The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1881.

Kumara Times, Issue 1333, 8 January 1881, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1881.

The Diorama was again well attended ■last evening, the ventriloquial entertainment of Lieut. Herrnah meeting with marked approbation. The gold watch fell to the share of His Worship the Mayor, and a large number of other valuable prizes were given to the lucky recipients. Tonight there is an entire change of programme, and the gifts will bo on a far larger scale-.

As we have no particular desire to being thrashed with a horse-whip, he the hands that administer the chastisement ever so fair, we may emphatically and publicly state that we are in no way idenmified with the " Kmnara own correspondent of the Grey River Aivus." We are compelled to make this statement as more than one excited member of the female sex would most unmistakably have "gone for us" if we had not denied the soft impeachment.

When Japhet. was in seai*ch of a father, the probabilities are he never visited a church tea meeting, or his efforts at the outset might have been crowned with success. Last evening, at Callaghans, when the Archdeacon alone could be heard amid the silence that reigned, exhorting his hearers to take unto themselves a partner "for better or for worse," a small though evidently delighted voice exclaimed '' Daddy !" "Daddy !" "My daddy ?" Meanwhile the possessor of the voice in question had made his way between the forms and confronted a gentleman (by whose side sat a lady evidently deeply engrossed in the utterances of the Archdeacon), whose countenance on beholding, 'if so, his long-lost child was far from reassuring, and spoke but little for the paternal feelings animating his breast. "Daddy! daddy!" said the little one; but "daddy" did not reciprocate the relationship, and, amidst the suppressed laughter of those in close proximitj'-, the gentleman in question, after blushing about three shades deeper than a soldier's tunic, left with his partner for those solitudes where children are unknown and daddies abound not.

Tenders are invited by the contractor for the second section of the sludgechannel for squaring caps. Specifications of-the required work can be seen at Gilbert Stewart's Hotel, on Monday, where tenders close on Tuesday night. A challenge has been sent to the Greymouth Rangers by the First Westland Rifles, to shoot for a stake of £2O a side, at the distances of 200, 400, 500, and 600 yards ; five shots at each range, no sighting shots, to be contested on the Kumara Rifle Range any day this month ; 10 men a side, or if 15 men a side, for a stake of £SO. No reply has been received to the challenge. Sir William Fox is quick at retort, and usually silences any hostile questiozier. But he met his match the other day at Awahuri. He was lecturing there about his American experience, and, amongst other things, talked of America's vast grazing farms, where full-grown bullocks could be raised for the market at three dollars each. At the close of the lecture, one of the audience questioned the strict accuracy of this latter statement. Sir William persisted that it was strictly accurate. "Then," retorted his questioner, "how is it that if hides are Worth, almost TuTywnei'e-Tn rne-woTM7 troTiTToT"-to 20i~ that stockbreeders can be so foolish as to sell their stock at less than the value of the hide 1 This was a poser. Sir William looked thoughtful and cogitative over the problem. This snake story is told by the Ballarat Courier ; —A man in charge of a beerlorry was lying asleep in it near Sago Hill, when a woman living close by, sent her boy to get some yeast from him, and to the surprise of the child he saw a large black snake sucking the man's thumb. The boy roused up the man, and he, seeing the position of affairs and his immediate danger, p>laced his thumb upon the top of the barrel and begged the boy to cut it off at once with a tomahawk (which the boy's little brother fortunately had with him), which he had been previously playing with. The man's thumb, it is stated, after being severed, showed distinctly two punctures, indicating that the bite was from a snake of the venomous type.

The Postmaster-General of England is blind. Whon he became blind Mr Fawcett determined it should not affect his actions, thoughts, or work. He is an active member of Parliament, a famous politican, a good rider and skater. Is there a parallel case ?

A carrier pigeon belonging to John C. Haines, of Tom's River, N.J, flew recently the distance of 3G miles in an air line in 24 minutes. Ten other pigeons released at the same moment, reached home a minute later than their leader. A peculiar custom in Gorca is thus described by a recent traveller :—" In cities and small townships, it ia considered a great offence against modesty and custom whenever a womai: is met in the public streets in the daytime, and they quit their apartments hardly ever during the day. To indemnify them for this striotly kept up seclusion, the following remarkable arrangement has been made. At 9 o'clock in the evening during and at an early hour" during winter time, the city gates of Saoul and other towns are closed at a given signal. As soon as this has taken place all men are bound to leave the streets, and these are abandoned to the women for the purpose of recreation and promenading. Any male finding himself by accident belated and behind the appointed time in the streets is sure to humto his house as fast as possible without

looking up or regarding anything about him, and severe punishment would fall upon any person daring in the face of the stringent prohibition to molest women in the least. Good breeding demands from any man, and this is always done, to cover his face with a fan, as soon as he encounters ladies walking during these hours, so that he may not be recognised, and to walk over to the other side of the street so as not to disturb or terrify them."

This story of a troop-ship is just now current in London :—ln the ladies' cabin were four wash-basins, one of which was much larger than the others. There were three ladies in the cabin whose husbands were about equal in rank. The women always think they have a right to presume on the rank of their husbands when taking choice of berths, &c, and there was a great discussion as to who was entitled to the big basin. It was referred to the paymaster of the ship, who could settle nothing, and eventually to the captain. He gave a decision -worthy of Solomon. After first asking them if they would abide by his verdict and not give any more trouble in the matter, which they readily agreed to do, he said he thought it was only fair that the oldest lady should have the biggest basin.