NORMAL SCHOOL NOTES

Cortland Normal School.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, May 27, 1892.

Normal School Notes.

   The appointments for commencement were made public, in part, yesterday, and were in general satisfactory and just to all students interested.

   With the occupancy of the new building next fall with its increase in seating capacity over the present one, and with the abolishment of the elementary English course, which has heretofore drawn a great many to this school, there will be considerable vacant space unless something is done to attract students to this institution.

   The problem that confronts every student who contemplates entering a Normal school is the one of cost of board and lodging. There are three classes of students, based upon the manner of boarding, in attendance at the Normal. First, Those hiring their board. Second, Those renting rooms—particularly the ladles—and boarding themselves. Third, Those renting rooms and hiring their food prepared, in part, purchasing the rest already prepared. All invariably board at the place at which they lodge. The first class pays from $3 to $4 per week for board and lodging. It expects good board and generally gets it. The second class pays less and has less with surprising irregularity as to the time it has it. It is a fact that every student who takes the regular term's work has but little time for anything else especially housekeeping, consequently she governs her eating by the amount of time in which she has to prepare her food.

   The third class pays more than the second class, and has less trouble by patronizing the dealer of prepared food-stuffs.

   There is a system of boarding that is in vogue in some of the villages containing other Normal schools, which works to the entire satisfaction of the students and the ones with whom they board and lodge. This is the boarding club system. There is no reason why the same plan could not be adopted here, and there are several reasons why it should be.

   First, It is cheaper, good board and lodging varying from $2.25 to $2.50 per week.

   Second, The food is of better quality by reason of being prepared every day.

   Third, Students have meals at regular hours without any of the trouble attending those of the second and third classes above, thus giving more time for study.

   Fourth, It cultivates a knowledge of social affairs by bringing the students in closer social contact.

HERE AND THERE.

   New style letter boxes have been received at the post-office and will be put in place in a few days.

   Mr. P. W. Collins, secretary of the Howe Stove works in this village, has taken out letters patent on a stove grate.

   The Delsarte entertainment by the ladles' clubs of the Normal will be given in the Opera House, Friday evening, June 3d.

   The H. M. Whitney Wagon Company have let the contract for heating their works by steam to E. P. Bates, of Syracuse.

   A grand May festival will be given by W. H. Purdy's dancing class this Friday evening, May 27th, at Peck's Hall, Marathon.

   English poultry raisers say that sunflower seed is the best food for chickens. It improves the egg and the plumage of the fowls.

   The contract for warming and ventilating the addition to the Cortland Normal has been let to E. P. Bates, of Syracuse, for $22,500.

   A litter of five young foxes are attracting considerable attention in the show window of J. O. Reid's meat market on South Main street.

   Mr. H. C. Hemenway has sold his candy kitchen business to Messrs. Fred A. Parker and H. C. Van Slyke, of this place. The new firm took possession of both stores last Tuesday morning.

   Last Friday, while Michael Kennedy was at work cutting welts with a machine in the Cortland Wagon Company's trim shop, he fed a portion of the first finger on the right hand to the machine.

   A Decoration party will be given at the Truxton House in Truxton, on Monday evening, May 30th. Butterfield's full orchestra will furnish music. Full bill, $1.25. John O'Connor, proprietor.

   The grocery house of Hooker & Wright of Homer has been closed. Mr. Wright retired from the firm last Thursday, and on the following day Mr. Hooker executed a bill of sale of the stock to his mother.

   The graduating class of the Normal this term will number at least 84. The Standard announces that the Elementary English course will be abolished in all the Normal schools of the State at the end of the present school year.

   The concert advertised to be given by Hitchcock Manufacturing Co. band and Mangang's orchestra, on Thursday evening, was postponed to Thursday evening, June 2d, for the reason that Mr. Mangang has not yet returned from his wedding trip.

   Last Wednesday, while at work on the track on his section, Thomas Carroll lost his balance by the sudden giving away of a tie he was pulling on, and [he] fell down an embankment, striking his side against a stone. No bones were broken, but he has been confined to the house with pleurisy since.—Marathon Independent.

   H. D. Burdick, of Cuyler, has a remarkable hen. Every day she flies upon the roof of the house, walks to the chimney, cackling and singing, goes down the flue and deposits her egg in the bottom. They propose to let her hatch them there and see how she will get the chickens out of the chimney.—DeRuyter Gleaner.

   The annual souvenir of the Taughannock House, located on the shore of Cayuga Lake, is on our table. The book is illustrated with engravings of some of the principal views in the vicinity of this noted summer resort. It is an elegant place for families to spend a few days during the heated term at moderate charges for most excellent accommodations. The place is under the management of Mr. H. D. Freer, of the Ithaca Hotel, who was a former resident of Cortland [and managed the hotel at Virgil, N. Y.—CC editor.] Send for a copy of the little book.

   Gov. Flower has signed the bill for the relief of the drafted men of 1863.

   The Emerald base ball tossers play the Seneca Falls club at that place on Saturday.

   The 45th Separate Company will elect a Captain in place of Capt. Dunsmoor, resigned, at the armory to-night.

   The Odd Fellows of this district hold their Sixth annual basket picnic at Floral Trout park, Cortland, Saturday, June 18th.

   A full account of the burning of Mr. Champlain's house in the town of Virgil, Tuesday, night, will be found in our Blodgett's Mills correspondence.

   According to the McGrawville Sentinel, a cat belonging to Lafayette Tripp, who resides south of that place, is bringing up two young woodchucks with her family of kittens. 

   Tramps are abroad offering "Something for Nothing." The first is a very bad ten cent picture pretending to represent Rosa Bonheur'a "Fair." The last represents one or more copies of the Cortland Standard which are thrown in as a premium to the pictures. Remember the fate of Geo. Fitts and beware of these buncoers.

   Farmers who wish to avoid the depredations of the mischievous crow and defiant crow blackbird in their corn fields, should not fail to use a very limited amount of coal tar in preparing their seed for the ground. There is something about tar that birds and fowl do not relish, and it does its work very effectively.

   A. H. Barber Hose Co. No. 3 went to Cortland, on Thursday night, as the guests of Water Witch Engine and Hose Co., and were most royalty entertained by them. They were met at the station and escorted to the Cortland House, and put in possession thereof. Later they were taken to the armory where the Fair was in progress and witnessed a pleasing entertainment, and a magnificent drill by the Water Witch Co. At the close of the drill, Ed L. Adams, for Barber Hose, presented to Water Witch a silver water pitcher, which was accepted for that company by Captain Drake, in a very neat and telling speech. The Marathon boys are enthusiastic over their visit. — Marathon Independent.

TOWN REPORTS.

BLODGETT'S MILLS.

   Lilly Snell has chicken-pox.

   Little Lloyd White has the measles.

   John McVean of Marathon was calling on friends here Tuesday.

   Chicken-pox, mumps and measles are the prevailing diseases here.

   Mrs. Millard Raymond and family are visiting her parents in DeRuyter.

   Harris Spencer, who has been in Groton at work, is home sick, with the mumps.

   Miss Ida Simpson of McGrawville is sick at her mother's here. Dr. Smith attends her.

   Rev. E. P. St. John gave an interesting lecture at the M. E. church Monday evening.

   A temperance lecture at the Baptist church Tuesday evening drew out a large audience.

   Decoration day will be observed here in the evening. Hon. A. P. Smith will deliver the address in the evening.

   McGrawville grange, by invitation, spent last Wednesday evening with Blodgett's Mills grange at the residence of Mr. Hiram Reese.

   The B. M. U. have sold the entire season's make of cheese to D. Crane of McGrawville, the Utica Monday ruling price being paid weekly.

   The young ladies' circle of King's daughters are invited to spend Saturday afternoon with Mrs. James Stafford. Warm [maple] sugar will be served.

   Hilsinger Bros. shipped a large wagon to parties in New York Tuesday. The wagon weighed over thirteen hundred pounds and is capable of carrying five tons weight.

   News has just reached here of a terrible occurrence which happened Tuesday night on Snyder Hill, about three miles south of this place, in which Mr. Alexander Champlain lost his life. Mr. Champlain, little more than a year ago, moved here from Groton to the Ephriam Woodward place, now occupied by R. D. Pierce. This spring he purchased a small place of Henry Winters in which he and his wife lived alone. It was Mr. Champlain's custom before retiring each night to secure kindling wood for the morning. This he left in the woodhouse, where the fire is supposed to have originated. As he was smoking at the time, it is thought he must have dropped fire from his pipe. The family were awakened about 12 o'clock by the crackling of the flames. They had only time to get out in their night clothes. For some unknown reason Mr. Champlain returned to the bedroom and was seen no more by his wife, who was the only one then at the fire. The charred remains of Mr. Champlain were taken from the debris, this Wednesday morning. Nothing was saved from the fire. Mr. Champlain was an able-bodied man of about seventy years.

Grip's Historical Souvenir of Cortland, page 59.

LITTLE YORK.

   Austin Wright is now disposing of his third car of phosphate this season.

   We are watching the windward side of the lake for spearing lights while one who was arrested last year is watching the leeward. Preble pirates slip into Goodell lake ofttimes—but take warning—it must stop.

   Theron Gutchus reports that many of his Lombard plum trees seem to be dying. They were the first successful lot after the great blight years ago. "Wash" Dayton set them in his hen park and last year they were loaded with plums.

   Superintendent Schwartz and family have been at the Raymond house twice recently and enjoyed a breath of lake air together with a square lunch. He is disgusted with the low lying shores of Tully lake and the inconvenience of getting from the railroad to it.

   There are great possibilities for Little York lake as a place for cottages with a small outlay of capital. Take the north end of Lord's place, with a narrow strip from Henry Gates' to the Ice Co.'s lot, and you would have dry ground on which to build and a fine lake breeze. The only drawback is the lack of shade trees, but each lot owner could easily and quickly supply these by transplanting good sized trees. A good half mile track could easily be made around the shore which would be free from any traffic. Five minutes’ walk would take you to the station and business men either from Syracuse, or Cortland could establish their families and be with them every night and at their business the most of each day. There are beautiful springs on either hillside which would furnish healthful water with a small expense. A foot bridge from the ice house to no-man’s-land would open the possibilities for a large number of cottages on the Tallman estate. On this point there is at present many suitable shade trees and bushes growing which could be utilized.

   Two weeks ago we called attention to the hotels and beautiful drives from Cortland to this place. The same would be an inducement to getting board if cottagers did not wish to board themselves. It don't add any pleasure to be tucked away in some almost unapproachable nook either on Skaneateles or other lakes for the summer vacation. The most we require is rest from the confusion of traffic. The spot we have mentioned could be obtained at a fair compensation for farming lands and would be a good investment for a company who wish to build for themselves a quiet summer cottage. We have no patent on the above suggestions and anyone is at liberty to look over the grounds and act on them.

SCOTT.

   Dull weather for everything but grass and ducks. News seem to be scarce and we don't have much time to manufacture any.

   Lightning recently struck the wire fence belonging to John Landphier, and ran along splitting a large number of posts, some of them to splinters.

   Born, to Mr. and Mrs. George Fox, a boy.

   Decoration services at the M. E. church. Speaking by H. M. Kellogg of Cortland and A. E. Seymour of McGrawville.

   Word comes to us that the brilliant attorney of Scott was arrested and thrown into Auburn jail last Monday for shooting at John Jones, who was on the lake returning from Borodino to his home in New Hope. The shooting occurred Sunday afternoon. We hear that Crosley demanded of Jones that he halt but he rowed along, when the shot came, as we hear, just grazing Jones. It is expected that Crosley will get out of jail in season to run the next Republican caucus. We also hear that measures are being taken to punish Crosley on the charge of gathering up the old, worn out nets of the country and putting them in the lake, and then resurrecting them, and claiming and obtaining $5.00 a piece for all taken out.

EAST HOMER.

   Mr. John Rose is visiting friends in town.

   Mr. L. Brooks is in quite poor health at present.

   M. D. Murphy, Jr. has organized a select singing class in this place.

   Mr. H. M. Murdough of Boston, Mass., is spending a few days with friends here.

   The Burnham Bros. are making and selling a great number of screen doors in their wire works.

   Mrs. S. M. I. Henry of Evanston, Ill., will occupy the pulpit of the M. E. church on Sunday morning, May 29.

   Decoration day will be observed in this place in the evening. All are requested to meet at the church at seven o'clock and march to the cemetery to decorate the soldiers' graves, and then return to the church where a literary program will be furnished.