RESPECT BORN OF INTIMATE ACQUAINTANCE

Cortland Standard and Weekly Journal, Tuesday, December 6, 1892.

A Lively Tussle.

   Dec. 5.—Two young lads who work in the corn-popper room in Wickwire’s factory became engaged in a squabble Friday afternoon while at work, and agreed to settle it, London prize-ring style, when they got out at 6 o’clock. Both were hot for the encounter and as they left the building each watched the other like a hawk so that no unfair advantage might be gained.
   When the open space at the railroad crossing was reached, they closed in and after a blow or two clinched. Some of the men from the Cortland Chair and Cabinet Co.’s factory happened along and separated them. The Wickwire men explained that the only way to make the boys friendly was to allow them to thump each other, so they were let go again and a regular ring formed by spectators locking hands.
   Each now took off his overcoat, shed his watch and prepared for a rough and tumble. Ira Dexter was unanimously chosen referee. The one lad outweighed his antagonist by twenty pounds and in consequence was decidedly the favorite. His partisans reckoned without their host, however, for the other boy proved himself a bundle of nerves and steel springs and a regular whirlwind fighter. The two sparred for an opening and after a blow or two the big fellow clinched and fell heavily on the other lad with a chug like that made by a bag of sand thrown out of a balloon a mile in the air. A sound was given out like the exhaust from a culm burner and the spectators thought it was the wind being crushed out of the under boy and turned away their eyes.
   But that was where they were fooled. The boy was merely snorting with rage. Suddenly humping his back he turned his burly antagonist and planting himself on his breast commenced working his right arm back and forward like the piston of a locomotive. He was not practicing Delsarte movements either, for each time his arm came down it pushed his fist viciously into the other boy’s face. About twenty seconds of this punishment was enough for the heavy weight and he cried “enough.”

   Both boys got up, the crowd cried “shake,” which the boys did, and then continued their way home, with a respect for each other born of intimate acquaintance.

Three jug telephone used in 1890's.

The Raise in Telephone Rates.

   Information having reached The STANDARD that the Empire State Telephone and Telegraph company was about to raise its rates, a reporter called on the local manager, Mr. F. A. Bickford, and secured the following facts.

   “Beginning Jan. 1, 1893, the rent on all phones within a mile of the central station will be $48 a year with an additional rental of $6 for every fourth of a mile beyond. This is practically a raise of $12 a phone in Cortland, all being within the one mile limit. Rentals for private residences within the one mile limit will remain the same however at $36 a year but within the $6 rule for every additional quarter mile. The reason for the raise is that as the matter now stands the company is not paying expenses. I have figured the thing out carefully and can prove what I say. From 1883, when I took charge of this office, to the present time there has been an average per year of 116 telephones in operation, aggregating a rental of $4,176. The yearly royalty on the instrument alone amounts to $1,626. The expenses of operating the central office including lineman is $1,450, making the cost of maintenance $3,076, leaving a net balance of $800. Where does the $800 go? Our village tax is $60 a year. Incidental expenses amounting to an average of $120 a year leave the company an average yearly profit of $620.

   “In the ten years that this plant has been in operation it has practically been worn out and must now be rebuilt at a cost of about $8,000. This, as you see, amounts to almost $2,000 more than the company has ever got out of their investment and they have been forced to make the raise or go out of business.”

Keating Released.

   Dec. 5.—Shortly after 3 o’clock this afternoon, Mr. John Courtney, Jr., moved before Judge Eggleston for the discharge of W. C. Keating, accused of buncoing Farmer Fitts, on the ground of his absolute innocence. District Attorney Squires assented, stating that the guilty party was now in Goshen jail and his identity established. The judge thereupon granted the order and Keating was immediately released.

John F. Dowd.

BREVITIES.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2.

   —A suggestion to Warner Rood: Put some of the new patent seats in the Opera House chairs that will sink within a few inches of the floor when a woman who wears a tall hat sits in one of them.

   —The Cortland Howe Ventilating Stove Co. shut down its foundry last evening and will close its entire works on Saturday evening for the annual inventory and account of stock. Operations will be begun again in early 1893.

   —Cortland mothers will be interested in a nursing bottle advertised in an English newspaper. The advertisement concludes with the words: “When the baby is done drinking it must be unscrewed and laid in a cool place under a tap. If the baby does not thrive on fresh milk, it should be boiled.”

   —Mr. David Roach of 167 Tompkins-st., died yesterday afternoon as the result of the shock to his system caused by a heavy fall on an icy pavement a week ago Wednesday. He was not injured at all by the fall in the way of broken bones or sprains, but for a man of his advance years the shock was too much.

   —With the approach of the day for the annual election of the fire department, a great deal of politics is being talked among the companies, and wires and pipes are already being laid. Only possible candidates for the chiefship have cropped out as yet, the aspirants for the minor offices still keeping dark. Those mentioned for the office of chief are the present incumbent, John Dowd of the Emeralds, N. J. Peck of the Orris and Major A. Sager of the Protective Police. The election comes off the third Wednesday of this month which falls on the 21st.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3.

   —The body of David Roach was taken to Auburn this morning for interment.

   —The Cortland City band will give its first in-door concert at the Opera House Dec. 16. The band is rightly a source of pride to every citizen of this village, and they should certainly be assisted to the extent of generous patronage at this entertainment.

   —A correspondent to the Oneonta Star says that it is proposed that the public raise sufficient sum to purchase coal, provided the drivers on the street railway will agree to care for the [stove] fires in the cars. What kind of a street car company have they in Oneonta?

   —Apples from Moravia and vicinity, says the Register, have been shipped a long ways this season. Springer & Tubbs tell us they sent one car to Galveston, Tex., ten cars to Butte, Mon., one to Fargo, N. Dak., and one or more each to Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio and Illinois, besides to several Eastern states.

  

—The following under a scare head of “Lost,” is the reading matter on a placard which is a late thing in the way of an advertising novelty. The signature reveals the intent of the writer: Lost—Between the Opera House and my residence, a Lady’s pocket-book containing a pair of diamond ear-rings, two $1,000 bills and two reserved tickets for Elmer E. Vance’s famous realistic railroad play “The Limited Mail.” The finder may keep the filthy lucre and shining baubles if they will only return the priceless coupons. ADAM GOODSELL.

   —The Ithaca correspondent of the Groton Journal says concerning the recent efforts made to raise money for the Cornell foot-ball team: “It matters little whether taxes are paid, board bills liquidated, tailors’ accounts closed out or not, foot-ball must have money, and not a small amount either. We have had a ‘Pronouncing Match’ participated in by three clergymen, six lawyers and eleven professors, with banjo and guitar accompaniments, and a spelling bee as side show, all for the benefit of foot-ball. The sum raised seems insufficient for this noble purpose and some wild-ideaed [sic] fellows are advocating asking for contributions in churches, and if that don’t foot up enough, then bond the town. Money must be had at any rate.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5.

   —Wickwire’s factory commenced running eleven hours this morning [reduction].

   —The Western Union Telegraph local messenger boys will be uniformed after next week.

   —Respectfully referred to the Cortland County Sportsmen’s club: “A Norwich, Conn. man recently shot a partridge, and caught the dead bird before it touched the ground.”

   —The plate glass for the windows in the [renovated] National Bank of Cortland, and all the wainscoting and woodwork which was not finished by the Grand Rapids Co., came from H. F. Benton’s works in this village, through J. D. Keeler & Co., the contractors.

   Mr. W. D. Cleves received a new Cleveland No. 4 bicycle of the 1893 model this morning. Aside from some minor changes in the length of the head and tubing holding the saddle post, the only noticeable innovation is a very rakish handle bar of the most pronounced curve and droop.