Sion Baptist Chapel, Cloughfold. School sermons, July 14th 1889. Preacher Dr Lorimer of Chicago.

Rawtenstall Fair closes to-night. The weather during the week has been delightfully fine, and the attendance large. As prophesied last week, however, the amount of money which has changed hands has been very unsatisfactory to the showmen, who one and all deplore the conflict of the Whitsuntide holidays with fair time. The pot market is strained; customers are shy at shooting galleries, which bullet-ined a decline of two-and-a-half per cent at the close of yesterday's proceedings, and an expectant and very uneasy feeling prevails in hobby-horse circles. The tendency in ice cream is still downwards, and swinging boats are the only things that may safely be relied upon to go up.

Sion Baptist Chapel, Cloughfold. The work of cleaning and re-beautifying this chapel is now almost completed, and it is expected that it will be opened for worship on Sunday next, the week before the 'sermons'. The walls and ceiling have been re-painted the same style as before, the pews re-varnished and the beading of the panels in front of the gallery re-guilded, the panels themselves being well cleaned. It is fourteen years since the chapel was painted before.

Candidate for the free church ministry - Mr Joseph Stott, of Cloughfold, has during the past two days been before the examiners undergoing his final examination for admission to the Methodist Free Church training college at Crescent Range, Manchester, but the results will not be mar known for a long time yet. The number of candidates this year is considerable.

Accident at the Royal Hotel - On Wednesday evening a young man named John Faraday, employed as porter at the Royal Hotel, was going down some back steps when he fell and broke one of his legs in two places. Dr Coutts attended and set the limb, and he was afterwards conveyed home.

Accrington 217 for 3, Rawtenstall 80 for 8.

Some uneasiness was caused on Tuesday by a rumour which gained currency to the effect that a man named Joseph Ashworth Nuttall, better known as " Joe Guess', had been found drowned in the reservoir at Clowbridge. Such was the effect the rumour produced that many persons declined to use for drinking purposes water from the mains supplied from Clowbridge. but on enquiry the same day the rumour was proved to be without foundation…

Sion Baptist Chapel, Cloughfold. School Sermons, July 14th 1889. Preacher, Dr Lorimer, of Chicago.

Newchurch District Working Men's Conservative Association. The foundation stone laying of the new Conservative Club by Lord Charles Beresford, RN, MP, and Mrs Robt Mitchell, Springfield House, will take place on Saturday June 29th at 3 pm. Prior to the stone-laying, there will be a grand procession of the members of the Primrose Habitations of Rossendale. A knife and fort tea will be provided by Mr Gooding in the Newchurch National School [followed by] a grand inaugural meeting of the Victoria Habitation of the Primrose League.

Rawtenstall Fair. Humph! Well, it's only fair that the juveniles should have a gambol as well as older folk. We have mostly had our little Whitsuntide frolics, and should not be hard on the children - young and old - whose pulses can still throb at the thought of pelting sticks at the sardonic features of "Old Aunt Sally"; at "Luck in a tub" - at being galvanised for a halfpenny, photographed on a tin for a "Tanner," and drifted over imaginary seas in drylands ships for a modest "Meg." And then the succulent five-year-old nuts; and the brandy snap (all snap and no brandy); and the music - the mercilessly modulated music; and the performing birds, the ice cream, the ghost shows, the black-puddings and the shooting galleries. What a motley combination to be sure, and yet the majority enjoy it. The noise and glitter are in sharp contrast to the quiet, work-a-day garb that the district ordinarily wears that it comes to many in the shape of a pleasant relief - a break in the otherwise unbroken monotony. This year, however, the showman will be under a cloud. The Whitsuntide holidays have only preceded the fair by a few days, and, as a consequence his takings at Rawtenstall are likely to be meagre in the extreme, notwithstanding the delightful weather, which would otherwise have largely assisted his revenue.

The Hay Harvest. With the continuance of the splendid weather of the past few weeks, several of the farmers in the district have completed the hay harvest. The crops are good and have been garnered in excellent condition.

Paying off an old score - On Wednesday, before Messers Ruston and TH Whitehead, Mary Ellen Scholes, Newchurch, was charged under warrant with having used profane language at Newchurch in March 1888. She absconded at the time. In default of paying a fine of 5s and costs, she was now sentenced to a week's imprisonment.

WANTED, a Certificated MASTER for the Townsend-fold Mixed School; salary £85 per annum and one-fifth Government Grant. Applications stating age, experience and qualifications, with copies of recent testimonials, to be sent to me not later than June 29th. Edwin Barlow, Clerk, Edenfield, Bury, Lancashire.

The pastorate of the Unitarian Chapel, Rawtenstall, rendered vacant nearly twelve months ago by the retirement of the Rev H Hill, will probably be filled at an early date. The Rev Wm Matthews, of Bristol - who, it may be remembered, occupied the position about twelve years ago - has been cordially invited to again accept the pastorate, and it is hoped by all and believed by many that he will accept the trust. The Rev H Hill, we are glad to learn, has recovered and accepted a call to the pastoral of the Sandsdown Road Unitarian Church, Stroud, Gloucester. Stroud is a place about the size of Rawtenstall, if we remember aright, and is one of the most charmingly picturesque towns in England.

An outbreak of ;euro-pneumonia is reported in the neighbourhood of Lumb. On Wednesday ten cows were slaughtered at Bank End Farm.

On Saturday the Goodshaw Church Rambling Class had their second ramble of the season, a visit being paid to the quarries at Cloughfold, belonging to Mr Brooks…the top of the hill being reached after a hard pull. The first place of interest visited was the scrubbing mill, where the stones are scrubbed and polished…[after visiting Cragg and Dean quarries] the party now thought it high time they retraced their steps, but to their surprise no one knew the way…

During the week two splendid marble monuments have been erected in the graveyard adjoining the Wesleyan Chapel, Newchurch. the monuments are of exceptionally fine workmanship, and have been executed by Mr J Hargreaves, sculptor, of Bacup.

Rawtenstall 102 all out, Haslingden 205-6

A petition in support of the Bill for Sunday closing now before Parliament has been numerously signed by the Wesleyans of Rawtenstall during the past few weeks, and will shortly be forwarded to Lord Hartington for presentation.

Elizabeth Bridge, grocer, Bacup road, Cloughfold, was fined 5s and costs for having in her possession on Tuesday the 16th inst, when the shop was visited by Superintendent Higginbotham, a pair of flour scales seven drams out of balance and against the purchaser.

ROSSENDALE had its share of torrent and thunderstorm on Sunday, and though the sheet rain fell for an hour or two in the early morning, and seventy minutes in the afternoon the damage done was by no means inconsiderable. The Irwell rose several feet, hillside roads were suddenly converted into angry gulleys, hundreds of houses were flooded, cattle were maimed, trees were struck and telegraph and telephone posts splintered by lightening, the railway tack was washed up near Ewood Bridge, and all this as the result of a brief summer stone, a storm which passed away as suddenly as it came, and left a bright sun the sole occupant of a cloudless sky.

The hay crop in this district (which is fully a month earlier than usual) is now in process of being garnered. Several farmers have made a commencement, and if the weather keeps up it promises to be housed in capital condition. An excellent second crop will be the almost certain outcome of the forward season.

The sale of Alter Grange during the week has attracted purchasers from all parts of the country, and aroused not a little interest in the immediate vicinity of Rawtenstall. The house and grounds proper were put up on Monday, but failing suitable bidders were withdrawn and on Wednesday were privately disposed of to Mr R Worswich, of Green Bank (the adjoining estate) for the sum of £3000. [Alder Grange…until recently occupied by Mr Thomas Whitehead deceased…]

DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES TO SUNDAY SCHOOL SCHOLARS. The annual distribution of prizes for good conduct and regular attendance to scholars attending Zion Baptist Sunday School, Cloughfold, took place last Sunday evening. Mr J.W. Hargreaves, the superintendent, presented the prizes to the girls, and the Rev W.C Davies, pastor, performed the same duty on behalf of the boys. Short addresses ere made by Mr Hargreaves, Mr Henry Jackson and Mr Oliver Eatough.

A PUBLIC MORTUARY IN BACUP.
Mr H J Robinson, district coroner, wrote enclosing the recommendation of the jury at an inquest on the body of a stranger who died suddenly in Bacup last Friday. The jury drew attention to the great want of a public mortuary in Bacup, and complained that bodies should be left in public places. The coroner said he entirely agreed with the suggestion of the jury, and believed a public mortuary where post-mortem examinations might be conducted t o be a necessity in such places as Bacup.

Rishton v Rawtenstall. Rawtenstall 51 all out, Rishton 36 for 8 before the 'game ended in nothing less than a feud' following a contentious stumping.

Rawtenstall v Accrington. Rawtenstall were 97 all out, Accrington won by over 50 runs.
Newchurch Wesleyans v Whitewell Bottom, Newchurch 41 all out (Whitehead top scorer with 15), Whitewell Bottom 39 all out (Whitehead 8 wickets for 9 runs).

WANTED, a CHOIRMASTER for St Nicholas Parish Church, Newchurch. Applications stating terms to be sent in not later than Tuesday, June 4th 1889 Addressed JAMES BOWNESS, Scout House, Newchurch.

TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION…ALL THAT WELL-ACCUSTOMED BEERHOUSE known by the sign of the Friendship Inn, being No 8, Baron Street, Hareholme in the Township of Newchurch and also in the occupation of John Foden.

The Liberal Unionists of Rossendale opened their new club in the old Free Press offices on Saturday last. Mr Thomas Brooks, JP, performed the ceremony, and in common with Sir Joseph C. Lee and others, took occasion to deliver an address on the importance of remaining firm in their opposition to Home Rule.

WESLEYAN SUNDAY SCHOOL, CLOUGHFOLD. The anniversary of the above Sunday School was celebrated last Sunday, when two sermons were preached - morning and evening - by the Rev N. W. Tomlinson of Burnley. In the afternoon, an address to parents, teachers, scholars and friend, was given by the same gentleman. special hymns were well sung, and the 'Hallelujah' chorus was nicely rendered isn the afternoon and evening.

THUNDERSTORM IN ROSSENDALE. Since Monday there has been a considerable amount of rain in Rossendale, with warm winds and high temperatures…all our migrants have arrived, but swallows and martins are yet scarce.

A Drunken Tramp - For being drunk and disorderly at Newchurch at eight o'clock on Friday night, Jonathan Ghent, a labourer of no fixed residence, was sent to gaol for [illegible] days in default of paying a fine of 5s. P.C. Worsley stated the case.