OLIVER HITCHCOCK

Cortland Standard Semi-Weekly Edition, Tuesday, July 30, 1895.

OLIVER HITCHCOCK.

Another Old Resident of Cortland Passes Away.

   Mr. Oliver Hitchcock died at his home on James-st. at 3 o’clock Friday morning, aged 83 years. Mr. Hitchcock suffered from a stroke of apoplexy nearly eight years ago, from the effects of which he never fully recovered. The immediate cause of his death was pulmonary apoplexy. He was in his usual health until yesterday forenoon when he had a sinking spell and kept growing worse until the time of his death at 3 o’clock this morning.

   Mr. Hitchcock was one of the oldest residents of Cortland, all of his long life with the exception of a few years having been spent within the county.

   He was born in Truxton in 1812. His father, Benjamin Hitchcock, being a farmer and one of the early settlers in that section. He remained in Truxton until he was 21 years of age, working on the farm, attending the village school and teaching district schools during the winter months. When he was 21 years of age he went to Homer where he remained three years learning the shoemakers’ trade with Augustus Hitchcock, a merchant of that place.

   On February 18, 1840, he was married to Miss Elizabeth S. Rogers, daughter of Johnathan Rogers of Cortland, who survives him. The first three years of their married life were spent in Skaneateles where Mr. Hitchcock worked at his trade. They afterward removed to Truxton where they remained until 1849, when they removed to Cortland, where they have since lived. Here Mr. Hitchcock opened a shoestore on Main-st. near the place where the Dexter House now stands. Soon after Dickinson & McGraw went into business in 1864, Mr. Hitchcock entered their employ and remained with them until stricken with apoplexy in September 1887. Since then he has been confined to the house a greater part of the time.

   Three sons and three daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hitchcock, all except one of whom are living at the present time. They are: Mrs. Alviras Snyder of Etna, Mrs. W. E. Phelps of Cortland, Mrs. C. H. Ammerman of Union Valley, O. A. Hitchcock of Cortland and Rogers H. Hitchcock of Pittsburg, Pa. Mr. Hitchcock was one of a family of nine children, having four brothers and four sisters. Two brothers and one sister survive him, Messrs.  James and Lewis Hitchcock of Homer and Mrs. Warren Kneeland of Oakland, Cal.

   When fifteen years of age he united with the Congregational church of Truxton and soon after coming to Cortland was received into the membership of the Presbyterian church of this place of which he has since been a member. He has also been one of the deacons of the church for over 30 years, and for many years was an earnest worker in the Sunday-school.

   He was a member of the Cortlandville Lodge No. 470 F. & A. M. and was also one of the oldest Odd Fellows in the state having been a member of each of these organizations for nearly fifty years.

   The funeral will be held at his late home, 15 James street, Sunday at 2 P. M.

Funeral of Oliver Hitchcock.

   The funeral of Oliver Hitchcock was held at his late home, 15 James-st., at 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon. Rev. J. L. Robertson, pastor of the Presbyterian church, conducted the services at the house. Both the Odd Fellows and the Masons of which organizations the deceased was a member attended the funeral in a body. More than two hundred Masons were in attendance at the funeral. The services at the grave were conducted by the Masonic lodge.

Looking west at Elm Street bridge.

Electric Road Notes.

   The Cortland & Homer Traction company have over thirty men employed on Elm-st., laying the ties and iron as fast as the grade is completed. They have now nearly reached River-st. and in a very few days will be at the river where the bridge is now being erected by the Groton Iron Bridge company. The iron is all delivered and it will be a matter of only a short time before cars will be running to the park.

Photo from Grip's Historical Souvenir of Cortland.

Noteworthy Improvements.

   Cortland feels justly proud of its many handsome residences and of the general absence of shanty architecture. Quite a number of new dwellings have been added to it this season and many old ones have been beautified and modernized in various ways. Several pretty porches, piazzas, etc., have also been built. One of the largest and handsomest erected this summer is the spacious Egyptian veranda just completed by Mr. G. J. Mager, at his home, 28 Lincoln-ave. Its erection, together with the fresh coats of paint, has so changed the appearance of the residence that it is hardly recognizable. The veranda was built by Mr. Richard H. Stark according to plans and specifications by Architect M. F. Howes. The hand carving was done by Mr. Will Hatler, and the painting was under the direction and supervision of Mr. George A. Loucks. The colors are two soft shades of olive green, lightly trimmed with white, and the general effect is very pleasing.

THE WORK OF GRASSHOPPERS.

Fields of Grain Being Destroyed by the Pests.

   Grasshoppers have not been so thick in New York state in years as they are at present. From various parts of the state reports are coming in of the damage to crops which is being done by them and farmers in many sections are becoming alarmed at the prospect.

   The oat crop is suffering the most from the pests at the present time. Some fields about Cortland are literally black with grasshoppers and farmers have already begun to cut their grain although it is not yet ripe.

   In some places they have attacked the cornfields and are doing untold damage to the crop. The grasshoppers eat the green stalks of the oats to such an extent that the stalks fall to the ground, and in the corn they first eat the tender silk and thus prevent the corn from filling.

Side Lights on Cortland.

   The large number of prominent Cortland gentlemen walking our streets of late minus their usual mustaches has caused considerable comment. No one has yet discovered why these hirsute decorations should be so ruthlessly and generally sacrificed. It has been suggested, however, that the mustache murderers must have read the following from “The Living Truth,” a Congregational paper of Michigan. It says:

   “The mustache. Cut it off. It is fit only for heathen, sports and loafers. We speak from experience, and do not hesitate to say that it is a foul and disreputable thing. No Christian man can afford to wear one. If we had the power we would, within thirty days, excommunicate every man who wore a mustache, or deny him the communion of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper until the nasty thing was cut off. It is no wonder that churches have been agitating the innovation of the sacred rite by instituting the individual cup in the sacrament. In fact the mustache has to some extent polluted and destroyed the sanctity of the sacred ordinance”

   All who still hang onto their mustaches and don’t want to be regarded as “heathen, sports and loafers,” will please take notice.

BREVITIES.

   —It is estimated that more than 12,000 people attended the Hop Growers’ picnic at Sylvan Beach on Saturday.

   —Teachers’ examinations for first, second and third grade certificates will be held at the Normal building Aug. 8 and 9.

   —The Y. M. C. A. realized $83.85 from the benefit game of ball Friday between the Back Numbers and Up-to-Dates.

   —The funeral of Mrs. J. E. Briggs was held at the Congregational church Sunday at 3 o’clock P. M., Rev. W. H. Pound officiating.

   — The test oil gas well in Caroline, Tompkins Co., is now down over eight hundred feet in a rock bed. The oil and gas have not as yet materialized in paying quantities.

   —In New York City 50,000 truant children are recorded in the recent census and it is estimated that twenty-five new school buildings will be required to accommodate them.

   —An artesian well 197 feet deep has just been completed at Freeville for the E. C. & N. R. R. The well will be used for supplying the water tank belonging to the railroad.

   —One of the old horse cars was Saturday afternoon taken across Port Watson bridge and will be used as a construction car from which to string the trolley wire on the McGrawville line.

   —Superintendent Bickford has placed an insulated wire in the electric light circuit across Groton-ave. at Main-st. This will prevent the burning out of boxes if the trolley pole of the cars should fly up and hit the wire.

   —An exchange says that the oldest person living about these central parts of the state is Mrs. Margaret Fuller of Ithaca, 108 years of age. She is the mother of 16 children, 9 of whom are living.  She has 82 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.

   —Saturday morning George Stevens served an injunction on the Cortland & Homer Traction company to restrain them from constructing the road across his premises between Cortland and McGrawville. The company had a car running on the piece of track in question Thursday and collected fares.