FARMERS' CLUB MEETING AND DEATH OF REV. B. F. McLOGHLIN

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, November 23, 1888.

Farmers’ Club.

   Club met at the usual hour last Saturday, with President Blodgett in the chair. President Blodgett stated that Secretary Woodward, of the State Agricultural society, had informed him that a farmers' institute had been appointed to Cortland county, December 17 and 18. He and Mr. Tillinghast had applied to the board of supervisors for use of court house, and it had been granted.

   On motion the club sanctioned what Messrs. Blodgett and Tillinghast had done.

   Upon motion the following was appointed as a committee of arrangements:

Cortland—A. D. Blodgett, B. F. Tillinghast, L. J. Fitzgerald, J. D. F. Woolston and A. P. Rowley.

McGrawville— C. M. Bean.

Truxton— William Beattie.

Homer—William A. Bean.

Scott— D. K. Cutler.

Preble—F. J. Collier.

Cuyler— Harlan P. Andrews.

Taylor—Rufus Cass.

Solon—B. H. Randall.

Cincinnatus—Wilber Holmes.

Willett—Willson Greene.

Freetown—J. H. Seeber.

Lapeer—William E. Hunt.

Marathon—G. P. Squires.

Harford—Adnah Baird.

Virgil—W. P. Mynard.

   Some discussion was had as to who should be placed on the list of local speakers. A considerable enthusiasm was manifested by those present regarding the coming institute.

   Club adjourned to meet again in two weeks, Saturday. December 1. Subject for discussion: "Is it desirable to have an institute, and what benefits will we derive from it?" C. M. BEAN, Sec'y.

Death of Rev. B. F. McLoghlin.

   Rev. B. F. McLoghlin, for many years past the justly esteemed pastor of St. Mary's Catholic church, in this place, died at his residence at 8:35 P. M., on Wednesday. Father Mac, as he chose to be called, was a Christian gentleman, a kind neighbor and a true friend. He always had a pleasant word for everybody and was highly respected for his genial manners, not alone by the members of his own congregation but by all citizens. Father Mac was 71 years of age at the time of his decease. The funeral services will take place next Tuesday morning, at 10 o'clock.

Action for Divorce.

(Syracuse Journal.)

   Ella M. Loomis. who was a student at the university in 1881, and Frank M. Burdick, at the same time a medic, fell in love with each other while here and were married October 3, 1883, by Dr. Cross at Moravia. They went to Homer to live. Last February Burdick sold his drug store and went West. Mrs. Burdick has evidence against her husband and will seek to have the marriage annulled. Justice Kennedy has granted a motion to serve the complaint by publication, inasmuch as Burdick's whereabouts are not definitely known. He is supposed to be residing at Monument, Kansas.

HERE AND THERE.

   Thanksgiving November 29th.

   Turkeys have commenced to roost high.

   Secure your seats for the opera this evening.

   Peter Brock has been appointed postmaster at Summerhill.

   Wm. H. Boss has been appointed postmaster at Borodino, N. Y.

   There were 105 teachers in attendance at the Teachers’ Institute held in Homer last week.

   The season when rabbits and hares may be killed in this State opened November 1st and closes February 1st.

   The Democrats of Preble will celebrate the election of Gov. Hill by a social party and oyster supper at the hotel in that place, next Wednesday evening. Good music. Bill, $1.00.

   A mammoth turnip grown by E. J. Albro, of Cuyler, is on exhibition at the Gleaner office. It weighs 18 1/2 pounds, and beats anything heard of this fall.—DeRuyter Gleaner.

   Henry Bryson was arrested last week, charged by his wife with assault and battery in the third degree. Justice Bouton sentenced him to ninety days in the Onondaga Penitentiary.

   The Howe Stove Company are moving from Fulton to this place. Their new buildings are nearly completed, and will be very convenient. They cover a good bit of territory, and are substantially built.

   The Cortland Ministerial Association will meet in the Y. M. C. A. rooms, Standard block, on Monday next, Nov. 26th at 10:15 A. M. A full attendance is requested, as matters of importance will be discussed.

   Democrats and Republicans, and even Prohibitionists who desire to take a good county paper for the ensuing year, can have the DEMOCRAT sent to them until Jan. 1st, 1890, nearly fourteen months, for $2. This applies to new subscribers.

   The E. C. & N. passenger depot, in this place, has been undergoing repairs and improvements. An additional story has been put on, which has been handsomely done all into offices for the car accountant, train dispatcher, bridge builder and master mechanic. The building is to be heated by steam, and will be lighted with electric lights.

   The letter carriers commenced making Sunday collections from street letter boxes last Sunday. They commence making collections at 5 P. M., and a mail for all points is closed at 6 P. M. By this arrangement mail for New York and Philadelphia that is deposited in the boxes before 5 P. M. on Sunday, will hereafter be delivered at its destination on Monday morning, instead of Tuesday, as heretofore. All other points will gain time in proportion. This will be a great convenience to business men who miss the Saturday night's mail. Postmaster Maybury is doing everything possible to improve the mail facilities for the benefit of the public.

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   TOMPKINS.— A new weather signal is being constructed at Cornell University.

   Wild ducks are said to be quite numerous at this end of the lake.

   An effort is being made to organize a Western New York baseball league to be composed of Auburn, Bath, Batavia, Canandaigua, Corning, Elmira, Geneva, Hornellsville, Ithaca, Leroy, Lyons, Penn Yan, Seneca Falls, Waterloo, and Watkins. Representatives of these are to meet at Canandaigua on November 27th.

   School taxes in Ithaca this year are considerably higher than ever before. Ithaca, being a city now, the range of municipal taxes must be largely increased while town and county taxes will be heavy. It is reported poor expenses are about $15,000 this year, which is a large increase, and added to cost of the Barber trial. &c., will make some of our people squeal.

   Cornell University has so absent minded a professor that he went to his own rooms the other day, and seeing a notice on the door that he himself had posted an hour before—"Back at two o'clock"—quietly sat down to wait for his own return.

St. Mary’s Church, Grip’s Historical Souvenir of Cortland.

   The Church of St. Mary of the Vale, situated on North Main street, opposite Madison avenue, was erected in 1868. The rapid growth of the increasing population of Cortland finally necessitated the enlargement of the then towerless edifice, and in 1878 it was greatly increased in size by the addition of a transept with two spacious vestries attached thereto, and the raising of a handsome tower and spire. The latter was partially destroyed by fire in the fall of 1898, and was rebuilt in a more imposing manner under the supervision of Architect Russell of Syracuse. The church, which compares favorably with the most pretentious house of worship in a parish of this size, stands as a monument to the taste of the architect and the credit of Mr. Harrison, the builder. The walls are of dark red brick, with light colored trimmings. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 920, while the membership numbers more than 2,000. The grounds, which are neatly cared for, were enlarged in 1899 by the of an adjoining tract 50 by 70 feet, from Mrs. Butler. A new organ was placed in the church in 1896 at a cost of $3,000, Barnes & Mowry of Utica being the builders.

   In addition to the high altar erected in 1888, two side altars, the gifts of the Sodalities, have since been added. Other members of the parish, whose names have been published from the pulpit, have donated statuary, beautiful crucifixes, two magnificent candelabras and other necessary furnishings, thus beautifying the sanctuary and making it as nearly worthy of the continuous abode of the Blessed Sacrament as is possible by means of human skill and taste. Besides, a beautiful set of Stations was placed in the church a few years ago and solemnly blessed by Rt. Rev. P. A. Ludden, Bishop of Syracuse.

   The first Catholic church building in Cortland was a small wooden structure, erected on Port Watson street in 1855. Father Callen was then ministering to the spiritual wants of the Catholics in this village. No definite and detailed record of the church of that period is at hand, but it is known that it was not until 1864, when Rev. Father Coleman located in Cortland, that the Catholic church here had a resident pastor, it always having been attended from Norwich.

   Rev. Father Coleman was succeeded in the fall of 1867 by the Very Rev. B. F. McLoghlin . His first assistant was Rev. Father Thomas McLoghlin, who was with him from 1877 to 1884, and who is now the pastor of the Church of Our Lady of Angels at Whitehall. He was succeeded by Rev. J. J. McLoghlin, who continued as assistant pastor until the death of the Very Rev. B. F. McLoghlin, which occurred Nov. 21, 1888, when he became the pastor, a post he has since so ably and satisfactorily occupied greatly to the spiritual advantage of his parishioners and with eminent credit to himself. Both of the Very Rev. B. F. McLoghlin' s assistants were his nephews.

   He was a man of dignified, yet kindly bearing, whose many virtues shone in his every act and word. "Father Mack," he was familiarly called, gave him no offence, as he encouraged a feeling of close and pleasant relations between himself and his parishioners, without surrendering any of his dignity that endeared him to them all. His affable manner and priestly character made him a wide circle of admirers throughout the community at large. He was ordained at Mount St. Mary's, and his first pastorate was at Keeseville, a small Adirondack village a few miles distant from the shore of Lake Champlain. During twenty years he ministered to a large parish at Little Falls, and from there he went to Syracuse to take charge of St. John's church, now the cathedral. His third and last parish was at Cortland. He died in his seventy-first year his fortieth in priesthood and his remains now repose in an hermetically sealed tomb in a sightly knoll at St. Mary's cemetery, guarded by a molded granite shaft surmounted by a cross, the holy emblem toward which he guided the footsteps of his people.

   It was during his spiritual rule that the Catholics of Cortland constructed their handsome church, but it was after his death when they built the imposing parochial residence which stands on the opposite side [west] of Main street, a short distance south of the church. Soon after he assumed charge of the parish he started the movement for a new house of worship, selecting the site with that rare perception and good judgment which marked all of his efforts in behalf of the congregation. Midst some difficulties he persevered, supported by the loyalty of his people, and after ten years of hard labor he and his flock were rewarded by substantial fruit of their toil, a church which is an architectural ornament to the main street of the village.

   The parochial residence, constructed in 1891 under Father John's direction, is an imposing, handsome brick structure. And now the society is practically out of debt. In 1890 forty-five acres were purchased for a new cemetery. Thirty acres were artistically laid out and were consecrated by Rt. Rev. Bishop Ludden of Syracuse, Oct. 25, 1891.

   The church is blessed with two Sodalities, the Rosary, the Altar society, the C. M. B. A. and other flourishing societies, each of which, with a large active membership, is doing very much toward promoting the welfare of the church.

   Rev. John J. McLoghlin, who has greatly endeared himself to his people, and who is very popular among all classes of people in Cortland, was born in Ireland in 1856, and was educated for the priesthood in the College of the Immaculate Conception at Summer Hill, Athlone, where he was graduated in 1877. Upon coming to the United States he entered the University of Niagara, where he passed his examinations in October, and was ordained a priest Dec. 27, 1881, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Albany, N. Y. He first went to Oswego as the assistant of Rev. Father Griffa, where he remained until 1884, when he came to Cortland as the assistant of his uncle.