The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 1882.

Kumara Times, Issue 1645, 6 January 1882, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 1882.

Mr R. J. Seddon, M.H.R., having telegraphed to the Hon. the Minister of Mines as to when he might be expected at Kumara, to-day received the following reply ; —“I am on my way going through the Mataldtaki track to Reefton tomorrow. Thence to Westport down the coast. I will let you know when I reach Greymonth.—W. Rollestok.” The feast of Epiphany, which is observed to-day, was instituted as early as the year 813. It is more generally known as Twelfth-day (the twelfth day after Christmas). There was a custom among the Greeks and Romans of, on this day, drawing lots for kings or queens by putting a piece of money in the middle of a cake, which, whoever found, was saluted as king or queen of the festival of the Epiphany. A Gaelic correspondent favors us with the following ; —“ A large congregation of Highlanders assembled in the Presbyterian church last night to hear the Rev. Donald Ross, of Queenstown, preach in Gaelic. He read the story of the Prodigal Son, and took Romans Bc. Iv. for his text. For nearly an hour he held his audience spell-bound. Mr Ross is both an orator and a preacher of no mean order. Full of Celtic fire and Highland fervour, aye, and a fire higher than either, he touched the hearts of his hearers, and revised the memory of days long past and voices long silent. The grand old gospel is indeed a power to the Highlander wandering in a strange land when spoken in the ancient mother tongue of his native land. A capital precentor was found who lead the singing in the real old Highland line-by-line’ Style. ” Dr. Giles, the Returning Officer for the district of Hokitika, declared the result of the poll for that electorate yesterday, which was as follows G. G. Fitz Gerald, G 53 ; R. C. Reid, 404—majority for Mr Fitz Gerald, 140. Mr Morton Purkiss returned thanks oh behalf of Mr FitzGerald. Mr Reid was late in arriving, and returns thanks by advertisement. By the mail coach this morning Mr Pearson, Manager of the Kumar a Branch of the Bank of Hew South Wales',' was a passenger’, en route to Sydney, to' enjoy a well-earned holiday in the land of his birth, amongst his kindred and the friends of his youth. We wish him a prosperous voyage and safe return. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning, before R. J. Seddon and A. C. Campbell, Esqrs., J. Ps., Edmund Murphy, for using obscene language, was convicted and fined £l, or, in default, 48 hours’ imprisonment. Bernard Shecdy, for allowing a horse to wander at large within the borough, no person being in control, was fined ss. Tenders are required for sawing about 5000 feet of building timber ; to be cut at Lake Brunner. Tenders, which are to be sealed, must be addressed to Mr J. W. Mitchell, Lake Brunner, care of Mr W. S. Hanna, Victoria Hotel, Kumara, where further particulars may be obtained. The Union Steamship Compau3 r ’s useful little “Pocket Guide” for January, 1882, is to hand. During this and the next months return tickets will still be issued at reduced rates, available for return to the 31st March. The usual annual excursion to the West Coast Sounds will not be made this summer, but the following steamers will call at Milford Sound en route to and from Melbourne : From Bluff, the Rotomahana, on the 3rd February : and from Melbourne, the Rotorua, on the 21st February.