The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1878.

Kumara Times, Issue 645, 22 October 1878, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1878.

We understand that the prospecting party sent out by the Association have found that the last shaft they were engaged on is similar to the others, and, in accordance with a resolution passed at the last meeting of the Committee, the men have been instructed to prospect the country between Larrikin's and the Christchurch road. They shifted camp from the scene of their late operations yesterday, and should the weather prove favorable, they will commence prospecting in the new direction immediately. The Waipara, from Greymouth to Hokitika, was the only boat to cross the bars yesterday. The usual weekly parade of the local Rifles will be held in the Public Hall this evening, at eight o'clock.

By the Counties Act, 1876, a general election of members of the Westland County Council will be held on the 13th day of November proximo. As the new roll came into force on the Ist clay of July last, and an election took place shortly, after, it was not reasonable to suppose printed copies could be obtained on that date, but now that a general election is to take place, it is highly desirable that a printed copy of the roll should be obtainable, or open to public inspection, within this district. We commend the matter to the attention of the County Clerk, who will no doubt take the necessary step 3 to remedy this defect, as although the Act only provides that the roll shall be open for public inspection from the 20th April to the 15th May in each year, the electors should at the same time be enabled to obtain copies. The Concert for the establishment of a Library in connection with the Literary Institute, which takes place on the 31st inst., should, from the very attractive programme presented, prove'a thorough success. The want of a good library'in this town has been a matter that has beon felt by all classes of the community, and it is to be hoped that now the opportunity offers of carrying this desirable object into effect, the public will take advantage of it and by their presence at the concert materially augment the funds of the Society in aid tueruof. One of those amusing little incidents that sometimes occur in the best-reg dated families took plaoe yesterday, much to the disgust of a well-known, tioig.i particularly heirless, Jehu of this town, who, in company with ius passengers, allied at a road-side inn to refresh the inner man.

One of the party, on entering, immediately espied on a back shelf his especial •weakness, an egg, and knowing that the landlord possessed a well-stocked poultry yard, a visit was made in that direction, in the hope of obtaining a supply. Eggs, however, of a bona fide nature there were none, but a china dummy, found in one of the nests, was quietly appropriated and a return made to the bar. Watching his opportunity, the aforesaid individual rang the changes on the two eggs without detection, and, at once used the real simon pure to concoct a refresher. Jehu, who stood by- with wistful eyes, essayed to improve his liquor also by an egg combination, and proceeded to carry out his intention by surreptitiously obtaining the remaining egg from the back shelf. Standing in front of the bar, he commenced operations by attempting to break the egg on the edge of the glass ; a clinking was heardffei-: a few moments, followed by the fMshing of the tumbler. Jehu gave one look at the artidcial egg, saw he had been duped, and, amidst the the hearty laughter of the passengers, lie resumed his seat and the ribbons, with intense disgust clearly depicted on his countenance. It is calculated that upwards of 20,000 persons are killed every year in India by serpent-bites. The amount of British capital invested in various ways in the United States and American securities of all descriptions is roughly estimated at no leas than 700,000,000 sterling, or not far short of the entire National Debt; As many as 150 trains and engines run in and out of Cannon Street Station London in the two busiest hours of the morning, and as many during two hours in the afternoon. That is 75 to the hour, or one in fortyeight seconds, on an average ! The accuracy of the Russian marksmen was tragically illustrated one day during the siege of Sebastopol. "Through one of the sand-bag loopholes —in the trenches—a British private had been firing with, as he fancied, but indifferent success, and therefore took a sergeant into consultation ; the latter was judging the distance, and looking through the loophole, while the private, much interested, looked over the sergeant's shoulder. Nothing could be seen of these two men above the parapet, except, perhaps, the moving of the top of their forage caps, but so judicious was the judgment, and so excellent the aim of a Russian rifleman, that a rifle shot entered the loophole, passed through the head of the sergeant afld the private, killing both men. As the small loophole was scarcely visible, such a. shot could only have been made by the marksman calculating where the face was from the slight circumstance of a cap being observed an inch "or two over the parapet, breaking the regularity of the line of defence."

For miraculous cures by .the. use of Eucalypti Extract, read fourth pace.— [Advt.] °