The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1881.

Kumara Times, Issue 1363, 12 February 1881, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1881.

The San Francisco mail arrived by special tram from Greymouth this afternoon. The mail coach was detained till two o’clock to-day to enable the Postmaster to forward the Hokitika portion of the mail on to its destination. The Christchurch overland mail arrived this afternoon, at the usual hour. Jurors summoned to attend the District Court, Hokitika, on Monday next, are notified by the Clerk of the Court that their attendance will not be required.

A meeting of the Arahura Road Board will be held at Stafford Town on Tuesdaynext, when a deputation from the Westland County Council will meet the Board, with a view to making arrangements for merging the Board into the Westland County Council. It is to be hoped that this very desirable end will be attained, the creditors of the Board satisfied, and the ratepayers relieved of one of the far too many governing bodies with which this colony abounds. To persons requiring bargains in drapery, a splendid opportunity is now offered at Kirkpatrick’s, Seddon street, where, to make way for a large and new stock, everything appertaining to the outward use of either sex is being offered at prices that should effect a speedy clearance of all the goods now on hand. The final sitting of the Intercolonial Conference was held on Thursday, January 27th, when Mr Morgan moved—- “ That all the colonies contribute equally to the cable subsidy.” Queensland and Tasmania intimated their adhesion to their resolution to stand out of the contract altogether. Mr Dick, for New Zealand, offered to bear a share if the proportion were fixed according to the messages received instead of the population of the colony. The other colonies, however, declined to go outside the decision of the Cable Conference. Mr Morgan’s motion was carried by four to three. Mr Berry submitted a memorandum to the effect that some of the colonies had not reduced the Brindisi postages to sixpence. The memorandum was placed on the minutes. Motions were carried for joint action with regard to pleuro-pneumonia and uniform legislation for the recovery of debts and damages. A representation regarding the Chinese policy of Western Australia was signed for transmission to the Secretary of State. A report on Sir Arthur Gordon’p powers was similarly dealt with. A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the

Conference, and the delegates separated and returned to their respective colonies. The challenge thrown out to the medical profession of Melbourne by Mr Milner Stephens, the well-known “healer,” been accepted by Mr Gray, surgeon, who writes :—“ I will take Mr Stephen to the Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. I will submit to him a case of cataract which 1 cannot cure without the knife, and another case which I cannot cure with or without the knife. I will take with me medical men in whom the community will trust to verify my diagnosis of these diseases. 1 will request the honor of the attendance of the Bishop or Dean of Melbourne and the respected Mayor of our city; and I promise that Mr Stephen shall have the fullest opportunity of exercising and proving his boasted powers of healing. The great genius of all good, in dispensing his mercies, does not discriminate between persons or diseases. If he can cure these two cases I will bum my diploma, hoist the ( red rag,’ and dispense * magnetised water’ to the end of my existence.”

The Imperial Marine List for 1881 has just been published, with returns up to the Ist of November, from which it appears that the German navy now includes seven ironclad frigates, five ironclad corvettes (and four more in course of construction), nine gunboats, with a variety of vessels for coast defence, despatch boats, transports, training ships, tugs, pilot boats, &c. A monument to Major Cook, V.C., who was wounded in the attack on the Shahr Peh in Afghanistan, has been erected in the college yard, St. Andrew’s. It bears the following inscription :—“ In memory of Major John Cook, V.C., General Staff Corps, sth Goorkha Regiment, who, after a distinguished career as a soldier, was mortally wounded in the attack on the Shahr Peh- on December 12, and died at Cabul on December 19, 1879, in the thirty-seventh year of his age. This memorial is erected by his surviving brothers and sisters in a place long associated with his race and name.” It may truly be asserted that the sun never sets upon Her Majesty’s Scots Guardsman. ,The 2nd Battalion supplies at this moment the following list of war-rior-statesmen:—Lieut. Col. Stracey, Military Secretary to Sir James Ferguson in Bombay; Lieut.-Col. Montgomery, aide-de-camp to General Hon. Leicester Curzon-Smith at the Cape; Lieut;-CoL Hon. Paul Methuen, Military Attache in Berlin; Lieut, the Hon. Charles Harbord, aide-de-camp to Lord Lome in Canada ; and Lieut. Eugene Brett, aide-de-camp to Lord Ripon in India.

The President-Elect, General Garfield, is thought to be favorably disposed to the new Chinese treaties, received at Washington, and laid before the Senate. The treaty affecting immigration is not so favorable to the Pacific Coast interests, as was anticipated, but under its provisions Congress can govern the influx of Chinese, and people here hope to put a stop to Coolie immigration, as soon as the treaty is ratified.

According to the Chicago correspondent of the San Francisco Evening Bulletin : SOOOlbs of oleomargarine are manufactured daily in Chicago. He states :—“ A Tribune representative went on an investigating tour on November 16th, and found fifteen butter factories in full working order. The ‘ butter’ made in these concerns is a compound of various ingredients, among them soapstone, lard, tallow, and fatty substances. The disgusting business is so profitable that it finds numerous people to embark in it. In soma cases the material used is vile beyond belief, and most unwholesome in others. Although the taste revolts at the ingredients used, they are not necessarily deleterious. Cheese is also adulterated with the same villainous matter, and commission men complain that they are much injured by this growing element in the dairy business.” Father Ignatius has just concluded a week of Advent mission services at Portsmouth. He solemnly declared, with regard to what are called the Llanthony miracles, that he and two other persons had seen the whole heavens open, and in dazzling circles of light and glory the form of Majesty appear to them. He would ask Professor Tyndall, with all his peculiar knowledge of light, if he could satisfactory explain that by any scientific hypothesis. Either he (Father Ignatius) was telling the truth in regard to these apparitions, or else it was a blasphemous lie, and what interest could he have in so saying ? He desired it to be understood that although he was enthusiastic in the cause of Christ, he was in full possession of his faculties. Only a short time ago a female cripple in Brunswick road, Brighton, who had been for thirty-eight years unable to put her foot to the ground, was cured by being touched with a leaf of the hedge where tiie apparition had appeared.

“ Las’ nile, soon arter de bells struck ’leben,” began the old man as the meeting opened, “somepusson to me unknown, hurled a ten-poun’ rock agin my front doah. By de time I could git outer de bed ain’ git my collah and necktie on, de said pusson had made his escape. I has libed in this town risin’ of nineteen y’ars, and dis am de fust time I was ever disturbed. It shows that sunthin’ said here agin sum of de bad habits which sum of our culled folkses has fallen into has hit de mark and gone home. I shall, howsumeber, keep on talking to the bes’ ob my ability, and I would further add dat if I cotch any low-down man in de act ob bangin’ my house wid a rock, I shall for de succeedin’ seben minits forgit dat I eber jined de church or rung de bell for the Thursday ebenin’ prayer meetin’.”