Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1889-07-10 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

NEATH VOICES OF TICE NIGHT.  [BY THE OWL 121 THE IvY Towirs4 I squat in the old ivy tower That graces the castle of Nidum, And dot down the news by the hour; But scandals, I cannot abide 'em. If soy one reading the scrawl, 7:l.ieb I title "the voicea nocturnal" Finds its bunkum and rot, then I bawl: I'm an owl, and my writing's infernal. OLD Son.  The stoppage of all traffic between Neath and Brecon has been playing little hadm with the commerce of the ancient town of Nidnm this week. Those who wanted to go to Brecon had two alternatives—they could drive over the turnpike road or go by train through Merthyr. As far as time was concerned you would get from one place to the other just as soon by road achy rail.  There are people living in Neath to-day who can remember the making of the line by Mr. J. Dixon, now of Mumbles. He surveyed it, ensrineered it, contracted for it, floated it, and finished it. In.short, he made and financed the whole concern and took payment for it in scrip. He fold £B,OOO of the scrip to the London North Western Railway Company who hold it now.  There was a line running down through the the valley before. It was called the Welsh Midland and ran between Worcester and Mumbles' Head, and great things were expected of it. Mumbles was then a very popular place, for it was then on a level with other seaside places and beat them hollow. Tenby, Ilfracombe, Weston, Burham, Torquay, Llandudno, Southaea, Brighton and other places were much ai the same state as nature had left them, and the ,onsequeace was that Mumbles was preferr si to any place, because it was naturally as beautiful: so beautiful in fact that a railway 1 Erse to it, from the centre of Western England, , was promoted.  But Mnviibles never improved. Its ix,* were so horibly ignorant and dull that they failed to appreciate the advantages of the natural endowments of their district, and they allowed Mumbles to sink into an obacurity from which she will hardly ever emerge, while the other places forged ahead and became populaso because money was spent upon therm  The Welsh Midland was built in the days of the great railway craze. The capital was in shares, anl amounted to three time the cost of the line. Of course, the venture came to grief, and Mr. Dickson bought up the piece of line from Ynyseedwyn, or somewhere there about, to Devynoek, and worked it into his Neath and Brecon line. The Neath and Brecon has never changed hands, and is owned by the same company now as it was in the days when litiguutis old Sohn Dickson had to do with it. But how long is the line to be closed % Is is not time the railways were taken over by the State in order that such deadlocks as we am now enduring might be obviated?  Dz. Tanner was removed. from Clonnol Gaol OR Thursday morning. It is beliered 'VS destination is Galway. W. waiter in the Livewt Cocoa-roots committed suicide on Tluirs&y, through love. At fellow waitress rejected his addresses. News reached Dover on Friday of he death of Major A. G. Dickson, M.P., who, for the past 25 years, has represented the Is rough in the Conservative interest. Deceased has been ill a long time. The unfortunate man, Eli Dunn who was drowned last Friday evening near Vivian's Stream, has left a wife and three children totally unprovided for. The eldest child is three years old, and the youngest only 10 weeks, It seems the poor fellow had been te a club, but allowed his subscriptions to get slightly arrear, and therefore out of benefit. He is a native of Devonshire, and came to Mr. Y. F. , Harvey about seven years ago, and had been in his employ up to the day of his death. We understand from Mr. Harvey that he was an exceptionally steady, honest young fellow, and his death it deeply regretted by the whole of Mr. Harvey's family. A subscription has been opened with a view to securing something for the unfortunate young widow, who is among strangers, until she can earn something for the maintenance of; her your 4 family. Their relations are all poor people and can ill afford to do anything for them. It is hoped that a few sympathetic friends will contribute something, which the editor of the "Cambria Daily Leader" luts kindly consented to receive. 'The donations will be duly acknowledged in the "Cambria Daily Loader" We trust that those who are able to spare a few shillings will do to in such a deserving ease. ga