The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-12-20 00:00:00

PORTL &ND.

GA.-9 EXPLOeION.—LeAt week an explosion took
plate in a cottage near the ties Works. It appears
that some no so building has been going on near, and
the pipes have been dusturbed. During Wednesday
night there was • bal .au II of gas iu the cottage
occupied by Mr. Holt. No particular notice was taken
of it, aud about half-pest eight Air. 'Jolt's little girl
want int, the front room, and whilst there the
explosion occurred, taking place close to the ceiling,
part of which was torn down from wall to walL The
little girl escaped uninjured, the gas was at once turned
off, and no further ill consequences ensued there. But
about nine o'clock, just as a train was coming in, and
passengers were being booked at the railway station,
the su. ply of gas suddenly failed, and the lights all
went out. It was more startling than even some of
the performances of the electric light--
" Arid in an instant ali was dark"
Less terrified than Tam o' Shanter. the officials at
ones turned off the tape, great carriage lamps appear-
ing from the lamp-room; but not all of them would
burn, and for a time tte state of things was awkward;
but in a few minutes the supply was resumed.
H.M.S. litacoLes.- -The first watch of H.M.S.
Hercules, numbering about 120 men, went on Chr
mas leave last Saturday. They return .n time for the
secnt watch to has holiday on New Year's Day.
WNISLZTAN hfutstoss.—tna Sunday, sermons on
behalf of the Wesleyan Missionary Society were
preached at Reston Chapel by the Rev. J. Lewis,
returned missionary from Western Africa, and on
M inday a public meeting was held, when ad 'reams
were delivered by the Revds. J. Lewis and R. Lickes,
and Me-sr,. H. Flew and W. A. Attwooll.
ALL Wok' AID NO PLAT is not going ti be allowed
to make Jack a dull boy in the ltoiscawen, for about
320 boys proceeded for their Ch.istmas holidays on
Wednesday morning, the long-110.4nm boys having
commenced the exodus on time previous afternoon.
This is a larger number than usual, owing to the railway
companies carrying them at a very moderate rate--
namely, for a single "child's" fare they are taken to
their homes and back again.

ADJUITABVS INSPIZCIOS. Last Wednesday the
Artillery Volunteer Company was inspected by the new
adjutant at the Drill Hall, and among the officers
present was Mr. Mudding, the newly joined IMM4llllnt
THI PILITYIIBT LADY IN TER 15LAND.—Ever since
the time of the golden apple, when Juno, Venus, and
blue-eyed Pease strove for the prize of beauty, the
questi na of" Who shall be fairest ? has always proved
• burning one to raise. Indignation seems to be as
wroth with a modern self-constituted judge ea the
majority were with the bribed shepherd of the olden
times. One declares there are as good fish produced
In the sea as ever had the luck to fall into it, and
" Diogenes" begs "to remind the author of the
paragraph in a contemporary of last week, relative to
a certain bridegroom having the happy privilege of
removing from the Island, in the month of January
next, its prettiest inhabitant, that tastes differ, at
lest no thought the man who kissed his cow? Whether
we are to have • revival of the old tournament in
honour of the ladies of Portland or not, is yet
undecided, meanwhile we remind all enamoured
swains, each of whom I. convinced that his own
betrothed is the prettiest lady in the Island, that the
time is passing by, and the combats should be speedily
arranged, utilises they take refuge in the old philosophy,
" Be she fairer than the day,
Or the flowery meads in Male
II she be not fur to me
What care I how fair she be."
SAHARA' Rear—An entertainment was held as
usual at the above place On Monday lout, Mr. Banner-
man presi +Jog. The room was well filled, and the
programme was ably carried out, several songs being
enthusiastically encored. Mr. May's humorous read
legs were birth), relished, cawing roars of laughter,
Mies Bannerman's accompaniments on the piano were
admirable, and she deserves great praise for her
kindness in c instantly attending and helping to make
these social gatherings such • nooses. The National An.hem brought • very pleasant evening to • close.
CONCRRT AND F•act.—An entertainment was given
at the Grove &hoolr om on Friday and Saturday
last, for the purpose of helping the funds for providing
a treat to the school children. On Friday evening
the room was crowded ; but on Saturday afternoon
the c impany, consisting mainly of the upper classes,
was more select. The following songs, Ac,, were
given at one or other of the entertainments :—Part I.
Selection, " Olivette," Band P.W.O. Regt. ; song,
S ime Day," Mr. Critclxley Salmonson (Dr. Lilly
accompanied); Mr. Ralmonson was encored, when he
gave "Primrose Farm" ; duet, t• Mayiair,” min
Appleford and Miss Reynslds, (•ocommied by Dr.
Li y) ;song, " Home, sweet Home ,"t O'Donnell,
who was encored, and gave "Child's Home"
(hits. Appleford accompanied) ; interlude, by Mr.
Walker; song. " Spinning," Miss Appleford vb.;
gave also " In the Cloisters,' being encored (Dr.
Lilly accompanied) ; song, "A Modern Peetocol,"
Mr. E. V. De Merle; song. "The Lend of Long
Ago," Mir Reynolds, who was encored and gave
"Ile Kelpie's Bride," both being beautifully sung • song, "Miller of the Dee," Mr. Brant, this wee sun;
In chszacter and encored; song. by Mrs. Appleford accompanied by Mr. A ppleford piano, and Mum;
Stuart on the violin, and the pa-ty were encored'
instrumental trio, " Meditation," Miss Appleford,
violin--piano and harmonium by Dr. Lilly and Mr.
Appleford ; comic song, " Puff." Mr. Hugger, who
wet ear led, sang' [really am so Sleepy." Part II
was W•lliato Brough'e &Milling farce entitled. " No.
One Round the Corner," whereon the part of Flipper
was taken by Mr. H. Walker. and Ita dibler by Mr.
Critchley rialmonson. The farce wont very well,
and was exceedingly amusing. " God sere the Queen "concluded the entertilnrucate.

PRIMSTIOLS ATTSIITT TO VISIT MI PILBOII.
A woo( the late wool i.be vivitore to the Oonvict
Evtiblieliment wee Prederiok Simmons, well known
at Weymouth, who could not get in, lsokfrillon intro-
duction from the Home Secretary. The officials did
Oct know they had so distingniehed an applicluit, and
promise out time to be content with • Jo ea order!
and to regale Mt. Simmons on the beet of coot* and
home-made bread.
Tea Isri.xxier.s.—l mentioned last week that the
gigantic m mitor Inflexible, which, with the long weeds
that had grown on bar bottom removed, has, in the
tideless waters of the Mediterranean, realised •
maximum speed of over fourteen sad • mess thirties
knots an hour, was about to proceed on an experi-
mental cruise; and arrangsznentv have been made for
Sir Beauchamp Seymour, as COM essadeo-Le-Chla of
the Mediterranean .it, to accompany her. She starts
shortly after the Isetivitiee organised ti celebrate the
Prince of Wales's birthday, and will be away from
Melts several weeks—I ne

NOTTIMCITON.
ON Tuesday list an important side was held at Not-
tiugton by Mr. George Eneor, TIL, he property of Mr.
Jetty. consisting of 16 prime fat heifers and steers, 200
fa 'beep. Toere was • large &Madan°e of hurl's.
the principel being Messrs. liattoe (Pordend). Galling•
ham and Wareham (Boareemouth), sauedeis, Bebbets,
Duke, and others. Satisfactory prizes were reeibied
and everything sold. Mr. Jesty with his iboottaiomod
liberality provided tho refreshments.

PUP DL TOW.S
evening, December 7th, •
Livrt7"—°D Vie""daTev ationalSehoolroonti
lecture was delivered in the Gongreg.. _ _
Mutual improve-
in oonnectios with the Young Men G.
er.
mint Society, by the Rev. W. M. Fethil G.
of
ftimhtes
pocupled the chair, and said, in e course
remarks, that this was the wound of a asries.,:flisotuurtores,
which were intended to be given during the w
months. He was glad to see so moo) Present, ••Itl•
he thought augured well for the future lectures, and, am
vicelereeident, be was plowed to think that the newly-
formed society showed such signs of life and activity,
iv
and hoped that it would be • source of pleasure
and
profit to the young men. The subject 4 the.,,reciabure
AAA " EAO•WiOr "—WU appropriate . .
I
emphatically was the as of program," an. d that there
was a amply upward tanlesiey in all °apartmentl of
human knowledge, and that it behoved our young
men to keep abreast of the times, that the/ ••••1"
carry the motto " EgoeLior " with tbem,,as.thily.p.reeeed.
upwsril and onward in the Plitt!
to
.vo••1!
knowledge. lie now called upon Mr. Yell
_th
lecture.—Mr. Fell, on rising, add the chairmen had
etsuok the key note to he remarks, for there was to
be seen in eh departments of human knowledge an
upward tendency. Our literature, which has such a
mighty influent*, was noble and healthier iii It. tone
than at any previous period of our world's history,
notwithstanding those hooka of • pernicious character,
which are continually issuing from the pries. But a
mixture of good end bad wee not so hurtful as pure
ignorance beat woul I be. Bad government was the
cause of =thy postal and political evils, but n tyranny
was so bad as that of pure anarchy, and so nothing
was so bad for a man, as • moral and thinking beit.
as ignorance—that was mental starvation and intel-
lectual death. Art and science had for their motto
" Excelsior," art was the Lauda and science the bead,
and these two combined had made marvellous
progress in many things that have rendered men wiser
and the world happier. Alter having adverted
to various departments in which the progress
of art and science was to be seen, Mr. Fell amid
that this progress was in the face of great opposition.
if Galllio was compelled to recant his great discoveries
in the laws of planetary motion by the arbitrary will
of Rome so have scientific meo in the present day to
fight • hard battie against the bigotry of Proteetautiam.
lieology has had to fight that battle, and now the
seine old spirit wee evoked to crud" the researches in
that new acieuce which has made such rapid strides iu
our day, viz.—the science of philological criticism.
That science was like that of geology, as it brought out
id the ruins and relics of the WWI and forgotten
! languages of former ages, evidences of the
.past history
. of mankind, just as geology elicited out of the crumb-
' ling rucks and broken stones the physical history of
the world that man has inhebltat kle did not advise
, h isty acceptance of conclusions arrived at by these
. philologists, but deprecated the idea that scientific
research should be stifled or put under • bar by Protes-
tantism any more then by the senile anathemas of
Home. Between revelation rightly understood and
true science, there could be moo possible or conceivable
discrepancy; for was it not the saute Divine power
which communicated its will to man by the mouth of
hard and seer, prophet and apostle, and which opens
before man the great book of nature, and Lys bare its
'acre.* and niveteriee before his eager and enquiring
intellect, and has clothed his mind with the capacity
to discover •ud understand its laws. But there was
nothing in the whole history of the world that could
show more clearly the onward progress of society, and
our superior privileges, compared with those ages that
are past, than the hi.tory of b ,ok writing. The
lecturer thou traced this history from its commence-
ment to the present time. 'rids progress that was seen
in the world was only a type of what the individual
man ought to be. Some of the helps and hindrances to in.
dividual progress were then annottaced and illustrated.
The programs though life to heaven was like ascend.
ing the slopes of • mountain to the top. As we toil
up this mountain of life with steps which grow ever
feebler as we approach the summit, it did seam that
the horizon of human ad airs with all its right duties
and responsibilities expanded it. circle before our
gaze. Our falling vision was more than compensated
by the serenity of the atmosphere in whico we stood,
aud those narrower view, and more active prejudices
which monopolised our attention in earlier lit., are
now seen only amidst the odds at our feet, or are
dwarfed Into iushpalficanoe in the presence of the
larger panorama which is opened to Our views. No
soul ever reached heaven wit:hoot Christ, let us take
Him amour guide, and eo make life, death, sod that
life which will last for ever a grand Excelsior.—At
the close of the 'octopi, Mr. Janice Pearce, one of the
members of the society, r &cited Longfeliow's poem,
Excelsior." Mr. LOthjo ',nodded at the organ, and
the choir sang al piec as during the evening. The
meeting was closed, alter the usual votes of thanks
with the Benediction.