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| Baraduc's Biometer. |
Cortland
Evening Standard, Tuesday, December 1, 1896.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
Baraduc's
Biometer.
Dr. Baraduc, the French scientist, reported
at the convention of psychologists in Munich some curious experiments he had
made on living creatures, man included. The same experiments were described by
him to the Academy of Medicine in Paris.
Baraduc has invented an instrument which he
names the biometer, or life measurer. When the hands are placed upon the
biometer, they attract or repel its delicately adjusted needle, according to
the state of the person's mind and health. But this is not all or the half. The
instrument is of such a kind that the emanations from the hands are photographed
upon plates properly adjusted to it. Sometimes there are photographed
"masses of light," at others a sort of thick network of whitish spots—this,
too, according to the state of health and mind of the subject.
Baraduc finds that a regular current of
something like electricity passes continually through the human body. When it
is in health, the current moves from right to left, and the right hand attracts
the needle, while the left repels it. When the individual is fatigued or out of
health, both hands repel the current. While we sleep, rest and recover, the current
becomes normal again and returns to its former flow, the needle being drawn
toward the right hand and driven from the left.
Baraduc's most important discovery however,
if he can be relied on, is that when we are wearied out or ill we can restore
our vital current perfectly in a very short time by taking what he calls an
electro-luminous bath. He shuts himself up in a little room from the ceiling of
which hang electric lights of 320 candle power and lets these lights shine full
upon his naked body. This fills him with power again, he declares.
It will not be hard for American medical men
to try Baraduc's plan. He keeps his unerring biometer handy while taking the
electro-luminous bath and applies it from time to time to find out when his
power is fully restored, which is shown by the right hand attracting the needle
and the left hand repelling it. Great things are expected from the elaboration
of Baraduc's discoveries in the direction of restoring health and vigor, but
nobody can tell.
◘
The German government has set
itself to answering, upon its own territory, the celebrated question asked by
an American brewer when threatened with an official inquiry into the materials
he used to make beer with, "So long as the public keeps on drinking beer,
what business is it of yours?"
Some of the things brewers, in a hurry to
get rich, put into beer, either to hurry its processes or cheapen its
production, are glucose, boric acid, Indian hemp, bicarbonate of soda and the
poisonous salicylic acid. They substitute corn for barley malt because it is
less expensive, thereby increasing the amount of alcohol in beer and enabling
the poor man to go on a roaring drunk at small expense.
Physicians testify that in consequence of
the habitual use of this adulterated article, instead of the old fashioned beer
made from hops and barley malt, there has been increase in throat, kidney and stomach
troubles among their patients, as well as increase of gouty and rheumatic
ailments. Of course it is unnecessary to say the best class of brewers of Germany
and other countries do not resort to the use of injurious materials to adulterate
beer, but in present conditions the public has no means of knowing who does or
does not use them. The German government is going to find out, so far as it is
concerned, since this matter affects seriously its export trade.
A MONACO
WITHOUT GAMBLING.
Three
Million Dollars to Be Spent on a Great Pleasure Palace at Niagara Falls.
Colonel George B. Gouraud has purchased the
Cataract House at Niagara Falls and is also negotiating for the International
hotel, on the sites of which it is proposed to erect a kursaal, or pleasure palace,
on a scale never before attempted in this country. For this purpose a company will
be formed. The structure as at present contemplated will cost about $3,000,000.
The details of the building as given out show that it will contain all the features
of the great German watering places, such as Baden, and will be of the Louis
Quinze style of architecture.
There will be a tower of a height of 400 or
600 feet, a great astronomical dome and a big convention hall. Everything will
be carried out on a luxurious scale, every detail the work of experienced
architects, every room a model of art and convenience. It will be a Monaco with
the gambling left out, a summer as well as a winter house, a sanitarium, a
hotel, a palace. The electrical features are extremely novel and wonderful, the
power being put to almost every conceivable use. Another feature is the
establishing of an electrical museum on a scale greater than anything yet
conceived.
The Hon. W. Caryl Ely of Niagara Falls is
attorney for those interested. Mr. Ely is a man of wealth and business
enterprise, having built the Niagara Falls and Buffalo Electric railway. Mr.
Ely said that the papers for the purchase of the International hotel were in
his hands, and that he had no doubt the famous old hostelry would be bought and
the plans as outlined above carried to a successful completion.—New York Sun.
ANNEXATION
OF HAWAII.
John W.
Foster Says the Islands' Safety Depends Upon It.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.—John W. Foster, former
secretary of state, has returned to Washington after a six weeks visit to Hawaii,
whither he went as the representative of the Pacific Cable company. In speaking
of his visit Mr. Foster said:
"The condition of business in Hawaii is
flourishing. The islands are prosperous and their future is bright. The Pacific
mail has recently doubled its service, sending a steamer twice a month instead
of once, as formerly, and a new line is soon expected to be established by the
Japanese which will touch at the islands on the way to San Francisco.
''The people of Hawaii wish to be annexed to
the United States. The present government has the approval of a majority of the
native Hawaiians, and there is no likelihood that there ever will be a restoration
of the monarchy.
Mr. Foster said it was not apparent that Hawaii
could maintain herself as an independent government in case the United States
should refuse to annex the islands, although her people are law abiding, and her
present government moves along smoothly and successfully. There is continual
fear, said Mr. Foster, that some change may occur. So far as the Hawaiians are
concerned, independently of outside influences they are capable of self
government. In Mr. Foster's opinion, however, annexation is the only way out of
the situation in which Hawaii is placed.
VILLAGE
TRUSTEES.
Application
From Chief Linderman for a Patrol Wagon Filed.
The early part of the meeting of the board
of trustees last night was devoted to a hearing on the proposed Elm-st.
franchise, as is recorded in another column.
H. H. Pudney, the village collector,
requested that his bond be extended twenty days, which request was granted.
Trustee Wallace of the committee to
investigate and report as to the proper repair and sanitary improvement of the
village lockup and addition to the engine house made his report, advising as to
the cost of such improvement, and necessity for the same. The report was
accepted and the committee continued.
Bills were audited as follows:
Street commissioner's payroll, $110.10
Police force, 126.00
Ellis M. Santee, services, 3.50
W. T. Linderman, feeding prisoners, .25
Fred Hatch, salary, 23.33
F. A. Bickford, salary, 25.00
Cortland Water Works Co., 2,216.66
The following application from Chief of
Police Linderman was placed on file and discussed and will be considered at
some future meeting after investigation:
To the Honorable
Board of Trustees:
I desire to call your attention to the
advisability of adopting a plan for a police patrol by using some of the
property now in the possession of the village.
The facts, briefly summarized, are as
follows:
First—Cortland has about thirty-five miles
of streets to be patrolled and with the present force it is impossible to give
to all sections the protection demanded.
Second—The village now owns the hose cart,
harness, etc., used by the
Hitchcock
Hose Co.
Third—The said company owns and keeps, in
constant readiness, a horse which could be utilized, with slight expense to the
village for police patrol purposes.
Fourth—The Hitchcock Hose Co. has signified
its willingness to give the village the use of its horse for police patrol
purposes if the village will feed said horse, which, in view of the fact that
the village now has the entire use of it, should be done.
Fifth—Two telephones which would give
perfect satisfaction between the hose house and headquarters and be the absolute
property of the village would cost, all put in, not to exceed $18.
By reducing the uses of these appliances to
a system the present efficiency of the force could be more than doubled. It
would enable, through the telephone, every citizen to be a police officer and
afford speedy and proper transportation of drunkards and criminals without the
lamentable scenes so common on our streets now, when crowds of curious people
follow officers as they drag prisoners through the streets. Trusting that you
will think proper to investigate this subject and promising you all the aid and
assistance in my power, I am
Yours respectfully, W. T. LlNDERMAN.
On motion, the board adjourned to this
evening at 7:30 o'clock.
Water
Will Be Shut Off.
Some time during this evening the water of
the entire south part of town and perhaps of the whole town will be shut off to
repair a break. People having hot water boilers should take precautions to
avoid an explosion, and all should secure in advance such water as they may
need during the night.
SOME
EARLY HISTORY
Connected
With the Opening of Railroads to Cortland.
A very serious question has recently been raised
between friends in Homer as to the time of the opening of the old New York and
Oswego Midland R. R. from Cortland to Utica. One declared that it was in 1872,
and the other claimed that it was not until 1874. The discussion waxed warm and
other friends were called upon to settle it, but their memories were defective
and they also differed widely in their recollections. Our files have been
consulted by different parties and the question was settled. As it appeared
that so few could remember when the road was actually put in active operation
and as it may be a matter of interest to others, we quote from our file of June
11, 1872:
Trains commenced running over the Midland
from this place to Utica on Wednesday last. (June 5, 1872.) Passengers can
leave Cortland on the 6:25 A. M. train and reach Utica without change of cars
at 10 A. M.
It will be borne in mind that the Midland road
then extended from Cortland to DeRuyter and from DeRuyter to Norwich, where it
connected with the main line to Utica; also that the Midland road and the
Ithaca and Cortland road were separate organizations, built separately by
separate companies.
Inquiry has been made of Mr. H. P. Goodrich
who was for nearly seven years a director and superintendent of the Ithaca and
Cortland road, and that gentleman said that the road was built from the Ithaca
end toward Cortland and that trains were run from Ithaca as far as the rails
were laid toward Cortland and that a stage transfer came the rest of the way.
From our files again we find that the road was put in active operation from
Ithaca to McLean on Sept. 14, 1871, and that the people of McLean on that day had
a celebration over the event.
Again we find that on Oct. 7, 1871, the
stockholders of the Ithaca and Elmira road met at Breesport and voted to consolidate
with the Ithaca and Cortland road, the two to form the Utica, Ithaca &
Elmira road. The stockholders of the Ithaca and Cortland road had a few days before passed a similar
vote to consolidate.
On
Oct. 16, 1871, the directors of the Ithaca and Cortland road decided upon the
route of approach to Cortland and ratified a line proposed by the engineers
from the Chatterton farm to Main-st., "terminating on the property of D.
Crawford just south of Dr. F. O. Hyatt's residence."
On Dec. 5 the file tells us that the Ithaca
and Cortland road was running trains as far as the marl ponds and selling coal
there at $6.25 per ton, or delivered in the corporation by teams 40 cents cheaper
than that brought over the Syracuse and Binghamton road.
On Jan. 9, 1872, it appears from the file
that the track of the Ithaca and
Cortland
road was that day laid as far as the Tompkins-st. crossing, and that the rails
on the Midland road from the east were laid and trains were running from
Norwich as far toward Cortland as across the farm of A. D. Blodgett to the river
and that the next day the work of laying the stringers across the bridge was to
begin.
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, 1872, our files state
that the Ithaca and Cortland road was running its trains as far as Owego-st.
Arrangements were about completed to obtain the residence of Mrs. F. W. Freeman
for a temporary station, and that trains were expected to run through from
Ithaca to Main-st. by the end of that week, and the paper of the following week
says that that work was accomplished.
At the same time that the Midland company was
completing its road to
Cortland
it built a line from Freeville to Scipio, and Mr. Goodrich informs us that this
railroad made a contract with the Ithaca and Cortland road to haul its trains
from its terminus in Cortland to Freeville, where they were switched upon its
other division to go to Scipio. This division has since been abandoned.
So that, to summarize, we may say that the
railroad from Utica to Cortland was opened to Cortland June 5, 1872, and the
road from Ithaca to Cortland was opened to Main-st. in Cortland on Jan. 27,
1872. It may also be remembered that a few years later the portion of the
Midland division from DeRuyter to Norwich was abandoned, when the road was
built from DeRuyter to Cazenovia to connect with the Cazenovia and Canastota
railroad, which last mentioned road was also built in 1872. Trains after that
ran as they do now from Cortland to Canastota instead of from Cortland to
Norwich and then on to Utica.
It may also be added to complete Cortland's railroad
history that the Syracuse and Binghamton railroad was formally opened on Oct.
15, 1854. We wish we could give the exact date of the opening of the Erie & Central New York R. R.
from Cortland to Cincinnatus, and also of its projected extension to Deposit on
the Erie road, and to Hancock, thirteen miles further, which is on both the Erie
and the Ontario & Western roads, but unfortunately that is a matter
which only the future can make plain.
BREVITIES.
—The state canals close to-day for the winter.
—The regular annual election of officers of
Grover Post, G. A. R., occurs at the meeting of the post to-morrow night.
—All veterans are requested to meet at
Grover Post rooms at 12:30 to-morrow to attend the funeral of their late
comrade, M. W. Frize, at 1 o'clock.
—A break occurred in a water main at the
corner of Main and Tompkins-sts. at noon to-day and this afternoon workmen are
engaged in repairing it.
—The Cortland Athletic association will hold
a regular meeting in the new quarters in Taylor hall to-morrow night. The
annual election of officers will occur at this time.
—New advertisements to-day are—C. F. Brown,
Shield Your Lungs, page 7; Stowell's, Cut Prices, page 6; F. Daehler, Our Boys,
page 4; Warren, Tanner & Co., Dry Goods, etc., page 4.
—As E. H. McDonald of 12 Venette-st. was
driving down the hill from the park to Port Watson-st Sunday one of the
holdback straps to the harness broke, letting the wagon against the horse's heels.
The horse started to run and clearing itself from the wagon, ran to the barn.
Mr. McDonald jumped from the wagon and escaped injury but the buggy was quite
badly damaged.
THE
FRANCHISE QUESTION.
Public
Hearing Regarding the Proposed Elm-st. Franchise.
The board of village trustees gave a public
healing last night at the office of the village clerk on the franchise asked for
by the Cortland & Homer Traction company to construct and operate a
surface street railroad on Elm-st. from Church-st. to Pendleton-st.
At the outset President Benton asked Attorney
Horace L. Bronson, who was present and represented the company, if consents of
a majority of the property owners on the street in question had been secured.
Mr. Bronson stated that he thought such had been obtained.
Attorney Irving H. Palmer stated that he
appeared for John D. Benton of Fargo, S. D., who owns property on the street and
who opposed the granting of the franchise unless suitable restrictions were
insisted upon. He objected to the transportation of freight past his premises
and to the putting in of a switch or turnout in that locality. Attorney Palmer thought
that the location of the turnouts and switches should be definitely located in
the application for the franchise. He further insisted that no franchise should
be granted except for a consideration and said that a franchise was a property and
he did not understand that it was the duty of the trustees to give away property
without an adequate compensation. He thought that no "T" rail should
be used, owing to the difficulty of paving up to it. This should be included in
the terms of the franchise.
H. M. Kellogg said that he appeared in opposition
to the franchise, first, as a citizen, and secondly, as a railroad commissioner
of the town of Cortlandville. He said he did not understand the conditions under
which this franchise was to be granted, if granted. He did not know of any more
reason why it should be granted than last year when it was refused by the
village board. To him it would appear reasonable to remove the track from
Church and Railroad-sts. and build a new road down Elm-st., but it did not seem
to be a convenience to the public to have a short section built parallel with a
portion of the present road. He was opposed to the granting of any further
franchises gratuitously to this or any other company. He also objected to the
transportation of freight. Looking at it as a railroad commissioner he held that
nothing should be done toward encouraging freight traffic on this road to McGrawville
in opposition to or competition with the projected steam road for which the
town is heavily bonded.
Attorney Bronson then spoke for the company,
saying that the company sought to straighten its line, not for the purpose of
deriving more revenue or money, but for the convenience of the public. It has
been found that the public has been unnecessarily inconvenienced at the D., L.
& W. station by the frequent massing of steam cars there. The additional
road would add to the taxable property of the town. He compared the Traction
company with the management of the projected steam road saying that the former
came here with its own capital and built its road, but the latter came and
asked the towns to bond themselves for the construction of that road. The
prosperity of the company and of the town go hand in hand. He did not think the
trustees would grant to any company the exclusive right of freight
transportation and thus bar out competition. The company could not afford to
have a shadow cast over its right and title over the roadbed by any
restrictions. He asked for some reasonable time in which to file consents and submit
a proposed franchise, at which time the location of switches, etc., might be
discussed.
Hugh Duffey spoke briefly favoring the granting
of the franchise purely as a convenience to the public, especially those going
to the park.
No one else appearing in favor of or in opposition
to the franchise, President Benton
said that the matter would be laid on the table to be considered at some future
meeting.
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