OMINOUS SILENCE, FOOTBALL, AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS AND DEATH OF HENRY STAFFORD

USRC Thomas Corwin.

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, January 8, 1894.

OMINOUS SILENCE.

OFFICIALS GROW MORE RETICENT REGARDING HAWAII.

More Rumors Concerning the Alleged Trouble on the Islands—A Whisper

That Minister Willis is on the Corwin. The Revenue Cutter's Crew—Anxious to Talk, But Carefully Watched and Prevented.

   SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 8.—The attitude of Captain Munger of the revenue cutter Corwin toward the reporters of the press and public and in general is without precedent in this port. From the moment the Corwin arrived the men have been as inaccessible as if they were in midocean, save for the brief interview that a reporter had with Captain Munger Saturday evening when the captain went ashore in his gig to mail a packet of letters.

   The captain saw fit to go ashore with the letters himself rather than to trust a messenger who might let some iota of news drop by accident, or otherwise, under reportorial pressure.

   It was when on shore in the very few minutes that the Corwin's captain talked with a reporter and verified the correctness of the Auckland cablegram to the Associated Press. He also stated that the Corwin left Honolulu Dec. 24.

   The reporter quotes Captain Munger as follows:

   "I can tell you no more than came in that Auckland dispatch. It is no pleasure for me to hold news as information from the people, but then you must remember that I am powerless in the matter myself. Even if I knew the contents of the secret dispatches, as an officer and a gentleman, I could not reveal them without permission. Here I am within 20 minutes of my home, and cannot get away. It is no pleasure, I assure you. But I will have to stay here for three or four days, or maybe a week."

   When asked directly whether any revolution had occurred at Honolulu and whether the provisional government was still in power, Captain Munger would only reiterate his statement that he could say no more than was contained in the Auckland dispatch.

   The cutter is still lying about a mile out from San Quentin penitentiary, over 10 miles from this city. So far as getting any news from her she might as well be in Behring sea. No one is allowed on board and not one of her crew has been allowed over the side of the vessel. Since her arrival the cutter has been besieged by reporters, but all along the approach of a small boat has been the signal for one of the cutter's officers to appear on deck, when, sailors would be ordered from the rail and cautioned to maintain silence. Once officers were caught unawares and a seaman started to talk. A reporter asked him the latest news from Honolulu.

   "Hell is popping down there," was the decidedly expressive reply, but he was allowed to say no more for an officer appeared and ordered him below.

   Just what this strange silence means no one here seems to comprehend. People here generally believe that there has been stirring times in Honolulu. The unheard of secrecy on board the Corwin, despite the eagerness of the sailors to talk, would seem to indicate that the sailors have an interesting story to tell, if the men were only allowed a ghost of a chance to ventilate their information.

   San Francisco papers are bristling with severe criticism of the authorities responsible for the suppression of the news of the situation.

   Though considered quite probable that the minister has been tendered passports it is not believed he is on board the Corwin nor that he was a passenger on her. The unprecedented action of the Corwin's officers, however, might indicate the truth of the story for it is certain they are concealing some important fact from the public, and it may be that the minister to Hawaii is hidden in her cabins.

   When the Corwin steamed in through the Golden Gate her commander refused to receive even officers of the revenue patrol steamer Hartley, telling them they were not wanted. The cutter then steamed south, approaching the southern shore, and at a point off Harbor View a small boat was lowered and one man sent ashore. This individual was never seen by any of the newspaper men, nor was he recognized by anyone else.

   If Minister Willis was the man put ashore, careful search has failed to bring his whereabouts to light. Willis would not sail from Honolulu and leave Mrs. Willis behind. That she has not landed here is almost beyond doubt.

Another Hawaiian Message Possible.

   WASHINGTON, Jan. 8.—There is a feeling of much expectancy on the Hawaiian question, and congressmen familiar with the subject say that they would not be surprised if President Cleveland sent another Hawaiian message to congress. Should the president adopt this course congress and the public will receive official information within a few hours ahead of the arrival of steamers at San Francisco and Vancouver, bringing full information of Minister Willis' latest moves.

   A steamer left Honolulu on Jan. 1 for Vancouver, and allowing eight days—the usual time—for her voyage, she will be in tomorrow. The City of Peking also left Honolulu Jan. 1 for San Francisco, and although she sailed later her trip is shorter, and she will also be due tomorrow.

   These are the first two boats in nearly two weeks. The information brought by the revenue cutter Corwin, cannot therefore, be kept secret much longer, as the two steamers will bring all except the purely official information.

   Secretary Gresham has not been accessible and it has been impossible to learn from him or other officials as to the status of the question. At the secretary's hotel it was stated that he was at the White House, but on inquiry it was denied that he was in the house. It is believed, however, that the secretary spent considerable time with the president yesterday in discussing the Hawaiian situation.

Johnson Breaks a Skating Record.

   MINNEAPOLIS. Jan. 8.—At the Normania rink today John S. Johnson again demonstrated that he in the fastest skater in the world. In his two mile race with Harley Davidson, the strong skater, Johnson lowered the two-mile record, which was held by himself, 6:01 3-5, to 6:00 2-5.

Chicago's Detectives Bounced.

   CHICAGO, Jan. 8.—Mayor Hopkins discharged 10 detective sergeants and thinks he can get on without the 100 detectives, who, he says, spend most of their time loafing about saloons.

Jacob Gould Schurman.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

About Football.

   The Forum has done a service in collecting the views of an eminent physician and three college presidents on the subject of whether in the interests of humanity and civilization football ought to be abolished. The physician is Dr. D. B. St. John Roosa of New York. The college presidents are J. G. Schurman of Cornell, James B. Angell of Michigan university and Ethelbert D. Warfield of Lafayette college.

   The point most conspicuous in all the contributions is that these eminent gentlemen are of opinion that football should still be played and countenanced. Dr. Roosa sounds the note for all the rest when he declares the "flying wedge" should be abolished, while the game of football should be encouraged. In consequence of this wedge, football has become too much a game of massed force upon antagonists who have no real chance to resist. For the benefit of non-players, Dr. Roosa's definition of the flying wedge may be given. He writes, "The flying wedge—the forcing of a solid triangle of vigorous men upon one or two isolated but sternly resisting players—is a modern innovation that ought at once to be abolished." This innovation is what makes the present game so dangerous. Dr. Roosa quotes an English critic, who says: "In the old game you kicked the ball. In the Rugby game you kick a man if you cannot kick the ball, but in the modern American game you kick the ball if you cannot kick the man."

   The mass playing is what should be done away with apparently. President Schurman is certain that the dangerous and brutalizing features lately attendant on the game are no essential part of it. He thinks a football convention might be held which could redeem the college game and make it once more football. All three of the presidents agree on another point. It is that the match games should take place on college grounds and on college grounds only, so that they shall cease to be a traveling show. President Schurman particularly deprecates the taking of gate money from the public. President Angell deprecates the newspaper practice of making a sort of Wild West show of the college football game, and says the newspapers themselves are to blame for some of the evils that have arisen. President Warfield thinks that college faculties and alumni should put their heads together and make rules for conducting football in a harmless and civilized manner.

  

◘ The bill for an income tax is now before the house of representatives. It exempts all incomes below $5,000. It is safe to say that more than half the people of the United States will not be affected by it. If passed in its original form, this bill will raise a fund for the annual payment of pensions—that being expressly stated.

  

◘ In this stage of civilization 45 is too young for a man to be laid off from his employment because of age. A man of ordinary good constitution who has taken fair care of his health is as good a man physically even at 50 as he ever was.

  

◘ One afternoon lately the telephone bells in the office of the mayor of New York city began to ring in a way that made the hello boys jump. "What is it? Who are you?" they exclaimed. The answer was this, "It is John D. Mosby, mayor of Cincinnati, presenting his compliments to Mayor Gilroy." Thus the new telephone line between New York and Cincinnati was opened.

  

◘ Cable dispatches announce that hundreds of "assisted" emigrants are leaving Russia for the United States, That, too, although Russia has hundreds of thousands of acres of land undeveloped and her manufactures are in a primitive state and scanty. If Russia were rightly governed she could find work and food for all these citizens at home. It is to be hoped the United States will never reach that point in the downhill road where she will try to get rid of her people.

  

◘ Along with assurances of our distinguished consideration we extend to the New Hampton (la.) Dairy Journal our heartfelt sympathy. The editor says, "Our readers will excuse all shortcomings in The Journal this week and last, for every one in the office, including the deviless, has either undergone or is undergoing a severe attack of the grip, and any one while in its clutches takes little interest in anything that is occurring in this mundane sphere. Gewhilikins! Sneeze! Cough! Judging from the look on our worthy spouse's face, there is also in her mind some language not strictly orthodox."

American Newspapers.

   Some figures compiled from Rowell's Newspaper Directory show the marvelous growth in periodical literature in this country since 1871. An idea of the relative rapidity with which the newspaper has gained on the population may be gathered by a comparison of the population's increase with that of newspapers in the last decade. Comparing the figures of the population for 1880 and 1890, we find that the population of the United States increased in that time some 80 per cent. The figures in the Newspaper Directory show that in the same period the number of newspapers in the country increased more than 74 per cent. Back in 1871—Jan. 1—there were in the states and territories only 594 daily papers, all told. Jan. 1, 1893, there were 1,855.

   Still 20 years further back, in 1851, Horace Greeley, on his trip to visit the Crystal Palace exhibition in London, gave testimony before a parliamentary committee on the state of the daily press of America. He said there were at that time about 250 daily papers in the United States, and that they circulated 1,000,000 copies a day in the aggregate. This astonished the English, for in all London at that time, owing to the stamp duty on paper, the circulation daily of all the journals together was only 60,000. What would Horace Greeley say today if he could suddenly come to life and find that one or two dailies in our large cities alone issue each 1,000,000 copies a week?

   For Jan. 1, 1894, the figures are not at hand, yet even during the past year of disaster and [financial] panic it is certain that the number of newspapers has not fallen off any, though the individual circulation may have in some cases. The indications are that the number has increased somewhat. The table below will be examined with interest. It shows the increase in newspapers since 1871. It will be seen that although in 1872 the dailies fell off a little in number, even the hard times of 1873 could not stop the upward tendency. The list swelled moderately but steadily till 1879, when the daily paper took a bound forward. Previous to that the increase was in no case equal to 100 in one year. That was a phenomenal year, for the increase was 111. Then the rate dropped a little till 1883. Then it swelled rapidly. In 1883 the number of dailies added to the list was 116. The gain of 1891 over 1890 was 164.

   It is to be said that the annual increase in the number of daily papers has been chiefly in the smaller cities of the country. The number of dailies in the large cities has not increased in proportion so much as the circulation of the individual papers already in existence.

   One thing more is to be said too. It is that the character of the journal of the country and smaller city has improved incalculably in the last decade. The paper of the small city has at its command resources in the way of procuring news, literature, correspondence and miscellany unsurpassed by those of the great daily. These advantages the small daily and weekly have not been slow to avail themselves of to their own great profit.

   The table showing the increase of the periodicals is given below. The last column includes monthlies and all periodical publications. It will be seen from the table that the triweekly newspaper is a rapidly vanishing quantity. The daily in the small city has probably killed it:

The Vanishing Handkerchief Craze.

   The Hindoo vanishing handkerchief craze has struck Cortland, and to all appearances struck it hard. A big crowd has been gathered all the latter part of this afternoon watching the sleight of hand performance in the south window of the store of Warren, Tanner & Co. Prof. Dreynois of New York is the prestidigitator. He is attired in gorgeous oriental robes. He passes a handkerchief around for examination, and then before the very face and eyes of the wondering crowd it begins to disappear from his fingers and is gone. Its coming is as mysterious as its going. The crowd gazes in open-mouthed wonder, but is unable to fathom the mystery. Prof. Dreynois will continue this exhibition through this evening, and through to-morrow afternoon and evening.

CHARGED WITH EXTRAVAGANCE.

Criticisms Against Members of Buffalo's Board of Supervisors.

   BUFFALO, Jan. 8.—A special investigating committee of the board of supervisors having criticized [sic] their fellow members for extravagance, the local papers have taken up the cue and the Courier presents some evidence to support the criticism.

   The committee in question is the purchasing and auditing committee and have charge of the purchasing of all county supplies and auditing the bills therefor.

   The committee is accused of unbusinesslike methods and gross favoritism in purchasing goods and awarding contracts to furnish supplies without competitive bid or exacting bonds.

   A specific charge is that one person received $13,000 for repairs to the state armory and arsenal. The committee is also accused of expending $25 for wine, whisky, etc., and $23 for cigars.

   The Courier shows that a committee a few years ago bought $5,000 worth of drugs and surgical instruments just before retiring from office. The present resident physician of the Erie county hospital found enough powdered squills to last a quarter of a century. A change of methods of laying in stock is advised.

West Homer.

   WEST HOMER, Jan. 5.—The funeral of Mr. Henry Stafford held Tuesday, Jan. 2, at his late residence west of Cortland, was largely attended. Rev. Mr. Pearce of Cortland preached his funeral sermon. His remains were taken to the Cortland Rural cemetery for interment.

   His parents came from Providence, R. I. They were Joseph and Susan Hopkins Stafford and they moved in the cold season of 1816 and settled in Virgil, Cortland county. Mr. Stafford was one of eleven children—nine sons and two daughters, of whom only three brothers are now living—Gardner Stafford, living near Buffalo, Horace Stafford near Owego and Miles Stafford living at Blodgett Mills.

   Mr. Henry Stafford was born on the old homestead now owned by Timothy and Charles Stafford near Blodgett Mills, Jan. 27, 1817. He has always resided in Cortland county. In his younger days he taught five terms of school. At the age of 27 he married Miss Britanea Sessions of Lisle, Broome Co. She died Aug. 20, 1864. During this time she bore him seven sons and one daughter. During the spring of 1863 while the brain fever was raging so fearfully in this locality, on April 12 Alvin A. Stafford died, on the 13th John C. and James Dewitt died, and on the 22d Homer Jewett Stafford died, and on September 14 the oldest son Marquis Henry Stafford, also died, leaving only three, who are all living. Upon March 5, 1865, Mr. Stafford married his first wife's sister, Miss Adah Sessions, then living in Iowa, who now survives and mourns his sudden death.

   Although seventy-seven winters have passed over his head, and his health has been of late precarious, he has been able most of the time to be a round and superintend his business. Mr. Stafford has lived fifty years on the farm where he died, but for the last fifteen years retired from active life on the farm. His son Leonard now lives on the farm and the mantle now falls on his shoulders and Daniel's, who lives in Nebraska and was present at the funeral. Adah, the only daughter, married Arvine Stiles and lives in Como, Cayuga county.

   Mr. Stafford was well known in Cortland and vicinity. His life has been an active one and by industry and prudence and by attending strictly to business he had gained a pleasant home and was in fair circumstances. He was honest in business transactions, always wanting his just dues and giving the same. His widow and children have the sympathy of the community in which they live.

   Mr. Dan C. Stafford arrived New Year's morning from Cedar Rapids, Neb., to attend the funeral of his father, Mr. Henry Stafford. He was accompanied by Mr. Adelbert Stafford, a son of Leonard Stafford.