A GRAND GALA DAY AT MCGRAWVILLE

Street car on Main Street, McGrawville.

Cortland Standard Semi-Weekly Edition, Tuesday, July 2, 1895.

MCGRAWVILLE’S FOURTH.

A GRAND GALA DAY FOR EVERYBODY.

Races and Sports of All Kinds—Two Balloon Ascensions—Appropriate Excercises.

   Plans are rapidly being matured for the grand celebration of Independence day at McGrawville. Our sister village doesn’t celebrate every year, but when she once does try it, the whole county knows it and everybody finds something to attract them. In another column a former resident of Solon writes of the great celebration in McGrawville in 1845, fifty years ago. The one of 1895 is planned upon a more extended scale than that of any previous year. W. J. Buchanan is to be president of the day, J. J. Isaacs will be marshal, A. E. Seymour orator, Prof. George D. Bailey reader, Rev. N. S. Burd chaplain , and J. W. Adams, F. C. Topping and B. T. Burlingham form a general committee of arrangements.

   The Grand Army of the Republic are to have a regular war time camp upon Academy park with tents, pickets, army rations and everything after the manner of the old days. The ball ground will be at the corner of Academy and Spring-sts. Dancing will occur afternoon and evening at the opera house, Palmer & Guild’s orchestra will furnish music.

   The day will be ushered in by ringing of bells and a salute of thirteen guns at sunrise.

   At 8:30 a balloon will ascend at the corner of Main and Church-sts.

   At 9 o’clock the bicycle parade will occur. The procession will form at the clubhouse on South-st. and will proceed to Center-st., to Clinton, to Main, to South-st. and back to the clubhouse.

   At 9:15 the ten-mile bicycle race will occur. This is open only to McGrawville wheels. The start will be made from the corner of South and Elm-sts. The course will be on the road to Cortland to the Wickwire farm, around the race track a certain number of times and back to McGrawville, finishing at the place of starting. The prizes are 1st, clock valued at $6 given by Maricle & Johnson; 2d, one dozen aristo cabinet photos valued at $4, given by G. E. Butler, Cortland; 3d, toilet set valued at $3, given by F. M. Morse; 4th, sweater valued at $2.50, given by G. F. Beaudry, Cortland; 5th, tourist’s drinking cup.

   At 10 o’clock will occur the slow bicycle race for a distance of 200 yards. Start corner Elm and Bennett-sts,, and finish corner Elm and South-sts. Open to McGrawville wheels. Prize, 1st, hammock valued at $ 1.50; 2d, horn valued at 10 cents.

   At 10:15 there will be a handicap bicycle race. The distance and location are yet to be arranged for. The entrance fee will be fifty cents. The prizes are in goods to the value of: 1st, 50 per cent of entrance fees; 2d, 30 per cent; 3d, 20 per cent. Open to all.

   At 10:30 there will be a championship one-mile bicycle race. The start is at the corner of South and Elm-sts., and the finish is on Elm -st, near the brick factory. The prize is a championship medal. Open to McGrawville wheels.

   At 11 o’clock there will be a one hundred yard foot race open to all. It will be on Main-st. between Clinton and South-sts. The prizes are 1st, album valued at $3, given by the People’s Cash Trading Co.; 2d, blacking set valued at $1.25, given by the People’s Cash Trading Co.

   The grand parade will occur at 11:30 A. M. The procession forms on Centre-st., right resting on Clinton, and will march up Clinton to Main, to Church, to North, to Main, to South, to Academy, to camp ground, where rations will be served.

   In the afternoon at 1 o’clock there will be another balloon ascension at the camp grounds.

   At 1:30 o’clock the exercises will occur at the camp grounds consisting of prayer, reading, speeches, music, songs, and stories.

   At 3:30 there will be a ball game between the City Sports of Cortland and the McGrawvilles for a purse of $5.

   At 4 o’clock the sack race will occur. It is open to all and will be on Main-st. between South and Clinton-sts. Prize, water set valued at $1.50.

   At 4:15 o’clock the potato race will occur. It is open to all. It will be on Main-st. between South and Clinton-sts. Prize, lamp valued at $3.50.

   At 4:30 o’clock the wheelbarrow race will occur. It is open to all and will be on Main-st. between South and Clinton-sts. Prize, smoking set valued at $2.

   At 5 o’clock will occur the mule race. Distance one mile, open to all. The start will be in front of the camp ground and the finish will be at the place of starting. Prizes: 1st, $2 cash; 2nd, pipe and tobacco valued at $1.50, given by C. D. Fish.

   At 6 o’clock supper will be served on the camp grounds.

   The day will close with a grand display of fireworks at 9 o’clock on the corner of Main and Church-sts.

   Among the numerous attractions of the day will be Hollenbeck’s museum of war relics, paintings, etc., which will be located on the camp ground. These relics were all picked up on the battlefields, and both Union and Confederate sides are represented. This together with the old army camp ground will have special attractions for the “old boys” and their families.

Hollenbeck’s War Relics.

   Albert Hollenbeck’s museum of war relics will be one of the chief attractions at the celebration of the Fourth at McGrawville this week. Mr. Hollenbeck is a veteran of the Seventy-sixth Regiment, having enlisted from the town of Virgil where he still lives. He bought the foundation of the museum at Gettysburg six years ago, and has added to it largely and at considerable expense since then, till it is now quite extensive and valuable. He has exhibited it at numerous fairs and it has gained quite a reputation in this section of the state.

   Owing to ill health Mr. Hollenbeck does not wish to continue these exhibitions and is willing to sell the museum at a very reasonable price. The opportunity of inspecting it will be given at McGrawville to any one who may think of purchasing. The opportunity is a rare one for buying a genuine and most interesting collection of war relics.

FIFTY YEARS AGO

HOW MCGRAWVILLE CLEBRATED THE FOURTH.

An Old Time Resident Tells Why the Homer Boys Didn’t Find the Missing Canon.

   The following letter from Mr. C. G. Maybury of the firm of C. G. Maybury & Son, architects and building superintendents of Winona, Minn., a former resident of McGrawville, will be read with much interest by his friends in this county, particularly by the people of McGrawville and Homer who will recall some of the incidents which he relates:

WINONA, Minn., June 22, 1895.

To the Editor of the Standard:

   Sir—I was reading the Cortland Standard a few days ago, when my attention was called to an item headed “McGrawville will Celebrate the Fourth of July.” Immediately my thoughts were carried back to my boyhood days—those happy days—which one so often likes to live over again. What period in life does one refer to with more pleasure, especially to one who is getting along in life, than to the boyhood days, when all the future appeared so bright.

   Fifty years ago upon July 4, 1845, McGrawville celebrated the Fourth in the good old style of those days. The writer was then a boy living in Solon, four miles from McGrawville, and we boys lived in bright anticipation of the day for weeks before the ushering in of that Glorious Fourth. Sunrise saw us up and out with an old Revolutionary army musket, firing a salute to the nation’s birthday. At intervals between the report of our musket we would hear the boom of the cannon at McGrawville, as they were firing the usual sunrise salute of thirteen guns. The report of that cannon only awakened in our young hearts a greater desire to get our breakfasts and an early start for the scene of the long talked-of celebration.

   When we arrived we found the village full of people and the citizens greatly excited over an incident which had occurred during the preceding night. The managers of the celebration having no ordinance for the occasion had gone to Homer and made arrangements for the loan of the six pound cannon, of which that village was the happy possessor, and on the evening of the 3d had brought the gun to McGrawville.

   In the meantime after the cannon had left Homer some of the young men of that place learned that the gun had been taken away and determined to go down to McGrawville and by stealth get possession of the coveted ordinance and bring it home with them. But the McGrawville boys learned of their intentions and the question was where to secrete the gun to keep the Homerites from getting it. Some one suggested that they sink it in Lester Graves’ mill pond which was located in the center of the village and it was accordingly run into the pond out of sight.

   A little later a delegation of Homer boys drove into town and then the fun was on. They expressed their determination of getting possession of the much desired shooting iron. As the story was told, pandemonium reigned supreme during the entire night. At one time the Homer boys became satisfied that the cannon was in the pond, and it was only by the utmost vigilance on the part of the McGrawville boys that their Homer friends were not successful in their expedition. One member of the Homer party is now a resident of Marathon and will probably remember the incident.

   The celebration commenced in due time and all passed off pleasantly until about noon when a severe thunder shower drove the crowd to seek shelter. But it only continued for an hour and then cleared away and the sun came out in its brightness and the exercises closed, all feeling that they had enjoyed the day and its festivities.

   Many who were then living in McGrawville and vicinity are now scattered and living in different parts of our land, and some are sleeping in the beautiful hillside cemetery at McGrawville where those who were very near and dear to many of us are now laid. On that sacred ground was planted during the day the cannon referred to.

   Your correspondent was much interested recently in reading in a local paper that Daniel A. Thompson was still living in McGrawville. That name was a familiar one in the old days. He was well known as a most competent blacksmith and any one wanting a difficult job done in his line would go to “Dan A” as he was familiarly called. Your correspondent hopes that the good people of McGrawville will have as successful a celebration of the day that every true American delights to honor, as we did fifty years ago, but without some of its accompanying incidents.

    C. G. M.

THE CUYLER SUICIDE.

ANGRY BECAUSE HIS FATHER UPBRAIDED HIM.

George B. Holl Leaned Upon an Old Musket and Pushed the Trigger with a Stick.

   Coroner W. J. Moore went to DeRuyter Friday in response to a summons and was then driven seven miles over the hills to the farthest corner of the town of Cuyler, just on the Lincklaen line. George B. Holl, the eighteen-year son of John Holl had committed suicide.

   As a result of investigations the coroner learned the following facts: Some difficulty had arisen in the afternoon between the young man and his father, and the latter had upbraided his son in quite strong terms. While the milking was being done between 5 and 6 o’clock George disappeared. He was accustomed to take the milk to the factory and when wanted for that purpose was not found. His father accordingly told a younger son to go and look up his brother. Accompanied by a younger sister the boy started out. The two traced George up to a patch of potatoes, where he had last been seen going, on through the pasture, following a cart track, and in a piece of woods. After they had gone about twenty-five rods into the woods they came upon his dead body lying in the track. An old musket that belonged to Mr. Holl lay close at hand and in his hand was a stick. It was evident that he had rested the musket upon the ground, had leaned upon the muzzle and had discharged the gun by pushing upon the trigger with a stick.

   The two children went back to the house and reported and the body was removed to the house.

   Dr. McClelland of DeRuyter went over with Dr. Moore Friday and performed the post mortem. He found that the gun had been loaded with shot and a slug. The charge had entered the body about one and one-half inches to the right of the navel, and had torn all to pieces the liver and the lower lobe of the left lung. The shot remained in the body, but the slug had come out about one and one-half inches to the left of the spinal cord and just below the point of the shoulder blade.

   The coroner decided that no inquest was necessary. The deceased had been rather a willful boy. Something over a year ago he had run away and had been absent from home some weeks, but had returned again. He was slightly deformed, and was thought by some to be not quite right at all times in his mind.

   The funeral was held at the house Sunday at 11 o’clock and at the church at Lincklaen at 12 o’clock.

ELYSIUM PARK.

A Pretty Place at a Convenient Distance for a Picnic.

   Elysium park is a beautiful grove and body of water situated two and one-half miles west of Cortland on the McLean road and is owned and managed by Mr. J. L. Gillett. The grove covers about twenty-five acres and is composed of tall, straight trees most of which are maple, standing close together and affording much shade. The ground is all grassed over and is clear of underbrush. Mr. Gillett has spent considerable time improving and beautifying the grounds. He has put up several swings and has also built a roof over long tables for the convenience of picnic parties. He has erected six cottages along the shores of the lake which covers an area of sixteen acres. He expects that some if not all of these cottages will soon be occupied. On the lake are several boats and more will soon be added. Mr. Gillett expects to have his grand summer opening on July 4, when the 8:46 A. M. and 7:01 P. M. trains on the E., C. & N. will stop at the park for accommodation of those who wish to visit the park that day. 

   The park is indeed an excellent place for a day’s outing and undoubtedly will be well patronized. Mr. Gillett has lived at this present residence all his life and is well and favorably known within a large range of territory.

Photo from Grip's Historical Souvenir of Cortland.

CITY COAL YARD.

Coal to be Delivered in One Hundred Pound Burlap Sacks.

   The city coal yard, John C. Seager, proprietor, situated on South Main-st. near the E., C. & N. tracks, is fast nearing completion. The office building has been erected and is both beautiful and convenient. The scales are under a shed adjoining the office on the south end and the whole is painted straw color. On the south side is a coal mine scene and the letters city coal yard are in black. It is expected that other illustrations and lettering will be put on the building before it is completed.

   The trestle work will be of iron and steel, only the coal pockets being of wood, and will extend forty rods east from the office.

   Besides handling all kinds of coal Mr. Seager expects to deal in wood, feed, building material, shingles, etc. He is going to introduce a new feature in the delivery of coal. He will deliver coal to those who wish, in heavy burlap sacks containing 100 pounds each, the advantages of which are at once apparent.

A SIGNIFICANT ILLUSTRATION.

   The marvelous development of American industries under the beneficent influences of a protective tariff is undisputed, and irrefutable. Even the advocates of free trade and tariff reform admit that our chief industries sprang into new life after the Republican party enacted the protective tariff law more than thirty years ago. This growth has continued with increased energy since the passage of the McKinley tariff bill. Those who were doubtful of the results of that legislation now have an opportunity to learn an object lesson of practical value.

   The McKinley bill sought, among other things, to develop the new industry of the manufacture of tin plate in the United States. Tariff reformers protested that it was impossible to establish the tin plate industry in the United States because skilled workers in tin plate factories could only be found abroad, where the raw material was within ready reach and cheap, and that it was absurd to believe that in this country, even under a protective tariff, tin plates could be manufactured at a profit. At best, these tariff reformers argued, the establishment of the tin plate industry in the United States would be only a temporary affair, resulting inevitably in failure in the face of sharp foreign competition.

   The advocates of protection reminded free traders that precisely the same argument had been used thirty years ago in reference to the protection of the American silk industry, free traders insisting that is was preposterous to believe that we could compete with the French makers of silk who, with the raw material at their doors, had developed silk culture and silk manufacture to such an extent that France led the world in the fabrication of the textile. But the silk industry was established in the United States under Republican protection, and the industry has been extending from year to year with marvelous growth until American silks now largely replace all but the very finest and most costly of foreign manufacture.

   As to tin plate, what has been accomplished during the four years of McKinley protection? The story is even more startling than that of the growth of the silk industry. In brief, we find as follows: Four years ago there was no tin plate factories in this country, now 28 tin works are rolling their own plates, 10 more are in process of erection, several of them ready to start up, and others are in contemplation. These works comprise over 100 mills and give employment to 15,000 persons.

   This new American industry has been developed under the McKinley tariff bill in less than four years, and this is the industry that the free traders declared it would be impossible to establish with fifty years of protection. The result reveals the difference between practical experience and impractical theory. It would seem as if, in the face of such facts, the advocates of free trade would flee from the field and abandon the fight, but they are insisting upon a further trial of their experiment.

   It should not be forgotten that it has been the uniform history of the American people that under a protective tariff the country has prospered, while under free trade or a low tariff the mills have been idle, business depressed, and the homes of the working classes left desolate. Our present experience with a free trade administration [Cleveland] is not the first this country has had, nor the second, and it would not have been tried by the American people but for the fact that the majority of the voters did not or could not recall the sad but instructive story of the past.