The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-09-04 00:00:00

FORESTERS' DISPENSARY SUNDAY.

The third annual Foresters' Dispensary Sunday
was celebrated in this town on Sunday last. Aboul
300 members of the various Courts In the town and
neighbourhood, assembled on the cricket ground at
Amblecote, and having arranged themelves in pro-
,cessicmal order, marched to St. Thomas's Church,
which the Rev. H. Sherrsrd had again kindly placed
at their disposal. They were preceded by the Crad-
ley Heath Sax-Horn Band, who (under the conduc-
torship of Mr. E. Curnock, bandmaster), performed
several choice selections of sacred mush, on the way
to the church. On arriving at the church the Fores-
ters occupied the seats in the nave, which had been
specially reserved for them. The First Lesson was
read by the Rev. H. Lherrard, and the Second Les-
son by the curate the Bev. Williams.
The sermon was preached bylthe Rev. Cosens,
D.D. of Dudley, who took his text from the first
Epistle of St. Peter, 2nd chap., 17th v. "Honour
all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear dod. Hon-
our the King." He said there was no mistaking the
import of those words. All the world of thought,
and duty, and obligation was coatained in those few,
brief injunctions. How suggestive were they of our
relative positions, and the responsibility thence aris-
ing. Reverence for the Divine Being; loyal regard
for the civil authorities; affection for Christian dis-
ciples, and honour for all men everywhere. And yet
the first injunction might seem a hard saying to
many, "Honour all men." And yet it was the
Apostk's command—" Honour all men ;" a Divine
ray of hope beaming out of the dark waste of
humanity. A duty that properly exercised would do
much towards evangelising the human race. In
these maxims was contained the whole of the teach-
ings of the Gospel The Gospel placed every man
in the position of claiming respect from every human
being, and accountable to God; and if they felt as
they ought to feel to all human beings, and as they
were Divinely ordered, they should duly regard their
duty to them, and for those reasons. The exercise
of their duty to mankind, brought them into bonds
of sympathy with the whole human race. It was a
powerful reason why they should act °a a principle
founded on the universal law which required them to
love their neighbours as themselves. There were
trials and anxieties common to all of them. They wen
men, and as such they were bound to honour and res-
pect every human being that had been made in the
likeness of God. He looked around and saw that
no one of the human race had escaped the effects of
the fall. The trail of the serpent was over them all.
All were alike going down to the grave. Death was
the inevitable fate of them all—the rich as well as
the poor—the lofty as well as the low. Whenever
they saw a human being snatched away by death,
they must not forget that such an experi-
ence would some day be theirs. The rev. preacher
, having eloquently set forth the real equality of the
human race. Christ having died to save all alike, and
the same rewards or the same punishments being
ultimately in store for them. He then addressed
those present as "My brother Foresters," and said
they were a society banded together for friendly duties
and kindly actions. They associated with their order
some of the ancient titles and historic rites of old
English story, and which have been handed down
from sire to son traditionally, until the time whea
they the Foresters adopted them for their own.
They were the same rites and customs which had
been honoured hundreds of years ago, when this land
was more thickly studded with forests than it was
now. The men who worked and had their habita-
tions amongst them were bold and, brave, but withal
brotherly and kind. There was a bond of union
which ran through all those forest minds, and it was
the same bond which united those brethren present.
Working ever industriously, and helping one another
liberally when occasion required, and accompanying
their members, even as the Foresters of this day do,
with religious observances and in accordance with
ancient custom to the grave. All of them had to
deal with the souls and the bodies of their fellow-
men. They must learn to look upon themselves as a
mighty army marching on to an eternal state. They
must not forget there were some of them perishing
and fighting feebly in their attempt to gain a sight
of their immortal brethren in the realm of God and
the world to come. The hurrying crowd which they
saw in the street of persons who seemed to be always
going or coming, were hastening to life or to death
—to eternal glory or everlasting destruction. Every
one of them should say to an erring brother who
was going in the wrong direction, "Turn again, why
should ye die.' Every man who honoured himself
and honoured God, was sure to be a man who would
honour every man. Example was a thousand times
better than precept. Precept might avail in teach-
ing them the way, but example would lead them
there. They should remember what the Apostle
Peter commanded the early Christians to do, viz.. to
love the brotherhood and honour all men. Looking
forth that day upon the toiling world that was all
around them, they saw as with an inspired gaze the
Apocalyptic angel standing near the Throne with the
blessed Gospel in his hand. Let all of them see
what they could do for God. The duty of some of
them as clergy was to teach them that they must
honour and obey princes and others who were in au-
thority, and to show respect unto all men. The duty
of all of them was to adhere to the doctrine of their
Saviour in all things. That must be their first
thought, and then through good and evil report they
should be learning better every day to "fear God and
honour the King." And that would lead them to
understand why those present came there that day.
It was that they wished to do good to others; that
' must have been their first thought. They wished
that day to obey a Christian feeling which induced
Clem to assemble in the House of God, to offer
up prayer and praise and give alms for the sick and
needy. A noble thought—a great work. This spirit,
thank God, had for some few years past been widely
spreading. He (the preacher) felt that on Sunday
last, when he preached to probably ten thousand
persons for the same thing as they had come that
day to do—to help the sick and the needy. Their
local dispensary was just the thing to appeal to
them, for their wives and their children. He knew
what it was for them to have to say that they could
not have medical attendance for their wives and
children. If there were any amongst them who had
received anything of that kind let them give a thanks
offering that day. If there were those among who
enjoyed uninterrupted and hearty health, then let
them give thanks to God, and every help in their
power to their lrss fortunate fellow-creatures. He
spoke as a working man to working men. God gave
them the strength of thew and sinew, and God gave
them the power of intellect. God gave them the
strength to go through their daily toil, and he ex-
pected back as freely as he had given. Give freely,
heartily, and lovingly, thereby showing that you
honour all men itnd love tho brotherhood.

Your Committee report that the Trustees of the
turnpike roads are proceeding with the re-laying
of the gutters in the streets. Coventry-street and
Birmingham-street are completed. Four hundred
yards of new Rowley kerbing has been used.
Removal and re-building of the new wall in
Enville-street.--Your Committee report that a
tender has been received from Mr. John Evans to
do the required work for eight pounds, and which
they recommended should be accepted.
Your Committee recommend that the crossings
at Mr. Shepherd's and the Mitre Inn should be
re-laid with suitable material.
. Mr. Edwards moved the adoption of the report,
which was seconded by Mr. Woolley, and carried.
The Clerk read an estimate of the sums required
on the improvement account for the half-year
ending March 30, 1876, the total being £740 4s sa.
To meet this there was a balance of £165 7s lid
in the treasurer's hands, the market tolls were
estimated to produce £250 4s 9d, and an improve-
ment rate of 6d in the pound.
Mr. Mills asked if any further information had
been received regarding the branch railway. If
the reports which went about the town were true,
there had been; but it did not appear to come
before that Board.
The Clerk said he had received no further com-
munication.
Mr. Edwards saii:Mr. Stringer had stated that
it was all a falsity that had been circulated about
him, and he had placed the matter between him-
self and the railway company in the hands of
Messrs. Matthews and Son.
Mr. Hughes said when he went with a deputa-
tion to the Great Western Board, Sir Daniel Gooch
said as the inhabitants of Stourbridge appeared
so anxious for the branch railway, the directors
thought they should be met in a liberal spirit as
to the land, but they found that that was not so,
and particularly in orre instance. He asked if
there was any secret as to the price asked, and it
came out that it was £2,500. and on his enquiring
how much that was per yard, Sir Daniel Gooch
said they bad not reckoned it closely, but it was
something like 158 per yard.
Mr. Kelly said, into all this, the railway com-
pany could, if they liked, take the landat arbitra-
tion price, and they were using what had occurred
as another excuse for delay.
The subject then dropped.
ATTENDANCE OF COMMIBAIONEBB.

The following is the attendance of Commis-
sioners for the several wards :—East Ward: W.
Edwards, 10; Henry Billingam, 0; E. Stringer, 8;
W. Griffin, 1; J. W. Turney, 7; T. Allolturch, 7.;
J. W. Franklin, 6.—lirtst Ward; B. Kelly, 15; G.
W. Perkin, 11; C. Mills, 11; J. W. Woolley, 11;
W. H. Penney, 9.—South Ward: H. Hughes, 14;
L. H. Packwood, 10; J. Allsop, 6; E. Stanley, 3;
, C. Blunsom, 3.

BRUTALITY IN A LODGING-HOUSE. Elizabeth
Mason, hawker, of Broseley, was remanded at the
Police Court, on Monday, on a charge of causing
greviops bodily harm to Jane Paris= The pro_
secntrix has charge of a lodging-house belonging
to Mr. Hall, in Birmingham Street, and on Satur-
day night some words arose between her and pri-
soner. The latter filled a stone tea-pot with boil-
ing water and going to Pariam struck her on the
head with it. The tea-pot vas broken to frag-
ments, and the scalding contents ran over the
woman's head, face, and neck, inflicting most
serious injuries. Her face has since swollen up,
and presents a dreae;ul appearance, and her eye-
sight is temporarily lost. Sergeant Jones appre-
hended the prisoner, who was remanded.:
SERIOUS ACCIDENT.—On Sunday night George
Smith was attending to a horse in his father's
stabling, at the Royal Exchange,when the animal
kicked him violently in the face. His front teeth
were knocked out, his jaw broken, and his nose
and forehead cut. Mr. Birt, surgeon, was called
in to attend him, and he lies in a low state.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—WiIIiam Heathcock, engineer
at Mr. Yardley's i3padeworks, Bouchall, near
Stourbridge, met with his death in a shocking
manner, at midday on Saturday. He went to some
part of the machinery, and by misadventure
slipped or was caught by it without power of sav-
ing himself. In a few seconds the poor man was
a mangled corpse, and his remains offered a shock.
ing sight to the workpeople in the place. One of
them who hastened to stop the engine had his
hand injured in doing so, but so far as Heathcock
was concerned all that could be done was to re-
move the body from the spot where the acciden`
occurred. He was a man of fifty-six years .of age
and leaves a wife and family. Heathcock and his
fellow-workmen were to have had their annual
" outing " in a few days„and it is stated that the
employers have now resolved to devote the money
to sucoouring deceased's family.—An inquest was
held on the body on Monday last, and the jray
returne I a verdict for "Accidental death."
ELECTION Or COHMISSIOXILI9.—The annual elec-
tion of Commissioners in the place of those who go
out by rotation, took place on Thursday last. The
members had to be elected for the three wards. Very
little excitement took place, no addressee being is,
sued by the candidates, so that every person who
voted for a candidate was the nominator. The
'West Ward was closed by eleven o'clock, and. the
South by 11.25. It will be seen by the votes
given, that little or no interest was manifested.—
West Ward: G. R Perkin, 15; R. Kelley, 14.; H.
Hicklin, 8; H. Loverock, 8. South Ward:
Allsop 11; W. Flavell, ; C. Evers 5. East Ward:
W. J. Turney, 88; H. Billingham 82; J. W. Jones,
82; T. Brooks, 44; E. Stringer, 2.
CHARGES UNDER THE FACTORY ACT. -- At the
Public Office, yesterday, before Col. Fletcher, F.
Evers, and H. 0. Firmstone, Reuben Robins, of
the Lye was summoned by Mr. Brewer, for per-
mitting Alice Bate to wcrk, she being under 13
years old, and for not obtaining a school certifi-
cate. The case was proved, but not pressed. De-
fendant, who pleaded guilty, was fined-2s 6d and
costs.—Eliza Partridge -was summoned for not
sending his daughter to school. Mr. Brewer
proved that the child was under 13, and defend-
ant was etnedis 'and costs.—Joseph Parsons was