IN THE BLIZZARD

Les Petites Vacheres by Charles Emile Jacque.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, April 3, 1896.

IN THE BLIZZARD.

A LITTLE GIRL LOSES HER LIFE IN THURSDAY NIGHT'S STORM.

A Party of Neighbors Search Nearly all Night for Her Without Success—

Found in a Snowbank Friday Morning.

   Little Nicenah Burvee, the ten-year-old daughter of George Burvee of Virgil, lost her life in last Thursday night's blizzard while attempting to round up a cow that was straying away.

   Mr. Burvee lives on the Hiram Conrad farm about 2 1/2 miles south-east from Virgil Corners. He also works the Wm. Ryan farm on Lapeer Hill about a mile east of the Conrad farm.

   A little before dark on Thursday evening the cows on the Conrad farm were let out of the barn to drink, when one of them started for the Ryan farm where she had been kept before. Nicenah threw a little shawl over her head and started to get ahead of her and drive her back. Her sister Martha aged twelve followed her and when they arrived at the house of Mr. Alvan Mott, they were so cold that Martha stopped to warm and called to Nicenah to stop but the little one did not heed her call and kept on.

   The wind was blowing a hurricane and the snow was drifting so badly that the track was completely filled. Mr. Burvee was on the Ryan farm taking care of the stock and came home by a different route. He waited for a few moments and then as the girls did not come home he started after them. When he arrived at Mr. Mott's house he found Martha but Nicenah could not be found. He aroused the neighbors and notwithstanding the cold and the terrible storm, the search was prosecuted until nearly 1 o'clock Friday morning without success.

   Soon after daylight nearly fifty of the neighbors started out again. It was near 10 o'clock when John Houk saw a corner of a red shawl sticking out of the snow, on a swampy piece of ground on Duane Ballou's farm, about 100 rods south of the barn on the Ryan place. He soon reached the spot and took the little girl from the snow bank. She was carried home and although the body was still warm, it was too late. Dr. Butterfield of Harford was summoned but his efforts to restore her were useless. She was an exceedingly bright child and had many friends.

ACCIDENT AT DRYDEN LAKE.

An Engine Wrecked Without Leaving the Track.

   What might have been a serious accident occurred on Monday evening to the northbound passenger train due here at 6:10, which caused a delay of several hours. While running at full speed near Dryden Lake, the side rod on the right side of the engine suddenly snapped, and revolving rapidly, badly wrecked the cab and that side of the engine, one driver being completely demolished, and a hole knocked in the side of the boiler, causing the steam to escape in clouds. The engineer was thrown from his seat back into the tender, but escaped injury. The train was stopped as soon as possible and the engine was found to be so badly damaged as to be useless. Conductor Cochrane, who was in charge of the train, walked to this station and another engine was sent for.

   Upon the arrival of the eight o'clock train going south, the coaches were side tracked and the engine with a flat car loaded with lumber and a large number of Dryden citizens left for the scene of the wreck, and brought the wrecked engine and the train to Dryden, where an extra engine was waiting.

   The accident resulted very fortunately as it seems hardly possible that the train could have kept the rails under the circumstances.

   The train going south left about two hours late, while the north train was about four hours behind time.—Dryden Herald.

Public Notice.

   Mr. C. F. Blackman, formerly of the firm of Fletcher & Blackman, wishes to announce to the public that he is to open a new undertaking establishment and that he will have his office and rooms in connection with the furniture store of Mr. Robert Otto in the McFarlan block at 13 Port Watson-st.

   Within the course of a few days he will have his entire new equipments and stock arranged, announcement of which will appear next week.

Benton Bushnell Jones, editor and publisher of the Cortland Democrat.

William H. Clark, editor and publisher of the Cortland Standard.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

Concerning Skirts.

   The burly form of the editor of the Democrat skulking behind skirts recalls the story of the capture of that other distinguished Democrat and patriot Jeff Davis, whom even crinoline couldn't save.—Cortland Standard.

   Webster defines the word burly as follows:

   1. Of great bulk, especially with the idea of strength and coarseness of appearance; full in figure; stout; lusty.

   2. Coarse and rough; boisterous; tumid.

   Well, the editor of the DEMOCRAT pleads guilty to the charge of being burly and would give considerable to be able to change his personal appearance, but he has found it impossible to do so. Fate or some higher power has willed it otherwise and we very much doubt if the editor of the Standard could change his tall, graceful, willowy, sylphlike figure to a burly one if he so desired. But what has the personal appearance of the editor of the Standard, or the personal appearance of the editor of the DEMOCRAT to do with the question at issue?

   The Standard says that out of the sixteen teachers in the Normal only four are male and twelve are female. The Standard ought to know because its editor has the record to speak from [Mr. Clark was president of the Normal School Board--CC editor] and the DEMOCRAT can only guess at the number. It does not deny however, that the females are all republicans. Why should all of them be republicans if our neighbor is not trying to run the Normal in the interest of republican politics? Women may not be able to vote, but they exercise a wonderful influence over those who do vote. They are as much "the power behind the throne" in these days as they were in the olden time. Does it not look as if the tall and graceful form of the editor of the Standard was skulking behind skirts?

   ◘ Bets are about even as to whether the Cortland Democrat should be denominated "the champion falsifier." or "the champion retractor.''— Cortland Standard.

   The DEMOCRAT has always made it a rule to correct every misstatement made in its columns as soon as it became satisfied that a misstatement had been made, and it will in no case depart from that rule, even to escape the charge of being called "the champion retractor." It would be much better for the Standard if it would adopt a like rule and thus avoid any occasion for being called "the champion falsifier."

   ◘ The Cortland DEMOCRAT having been compelled to own up to a falsehood in stating that there had never been but one Democratic professor in the Cortland Normal school, etc.—Cortland Standard.

   The DEMOCRAT stated nothing of the kind. Here is what the DEMOCRAT said:

   "We remember only one Democrat who has been employed as an instructor in the Normal school for many years." The reader will be able to distinguish the difference between what the Standard charges us with saying and what we actually did say, at a glance. It does beat all how reckless some people are when they lose their tempers.

   ◘ The Standard calls our attention to the fact that Prof. J. M. Cassety, who was appointed principal of the Normal, while the courts were deciding whether Dr. Hoose was principal or not, was a Democrat. We believe this to be a fact and this makes six Democratic instructors that have had places in the Normal during the twenty-eight years of its existence. The courts decided in favor of Dr. Hoose and Prof. Cassety had to go after a short stay. We ought to have known that these six professors were Democrats for the reason that they did not interfere in our local politics. That fact alone would distinguish them from republican professors. But none of these things refute our charge that certain Normal professors were called down by the local board at its meeting held on the 17th of March for that express purpose. Nor do they prove that the editor of the Standard was not used as a cushion at the same meeting.

   ◘ The editor of the Standard finds fault with the DEMOCRAT'S syntax. When the editor of the DEMOCRAT was a lad, dollars looked as large as cartwheels and the average farmer's son was indeed fortunate if he was permitted to attend school in the little district school house three months in the winter. The other nine months of the year were usually spent in more or less hard work on the farm. A few years later, and about the time our neighbor was first budding into handsome and early manhood, dollars were more plenty and the most unpromising young men intellectually were bundled off to college, often because they were in sore need of all the mental pabulum that could he crammed into their shallow little pates.

   ◘ The editor of the DEMOCRAT regrets more than anyone else can, that his early advantages were so few and that he must of necessity content himself with the meagre natural gifts that were bestowed upon him. He derives much satisfaction however, from the privilege of reading the profound and classical editorials occasionally found in the columns of the Standard. To be permitted to look upon the manly and distinguished figure of the editor of the Standard, as he moves gracefully down Main-st.

   "The glass of fashion, and the mold of form,

     The observed of all observers!"

is also a privilege that is duly appreciated by a less favored mortal.

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   CHENANGO.—A new 200-horse-power boiler is being put in the Ross Cotton Mills.

   Charles Knepka of Norwich is to start on June 1st to walk from Utica to Chicago returning via Philadelphia and Jersey City. He will attempt to break the previous record and win $2,000 by so doing.

   Frank O. Purdy of Sherborne was an applicant for a divorce in the district court at Guthrie, Oklahoma, on Monday. His bequest was compiled with and a decree of absolute divorce granted. Mr. Purity was married about five years ago to Miss Pamela Jacobs of Lebanon, but after a few weeks she began to make frequent visits to her home and in a short time left for good, telling him they had made a mistake in their marriage.

   MADISON.—Mrs. Morris Kelsey of Oneida, over 70 years of age, had a hip broken Wednesday by being thrown from a cutter.

   Soundings are being taken in Oneida lake, with a view of making it a part of the proposed ship canal from the great lakes to the sea.

   The latest scheme for dividing Lenox makes three towns, one to be called Oneida, the Canastota portion to retain the name of Lenox and the Clockville section to take the name of Lincoln. The bill for the division goes to the Legislature at once. To make two towns would be more sensible.

   TOMPKINS.—There are about thirty secret societies in Ithaca, exclusive of college fraternities.

   The inhabitants of McLean saw an unusual sight on their streets last Friday.

It was a woman who was intoxicated. She came from Cortland.

   The Ithaca Daily News of Monday says: "One of a fine pair of black horses which was stabled at Foote's Hotel on South Cayuga street, and owned by J. C. Keefe, died Sunday morning of pneumonia.

HERE AND THERE.

   Cold brook broke its banks on Monday and the west road from Homer to Little York for some distance was in better condition for boating than driving. People from Little York and Preble, who took the west road home from Homer, were obliged to return and go home by the east road.

   The Boston Gaiety Girls will appear at the opera house this evening.

   The season for catching trout opens April 1st and closes August 31.

   Last Friday 10,000 trout fry came to town from the state hatchery. Mr. E. F.

Knight placed them in some of the waters of this vicinity.

   The Electro Photograph Co. are occupying rooms on the second floor of the Dowd block.

   The Senate on Monday confirmed the nomination of Charles E Wills to be postmaster at Homer.

   Water Witch Steamer and Hose Co. will give a social and supper in Vesta lodge rooms on Tuesday evening, April 7.

   The Cortland Welding Compound Co. is a new enterprise in Cortland. Messrs. C. A. and M. A. Lowell are the originators of the concern.

   The Candy Kitchen will move into the store in the Grand Central block now occupied by F. I. Graham as soon as it is vacated by the latter.

   The young people of Truxton will hold their annual sociable at the Truxton House Monday evening, April 6. Music by McDermott's full orchestra of Cortland.

   The operatic minstrels will appear in Cortland opera house on the evenings of April 8 and 9. The company is composed of home talent and they are being drilled by Hr. Geo. Willey, a very competent instructor. Prices are 25, 35 and 60 cents. Reserved seats will be on sale at the Candy Kitchen on Saturday morning of this week.

   A new choir makes its first appearance in Grace church next Sunday.

   Last Friday Bennett & Hartwell undertook to bake a barrel of Wickwire Roller Mills Co.'s flour in one of their Sterling ranges with one scuttle of coal. It took just seven hours to bake 263 loaves and when this was done the flour barrel was empty and a pretty good fire was left in the stove. This proves the Sterling to be a first class range. The bread was given away Saturday afternoon and was pronounced splendid by all who tried it. When in want of a range examine the Sterling for real valuable points.

   Bingham Bros. & Miller have a new advertisement on our last page.