The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1828-02-07
LOTTERY MANIA.

than in the case of Mr.. Christopher Bar
tholomew, who was once the proprietor o!
Whise Conduit House, at Pentonville.
Independent of his possessing the freehold
Of that house, and Of the Angel Inn at IS
lingtop, he rented Land to the amount Of
2O0OL year in Ellington and Holloway
and was remarkable for having the largest
quantity of hay stacks of any grower in
the .neighborhood of London. AT that
time, he is believed to have been worth
5O,000l. kept his carriage, and servants in
livery and upon one occasion, having
been unusually successful at insurance in
the lottery gave a public breakfast at his
tea garden, ito commemorate the smiles
of fortune" as it was expressed upon the
tickets of admission to this fete champe-
tire. He at times had some very fortunate
hits in the lottery, which, perhaps, tended
to increase the,a mania which hurried him
to his ruin. He has been known to spend
upwards Of 1000 guineas in day for in
surance, to raise which, stack after stack
of his immense crops Of hay have been
cut down and hurried to market. as the
readiest way TO obtain the supplies neces-
sary for the extraordinary soutgoings. Hay-
ing at last been obliged To part with his
house from accumulated difficulties and
embarrassments, he passed the last thirteen
years of his life in great poverty, subsist-
ing by the charity Of those who knew him
in his better days, and the emolument he
received as juryman of the Sheriff court
of the county. Still his propensity to be
engaged in the ruinous pursuitsnever for
sock him and meeting one day in the year
1907, witt, an old acquaintance, he related
to him the strong presentimente which he
entertained, that if he could purchase a
particular number in the ensuing lottery
(which he was not then in situation to
accomplsh) it would be successful. His
friend after demonstrating with him upon
the improperly Of persevering in prac-
tice which had already'been attended with
such evil consequences, was at last pursua-
ded to go halves with him in agsixteenth
part Of the favorite number, which being
procured, was most fortunately drawn y
prize Of 100000. With the money aris-
ing from this extraordinary turn Of fortune
ne was prevailed upon by his friends to
purchase an 3an.aity Of Col. per annum !;
yet fatally addicted to the pernicious hab-
its Of insurance, he disposed of II, and lost
it all. He has been known frequently TO
apply to those persons who had served
him in his prosperity for an old coat, or
some other article o4 east off apparel, and
not many days before he died, he solicited
few shillings to buy him Ilecessaries. He
died aged 6s, in March, 1909, in a room
up two pair of stairs, in Angel Court,
Windmill street Hay market.
QUICK SILVER MINES OF IDRIA.
ACCOUNT OF TEE coNyLAeRATIoH IN 1908.
In 1908, on the night between the 18th
and 10th of March, the workmen observ-
ed a thick smoke issuing from some of the
lover galleries. 1t assembled and spread
itself through the higher. No FIRE was
seen, no sound of fame was heard, but il
was too evident that the .aline was on FIRE
ceibw. Some of ,,he workmen, with great
intrepidity, endeavored 20 reach the scene
of ,canAagration. It:;wa in vain. they
were forced to retreat from one gallery to
another, flying before an enemy whom
they could not discover; for the smoke
which confused to make its way upwards
70 open air, was not merely so dense and
suffocating, but SO loaded with noxious
fumes. and particles let loose from the fos-
; sis among which the flames were raging
in the bowels of the earth, that no living
creature could safely meet it,, much less
penetrate it.-They were fortunate e.
nough to save themselves above ground,