The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1879.

Kumara Times, Issue 901, 20 August 1879, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1879.

The Christchurch coach passed the Bealy at the usual hour this morning, with four bags of mails but no passengers for Kumara. It will arrive in town about five o’clock this evening. Mr Edward Barff, one of the late representatives of this district in Parliament notifies in another columns that he intends again seeking the suffrages of this electorate with a view re-election.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Hospital Committee was held at the Secretary’s office last evening. Present Messrs M'Kenzio (chair), Everett, Agnew, Pearn, Garquillo, Mansfield and Pollock. A letter from Mr Bamett offering to supply all medicines and drugs not mentioned in his tender at 20 per cent, on cost price was received, and the offer accepted. Tenders were authorised to be called for the supply of firewood to the Hospital. The sum of £25 17s 6d was passed for payment being the amount of balance due for instruments ordered for the use of the institution. It was resolved to hold a meeting of delegates from the various freindly societies on the 3rd proximo relative to the election of a surgeon, and the meeting then adjourned.

Tenders are invited for supplying 25 cords of firewood to the local Hospital. Tenders close at the Secretary’s office on Monday next. A Telegraph Station is now open at Newton, County of Eden. Between twenty and thirty gentlemen assembled at Gilbert Stewart’s Hotel last evening, for the purpose of entertaining Mr H Cornfoot at a farewell supper, previous to his departure for Wanganui. Mr H Cuming occupied the chair, with Mr Connell as vice chairman. Letters from his Worship the Mayor, and R. J. Seddon Esq, were read expressing their regret that through public business they were unable to attend on the occasion. After the usual loyal toast had been given and responded to the Chairman proposed the “guest of the evening” and in so doing spoke of the high estimation in which Mr Cornfoot has heW by all classes of the community, and in referring to his career as a citizen of the town said Mr Cornfoot had by his straight forward conduct merited the approval with which all his actions had been regarded by the burgesses. The toast, which was drunk with musical honours, was responded to by the guest of the evening in a most feeling manner ; as he himself expressed it, “it was a meeting of pleasure in one sense but of pain in another, inasmuch as he was leaving some of his oldest friends.” The remainder of the evening was spent in the most convivial manner songs, toasts, and recitations following one another in quick succession the singing of old Auld Lang Syne and the wishing “ God speed” to the departing guest bringing to a close a most agreeable meeting of friends and acquantances. The tables which abounded with all the choicest delicacies reflected the greatest credit on the caterer Mr Gilbert Stewart.

Hokitika can see nothing good in anything emanating outside that township, and is quite willing to sacrifice the best interests of an entire district in the pursuit of an imaginary gain to itself, as will be seen from the following report of the Railway Deviation meeting, given in today’s West Coast Times :—“ A crowded public meeting was held at the Town Hail last evening, to consider the advisability of deviating the Hokitika-Grey railway via Stafford, Goldsborongh, and Kumara. The Mayor was voted to the chair. Mr Purkiss moved and the Mayor of Kumara (Mr Blake) seconded, “ That, in the opinion of this meeting, it is highly desirable and would conduce to the welfare of Hokitika and the West Coast generally if the Greymouth and Hokitika Railway was so deviated as to include the towns of Stafford, Goldsborongh and Kumara.” To this Mr Kenny moved, and Mr Daley seconded an amendment, but at the end of a long meeting withdrew it and accepted another compiled by Mr Bonar, to the following effect:—“That in the opinion of this meeting, it is advisable that railway communication should be established between Hokitika and the mining districts of Kumara, Stafford, and Goldsborongh ; and that if this can he carried out by a deviation of the present Hokitika and Greymouth line wiiUout additional cost, or at a small additional cost, and without increasing the cost of carriage of coal from the Brunner mines to the shipping port of Hokitika, it is ad visa r'a.Mir'

this, that a branch line of railway should be constructed.” The amendment was put and lost by a large majority, but the Chairman decided that it was only lost by one hand. The motion was then put and declared carried amid some confusion but the voting seemed equal After votes of thanks to Messrs Blake, Seddon, and Sandle, and the Chairman, the meeting terminated at eleven o’clock.”

In another column appears the address of Mr E. Masters, one of the candidates for the representative of the Grey "Valley electoral district. The Queen has conferred the Albert Medal of the second class on Captain E. B. Thornburgh Cropper, of the West Kent Militia. The following an account of the services in respect of which the decoration has been conferred :—At 11 a.m. on August 6, 1878, as the steamship Idaho, belonging to the Pacific Coast Steamship Company, was in the act of crossing the bar of Sanfrancisco Bay, outward bound, about two miles from the shore, Thomas Nolan, a coloured waiter, threw himself overboard. Immediately there was a cry of “a man overboard,” and Captain Cropper, a passenger, without a moment’s hesitation, threw off his coat and waistcoat, rushed to the stern, and jumped overboard. Although Captain Cropper made a most gallant and determined attempt to reach the drowning man, Nolamsank before he was reached. Captain Cropper was subsequently picked up by the steamer’s lifeboat, after being in the water 25 minutes. The steamship was going eight knots at the time, and there was high sea running, with a westerly wind.

A volume which has been issued, entitled “Selections from the Correspondence of the late Macvey Napier,” contains the following letter from Lord Brougham, dated Knowsley, September 16th, 1830 ; “My dear Professor—l have come to Liverpool only to see a tragedy. Poor Huskisson is either dead or must die before to-morrow. He has been killed by a steam carriage. The folly of 700 people going 15 miles, an hour in carriages exceeds belief. But they have paid a dear

price.” A return has been laid on the table of the House of Representatives showing the quantities of timber and flour inported into the Colony during each of the last two financial years. It appears that in the ydar ending 30th June, 1878, the importations were as follow : —Sawn timber, 4,577,440 feet; flour, 4973 tons. During the year endeth 30th June, 1879, the quantity of sawn timber imported was 7,703,367 feet, and 2986 tons of flour had been brought into the Colony.