BARNUM COMING TO CORTLAND

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, May 20, 1887.

Barnum’s Day.

Over Three Thousand Tons of Fun and Wonder.

   In his distinguished and uninterrupted reign of over half a century as monarch of the amusement world, Phineas Taylor Barnum has, among very many notable things, established the most popular and widely enjoyed annual holiday; for wherever the Barnum and London Ten United Monster Shows exhibit there are assembled the biggest and most delighted crowds of all the year—enormous assemblages, which are of themselves a remarkable and animating sight.

   This year Barnum's day in Cortland will fall upon Monday August 15th, and more than enough will be provided to interest, instruct and amuse all comers. It would be simply impossible to summarize the host of rare attractions to be found in the two immense menageries, the three superb circuses with three rings, the museum of living marvels, the stupendous Roman Hippodrome, upon the monster elevated Olympian stage, and displayed free to all on the public streets, but we can say, in all truth, that never was so much given for so small a price.

   There are a large number of special features, a sight of any one of which is really worth the cost of admission to the entire show; as, for example, King Theebaw's $100,000 weird "Harry Luck-Bringers;" the heroic and famous Capt. Paul Boynton's surprising and novel and nautical performances in the waters of a specially constructed artificial lake; that double triumph of the distinguished naturalist, Prof. Henry A. Ward, of Rochester, N. Y.—Jumbo restored and presented in all the vast naturalness of life, and his prodigiously massive skeleton set up and perfect in every part. Beside her stupendous consort's form will also be seen “Alice," Jumbo's wife and huge widow, an elephant almost as famous and popular as the lamented Colossus of his Kind.

   The great show is in truth a vast combination of signal features and feats, far surpassing anything of the kind in the world, and one that could not be attempted under any other name than that of P. T. Barnum.

   "Too much for the money" is the odd and only adverse criticism ever made upon this incomparable and refined entertainment; but if Barnum and his partners can stand that sort of thing, we imagine that the public will not be the ones to object. The average American citizen likes to get the most for his money, and goes where he can get it.

A Change of Firm.

   Many of our readers will regret to learn that the well known firm of Mager & Walrad, dealers in dry goods, has been dissolved by the retirement of Mr. C. P. Walrad, who had made hosts of friends, during the many years he has been engaged in business. Mr. Walrad's position as manager of the Cortland Savings bank, has required all of his time for the past two or three years, and he has finally concluded to retire from the dry goods business.

   Mr. Chas. W. Stoker, well known to the people of this county as a live, popular and thorough-going business man, has purchased Mr. Walrad's interest, and will hereafter be associated with Mr. Mager at the old stand. The dry goods trade is by no means new to Mr. Stoker, he having been a salesman in the store of James S. Squires for six years before he went into the grocery business for himself. For eleven years, he had an immense grocery trade, due mainly to his enterprise, hard work and fair dealing.

   Mr. Stoker has a very large acquaintance throughout the county and is deservedly popular with all who have had dealings with him. His associate, Mr. Mager, is a first-class business man and has made many friends since he became a resident of Cortland. We shall be greatly surprised if the dry goods trade doesn't have an extra boom in Cortland from this time forward. The new firm deserve to be successful and we believe they will be.

Just for Exercise.

   Last Thursday evening the Fire Department were called out for practice by Chief Dowd, without giving previous notice. The bell was rung at 7:15 P. M., and the boys turned out. The distance run was 300 yards.

   Orris Hose made the distance in 2:10, connected with the hydrant, laid 200 feet of hose and had water in 2:35 although they were delayed in making their connections. Water Witch Engine Company made the run in 2:15 and had two streams started in 7:15. Excelsior H. & L. Company made the run in 2:20 and had a twenty foot ladder up in 3:00. The Emeralds made the run in 2:25, laid 200 feet of hose and had a stream in 2:30. In leaving the house they ran against a lamp-post breaking their cart and they had to return for another which delayed them considerably.

   Cortland firemen have no need to take a back seat for any one.

HERE AND THERE.

   Barnum, August 15th.

   Mahan’s Music Festival, June 13-17.

   The Cortland trustees are adding several more street lights besides those already in use.

   Prof. S. J. Sornberger, of this place, has taken out letters patent on a fire extinguisher.

   Jas. Dougherty, Esq., has moved his law offices to rooms on second floor of the Beaudry block.

   Miss Margaret Mather appears as "Rosalind" and "As You Like It," at the Cortland Opera House, May 27th.

   The outdoor amusement association of Cortland died soon after it was christened, and was decently buried last week.

   Be sure to keep your dish-cloth clean, as some physicians claim that diphtheria will start from using greasy dish-cloths.

   The stockholders of the Fisher Manufacturing Company, limited, of Homer, elected a board of directors on Monday last.

   Life insurance is described as an arrangement to keep a man poor while he lives, in order to enrich his poor relatives when he dies.

   The veteran, Thomas Reagan, has returned to Truxton after an absence of some years, and is again at his old post carrying the mail from the post-office to the depot.

   The game of ball played on the fair grounds, last Saturday, between the Cortlands and the McGrawvilles, resulted in a victory for the former by a score of 16 to 9.

   A band of Italian musicians have been furnishing music for the citizens of this place during the past week. They played for a dance at the Cortland House on Tuesday evening.

   Barnum's first advertising car was in town on Wednesday. Five teams, each with a corps of bill posters, started early in the morning, to bill every town within twenty miles of Cortland.

   Saturday afternoon the Syracuse University nine will play the Cortlands on the fair grounds. This will undoubtedly prove to be an exciting game, as the visiting team is said to be a very strong one.

   The Homer Gun Club has been reorganized and will hereafter be called the Homer and Cortland Gun Club. A. M. Schermerhorn, B. E. Miller and D. Francis, of this place, have joined the club.

   Mr. Edward Joy, of Syracuse, is putting into the Hitchcock Manufacturing Company’s factory in this place, 1,125 automatic sprinklers of the Mackay patent. These sprinklers are said to work like a charm in case of fire.

   The reunion of the 180th regiment will be held at Floral Trout Ponds, in this place, June 3d. J. E. Eggleston, of this village, will deliver the address of welcome, which will be responded to by J. S. Gross, of Owego, who is president of the association.

   A. B. Nelson, of Cortland, tried his hand at fishing near here this week. He put in five hours of hard tramping and succeeded in landing three innocent little trout, the longest one of which wouldn't pass the six-inch limit. "Art" can sell wagon-makers' supplies, but has concluded to buy his fish.—DeRuyter Gleaner.

   F. P. Higbee and F. M. Quick, two well known business men of Homer, have organized base ball clubs for the season’s campaign.

   John M. Williams, who resides on Crandall street, in this village, left home last Friday, and has not yet returned. His friends are anxious about him.

   A fresh invoice of wind has just been received at the Standard office, and is being distributed by its editor throughout a select few of the towns of the county.

   Fred Hilligus, the champion three-mile runner of this county, and Tom Sullivan, the champion ten-hour runner, will indulge in a foot race, after the ball game on the fair grounds on Saturday afternoon, for a purse of $15. Fifty yards, best two in three.

   The military company organized in this place recently, received notice from the Adjutant General's office, the other day, that according to law, an independent military company cannot carry arms. This will force the company to disband, or procure a change in the law.

   G. W. Turner, of Lansing, was arrested by Deputy Sheriff J. Gallagher, on Tuesday evening of last week, in Cortland, on a warrant for bastardy, sworn out by Overseer of the Poor, J. C. Beebee. He was brought to Ludlowville before Justice N. E. Lyon and examined, and was committed, not being able to give the required amount of bail, $1,000.— Genoa Herald.

A Sea Serpent Captured.

The Marine Curiosity Taken in Lake Champlain.

   One of the Pittsburgh soldiers went out fishing on Lake Champlain Thursday and captured what some of the people round about there consider an offspring of the famous sea serpent claimed to reside in the lake. It had a broad flat head, a trifle narrow shaped, and four legs. The body is like that of an eel in shape and color. Three feathery tufts-like prolongations from the mucous membrane project from the upper part of the throat, passing out through openings in the side of the neck. It is a very queer looking reptile and a very rare one. A physician, who examined it, concluded that it was a meno-branchos or great water lizard of the northern lakes.

Item.

   Hon. Chauncey M. Depew, President of the Hudson River and N. Y. Central railroads, gave an address at the reunion of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, held in New York, a few days since, in which he took occasion to deny that the railroads were getting rich. He says "the Central will earn $34,000,000 this year, and out of that $30,000,000 will go for wages, taxes, etc. The capitalists will have to 'bloat' for the remainder and they won't burst."

   Mr. Depew believes in stopping promiscuous immigration. He is undoubtedly correct when he says the railroads are not making money and yet there are those who believe that they should increase the wages of their employees. Promiscuous emigration is doing much to keep the price of labor down in many of the avocations of life. Hundreds of single men come across the water and compete with our resident citizens, who have families to support, only to return when they have earned a few hundred dollars, to their own countries.

   The number of immigrants landing in New York every week is enormous, and they are not all calculated to become good citizens. The Socialists and Nihilists are fast leaving the old world, for the new, where they labor only to create uneasiness and disturbance among the laboring classes. Such rascals should not be permitted to land.