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The Whitehaven News - September 30, 1869
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General Intelligence
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           GENERAL INTELLIGENCE
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A GENTLEMAN SHOT BY HIS SON. - Intelligence has been received of a shocking
occurrence in Orkney.  Mr. Heddle, of Melsetter, was out shooting with one
of his sons, and the dog having tripped the latter, his gun went off and the
contents lodged in his father, who was instantly killed.  Mr. Heddle was in
the prime of life, and has left a family.  He was an influential proprietor,
and took a leading part with the Conservatives in the last election.

MR. CHARLES DICKEN'S POLITICAL FAITH.-
Mr. Charles Dickens delivered the inauguration address in connection with
the Birmingham and Midland Institute at the Town Hall, Birmingham, on Monday
night.  He directed his remarks against the popular delusion that this is an
age of materialism.  In responding to a vote of thanks, proposed by Mr.
Dixon, M. P., he declared his political creed as follows: - His faith in the
people governing was infinitesimal; his faith in the people governed was
illimitable.

A BANK WINDING UP.-The Swiss General Bank, founded in 1856 with a capital of
40,000,000f., but which was connected with Switzerland only nominally, has
just decided upon winding up its affairs.  Its liquidation, publicly
announced by the Berlin shareholders, who form a large majority, has just
been voted in a general meeting.  M. Lubke, a distinguished advocate of
Dantzic, is charged with that important operation, under the superintendence
of a council, exclusively German.  The assets, which are estimated at only
13,000,000f., are locked up in operations of old date - house property,
building land, participation in various enterprises, &c., - and which have
hitherto been irrealisable.

THE LATE LORD JUSTICE CLERK OF SCOTLAND
The body of Lord Justice Clerk Patton was drawn from the bottom of a deep
pool in the Almond, a little way below Buchanty Spout, and outside of the
policies of Glenalmond House.  The throat was cut, but not, we believe,
deeply enough to cause death.  It seems most likely that His Lordship, when
he left Glenalmond House on Monday morning, went to the bank of the river at
Buchanty Spout, which is within the grounds of the house, and standing on a
rock which projects into the stream just above the fall, there attempted to
cut his throat.  In the agitation of the moment he probably slipped and fell
into the water.  His body would then be carried over the fall and swept down
to the pool where it was fouond.  There are traces which do not leave much
doubt that this was the manner in which His Lordship came by his death. -
'Scotsman'.

A WONDERFUL RIVER.- The Mississippi, in North American, rises more than
3,000 miles from the spot where it falls into the Gulf of Mexico, and its
length, including its windings, is 4,424 miles.  It can be navigated for
4,396 miles, and its basin occupies the enormous space of 1,345,974 square
miles.  That is to say, the running waters of a country as large as Europe,
without Russia, Norway, and Sweded, fall into it.  The size of the delta is
12,300 square miles, and the thickness is 528 feet, or the tenth part of a
mile.  In some places the depth of this mud is more than 630 feet, for in
boring for water at New Orleans, this depth was attained without coming to
anything but old river deposit; even at the depth of 153 feet, a bog of
cedar tees and shrubs was bored through.  Every 1,245 grains weight of water
that passes New Orleans contains one grain weight of mud; and the relation
of the weight of water to its bulk being easily known, it is possible to
estimate (if the yearly amount of water passing into the sea is found) how
much solid matter is annually carried down by the Mississippi into the sea,
and by these means it has been calculated that every year 3,702,758,400
cubic feet of mud, sand, and gravel are worn from the surface of the basin
of this river, and are cast into the sea at its mouth. - from 'The World of
Wonders".

LORD DERBY AND MR. BRIGHT
A correspondent in the 'Leeds Mercury' tells the following story>-

"During the cotton famine, Mr. Bright was severely censured for not
contributing to the relief fund, and his niggardliness was contrasted with
the munificent gift of £10,000 made by Lord Derby.  All the time Mr. Bright
was keeping on his workmen on three quarters' time wages, and was sinking
thousands upon thousands week after week, year after year, until by the time
the war came to an end he had paid away a total sum compared with which Lord
Derby's gift was a mere bagatelle.  During all this time, while he was
seeing the savings of a lifetime disappear, he said nothing to all the
taunts that were uttered against him.  At last Mr. Garth, a lawyer, who was
then a candidate for Guildford, made a charge against Mr. Bright so sweeping
and so false that the member for Birmingham was bound to take notice of it,
and to correct his calumniator in no very mild language.  Even then he did
not refer to what he had done for the men whom he was accused of opressing.
But a friend, unknown, I believe to him, went to Lord Derby, laid before him
the facts, and asked if, after this, he thought the organs of the
Conservative party ought to continue their attacks upon Mr. Bright.  'Good
God ! and he said nothing !' was Lord Derby's reply.  Thenceforth the
attacks ceased."

to be continued...................

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