THE LATEST TERROR

Edison working on kinetograph.

Thomas Edison demonstrates the kinetograph with the assistance of George Eastman.

Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, April 11, 1894.

THE LATEST TERROR.

   If Thomas A. Edison finishes, as he expects to, his latest invention, then life will be less worth living than ever. The device is nothing less than a machine which can take 46 photographs in a second. Forty-six times a second is about as rapidly as any living thing can change its muscular movements, so that the new machine will make a succession of pictures of a man as fast as he can make motions, whether walking or trying to catch a train that just glides off as he comes within 25 feet of it, panting and puffing. What is more, the demoniacal new Edison machine will have a phonograph attachment. This will register the words the man who is left will pour forth in a torrent on the air as he sees the train disappear. It will mercilessly record every wheeze of his scant breath as it gurgles forth from his surcharged breast.

   After that the sly dime museum man who has snapped a kodak on him will make a reproduction of the whole humiliating scene, naughty words and all, and put it into a nickel-in-the-slot machine. The rustic visitor in the railway station or ferry house will drop a nickel in the slot, and, behold! there will be Mr. Fatman, in all his humiliation and despair, in the very act of relieving his mind by the worst words he knows.

   Nobody will be safe when the new Edison kinetograph, as he calls it, is on the market. The tenderest partings of lovers, the old man's fiendish chuckle when he sets the dog on the unwelcome suitor, the very expression and language of my lady when she narrates the private affairs of her dearest friend to a woman who doesn't like her friend, will be there with pitiless fidelity, as Edison says, "a hundred years after one is dead." We can never know when the kinetograph fiend is on our track.

   Forty-six photographs a second will reproduce as many motions as the eye can follow. These photographs, being set in motion one after the other by a well understood mechanical arrangement and focused on exactly the same level, will produce the effect of a continuous panorama. The phonograph accompanying the moving scene will enable science to reproduce perfectly and preserve a whole theatrical play, opera or dinner party. That is Edison's idea.

Japan's New Constitution.

   In spite of the glowing hopes based on its adoption, all is not lovely by any  means under Japan's new constitution. That country is having something like the same kind of trouble as now disturbs England. Already since the adoption of the new constitution the Japanese parliament has been twice dissolved by the emperor. Like the house of commons, the lower house of the Japanese parliament insists that its will is the will of the people. The Japanese commons undertakes to rule the whole empire. The emperor gave the people a constitution voluntarily. It was not forced from him, as most constitutions have been from rulers. In that document the powers of the lower house were distinctly set forth.

   During the past winter the lower house found the emperor's cabinet distasteful to it for some reason. It therefore attacked that body and made matters very warm for the members with the intention of forcing them to resign. The intention was to have them replaced by an imperial advisory council more subservient to the commons.

   The emperor, however, frustrated this amiable intention at once by using the powers conferred on him by the new constitution and summarily dissolving parliament. Legislation is stopped until a new parliament can be elected. It would be rather strange if the condition of Japan should turn out to be worse than it was before she had a constitution.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Another "Small Election."

   Another of the "small elections" which are forming such picturesque and impressive episodes in the politics of the country happened yesterday in that Gibraltar of the Democracy, the city of Albany. Two years ago James H. Manning, Democrat, was elected major by about 6,000 majority. Yesterday Oren F. Wilson, Republican, was elected mayor by about 3,500 majority! A Republican board of supervisors was secured for the county, and to the board of aldermen of the Capital city nine Republicans are returned, along with seven independent Democrats and three regular Democrats. Last year the board was strongly Democratic.

   A Cleveland machine of the most perfect construction, which could give points to anything of the Hill variety, controlled the city, but since the cyclone struck it the fragments are so small as to be worthless even for a political junk shop. The opposition to the machine embraced the Republicans of the city, the mugwumps, workingmen, and Hill Democrats, united under the banner of "honest elections." The combination had the advantage—which the opposition to ring rule in Troy did not—of a fair election law, and the remains of bossism and fraudulent election machinery cleaving the political sky are the results. Boss Judge Herrick is pulverised and a good lesson taught Democratic judges who seek to prostitute their influence and position to the uses and the profit of election frauds. A turnover of 9,500 in one Democratic city in one year is something —but next fall's elections will witness results still more surprising.

The Assembly and Hon. B. P. Lee.

   A prominent Albany correspondent of New York City and other papers writes us as follows:

   "What about the record?' I asked Assemblyman [Benjamin F.] Lee of Cortland to-day. 'The Republican legislature,' he said, 'is making a record it can safely appeal to the state on next fall. It is an admirable record. There have been no questionable political jobs, no steals, no extravagant appropriations. On every question involving morals and good citizenship the Republicans have stood squarely on the right side. They have repealed the vicious legislation fastened upon Buffalo, Albany, Troy and Westchester last year by the Democrats, and the party has been greatly strengthened in those localities because of it. The next legislature will be Republican with as large a majority as this one is.'

   "A word might appropriately be said right here relative to Cortland's assemblyman. The STANDARD should pin it fast in the memory of Cortland people that it required a representative of no mean ability and influence to get an extra appropriation for the Normal school this year, but Mr. Lee got a $14,000 one all the same. Appropriations have been cut on all sides and many assemblymen will go home to their constituents empty-handed. The need of economy is great and Mr. Lee's successful effort to have Cortland's famous institution of learning generously remembered is doubtless appreciated by Cortland people, in the county as well as in the village. Mr. Lee is one of the most popular and cleanest men in the house.

   "Assemblyman Lee's bill for making the insurance on Normal school buildings available at once in case of fire is a good one, and has become a law."

NOT TO BE TAKEN BACK.

Sophomore Taylor Was Dropped For Poor Scholarship.

   ITHACA, N. Y., April 11.—Sophomore Taylor of chlorine fame will not be reinstated in the university. He was not dropped for suspected complicity in the chlorine case but for poor scholarship, and it can be stated on authority of President Schurman that there is no chance of his being taken back.

   There will probably be no new developments in the chlorine case until April 24 when Judge Forbes will reconvene court. He has written to the district attorney that he will take no steps until that time, allowing Judge Smith to bear the responsibility he has assumed.

Strikers Beat the Guards.

   UNIONTOWN, Pa., April 11.—A mob of strikers raided Frick's works this morning, captured and beat seventy men and guards, and destroyed considerable property.

Ben Hur produced on Broadway stage.

A GORGEOUS SPECTACLE.

"BEN HUR" PRESENTED SATISFACTORILY IN PANTOMIME.

Effective Scenery—Elegant Costumes—Brilliant Effects—Graceful Dances—Impressive Statuary.

   Clark & Cox's spectacular pantomime "Ben Hur" opened its three nights performance at the Opera House last evening. The house was only partially filled, but those who were fortunate enough to attend were highly entertained by the excellent pantomime of the famous oriental novel. The fact that it was to be given under the auspices of the Young People's society of Grace church was enough to warrant the fact that it would be an entertainment of high character, but those who attended the opening performance last evening were greatly surprised at the magnificence of the spectacle. It was something entirely new and there was a wonderful fascination in the elegant scenery and costumes, graceful dances, statuary, mechanical and calcium light effects. It seems incredible that this wonderful novel can be clearly interpreted, but it was done last night.

   Mr. W. E. Wood impersonated Ben Hur in a clear, forcible manner which showed careful and conscientious study of the character. His interpretation was superior to anything of the kind ever given in Cortland.

   Messala was impersonated by Mr. L. E. Edgcomb. His ability in this kind of acting was well brought out in the fifth scene in which he taunts Ben Hur and they quarrel and part. He also handled the part of Melchoir very creditably.

   Mr. T. H. Dowd took the parts of Balthazar and Thord in a manner which proved that he was as much at home in a pantomime as he was in the various other entertainments in which he has previously won a reputation.

   Mr. F. B. Harrington impersonated Arrius and the procurator Valerius Gratus. He made a fall when the latter character was struck by a tile falling from the Hur house in scene seven, which would have done credit to a professional.

   Ben Hur's mother, Tirzab, Amrah and Mary were respectively impersonated by Misses Grace K. Duffey, Edith Horton, Jennie T. Guild and Annie Luker. All did exceedingly well.

   The beautiful character of Esther as interpreted by Miss March Lamb could not have been bettered, while Miss Belle Atkinson as Iras in her failure to charm the hero and her subsequent intrigues with Messala to destroy him could hardly have been better acted.

   Each of the other characters were in the hands of competent local talent and were executed with a clearness which it would have been hard to equal.

   The march of the Roman soldiers and the various dances, the Butterfly, Priestesses, the Naiad drill, Tambourine, Black Birds and Gondolier dances were all performed without an error. The dance "Candida Pax" by Misses Lizzie Phillips, Ruth Carpenter, and Mary R. Mahan was one of the finest on the program. The little tots went through the dainty little blackbird and butterfly dances, which would puzzle the older ones to execute. In these charming dances and drills was shown an abundant variety of gorgeous costumes which when the dancer posed helped to make the beautiful pictures even more striking. The general effect was certainly a marvelous combination of beautiful maidens, harmonious colors and stately soldiers.

   The scenery is almost beyond the powers of description. It was among the most elaborate, beautiful and harmonious ever shown before on the Cortland Opera House stage. It was historically correct and alone was worth many times the price of admission. Twenty full sets of oriental scenes, painted expressly for the production of this piece were shown besides the closing allegory, "Iras' Dream of the Nile," which it would be hard to excel even in the large cities.

   The statuary was another strong feature and the poses of Misses Harriet Allen, Cora Wells and Margaret Danforth were perfect.

   The audience was intensely enthusiastic throughout the entire performance but it reached a climax, when after Mr. W. F. Seacord had recited the chariot race, the drop was drawn up and disclosed the principals lashing their horses as if surely "The souls of the racers were in it."

   Nearly every seat has been sold for this evening's performance and the most desirable for to-morrow night are going rapidly. The piece should be seen to be appreciated, as it is almost beyond the power of pen to do it justice.

DECORATION DAY.

An Innovation by Volney Baker Post, G. A. R.

   TRUXTON, N. Y., April 10.

   Volney Baker Post, G. A. R. of Truxton propose to introduce a new feature in their next Decoration day exercises. They will give prizes to the pupils of the public schools of the towns of Cuyler, Truxton and the northern part of Homer for the best oration, essay and declaration of a patriotic nature, delivered Decoration day. These prizes will be for the best oration, a gold medal; for the best essay, a large American flag; for the best declamation or second best essay, a valuable book. No school will be allowed to carry away more than one prize. The post reserves the right to select one judge. The competitors will select another, and those two judges will select the third. Worthy pupils not gaining prizes will receive honorable mention.

   ALEXANDER LANSING,

   Commander, Volney Baker Post.

BREVITIES.

"WOULD BE WELCOME."

How welcome would the flakelets be

That hurry from the sky;

Could we but pickle snowballs, and

Consume them in July.

—Washington Star.

   —Is this gentle spring?

   —Mrs. Kate E. Jones of Ilion, department president of the W. R. C., has been engaged to deliver the Decoration day address in Cortland this year.

   —The regular assembly of the encampment of Union Veteran legion occurs Thursday evening of this week, April 12. Several comrades are expected for muster.

   —The new morning daily paper soon to be issued in Syracuse will be published in connection with The Herald, and will in reality be a morning edition of that paper, though having another name.

   —The charity ball in the new store of Dey Brothers in Syracuse last night was a great success. There were over 2,000 visitors at the ball and of these about 1,000 were dancers. Supper tickets to the number of 1,425 were sold before 11 o'clock. It is believed that over $2,400 will be cleared.

   —At 8:55 o'clock this morning the fire bell sounded one stroke. As that was the only one that came in it was decided that the line was broken some where. Janitor Bickford located the break some where in the southern part of the town. After a three hours tramp through the snow he found that an insulated wire was broken on the corner of Main and Union-sts. The break was repaired.

   —Mr. Orlando Barber, who lived on the hill east of the county house, died at 3 o'clock this morning as a result of complications proceeding from the grip, with which he had been suffering all winter. He was 63 years old. He leaves a widow, two sons Adelbert and Perry Barber of Cortland and one daughter, Mrs. B. H. Bosworth of Cortland. The funeral will be held on Saturday morning at 10 o'clock.

Tea Table Talk.

   In the performance of "In Old Kentucky" at a theatre in Rochester Monday night there is a horse race. One of the horses used which was hired from a local stable became excited at the noise and glare of the lights and, rushing forward to the footlights, leaped over into the orchestra, landing with two feet in the bass drum. His hoofs cut the electric wire which feeds the footlights and blinding flashes lit the scene of confusion in the orchestra, but no one was seriously injured.