The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1879.

Kumara Times, Issue 897, 15 August 1879, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1879.

Some excitement wag caused in town last evening by the report that gold had been struck in two more claims at the new rush, Westbrook. From enquiries we learn that the rumor has a substantial foundation, as two of the tunnel claims, which have been driven to intersect the lead if possible, struck good payable gold yesterday afternoon. As this rush will probably eventuate in the opening of a large goldfield, it is to be hoped that the Grey County Council will take steps to construct a track from the Greenstone Creek to "Fireball Jack's," communication at the present time being only effected at great risk and under the most disagreeable circumstances, A sale of Crown Lands will be held at the Lands Office, Hokitika, on the 17th proximo, when sections 38 and 39, containing respectively 20 and 18 perches, in the town of Pounamu, will be submitted to public auction. The upset price of the first-named section is £4 7s. 6d., and the latter £3 18s. 9d. The Chess Congress, to take place in Christchurch on the 19th inst., is likely to last for about three weeks. Representatives from Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago, and the West Coast will compete for the coverted honours. Mr Charles Janion, of this office, left by the Christchurch coach this morning, as the representative of the coast, and from his previous performances in the kingly game, there is great probability that the laurels may yet adorn our local champion. A public meeting has been convened at Hokitika, on Wednesday next, by the Mayor, at the request of the Mayor of this Borough, to consider the advantages of making a deviation of the Hokitika and Greymouth Railway, between the Arahura and Teremakau Rivers, so as to connect Kumara, Goldsborough, and Stafford, with Hokitika and Greymouth by rail. We are requested to state that the farewell banquet to Mr Cornfoot, which was to have been tendered him by his numerous friends this evening, is unavoidably postponed, in consequence of Mr Cornfoot being attacked with sudden, though we trust, not serious illness. A London paper says the iNihlists have just had a medal struck, bearing mi om: fcide the efligy of the C/ar with a revolver pointed at him, and the inscription "Death to Despotism ;" and on the other tiie statue of Liberty distributing bread and salt to the people, with the legend,

'' Everything for Liberty." The medal is executed with great care ; and the grodovi, or police subalterns, who for the most part do not know how to read, themselves diaIributed a large number to the public, believing that it was to commemorate the attack of April 14, and that it was struck by order of the Government. It was not until some time had elapsed that the blunder was discovered. The wife of a miner living at Newcastle has been arrested for changing bank-notes by using Dadble's photography. Trickett and Laycoek are in close training. The betting is sto 4 on Trickett. The report is that there is a difficulty in procuring a suitable boat, the two or three boats available having been secured on behalf of Trickett. Few people know, or have taken the trouble to inquire, what was the value of the commissions of the officers who have lately lately lost their lives in the Zulu war. It will, no doubt, astonish a good many to learn that no less than £13,500 was lost by eight officers of the 24th Regiment alone in the battle of Isandula. The following is from the Normanby correspondence of the "New Zealand Times" :—Report says that another : costly European sacrifice is about to be; offered at the shrine of that great scare, the "noble savage." It appears that the Government accepted a site for a railway station, and the deed of conveyance was read at the auction sale. "Very high prices were obtained for the adjoining land, and now it is said to be necessary to "conciliate the Maoris" by placing the station, offices, &c, on their land, which is positively outside the township. If this was done, it will be costly sacrifice to many Europeans. " Can such things be 1" is a question asked very warmly by many of the residents here. Nothing fresh has transpired with gard to the missing man Gordon. Many parties have now been out; the country for miles has been thoroughly and systematically explored, the Wakanui creek dragged and re-dragged, and the wells in the neighborhood of where the waggon team was found examined, but the disapapearance remains as great a mystery as ever. The matter is still in the hands of the police. A. boat built by Mr H. T. Green, for the Sydney Exhibition is an outrigged sculler's wager skiff. 32ft. long, 12in. beam, deep, built of highly-polished cedar barely £in. thick. The ribs are of New Zealand moko, the best wood known for this class of boat. She is decked with varnished linen, and fitted with sliding seat. The outriggers are of burnished iron made by Mr J. Mann, of Moray Place, Dunedin. The Zurich tribunal was occupied in April last for three clays with a case in which a butcher and innkeeper were charged with the sale of veal from a calf suffering from typhus. The meat was consumed by the members of a choral society, six of whom died, while 643 suffered more or less severly. The innkeeper has been acquitted, but judgment has not yet been given as regards the butcher. About 400 of the sufferers claim damages against him.