The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-01-29 00:00:00

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S
HORSE SHOW.

The first stallion show held under the auspices of
the Royal Agricultural Society of England, took
place in the Jubilee Exhibition Buildings, Newcastle-
on-Tyne on luesday, the object of the experiment
being to improve the breed of hunters and saddle
horses generally in the country. The society offered
five prizes of £2OO each for the best five sires, in ad-
dition to which three reserve animals were-selected.
The condition attached to the prizes is that the
winners shall travel in the four northern counties of
Northumbniand, Westmoreland. Cumberland, and
Durham, at fees varying from .E 2 to £2 10s. Thirty-
eight,Ltnimals were entered for competition, and seven
notable thoroughbreds were also sent for exhibition
only. Those were Mr. Charles Perkin's Beauclerc, by
Rosicrucian—Bonny Bell, Lord Durham's Glen-
dale, by Blair Athol—Pet, Mr. Walter Gilby's Pedo-
motor, by King Tom—Miss Peddle, Lord Middleton's
Peppermint, by Cainballo—Mintdrop, Mr. Charles
Perkins's Pursebearer, by Scottish Chief —Thrift, Mr.
C. E. Straker's Theologian, by Uncas—Miss Theo, and
Mr. J. Sawrey-Cookson's Thins, by Stockwell—
Nightingale. The addition of these animals to those
entered for competition added greatly to the attraction
of the show, and they were much admired, especially
Pedometer, the winner of the £lOO premium and gold
medal given by the Hunters' Improvement Society,
London Show, 1885. Mr. Sawrey-Cookson's Preston
pans, by Prince Charley—Beatrice, which had been
originally entered in the competition class, was with-
drawn therefrom and placed amongst those for exhibi-
tion only. The judges in the competition were the
Earl of Coventry (Master of the Queen's Buck-
hounds), Mr. W. Dunne (of Ballymanus, Queen's
County), and Mr. E. Paddison (of Ingilby, Lincoln).
Out of the 37 candidates 12 were in the first inztance
selected by the judges, and these having been sub-
mitted to veterinary examination by Professor Browne
and his assistants (Messrs. Clement Stephenson, of
Newcastle, and John Fryer, of Bedale), were
once more brought into the enclosure and
submitted to the crucial inspection. The
final awards were then made, and the five 'prizes
of £2OO each went to the following: Mr. John
Goodwin's Jumbo, by Macaroni—Lynette; Mr. J. H.
Stephenson's Knight Templar, by The Baron—Miss
Croft; Mr. H. A. W. Beaumont's Prescription, by
Knight of Kars—B. M. ;' Mr. E. H. Banks's Moss
Hawk, by Blair Athol—Vergiss-mein-nicht ; sad Mr.
J. E. Platt's Storm Signal, by Thunderer. The reserve
numbers were awarded as follows: Ist, Mr.W. Steel's
Blue Grass by Pat Molloy—Amy Farley ; Mr. Robert
Clark's Even, by Quits—Evelyn 11., and Mr. James
Lowther's Swillington, by Hermit—Stockwater. The
result of the ballot deciding the districts to which the
five winners are to be allotted was as follows • We st
moreland, Moss Hawk- Cumberland, Preset.. iption
Durham, Knight Templar; South Northumberland,
Storm Signal; and North Northumberland, Jumbo'
The object of the reserved numbers is that the winners
thereof may supply any vacancy that may be caused
by mishaps or otherwise to any of the five premium
horses. So far as the exhibition is concerned, this
new departure of the Royal Society has been uttended
with the most gratifying success. The attendance
.was much beyond what was expected, and at times the
vast show-ground was uncomfortably crowded.

ALARMING OCCURRENCES IN THE
SALT DISTRICT.
Later telegrams state that further subsidences have
taken plan in the Salt District. In the immediate
neighbourhood of Northwich, Wilton Brook, which
not long ago might easily have been jumped over, has
now expanded into a lake some hundreds of acres in
extent. At Dunkirk, also close to the town, a large
area subsides at present at the rate of one foot per
week. In the town itself, one of the main thorough-
fares has been planked over with heavy timber in con-
sequence of the frequent and sudden landslips within
the past few days. A 'smithy, a dockyard, and a
whee;wright's shop have been either wholly or par-
tially destroyed. On Monday afternoon a startling
occurrence took place at the Wheatsheaf Hotel—a
building which had to be lifted threey ards a few months
ago. A number of men were employed in the cellar,
at-ranging some barrels of beer diet had just arrived,
when the floor suddenly gave way under them,
and two of the men fell with half a dozen beer barrels
into a deep pit, which at once filled with water, For-
tunately help was at hand, and the men were rescued,
though more dead than alive. One of the principal
walls of the building is undermined, and the disap-
pearance of the whole premises is probably only a
question of time. The bridge overAhe Weaver is now
being raised three feet. It is anticipated, however,
that the subsid-nce will continue, and tho navigation
trustees are at loggerheads with the town authority
with respect to a proposal to substitute a swing-bridge
for the present structure. Owners of property arc
naturally in a state of much anxiety, and a move-
ment has bcen started having for its object the passing
an Act of Parli.ment making the payment of corn
pensation otligatory on the pumpers of trifle. Mr.
De Rance, F.G.8., has been making afresh geological
survey of the district for the information of the
Government.

.tr
A mueiciN's lot le a happy one. ha work is all
play.