The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. Wednesday, January 19, 1881.

Kumara Times, Issue 1342, 19 January 1881, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. Wednesday, January 19, 1881.

The inward English mail, via San Francisco, is expected to arrive by the Christchurch coach this afternoon, should the high state of the rivers not delay the coach on its passage over. The mails for Kumara and Greymouth are unusually heavy on this occasion. Captain Edwin telegraphed to-day as follows ;—" Expect bad weather, any direction between north-east and north and west. Sea heavy within eight hours. Glass further fall to 29-20, and then rise."

The Hospital Committee will meet at the Secretary's rooms this evening. Owing to the vagueness of our cable message yesterday relative to the postponement of the sculling match for the championship of the world between Hanlan and Laycock, there is every proba* bility that 'tire result of the race may come to hand at any moment, as, under the circumstances, the race would most likely be postponed from day to day. Although at this season of the year there are often large quantities of broken ice floating in the river Thames, the first mild day causes its sudden disappearance. At the Theatre Royal last night, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, there was a good attendance to witness the splendid pantomime of "Cinderalla." Too much credit cannot be given the Comedy and Burlesque Company for the effective manner in which this amusing pantomime was placed on the stage, and which, from commencement to end, kept the audience in one continual stream of enjoyment. The Clown (Mr J. Wilkinson) with his brother in eccentricity, the Pantaloon (Mr G. W. Herbert), fairly convulsed the house by their absurdities, in which they were most ably abetted by the "man in blue" (Mr Love). A 3 Columbine, Miss Amy Johns was most heartily applauded for her graceful dancing, while the Harlequin of Mr Warren was all that could be desired. Owing to the unfavorable state of the weather last evening, it is to be hoped this talented company will be able to reproduce the pantomime another night, so as to afford many who were unable to attend last evening the opportunity of doing so, as we have no doubt its repetition would meet with a full house. This evening the great American drama of "Struck Oil" will be presented, and as this is the first time this wonderful and attractive drama has been played here, the audience should be a large one. A serious accident occurred to a grand young mare of Mr J. Rugg's this morning, through one of the greatest nuisances that exist in this town, viz., yelping curs. The mare in question, a very valuable one, was being led by a young groom up the main road for the purpose of breaking it into harness. When near Union street, a dog rushed out barkjngiWhich startled the horse to that deropo ky w hich it was led was jerked from the hands of the groom and the excited animal at once turned and galloped madly down the road. Reaching the Recreation ground, some portion of the harness caught in the fore legs of the runaway and hurled him instantly to the ground, cutting his near fore leg at the knee cap frightfully. We are given to understand that the dog that caused all this mischief is in the habit of rushing out at all horses or vehicles passing, and, if so, the sooner this canine specimen's career is cut short the better.

Amongst the passengers which joined the P. and 0. Company's steamer Tan j ore at Venice on November 19th, for Nelson, N.Z. were the Hon. J. C. Richmond, three sons, two daughters, and a niece. Sir William Fox has written to the Rangitikei Advocate that there is no truth in the report that in case of Mr John Stevens coming forward as a candidate for the Rangitikei seat at the next elections he—Sir William—should not oppose him. He is of opinion there will not be a general election for at least fifteen months.

It was mentioned at a recent meeting of the Wellington Board of Education that there is in Wellington an Oxford M. A. who is receiving instruction at the expense of the State to qualify him to become a school teacher, and is drawing £4O a-year for maintenance from the colonial exchequer while learning. A discovery of a large deposit of greensand in the Taranaki province, and handy for shipment, has been made. Greensand belongs to the cretaceous formation* it contains iron and potash, and is a very valuable fertiliser.

The Sydney Morning Herald says : " When the American Congress expresses its sympathy with a Land League which countenances assassination it should remember that it has had a taste of an Irish difficulty in the Molly Maguires of Pennsylvania. The organisation of the Molly Maguires, in the coal-mining districts of Pennsylvania, for a long time defied all the efforts of the American Government either to stop the murders or bring the assassins to justice. The colliery managers held their lives in their hands ; if they gave offence they were secretly condemned, and when condemned they were secretly murdered, The organisation was not of native American

growth ; it was imported from Ireland, and, as it afterwards came out in evidence, the password—which was changed every month—Was sent over from Ireland by a trustworthy hand in one of the White Star steamers. There were as many murders of colliery managers in Pennsylvania as there have been of landlords in Ireland, and without any land question being mixed up in the grievance. Indeed it transpired that some of the complaints against the doomed managers consisted simply of their refusal to certify to more labor having been performed than was really the case." The Home Secretary, Sir William Harcourt, has come to the conclusion that sending lads to gaol for trifling offences is a state of things that requires a remedy. An unruly boy for some act of childish mischief finds himself for the first time identified with the criminal class. He consorts with hardened offenders, and very soon like them become an outcast and a gaol-bird. " When I was fighting for my seat in the House," Mr Bradlaugh says, " I received at least three score letters threatening my life. I put them all in the wastepaper basket, although one or two of the communications were works of art, and were decorated with skulls, cross-bones, bleeding hearts and daggers. There is," he adds, "always a fair proportion of lunatics who, in times of excitement, write strange letters to public men." Dr. Lou See On, a Chinese physician, has registered in Buffalo, New York, under the new law. He says that he was licensed to practice by Lou Com Chong, a duly authorised person in the province of Canton, China, Emperor Ton Kong ruling at the time* The county clerk thought the diploma written in Chinese would have to be photographed to be recorded, but Dr. On offered to make a copy for filing. At an inquest which was lately held in in the Borough of London, an exhibition took place which, but for its shocking effect, might well have excited the risable faculty in both coroner and jury. At the said inquest a witness fifteen years of age> named William Charles French, was called. The Coroner having asked him if he knew the nature of an oath and received a negative reply, the following dialogue ensued:—"Do you know who God is?" "No, I don't." Coroner: " If you were to tell a lie where do you think you would go to ?" Witness : " To tho police-station, Sir." "Do you know your prayers ?" Witness: "Yes; three prayers, < Our Father,' «Jesus loves me,' ' Wake up, ye folds, and fall no more.'" "Is it right to tell a lie?" Witness : "Yes. No. I can't answer these hard questions." The Coroner : "Do you know your A.B.C. ?" Witness : I don't know nothink. I gets 6s 6d a-week at a ropemaker's walk in Church-street, Bermondsey." The mother here stepped forward said the lad had made a practice of running away from school. A clever robbery was effected in Paris the other day. A young clerk had just received the sum of £l2O in gold from a house in the Rue de Maubeuge, when a rogue, bareheaded, with a pen stuck in his ear, rushed after him, told him that a mistake had been made in the account, and pretended to offer a packet of bank notes, made up to the right sum, in place of the bag of bullion. The young clerk supposed that the rascal was an employee in the house he had just left, and handed over the bag, whereon the bareheaded impostor made off. He has not since been heard of, and his address is unknown to the police. A curious incident in connection with the execution of the March Decrees occurred recently at Marseilles. Two or three ladies, apparently belonging to the best society, were walking quietly in the direction of the Capuchin Convent, when they were accosted by the police and ordered to move off. One of the ladies drew herself up and exclaimed, "Government of brigands, government of thieves !" She was instantly surrounded arrested, and led away to the police office. "Madame," said the wrathful inspector, " this will teach you to be less insolent another time." "Learu to know your own place," replied the offended dame. Arrived at the poste the lady was questioned. " Your name ? Your residence ?" The arrested one answered, and the result was genaral stupefaction at the police station. Humble apologies were offered, and the " prisoner took her departure in triumph." Who was the lady in question? The Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph believes that she was none other than Madame Poubelle, the wife of the Prefect of the Bouches du Rhone. At the meeting of the Marseilles

Municipal Council, held on Friday, the Mayor promised, at the request of M. Castan, to institute ah inquiry into the affair.