154 RECORDS OF OLD TIMES 



of evidence. The verdict, with costs, came to over 

 600/., which proved a heavy blow to us, as, in addi- 

 tion, our own costs exceeded 400/. We then moved 

 for a new trial before the Lords of Appeal, who, 

 after a very short hearing, not only quashed the 

 proceedings, but ordered the verdict to be entered 

 for the defendants ! Thus the payment of the costs 

 had to be reversed, and the company were released 

 by the payment of a nominal sum. But the mischief 

 had been done since the purchase of the other 

 patents fell through. The chairman, Mr. Hayman, 

 the patentee, Mr. Henley, and one other director had 

 died, so that our once famous ' El Dorado ' was put 

 to an end, and the public were deprived of a whole- 

 some digestive beverage, and all in consequence of 

 the unfair and unjust proposals of Mr. Gladstone. 

 The land, buildings, and works at Kurrachee were 

 sold, so that with the produce of a sale of the very 

 substantial and handsome furniture, with large 

 turkey carpets in the rooms used as board rooms 

 on the first floor of the Palmerston Buildings, in Old 

 Broad Street, enabled the directors to pay all the 

 liabilities of the company. Thus perished this once 

 prosperous undertaking. 



