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| "The New York Yankee, or Tales of the First Settlers on the Tioughnioga" by William W. Phelps, Homer, N. Y., 1826. |
A COMMUNICATION.
Mr.
Editor—In the issue of the DEMOCRAT
of July 19, 1890, under the heading "Shall We Celebrate the Event?" appeared
a few lines over the initials of our townsman, Mr. T. Mason Loring, calling
attention to the fact "in the year 1791 the first settlement was made in
Homer," following which was a suggestion as to the propriety of having a
centennial celebration in honor of the foundation of our present prosperous and
noted county. In connection with the above mention were several historic dates
and the statement that the landing point of the white settlers in the spring of
1791 was at the place on the Tioughnioga river known as Port Watson—which in
after years was a prominent shipping point for a large territory of the young
country.
In
commenting upon the early settlement of our present county a writer says:
"previous to the spring of 1791 the territory now comprised within the
county of Cortland was known to the whites only by charts and maps, and though
forming a constituent portion of the state of New York, was regarded, on
account of its location, of but minor importance." It is also claimed that
the first actual settlement was made by a Mr. Todd near the residence of Mr.
Andrew Stebbins in the town of Homer just north of the dividing line between
said town and Cortlandville. The first landing recorded being in the latter and
the first settlement in the former township, it would naturally fall to one of
the said towns to make the initiatory step toward the arranging for a grand
event at a near date, in which all the towns and residents of Cortland county
should participate, commemorative of the one hundredth birthday of our county,
which to-day is and for many years has been recognized as of more than "of
minor importance," both as to agriculture, manufacturing and the home of
state and national representatives.
Other
counties and cities have observed their centennial and since there are many
descendants of the Puritan stock now residing in our county limits, if you will
kindly allow space for this brief effort to call public attention to the
approaching event, possibly, an attempt will be made to pilfer sufficient time
from the cares of business and individual pleasure to give thought to this
matter.
DESCENDANT.
TO BE CONTESTED.
A Will and Codicil Purporting to be the
Last of Roswell M. Price.
The late
Roswell M. Price, of East Virgil, who died of pneumonia in November last, left
an estate estimated to be worth more than $100,000. On Saturday last, before Surrogate
Eggleston, a will acknowledged by Mr. Price, in 1879, was presented for probate,
together with a codicil, dated just prior to his death, which codicil refers to
this will of 1879, and states that since that date the estate has increased in
value, and he desires the provisions of that document to remain in force.
We are
informed that the will of 1879 bequeaths the sum of $5,000 to Miss Mary O'Day,
for a long time a member of Mr. Price's family, and an equal amount to Mrs. Ella Price, the widow of Mr. Price's late
son, and the balance of the estate to his wife.
Objection
was made to the probate of the will and codicil as aforesaid, on the part of
Mrs. S. Ryan, a sister of the deceased, who claims that the deceased was
mentally incompetent to do business of so important a nature, as to make the
codicil annexed to the will at the time it was made.
It is
rumored that by a will, made at a date later than 1879, and which has not yet
been produced, that Mrs. Ryan, the contestant, was left a material sum of
money, and that by the will of 1879 she was completely ignored. Her contest if
successful, will probably set aside this will of 1879, and substitute therefor
the later document, if it exists.
Hon. A.
P. Smith is the attorney for Mr. Edgcomb, the executor of the will, a brother of
Mrs. Price, while W. J. Mantanye, Esq., and Hon. O. U. Kellogg, are the
attorneys for the contestant. The matter will come up for a hearing before
Judge Eggleston again, about the middle of February.—Marathon Independent.
King's Daughters.
At a
recent meeting of the King's Daughters, the following officers were elected for
the present year:
President—Mrs.
Lyman Jones.
1st
Vice-Pres—Mrs. A. H. Watkins.
2d
Vice-Pres.—Mrs. E. D. Parker.
Secretary—Mrs.
C. E. Thompson.
Treasurer—Mrs.
O. D. Raymond.
Sup't
Flower and Fruit Mission—Mrs. Horace Hall.
Sup't
Local Charity—Mrs. F. O. Hyatt.
Sup't Employment—Mrs.
Susie Holden.
Sup't
Lumbermen and Freedmen—Miss C. Adams.
Chairman
Hospital Committee—Mrs. J. H. Hoose.
Apron and
Comfortable Comm.—Mrs. Mark Brownell.
Reception at Dr. Sornberger's.
On
Saturday evening, Jan. 10th, Dr. Sornberger and Miss Florence E. Bennett gave a
reception to the members of their classes at the residence of Dr. Sornberger. The members of these classes, to the number of
about sixty, were present. An elegant tea was served, and an enjoyable evening
passed by all, in games and social intercourse.
A Social Event.
Last
Friday afternoon Mrs. Geo. C. Hubbard gave a reception to over one hundred of
her lady friends at her handsome home on [116] Port Watson-st. The parlors were
beautifully decorated with plants and the tables were tastily trimmed with
smilax and cut flowers. Delicate refreshments were served under the direction
of Misses Minnie Brownell, Grace Duffey, Carrie D. Halbert and Cora Wells. Mrs.
Jas. S. Squires and Mrs. Mark Brownell presided at the tables and Mrs. Silas W.
Sherwood and Mrs. A. F. Aird assisted in receiving the guests. The afternoon
passed off pleasantly and all who were present voted the occasion a grand
success.
NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.
CHENANGO.—Charles
A. Babcock, of Pitcher, has purchased of Perry Fitch, the Norwich and DeRuyter
stage route, and took possession Monday.
A lady of
Norwich, having kept a record of the stormy days during the past year, commencing
with January 1, hands it to us for publication. Out of the 365 days, more than
one-half of them were stormy, the number being 186, to 179 clear.
Henry
Lawton, aged eighteen years, of Oxford, was badly injured by attempting to jump
upon a moving train at that place one day last week. The officers of that town
are determined to put a stop to this practice and if any more boys are caught catching
on trains they will be arrested.
The house
of Samuel Jameson, on the east side in Afton, was moved across the street Sunday
night. It is said it was thus spirited away to escape mortgage foreclosure, the
mortgage being one that was given many years ago and had never been satisfied.
When Mr. Jameson purchased the lot he supposed it was free from all claims.
During
the past calendar year. E. L. Haynes has shipped to New York from
Oxford, and the balance manufactured into cheese, three
million, three hundred and twenty-five thousand, nine hundred (3,325,900)
pounds of milk, which netted the sum of thirty-two thousand, five hundred and seventeen
dollars and ninety-six cents ($32,517.96.) The manufacture of sugar of milk
will be continued the coming season, and the dividends from the cheese factory will
be apportioned according to the amount of butter fat which the milk of each
[part] contains, estimated by the Beimling acid milk test.
MADISON.— Granges have lately
been organized at West Eaton and Madison.
D. A.
Jackson &. Co., publishers of the Oneida Dispatch, have
dissolved, E. T. Haskell retiring.
Mrs.
Burdette Salisbury, of Erieville, returned Saturday, and her reported elopement
with Charles Griffith seems to have been premature.
A colored
gentleman, who claimed to be Carro, a Congo chief, visited Oneida, Tuesday. He
was 7 feet 4 1/2 inches tall, and weighed 335 pounds.
Joel G.
Watkins' fine residence near Canastota, was burned the 1st. The $2,000
insurance on the house and $1,100 on the furniture (all destroyed) will not near
cover the loss.
William
Fargo of Chittenango, aged 75, has made two attempts at suicide since his recent
marriage to Mrs. Ruth Rathbone, aged 58. He has a little pension money, of
which his spouse seems bound to get possession.
Charles
M. Jones, a Cazenovia lad of 14 years, was sent to the Industrial School at Rochester
last week, for general cussedness. He resided with his sick and widowed mother
and grandmother, and his favorite diversion was to make the old lady dance at
the muzzle of a revolver.
TOMPKINS.—S.
T. Atwater and family, of Groton, moved to Cortland on Monday.
Crew
trainer Courtney is now in Ithaca, and will begin trying students for positions
in the crew, this week.
Sheriff
Tibbetts has appointed Charles W. Earl as under-Sheriff. Mr. Earl was a member
of Co. L., 21st, N. Y. Cavalry.
Charles
Ingersoll, of Ithaca, has sold his depot buss business to C. A. Ives and J. M. Osburn, and will continue his university
transfer line.
The
Ithaca jail is so comfortable and the Tompkins county poor house so dilapidated
that the Ithaca Democrat advocates sending criminals to the poor house
and paupers to the jail.
Gen. C.
F. Blood has been chosen captain of the Ithaca Protective Police [members of
the Fire Department—CC editor]. Mr. Elis Treman, who has been captain of the organization
for sixteen years, declined a re-election.
Speaking
of Lucius B. Curry, the Trumansburg Free Press says that he died
intestate, but the eleven children united in a deed giving the use of all of
the property to the mother during life. Such instances as these are rare
indeed.
PAGE FOUR/EDITORIALS.
Are all
the ships, that are accustomed to bring potatoes from Scotland as ballast, laid
up on the dry dock for repairs? An answer by return mail from the editor of the
Cortland Standard will be thankfully received and highly appreciated.
From
Republican sources we learn that there is a possibility that Judge Alton B. Parker, of Kingston, may be the Democratic Senator from this State. His name has
been mentioned in Albany in connection with the office within a day or two and
it is said to meet with much favor. It is also said that Governor Hill would be
pleased to see him elected to the place. Judge Parker is a Cortland county boy,
is in the prime of life, and has many friends here who would be pleased to see
him in the Senate. The DEMOCRAT sincerely hopes Judge Parker will be selected.
He would make an excellent legislator and would be a credit to the State that
elected him.
HERE AND THERE.
Mr. Dell King is building the foundation for
his new house on Port Watson street.
A very neat storm house has been erected
over the entrance to the Pomeroy street school building.
The attention of our readers is called to a
communication on 6th page, entitled "Our Republican Cow."
Mr. Owen Brooks has taken a farm about two
miles west from Dryden village and moved on to said farm this week.
Mr. A. G. Newton has purchased Mr. M. W.
Fuller's stock in the restaurant on Port Watson street, and has taken
possession.
The King's Daughters will meet with Mrs. L.
J. Fitzgerald, 39 Tompkins St., on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 17th, at 3 o'clock.
A meeting of the hospital committee will be
held at the home of Mrs. C. E. Ingalls, 55 North Main St., Monday, January
19th, at 3 P. M.
Church goers monopolized the center of the
streets Sunday, owing to the slippery condition of the walks after the second January
thaw.
Homer reckons on having free delivery of mails
if the bill applying to post-offices where the receipts are $5,000 per annum becomes
a law.
Mr. Peck introduced a bill in the Assembly last
Tuesday, prohibiting hotel keepers and others from furnishing oleomargarine to
their servants.
Prof. Palmer, the optician, whose success is
so well known, will be at Clark & Nourse's jewelry store next week, Monday to
Saturday inclusive, Jan. 19th to 24th only.
Horsemen have caused a track to be scraped
and put in order on W. R. Randall's flats from South Main St. to Pendleton street.
Some lively steppers may be seen on this track most any pleasant afternoon.
Mr. J. J. Updyke has purchased the East
Cortland House, 110 Elm street, and is prepared to attend the wants of the numerous
patrons of the house in every detail. A fine sample room is connected with the
hotel.
Under the election law candidates for city
and town offices must file with the city or town clerk, statements of moneys
paid or contributed in aid of their election within ten days after such
election—the same as candidates for county offices are required to do.
Hood's
Calendar for 1891 is out and it is certainly a beautiful production of the lithographers'
and printers' arts. The subject represents three children with musical instruments,
and the positions, expressions, coloring and general finish make a most charming
picture. But to be appreciated it must be seen. Ask your druggist for Hood's Sarsaparilla
Calendar, or send six cents in stamps for one copy, or ten cents for two, to C.
I. Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass.
A letter has been received from Mr. W. F.
Chadbourne acknowledging the receipt of the clothing sent by citizens of Cortland
and Freetown, and expressing thanks to the contributors. Enough was furnished
to fill a barrel and a large box that would hold fully two barrels more, and
these reached him in time for a distribution of their contents among the freedmen
on New Year's day. He writes, "They all seemed very grateful for the gifts,
and I am sure they will make good use of them." Thanks are due the National
Express and Old Dominion steamship lines for transportation.
Mr. P. M. Lupton baa sold his trotting stallion
"Clayton" to Chas. Antisdel, of the Mansion House, Homer. The horse has
a record of 2:30.
During a friendly scuffle at t he E. C. & N. R. R. shops,
Wednesday afternoon, George Harvey had his hand severely cut by a
jack-knife in the hands of Frank Birdlebough. Dr. Hughes was called and
dressed the injury.
Mr. A. M. Ford, for the last fifteen years proprietor
of the Dryden Herald, has sold the property to his sons, J. A. & W. A. Ford, who will
continue the business. Mr. Ford has published a newsy sheet, and has been ably
assisted for the last four or five years by his sons, who have succeeded to the
business. The young men promise still further improvements. The DEMOCRAT wishes
them the best of success.
The Chenango Union, published at
Norwich, N. Y. by Mr. G. H. Manning for the past twenty-two years, announces in
its last week's issue that Mr. E. S. Moore, of New Haven, Conn., has purchased
a one-half interest in the business. Mr. Moore is a graduate from Yale college,
and has since had considerable experience in newspaper work. The Union is
one of the very best country papers in the State, and we doubt not it will
continue to hold its high rank as a local newspaper and exponent of Democratic
principles.
FROM EVERYWHERE.
Illinois
raised 160,000,000 bushels of corn this year on 6,150,000 acres.
A
syndicate of cattlemen has offered the Cherokees $10,000,000 for the Cherokee Strip.
Elias A.
Manchester, a young Auburn lawyer, is on trial for arson, being charged with
setting fire to several buildings in that city.
A farm in
Victory, Cayuga county, which has been sold for $75 per acre, was sold recently
at sheriff's sale for $18.50 per acre. The present owner offers it for $18.50 now.
The
latest American girl victim of the mania for titled foreigners, is a Kentucky young
woman, who married a Spanish adventurer, who represented himself as a grandee
with numerous estates in Spain. Soon after, the adventurer got possession of
all his wife's property, about $70,000, converted it into money, and then
eloped with her cousin.
The
trappers in the North woods are having great success this winter in catching small
fur-bearing animals in large numbers, as the winter is so severe they are
easily lured to the bait of the traps. Lumbering is in full blast, and men and
teams are in demand. The timber thieves are more active than ever before. In
some parts of the northern part of Herkimer county and the southern part of
Hamilton county they are working on a large scale and will strip acres of
forest of the most valuable trees before spring.
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