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| Classroom. |
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.
Educational Faddists.
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There is war in Chicago. It is between the
faddists and antifaddists in the public schools. There were members of the board
of education who wanted to make elegant kid glove aesthetes out of every son
and daughter of Chicago. Music, German, modeling in clay, painting and high art
physical culture were to be superimposed upon the solid foundation formed by
pork and beer. The faddists progressed swimmingly until the child of every man
who worked in a pork-packing establishment in Chicago threatened to become a
greenery-yallery poet or an Oscar Wilde.
Then suddenly, as it were, Chicago rose and
squealed. There was an indignation meeting of those who had no fads in their
rude souls. They would not stand the high art business because in learning fads
the young ones learned neither arithmetic, writing nor spelling. Elegant
ladies, bless their souls! hissed savagely the common orators who placed the
coarse fact before the public, but it did not fail. The kick of the antifaddists
threatens culture in Chicago.
Some of the coarse facts in the case laid
before the public by one speaker are reported as follows in the Chicago Tribune:
A woman from the stockyards said: "My
boy can get all the mud he wants in my back yard. What he wants is to know how
to figure so he can get a job in Posein's grocery." What good does it do a
lad if he can draw a house or construct a mud castle, if he can't tell what nine
pounds of liver at 4 cents a pound come to? I have at my office boxes full of
drawings of pigs and other things made by children who don't know whether New
Jersey is a state or a city. The teachers in your schools are loudest in their
complaints. The principals have to bow to these special teachers. Nothing can
abate the zeal of a back action centrifugal movement faddist.
◘
When the vessels already authorized by
congress have been completed, our total reconstructed navy will consist of 42 vessels.
Twenty-two of them are either finished and in commission or approaching completion.
They include the following designated classes—namely: Armored cruisers,
protected cruisers, monitors, battleships and gunboats, with one vessel, the
Vesuvius, which is of a type peculiar to itself. It combines the functions of a
harbor defense ram and a torpedo cruiser. When all the 42 vessels are
completed, the United States will rank as the fifth naval power of the world.
The countries that will outrank us are, in the order named, England, France,
Italy, Russia. Germany will be below us, Ex-Secretary Tracy says. The building
of our new navy was commenced in 1883. Previous to that we had sunk so low that
even in 1886 we were only the nineteenth naval power among nations.
◘
The sensation of a statesman suddenly out of
a job must at first be rather a queer one. From having invitations to dinner,
cards sent to him, railroad passes thrust upon him and deference shown him by
all office boys, clerks and colored porters, he finds himself leveled in a night
to the plane of a common citizen, with none to look up to him. If he is intrinsically
a great man, he picks up and goes on again and regains his place, whether he is
in office or out of it. But if he is a little man it is only the office which
makes him great, and he is nobody ever again.
The
Dynamite Shells Tested.
Arsenal hill in Onondaga Valley was
yesterday afternoon black with spectators assembled to see the great test of
the new dynamite shells. The government inspectors did not appear and the test
was postponed, but one shell was fired as an experiment and to satisfy the
crowd. When the gun was loaded the spectators began to back off and when the
firing cord was picked up by the gunner hardly any one was in sight except
those trying the experiment.
There was a moment's delay in the primer
when the cord was pulled and then there followed a loud report as the powder in
the gun exploded and sent the shell speeding swiftly and safely to the target a
quarter of a mile distant. The shell buried itself deep into the rock and then burst,
tearing itself to pieces and throwing earth and stones in every direction. The
report of the exploding shell was much greater than the report of the gun and
occurred fully two seconds later.
The one shot fired seemed to fully satisfy those
who had come to see the tests.
BIG FIRE
IN BINGHAMTON.
Four
Story Brick Block Goes up in Smoke This Morning.
BINGHAMTON, N. Y., March 23.—The O'Neil block,
a four story brick structure, No. 176 Washington street, and running through to
State street, was entirely gutted by fire which broke out about three o'clock
this morning. The first floor was occupied by Mott E. Boss as a saloon and
billiard parlors, the remainder of the building being used as a tenement.
The flames were discovered by a family
residing on the third floor and they fled to the street in their night clothes.
Their screams aroused the other tenants, but the fire spread so rapidly that
they were unable to escape by the stairway and with considerable difficulty
they were rescued from the roof by the firemen.
Several bystanders insisted that they had
seen a woman in the rooms on the third floor of the burning building facing
State-st. and Tillerman Hoag volunteered to look for her. He ascended a ladder
through the flame and smoke pouring from the windows and found Mrs. Etta Fancher
helpless and almost unconscious. Tying a rope around her waist he lowered her
into the arms of the firemen below amid the cheers of the spectators. The woman
was taken to the Exchange Hotel and a physician summoned who found that she was
terribly burned about the face and limbs, the skin and half-cooked flesh hanging
in long shreds.
The fire, which was confined to the building
in which it originated, was gotten under control after two hours hard work. The
guests in Hotel Bennett which adjoined were all aroused and were prepared to leave
the house at a moment's notice. It is impossible yet to estimate the loss.
WHOLE
TOWN WIPED OUT.
Fires
Started in Five Different Places at Once.
MERIDIAN, MISS., March 23.—The town of
Purvis, Miss., on the New Orleans Northeastern
R. R., 100 miles south of Meridian, was destroyed by incendiaries Tuesday
night. Shortly after midnight the torch was applied to five buildings in
different portions of the town, and within two hours almost every store and
residence in the place was wiped out. The people ran panic-stricken into the
streets and the greatest excitement prevailed. The Western Union Telegraph
office was burned, and particulars are meagre, but from the passengers who
passed Purvis on a northbound train yesterday afternoon it was learned that the
conflagration was the result of a bitter feeling between white people and the negroes,
growing out of the arrest of a negro preacher. The negroes fired the town in
revenge. A posse of citizens left Meridian for Purvis on a special train late
yesterday afternoon.
A
Pitiful Sight.
Charlotte M. Burtrans [of Cortland] was taken to the Binghamton
asylum for chronic insane on the vestibuled train this morning by Miss Hull and
Superintendent Almon W. Angell. She has been insane for some time, the cause
assigned being the long continued use of morphine. She has taken the drug for
the last twelve years except for a few months seven years ago, when she stopped
for a time.
She started for the river last Monday for
the purpose of drowning herself, but was restrained. For the last few days she
has been calling for a knife with which to cut her throat, saying that nothing
but death would relieve her sufferings. It was certainly a pitiful sight at the
station this morning to see the poor old lady, her grey hair tumbled, at times
excited and again depressed, uttering exclamations and calls for help. She is
67 years of age and is a great sufferer.
Civil
Service Examination.
In pursuance of President Harrison's order
of January 5, 1893, extending the Civil
Service Law to all free delivery post offices, the Civil Service Commission at
Washington has ordered that an examination be held at the post office building
in this city on Saturday, April 22, 1893, commencing at 9 o'clock A. M., for
the grades of clerk, carrier, and messenger in the city post office. Only citizens
of the United States can be examined. The age limitations are as follows: For clerk,
not under 18 years; for carrier, not under 21 nor over forty; for messenger,
stamper, etc., not under 16 nor over 45. No application will be accepted for
these examinations unless filed with the undersigned, on the proper blank,
before 12 o'clock M., Monday, April 17. For application blanks, instructions, and
information relative to the duties and salaries of the different positions
apply at the post office to —
CHARLES H. WHITE,
Secretary, Board of Examiners.
HOMER
DEPARTMENT.
Mrs. C. O. Newton fell on the rear porch of
her residence on North Main-st. yesterday morning and broke her wrist. Mr.
Newton fell and broke his leg last fall.
Dr. D. W. Burdick of Syracuse was in town
yesterday.
Mr. Frank Wood has the contract for excavating
the cellar for the new Baptist church. Work will be begun as soon as the
weather will permit.
At the annual meeting of the Baptist society
Rev. E. W. Royce occupied the chair. Messrs. Lyman Fosmer and H. L. Bates were
re-elected trustees and Orrin V.
Blanshan was made clerk. The following composed the music committee chosen:
Miss Kate Chittenden and Messrs. Erastus Jones and Orrin V. Blanshan. The
finances of the church are in a very good condition. There is no indebtedness
and the board and all those who had charge of the financial part are deserving
of a good deal of praise for their good management.
The electric light question has been quite
thoroughly discussed of late. At a meeting of the board of trustees and the
representatives of the electric light company Tuesday it was decided to put a
light in the center of the park and if the service is satisfactory another one
will be put in at the D., L. & W. station. The one in front of the
opera house will be changed so that when lighted it will shine down Wall-st.
and the one in front of Robert Watson's house on James-st. will be moved nearer
to Main-st. They are all needed improvements.
The Young Woman's Christian Temperance union
will meet with Mrs. D. D. Forward Friday evening at 7:30 o'clock. Important
business will be discussed and a part of the time will be devoted to Bible
study. Topic, "Bible Wines." All are cordially invited to attend.
The following is the program of the musicale
to be given in the Congregational church to-night for the benefit of the Mizpah
Mission circle:
Piano Solo, Mr. Bert L. Bentley
Tenor Solo, Mr. R. J. McElheny
Quartet with Obligato Solo, Mrs. Sarah
Devoe, Mrs. William Burdick, Mrs. Fred Davis and Messrs. R. J. McElheny and William
Foster.
Soprano Solo, Mrs. F. A. Mangang
Xylophone Solo, Mr. Bert L. Bentley
Contralto Solo, Mrs. Chauncey Baker
Trio—Mrs. Sarah Devoe, Mrs. William Burdick and
Mrs. Charles Stevens.
Soprano Solo, Mrs. F. A. Mangang
Piano Solo, Mr. Bert L. Bentley
Mrs. F. A. Mangang and Mr. Bert Bentley are
both from Cortland and both are exceptionally fine musicians in their respective
lines. Ice-cream will be served and articles sold and altogether a very
enjoyable evening will be spent.
Mrs. Mangang will render "Waiting"
and "Margery" and Mr. Bentley's piano solo will be Paderewski's
"Minuette."
VIRGIL.
VIRGIL, March 22.—Only a few years ago this
town was a license town in favor of selling strong drink to any and all. Now no
one is ever put before the people in the interest of strong drink and we very
much doubt if one could find a gallon of whiskey in the town. While this is a
fact it is also a fact that a great many really good people have yet to learn
that hard cider is a factor for evil fully equal to whiskey in accomplishing the
results which follow in the train of strong drink.
Some have said of us that we leave out of our
reports all that sounds bad for the place. While this is so as far as regards
gossip and scandal and petty quarrels which amount to nothing, we aim to be
fair and if one errs not to be too hard on him. But when it is too strong it is
well enough to warn the parties that it has gone far enough.
One day last week there came to the village
three men, from old age to opening manhood, all of them foolishly drunk on
cider, a spectacle of which the young men at least ought to be ashamed, and in
view of the record being established it is high time they quit drinking cider.
The following is furnished us by Mrs. E. M.
Perkins of the Baptist society:
A
large company of friends and neighbors of Brother J. F. Dayton and family gave
them a complete surprise last Tuesday evening with some of the good things that
satisfy the wants of the body. Brother Dayton, wife and daughter were prompt to
make their guests very welcome and a very pleasant social evening was passed.
The ladies of the Baptist church and society
met at the home of Mrs. E. M. Perkins Friday, March 17, to reorganize their Aid
society. They appointed Mrs. E. M. Perkins chairman, and Miss Ella Dayton
secretary, pro tem. They then proceeded to elect the following officers:
President—Mrs. E. M. Perkins.
Vice President—Mrs. J. F. Dayton.
Secretary and Treasurer— Miss Ella Dayton.
It was voted to call this society the Ladies'
Aid and Mission circle of the Baptist church. They arranged for a warm sugar
social at Mrs. W. A. Holton's, Friday evening of this week, March 24. A cordial
invited is extended [sic].
 |
| Charles E. Parker |
BREVITIES.
—The postponed Paderewski concert will occur
in Syracuse on Tuesday, April 25.
—The W. C. T. U. will give a maple sugar
social at their rooms on Saturday evening, March 25.
—Hon. Charles E. Parker will preside at the
April circuit of court instead of Hon.
Walter Lloyd Smith as stated on the cards prepared by the court stenographer.
—The Royal Arcanum are contemplating a
musical and literary entertainment to be given the second week in April.
—This is
the season of the year when the country editor is offered a raspberry vine
worth 35 cents in payment for $6 worth of advertising for the seed companies.—Norwich
Sun.
—There will be a special meeting of the
Cortland Wheel club this evening at 8:30 to
fill vacancies in the office of president, recording secretary, financial
secretary and treasurer.
—A sight which pleased quite a number of
people this morning was a well known insurance agent of Cortland endeavoring to
post a letter in the fire alarm box in front of Fireman's Hall.
—The increasing business of the First National
bank has necessitated the employing of a new clerk. The young man is Mr. Ralph
Talbot of Cortland, who is now rapidly becoming initiated into his new duties.
—The annual inspection of the Forty-fifth
Separate company, N. G. S. N. Y., will occur at the armory on Monday evening,
April 3, at 8 o'clock. Officers from the inspector general's department of New
York state will be present.
—In the town of Onondaga recently a
physician called at a house occupied by Jerome, Lucian and Lucy Hunt. He found
Lucy dead in her chair, and Jerome died a few minutes later in his chair, and
Lucian was dangerously ill but would not go to bed. They all had typhoid
pneumonia, and although worth considerable property, had no medical attendance,
or comforts of life about them.
—As the westbound passenger train on the E.,
C. & N. R. R. due at Cortland at 3:15 P. M. was leaving Canastota yesterday,
and was crossing the West Shore tracks, a switch rod broke, derailing the two
rear cars. The train was stopped at once and it was found that no damage had been
done. Fortunately there was a free engine in the yard which could work at the
rear end of the train and the two cars were soon on the track again and the
train proceeded. It reached Cortland about one hour late.
—For a number of months the New York Central
railroad has been quietly collecting
evidence implicating a great many of the passenger conductors in a gigantic
steal, and now the blue envelopes are flying thick and fast and heads are daily
falling upon the block in wholesale quantities. It appears that many commercial
travelers and others have been paying half fare or less to the conductors for
tickets which they have stolen from the railroad. The stealing is accomplished
by the conductor pretending to punch a ticket and not doing so and then palming
it.
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