FIRE ON MAIN STREET

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, November 2, 1888.

A Fire on Main Street.

   At 8 o'clock last Monday evening the fire bell sounded an alarm, but no one could tell from the stroke of the bell from what box the alarm was given. It was soon discovered that the blaze was in the roof of the handsome new house corner of Main and Grant streets owned by Mrs. H. W. Beal, the second story of which is occupied by Chas. Lawrence and the first story by Geo. W. Wolcott and their families.

   The fire started in a clothes press in Mr. Lawrence's rooms. The latter had gone around the corner to purchase some goods at a grocery store on Grant street when Mrs. Lawrence heard a crackling noise in the clothes press and discovered the scent of smoke. Placing her hand on the wall she found that it was hot and she immediately sent for her husband. By this time the flames had penetrated to the roof and they were of course unable to quench the flames.

   Some one pulled box No. 224 which is near the building and at just about the same time some other person pulled box No. 232, cor. Main and Maple Ave., and this was what raised the Dickens with the fire alarm. If two numbers arc pulled at the same time, it breaks the connections and the alarm will not strike correctly.

   The hose companies soon had several streams on the fire and after an hours' work the flames were drowned out. Another house stood within fifteen or twenty feet on the south and it was extremely difficult for the firemen to get a stream on the roof, where the fire was located, that proved effectual. The roof was ruined and the house generally damaged by both fire and water. Lawrence and Wolcott succeeded in getting out most of their goods.

   There should he an immediate stop put to the indiscriminate pulling of fireboxes. Only the box nearest the fire should be pulled and the fire alarm will work all right. Parties should post themselves on the location of the boxes and never pull a box except the one nearest the fire. After the connection was restored No. 224 was pulled several times and worked to perfection.

Barns Burned.

   At about 10 o'clock last Friday night two barns belonging to M. W. Ford, near Groton City, were discovered to be on fire. The flames had made such head way when the alarm was given that nothing could be saved and the building and contents were burned to the ground. There were eight cows in one of the barns, one horse, one grain drill, one mowing machine, one two-seated sleigh, one cutter, one buggy, one democrat wagon, one double and two single harness, fifty bushels of wheat, 100 bushels of oats, and the buildings were literally full of hay and straw.  There was also a quantity of hickory and ash and elm lumber which had been especially prepared and seasoned to be manufactured into wagons, and were considered valuable.

   No one had been in the barns since dark to Mr. Ford's knowledge and it is believed that the buildings were set on fire by tramps smoking therein. The barns were attached. Mr. Ford had an insurance of $1300, in the Dryden and Groton Mutual Insurance company, which will not recover the loss.

44-46 Main Street, Cortland, N. Y.--Grip's Historical Souvenir.

HERE AND THERE.

   Election next Tuesday.

   The Board of Supervisors meets Monday, Nov. 12th.

   Vote early and be sure to vote the Democratic ticket.

   Bricklaying has commenced on B. E. Miller's new block on [77-79] Main street.

   The capital stock of the Wire Fabric Company in Homer is to be increased from $40,000 to $80,000.

   Be sure and see the grand parade and torch light procession to take place in this village Saturday evening.

   Edwin M. Hulbert, of this village, last week bought the October make of the DeLong Bros.' creamery at Taylor Centre.

   By a law passed last winter, April 30th, 1888, the 100th anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington as first president of the United States, is made a legal holiday.

   B. F. Taylor's handsome new block on [44-46] Main street is nearly completed, and Mr. F. D. Smith is moving his stock of hardware into the first story. It is one of the handsomest buildings in town.

   The Homer Wagon Company's new buildings on Pendleton street, near the D. L. & W. station are nearly enclosed, and will soon be completed. They are fine buildings and will be convenient and roomy.

   A white dog with a tin can fastened to its tail made good time down Main and Tompkins streets Monday afternoon. He was evidently in search of protection from the "tin trust," and we should judge that he wanted it bad.

   Some person is said to have lost a quantity of salt pork, a new pair of rubber boots, and a set of false teeth on the road between Marathon and Lapeer on Saturday last. The pork being gone, the teeth of no use, but the owner would like to recover the boots.

   Geo. Snook and Geo. Meyer, tramps, were sent to the Onondaga Penitentiary last week by Justice Squires. Meyers is believed to be the ex-convict who has been traveling about for some weeks past with young Congdon, who was sent to the penitentiary last week for stealing a watch, near Whitney's Point.

   Every male citizen of the age of 21 years, who shall have been a citizen for ten days, and an inhabitant of this State one year next preceding an election, and for the last four months a resident of the county, and for thirty days a resident of the election district in which he may offer to vote, shall be entitled to vote at such election in the election district of which he shall at the time be a resident.

  

CORTLAND ILLUSTRATED.

   The Art Press Publishing Co., of Syracuse, through their representative, B. Hermon Smith, propose to publish a contemporary history of this village if sufficient encouragement is offered to guarantee the success of the work, in a form and under conditions that will recommend it to every person at all interested in the growth, development and attractiveness of this beautiful and progressive village. The publishers, in soliciting the patronage of the citizens of Cortland, take pardonable pride in assuring them that the work will be one worthy of the subject, and will be an art production of the highest merit to the beauties and excellence of which its possessors may point with the same pride that they feel in their beautiful village.

   The text will he devoted to the Cortland of to-day, giving in detail carefully written sketches of the natural characteristics and surroundings of the village, its streets, public buildings, corporations, manufactures, schools and churches, etc., and brief biographies of its representative citizens.

   The book will be profusely illustrated with the new and unequaled half -tone engravings, known as the "Ives Process." It is to this portion of the work that the attention of the public is particularly called. The engravings are exact reproductions of photographs, bringing out perfectly the soft gradations and unerring accuracy of the latter as no pencil and graver in the most skilled hands can do; and when printed from the best copper plates, give the satisfaction that no other kind of engraving possibly can. The work will be published and delivered to subscribers in semi-monthly parts and will comprise from eight to twelve numbers, at Fifty Cents each, and will be sold only by subscription.

   Mr. Smith, who represents the publishers, was formerly a resident of Cortland, and is well known to many of the elder inhabitants, as a man of sterling integrity. His reputation is a guarantee that the work will be fully up to representation.

Grand Torch Light and Horsemen’s Parade.

   The members of the Cleveland and Thurman clubs are requested to meet at Democratic headquarters on Saturday evening, November 3, 1888, at 7 o'clock P. M. to participate in a grand torchlight parade. The line of march will be as follows:

    Forming on Main; thence to Grant, to Church, to Port Watson, to Tompkins, to Owego, to Union, to South Main, countermarch to North Main where a grand display of fireworks will take place.

   In the evening meetings will be held in Taylor Opera House and Cortland Opera House to be addressed by eminent speakers. All Democratic clubs in the county are invited to participate.

   BY ORDER COMMITTEE.

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   MADISON.—Wm. R. Tiffany loses $4,000 by the burning of his mammoth barn at King's settlement.

   Two more boys at Oneida, who failed to report at school on time, were recently arrested and placed in the lock up for a day.

   Miss Bessie Wolf died at the residence of E. Rotage, at Canastota, Friday afternoon, under circumstances which excited the suspicion of her friends, and Coroner Edgerton was called to investigate the case. He, it is reported to us, found unmistaken evidences that Miss Wolf had died of blood poisoning brought about by a criminal operation which has been performed upon her. Suspicion points to Dr. Hemstreet as the physician who performed the operation, and Wednesday he was arrested, and upon giving bail in the sum of $3,000, he was released from custody. He is an aged man.

   TOMPKINS.—Charles L. Davis (Alvin Joslin) who is anxious to subscribe $2,000 towards the erection of a new opera house in Ithaca, was arrested in New York last week upon complaint of Anthony Com stock, of the Society for the Suppression of Vice, who charged Davis with having in his possession a collection of indecent pictures. Davis was held in $1,000 bail for appearance for trial.

   CHENANGO.—Oxford has one hundred cases of measles within its corporate limits. Upon her arrival at Rich's house she inquired for him, when she learned that he had not been at home since he left for Norwich on Thursday. A thorough search was at once instituted. Friends coming to Norwich found Rich's horse and carriage at McQueen's stables, and in the carriage was Rich's overcoat. It was learned that the missing man had taken dinner at the Palmer house, Thursday, where, in paying his bill, he displayed a roll of bills estimated as high as $150 in amount. He was seen in one of the village saloons about two o'clock in the afternoon of that day, since which time nothing has been seen or learned of him. There is as yet no clue to the mystery, although anxious relatives, officers and citizens, are making every effort to clear it up. Mr. Rich was a well to do farmer, and enjoyed the confidence and esteem of the community.

   On Thursday, October 11th, Palmer C. Rich, a well known farmer residing near Ambler Settlement, in the town of New Berlin, came to Norwich village, leaving his horse and carriage in the boarding stables of William McQueen, on Court street. He afterwards called at the home of his relative, George W. Freeman, and invited Mrs. Freeman to ride home with him that afternoon, which invitation was accepted, and Mrs. Freeman made preparations to accompany him. Rich did not return for her, and on Saturday morning she took the train for South New Berlin.

VIRGIL.

   Potatoes are nearly dug in this vicinity but there is some buckwheat out yet.

   Well the Republicans of our town had a blow out on Monday night, with E. Howe, of Tioga Co., to address them. There was, including the speaker, seventy-two voters by actual count, fifteen Democrats and six Prohibitionists, with women and children to nearly fill the hall. The speaker insinuated, and perhaps did not know any better, that potatoes were on the free list. He also said that the Republican party did not wish to protect the day laborers who worked for seventy-five cents or one dollar and a quarter per day, but it was the producer and manufacturer that they wanted to protect. He occupied over an hour talking, and when he told some spicy story our town constables would try to raise some enthusiasm but it was very faint. After the speaker had finished and the thrilling county committee had announced some other meetings, Mr. Howe proposed three cheers for Harrison and Morton which was responded to faintly. Upon the whole the speaker made quite a speech by going back to the crucifixion of our Savior, and coming to the present time, touching some on nearly all of the points except the Senate bill, which probably he knows nothing about.