The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1880.

Kumara Times, Issue 1152, 8 June 1880, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1880.

The Financial Statement will be delivered by the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer 'in the House of Representatives this evening.

Tenders for the construction of a track from Greenstone and Revell’s Ten'ace road to the agricultural settlement on the Teremakau river close this evening. We understand that the Government have accepted tenders for the deviation required to be made in the Christchurch road. We read of several cases of suicide occurring within the last twb or three days, and the following, which is reported in the Lyttelton Times of Friday last, is a singularly similar case to that reported by us yesterday as having been perpetrated at Callaghan’s .last Sunday A man named George Smith was brought into the Christchurch Hospital yesterday afternoon from Rollesten Junction, -where he had attempted to cut his throat with a razor. The wound was a fearful one, extending deeply across the throat, but, singular to say, the windpipe had hot been cut, or a main artery severed. The man’s body was. covered with blood, and Lis clothes also saturated with it. In the state the man was in, very little could be learnt from him beyond the circumstance that he had been drinking, and also that he has a family living at Napier. At a late hour last night he was doing as well as could be Expected, but his condition was considered very critical. ” With reference to the paragraph which appeared in the Wellington Post some time ago to the effect that the Imperial Government had intimated their willingness to supply new bronze and silver coin to the Colonel Governments, to replace the defaced and worn-out coin at present in circulation, that journal is now in a position to mention that the Colonial Treasurer has just issued circulars to the various banking institutions throughout the Colony inviting their eo-operation in the matter. It is proposed to order immediately from the Royal mint a supply of the different kinds of silver coin, and the terms offered by the Home Government are of a most favorable character, it is not at all likely that this Opportunity of putting new coin into circulation will be lost. Although some Australian bank directors, writes “ HSgles,” have been remarkable men in their way, they have lagged very far behind some American boards. Attention having been drawn to certain leaks in some of the United States Savings Banks an investigation has discovered singular liberality with the funds of the depositors. One secretary received in ten years in excess of his salary 27,000 dollars extra compensation, and these are- a few other items out of hundreds—“ Bust of President, 750 dollars ; of secretary, 350 dollars ; 16 portraits of trustees and officers, 3250 dollars; wedding present to child of former treasurer, 175 dollars ; wedding present to second bookkeeper’s wife, 100 dollars ; annual supper to trustees ahd employees of bank, 180 dollars,” &c., Here is a text upon which the indefatigable Mr Alsop can issue a tract on thrift, showing what the Melbourne Commissioners on savings Banks do not do. The Guildford correspondent of the Mount Alexander Mail relates the following singular instance of somnambulism which occurred recently at Tarita:— “Mrs Edwards, who has two sons, aged 15 and 9, allowed them to go on a fishing excursion up the River Loddon, with the intent to stop all night. The younger, who had previously walked in his sleep, was cautioned, and the elder enjoined, if they slept, to carefully watch his brother. The night, or the early morning, became pitch dark, and the boys, who intended to keep awake, decided to lie down ; and in a few minutes the clever lads improvised a mia-mia, and slept. During the pitch dark morning the younger one got up, £ and with eyes closed ’ started for home in a bee or direct line, and when reaching it took off his boots, opened the window abutting in his bedroom, crawled in and slept. In the morning the mother was astonished to find her child in bed. Inquiries and examination proved that the little one had not the slightest idea how he got home. The boys were four miles from then’ residence, and the ascertained track of ■ the Somnambulist boy showed that he had come in a: direct lino, but in a direction never previously traversed by him, and over country that a man would in daylight hesitate to cross. A startling surprise, after the fashion of the story of Ginevra, was experienced some clays ago by a party of Styaian wood cutters in the forest of Droomling. They began to fell a venerable oak, which they Soon discovered to be quite hollow. Being half decayed it speedily came to the ground with a crash, disclosing a skeleton in excellent ‘preservation.* Even the boots, which came above the knee, were almost perfect. By its side was a powderhorn, a porcelain pipe-howl, and a silver watch, on which was engraved the name

“H. yon Kraekowit» ;v 1812.” The teeth were perfect. It would seem to be the skeleton of a man between thirty and forty years of age. It is (SSnjectured that, while engaged in hunting, he climbed the tree for some purpose, .and slipped incautiously into the hollow trunk, from which t|iere was no release, and he probably died of starvation. . Rear-Admiral His febyal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, admiral-superinten-dent of reserves, since his arrival in the Lively at Galway on April 7, .has been actively employed with the relief squadron) consisting of the Goshawk, Bruiser, Valorous, Orwell, and Hawk, in distributing seed potatoes and clothing in various places on the coast. The last telegram received from his Royal Highness was from Kilkieran Bay. The relief squadron will return to Galway on the completion of the distribution of the cargo of the Valorous. The Imogen is ordered to take Lord Frederick Godolphin Osborne, who is superintending the distribution 6n behalf of the Mansion House (Dublin) supplies, from Foynes to the islands off the Cork and Kerry coasts, to distribute food and clothing.