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| Cortland County Agricultural Society Fairgrounds and Racetrack. |
The Cortland Democrat, Friday, March 21,
1890.
Cortland County Agricultural Society.
The
Cortland County Agricultural Society has been re-organized and the new officers
propose to put the society in good working order at once. Ample capital has been
provided and the grounds will be put in splendid condition. New buildings for the
better accommodation of stock will be put up this spring, and as soon as the ground
can be worked an entire new track will be made. The present track is a very
smooth one, but owners of horses claim that it is too hard, and they are
undoubtedly right about it.
Mr.
Logan, of Syracuse, the well known track builder, has been engaged to build an
entire new track. The old one will be plowed up and a new one will be made of softer and more spongy material.
Mr. Logan has had large experience in building race courses and has built some
of the best and fastest in the country and he guarantees the Cortland track to
be equal to any in the land when he has completed it. The right kind of
material can be obtained near the grounds and the work will be completed and in
readiness for a meeting in July.
The new officers
are excellent business men and they are determined to leave nothing undone to
insure the success of the enterprise. With ample funds in the treasury there is
no reason why the enterprise should not be a grand success, and result in great
benefit to the farmers and breeders of this and adjoining counties. At least
$2,500 will be expended on the property this spring.
Cortland County Medical Society.
The Cortland
County Medical Society held its regular session on Thursday, March 13. The
afternoon was devoted entirely to reading of scientific papers and discussions.
Dr. F. W. Higgins read a paper on the
tests for sugar, giving demonstration and results with the more recent ones.
The conclusion reached was that no one test was infallible and the physician
should familiarize himself with at least six of the better ones
Dr. F. N.
Green read a report of a case of chronic disease of the knee joint which presented
some unusual and perplexing features. The matter was discussed by Drs. Jewell,
White, C. Green, Reese and Edson.
Dr. W. J.
Moore read a paper entitled "Necessary Precautions in Contagious
Diseases," giving the sanitary duties of the attending physician with
reference especially to diphtheria and scarlet fever. Other points were
presented by Drs. Smart, White, Jewett, Edson and Green.
Dr. H. O.
Jewett read a very thorough review of the subject "Injuries to the Hip Joint."
The results of his experience in twenty-four cases of fracture at the hip were presented.
Especial emphasis was laid upon the symptoms of this important and sometimes
obscure accident.
F. W.
HIGGINS, Secretary.
[Village] Appointments.
A special
meeting of the Board of Trustees of this village, was held at the office of the
Village Clerk last Thursday evening, and Darwin Totman was re-appointed Street Commissioner and Fred Hatch, Clerk.
After the
transaction of some routine business the board adjourned to Saturday at the
same place, when B. T. Wright, Esq., appeared before the board and requested that
body to appoint Mr. C. E. Wiles Street Commissioner. Mr. Wright cited Chapter
464 of the laws of 1887, which says, that honorably discharged soldiers and
sailors shall be selected for such places, provided they are competent to fill
them. The law gives the Board of Trustees considerable latitude in the
selection, as they would seem to have a right to decide for themselves as to
the capacity of the applicant. This is as it should be. for while there is no
doubt but that the board would give soldiers and sailors the preference,
everything else being equal, they are themselves responsible for the proper and
efficient transaction of the business and they should have the right to select
such assistants as they think are the most competent.
Mr. Hatch
has been Clerk of the Board for several years and for that reason, if for no
other, is peculiarly well qualified to fill the place. Legal questions under
the new charter are liable to arise daily, and Mr. Hatch, being a good lawyer
himself, besides being thoroughly conversant with the charter, will be of great
service to the board. A new man, even of unquestionable ability could hardly fill
his place.
It was
claimed on Monday that Mr. Wright had been instructed to mandamus the board and
that the papers had been prepared for service, but we understand no service has
been made as yet.
A Hospital in Cortland.
As the
question of a hospital in Cortland is agitated, many queries arise. As it concerns
the citizens of Cortland it is right and proper that a correct idea be given to
the public, and we submit the following brief statement:
Since the
organization of the Kings' Daughters in Cortland, the desire to accomplish something
in this way has been in the hearts of many of the members. At the commencement
of this, our second year, the following committee known as Central or Hospital Committee was chosen to
arrange and execute plans to this end:
Mrs. W. W. Brown, Mrs. F. O. Hyatt, Mrs. L. J.
Fitzgerald, Mrs. B. T. Wright, Mrs. A. A. Carley, Mrs. Jas. B. Kellogg, Mrs. B.
W. Bradford, Mrs. G. J. Mager, Mrs. W. P. Robinson, Mrs. Uri Clark, Mrs.
Fidelia Coffin, Mrs. C. P. Walrad, Mrs. S. J. Sornberger, Mrs. L. Bouton, Mrs. A. E. Buck.
We wish
it to be understood as a Citizens Hospital, a place for the sick among us who
have no home or friends to care for them, a hospital for the people, belonging
to no church, no organization. Our present aim is to arouse a public interest
as well as start a fund for this object.
As the
success of this undertaking rests with the people, before any positive steps are
taken regarding a building the citizens will be given an opportunity to
publicly express their opinions.
By Order
of Committee.
They Wanted to Marry.
Three
girls from the classic precincts of Brewery Hill in Homer, accompanied by two young men, boarded a train from this place
last Saturday evening for Binghamton. Arrangements had been made for a third
young man to accompany the party but for some reason he failed to show up and
the third damsel, some fourteen or fifteen years of age, is said to have been
somewhat disappointed by the failure.
They were
seen about Binghamton on Monday and it is said that an officer from Homer was
sent after the children, but whether he found them or not, we have not learned.
There are some very, very naughty people in Homer.
Christmas in Nacaome, Honduras.
The year
in Nacaome has two great festivals, La
Pascua or Christmas time, the day proper being called "La dia de noche
buena" or the day of the good night. La Pascua begins at Christmas Eve,
"La noche buena," and extends to the eighth of January.
In this
town the eve is preceded by nine mornings of pandemonium in a custom inaugurated by the late respected pastor Padre Cruz, whose lamented bones
we are fain to believe must give a quiver of horror, when we who succeed him
are roused from our morning sleep by the hideous sound which his fertile brain
invented.
A great
ox-horn is worked thin and resonant, the tip is sawed off at the beginning of
the hollow, into which is inserted a reed. This instrument is placed in the
mouth of a demon sometimes called boy or kid. The reeds are tuned to all pitches
from the lowest roar of an infuriated bull, passing all changes to the finest
whistle of a joyous bird. Hundreds of these instruments constructed by the
hands of the worthy priest, peace to his soul, are stored as sacred relics of
his departed greatness, in the great church at Nacaome.
Every
year, on the 15th of December, the portals of the sacred chamber are thrown open.
Hundreds of greedy kids seize upon the dusty horns and with lurking
devilishness in their eyes, sneak away to their homes. Promptly at four o'clock
on the following morning they gather in the darkness on the plaza. No, you
cannot imagine it. We have been startled by many sounds—sounds burdened with
joy—sounds freighted with death—but never has our soul been so torn by the
awful, uncertain, hideous fear and anguish as when first greeted by these
commemorating horrors of the sainted father Cruz.
Christmas
Eve inaugurates the festival with balls, and high mass at midnight. The Christmas ball of this year was given at the
house of La Dona Baitasara— a very estimable friend of ours. The
"sala" or great room of her house is from its size and general
equipment admirably adapted to a great ball. The snow white walls rise to a
height of eighteen feet, the floor of tile is perfectly smooth, the great
barred windows and open doors hung with elegant curtains, give excellent ventilation.
A row of armed chairs against the wall, encircle the room. An orchestra of six
pieces is out of sight on the garden piazza. From one end of the great
"sala" is a refreshment room for the ladies, from the other the end
is a room with a well supplied side board for the gentlemen. Thoroughly trained
servants anticipate the slightest wish.
We are on
the reception committee and therefore on duty at 8 o'clock; and
we are obliged to plead guilty, that with all the Spanish
politeness that we have added to our previous genteel breeding, we neglected
the reception of the gentlemen in our efforts to remove the silken mantillas
speedily and gracefully from the heads of handsome dark-eyed ninas; to take
their little hands in greeting and perhaps add to the words of welcome a
whispered endearment.
Soon the
walls were lined with beautiful girls, whose general type is black eyes, black
hair and creamy complexions. The variation being dark brown, or very, very dark
auburn hair, brown eyes and different densities of creamines of the skin.
Dresses low cut "revealing the most elegant necks we have ever seen,"
were neatly made of material varying from pawns and tulle to silks and laces.
The prominent color, white, varied by pink, blue and one elegant suit of creamy
lace. Satin shoes to match the dress adorned all the pretty feet. The dresses
are cut so short as not to touch the floor but to reveal the pretty movements
of the feet in the dance. The hair is plainly dressed, often hanging in heavy
braids or perfectly loose.
Inspiring
music and a few not less inspiring sips of wine, and all was in motion. Polka, Mazurka
and French waltz, succeeded each other and repeated. Between each dance is
interval as long as the dance, when we offered sweet paper cigarettes to still
sweeter lips and the offering of fire from our own lighted cigarettes gives
other opportunity to slyly touch responsive fingers and drop soft words into
willing ears.
Remember,
my dear readers, that we are not an Anglo-Saxon society here. The rigid, social
laws of old Spain are in force here. An ugly matron is always in charge of the precious
girl. The impulses of young blood find exit only in a touch, a look, a sigh.
The espionage of these social customs appears to the writer an awful sacrifice
of personal liberties, the born right of every woman. The girls are simply
slaves to the bad tempers, irritations and unjust and ever prevailing
suspicions of their elders. And by force of these circumstances, the unjustly
rigid discipline to which they are subjected, convert good girls into deceitful
women, to make in their turn unjust mothers.
In one
particular family in which there are two daughters and which family is one of
the stateliest in this department, and into which, during the past year the
writer has been received with unqualified confidence, he has not had the
opportunity to speak one word to either of the girls outside the hearing of
their elders, except in the dance or late in the night of the ball when the
elders become drowsy and negligent. And yet, the writer is an austere,
middle-aged man who enjoys the reputation of never flirting and into whose care
the most cautious mother is willing to place her daughter. Such is the force of
custom and for this reason are highly valued the little opportunities given in
removing a shawl, offering a cigarette, or other similar attentions to exchange
by touch, look and a few whispered words the sympathies of young hearts.
A
bountiful repast was served at midnight. Not one of the dishes served at this
table is known in the State of New York. One pleasant feature of these balls is
the interval between dances, when songs, comic recitations, cigarette smoking
and conversation fill in pleasantly. Etiquette and general decorum are
absolutely fine.
At five
o'clock in the morning the ball broke up. Mr. Howard, of the El Gobernador
Mining companies, Mr. Vincent of London, Secretary of the Guadalupe Mining
Company, and Mr. Gilbert of San Francisco were the writer’s guests at
this ball. The first two, unaccustomed to this society, and who for their
imperfection in the language could not join in all the pleasures, expressed themselves
as having had a very pleasant evening and passed their morning nap-dreaming of
Honduras beauties.
The
plaza, a square area of about one acre had been strongly fenced in as the arena
for bull fights. It is the custom for the large ranches to respectfully
contribute four bulls each day for the fight. On the 28th the first performance
occurred and continued with but two days of intermission until the sixth of
January, four bulls being fought each day. At ten o'clock of each day the
gentlemen and "ranchers" ride out toward the Hacienda, from which the
bulls for the day are coming to meet and escort them to town. In the outskirts
of the village they take up the band, which with lively music escorts them to the
arena. One bull is let into the arena at a time. He is met by a dozen or more
of old and young sports, mounted on quick moving mustangs. Not more awful is
the fear of the fighters for the bulls than the fear of the bulls for the
fighters. It is a wicked battle, in which both sides are on the defensive. When
a bull finally turns complete coward, then the valiant "torreores"
follow him in his flight around the arena, seize him by the tail and play jokes
on him. He is finally mounted bare back and his bucking attempts to throw the
rider is the only fun in the play. Two really savage bulls, after tossing up a
man or throwing him without injuring him, held the field at bay for a long time
and were let off without further molestation.
The
writer's house occupies part of one side of the arena and its great barred
balcony windows were desirable positions for viewing the sport. And the
pleasantest part of the performance was the select company invited by him each
day and idled in the intervals with dancing.
It is the
custom for several of the principal families to put in their houses shrines in
representation of the birth of Christ. These shrines are called "nacimientoes"
and consist of green cloths thrown over rough surfaces to represent hills, on these
are placed diminutive figures of trees men, sheep, cattle, dogs, etc., in
representation of the waiting shepherds. At the foot is a representation of the
birthplace of the Savior, and a diminutive figure of the Christ babe. All is
covered by an awning of artificial flowers, green branches and colored papers.
In these houses of nacimientoes dancing is in order for everybody throughout
the entire festival. One steals the babe, puts it in his vest pocket and carries
it home; a search is instituted by a party accompanied by musicians. They go to
the house of the stealer and find the babe and the dance continues there until the
babe is carried to its home. At the end of the feast, the body of the babe is,
with great ceremony by the priest, carried in grand procession from one of the
mission churches to the church of the principal pastor. The final scene of the
nacimientoes are sacred ceremonies and prayers, and all concludes on the last
evening with a grand display of fireworks of the central church to which the
babe has been carried.
[The name
of the author was not included with this article. The Cortland based San Rafael
Mining and Milling Company had several representatives who traveled to or
lived in Honduras—CC editor.]
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