MAHAN'S MUSIC FESTIVAL CLOSED AND REV. J. L. ROBERTSON GOES TO GALVESTON

Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, June 5, 1897.

THE FESTIVAL CLOSED.

Fine Concerts Given Yesterday Afternoon and Evening.

   Mahan's twenty-third annual music festival closed with a grand concert last evening, which was a fitting close to a successful musical week. The chorus this year was one of the best in years, and the rendering of Beethoven's oratorio, "The Mount of Olives," which formed the first part of last night's concert, was one of the finest of its kind ever heard in Cortland. The solo parts were well carried out by Miss Westervelt, Mr. Bowen and Mr. Downing. Preceding the piece, Rev. Amos Watkins, rector of Grace Episcopal church, read the libretto, thus enabling the large audience to understand better the character of the piece, which was so well rendered by the festival choir and soloists with Mrs. Shepard as piano accompanist.

   Outside places represented in the choir this year were: New York, Chicago, Ill., Syracuse, Binghamton, Utica, Auburn, Ithaca, Little Falls, Oxford, Homer, McLean, Freetown, Spafford, Scott, South Cortland, Union, Taylor, McGrawville, Marathon, Union Valley, Freeville, LaFayette, Moravia, South Otselic, Lisle, Five Corners, Cheningo, DeRuyter, Bainbridge, Brookton, Maine, Greene, Union Springs, Whitney Point, Messengerville, Tully, Lansingville, Tula, Genoa and Geneva.

   At the concert yesterday afternoon, Mr. George H. Downing of Binghamton made his first appearance and sang very acceptably "The Pilgrim'' by Adams. He made a decidedly favorable impression. Miss Mabelle Adams rendered in a pleasing manner the "First Concerto" by DeBeriot. Miss Becker and Miss Littlehales, each of whom appeared in the Thursday concerts, were as warmly received yesterday afternoon and evening. Miss Louise St. John Westervelt, who possesses a clear, sweet soprano voice, used it with fine effect at each appearance both afternoon and evening, and kindly responded to encores at each appearance. Last evening she was presented with two elegant bouquets by friends.

   Miss Zora G. Horlocker made her initial appearance yesterday afternoon in the "Gestillete Sehusucht" by Brahms, and made a decidedly favorable impression. She kindly responded to a double encore. Miss Horlocker possesses a full deep rich contralto voice, and her singing delighted every one. She appeared again in the evening in two numbers, and was given a most enthusiastic reception. The last number on the evening program was the piece, "Jerusalem, O Turn Thee," in which the solo part was taken by Mrs. Lelle Rhodes Mangang, whom all Cortland people were glad to hear again.

Sultan Abdul Hamid II.

SULTAN UNWILLING TO YIELD.

Making Preparations to Gather the Harvest in Thessaly.

   LONDON, June 5.—It is officially stated that Count Muravieff, the Russian foreign minister, has expressed to the Greek minister at St. Petersburg his personal sympathy and his hope that Greece will be able to save the harvest in Thessaly. It is also understood that Germany now advocates the Turkish evacuation of Thessaly, provided Greece gives a satisfactory guarantee of payment of the indemnity.

   But there is still every indication that Turkey means to remain Thessaly.

   Several Turkish officials, accompanied by their harems, have arrived in Thessaly from Constantinople.

   Edhem Pasha has ordered granaries to be prepared for the storage of the harvest and is using every inducement to get the peasants to return and to accept Turkish rule.

Mass For Foreign Volunteers.

   ATHENS, June 5.—A requiem mass was celebrated in the Catholic church here for the repose of the souls of the foreign volunteers killed during the war with Turkey. A magnificent catafalque, upon which was a sarcophagus enveloped with Greek flags and palms, occupied the center of the aisle near the main altar.

   The sarcophagus was surmounted by the sword of the Italian, Santa Rosa, who fought during the war of Greek independence. All the cabinet ministers and many members of the diplomatic corps were present, in addition to an enormous gathering of Garibaldians and other foreign volunteers, who also furnished a guard of honor for the occasion.

CALLED TO GALVESTON.

Rev. J. L. Robertson Accepts a Call from a Church in a Southern City.

   Rev. J. L. Robertson, for fourteen years pastor of the Presbyterian church of Cortland, has received and has accepted a call to become pastor of a large new church in Galveston, Tex. The church has but recently been organized and starts out under very favorable conditions. Up to the present time it has had no regular pastor but has been in charge of one of the boards of the Presbyterian church.

   The call comes to Mr. Robertson in such a way that he feels he must accept. He has accordingly decided to go to Galveston for one year as pastor of the church and if the climate and work agree with him will then determine whether or not he will remain for a longer time.

   Mr. and Mrs. Robertson and daughter Margaret arrived in Cortland yesterday from New York. Mrs. Robertson and Margaret went to Buffalo last night and Mr. Robertson will remain in Cortland until the latter part of next week before starting for his new field of labor where he expects to preach his first sermon on Sunday, June 20. Mrs. Robertson will remain in Buffalo until September before going to Galveston to join her husband.

   Mr. and Mrs. Robertson's many friends in Cortland will regret to learn that they are so soon to leave town, but all will unite in good wishes for them in their new field of labor.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

Mrs. Wallace Salsbury of East Scott Attempts to End Her Life.

   News reached Cortland this morning that Mrs. Wallace Salsbury, who lives in the northwestern part of the town of Homer near East Scott, had attempted suicide. Mr. C. L. Vandenburg and son of East Scott were in town to-day. They reside about two miles northwest of the Salsbury farm, and when they came by there this morning saw James Salsbury, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Salsbury, hitching up a horse. In a short time he overtook them on the road to Homer driving at a high rate of speed. In reply to a question he said that his mother had attempted to cut her throat, and he was going to Homer for a physician.

   He did not say with what instrument his mother attempted the deed. The extent of the self-inflicted injuries are not yet known.

NEW YORK PAPERS.

Arrangements Completed so They Will Arrive at 2:43 P. M.

   The local postoffice officials have succeeded in perfecting arrangements so that the New York papers will hereafter reach Cortland at 2:43 P. M. over the D., L. & W. R. R. instead of at 6:13 as for the past few weeks. This arrangement will enable the carriers to deliver them on the regular afternoon trips at 4 o'clock. The new arrangement goes into effect Monday, and will be a great accommodation and convenience to Cortland people.

BREVITIES.

   —The Normal [School] baseball team are in Cazenovia to-day.

   —Rev. Wm. H. Latimer will preach in the Homer-ave. church to-morrow evening.

   —To-morrow will be Missionary day in the Sunday-school at the First Methodist church.

   —The Y. M. C. A. Juniors went to Ithaca this morning to contest at baseball with the Ithaca juniors.

   —If the weather proves favorable there will be a band concert at the park to-morrow afternoon at 3:30 o'clock.

   —New display advertisements to-day are—Wesson, Loyal Wheel, page 8; Buck & Lane, Reduction in Oil Stoves, page 8.

   —About twenty small boys rode to Dryden this morning, where the Cortland Juniors play ball with the Dryden Juniors this afternoon.

   —There will be a meeting of the membership of the C. A. A. Monday evening to discuss the proposition to put in bathrooms in the clubhouse.

   —The funeral of the late George Conable will be held from the residence tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Burial will be made in Cortland Rural cemetery.

   —Miss Adair, one of the evangelists who held revival meetings at the Free Methodist church recently, is appointed to speak in that church to-morrow morning and evening.

   —Not enough wheelmen were present last evening to take any definite action on the proposition to build a cycle path to Little York. Another meeting will be called nest week.

   —Osborne of binder-fame is to have a fast steam yacht on Cayuga lake this summer. The boat was built at Auburn and launched at Union Springs. It will be kept at Cayuga, and promises to be the fastest boat on the lake next to the Clara.—Ithaca Journal.

   —Five candidates are taking the competitive examinations for Cornell university state scholarships at the courthouse to-day before School Commissioners N. L. Miller and I. W. Van Buskirk. Three of the candidates are from the Normal, one is from the Marathon Union school and the other, a resident of Preble, is a student at Onondaga Valley.

   —Undertaker F. I. Woodward of Truxton went to New York last night to get the remains of Mr. John M.Calhoun, who died yesterday morning. Mr. Calhoun was a brother-in-law of Mr. Woodward, and also of Mr. John Ireland of Cortland, and was known to many people in the county. The remains will arrive in Cortland Monday afternoon at 4:43, and burial will take place in Cortland Rural cemetery.