The Kumara Times. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, MAY 8, 1877.

Kumara Times, Issue 185, 8 May 1877, Page 2

The Kumara Times. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, MAY 8, 1877.

TttE proverb says “ Experience teaches fools.” Without going so for as to argue from this that the inhabitants of. Eutnara should learn by experience, we would venture to remind them, that it is not the pari of wise men to overlook the lessons, which passing events teach. They cannot complain that these lessons Lave been few, or that individually they were too difficult for them to understand, at least in the matter of fire, Besides the numerous narrow escapes from bursting or upsetting of lamps, from chimneys catching fire, and from the thousand and one accidents which are familiar to householders with families, there has been the total destruction of Stanton’s Hotel at the Loopliuc, ’and now our columns record a similar catastrophe in our Main Street, In all this there has been a gradual increase in the urgency of the warning, which Would appear almost to be carefully calculated. Serious as has been this last warning, no one will pretend that it al all approaches in destructiveness what may, perhaps very soon, be ' the fate of Kumara. Had the fire of last night broken out at the junction of Seddonstreet with Main-street, it is impossible to say how much or how little of the township would now bo standing* Even bad there been a high wind last night, blowing in the direction of the town, and had there been no rain, it is very certain that the loss wo should now have to chronicle would be much heavier than it is. Without water, without appliances, without a Fire Brigade, Kutnara offers itself a helpless. victim when it shall please some incendiary or even somo drunken or careless fellow to throw a lighted match where it can ignite some combustible material* Our telegrams yesterday recorded the narrow escape from serious fire, of the Insurance Buildings at Auckland, the cause of such fire being attributed to what we have just alluded to—the throwing down of a lighted match. Surely, now at least, the people of Kumara will awake to the danger of their position. They will set about the necessary preparations for fighting the foe, which must otherwise bring upon themselves and their families total ruin. They will at once organise, a Fire Brigade, which in its turn will obtain and work the necessary appliances, and they will take steps to supply the town with water. As for a Fire Brigade, the admirable conduct of those men who, last night, succeeded in confining the ravages of the fire to its comparatively circumscribed limits, proves that*there are to be found here plenty of men, made of the right stuff for it. These men, indeed we are t»ld, are many of them ex-members of Brigades at Hokitika and Greymouth. In their bands any appliances would be made the best use of. As for a water supply only as We published yesterday, there is a company here which professes that amongst the objects of its existence is the one of supplying Kumara with water. We haye then the materials for an effective Fire Brigade, those materials have only to be organised. organisation be left until the total destruction of Kumaia by fire reu Urs it/uu , itiajn.uw 1 < ■

His Lordship with the llev Mr Gilbert, this at 10 The paeoting of the 8 o’clock: is of the

and not of the Court Concord, as mentioned in a “ local” yesterday. There is as yet no confirmation of the report of nine Ounces being got from the bottom, on the terrace near Hoularhan's. . .

The quarterly meeting of the Licensing Court, for the District of Waimea, will be held at the Court House Stafford on the Sth-June next. All applications must be lodged in duplicate with tho clerk of the court on or before Monday next the 14th inst,

Mr W. Tremble, S.D.G.W.C.T. of tin I.O.GJX will deliver aJeeture on Temperance to-morrow evening, at tho Public Hall, Main Road. The chair will be taken at 8 o’clock. There will be no charge for admission. The Arahura Road Board is to meet to-morrow evening at 7 o’clock. It has at length been definitely determined that the Post and Telegraph Offices shall be erected in the Main Road.

Alexander M‘Lebd, who was injured last week by a boulder falling upon his leg, is progressing favorably in the local Hospital ward. An encounter took place last night in Seddon-street between two men--George Martin and Michael Mulligan -“■which resulted in the lest being locked up on a charge of. assault and unlawfully wounding, and the first re=ceiving some half-dosen severe cuts upon his head, inflicted with a pick handle. As the particulars of .the case will be deposed to, upon oath, at the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, we hold over any further account for tho present. The discovery of a deposit of rich auriferous wash at Doctor's Point, eight miles below Alexandra, Otago, is causing some attention. The discoverers, ,w,ith Very rude appliances, in three weeks obtained nearly £IOO worth of gold, equal to £ls per week per man, and they have made larger finds since. ;

Bishop Moran had a narrow escape from a serious accident whilst travelling on the Manhherikia plains. Tlve horses started off and ran into a wire fence, but beyond a severe shaking and light bruises no injuries were received.

The Inangahua Herald- states that tlie Wardens’ Conference at Wrll.ngton has decided to grant the Wardens, an allowance of wf|Bo per annum eaeh ; for forage and travelling expenses. i It is rumored that: Mr David Proud foot, the contractor/ is about to marry the eldest.daughterof-Mr MacawdreW,. The imported, d.qqkeyp .at,,.Wellington were bought: In »V je2<l by Sir'.Cragroft Wilson. , , v .: ,bThe Good Templars.have created a new department la their grand Lodge of New Zealand. This is the department of GrandPolitical Councillor, Mr J. M- Morris of Nelson'ls the first holder of the office. Who would believe that the fashioji of a lady’s dress 860 8.0/, was very 'ninth the same as it is now, A.D. 1877 j But here is the evidence from ■ Hesiod (“ Works and Days,.”-Part 1.): Iq. his counsels on marriage he says

“ Let no fair woman -tempt thy sliding mind-, - With garments gathered In a knot behind,” . "