Matters at the Hitchcock Wagon and Cutter Manufactory

The Cortland News, Friday, March 23, 1883.

Matters at the Hitchcock Wagon and Cutter Manufactory.

   Hardly a week passes but that we hear of an invention of a useful nature in some one of the many industries of our village. Mr. C. B. Hitchcock is not only using a number of pieces of labor-saving machinery invented by his own workmen, but also the latest improvements by others.

   In his cushion department the sewing machines are run by steam, and are furnished with a patent attachment for which he has purchased the right of the United States, whereby the cushions are sewed entirely by machine. The machines are started, stopped and their speed is regulated by the pressure of the foot upon the treadle. In the same department he has lately introduced a Singer dash machine for stitching dashes. It does its work neatly, quickly and surely. This is the only wagon factory in town that uses them.

   The latest improvement is in the paint department where Frank F. Howard is using an invention by himself for painting wagon wheels. In the old way of applying with a brush a coat of black paint followed the lead coat, then the varnish, but now the black coat is dispensed with and the varnish coat is applied directly upon the lead. The machine is box-like in shape, in size a little wider than the hub and long enough to admit of the free turning of the larger wheels, and is made of tin. It is on the second floor but extends into the room below, so as to allow of a receptacle for the paint. The wheel is lowered into the paint; turned over once or twice to thoroughly cover it; lifted to a position where it is firmly caught within the hub by irons which communicate by a set of cogs to a crank; the cover, shaped like a nightcap and working upon hinges, is dropped over it; the crank is turned and the wheel revolves rapidly so as to evenly distribute the paint and throw off that which is superfluous; the cover is lifted; the wheel removed; a brush is passed rapidly over the hub and felloe, and the wheel is painted and varnished better, more quickly and evenly than with the brush, and all about as quickly as you have been reading this.

   This machine, which takes the place of the first one used, was put in operation for the first time Tuesday morning and does as much as eight or ten men can do in the same time.

   Some of the time this winter Mr. Hitchcock has been running a set of night hands, but now, in addition to full day work, he is running between the hours of 7:00 and 9:00 P. M. Notwithstanding the labor and time-saving machinery he is using and his many employes, he is now about 700 wagons behind his orders, of which additional ones are being daily received.

1883 Liberty Head Nickel

CORTLAND AND VICINITY.

   Mrs. Joseph Kinney has bought the Samson house on Church street, where she will make her residence.

   Under the skill and taste of Mr. J. P. Loucks, the [fire] engine-house has been handsomely painted and grained.

   Messrs. Frank Hibbard and Thomas, Grady have bought the livery stable on Groton avenue of J. H. Blanchard.

   Mr. Henry D. Freer is preparing to establish a restaurant and billiard saloon in the rooms occupied by him as book and picture store.

   Within the past week two of our best known citizens have died—Mr. Chauncey Keator and Mr. Seth Pope; the former 68 years of age and the latter 56.

   Mr. Ollie Ingham, of Syracuse, a brother-in-law of Mr. Delos Bauder [proprietor of Cortland House—CC editor], has bought a half interest in the billiard saloon and restaurant of R. F. Taylor.

   The fourth lecture on Bunyan's “Pilgrim's Progress" was given by Rev. W. H. Annable last Sunday evening and was a most interesting treatise on a wonderful work.

   Commencing on the first of April Binghamton will be favored with a free delivery of mail matter. An agent of the government is in the city locating the boundary line.

   Easter will be observed at Grace church with appropriate services. The programme of music embraces choice selections of anthems, hymns, etc., from favorite composers.

   Mr. Herbert Wallace has retired from the firm of Reid &. Wallace, clothing merchants, and Mr. B. F. Taylor has become a partner of Mr. E. M. Reid under the firm name of E. M. Reid & Co.

   Easter services will be held at the Universalist church next Sunday morning, followed by the communion service and admission of members. Easter music morning and evening. This is the great day with Universalist churches for receiving members; the day suggests rising with the Master to newness of life.

   Evidence of the superior discipline and prosperity of the U. I. & E. railroad are very evident on every hand, to the observant traveler. The cars are kept clean, the service is more obliging; improvements and repairs have already been achieved in many places, and begun in others; and last, but not least, both travel and freightage are constantly on the increase.—Elmira Advertiser.

   Mr. Webster Young has been admitted to partnership with Mr. L. D. Garrison in the grocery business, the firm name being Garrison & Young. Mr. Young is a shrewd, active businessman, who can keep up with Lev. on most matters, and that is saying a good deal. L. D. can tell the most straightforward—anecdote, but then his partner is young yet; still-he may, in time, under daily fire from the garrison, be able to equal L. D. even in that pleasant characteristic. Anyway they are a strong team, or words to that effect.

   On account of the blustering wind destroying the scent, the ten-mile fox chase of Thursday, March 15, which was to have had its start and finish on the Fairgrounds, was a partial failure, all the dogs at the start taking the return track. Thirteen dogs were entered; the one belonging to Fred Graham returned first and Walter Wilcox's second, the rest considerably later and the two belonging to Mr. A. M. Schermerhorn not until 7 P. M. Six dogs started in the short race, which resulted in a victory for the dog of Walter Wilcox.

   Mr. Ela Wadsworth has bought of Mr. D. E. Kinney his farm of 95 acres on the back road west of the village, on which he will keep cows for supplying the village people with milk. His own farm, on Fitz avenue, he intends to divide into village lots.

   The room in Mahan's building formerly occupied by the Standard office is being prepared for F. A. Bickford & Co., who will use it for a gun shop. They will keep a stock of guns of various kinds, including English imported, of the very best made. Mr. Mahan forms the "Co.” of the firm.

   The mild, balmy weather of Sunday, during which water flowed freely through the gutters, and the ground became visible in places, was the first really hopeful sign of Spring's approach. But a change took place in the evening, and since then blustering snow storms have been the order of the day.

   Mr. G. J. Mager, of the firm of Mager & Walrad, has, just returned from New York with a large stock of dry goods and carpets for the new firm. He also secured a quantity of the new five cent coin which are quite scarce and a great curiosity. The government has ceased coining them, and they are selling at a large premium.

   The excise board have granted hotel licenses to the Messenger House, Central Hotel, Dexter House. Cortland House, and Farmers' Hotel; drug-store licenses to Sager & Jennings, Johnson & Barney, Brown & Maybury, G. W. Bradford, and C. B. Warren, McGrawville; saloon licenses to Dowd & O’Leary, Chas. Townley & Co., Wm. Riley, and Newton & Wight.

   As spring comes on, nature throws off her winter clothing, brightens up her summer garments, and comes out in clean apparel, locking bright, animated, charming. And that is just the way people will look if they will only call on C. B. Allard in the Dickinson & McGraw block, and allow him to take charge of garments that have become soiled or faded. They will have the appearance of new goods when he returns them.

   Our townsmen, Mr. Henry M. Day and Mr. Charles H. Bristol, have patented an automatic shuttle for weaving wire cloth. Their patent has been received and they will commence business as soon as a place for location is decided upon, from several of which they have received flattering offers. The shuttle not only does one-third more work in the same time than the old, but the loom itself is simpler and the wire is wound by machinery instead of by weights as before, all of which is run from one central grooved shaft. If the invention is all that is claimed, it certainly is a valuable one, and our people should see to it that the factory does not leave Cortland for lack of encouragement.

The Power Behind the Throne.

   The action of Governor Cleveland upon the five-cent fare bill, and other bills affecting the interests of the railroad magnates, very clearly shows that in their efforts in his favor and against Judge Folger in last fall's election, they knew their man and were working for their interests.

   The excuse he puts forth in his message vetoing the five-cent fare bill— that the charter of the corporation is a contract between it and the people and cannot be changed—is so directly contrary to all law and the constitution itself, that his act must be characterized as illegal, or the result of an ignorance of law and the constitution which disqualifies him from the position to which he has been thrown by “the tidal wave."

   It has always been a principle under the Roman and civil law and the common law also, that the franchise of a corporation was simply a grant by the people of a portion of the rights of the people to enable those rights to be better used for the benefit of the people.

   According to the well-known axiom that a part cannot be equal to or greater than the whole, it has also been a principle that this grant of the people's rights remained subject to the control of the people. By the revised statutes of this State passed under the constitution of 1822, applying to all corporations, it was expressly enacted {Rev. Stat., chap. 18. art. 3, title 3, § 8, Bank's 7th ed., page 1531): "The charter of every corporation that shall hereafter be granted by the legislature, shall be subject to alteration, suspension and repeal, in the discretion of the legislature." That is the law to-day, and further than that, the statute was adapted and continued in force by the constitution of 1846 (Art. 1, § 17).

   Still further, by the constitution (Art. 8, § I) it is provided : "Corporations may be formed under general laws; but shall not be created by special act, except for municipal purposes, and in cases where, in the judgment of the legislature, the object of the corporation cannot be attained under general law. All general laws and special acts pursuant to this section, may be altered or from time to time repealed." The constitution as amended in 1874 retains the. same provision, and the elevated roads are incorporated under acts since passed. Therefore if there is any contract it was made subject to that condition of alteration by the legislature. Therefore we say that the excuse offered by the Governor is “too thin" and there is evidently a power behind the throne greater than the throne itself.

   Judge Folger is a man of high character and unquestioned integrity, and a great lawyer. The railroad men well knew that they could not use him and that he could not afford to advance cheap law opinions in their interests. They also knew that, while he believed in and recognized the benefits of railroads and other corporations, he also believed in preventing their owners from using the franchises granted them in such a way as to overpower the people. He it was who in 1870 as State senator prevented the consolidation of the New York Central and Erie roads under Vanderbilt, on the ground that it would give too great a power to the railroad king. The Vanderbilts never forgot this, and Cleveland, a sub-attorney for the Central railroad, was put in opposition to him. Gould, Vanderbilt and Tilden are the principal owners of the Elevated roads, which pay such enormous dividends that the stock will not be sold at any price.

   It will be remembered that after the visit of Cleveland to Tilden in New York last October, not only did Gould's paper—the Tribune—make more open opposition to Judge Folger's election, but nearly every paper along the line of the New York Central railroad became more active and open in its opposition to him.

   These facts have a strong bearing in the light of recent events.