The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 1832.

Kumara Times, Issue 1693, 3 March 1882, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 1832.

An “ indigmition meeting” is advertised to be held at Reynold’s Hotel, Dillman’s Ttrwn, this evening, at eight o’clock, the objects of which have already been notified, and will be seen in the advertisement referred to. A large gathering is expected. By the Christchurch mail which left this liforbing Mr Petrie, M.H.R., forwarded two numerously-signed petitions—one to the Postmaster-General, from the residents of Greymouth and the other from the residents of Reefton, to T, 8. Weston, Esq., M H.R,—for presentation to the j proper head, praying for the establishment of a bi-weekly mail service between Greymouth and Nelson overland. The Eight Hon. W. E. Gladstone, ac, companied by Mr Parnell (Home Ruler), j the Empress Eugenie, accompanied by the Queen of Spain, Kate Kelly,. Arthur I Orton (the “claimant”), and other notorious people—(wax figures we should say, of these personages)—arrived in Kumara at one o’clock, and will severally hold a levee in the presence of the world-famed Kelly gang (in wax) at the Theatre Royal,

t wuorrow, Monday, and following days. It is not the intention of his Worship the Mayor of Kumara to introduce strangers to these distinguished visitors; the Kohler Brothers, renowned for their gifts in discoursing favourite operatic selections with brass and other wind musical instruments, have volunteered the task of introduction, and in this they will be assisted by Professor Edison’s talking machine, and an Australian “electric boy.” We understand about fifty other illustrious characters will be present; and there will also be a seal (not seal-in’-wax, but the obstructor of a Southland railway train in which the eminent people referred to were not travelling) on view. The levee will commence at 10 o’clock to-morrow morning. Instead of kid gloves a two-shilling piece, or coin to that amount, will be required on entering the Theatre, half that sum being sufficient for children. The following weather forecast -was received from Captain Edwin yesterday ; “Expect bad weather from any quarter between south-west and east and north ; the glass to fall soon ; the sea heavy after 12 hours, and heavy rain ; indications bad.” The successful tenderer for the Owen Creek bridge contract, on the road from Nelson to Lyell was F. G. Freeman, of Nelson. The contract price is £1384. Mr Lohmann, storekeeper, Dillman’s Town, having purchased the National Hotel there, has resolved to relinquish his present business, and announces that the whole stock .must be cleared out within one month from present date, and at a great sacrifice for cash. The stock consists of drapery, boots, provisions, crockery-ware, horse, trap, harness, saddles, &c. John Starr, who was seriously injured a day or two ago at the Twelve Mile, through falling over a cliff, died at the Greymouth Hospital yesterday. A Mark Lodge, the first in Canterbury, has been opened at Timaru, under the E.O. The Town and Country Journal contains the following in its answers to correspondents G. B. (Kumara, New Zealand). —(1.) The gold duty was abolished in New South Wales from the Ist October, 1879. The miner’s right was reduced to 10s per month by the Act 16 Vic. No. 43, passed 28th September, 1853. It was further reduced to 10s per annum by Act 20 Vic. No. 29, passed 11th March, 1857.” In excavating the site for the new gasometer for Dunedin, a swordfish 4ft. Gin. in length, and the remains of a whale, the vertebrae of which was about 15ft, were discovered by the workmen. The contractor for the excavation and erection lost £SOO, principally owing to the difficult nature of the ground, which was originally a swamp, into which a rod could be pushed 20ft. with ease. A rather stupid practical joke (says the Wanganui Chronicle) was played by a commercial traveller on a baker residing in a town not very far from New Plymouth a few days ago. One of these “ mercantile ambassadors,” who is well known for his usual genial disposition and strong attachment to juveniles, happened to pass the baker’s shop just as the latter was filling the window with a large quantity of cakes of all sorts of fantastic forms—elephants, horses, and birds. The C.T. stepped inside and asked the tradesman what he would take for the lot, remarking that he was going to give the crowd of children a treat. The man of dough said he could “do ” the lot for about 10s. The price was not exorbitant, and the commercial man agreed to take the goods. He then said that the currants, which were artistically placed in the cakes to represent the eyes of the animals, could not but prove injurious to the health of the children, and asked how long it would take to pick them all out. The baker said he thought he could do it in about au hour and a-half, .and the purchaser consented to call in about that time. The baker completed his task, and is still waiting the arrival of the commercial traveller. V hen Buckley, the rich Gippsland squatter died, it was at first supposed that he left no will, but an old man named Meagher produced one in his own favor. This was proved to be a forgery, and Meagher was sent to gaol, where he died j I of paralysis. The "Victorian Government then took possession of the immense pro- | perty and advertised for claimants, of j which half-a-dozen appeared. These are just now pressing for a division of the property, but they are sorely startled to I find that the real will in favor of Meagher' j has turned up in Adelaide, dated 30 years back. Perhaps Meagher knew the will j had been made, and forged one, thinking '

he was not doing wrong. So the romance continues. The Melbourne correspondent of the Southland Times says that the property at stake is somewhat about a quarter of a million. Special attention is called to Smith and Barkley’s genuine cheap sale. Great reductions, and 2s 6d cash in the pound returned to every cash buyer.-—See price list.— [Advt.]