen grounds for
any material alteration in their plans during the
past year. On the 14th of October the annual
meeting of the association will take place in Dar-
laston—which is not fur from here—and they
should be extremely glad if all who took an inte-
rest in the work of the association would be pre-
sent on that day when the general prizes wore
given, and the work arranged for the year. With
regard to Die Society of Arts, the prizes which
were to have been given that evening were not
only those of the South Staffordshire Association,
but of the Society of Arts. Mr. Maginnis had
explained why there would be nothing from the
Society of Arts that evening, but he believed there
were some certificates to be given by that great
society; and he was sorry that great society had
I not continued to make the same use of these local
bodies that it did at the outset. When the South
Staffordshire Association was first started it was
intended to be totally subordinate to the Society
of Arts, and they (the South Staffordshire Associ-
ation) were always willing that it should be so:
but the Society of Arts had dispensed with the
local bodies in this district, and carried on their
work in their own way, and they (the South Staf-
fordshire Association) therefore carried on their
work in the same manner. Of those little local
centres be believed there was no place in which the
work was better carried on than in the immediate
neighbourhood of Stourbridge—(cheers). There
were places much more populous in which almost
nothing was done, and those who had heard what
had been read by Mr. Maginuis, would agree with
him (Lord Lyttelton) that very little was done
there. The classes that had been carried on there
had been carried on by very able gentlemen, and
much more good had been done than they were
able to estimate—(applause). He trusted there
would be a sufficient amount of encouragement
given to those gentlemen as to enable all the
classes to be carried on during the ensuing session;
and if that was so, it would be in a great measure
owing to the exertions of Mr. Maginnis, both on
the local committee of the association, and indi-
vidually. With regard to the general work of the
association, they could only hope that those who
had taken an interest in it while they had to com-
pete for the rewards of the association would in
time become labourers for it, whereby they would
shox% that they had benefited by it; and in that
case their example and their devotedness would
induce others to follow in their footsteps. They
would say, "Come with us and we will do you
good," or, in other words, "Follow our example
and some good will accrue to you in the future."
It occurred to him to say a few words on the three
additional subjects that were to be taught during
the ensuing season. The three subjects were
mechanics, book-keeping, and shorthand. Of
book-keeping he could not say much as his know-
ledge of it was rather limited; but ho could not
help thinking there was great interest attached to
the circumstance that the study of shorthand was
to form a part of adult education. It was here sug-
gested as a part of adult education, not to be car-
ried on in the ordinary.period of elementary edu-
cation, but in the subsequent period; and he
believed himself that it was a subject very suit-
able to these times, and very much in character
with the style of the advancement of these times.
Acceleration, making everything much more
speedy than it had been, was a great and distin-
guishing mark of these times, and he believed
they would be able through the acquisition of
shorthand to accelerate very much their modes of
communication, even as so many other modes of
communication had been accelerated or hastened,
and might find very great advantage and benefit
from it. Hitherto he supposed there had been no
more special or restricted study than shorthand,
or stenography as it was called in the learned
language; but those who had been able to apply
it the work, whatever it might be, of their own
profession, had been able to save a great loss of
time, in fact, much more of their time than any
one unacquainted with it could conceive. There
was the great family of Gurney in England, most
of the members of which mere in the habit of
studying shorthand; why it had been so he did
not know, but so it had been. Some of them
might remember a distinguished judge of that
name, :Mr. Baron Gurney, who was an efficient
shorthand writer. He had seen him at Worcester
—he dare say thirty years ago—trying a long case,
and taking down the evidence, as a judge was
always bound to do, and being a skilful shorthand
writer, with the marvellous facility of that craft,
he could keep up with a witness and write down as
fast as a witness spoke, thereby economising the
whole of the time that ordinarily had to be given
to that part of the business. He had seen another
judge, the late Lord Campbell, trying the celebra-
ted Palmer case, and he remembered that more
than four-fifths of the time of the trial was occu-
pied by his writing down the evidence of the wit-
nesses. The time that would be saved by short-
hand writing would be something like the accele-
ration afforded by railways, and in communication
by telegrams and in other ways that they were
familiar with. He, therefore, looked with consid-
erable interest to shorthand being taught, and he
should like to know if any would offer themselves
as pupils in that way. Many present were well
acquainted he dared say, with one of Dickens's
productions, "David Copperfield," and there was
a great deal of light thrown upon shorthand in
that story. Dickens began life as a reporter for
the London newspapers, and he knew what he was
talking about. Many of them would remember
that David Copperfield learnt shorthand, and he
remembered that Dickens stated that it took him
two years' hard work to learn shorthand. He did
not know whether that was always the case, but
he knew that anything that was acquired by hard
work always afterwards gave greater satisfaction
than if the object had been attained with facility.
On the question of mechanics, ever since he saw it
amongst the list of the subjects enumerated for
si udy, he thought of two little subjects connected
with two of our most popular games to which he
should like to see mechanical investietion applied.
One of these was the game of tennis, which was
only very little known. But there was a much
more popular rgame, namely, billiards, and the
same mechanical effect was produced in both
games. The mechanical processes of those two
games were always to him a very difficult subject
to understand. If any one there were to study
mechanics next season, he should be very glad if
they would apply to their teacher for a solution of
this difficulty, as he was very anxious to know if
any light could be thrown on the mechanics of
those two games. One of the strokes in the game
of tennis was called the "cut," and it was an in-
explicable thing to him, and he did not think it
could be explained why the "cut" in tennis had
the effect it had; and it was the same with bil-
liards. Every one knew the " screw " or "side
stroke," the effect of which was to alter the angle
of the direction taken by the ball in question, and
the same thing could be done at tennis. Ho only
thought the matter would be interesting as it
was a very difficult branch of the science of me-
chanics. His lordship concluded by regretting
that so little was done in the way of adult educa-
tion, but he trusted that that little was soundly
and well done, and he thought they would all
agree with him that it was better to do a little
well, than a great deal superficially and not well—
(applause).
His Lordship then proceeded to distribute the
prizes amongst the successful students, as follow:
Latin: Second class, William John Maybury.
French: Ist class, Clarence Robert Heckford,
George S. Hingley. 2nd class, Clara Brettell, Sarah
Roberts, and Louise Coddington.
Algebra: Senior class, Charles H. Scott, and
Frank J. Short. Junior class, William Canadine,
William G. Hinds, and James Hinds. Second
junior class, William James.
Arithmetic: Senior class, Charles H. Scott, Jas.
Hinds, and William James. Second class of the
seniors, Walter Pagett, William Canadine, and
Frank Short. Junior class, Laura Pagett.
Chemistry: Ist class, Frank Short, William
James, Charles H. Scott, and Harry Chapman. 2nd
class,' Frederick James Forth, and Henry Broad.
Mr. Maginnis then explained what was to be the
work of the next season. He said it was proposed
to have classes in mathematics; Latin, French,
chemistry, and political economy. As heretofore.
the Latin class would be taught by the Rev. H,
Sherrard, but he had made it a condition that there
should be at least four or five students. Three
had already given in their adhesion. French
would be conducted by Monsieur de Vit. Mathe-
matics would be taught by Mr. Goddard, who had
also undertaken a class in mechanics; but he (Mr,
Maginnis) could not say whether he would take
those effects into consideration which his lordship
had referred to, and give them a satisfactory ex-
planation. He was afraidthe young people would
prefer mechanics as applied to the useful rather
than the testhetical. English literature had its
former representative in the person of Mr. Shep-
herd. Elementary chemistry Mr. Bland would
teach. And if there was a political economy class,
—well, they should see. The following were to

be 4-he charges for members of these institutes
The Mechanics, Working Men's, and the Iron In-
stitutes, for one class, ss; two classes, 8s; three
classes, lOs 6d. For persons who were not mem-
bers of either institute, one class, 7s 6d; two
classes, lOs 6d; three classes 12s. The book-
keeping class would be conducted by Mr. Thomas
Southall, the gentleman who two years ago con-
ducted a class on the same subject, and showed
himself to be thoroughly competent, by the suc-
cess attained by his pupils at the Society of Arts
examination. Then, as to shorthand, their arrage-
ments were not yet completed, but they would de-
pend entirely upon the number of students who
offered themselves for tuition. These latter classes
were not included in the scheme of the South
Staffordshire Association. The payments to either
of these classes, to members of the institute, 3s,
and to non-members, ss. For the information of
students who had made such progress in chemis-
try as to need something more than elementary
instruction, he would state that they could not in-
clude advanced chemistry in their programme,
as their class-room was not a fitting place to make
experiments in. Mr. Bland had, however, stated
that he was quite willing to conduct an advanced
class on his own premises, on terms which he left
to the committee. They were as follows. The
terms would be special. It was proposed that stu-
dents entering that class, who were members of
either of the institutes, should pay 158 per term,
and non-members a sovereign per term; and it was
expected that those students who did not possess
any of the necessary requisites, will be prepared
to spend such an amount-on those things as Mr.
Bland should deem necessary. Mr. Bland had
told him that if a fair number of members joined
to form an advanced class he was prepared to deli-
ver lectures on the manufacture of gas, glass and
iron, to which members of the elementary clasp
should also be admitted. The grant obtained from
the South Staffordshire Association did not enable
them to give the prizes which were dealt out to
the students so very liberally, and if it were not
for the assistance they obtained from other sources
they should not have been able to give them. It
was through the liberal spirit with which they had
been met that they were able to give better and
more numerous prizes than they should otherwise-
have been able to give—(cheers).
The Rev. W"liams proposed that the best
thanks of the meeting be given to tho‘,o gentle-
men who had so kindly come forward to teach the
evening classes of 1874 and 1875.
This was seconded by Mr. John Pagett, and on
being put to the meeting it was carried unani-
mously._ _ _

Mr. Shepherd proposed that a number of gen-
tlemen, whose names he read from a paper, should
form the classes' committee for the ensuing year.
This was seconded by Mr. J. T. Short, and car-
ried unanimously.
Mr. Maginnis said it was now his pleasing duty
to move that the best thanks of the meeting be
given to Lord Lyttelton for his kindness in coming
to preside over that meeting, and for the able and
agreeable way in which he had discharged the
duty of distributing the prizes. The people of
Stourbridge appreciated his lordship's patriotism,
as notu ithstauding the numerous calls upon his
time, he was always anxious to do whatever lay in his
power for this town and district. Many of them
regotted that he had not now an appointment on
the *Endowed Schools Commission. He most
heartily tendered him their best thanks for attend-
ineind distributing the prizes.
Mr. T. J. Bland cordially seconded the proposi-
tion, and remarked that Mr. Miwinnis had very
modestly omitted to mention that he (Mr. Magin-
nis) was the teacher of political economy, and he
was confident that those who attended that class
would have a very able teacher.
His Lordship begged those present to accept his
most coral thanks. Until not long ago—about
five years—he was so much engaged in London
that he was unable to attend to affairsas he should
have liked to have done in his own neighbourhood.
Now that he was more at liberty he was five years
older, and he was getting less disposed to leave
his home in the evenings. There was a text of
Scripture which said that "A man gooth forth
unto his work and his labour until the evening."
There was, however, a great deal of labour done
in the evening, and it was mostly of that descrip-
tion that it could not be done at other times. Still
he did not think he was in the habit of refusing to
attend meetings of that kind where he thought
he might be able to do any good, and he should
be always glad to do whatever he could for this
town.