The Slaithwaite Guardian and Colne Valley News. — 1898-08-19 (Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire, England)

THE GUARDIAN  FRIDAY, AUGUST 19TH, 1898.  ECHOES OF THE WEEK.  BY VAI,LEYITE.  The holiday fever is abating somewhat, but many have not yet returned from their annual indulgence, and those who have are too full of their recent experiences to settle down to serious work. The dulness and lethargy of the holidays affect everybody and everything. Business is at a discount, and how to get the most enjoyment out of a carefully hoarded soy, or two has taken its Place. It must not be a holiday merely—a cessation from toil : it must be a complete change of air, of scenery, of surroundings, and in mode of life. While our forefathers were content to remain all their lives in their native village, and give up certain saints' da) s to feasting and drinking, their descendants of to-day seek recreation in travel and rest in change.  Life is harder; the wear and tear of body and mind is far greater than in the old days, and the recuperation of wasted energies has given rise to such places as Douglas, Blackpool, Scarboro', etc., with their vast resources of entertainment and pleasure ; where the toiling multitudes may find new thoughts, new sights, new sounds, new faces, and other ways than their own. And who shall say that under reasonable restraint this season of holiday making is not conducive to the best interests of the individual, the family, and the community at large.  Blackpool, of course, claimed most pilgrims from the Colne Valley, and a right royal time as experienced. Hotels, lodginghouses, and boarding establishments were full to overflowing, while many visitors have had to content themselves with sleeping on tables, chairs, and other promiscuous places. Blackpool has gained the affections of the \Vest Riding people by reason of the many advantages it possesses over its competitors on the East coast, not to any natural excellence beyond a firm, clean beach, but by the enterprise, and business ability of its public men. During the last few years the progress of Blackpool has been marvellous. The tower, the wheel, the electric tramway, the many exquisitely appointed ball rooms, the new pier, theatres, and places of variety entertainment, and many other things have made up a resort that for " life " and " go cannot be equalled.  Scarborough, Bridlington, Filey and Whitbyf have all received a fair complement o visitors ; indeed, the East coast seems to be awakening out of a long sleep of respectability and disdain. Even at Scarboro' the amusement caterer has intruded, and now there rises from Castle Hill a large revolving tower, about 560 feet above the sea level. The tower differs from the one at Blackpool, in that the ascent is a circular one, giving a charming view of country, town and sea. Large catches of fish have been made, and at the early morning auction sales salmon was soli at is. per lb., whilst large cod fish— weighing upwards of 2olbs—were knocked down at is. each. Much damage has been done to the nets during the past week by small sharks getting entangled in them. These are iienerally carted round the town and subscriptions invited towards mending the damaged nets.  At Bridlington, also, there were large numbers of visitors and excursionists from he Comm Valley. It is said that for boating, ,snlng and shooting Bridlington is far away the best and safest place on the coast; while in the matter of bathing, everybody bathes at Bridlington ; and if they rise early enough they may bathe without money and without price. You take a towel and undress on the sands, or if you are sensitive to the involuntary glances of the ladies, you hire a van, and pay your sixpence. The ladies' bathing costumes were decidedly pretty,- and the swimming pretences of the wearers, in two feet of water, somewhat amusing.  iifishing  We have got so used to hearing of drownings and suicides in the canal, that when a rumour got abroad last Saturday morning that a little lad had been drowned people did not wait to hear what trath there was in the report, but rushed off helter-skelter to the vicinity of Shaw Carr Wood to have a look at the " body." But for once rumour upheld its character as a "lying jade," and many of the -enquiring ones came back slower than they went. They had the pleasure of seeing the "victim " safe in his father's charge, and apparently as free from a " wetting " as they themselves.  The sad accident which occurred at Marsden railway station in the early hours of Friday last, brings home with terrible force the truth of the adage of taking the pitcher to the well once too often. The unfortunate victim had been a good servant of the railway company for some twenty-five years, and went to his work as usual on the Friday morning. Within a few minutes he had been knocked down by a passing train and was dead shortly after. It is a sad story, and emphasizes the extreme caution that should be exercised in one's movements in the vicinity of railways. In the locality of the Colne Valley, I suppose there is as much traffic as will be found on any of the railway companies' lines. Whilst admitting that the general body of the public do exercise that caution which the danger calls for, yet hardly a week passes but one sees carelessness and an unconcern exhibited which familarity seems to engender. It is only when an awakening such as the deplorable accident of last week brings home the danger vividly to us, that calls to mind what " might have been." With trains passing up and down within a few minutes, it behoves everyone to strictly conform to the Company's notice, and " keep off the line."  It is somewhat hard on the juveniles for the Huddersfield Town Council to bring up the matter of microbe-infested ice-cream, especially in such weather as we have had during the last week or so. At their meeting on Wednesday, an analysis of local ice-cream showed that one cubic centimetre yielded 26,460 colonies of microbes. This is truly a prodigious indictment, but the perspiring youngster will have his ice-cream notwithstanding. It is desirable that this stuff should be clean and pure, and the discussion of this matter may result in its being manufactured with pure ingredients and under clean conditions.  Messrs. C. Arthur Pearson, Limited, will shortly bring out a new threepenny magazine on the same lines as the " Harmsworth " Magazine. The editor will be Mr. Peter Keary, and it is intended to supply the trade on the usual terms. One million copies will be printed of the first number, and X 20,000 is to be spent in preliminary advertising, and they are prepared to spend £50,000 before acknowledging that a threepenny magazine cannot be sold for 3d.