The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1881.

Kumara Times, Issue 1356, 4 February 1881, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1881.

The ordinary meeting of the Borough Council was held at the Town Ball last evening ; the report of the proceedings is, however, unavoidably held over until next A meeting of more than ordinary importance to the mining community will be held at Dillman's Town on Monday evening next, to take into consideration the desirability of advocating a more extensive supply of water for thi3 field. That the" supply at present is of the most limited nature no one for a moment will deny, and, talcing into consideration the fact that an increased supply means a larger return to the Government directly and indirectly, the agitation in favor of an increase of water should meet with its most earnest consideration and approval. We would remind those, intending to fender for the construction of the track' between Dillman's Town and Larrikin's" that all tenders must be forwarded to the County Chairman before 6 o'clock tomorrow evening. Tenders for supplying the contractor for the second section of the Kumara sludge-channel with caps will close this evening. We understand that the well-known consultationist, Mr Gilbert Stewart, will open another event on the Sydney Gold Cup in a few days. Tickets in Tonks's Derby Sweep on the Dunedin Cup race at Dunedin are now obtainable both in Dillman's Town and Kumara.

The Auckland Observer says :—"Poor Miss Williams died from typhoid fever, brought on by over study, and over excitement of the braift concerning the approaching examination. Miss Hungerford has succumbed, and lies dangerously ill at home of the same disease and from the same cause. When will examiners begin : to discover that they are working a serious and fatal injury to the health of the young women teaching in our public schools, by the severity and length of the examinations to which they are now subjected 1 Will they teach any better for the ordeal through ivhich they have to ipass? I doubt it. And certainly a distinction should be made between men and women, and in easier set of papers be allotted to the latter, or we soon have our best and most refined young women Removed from the schools by lunacy or death. -Hard working throughout the year between teaching and studying, they are slaving how during the holidays, to wind up with a severe examination in the last week in January, and then back to school, and teaching without any respite. Are the authorities asleep ?" The answers to the " Cetaceous Animal" question at our Junior Scholarship Examination, find a counterpart in India. The average graduate there is to a great extent made up of words and phrases. Here are a few examples of his replies to questions formally put:—Q. To eke out. Ans. To extract from a cow.—Q. Pandemonium. Ans. A Mountain in Greece.— Q. Blue stockings. Ans. An order of knights.—Q. Bill of Lading. Ans. An account written by a person overboard.— Q. To walk the plank. Ans. To do a thing in which there are many dangers.— Q. With his mistress's favour on his arm. Ans. Taking the baby,in his arms.—Q. Classical equivalent of "all powerful." Ans. Fall of stout. A boy described the curfew as " an island in the Mediterranean surnamed Rufus, because it had redhair." The sign " European Loafer," is said to be in Calcutta over the shop of a native baker. The Puritans have been described as the followers of Ignis-fatuus. Another, apparently a Darwinian, says—- " Shakespeare was the father of English poetry. His fame nangs chiefly by his Canterbury Tail." An adept in grammar, in reply to the question, "Explain the difference between direct and indirect narration," evidently thinking an example better than a direct reply, wrote: Xi Direct sentence—He died; indirect kicked the bucket." Another, equally faniilar with geographical terms, in answer to the question, " What are the chief feeders of the river Irrawadi?" adorned his paper with the innocent reply—*' Alligators." An impression appears to prevail {says the Lyttelton Times) that the notorious criminals, Garrett and Batler, were removed from Dunedin Gaol to Lyttelton for their safe custody ; but this is not the case. The facts are that Garrett, sotae months ago, petitioned for a change, on account of declining health, which change was also recommended by the medical attendant, as he had been in Dunedin Gaol for nearly 19 years, and the severe southern winter was beginning to tell upon him. Butler was removed for reasons of discipline, and not for safer keeping. Kellyism has found its Vay to Yankeeland. A well-known bully, named Jim Lyon, \vho was recently killed in a barroom fight in Nebraska, was found to be clad in a complete though penetrable proof of armour. Shields for his back and front were made of heavy leather, padded with an inch of cotton batting, and suspended under his clothing by straps over his shoulders. A case has just been brought to light in Chicago, which, had its progress been known and noted from day to day, would have created a far more wide-spread interest than that evinced by the public in the diurnal doings of the great starver. This is nothing less than that of a woman, who has not spoken for thirty-one days. As soon as she heard of Dr. Tanner she said, with a resolution most commendable, ■* If there is a man on the face of the earth who thinks he can hold out forty days and forty nights without a chance to grumble at his coffee or beefsteak, I'll prove that there is a woman who can do what all mankind has held that a woman can't do—l'll hold my tongue for forty days," whereupon she proceeded to hold it, and she hasn't said a syllable since. Her husband is a salesman in one of our largest dry goods places, and her father not unknown among Chicago lawyers. Through the exertions of these gentlemen , Mrs 's singular resolution has been kept a secret as far as practicable, only a few of the immediate family friends knowing what was going on. Mrs ——. has performed her accustomed daily duties witn unfailing regularity, and her husband acknowledges that never during the seven

yeare of his rriarried life has his home been so free : from a shadow of discord, for no matter how; quarrelsome his mood may have been, his better-half had met him with imperturable countenance and silent tongue., She is rather a small woman, with grey eyes, and dark hair, a trifle inclined to be st#ut, though her plumpness has decreased attout thirteen pounds during the last thirty-one days. She was dressed very neatly in Some dark goods, and looked altogether quite like a dozen of women one meets. There is nothing in her personal appearance to indicate resolution ; but there it is, an adamantine rock which neither time, nor tide can crumble ; nor is it now likely that she will speak before the appointed forty days are gone.