Volume One - Into the Victorian Age - Some newspaper reports from the 1870's

I am pleased to inform you that I received the following letter this-morning, which speaks for itself, and shows the falseness of the report. - Your obedient servant, Sydney D. Jenkins, Ship Agent, Cardiff March 30th, 1875.

"Point de Galle, February 27th, 1875. - My Dear Sir, - I received your favour here on the 20th of January. I was very much surprised to learn from my friends that the pilot reported that I had killed a man on leaving Cardiff. Now I never struck a man, nor was there any one killed or injured much. The crew have all been at work ever since, and the pilot ought to be punished for spreading such a report. I have been becalmed off this port for three days, and only to-day received my letters. I give you my word it was only a drunken row between the mates and crew, who came on board crazy drunk, made so before leaving Cardiff. It is a disgraceful thing that such false reports should be circulated all over the world, and I should like to know if I could not claim damages for being thus libeled. We are all well on board. - Your obedient servant. - Phineas Pendleton, - Master of the ship Nancy Pendleton." Cardiff Times [019] 3rd April 1875.

Disputes continued at the mines and iron works which resulted in deadlock between the workers and owners - a lock-out resulted early in 1875.

• February 1875 - The Condition of the Underground Horses - Government Enquiry - "A few days since the Society for Cruelty to Animals directed of the Home Secretary to the desirability of taking advantage of the present lock-out to examine into the condition of the horses employed in the underground operations at the collieries. They represented that hitherto they had been debarred from ascertaining the condition of horses used underground, in consequence of the danger incurred by their officers in descending the pits. In no case would the managers and owners give them the support they wanted to make the investigation with safety, and the attention of the Inspector of Mines was never called to the condition of the horses.

Some years since one of their officers descended a pit in South Wales, and then found that very great cruelty was exercised towards these animals below ground, and he was then able to secure a number of convictions from one colliery. Seeing that there were so large a number of horses above ground, which had not seen the light of day for years, it was considered a favourable opportunity to inspect them. The Home Secretary has requested that an enquiry should be instituted into the condition of the animals employed in underground operations in South Wales and Monmouthshire, and has directed the society to conduct that inquiry and prepare a report to be submitted to him.