Thursday, December 22, 2016

A GENUINE GORILLA COMING TO CORTLAND AND BABY CONTEST AT CORTLAND FAIR






Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, September 13, 1893.

A GENUINE GORILLA COMING.
"Chiko," the "Wild Man," Who Fears Only the Elephant—Who Tries to Talk and Who Believes in Medicine.
   Unterrified by his keeper and laughing to scorn most every member of the animal kingdom, the big, ferocious gorilla, Chiko, with the Barnum and Bailey show, cowers only before the elephant. It was a lucky day for Felix McDonald, the superintendent of the menagerie, when he discovered the one thing that could strike terror to the heart of this "wild man of the woods," for he had pulled overcoats, brushes and various other articles into his iron bound den, and although coaxed with the toothsome banana, which is a Delmonico dish to his untutored palate, yet Chiko held on to his stolen possessions with the tenacity of a Missouri constable.
   When getting ready for parade a few weeks ago in Brooklyn, a terrible commotion was heard in the gorilla's cage and investigation showed that he was frightened at the elephants who were tethered nearby, waiting to take their place in the new street pageant. Now when it is desired to remove some article his mischievous tendencies have led him to appropriate, an elephant is brought to the cage and made to stand by it. At once Chiko rushes to the farthest corner and utters piercing cries, and while held there in terror, Mr. McDonald can do as he pleases. Meanwhile the elephant gazes placidly on the grinning demon, apparently oblivious to the fact that he is being used as a "law and order society." After the elephant is gone the gorilla utters cries that savor of savage joy, claps his stupendous hands, and gives other manifestations of relief.
   This strangely human creature comes from the western shores of Africa, where he was captured when very young by Antonio Markus, a Portuguese sailor, who is still his keeper. Markus talks the Portuguese tongue to his ferocious charge, and insists that he understands everything said, and if implicit obedience is proof, then Chiko certainly does, for he minds better than many boys do. The gorilla in turn makes the most amusing efforts to talk to his keeper, and while his vocal organs are said to be fully developed, yet he has little control of them beyond some monosyllabic sounds, the meaning of which, however, Markus says he comprehends, and they talk to each other as garrulously as would two old fisher women of Hamburg. Chiko tells his keeper when he is ill, points out the location of the pain, opens his great mouth, puts out his tongue for the taking of medicine, and enjoys having his brow rubbed when his head aches as much as any of those who look at him from the outside of the cage.
   He is one of a thousand and one new feature that will be exhibited here on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

Beware of Thieves.
   A gang of robbers, pick-pockets and sneak thieves is following in the wake of the Barnum & Bailey circus. They have operated successfully in every city where the show has exhibited this season. In Rochester, Monday, they entered a number of houses while the occupants were out viewing the street parade, and secured $600 in money and jewelry. At Batavia there were three burglaries and any amount of sneak thieving when the show was there and at Canandaigua, Saturday, there were four burglaries. It would be well for Cortland people to exercise extra care, next Tuesday while the circus is in town in protecting their homes and their pocket-books.
   It will also be remembered how many houses were broken into and how many unsuccessful burglaries were attempted the last time Barnum & Bailey's circus was in Cortland.

THE BABY SHOW.
SIXTEEN BABIES COO AND LOOK PRETTY IN THE GRAND STAND. The Fair a Great Success—The Trotting Races Yesterday—Bicycle Events To-morrow.
   For the first day a good-sized crowd attended the fair yesterday afternoon. The first thing on the program was Messrs. G. J. Mager & Co.'s prize baby show in the grand stand. The following mothers entered their babies:
   Mrs. Floyd Gates, Mrs. Patrick Littleton, Mrs. J. Cotanche. Mrs. L. B. Fairbanks, Mrs. B. H. Wheeler, Mrs. E. H. Doubleday, Mrs. H. G. O'Dell, Mrs. Nellie Wicks, Mrs. C. E. Wilkins and Mrs. May Green of Cortland; Mrs. A. C. Benedict, Mrs. Porter Hull, Mrs. W. A. Towne, Mrs. W. H. Jones and Mrs. George Durand of Homer and Mrs. C. D. Burt of Cincinnatus.
   Each child entered was less than two years of age and each mother gracefully held her baby on her knee while the judges, Mrs. E. D. Howell of Alexandria Bay, Mrs. M A. Stone of Syracuse and Miss F. G. Stickney of Rome, inspected them. There was a chatter of "baby talk" when the judges looked them over, as each mother was bent on having her baby keep the most quiet and at the same time look bright and pretty. The position of judge was not one to be envied by any means, and it was a difficult thing to tell which was the handsomest boy or girl, but the judges at last decided that the child of Mrs. Nellie Wicks of Cortland was deserving of the first prize and it was awarded to her, while the baby of Mrs. Patrick Littleton was decided to be the next handsomest and was accordingly awarded the second prize.  
   Messrs. G. J. Mager & Co. put up as a first prize a silk dress pattern or other dress goods to the amount of fifteen dollars—an outfit for the mother or child or both, as the recipient may select; and as a second prize, goods to the amount of five dollars.
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CORTLAND FAIRGROUNDS AND RACE TRACK.

   The next event was the trotting race, 2:40 class, purse $150, divided, $75, $37.50, $23.50 and $15. There were only three starters, "Dudley's Wonder," grey stallion, owned by Mr. Jerome R. Hathway; "Benedictine," grey mare, owned by Hon. O. U. Kellogg; and "W. A. Swigert," silver gelding, owned by Mr. B. B. Terry. They were all Cortland horses, which made the race doubly interesting. After considerable scoring, a start was made. "W. A. Swigert" got the pole and led right out, with the intention of distancing his opponents at the first, but soon broke and lost a great deal of ground. The first time around "Dudley's Wonder" and "Benedictine"' crossed the wire neck and neck, but the former won the heat in 2:36 ¼. "Benedictine" came in second and "W. A. Swigert," third.
   The second heat was trotted in 2:37 ¼. "Dudley's Wonder" led out while the gray mare "Benedictine" crowded him close till the second eighth, when the gray stallion began to stretch his limbs and also attempted to distance his opponents. In coming down the home stretch, however, Kellogg's mare crowded him close and was only a half-length behind and rapidly gaining, when she slipped, lost ground and only gained second place.
   "Dudley's Wonder" won the next heat and he was awarded first money. "Benedictine" received second money and W. A. "Swigert," third.
   There were only three starters in the colt race, which was open to all colts under three years of age owned in the county. O. U. Kellogg's "Waterbird," which was entered, was ill and did not start. The entries were M. Murphy's bay gelding, "Frank M.," of Homer; William McIntire's bay mare, "Midge I.," of Lapeer, and Wickwire brothers' bay mare, "Magna Macy." Owing to the Homer horse breaking whenever he came near the wire, a good deal of time was lost in scoring, but a start was at last made and the Cortland horse easily won the first heat, almost walking down the home stretch in 3:05. "Frank M." get second place and "Midge I.," third.
   The second heat was very tame, the Homer and Lapeer horses breaking at intervals, while the "Magna Macy" kept up an even gait, not breaking once during the entire race, and easily won the heat in 3:06. The other horses went under the wire in the same order as the first heat. The third heat was also won by "Magna Macy," in 3 minutes flat, "Midge I." gaining second place in the third heat and "Frank M.," third. The purse of $50 was divided, $20, $15 and $10, "Frank M" receiving second money.
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   During the afternoon the Cortland City band rendered the following program of choice music:
   March—Sullivan Commandery, Brigham.
   Overture—Hunter and Hermit, Dalbey.
   Piccolo Solo—Sky Lark Polka, Cox, Fred I. Graham.
   Romanian Waltzes— Eols.
   Selection—New York by Electric Light, DeWitt.
   Cornet Duet—La Belle Creole, Dalbey, Messrs. P. Conway and M. J. Muncey.
   Medley—Colored Waiter's Ball, Larandeau.
   March—Belle of Chicago, Sousa.

   The best race of the week, 2:20 class trotting and pacing, purse $200, occurred this afternoon. Beside this was music by the City band, an address by ex-Gov. Luce of Michigan; picnic of the Patrons of Husbandry and the grand air ship ascension and sail among the clouds by Prof. Leon Dare, under the scientific management of Prof. Carl Myers, the famous balloonist and aeronautic engineer, a full report of which will be [seen] in to-morrow evening's STANDARD.

GOING TO SCHOOL.
There are Over Sixteen Hundred Students in Cortland.
   The schools are now fairly opened in Cortland and more students than ever entered in the various departments. A representative of The STANDARD has made inquiry as to the exact numbers now enrolled and finds them as follows:
NORMAL SCHOOL.
   Normal department, 345
   Intermediate department, 176
   Primary department, 209

   PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
   CENTRAL SCHOOL.
   Grades, Teacher, Pupils.
   1st. Miss Ella M. Van Hoesen, 54
   2nd, 3d, Miss Mary McGowan, 32
   4th, Miss May Knapp, 47
   5th, Miss Helen M. Seacord, 47
   6th, Miss Mary E. Williams, 59
   7th, Miss Ada J. Wallace, 50
   8th, 9th, Miss Mary E. Hunt, 38
   Total: 327

   SCHERMERHORN ST. SCHOOL.
   1st. Miss Minnye F. Cleary, 35
   1st, Mrs. J. E. Perry, 38
   2nd, Miss Mary S. Blackmer, 43
   3d, 4th, Miss Franc C. Ellis, 52
   Total: 168.

   POMEROY ST. SCHOOL.
   1st, Miss Mary Van Bergen, 45
   2nd, Miss Nettie E. Snyder, 36
   3d, Miss Mary L. Fairchilds, 34
   4th, Mrs. M. A. Rice, 31
   Total: 146.

   OWEGO ST. SCHOOL.
   1st, Miss Anna F. McNamara, 52
   2nd, Miss Nettie B. Cole, 40
   3d, 4th, Miss H. Elizabeth Turner, 47
   Total: 139.

   FITZ-AVE. SCHOOL.
   1st. Miss Fannie M. Galusha, 32
   Total in public schools, 813.

   PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
   MISS ORMSBY'S SCHOOL.
   Intermediate department, 28
   Primary department, 32
   Total: 60.

   MISS AUSTIN'S SCHOOL.
   All departments, 30
   Grand total in all schools: 1,633.

Public School Regulations.
   At a meeting of the board of education held Monday night, it was decided to introduce into the schools Maxwell's English grammar, published by the American Book Co.
   Every child in the public schools, in accordance with the state law, must be vaccinated or must have been recently vaccinated. The board of education at a meeting in the near future will appoint a physician to vaccinate all students whose parents are not able to pay for the expense of the same.
 

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