Welcome to another issue of The Newport Cornucopia where we dig through the newspapers archives for interesting news articles and adverts. All articles are posted verbatim and most headlines are original. If you want to have each issue delivered to your inbox, why not subscribe for free.
Lazy People at the Library
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SOUTH WALES ARGUS"
Dear Sir, — Despite the notice that is posted up at the Free Library in Dock Street, respecting 'troublesome borrowers', and informing the public that no books will be shown, but that they must consult the catalogue and indicate, this nuisance still continues. On Wednesday night, on going to change my book, I found myself behind a string of five people, not one of whom knew what he wanted, and kept the library staff very busy, bringing out supplies of books for their inspection. One individual particularly attracted my notice by his partially reading 22 books before selecting one. It is very annoying for those who know what they want, and are not too lazy to look at the catalogue, to have to hang about in this manner waiting for those who are lazy.
— DISGUSTED, Newport January 8th
— South Wales Argus, Friday 9th January, 1903
Seen and Heard
[By ‘Argus’]
Was Newport ever so muddy before?
I think its present condition about beats the record. At the bottom of Stow Hill, as a result of the excavation in laying new drains, the slush has been simply awful and the continuous rains have made it quite unavoidable.
The Difficulties of Having a ‘Pen’orth of Shout’
The telephone is a very useful institution, but the accommodation at some of the call offices might be improved. A correspondent says that he is sometimes obliged to have his ‘pen’orth of shout’. The other evening he went to a local call office to dictate something to the people in his office, and was shown into a pokey little place as dark as the black hole of Calcutta. This was awkward, for he wanted to read one or two names and figures. He asked for a light, but was obliged to ask three times, wait and keep his clerk waiting for several minutes, and then he was ‘obliged’ by the person in charge, who handed in a small benzoline lamp.
His position was something like that described by the Irish soldier who, writing home from the battlefield, said, ‘We are always armed to prepare to meet the enemy, and even while I am writing this letter I have a sword in each hand and pistol in the other.’
There was no ledge in the telephone chamber to receive the lamp. If my correspondent put it on the floor, he couldn’t see and dictate at the same time. He wanted one hand for his notebook, one for the hearing tube of the telephone and another for the lamp. However, he managed to blunder through with his message, but calculates that the job took him six times as long as it ought to have done, and that at a time when he was in a hurry.
At the end, he couldn’t very well offer the custodian anything for the use of the lamp. A separate charge of say, one farthing (which would about cover the cost of the oil consumed) would be just a trifle ridiculous. A small gas jet in the telephone chamber would cost very little, but it would be a great boon, and if it were found necessary to charge an extra halfpenny per message for gas after dark, it would not be a very great hardship — at any rate, not so bad as the present system is.
— South Wales Argus, Saturday, 9th January, 1897
By the Way
[By ‘Argus’]
When are the Corporation going to carry out their promise to put Shaftesbury Park back into a proper condition for cricket? The visit of the Wild West Show has left the surface covered with deep wagon ruts, and the earth is all kicked up by the horses. On Saturday, as a result, two cricketers were injured, a member of the Alexandra Club having to be carried off the field with a sprained ankle, and another man wrenching his leg. a heavy roller for a couple of days would effect a great improvement.
— South Wales Argus, Tuesday 4th August, 1903
A little boy from the hills saw a typewriter in a window of a Newport shop the other day, and asked his month, “How do they play that music, mother!” “Oh, they blow in it, I suppose,” was the quaint reply. And the young hopeful apparently believed it.
— South Wales Argus, Tuesday 4th August, 1903
It is estimated that there were 3,000 people at the Newport Lighthouse on Monday [Bank Holiday], the majority of whom came from the Monmouthshire valleys. Their conduct was most orderly.
— South Wales Argus, Wednesday 5th August, 1903
The change of time from starting the performance at the Lyceum, Newport — 7.15 for the first five nights of the week, and 7pm on Saturday night — has been hailed with general satisfaction by the public, since it allows those who live in town to get home at a reasonably early hour, while those who come from the Valleys can catch their trains in comfort.
— South Wales Argus, Wednesday 5th August, 1903
Mary Ellen Radmoor, of 8 Oxford Street, Newport was about to get on a tram car near the Westgate Hotel, on Tuesday, when the conductor asked her to wait until the passengers had dismounted. She stepped back and knocked over Mrs Elizabeth Bowden, also of 8 Oxford Street, and injured her ankle.
— South Wales Argus, Wednesday 5th August, 1903
"...smash her into mince pies"
Lena Prendergast, of no fixed abode, was charged with being a woman of repute, and behaving in a riotous and disorderly manner in Emlyn Street. The evidence showed that the woman used very bad language towards Mrs McCarthy, the landlady of the Emlyn Arms. A crowd collected, and there was a great discturbance. Mrs Mccarthy said prisoner came into the house with a woman known by the name of "Handy Pandy". When refused drink, prisoner threatened to "smash her into mince pies". A fine of 21s was imposed.
— South Wales Argus, Wednesday 9th Jan, 1907
Short Changed on Coal
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ACTS — William Williams was summoned for selling coal in quantities under 2cwt without having it labelled at Bassalleg on December 21st. Fined 5s. — John Bishop was summoned for selling coal under weight at Rogerstone on December 21st. In this case the inspector said that the defendant was selling coal in small quantities. On the scales he saw a weight put to balance the basket, but it was not heavy enough. When the coal was weighed it was found that the customer was cheated of 23lb on three cwt. Defendant said that it was “a case of wet weather and small coal bunging up the basket.” Fined 10s. — John Jenkins, for a similar offence at the same time and place, was find 10s. Mr Thos. E. Sergeant, inspector of weights and measures under the county council, proved the case.
— South Wales Argus, Saturday, 11th January, 1896.
Highway Offences
Thomas Morris, for driving without lamps on the highway at Christchurch, was fined 5s. — John Williams was fined 5s for Riding without reins on the highway at Llanvaches on December 31st.
— South Wales Argus, Saturday, 11th January, 1896.
Infringement of the New Licensing Act
The licensing act had been introduced on august 15th, 1872 and was already being enforced but were being lenient in not giving the infringers a black mark.
At the county police court, on Saturday, before Messrs. Cartwright, Phillips, and Rees, John Harris was charged with having his house open for the sale of liquor during prohibited hours. PC James Burns visited the Three Salmons, at Pye Corner, Bassaleg, at half past nine on Sunday morning. Fined 40s. and costs, the conviction not to be recorded on his license.
— South Wales Daily News, 2nd September, 1872
John Hyndman, Tredegar Arms, High Street,; Henry Osborne, King’s Arms, Pillgwenlly; William Ward, Shipwreck Inn, Griffin Street’ William Cheeseman, Steam Packet Inn, Dock Street’ and David Thomas, Lamb and Llanarth Inn, Botany, were summoned for having their houses open for the sale of beer during prohibited hours. They were each fines 10s 6d — John Podesta, Three Horse Shoes, High Street, charged with allowing disorderly conduct in his licensed house, was fined 20s; and Dennis Buckley, Cherry Tree Inn, Club Row, charged with a similar offence, was fined 40s.
— South Wales Daily News, 27th August, 1872
Conviction Under the Vaccination Act
John Inglis Jones, of Maindee Park, was summoned for not reporting the successful vaccination of his child. John Phelps Williams, registrar and vaccination officer for the Caerleon district, proved that he registered Beatrice Mary Howard Jones, on the 12th December, 1871. Subsequently he had posted a notice to Mr Jones informing him that he had not complied with the Vaccination Act, and that he must do so. The only reply he received from Mr Jones was to the effect that the matter was in the doctor’s hands. Since these proceedings had been instituted he had received a certificate of successful vaccination. Inasmuch as the Bench considered the omission on the part of the defendant was not intentional, they imposed a minimum fine of 1s.
— South Wales Daily News, 2nd September, 1872
What’s On?
War time entertainment with free admission for the wounded and depending on the cinema and your ticket you may get a free tea or coffee.
Scarlet Fever at Newport
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “SOUTH WALES ARGUS”
Dear Sir — As a parent living in the Durham Road district, I feel thankful to your correspondent “Durham Road” for drawing attention to the sewer grating at the entrance to the Durham Road Board School. My children attend this school, and I have to thank an Allwise Providence, not the authorities, that they have not taken scarlet fever. To my own knowledge four children of one family attending this school have been inmates of the Alt-yr-yn Fever Hospital. Is it cheaper to maintain and medically attend a child than attend to drains? To say nothing of the risk to the lives of the children. I have heard for months of the stench arising from the drains in the Durham Road district; my only surprise is that the master and teachers of the Durham Road School have not complained of the drains.
Another matter I should like to call attention to is the stone pillar left standing in the middle of the pavement on the Caerleon Road, close to the shop of Mr Dent, butcher. Is this a pillar meant as a butt for the blind? or for an unlucky pedestrian to rush into when a night is unusually dark! I enclose my card, and thanking you in anticipation for inserting this letter. I remain yours, &c.
Caerleon Road
Newport, January 19th, 1901.
— South Wales Argus, Friday 11th January, 1901
Boy Milks 32 Cows
There was a gasp at Newport County Police Court when an attendance officer, giving evidence against a defendant for not sending a child to school, said the boy milked 32 cows every morning before going to school.
"... With an electric machine," the witness added
— South Wales Argus, Saturday 7th January, 1933
Crowded 'Buses "Scandal"
Caerleon's Protest to Newport
Caerleon Council decided to send a protest to Newport Town Council concerning the over-crowding of Newport Corporation 'buses, which serve Caerleon.
Mr G.W. Lovatt said that when he boarded a Caerleon 'bus at its standing place in Newport one night, four persons had to stand. There was an empty stand-by 'bus, and an inspector gave instructions to that vehicle to "go home." At the next stop there were ten people standing and at Durham Road the number of people standing was 24.
That, said Mr Lovatt, was only one instance of the overcrowding of Caerleon 'buses. The whole thing was a scandal.
— South Wales Argus, Saturday, 11th January, 1930
The Singing Pilgrim Visits Newport
Mr Philip Phillips, the singing pilgrim of America, paid a visit to Newport on Tuesday under the auspices of the Sunday School Union. The Victoria Road chape, where the concert was given, was well filled, not less than 1,000 persons being present. Mr Alfred Hill, president of the Union, occupied the chair, and was supported by the leading ministers of most Christian denominations of the town. The audience generally appreciated the sacred songs, which were so effectively rendered by Mr Phillips, although attempts at applause were promptly suppressed.
— South Wales Daily News, 22nd August, 1872
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