The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1883.

Kumara Times, Issue 2036, 8 March 1883, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1883.

The steamship City of Now York, with the San Francisco mails, arrived at Auckland at ten o’clock last evening. She was detained starting for five days owing to the English mails being left behind at Ogden. She arrives, however, within two days of contract time, and has therefore gained three in the voyage. The passage was uneventful. The Hawea, with the southern mails, was to leave Mauukau at eight o’clock this morning. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Volunteer Fire Brigade was held at the Town Hall last evening ; present —Capt. Dove, Lieut. Anderson, Foreman Close, Secretary Carey, Treasurer Burger, Firemen Ziegler, Schroder, Ross,. M'Ewen, Rudkin, Grams, and Valentine. It was resolved that the practices of the Brigade be held on the second and fourth Wednesday in the month. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court this afternoon, before A. C. Campbell and W. Barnett, Esqs., J. Rs., Louisa Pett, alias Louisa O’Brien, was charged with

the larceny of a goose of the value of 10s. The case was dismissed in the absence of sufficient evidence. The same prisoner was also charged with having no visible lawful means of support, to which she pleaded not guilty. She was convicted and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour in the Hokitika Gaol. The Borough Council hold their usual fortnightly meeting at the Town Hall this evening. Mr Archibald Forbes, the “King of the Specials,” has instructed us to fix the date of his lecture at Kumara for Monday, the 19th March. He is at present lecturing at the inland towns north of Wellington, and as he is announced to lecture at Kaiapoi, a few miles out of Christchurch, on the 15th inst., he may be expected to arrive here on the 17th. With regard to the opening of Parliament, the Wellington correspondent of the Press telegraphed on the 2nd instant : “ I mentioned some time ago that Parliament would probably not meet before June, but have reason now to believe that every effort will be made to open the session on Friday, Ist June ; but there is some doubt whether the alterations in Parliament Buildings will be sufficiently near completion to permit this. At present all is the wildest chaos within the hollow precincts of the Parliamentary domain, and capable judges say there is but a slender prospect of work being completed in three months. A serious accident happened yesterday to Allen Dunn, employed at Mr Holder’s saw-mills, Greymouth. It appears that he was squaring a log of timber, when the axe by some means or other slipped, inflicting a very ugly wound on the right foot. The unfortunate man was brought to town and got the cut dressed. The accident will necessitate his laying up for a month. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Christchurch, on Monday last, the Press states, a man named George Johnston, who had been several times brought up for drunkenness, applied for the issue of an order under the Licensing Act, prohibiting all publicans in the Christchurch districts from supplying him with intoxicating liquor. The reason he gave for his action was that he had got himself thrown out of work, and that an employer promised to take him on provided the prohibition order was issued. The Bench declined to make the order, but recommended him to get some friend to apply, when they would comply if it seemed necessary. A large quantity of machinery is now being delivered at Boatman’s. No less than four heavy nine-horse waggons reached Capelston on Friday and Saturday last, with mining machinery for the Welcome, Eureka, and other companies there. A story, more amusing than true probably, has been told by the Wairarapa Standard about Mr Milner Stephen, and the effect of his “healing” upon a cork leg. A man in Masterton has a cork leg with patent springs, kneecap movement, tensor and flexor action, and all the latest mechanical improvements. This individual suffers from rheumatism in his natural leg (not the cork one), so he went privately to Mr Stephen, paid his two guineas and sought the aid of “the heaven-gifted healer.” Being slightly “ tight ” on the occasion of his visit, he unfortunately stuck out the wrong leg to be treated, and—the rheumatism was cured ! At bedtime the man essayed to take off his cork leg. But, alas ! the leg had gone all wrong—it wouldn’t unscrew or come off at all. The magnetism, or the passes, or the red flannel, or the magnetised oil, or the prayers—or all combined, had bedevilised that cork leg altogether. A perfect triumph of mechanical skill and ingenuity was completely ruined. The “flexors and extensors,” and “the patent kneecap movement,” were completely done for. The afflicted man swore roundly, took another big drink, and went to bed, cork leg and all. He is there still, and vows to sue Milner Stephen in the Supreme Court, to recover heavy damages for the loss of the use of his patent cork logProfessor Wiggins has written to the Sydney Municipal Council concerning his predicted storm, as follows:—“Ottawa, Canada, 23rd December, 1882. To his Worship the Mayor of Sydney, New South Wales. Dear Sir—l take the liberty to inform you that one of the most extensive and violent storms of the present century will pass over your continent and adjacent sea on the 10th March. It will be much greater than the one which you will experience on February 9th, No vessel, whatever her seaworthiness and tonnage, will be safe in the March tempest,,

Please inform me by letter of its effects when it is past, giving the wind’s velocity, direction, &c., and the increased height of the tides. Trusting you will make this public, I am yours truly, Stone Wiggins, L.L.D., Astronomer.”