The
Cortland News, Friday, December 15, 1882.
CORTLAND
AND VICINITY.
Our streets are alive with the bustle of business.[Incoming] Sheriff Borthwick will reside in the court-house after the first of January.
As the coon said to Davy Crockett, “Don’t shoot, I’ll come down.” [State] Supt. Gilmour to Judge Smith.
The office of H. J. Messenger’s Insurance Agency has been removed to his residence, corner of Union street and Reynolds avenue.
Sheriff Van Hoesen has bought the Fosmer place on Grant street, which includes six acres of land, and will take possession January 1st next. Price, $3,000.
The new penal code does not apply to cleaning of sidewalks on Sunday.—Syr. Sunday Times. Judging by their conduct, there are many people in this village who disagree with you.
Mr. John Morris, the soldier who served over thirteen years in the English army; who was in campaigns that carried him into Asia and Africa as well as Europe; who was in the Punjab, at Delhi, at Cawnpore and other places in India; who went through the Crimean war and was at the taking of Sebastopol; whose Regiment, the 23rd Fusiliers, was part of the reserve corps which would have been called upon to take the guns at Balaklava had the gallant charge of the six hundred failed, and who, of course, saw the complete success which rewarded the brilliant dash of those brave volunteers; this veteran of many horrible battles, who is living a quiet life in our midst, as he has for the last twenty-four years, passed on the 8th inst. his 63rd birthday, and the numerous tokens of good-will he then received were evidence that his excellent traits of character are appreciated by his many friends, and that their wishes are that he will have many more birthdays and rejoice in the possession of happiness and good health.
Our townsman, Mr. Theodore Stevenson, can be said to have erected more dwellings in the corporation of Cortland than any other person. A review of what he has done in this direction during the past season and has now in the process of erection, will conclusively show this. On Mill street [Clinton Avenue], 6 have been erected, three of them what are styled Chautauqua cottages, and one double; 1 on the corner of Garfield and Hubbard streets; 2 on Garfield street, one arranged for two families; 1 on corner of Garfield and Crandall streets, a double Lakeview cottage, veranda, projecting roof and attic finished, making a three story building; 1 on Crandall street; 2 on Pomeroy street, double, in good style, suitable for a boarding house; 1 on Hubbard street; 1 on Elm street, a large double house, three stories, wide halls conveniently arranged. Most of the houses contain bath-rooms, folding doors, pipes for gas, and other modern conveniences, and some have flag-stone sidewalks already laid. Mr. Stevenson has lately said to Messrs. L. K. Tanner and W. H. Newton, who compose the Excelsior [Top?] Co. [the bottom of this news page is ink-smeared and illegible—CC editor]… to one hundred and fifty workmen. All of these buildings are east of the S. & B. R. R. and add largely to that part of the village. We would not be surprised, if one of these days, the people of that section would get on their dignity and call themselves citizens of East Cortland.
TERRIBLE
ACCIDENT.
Last Friday morning, Mr. Andrew Seaman of the paint shop in Hitchcock wagon
factory, a man about 53 years old, jumped on the elevator, which was
loaded with cutter bodies for the paint room, and when it had passed upward
from that floor a foot or so, but whether he missed his footing or found the
space too narrow to admit him and so attempted to jump off is not known; at any
rate he was caught between the floor of the elevator, which was ascending quite
rapidly, and the floor above, and jammed into a space not over three or four
inches wide. The elevator was quickly lowered and he was taken to his home on
Elm street and surgeons were called, who found Mr. Seaman’s face and neck cut,
his jaw broken and his body so crushed that the ribs overlapped. His wounds
being dressed he seemed to be quite comfortable and hopes were entertained that
he would recover, though Mr. Seaman, who was conscious all of the time, said
from the first that he could not live; and that proved to be the case, for in
the afternoon of Saturday he died.He had been in the employ of Mr. Hitchcock nearly two years, and on the strength of a lately renewed engagement had just brought his family from Arcade to Cortland. Mr. Seaman was an artist of considerable merit, some of his landscape paintings in oil showing taste, skill, harmony in color and fidelity to nature.
He was greatly liked by his associates, both at his home in Arcade and here, as a gold-headed cane given to him by the former and the passage of the following resolutions by the latter fully testify:
WHEREAS, By a most lamentable accident, Andrew Seaman, who has been with us nearly two years, and who by his genial manner, upright character and remarkable skill as an artist, has won our esteem, respect and admiration; therefore,
Resolved, That while we regret and mourn the loss of our friend, comrade and brother, we bow with humble reverence to the mandates of an Infinite and Omniscient Providence.
Resolved, That we extend our sincere sympathy to the bereaved family, whose loss of a husband and father is greater than our own.
Resolved, That copies of these resolutions be printed, and the same forwarded to the widow and children of our associate.
The funeral services were conducted by the Rev. W. H. Annable, and were attended by the employees of the factory, headed by the proprietor, Mr. Hitchcock, and the superintendent, Mr. Gleason, who afterward escorted the family and the remains to the depot. The body was taken to Arcade for burial.
COMPELLED
BY MANDAMUS TO DO RIGHT.
Hon.
Neil Gilmour Made to Prepare Diplomas for Seven Graduates of the Cortland
Normal School.
The public will recollect that Mr. Gilmour refused to prepare diplomas for the
class of eighteen Normal students who graduated from our Normal school January
18, 1881. Subsequently he persuaded twelve of the eighteen to re-enter the
school a short time, from six hours to two weeks, in order to receive diplomas.
The remaining six refused to enter, claiming that they had complied with the
statute.The Board forwarded to him again last May these six names. Mr. George E. Arnold, who completed his work in the school January 18, 1881, but did not graduate then, because he wished to pursue extra studies, entered school last June; the Board forwarded his name to Mr. Gilmour for a diploma. Without any correspondence with any officer of the Board or with the principal of the school, Mr. Gilmour wrote to the Board June 24 that he was “informed that Mr. Arnold had not been a member of the school” for the past year and over, and asked why he should be graduated. An official telegram was sent to him, stating that he had completed his work in the school and was thus a member of it. Mr. Gilmour telegraphed back that the answer was not satisfactory. He sent diplomas for the class of June 27, 1882, but wrote June 24, 1882, that he had forwarded diplomas for all except Mr. Arnold and Misses Criddle, Folger, Kinney, Saltsman, Benton and Wheeler, and that he had withheld the diplomas from the parties above named for the reason that grave doubts existed as to the right of these parties to receive diplomas at this time.
Miss Martha Saltsman, above named, began to teach in Richford, Tioga county, N. Y., this fall; she wrote early in October to Mr. Gilmore to inquire about her diploma; she received no word of reply. The trustee of her school then wrote to Mr. Gilmour, who responded at once to him that Miss Saltsman must be examined by the Commissioner, and licensed by him in order to save the public money. Miss Saltsman was examined, but on October 30, Hon. A. P. Smith, her counsel, served notice on Mr. Gilmour of a motion for a writ of mandamus to compel him to prepare for Miss Salesman a Normal diploma, the motion being returnable at Albany the 26th of December.
The very next day, October 31, Mr. Gilmour wrote to the Local Board, requesting to have a committee from the Local Board appointed to meet him, to settle without further litigation any and all questions that may arise out of the Cortland Normal school controversy. A committee was appointed and met him, although the Board could not touch the matter of diplomas, the suit being by a private person. Last week the seven diplomas came, properly signed by Mr. Gilmour; they soon received the signatures of the principal, and the secretary of the Board, and are legal licenses to teach in our State. Thus ended another burlesque on law.
This case involved the rights of Normal students in Normal schools; the law is explicit and mandatory on the Superintendent; he must prepare diplomas for those whom the Board recommend to him; he cannot legally go back of their decision in the case. But he did go back, and saw grave doubts. Miss Saltsman saw only grave stubbornness, and thought to give him a chance to establish his doubts. But when he saw the Court and Justice staring him in the eye, he sent all seven diplomas.
Miss Saltsman is entitled to the lasting gratitude of all students in all Normal schools for her bravery, for her womanly self-respect. Those others who refused with her to humiliate themselves by re-entering school to go through the farce of earning a diploma are worthy of their alma mater.
We cannot close this account without giving to Judge A. P. Smith praise for the part which he took in securing these diplomas. He entered into the case feeling deeply the great wrong which Mr. Gilmour had done to persons who were wholly innocent. He carried on the case as though it was his own family that suffered; Mr. Gilmour knew the Judge meant “business,” and he surrendered at once. All honor to Hon. A. P. Smith who has again shown himself to be a true friend of right, of education, and of teachers, as well as a public-spirited citizen.
THE POST OFFICE OUTRAGE!
Let the People Rebuke the
Authors.
It has been an open secret for some time that the Ring headed by Wm. H. Clark,
of the Cortland Standard, had
determined to secure the removal of the post office from its old and central
location to the new building in process
of erection and owned by Wm. H. Clark, J. C. Carmichael, Prof. Milne (or his
wife) and others. The new building contains several stores on the first floor,
which are for rent. The location is too far south of the thoroughfare of
business on Main street to make them desirable and the Clark owners have been
studying for a long time how to fill up these stores with tenants. They have
been to some of the merchants on the street endeavoring to get them to leave
their old locations and move into the new building, but with no success. The plan now is to compel business men to go into the Clark building and to force the village people to patronize those who go into said building. The plot or swindle (for its nothing better) was originated and set going by the Honorable William H. Clark two or three months ago. He and his co-laborer, James C. Carmichael, have since been working in Washington and elsewhere to bring about the removal.
The inconvenience and trouble to the inhabitants of the village and the irreparable injury to the business interests of the place were never for one moment taken into the account. The conspirators have gone on, without consulting the people of the village on the subject, or allowing them a voice in the matter.
When the plot leaked out and the people found what was going on, petitions were circulated, protesting against the removal. These, though they represent four-fifths of the business interests of the place, are it seems to be disregarded, under the flimsy pretense that no other location for the post office than the Clark building can be found. This is not true. A location can be had near the old office, and the people know it. It is a lame excuse to bridge over one of the most brazen and unjust schemes ever started in Cortland, and they have been numerous.
Mr. Clark in a very late issue of his paper makes a boast that he succeeded in defeating the Republican ticket this fall and in breaking up the Republican party in the county. It has since transpired that Clark was prompted to join hands with his political enemies through the most venal and corrupt considerations. This man has kept the village of Cortland in a turmoil ever since he came here to reside, and will continue to do so as long as our citizens give him their patronage and support.
Can it be that the people will allow this man to go on and imperil and damage the business interests of the town in order to enrich himself a few hundred dollars? A year from now he will boast of his selfishness in respect to the post office removal, and will say after the style of Boss Tweed, "What are you going to do about it?" The people should arise at once and take the most vigorous and thorough measures to check this swindle. If the parties in interest persist in carrying out the scheme for the removal of the post office to Clark's building let a petition be circulated pledging each signer not to send or receive their mail matter from the office, nor patronize any business carried on by the conspirators in the Clark building. Such a petition would be hailed with popular approval and might bring Clark, Carmichael & Co. to a realization of the outrage which they propose to put on the village of Cortland.
Royal
Welsh Fusiliers:
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