HEALING SPRINGS IN NEW YORK CITY

Street on the East Side in New York City about 1900.

Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, March 10, 1896.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Healing Springs in New York.

   Mankind, observes the Rochester Democrat Chronicle, dearly loves a shrine and a miracle. It doesn't much matter what kind of a shrine it is or how perfectly in accord with natural laws the miracle may be, providing they are mysterious to the minds that believe in their occult qualities.

   A curious illustration of this disposition has recently been manifested in

New York City. A few days ago a boiling hot spring was discovered near the foundations of a sausage factory at No. 324 East Houston-st. This is in the heart of the Hungarian district. The news spread quickly and in a day or two the scalding water, in the estimation of the ignorant foreigners in that neighborhood, was invested with miraculous curative properties.

   This report set the populace crazy. The sick, the lame, the blind, the rheumatic and their friends flocked to the spot by hundreds. They brought buckets, bottles, tin cans, anything that would hold the precious fluid. On Sunday the throng became so dense and importunate that the engineer in charge, after filling the vessels of the crowd for a time, was almost overpowered by the clamor and pressure. At last in sheer self-defense, he was obliged to turn the hose on the crowd and as the hot stream struck them they tumbled over each other to get out of the way. Doubtless some of the rheumatics were instantly and miraculously cured on the spot and went home to relate during the remainder of their lives their marvelous experience with the waters of the sausage factory hot spring.

   The stories told of the virtues of this water are like those related of much more famous shrines with sacred names attached to them. A rheumatic who could not walk claimed that he had been entirely cured and could walk as well as ever. A sufferer from chronic dyspepsia averred that he was all right and will probably remain so until his next meal with mince pie or fried oysters. One man's boils were dissipated and another's sore feet were healed, possibly as the result of an unaccustomed wash. The water was so hot that eggs could be boiled in it and the engineer kept his coffee warm by lowering the can containing it into the spring.

   And now comes the let down. The board of health suspected the character of the water, and subjected it to analysis. This proved that the hot spring was merely a sewer vent or an underground passageway for sewage. The analysis of the water would indicate that it came from some laundry. It was pronounced unfit for any use, and an officer was stationed at the cellarway to warn people off the ground. So passed New York's wonderful mineral spring.

   It reminds one of the story told by the late Dr. Dis Lewis of a wonderful "mineral spring" once discovered in Massachusetts. Its healing qualities were marvelous, according to the accounts of the persons who drank the water. But a doubting Yankee, devoid of superstition, examined the surroundings and found that the drainings of the vault of an outhouse contributed all that there was "medicinal" in the spring.

   There is something in the human mind which holds that if anything tastes nasty it must be "medicinal," and that if one doesn't feel well he should take something that tastes nasty. It's always easier to "take something" than to give up unhealthful habits. When the great Dr. Abernethy's declaration that "all the diseases of humanity come from two causes—stuffing and fretting," and Dr. Holmes' saying that "if the entire pharmacopoeia were thrown into the sea it would be all the better for men and all the worse for the fishes," come to be accepted as even half true, people will stop going daft after "mineral springs."

The Hitchcock Co. Receivership.

   A STANDARD reporter called upon Dougherty & Miller this morning to inquire what would be their next step in the proceedings of the Hitchcock Mfg. Co., the orders of Judge Mattice vacating the judgments of the Second National bank having been filed yesterday in the clerk's office. Mr. Dougherty said that those orders were obtained by a default which he expected to have opened again. He made the following statement:

   An agreement was entered into between J. William Wilson of Syracuse and Dougherty & Miller for a postponement of the hearing of the motion to set aside the executions until March 9, when it was to occur at Judge Forbes' chambers at Canastota. Mr. Wilson agreed to send the papers in the case down to Dougherty & Miller on Tuesday of last week, but he did not send them until Wednesday. On Wednesday he sent his clerk to Judge Mattice at Norwich and secured the order by default, no one appearing to oppose it. Dougherty & Miller knew nothing of this until they found it out when they went to Canastota yesterday for the hearing that had been agreed upon. Then they telephoned to Mr. Wilson at Syracuse asking him to come down there and open the default. He replied that he would do so if they would agree to turn over the property to the receivers during the pendency of the motion to set aside the executions. They refused to do this.

   Today Dougherty & Miller will make a motion before Judge Forbes at Canastota to open the default and to stay all proceedings until a hearing can be obtained and a decision can be reached upon the motions at the special term before Judge Forbes in Cortland on April 7.

   A STANDARD representative also called on Messrs. Kellogg & Van Hoesen to ascertain their views of the situation. Mr. Kellogg was in New York, but Mr. Van Hoesen for the firm said that he understood that Messrs. Miller & Dougherty asked a postponement of the hearing of the motions at Oneonta on account of their engagements at the last Circuit in Cortland. Mr. Dougherty and Mr. Wilson on March 2 went together to Judge Forbes for the purpose of having him fix a time for the hearing of the motions. It was there agreed that the hearing be postponed on condition that the sheriff deliver over to the receivers all the property on which he had levied, and Mr. Dougherty agreed to sign a stipulation to that effect. The stipulation was prepared in Syracuse that night and sent to Cortland to be signed. It was not returned, however, until Thursday last though Mr. Wilson had repeatedly written and telephoned for it.

   In the meantime, on Tuesday morning of last week, Mr. Wilson sent a representative to Oneonta to the Oneonta special term and stated the situation to Judge Mattice, who entertained the motions for the orders asked for, but no orders were entered at that time, Mr. Wilson desiring to keep faith with Messrs. Dougherty & Miller in case they should afterwards make the stipulation agreed on. When the stipulation was returned on Thursday it was found to be largely rewritten, and provided practically that the sheriff should continue in possession. Mr. Wilson, regarding this as a failure to keep the agreement, had the orders granted at Oneonta on Saturday morning and entered at the Cortland county clerk's office yesterday. Mr. Van Hoesen regards Mr. Wilson's practice in the matter as entirely correct and the proceedings taken by him as fully justified by the circumstances.

   A representative of The STANDARD also talked with Mr. Wilson over the phone this afternoon and he stated he was not disposed to insist on technicalities, but he proposed to see that the Hitchcock Co.'s property was not interfered with any more in violation of orders of the court. He said that when they left Judge Forbes on Monday it was understood the stipulation was to be signed that night on their return to Syracuse, but this was not done by Mr. Dougherty, and the stipulation had to be sent to Cortland. On Thursday, when the stipulation was returned, he phoned Dougherty & Miller that it was not satisfactory and asked them to go with him before Judge Forbes, but they refused, as he believes, for the purpose of forcing an acceptance of the stipulation as they had modified it. Mr. Wilson says if there is any breach of faith in the matter, it has not been on his part.

Jacob Meyers' lever-operated voting machine.

BREVITIES.

   —The Ladies' Literary club will meet with Mrs. G. W. Bradford on Tompkins-st. to-morrow afternoon.

   —Mrs. Thos. Button has removed her dressmaking parlors from her home to rooms over the Second National bank.

   —I. Whiteson, the clothier, has a fine wheel on exhibition in his south window. It is a Stormer manufactured at Reading, Pa.

   —Through the influence of Hon. F. P. Saunders Mr. George B. Lewis of Homer has secured work for some time as a granite cutter upon the capitol building at Albany.

   —The solid gold medal as first prize in penmanship in Joiner's business college for 1896 was won by Miss Ethleen Coye. It is on exhibition in Jewett's north window and is a beauty.

   —The Ladies' Aid society of the Universalist church will hold a regular meeting at the church parlors to-morrow afternoon and will serve a ten-cent supper from 5:30 to 8 o'clock. Strangers will be cordially welcomed.

   —Mrs. Polly Persons of 61 Groton-ave. fell on the ice near her house this morning receiving an injury to the right hip. Dr. Higgins was called and fears that the bone is broken. A closer examination is being made this afternoon.

   —The Geneva Review says: "One thing is certain, the Myers ballot machines have been used here for the last time if the decision and will of the voters is heard. They are condemned by both Democrats and Republicans alike."

   —An electric dish-washer is among the many ingenious labor-saving devices now on exhibition at the third Labor Exposition in the Palace of Industry at Paris. This unique contrivance with its system of brushes can wash and rinse two thousand plates an hour.

   —An Australian has invented a novel method of lawn sprinkling. He has made the top rail of the fence around his lawn of iron water pipes, joined together so as to permit of a continuous flow of water, and perforated on the inner side with small holes. He connects the fence and the hose, and the water is evenly spread over every part of the lawn.

   —Mr. Robert E. Dunston, the retiring superintendent of the Cortland & Homer Traction company was on Saturday evening at the office of the company presented with a beautiful gold headed lignum vitae cane by Mr. J. A. Maxwell, superintendent of motive power, in behalf of the employees of the road. On a gold plate on the cane is inscribed the name "R. E. Dunston."