The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1878.

Kumara Times, Issue 640, 16 October 1878, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1878.

The Secretary of the Reserves Committee has received the following letter from E. Bai’ff, Esq., M.H.R., relative to the petition forwarded re the Education Reserve ;—“ Wellington, October 7th, 1878. Sir—l beg to inform you that the petition re Education Reserve, Kumara, has been dealt with by the Goldfields Committee and referred to the Government. In answer to my inquiries, I find that, no decision has been arrived at by Mr Stout.—l am, &c., ; Edmund Barpf.” hiive to acknowledge the receipt of the “ Hokitika Harbor Amendment Act,” from Mr.Batff; and the three last numbers Of Hansard and a large number of Parliamentary Papers, from the Government Printer. Telegrmas for the Australian Colonies,, per steamer Alhambra via Bluff, will be received at Kumara Telegraph Station up till 10 a.m. to-morrow (Thursday), 17th instant. By the Suez mail which leaves London to-morrow for Australia, the English cricket team will be passengers. They are —Harris, Homby, Lucas, Webbe, Hone, Maid, Absolam, Boyle, M'Kinnon, Schultz, Emmett, and Ulyett, From a correspondent’s telegram in this morning’s West Coast Times we learn that a fire broke out at Reefton in Corbett’s (baker’s) shop last night at eleven o’clock. The premises burnt are Corbett’s ; Smith, hairdresser; Mrs Williams, fruiterer ; Larchin, bootmaker. The premises gutted were, Richardson’s, tailor, and Daniel O’Connell’s, bootmaker. Forsyth and Masters removed their stock, and the building was saved. The losses are—New Zealand, £BOO ; Imperial, £4OO. 1 Richardson and Forsyth and Masters, only were insured. The Grey River Argus of this morning reports that the fire occurred at If, yesterday morning, and that it originated in a bedroom inUorbett’a house in Broadway, and rapidly spread, but by pulling down one building progress of the fire was stayed, but great exertions were required to prevent the extensive premises of Messrs. Forsyth and Masters being destroyed. As it was, we bellieve a considerable quantity of goods ..has been injured. There was a good muster of the local Rifles last night at the Public Hall, who had a couple of hours sharp company and skirmishing drill. At a meeting after the parade waa over, it was agreed, in conse- 1 quence of the inclement weather last Saturday, that the scores made in the firing on that day should not count, but. that all those who wish to compose the team against Hokitika should compete for places on next and the following Satur-i days, and the ten highest scores registered : on these occasions will constitute the team. A telegram to the St. Petersburg papers states that the Shah has safely arrived at Reshdt after a calm voyage across the Caspian from Baku to Enzeli. He was accompanied by an immense quantity of lugggage, comprising articles he had purchased on his way through Russia. Herr Rietz, - .the Costa of Berlin, waa ai short time back rehearsing the Meister-* singer, one of Wagner’s masterpieces, ■ when, after going through pages and pages' ™ f or noi ® e J 116 reached the song of ■ Walter. He at once stopped the orchestra, with the observation, “Gentlemen, this sounds like music, so there must be something wrong.” ‘ ‘ Chalk Sermons” are the latest novelty ; in America. The preacher is accom- 1 panied in the pulpit by an artist, who illustrates the discourse by sketches inchalk on a large black board fitted up at ■ the side. Counsellor Lamb—an old man at the time Lord Erskine was at the height of his reputation—was a lawyer of timid manners and nervous disposition, and usually prefaced his pleadings with apology to that effect. On one occasion, when opposed to Erskine, he happened to remark that he felt himself growing more and more timid as he grew older. “No wonder,” commented, the witty but relentless barrister ; « every one knows the older a lamb grows the more sheepish he becomes. ”