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Kumara Times, Issue 1059, 21 February 1880, Page 2

It will in all probability be some time beforerwe:peceiyejfa j Visit from the Hon. the Minister of Public works in this district, as the following telegram, received by the Town Olerk this morning, evidently conveys that impression :*— "I am sorry to say that I could not get through with my work here in time for the coach this morning, so have been obliged to defer visiting West Coast for a little. Shall probably come by sea from Wellington.—R. Oliver.'"'

There are no passengers, but three bags of mails for Kumara on the Cliristchurch coach due here this afternoon.

We acknowledge the receipt of a well compiled pamphlet entitled the "Crown Lands Guide" from "Hie Government printer, published under the authority of the Horn the Minister of Lands. The pamphlet in question contain to, large amount of general information as to the nature of th« Crown Lands of the colony generally and the conditions undor which they may be obtained.

We deeply regret to record the death of James Findlay Scott, who was well known in this district for his unassuming and genial nature, and who as a young matt has gained the esteem and goodwill of all those with whom he was brought in contact. Like many others who believe " that distance lends enchantment to the view" he disposed of a good claim here to proceed to the reported new goldfield in Tasmania, where within a few months of his arrival he fell a victim to one of the many accidents that are so prevalent in mining—a fall of earth, by which he met the untimely end he has so often witnessed on this goldfield occur to others.

Mr Moss defeated the Rev. Mr Scott last evening in his final chess tournament game, which makes Mr Ball \ a game ahead of Mr Scott, the scores being— Petrie, 24; Ball,/22£; Scott, 22. Mr M. Bell is the only competitor who can now possibly tie Mr Scott with a scpr_e of 22, and he must win all the 10 or 11 games he has to play to do this, failing which, or even drawing one, Mr Scott will take third prize.

The attention of those who through their dental appendages being ilia defective state suffer excruciating pain is directed to the fact that Mr Williams of Hokitika, has now arrived in this town, and may be consulted on ,the premises formerly occupied by Messrs Cumming and Co., in Seddon street, for a few days, in matters appertaining to dentistry in all its branches.

A drunken woman fell from a bridge into a stream near New Plymouth, the approaches to which were not properly protected. She was drowned, and her husband, feeling her loss, wants to be compensated by the New Plymouth Borough Council. The bridge was a private one, leading to a hotel, nevertheless we (Mail) should like to hear of his obtaining ft verdict if it were only for the sake of ascertaining what value a jury would place upon a drunken wife.

MrMaginnity has been again on the War path. In the recent changes which took place in the Telegraph Department, not one of the strikers received promotion, which was punishment severe enough to some of the men. But it has been supplemented by fines. The Napier operators wore fined £1 each, and those of Wellington and Oamaru similarly in 10s j as for the Blenheim operators they

have been mulcted in a total of £l6O, and those of Dunedin in £7O. Some of the men in the Blenheim office, instead of receiving pay, -will be in debt to the department, the accounts being made somewhat like those between Captain Murphy (of the Minister of Marine) and his recalcitrant crew. Formerly the mileage charge for delivery was given to the message lads as a perquisite, but it is now to be swept into the coffers of the department. A correspondent of the Hawkes Bay Herald suggests that the- comet is Winneke*s : It was last seen in 1875, and is due every 5i years. The following choice titbit is from the speech of that modest young man the member for Buller, Mr J. B. Fisher, to his Charlstoft constituents. Speaking of the Four-mile Water Rade he said :—He had asked the Minister for Public Works if he would accept the Committee's recommendation without debate, but the Minister said that he would oppose him ; he then was forced to put the matter to the Hduse and was successful as they were no doubt aware; afterwards he had to get the House to agree to the adoption Of this report which it did in spite of the opposition of Government; After he had thoroughly succeeded he had been personally congratulated by Sir. G. Grey, who thought his party ought have played " See' the Conquering hero comes" as being the only man during the session who had carried such an intricate motion through all its stages in spite of all the tactics which the Government had displayed against him.

The finest trout of the season Was taken on Monday evenings at Christchurch, between the Colombo and Victoria street bridges, by Mr J. Piper; The fish—a female one—was a perfect picture in shape, and most beautifully marked) it was also in splendid condition, and weighed fully 24jlb. The fish was taken with a phantom minnow, and gave its fortunate captor an exciting half hour's sport before he got it safely landed. The European Mail says—?'The rapid passage of the Orient will no doubt lead to the construction of many more vessels of its class to ply between the country and Australia. The distance from Ply' mouth to Adelaide by the Cape being about 12)000 nautical miles, the Orient, to have accomplished the voyage in thirtyseven days and twenty-two hours, must have maintained an average speed for the whole voyage of over fourteen knots per hour, a performance) having .regard to the great distance) unequalled in the annals of steam navigation. 1 ' My dear old friend PlattS) late of Sandridge, has suffered a shocking blow lately (says "Atticiis" in the Melbourne Leader). His, congregation resolved to get rid of the reverend gentlemen at all hazards, and so they subscribed a sum Of money to "pay him out." The day of presentation arrived, and a large number of citizens waited upon the good man to make their donation, Among them was a gentlemanly man with an acquiline nose and a dewy lip, who got particularly hear the table. With a broken voice and in deep emotion Platts acknowledged .the gift and' took the bag of sovereigns into his venerable hands. No sooner hail he enfeoffed himself of the cash the.;gentlemanly man was down upon it like an eagle, and whisking a—" Victoria by the Grace of God "—in the holy man's face, departed with his acquiline nose be? striding a huge smile. _ He was a bailiff'! i

A telegram by the mail says that a private letter from a British soldier at Cabul states that one of Yakoob Ithan's generals told Sir Frederick Roberts the Khan himself signed the death warrants of the Embassy, and ordered the bodies of the murdered men to be dragged through the streets. The same letter reiterates the statement £BO,OOO worth of Russian gold has been found in Cabul.

At the great banquet at New York in honor of Mr Potter, M.P., Mr Evarts, who presided, proposed a toast to Mr John Bright—"the first public man in England." Mr Evarts dwelt with emphasis upon the title of "Mr," which was common to both England and America, and was applied to the most eminent men in both countries. "I might," said Mr Ewarts, "have carried my illustration back 100 years, and called the Englishman's attention to Mr Pitt, Mr Fox and Mr Sheridan as great men who had borne the .simple title. I now give you the toast—' John Bright, the great Commoner of England ; our friend and the world's friend—-a lover of justice, a lover of liberty, and a lover of all mankind.'— (Loud cheering.) We send by our guest a message to his great countryman to assure him of the love and gratitude of forty millions of people, and to prefer this singje request, that he would not die until he has seen America," (Loud cheers.)