The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-11 00:00:00

VISIT OF THE BLIND TO GART-
SIIERRIE IRON WORKS.

On Friday last, we had the satisfaction of accom-
panying Mr. Alston, and about 40 of the young male
and female inmates of the Blind Asylum—an Institution
which almost entirely owes its prosperity to his benevo-
lent Perseverance—on a pleasure trip to Gartsherrie Iron
Works. The party was also accompanied by Mr. Finlay,
the teacher of reading and arithmetic ; Mr. Orme, the
teacher of music ; Miss "Almond, the matron, and her
assistants ; and railway carriages were placed at their
diSposal by the kindness of Mr. King, the Secretary to
the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway. As this mode of
travelling was entirely new to almost all the blind
youngsters, their sensations appeared to be those of
mingled awe and pleasure—the former, however, pre-
dominating, as they became sensible that they
were really being dragged along at lightning
spend at the tail of a locomotiVe. The snorting of
the engine seemed to the younger class of tourists a
matter quite inexplicable, and one of the little fellows, in
commenting on its powers, summed up by saying—" But
d'ye hear, man, how terribly it's hosting (coughing) ?”
The country along the line was explained to the blind by
Mr. Alston and the teachers ; but on the whole there
was little to interest or instruct the party until they
reached the heart of the iron district, or land of fire,
which is illuminated night and day by the vast furnaces
of Gartsherrie, Dundyvan &c. At. Gartsherrie, they
were received by Messrs. James and George Baird, who
conducted them into the centre of the square, around
which fifteen or sixteen distinct volumes of flame shot
up from as many furnace craters. The operation of con-
verting the stone into a burning liquid, and then mould-
ing it into bar or pig iron, from which steel and malle-
able metal were afterwards formed, was fully detailed to
the blind visitors ; they were taken near enough
to be sensible of the vast heat of the furnaces, handled
the bars, and felt the sandy moulds in which they
were produced. Their anxiety for information on
every point was eager as it was creditable, and before
they left Gartsherrie furnace square, they seemed to
have made themselves fully acquainted with all the
details of the process. From thence the party was con-
ducted over railway paths, and horrid roads, to the
handsome church which has recently been erected upon
the brow of a hill overlooking the dense populations of
Coatbridge, Sunnyside, &c., where busy thousands have
sprung up as it were since yesterday. The inhaVtants
observing that something unusual was on foot, flocked in
considerable numbers to the church. Here Mr. Alston

took one of the boys to the precentor's desk, who turned
up and read passages, selected at random, from holy writ,
with the most perfect ease and fluercy; and it seemed to
afford matter of no slight serprise to the villagers that a
blind boy could read as well, or better, by means of his
fingers, than their own childen by the aid of their eyes.
Several pieces of vocal music followed, under tbe'directton
of Mr. Orme, and from the ham oly o: the parts, and the
proficiency of the male and female vocalists, this was no
less pleasing than the reading had been interesting. The
assemblage, so hastily called together, was.then dismissed,
and the blind were trented to a refreshment in the ses-
sion-house. While the party were makint, ready to re-
turn, Mr. Alston, and a friend or two who accompanied
him, were invited to Gartsherrie Cottage, where they
Were introduced to the newly elected Member
fur the Falkirk Burghs, and Mr. Ale ton's visit was.
amply repaid by an unexpected donation of 401. to the
funds of the Institution, viz., 101. from Mr. Baird, M.P.,
and 101. each from Messrs. James, Douglas, and George
Baird. And Mr. Alston further thinks that by this
visit he has sown the seed which will fructify in a
pecuniary return before a lengthened lapse of time
Having completed their visit, the youngsters were con-
ducted to their seats in the train, and were whisked
into town, full of gratitude, and anxiously comparing
notes regarding all they had felt and heard. " Small
things are great to little men," and on this principle
those who enjoy a weekly ruralising trip to the
country or coast, have little notion of the pleasure
which a jaunt like this, that, like Christmas, comes
only once a year, affords to the inmates of the Blind
Asylum—the delight with which its coming is regarded,
and the food for reflection and pleasing converse which
it leaves behind.

We arc gratified that Mr. Alston goes on persever-
ingly and successfully with his printing for the blind,
and has now produced the largest library for this unfor-
tunate class of our fellow-creatures, which exists in the

kingdom or out of it. In addition to the whole of the
Bible, in 15 volumes, he has produced more than twenty
other works on religious, scientific, and instructive sub-
jects ;• and in the present week will finish the printing of
the metrical version of the Psalms, according to the
Church of England. He next, we believe, intends to
turn his attention to bringing out " Goldsmith's His-
tory of Rome," and some of the popular publications of
the Messrs. Chambers, which are known as the " Lite-
rature of the People." We take pleasure in mentioning
a circumstance most creditable to the liberal feeling of
these gentlemen,—viz., that they have allowed Mr. Al-
ston to make use of ad print any or all of their works,
without any charge for copyright, or consideration in
lieu of it ; and this must be held as contributing a valu-
able mite to the blind when we look to the care, ability,
and expense, with which these publications are got up.
—Glasgow Herald.

MARKET INTELLIGENCE.

(From the London Mercantile Journal cf August 10.)

SUGAR.—The market for all kinds of Raw Sugar
continued very dull to-day, the buyers being desirous
to purchase for immediate consumption only, and
prices wereson the decline. Of West India Muscovades
the private sales did not exceed 150 lids and trcs, and
prices were the turn lower than on Friday. A public
sale of 100 hhds, &c. Barbadoes went heavily, and a part
only was sold at from 61s to 70s for low to fine bright
yellow, being 6d to Is lower, except for the finest
samples, which brought previous rates.
MAURITIUS.—Two public sales were brought forward,
consistiug of 4,112 bags 63 casks, which went off heaVily
and 6d to .1s under former rates for brown and grey sorts,
but good yellow supported previous prices ; good mid-
dling to fine yellow realised 59s to 665, low to middling
55s to 58s, and low to good brown 44s to 54s per cwt.
• EAST INDIA.-912 bags Bengal were brought to public
auction and only partly sold at 61s 6d for soft colory
grey, and at 455-to 45s 6d for damp brown, being ratlier
lower. _ _

FoREION.—We have rather more business done in
this market than for some weeks past, and prices are
firmer. Good soft white at 24s 6d to 255, low and mid soft
.white at 22s to 23s 6d, good and fine yellow, very soft, at
20s 6d to 21s 6d, middling yellow at 20s, low middling
bright yellow at 18s 6d to 19s, fair and good brown,
rather damp, but of good grain, at 16s to 17s, and ordi-
nary brown at 15s to 15s 6d. Yellow Havannah is held
more and a better inquiry has existed. White
Havannah is in very limited request, low quality but with
strength at 29s .6d per cwt.
WEST INDIA MOLASSES.—The demand is steady for
this article, and prices are firmer ; about 300 puns good
fair Trinidad have been sold at 24s per cwt.
TEA.—The public sales brought forward to-day, and
which have been looked forward to with much anxiety,
being the first auctions since the arrival of the overland
mail, brought together a large assemblage of the trade
and others interested in the article. The quantity
contained in the catalogues was 29,000 pkgs, of which
15,000 consisted of black, and 14,000 green. At the
opening there was an evident desire on the part of the
dealers and others to purchase, and the biddings were
brisk, but more particularly for black Teas, which
generally . supported the advanced prices recently
established in the market ; indeed Cougou brought id.
to Id advance ; but green sorts were in some cases
rather cheaper, Hy•son and Twankay being the most
depressed ; the former was Id, and the latter id per lb
lower, while Imperial brought 2d to 3d per lb advance,
this latter description is getting more into favour with
the trade.-11,000 packages passed auction, of which
about 8,400 packages were actually sold ; Congou, com-
mon at 2s 6:1.1 to 2s 7d, blackish leaf kinds at. 2s 7:3,-d to
2s Bd, Pekoe flavour. at 2s lld to 3s ld, and Twankay at
2s sid to 2s 6d per lb.
The price of Company's Congou was 2s 7d per lb
cash, and closed firmly, with a fair demand at that price.,
COFFEE.—There was a good demand for all descrip-
tions for home consumption to-day, and the numerous
public sales went off with spirit at a further advance in
most cases of is tots per cwt. 1,800 bags Company's
Java, from the Cape, • chiefly sold, fine ordinary colory
nt 69s to 70s, good ordinary colory at 65s 6d, good or
dinary palish green at 60s to 61s 6d • 340 bags Ceylon
realized 75s to 77s 6d for good and fine ordinary ; 120
bales Mocha were bought in at 90s for good ordi-
nary ; 25 casks 884 bags St. Domingo, from the Cape,
sold at 40s to 42s for good ordinary ;. 220 bags Mysore
fetched 651 for good ordinary green ; 120 casks 18 bar-
rels West India, were chiefly sold, Jamaica, middling, at
.110 s 6d to 114 s, and fine and fine fine ordinary at 95s
to 105 s 6d per cwt.
_ _

C0c04..=52 bags Trinidad were disposed of by public
auction at 45s fur fair red.

SPIRITS.—The Rum market has not presented the
same lively appearance as noticed last week, still a good
demand has existed, and upon the whole a steady
business has been done at the extreme' prices before
quoted. The transactions are about 100 puns Jamaica,
30 to 32 over proof at 5s 2d to 5s 6d, 33 to 35 over
proof 5s 7d to 5s 9d, 38 and upwards at 6s to 6s 2d,
about 150 puns Leewards proof to 2 over it 2s Id to
2s 2d, 7 to 12 over at 2s 4d to 2s 7d, 50 puns Demerara
of fine quality 36 to 38 at 4s 3d, and a few small lots of
proof Bengal at 13 7d per gall. In Brandy or Geneva
no alteration.
PEPPER.—The public sales contained 1,430 bags,
which went off steadily, and the chief part was sold ;
rather grey Penang at 38d and heavy Malabar at 4i-d to
4d per lb.
CASSIA LIGNEA.—There is no alteration to notice in
the value of this article ; the demand continues steady,
and holders firm. A proportion of middling quality,
dark and mixed with coarse in 1-11 b bundles was bought
in at 955, being rather above the value, but the remain-
der sold with fair spirit, good ordinary mostly coarse at
88s to 89s 6d, ordinary brown and very coarse at 80s to
to 81s, beetle stained and mouldy at 82s Gd to 86s.
RICE.-3100 bags Bengal were •ffered by rublic auc-
tion, when, in consequence of more
.favourable weather
for the harvest, and the little reaction in the prices of
Wheat at Mark-lane yesterday, there was little spirit in
the bititlings, and prices were rather lower, but the whole
sold : low to good middling white at lOs Gd to 12s
per cwt.
PIMENTO is in partial request only, but there are few
parcels offering, and small orders are with difficulty exe-
cuted at stiff prices.
FRUIT.—In Currants there has been some large business
doing, the buyers continuing to select the best parcels
at the present quotations. Red Smyrna Raisins have
become very scarce, and a good deal inquired for : the
other descriptions remain much the sane as last week.
OILS.—The prices of common Fish Oils continue
firm, but there is no great deal of bus:n?,sf doing ; the
demand is chiefly for Southern Whale, about 210 tuns
of which have heen sold by publi.3 auction, very fine
pale at
.271 to 271 10s, one lot at 271 15s, second
qually at 251 105 to 261 ani dark at 23l 5s to