COMPETING ELECTRIC RAILROAD PETITIONS PRESENTED TO TOWN BOARD

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, April 2, 1894.

ELECTRIC RAILROAD.

HEARING BEFORE THE CORTLANDVILLE TOWN BOARD.

Two Petitions Presented—Several Speeches Made—To Meet With Village Trustees April 7.

   On Saturday afternoon the Cortlandville town board held a meeting at Fireman's hall at 2 o'clock to consider the matter of franchisee for an electric railroad. Every member was present—Supervisor R. Bruce Smith, Town Clerk Edmond C. Alger, Justices Dorr C. Smith and Henry A. Dickinson of Cortland, E. C. Parker of McGrawville and W. B. Biggar of Blodgett Mills.

   Supervisor Smith called the meeting to order. A petition of the Cortland & Homer Horse Railroad Co. was read by Clerk Alger. The petition asked for the privilege of changing the motive power of the present line of railroad to electricity, and also of extending the line of the railroad as follows:

   From the corner of Main-st. and Court-st., along the latter street to Church-st, thence to Railroad-st.

   From the corner of Main and Railroad-sts, along the latter street to Pendleton-st., to Elm-st. to Pomeroy-st. to Port Watson-st., and along this street to McGrawville.

   From the corner of Main and Tompkins-sts., along the latter street to Frank-st., to Park-St., to Railway-ave. to Main-st.

   From the corner of Main-st. and Groton-ave., along the latter street to Homer-ave. to N. Main-st.

   H. A. Dickinson made the motion that all persons who addressed the board should first be requested to state who they represented.

   H. L. Gleason then rose and stated that he represented the Cortland and Homer Electric Co. He presented a petition for a franchise to build an electric railroad from the corner of Main-st. and Clinton-ave., along the latter street to Elm-St., to Pendleton st., to Railroad-st., to Pomeroy-st., to Port Watson-st., and thence along that street to McGrawville.

   Mr. Gleason spoke at some length upon the subject in favor of his petition.

   H. L. Bronson stated he represented Charles H. Garrison, E. A. Fish, R. T. Peck and others, and spoke in favor of the petition for a franchise made by the Cortland & Homer Horse Railroad Co.

   John W. Suggett appeared in behalf of Delos Sanders, a stockholder of the Cortland & Homer Horse Railroad Co. He argued that the course of conduct pursued by the people who were represented by Mr. Bronson indicated to him the purpose and intention of increasing and watering the stock and rendering it worthless and he asked the board not to grant any franchise where that was the purpose of the petitioner.

   Lewis S. Hayes was the next speaker. He represented no party or faction, but the citizens at large. He called attention to the fact that the streets named in the petition of the Cortland and Homer Horse Railroad Co. practically excluded any other company or line from reaching Main-st. by any street whatsoever, or from reaching the D., L. & W. or E., C. & N. stations, or of coming into Cortland by way of Homer-ave. He quoted the railroad law to show that no second railroad can construct another line on the same street or streets for any distance exceeding one thousand feet. The franchise asked for if granted practically gives the petitioners a monopoly upon Cortland. He also urged the fact that if the line should be built upon the streets mentioned all the switches, turnouts and frogs necessary must be on Main-st., and Main st. would practically be destroyed for any other purpose except railroad purposes. He urged the board not to grant any petition upon such a basis.

   E. E. Mellon also represented the citizens. He wanted the electric road and didn't care who built it, but he wanted the town and village and the rights of citizens protected in its construction.

   H. A. Dickinson then moved an adjournment until April 7, when the board could meet with village board of trustee. He thought the two boards should consult together and work in harmony as it would be very unfortunate if the town board should grant one franchise and the village trustees grant another for rights of way over the same territory.

   Carried and the board adjourned.

FARM HOUSE BURNED.

Family were at Dinner—Little saved—Defective Chimney.

   The fire which was discovered on the hill northwest of Cortland Saturday afternoon proved to be a dwelling house on the farm known as the Thomas Scott place, now owned by Bert Card of Cortland and occupied by the family of George Thompson who was working the farm. The building was rather an old one.

   The family which consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, Mr. Thompson's father and four children, were at dinner. One of the children had finished eating and went out into the yard to play. On looking up at the house the roof near the chimney was discovered to be on fire. The boy gave the alarm. Mrs. Thompson rushed up stairs to see what she could save and before she came down again the fire had worked its way into the lower part of the house and had got between the foot of the stairs and the outside door. She succeeded in getting down stairs, but had to make her escape through a window. She was nearly overcome by smoke and her hands were very badly burned. One of the boys too had his ears burned to a blister. Very little was saved from the house.

  There was a small insurance. The fire is supposed to have started from a defective chimney. The family moved at once into the house of Rev. B. F. Weatherwax upon the adjoining farm which had been vacated but a few days.

Strike at the Foundry.

   It was reported this morning that some of the employees of the Cortland Foundry and Machine Co. had struck. A STANDARD man stopped over to the office and there learned the following facts from the superintendent, Mr. H. C. Fairbanks: A little difficulty arose in the mouldingroom this morning between the foreman, Mr. J. Stillson, and one of his men, and Mr. Stillson discharged the man. Two others promptly espoused his cause and left with him. There were only three men at work there and the departure of the three cleared the mouldingroom. But the company was not very badly embarrassed. One man in the machineshop had been a moulder and he promptly returned to his old place. Two others have been hired and will go to work to-morrow morning so that there will be no interruption and a heat [sic] will be taken off to-morrow as usual.

Tea Table Talk.

   A few weeks ago a gentleman entered the office of a well-known insurance agent not a thousand miles from here, and tossing a paper on the counter said to the agent: "That's run out and I want it renewed." The agent unfolded the document, and, with a smile inquired "Are you sure that this has run out?" "Oh yes," said the gentleman, "my wife told me it ran out yesterday." "Well I am sorry for you; but we are not taking that kind of risks now" responded the agent, as he handed it back to him.

   It was his marriage certificate, and we thought "Frank" would choke to death before he could stop laughing.—New Berlin Gazette.

Coxey's army.

COMMONWEALERS BOOMING

Their Ranks Swelled to over Four Hundred at Beaver Falls.

   BEAVER FALLS, Pa., April 2.—Seven thousand people on foot and in vehicles met Coxey's commonweal at Beaver Falls when the army entered. The crowds were curious, but not cordial. A delegation of mounted citizens met Coxey and escorted him and his followers in a parade through the town. Camp was then pitched near the Beaver river, on College hill.

   Meetings were held on the ground at once and 136 collected by Marshal Smith. In the evening the usual meeting was held in the opera house, and after the audience left the army, 280 strong, were marched here and put to bed in the theater. By 9 o'clock 125 recruits had joined, necessitating the formation of a new commune, called the "Cyclones," named after the astrologer.

   Eighteen of the recruits were potters from East Liverpool.

   Marshal Smith told his men that any one of them caught begging would be dismissed and prosecuted. One was dismissed at Darlington for begging and another at Beaver Falls for drunkenness. The march into town from New Galilee was uneventful.

   Before leaving Camp Marion Butler a religious service, with music, was held on the grounds.

   All night long the camp was visited here by the townspeople, several thousand sightseers coming from neighboring towns.

   Food enough to last the army for two days was contributed by the citizens and the officers entertained by a hotelkeeper. The leaders are immensely pleased with the reception and the big batch of recruits.

   The police were on the alert and 25 special constables were on duty.

   Several well-known crooks were observed in town by the local officers, but were put away from the vicinity of the camp.

   Carl Browne in his orders named the camp at Sewickley "Dues," in honor of the trustee of Economy, who provides lunch today at that town.

   Thirteen dollars was collected from the crowd during the evening, making the total $49.

   Browne said that most of the speaking will be done at Economy, as he fears a cold reception at Sewickley, an aristocratic suburb of Pittsburg.

Cremation Society Formed.

   BUFFALO, April 2.—Eighty-five German workingmen who live here have banded themselves into a co-operative cremation society. The society is the outcome of several heated discussions about cremation held by visitors at a beer hall on the east side on Sunday afternoons. It so happened that two men who participated frequently in the talks died within a week recently and their bodies were burned at the Buffalo crematorium. Most of the wranglers saw the incinerations and became convinced that the plan was a good one. Then they formed the society. The initiation fee is 25 cents and the dues 10 cents a month. The money is paid into a common fund and as each man dies he will be properly attended and his body burned.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

A Modern Instance and an Ancient Fable.

   "The result of the examination held in Troy to inquire into the cause of death of Robert Ross on Election day, was just what might have been expected, for the reason that the prosecution was in charge of able Democratic officials. John Y. McKane, of Gravesend, was convicted by Democratic officials. The Democratic party has a habit of convicting and punishing Democratic or Republican rascals, which the Republican party should adopt sooner or later and the sooner the better. Democrats do not whitewash criminals."—Cortland Democrat.

   Jupiter determined, it is said, to create a sovereign over the birds, and made proclamation that, on a certain day, they should all present themselves before him, when he would himself choose the most beautiful among them to be king. The jackdaw, knowing his own ugliness, searched through the woods and fields, and collected the feathers which had fallen from the wings of his companions, and stuck them in all parts of his body. When the appointed day arrived, and the birds had assembled before Jupiter, the jackdaw also made his appearance in his many-feathered finery. On Jupiter proposing to make him king, on account of the beauty of his plumage, the birds indignantly protested, and each plucking from him his own feathers, the jackdaw was again nothing but a jackdaw.

   Hope not to succeed in borrowed plumes.—AEsop's Fables.

   "For more than fifteen years John Y. McKane, committed the worst sort of frauds at the elections held in Gravesend in the interest of the Republican party. The Cortland STANDARD and its party profited by these frauds and kept silent. Two years ago McKane changed his politics and committed the same sort of crimes from which the Democratic party gained some advantage. Did the Democrats remain silent? No! They prosecuted the offender and he is now wearing stripes in Sing Sing prison. When did the Republican party do likewise? Never."—Cortland Democrat.

   What is to be said in reply to a statement like the above, which every man of common intelligence knows is without foundation from beginning to end? What desperate straits a party must be in when its advocates and defenders are driven to resort to such means to save it from annihilation.

BREVITIES.

"Light of my life," the young man cried.

A courting of his lass;

"If that's the case," the maid replied,

"Let us turn down the gas."

   —Mr. H. E. Andrews and family are moving to-day from 42 Owego-st. to their home, 57 Lincoln-ave.

   —The regular meeting of the Loyal circle of King's Daughters will not occur this week. The time and place of the next meeting will be announced later.

   —Rev. Mr. Ball will hold meetings at the residence of Mr. Horace Seamans on Willow-ave., every evening this week except Friday and Saturday at 7:30 o'clock.

   —Prof. Morris will meet all the gentlemen who are to take part in the "Ben Hur" pantomime on Tuesday evening, April 3, at 8 o'clock at Empire hall. A prompt attendance is requested.

   —A new game for evening parties is as follows: All the young ladies bring photographs of themselves taken when they were babies, or at least when they were young. These are arranged in a row, and the young man who can identify the greatest number receives a prize.

   —We are in receipt of a copy of a treatise upon "Tuberculosis in Relation to Animal Industry and Public Health" by Prof. James Law of Cornell university. Physicians and members of the board of health can obtain copies of this free upon application to Prof. I. P. Roberts, Ithaca, N. Y.

   —The regular monthly meeting of the Woman's Missionary society of the Congregational church will be held in the church parlors, Thursday, April 5, at 3 P. M. Dr. Pauline Root from Madura Mission, India, who is to lecture in the evening, will be present and address the meeting. The usual 10 cent tea will be served from 5:30 to 7 P. M.

   —Miss Covil organized a society some time ago of her younger pupils naming it the Clef society. Miss Millie Gale was elected president and Miss Mattie Briggs, secretary. The first meeting was held last Saturday evening at the home of Miss Jennie Ireland. After an interesting program of piano and vocal music given by the members, they indulged in musical games. The evening was highly enjoyed by all who were privileged to attend. The next meeting will be held at the home of Bertie Tamlin.