The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1879.

Kumara Times, Issue 731, 1 February 1879, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1879.

The ehtertainmpnt aid-of- the 'funds! °f tlm local Hospital at the Thpatije.Royal last evening was,! in.-, every senap. -of -thei A grand its terminati m, dancing commenced and was kept up with great vigour.until the small hours <jf the morning. |A. fuller notice of the concert will appear in Monday’s issue. A very narrow escape from a serious, if not fatal, fire, occurred in the Main street last evening. It appears that the mother of a family living there had occasion to leave the house- to procure some goods in town, and that she left her three children in bed and a tire in another room. Shortly after, a neighbour observed smoke issuing froiii the house, and on rushing in he found the children 'nearly suffocated and the place in flames. Fortunately water was at hand, and, being judiciously used, at once subdued tae flames and averted all further danger. The train from Greymouth this morning brought between thirty and forty Maoris as passengers, who quickly availed themselves of the various coaches in waiting, and at once proceeded to the Arahura where to-morrow the Rev. Mr Stack will hold divine service in the church erected on their settlement.

The first meeting of the local School Committee will be held this at 8 o’clock punctually at the State School, when a chairman will be elected for the ensuing year.

A case of most unconscious and unintentional appropriation occurred during the concert last evening, by which one gentleman was deprived of - his chronometer, and another became its unknowing possessor. The latter, in rising to leave his seat, caught with one of the buttons of his coat the chain attached to his next neighbour’s timepiece, and walked away with it dangling about in the most conspicuous manner until his attention was drawn to the fact, when it w r as immediately restored to the owner.

A ballet girl was nearly burned to death at the Academy of Music Melbourne, on the 14th January. A portrait of Shakespeare on a panel dated 1611 has been found in Sydney. A similar painting dated 1610 has also been been found in Melbourne.

An American journal states that there is a large and increasing English colony in Virginia, and that that State is not unlikely to get in time as much of the English country gentleman stock as she had two centuries ago. Both the Canadian and South Australian Governments have signified their willingness to take a large number of the agricultural labourers who are at present locked out or on strike in Kent. Canada has offered to place 500 families upon 5000 acres of ground.

Continued complaints reach England of the action of the Gape authorities in referto those who are enrolled in the Frontier Police. It appears that they joined for three years a civil force, and it is alleged that a large number, who decline to sign an agreement for six years in the new mounted Rifle Corps, are imprisoned, and treated in the harshest possible - way. Several of the papers have taken up the matter very warmly.

There died recently, in London, Gapt. George Graham Duff, R.N., from the effects of wounds received at the storming of the Gate Pah (North Island, N.Z.) in April, 1804, at which time he was senior and gunnery lieutenant on board the Esk. He was promoted the same day to the command of the Curagoa," being one of the few naval officers who have been promoted for service in the field. His last service afloat was in command of H.M.S, Cruiser, in the Mediterranean, which he quitted in December, 1870. The deceased officer was a nephew of Mr H. P. Welch, of Melbourne.

A correspondent of the Londoit Standard gives an account of the fruits of Afghanistan, which recalls to mind the report of the Israelitish spies on the return from the brook of Eschol. He says : “The fruit all .along the line of march is cheap, and in great quantity. As for its quality, I have never seen it equalled in any country of the world. There is one kind of grape of which it is m i exaggeration to say that eacli one is the size of a large walnut, and the bunches are often so long that a tall man cannot hold them clear of the ground. For miraculous cures by the use of Eucalypti Extract, read fourth page.— [Anvr.] Mr W. Willway having sold his plant and interest in the Dyeing Business to Ukjohn (who has become practicality acquainted with the trade), begs to solicit‘Die kind patronage hitherto afforded him t<A liig .• successor.—Mrs Upjohn announces she is prepared to clean and dye hats, feathery, gloves, &c., in the best style, ■ "N.,8.. —Gentlemen’s clothes cleaned, dyed, pressed, and repaired on the premises.—AdVt. ,