Hebrews
Lose a Faithful and Powerful Friend.
DEATH OF BARON DE HIRSCH.
The Great Jewish Financier and
Philanthropist Passes Away at His Home In Austria—Sketch of His Active and
Useful Career.
VIENNA,
April 22—Baron Hirsch has died of heart disease at his estate near Komorn.
The
millionaire railroad builder and philanthropist, Baron Morris de Hirsch de Gereuth,
was a native of Bavaria, and though it has usually been supposed that his
colossal fortune was entirely made by himself, this is not so. Though, to be
sure, the ampler means he inherited grew in his hands much faster than the
accumulations of either his father or grandfather had.
The grandfather
of the philanthropist at the close of the French revolution was an ordinary but
prosperous shopkeeper in Wurzburg, that old Franconian city of Bavaria.
Previous to
the revolution Wurzburg and a considerable portion of Franconia was ruled by bishops
who had the rank of princes. Napoleon changed all this, and many of the estates
accumulated by monks and nuns were seized and sold. Among these was the
Rottendorf property near
Wurzburg. This was offered for sale, but no
purchaser appeared, as many thought the title would not prove good and others had
religious scruples.
So it went
begging until Joseph Hirsch bought it for a song. It proved extremely valuable,
as the purchaser acquired, besides the real estate and houses, almost priceless
works of art and jewels. These he sold, and so began the Hirsch fortune.
His son,
Joel Jacob, the father of the philanthropist, became a banker and also an
extensive dealer in cattle. He became very rich, as fortunes were reckoned in the first half of the nineteenth
century. He was made a baron by the King of Bavaria on account of his wealth
and the extensive estates he owned as the heir of the original Jacob.
When the
first baron died, his son, who was born in 1833, became a member of the well known
European banking firm of Bischoffsheim & Goldsmidt, and also married Miss
Bischoffsheim, the daughter and heiress of the head of the house. Baron de
Hirsch was much bolder than his conservative associates in this house, and his operations
in railways soon made them fear that he would wreck them. He therefore was
compelled in his very latest enterprises, those from which he made a princely
fortune, to go alone. To build lines of railroads from Central Europe into the
farther east seemed too hazardous an undertaking for the money kings of Vienna,
Frankfort, Paris and London.
Therefore,
when Baron de Hirsch projected a line from Buda-Pesth in Hungary to Varna on
the Black sea, he was compelled to do without the assistance of those upon whom
he would most naturally rely. Besides this financial difficulty, which was very
great and would have discouraged a less brave and confident spirit, there were
great natural difficulties to overcome, and the jealousies of the various states
through which the line was to run were further embarrassments.
But after
years of incessant toil all obstacles were overcome and the system of roads
finished. The building of these roads enriched De Hirsch beyond the dreams of
avarice. They also have done more than any other agency to develop the
resources of the Austrian empire.
Some 15
years ago Baron de Hirsch had completed this great work, and found himself at
the age of 45 with more money than he knew what to do with. He had no children
to inherit his wealth, and he and his wife were of one mind as to what should
be done. A man who has spent 25 of the best years of his life in conducting most
exciting business ventures cannot be idle, and so the baron chose to keep busy
in doing what good he could find to do. In his railway operations he had seen throughout
the east how badly off the people were for schools. He therefore established educational
and industrial schools in Egypt and in European and Asiatic Turkey. These he
has since looked after and maintained. To the schools in Gallacia he gave
$2,000,000.
Years ago
he saw the tendency to oppress the Jews in Russia, and he made an offer of $10,000,0000
to the Russian government for schools, with the one proviso that no distinction
should be made as to race or religion. This generous and munificent offer was
refused by the Russian government, and shortly afterward began that active
oppression [pogroms] which is driving the Hebrew peasants out of the czar's
dominions and to the four quarters of the earth. Baron de Hirsch was not only
Jewish by birth, but he was an orthodox Jew in his religion. Here was work for
him to do, and he set about the task with the same brave spirit that he took to
his railway enterprises. How could he help these people thus forced from
Russia? This was a much more serious problem than any of those he had had to
solve in his railway career.
Large
though his fortune was, it was entirely inadequate to provide for all these people.
He therefore saw that he must enlist the assistance of other rich Hebrews in
the cause. About this time he met in Constantinople a wealthy American Hebrew,
Oscar S. Straus, then United States minister to Turkey. After many and long
conferences it was decided that as many of these Russian refugees as could be
provided with homes and made self-supporting should be assisted to come to the
United States. To this end Baron de Hirsch gave a fund of $4,400,000, to be
paid in monthly installments of $10,000.
But Baron
de Hirsch learned from the reports of his agents and colleagues in the United
States that it would be very easy to overdo the thing in bringing out Russian Hebrews.
It would be unwise, they thought, for them to come faster than they could be
prepared to support themselves. So the baron sent agents to South America and
Mexico to negotiate for the purchase of tracts of land.
In the
Argentine Republic negotiations were concluded and the government looked very
favorably upon the colonization scheme. But the people were bitterly opposed to
it and made such manifestations of angry hostility that the plan had to be
abandoned. Then Mexico was settled upon, and President Diaz promptly gave his
assurance of co-operation. These are the large benevolences that engaged the
recent years of this Jewish millionaire.
But outside
of these large charities he has been for 10 years past the most besought man in
the world. It has taken all the time of two clerks to open, read, classify and
answer the letters of appeal that were sent to the baron from all over the world.
He and his wife have also had social ambition. At Vienna there is a great prejudice
against Jews, and they are rarely received at court. At the clubs in Vienna and
Paris membership was declined to him. In London he was more fortunate. Having
gained the friendship of the Prince of Wales, he was elected to membership in
the Marlborough, White's and several other swell clubs.
This shows
a peculiar phase of Baron de Hirsch's character. Why he should have subjected
himself to the probability of the mortification of being blackballed by a lot of
gilded idlers who frequent these clubs passes comprehension. He had many
splendid houses, and the shooting on his estates is the best in Europe. He was
also a breeder and racer of thoroughbreds and fond of sport generally.
 |
| James E. Cobb. |
CONGRESSMAN COBB UNSEATED.
House Votes to Seat Albert T.
Goodwin, an Alabama Populist.
WASHINGTON,
April 22.—The house unseated James E. Cobb (Dem.) representing the Fifth
Alabama district, and voted 121 to 45 to seat Albert T. Goodwin (Pop.), but the
point of no quorum being made, the house adjourned with the final vote still
pending. Five Republicans voted with the Democrats to recommit the case, with
instructions to the committee to permit the contestant to offer testimony in
rebuttal. Mr. Cobb had 508 majority on the face of the returns, but the
majority found extensive frauds in the three black counties of the district,
which reduced Mr. Cobb's vote and gave the contestant 2,360 majority. The
minority claimed that no opportunity was given to submit evidence in rebuttal
and that fraud was presumed, not proved.
Mr. Cobb
has been a member of the Fiftieth, Fifty-first, Fifty-second and Fifty-third
congresses. He was unseated by the Fifty-first house.
An effort
was made to fix Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of next week for debate on the
bankruptcy bill, but it was unsuccessful. Mr. Pickler's general pension bill
will be brought up today, and the debate will probably run until Friday.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
The Prospect in Cuba.
The New
York Sun has made a careful and comprehensive examination of the condition of
affairs in Cuba at the present time, and can find very little encouragement for
any hopes of Spanish success. This will be good news to the United States, for
nearly every one in this country thoroughly sympathizes with Cuba and hopes
that through this desperate struggle it will gain its freedom, as it so surely
deserves to do. The rainy season is at hand and the Spaniards would be glad to
cease hostilities as in times past until fall, but it seems not to be the
purpose of the Cubans to permit this. Through the season just drawing to a
close Spain has gained not one single decisive victory and now in the coming
months, if obliged to keep in the field, will have to fight disease as well as
insurgents, for the Cubans, who are accustomed to the climate, will experience
little difficulty on this account in carrying on their campaign.
The Sun
says: The two main divisions of the revolutionary army have been separated from
each other for several weeks, during which time the division under Gen. Gomez,
who is east of Havana, has been unusually inactive, while the one under Gen.
Maceo, who is west of Havana, has been in constant combat with the greater part
of the effective part of the Spanish army.
It had been
the plan of Spain, after Gomez moved his division in an easterly direction, to
concentrate an overwhelming body of troops against Maceo's division, crush it
completely, and put an end to the revolution in one half of the island. For
this purpose the great Spanish military square was formed around Maceo, and was
strengthened with earthworks, trenches, barbed-wire barriers, and an abundance
of artillery. The Spanish military experts decided that the square could not be
broken, and as the revolutionists were inside of it, it was only necessary that
Spain should wait for the fitting time to fall upon them.
Hence when
Maceo took the offensive a few days ago, attacked and broke the Spanish line,
fought a pitched battle in which he was successful, and routed the large body
upon which he had fallen, he performed an act which Spain had not been prepared
for. It was the most sanguinary engagement of the war which was fought at
Lachusa on April 18, and at the end of it Maceo retired to a stronghold in the
mountains near by, which Spain is not likely to try to capture.
The defeat
of Spain upon this occasion was a very serious incident for her, not only
because many hundreds of her men were killed or wounded, but also because it
demonstrated the worthlessness of the Spanish plan of campaign against the
western division of the revolutionary army. Numerous detachments of Maceo's
cavalry have recently crossed the Spanish strong wall in every direction, and
have so often put the enemy upon the defensive as to give the 50,000 troops along
the wall a debilitating sense of insecurity. Maceo has given proof that he is
not fenced in; the enemy have learned that the war must yet go on for no one
knows how long.
The spring
campaign has closed disastrously for Spain, and discreditably for Weyler. It
has closed with the revolution on the offensive, Spain on the defensive. There
has not been a battle or a fight that Spain can claim as a victory. The course
of the revolution has not been checked in any one of the provinces of Cuba. The
result of last week's engagement ought to put an end to Spanish boasting for
the time.
We cannot
look ahead; but we have it upon the authority of the two chief revolutionary
leaders that they do not mean that Spain shall get a rest during the rainy
season. It is their design to wage war all through that season, to attack the
enemy wherever assault is possible, to strike at every opportunity, to engage
in manoeuvres and surprises, and to continue at the work of destroying Spain's
resources. In none of the Spanish campaigns in Cuba have the Spaniards fought
during summer; but they will have no choice in the matter during the next three
or four months.
◘ It is a shame that while modern Democrats are having so much to say about Jefferson, that Jefferson cannot be heard on the
subject of modern Democrats.—Boston Journal.
 |
| H. H. Holmes. |
HOLMES' CASE AGAIN.
Effort to Have His Sentence Commuted
to Imprisonment.
INDIANAPOLIS,
Ind. April 22 —Coroner Castor was advised yesterday that a strenuous effort
would be made to have the sentence of H. H. Holmes commuted to life
imprisonment, and at the same time received a telegram asking him to go to
Philadelphia and take the records of the Pietzel child inquest with him. He
will leave in a day or two for that city and will take all the testimony in the
case of the Pietzel boy with him.
Henry
Burlock, the attorney of Holmes in this city, says an effort will be made to
save his client, but he does not say how the proceedings will be begun. He says that the lieutenant governor of
Pennsylvania, who is president of the board of pardons of that state, is opposed
to capital punishment.
SENATORIAL CONFERENCE.
The Raines Law Will Not be Further
Amended.
ALBANY,
April 22.—A secret conference of Republican senators held last night discussed
the advisability of amending the Raines liquor law in two important
particulars. There were thirty-five senators present. It was practically
decided to do nothing more with the law this year, as the Democrats had
intimated it to be their intention in case any amendment to the law should be
made to harass its progress.
The
amendments were to provide all-night licenses in cities of the first and second
class on the certificate of the mayor and board of police commissioners, and to
grant rebates on licenses issued up to June 1, the rebate to be paid out of the
general fund.
SAY THEY SEE GHOSTS
Near Nunda Where Seven Men Have Been
Killed.
NUNDA, N. Y.,
April 22.—Seven men have been killed at Van Austin cut on the Erie Railroad
near this place, and their bodies horribly mangled by the cars. The last victim
was Lester Chittenden, who was killed last week.
The cut is
considered one of the most dangerous spots on the Buffalo division of the Erie
railroad. Since Chittenden's death residents in that vicinity claim to have
seen strange sights at night and heard terrible groans and shrieks. Some
railroad men as well, are sure the cut is haunted by the spirits of the men
killed.
An old Erie
engineer says he never believed in ghosts until eight months ago. At that time
Andrew Skellinger was struck by his engine in the fatal curve and beheaded, an
iron rod being thrust entirely through his body, pinning him to the pilot of
the engine. He says for many nights after that accident the ghost of Skellinger
would, when his engine was passing the fatal spot, loom up in front of the
locomotive and then seem to cling to the pilot.
The night after
Chittenden was killed, the trackwalker was badly frightened by seeing directly
in front of train 10, which killed Chittenden, what looked like a human being.
After the train had passed he was surprised at finding nothing to show that a
man had been hit by the engine.
 |
| William H. Clark, editor and publisher of the Cortland Standard. |
Mr. W. H. Clark Improving.
Scarcely
does a member of Mr. Clark's family or a representative of The STANDARD set
foot upon the street but that he is besieged with questions as to Mr. Clark's
welfare. We are glad to say that he is improving, and has been steadily gaining
ground since the operation [appendicitis] in Chicago on April I3. Mrs. Clark
last night received the following dispatch from his physician,
"Temperature and pulse normal. Passed an excellent night. Everything
favorable." It will doubtless be a couple of weeks yet at least before he
is able to endure the long journey home.
BREVITIES.
—The case
of Phillips against Winter in Justice Dowd's court this morning was adjourned
to May 20.
—Judgement
was rendered by Justice Dowd yesterday for $25.69 in favor of the plaintiff in
the case of Parker against Goodell.
—The rain
last night which name down in a perfect torrent is the first that has fallen in
Cortland since the snow went off.
—Ladies'
night at the Tioughnioga club to-night. Cards
will form the chief attraction. Light refreshments will be served.
—Mr. Arthur
C. Kinney is repainting the mail boxes about town for Emmett Grant, to whom the
contract was awarded.
—The
members of James H. Kellogg Camp, S. O. V., were drilled in the G. A. R. rooms
last night by Commander M. E. Corwin of the G. A. R.
—The rooms
at the Cortland House of Mr. M. B. Auger, trainmaster of this division of the
Lehigh Valley road, have been connected with the telephone exchange.
—W. J. Maxwell,
grand warder of the grand commandery, Knights Templars of the state of New
York, will visit Cortland commandery officially, Friday evening, April 24.
—The
Cortland & Homer Traction company's express car got off the track at the
corner of Main-st. and Clinton-ave. this morning, but was speedily placed in
position again, not interfering with traffic,
—At Locke
yesterday the operation of supra-pubic cystolomy was performed by Dr. Baker of
Auburn, assisted by Drs. Atwood, Ramos and Edson. Mr. Frank Toan, the subject,
is doing well and is expected to be out again in three or four weeks.
—The
following committee has been appointed by the G. A. R. to make arrangements for
Memorial day observance: J. W. Strowbridge, J. F. Wheeler, H. M. Kellogg, J. W.
Wolcott and M. L. Alexander. The exercises will begin at 1:30 o'clock P. M. on
that day.
—Of course
in a big city it is more convenient for the janitor of a school to live in the
building, but when measles break out in his family and the school has to be
closed for two weeks, as is the case with primary No. 42 of New York, he
becomes a very expensive lodger.
—A quantity
of potatoes in Newark, Wayne county, recently brought three cents per bushel at
auction. In Cortland a few days ago one man received an offer of five cents per
bushel for seed potatoes of a popular variety. He refused to sell for seed for
less than ten cents per bushel, and no trade was made.
—Bennett
& Hartwell have rented the other half of the double store in the new
Wickwire block on Railroad-st., where they are located. An opening has been cut
through the partition between that and their tin shop giving them much more
room for work. This is a decided evidence of prosperity and of a rush of business.
—The Geneva
papers say that there is a great call for male help in the nurseries there and
not near as many men can be found as are needed. It is estimated that 1,000 men
are at work and from 300 to 500 more are wanted. The pay is from $1.25 to $1.75
per day. Cortland men who are out of work just now can probably get employment
during the packing season by applying there.
—The same
party of burglars who entered the house of Mr. A. W. Graham on Sunday morning
must have made tracks for DeRuyter for on Monday morning it was found that
three houses and the postoffice in that place had been entered. At Rev. L. R.
Swinney's they secured a suit of boy's clothing, but finding no money in the
pockets left them on the ash pile. At Dr. Coon's they found a pocket book
containing $97.
—Mayor
McGuire of Syracuse has been rigidly enforcing the city ordinance restricting
the speed of trains within the city to eight miles an hour. This is a bitter
pill to New York Central road as so much time is lost by its fast trains in the
long distance across the city. The road now threatens to run the Empire State
Express east and west bound on the freight tracks around the city along the
lake shore where speed can be maintained and drive the passenger traffic of
this train to other trains.
—The
Cortland semi-weekly STANDARD has credit for the largest circulation accorded
to any daily, semi-weekly or weekly published in the Twenty-eighth congressional
district of New York, which has a population of 213,142, and the publishers of
the American Newspaper directory guarantee the accuracy of the circulation rating
accorded to this paper by a reward of $100 to the first person who successfully
assails it.—Printers Ink. Advertisers will do well to bear this in mind. It is
always well to expend one's money where it will do the most good. Advertising
is simply a question of dollars and cents and the medium which will reach the
most people in the desired territory is by all means the best for use.
HOMER.
Gleanings of News From Our Twin
Village.
(HOMER OPERA HOUSE opened under
management of E. B. KENFIELD)
HOMER,
April 22.—Mrs Francis Corey, who has been spending the winter with her son,
Fred B. Corey, at Boston, Mass., returned this morning.
The base
ball game, which was to have been played between the Homer team and a picked up
nine, has been postponed on account of the weather.
Last night
about 10 o'clock Homer was visited by quite a heavy hail storm.
Chas.
Oliver is moving from Elm-ave. into the Mrs. Harriet Shepard house on North
Main-st.
Miss Lizzie
Forbs of West Martinsburg is again in D. E. Shepard's store.
John H. Mourin
of Glen Haven is in town to-day.
Dr. C. H
Jones is in Preble to-day.
E. B.
Spain, general passenger agent of the Chicago & Northwestern R. R. is in town
to-day.
Mrs. A. R.
Smith is in Tully for the day.
Jacob
Crouse of Syracuse is in town looking after his farm.
Miss
Underwood left this morning for Ogdensburg, N. Y.
Perry Loomis
of Oxford, who has been visiting at Samuel Cline's, left this morning for
Syracuse.
Mr. John
Dugan, manager of the Cortland Normal baseball team, was in town yesterday
afternoon to arrange another game with Homer. When the first game was arranged
the Homer team claims that their understanding was that a return game should be
played on the academy grounds but the Cortlands claim that they did not so
understand it and decline to play except they can use the fair grounds, so that
these two teams will probably not play again. The misunderstanding is to be
regretted, and furnishes fresh proof that it is always well to reduce all
contracts to writing in advance.
Hose 4's show
"In Old Mississippi" will be presented at the opera house this
evening. A street parade was held at noon when the players and members of Hose
4 headed by the drum corps marched around the principle streets of the village.
A large sale of tickets has been made and it is expected that a good sum will
be realized.
The cast of
characters is as follows:
Zebulem
Fogg, B. D. Hakes
Bruce
Randon, C. S. Pomeroy
Gerald
White, C. S. Roe
Sam Butler,
W. H. Foster
Still Bill,
L. P. Merrill
Judge
Norwood, E. W. Hyatt
Mrs. Fogg, Miss
Haynes
Blanche
Norwood, Mrs. Alvord
Martha,
Miss Hortense Olney
Penny Fogg,
Mrs. E. S. Burrows
It must
have been the large advance sale of seats that led two Cortland young ladies to
come up to Homer on Monday evening to attend this entertainment. It could not
be that they had mistaken the night. Evidently they intended to go into the
opera house that night, claim the seats indicated upon their checks and hold
them until the close of the play to-night. At least they seemed to be all
attired for the play and they appeared to be exceedingly surprised when they
stepped from the car, after instructing the conductor to let them off at the
opera house, to see the windows all dark and no signs of any entertainment
there that night. But they said nothing about their intention to some Homer friends
whom they chanced to meet just then, and the only intimation the friends had of
the intention of the ladies was their anxious inquiry about the sale of seats.
But locked doors were too much for them and the next car took them home again.
It is to be hoped that they will try it again to-night. The doors will be open
then and as they have reserved seats no one will venture to contest their right
to occupy them, and to-night they can get a double enjoyment from the entertainment.
