was concluded, Colonel Wynn purchased the first copy, for
which the fortunate bard received a shilling. Several other gentlemen
followed this example, and the poet must have regretted that his stock in
trade was so limited.

"During the latter part of the proceedings, several had left the
enclosure to join the merry dance, to the strains of the Welshpool Band,
in the adjoining field. We cannot use the usual stock phrase of the
penny-a-liner and say to 'trip it on the light fantastic toe,' for in
several instances a pair of stalwart navvies might be seen in anything
but dancing pumps kicking out most gloriously. In another part of the
field, a party were deeply engaged in an exciting game of football. All
was mirth and jollity. From the oldest to the youngest, the richest to
the poorest, every one seemed to try to get as much enjoyment out of the
evening as possible, and if there were any grumblers to be found at
Messrs. Davies and Savin's monster picnic, the fault must have been with
themselves.

"The same evening rejoicings were being kept up at Llanidloes. All the
school children of the place were feasted in the tent. Mr. Whalley (the
'champion of the people's rights,' as the flag had it) was chaired
through the town, and the evening was finished by a ball. And on the
following day, several loaves of bread and gallons of porter were sent by
Messrs. Davies and Savin to the poor people of Llandinam." Finally, a
medal was struck in commemoration of the event, and presented to the
workmen.

Thus, sixty-three years ago, did the community, already conscious of the
momentous influence the steam engine was exerting upon the social and
economic condition of the countryside, but yet to discover the not less
remarkable potentialities of the electric or the petrol spark applied to
the problems of transport, herald the birth of the infant Cambrian.

CHAPTER III. EARLY DEVELOPMENTS AND DIFFICULTIES.

"_We may perceive plenty of wrong turns taken at cross roads, time
misused or wasted, gold taken for dross and dross for gold, manful
effort mis-directed, facts misread, men misjudged_. _And yet those
who have felt life no stage play, but a hard campaign with some lost
battles, may still resist all spirit of general insurgence in the
evening of their day_."--VISCOUNT MORLEY OF BLACKBURN.

Though one or two earlier bubbles, blown by eager railway promoters, had
burst almost as they left t