STATE FAIR PLANS

Dairy and Grange Building, New York State Fair.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, August 16, 1895.

STATE FAIR PLANS.

Scores of Novel Attractions Secured for the Big Show.

   The State fair grounds at Syracuse present a busy scene nowadays. Over 100 carpenters and other workman are at work on the new horticultural building and on the Midway Plaisance. The latter is certain to be one of the biggest novelties and best drawing cards ever seen in this section of the country. A space 500 feet long and 150 feet wide has been staked out and is being enclosed by a high board fence, inside of which the ingenuity, strength and beauty of the world will be gathered together all in one glittering and glorious street lined with enticing novelties. Here you can see, wonder at and be charmed by the Irish village. Blarney Castle, Persian theater, Old Vienna, Moorish palace, Turkish theater, German village, Libby glass works, International dress costume exhibit, trained animal arena, Oriental village, Cairo street, Egyptian hall, palace of illusions, etc. Three hundred and fifty people gathered from all quarters will people this miniature city which is built and decorated in exact reproduction of the Midway Plaisance at the World's fair. A continuous performance will be given daily which is sure to attract big crowds of people. You can kiss the Blarney stone and take your girl for a ride in the Ferris wheel. You can see the beauty show and the Moorish and Turkish dancers and pass a pleasant hour or two easily enough.

   But this is only one attraction. Besides this there are George Fielding, comic juggler; the DeComas, aerial bicycle riding; Napier and Mazello, burlesque horizontal bar act; Prince O'Kabe's troupe of 10 Japs including many clever jugglers and acrobats; Monsula and Russell in their wonderful performance on the high wire, including Miss Russell's daring slide for life from the top of a pole erected on top of the grand stand; Linus 2d, a wonderful horse with a mane which sweeps the ground and a tail 12 feet in length; Then there are balloon ascensions and parachute drops, Noah's ark containing Wallace, the man-eating lion, Sultana, the untamable lioness, the acting lions, Nero and Victoria, the boxing kangaroos, etc., etc.

   Then come horse and bicycle riding, balloon ascensions and parachute drops, etc., etc. Low excursion rates have been secured on the New York Central, West Shore, Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg, Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, Elmira, Cortland & Northern, and all other roads in this part of the state. Particulars of the rates can be obtained of your local railroad agents. Patrons of the fair living within or near Syracuse can drive in without having to pay for their carriages and find all facilities for hitching their teams on the grounds.

   Tuesday will be bicycle day when the following races will be run off under L. A. W. sanction: One mile novice; one mile handicap, open; quarter mile, open; one half mile, 1:20 class; one mile, open; two mile handicap, open. Entry blanks for these can be procured of Harry R. Schell, room 9, Syracuse Savings bank building, Syracuse.

   In addition to Hon. J. Sterling Morton, secretary of agriculture, Hon. Frederick C. Schraub, state commissioner of agriculture, will be present and deliver an address.

   Other features now in contemplation will be announced from time to time. The public can rest assured that this year's state fair will be the biggest and best in the history of the society, and one well worth coming miles to see.

CORTLAND PARK.

The New Park Opened to the Public. An Immense Crowd Visit the Place.

   According to previous announcement the new Cortland Park was thrown open to the public on Monday last and the result must have been very satisfactory to the Traction Co. Every available car was pressed into service and they were quickly filled at the corner of Main-st. and Clinton-ave. The Cortland City band played during the day and in the evening. All the cars of the company were put on the park line in the evening and although cars followed one another in quick succession they were unable to carry all who wanted to go. Large numbers of Homer people were waiting for cars and were of course disappointed as no cars ran to that place after 7:30 P. M. The trip to the park and return is an elegant one and our citizens never seem to tire making it. Cars have been running to and from the park every half hour since Monday and they are usually filled both ways.

   At 12 o'clock Monday night the car registers showed that 6035 fares had been collected for that day and it is known that many made the trip without paying, as the cars were so heavily loaded that it was impossible for the conductors to collect all the fares before the end of the route was reached. The company failed to get the wires strung in time to light up the park which was a disappointment all round but they will have them running in a few days.

   Although very little preparation had been made for the opening it was a grand success and was highly enjoyed by all the Traction Co.'s patrons.

Hudson River by Daylight.

   On Monday, September 2, the E. C. & N. will offer to the public one of the most enjoyable excursions that has ever left Cortland, viz: a trip to New York and return via Albany and Hudson River Day Line steamers. Rate for the round trip will be only $6 and tickets will be good for five days. The scenery along the Hudson is the finest in America, and the time selected is the most delightful of the year. The steamers of the Hudson River Day Line are models of elegance, having been constructed exclusively for summer tourist travel. Daily morning and afternoon concerts by Col. Sinn's orchestra of Brooklyn and Holding's orchestra of Albany will be pleasant features of the trip.

A New Block.

   The new building which Wickwire Bros. have commenced building on Railroad-st. in rear of the Central House will be constructed of wood, two stories high, with galvanized iron front. It will be eighty feet front and fifty-two feet deep. It will be so arranged that it can be used as four single stores or two double stores. Mr. N. P. Meager has charge of the job which must be completed by October 1st. Daniel and Charles Geer have the contract for the mason work.

Fish Suit Decided.

   There has been so much crooked work in the enforcement of the obnoxious fish and game laws in this county, it will be of interest to know that such persecution has met with a legal check.

   In December, 1893, William W. Briggs Frank Henry, Frank Burnham and Martin Minard, four respectable gentlemen of East Homer, went down upon the river and cut a hole through the ice with a snatch or rake hook and caught three little suckers, weighing in all about one and a half pounds. They had no idea of violating any law, but supposed they had a perfect right to do such fishing but it came to the ears of "fish detector" Crosley of Tula in this county that this terrible violation of the law had been actually committed. The law never gave but one penalty for this illegal fishing and that was repealed in May, 1893, but that made no difference with the fish counselor [Crosley was a lawyer and appointed game warden—CC editor]. So in August, 1893, and after the repeal of this branch of the law, the counselor took action, and not content with the one penalty of $100 formerly given, he demanded $300 for this terrible offense.

   Of course, these gentleman "couldn't see it." He thereon brought three suits in the supreme court against each of the last three named persons to recover $100 and costs. The defendants considering $200 a pound for suckers rather high especially when they didn't have any of the fish, applied to Smith & Dickinson of this place to defend them. The attorneys put in the defence that if the legislature ever so far forgot itself as to make it a penal offense to catch suckers in any manner, it had a lucid interval in May, 1893, and repealed the law and this action not having been commenced until after such repeal, could not be maintained.

   The case was tried before Hon. Walter Lloyd Smith at the April term in this county, and he has just filed his decision, in favor of the defendant. This of course virtually disposes of the three cases, and instead of these defendants having to pay $300 and three bills of costs for three little suckers the State of New York has three bills of costs to pay and justice triumphs. It is a pity that the costs cannot be collected out of the party who instituted these unconscionable persecutions. It will be well for the state if it shall lead to a repeal of this iniquitous statute. COM.

A SINGULAR CASE.

A Woman Found in the Highway With a Gag in Her Mouth—A Queer Story.

   At 7:30 o'clock last Monday evening while John Severance and Charles Horton were driving on the west road to Homer they found Mrs. May Cox lying by the roadside, with some clothing wound about her head and a gag in her mouth. Assistance was summoned from the home of Mr. Frederick near by and the woman was carried to her home which was not more than fifty feet from the place where she was found.

   Dr. Neary was called and arrived at about 10 o'clock. The family had retired and he was informed that his services were not needed.

   Mrs. Cox says that during the evening a tall man wearing a soft hat came to the front door and tried to get in but as she was alone she did not go to the door. Failing to gain an entrance here the man went around to the side of the house and forced an entrance through a window and seized her when she swooned. When she came to she was lying on the floor and the man was gone. She managed to get out of the house but again lost consciousness and did not recover until found by Severance and Horton. They say she was not bound and that she could easily have removed the gag from her mouth.

   Mrs. Cox is 22 years of age and was married last March. She and her husband occupy a part of a double house with Mr. Benj. F. Cheeney. No complaint has been lodged with the authorities.

HIRED MAN'S BRUTAL CRIMES.

Called His Employer Up at Night and Killed Him with an Ax.

   OSWEGO, August 7.—Henry Whitlock, a prosperous farmer living just east of North Victory, in Cayuga county, was murdered last night by his hired man, Charles Burgess. Some time during the night Burgess got up and called Mr. Whitlock and told him the cows were in the corn. Both went out and as Whitlock was getting under the bars Burgess struck him on the back of the head with an ax, killing him.

   Whitlock was murdered about 11 o'clock last night. After committing the crime Burgess threw the body over a fence into a lane and taking the lantern which Whitlock had brought from the shed, returned to the farmhouse, where Mrs. Whitlock was sleeping. He removed his shoes and entered quietly, but not so quietly that he did not awaken Mrs. Whitlock, who was sleeping lightly. He then blew out the lamp and as he did so, Mrs. Whitlock got out of bed and appeared in her night dress.

   Burgess grabbed her and informed her that he had murdered her husband and threatened that if she made the least noise he would kill her also. He then made an indecent proposition, which was repulsed by the terror stricken woman and a fierce struggle in the dark ensued. Mrs. Whitlock attempted to scream, but Burgess stifled her cries by choking her into insensibility, when [sic] he accomplished his purpose. He then proposed to Mrs. Whitlock that he kill her and then himself and make a clean job of it. Mrs. Whitlock begged that her life be spared and Burgess agreed, providing she promised to say that Whitlock had met his death accidentally.

   She promised and also agreed to remain in the house until Burgess should go to the house of his brother-in-law, a short distance away, and notify him of Whitlock's death. When Burgess left the house Mrs. Whitlock threw on a dress and went cross lots to the North Victory cheese factory, where she saw a light and gave the alarm. The neighborhood was aroused and the sheriff and constables with a posse of farmers are after Burgess, whom they have tracked to Ira, where they think he is hiding in a piece of woods.

   Whitlock was fifty-seven years old and his wife is about thirty-seven years of age. Both were highly esteemed in the community. They were married only five years ago in the village of Hannibal and have no children.

BURROWED IN HAY.

   WEEDSPORT, N. Y., Aug. 8.—Charles Burgess, who murdered his employer Henry W. Whitlock, the farmer, at his home near Martville, Cayuga county, Tuesday night, has been captured. The murderer was hiding in a hay mow in a barn on the farm of Adelbert Deal, near Ira station, about three miles from the place where the tragedy occurred. Hunger drove Burgess from cover. He had not tasted food in forty-eight hours and as Mr. Deal was passing the barn at 6 o'clock this morning he called to him and offered to give himself up.

   Burgess said that he had burrowed three feet into the hay mow and was concealed there yesterday when Mr. Deal walked over the mow.

   The murderer accompanied Mr. Deal to Ira where he was turned over to Constable Weatherby and brought here. He was half famished and upon his arrival here was given a ham sandwich and a glass of beer, both of which he said tasted good.

   When asked about the murder he broke down and declared that he could give no reason for committing the crime, as both Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock had always been good to him. He was taken from this place to Auburn.

Thomas F. Byrnes.

Byrnes' Detective Bureau.

   NEW YORK, Aug. 9.—It is given out that ex-Chief of Police Thomas Byrnes is to open a detective bureau in this city. Former headquarters men will be on his staff, among them ex-Inspector McLaughlin. One of the features of the enterprise, it is said, will be the simultaneous opening of a main office in New York city, and branches in London, Paris, Chicago and one other western city.

Matthew S. Quay.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

   Senator Matthew Quay of Pennsylvania, has beaten his opponents in his candidacy for the chairmanship of the Republican Committee of that State by a considerable majority and he will have control of the coming State convention. The Governor, the entire State organization and the Philadelphia rascals were all against him and his victory over the combination is most remarkable. He has always been and still is a politician of very shady reputation, but as between him and the Dave Martins, we presume, the politicians thought the lesser evil preferable.

   If anything was needed to show the utter fallacy of the free silver peoples claims, the vile and intemperate language they indulge in, when referring to those who do not believe as they do, would furnish the evidence. When men are fighting for a good cause they employ argument to substantiate their claims and use temperate language in which to express their views. Abuse is not argument and instead of strengthening a weak cause it weakens it. The harangue indulged in by Senator Marion Butler of So. Carolina recently is a case in point. His language would be out of place in a conclave of canal drivers and the state which he was elected to represent is disgraced by such a malevolent and hot-headed demagogue.

   The school teachers of the state are making an almost unanimous kick against the law which was passed by the legislature last winter, requiring them to give some time to teaching their pupils of the baleful effects of the use of alcohol and narcotics on the human system, on the ground that it will interfere with their regular duties. On the other hand the clergymen and temperance cranks are insisting that the teachers are all wrong and that the law should be strictly enforced. The principal difference between the parties would seem to be that the teachers have to comply with the law and the other fellows do not. Would it not be well for the next legislature to enact a law compelling the clergymen to give the same amount of time each day in instructing a class of bummers on the same subject? Such a law would even things up and might result in doing a power of good where it is most needed.

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   CHENANGO—Bicycle meet at Bainbridge August 21.

   Norwich is to have a professional base ball team this season.

   Monday afternoon Mrs. T. A. Lockwood, who resides on Piano street, Norwich, took a dose of rheumatism liniment by mistake for medicine which she had been taking on a doctor's prescription, the bottles containing the medicines having a similar appearance. She discovered her mistake, and Dr. W. H. Stuart was summoned, who administered an emetic with the desired effect. Mrs. Lockwood will probably live to congratulate herself upon her narrow escape.

   Bert Rorapaugh of Oxford attempted to enter the upper room of the Haynes Hotel at Guilford Wednesday night, presumably to keep an appointment with a young lady boarder, and was discovered and ordered away by the proprietor. He jumped into the carriage and started hurriedly for home, when another boarder sent a bullet after him, which struck his right shoulder back and came out under the ribs five inches below. He drove on to Oxford, where he routed out Dr. Lee and was treated, then he went home and went to bed, where he yet remains. He will recover if blood poisoning does not set in. Arrests may follow.

   MADISON—The Waterville Novelty Company was incorporated, Wednesday, with $50,000 capital.

   About 5,000 people attended the Patrons of Industry picnic, Thursday at Sylvan Beach.

   James Humphrey of Oneida went home drunk Saturday night and set out to choke his better half. She laid him out with a chair, making two three inch gashes in his head.

   Christian Block of Chittenango Station placed Paris green mixed with meal between his celery rows to poison the grasshoppers. It was a great success, killing millions of hoppers, but 27 of his hens that he failed to confine were also poisoned.

   TOMPKINS—Tompkins County Grange picnic at Glenwood Aug. 31.

   The hotels at Slaterville Springs are filled with guests.

   Prof. Lannigan of Cornell recently swam a distance of 3 1/2 miles in Cayuga lake.

   Several men at Campbell's brick yard at Newfield last week refused to work, because a colored man, a thoroughly competent man, a long while engaged at the works, was placed over men as a "boss."

HERE AND THERE.

   The Traction cars have been making regular trips to the new park all the week.

   To-day, August 16, is the first day the law permits the shooting of woodcock and grouse.

   Mr. J. J. Powers of Cortland has taken out letters on a patent apparatus for making chlorine.

   The Excelsior Hook & Ladder Co. of Cortland won the hook and ladder race at Owego last week.

   The building occupied by J. S. Larabee on Elm-st. for a feed store will be made over into a double house.

   Ice-cream and cake will be served at the W. C. T. U. rooms on Saturday evening, August 17, from 7 until 9 o'clock.

   The annual picnic of the Robinson family will occur on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at the home of Wm. Barry, Messengerville.

   The eighth annual reunion of the Givens family will be held at the residence of Gouveneur M. Lupton, Dryden, Tuesday, August 27th.

   Buffalo Bill's Wild West show will exhibit in Cortland Sept. 16. The bill boards for the use of the bill posting brigade are being erected to-day.

   The Elmira, Cortland and Northern railroad will run an excursion train from Camden to Ithaca, Cornell University and Cayuga lake and return, Aug. 22.

   Mr. Sweet, the renowned bone-setter, will be at the house of Wm. E. Hunt in Hunt's Corners on Saturday and Sunday where he can be seen by the afflicted.

   The nineteenth annual picnic of the Hammond family will be held in Cortland at the home of Capt. Strowbridge on Friday, Aug. 23, 1895. All the family are expected and the friends are cordially invited.

   The annual picnic gathering of the Hilsinger family will be held on the farm occupied by Wayland Parker in Lapeer, on August 23d. A cordial invitation is extended to the family and friends to be present.

   The annual picnic of the Griswold family is to be held at the home of L. J. Foster one mile west of Cortland near the brick school house, August 22, 1895. A cordial invitation is extended to all relatives and friends of the family.

   Mr. W. S. Hoxie has purchased the retail feed business of Messrs. Brooks & Sprague, corner Greenbush and Railroad-sts., and will conduct that branch of the business there hereafter. Messrs. Brooks & Sprague will continue the wholesale branch of the business at the same place.

   Some time ago Mr. G. J. Mager received a personal letter from A. J. Ruffin, Esq., the genial and popular representative of J. W. Goddard & Sons, New York city. After signing his name, Mr. Ruffin added in postscript—A. S. M. D. The four letters were a great mystery not only to the recipient of the letter but also to a number of other "Daniels" who saw it and were asked to give "the interpretation thereof." Mr. Mager finally concluded that they must stand for "Am Same Mean Democrat." Mr. Ruffin made his professional call again last week during Mr. Mager's absence at the Thousand Islands and left for him the following correct translation: "Am Sound Money Democrat." Mr. Ruffin is a staunch and enthusiastic Democrat and, like most others, appears to be sound on the money question.

FROM EVERYWHERE.

   The deepest spot yet found in Seneca lake is 600 feet.

   Forty-two liquor licenses have been issued in Seneca Falls.

   It is reported that circus sharks relieved Owego people of $4,000.

   New York city has 34,123 gas lamps and 2,725 electric lights. These cost a million a year.

   The Empire State Express recently ran from Syracuse to Albany, 148 miles in 140 minutes.

   The Duke of Bedford has imported 2,000 frogs from America to free the ponds of his estate from destructive insects.

   No American was harmed during the massacre of Christians at Kucheng, China, but ten English missionaries, seven females, were killed.

   Frank Briggs, the second victim of toad stool eating at Sparkill, N. Y., died last night. Judge William B. Slocum, who ate the toad stools with him, having died last Friday night.

   A naturalist has arisen to remark that if all the eggs laid by the codfish were hatched, the ocean would soon be so full of fish as to make navigation impossible. But fishing would be easy.

   It is proposed to erect the largest railway station in the world at Forty-second st. and Seventh-ave., New York city, the terminus of the great Hudson river bridge. It will be used by eleven railroads.

   A three hundred pound stone fell from the heavens into a field near Deposit the other evening, scooping a great hole in the earth and burning the grass in the vicinity. It will be sent to the Smithsonian Institute.

   Mrs. Ada Vail Scammel of Tully has been granted a divorce from her husband, Ervin W. Scammel, on the charge of abandonment. It is an absolute release for both parties. Mr. Scammel began divorce proceedings last October, naming Dr. Geo. E. Barker of Tully as co-respondent and there were very racy developments.

   Myriads of grasshoppers in some sections of the towns of Sempronius and Summerhill are doing the farmers untold injury. They are taking everything that is green, leaving desolation in their wake. Farmer Stephen S. Rhoades of Sempronius tells us that they have destroyed for him crops to the value of $300 or $400.—Moravia Register.

   Grasshoppers are devastating farms in Monticello and vicinity. Entire fields of grain and grass have been ruined by them. John C. Fish, a farmer near Monticello, hung his coat on a fence while he was harvesting hay. The grasshoppers devoured it. Two daughters of Thomas Tekulsky put some of the insects into a nest with a setting hen. They destroyed the eggs and killed the hen.