The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1881.

Kumara Times, Issue 1575, 14 October 1881, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1881.

Wo regret to report that William Russell, aged 17, second son of Mr Russell, publican, of Marsden, was drowned this morning in the New River. Our informant states that the young man was on horseback in the vicinity of his father's paddocks near Marsden, and was observed attempting to cross a creek (Cockeye or Carraboo Ci'eek, we suppose) near its junction with the New River, when horse and rider were suddenly carried by the flood into the New River and went floating down the stream. To endeavor to assist him, parties had some distance to run to cross the creek by a bridge, but their efforts were of no avail as the youth had by this time been mercilessly hurried beyond their reach and was eventually probably carried out to sea.. The horse succeeded in getting out of the New River on the opposite bank. The Union Company's s.s. Albion left Port Chalmers yesterday. She is appointed to leave Lytteiton this afternoon, and will be due at West Coast ports on Sunday when she will be immediately despatched for Sydney and Melbourne. At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, before E. Barff, Esq., J.P., George Smith was charged with having committed a breach of the peace within view of a constable. He pleaded guilty, and was fined 10s, or in default, twentyfour hours' imprisonment.

We are pleased to learn that the boy Mackintosh, who unfortunately partook of some potash from a bottle the other day, is now showing signs of recovery from the poison ; and whereas throe medical gentlemen were a few days ago without hope of his life being saved, it is believed he will now recover.

The New Zealand Times says :—" It is currently reported that Mr Seddon, M.H.R., feeling quite certain of being returned for the West Coast, will devote some of his time to a stumping tour in Christchurch and surrounding localities in the Grey district, assuming the role of the ' Working Man's Friend."' We have the best authority for stating that there is no truth in this report. "The Illustrated New Zealand Bee Manual" is the title of a valuable little work received per last northern mail. It has been published at the Thames Advertiser Office. • Mr I. Hopkins, the author or compiler, gives in this manual full instructions for the humane and profitable management of the honey bee ; also beekeepers' axioms, honey recipes, and beekeepers' calendar of operations ; making a complete handbook to modern bee culture. In his preface the author gives good reason of the necessity for such a publication in New Zealand ; he states: —"There have been many valuable books published on this subject, but owing to the rapid strides that have been made of late, and the improved appliances now used, a great number of them, as far as the practical work of the apiary is concerned, are out of date ; while those published recently are expensive to obtain in these colonies, and as they refer to seasons entirely opposite to our own, are calculated to confuse and mislead the beginner in the various times for carrying out the different operations." The book which contains about 150 pages, will be exceedingly useful to all bee-keepers ; its price is 2s. Tenders are required for carpenters' work to be done at St. Patrick's Church. Plans and specifications may be seen at Mr O'Hagan's. Tenders close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday next. At the meeting of the Central Board of Education last night at Greymouth, a motion by Mr Petrie—"That the Christchurch Road School District be combined with and form part of the Kumara School District" was carried. Mr Warner's motion—" That the Kokotahi School District be combined with the Kanieri School District" was lost.

The Ross Advocate of Tuesday last informs its readers that—" The remainder of the Church of England at Greymouth (destroyed during a whirlwind last May) has been joined on to the school-room, and will be used as a temporary Church until the new building is erected. There is accommodation for 200 people." Ross people will still be at a loss to know whether the schoolroom will accommodate more people than it formerly did by the addition of "the remainder of the Church of England (destroyed during a whirlwind)." An exchange says:—"We understand that the Westport and Greymouth coal companies are to be amalgamated, and that Messrs W. J. M. Larnach and E. Prosser have gone to Melbourne on business connected with the proposed united companies. It is probable that when the amalgamation takes place six steam barges will be obtained from Europe to assist in the energetic development of the resources of the company."

A narrow escape from serious injury by the explosion of dynamite caps is reported by the Lyell Times to have occurred at the United Alpine Company's No. G level recently. Mr S. Chapman was about sharpening some tools at the forge, when, on proceeding to blow the fire, he was startled by the explosion of a dynamite cap, and shortly afterwards another cap exploded. An examination disclosed throe other caps in the coal bag. Luckily Mr Chapman escaped injury beyond a few scratches. Whether the caps were placed amongst the coal accidentally or otherwise no qne has been able to discover. The Times does not state from whence the coal was obtained.

A Reefton paper says that shortly after M'Galiey's acquittal, he visited the Inangtihu.i, and obtained his swag, which was planted in the bush somewhere near Square Town. He was met on Totara Flat by several persons, and stated his intention of proceeding across the country to Haupiri. The news of the accused's return caused some little stir.

Scented camelias have been produced by an Italian gardener, who has been engaged on the experiment for years past. Only those flowers of a pale rose hue possess this perfume, the white flowers remaining perfectly scentless.

Traffic is now open over the new bridge across the Orawaiti Overflow, on the Lyell-Westport road. The exceedingly handsome sum of £4B 10s. is the result of the late promenade concert at Zalatown, in aid of the Westport Hospital funds.

A very narrow escape from death occurred on the Matira road contract on Tuesday. A man named John Shannon, the Lyell Times of Saturday reports, was engaged gadding some broken rock when a large mass of stone overhead came away. Shannon, who was working close to the edge of an almost perpendicular sideling, in his endeavor to escape, fell backwards a distance of about 140 feet, striking the side of the hill several times in his descent. A piece of falling rock struck Shannon on the right leg, breaking it below the knee. The unfortunate man also had one finger broken, besides being very severely bruised about the head and. body. He was at once brought down to the Lyell, where his injuries were attended to by Mr Bakewell, and the sufferer proceeded to the Westport Hospital by boat early on Wednesday morning. A miner named James M'Evoy died in the Reefton Hospital from disease of the kidneys, the particular form being known as Bright's disease, brought on by working in wet ground. The Herald reportg that the deceased was only 31 years of age, and was a native of County Down. Although but a short time resident in the district, the funeral, which took place at Reefton on Sunday last, was numerously attended. The burial service was read by the Rev. Father Carew.

The lunatic who recently escaped from the Sunnyside Asylum in Canterbury returned on Friday last of his own accord.

The peal of bells in St. Joseph's Church, Temuka, give the greatest satisfaction, and (the Leader remarks) the Roman Catholics of Temuka have every reason to be proud of them.

A miner named Robert Wingate was killed at the Thames recently by falling down the shaft of a mine.

We learn from a Dnnedin paper, which is likely to be in possession of authentic information, that the elections will take place in January, and that the new Parliament will be called together in May. The elections could not well be held at an earlier date, as it will take nearly three months for the 'compilation and revision of the Electoral Rolls, and it would be adverse to public interest to hold elections during the Christmas or New Year holidays. A Chinaman, 30 years in Victoria, had amassed a fortune of £l2O, and was going home to enjoy it. Two larrikins garrotted him, and took the lot. Larrikins not caught.

An Australian who was present at the last English Derby writes :—" It is very plain to me why our Australian horses can run our Derby so fast; for there must be, I should think, at least five seconds difference in the course ; the hill the horses seem to ascend when they start seems to me to put every leggy horse out of the hunt I believe it was that that caused Iroquois to beat Peregrine, and Bend Or to beat Robert the Devil." The Ancient Order of Hibernians have declined to have any anything to do with the Fenian convention in session at Chicago. The latest from California is the discovery on the part of Mr S. H; Kennedy, that sheep may be protected from scab by "vaccination."

A constable volunteered to watch a store which was to be robbed at New Sharon, lowa. He slept at his post, and the burglars took his money, pistol, and clothes, leaving him covered with molasses.

Seventeen cases of lockjaw recently occurred at Baltimore from wounds caused by the use of toy pistols. Three cases have proved fatal, and four more are also likely to prove so. The (London) Christian World states : "The Rev. Charles Clark, late of Melbourne, Australia, has received and accepted the invitation of Haven-green Chapel Committee to become pastor." A witness in an Ottawa court refused to be sworn except on the revised New Testament. An Italian couple, Tocci by name, are exhibiting at Vienna their children, a pair of twins, named Jacob and Baptiste. Those boys are grown together. from the sixth rib downward, have but one abdomen and two feet. The upper part of the body is completely developed in each. Their intellectual faculties are of a normal character. Each child thinks, speaks, sleeps, eats and drinks independently of the other. This independence goes so far

as to admit of an indisposition of the one without in the least affecting the other. They are over three years old, in perfect health, and seemingly in excellent spirits. Mr Elliot Stock, who recently issued the English New Testament for a penny, is about to publish an illustrated New Testament in the French language at the same prices, for distribution on the Continent. Nearly a quarter of a million copies of the English edition have been circulated.

On July 12th and following days, Mr Rowe, a Cambridge player, made 415 runs, not out, the highest score on record. The match was one of the University vacation games. Mr Tylecote's famous 404, not out, has thus been deprived of its pride of place at last. The next great score to his was Mr W. Grace's 400 not out. Both these were made against inferior teams.