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Kumara Times, Issue 1370, 21 February 1881, Page 2

The Christchurch mail, and also Rugg’a coach from Springfield, arrived in Capital time on Saturday afternoon last. The latter leaves again for Christchurch tomorrow morning at 5 o’clock sharp. The “ heathen Chinee,” although as a rule well versed in “ deeds that are dark and ways mysterious,” is not always at home with the “tricks in the trade ” of a barbarian nation, as the following little incident will testify. Walking into an hotel not a hundred miles from the Postoffice, one of the two Celestials who entered inquired the price of a bottle of soda-water. “Sixpence, John,” was the reply of the dispenser of liquors. “Me takee one bottle,” said the child of the Sun, “ and me wantee glasses to drink.” This was complied with, and a tumbler set in front of the lover of rnrated waters, who looked at bis companion, then at the bottle, and then inquired; “How muchee two glasses 1” “ One shilling,” was the quiet rejoinder; and the non-plussed Celestial was “had” for an additional sixpence for the use of the second glass which he required to divide the bottle of soda-water he had purchased between Lis companion and himself.

The drawing of Tonks’s Sweep on the Dunedin Cup will take place at Greymouth this evening. All the tickets in town were disposed of this morning. An adjourned meeting of the shareholders of the Public Hall Company will be held in the Hall to-morrow evening. The Dunedin Morning Herald says that Mr Peter Oxfelo, of Filleluil street, claims to have invented a contrivance by which water can be kept in pepetual rotary motion. The machine consists of a barrel about the size of an ordinary beer barrel, and a small tub, both filled with water. Near the bottom of the barrel is inserted a tap, and at the top an iron pipe which connects with the tube. The water is allowed to run through the tap into the tub, and the pressure of the atmosphere forces it up the iron pipe into the barrel, which must be kept airtight. By this means the same water is constantly flowing out of and into the barrel.

At a ball at Schwarzenberg, Saxony, a young mam entered, having what appeared to be a cigar in his mouth. He went to the chandelier as if to light it, and a terrible explosion ensued. The lights were extinguished, and the walls partly gave way, dancers of both sexes were covered with blood, and the young man was blown to pieces. He had resolved on committing suicide, and had adopted a dynamite cartridge for that purpose.

How they do it in America is illustrated by the following telegram from Chicago forwarded to the Times : —“ln July, 1879, after one member of the firm of Armour and Co. had returned from Eorope, where he had been taking observation of the pork market, the firm began buying pork ; and in December, when it had risen to 14d01., closed out, making a profit of 2,000,000d015. Not satisfied that it had reached the highest point, they continued buying until pork had dropped from 14dols. to 9dols. 25 cents, absorbing their profit and an additional million. In

April of this year they again began buying at from lOdols. to 10 dols. 50 cents a barrel, and bought up 360,000 barrels of spot pbrk between these figured and 1,250,000 barrels <Jf options. For the last three months th6y have been closing out their gigantic purchases at prices ranging from IGdols. to ISdols. 50 cents, clearing over seven millions on this deal* and being winners on the two deals to the extent of six millions. ”