L. D. Garrison & Co., Natural Food Grocery

L. D. Garrison & Co. was located in the old Garrison block, 17-19 Main Street. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1884. The current brick building was erected in the same year.

The Cortland News, Friday, May 11, 1883.

CORTLAND AND VICINITY.

   Dr. Hoose has been at Fredonia this week attending the meeting of Normal school principals.

   Falsifying has become so strong a characteristic of the Standard that even its "veteran" compositor is not allowed to tell the truth.

   Mr. H. C. Beebe begins this week the erection of an addition to his laundry on Mill [Clinton Avenue] street. This will greatly enlarge the facilities for doing a rapidly increasing business.

   Mr. R. Beard, who lately became the owner of the Elder property north of the court-house, has begun a foundation on which he will move the old house, and on the site of that he will in time erect a dwelling for himself.

   At the general term of the Supreme Court held at Binghamton last week Mr. D. Eugene Smith was admitted to practice as attorney and counselor-at-law in all the courts of this State. The new firm will be known as "A. P. & D. E. Smith." [As noted in a prior post, D. Eugene Smith was the son of Surrogate Judge A. P. Smith--CC editor.]

   Mr. R. B. Fletcher, undertaker, is fitting up a room adjoining the furniture ware-rooms of R. Beard & Son, in the Barber block, to be used as a show room for burial caskets. This will be of great convenience to him and afford more space for Mr. Beard's use.

   Mr. S. M. Benjamin has laid a flagstone sidewalk in front of his marble shop on North Main street. The workman was Mr. Henry Colligan, who does these jobs in a thorough manner, the entire west side of Charles street, the longest unbroken stone walk on any private street, showing evidence of his skill.

   For some time past lovers of flowers have enjoyed a beautiful sight at the greenhouse of Mr. W. R. Randall, where Mr. M. F. Geary has in full bloom a fine azalea. It is yet in flower, and is worth going a good ways to see. It is expected that next week a magnolia will bloom, and that will be another attractive sight.

   One of the clearest, finest, best printed, and in all respects most attractive picture of a building we have ever seen is a photograph of the new Congregational church edifice taken by Page & Santee. It is put up in cabinet size as well as stereoscopic, and is a very desirable ornament for the house as well as to send to friends.

   The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad having completed its route to Buffalo, will begin running through trains next Monday. We see it stated that the Erie, New York Central and Lackawanna railroads are to have a competitive test of speed, to determine which one of the three will carry the through mails from New York to Chicago.

   The Standard publishes, this week, a partial history of journalism in this county. That is, it is rather partial to the Standard. In the meantime the Democrat will continue, as usual, to give its readers all the news that transpires, perfectly content to allow the Standard a monopoly of the business of inflating itself with its own wind.—Cort. Democrat.

   Mr. J. M. Samson, located in the Samson building, opposite the Cortland House, is rapidly acquiring a reputation for keeping as choice a stock of goods as this section has known. His judgment is of the best, and his taste unexcelled. In a column advertisement this week he tells our people of the goods that may be found at his store, and certainly the list is very attractive.

   Mr. C. B. Allard has disposed of his agency for coloring and cleaning garments to Mr. M. L. Decker, and that of the Syracuse Herald to Mr. E. D. Robbins, and has taken the agency of the New York Mutual Benefit Association. The above arrangement goes into effect next Monday. The headquarters of the parties named will be at the rooms occupied by Messrs. Allard and Decker.

   Messrs. A. R. and Jay Peck are cousins and well known to the people of Cortland. They are active and enterprising, as will be seen by the manner in which they commence business, which is announced elsewhere in our columns. Their store in the Squires' building has been fitted up handsomely and expressly for their needs, and they will keep one of the best and most complete assortments of boots and shoes known to Central New York.

   The Standard last week boasted of its 2,000 average circulation for the past seven months. As this includes the 5,000 gaseous extras issued and given away last week, and the many thousands sent out by the Democratic county committee in last fall's campaign in order to defeat the Republican party, the above claim is small. The usual circulation of the gas paper must be rather light. By-the-by, we see that neighbor Jones takes mildly Clark's statement that the circulation of the Standard is larger than that of the Democrat. Perhaps that's because Jones remembers the efforts made by Clark last fall to elect the Democratic candidates, and he is therefore willing that Clark should boast as long as the Democrat gets the loaves and fishes.

   The Standard last week afforded positive proof that its entire establishment, from its engine down to its editorials, is run by gas.

   The Emerald Hose Company are fitting up their rooms in the Keator building in fine style. This week a new carpet will cover their floors.

   The pressure upon our columns this week compels us to defer the publication of the Farmers' Club proceedings and of an account of the dedication of the new Congregational church, which occurred on Tuesday, and was attended by an overflowing house. The exercises were exceedingly interesting, and successfully carried out.

   The firm of L. D. Garrison & Co. hardly need a special introduction to our citizens. Lev is a young man yet—18 some say—but he has on his shoulders, or thereabouts, a business head 50 or 60 years old, or figures to that effect. On second thought there appears to be a discrepancy somewhere in those figures which is difficult to reconcile; but it makes no difference, at least it don't to us. Anyway, he has been whooping up business to the people ever since he was born 80 or 90 years ago; at least, we have known him all our life. But that mixes things again, because we are only 31, and have been for the last 15 years. One thing, however, of which we are certain: there is a young man in that establishment and his family name is Webster; we don't mean Young Webster, either. But he knows so thoroughly what he is about that he acts as a balance wheel—we guess, though, we had better stop talking of these gentlemen and let them speak for themselves, which they do elsewhere in this issue and in a most interesting manner, too.

   The Standard last week made one of its characteristic spasmodic splurges, in which it tried to prove that there is only one newspaper, and that is the Standard: only one building and that is the Standard building; and that no business is being done by any firms of their class not located in that building. Still, we are quite certain that, in spite of Clark's opinion, H. M. Kellogg and Smith & Kingsbury will continue to control the hardware trade of this section; that W. H. Tuttle, the new firm of A. R. & Jay Peck, Dickinson & McGraw, and C. Van Alstyne propose to furnish as heretofore the latest styles from the best manufacturers of boots and shoes; that A. Mahan as usual will lead in the sale of pianos and organs in all the country round about and in many places that are not so round about; that R. Beard & Son will be compelled by their constantly increasing trade to enlarge their furniture ware-rooms; that sewing machines which have no superiors in style, workmanship and capabilities, may yet be found at A. Mahan's and M. L. Decker's; that just as good tea as can be procured and at as reasonable prices is always a part of the stock kept by L. D. Garrison & Co., C. F. Thompson, C. W. Collins, H. B. Hubbard, W. H. Bradford & Co., R. S. Randall & Co., Squires & Co., W. B. Stoppard, C. H. Gaylord, Sherwood Bros., Price & Co., and Kirkland Bros.; that the Democrat will "print for pay" during many years to come, and that THE NEWS , uncontrolled by hate, envy, or prejudice, intends to work, in the future as it has in the past, for the best interests of the village, and to repair injuries which the editor of the Standard seems to take delight in inflicting on the public.

The New School-Houses.

   On Monday evening the Board of Education held a meeting to consider four proposals for building the two school-houses according to the plans and specifications prepared by architect L. R. Hopkins. The result was the awarding of the contract to Mr. Thomas Ellsworth for both buildings, each of which is to be a story and a half in height, and 55 feet in length by 37 feet in breadth, with basement 7 feet deep. The cost of the buildings will leave enough of the appropriations to furnish the rooms in a plain, substantial manner. The houses are to be completed by the first of August.

Frederick Douglas

Henrietta V. Davis

DRAMATIC READINGS BY A COLORED LADY.

   We last week called attention to Miss Henrietta V. Davis, the colored elocutionist of Washington. Since then the Washington papers and correspondents have been loud in their praises of her character and abilities. Mr. Frederick Douglas has written her the following letter, which shows his views of her!

WASHINGTON, D. C., May 4, 1883.

Dear Miss Davis:

   I am very glad to learn that you are soon to enter upon a tour of dramatic reading. My impression from what I have heard you read and recite is that you are eminently fitted to amuse and instruct; that you have dramatic talent of a high order which like any other ennobling endowment you ought to cultivate. If you bring to t his new field of effort something of the self denial, industry and perseverance which you have shown while employed as a copying clerk in the recorder's office, you will undoubtedly meet with abundant success. You have my best wishes,

FRED'K DOUGLAS.

   Miss Davis gives an entertainment at New London, Ct., next Monday evening and will favor the people of Cortland at Taylor Hall Friday evening, May 18. Admission, 25 cts. Reserved seats, 35 cents, for sale at Wallace's at the proper time.

See photos of Cortland's Garrison building at fadingad link (scroll down after link opens):
http://www.fadingad.com/fadingadblog/?cat=1572