Untitled

Kumara Times, Issue 1142, 27 May 1880, Page 2

A public meeting is to be hold at the Empire Hotel, Hillman’s Town, this evening, “ for the purpose of considering the attempt now being made to reduce the wages in this district.” The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council will be held at the Town Hall this evening. Our contemporary the West Coast Times, in a sub-leader of to-day, indulges in the hope that “Sir George Grey -will be again placed at the head of his party.” In this forlorn hope we heartily coincide with our contemporary, as, should the honorable member for the Thames only regain his lost position, it will be the means of maintaining in power a government which, we honestly believe, is disposed to do more than justice to the West Coast, and is, colonially speaking, in accord with the opinions of the majority of the electors. Mr R. J. Seddon will, we understand, address the electors at Stafford Town tomorrow evening. At the termination of Mr Seddon’s address to the electors of the Grey Yalley, at the Oddfellows Hall, Greymouth, bn Tuesday evening last, a vote of thanks for its delivery was unanimously accorded him, on the motion of A. R. Guinness, Esq., seconded by the Hon. H. P. Lahman. Mr Masters, M. H. R., subsequently addressed those present, a vote of confidence in him being carried in a most enthusiastic mariner. A Noumea telegram states that two whites and seven Natives in a boat going to the wreck of the Sea Shell and held on to a buoy all night. Four Natives swam ashore and the whites were picked up, but three Natives were drowned. The barque Zwee Vrieden, from Java, arrived at Queenscliffe on May 8, with a disease called “ beriberi ” aboard. Three deaths occurred on the voyage, and three more on May 9, and there are seven more cases in the hospital, two of them very precarious. The Manawatu Herald says:—“No doubt out readers have over and over again smiled at the gross ignorance of the Home journals with regard to the geography of' Australasia. One time we are told that Sydney is on the sea coast of NeW Zealand ; At another Dunedin is the capital of • Adelaide, but the following is the latest and neatest specimen of the kind. In referring to the exploring expedition in northern Australia, the South Wales Weekly News says : Mr Alexander Forest’s expedition reports the discovery of many million acres of pasture land in North arid West Melbourne.’ And this in the nineteenth century 1” : The Auckland says It appears that there is more than one Maori in the Colony subject to the same craze as Te Whiti, that he is in propria persona, the incarnate deity; and one of those lunatics rather startled Mr T. B. Hannaford on Thursday night. At about half-past six o’clock a peremptory knock came to the door, and Mr Hannaford on opening it was confronted by a tall Maori, who presented to him a slip of paper. Mr Hannaford proceeded to the light to read the slip, and found it was his own address. He turned round to question his strange visitor, but he had disappeared. A further search, however, discovered him comfortably lounging in an easy chair in Mrs Hannaford’s registry office. Upon being questioned, he gave' vague answers about his desire to acquire land, coupled with a certain , arriount of rhodomontade about the Cross, the Herald, land speculation, Ac., but Mr Hannaford meant business, and asked him what he wanted to have written, and what he was prepared to pay. The visitor said he had no money, but he would give Mr Hannaford eternal salvation. Mr Hannaford did not quite comprehend what this phrase meant, and becoming rather confused he called his wife, who is, it appears, a Maori linguist. After a brief conversation with her visitor she informed her husband that the visitor alleged he was the Saviour. Mr Hannaford did not desire the visits of such a redeemer, and soon showed him the door. He is under the impression that some practical joker directed the Maori to his place. A shocking accident occurred at Talbot (Victoria) on May 9. Mr Richardson, an old and much respected resident, was sayi,: S good-bye to a friend leaving by the train, and fell between the platform and the footboard. The body was dragged a mile and a half, and mutated beyond

recognition. The accident was by the guard or driver. The French corresportden’t of the Morning Advertiser says : —A wine grower near Cugnoaux, in the department of the Haute-Garonne, oil testing his new wine found it had a .peculiar flavor. He iuiA the vat emptied, and found at the bottom the corpse of Olio of his vintners, who had been missing since last September. The authorities have forbidden the sale of this extraordinary wine, but will allow it to' be made into brandy. Lovers of French brandy, who object to human alcohol, would do well to take beer for some time to come. A national association for the promotion of marriage has been established at Cincinnati. The aim of the society is declared to be “in all honorable ways to promote the marriage of citizetis, and to secure such end this society will, so far as is in its power, assist and give material aid to young couples in beginning married life, such as helping them to secure incomes, and the hixsbands in getting employment, or in any other manner within the province of the association.” A picnic was recently held, the chief feature of which was the marriage of three couples, alleged to have been promoted and brought about by the efforts of the society’s officers. Six thousand persons paid 25 cents for admission to witness tile marriage ceremony, which was conducted on a high platform, so that all could see. The bridegrooms were an engraver, a painter and a pedlar, and the brides were all three remarkable for personal attractions.