The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-08 00:00:00

(From Punch.)

THE REAL "CAPTAIN OP THE WATCH."—" The
Captain "—just launched—and all congratulation on your
child, Captain Cowper Coles.
WHAT WILL xr TAKE?—GoId• has urtny propert7es,
but we never knew that it could feel a desire fur drink,
until playbills and posters told us of The Thir.t of Gold
at the Olympic.

A FRIENDLY SUGGESTION.—The " Miners " are amongst
those on strike at Preston. Would it not be well for all,
both masters and men, to lie " minders' of the advice of
such counsellors as Mr. Mundella.

AN EXCEPTIONAL MONTH.—Many people have cora-
pained a good deal about the weather we have bad
during the past month. Nevertheless, after all, this last
March has been none so dusty.

REVIEWING TIIE PAST.—What the Volunteers would
like to have, when they go again to Dover, would be a
Walmer reception by the Lord Warden—and the
weather. They hope the next tide they see tl ere will Le
a Whitsuntide.

A ROCK AHEAD.—A telegram from Madri I has agi-
tated our Foreign Office by the portentous information
that : "In to-day's sitting of the Corti s, Senor Orense
gave notice of an interpellation respecting the future of
Gibraltar." That future some Spaniards w...uld fain have
us make a present of, by presenting them with Gibraltar.
As long as Gibraltar is necessary to ou: maritime position,
don't they wish they may get it ?

(rrom Judy.;
THE FOOT GUARDS.—Boots and shoes.
NoT A BILLY-DOUR.—Mr. Gladstone.
MOTTO FOR THE LIGHT BLUE EIGHT.—" After Dark."
THE LATEST CABINET QUESTION.-" Who shall be
nearest?"

OR COURSE IT ISN'T !—Unless we are very much mis-
taken, Mr. Gladstone will shortly find that the " Bench
of Bishops" is not to be sat upon, at any rate by him.
FULLY ACCOUNTED FOR.—Mr..Bright doesn't feel him-
self quite so free to act as he did last year, having specu-
lated rather much lately in Treasury Bonds /

A WORD OF ADVICE.—The cotton spinners at Preston
are now on strike. Judy advises them to get back to
work again as soon as possible, or else their condition
may shortly turn out to be one of Reel di, tress !
LORD DUNDREARY AGAIN.—When his lordship recently
saw the announcement that a little pamphlet, under the
title of " Gardening All the Year Round,' was in the
press, he wittily remarked that he himself had just been
" Weading All the Year Round!"
BROTHERS IN HEROISM.—AII the world gives its meed
of praise to that noble animal which Mounts St. Bernard
to rescue the snow-covered traveller from his icy bed ;
and the other "Doggy" who descends Brierley Hill Pit, as
Tom Brown recently did, to save his fellow man, is equally
worthy of that praise !

From the Owe.

WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT LIKE THE SUN ?—Decause
when it is not Lowe it is Bright !
THE TABLES TURNED.

The Grammar School, Birchington.
Dear Owl,—We are all delighted to hear that there is a
clause in the "Endowed Schools Bill" which compels tha
masters to be examined. What fun ! Do you think they
will allow the boys to examine them? We would do it
capitally. This is the sort of paper work we should give
them.—Your affectionate OWLETS.
MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS, PRACTICAL AND CRITICAL,
2 TO 4 P.M.
I.—Write out 100 lines.

2.—(a) Do you believe the story of Romulus and Remus?
(b) Or, Do you think the wolf merely represented the
schoolmaster of the period ?
(c) If you do not believe it, have you ever tried to
look as if you did?
3.—Give an anatomical analysis of the floggtble por-
tions of the human frame, having special regard to their
relative sensitiveness.
4.—Define " swipes," " sky blue," " path de resur-
rection," " squish, " and "scrape."
s.—Subject for Latin Ele,giacs (not to exceed 250
lines) :

" The Minimisation of Small Beer."
G.—Supposing you to have given "an extra week at
Christmas" on the occasion of the birth of each member
of the Royal Family;
what has been your aggregate
saving in butchers' meat since the Accession of her
Majesty ?

On Tuesday morning the town of Wigan was alive
with a rumour that a second explosion of fire damp had
occurred at the pits of Messrs. Mercer and Evans, in Park-
lane, Ashton, near Wigan. An ace:dent indeed, had oc-
curred, but happily no very serious damage was caused.
Shortly before ten o'clock in the morning, a portion of the
brick lining of an up-cast shaft, which had probably been
loosened by the explosions frequently occurring during
th.i combustion of the coal, and which had escaped notice,
became detached front the sides and fell down the
shaft to the PeMberton four-feet seam. Tho descent of this
mass of material bad the effect of reversing the ventilation
for a few moments, and the ascent of the smoke up the
down-cast gave tho impression that an explosion had oc-
curred. The news spread, and the wives and mothers of the
men working in the pit were soon anxiously moving to-
wards the shaft. the true facts of theca_ so were,
goon known, :1 hoviNvor,

A CIRCUS DIRECTOR EATEN BY LIOIO

A Brussels torrespondent writes : " Easter wee,
has closed with a fearful occurrence at Bailleul.
troupe of performing - lions had been visiting °
place. On the night of the last performance 0
lion -tamer was suddenly taken ill, and in ord'
not to disappoint the public the director of 01
circus, M. Brennett, notwithstanding the oplo.,
tion of his friends, was rash enough to undertake
dompteur's part. M. Brennett entered the cage, al/
succeeded for a time in making the lions g
through their performances ; but when it came /
the close, which consists of giving the animals Of
meat, the director lost courage, and instead of keeril
a firm eye on the animals, as tamers aro wont to do,
trembled, and made for the door of the cage. 'This seek
his doom. A large lioness was the first to pounce 11P4
him, and in a few minutes the rash, unfortunate man it
torn to pieces.

SHOOTING AT BLACKBURN ELECTIO.

At the Blackburn Town Hall, on Tuesday, a station!
named John Charles Bradshaw, was brought up on!
mand, charged with shooting at two police-constables,
Penny-street, on the day.of the parliamentary electiO,
with intent to do grievous bodily harm ; also, WI
unlawfully discharging a gun with intent, and wil
assaulting a man named John Kenyon, after the declau
tion of the poll after the parliamentary election at Blac;
burn. A street row took place in Penny-street, wile
the prisoner resides. He was seen to fire four 81201
into the street from his house window, and afterwa'
discharged a revolver over the shoulder of Kenyon in
street, and then knocked Kenyon down with the but
end of the revolver. Heavily-loaded weapons were fond
in the prisoner's house. The theory of the prosecutidt
was that the prisoner fired the shot over Kenyan'
shoulder at two police-constables on duty in the etre*
This was denied by the defence, who alleged that the 00
were fired to frighten the people who were break
the prisoner's windows. After a lengthy hearing 0/,
magistrates dismissed the charge of shooting with intelo
and fined the prisoner £5 and costs for the assault c°
Kenyon, and 40s. and costs for unlawfully firing a gun, °I
in default three months' imprisonment.