THE NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT

G. A. R. veterans parade at Washington, D. C., 1892.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, September 30, 1892.

The National Encampment.

   EDITOR CORTLAND DEMOCRAT:--I attended the National Encampment at Washington last week, going down with Grover Post of Cortland, and paraded with them. It would be useless of me to attempt a description of the encampment, and so will not. But as I was in the war, and in the Capital many times early in 1861, I will say something of how it was then. When the 23rd N. Y. Vols., to which I belonged, went into camp on Meridian Hill during the first days of July of that year, we drew our first soft bread that was baked in the basement of the Capitol. At that time no troops were quartered there I think. The streets were full of army wagons and columns of raw soldiers destined afterward to face deadly peril. Many of those who marched gayly along under flaring banners, lived as I did to march down Pennsylvania Avenue, May 1865.

   The old Anticosta canal was up and smelled worse than the asphalt pavement of the avenue does on a hot day. When we crossed over the long bridge, a day or two after the first battle of Bull Run, the wounded were coming in ambulances, and they encouraged us by such cheery remarks as, "you will catch hell out there."

   From Washington I went by the way of the B. & O. road to the battle fields of Antietam. Arriving there in the morning of Thursday the 22nd inst., and was fortunate in forming the acquaintance of the mayor of Sharpsburg, Grove by name, who kindly, and with as much grace as the Lord Mayor of London, tendered all G. A. R. men the keys of the town. Further, he accompanied two others and myself over this hard fought field and did much to aid our eager wish for information. If all the Confederates were as cordial as he, there is no longer even the shadow of a "bloody chasm."

   This battle-ground has been sadly overlooked. Gettysburg drawing attention from it, but here General Longstreet says was the turning point of the rebellion. Here 14,000 Union men were killed and wounded in one day. Here was havoc and here fell the flower of the armies of the Potomac and James.

   The legislature of Maryland at the last session, passed an appropriation of $5,000 to place "markers'" on the field and that is being done. There are only two monuments outside of the National cemetery, one being that of the 51st Pennsylvania on Burnside Bridge and to a Maryland brigade near Bloody Lane. In the cemetery sleeps 4,868 Union soldiers, or over 1100 more than at Gettysburg.

   The beautiful landscape smiles under the September sun, flowers bloom where deadly strife was raging, and the peasant ploughs the soil that was ploughed with shot and shell.

   A. L. LANSING.

The County Ticket.

   Arthur B. Nelson, Esq., the Democratic candidate for Member of Assembly, is the only son of Dr. Judson C. Nelson of Truxton, and was born in that place, January 19, 1852. His education was obtained at the Baldwinsville Academy and at the Cortland Normal school. In 1872 he accepted a situation with Chamberlain, Smith & Co., hardware merchants of this place, and remained with them until 1879, when he formed a partnership with Mr. Henry Seymour and engaged in the business of selling carriage goods and carriage supplies at wholesale and retail. At the end of three years Mr. H. D. Call purchased Mr. Seymour's interest and the firm name was changed, to Nelson & Call.

   The business has thrived under Mr. Nelson's careful and able management and is being largely extended every year. Mr. Nelson is a thorough business man and a very genial gentleman in all the walks of life. His excellent business habits, sound common sense and manly qualities, have secured him a host of friends in all parties, who will be glad to honor him with their votes. If elected he will discharge his duties intelligently and to the entire satisfaction of all.

   Theron O. Brown, Esq., the Democratic candidate for Justice of Sessions is a magistrate of the town of Taylor and is one of the present incumbents of the office. He has done so well in the past, that the Democrats of the county thought best to continue him in office for another term.

   Dr. Hermon D. Hunt is a practicing physician in Preble. He has the ability to make a first class coroner and ought to be elected. The office is an important one and should be filled by a man of judgment. Dr. Hunt is such a man.

Court Proceedings.

   The case of the People vs. Anthony Pidge, indicted for arson in the third degree, was on trial when we went to press last week and was not concluded until Monday when the jury brought in a verdict of not guilty. Pidge was charged with burning the saw mill of G. S. Cady at Fair Haven, near the head of Skaneateles lake. Mrs. Pidge swore that her husband was not out of the house on the night in question, while other females testified that they were in the lower part of the house, when Pidge and wife went up stairs to bed and that later, they heard suspicious noises on the side of the house which the prosecution claimed were made by a confederate to notify the defendant that the coast was entirely clear.

   The trial of the case disclosed some rather startling features of domestic life in this rural hamlet.

   Court adjourned at 6 o'clock P. M.

Items and Ads.

   The Paper Box factory of the McGraw Corset Co., at McGrawville, N. Y., have been doing a very large business and are obliged to enlarge their plant and will soon be able to receive custom work, and now solicit patronage, guaranteeing to satisfy and compete in prices with any surrounding factory. (28w4)

   More ladies can be supplied with work by the McGraw Corset Co., McGrawville, N. Y., there being about 400 hands already employed. (28w2)

   Mrs. J. H. Cook of Syracuse rowed a boat with two passengers from Skaneateles to Glen Haven, sixteen miles recently, without help or any stops, in six hours. She is the first lady that ever performed that feat since the settlement of the country.

Death of Charles H. Hillick.

   The many friends of Chas. H. Hillick, who reside in this place, were pained to hear of his death, which occurred at his home in Ithaca, last Saturday afternoon. Mr. Hillick formerly resided in Cortland, and was for several years foreman of D. F. Wallace's bindery. He possessed a genial, kindly nature and made many warm and lasting friends during his residence in this village. During the summer he was attacked with typhoid fever, but his physician broke up the fever and although not feeling well it was supposed that he would be himself again in a short time, but a relapse resulted in his death.

   The remains were brought to Cortland on a special train Monday, and were met at the station by the Cortlandville Lodge F. & A. M. of which he was a member. A masonic service took place at the new vault in the cemetery where the remains were deposited. Mr. Hillick married Ella, only daughter of the late William Rooks of this place, who with two children survives.

They Move to Binghamton.

   Messrs D. L. Bliss & Son have decided to move their cigar manufactory to Binghamton and much of their stock was shipped to Binghamton yesterday. Their recent difficulty with the Cigarmakers Union and the prospect that several weeks would elapse before a settlement could be reached, is the reason given for their removal.

   Mr. Ray G. Bliss was in Binghamton Monday and Tuesday and secured rooms for the factory. He was promised all the Union men be needed and expects to begin work immediately. He will move to that place, but Mr. D. L. Bliss will continue his residence here. The factory occupied by them here will be retained and used as an office and their goods will be shipped from here.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

   >Last Saturday the Republicans at Salt Lake, Utah, nominated Frank J. Cannon, a Mormon, for Congress. This fact doesn't prove that all Republicans are Mormons, but it looks as though the majority of Republicans in Utah were Mormons.

   >Republican papers excuse James G. Blaine for not going 2500 miles to vote and thereby help bolster up Harrison's weak campaign, and say it was too far for him to go. They did not think it too much for Cleveland to ride from Washington to Buffalo, a distance of 850 miles, to vote for Hill.

   >Col. P. S. Gilmore, leader and director of the famous Twenty-second Regiment Band of New York, died in St. Louis, Mo., last Saturday. The funeral was held from his residence in New York on Wednesday.

   >Gen. Jas. W. Husted, a prominent Republican politician of Westchester Co., died at his home in Peekskill, last Sunday evening. He had been a member of Assembly for nineteen years and speaker of that body for six of those terms. He was usually elected by the efforts of the railroad and insurance corporations, whose interests he looked after in the house. He was a bright man and had many friends.

   >Hon. George P. Comstock, one of the ablest lawyers in the country died at his home in Syracuse last Tuesday morning, aged 81 years. He had no disease but was simply worn out. Judge Comstock was born at Williamstown, Oswego county, August 24, 1811, and graduated from Union College with high honors in the class of 1834. He taught school in Utica, but moved to Syracuse in 1835, where he commenced the study of the law in the office of B. Davis Noxon, then one of the brightest lawyers in Central New York. He was admitted to the bar in 1837, and very soon came to the front as one of the leading members of the bar of that county. He was Solicitor of the U. S. Treasury under President Filmore. He was elected Judge of the Court of Appeals of this State in 1855, and served until the expiration of his term in 1862. While a member of this court his opinions attracted universal attention for their great learning and clearness of statement. After his retirement from the bench he resumed the practice of the law and was retained in most of the very important cases that came before the higher courts and was almost always successful. He received some very large fees for his services, but his gifts to charitable institutions were many and munificent and it is said that he did not leave a large estate. He was a democrat in politics. The city of Syracuse has indeed met with a severe loss.