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| Veterans of the 76th New York State Volunteers at 1886 reunion. |
RECEPTION
AND CAMPFIRE.
SUPERVISORS
ENTERTAINED BY UNION VETERAN LEGION.
Speeches,
War Reminiscences, And a Fine Spread Help to While Away Three
Pleasant Hours.
The reception and campfire social tendered
to the board of supervisors and county officers by the Union Veteran legion in
the Grand Army parlors last evening was a grand success in every respect. The
legion held a business meeting from 7:30 till 8:30, for which nominations were
made for the re-election of all the present officers for the ensuing year for
the same offices which they now hold.
After a half hour spent in social
intercourse and in admiring the pictures and curios of the organization, the
guests were invited to the upper regions. Nearly all
stopped at the left of the entrance to the dining hall where there was a
commissary. When this part of the menu had been sampled the guests seated
themselves at the tables, which were laid with an originality which brought
recollection of war times to the mind of every old veteran. Every plate laid
was a tin one, tin cups and saucers were used, tin pans and plates held the
hearty food, tin spoons and forks were laid at the plates, and tin plate,
without any political references, predominated. The silver knives and china
milk pitchers appeared very lonely. The menu made even the mouths of the supervisors
water, and warm baked beans, biscuits and coffee were disposed of in short
order. Cigars and impromptu speeches were then in order.
Judge J. E. Eggleston was first called upon
and in his very amusing manner told his army experience. He closed with a
tribute to the soldiers, which brought
forth a storm of applause, as he took his seat at the head of one of the tables.
Supervisor R. Walworth Bourne of Willet was
next called upon and made a brief speech. He was followed by Comrade A. Sager,
who said that the people of Cortland county had not forgotten the veterans of
the late war and he formally introduced the legion to the board. Col. William
J. Mantanye was the next speaker. He said that he was proud that he had served
in the late unpleasantness and that he was proud that he was a member of the
Union Veteran legion. He then entered into an extended discussion of the aims
of the legion, which was very interesting. He explained its purposes and gave a
brief history of it. He said that there were now 135 encampments, which include
a membership of about 40,000 veterans who served in the late war, and spoke of
the unjust accusations [alleged unmerited pensions—CC editor] brought against the
members of the G. A. R., and closed by stating that it strengthened between the
veterans, friendship and charity and help for the widows and orphans and it
inculcated a feeling of patriotism before all.
Supervisor Walter A. Brink of Marathon was
next called upon. He stated that as the clerk of the board had stolen his
speech he was unable to deliver it and the clerk in question was called upon.
Mr. John C. Barry had little to say about this accusation, but he heartily thanked
the veterans on behalf of the board for their kind invitation. He said that it
awoke in him a boyish feeling of patriotism to hear such speeches as were
delivered by Maj. Sager and Col. Mantanye, and described his feelings when a boy
during the war. He spoke of the pleasant evening they were all enjoying and
thanked the veterans for the excellent entertainment.
Judge Eggleston then told such an amusing
story that the tin plates danced with merriment as some supervisor or veteran
vented his superfluous mirth in pounding on the tables.
Justice A. W. Kingsbury of Homer then edged
off toward the canteen as Dr. Herman D. Hunt of Preble arose and delivered a
short speech in which he told his
experience in examining veterans for pension claims, and stated that he had
never had an application for examination by a veteran whose injuries did not
make him deserving of a pension.
Supervisor Oscar P. Miner of Taylor then made
a brief speech, after which Mr. L. P. Norton of Homer was called upon to
describe how he won the medal of honor, presented to him by congress for his
gallantry in action. He stated that his description would have to be
egotistical, but it was far from being that, and he explained it in a modest
manner, which hardly did him justice. It proved one of the most interesting
camp fire stories of the evening. He closed with a story of patriotism to the
stars and stripes of some union soldiers while in Andersonville prison which
made the heart of every one present boil over with pride for the boys in blue.
Comrade S. N. Holden then delivered a brief
speech which was right to the point. He was followed by Comrade Davis who was
in town, followed by County Clerk S. K. Jones, who made a very laughable point
of his battle with the pork and beans.
Comrade E. M. Seacord was next called upon
and was followed by Dr. Benjamin Kinyon of Cincinnatus, who stated that he was
in only one skirmish during war time, but that was a warm one—he was
skirmishing around to pay a draft.
A brief speech was then given by the press
representative of the STANDARD and this was in turn following by side-splitting
stories by Maj. Sager, Judge Eggleston, Comrade Cyrus Terpenning, and Col.
Mantanye.
All then adjourned to the parlors below,
where Col. Mantanye made a brief closing speech, after which 'America' was sung
in a manner which increased the swelling of pride under the vest of all present
and at 11:30 o'clock the campfire burned out, the veterans prepared to roll
themselves up in their blankets and dream of their experiences in the war, and
the guests departed with a higher reverence than ever for the old soldiers.
Too much credit cannot be given to Messrs.
G. S. Van Hoesen and E. D. Phillips of the Union Veteran legion, who had the
affair in charge for the excellent entertainment. They certainly proved
themselves adepts in this art and the county officers and supervisors united in
declaring that the members of the Union Veteran legion know how to entertain a
company of this kind.
Those present were Judge J. E. Eggleston,
County Clerk S. K. Jones, Sheriff John
Miller, Col. Mantanye, Comrades G. S. Van Hoesen, E. D. Phillips, S. N. Holden,
L. Wightman, A. Sager, R. W. Bourne, G. W. Ashby, C. V. Fuller, Scepta Rindge,
L. Davis, W. H. Morgan, Cyrus Terpenning, Charles D. Geer, Lyman Jones, James
D. Wilmarth and E. M. Seacord of Cortland and Comrade L. P. Norton and Justice
A. W. Kingsbury of Homer. The supervisors present were Benjamin Kinyon of
Cincinnatus, George W. Lee of Cuyler, Oscar N. Gardner of Freetown,J. H. Brown
of Harford, F. M. Surdam of Lapeer, Walter A. Brink of Marathon, Hermon D. Hunt
of Preble, William J. Cottrell of Scott, Johnson G. Bingham of Solon, Oscar P.
Miner of Taylor and R. Walworth Bourne of Willet.
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_Civil_War_Medal_of_Honor_recipients:_M%E2%80%93P
A Great
Improvement.
No one who visits our county legislature now
can fail to notice the vast improvement which has been made in the arrangement
of the interior of the room where it meets. The chairman's desk has been placed
on the South side of the room and the members' tables arranged in two semi-circular
rows facing it. This gives the members light from the left side, instead of
having it squarely in their faces, as before, and gives the room, besides, a
much more attractive and legislative appearance. If the old tables were now put
aside—as they ought to be—and single desks for the members substituted, and the
walls freshened, the room would be almost a model one for supervisors' use.
The present board and its predecessor have,
by their energy and efficiency in pushing business through and shortening the
session, saved the county much more than these improvements would cost, and it
would be eminently proper that any changes should be made which would add to
the comfort and convenience of future beards. Before the board adjourns we hope
to see a committee appointed to take this matter in charge. Clerk Barry is charged with suggesting the
present re-arrangement, and he ought not to be ashamed to plead guilty to it.
The entrance to the business room is now through the small room at the rear, instead
of direct from the hall as heretofore.
THE TRAIN WAS DITCHED.
BAD
ACCIDENT ON THE E. C. & N. R. R. NEAR ELMIRA.
Train
Running Forty Miles an Hour Strikes Two Horses on the Track—No One Seriously
Hurt—A Marvelous Escape.
What might have been a serious wreck
occurred to train number 4 on the Elmira, Cortland & Northern railway last
evening about 5:45 o'clock as that train was approaching Elmira. This train
left Cortland at 3:17. As it was nearing Gypsy Lane, near the Industrial
grounds in Elmira, Engineer Thomas Durrant discovered two horses standing upon
the track in front of the train. The air brakes were applied, but as the train was
traveling at the rate of about forty miles per hour, they were of but little use.
The horses were struck and thrown under the
locomotive. The bodies were rolled along on the track under the train for a
short distance when the engine left the track closely followed by the baggage car
and two day coaches. The train ran about three hundred feet on the ties, tearing
the rails away after which the baggage car and two coaches were run down an
embankment and thrown upon their sides.
The scene among the frightened passengers at
that time cannot be described. Many were
thrown into a general mass. Fortunately none of the passengers or trainmen were
injured beyond a few slight abrasions and bruises.
A number of the passengers were taken from
the wrecked train through the car windows and were sent to the city over the E.
& H. electric line.
The train was in charge of Conductor Ira
Jones, with Thomas Durrant engineer and James Mack, fireman. The train was
running at its usual rate of speed at that point and was under control. The two
horses were the property of David Nelson, who is a garbage gatherer about
Elmira.
It is said that the horses have been allowed
to roam about at will and that only recently a D., L. & W. engineer
was obliged to stop his train near that point and drive the animals from the
track. Mr. Nelson stated to a reporter that the horses had broken the pasture
fence and ran out upon the tracks. He valued the animals at about $150.
A wrecking train was immediately sent out
from Cortland and arrived at the scene of the accident about 11 o'clock. A
train was at once sent up from Elmira and took the baggage and express to that
city. Before morning the track was re-laid and all traffic was renewed. The
wrecked engine and cars were all back on the track before noon to-day, and will
be brought to the car shops at Cortland this afternoon for repairs.
It is a long time since the E., C. & N.
R. R. has had so serious an accident as this, and the fact that no one was
killed or seriously hurt is almost a marvel. It is said that if the train had
run a few hundred feet farther and upset, it would undoubtedly have taken a
plunge into the old canal basin which is half-filled with water, and the
results would have been much worse.
SUPERVISORS' PROCEEDINGS.
AFTERNOON
SESSION, THURSDAY, Nov. 23.
Upon reassembling, under suspension of the
rules, the committee on equalization submitted its report which was laid over
for the day.
On motion, The Cortland Democrat and Homer Republican
were designated to publish the official canvass.
On motion, the Cortland County Medical society
were granted the use of the supervisors' room, in which to hold their meetings.
The committee to apportion the school
commissioners' expenses among the several towns reported as follows: [CC omitted.]
The supervisor of Cortlandville was
authorized to add to his town abstract returned tax amounting to $280.56.
On motion, the clerk was authorized to
purchase sixteen copies of the Supervisors' Manual for the use of the board.
At 4 P. M. the board adjourned for the day.
ELEVENTH DAY, FRIDAY, Nov. 24.
The board met at usual hour. After roll call
and approval of the Journal it was, on motion, resolved that the sheriff's
compensation for the board of prisoners be fixed at 40 cents per day.
The supervisor of Truxton was authorized to
levy the unworked road tax in said town, also the unpaid road scraper tax which
was returned by the collector to the county treasurer.
The resolution set down for special order
this morning relative to the work of the equalization committee was by the
mover withdrawn.
On motion, the report of the committee on
equalization which was yesterday read and laid over under the rule was approved
and accepted.
The board engaged in committee work 'till 12
o'clock and then adjourned until 1 P. M.
BREVITIES.
—The Cornell football team have disbanded
after a very unfortunate season.
—"Blessed are they who scorn to borrow
their neighbor's newspaper but subscribe for it themselves."
—The work of rebuilding the telephone line
from Cortland to Binghamton was completed yesterday. A metallic wire was put in
throughout.
—Mr. Lewis Parker of Cortland has opened a
barber shop in the rooms in the Opera House block vacated by H.
Greenfield.—Moravia Cor. Ithaca Democrat.
—Be sure to take supper with the Woman's
Auxiliary of the Y. M. C. A. in the Presbyterian parlors this evening. Time
from 5:30 to 8 o'clock. No pains will be spared to make the occasion a
delightful one.
—Henry J. Wagner, son-in-law of George W.
Roe of Cortland, is in the Morrisville jail for six months on the charge of
non-support of his wife and children. He has done nothing for them since last
June. There are five children and the youngest is one month old. Their home is
in Georgetown.
—A special meeting of the King's Daughters
will occur on Saturday at 2:30 P. M.
at No. 9 Clinton-ave. for carrying out preparations to make some hearts and
homes more than thankful on Thanksgiving day. Cases reported and offerings
contributed on that day will be thankfully received and carefully looked after
by ladies of the circle.
—The new mock trial of Singleheart vs.
Do-em-up, will occur at Normal hall this evening at 8 o'clock. This is a breach
of promise suit brought by the sister of the original plaintiff against the
brother of the original defendant. It will be entirely different from the other
trial. It is given by the Gamma Sigma society for the benefit of the football
association. Admission fifteen cents.
—Nothing has yet been found of the bodies of
Miss Maggie Yeargin and Mr. Merriam
who were drowned in Cayuga lake last Saturday, though searching parties have
been at work ever since. It has been now decided to utilize electricity in the
search for the bodies, the plan being to submerge an incandescent light of
sufficient power to illuminate the water and reveal objects at the bottom of
the lake.
—One of the saloon keepers in this city,
says the Binghamton Republican, is
the owner of a cat that is a confirmed drunkard. He raised the cat in the saloon
from the time it was a kitten. Unable to always get a drink when it wanted it,
the cat would climb up in the edge of the drip pan under the beer kegs and quench
its thirst. At first it was evident that beer was not altogether to the cat's
liking, but the taste was gradually acquired, until now it will drink it in
preference to milk or water and in such a quantity as to make it stupidly
drunk. The cat is thin, gaunt and blear-eyed and looks as though it was
bordering on starvation; eats but little and is seldom sober.
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