AN AFRICAN IN HIS WOOD PILE

William H. Clark, President of the Local School Board.

Principal James Hoose.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, July 17, 1891.

DOES SUSTAINING SUSTAIN?

Or Doth the State Superintendent Conceal an African in His Wood-Pile?

(From the Marathon Independent of July 15.)

   A few days since [ago], it was announced in print that State Superintendent Draper had declined to concur in the request of the Local Board of the Cortland Normal school for the removal of Doctor Hoose, and that the position of the Doctor in not presenting his requested resignation was sustained. As a consequence, Dr. Hoose's many friends were jubilant, and the matter was supposed to be ended for the present.

   It will be remembered that a year ago, Dr. Sornberger, also of the Normal, was notified that his services would not be required at the end of the school year. He appealed to the Superintendent, who in response has placed himself on record with the statement that all matters relating to the employment of teachers should be left with the Local Board, and that when a sufficient notice had been given, the teacher must go. This notice, in the case of Dr. Sornberger, is deemed sufficient and he is dismissed.

   This would seem to indicate that if the Local Board desire now to get rid of Dr. Hoose, they should notify him that his services would be dispensed with at the close of the next school year, and upon the line of action laid down by the State Superintendent, he would then have to go.

   But, if rumors which reach us are correct, the Local Board will have no necessity for such a resolution. Rumors are sometimes at fault, but this one has considerable of probability attached to it. It is that the whole proceedings of the past month have been farcical to a degree; that it has been understood between the Local Board and the Superintendent that Dr. Hoose must go; that upon the visit of the Doctor to the State Superintendent he was given to understand that such was the case, and was given the choice of two courses, 1st, to be "sustained," and then to resign and be appointed by the Superintendent to another position, elsewhere; or 2d, to be unceremoniously bounced, if he was obstinate; that the Doctor, with good business tact accepted the first proposition and immediately after being "sustained" disposed of his real estate in Cortland, (see paragraph elsewhere, from the Cortland Democrat) and went to the Thousand Islands with no expectations of ever returning to be the head of the Cortland Normal school.

   If this is true, it means:—The carrying of their point by the Local Board; a satisfactory termination for Doctor Hoose; the State Superintendent happy because he has placated both parties; and the dear people who hurrahed, petitioned and worked for Doctor Hoose's retention disgruntled with the Superintendent, the Local Board, and the Doctor himself.

Trickery and Duplicity.

   The Marathon Independent prints an editorial article in its issue this week, that will be found to voice the opinion of many of our citizens. A majority of the best informed citizens in this village have believed from the start, that the Local Board and the Superintendent of Public Instruction were working together, in the attempt to remove Dr. Hoose from the principalship of the Cortland Normal School and that there would have been little delay on the part of Draper in concurring with the Local Board, had he not discovered that the people of this place were decidedly and unalterably opposed to such action.

   Even now, notwithstanding his decision to the contrary, there seems to be an understanding between him and the Local Board, and the latter affect to feel confident that Dr. Hoose will be furnished another place that will prove as satisfactory to him as his present position. The Superintendent seems to think that such an arrangement will not only satisfy Dr. Hoose and the Local Board, but that it will please the people of this village.

   If the question was merely a matter of doing justice to Dr. Hoose such a solution of the difficulty might be satisfactory, but that is not the only question at issue. While the people of this village respect Dr. Hoose as a citizen and believe that he ought not to be removed simply because Mr. Clark has sworn to have his scalp, there is a question of far more vital importance to them in any proposition that requires his removal. He has demonstrated that he has no superior in the state as a successful conductor of a large school and for this reason they desire to have him continue in his present office. Good principals are few and hard to find and if Dr. Hoose goes, the Superintendent will have to experiment with untried men to the detriment of the institution.

   The Cortland Normal School could possibly spare the man, Dr. Hoose, but it cannot well get on without Dr. Hoose, the principal. It does not become the Superintendent of Public Instruction or the members of the Local Board to engage in duplicity or any manner of deception in this matter. The people have a right to know what is going on in an affair that is of such vital importance to them and any underhanded business will surely work to the injury of all who may be engaged therein.

   Let every move upon the chess board be open and above the board. The issue before us is one of schools and not crooked politics. It is better even that the imaginary grievances of the President of the Local Board should not be righted, than that the school should be destroyed.

Off for the Thousand Islands.

   The excursion train for the Thousand Islands, over the E. C. & N. railroad, left the station in this place with five well loaded cars at 10:13 A. M., on Thursday. Sixty-nine tickets were sold from Cortland. The following were among the number:

   Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Hitchcock, Mrs. Ella L. Butler, and son, Mr. and Mrs. George L. Warren and daughter Lelia, Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Warren and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. P. Hollenbeck, Dr. and Mrs. H. T. Dana, Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Beebe, Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Stoker, Mr. G. S. Van Hoesen and daughter Ella, Mr. C. W. Collins and daughter Anna, Major and Mrs. A. Sager, Dr. and Mrs. W. J. Moore, Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Watrous, T. F. Brayton, Henry Bates. Webster Young, C. P. Walrad, G. W. Davenport, F. A. Bickford, P. Van Bergen, the Misses Mertie Miller, Mertie Myers, Cornelia and Minnie White, Mr. C. L. Kinney, Mr. G. S. P. Jewett, Mr. Ed. H. Bates, Dr. S. J. Sornberger and son.

   The train was in charge of Mr. John W. Neish, a trusted and very competent employe [sic] of the company.

Wheelmen's Contest.

   Several members of the Cortland Wheel Club were unable to join in the club run to Little York and return Wednesday evening, owing to illness or absence from town. However, Messrs. G. W. Houk, the bicycle dealer, of Railroad street, Will Doubleday, captain of the club, and George Bell, made the run to Homer and via the west road to Little York, crossing to the east road and thence direct to Cortland, a distance of some 14 miles, in 67 minutes, coming up to the Cortland House in the order named, and were greeted with applause from the large concourse of people assembled.

   A similar run is to be made each Wednesday evening, with favorable weather. A neat badge is awarded the winner of each succeeding contest, which is worn by the victor until captured by another wheelman. On each of the parallel bars is engraved the words "Cortland Scorcher."

New Books.

   The following are among the new books lately received at the Franklin Hatch Library, and ready for its patrons:

   Electricity in Daily Life; Lyas and his People; Life and Letters of Bayard Taylor; Life of Mrs. H. B. Stowe; Walford; A Nameless Noble Man; Dr. Le Baron and his daughters; Black Beauty; Girls and Women; Letter Writing, its Ethics and Etiquette; Girls Who Become Famous; Kippling's Indian Tales; Egoist; Armorel of Lyonesse; Ardis Chaverden; Diplomats Diary; A Successful Man; Squire of Low Degree; Alhambra and the Kremlin; Gibraltar; Hare's Studies in Russia; Following the Guides; Taylor's Northern Travel; In Darkest England; Norsk, Lapp and Finn; Social Departure; American Girls in England; Story of the American Soldier; Yankee at King Arthur's Court; Anglo Maniacs; Martha Corey; Over the Tea Cups; Cigarette Makers Romance; In the Valley; Widow Guthrie; She Loved a Sailor; Wages of Sin; Marcia; Roys Town.

Fire from Combustion.

   Wednesday morning, shortly after 12 o'clock, Daniel Lee, who has apartments in the Wickwire building, Main street, was seated near a window inhaling any stray gusts of cool air that might be wafted along through the most sultry of summer nights. Hearing a peculiar crackling sound, he called the attention of his wife to the same. Investigation disclosed fire at the head of the attic stairs. Other tenants of the building were aroused and prompt application of a few pails of water enabled W. W. Gale to tumble the burning bundle out upon the metallic roof. Workmen had been painting the roof and at 6 o'clock the preceding night had rolled up their oily garments and placed them just inside the door to the roof, when from overheating spontaneous combustion is thought to have resulted. Care in avoiding fires cannot be too stringent in the management of accumulation of waste or oily garments not alone in large factories but in all places.

  

Knights of Pythias.

   The Grand Lodge Knights of Pythias of the State of New York will hold their annual session in Vesta Lodge rooms in this village on Tuesday, July 28. 1891. About four hundred delegates will be in attendance. The Amsterdam Uniform Division will give an exhibition drill on Thursday July 30, which will be well worth witnessing as the Division is said to be the best drilled of any organization of the kind in the State. The Uniform Divisions of Syracuse and Oswego will also be present. The citizens of this village are requested by the local organization to decorate their places of business and homes in honor of the event, as this is the first time the session of a Grand Lodge of any organization has ever been held here. The occasion will no doubt be a very interesting one and the DEMOCRAT hopes every citizen will lend a hand to make it a success.

1894 map segment showing (twin stacks) No. 5, Cortland Top & Rail Co. between Garfield Ave. and Elm Street.

Enjoying a Prosperous Trade.

   Tuesday the semi-annual meeting of the stockholders of the Cortland Top & Rail Company, Limited, was held at the company's office, 128 Elm street. All of the unsold stock of the company's recent increase of capital was taken by members present, and a most satisfactory showing of business for the past six months was taken from the office books. When one recalls to mind the many different articles of carriage builder's hardware manufactured at their plant, the sales books showing an output of upward of $75,000 indicates that enterprise and push have maintained a meritorious line of goods upon the market thus far in '91 as in past years.

   Wednesday morning the regular quarterly assembling of the seven members of the Board of Directors occurred. The outlook for the last half of the present year is exceedingly encouraging for this house, the din of whose hammers and machinery is heard early and late.

Cooking Exhibition and Free Lunch.

   Saturday, of this week, at Buck & Lanes, Standard building, from 2 to 5:30 o'clock in the afternoon, and from 7 to 9 o'clock in the evening, an expert in cooking will show what can be done on the Monitor Oil Stove. Every one cordially invited to witness this exhibition and get a lunch. Come and see what the best stove in the world will do.

Resumed Practice.

   Dr. Jay Ball, who has been spending the winter in Florida, where he has been practicing his profession, has returned to Cortland, much improved in health and has again resumed active practice. He may be found hereafter at his office and residence on Tompkins street, ready to attend to all calls promptly.