The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1879.

Kumara Times, Issue 990, 2 December 1879, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1879.

The Hospital Committee will hold thenusual fortnightly meeting at the Secretary’s office this evening. There was a good attendance at the Theatre Royal last evening on the occasion of the Rev. D. Bruce, of Auckland, delivering a lecture on “ Stonewall Jackson” the well-known American General. The chair was occupied by the Rev. W. West, and the lecturer, who was well received, very minutely traced the life of the hero of his lecture from his early days until his death, pointing ont the chief features that characterised the life of this celebrated general in that period. During the evening the popular and spirited American war sdng was rendered with good effect, the solo being sung by Mr T. Muirhead, and the chorus by a number of local vocalists who had kindly given their services on the occasion. A vote of thanks to the reverend lecturer terminated a very pleasant evening’s intellectual enjoyment. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning, before E. Barff) Esq., J.P., Walter Willians and Edw-ard Mhirphy were each fined 10s, or 24 hours’ imprisonment, for drunkenness. The Claud Hamilton is dud at Nelson to-morrow, leaving there the same day for Hokitika, where she is expected to arrive on Thursday at one o’clock ; she will then take her departure for Melbourne via Newcastle. This trip tickets will be issued at reduced fares by the Claud Hamilton, according to advertisement. From a private letter received by the last mail from Melbourne we learn that Matthew Price, Esq,, the late Warden of this district has undergone a second operation to benefit his eyesight, but at the time the mail'left the effects of the operation if beneficial or otherwise, had not then been ascertained. In giving the names yesterday of those players who had accepted the handicap in the chess tournament, we omitted Messrs Smart and Barnett. Three other competitors paid their acceptance last night, viz., Messrs Gill, Morgan, and Matheson. This makes the total number of acceptors 27, out of 31, which doubtless will be very gratifying to the handicappevs. The rules for the general conduct of the tournament are to be submitted to a general meeting of the competitors this evening, at Rugg’s Hotel, and then We may expect to see the players commence in earnest to contest for the three premier positions. We noticed the room of the Kumara Literary Institute (which has been kindly sanctioned by the Committee as the rendezvous for play) had a more than usual lively appearance last night, and five games are already recorded. The annual musketry instruction of the local Rifles will be proceeded with at the Adelphi Hall, this evening, as it is compulsory on every member to complete a certain number of practices before he can commence his class-firing, or draw the 100 rounds of ammunition, to which he is entitled gratis should he attend the musketry instruction class. A largo and influential committee has been organised in Greymouth for the purpose of raising a fund to be called “ The Broad Miners Memorial Fund,” the total amount of which, when x-ealised, is to be handed over to the bereaved widow and children of the late lamented Warden of this district, as a mark of the great inspect in which Mr Broad was held by the community generally. The subscriptions are limited to 2s 6d each, so as to allow all to contribute equally. Although the late Mr Broad was not long in charge of this district officially, he had manv old

and warm friends here who had known him for years in other parts of tins and the adjacent colonies, and we would suggest that a committee might be formed on this goldfield for a similar purpose to work in unison with oiir Cjreymouth neighbours md thereby largely augment “ The Broad Miners Memorial Fund.”The Inangahua Times learns from a telegram received that Vaughan returns immediately to the West Coast from Auckland, O’Connor’s backers not having come forward with the money to decide which is the better man over a mile. A new political party lias been formed calling themselves “ The Young New Zealand party.” It is neither to include any Minister nor ex-Miniator, nor any rats, nor those who have been guilty of any dishonourable . political conduct. They have pledged themselves to vote en bloc, but will refrain from talcing any action until next session. The following members have definitely joined the party : Messrs George, Hamlin, Harris, London, M‘Donald, Speight, Levin, Fisher, Reeves, Allwright, Andrews, Turnbull, Reid, Seddon, Brown, Finn, Hislop, Ireland, Shanks, and Shrimski. The bravery of Lieutenant Hamilton at Cabul deserved (says a home paper) to be recorded by the side of Chard, Drumhead, and Melville. They say that the gallant officer fought like a young tiger in defence of the British Residency. He is a modern Horatius Coccles, who stood alone against an overwhelming host. He made throe distinct charges at the head of the suite upon the fatal gitrt that was being fired upon the residency by the insurgents, and on each charge he slesv several men with his own hand. “ When all his glory fade 1 Oh ! the wild charge lie made.” At the third charge so temfic was the impetus of this boy’s attack that he actually succeeded in silencing the gun single-handed. But there was no honor among the thieves this time. The Afghans all directed their pieces at him alone. They fired, and the young officer fell down dead across the gun. As Jcftray Browse said, in his poem called “Bringing up the Guns,” “But Oh ; ’twas a glorious death to die ! ”