LADIES ON THE SCHOOL BOARD

The Cortland Democrat, March 2, 1888.

Ladies on the School Board.

   At the Saturday meeting of the W. C. T. U., two ladies were nominated to fill approaching vacancies on the school board, Mrs. Mary Merrick Beach and Mrs. Julia Willis Stoppard, both well and favorably known in this community as experienced educators, and as persons well qualified in all respects to fill acceptably a position of such responsibility.

   At the annual meeting of the state W. C. T. U., held in Binghamton last October, the local unions were advised to consider the subject of women's voting at school elections and serving on school boards. Many forcible arguments were brought forward in support of this recommendation.

   The superintendent of Scientific Temperance Instruction in her report said, "It is a notable fact that women have not performed this duty as they ought. Shall we longer be negligent when we may be the means of bringing about many excellent and much needed changes in our schools? Who so careful and painstaking for the children as the mother? Who watches the tender feet as they go forth daily from our homes with greater solicitude than the mother? And yet, we leave one very important duty undone when we do not take our rightful place in the consideration of questions that may result in placing persons efficient and conscientious, or otherwise, in the schools as guardians and instructors of our children. We urge this duty upon you. Let us hear at the close of another year that the number of those who look for and grasp every help toward right education has increased an hundred fold."

   In accordance with the request of the state organization, this question has been considered by the county executive, and the local unions have been recommended to act as one, in this matter of voting at school elections.

   Cortland cannot claim the honor of being a pioneer in this movement, as in several towns in the county women have voted. Virgil has in one of its districts a very efficient lady trustee. In the neighboring village of Groton four of the educational board are ladies, the president of the same among the number. At numerous points in sixteen counties in the State, women vote at school meetings.

   On the school boards of Massachusetts over one hundred women are representing their sex, while all through the northern and western states they are awakening to the appreciation of this privilege which the law bestows, and also to a sense of their obligation to avail themselves of it, not from a desire from publicity, nor from a wish to displace men in positions of public trust, but from a conviction that, as an interest in the cause of education is shared by both sexes, women should share in the consideration of all questions which pertain to the mental and moral training of the young.

   In this belief the women of Cortland who are duly qualified are invited by their W. C. T. U. sisters to join with them in supporting by their ballots at the coming election in March, the ladies above mentioned; and they ask their brothers who feel that on this question there is identity of interest, to assist by their votes in giving them this representation.

                                                                         COMMUNICATED.

PAGE TWO/EDITORIALS.

   Gov. Hill has signed the bill prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquor at State and county fairs.

   John J. Flannigan, city editor of the Utica Observer, dropped dead while attending a funeral in Utica on Monday. Mr. Flannigan was a very genial man and his death will be mourned by a large number of friends.

   We call the attention of our readers to the proposed new Charter published in this week’s supplement. It should be read by all of our citizens for the reason that a public meeting will soon be called for the purpose of amending and adopting the same, when it will be introduced in the Assembly.

   Judge H. Boardman Smith, of Elmira, one of the Justices of the Supreme Court for this district, has resigned on account of ill health. The Gov. at once appointed Judge Smith's son, Walter Lloyd Smith, to succeed him, and the Senate confirmed the appointment. Mr. Smith is quite young for the place, but undoubtedly the Governor considers him competent.

   The Union Square Theatre in New York was burned to the ground last Tuesday afternoon, and the Morton House adjoining was partially burned. A new play was being rehearsed in the theatre when the gallery was discovered to be full of smoke. An alarm was given and the actors hurriedly left the place. In an hour after the fire was discovered, the building was in ashes. Loss $150,000. Seven firemen were injured, but it is believed they will recover.

Driven Well Decision.

   A decision was rendered in the United States Supreme Court at Washington, Saturday, upon the application for a rehearing of the case of William D. Andrews and others against George Hovey, which is widely known as the "driven well case." This Court held that the patent issued to Nelson W. Green in 1871 for an improvement in the method of constructing artesian wells was invalid because the invention covered by it was in public use more than two years before Green applied for the patent. The Court, after an exhaustive review of the whole case, adheres to its decision and denies the application for a rehearing. The Court adjourned until March 19. The Norwich association relied upon the decision in the Hovey case in resisting the claims of the driven well sharks.

Eloped With a Historian.

   A week ago last Saturday afternoon. Mrs. D. Erastus Corning left her home in Auburn for Syracuse. She was accompanied by one D. Morris Kurtz, the Auburn correspondent of the Syracuse Herald. The husband, a well-to-do and highly respected citizen of that city, followed them but did not succeed in overtaking the guilty pair until Tuesday morning, when he confronted them just as they were leaving their room in a hotel in Elmira, preparatory to boarding a train for Chicago.

  The husband prevailed on the woman to return home with him, while Kurtz busied himself in the endeavor to keep the escapade out of the papers, but without success. He has taken pains while a resident of Auburn, to write up every particle of scandal for the Herald’s columns that he could possible obtain, and now that he is the victim, no one will pity him.

   Mrs. Corning is said to be a handsome young woman, who has been petted and indulged to her heart’s content, during her two years of married life. Kurtz is a measly looking little strut of the most insignificant order, but common place and ordinary as he is in appearance, he succeeded in ruining the home of the Cornings. Three or four years since, he appeared in Cortland, and managed to obtain several subscribers to a work he was to produce, entitled "Cortland, its History and Resources." A few copies were delivered, but the money invested in the enterprise by our citizens was thrown away. As an advertising dodge it was a success to no one but Kurtz.

   Kurtz returned to Syracuse the day following. Whether be intends to continue in the mashing business is not yet positively known.

WEDDED ON THE SLY.

The Secret Marriage of Mr. Frank Daley and Miss Ida VanHoesen of Preble.

(From the Tully Times.)

   PREBLE, Feb. 23.—The liveliest bit of gossip ever wagged by the tongues of the inhabitants of this village is just at present being circulated, and while there have been rumors and forerunners of the affair for a few days past, no version of a substantial nature was found until to-day. Some few days since, Mrs. Eben Daley accidentally ran across a marriage certificate which proved to be that which certified the marriage of her son Frank to Miss Ida, only child of Mr. Clark VanHoesen, who lives about half way between this village and Tully and an acknowledged belle of this vicinity, which occurred at Marathon, this county, Jan. 5., ult.

   For some time past it has been known by friends of the couple that they were, and had been for nearly two years, meeting clandestinely, but no such outcome was ever dreamed of by the most intimate of their acquaintances. Miss Ida, who is a blonde of prepossessing figure and a handsome face, is only 17 years old, while the somewhat festive groom has reached the age of at least 37 years.

   Altogether the match was thought very unsuitable, not only on account of the disparity of their ages, but of the reputation Mr. Daley is said to bear as a "sport." While a perfect gentleman in company, he is nevertheless a little too "rapid" for the fair wife he has taken. The first intimation that "something was up," was a report that one night while Miss VanHoesen was stopping at her grandfather's in the village, Mr. Daley with the aid of a ladder, took the young lady from the house and returned her without the knowledge of the sleepers within. This was heartily scoffed at by all, as Miss VanHoesen had always borne an enviable reputation, but now with the certificate in one hand and a glimpse of the ladder in the other, it must be believed. This, however, occurred after they were married.

   Miss Van Hoesen was taking painting lessons in Cortland and on a pretext of going there, went to Marathon and was made the wife of Daley, who boarded the train at Tully, six miles north. As she had relatives in Cortland, her parents did not think it strange that she should remain over night.

   Mr. and Mrs. VanHoesen were very careful to select good society for their daughter, who experienced religion at a revival this winter, even going so far as to forbid her keeping company with a neighbor's boy, whom they thought a little wild, but who is thought well of by all.

   When first confronted with inquiries regarding the truth of her marriage, Miss or rather Mrs. Ida it is said, would neither deny or admit anything, and for a time would have little to say about the matter; but finally to her aged grandfather, who called on Wednesday, she confessed to the facts as above stated. Her parents are greatly affected by the unfortunate affair, her mother being entirely prostrated by the shock, while the father is nearly broken hearted.

Concerning Post-Offices.

   MR. EDITOR: — As soon as it became known on the street that "Nasby" had breathed his last, the professor, the philosopher, and all the other republicans of Smalltown beset us to ask for the Post Office and move it to their side of the river. The old building on the X roads where mail has been distributed for forty years would be closed.

   The vision of new streets—corner lots—telephone office, $20,000 hotel, and large shipments of cabbages completely captured us. We must get ahead of the X road fellows or bust. Off flew the petition before the undertaker had finished his task. "Delays are dangerous" said the Sagamore of Smalltown.

   Judge Bee, of Fardown, had just started a country store and would act as deputy P. M. We knew that he had plenty of time, and was a blistering republican. But Smalltown must be built up at any cost. In short meter the papers came— "Dan" was true and didn't forget that we once was "bandy."' Then we said, "Now judge, the suckers are caught, how do you intend to string them?" He replied— "Not a scale, flu or tail will you get. They are so full of bones that it is all they are worth to eat them. Every three months you will be expected to smell of the paw, that's all."

   The Post Office waltzed up to our private residence. We have learned anew the lesson of fooling with straws around the heels of mules. We only wonder that "Nasby" lived so long. The very ones who were most persistent in our moving the office refused to go our bail for two and sixpence. Others have not added a penny to our income, though daily taxing our services. The $20,000 hotel has slid into our old-time log cabin. Our neighbor's hens scratch over and are sole tenants of the corner lots. The telephone office will be at the X roads, and the cabbages never grew.

   We have the right to add to our name P. M., but we shall not do it, it sounds too much like being too late for dinner, or being mistook for pathmaster. We are not proud of the republicans who think they helped us to get the appointment. They are known as chronic kickers. But we have the example of "Nasby" who if he had not got the appointment of postmaster at the X roads would have remained all his life a country editor.

   We are learning something every day. It's the opportunity that makes the man—sometimes the rascal also. Now when we are just warmed in our official seat we are threatened by the same officious republicans with a complaint asking our dismissal on the grounds of "offensive partisanship." We are going to Washington to see "Dan" on this question. We shall also have a word to say about the appointment of P. M. in Brimfield. As much political grinding as there is to be done there requires a first-class miller to run the machine.

   Yours until we return,

   ULI SLICK. [pen name]

Timeline of Women’s Suffrage in United States: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_women's_suffrage_in_the_United_States