The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1880.

Kumara Times, Issue 1128, 11 May 1880, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1880.

The Arahura Road Board will hold a meeting at Stafford Town to-morrow, arid now that the Board is properly constituted in having its full compliment of members, it may be expected that the business. In connection therewith will be transacted in future in a manner that will reflect credit on it as a public body and at the same time give satisfaction to the ratepayers generally. Our attention has been directed to the constant practice some persons make who visit the cemetry of leaving the gate open on their departure. The effect of this negligence has been that stray cattle, goats, and other animals thereby obtain access to the ground and destroy not only the plants, but in many instances the fencing, around the graves. As it is impossible for the Borough Council to retain a gate keeper specially for this purpose, we would suggest that the adoption of springs on the gate might meet this difficulty, and also ensure the cemetery being kept free of perambulating animals. Owing to the inclemency of the weather the Oriental Exhibition was not open this afternoon, as the exhibits were not to hand, in consequence of the high flood in the Arahura river. The Eastern proprietors have arrived in town, and immediately the weather is in any way favorable, the exhibition will be ready for public inspection.

A case of short, sweet, and to the purpose occurred at Stafford Town this morning, when a well-known Hokitika auctioneer, who was a passenger by the mail coach, jumped off that vehicle, read the conditions of a sale, sold a section (which realised more thaii the amount estimated), •and was en route by the same coach for this town within the space of five minutes. Tenders are invited for the construction of the deviations in the rda'd between Seddon street, and the approach to the Teremakau bridge. Plans and specifications of the proposed work can be seen at the Public Works Ofiiee hare-.

The following amusing incident, which occurred in a church not one hundred miles from here, is worthy of record. The officiating clergyman intended I'd draw the attention of his congregation to the fact that it being the last Sunday in the month, he would administer the rites of baptism to children; but, just prior to entering the pulpit, one of the church officers (who, by the way, was troubled with deafness) informed the minister that as the children would be present in the evening, he intended issuing the hew books for the Sunday School to those children who desired them. At the termination of the sermon the clergyman said—" All those having children and wishing to have them baptised will bring them this afternoon." At this point the deaf official, hearing indistinctly the word "children" and thinking of hiS books, immediately rose and said—" All those having none and desiring them, will be supplied by me for the sura of one shilling."

There is one more chance for the Knowsiey Hall. H.M.S. Comus visited the Crozets and St. Paul's Islands and found no traces. Since that it is reported by a ship passing Amsterdam Island that lights were seen, and the Admiralty have sent another war ship to investigate the island. It is frequented by seal, and fish is plentiful, but fresh water is scarce.

The Russian journal the " Voice" gives a lamentable account ot the progress of diphtheria in Russia-in-Enrope. It is but thirty years ago that this disease first attracted attention in that empire, and now it Jias become the most formidable of the'maladies ordinarily prevalent. It has spread over seventeen of the fifty European provinces,-and ditring the last six years it has ravaged continuously the southern provinces of Poltava, Kherson,

Kharkov, Catherinoslaw, KieW, and Bessarabia. The " zemstovs" tif these provinces have found it necessary fur three years to prepare special returns of the disease, and they declare that it has become a public calamity. Moreover, the report of the medical department of the Minister of .the Interior shows that of the total mortality of the greatest part is now due to diphtheria. In Poltava the mortality from diphtheria is so enormous that it exceeds by 1.5 per cent, the number of births.