Stereopticon Exhibition at Cortland House, Post Office Boxes and F. B. Carpenter

Homer, N. Y. artist Francis B. Carpenter

Signing Emancipation Proclamation, F. B. Carpenter

The Cortland News, Friday, August 17, 1883.

CORTLAND AND VICINITY.

   On circus day [August 14] twenty-four men were arrested for drunkenness.

   Wanted—At once, twenty men at the Hitchcock buggy and cutter works.

   A new plank sidewalk has lately been laid in front of the Wickwire block on Main street.

   Mr. C. B. Hitchcock, of the buggy and cutter works, will, as soon as arrangements can be made, add from 25 to 50 men to his force of workmen.

   There is now no living member of the group pictured by Frank B. Carpenter's painting, "Signing the Emancipation Proclamation." Montgomery Blair was the eighth and last.

   Eleven cars were required to convey the excursionists of the Hook and Ladder Companies of Homer and Cortland to Elmira yesterday. The train went to Homer for the picnicers from that place.

   Thursday of last week, the Whitney's Point band, which accompanied the M. E. church excursion from that place, favored our people, from the Cortland House, with some choice music, which was greatly appreciated. The band is a good one.

   A stereopticon exhibition, with pictures thrown on a large sheet suspended on the corner of the Cortland House fronting South Main street, was given with fine effect by an agent of Forepaugh Thursday evening of last week and was witnessed by a large crowd.

   Mrs. S. A. Sherwood, mother of the Sherwood brothers, of Cortland, and of Mrs. J. J. Pease, wife of the editor of the Moravia Republican, died at her residence in this village, on Tuesday of this week, at the age of 63. Her remains were taken yesterday morning to Camillus for interment.

   Richard Francis, of South Cortland, a very respectable farmer, was on Tuesday last declared a lunatic and sent to the Utica asylum by Judge Smith on the certificate of two physicians. Mr. Francis has for several months shown unmistakable signs of aberration of mind, but his family have struggled along until this step now seemed absolutely necessary.

   On our way to Homer the other day, a gentleman with us, when we came to the residence of Mr. Tisdale [38 Hubbard Street], of the Cortland Mills, remarked, "Now, there's a place I like, and the painting, which it seems has lately been given the house and other buildings, is a tasty, skillful specimen of workmanship." Of course, we were glad to inform him that to Loucks & Palmer, Cortland artists, belonged the credit of that job.

   Tender and sweet, is the verdict pronounced by ye editor upon the generous piece of venison that, through the kindness of B. A. Benedict, Esq., found its way to our table. Mr. Benedict returned Saturday from his trip to the North Woods, where he had the good fortune to shoot a couple of deer, and since then his friends have enjoyed many toothsome morsels of delicious steak. Mr. B’s adventures while deer-hunting about the lakes were decidedly exciting, but his excellent success in securing such fine game was cause for congratulation.

   Big crowd at the Cortland House on circus day, but [proprietor Delos]Bauder was on hand!

   Many of the feats performed at Forepaugh's circus were the best ever seen in Cortland.

   The picnic of the Catholic congregation last Saturday at the Fair Grounds was, considering the circumstances, quite a success—about $300 being the profits.

   A big crowd witnessed the Forepaugh parade Tuesday forenoon, but Mr. Lusbie, the lightning ticket-seller, said that not all of them got into the tent. The tent, though, was, to all appearance, entirely full.

   Mr. Fenner Brown, who fractured his leg three or four weeks ago, which we noticed at the time, died on Wednesday last at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. N. H. Haynes. He was nearly 90 years of age.

   Wednesday evening, Messrs. Geo. L. Warren, Delos Bauder and Dr. H. T. Dana left for a two or three weeks' eastern trip. From New York they go by steamer to Newport, thence to Boston, to the White Mountains, along the coast of Maine, stopping awhile at Mt. Desert Island, and perhaps up the Bay of Fundy, across to Halifax, and back by steamer to New York, stopping at Block Island, and other places along the coast.

   Mr. E. D. Mallery has engaged Seymour Stratton's Standard Theater Company to appear at Taylor Hall for three nights in the first week of December, and Duprez & Benedict's gigantic minstrel troupe for Friday evening, Dec. 28. The pieces to be given by the theater company are not as yet decided upon, but whatever they may be the entertainment will be first-class, as it is that kind of a company, while Duprez & Benedict's band of 40 minstrels always delight their audiences.

Cornell Scholarship Examination.

   The competitive examination for the Free Scholarship in Cornell University will be held at the Normal School building in Cortland, Friday, Aug. 24, 1883, beginning at 10 o'clock A. M.

EDSON ROGERS,

Com'r 1st Dist. Cort. Co.

J. J. WOODRUFF,

Com'r 2d Dist. Cort. Co.

Those Post-Office Boxes.

   Notwithstanding all the kicking up of heels by the Standard Ring, over the supposed failure of the business men of Cortland and their committee to secure a post-office box for the use of the village proper and the sage prediction that no such facilities could be obtained, the people have at last that favor granted, and another has been sent for the depot and possibly another will be put in the center of the village near the old post-office site, though thus far the last named one has been defeated.

   It has been a most foolish, unwarrantable and contemptible warfare upon the part of the few men interested in the Standard block against the interests of the people of this village. By actual enumeration, about five thousand people live north of the present post-office and about one-fifth of that number south of it. By the worst sort of misrepresentation the post office was taken from the locality where it had been for nearly forty years [Court Street], and for no other reason than to force people into the new block and thus give it the appearance of a good point for trade.

   The people at their own expense sent the County Judge and District Attorney as a committee to Washington to secure these facilities, and after a long delay a box has finally been put up on Main street. The following letter from the department is in reply to one written by Judge Smith Aug. 14, and explains itself:

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

OFFICE OF CHIEF POST OFFICE INSPECTOR,

WASHINGTON, D. C, Aug. 8, 1883.

Hon. A. P. Smith, Cortland, N. Y.:

   SIR—I learn upon inquiry that the Postmaster at Syracuse was ordered to send a box on the 12th of July last.

   The Postmaster at New York was also ordered to turn over to the Supt. Railway Mail Service another box for the depot.

   I called the attention of the First Assistant P. M. General to your letter, and he yesterday wrote, or telegraphed Mr. Nixon [Cortland’s postmaster] on the subject.

   I trust the boxes will be placed in use soon.

Very respectfully,

DAVID B. PARKER,

Chief Post Office Inspector.

George L. Waters.

   About a month ago George L. Waters, Esq., of this Village, left town and has not since returned. THE NEWS, determined not to be a gossip, while as much opposed as possible to Mr. Waters' political course and other methods, has hitherto refrained from mentioning the fact. Mr. Waters may return, and it is not the province of a public journal, like a social turkey-buzzard, to fatten upon the corruptions of society or the mistakes of men. And this article is not intended to contain any homily upon the wickedness of men in general or the sins of George L. Waters in particular, but to show the diversity of newspaper comment upon the event, which, if Mr. Waters returns and explains, will be no event at all.

   The Syracuse Sunday Herald starts off with a column and a half, more or less, by first showing that Waters was insane, and then that he was not, and ending up with the announcement that financial embarrassment sent him away. The Cortland Standard flounders through about the same space with large quotations from the Herald, and ends up with the sage announcement that George was a fool to run away, and reads him a homily for deserting his friends. The Cortland Democrat hints that there have been “youthful indiscretions," and that the fear of exposure of them by his enemies hastened the hiatus.

   Well, you can pay your money and take your choice. One thing is pretty apparent, the circumstances of Mr. Waters are not materially different from what they have been for years. He may owe the U. S. Marshal some fees in the driven-well cases, but he had ninety-nine defaults in those cases where he had only to apply to the Court and he would have judgments wherein his fees would have been over $5,000. So says the leading man in the well cases. This would nearly twice pay all fees the Marshal has against him. Nothing has been said about any other losses, except, with characteristic truthfulness, the Herald says he ran on the Republican ticket for Member three years ago and spent much money, when it was in 1875—eight years ago—and had nothing to do with his present financial condition. Nobody can tell what Clark does attribute his flight to, but if he ever comes back the first thing he will do will be to flog Jones for saying he was a coward and ran away from fear of his enemies. No, gentlemen, "prick again your prophetic soul" and see if there is not another and a well understood cause. And then, if Mr. Waters should return and tell us where he has been and what doing, wouldn't these "wise-acres" feel "real nice?"

   But anything for a sensation. Let the old ladies who preside over the two Democratic papers [Cortland Democrat and a sarcastic reference to the Cortland Standard—CC editor] in this village have another session and invite down the Herald man, who so lately picked up locals for the Cortland Standard, and agree upon a verdict.

Personal.

   Mr. and Mrs. John D. Benton, of Fargo, Dakota, are again in town.

   Mr. and Mrs. Fred. C. Kingsbury have been at Block Island for the past three weeks.

   Sept. 3, Mr. A. G. Bugbee, Normal graduate, class of June, '83, assumes his duties as principal of the Cazenovia union school.

   Mr. E. G. Lantman, as principal, and Miss Clara Boyd, as assistant, return to their school at New Woodstock, Madison county, this fall.

   Judge Duell returned home on Thursday, the 9th inst., with health much improved. He passed Saturday and Sunday at Dryden Springs.

   Mr. F. I. Stacy will resume his position as principal of the Union, Broome county, school for seven weeks prior to entering Syracuse University.

   Mr. Dix A. Shevalier, Normal graduate, class of June, '82, who has been teaching the past year at Accord, Ulster county, has accepted the principalship of a larger school at Kyserike, same county.

Recommended:

The Painter and the President: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/25/the-painter-and-the-president/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

Highly recommended: 

Lincoln’s Gift from Homer, N. Y. by Martin A. Sweeney (left click or touch book cover on left side of page): http://books.google.com/books?id=-YDjGSLZw6kC&pg=PA189&lpg=PA189&dq=Francis+carpenter+and+Homer,+N.Y.&source=bl&ots=FdzAFWeUZO&sig=xuq0LMip25IYr3p6DK4A6Ajv0oc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6Z1tU5bRGri2sASd34DACg&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Francis%20carpenter%20and%20Homer%2C%20N.Y.&f=false
Stereopticon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereopticon 
Francis Bicknell Carpenter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bicknell_Carpenter