OBITUARY OF BRUCE SCOTT ALDRICH

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, November 27, 1896.

OBITUARY.

Bruce S. Aldrich.

(From the Syracuse Courier, Nov. 24.)

   At 8:30 yesterday morning occurred the death of Bruce Scott Aldrich, one of the most prominent business men of Syracuse, at the age of 61 years. Hemorrhage of the stomach caused death, his final illness extending over a period of less than 3 days. On Thursday last he attended to his business duties as usual, and was taken ill on Friday. The hemorrhages began Saturday evening and did not cease until his death.

   Mr. Aldrich has always led an active life, but never had possessed a strong constitution. It will be remembered that he was overcome by heart trouble at the city hall six months ago.

   Bruce S. Aldrich was born in Scott, Cortland county, May 23, 1835. He was reared on a farm and attended the district schools and later Homer academy. During his early manhood Mr. Aldrich suffered considerably from ill health. He taught school at Spafford, Little York and Otisco for five years.

   In 1855 he became a clerk in the store of David Becker in Borodino, Onondaga county, and three years later went to Homer as a bookkeeper for Clark Brothers of that village.

   Afterwards he sold notions to country merchants from a large wagon for M. J. Stone & Co., and later for Stone & Carpenter of this city. On November 20, 1865, Mr. Aldrich purchased an interest in the tobacco business of John P. Hier with whom he remained for twenty years.

   In February, 1885, Mr. Aldrich retired from the business because of ill health, and subsequently engaged in real estate operations on a large scale, becoming the owner of large properties. He also entered the lumber business in this city, forming the present firm of Bruce S. Aldrich & Co.

   He was interested in the National Typewriter works in Parish, the Syracuse Bamboo Furniture company, the Syracuse Gas Light and Electric Light and Power Companies and the old Consolidated Street Railroad company. Mr. Aldrich was one of the principal promoters of the Syracuse & Onondaga Lake Railroad company. Mr. Aldrich was the owner of Maple Bay.

   Mr. Aldrich was a great lover of fine horses, and was the possessor of an extensive stable. In politics he was an ardent and life long Democrat The only office he ever held was that of police commissioner under Mayor Willis B. Burns.

   Mr. Aldrich went to Arizona to spend a winter shortly after his health gave out, and with Gen. R A. Johnson, surveyor general of Arizona, he bought large tracts of land, stocking it with between 5,000 and 6,000 head of cattle. He has spent many winters there, and was impressed with the climate. Mr. Aldrich held at the time of his death great quantities of wood, alfalfa and cattle lands in Arizona. Mr. Aldrich was a philanthropic man and was interested in the welfare of deserving organizations. He was a prominent Mason and was instrumental in founding the Commercial Travelers' association.

   In 1866 Mr. Aldrich married Miss Helen E. Minturn of Cortland, who died in 1872. He is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Arthur R. Peck, his only near relative.

   The funeral will be held from the house, 489 South Salina street, to-morrow afternoon, Rev. Allan Draper officiating. Burial will be made at Oakwood.

THE OLD, OLD GAME.

Three Card Monte Men Swindle a Corning Man Out of $2,800.

   CORNING, Nov. 23.—S. Spicer Berry, a retired business man and a large real estate owner, was the victim of an old time swindle to-day. For several days a well dressed man has been here trying to arrange for the purchase of one of Berry's farms, which are located at Caton, a few miles from this city.

   To-day the supposed land purchaser and Berry started to drive to see the farm. On the way they met a poorly dressed fellow who said he was from the South, and that he had lost a sum of money at cards in this place last night. The Southerner did not mourn his loss much, as he displayed a large roll of bills and had money in every pocket. He began to show the three card trick at which he lost his money last evening.

   The well dressed swindler and Berry became interested and the former bet $5 with the second stranger, which he won. Then he suggested to Berry that they play for a stake of $5,000, of which he was to furnish $2,200 and Berry $2,800. Berry consented and came to the city and drew the money from the bank.

   They returned and found the poorly dressed stranger waiting for them. The money was placed in a tin box and the swindler said he would have to go to Elmira to get the $2,200. Both the swindlers consented to allow Berry to take care of the box and they started off. When Berry opened the box he found it contained nothing but a stone and some paper. The swindlers made good their escape.

Patrick Walsh.

WASHINGTON LETTER.

(From Our Regular Correspondent.)

   WASHINGTON, Nov. 23rd, 1896.—The first round between the McKinley and anti-McKinley republicans has been fought and the McKinleyites have won, but the victory isn't substantial enough to crow over. As quick as it was known that the republicans had won the National election such men as Senator Sherman and Speaker Reed began to announce the necessity for pushing the Dingley bill or some similar revenue measure through the Senate at the short session, if it could possibly be done. That caused a lining up of republicans for and against the Dingley bill and the contest was getting lively when the word was passed that McKinley would not have the Dingley bill put through. That ended the round. The Dingley bill is dead, and the anti-McKinley republicans are temporarily licked, but they will have their innings later on and will do their part towards showing the country how badly divided the republican party is even on the tariff question, and the financial division will not be overlooked either.

   The fifty-fifth Congress promises to be one of the liveliest seen in years, and although the democrats therein will not be numerous enough to accomplish much by voting as a party, there is no guessing what they may do by holding the balance of power between the republican factions in the Senate.

   There is no more amusing feature of the situation than the talk of the populists about the democratic party having to come to them in the next National Campaign. It would be a case of the tail wagging the dog sure enough, for the party which cast more than five-sixths of the votes Bryan received being absorbed by the party which cast less than one-sixth of the votes.

   Ex-Senator Walsh of Georgia, now visiting Washington, retains the editorial faculty of stating the situation in a nutshell. He said: "It is to be sincerely hoped that prosperity will come to the country through the incoming administration. Every patriot hopes for that. The republicans will have the responsibility and if their methods and policies are for the general good, to them will belong the credit. But if they fail to carry out the promises they have made, that if entrusted with power, great benefit would accrue to the country, then the democracy will meet them at Phillippi. Any man who reckons that the democratic party is dead is making a serious mistake. If I am not greatly mistaken it will be very much alive in 1900."

   Those who always jump at conclusion have taken it for granted that McKinley would send to the Senate for ratification the treaty negotiated during the last day of the Harrison administration, providing for the annexation of Hawaii, which was withdrawn by Mr. Cleveland. He will do nothing of the sort. He is opposed to the wording of that treaty and will not send it to the Senate at all. McKinley, while not opposed to annexation, will take no steps toward that end until fully assured that the people of Hawaii desire annexation and shall have formally asked for it. Then he will agree to the negotiation of a new treaty.

   Chief Ford of the Treasury Bureau of Statistics agrees with Senator Gorman both in the belief that the Dingley Tariff bill would do the Treasury no good and that the best way out of present difficulties would be to put a duty on coffee and tea. He said: "If Congress desires to pass a purely revenue bill at this session it will be easy enough to get up one that would stop the deficit. A tax of 40 per cent on coffee and tea and a dollar a barrel additional on beer would do it to a nicety, by adding about $75,000 a year to our revenue."

Tom Platt.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

   Candidates for every place within the gift of the Governor and President are plenty and most of them are already out gunning for the plumpest birds.

   There is said to be no opposition to Platt in republican circles and he can be U. S. Senator if he wants to be. There is no question but that he will want the place.

   Cabinet making seems to be the order of the day ever since election. It was supposed that Wm. K. Vanderbilt, who contributed $150,000 towards the republican election fund, would have a place in Mr. McKinleys cabinet, but he has declined to take any place whatever.

   The Standard Oil monopoly has just declared a quarterly dividend which brings the total dividends for the year up to 31 per cent, of the nominal capital stock. In round figures the total dividends for the year are $30,000,000. During the same period the sugar trust has paid $7,023,920 in dividends. In addition to these payments of earnings to stockholders the trust is said to have a surplus in raw sugar, bills receivable and cash amounting to $30,000,000.

   Senator Raines charges that there are from 3,000 to 5,000 places in New York where liquor is being sold without a license and he charges that they are receiving protection from the police or other authorities of that city. Police Commissioner Roosevelt admits that there are a large number of such places in existence but claims that they are enabled to evade the Raines law by reason of defects in the law itself. The entire city government of New York is in the hands of the republicans and no one will believe that these violators of the law could sell without they had some sort of protection from the authorities. The provisions of the Raines law are very strict and unless such protection is afforded, it is difficult for the ordinary mind to understand how these rascals can avoid punishment if the authorities honestly desire to inflict it and uphold the law. When the bill was first introduced in the legislature the DEMOCRAT called attention to the fact that is was intended to act as an immense political machine in the hands of the republicans. The result has shown that this prediction was correct. At the last election the usual democratic majority of 75.000 in the city of New York was overthrown and the republicans had a majority of 20,000. Such a change could not possibly have been brought about by any ordinary means and there is no doubt but that this great machine was the real force that aided the republicans in the last campaign. The Raines bill was intended to make rum free in the interest of the republican party, and it is getting in its work so fast even as to frighten the author of the iniquitous bill. With the clergymen of the country howling for the great moral party on one side and the whiskey element furnishing free rum for the same party on the other, genuine temperance people are pretty sure to be ground to atoms.

HERE AND THERE.

   "Shore Acres" delighted an audience at the opera house Wednesday evening.

   The Post office will be open on Thanksgiving day from 7 to 10 o'clock A M. and from 6 to 7 P. M. The carriers will make a trip in the morning.

   Mid-term examinations have been abolished at the State Normal School and hereafter all qualifications will be determined by regular class work.

   Messrs R. E. Barnard of Marathon and D. W. Northrup of Cortland have purchased the steam cleaning and dye works on Orchard-st. of Mr. C. T. Abbott.

   The Western Union wires are being removed from the ceiling of C. F. Brown's drug store and will be brought in at the rear. A new steel ceiling will be put on.

   An adjourned meeting of the "Woman's Fraternal League" will be held at the home of Mrs. J. B Kellogg, N. Main-st., Friday, Nov. 27th at 3 P. M. All members please try to be present.

   A Bundy time recorder, manufactured by the Bundy Manufacturing company, has been placed in the post office in this village by order of the Department. The recorder is intended to keep the time of the letter carriers.

   Regular meeting of the W. C. T. U. on Tuesday, December 1st, at 3 P. M. Consecration service led by Mrs. Amelia Morehouse. Business meeting and quarterly reports of superintendents of departments will follow.

   Mr. H. Banks, who has for some months conducted a barber shop in the Cortland House block, has sold his business to Mr. A. Jones, who for some time has been in his employ. Mr. Banks has purchased the Columbia barber shop in Homer and will take possession of the same on Monday next.

   A lot of mice got at one of our account books one night last week and thinking, no doubt, most of the charges therein were worthless, proceeded to gnaw into the cover in great shape, preferring, we suppose, death through eating poor accounts, rather than die of printers' colic by eating up our towel.—Greene American.

   Last week Calvin Eddy, a young colored man of Moravia, was united in marriage to a young lady of his own color in Locke. Shortly after the wedding young Eddy was brought to Cortland jail on the charge of stealing preferred by I. Whiteson, the Clothier, who claimed that he had sold clothing to Eddy to the amount of $15.11 which Eddy said D. K. Cutler of Scott would pay for. Mr. Cutler declined to pay for the goods, hence the arrest. His trial took place before Justice Mellon on Wednesday and he was sentenced to 59 days in jail, but sentence was suspended during good behavior.

   Last Monday Rev. L. J. Robertson entered the lobby of the Money Order office at the Postoffice in this village to transact some business. Tuesday morning he missed his pocketbook and as be had not used it in any other place, went to the lobby and with some of the employes searched the place but it could not be found. Remembering some of the people who were in the lobby when he was the day before he began a vigorous enquiry of these persons as to the names of those who were there that he did not know. At about 2 o'clock on Tuesday a gentleman entered the lobby and as he came in, called the attention of the clerk in charge to a pocketbook laying on one end of the counter. It proved to be the lost book with everything intact. The party who lifted the book had returned it.