THE MARATHON MIRROR AND MRS. RANDALL FAILING.

The Marathon Independent, Wednesday, March 26, 1884.

NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES.

   CORTLAND, March 24.—Mr. Dowd was elected street commissioner, in the place of Jeremiah Davern last week, by the village board. We hope he may equal Davern’s success in keeping the streets in good condition.

   Emmett A. Fish, who has been sick, is out again upon the streets.

   Seats for Will Carleton's lecture, Friday evening, March 28, are nearly all taken.

   Mrs. Randall seems to be slowly failing. [Mary F. Randall, wife of Roswell S. Randall, died from burn complications on March 30, 1884. She was 43 years old--CC editor.]

   The Cortland and Homer railroad case with the D. L. & W. R. R. was recently decided by the Court of Appeals in favor of the former, and now it seems that the track will be lain across the latter's track, and then there will be no change from street car to bus.

   F. W. Kingsbury has bought the house and lot on Grant street occupied last year by Perry Gardiner, and belonging to the Darby estate.

   Will Newton of the [Excelsior] Top company has purchased a lot on Port Watson street, and will soon erect a splendid residence.

   A large new safe, weighing about 10,000 pounds was placed in the Savings bank last week. It is of Herrings’ make.

   Messrs. E. D. Crossley & Sons have sold their overall factory near the fair grounds to L. Silverman, I. Whiteson and Mr. Silverman's brother, who intend running to its fullest capacity.

   J. S. Bull & Co. are soon to open a banking business in the rooms just north of Nelson and Call's hardware store.

Railroad Accident.

   CAZENOVIA, March 20. —The morning train over the Utica, Ithaca &

Elmira railway composed of one [?] passenger and six freight cars met with an accident between this village and Canastota this morning. While rounding a short curve near Perryville, the passenger coach, at the rear of the train, jumped the track and rolled forty feet down an embankment, rolling over twice before it was finally stopped, bottom side up, by a tree. By an almost miraculous escape no one was killed or seriously wounded.

   E. D. Hurlbert, of Cazenovia, was slightly injured on one hand and about the face; George Davis, of Nelson, was somewhat bruised, and O. C. Smith, of Cortland, a commercial traveller, was slightly injured. These were all the passengers on board. Michael Ray, the conductor, got off with two broken ribs, and the baggageman and a breakman were somewhat hurt. The injured men were taken back to Cazenovia.

A State Insane Institution.

   G. G. Townsend, receiving clerk of the Willard Asylum for the Insane, was in town last week, and from him we learn some facts concerning that institution which we believe will be interesting to our readers.

   The asylum grounds occupy 1,100 acres on the shore of Seneca lake. There are at present over 1800 inmates and 350 attendants, making a population of nearly 2200 at the institution. To feed this community requires daily 1400 pounds beef, 700 loaves of bread, 105 pounds of butter, 225 pounds of sugar, 35 pounds of coffee and 25 pounds of tea, with other eatables in proportion. The patients are made self- supporting as far as possible. The males, who can, are employed at farm labor, and about the grounds, and the females at sewing, manufacturing the clothing used by the inmates.

   A railroad connects the various buildings, and runs to Hayt's Corners, where it connects with the G. I. & S. railroad. This asylum road was mostly graded and laid by the labor of the patients. They are not worked too hard, but the officials have found that a certain amount of employment benefits the patients, keeping their minds occupied and inducing sleep.

Speechless for Weeks.

Recovering His Voice through Fright—How it Happened.

   Davidson Stanley lives about two miles south of this village. He is a man who for a long time has been a sufferer from a complication of disorders. Last October he was seriously ill with a trouble of the lungs and from that time up to a few days ago was unable to converse save in a whisper.

   One night during the present month his family were aroused by a noise at their wagon house, and his son arose for the purpose of investigating it. Mr. Stanley was awakened from a sound slumber, by the noise made by the son in getting a light, and not knowing what was the matter he attempted to scream. His attempt was successful, for as he says, something in his throat or lungs gave away with a snap like the report of a pistol, and his voice came to him again, and he is now able to talk as before, although extended conversation tires him, and his voice has a husky sound, as though he was suffering from a cold.

   We have heard of similar cases, where persons by some sudden emotion were able to speak after being silent for even a longer time, but so noteworthy a case never came to our notice before, where we were acquainted with the individual.

THE MARATHON MIRROR.

Two Copies of Marathon's Paper of 1863—Some of Its Advertisers—Papers since then.

   Through the courtesy of Mrs. Sam Heaney, we have been permitted during the past week to inspect Nos. 1 and 3 of volume 1 of the Marathon "Mirror" which paper was established on Thursday, February 12, 1863, by G. A. Dodge, at that time also publisher of the Broome Gazette at Whitney's Point. It was a 5 column, folio, just one half the size of the INDEPENDENT and containing six columns of selected miscellany, two columns of very heavy editorials, one column of war correspondence, (contributed by Lieu. E. S. Watson, now connected with the press of Binghamton, who was then a member of the 27th, Regt., stationed at White Oak Church, Va.), and two columns of local matter nearly one column of which related to the small pox which at that time raged in this village.

   Its advertisers were, Carley House, L. H. Maricle, Prop., Ira L. Little, attorney, E. A. Barlow, attorney, Messenger's Hotel (now Marathon House) corner of Cortland and Bridge streets, G. C. Messenger, Prop., W. M. Bradford, M. D., office on East Hill, Wm. W. Powers, fashionable tailor, C. C. Adams, dealer in dry goods, Hunt, Swift & Co., (Asa Hunt, Prof. Lewis Swift and Burnham Hunt,) hardware W. H. Baker, gun smith, R. R. Maybury, harness shop, Alfred White, confectionery, D. G. More, produce dealer, G. L. Swift, drugs and tin ware, J. C. Gray, jewelry, a corporation election notice signed by S. R. Benjamin, clerk, and an announcement of Weld's School, (afterward the Academy, now the Catholic Church) with the following faculty:— E. S. Weld, Principal; Addie Roe, Preceptress; R. R. Maybury, teacher of Penmanship; Mrs. E. S. Weld, teacher of music. Its Board of Directors were, L. Pierce, E. H. Barnes, E. C. Carley, Lyman Watrous, D. C. Squires, A. B. Maynard, T. Barry, Lora Gross, J. M. Roe, L. A. Burgess. O. H. Smith, and Ransom Greene.

   Each of the two issues before us contains an original poem, by Rev. Geo. Adams, now pastor of the Universalist church of Cortland, and then a resident of Killawog.

   Although this was only 21 years ago, a glance at the above list of advertisers, shows very plainly how many are the changes wrought in that brief space. Death has claimed its share of them, and others have been called to other localities in search of fickle fortune, while those who are still with us, and were then young and middle-aged, now are grand-parents and their hair begins to show by the gray tinges that 21 years has passed.

   Mr. Dodge, the projector of the Mirror is now an editor in the State of Texas. Just how long he published the Mirror, we are unable to state, but probably but little over a year, for we know that in 1865 Van Vradenburg Bros., (Peter, now of the Binghamton Republican and Chet, now a lawyer of Ithaca,) were publishing the Marathon Leader, which continued for a year or two, when C. Dwight Smith, purchased the material and started the Marathon News, which he ran long enough to collect about 500 subscriptions in advance, and then skipped out, leaving 500 very much displeased people behind him. This was in 1869.

   In 1870 the INDEPENDENT was started by Wallace Kelley, and has since continued to be published every week, for nearly fourteen years. It has become one of Marathon's established institutions.

HOME AND HEREABOUT.

   ---Mud.

   —One week more of March.

   —C. E, Hoyden has a few more bottles of Dandruff cure.

   —Spectators will be charged an admission of 25 cents to the next Commune.

   —Rev. J. F. McLaury has been called upon during the past week to mourn the death of his father, living at Delhi, N. Y.

   —As soon as the weather becomes settled a gang of Italians will be stationed at this place.—Homer Republican.

   —It is reported that parties from Buffalo are prospecting for the erection of a mammoth hotel at Little York, with accommodations for 125 guests.—Homer Republican.

   —The funeral of Mrs. D. M. Hunt was held at her late residence on Monday last. The particulars of her death are told by the following written from Center village, Broome county, bearing date, March 22, to the Binghamton Republican:—"Mrs. Elizabeth Hunt, wife of D. M. Hunt, of Marathon, N. Y., died at the hotel of George Austin, in this village this morning. Mrs. Hunt came from Marathon one week ago to-day to attend the funeral of Mrs. Smith Baker, and taking cold died of pneumonia. She was the daughter of the late Smith Baker. Always kind, gentle and affectionate to others, she had endeared herself to many outside her own family circle. The intelligence of her death will cause sorrow to her many friends."

   —The Village Trustees want all those having coal ashes piled in the highway in front of their premises to either spread the same in the highway, or remove them at once.

   —A week or two since we noticed a large invoice of Canary birds just received by V. H. Palmer. At the present writing they are all sold, and he has ordered a fresh lot of genuine imported Hartz Mountain Canaries, which will be sold cheap. Don't neglect this opportunity to procure one of these silver tongued songsters.

   —Gage E. Tarbell, for the past three years and a half in the law and real estate business here, has become a member of the firm of R. B. True & Co., of Syracuse, managers for the Equitable Life Assurance Company for a large section of the state. Mr. Tarbell will for the present have entire charge of the business of that company in the six counties of Cortland, Chenango, Broome, Tioga, Tompkins and Chemung, and will make his headquarters in Binghamton, where he will have offices in the Hagaman block. Mr. Tarbell is well versed in everything pertaining to life insurance, and will prove a valuable man for the company. His duties will call him into this county frequently and we shall see him often, yet he will be missed in the community which he leaves. His law business, etc., he has disposed of to his partner, W. C. Crombie, a young man who has gained the respect and esteem of many during the time he has been in this village. He is industrious, studious and careful, and with these qualities ought to succeed. The firm of Tarbell, & Swift will for the present remain as it is.