Mineral Waters.—­The oldest local establishment for the manufacture of aerated artificial and mineral waters is that of Messrs. James Goffe and Son, of Duke Street, the present proprietors of the artesian well in Allison Street.  This well was formed some years ago by Mr. Clark, a London engineer, who had undertaken a Corporation contract connected with the sewers.  Finding himself embarassed with the flow of water from the many springs about Park Street and Digbeth, he leased a small plot of land and formed a bore-hole, or artesian well, to check the percolation into his sewerage works.  After boring about 400 feet he reached a main spring in the red sandstone formation which gives a constant flow of the purest water, winter and summer, of over 70,000 gals. per day, at the uniform temperature of 50 deg.  The bore is only 4in. diameter, and is doubly tubed the whole depth, the water rising into a 12ft. brick well, from which a 4,000 gallon tank is daily filled, the remainder passing through a fountain and down to the sewers as waste.  Dr. Bostock Hill, the eminent analyst, reports most favourably upon the freedom of the water from all organic or other impurities, and as eminently fitted for all kinds of aerated waters, soda, potass, seltzer, lithia, &c.  The old-fashioned water-carriers who used to supply householders with Digbeth water from “the Old Cock pump” by St. Martin’s have long since departed, but Messrs. Goff’s smart-looking barrel-carts may be seen daily on their rounds supplying the real aqua pura to counters and bars frequented by those who like their “cold without,” and like it good.—­Messrs. Barrett & Co. and Messrs. Kilby are also extensive manufacturers of these refreshing beverages.

Nails.—­No definite date can possibly be given as to the introduction of nailmaking here as a separate trade, most smiths, doubtless, doing more or less at it when every nail had to be beaten out on the anvil.  That the town was dependent on outsiders for its main supplies 150 years back, is evidenced by the Worcestershire nailors marching from Cradley and the Lye, in 1737 to force the ironmongers to raise the prices.  Machinery for cutting nails was tried as early as 1811, but it was a long while after that (1856) before a machine was introduced successfully.  Now there are but a few special sorts made otherwise, as the poor people of Cradley and the Lye Waste know to their cost, hand-made nails now being seldom seen.

Nettlefold’s (Limited).—­This, one of the most gigantic of our local companies, was registered in March, 1880, the capital being L750,000 in shares of L10 each, with power to issue debentures to the vendors of the works purchased to the extent of L420,000.  The various firms incorporated are those of Messrs. Nettlefold’s, at Heath Street, and Princip-street, Birmingham, at King’s Norton, at Smethwick, &c., for the manufacture of screws, wire, &c., the Castle Ironworks at Hadley, Shropshire,