A VENERABLE SHEET.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 41, 18 February 1911, Page 9

A VENERABLE SHEET.

LONDON EVENING POST OF 1730. A WHIFF OF THE PAST. Very yellow, after a flight of a hundred and eighty years, is a copy of the Evening Post of 11th August, 1730 (not published in Wellington). The venerable paper belongs to a resident of the Wellington district, and was lent' to this Evening Post office for inspection. The imprint is -.—"London : Printed by B. Bemngton, in Brownlow-streefc, Holborn, for F. Wilford, of the Chapter House, near St. Paul s, where advertisements are taken in." Even in 1730 the Evening Post no doubt counted itself fairly old, for it had reached No. 3286 by 11th" August that year, on a tri-weekly computation ; so it dates back to Queen Anne's reign. The number under review was a small four-pager (about 12in by Sin), with this declaration at the top of the front page : "From Saturday August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 1730." Her© are some quaint items taken at random :—: — On Sunday last — Fortescue, Esq. ; kissed his Majesty's Hand (George II.), on his being appointed one of ths Barons of His Majesty's Exchequer in Scotland. County News. Exon, Aug. 7. On Saturday tho Assizes ended at the Castle, when John Sercome received Sentence of Death for Felony, but is sine© reprieved for Transportation. Edward Hawkins, for Robbing the Pack horses, •and John Stone were burnt in the Hand. . . . . John Mears and Joan Pollard, to be whipt to-Monow at Plymouth Dock. Sir George Walters was lately marry'd to Miss Boughton, a Lady of great Merit and good Fortune. On tlie 7th Instant died the Rev. Dr. Booth, Dean of Bristol, in an advanced Age. Th© Deanery is reckon'd woith 5001. per Annum. John White for the murder and robbery of Robert Sutton ... is to be hang'd in Chains To-morrow on the Cross Road at Bratton in Somersetshire, near the "Place where he committed the Murder. On Tuesday the 18th Day of August will be Run for on Leicester Abboy Meadow, a Purse of twenty Guineas, by any horse; etc., carrying ten Stone Weight with Bridle and Saddle, paying one Guinea Entrance, and no less than 3 to start for tho same. This Day at Noon South Sea Stock was 102 l-Bth. Tho Post's Stock Exchange news of 11th August, 1730, made less than an inch for all London. The most interesting quotation is South Sea stock, ten years after the bursting of the bubble, In 1720, that wild year of raging specu^ lation, fever South Sea shares, originally worth £100, were bought for £1000. While the madness was upon the peopleall sorts of swindlers floated preposterous propositions.. Ono was for making saltwater fresh, and another was for importing a number of largo jackasses from Spain. This last impudent scheme was surpassed by another. A daring imposter invited the public to take shares in a scheme, "the nature of which was in due time to bo revealed."

The Pahiatua A. and P. Society is proposing to abandon its present grounds and acquire a property nearer town. Several grounds, says the Herald, are already being mentioned as likely to better suit the requirements of the show committee. The Domain at Scarborough is said to be a very fine ground. It is almost surrounded by a natural terrace and is in close proximity to the Pahiatua railway station. The local recreation ground, which was recently ploughed and sown in crop, is also a very uandy spot. A number of the members of the association favour purchasing a site and erecting buildings. Tho whole question will bo fully discussed at an early, date.