The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-06-23 00:00:00

TUESDAY. JUNE 23. Kt

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

The alteration of the page of the Great
Western railway on those sections of the line
passing through Dorset, Somerset, and Wilts,
which has just been completed, is P.O important
event for the whole district. The narrowing of
• the rail span by two feet and a quarter, has been
accompanied by a very great improvement in the
character of the rolling-stock. The former
carriages in the cheapest class were gloomy and
grimy, and almost as uncomfortable as possible •
but the new stock is light and airy, and all
classes are padded and made reasonably easy and
convenient. This improvement will, no doubt,
largely advance in public favour the Great
Western system. But the great advantage
obtained by the alteration is the avoidance of
break of gauge, which has hitherto been a source
of vexatious delay and considerable expense to
tradesmen, and, in the end, to the public. The
transference of coal and other heavy traffic from
one set of trucks to another has involved much
labour, which will now be avoided, as traffic
coining even from the far north will be sent
" through " without hindrance. The Great
Western will now, consequently, come into
direct competition with the South-Western for
thror.gh traffic to Dorchester and Weymouth,
and the public will he benetitted by their rivalry.
!t is said that Sir D. Gooch, the Chairman of

the Company, has not
yet 1);"ell
Wt:l see
the
advisability of the step now taken, an t
regards it as a quarter of a million thrown "into
the tire ;" but the national advantages of a
uniform gauge are obvious, and we cannot but
think that the opinion of the great blely of share-
holders in favour of the alteration is founded in
wisdom, and that what is for the general good
is also for the advantage of the component
parts of the nation.
A very and and somewhat mysterious case of
poisoning has occurred at Portland. A little
girl of five and-a-half years, daughter o of the head
schoolmaster of H.M.S. Bowmen, died last
week after four days' sickness and prostration,
for which there was no accounting, and even the
inquest does not elucidate the mystery. The
absence of a clue to her illness suggested the
idea that it was attributable to having eaten
coloured sweetmeats at a neighbour's
children's birthday party on Friday, but
now it is conclusively proved that there was
no Death's head at the feast, and that
the innocent enjoyment of the little onto'
is to be altogether dissociated from her sad
death. A party of 18 shared the sweets, and
none of the others were injuriously affected by
them, neither did the sweets have the appear-
ance of being harmful. On the afternoon before
her seizure she was playing in the garden, where,
it is said, there is henbane and other poisonous
plants, and the conjecture is that the child ate
some if the leaves, for the pood-mortent examin-
ation made by Dr. Parsons disclosed the pre-
sence of vegetable poison in the shape of a large
deposit of green matter, but it is incomprehen-
sible why she should have eaten sufficient of the
hairy serrated leaves (of such a plant as henbane,
the taste of which is far from agreeable, to have
caused her prostration so quickly. The doctor
was not obtained till Monday morning, being
engaged at the Prison; but, in his absence, a
neighbour acted most kindly and wisely in the
sad distress, although it was impossible to save
the child's life. The untimely death oof this
little one points to the importance of removing
from gardens all poisonous planta, for they are
only of medicinal use, and are a constant source
of danger to children.
A case singularly illustrative of farmers' diffi-
culties came before the Dorchester Bench last
Saturday from Puddlehinton. A carter was
summoned for refusing to obey the lawful com-
mands of his master, in that when ordered to
remove some manure from one heap to another
he emphatically refused, and went on ploughing
with two horses, leaving a third idle, and the
work undone. His defence was that "it warn't
his business to kill putts ;" and he also .
plained of his wife having to go out to work,
altleargli his written contract, of which he had a
copy, stipulattd that she should do so "when-
ever required." Ittai itubborn impracticability
on the part of the labontio is one of the un-
healthy signs of the tittles. It 116 joke in
Pendi that the grand footman with the gorki.,ip
1.2111A)b refuses to carry the coal-scuttle upstairs,
but that am auricultuml labourer should thus
burlesque the •Z' dignity of labour" is as novel
as it is dispiriting. in ito,U occupations, and
more than any, on a farm, the ueefel man, and
the happy man, is he who can and will hint his
(capabilities to anything required—who ut the
largooat 'UM does with his might whatever his
hand tinnt.th to do. Thu petty tiresomeness of
not doing this ...,r that is intolerable, and
harrasses employers inect unreasonably, while
the Ulan who inflicts suck enno4snee has only
, lite guilty pleasure of making hi instill is to; if ;Ince.
Hoe different is this state oof things front elm
old-fasitiontd relations that used to subsist
between uttuitece evil men! We cannot ignore
the fact that the lieu efritit of jealousy and
suspicion is a growth c(ortemputancens with the
Wen:rent' Union, anti the aversien uttko which
that orgiutiaationl is regarded by ferment is thtirer
fore natural and well-founded. But let labourers
be aura they "an gain no good by manifesting an
intractable 4.4* disposition ; their (only hope
oof rising in the sound scale is by increasing
diligence and skilfulness, rathet thin doing less
utak and that moodily find in he epirit of a
galley shave. This world is not a Paradise hw
labourers, er fey any class; but they may do
much to make Hautt hytts haPPY, by willing
service and calm conteutinent, or is that state
oof mind incompatible with Teasel/OA sinbition
and a desire to be better off in the worlo.
'ae Licensing Amendment Act of the Government
has been is; proved out of all semblance to its original
shape. The lioine Secretary first proposed to close
the public•houses in sc.;?11 toWns and country districts
at ten p.m., and to keep thy?? shut on Sunday after-
noon till seven p.m., while he as most resolved on
doe principle that the State should lay 4own an
impartial law, and give to magistrates the least pwwl,4c
dneretiou. btu ill this has been changed, and the power
of the licensing Pones* is increased. The amended
Bill, fert a third time ou sfoodav night, provides—
(ml In London the hour of night closii,g is to be 12.30.
(2) In "towns" other than the meta-myth,. mol in
" populous places in the nature if towns, it is to ee,
eleven. (3) In the country it is to be ten. (4) 'The
word " towns " includes all urban &Minn), rh.trias
containing t,OOO inhabitants or upwards. (5)
" rreptiliaus places" are those districts defined to be
such by rut i,irensing Committee, and containing not
fewer than I,OOQ tehibitants. (6) The existing hour
of 6 p m. for opening et. :i.,..;mlay evenings is retained.
The vaccillation of the Minadcy in dealing with
the subject has been sharply reproved Ly the Oppo-
.ition.
A. ihr session is getting somewhat far advanced,
it is fully etpeeted that Mr. Disraeli will shortly ask
the House to in I ugpl4rly on Tuesday and Friday
mornings, for the nuistit olf Pills which have still
to be disposed of—some of them kcing measures
which the Government consider of the lmigib..ii iTport-
N.lre—will render such an arrangement nects.ary, 44.
least 41. Parliament is to be prorogued at the usual
time.
Preparations %L.,. 11.0 being made for the annual
Herodian slaughter. i,,,, is said that the Friendly
Societies Bill and the Public Vership Bill will but
be dropped after the second reading t 4; the House of
Cotillions. and that Government will take tktin up
agate seat session. The latter Bill has proved the
innate diffievky of legislating on religious questions,
but as tu the fume. U is a great pity the Government
do not persevere with st. We believe the measure
would prove a grt.2l boon to tile sveinbers of friendly
societies, awl to workina mem who ut4t„i tale:. con-
ditions would become members of then,.
The celebration on Saturday of the thirty-unmet,
o,...ieersary of her Majesty's accession to the throne,
wham utiwrred in 1837, has brought to light the fact
' that of the 5e114.1. en Cabinet Ministers who met in
Council to take Ow .„,k•h of allegiance to Queen
Victoria at Kensington Pats,.. .in the 20th of June,
1837, only two survive and these an. if!! Grey and
lad kuso:11, both age:land superannuated stay-siren.
01 Lk rest, only the name of Lord Palmerston silerts
to belong ty the present generation, while names like
those of Lord hileiL,irne, Mr. Spring Rice, Lord
Cottenham, Lord lansdoweo., ST., already belong to
history. And this grent change vo ;he personnel of
the tisiyereign's surroundings is only symbust,..;l of the
e9ually gran changes in the political and social te,,
anion of the (Unwed Kingdom, which have taken
plead in a ',cried Cotiep(«ing little more than a
. . e•
generanowil, .
--

SORVIEBSTBR..
Nam' DEPINY-LIKUTKNA:II...4.Iy following new 11%414'
lieutenant is gasetted for Donets& ; The duo. MAMMY
Cecil Aahley.
TIM Rector of All Saints parish has ,:one abwase Goe
two months tour. In his absence the Ker. 11. P. Radios
the Rev. IL G. Watson will officiate at the Berrie.% of
the. et..-ch.
RIGSCUIL- A young neon named Cox, whose
Parente ioe fo:744*h/ill-place, last week saved the life of
lad at Plyizeou4. nudes circumstances that reflect great
rredit on his rourage anti humanity. Cox, who is a sailor.
and 111 years old, on Thursday Mat was near the Hoe at
Plymouth, and mw a boy lall from firothiSdeeP water.
Ile immediately plunged in and with
.danger to
himself carried the lad two or three Mils Yard. 0044
back, before he could bring him to land. We underatana
this is the second instance in which Col has been instru-
mental inswing life since he has been stationed at Devon.
port. Ile certainly deserves a. recognition of his services
from the Royal Humane Society.

Mr. W. 12. Burman, H.P., has subscribed £lOO to the
fund for the enlargement of Holy Trinity Church, awl
hal become an annual subscriber of .C 2 2s. to the' Hand-
la-Haul Lodge of tiddlellows.
IN Lisiclosriox. --A petition for liquidation has been
fit by Ja.k, Meech, of Fordington, baker and gracer,
an tie first meeting is to be boll on 11th July, at the
! o of Mr. Burnett, the attorney in the matter.
' HE annual show of the Dorchester Agricultural Society
will be hell on Wednesday. July 22th. The Hon. W. 11.
tie
B. Fortnum, M.P., will take the chair at the dinner,
which takes place the same day.
f:.,
no-nesnot UNION. --We understand that Mr. Wallis.
of Fonlington, one of the relieving officers of the Dor-
chester Union, hat resigns,' his office on account of ill-
health. 'there are alr,:a!ty several candidates for the
aptolntment.
o RSET CoUNTY POULTRY AND PIGEON SoCIETy.—The
co insittAie met on Thursday last, to receive the rep-wt
frviiii the Hon. Secretaries and Treasurer, and lisd the
pleasure to find the success of the show in February
lent enabled them to carry a balance forward in favour of
the next show, which they hope to hold in the early
part if 1575.
POZCHUTER AGRICULTURAL SOCIETT.—The annual
! wing matches in connection with this society took place
O Thunwlay at Coker's ',rime, on the land of Mr. Henry
M ye. The judges were Mr. Joseph Saunders, of liteton ;
My. J. G. Homer, Martinstown ; and Mr. T. Chick.
m
titp ard ton. The aw, were :- -First prize, £2. Thomas;
PI att, in the service of Mr. W. S. Hull, Druce ; !ses'efult
1'...., Jonas Peach (Mr. E. Manton) ; third, 10•, Edward
Miller (Mr. C. Mayo, Little Piddle).
' Pot:Nunuar lain' was held on Sunday last, when
re was a larger gathering than Ku been seen for many
y re 'attend one which.it is to be hoped,will never again
I assembled. Parties of all ages and both sexes were in
✓ ious parts of the round, with tins in their midst con-
ning rum and iiiilk, whirli was imbibed to Huth an
e tent-by some of them that their knees became too weak
/
to carry them. It is iimlnritood that this is the List year
of the annual "rum awl milk drank," as the common will
be abolished, and this .lisgra-afnl Carnival with it.
707IMITTED To TIIE I iORSET CoUNTY PRISON. -Attire,:
onus log; wilful newsier at Fowerstock. .e•sti.ost:
MIMS Barnes. !stealing loots at Monlen. !lard Labour:
C larks James Swyer, semling iron arid zinc at Dorchester,
2 calendar months ; Fanny House, stealing boota at
Maiden Newton ; Tout Willittington, stealing a jug at.
4, Istock ; James lialley, leaving family chargeable at
ti Image ; James Wills, stealing a jar and beer at Port-
o!, I calendar inoiali each ; James Smith, misbehaviour
i I:landlord Unioa, 2 weeks ; Ge.oge Walkwe, mis-
haviour in Illandford Union ; Thomas Rolibint, drunk
In
and riotous at fiddler...wit. 14 days each ; Willi:nu Bur-
yne and William Hosier, *haling a jar and beer at
rtland, 7 days. infiscie, ~,,, -.et : John Baker, default of
lines received
institution. the follow-
' st
ere
' e aminations, in connection with the Science and Art
' l rge Bawler, who has gained a prize ; Walter IL
itlioesnoarat trt)he,mrhortrvtase,r;ossi•
SCIIDOL Or ART.—We lines received from Dr. Robinson,
i g list of successful students in the May spurn,' gra 10
I eartment, South Kensington :--In Freehand—Arthur
Bawler, %Valiant Fre, Leonard H. Last, Miss Susanna
( . Cunnington, Miss Ada Grylls, and Miss Asnabel 11
1
Watson, who gained • prize. In perspective--Nlias
, .• milers, and Mrs. Urquhart. In Geometry—Miss Alice
! Margaret 11. Cunnington. prize, Miss Florence E. Gundry,
, and Muss Amabel S. Watson. In Model Drawing—Miss
r Plorenee 11. E. Cross, Leonard IL Last, Miss Annie .1.
' Leigh, who wins a prize, Mrs. Urquhart, and Miss Ameba,
: S. Watson. The following also gain full certificates: Miss
1 N. Margaret Cunnington, Miss Florence 11. E. Gundry,
, and Miss Ameba' S. Watson.
' THZ WEATHER. —The following is our meteorological
i report:—

Dale, b Clime .
COMA), C thbuldcwoc, b I%qm)
Wintcraulo. I, Cairns •7
Warren, b Calm* • 0
Thmaas. b tonic . 3
Dickca.,on. b Calms .. 3
)buciel. b uNkinci
Shiticy, c b Cainas
614 wer. b conio
Fro-villas, I, a

, .
Cockersin. not gnu
Martin, cHutt, b Ottlyghtly 2
1:•tr.“ 7
7-9
44Zdi
deatb

XI WATSON or a TOWN COUNCILLOR.—The nomination of
-'lidates to till the vacancy in the Council caused by the
of Mr, 4. lliskep to. place on Friday, when four
.. . rOpoied Si bh aad_proper persons M till the °Bice.
M-r.-11.illiain Durden, of Bureigstettrtel, nomini.M.l hy
Mr. J. F. Hodges, Milt.... Mr. Francis Milk 4.1.01.0014
the Rev. T. Neave, Mr. T. Hawker, Mr. Cecil Cox. Mr.
~.. l. Wright, and Mr..l. 11. Ilroves : Mr. ti. Hawkins, High
Veerstreet, nominated by Mr. J. Bonita, : WWI Mr. T.
'. W. Saunders, High East-street nominated by Mr. R.
rutting. As soon as the nominatiuno were posted at the
whim.; on Saturday morning Mr. T. Smindert issued a
dacard stating ;1t he declined standing, and it was also
inderstood that Mr. Hawkins: WII. Of the %SOW inin.L
The contest we; thus left between Mr. Darden ruid Mr.
Mill.. There wa4 lewi apathy than octal about the
ection, both candidates ismingieldres.,,, and canvassing
wing done on both sides, but mast completely on behalf of
r. Ihmlen. A spice of political feeling seems to have
.t introdccol into the election, but this is gnratly to be
depriaralef, and thi burgesses of Dorchester have not far
to look for illisltialhigs of it.. ill carets. Let ini
have the lest MOO an. ..e. ;,14 to Councillors, but
do not let their election turn men politiss. There' is
no politic_s in a water rate, though it may be lia totals sort
associated with sewage ; and remember, it is not beyond
legal memory since a large tnijority of the electors of
Dorchester, with the utmost complacency, voted Tory and
Sta..iitri at the smile time, so that the new-born zeal for
Consehasse.•, under the genial stimulus of Mr. Ilryiner's
liberality be we ~yr local institutions, bi rather
drolL Mr. W. Isirdeu is. 'he parioli Churchwarden
of St. l'eter's, in In.. couneeflon will. the Rifle Corp..,
as a tradesman, and in every relation. 111 highly respected
by all who know him, and will no doubt manifest the
va.:6,e raid and attention in his new position of a Town
ag,,:tigt.y. Mr. F. Mills, as an old tradeoman gold an
pelielso:4 finardian, would not have been a inn ice in
public business. bsAtke choice by a considerable majority
of those who voted fell utsa, /.It. burden. The balloting
took place on Tuesday, opening at LOA it the morning,
closing at four the sante afternoon. The Mayor (lit. H.
„1. G. (!regory) sat as returning officer, and the Town
Clerk (Mr. G. Symondo) attended to the hawing of the
voting papers. At no time during the day was there any
! 14,stcular rush, the voting proceeding very quietly up till
the bons try closing arrived, when it wee generally under.
stood there ale E. majority for Mr. Durden, which wail
•erikesi by the Atria 40-ration of the poll, which was
e follows :
Darden ................... ....................... lll7
Mills

Majority ll5
The lesion ays marked lq merry peals in the evening
from St. WM?* liner. The ride band alto played in the
strata
ALTERATION Or THE GREAT WESTRIIk 14114/.4T Gatije.
,—The Great Western Railway Company tare Just hart led
out an alteration which finally settles in this country a
dispute which has raged between rival engineers since the
early days of railway enterprise. Stephenson v. Brunel
narrow v. broad gnaws has been argued about and
practivilly tested since George Stephenmin in 152:/ and
Sir I. K. Brunel in 15C1 adopted different widths for the
sum of railway constructed under their superintendence.
Englabe 'nab it against France in this peaceful conflict
has finally sitaints; the pre-eminence which in earlier
days distinguished British arms. The lifelong experience
and shrewd judgment of Stephenson have triumphed over
the theoretical fancies of his Gallic rival; and henceforth
tft. Si inches will be the established width between
railway metals, instewl of its being a question between
%hat gauge and one of ift.—or, to be strictly accurate,
yf(kt For tonne months past it has been known
that u. Brtsi Western had resolved to discard the
broad gauge ot ;bele main lino and smile of
the branches ; indeed, itlyiq broad only& portion of the
road so that the rolling stock 111(.4441g if toirt'ersion may
In worn out. The line from Chljtmeitheits In Peter/leder,
o
with the 'wenches n the route, has Just been auroral.
and the scheme was no skilfully matured, that for two
days only—Friday and Saturday last—was the traffic
sespended : and, we understand. the work was done so
want,tn aucmssfully that the road was ready for
using on Saw& aftenmon. But, of course, it was wise
to have a reasoned.. i„..a.r4in of time in case of any hitch.
The length of line, underemaa 4ltt-ratioli during the two
days, was over Ti miles, with theloam-Lcs m addition. of
mune every preparation had been miase. k7versl
days before the packing of the two inner rails, shiest*
, Iq.
dottl•ll:lha.d been removed. so that the longitudinal
bltett:r. c,u be entity propelled Inwards to their new
paskson, spansorns were half sawn through, at
their shorter it Pito, eta: the screws of the iron clamps
landing them to the fent licit knir tied eu the side that
was to be meted. On Thu:taffy Io,A. ;obtaining broad
004,1,2 rolling stock was taken off the dune yr„n 4t the lime,
and about II skin, that night the lest of it was 41440/01.4,4
from this district On Friday and Saturday the altorsti‘n
was effected. For this work men were collected frau
ther parts of the linmt Western system, mainly from the
"Musa," t even Bristol and London, Worcester alld
ham. 'Alv,svd cr over 2,111k1 were employed. three gangs
of twenty ear-UW.lst* = four-wile length of line allotted
to them Of course atilis stations the staff was
special and large: at Dorcheittr ths,t. v't re as many as IM
engaged, and for days after the wain flue nvs jcrfected,
they were busy adjusting manta for sidings, sittelsW!, kri`-
a the intricate communications in a NOM
nth. The "'sante are wade of wrought steel, of the
Bessemer nyility, and are very costly. The Netting at
almost every one is different' and, of aturse, all
had been prepared betasi,..q, numbered, and deposited
in their respective places eawitist ipiy for commencing
the work. Laying them lea matter reicsislo,i the greatest
and skill. Mr. Mills, one of the surieriutan*, We,
Mats'e. ling the work at Dorchester. Tlie equal alter*,
01 the ih.c, with all the preparations we have
indeasn,t,' Was not a .4.4 great twitter. and the different
gangs carried if out With tress:47,4de celerity. The total
1440 undertaking it ludd te-its a4ritt xerituuo. The
men ,manyi; ourt early and lite, but Mire was n general
cessation trtielfier,lday, when manrof then. were: to
Weymouth and 'or • wt. Selsesc not a few Lid their first
peep at the ''C'L 1.44b05. Nen at 'night for a
few hours' rest was a mnstar of 44 :04 all kinthi
of temporary abodes Were 0bi...44 for • 4p4014, . 4 '
load f straw in a shed sufficed for their RW444 so llc,
simply lay down in their clothes, got 'forty puff
then went to work again. At lhorehester a party of them
hmisea " by Mr. lt. Hill, in his 'rick deign at the
station. Lea,..4.: the work there was neither smoking nor
drinking on pc VC, t ut, considering the arduous
character of the wor anti Ufa 4tense heat to which they
were subject, the ulticith lush coictilereasiki mvided for