Untitled

Kumara Times, Issue 1670, 4 February 1882, Page 2

The mail coach left the Bealey this morning at the usual hour, with Australian exchanges to the 24th ult., and arrived at the Kumara post-office at 2.50 p.m. Mr Rugg's coach, with eight passengers arrived at the same time.

The San Francisco mail is due at Auckland on Monday. Mr Joseph Petrie, M.H.R., aud Mr E. T. Robinson, Secretary to the Central Board of Education, left for Wellington, per Grafton, yesterday, to interview the Hon. Mr Dick relative to educational matters on the West Coast.

A man named John Long, whilst endeavouring to get on board the Grafton, at Greymouth on Thursday evening, fell between the steamer and the wharf into the water, and would undoubtedly have been drowned, had it not been for the timely assistance of one of the crew who heard the splash. When laid on the wharf he was insensible, and bleeding at the mouth. Dr. Morice was quickly on the spot, and had the unfortunate man removed to the Oddfellows' Hotel, where every attention was paid him by the doctor and Mr and Mrs Divine. Yesterday morning the patient had so far progressed as to be enabled to leave the ship. It appears that Long shipped on the Grafton at Wellington as cook, but for some reason or other Captain Johnnston dismissed him and put another cook in his place a few days after, though Long was allowed to come on to Greymouth.

Mr Thos. Luther Shepherd, the newlyappointed Clerk of the Courts at Charleston, arrived at Westport on Saturday last on his way thither.

Mr Lowther Broad, District Judge, Nelson, intends to publish shortly a digest of all the reported cases in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of New Zealand from the beginning to 1881. The digest, it is thought, will be found useful, not only to the profession, but also to bankers and others.

During last week 212 tons of stone were reduced at the United Alpine Company's battery, at the Lyell, for a return of 281 ozs. of amalgam. The reefs in the Upper Shotover district (Otago) are yielding very fair returns at present. One claim has just yielded a cake of gold of 376 ounces from the same number of tons of stone.

On Wednesday last, the Ist February, Nelson celebrated the fortieth anniversary of the foundation of its province. A lady, Miss Stodhart, was nominated for a seat on the Nelson School Committee, but failed to secure election. A large skein of yellow silk was shown at the meeting of the Industrial Association, whieh had been grown in Christchurch by Mr Federli. This demonstrates beyond all cavil that sericulture can be profitably carried on in Canterbury. The Westport Times says:—The accounts of the Loyal Westport Lodge M.U.1.0.0.F. have just been balanced, and show the lodge to be one of the healthiest in the Colony. It has a capital of £1283, and there is also a good balance to the credit of the Management Fund. A Captain Oliver, who is now in Christchurch, undertakes the curing of stammering, impediments of speech, &c. From the testimonials published it would seem that he has been most successful in curing some very bad cases in England and elsewhere.

Miss Leaf, the favorite cantatrice, has left Lyttelton by the Te Anau for Melbourne, in order, we understand, to fulfil an important engagement. Considerable discussion having taken place as to the mode in which the name of Wilhelmj, the world-renowned violinist, is pronounced, it is as well to understand that the final letter is to be sounded like the English y, or the i of other languages. It is always satisfactory to be

able to call especially great musical geniuses, by their right names. Mr Charles M'Keegan died in Wellington on January 25. Mr M'Keegan was a non-commissioned officer in the sth Dragoon Guards, and served (the New Zealand Times reports) during the greater part of the Crimean war. He was at the battle of Balaclava, received eleven wounds, and was taken off the field for dead, being desperately wounded. He was decorated with four medals, one for distinguished conduct in the field, and also one from the Turkish Government After he returned to England he married, and in 1873 came to New Zealand. He was much esteemed by all .who knew him. He leaves a wife and eight children to mourn his loss. The will of the late Mr Robert Reid, of Dunedin, agricultural implement dealer, has been proved under £38,503. —The will of the late Robert Burrows, of Dunedin, doctor of medicine, has been proved under £9ooo.—The will of the late George Falkes, of North-east Valley, Dunedin, gentleman, has been proved under £SOOO. The wheat crop in the Auckland district this season is exceptionally good, so good, indeed, that competent judges estimate that it will yield an average of from 35 to 40 bushels to the acre. The area of land sown with wheat this season is far larger than in any previous year. Mr Lalor, the Speaker of the Victorian House of Assembly, is about to pay a visit of several weeks to New Zealand. Robert the Devil has finally taken leave of the turf, and is advertised for sale as a stallion. A destructive fire in New York lately burned down the Fourth Avenue railway stables, with the large furniture stores adjoining. The loss is £400,000. W. H. Vanderbilt is the landlord. The furniture stores were the depository of valuable goods belonging to the leading families. Among the burnt articles was a fine painting, owned by Mr Vanderbilt, and valued at £IO,OOO. One hundred horses perished. Living in Sonth Africa appears rather expensive. At Jagersfontein, for example, during the race week a racing man had to pay £76 for stabling and £1 a day for food. A bunch of radishes in the same place costs two shillings. The perils of those who go down to the sea in ships are frequently brought under our notice with startling force. But those who work in the bowels of the earth, and bring forth its hidden treasures run terrible risks as well. It is appalling to reflect that within one generation over 30,000 lives have been lost in the pits and mines of Great Britain—more ablebodied men than are to be found in any one centre of population in New Zealand. The London correspondent of a contemporary says :—"A serious libel case case has only just escaped being dragged into Court. In a recent article under the head of 'Queer Stories,' 'Truth' gave a very slanderous sketch of the Princess Louise alleging some very remarkable reafor her declining to stop with the Marquis of Lome, and dragging out the old story about Canon Duckworth. The Prince of Wales instituted proceedings against Mr Labouchere, the proprietor of ' Truth,' on behalf of his sister, and the end was a compromise, the Prince obtaining a written apology, which he might show to anyone whom he liked."