GEORGE J. MAGER SOCIAL IN CORTLAND AND SANITARY MATTERS

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, October 12, 1888.

Sanitary Matters.

   Two weeks since the Cortland Standard published a column article on the sanitary condition of this place. The article was forwarded to the State Board of Health at Albany, and the President of the Cortland Board of Health was notified that a Sanitary Engineer would visit the place to investigate.

   Accordingly Mr. E. Kinchling of Rochester, an expert, visited the place on Tuesday last. The members of the Board of Health and others went with him and called his attention to the worst places to be found in the village. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon a meeting of property owners and others was called by the Board of Trade to meet in Firemen’s Hall to hear the report of the engineer. He stated that while there were some alleyways in the village that needed cleaning up, the town was in no worse condition than any other place of its size, and that there really was no cause for a sensation. That there was no more sickness in the place than could be found in any place of the same size at the same season of the year.

   Mr. Kinchling, however, advised that the Board of Health be paid better salaries, and that the objectionable places be cleaned up and put in order. He also said that if the town kept on growing we would be forced to have a system of sewerage or adopt the dry removal plan, and he is undoubtedly correct in this. He seemed to favor the sewerage plan.

   The above is about the gist of Mr. Kinchling's remarks. The entire matter of the sanitary condition of this village may be summed up about as follows: The village should appropriate at least $500 per year for the use of the Board of Health. The board should be composed of men who are not afraid of offending high or low, and who have no desire to hold any other office and who will do their duty without fear or favor. Every citizen of the village, who owns property, should see that all water closets and cess pools are placed as far from his own and his neighbors wells as possible, and that the vaults be made water tight and so constructed as to allow of frequent removal of the contents. Every citizen owes this precaution not only to his own family but to his neighbor.

   The water of every well in use should be analyzed and if found impure, either the use of the same should be discontinued or the cause of the impurity removed. We can protect ourselves if we will, without going to the expense of putting in sewerage for a year or two. Of course the time is not far away when a system of sewerage will be indispensable, but until the question is decided upon the village can be kept healthy if every citizen will do his duty by keeping his own premises clean and seeing to it that his drinking water is not contaminated.

   The water furnished by the Cortland Water Company has been shown to be pure by chemical analysis, and it should be used by all who have no other supply of pure water,

   A system of sewerage or dry removal would be a good thing, but while we are without either, let us at least keep our premises clean and drink pure water only.

Courtesy Grip's Historical Souvenir of Cortland

The First [Social] of the Season.

   Last Thursday evening nearly three hundred ladies and gentlemen of this place responded to invitations previously issued by Mr. and Mrs. Geo. J. Mager, to be with them for an evening's social enjoyment. Their handsome residence on  [26] Lincoln Avenue was elegantly trimmed and beautified for the occasion, the floors were crashed and everything possible provided for the pleasure and enjoyment of their guests. The refreshment tables literally groaned with their weight of delicacies as well as substantials [subs?—CC editor], all prepared by Mrs. Mager and her daughter Minnie, and which were served in excellent style.

   The tables were decorated with flowers and a double arch of burning tapers. After providing for the inner man and woman, the younger portion of those present, as well as some of the elders, danced to the music of Fischer's splendid orchestra, until the small hours.

   Among those present from out of town were: Mrs. A. J. Grover, of Etna; Mr. Frank Williams, of New York; Messrs. E. J. Kennedy, John Reymon, E. J. Moore and J. P. Becker, of Syracuse; Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Carley; and the Misses Bunn of Homer, [and] Miss Kittie Smith of Utica, assisted Mr. and Mrs. Mager and daughter in receiving. The event was a delightful one in every respect, and the host and hostess received many compliments for the elegant manner in which all their guests were received and entertained.

Cruelty to Animals.

   In looking over a New York paper, a few days since, we noticed the following query: "Shall woman be protected, or must she protect herself'?" and we thought that question might with propriety be asked by Cortland papers.

   Not long ago a lady drove into Cortland, and while hitching her horse, she was greeted with an unearthly grunt close to her ear, which caused her to turn quickly and come face to face with a drunken man. Now is there no law that can be brought to bear for such insults, or are the officials afraid of losing such men's votes? A few days since two ladies were driving across a bridge that is too narrow for carriages to pass. They were nearly over it when two drunken Cortland gentlemen (!!!) drove on the bridge and locked wheels. The lady spoke to her horse, which stopped instantly, as also did the other horse, which was nearly exhausted from brutal driving. The Cortland gents were too stupid to render any assistance, and a gentleman just driving up came to the rescue.

   A few evenings since a lady was sitting in her carriage in front of the residence of her friend, when two men drove past a short distance, turned, and drove close to the carriage, nearly overturning it and bruising the hubs. We would like to ask, through these columns, if such a state of things is right, and must we stay at home, or when we do drive, feel that we are risking our lives in so doing? There are almost all kinds of societies in Cortland, and we think it high time that a society for the protection of women and children and for the prevention of cruelty to animals, should be formed. We should like the editor's opinion on this subject.

   COM. [pen name]

A Great Show.

   The famous and widely popular Hi. Henry's Minstrels will appear at Cortland Opera House on Friday evening Oct. 12, in a program of newest novelties, A First Part, in the style of an assemblage of Royal Dukes and Gay Cavaliers. Their Olio will embrace artists of pronounced celebrity, among which are Delmore and Wilson in refined duets and quick changes, Comstock and Eggleston in hits upon the day. Lorette in torsive specialties, Orke the juggler, Billy Benson prima donna, Walter Hyde and Hi. Henry soloists, intermingled with refined quartette singing, solo dancing and a roaring after piece, forming a refined, artistic and entertaining performance worthy a liberal patronage. Remember the date, Friday evening, Oct. 12, and secure your seats now, at Hollenbeck's.

Cortland Corset Company.

   The annual meeting of the Cortland Corset Company was held last Monday. The following directors were chosen for the ensuing year: S. E. Welch, B. A. Benedict, B. H. Bierce, Webster Young, F. C. Welch, J. B. Kellogg, and Geo. S. Hunt. The following officers were subsequently chosen: President, Webster Young; Vice-President, F. C. Welch; Secretary, Geo. S. Hunt; Treasurer, B. H. Bierce. The company is in a very prosperous condition and their trade is being extended in every direction. They have added a new building and nearly doubled their capacity within the past few days.

HERE AND THERE.

   W. M. Babcock, of Scott, recently had a rib broken while shoeing an ox.

   The annual session of the Board of Supervisors commences on Monday, Nov. 12.

   The annual parade and inspection of the Homer fire department is announced to take place this afternoon.

   The firm of Otto & Southworth, furniture dealers in the Squires block, has been dissolved, Mr. Southworth retiring.

   Mager & Stoker, the dry goods dealers, have a new advertisement on our second page, to which we invite the attention of our readers.

   Miss Sara E. Collins has been chosen by the counties of Oneida and Cortland to represent them at the National Convention of the W. C. T. U., which opens at Metropolitan Opera House, in New York city, Oct. 19th.

   The Y. W. C. T. U. are alive. At the social held at Mr. C. B. Hitchcock's, several young men became honorary members. The rest of the money needed to send the Temperance Library was raised. It sailed on shipboard from Nova Scotia, bound for Europe the same week.

   The story of the dog-faced girl, living near Bragg’s Pond in the town of Willett, which we recently published, is said to be untrue. The article was copied from the Binghamton Republican. It is hardly safe, during campaign times, to copy anything from a Republican paper. They are not content with distorting political facts, but they go farther and fabricate news.

   The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad will sell, on Oct, 23d, excursion tickets to New York at one fare for the round trip, from all stations on its lines north of Binghamton. The day train arrives in New York at 6 P. M., and the evening train at 7:10 A. M. Drawing room cars on day train and Pullman sleeping cars on night train. Tickets good ten days to return.

   It is stated that the post-office department is soon to have a new style of postal card. It is very much like a double card of the present pattern. The back folds are split diagonally and open out like a four-pointed star. The four corners are folded and joined in the centre, when the card is ready for mailing, with a piece of gummed paper. The card weighs less than half an ounce, and will contain no more writing than the present card, and the only advantage being greater privacy.

George J. Mager. Photo courtesy Grip's Historical Souvenir of Cortland.

Reference, George J. Mager, Grip’s Historical Souvenir of Cortland, 1899:

   Mr. Mager is by birth Alsacian-French, having been born near the city of

Strasbourg, France, on May 8, 1837. He received a common school education in both French and German in his native town, and in 1852 came to America with his parents, brothers and sisters. They settled in Lewis county, in this state, where Mr. Mager assisted his father clearing land and farming. Subsequently he was apprenticed to the shoe maker's trade, and after working at that business for nearly four years was employed as clerk and bookkeeper in a dry goods store in Lowville, N. Y. In 1867 he started in the dry goods and grocery business under the firm name of Stoddard & Mager at Lowville, and in 1883 he came to Cortland and bought out Fish & Walrad. He immediately associated himself with Mr. C. P. Walrad and continued in the same line of business under the firm name of Mager & Walrad, subsequently Mager & Stoker, and later G. J. Mager & Co., until 1897, when he retired from mercantile pursuits.

   The interim between his retirement and elevation to the responsible position of president of the Second National Bank of Cortland, N.Y., was occupied by him in the settlement of the estate of the late Benton B. Jones [Jones, editor and proprietor of the Cortland Democrat, died Dec. 20, 1896—CC editor.] Mr. Mager is far advanced in Masonry, being a Royal Arch Mason and a Knights Templar. On March 5, 1867, he was married to Florilla B., (deceased) daughter of William Howell of Lowville, N. Y. He is interested in agricultural matters, being a life member of the New York State Agricultural society, and is a prominent member of the Episcopal church. Progressive and public-spirited, he has engaged in several public ventures, including the Cortland Opera House and the Cortland & Homer Railroad Co., and is a zealous supporter of liberal education, being a member of the Cortland Board of Education.