SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT DRAPER'S POSITION

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, July 31, 1891.

Draper's Position.

   Superintendent Draper's position on the question of the management of the Normal schools of the State, is understood to be as follows: Like Gilmour, he thinks that the Superintendent should have nearly absolute control over the schools, but the Court of Appeals having decided that power over the schools is concurrent between the Superintendent and the Local Board, he is of course bound to respect the letter of such decision while he evades or practically ignores it in fact.

   He ignores or evades the decision of the court by appointing as members of the Local Board, men who are thoroughly in accord with his views or who will do his bidding in all things, and by so doing he destroys all concurrent action between the Superintendent and the Board. He himself becomes master of the situation and wields autocratic power over the schools. He has only to say to his appointees on the Board, "Do this and I will concur with you." He escapes all responsibility by saying that it is the act of the board and he must concur as the board is supposed to understand the local requirements of the school better than any one else.

   He declined to investigate the reasons for Dr. Sornberger's removal and has in fact stated that his action was not the result of charges against him as a teacher or as a citizen. He gives Dr. Sornberger a clean record, but informs him that he must go, because the men he appointed for that purpose have simply complied with their instructions.

   It is pretty safe to say that the legislature never intended to invest Superintendent Draper with the power he assumes in the premises. So long as he can control a majority of the Local Board he is absolute dictator and the interests of the people are subject to the whim of a mere party politician. He can and probably will manage the Normal schools in such a way as to benefit himself politically. The people's interests will suffer in consequence, but what does the average politician care for that? True, it must be anything but a pleasant position for the majority of the Local Board to be placed in, but they have no alternative.

   There is little doubt but that Draper gave the majority of the Local Board assurances some months since, that he would concur with them in removing Dr. Hoose, if indeed he did not himself start the movement, and there would have been little delay in his concurrence had not the people taken hold of the matter with energy. He was not slow in discovering that it would not do to ignore all the people of Cortland all the time, hence the delay. That he intends to concur with the Board at no distant day there can be no doubt. He wants the place for Prof. Cheney, who is said to be one of his most obliging and devoted supporters and Cheney is anxious to drop into a fat berth, where the Board of Civil Service Examiners cannot molest or make him afraid. The Superintendent of Public Instruction should be selected from the professional teachers ranks and not from among the politicians.

James Hoose.

Dr. Hoose Called.

   Last Thursday Mr. N. B. Coy, State Superintendent of Public Instruction for Colorado, was in town looking up Dr. Hoose's record as a citizen and teacher. Mr. Coy said that he had come east to select a competent man to prepare and put in successful operation a Normal School system for that State, and having heard excellent reports concerning Dr. Hoose, he went to the Thousand Islands and tendered him the situation. Dr. Hoose did not apply for the place, and it is not yet sure that he will take it. Mr. Coy said that he was satisfied from the favorable reports he had received in regard to Dr. Hoose's abilities as a teacher and organizer and his standing in the profession, that he had made no mistake in offering him the place.

   We understand that the salary offered is a tempting one. If he should accept, the Normal School system of this State will lose one of its ablest and staunchest supporters, and the Cortland school will have reason to regret Mr. Coy's visit to this State.

The Case Decided.

   Sometime since Edward Keator, and others of this place, brought an action in the Supreme Court against Moffett, Hodgkins & Clark of Syracuse, builders of water works, and owners of a majority of the stock of the Cortland Water Works, to recover a portion of the profit made by them on a contract extending the system of water works in this place. Mr. Keator, who was a director of the company and owned stock to the amount of $4,000, was not present at the meeting of directors when the contract was awarded to Moffett, Hodgkins & Clark to extend the works. The plaintiff claimed that the latter had no right to let a contract to themselves and make a profit on the same.

   Judge Walter Lloyd Smith, before whom the case was tried, has just rendered his decision whereby he finds that Mr. Keator is entitled to $600 as his share of the profit amounting to $15,000, he being the owner of one twenty-fifth of the capital stock of the company. The other plaintiffs who sued with Mr. Keator get nothing because they were present at the meeting when the contract was awarded. Frank Pierce and Hon. O. U. Kellogg for plaintiff. Jenny, Marshall & Ruger for defendants.

KILLED BY A VICIOUS BULL.

George Friese of This Town Attacked by the Brute While After the Cows—His Body Horribly Bruised.

   George Friese, son of M. W. Friese of 38 Crandall street, Cortland, has for some years past lived with his sister, Mrs. Henry Petrie on the Henry Kennedy farm, 14 miles south of this village. Last Sunday morning he got up a little before 5 o'clock and started to bring the cows from the pasture. A two-year-old bull, that had attacked him in the stable last spring, and had only been prevented from seriously injuring him by the timely assistance of two men who happened to be present and beat the brute off, was running in the pasture with the cows. Petrie had repeatedly warned Friese to take a pitchfork with him when he went into the lot to protect himself from an attack of the vicious animal.

   About five o'clock Sunday morning Harmon Brockman, a young man aged 25 years, who lives with Thomas Parks, a nearby neighbor, heard loud calls for help in the direction of Petrie's pasture, and thinking some one was in immediate need of assistance, ran in the direction of the sound. He found Friese lying on the other side of the rail fence that separates Petrie's pasture lot from Mr. John Park's field. He at once aroused the neighbors, several of whom came to his assistance. The only articles of clothing on Friese's person was the collar band of his shirt and his shoes. His pantaloons, torn in pieces were hanging from the top rail of the fence and his body was horribly bruised from the crown of his head to his feet. His nose was broken and blood was flowing from that organ. There were several other abrasions about the face and head, but the skin on other portions of the body had not been broken, owing undoubtedly to the fact that the animal's horns were very blunt.

   When Brockman arrived on the scene the bull had moved to another part of the pasture. The first attack was undoubtedly made thirty rods from where Friese was found and evidences of the struggle were plainly seen all the way from that point to the fence, midway between which lay the fork which the unfortunate man had taken with him for protection. It is believed that the bull made a sudden attack upon him thirty rods from the fence and alternately tossed and rolled him to the fence and then threw him over, tossing his pantaloons after him.

   He was carried to the house and Dr. White summoned, who pronounced his injuries fatal. Death put an end to his sufferings at 11 o'clock P. M. He was unconscious when found and remained in that condition until he died. The funeral services were held from the house on Tuesday. Friese was about forty-two years of age and unmarried.

Some Tall Oats.

   Mr. R. B. Balja entered upon his maiden trial as an agriculturalist, last spring, upon Mount Pleasant (Bolles) farm east of Cortland. Among other crops he sowed an acre to Welcome and an acre to white Swede oats, using no commercial fertilizer, but a small application of compost from the barn yard was given the ground. Monday he brought to the DEMOCRAT office a specimen stool of each variety of the growing grain, the former measuring 5 feet 10 1/2 inches and averaging 132 kernels to each head, while the latter scored 5-8 with 128 kernels. The two fields of oats are said to be very even, and Mr. Balja is much elated over his prospective harvest and chosen vocation.

Genuine Birthday Surprise.

   Last Sunday the Rev. Charles E. Hamilton, pastor of the Homer Avenue M. E. church, reached his twenty-sixth birthday. He appeared in his desk as usual, delivering an impressive sermon to the young people in the evening. Monday afternoon himself and family were invited out into the country remaining until after tea, when with their host they returned to the village and stopped at the church to listen to the rehearsal of the chorus singing. Not only was the chorus there but the auditorium was filled with people. Y. M. C. A. Secretary F. A. Ingraham in a short speech explained the reason of this large audience and in behalf of those present presented Mr. Hamilton with a purse containing upward of forty dollars as a birthday gift and token of esteem. A social hour was then passed after which the audience dispersed.

Homer Band 1891.

Open Air Concert.

   The Homer Cornet Band, having been engaged to furnish music for the Wheelmen's tournament on Saturday, August 1, arrangements for a grand open air concert have been arranged for Friday evening, in front of the Messenger House—the headquarters of the Wheelmen's League. Following is the program:

   March, Sousa.

   Overture— "Tancredi," Rossini.

   Cornet Solo—"Auld Lang Syne," Hartman.

   Mr. P. Conway.

   Overture—"Night Alarm," Hartman.

   Waltz—"Visions of Paradise," Bennet.

   Clarinet Solo— "Coming Through the Rye,"

   Mr. E. C. Alger.

   Overture—"La Flandre," Bouillion.

   Gavotte— "Day Dreams," Rollinson.

   Trombone Solo—"Little Blue Cap," Bennet.

   Mr. Chas. Maas.

   Medley Overture—"Salute to Erin," Coats.

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   CHENANGO— Albert Linger of South New Berlin, had three fingers amputated in a horse hay fork.

   Oxford is to have a new foundry and machine shop. The frame is already up.

   Waldo Crandall of McDonough broke two ribs by a fall from his mowing machine.

   An Oxford farmer was fined $7.50 for mowing on Sunday. Whither are we drifting.

   E. R. Church, a Smithville farmer, has dehorned his dairy of thirty-six cows claiming as a result that they are more peaceable and quiet.

   Samuel McBirney of Smithville has a sheep that gave birth to four lambs last spring, and they are now all living and doing well.

   Fred Thompson of East McDonough, recently shot a turkey buzzard, which had evidently strayed from the Southern States. It was six feet from tip to tip.

   Tuesday of last week, several employes of the Gilbert Manufacturing Company, and also at Reed & Carnrick's food preparatory establishment, in Bainbridge, were taken sick, and were relieved only after severe vomiting. They had partaken too freely of buttermilk from a neighboring creamery.

   Friday a party of New York ladies and children, five in number, stopping in Guilford, started to drive to Oxford in a two seated carriage. While crossing the bridge over the O. & W. track at Byrant's cut, their horse became frightened at another horse in the highway, and rearing around backed the wagon against the railing which gave way, and carriage, occupants and horse went over the bridge and into the rock cut below, a distance of some twenty feet. Strange as it may seem, the ladies and children escaped death, and even serious injuries. The wagon was made a total wreck.

   MADISON.—The Ladies' Seminary at Hamilton will be closed the coming year.

   August 12th will occur the annual Masonic picnic at Sylvan Beach.

   John Clark, of Oneida, was killed by cars at Buffalo, Wednesday night.

   DeRuyter votes to expend $800 in repairs upon their school building.

   The safe in John Ryan's coal office at Oneida was relieved of $30, Thursday night.

   John Cassidy, of Morrisville, aged 83, was found dead in the hallway of his house, the other day. Heart disease.

   C. W. Dexter, of Munnsville, has resigned the office of postmaster, to render him eligible to nomination to Member of Assembly.

   John Hall, of Eaton, had a cancer cut from his cheek, Friday, which had developed where he was accustomed to hold his quid of tobacco.

   Two Perryville men have been arrested for catching trout under six inches in length. They had eleven fish and the penalty is $25 for each.

   While digging for Indian relics on the bank of Oneida lake, Saturday, George Coram, of Utica, and John Ulrich, of Marcy, found at about four feet below the surface a pit of charred corn and nuts, together with a flint lock, iron tomahawk, two scalping knives, flint arrow points, beads and a quantity of pottery. The relics are quite a curiosity, as they must be at least 150 years old.

   The Justin Projectile Company are making preparations for a thorough trial in the Perryville gorge for a government test which will take place not earlier than October. Two guns are now in position, one a sixty-pound Parrot rifle with a five 3-10 inch bore, the other the nine inch Blakely rifle used at the last experiment in December. A steel-armored target representing a section of a modern iron clad and earth butts have been erected, and it is believed that the first of a series of experiments will transpire in a few days.

   TOMPKINS.—Odd Fellows' annual excursion to Cayuga Lake Park, Aug. 20th.

   Hose Co. No. 7, of Ithaca, will take part in the hose race at the Firemen's Convention at Herkimer, next month.

   Remember the annual picnic of the Tompkins Co. Grange will be held at Glenwood, the last Saturday in August.

   The time for holding the annual parade of the Groton Fire Department has been decided upon, and Friday, Aug. 28th, is the day.

   Charles H. Sweazey, who fell from a roof in Ithaca, on July 10th, died on the 15th as a result of injuries received. He was a native of Lansing, was sixty-eight years of age, and has lived in Ithaca forty-five years of his life. He leaves a wife and three daughters. The funeral took place on Saturday.

   Arthur Williams, of Trumansburg, some four years ago became intensely interested in the meetings of the Salvation Army and undue excitement made him insane. Taken away from the exciting causes, he became better and it was hoped that he would be permanently cured. On Wednesday of last week, however, Williams was found in the paint shop of Gregg's iron works. He was armed with a bar of iron, and he declared that the Lord had told him to stay there until midnight. He was finally induced to go home and the medical experts having declared him insane, Commissioner Lyke took him to the Wlllard asylum.

Pay the Printer Promptly.

   Persons who patronize papers should pay promptly, for the pecuniary prospects of the press have a peculiar power in pushing forward public prosperity. If the printer is paid promptly, and his pocketbook kept plethoric by prompt paying patrons, he puts his pen to his paper in peace, his paragraphs are more pointed; he paints his pictures of passing events in more pleasing colors, and the perusal of his paper is a pleasure to the people. Please paste this piece of proverbial philosophy in some place where all persons can perceive it.