RUMORS OF PURCHASE, FARMERS' INSTITUTE AND ST. MARY'S NEW ORGAN

Elmira, Cortland & Northern R. R. Engine No. 7, formerly Utica, Ithaca & Elmira R. R. Engine No. 4, at Cortland Depot. The conductor in photo is not identified.

Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, January 10, 1896.

RUMORS OF PURCHASE.

But Superintendent Allen Reaffirms His Denial.

   The Elmira Advertiser this morning said: "A gentleman connected with the

E., C. & N. railroad company in this city was interviewed last night and stated that it was generally understood that the Lehigh company was endeavoring to effect the purchase of the road and if the scheme failed the Lehigh Valley company would build a line from this city to Watkins where it will be connected with the main line. Interesting developments are promised in a few days."

   Notwithstanding this, Superintendent Allen this morning reaffirmed his statement made yesterday that so far as he knew there was nothing whatever in the report. He said, of course the road is for sale if an offer sufficiently large should be made, and it has been for years. We would sell any property of that character which we have if we got money enough, but no action of any kind on the part of the Lehigh visitors on the trip indicated that they were looking at the road with an eye to its purchase. They never got out of the car at Camden. They asked no questions whatever as to how much real estate or property we had at any place. They would not need, of course, to inquire in regard to rolling stock for a full report of that is made each year and is published, so that they could get that without our knowledge if they wanted it. If they really thought of purchasing it, though, the idea seems almost ridiculous that they should start off in such a way with two cars and their own engine and make a trip of the whole road. It naturally excited the curiosity and interest and suspicions of every employee on the whole line. They were all full of questions and surmises. A more reasonable way would have been to quietly go along individually on a regular train. No, I don't believe there is anything in it.

   With regard to The Advertiser's item quoted above, there is probably no one connected with the road in Elmira who could speak with more authority than Superintendent Allen, and his denial or affirmation would naturally be more conclusive than that of any official in Elmira.

Judge Walter Lloyd Smith.

RAILROAD SUITS.

The E., C. & N. R. R. Gains a Victory in a Test Case.

   Judge Walter Lloyd Smith has just handed down a decision in a case brought by Joseph Barker of Moravia against the E., C. & N. R. R. The case was over the charging of four cents per mile for fare upon certain short distances, as the original charter of the road permitted, and which was claimed was excessive.

   The question at issue was whether the general railroad law of 1890 wiped out of existence the rights of the road under the old charter. The case was tried before Judge Smith at the October circuit of the supreme court in

Tompkins county. Wing Parker of Moravia appeared for the plaintiff and Kellogg & Van Hoesen of Cortland for the defendant. A jury was waived and the case was submitted directly to the judge.

   There were about eighty other cases precisely like this on the calendars in

Tompkins and Cortland counties, but only the one was tried and others were put over the term in both circuits. Judge Smith has now handed down his decision in favor of the defendant, and this, it is expected, will settle all the cases.

FARMERS' INSTITUTE.

Useful Suggestions as to the Value of the Silo to Farmers.

   The annual farmers' institute convened at the courthouse this morning at 10 o'clock. The courtroom was filled with representative farmers of Cortland county with their wives and families. Mr. N. F. Webb has a fine display of potatoes of the Burbank and American Wonder varieties, also King and Pound Sweet apples. Mr. John Kane exhibits corn. There is also on exhibition a large variety of farming implements by various agents.

   The address of welcome was delivered by J. D. F. Woolston of Cortland and the response was made by E. Van Alstyne of Kinderhook.

   F. A. Converse of Woodville, N. Y. was then introduced and spoke on "The Value of the Silo to the Dairy Farmer." He said that the farmers who have silos are now carrying just as much hay and keep more stock than formerly.

He would have a silo built of rough lumber and have the bottom of gravel. He would have a silo built in the barn when possible, but if necessary to build it outside [and] have as little mason work as possible. The deeper the silo the better. A man should never think of filling a silo with anything but corn. More mistakes are made in putting in corn that is immature than from any other cause. Fertilizer should be put on land broadcast rather than in the hill. He advocated the use of a smoothing harrow after the corn is planted and before it sprouts and comes through the ground and repeat this each four or five days. One object is to hold the moisture in the ground. It is a mistake to cultivate corn six inches deep because it cuts off the roots. We want surface cultivation and must have it to get the best results. He advocated cutting ensilage before putting it into the silo. Nothing has ever yet came to us that has so cheapened the cost of milk production as the silo system.

   "Developing Waste Land" was the subject of W. L. Bean's address. Waste land has three separate divisions or varieties, namely, land infested with weeds or willows, rough land, and wet lands. Destroy the roots of the willows, fill up the depressions in the rough field with stones from that that unsightly stone pile and cover with dirt from the adjacent knolls. To render wet land fit for crop production construct drains. The closed drain is preferable. If the tract is large and undulating it will pay to employ an engineer who will lay out a serviceable system of drainage

   The noon hour having arrived, an adjournment was taken until 2 o'clock P. M.

ARBITRATION CERTAIN.

Reassuring View of a British Special Agent.

SCHOMBURGK LINE ABANDONED.

He Thinks Both British and American Sentiment Now Sets So Strongly

Toward Peace That the Matter Is as Good as Settled.

   WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.—Henry Norman, the special commissioner of the London Daily Chronicle in Washington, cables his paper as follows:

   "The sentiment for arbitration is a ball, which, once set rolling among a civilized people, cannot be stopped. I take it for granted that in some manner arbitration in the Venezuelan dispute is now certain."

   Mr. Norman devotes the major portion of the remainder of his dispatch to authorized interviews with the members of the senate foreign relations committee.

   Mr. Norman then continues: "My work here is done. I propose to leave Washington immediately. The Schomburgk line is now abandoned. The English public, understanding the American attitude, has changed its own attitude, and nothing blocks the way to a prompt settlement not only of the Venezuelan but of all other matters, and they are numerous, now pending and creating international discord, and thereby placing our relations upon an amicable footing for the future.

   "My last words shall be, and they must surely express British, no less than American sentiment, that the nation desiring arbitration is in a civilized attitude, and that the nation refusing it is in an uncivilized attitude."

VENEZUELANS EXCITED.

Reports of British encroachments Cause Renewed Talk of War.

   NEW YORK, Jan. 10.—A dispatch from Caracas, Venezuela, dated Jan. 9, says: England's manner of answering the United States in regard to the occurrences on the Guiana frontier has caused great excitement here.

   The newspapers devote leading articles to the movement and regard it as hostile. They urge the government to dispatch immediately a large body of troops, including heavy artillery, to watch the invaders and to resist their advance.

   Many armed Venezuelans have gone to the frontier without the knowledge of the government to act as a territorial guard.

   Crespo's expected proclamation regarding the subject and the official action which will be taken thereon has not yet been made public.

   The special meeting which the cabinet is to hold today to discuss the future course of the government is…awaited.

Committee on Foreign Relations.

   WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.—Very general interest is manifested about the senate in the special meeting of the committee on foreign relations which has been announced for Saturday to consider the various measures before it bearing upon the foreign questions which have recently been receiving such general attention.

   It is understood now that the senate will today adjourn over until Monday, and in case it does, the committee will probably hold an all day session. It is the purpose of the committee to take up especially the Cuban, Venezuelan and Armenian questions, with incidental reference in connection with the Venezuelan subject to the Monroe doctrine.

   There are so many bills and resolutions before the committee bearing upon all phases of these questions that it is quite probable that more than one day's sitting will be necessary to dispose of them or any one of them.

   While there is no positive information obtainable at this time, there are reasons for believing that precedence will be given to the Cuban question.

   This question will be considered, when taken up, on the basis of propriety of recognizing the belligerency of the insurgents.

   There is unquestionably a majority in the committee favorable to granting this recognition, but there may be a division of sentiment as to the time when it should be given.

   There is a feeling on the part of conservative senators that too great precipitateness in this direction may do the Cuban cause more injury than benefit.

   It is therefore possible that, even after investigating the situation in Cuba, as fully as possible, positive action by the committee will be deferred until a time which may be decided to be more opportune than the present.

THE NEW ORGAN

For St. Mary's Church in Position and Nearly Ready For Use.

   The new organ for St. Mary's church is in position and is being tuned by Mr. Barnes of the firm of Morey & Barnes of Utica from whom it was purchased. The organ has 1,219 pipes and the specifications are as follows:

   Great organ—Bourdon, open diapson, dulciana, melodia, octave, flute d'amour, twelfth, fifteenth and trumpet having sixty-one pipes each and mixture with 183 pipes.

   Swell organ—Open diapason, viola-degamba, stop diapason, flute harmonica, fugara, fiautina, and oboe-bassoon with sixty-one pipes each.

   Pedal organ—Double open diapason and bourdon each having thirty pipes.

   Couplers—Swell to pedal, great to pedal, swell to great, swell to great at octaves.

   Combination pedals—great fortissimo, great piano, swell fortissimo, swell piano, great to pedal reversible.

   The organ has a tremulo stop. Power is furnished by a water motor. The case is of quartered oak, finished in natural wood. The decorations are fine and are similar to those of the church interior. There are thirty-seven display pipes. The organ has a deep rich tone and for volume is unexcelled by any other in Cortland.

   The services of Prof. C. P. Renaud of Syracuse have been secured to give a music recital at some time in the near future the exact date not yet having been determined.

BREVITIES.

   —New advertisements to-day are—F. Daehler, page 2.

   —There will be a band concert at the rink to-morrow night from 7:30 to 9:30 o'clock, weather permitting.

   —The Alpha C. L. S. C. will meet with Mrs. F. J. Doubleday, 44 Port Watson-st., Monday evening, Jan. 13.

   —A regular conclave of Cortland Commandery, Knights Templars, will be held at the asylum this evening.

   —Dr. F. J. Cheney delivers a lecture in the lecture course at Cincinnatus this evening. His theme is "Good Citizenship."

   —A party of young people expect to take a sleigh ride to Higginsville tonight. They will have a supper and will spend a season in tripping the light fantastic too.

   —Dr. N. L. Andrews of Colgate university, Hamilton, who is now traveling in Europe, sent a New Year's card printed in Greek to every Greek student in the university.

   —Nearly every child young and old was equipped with skates this afternoon as the schools were dismissed, and all were headed toward the rink to take advantage of the fine skating.

   —The Norwich Furniture Co. has voluntarily shut down and closed its doors because it can no longer continue business with profit. Inability to compete with the larger concerns is said to be the cause.

   —Edward Gibson, who lives between Cortland and Groton is 78 years of age. He began threshing in 1842 and has threshed every fall since except two. He is thought to be the oldest and most experienced thresher in this vicinity.

   —Mrs. William Burk died yesterday afternoon at her home, 12 Hubbard-st., after a protracted illness. Arrangements for the funeral have not yet been made, but a further notice of it will be given to-morrow.

      —H. C. Kinney has just returned from a visit to the western part of the state. He drove home some fine thoroughbred Holstein stock for H. T. Coon of Homer, which took first and second premium at the Canandaigua fair last fall.

   —Miss Elizabeth Philips delightfully entertained a few of her friends at her home on Union-st. last evening in honor of her guests, Mrs. M. L Coffman of Denver, Colo., and Mrs. Florence Crandall of Binghamton. Cards and dancing were engaged in.

   —The leak in the gas main was found just before dark last night and has been repaired. It was at the intersection of Main-st. and Clayton-ave. The sewer had settled down from the three inch gas main which crossed over it and the pressure of the earth above broke it off short.

   —The West Eaton Enterprise, started a few weeks ago by N. E. Bugbee of DeRuyter, has suspended publication. The expense of successfully conducting a newspaper is much more than the average person thinks and these are pretty hard times in which to try experiments.

   —The Moravia Valley Register is twenty-five years old and has just begun its second quarter century. The paper is a bright and newsy sheet, is well edited, is full of spicy, local items, and the only adverse criticism to be made about it is its unfortunate politics. But there is an old saying that as long as there is life there is hope. The paper shows no end of vitality, and perhaps in time it may even yet be cured of its one difficulty. Accept our congratulations, Brother Kenyon, and our hopes.