The Cortland
News, Friday, July 30, 1886.
TOWN CORRESPONDENCE.
PREBLE, July 29, 1886.
A large fox made his appearance on Monday and took a
few turkeys and hens of Mr. Lang and then passed on to the next neighbor, Mr.
Gay's, killed a few ducks and then went into the hog pen after a pig but found
none.
Bennett
Hollow has boasted of their crops, good looks and good behavior and now they
can boast of having the most skunks of any district in Preble and unless
something is done soon there will not be a hen or a chicken left by winter.
We learn that Isaac Wilbur, while on his way
home the other day was thrown from the buggy. The horse ran the best part of a
mile up a steep hill toward home and being nearly exhausted one of the neighbors
caught him and drove back after the driver. Fortunately no one hurt, nothing
broken.
About
one year ago a piece came out in the Tully
Times that Devil Dick, who lives in the
woods where he has a hut, was found dead in his mansion. This writer gave a
long history of his life. A few days afterwards he walked into the little
village of Tully and made a speech. Well what we were going to say about him is
that he went into a wheat field last week with five able bodied men [cutting
wheat] and led them all day long. He is over 73 years old. Does he act much
like a dead man?
HARFORD, July 29, 1886.
Blackberries
are ripening. There will be a full crop.
An
agent of G. B. Olin & Co., spring harrow manufacturers, of Canandaigua, was
in town last week collecting royalties of those who had bought harrows of the Chase,
Taylor & Co., manufacturers. The royalties were modestly placed at $10 per harrow.
When our laws sanction such things as this, it goes a long ways towards making
a man believe that Louise Michel is right when she says that our system of laws
is all wrong. Indeed, for a short time I thought of going to Chicago and
joining the Anarchists.
As some of the readers
of the NEWS may not know the exact condition of things in Harford, I have compiled the following crop report
for their enlightenment:—Hay 95, potatoes 100, mowing machine agents 172,
oats 75, people who pass the hat 140, corn 80, tax collectors 104, dogs 199. These are the most important items; some things
going higher than last year and others lower. On the whole I think we shall manage to get through the winter,
especially if the crop of fruit tree agents and pack peddlers comes in good, later on.
HOPS UTTERLY RUINED.
The Last Hope of a Crop Vanished—Prices for Old
Hops.
CANAJOHARIE, N. Y., July 27.—The last
ray of hope entertained by the great body of hop growers throughout New York
State vanished this morning. During the night a heavy rain occurred. Growers
thought this would have a good effect. Instead yards which yesterday appeared
green and healthy are now black and utterly ruined. Many growers in this section
destroyed their yards a week ago, and now slashing them down will become
general. Where one week ago it was thought a quarter of an average yield would
be harvested it is now believed not a pound will be picked. Growers are very
much disheartened, and their predicament is only equaled by the condition of the
hop pickers. Good '85 hops now bring 30 to 32 cents, against 6 and 10 cents six
weeks ago.
TO BE OPENED AGAIN.
Fred Kenyon and Charles Chidsey have leased the
Pioneer Rink [roller skating rink located on Orchard Street, Cortland—CC editor] for a
month with the privilege of a longer period and will open it for
skating as soon as necessary repairs can be completed. They will assure people
that they may come and feel perfectly contented as no one of an unsavory
reputation will be allowed in the building. The floor and skates are being repaired
and interior decorations are being put up. The rink will be opened three
evenings in each week.
A
MIDNIGHT ROW.
About eleven o'clock last
Saturday night Ansil Hopkins, his brother, and a fellow by the name of
Carpenter endeavored to pick a fight with "Tom" Kelly, Randall Shaw
and Charles Gaylord in Quinn & Morris' saloon in Taylor Hall Block. The
three latter would have nothing to do with the others in the saloon, but when
they left they were followed to the foot of the stairs where the Hopkins brothers
and Carpenter commenced calling them by indecent names.
One of the Hopkins drew a knife
and attempted to stab Gaylord but the latter ran up Main street followed by his
assailant until he reached a large tree in front of Pudney & Co.'s hat
store. He dodged behind this, and as Hopkins made his appearance, Gaylord dealt
him a stinging blow between the eyes, felling him to the sidewalk, where he was
disarmed and given such a pounding as he will not be liable [sic] to forget for
some time. Meanwhile Kelly and the other Hopkins were having a lively tussle in
front of Smith & Bates’, Hopkins coming out second best, with a pair of black
eyes and numerous bruises about the face. Carpenter made himself scarce.
The trouble is said to have
grown out of the fact that Kelly was a witness against the Carpenter girl who was recently sent to the Onondaga Penitentiary as a
disorderly character, although one of the Hopkins brothers claims that Kelly had
insulted his wife. No arrests were made.
A
GOOD DAY FOR SUCKERS.
A
Smooth Tongued Rascal Throws out Tempting Bait and Gets A Good Haul.
Tuesday forenoon a young man
drove through Main street until he reached Railroad [Central] and then switched off and
stopped just on the corner. He immediately placed a traveling case on the wagon
seat and from it took quantities of pinchbeck jewelry and oreide watches. He
commenced his harangue by stating that he was advertising the goods and would
dispose of his wares in five classes—first sleeve buttons; second, gent's watch
chains; third ladies' opera chains; fourth, butter knives; and fifth, watches.
The sale of sleeve buttons opened slow, at five, ten, twenty-five or fifty
cents per pair, but finally a large number of pairs were sold. The “benefactor
to the human race" then requested those who had purchased the buttons to hold
them up, and proceeded to give back to the purchasers just double the amount of
money that had been paid, that is, if a purchaser had given 50 cents he
received one dollar.
Then the "fake"
opened the sale of gent's watch chains at $1, $2 or $3, as the purchaser
desired. Gosh, how the money rolled in. Men who wouldn't or couldn't pay an
honest debt hunted up shekels with "surprising alacrity and sweet delight"
and purchased oreide chains, thinking of course they would again double their
money; staid church members, a few business men, three cent dudes, and every
description of humanity helped to swell the pile of cash in the wagon until it
must have reached two hundred dollars. All the time he was selling the goods he
kept telling his customers that he would make them all a present, and when he
had found all the "suckers'* there were in the Cortland pond he quietly folded
up his gripsack and made a few remarks, somewhat as follows:
"My friends, I promised
you all a present when I got through selling, and I always keep my word. I have
not misrepresented this business at all. But before giving the present to you I
would like to ask if anyone in the crowd knows what he is going to get?"
Then up spoke Mr. Riley, “they
speak of so highly," and [he] said "Cap, I can. They're going to get
left!"
With a smile like the Heathen
Chinese, that was "childlike and bland," the tin
"My friend, you've guessed
it pretty close, but not quite."
Then, from the recess of his
vest pocket he took out a box of oreide pens and proceeded to distribute them
to the "sneakingist" looking crowd you ever saw, and then drove off.
A more homesick or disgusted
crowd were never seen. They all knew that he was a bilk, and those who dealt
with him expected to quit after he got through selling watch chains, and they
did, but they didn't quit quite soon enough. The moral of the thing is plain
enough. Don't expect to get ahead of one of this class of sharpers, for you
can't do it, unless you let them entirely alone. Of course this advice will not
be heeded, as the world is full of people and always will be, who think it will
be nice to get something for nothing. Adios.
FAT
AND LEAN.
The
Most Fun for the Least Money of any Show Yet.
Saturday afternoon of this week
the fat and lean men of Cortland will measure willows at the fairgrounds for
the benefit of the building fund of Grace Church, and if there is not
sufficient fun produced to more than compensate those who pay their quarters we
shall deem ourselves a poor prophet.
Both nines are practicing daily—in
their minds—and the wonderful feats they are going to perform is beyond the
conception of anyone.
The lean men had calculated
that they would have an easy victory, as the story was set afloat during the
earlier part of the week by some unprincipled villain that the "fat"
nine had been weakened by Duffy and Bradford having signed with the Detroits
[professional baseball team—CC editor]. This is not so. At least, if they have
signed with the Detroits they will not leave until after Saturday's game.
The fat men were also elated
over the fact that "Ab" and Jim Maybury had concluded not to play
with the "leans" on account of stone bruises, but they have so far
recovered that they have concluded to play this time if it takes every hair
left on "Ab's" head.
Elaborate costumes from Worth
have been received for the occasion, and this will be the only time an
opportunity will be afforded the people of Cortland of seeing them, and it will
be only on account of the colors that it will be possible to distinguish a fat
from a lean man. Bright red will be the color tor the fat, and if by chance
they should win the game, the whole town will wear a roseate hue. Yellow of the
most improved shade will distinguish the lean.
The following are the players
and their position:
FAT. LEAN.
Duffey, c. Brewer, c.
J. R Schermerhorn,.p. A. M.
Schermerhorn, p.
Arnold, 1b. Edgcomb, s. s.
Straat, 2b. Woodruft, 1b.
Taylor, 3b. Blowers, 2b.
Mee, l.f. Maybury, 3b.
Bradford, c.f. Wickwire, l.f.
Calkins, r.f. Clark, c.f.
Jones, s.s. Dana, r.f.
Refreshments consisting of
cigars, lemonade, peanuts, &c, will be served on the grounds by the ladies.
Seats will be provided for four or five hundred people. Music furnished for the
occasion by the Mechanic's band.
In case one of the players
should be killed the spectators are earnestly requested to keep their seats
until the arrival of the Coroner the following day. This will avoid confusion
and give the [judicial] a chance to get a jury without much difficulty.
Admission to the grounds, ladies
and gentlemen, 25c; children 15. No person over forty years of age allowed to go
in on a child's ticket.
Reference:
Louise Michel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Michel
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