The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1880.

Kumara Times, Issue 1051, 13 February 1880, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1880.

There was a large attendance at the Theatre Royal last evening on the occasion of an entertainment in aid of the funds of the Hospital, the house being crowded in every part. The programme, which was a long and varied one, afforded general amusement and satisfaction, as shown by the fact that nearly every performer had to reappear in response to an encore. As we have already referred to the performances of the Gaiety Variety Troupe on previous occasions,, we need only add that last evening they appeared to better advantage than we have yet seen them. The amateurs who kindly assisted on the occasion, Messrs Williams, Pollock, and Taylor, received hearty recognition at the hands of the audience. During one of the intervals, Mr Blake, on behalf of the Hospital, Committee, thanked those present for their attendance, and also the Gaiety Variety Troupe, amateurs, and Band for their kindness in rendering their services on the occasion. The firing for the selection of a member to represent the local Rifle Contingent at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rifle Association, which will be held in Nelson on the Ist proximo, will take place on the rifle range to-morrow. The condi-

tions are—Seven shots at 200, 500, and 600 yards ; Wimbledon targets and scoring. The first squad will fire at 6 a.m., and the second at 2 p.m. The Hewetts will reappear at the Theatre Royal to-morrow evening, when all lovers of really good music should embrace this opportunity of hearing these talented musical artists, as this will be the only night they will remain in Kumara. An unfortunate occurrence, though not likely to result in any permanent injury, happened to little boy, a son of Mr Hanna, of the Victoria Hotel, Seddon street, yesterday afternoon. It appears that Mrs Hanna had left a large boiler of hot water in the yard where the children were playing, she having been engaged in a day’s washing, when one of the children jostling the other, the little boy fell backward into the boiler. The child’s cries at once attracted the mother’s attention, and medical assistance having been obtained it was found that the child was badly scalded on the lower part of his body. From inquiries to-day we learn the child is progressing favorably, although still suffering great pain. By a notification that appears in another column it will be seen that Mrs S. M. Spiers intends opening should she obtain sufficient pupils, a class for instruction in fancy needlework of all tiqns. , From inquiries we learn that .Mrs Spiers intends, to hold the class at the termination of the usual school hours and thus afford children the opportunity of receiving instruction in a branch of household industry that will be a valuable acquisition to them in future years. A post office notice, signed by the Chief Postmaster of Greymouth, that appears in this day’s Argus informs us that “ A correspondence has been discovered proving an alliance between the .German Socialists and Russian Nihilists. The Czar says he has handed over the administration of internal affairs to the Czarewitch, retaining the control of the Foreign policy. Ten thousand miners are on strike in Belgium.”’ What this information has to do with the mail service we fail to comprehend, although probably the Argus is in the secret. A,remarkable discovery has been made near Mongonui, near Cape Karaykara. On some sandhills being blown away by the recent gales a great heap of bones and the remains of a house were uncovered. The Natives know nothing of it, and have no memory of a settlement or building at the place. It it believed that f urther examination will show that they are the remains of a race inhabiting New Zealand prior to the immigration of the Maoris. According to to the law as it at present stands, when any person shall arrive in New Zealand} being either lunatic, idiotic, deaf, dumb, blind, or infirm, and likely to become a charge upon the public, or upon any public or charitable institution, the owner, charterer, or master of the ship by which such person arrives is required within fourteen days after her ararrival to execute, with two sufficient sureties, jointly and severly, a bond to Her Majesty in the sum of £IOO for every such person, conditioned to pay to the Colonial Treasurer all moneys or expenses which shall or may be laid out or incurred within the space of five years from the execution os the said bond for the maintenance or support of such person ; and the sureties must produce satisfactory evidence of their being respectively residents in New Zealand, and each worth treble the amount of the’ penalty of such bond over and above all their liabilities. The telegraph wire is equal to wondrous vagaries, we all know; but it has attained its extreme expression of eccentricity at last. The following sentence was despatched from Winchester in Lord Carnarvon’s spoken essay on sermons at the Diocesan Conference :—“ The worstpaid country curate is expected to preach twice on Sunday with the persuasiveness of a journeyman tailor and the eloquence' of a barrow.” For “ journeyman tailor ” read “Jeremy Taylor,” and initial “barrow with a capital B, and all is right. What a difference ! On December sth Mr Cavendish Bentinck, a lieutenant of the Coldstream Guards, possessed but £3OO a-year in addition to his regimental pay. . He is now, by the death of his second cousin (the Duke of Portland), the possessor of more than £300,000 in hard cash, and enjoys a rent-toll of £150,000 a-year from the ducal county estates. The London property is even more valuable, and its value will increase, for the leases are about to fall in and the opportunity will then of course, be taken to raise the ground rents. The deceased duke, who was aged eighty, was very ec-

centric. He liked, as far as possible, to be invisible. .The grounds of Walbeck Abbey, were undermined with passages, well-paved and lighted, in which he used to walk. He had constructed an enormous subterranean -riding-school and library at immense coat. His vineries and conservatories were some of the fittest in the worldi Altogether it is computed that he spent not less than a quarter of a millioii Itt the Walbeck works* A Berlin genitta has invented an instrument for turning over the leaves of music. The Berlin man is a presumptions meddler. If his machine should come into general use what disposition could be made of the average young man in high shirt collar and hair parted in the middle who at evening social gatherings stands up at the end of the piano and turns over the music for the lady performer? He appears fit for no other purpose under the sun—or moon either. An annual meeting of a Newcastle trade society was held some time ago, and the treasurer, in reading out the financial statement, after detailing the various items, gave the total income and expenditure, “which left,” he said, a “debit balance of £3o.”—“Hear, hear; hear, hear roared one of the members. “I see no occasion to shout “ ‘hear, hear,’” said the treasurer; -“the balance is on the wrong side of the book.” • “No matter,” retortedHthe other; this society’s -•hadrso mony fight hygen that it’s a wonder it hes a balance at aall.” , 4 Never use slang words. It may not always be agreeable. “How do you like my boots,'' love ?” exclaimed a youthful bride. “Oh, they’re immense,” replied the partner of her joys, and she had the first matrimonial fainting away as the result.