The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1886.

Kumara Times, Issue 2906, 20 February 1886, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1886.

There has been a strike of the workmen engaged in sinking the cylinders of the Taipo bridge with airlock. Twelve men were so employed up to midday on Tuesday last in four-hour shifts, at 2s an hour, or l(js a day. On the introduction of the use of the pulsometer, the contractors notified the men that the wages would be reduced to 10s. All the men thereupon left the work. Two or three were, however, retained to do carpentering or surface work, but nine came away here yesterday afternoon in an express. It is, of course, very laborious employment, and very trying to the constitution, and this reduction of wages all at once seems to be a very large one. On the other hand, it may be assumed the contractors find lGs a day too much to prevent loss on their contract. But no a'.tempt seems to have been made by the contractors to suggest nor the men to accept a medium wage. The two principal cylinders of the eight which are in the actual river stream have been sunk. When at the contract depth it was found there was still only a shingle or washdirt bottom, and at the suggestion of the Overseer of Works to the department, the contractors were ordered to sink these two eight feet lower. These have been so sunk, and filled with concrete, and the work completed to the satisfaction of the engineer in about a fortnight. The other six cylinders, we understand, have yet to be sunk. The Assessment Court for the Borough of Kumara, was held in the Court House, yesterday, by Dr. Giles, Judge of the Court. There were no objections to the Valuation List, as prepared bv the Town CJerk ; and, accordingly, it - 'S formally •signed by the presiding judge. Severe punishment will doubtless bo meted out to those miscreants who may be caught in the act of robbing orchards and gardens of the fruit which it has cost the owners years of labour and attention to produce, as some youths or persons are in the habit of doing. One gentleman now offers a reward of £o vn conviction

of the thief or thieves so caught. We may take the opportunity also of warning persons who are again in the habit of exploding dynamite in the river for the sake of gaining a few greylings that a heavy penalty can be imposed by any Justice of the Peace for this offence, for as certain as they are found out they will be brought to justice.

There was a large attendance again at the Church of England Mission service last evening, when the Rev. G. E. Mason, one of the Missioners, delivered another eloquent and impressive sermon. There will be service again this evening, at eight o'clock. To-morrow, Sunday, there will be Holy Communion at 8 a.ra., service and sermon at 11 a.m., an address to children at 3 p.m., and a Mission service in the evening at seven o'clock. It is announced in an advertisement in the preceding column that Mr J. Wood, of Christchurch, will preach in the Wesleyan Church, Third street, morning and evening. On Monday evening Mr Wood will give a sketch of some Popular Yorkshire Evangelists, which has been spoken of by the Canterbury and other papers as highly amusing and instructive. Commander Edwin wired at 1.36 p.m.— " Indications glass rise and strong northeast to east and south winds."

There will be an annular (not annual, as we notice in an exchange) eclipse of the Sun on the 6th of next month. It will be observed all over the North Island and in the Middle Island as far south as Dunedin as a partial eclipse. It begins on the earth generally in longitude 166° 13' east of Greenwich, at 6.30 a.m., and ends in longitude 106° 44' west, at 12.39 p.m. In New Zealand it will be visible for not more than two hours, i.e., till 8.30 a.m. There will also be a total eclipse of the Sun in August next, but as the shadow of the moon falls in the other hemisphere of the earth and during our night, we in New Zealand will, of course, see nothing of the eclipse.

Mr W. Kroener and wife were passengers by the Mahinapua this morning from Greymouth, en route to Fatherland.

The Christchurch coach, with a large number of passengers, arrived this afternoon at the usual hour.

By the breaking down of the steamer Penguin on her passage from Port Chalmers to Lyttelton, several intending passengers by the R.M.S. Kaikoura, booked at Dunedin, missed their passage. At the meeting of contributors to the Grey River Hospital held in the Public Hall, Greymouth, on Thursday night for the purpose of electing trustees for the ensuing twelve months, there were about 250 persons present. The following six gentlemen were elected, viz., Messrs Sheedy, Kennedy, Petrie, Dupre, Arnott, Lahman. The following were also nominated :—Messrs Cameron, Yarrall, Nancarrow, Hogg, Blackmore, Smith, Tonks, Matheson, Perotti, Lord, and Kent. Mr George Rignold and his full Dramatic Company, who have been playing at her Majesty's Opera House, Melbourne, for the past eighteen months, are about to pay New Zealand a visit, commencing on Tuesday, March 16. Mr Rignold's company comprises all the best talent that has lately appeared in Melbourne, and numbers nearly forty people. At Mudgee, N.S. W., Mary Scanlan, 12 years of age, was bitten by a black snake on the little finger of the right hand. She called her sister Eliza, only ten years old, io chop the finger off. The brave girl did not flinch, though her sister made several attempts before she succeeded in severing the finger. When they reached home the father cut the jugged end with a razor and dressed the wound.

Mr Gladstone completed his seventysixth birthday on the 27th of December, receiving over a thousand telegrams, letters, and presents from the highest and lowest in society. One man wired—'' My last shilling. Many happy returns of the day, you dear old man ; may God spare you for many years." On his birthday, Mr and Mrs Gladstone "led oft"" at the servants' ball at Hawarden, Mrs Gladstone with the butler, and the Premier with the housekeeper.

W. J. M'llroy and Co., Main street, Kumara, beg to announce that they are purchasers of gold.—[Advt.]

Moral Turpitude.—Blame attaches to a jury of intellgent men when they condemn a man for crime whose moral nature has been perverted by indigestion, diseased liver and kidneys. A" thoughtful judge may well consider whether society would not be better served by ordering a bottle of American Co.'s Hop Bitters lor the unfortunate in the dock instead of penal servitude. Bead

A Goon A.rouNT. "To sum it up, six long years of bed-ridden sickness and suffering, costing £4O per year, total ,£240, all of which was stopped by three bottle.; of American CVs flop Bitters taken by my wife, who has done her own housework for a year since without the loss of a day, ami I want everybody to know it for their benefit. "—John Weeks, Butler. Find