1896
CELLARDYKE. ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE.- During the past few months a new arrangement has been made with reference to the enrolment of fishermen and sailors in the Royal Naval Reserve. Before that time, men applying for enrolment were sent by the Registrar of Naval Reserve at Methil to the drill ship, H.M.S. “Durham,” at Leith, but owing to the bad train service ???? was caused and much loss of time entailed on the candidates. Candidates for the Reserve are now sent by the Registrar to the chief officer of H.M. Coastguard at Dysart and the naval agent at that station. There are several vacancies for firemen and 2nd class Reserve men in the Methil district register, and some dozen men have been enrolled from the district within the last three months. Three years’ service at the fishing is required before a fisherman can be enrolled as a 2nd class man. The candidate must be 19 years of age. After two years’ service in the 2nd class a reserve man can get promotion, if sufficiently qualified, to the 1st class. 1st class men get pensions of £12 a year after 15 or 20 years’ service. A fireman must have two years’ service as fireman. He has the same retainer and pension as a 1st class man. The new candidates came from Buckhaven, Anstruther, Elie, Dysart, and Methil. Each year a reserve man has to put in one month’s drill, for which he is well paid. The annual retainer for 1st class men is £6; 2nd class, £3 5s ; fireman, £6. The Methil Reserve District extends from Fife Ness to Buckhaven.
During the height of the carting traffic to the Western Station, the trench for the new drainage system at West Anstruther was the scene of strange accident. A horse belonging Mr A. Blyth, Cellardyke, was being driven past the Port, when it reared and shied, the swerve causing it to fall into the cutting, when it was once strangled, life being extinct before it could be extricated.
Anstruther harbour Commission.
A letter was read from David Doig, Ellice Street, Cellardyke, stating that as a few old men had commenced the line fishing in a yawl fully 30 feet in length, they hoped that the Commissioners would see their way to reduce the dues to 6d. They were paying is the same as the boats. They hoped that something might be done for them in their present circumstances. The Chairman said this yawl might be an exception, but there might be other boats two feet above the 30 and the owners may come and ask for a reduction as well. Mr Cunningham said it was all very well to hold to the letter the law, but it was never the spirit of the law to charge these yawls, for they were yawls the same as a big fishing boat. It was decided to charge this and the Zulu yawl, the Silver Cup, at the rate of 6d, from now until the 1st of October, but that they were not to form a precedent.
St Monance – Launch of Fishing Boat.- On Monday night a first-class fishing boat, built to the order William Stewart & Sons, Cellardyke, was launched from the building yard of James Miller. As the craft left the ways she was named the Unity by a daughter of one of the owners. She is 62 feet long, a splendid model, and is to be fitted up on the newest principle, with steam engine for hauling nets, and will be available for all the branches of the fishing.
1897
To Let- That Shop 60 James Street lately occupied by A Gardyne, rent £5, or said shop with back room upstairs at £7. Entry Whitsunday Apply H.B Mackintosh Solicitors, Anstruther
SCOTTISH DIVORCE CASES. THE CARTER AND THE WIDOW. Lord Kyllachy, the Court of Session to-day, heard evidence in an action for divorce by Margaret Keith or Brown, 3 West Forth Street, Cellardyke, Anstruther, against her husband, Peter Brown, 9 Earl Street, Peterhead. Pursuer (34) reply to Mr A. M. Anderson, said she was married to the defender in 1880. The defender was a carter. Three children had been born. Two years of the married life were passed happily enough, but the defender’s drinking habits got worse and worse. Sometimes he was from home for months. In May, 1884, he went away without saying where he was going, and she had not seen him since. She discovered his address and wrote him, but he never replied. She knew that he was now living with a widow Peterhead as husband and wife. Further evidence having been led, Lord Kyllachy granted of divorce. Custody of the youngest child was given to the pursuer.
1898
On Wednesday last week, Mr Donaldson, baker, Cellardyke, was under the necessity of having his leg amputated above the knee. Dr Black of Anster was the operator, who applied chloroform in the usual way, and the patient was unconscious of pain during the operation.
K. Y. BOOT FACTORY EMPLOYEES SOCIAL AND DANCE. —The second annual social meeting and dance in connection with the above was held on Friday evening, and proved a grand success. Mr Leslie, chairman of the Directors, presided, and was accompanied on the platform by Provost Porter, West Anstruther; Bailie Williamson and Councillors Clark, Cellardyke, and Messrs Smith and Mackintosh. After an excellent tea, purveyed by Mr G. M. Birrell, in splendid style, the chairman, in a short address welcomed to their social, and in the course of his remarks said he believed that the K. Y. Boot Factory had come to stay among them. Provost Porter during the evening also contributed a humorous speech, remarking that the only thing that could beat Cellardyke leather was Cellardyke women. A capital programme was submitted and creditably performed, consisting of songs, dances, part songs, etc., by the following ladies and gentlemen :—Misses Wood, M. Keay, Bella Jack, Hepburn, and Campbell; and Messrs Williamson, Wood, and Watson. Mr Mudie gave an exhibition of Indian Clubs which was highly appreciated. Bailie Williamson and Mrs Williamson kindly favoured the company with songs which were also highly appreciated. The Bailie also made a few remarks. The concert all through was a decided success, and reflected great credit on the management of Mr Mudie and his committee. After the concert a dance was engaged in, Mr Higgins contributing the music, while the duties of M.C. were satisfactorily discharged by Mr Mudie.
ln the Town Hall, Cellardyke, Saturday night Rev. Mr Turnbull, St Monans, deliveied a lecture, illustrated with limelight views, on the fishing ports of Yarmouth and Lowestoft, to which the fishermen go every year. The attendance was good and the lecture heartily appreciated.
CORNER SHOP, 34 James Street, Cellardyke to Let, suitable for any business, with counter and fittings. Apply Alex Keay.
1897
SCOTTISH GIRLS FRIENDLY SOCIETY. LECTURE BY DR WILSON, ANSTRUTHER. On Monday evening, Dr Wilson, Anstruther, delivered a lecture on ” the care of the body,” to the girls, associates, and friends of the Anstruther and Cellardyke branch of the above Society in Cellardyke Forth Street Hall. There was a large audience. Among those present were Mrs Wilson, Elm Lodge, Misses McLaren of Innergellie, Mrs Tosh, St Ayles, Misses Cook, Spence, Finlayson, Rennie, &c. Mrs McVean, the President, presided, and in introducing Dr Wilson, said that she was sure they would all heartily agree with her that it was extremely kind of Dr Wilson to give so much time to them that evening, ant more especially, after a busy day’s work. The best way they could show their appreciation of the Doctor’s lecture was by giving him an attentive and interested hearing. Dr Wilson, who was heartily received, intimated the subject of his lecture, and said there was great need, of women especially, learning a few facts in regard to the principles and theories of the supplying of good clothes, good food, fresh air, and sunshine. Speaking of the latter, he said the benefits of fresh air and sunshine, why these things were essential to life and vitality, were what lie wished to impress on them. He briefly described the lungs. ……………………………. To live we must have fresh air, and in house and closed spaces the air must be periodically renewed, that is to say we must have VENTILATION.
He did not wish to go into figures, but what was aimed at was to give each person in a room 3000 cubic feet per hour. The ventilation of rooms takes place naturally by the chimney, doom and windows. There is a natural draught up every chimney, especially when a tire is on, and the fresh air passes in beneath the door, and in at the chinks of the windows. Although natural ventilation was of use to a certain extent, still they require to open windows to purify the room properly, and as all the bad air rose to the ceiling at first all windows should open at the top. It was a great mistake to shut dampers or close up chimneys in houses even if no fires were used. He feared the majority did not appreciate the advantages of fresh air. In many houses the gas was kept burning all night, and by this means oxygen was used up, and carbonic acid was given off, so that the air was contaminated, and with two, three, or even more people sleeping in the room, and the door never open for perhaps 8 hours, the bad air accumulated and acted as a poison on those asleep. The effects of that bad air were often felt in the morning by a feeling of general debility, furred tongue, nasty taste in the mouth, and headache, and often lead to bloodlessness in girls. In going about his work he often thought what a great improvement it would be if box beds and curtains were done away with. In box beds, especially, if the curtains are drawn ever so little, the unfortunate prisoner was breathing and re-breathing the same air over and over again, and poisoning the system. Another point in regard to box beds was, that when illness overtook one, it was a most difficult matter getting the patient moved about in bed, or the clothes on the bed changed. If only some of the young people would start with good iron beds in their own houses, it would be a vast improvement. In. addition to fresh air, every house should have plenty of which was one of the most necessary things they required. Without it, what would the world be like? Take a flower and hide it away from the sunshine, and it very quickly became white and poor in health. The same thing happened to human beings if deprived of sunshine.
The benefits of sunshine were now so much recognised that patients were ordered sun-baths. They sit out all daylong in the sunshine, and the effects was most wonderful, it caused the white colour to disappear, and the blood to increase in quantity and quality. The sunshine also acted as a destroyer of micro-organisms or germs. The organism of consumption and the tubercle bacillus were destroyed and killed by sunshine. That was why in the cure for consumption they got their patients out into the fresh air, to make them breathe as much pure, fresh sir as they could, and be exposed to sunshine as long as possible. Again when the situation for a house was being chosen the side of the street which obtained most sunshine should be adopted. Do not be afraid to have their blinds up, even though it caused their carpets and curtains to fade. Rather lose the colour of the carpets than the colour of their cheeks- When it could be managed try to have their window open by day as well as by night. A chink from the top did no harm to any one, and it ensured that fresh air was always entering the house. ……………
Proceeding to speak of THE SKIN
He referred to the different glands, and said if they wished to avoid cold, they should keep their skins as dry as possible. If any one went out into the fresh air when they were perspiring freely, say after any exertion, such as washing over a tub with hot water in it, where, in addition to the exertion, there was also a moist atmosphere of steam, the result was that the cold air both made the blood vessels in the skin contract and also caused evaporation to take place, and the temperature of the skin was reduce. The blood from the skin was driven inwards, and if the cold was excessive congestion of internal organs was produced which might pass off, and be only temporary. If the cold was still more excessive, however, the effect was that the blood vessels were unable to contract, and there was a very great loss of heat from the skin, and the heat regulating centre might not be able to keep up a sufficient supply of heat, and the individual consequently took a chill, resulting in bronchitis, inflammation, &c. Then if the head was produced too late they got a condition of feverishness, and they might have to bring on perspiration to reduce the fever.
How could they BEST AVOID AND PREVENT COLDS ? First, by training the skin to withstand cold, and this could be done by being in the open air as much as possible. Secondly by wearing substances next the skin which would both keep in the heat of the body and keep the cold out. Thirdly by wearing substances which would keep the body as dry as possible. The substances which kept them warmest were those which prevented the heat of the body from passing out, that was, they conducted the heat of the body badly. They were in order hare-skin, down, beaver skin, new silk, taffeta, sheep’s wool, cotton wool, and flax from which linen was made. The first one which they could get in abundance was wool, which was made up of a large number of fine fibres of animal material, and between the separate fibres of wool they had a great quantity of air, which being a bad conductor of heat, served to keep the heat in. He was speaking of the body heat. As soon as they put on any flannel material they felt warm almost at once. Why? Because the layer of wool next their skin was rapidly warmed, and the heat of the body was very slowly taken away. Wool differed from linen and cotton in this respect, that these two latter, although they got heated fast enough, carried the heat more rapidly away from the skin, and so the skin remained cold for a much longer time, the linen taking longer to warm. Again, woollen garments had this second advantage over linen and cotton, in that the wool had large numbers of air spaces which absorbed water from the body, if it did not get wet with perspiration, and also if the clothes got wet from the outside the water took longer to penetrate. The same weight of wool absorbed twice the quantity of water the same weight of linen did. What he would impress on all was, that everyone, male or female, young or old, should wear flannel or some woollen material next the skin. Why was it that those who lived in Cellardyke always clothed their men in woollen underclothes? Simply because they knew by experience that they were kept warmest by them. They should take just as good care of themselves. He was afraid a great many of the gentler sex did not wear flannel next their skin. Was it because it might make the figure a little less neat? He was only asking for information, Perhaps the second reason they would give was that of expense. If they carefully watched they would find that flannel would last far longer time than either cotton of linen, particularly than that fraudulent stuff called flanellette. He called it a fraud because the name was meant to deceive as there was not a trace of wool in it. Some people complained that flannel made them uncomfortable, but he thought if only they would persevere the discomfort would soon wear off.
One point more in REGARD TO CLOTHING he should like to refer to. Dark material absorbed more of the sun’s rays than light material. Hence they generally wore dark clothes in winter and light ones in summer- He had said enough on this matter, and be would only ask them who did not wear wool next the skin to seriously consider the matter, as by so doing they might save themselves a great deal of ill health, and save a lot of sorrow to their friends. Mothers should see that their children were all clad with flannel next the skin, as they were far more susceptible to colds than adults. In conclusion, he would say that although all these matters he had spoken of seem very small, still life in the majority of instances was made up of small items, and it was only by attending to these little affairs that they could keep themselves healthy and prolong life.
The Doctor was frequently applauded, and the lecture was illustrated by diagrams and views thrown on a screen by a lantern manipulated by Mr James Leslie. At the close, the President proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Dr Wilson for his most interesting and instructive lecture. She hoped they would carry home the many lessons and facts they had heard, and carry them into practice in their lives. (Applause.)
Dr Wilson acknowledged the compliment, and said he ought rather to thank them for allowing him the pleasure of addressing them, for in so doing he had rubbed up old subjects, and no doubt gained fresh information. (Applause.)
A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Leslie for manipulating the lantern and exhibiting the views. It was announced that there had been a local home baking competition of oat cakes and scones, preparatory to a similar competition for the Perthshire division, of which Anstruther forms a part.