OBITUARY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1840, 14 May 1888, Page 2

OBITUARY

The death is announced of Mr James Morton, who at one time was the controlling power cf the city of Glasgow Bank. '* Originally a humble vendor of I ml k and butter, he afterwards became a stationer ln Glaaeford street. While m that business he evinced speculative tendencies of a very pronounced order, and he waa largely concerned m the railway dealing which led to tho commercial crisis of 1847. L-xtterly he engaged m various ventures m connection with sheepfarming m New Zaftland Mr Morton's connection with the Oity of Glasgow Bank's failure beoameonly too apparent when he himself failed and the actaal position of affairs was fully dlaolosed. It waa found, ln hie examination In bankruptcy, that he had actually drained the reaouroea of the Bank far beyond Ita capital, and that the money BO' procured waa unproduotlvely invested. For a time, indeed, he must have been absolute matter of the bank and all Its belongings, The crash sent him once more into comparative obscurity, and he again set himself to the buslneaa In whioh he was engaged m hla you'h — namely, that of selling milk. Even In the zmlth of his commercial greatness he Bpent muoh time, trouble, and money over the teaohlng of Sabbath schools and other methods of social Improvement. He waß, m short, a aeries of contradictions, and hia death at the Norses' Home, near the Infirmary, was a touching end to a ohequered oareer. "