HIRSCH GAVE AWAY MILLIONS

Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, April 22, 1896.

GAVE AWAY MILLIONS.

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.