Sam lost his wealth to Tom, and found
The rogue had spoken true.
H.H.
Men of no business and Paper-cutting.—Men of great parts (says Swift) are unfortunate in business, because they go out of the common road. I once desired Lord Bolingbroke to observe that the clerks used an ivory knife, with a blunt edge, to divide paper, which cut it even, only requiring a strong hand; whereas a sharp penknife would go out of the crease, and disfigure the paper.
P.T.W.
Tremendous Explosion.—January 4, 1649, a parish feast was held at the Rose tavern, in Tower-street, where 70 barrels of gunpowder took fire and destroyed 60 houses; all the persons assembled were killed and mangled in a shocking manner, except the mistress of the tavern, who was found sitting upright in the bar, and a drawer standing without it, with a pot in his hand; both being suffocated with smoke and dust.
Value of Steam Packets.—A steam packet of 100 horse power, equipped as it ought to be, will probably cost about 20,000l.; expenditure of fuel, at the rate of one-half chaldron of coals per hour, wages and victualling, per month, 250l.; tonnage duty, lights, pilotage, and port charges, 200l. per annum; insurance, 100l. per month; small repairs and winter expenses, about 500l. Besides which, being calculated to last only ten years, the owners should be able to lay by a sinking fund, or reserve of 2,000l. per annum, and 1,500l. for a new set of boilers during that time, making altogether the sailing expenses of such a vessel about 1,000l. per month.