[list-cumbria] Carlisle Patriot, 04 Sep 1824 - Local News (2)

[petra.mitchinson at doctors.org.uk]

Saturday 04 Sep 1824   (p. 2, col. 3-6)     [continued] 
 
Partridge shooting commenced on Wednesday. 
 
There is at present growing in the garden of Mr. Francis FORSTER, of
Waingate-head, Kirklinton, a cabbage which measures four yards in
circumference. 
 
On Wednesday week, John M'VENNAN, a boy, eight years old, employed at Stair
Carding Mill, Keswick, had his arm so dreadfully shattered by the machinery,
that immediate amputation was indispensable. 
 
A woman residing at Newtown, Whitehaven, walked over the quay on Sunday, in
a state of derangement, with an intention of drowning herself, but was
rescued by the by-standers. 
 
The simple inhabitants of Gretna Green were thrown into great consternation
and alarm about ten days ago, by the arrival of the widow of a distinguished
banker. It was given out that a wealthy and highly esteemed Marquis was in
petto somewhere in the neighbourhood, and that a sweet oblation was to be
offered at Hymen's shrine. Curiosity, however, was very sadly baffled by the
speedy departure of the gay and brilliant widow, and that by a route which
threw the keenest news-hunters off the scent. Whether the son of Vulcan had
a secret hint about his chains being required at a moment's warning, we have
no means of judging; but of this we are certain, that after the flight of
the lady, he became so ill-natured that all the caresses of his spouse,
aided by an extra cup of usquebaugh, could not restore his usual good
humour.-London paper. 
 
In a village not an hundred miles from Whitehaven, where a mill tingles the
ears of the natives by its humming sound, and a little ale-house, (with the
puzzle-pate sign of a fabulous animal dangling in its front,) presents its
open door to the weary and the way-worn, the miller's man recently played a
trick such as has seldom been accomplished since the days of the renowned
Don Juan. He had been making himself nappy with nut brown ale, until the
shades of night began to offer a fair opportunity for the accomplishment of
his unhallowed purpose; and then "stalking with stealthy pace" towards the
door of a neighbouring cottage, he lifted the latch, (which had been left
unfastened for the admission of the gudeman of the house, who was from home)
he entered the domicile like a second Tarquin. The cottager's wife was in
bed, and without further ceremony our hero prepared to join her: and she,
never doubting but it was her own "liege lord," instantly admitted him. Soon
afterwards, however, honest dusty beginning to fear a discovery, arose; and
the good woman afraid her supposed husband was going to leave the house
again, got up to prevent him. But who shall describe her rage when she
discovered her mistake? She seized the fire-shovel; and if the poor miller
had  not been blessed with a comfortable thickness of skull, it is probable
his life would have paid the forfeit of his temerity; but being harder than
the iron which the injured woman wielded with no little dexterity, he
escaped with some bruises, "not so deep as a well nor so wide as a barn, but
enough to have peppered" any head of less solidity. Before he got from the
house, the husband arrived, and in addition to the beating he had received
he was obliged to pay down all his shiners, in order to compromise
proceedings at law. 
 
On the night of Thursday the 26th ult., as four men were floating a raft of
timber from Skinburness to the port of Annan, the boat in which they were
came so violently in contact with the raft, that it sunk by the time the men
could secure themselves upon the timber: and they took the extraordinary
resolution of tying together four loose logs, and quitting a situation in
which they were in perfect safety, to trust to the machine they had thus
imperfectly constructed-which was driven, or rather hurled by the flowing
tide up the Frith, with a rapidity that appears to have rendered them
insensible to every object. They contrived to stick to the logs; although
from the height and strength of the tide, they must have been carried to
near the head of the Frith. Being driven back again by the ebb-tide, their
progress was happily stopped by one of the large stake nets, belonging to
the occupiers of the Rockliff fishery, betwixt the Eden and Esk; but here
they were obliged to quit their insecure and unmanageable float; the net,
however, was now considerably above the water, and they caught hold of it
and clung there until about six o'clock on Friday morning, when they were
observed by a young man called SYMONS, of Hollen-bush, who instantly crossed
the Esk to relieve them. He found the poor men so exhausted and stupefied
with fear, cold, and fatigue, that it was with considerable difficulty he
either relieved them from the net, or made them sensible of their situation;
but he at last succeeded, and conveyed them safely to the land, where they
were kindly and hospitably treated; which, indeed, they stood much in need
of, for in addition to every other circumstance, they had lost their hats,
jackets, waist-coats, shoes, and stockings; how or when, they could give no
account. 
 
On Saturday last, as the servants of Mr. Robert BAXTER, farmer, at Green,
parish of Graitney, were coping up a cart load of hay, it unfortunately
struck the head of the herd boy, who was standing too near it, with such
violence that he was carried home in a state of total insensibility,
bleeding at the nose, mouth, and ears. He is, however, not only still
living, but likely to recover.-On the same day, as the coachman of the
WARRENBY family, and his son, a boy 13 years of age, were returning from
Newby, with a puncheon full of salt water in a cart, the horse taking
fright, galloped of, and the poor boy, who was riding it, was thrown, when
the cart wheel passed over his neck and the lower part of his head and face,
and killed him. The unhappy father, who was only thirty yards behind, took
up his child and carried him in a state of distraction to a public house at
Annan. Medical aid was called in, but the vital spark had fled. 
 
THE LATE DUEL.-We have received the following communication dated Carlisle,
Sept. 2:-"With reference to an affair of honor which took place lately in
this neighbourhood, between Capt. MAXWELL, of the king's Dragoon Guards, and
a gentleman from Edinburgh, you are requested to correct some inaccuracies
which appeared in your account of the transaction. By your statement it
appears that Capt. MAXWELL fired at his antagonist the first time, and
discharged his pistol in the air the second time. Now the fact is, that
Captain MAXWELL received his adversary's fire twice, and each time fired in
the air. You state too that the gentleman who met Captain MAXWELL is a
Captain JOHNSTON. You are now requested to say that he neither belongs to
the army nor navy; that his name is not JOHNSTON, as stated by you, nor
SHARPE, as mentioned in another paper. Though this is without signature,
yet, as it comes from a quarter which has a perfect right to be well
acquainted with the circumstances of the affair, it is hoped that the
communication will not be deemed less authentic for being anonymous." 
 
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://list.cumbriafhs.com/pipermail/list-cumbria/attachments/20250309/d4a8920f/attachment-0001.htm>