THE POOR MAN'S FRIENDS AND H. M. WHITNEY CO. EMBARRASSMENT

Harper's Weekly, Oct. 31, 1896. W. J. Bryan, fellow Democrats and Tammany Tiger pictured as wind up toys.

Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, August 13, 1896.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

The Poor Man's Friends.

   It in a cutting sarcasm on the professions of friendship to poverty and labor with which the Boy Orator [William Jennings Bryan] and his friends are filling the air, to have it announced in the press that one of the men whom Bryan is encouraging to "even things up" actually made a grab at the diamond pin of Colonel John A. Creswell, the millionaire banker of Omaha, who has been accompanying the Boy Orator on his spouting tour, and that the grabber came very near getting away with the prize. It may surprise some of Bryan's admirers to learn that he has millionaires dangling at his heels who hope to be made richer far by free silver, but it ought not. The fact is that back of this free silver movement is one of the greatest aggregations of capital ever known in this country—an aggregation represented by men having substantially a monopoly of the great silver mines of the country. They are the ones who have been paying Bryan to spout for silver, who have been hooding the country with free silver literature, and bearing the expenses of the agitation and the plotting which resulted in the capture of the Democratic national convention by the Populists. Free silver means tens and even hundreds of millions of money to these men, and they know it and are intending their money without stint and working day and night to bring the farmers and wage earners of the country to their support.

   Look at the list of men, says the New York Press, who are financing the Free-Silver party, paying salaries to its orators and candidates and supplying the money for the Free-Silver newspapers—the principal newspapers that are for free coinage are owned outright by the great silver mines. There is Congressman Newlands, who represents the great Sharon estate, estimated at from $20,000,000 to $36,000,000. Senator Stewart is one of the richest mine owners in Nevada. The Hearst estate has so much silver wealth that, to advance the value of its silver, it has bought a chain of newspapers extending across the continent. W. A. Clark of Montana is a multimillionaire. L. E. Holden has enormous silver interests in Utah and other parts of the West. One of his mines alone he sold for $5,000,000. There are the Fair estate, over the millions of which the heirs are now fighting in the courts; John W. Mackay, the "Bonanza King;" Senator J. P. Jones of Comstock lode fame; the immensely wealthy Flood estate; Dave Moffat of Denver; the Denver Silver Smelting works; R. C. Chambers of the Ontario Silver mine; Marcus Daly, who has so many millions that for his amusement he buys whole herds of the most costly race horses in the world; Charles E. Lane, the California millionaire; the Butte City Smelting works; S. T. Hauser, representing the Granite mountain silver mines; the French syndicate, which paid $5,000,000 for the old Telegraph mine in Utah; the Leadville Smelting works; the Broadwater estate of Montana; Senator Teller of Colorado and Senator Lee Mantle of Montana, both rich in silver holdings.

   These are the forces back of the silver craze. These are the interests that demand free and unlimited coinage. These are the people and the corporations that run newspapers to delude the public and that pay the expenses of the Bi-metallic league—which has on its salary list Genera1 Warner and has had, and may yet have, on the same list, William J. Bryan, whom the mine owners in the name of the Democratic party, are running for president. These are the men who furnish the money that is being poured into the free-silver campaign.

   It is for the mine owners that the government is asked to coin this enormous output of silver. It is their property. They own the silver now, and they would own it after it was coined. That is exactly what the silver syndicates plan embraces. What man is fool enough to believe, then, that any other class or any individual save the owners of silver would benefit from this free coinage? What wage earner is mad enough to vote seventy-five millions of profits a year into the pockets of the silver syndicate, while voting at the same time to make the dollar that he now earns in wages worth only 53 cents?

Li Hung Chang.

DISTINGUISHED FELLOW PASSENGER.

T. H. Wickwire and Family Coming with Li Hung Chang on the St. Louis.

   Mr. Theodore H. Wickwire and family [of Cortland], who are spending a number of weeks this summer in European travel, have engaged passage for their return on the American line steamer St. Louis which sails from Southampton on Saturday, Aug. 22. They will have as a fellow passenger on board the same steamer the distinguished Chinese statesman and Viceroy, Li Hung Chang, who is on a trip around the world and who is to visit America on his return home. That he is somewhat eccentric has been made evident from various facts reported of him in the papers in recent months, and doubtless his fellow passengers will have an opportunity of seeing something of his peculiarities.

   A New York paper says: Li Hung Chang prepared for all emergencies of life and death when he left Peking to attend the coronation of the Czar at Moscow. He took with him not only a doctor and seventy-nine other attendants, but also a coffin ready to receive the body of a man of his birth and rank, in case he should die during his mission. The coffin is of the most elaborate Chinese workmanship and is decorated profusely with gold figures and clusters of precious stones. It cost £13,000. Two of Li Hung Chang's attendants have no other occupation than to care for this coffin throughout the mission. Whenever the party stop long enough in a city to take apartments the coffin is stood up in a room next to the bedroom of the Envoy. As it is in a box no European has had a look at it. What little is known of this unique bit of baggage was told by a Chinese paper soon after the mission started for Russia.

   Of the "cuisine" of the Viceroy the London Standard says: It may not be generally known that when he is invited to official banquets, such as that just given in his honor at the Elysee, he dines without dining. This sounds strange but it is easily explained. The fact is that he dines on his own Chinese bill of fare before leaving home, and only pretends to dine when he is at the banqueting table. When Prince Bismarck, after the dinner he gave to him at Freidrichsruhe, asked him with astonishment why he had not tasted one of the dishes put before him, he replied:

   "It is not at my age that one changes one's habits. If I dined with you I should be forced to partake of fare which I did not like. Hence I prefer to abstain from eating rather than be asked to make a face at everything not to my taste. To which Bismarck rejoined: "How do you know that you would not like our good German cuisine, since you have never tried it?" Li Hung Chang replied: "That is true, but would you eat with pleasure the Chinese dish of rats and dogs if I served it up at my table?" Bismarck appeared to be convinced, and said nothing more.

   The number of dishes of which the Viceroy's "menu" is daily composed is said by the Gaulois to be at least a score and comprises meat, poultry, fish, vegetables and dessert. He takes his meals alone, and has a small army of cooks. All the personages of his suite, the majority of whom are young, soon became accustomed to French cookery, and devour the good things with an appetite which might be envied by the French "gourmets." They drink wine, tea, and even beer.

   Li Hung Chang, on the contrary, remains faithful to his "cuisine", and drinks only cold or warm tea. He takes two meals a day—one at noon and the other at 7 o'clock—and between them drinks nothing but tea. He never eats between meals, and his bill of fare rarely varies. Curious to say, he eschews rice, which is the favorite dish of his compatriots.

   His cooks have a hard time of it, and work from 8 o'clock in the morning till 8 o'clock in the evening. He is very particular about his food, and should the cooking not be up to the mark he will threaten the "chef" with punishment on returning to China.

   His Excellency smokes opium in a silver-mounted pipe, which is confined to the special care of one of his servants. During his meals he will take a puff or two.

CORTLAND VS. ITHACA.

The University City Team Defeated in Yesterday's Game.

   Cortland defeated Ithaca yesterday afternoon at the fair grounds by the score of 13 to 9. The game was ragged at many points. The visitors were no match for the local team and the game almost degenerated into a farce, the grandstand joining in the fun over the matter.

   The Ithacas had only eight players with them and Gallaher of the

Cortlands covered first base for them. In the fifth inning Ketchum of the Cortlands went into the box for the visitors and held the home team down to two hits for the remainder of the game. O'Garra pitched his first game for Cortland yesterday and demonstrated that he is a good man in the box. He has good speed and struck out eleven men. Only two hits were made off his delivery. He is a valuable acquisition to the team. The score:

CLOSED BY THE SHERIFF.

Execution Against Ament & Brazie Amounting to $1,915.43.

   At 9:10 o'clock this morning Sheriff Hilsinger closed the book and wall paper store of Ament & Brazie on an execution which was filed in the county clerk's office this morning in favor of Daniel L. Mead, of whom they purchased the business in 1893. The execution amounts to $1,915.43 and was secured on promissory notes dated Oct. 20, 1893, only a small proportion of which had been paid. The sale is advertised to take place at 10 o'clock A. M., Aug. 20, at the store and it is believed that the stock and fixtures on hand will more than satisfy the judgment.

Park Breezes.

   There was a very good crowd at the park last night to listen to the concert and to attend the dance. Each day this week so far has been an improvement on that of the day before. It will doubtless continue so until Saturday when it is hoped it will equal or surpass last Saturday when in the evening on the park [trolley] line nearly 6,000 fares were registered. This number of course included the passage of each passenger both ways and also all the transfers.

   There will be the usual concert to-night by the band. To-morrow is the Baptist picnic and the two Sunday-schools are expected to turn out in large crowds.

Cortland Opera House on Groton Avenue.

COLORED PEOPLE'S CONCERT.

For the Benefit of the New A. M. E. Church in Cortland.

   The colored people of Cortland gave a concert in the Opera House last night for the benefit of the A. M. E. church of Cortland which is being established by Rev. T. W. Sampson, formerly of Binghamton. While the concert was not largely attended, it is thought that there will be a neat sum left after paying expenses as a large number purchased tickets, but did not attend. The program was as follows:

   Chorus—Roll Jordan Roll.

   Recitation—Tax on Old Bachelors, Miss Minnie Greenwood.

   Solo—Sweet Helen and May, Miss Ida Washington.

   Recitation—Church Reveries of a School Girl, Miss Anna West.

   Quartet—Saucy Little Bill.

   Recitation—Sheridan's Ride, Miss Lena Furman.

   Solo and Chorus—Let Me in the Life Boat.

   Recitation—The Girl's Meditation, Miss F. Johnson

   Solo—I Say Farewell Before We Part, Miss Maude Freeman.

   Recitation—If I Cannot, Lulu Russell.

   Duet—Just Tell Them That You Saw Me, Misses Washington and Johnson.

   Recitation—The Grandmother of '76 and '96, Miss E. Cooper, Fred Johnson, Misses Bynum, McCrea, Merriam.

   Recitation—King Midas, Miss B. Persons.

   Solo—When Summer Comes Again, Maude Freeman.

   Medley, Johnson, Washington, Robbins.

   Putty Pear Tree.—Uncle Dan.

   On the Shores of Tennessee, Mrs. Sampson.

   State Way, Bynum, Cooper, McCrea, Merriam.

The H. M. Whitney Company Embarrassed.

   All of our citizens will deeply regret to learn that the H. M. Whitney company is embarrassed, though it is hoped only temporarily. In June, when the papers began to say that the Populists would have control of the Chicago convention, the company's orders almost ceased and it was left with a large stock of wagons on its hands, ready for shipment, but no buyers. The result has been that it has not been able to meet its obligations as they became due, and the First National bank of this village and The National bank have both taken judgments against it, placing executions in the hands of the sheriff, who has closed the concern temporarily. The judgments are as follows:

   Filed at 4:35 P. M. Wednesday, favor National bank, $3,672.50; favor National bank, $9,998.58; favor National bank, $412.28.

   Filed at 8:02 A. M. Thursday, favor First National bank, $3,535.88; favor First National bank, $8,052.06; favor of First National bank, $1,254.38.

   Filed at 8:05 P. M. Thursday, favor National bank, $4,534.29.

   Total judgments, $31,459.97.

   There is an abundance of property to pay the banks, and will be enough to pay all the creditors and allow the company to go on if the proper arrangements can be perfected.

   The company's plant is a very perfect one, it has been well managed, has done a good and safe business and made money. Mr. H. M. Whitney, the president, is the largest stockholder. The concern has been running only a small part of the time of late because there were scarcely any orders to fill.

   It is to be hoped, in the interests of the workmen and of the village generally, that some arrangement can be made by which the works can be speedily opened. The company's annual statement shows a surplus over and above all its liabilities, including its capital stock, and its surplus has increased since this statement.

   The embarrassment of the company is due solely to the falling off of orders—with a large stock of goods on hand, made in anticipation of the usual trade—and inability, on account of the stringency of the times, to raise money to meet current obligations. Thus Cortland has another object lesson on the effects of free silver agitation.

BREVITIES.

   —The longest train that ever ran east over the Lehigh Valley railroad passed Bethlehem recently. It was made up of 240 loaded four-wheeled coal cars, drawn by engine number 718, one of the new big Baldwin locomotives. The train was an experimental one, bound for Perth Amboy. It was pulled through to its destination without a hitch.

   —The members of Water Witch Steamer and Hose company were agreeably surprised upon their arrival at Waterloo last week to find awaiting them a box containing button hole bouquets for each member of the company. The gift was from Florist Adolf Frost of Cortland and was highly appreciated by its members.

   —The Cortland steam laundry, which is always interested in anything which interests Cortland, has very generously offered to wash the suits of the Cortland baseball team free of expense after each game, and the offer has been accepted with the thanks of the players and the management. Good for the laundry and and its local patriotism.