POPE LEO XIII, KISHINEFF PETITION, RUSSIA IN MANCHURIA, MOTHER JONES COMING, JUDGE DOUGHERTY REFEREE, AND RELIANCE OF CANASOTA

 

 

Pope Leo XIII.

Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, July 16, 1903.

CHANGED APPEARANCE.

Horrible Word Picture of Pope Leo as He Is Now.

CONDITION WORSE THIS MORNING.

Patient Kept In Almost Complete Seclusion—Last Evening His Holiness Complained of Uneasiness in the Chest, Which He Hoped Would Pass Off in a Few Days.

   London, July 16.—A dispatch from Rome timed 6:50 a. m. says the pope passed a very restless night and his condition this morning is considerably worse.

   Rome, July 16.—One of the doctors in attendance on the pontiff gave the press correspondent a graphic hut horrible word picture of Pope Leo as he appears today.

   That smile, which lighted up the pontiff's face even in extreme age, has disappeared, probably forever. The skin is drawn tightly over the bony framework of his face, leaving the once bright eyes staring dimly from deeply sunken sockets. A grayish pallor overspreads his countenance, but the most noticeable ravage wrought by his present disease is the dropping of the lower jaw, which has made the pope's features take on the fixed rigidity of death.

   Throughout the day the precincts of the Vatican were comparatively quiet, and the immediate vicinity of the sick room showed none of the evidences of agitation and alarm so apparent Tuesday. In marked contrast to previous days the patient was kept in almost absolute seclusion, only one person besides the physicians in immediate attendance gaining admission. This one was Monsignor Pifferi, the pope's confessor. Others came to the ante-chamber, including Cardinals Satolli and Serafino Vannutelli, but they did not press for admission to the sick room, being aware of the doctors' earnest wish to afford the august patient every opportunity of avoiding exertion and mental effort.

   During the day the pope took a slight amount of nourishment. Through the morning he was quite restless, shifting uneasily on his bed and complaining of being unable to secure an easy position. Later he became drowsy and during the afternoon had some sleep. The assembling of the doctors at 5:30, two hours before the usual time, was not due to any alarming turn in the pope's condition, but through the wish to thoroughly go over every detail of the situation. The moderate tone of the bulletin which followed the visit gave an assurance that the patient's condition was practically unchanged.

   In the evening his holiness complained of a slight uneasiness at the chest, but that he has not yet completely given up hope was indicated by his remark that he expected the oppression to pass off in a few days. During the day the pope drank a few drops of the healing waters from the shrine at Lourdes, several bottles of which were sent to the Vatican.

   A local paper bravely announces that from the moment Pope Leo swallowed the water an improvement in his condition became apparent.

   The doctors are well nigh exhausted from their unceasing cares. Dr. Lapponi in particular spends his entire nights as well as days in the sick room.

   The total number of dispatches inquiring about the pope's health received at the Vatican in one day reached 26,000.

 

KISHINEFF PETITION.

Statement Regarding Jewish Committee's Conference With the President.

   New York, July 16.—In accordance with the understanding at Oyster Bay on Tuesday, Leon Levi has given out a statement regarding the conference between the president and the Jewish committee on the Kishineff petition.

   He says: "The conference was entirely satisfactory to us. Our views and those of the president are in perfect accord. It has been decided that it would not be well at present to make public any details of the conference. The returns thus far received indicate that uniformly throughout the country the petition is being signed by the most prominent and representative men.

   "I venture to say that the petition has not been modified in any particular. Our course has the president's full approval and the president's course is in every respect just as we desire it to be. There are no differences of any kind whatsoever, and there has been no receding. It should be distinctly understood that the petition is neither a protest nor a remonstrance. It does not seek to interfere in Russian affairs. Finally it is not a petition by Jews but in behalf of them."

 

RUSSIA IN MANCHURIA.

Abundant Evidence of Intention to Bring More Troops Into the Province.

   Port Arthur, Manchuria, July 16.—The conference of prominent Russian officials ended and the last special train departed for Moscow Tuesday. Exultation over Russia's increasing power in Manchuria was the dominant note in the gathering.

   The possibility of taking any backward steps are scoffed at if mentioned by outsiders. The evidence of the increase of war-like preparations since the arrival of General Kuropatkin, the minister of war, and of the intention to bring more troops to Manchuria is abundant.

   The officials explained that Russia's opposition to opening Manchurian towns to foreigners was not based upon opposition to foreigners whose trade is desired and who would in due time be invited into the country. But Russia objected, they explained, to having consuls accredited to the Chinese government in towns which are practically under Russian control, which would give the subjects of countries so represented the enjoyment of extra-territorial rights. They asserted that such an arrangement would be certain to result in great friction, such as occurred in New Chwang.

 

Mary G. Harris, alias Mother Jones.

MOTHER JONES COMING.

Will Try to Visit President Roosevelt With Her Army.

   Oyster Bay, N. Y., July 19.—Senator Lodge of Massachusetts is spending the day with President Roosevelt at Sagamore Hill. He came in on a forenoon train and was immediately driven out to the Roosevelt home.

   "I am merely making a social call," he said at the railway station, as he stepped from the car platform.

   The news that Mother Jones and her band are headed for Oyster Bay is not received with any demonstrations of joy at the executive offices. Preparations are being quietly made to head off the little army if they attempt to storm Sagamore Hill without first receiving permission to call. If necessary, the little band of secret service men will be reinforced by police and detectives from Brooklyn and New York. President Roosevelt would probably be willing to meet Mother Jones, if she made a request in the usual formal way through Secretary Barnes. The president objects, however, to having his castle ''stormed."

   President and Mrs. Roosevelt and Senator Lodge took a horseback ride along the pretty cove road before luncheon, after the executive had attended to his daily correspondence.

 

SUMMER HOTEL BURNED.

Two Hundred Guests Fled Leaving Clothing and Jewelry.

   Pine Hill, N. Y., July 16.—Mountain Inn, one of the largest hotels in the Catskills, was burned to the ground today. The flames spread so rapidly that the two hundred guests in the building had to abandon their clothing and jewels in order to escape with their lives. The loss in money and valuables, taken with the hotel, will reach over $100,000. The guests, most of whom are from New York, are being cared for at other hotels and cottages in the neighborhood. F. & M. Herbs owned Mountain Inn and it was leased and managed by Thomas Moore.

 

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.

Experiment in Municipal Ownership.

   The public generally will watch with keen interest the experiment in the municipal ownership and operation of traction lines provided for by the Muller street railway act passed by the last Illinois legislature and now to be put in operation in Chicago.

   Briefly the Muller act empowers any city in Illinois to own, acquire, construct, maintain and operate street railways, or to lease them for periods not longer than twenty years, upon a popular vote accepting the act and a two-thirds vote authorizing the municipal authorities to buy or construct and operate a street railway, and also a two-thirds vote providing for bonds or other certificates of indebtedness to pay for such road, whether by purchase or construction.

   As to fares and terms of leases, the act leaves all to regulation by the city council, except that leases or grants of franchises must not run more than twenty years. The council may make all rules and regulations, including fares, when the city operates the road itself and may incorporate into leases and grants of franchises such terms as it deems for the best interest of the municipality. The act provides also that the street cars may be used to carry parcels and mail as well as passengers. Provision is made for the payment of bonds and for the publication of accounts of municipal railways.

   Naturally the act was opposed by the existing street railway companies in Chicago, but it passed both branches of the legislature by an overwhelming vote and was favored by both the candidates for mayor in the last Chicago election. The Chicago corporations will probably fight to retain their present privileges. But litigation is discouraged by the fact that the Muller bill was carefully drawn by prominent attorneys employed by Chicago and that the legality of its provisions was pronounced valid by the attorney general of the state.

   This is the beginning of perhaps the most important experiment in the municipal control of street railroads yet undertaken in this country, and its success or failure will unquestionably have a marked effect upon the question in other cities.

 

JUDGE DOUGHERTY, REFEREE

In a Peculiar Election Case in the Town of German, N. Y.

   City Judge James Dougherty is the referee in one of the most peculiar election cases that has recently come to notice. The Chenango Sun says of it:

   The office of Charles Clinton, Esq., in Greene was crowded with people Thursday, July 2, attending the trial of the German mandamus case before Judge James Dougherty of Cortland. The case involves the election of a commissioner of highways for the town of German.

   It seems that at the town meeting held in February last but one ticket was in the field and that, the Republican ticket with Carthon H. Goetcheus, candidate for Commissioner of highways. A number of voters were dissatisfied with Mr. Goetcheus and voted in the blank column for V. D. Birdlebough and he was declared elected by two majority. Later Mr. Goetcheus obtained a writ of mandamus requiring a re-count, and on the recount the inspectors declared the result to be a tie. Every step taken seemed to increase the trouble and the parties finally agreed to submit the case to Judge Dougherty. Nearly five hours were spent before the attorneys could agree on the issue to be submitted to the court, but harmony prevailed at last on Mr. Clinton's proposition to submit the entire election returns and all the ballots cast, to the court for determination, and the court to make a certificate of the result, declaring who received the greatest number of votes and this certificate to be followed by the inspectors of election and a certificate of election to be issued accordingly to the person receiving the greatest number of votes.

   This difficulty out of the way the real canvass commenced. Daniel M. Edgerton, town clerk of the town of German, was the first witness. He produced the ballots and it was apparent as soon as the ballots were' opened and examined that a long trial was in store for German people. The ballots were marked in almost every way that could be suggested and but little progress was made before the day was gone. An adjournment was taken to July 7 at the same place. This case is of much interest to election officers and will tend to straighten out many election questions concerning the marking of ballots.

   The attorneys are E. B. Jenks, Esq., of Whitney's Point, for Mr. Goetcheus; H. C. Stratton, Esq., of Oxford for Mr. Birdlebough; and Charles Clinton, Esq., of this village for the town of German. Official stenographer, G. W. Spendley. If you want to learn how to mark your ballot correctly, attend this trial.

   On July 7 the hearing was continued and a further adjournment was taken to July 27.

 

RELIANCE OF CANASTOTA, N. Y.

To Play the All-Cortland Team on Athletic Field Saturday.

   The Reliance semi-professional [baseball] team of Canastota will play the All-Cortland team at Athletic field Saturday afternoon, the game being called at 3:30 o'clock. Several changes will be made in the makeup of the team and every endeavor will be made to strengthen the weak places in the team displayed by yesterday's game with the Binghamton Stars.

 

BREVITIES.

   —The Columbian Rope company of Auburn, N. Y., was incorporated with a capital of $600,000.

   —The Knights of Pythias state convention will be held in Binghamton beginning July 28.

   —During the seven days ending July 7 the Auburn & Syracuse Electric road carried 11,163 passengers the whole length of the line.

   —The new display advertisements today are—A. S. Burgess, Clothing, page 8; G. H. Wiltsie, Dry goods, page 5; M. W. Giles, Clearing sale, page 8; L. & K. Freeman, Millinery, page 5; F. Daehler, Elk ties, page 5.

YOUNG OFFICERS WARNED, RESCUED PRISONER, LOSSES AT OAKFORD PARK, SEND NUMBERS ONLY, SODDING GROTON AVE. BANK, AND DIGGING FOR GOLD

 

Elihu Root.

Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, July 15, 1903.

YOUNG OFFICERS WARNED.

Secretary Root's Memorandum In Announcing Result of a Court Martial.

   Washington, July 15.—The president has approved the action of the court martial in the case of Second Lieutenant John F. McCarthy, 19th infantry, recently stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was convicted of duplicating his pay accounts and sentenced to be dismissed from the army.

   In announcing the president's action Secretary Root added the following memorandum:

   "The attention of the secretary of war has been drawn to numerous violations of the regulations governing the transfer and assignment of pay accounts, especially by young officers who are not yet fully conversant with the requirement of army regulations in that regard. The law and regulations are alike explicit in respect to this practice and operate to deprive validity [of] all transfers or assignments of claims to pay until the right thereto has fully accrued and the account has become lawfully due and payable.

   "Young officers are reminded that the avoidance of debt, a rigorous economy in expenditure, and a scrupulous regard for pecuniary obligations are absolutely essential to good standing in the military service, and departures from the standard of probity in that regard will not be lightly regarded by the war department."

 

RESCUED A PRISONER.

Sheriff Prevented a Lynching at Coxsackie, N. Y.

SMUGGLED PRISONER TO BOAT.

Took Negro, Charged With Assault on a Little Girl, from the Flimsy Local Lockup to Jail at Catskill—Enraged Farmers Vowing Vengeance For Beastly Assault.

   Albany, July 15.—The quick wit of a deputy sheriff at Coxsackie prevented the lynching of James Little, a 19-year-old negro hailing from Summerhurst, N. J., who early yesterday morning near New Baltimore criminally assaulted Emma Cole, aged 11, daughter of Joseph Cole, a farmer living one mile back of New Baltimore. The child, with her 5-year-old sister and Maud Lobdell, aged 12, was picking berries by the roadside in the long woods between New Baltimore and Coxsackie, a mile from home, when Little accosted them, asking them for something to eat.

   The Lobdell girl went to her home, but her mother was not there, and returning to her companions she found the negro dragging Emma Cole into the woods. She ran to her aid and the negro pulled out a handful of her hair. She then ran away with the little Cole girl, screaming for help while Little dragged his victim into the woods and assaulted her, then escaping after threatening her with death if she moved.

   Her father and neighbors met the child coming home, and at once organized a party to scour the woods.

   A description of the negro was sent to nearby towns, and an hour later he was captured on the railroad track, near Coxsackie, by Roy Cutler. He confessed the assault and was locked up.

   In the meanwhile news of the capture reached New Baltimore, and a mob of 150 enraged farmers started for Coxsackie, augmented by a large number of striking Coxsackie moulders and river men, all frankly avowing their intention to lynch the negro. It was the strikers' "benefit day" in Coxsackie and the town was crowded. Threats of lynching filled the air, and every train augmented the crowd.

   Deputy Sheriff, Sumner Vanloon, realizing that the coming of darkness would mean the breaking of the flimsy local lockup and the violent death of his prisoner, smuggled the negro out and took him down the river on the boat to Catskill, where there is a well-built jail.

   The Cole child is seriously injured, but may recover. Her father and the neighboring farmers are in a terrible state of excitement, and but for the deputy's quick action would certainly have lynched the negro.

   There is probability of trouble when the negro is taken to New Baltimore for examination. Precautions are being taken to protest the prisoner, but New Baltimore is in a very ugly temper.

 

MOB PERSUADED TO LEAVE.

Senator Foster of Louisiana Helps to Save a Negro From Being Lynched.

   New Orleans, July 15.—After much persuasion from United States Senator Foster, Circuit Judge Allen, District Judge Smith and Sheriff Sanders the mob which went to the St. Mary's parish jail to lynch Esau Lovely, alias Possum, a negro confined there, dispersed and agreed to let the law take its course if the negro was tried promptly.

   Lovely is an ex-convict and is regarded as dangerous. On Sunday he attacked Mrs. Rene Hebert, while she was driving to church and robbed her, leaving her in a serious condition from the shock of the attack.

   Several hundred neighbors of the Heberts went to the jail to lynch Lovely, but were dispersed by the speeches of Senator Foster and the others. It was announced that a special jury would be impaneled, and, as Lovely had already confessed to the crime and the evidence against him was conclusive, no doubt could be entertained of the administration of justice.

   According to agreement, Lovely was brought to trial before the district court in Franklin. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to the penitentiary for 34 years. Immediately after the sentence he was removed to the parish prison for safety. There was no further demonstration against the prisoner.

 

Broken dam above Oakford [Trolley] Park.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.

Lesson of Oakford Park Disaster.

   The collapse of the dam at Oakford Park, Pa., resulting in a disaster in which more than a score of lives were lost, was reported to have been caused by a cloudburst. This is a convenient hypothesis. It permits those responsible for the calamity to take refuge behind "an act of God" and gives surviving friends and relatives such consolation as may be derived from the conviction that the visitation was something not to be averted by human agency.

   The impression seems quite generally to prevail that clouds are constructed somewhat like water bags, which permit their contents to exude harmlessly through their porous envelopes, but if these envelopes are torn or so damaged as to permit them to empty their contents all at once nothing in the way of an engineering structure can stand the dissolving and displacing action of the escaped water. As a matter of fact, there is no such thing as a cloudburst. Normal conditions may and sometimes do produce a sudden precipitation of great volume, and the outpouring may be paroxysmal and suggest the descent of floods from the upper air, but it is only rain after all, and nothing like a cloudburst ever does or ever can occur. The causes producing exceptional precipitation are various and not always recognized; but they are liable to become operative at any moment in the mountain districts, and when they do the gullies are quickly congested, not being large enough at the bottom to carry away a great deal more rain than they ordinarily have to dispose of. Thus dams are swept away.

   The reason that Oakford Park dam gave way, as has been the case of many like disasters, can be easily and briefly explained. It was either not built strong enough or it was not kept in repair. For this condition somebody was responsible, and the matter is one for the searching inquiry of a grand jury. There are, no doubt, many such dams throughout the country, and the lesson of this catastrophe applies with particular force to those who are charged with their maintenance. Thorough examination of these structures should be made as a precaution against the recurrence of such disaster as that in Pennsylvania. "Cloudbursts" are likely to be as frequent in the future as in the past, and the older the dams the greater the risk attending the neglect of repairs when needed.

 

SEND THE NUMBER ONLY

In Making Answers in the Misspelled Words Contest.

   Subscribers of The Cortland Standard who wish to submit answers in the misspelled word contest which ends on Friday night of this week, July 17, in both daily and semi-weekly editions, need not send in the clippings from the papers with errors corrected, as previously requested, but are asked to send merely the total number of errors, the figures being plainly written on a sheet of paper, together with the name and address of the sender. Enclose this in an envelope. The exact time of the receipt of each answer will be entered upon the envelope as each one is received at this office, and after all have come in the envelopes will be opened.

 

SODDING THE BANK.

Grade is so Steep that Water Washes it Badly.

   T. N. Hollister is improving the property at 43 Groton-ave., Cortland, by grading and terracing the lawn. The property is situated on the south side of the street and is a part of the high gravelly bank that has been so hard to keep in a presentable condition. A year ago last fall the bank was graded and seeded down, a new cement walk was laid along the entire front of the property and the owner was in hopes that the trouble was at an end. During the severe rain of December, 1901, part of the bank slid down nearly covering the walk. The bank was once more placed in good condition, but with every hard rain much soil and gravel kept working down, keeping it in an unsatisfactory condition.

   Yesterday Mr. Hollister put a number of men at work cutting back the lower slope and lowering the bank between two and three feet. The whole front will be sodden over and the bank ought then to remain in a fixed condition.

 

TO LOWER CAYUGA LAKE.

A Scheme that Promises to Benefit the Health of Ithaca.

   Dr. Soper of the state board of health, who is devoting a number of months to the health of Ithaca, advocates taking steps to lower the level of Cayuga lake 3 feet by enlarging the outlet. A number of places along the shore are protesting vehemently. They claim that to do this would leave acres of swampy morasses at the foot of the lake.

 

Colored Excursion Tomorrow.

   A special excursion train with the colored Y. M. C. A. and their friends from Elmira will pass through Cortland tomorrow at 9:30 o'clock bound for Sylvan Beach. The party will also include colored people from Binghamton, Waverly and other points. Tickets will be sold from Cortland for $1.50 for adults and 60 cents for children.

 

DIGGING FOR GOLD.

Buried Treasure that May Have Been Left by Seneca Indians.

   There is a tradition among the Onondaga Indians that after General Sullivan's expedition into the Cherry Valley, the subsequent defeat of the Indians, and the pursuit of various bands by details from Sullivan's command, a party of Seneca Indians came up the Tioughnioga valley and being hard pressed, buried much of their treasure somewhere in the valley, probably near the site of Cortland where several trails centered.

   Whether the tradition of the buried treasure is true or not there is no way of knowing, but history relates that a party of Indians did flee up the Tioughnioga valley and that the pursuit was sharp and long continued. Color is being lent to the ''buried treasure" part of the affair by the following:

   During the clambake held in Wellington gorge, between Cortland and McGraw, a few weeks ago by the local bartenders, Thomas Crabb tripped over a heavy stone, overturning it. Greatly to his surprise he saw on the ground where the stone had laid what appeared to be pieces of money. Without saying a word to any one he slipped the coins into his pocket and upon reaching home examined them more carefully and found that although badly defaced, they appeared to be old gold coins. He made no mention of his find, but decided to revisit the place, which he did on several subsequent evenings.

   Some of his friends, anxious to know the cause of his nocturnal wanderings followed him the other evening and found him busily engaged wielding the pick. The story then became public. Mr. Crabb says he has found several of the coins and is ready to exhibit them at any time.

 

BREVITIES.

   —The Ithaca Electric Light & Power company filed in the secretary of state's office Tuesday a certification of reduction of capital stock from $500,000 to $300,000.

   —The new display advertisements today are— Peck Furniture house, Porch chairs, etc., page 5; Warren, Tanner & Co., Walking skirts, laces, etc., page 5.

   —In submitting answers upon the number of misspelled words in the advertisements in the educational columns during the recent weeks, please do not send in clippings from the papers with spelling corrected, as first requested, but let each subscriber make his own footing of total errors in all the papers. Write the total upon a sheet of paper with name and address of sender and enclose this in an envelope. Send the envelope to the Standard office.

 

SUNDAY FILLER: HISTORY OF COMPUTERS

 

GEN. ROBERT SHAW OLIVER, ANOTHER RUSSIAN PROMISE, AGAINST LYNCHING, NEW AIRSHIP, MISSISSIPPI RIVER, AND ITHACA BAND

 

General Robert Shaw Oliver, Assistant Secretary of War.

Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, July 14, 1903.

TO SUCCEED SANGER.

General Robert Shaw Oliver to Be Appointed

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF WAR.

Appointment Agreed Upon at a Conference Between President and Secretary Root—Said to Be Satisfactory to Senators Platt and Depew—Military Career of Distinction.

   Oyster Bay, July 14.—President Roosevelt has decided to appoint General Robert Shaw Oliver of Albany, N. Y., as assistant secretary of war to succeed Colonel William Cary Sanger, resigned.

   The appointment was agreed upon finally at a conference between the president and Secretary Root. It has been in contemplation for some time as it has been known that Secretary Sanger desired to retire from the war department on account of the ill health of Mrs. Sanger. His resignation was placed in the hands of the president to be accepted as soon as convenient.

   General Oliver has had a military career of distinction. He served in the civil war as a volunteer officer and subsequently served as an officer of the regular army establishment in both infantry and cavalry branches.

   For many years he has been identified with the New York National Guard and now is a brigadier general. General Oliver is engaged in the iron business and is quite as prominent in commercial circles as he is in military affairs.

   It has not been decided definitely when General Oliver will assume his new office, but as Colonel Sanger desires to relinquish his duties as soon as possible it is likely General Oliver will undertake them as soon as he can arrange his business affairs.

   The appointment of General Oliver, it can be said, is quite satisfactory to Senators Platt and Depew, who were consulted regarding it.

   In connection with the consideration of appointments it can be said that the president has not thought seriously of naming Charles S. Francis of Troy, N. Y., as ambassador to Italy because, so far as the president is aware, Ambassador Meyer has no intention of resigning.

   The rumor, it is stated, is on a par with that which indicated that Ambassador McCormick was to retire from St. Petersburg to be succeeded by Mayor Low of New York. Both stories are without the slightest foundation.

   Secretary Root will leave Sagamore Hill for Washington today.

 

Another Russian Promise.

   St. Petersburg, July 14.—According to the newspaper Norikrai, published at Port Arthur, Russia has informed China that she is compelled to exclude foreigners from Manchuria and postpone the opening of Manchurian ports owing to the presence of Englishmen and Americans, who in disguise are engaged in espionage. Russia, according to the paper, promises to open the ports six years hence when the country has been tranquillized and settled.

 

David J. Brewer.

REACTION AGAINST LYNCHING.

Justice Brewer Declares That Every Participant Is a Murderer.

   Milwaukee, July 14.—"Every man who participates in the lynching or burning of a negro is a murderer pure and simple."

   This opinion was given by Associate Justice Brewer of the United States supreme court, who is here.

   "Of course," explained Judge Brewer, "there may be extenuation which might vary the degree of the crime, but the principal participants in the crime can be held by any court in the land for murder in the same degree as if the crime were committed by an individual.

   "There is going to be a reaction against the atrocious crimes with which the papers have been filled."

 

Sam Langley's first test flight over and in Potomac River.

A NEW AIRSHIP

Soon to be Launched from a Boat in the Potomac River.

   Washington, July 14.—After spending $20,000 of his private means, and devoting all his spare time for seven years to the perfecting of his ideas for aerial navigation, Prof. S. P. Langley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, is about to launch an airship which he believes will be a success. The trial will be made at some point on the Potomac river below Washington, the exact location being kept a secret.

   The ship will be launched from the roof of a huge house boat which will be towed to the starting point by a tug. The flying machine is cigar-shaped, about 60 feet in length, constructed of steel and brass. The motive power is gasoline, the engine being 25-horse power, and exceedingly light of weight. The machine is fitted with a small platform, surrounded by a railing, capable of holding a man in a sitting or standing position. More than $70,000 has been expended in developing the machine, of which congress appropriated $50,000.

   Eight to ten men are engaged at work upon the airship, placing it in position an\d adjusting the various parts. These men are skilled machinists from Smithsonian Institute. At night a guard of soldiers keep would be visitors away from the boat.

 

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.

Mississippi River Improvements.

   There is some element of pertinency and justice in the suggestion that comes from the Mississippi valley that the general government should protect the bottom lands of that locality from the annual inundations as well as go into the policy of reclaiming the arid lands of the farther west. Manifestly the object of the new irrigation law is to extend the area of land available for agriculture and settlement. The protection of the vast and fertile bottom lands along the lower Mississippi would have a similar result, and no one could have any objection to the full and businesslike consideration of the matter by congress.

   These bottom lands when swept by floods are for the season as useless as desert lands, and there is always danger of destructive inundations. Property is swept away and crops are wiped out frequently. The fear of loss limits operations and reduces production all the time. If the extremely rich lands exposed to floods could be safeguarded against them the crops of the country would be enormously increased and its wealth enhanced correspondingly.

   The question is one no less important than that of irrigation, and it should have fair consideration. The whole problem of irrigation, levee protection and waterways is one of economic engineering in which the whole country is interested.

 

Ithaca Band, Ptrick Conway leader.

THE ITHACA BAND

To Play at the Park the Last Week in July.

   The famous Ithaca band of forty pieces with Patsey Conway as leader, which played such a satisfactory engagement at the Cortland park last year and attracted such great crowds of music lovers, has been engaged for another engagement this year. The band will come to Cortland Saturday, July 25, and play on Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, July 27, it goes to Binghamton to play a two days' engagement according to previous arrangement, but returns again on Wednesday, July 29, and plays through Sunday, Aug. 2. Two concerts will be given each day. Music lovers will doubtless arrange their engagements so as to hear these concerts.

 

CHARGED WITH A THREAT

Of Murder and Arson—Case to be Investigated.

   Miles Stafford, who resides between Blodgett Mills and Messengerville, was arrested last Thursday on a warrant charging him with threatening to kill Job Stafford and to burn his buildings. He was taken to Messengerville yesterday afternoon by Officer James Edwards and arraigned. He pleaded not guilty and the case was put over until Tuesday, July 21, giving him time to secure witnesses. In default of bail be was brought back to Cortland and lodged in the county jail.

 

Cut His Knee.

   While working on a house that is being erected on Lincoln-ave., Cortland, Charles Corwin of 15 Union-st. had the misfortune to cut himself quite severely yesterday. He was trimming some rafters with a short handled ax, when the ax, glancing from a knot, struck him just below the right knee cutting a gash to the bone and about two and one half inches long. The wound, which bled profusely, was bound up and Corwin started to find a physician. Not one of the two or three nearby physicians were [sic] in their offices so he went to Dr. Reese's office. Dr. Reese was in and at once cleansed and bandaged the wound.

 

Picnicking at the Park.

   The Sundayschool [sic] of the First Baptist church enjoyed its annual picnic at the park today. Before going to the park special cars took the picnickers over the Traction company's line to Homer and McGraw. The party that took the cars was a large and merry one and the day was enjoyed to the utmost.

 

New Wagon for Ithaca.

   Charles Seaman, an Ithaca liveryman, was in Cortland yesterday and placed an order with the Ellis Omnibus & Cab Co. for a coach to be used in his business as a bearers' wagon.

 

BREVITIES.

   —The two Crapser murder trials have cost Broome county $3,000.

   —Cazenovia has just opened a new canning factory. The company is capitalized at $10,000.

   —Forty society people in Auburn are this week giving a circus to large crowds, the proceeds to go to the City hospital.

   —A new $12,000 school building is to be erected upon the grounds of the George Junior Republic at Freeville this summer.

   —Dr. Reese has men at work today grading the plot recently purchased adjoining his lawn and which is to become a part of the lawn.

   —The bartenders defeated the tailors in an interesting baseball game at Athletic field yesterday afternoon by the score of 10 to 7.

   —The regular monthly meeting of the Home Missionary society of Homer-ave. M. E. church will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2:30. Ice cream and cake will be served in the evening.

   —Every column of a newspaper, says the Norwich Sun, contains 12,000 to 16,000 distinct pieces of type, the displacement of any one of which cause a blunder or typographical error in the paper. When many people find a word with a wrong letter in it they are so sure they could spell that single word right they are happy for a whole day.