TOWN MEETINGS IN CORTLAND COUNTY

Tom Platt

Thomas B. Reed

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, January 31, 1890.

PAGE FOUR/EDITORIALS.

• Town meetings will be held in this county February 18, and we hope the Democrats of the several towns will nominate their best men for the several offices to be filled. Especial care should be made in selecting candidates for supervisor. As a rule the Democratic members of the last board were good, substantial reliable men who were anxious to transact the business before them and go home, but being in the minority were prevented from doing so. It looks now as if some of the old republican ringers would be left at home and new men sent in their places. If they are, the old delegation of Democrats, should they be returned, will be able to have some influence in the board and the business can be transacted with decent dispatch. With a little extra effort in some of the towns, a Democratic majority in the board could be secured. Why not make the effort? A live Democratic board of supervisors could transact the business that comes before them in ten or twelve days and they would commend themselves to the tax payers by so doing.

• The World's Fair bill has passed the Assembly and Senate. Tom Platt managed to have the names of twenty-two commissioners added to the number selected by the citizens' committee of New York. Most of these new committeemen are republicans. Tom couldn't very well let the opportunity pass to intrude some republican politics into a non-partisan measure, notwithstanding prominent republicans advised to the contrary.

• Speaker Reed, of the House of Representatives, is ruling the house with an iron hand. The rights of the minority are entirely ignored. Such a course will undoubtedly be found not to be without its compensations, for it will result in a democratic majority in the next house, and the arbitrary course of Mr. Reed may be used as a precedent to plague its inventors.

Growing Rapidly.

   The following is a summary statement of the accounts as audited by the Board of Town Auditors of the town of Cortlandville, in favor of the justices of said town for the following years, viz:

1880….$391.10.

1881….$627.20.

1882….$579.80.

1883….$701.76.

1884….$855.08.

1885….$770.95.

1886….$981.26.

1887….$1258.49

1888….$1426.48.

1889….$2209.75.

   For verification of the above figures, we refer to the records on file in the Town Clerk's office of the Town of Cortlandville, and the proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Cortland county, for the several years above stated. The above bills are all against the Town of Cortlandville, and do not include county charges.

   The abnormal increase in Justices' bills are glaringly apparent in the years 1887, 1888, and 1889, as will appear by an inspection of the figures we have given. It is but just to the other Justices of the Town of Cortlandville, to say that the enhanced, unnecessary and enormous bills of one of the Justices [Lewis Bouton, R.--CC editor], since his advent to office on January 1st, 1887, accounts mainly for the increase.

   As an illustration, we point to his bill against the town of Cortlandville in 1889, which was audited in his favor for $1413.05. The manner in which his bill has been so largely increased, is as significant as the large bill itself. Yet this Justice has the hardihood to ask the taxpayers of Cortlandville, to continue him in office four years more. If there are tax payers who after paying over two per cent on their assessed valuation, wish to pay still more, we cannot see how they can better accomplish it, than by voting for this man. Those who wish to economize, and lessen taxes will as a matter of self preservation vote against him.

Cortland, January 29, 1890.

TAX-PAYER.

A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.

Two Chinamen and a White Woman Found Dead in a Chinese Laundry.

   BINGHAMTON, N. Y., Jan 24.—Two Chinamen and a white woman were found dead in a Chinese laundry in this city today. They were discovered by a railroad man, who called at the laundry early in the morning for some goods. One of the men was lying on his face on an ironing table in the front room, as if he had fallen while at work or while trying to stagger toward the door. The other man and woman were in an adjoining bed room. They were dressed only in some underclothing. The man lay as if he had rolled from the bed to the floor, and the woman lay partly across him and nearer the door.

   The police were at once notified and they recognized the girl as Mary Sweeny, a character who has figured in Police Court proceedings and whose reputation was not good. She was about twenty-two years old and good looking. She came to this city from Scranton and had respectable parents living at Oliphant, Pa.

   The Chinamen were named Yee Lee and Sing Lee. They came here from New York about two years ago and were quite prosperous.

   In the room was a stove with no chimney. In this there had been a charcoal fire, from which, it is generally supposed, gas was generated, causing the suffocation of the three victims. An autopsy, however, failed to show any gas in the lungs of either of the dead bodies, which leads the coroner to suspect that there may be more to the affair than at first appears.

   Charles Sherman and William Edson were arrested to-night as witnesses. They say that they were passing the laundry about three o'clock this morning, and seeing a light went in after some work that one of them had left there. They noticed a strong odor of opium in the room, but did not notice gas. They found the man in the outer room, as described, and after unsuccessfully attempting to arouse him, concluded he was drunk with opium and came away.

   The bodies of the dead Mongolians will be taken in charge by friends, and will be sent to China or San Francisco for burial.

ORIGIN OF THE POTATO.

   The potato is one of the most important of cultivated plants, and in universal cultivation in temperate parts of the globe. It is a native of mountain districts of tropical and sub-tropical America, probably from Chile to Mexico, but there is some question as to where it is really indigenous. Humbolt doubted if it had ever been found truly wild, but subsequent travellers of high scientific reputation express themselves thoroughly satisfied. Maize and potatoes are the two greatest gifts which America has given to the rest of the world.

   The potato has been cultivated in America and its tubers used for food from times long anterior to the discovery of America by Europeans. It seems to have been first brought to Europe by the Spaniards from the neighborhood of Quito in the sixteenth century. No more important event of its kind has ever taken place than the introduction of potato culture into Great Britain and other European countries. It was long called "Batatas," or sweet potato, which is the tuber or plant meant by English writers down to the middle of the seventeenth century. It appears to have been brought to Ireland from Virginia by Hawkins in 1565, and to England by Sir Francis Drake in 1623.—American Rural Home.

Patrick S. Gilmore.

Gilmore Band 1884.

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   CHENANGO. —H. D. Ingersoll has become a resident of North Pitcher and is rapidly filling his store with new goods, and we judge he is a man who will soon gain the confidence of the public. Rev. Mr. Gleason of Smithville is assistant in his store.

   Supervisor L. D. Smith, of Plymouth, has a number of valuable colts which have been stricken with a peculiar malady, new in this section. It has the appearance of a species of paralysis. Two have died, and others are suffering.

   The new addition to the silk factory in Norwich is completed, and new machinery and shafting is being placed in position. A largely increased force of employees will be required when all is in running order. The silk mill promises to be a paying institution for the stockholders and a great benefit to our village.

   MADISON.—Gilmore's band will visit Oneida in February.

   The work of drilling for gas at Chittenango has commenced.

   Mrs. Martha Young, of Earlville, a pensioner of the war of 1812, died Friday, aged 92.

   F. W. Nash, late of the New York Times, has purchased a half interest in the Morrisville Leader.

   During 1889 there were 9,353 pupils in attendance at the public schools of Madison county.

   TOMPKINS. — It is said that the [collected] dog tax in Ithaca amounts to $240.

   The Freeville Furniture Co. are busy getting their machinery in shape and will soon be able to commence work.

   The Elm Tree Hotel in McLean is for sale. This property under the right management would be a very good investment as well as a benefit to the place.

   A poor, overworked and suffering horse fell on Aurora street, Ithaca, Monday night and could not get up again. Those who saw it determined to put the horse beyond suffering, and purchased the horse for $16. They then ordered it shot.

   The apportionment for school monies for 1890 accords to Tompkins county: 34,445 population; 213 teachers employed for 28 weeks or more; $15,361.56 for teacher's wages according to district quotas; $11,442.74 according to population; $338.83 library fund; for supervision $800. Total $27,943.13.