ed forms, is buried now
Some fathoms deep. Yea, with the humble path
That led beside its banks."

~Roads.~--Same of the roads leading into and out of Birmingham in the
olden days were little better than deep ruts, which were more or less
levelled about the middle of last century. The making of the great
Holyhead coachroad also graded some of the steeper spots as well as the
lowest, but the modern town improvements must be credited as the
greatest factor in the levelling of the roads, none of which, however,
were "macadamised," until 1818. The total length of highways "taken to"
and repairable by the Corporation at the commencement of 1884, amounted
to 185-1/2 miles, there being other 12-1/2 miles undeclared. Ten years
ago the figures stood at 143 and 40 respectively; but as during the last
six years, owners of property have been paying at the rate of L17,820
per annum, for completion of the streets and highways so as to bring
them in charge of the Corporation, the undeclared roads will soon be few
and far between. To keep the roads fit for travelling on, requires about
60,000 tons of stone per year.

~Rogues, Thieves, and Vagabonds.~--According to some calculations made
by the late Rev. Micaiah Hill, Sec. to the Town Mission, there were, on
a given day, in 1880, 1,272 known thieves and bad characters at large in
the town, of whom 177 were under sixteen years of age. There were 71
houses kept by receivers of stolen goods, 118 others known to be
frequented by the criminal classes, and 188 houses of ill-fame, in which
262 women were found on the same day.

~Rolling Mills.~--There was one at Nechells as early as 1690, though the
exact date of the erection of nearly all these places is a matter of the
greatest uncertainty. The first steam rolling mill, with the exception
of the one at Soho, was put up at Bradley ironworks.

~Rotton Park.~--In the list of the tenants of Edward Birmingham, whose
estate was confiscated (circ. 1536), there appears the name of John
Praty, as "farmer" of the office of "keeper of the Park called Rotton
(or Roten) Park," with all the profits thereof, and the "wyndefal wood
and lopwood," building timber excepted.

~Rowley Rag.~--The fusibility of basalt having been theoretically
demonstrated, Mr. Henry Adcock, C.E., in 1851 took out letters patent
for the manufacture of a number of articles from the Rowley ragstone.
Furnaces were erected at Messrs. Chance Brothers, and the experiment
thorou