The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-01-04 00:00:00

Sontersttsbire.

SOMERSET Qr A RTISK SON.—The Epiphany
Quarter Sessions will comeuce at the new Shire Hall,
Taunton, on Tuesday, Jan 4th. The principal item
in the county business, we understand, will be the
subject of manufacturing gas at the gaol, by which
it ii assumed a cAtsiderable saving will accrue to the
county. There are at present twenty-live prisoners
for trial, the offences being of an ordinary descrip-
tion.

INCONGRUOUS WEATHRIL —During the past week
the weather has been conducting itself in a most
unehristmas-like way, being in fact as unseasonable
as it has been variable. On Wednesday week the
neighbourhood of Taunton was visited with heavy
storms of rain, strong gales of wind, accompanied by
thunder and lightning. Singularly enough, about
noon, while the ingaisterial business was being
transacted at the Guildhall, we observed, alternately
bright sunshine, darkness, heavy rain, and thunder
and dashes of lightening. Beyond sonic little coin-
motion amongst the stalls, film, and tall chinmy
tops, we have heard of no damage in our inunotliate
vicinity, though in other parts of the county the
hurricane appears to have been particulary mis.
chievous in farm la-tons, and among ricks and trees.
In Devonshire the storm was remarkably ilestnictive.
At lloborough a great deal of glass was broken. 54
panes being smashed for one householder. The
roof of the church, near the tower, was broken in.
and nyuly panes of glees shattered; the electric fluid
entering into the bell-loft, shivered the framework
of the sic bells, and also bursting out a large portbai
of the month wall. The bells sustained damage hut
we are happy to learn that none of the inhabitants
were injured. It is supposed that it will take £lOO
to repair the damage. On Monday the rain contiuned
with brief intervals of sunshine, followed in the
evening by frost ; on Tuesday the weather was
comparatively dry and mild in the morning, but in
the afternoon there was a good deal of cold rain and
wind. These atumepherie changes, we need hardly
say, are attended with serious consequences to the
invalid and infirm.

A NARROW CAPL —On Sunday, about one
o'clock, just as the congregation leaving Saint
Jaineia Church had reached the end of Saint
Jainee's-street, some commotion was observed close
by the river adjoining Mr. Viiier's premises. On
inqairy it appeared that a drunken painter named
Lawrence, got too near the river Tone, and losing
his equilibrium, fell into the stream, where he
stuck Etat up to his shoulders. Sergeant Judd, of
the Somerset constabulary, happened to be at hand,
and he at once helped the inebriate from the perilous
depths of his cold Christmas bath; and the luckless
wight will in all probability have to appear before
the magistrates on a charge of being drunk and
incapable.

Sityrrox M•xi.rr.—Our butchers' show the
week before last, displayed about the usual quantity
of beef, mutton, and pork. It was not in general
so over-fat as on previous occasions, but of bettor
quality for the table, and much preferable. Mr.
Hunt, in High-street, exhibited some well-fed beef
and mutton, superior to any we have seen for some
time—indeed his show was splendid. Mr. Thomas
Parker also displayed his usual talent in providing
superior beef, mutton, Ice. Messrs. Butler and
Burton exhibited some splendid beef and mutton ;
their beef was by far the thickest shown, grazed by
Mr. John Welchman, of Sticklinch, West'Pennard,
and the late Mr. James Davis, of Gocksbridge Farm,
West Pennant, and others. Mr. W. Hockey also
showed some excellent beef (his own grazing) ; and
Mr. George Ford, of the Black Swan, had • prime
piece of beef, one of the prize beasts of the Prom
Show. Messrs. King and Adams displayed some
first-rate pigs, as did also Manna. Hockey, Griffiths
and Son, of Long-bridge, and Peter-street.

CAUTION TO F4lOllllO AND OTHILItri.—A few days
since George Hockey, a butcher cif this town had 5
pig'; his wife fed them with some boiled nianguld
wortsel, and in two hours afterwards four of them
were dead, and the other nearly so. Mr. Hockey
sent for a neighbouring fanner to see them, and
immediately on being informed on what they had
been fed, he pronounced that to be the cause of
death; he himself a few years since had thirteen die
from the same sort of feed. They are of opinion
it is the liquor of mangold that causes the effect.

GLArroNauitv.--The butchers' shops in this town
formed • scene of great attraction lately by the
splendid show of Christmas meat. Mr. Thomas
mrt, butcher, High-street, exhibited a splendid
Devon ox, 56 score, and • Hereford ox, 111)014 52
score, of Ilrst-rate quality, both grated by Mr. Ewen',
of Sbootoo, Somerset ; two Soutbdown sheep, four
cross-bred ditto, and two Porlock or Mountain
sheep, grazed by Mr. White, of Street Inn, and 44
fat geese. The two Porlock sheep excited curiosity,
being exhibited whole in their skins with their horn!,
trimmed with blue ribanda. They appeared as if
they were alive, and in the act of jumping through the
shop window.

—The Right Ron. and Right Rev. Baron
it.711......iiiaud,k Lord &eh?p of that and Wells, has
Le Rev. u.• Wallis, Minor Canon of
Welk, and late Curate of St. Mary MOdulunu,
Taunton, to the Curacy of Bt. Cuthbert's, Id* uu

the nomination of the vicar, the very Rev. G. If.
S. Johnson, Dean of Wells.
- . .

Tux CoNvicr Bueoz.ss.- -This wretched man who
now lbw under condemnation for the murder of his
little daughter in the Exmoor Forest has since his
conviction appeared considerably depressed at the
awful position in which he stands, and we are told
lie listens attentively to the spiritual advice and
assistance of the chaplain (the Rev. F. Howse).
Burgess' conduct, shortly after his trial, has la:, n
dwierib„, by smile of our contemporaries as exceed-
'ugly violent lint we are assured that this is not the
;act. At pnwent no members of his family have
visited him. Varione rumours are current as to the
period fixed for the exceut , but as the authorities,
for obvious reasons, have not permitted the exact
day to transpire, all we can say is that the execution
will probably not take place until after the tennin-
Mien of the Quarter Sessious,
CHICISTIIIMI•DAY TIHC WOHICIIOUST.. - The
inmates of the Taunton Union Workhouse were
regaled with a dinner of rowit•beef and plum-pud-
ding, on Christmas day, when the paupers, young
and old, seemed to enter with as much zest as the
more favoured portion of the community into the
enjoynient of the creature forts provided for this
titne-honoured festival. The master and matron,
Mr. and Mrs. Paltridge, were indefatigable in their
efforts to make the workhouse, at least for
one day, a union of happiness and coutentnzent.