NORMAL SCHOOL CONTROVERSY

Photo copied from Grip's Historical Souvenir of Cortland.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, April 17, 1896.

THE NORMAL SCHOOL CONTROVERSY.

To the Editor of the Cortland Democrat:

   DEAR SIR:—My attention has been called to an article in the Cortland Standard of April 8th, which somewhat surprises me. As a member of the local board, who requested the secretary to call the meeting which caused so much newspaper discussion, I feel that I can with safety say a word.

   For some time before our town meeting and up to our village election, I was approached a great many times and asked if our Normal professors were paid by the state to run our local politics. It became so annoying that I decided to have a meeting called and the request was made through our secretary Mr. Suggett.

   The meeting was called and was attended by every member of the board and Doctor Cheney [school principal] was also present. I opened the question and in as plain a manner as I knew how, I presented the charges and the danger to come to our school if it was allowed to go on. I then stated that I had no desire to in any way humiliate the professors and that I thought it best to call them before the board and inform them of our position and that I thought as gentlemen, they would conform to the requirements, but in case they declined to do so, that then we would ask for the resignation of such member.

   It was, after some little discussion, decided by a vote properly put and carried that the two out of town members be a committee to wait on the professors and inform them of the action of the board. This selection of committee was made so as to free it of any thought or charge of prejudice, political, personal or otherwise.

   The meeting then adjourned with a suggestion, generally expressed, that the least said about it the better.

   In this I have refrained as much as possible from implicating any other member of the board, either by name (or action that would indicate a name). I am willing to go on record with this statement to prove that I did object to politics being mixed into our Normal school, and I wish to say further (so there will be no mistake about it) that I think there is no danger of it while our present board is in the healthy condition it was in at our last meeting.

   I believe the people want to know that the schools of the state are, in their teachings at least, free from politics of every kind, name or nature and this is my excuse for sending you this letter. The board has acted, the faculty knows its wish and I have no doubt adverse criticism will be avoided in the future.

   Yours truly,

   HUGH DUFFEY.

   [By way of explanation, Prof. Bardwell, a Republican who favored prohibition and high excise tax on liquor sellers, left the Normal School at 2 P. M. on a school day to contest election results in a village ward. Mr. Duffey was a registered Democrat—CC editor.]

William H. Clark, editor and publisher of the Cortland Standard and President of the Normal School Board.

IN A HOSPITAL.

Hon. William H. Clark Sick and in a Hospital at Chicago.

   Hon. William H. Clark and F. W. Collins started for Chicago last week Wednesday in the interest of the Howe Ventilating Stove Co. of Cortland.

   On Sunday last Mr. Clark was taken violently ill and was taken to the hospital where it was discovered that he was afflicted with appendicitis, and that an operation was necessary.

   The operation was performed on Monday and was very successful, being just in the nick of time as gangrene had just begun to form.

   Mr. Clark, from last reports, was doing nicely.

FIRE ALARM SIGNALS.

Changes in the Location or Boxes Announced by Chief Bosworth.

   Chief Engineer A. B. Bosworth of the Cortland Fire department has issued a new fire alarm card, several important changes being made. The number and location of the respective boxes are as follows:

   124—Corner Union and Owego.

   125—Tompkins and Duane.

   132—James and Prospect.

   133—South Main and Argyle.

   134—Tompkins and Owego.

   142—Union and South Main.

   143—Wickwire Brothers' wire works.

   213—Corner Homer and Groton avenues.

   214—Extension Lincoln avenue, near bridge.

   215—Madison and Homer avenue.

   223—Homer avenue and North Main.

   224—North Main and Grant.

   232—Main and Maple avenue.

   233—Groton and Woodruff.

   312—Clinton and Washington.

   313—Clinton and Hubbard.

   314—Elm and Pomeroy.

   321—Grant and Railroad avenue.

   323—Excelsior Top shop.

   324—Elm and Pendleton.

   332—Delaware, Lackawanna & Western station.

   331—Church and Clinton.

   333—Engine house, Main street.

   412—Greenbush and East Court.

   413—Port Watson and Pomeroy.

   414—Port Watson and Pendleton.

   422—H. M. Whitney Wagon company.

   423—Cortland Wagon company.

   432—Port Watson and South Main.

   434—Church and Railroad.

   Code of bell signals:

   One stroke—Line broken.

   Two strokes—False alarm or fire out.

   Three strokes—Calls Hitchcock hose and Emerald hose to engine house.

   Six strokes—Calls out steamer.

MOTHER FOLLOWED HIM.

Three-Year-Old Boy Drowned at DeRuyter, But His Mother Was Saved.

   DERUYTER. April 13.—Earl, the three-year-old son of Jay Sergent, fell into the Tioughnioga river at noon to-day and was drowned. His mother jumped in to save him and narrowly escaped a watery grave.

   Frank Pierce, attracted by the outcry, rescued her and being told that the boy was in the river, rushed back and recovered the body nearly a quarter of a mile below, as it was being carried swiftly away by the raging current.

   The boy had been in the water ten minutes and a resuscitation was impossible.

Interesting Law Suit.

   A case of much interest to the many friends of Miss Franc C. Ellis, for several years a very successful teacher in this village, and for a time principal of the Schermerhorn-st. school, was decided in Des Moines, Iowa, last Friday.

   About five years ago Miss Ellis, through Hon. L. B. Kern of DeRuyter, brought a suit against one Julia K. Howes to obtain pay for her services in the sale of stock of the Continental Loan and Trust Company, a corporation in Iowa. Mrs. Howes claimed that the services were rendered as partner and not as employer.

   The case was tried in Morrisville in April, 1893, by Judge A. P. Smith of this village for the plaintiff and Riegel & Barker of Syracuse for the defendant and resulted in a verdict for plaintiff of over $770. Judgment was entered thereon in Madison county, May 3, 1893. At that time the defendant owned real estate in Des Moines, lowa, worth about $50 000. On the eight day of May, 1893, she conveyed 40 acres of that land to a friend, Mrs. Sanford, for $22,000 and about six months thereafter the other 40 acres for $11,000.

   Miss Ellis claimed this was done to cheat and defraud her out of her judgment. This judgment was sued over in Iowa and resulted in a judgment for Miss Ellis of about $1,100. An execution was returned unsatisfied and an action brought to set aside the conveyance as fraudulent and void, as against Miss Ellis' judgment and to charge this $50,000 worth of real estate with its payment. In December last Judge Smith went to Des Moines and tried the case for Miss Ellis.

   Last Saturday's "Iowa State Register'' has the following with reference to the case:

   "Judge Spurrier yesterday decided the case of Franc C. Ellis against Julia K. Howes and Martha E. Sanford. The action was brought by the plaintiff to subject property transferred from Julia K. Howes to Martha E. Sanford to a judgment rendered in her favor in the state of New York and amounting to $1,100. The court finds that there was fraud in the transfer of the property to Mrs. Sanford, and that it shall be subjected to an execution to satisfy the judgment held by the plaintiff."

BICYCLE TOURNAMENT.

To Be Held May 27 Under the Auspices of the C. A. A.

   At a meeting last Monday evening the Cortland Athletic association decided to hold their third annual tournament on May 27. There will be a large list of prizes to be contested for and several new and novel attractions are looked for besides the following probable list of events which is subject to change.

   One mile novice, one half mile open, one mile open, one mile handicap open, two mile handicap open, one half mile boys' open, one mile Cortland county championship, one mile C. A. A. handicap tandem race.

   An endeavor is being made to have a match running race between E. S. Matthewson of Cortland and Dwight Coville of Syracuse. There will be no road race. Committees were appointed as follows:

   Executive committee—E. S. Burrows, A. K. Weatherwax. A. C. Kinney. J. E. Bliss, C. E. Mudge, G. F. Beaudry, F. J Tooke.

   Grounds—L. A. Coates, A. K. Weatherwax.

   Prizes—W. F. Grady, S. H. Strowbridge, T. H. Dowd, A. C. Kinney.

   Advertising—Jas. F. Costello, A. W. Williams, Fred Higgins.

   Track—Fred Pierce. Frank Higgins, H. B. Kinney.

Of Interest to Wheelmen.

   The wheelmen of Cortland county, as well as all over the state of New York, will rejoice to learn that the original Armstrong bill requiring railroads to carry bicycles as baggage, was passed almost unanimously in both houses of the legislature and there is no doubt that the governor's action will be favorable to the bill. This bill provides that wheelmen may check their bicycles on any railroad in New York state, the same as trunks are checked.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

   Congress talks of adjourning. Like the mountain, after laboring for nearly five months, it has brought forth a mouse and nothing more. It is rightly called the "Do Nothing Congress." The financial situation of the country has need of some legislation that will prove a benefit, but nothing has been done to relieve the situation. In fact the republican majority has not tried to do anything for fear of injuring some candidate's chances to secure the republican nomination for President. The country must suffer in consequence. The republican party cares more for the officers than it does for the country and all its energies are used to further the interests of the party and the prospective candidates.

   Mayor Strong of New York has vetoed the Greater New York bill passed by the legislature and Mayor Wurster of Brooklyn has also sent in a veto. The consolidation of Brooklyn and New York and a good bit of other outlying territory under the name New York does not seem to please everybody in those cities and there is some doubt about the ability of the legislature to pass the bill again over the vetoes of the two great cities. About the only object to be gained is to make New York the largest city on the continent. It would make an unwieldy city to govern, and it is believed that the opportunity for [political] jobs and steals would be greatly augmented. Mayor Strong is in favor of consolidation but he thinks a charter for the government of the greater city should be adopted before the consolidation is effected. The mayor is right about it.

   The "Black Death" has appeared in Shanghai and Hong Kong. This awful scourge is a menace to every country on the globe, and it behooves the United States authorities to exercise the most stringent quarantine against the Chinese ports. Pepys wrote of the "Black Death" of 1665 in his diary. The pestilence was first heard of in Europe in 1347, when it was brought from Asia to Constantinople and the Mediterranean. Millions of people were carried off by it in a short time. The "Black Death" does its work quickly and its effects upon the body are frightful. The nature of the disease is not known, a difficulty in its determination being that decomposition sets in immediately at death, post mortem examinations being, therefore, impossible. It is a peculiarity of the "Black Death" that it makes a sudden descent on a community and takes as sudden a departure. Frequently it kills half the population of a city or country. It is an appalling liability, and the taking of strictest measures of quarantine against China is demanded. —Syracuse Evening Herald.

HERE AND THERE.

   Be sure and attend the Charity ball to-night.

   Messrs. Kellogg & Curtis have a new advertisement in another column.

   Jewett, the jeweler, has something to say concerning wheels in another column.

   The crosstown [trolley]car commenced running on Groton and Homer-aves. last Friday.

   The Cortland Forging Co. has an office in the Wallace building. Telephone connection.

   New fire alarm cards can be obtained of Chief Bosworth or at the store of Glann & Clark.

   F. Daehler, the clothier and merchant tailor, has a new advertisement in another column.

   The Lehigh Valley shops in this place run eight hours a day and are closed Saturdays.

   The Cortland Wagon Company has an advertisement concerning its wheels in another column.

   The annual anniversary of the Y. M. C. A. will be observed in the several churches in this place next Sunday.

   The trout fishing season opened yesterday. Local sportsmen say that there is still too much snow water in the streams for fishing.

   The stockholders of the Cortland County Agricultural society will hold a meeting in Firemen's hall in this village Saturday, May 2, at 9 o'clock P. M.

   The foundry on Port Watson-st. started up last Monday after being closed for some weeks, owing to the legal tangle in the affairs of the Hitchcock Mfg. Co.

   Ransom Brooks, proprietor of the Cortland Steam mills, has sold his feed business to Mr. J. M. Thomas, late proprietor of the Elm Tree house in McLean.

   Teachers' institute for both districts of this county will be held in Homer the week commencing May 4. The institute will be in charge of conductors Hendrick and Sanford.

   Fall creek is being boarded from the Summer Hill road nearly to the outlet of Lock pond to protect what few trout there is left. All violations will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law by the owners.

   Seventy-nine years ago was a year without a summer. Frost occurred every month in the year of 1816. Ice formed an inch thick in May. Snow fell to the depth of three inches in New York and also in Massachusetts in June. Ice formed of the thickness of a common window glass throughout New York on 5th of July. Indian corn was so frozen that the greater part was cut in August and dried for fodder and the farmers supplied themselves from the corn produced in 1815 for the seeding of the spring of 1817. 

[Double spacing is an occasional pest encountered in blogger format--CC editor.]