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| Camp Thomas, Georgia. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, August 27, 1898.
COMPLAINTS OF SOLDIERS.
War Department Investigating Certain Ones.
THERE HAS BEEN NEGLECT.
Order No. 116 Not Properly Carried Out.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27.—The war department is in receipt of a complaint from the Eighth New York at Chickamauga. General Boynton, in command at Chickamauga, has been ordered to make a thorough and complete investigation of the hospitals at that place, to ascertain how the men have fared, and report all the facts to the department. If there has been any short-comings he is instructed to ascertain who is responsible and to include the names of those found faulty in his report.
There seems to have been neglect in carrying out the order of the department, No. 116, which allowed 60 cents a day to all soldiers in hospitals, the amount to be a general fund from which could be drawn money to purchase delicacies and necessaries for the sick soldiers. This order is dated Aug. 10. According to the records of the surgeon general's office it was received there on the 13th and sent out to the various officers should have reached these officers on the 15th. It should have reached these officers on the 17th, and especially those along the Atlantic seaboard. It seems, however, that if it did reach them it was disregarded by many surgeons.
The surgeon general's office complains that other orders sent out have not received the attention which should have been given them. This order numbered 116, it is said, was not only sent out through the surgeon general's office, but was sent direct from the adjutant general's office to the commanding officers in various camps. If it has not been carried out, the fault it is declared has been with the officers in command and the surgeons in charge of hospitals. It is probable an investigation will be made at once to see whether the order has been disregarded and why.
Officers at the war department deprecate the manner in which complaints have been made on the ground that the whole matter will discredit the American army and have a bad effect on discipline. The soldiers, they say, will be made to believe that they have been badly treated, that they are being imposed upon and at some juncture it may result in mutiny and insubordination, for the reason that the troops, in case of some order which seems especially hard, will take matters into their own hands claiming the people are with them. It is claimed that if the stories are all true it will indicate that the American army is of really little account and cannot bear hardship.
"War is a tragedy, from one end to the other," said a prominent officer of the department. "There were some people who thought it was a picnic, and that the war in Cuba was to be a holiday time. No man who considered the matter knew anything about the climate, the difficulties and the trials which would have to be undergone felt that way. They expected hardships, expected that the troops would enter the portals of danger and death, would have to face bullets and fever. It is only wonderful that we have got off so easily. Our losses are less than expected when the war began."
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| Frank S. Black. |
CONDITION OF TROOPS.
All the New York Regiments Heard From.
HEALTH REPORTED GOOD.
Not In Need of Any Aid or Assistance.
ALBANY, Aug. 27.—Governor Black and Adjutant General Tillinghast have received from the colonels commanding all the New York state regiments telegraphic reports concerning their condition. These reports were made at the request of the governor, made through the adjutant general. The text of it was as follows:
"While your men for the time being are out of the control of this state, bear in mind, as I have previously informed you, that the governor is very desirous of knowing the needs of your command and is anxious to aid you in every way possible. Advise me by wire the exact condition of the men of your regiment."
The adjutant general has received the replies of the commandants and with them the following statements:
"The newspapers have been so crowded with the reports of the wants and sufferings of the different …that after consultation on the subject Governor Black and General Tillinghast decided to send a dispatch to all the commanding officers and the replies tell their own story, and while unquestionably there has been great suffering it certainly redounds greatly to the credit of the men, that no…complaints have been made by those at the front. They have nobly supported the fair name of this state, and few can fully realize all they have sacrificed and all that they are willing to sacrifice for the upholding or our national and state honor."
The replies received were as follows:
Colonel Jarvis, Eighth regiment: "In answer to your telegram would respectfully refer you to report made to the governor by General Terry on needs of regiments."
This is the report which has not been made public in detail:
Colonel Leonard, Twelfth regiment: "One hundred sick on furlough, many of these only slightly sick. Think change to Lexington good for all. Men are tired of this place and associate it with disappointment, are cheerful, however, and sing at night. Don't need anything."
Colonel Wilder, Fourteenth regiment: "Fourteenth regiment, total sick, 76. This includes convalescents and every man excused from any duty; number daily growing less than in any other regiment I know about, and almost entirely due to water. Plant for distilling water, drinking water, now in operation, owned by regiment and will be taken with it. Regiment in first class shape as regards supplies, equipments, discipline and instruction and health is generally good. Thank you for offer of assistance, but we are doing well. Will soon change station to Huntsville, Ala., with rest of the corps."
Colonel Eddy, Forty-seventh regiment: "Forty-seventh regiment in good physical condition and well equipped. Nothing required."
Colonel Hoffman, Third regiment: "Condition of men good and improving."
Colonel Bartlett, Second regiment: "I thank you and the governor very much for your kind telegram. The men of my regiment are in excellent health and in fine condition."
Surgeon General Terry reports the Sixty-ninth regiment in good health and Colonel Duffy has expressed his desire to see service in Cuba.
Colonel Welch of the Sixty-fifth regiment reported in person that his command was in excellent health and needed nothing.
Colonel Green of the Ninth regiment reports health of his command good, having all he requires.
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| Russel A. Alger. |
ALGER TALKS OF THE ARMY.
Interviewed After His Visit to Camp Wikoff.
SATISFIED WITH RESULTS.
Did Not Find Things as Bad as He Expected Them.
NEW YORK, Aug. 27.—Secretary of War Alger arrived from Long Island City and went directly to the Fifth Avenue hotel where he talked of the army.
"I did not find the condition of Camp Wikoff nearly as bad as I had expected. I cannot see that there is any justification in the talk that either the ill or the well soldiers are not properly treated. I think there are sufficient accommodations for all soldiers who will go to Camp Wikoff, especially now that so many there have been given furloughs. Thursday I received offers from New York and Brooklyn hospitals to take at least three hundred of the sick from the camp."
Secretary Alger was asked: "How do you account for the confusion and lack of facilities at Camp Wikoff?"
To this General Alger replied: "Did you ever go into camp with 100 or even 50 men? If so you know there is much confusion with that number of men. What do you suppose it must be then with thousands?' To a person who knows but little about soldiering there may appear to be much confusion and privation, but it is only what is to be expected in roughing it. On many occasions I myself have been in camp and have encountered these things.
"I found many soldiers lying with nothing but a blanket between them and the ground. Still there were thousands of bags in camp. I asked the men why they did not fill the bags with straw, of which there was a large quantity in camp, and so make beds for themselves. They said they had not thought of such a thing.
"Then," the secretary was asked again, "you cannot see that there is justification in the complaints which have been made?"
"None," he replied. "If there was any lack of medicine or necessary supplies the blame would be on those whose duty it was to order these things. The first day I went through the detention hospital, and later the general hospital and talked with nearly every man who was awake. I said to all of them, 'Boys, is there anything you want?' They all answered, 'Nothing; we are quite comfortable.' A few of the men had no cots, but there is no yellow fever. There is some typhoid. I saw men there as yellow as any paint you ever saw, and nothing remained of them but skin and bones."
Talking of the Chickamauga camp, Secretary Alger said affairs were not in perfect condition there, but to the best of his knowledge, he said the men there are only those too ill to be removed.
"But Camp Wikoff," continued Secretary Alger, "is the most beautiful place I have ever seen; the air is the finest that was ever breathed. It is like being at sea only you don't get the rocking. President McKinley telegraphed me that he would come to Camp Wikoff at any time convenient to the camp officers. That will probably be next week."
The secretary said that all preparations had been made for transporting the Seventy-first regiment from Camp Wikoff at once. The regiment, he said, might be brought to the city and landed at the Battery for the march up Broadway. There was no certainty, however, he said, about the coming, it might not arrive for two or three days. Concluding, he said: "Of course I do not claim that Camp Wikoff is the Fifth Avenue hotel or the Waldorf, but the men are as comfortable as they can be made, and as for supplies, there will be plenty of everything."
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| Photo of county fair. We couldn't find one for 1898--CC ed. |
THE FAIR CLOSED.
A GREAT SUCCESS FROM EVERY POINT OF VIEW.
The Awarding of Special Prizes—Nobody Wanted to be Married, Consequently W. W. Bennett is One Sterling Range Ahead—Summary of the Races—Concluding Notes on the Fair.
The Cortland county fair of 1898 is now a thing of the past. It was a success numerically, financially and in every other manner. It was a great success from the point of the exhibitor and from the point of the attendant. Over 1,200 family season tickets were sold, which was three times the number sold in previous years. The officers of the society have been some of the hardest workers in the whole county during the past few weeks and they are entitled to great credit and hearty congratulations on the part of all that the great exposition was so much of a success. The Cortland county fair is now established on a sound, permanent basis, and has already taken its place in the very front rank of county fairs in the state of New York. The managers wish to thank the people of Cortland and the county at large, and those from adjoining counties who have shown such an interest in the fair and have contributed so largely to its success both by their presence and by the exhibits which they have brought.
The fair proper closed last night, when the grounds were almost deserted. All the afternoon exhibitors were busy packing up and carting away their goods. Some time in the afternoon, an attempt was made to steal a bicycle from the poultry tent. The lock on the wheel was found broken, and it is thought the would-be thief was frightened away before accomplishing his purpose.
The result of the grange vote was announced yesterday afternoon. Beard & Peck offered to the grange receiving the highest number of votes pro rata to its membership a master's chair valued at $15 and to the second highest a secretary's chair valued at $10. Only members of the grange were entitled to vote. The master's chair goes to Homer grange, and the secretary's chair to Chicago grange. The percentage of membership voting in the granges in the contest was as follows: Homer 90, Chicago 84, Little York 59, East Homer 56, Blodgett Mills 50, Preble 50.
The marriage ceremony did not take place, as no one made application to W. W. Bennett, who had offered a Sterling range to the couple who would be married on the last day.
The drawing for the $100 buggy offered by Keator, Wells & Co., took place at 5 o'clock from the judge's stand in front of the grandstand. The drawing was made by J. B. Wilson, secretary of the Dryden fair, and it was previously announced that the thirteenth number would draw the buggy. The thirteenth number was 1,083, and was held by M. Mathewson of the Farmers' hotel in Cortland.
D. E. Shepard's offer of a ladies' $20 cape or jacket to the lady winner of the ladies' bicycle race was decided at 4 o'clock. There were five contestants and the winner was Miss Powers of McLean, who made the half-mile in 1:54 1/2. There were nine entries in this contest and five starters. The starters were Mrs. J. H. Silver, Iva Yager, Winifred Keeler and Mrs. Chas. Spencer of Cortland and Miss Powers of McLean, the last of whom was the winner.
M. L. Decker, the Railroad-st. sewing machine dealer, offered a $50 machine to the lady making the best kitchen dress, and the winner out of nineteen contestants was Mrs. T. R. Page of 31 Charles-st., Cortland.
The exhibit of stock at the fair was a magnificent one, many of the exhibitors being Cortland county residents. Following is a list of the exhibitors with the kind of stock shown, and the number of head shown also:
Shorthorn Durham—O. Beebe, Hamilton, 2.
Devons—Carley Smith, Lisle, 15.
Red Polls—L. H. Dunham, Groton, 4; W. E. Smith, Harford Mills, 1.
Brown Swiss—Chas. Beatty, Groton City, 1.
Jerseys—B. R. Knapp, Cortland, 9; B. H. Wheeler, Cortland, 18; W. H. Knapp, Cortland, 8; Irving F. Rice, Cortland, 2; E. G. Youmans, Groton City, 4; W. E. Smith, Harford Mills, 7; Earl Champlin, Groton City, 10.
Guernseys—W. E. Smith, Harford Mills 10; E. A. Schoute, Cortland, 3.
Holstein Friesian—N. F. Webb, Cortland, 1; E. C. Rindge, Cortlnnd, 3; M. S. Nye, Preble, 9; L. H. Dunham, Groton 11; H. F. Benton, Contend, 1; Carley Smith, Lisle, 8; F. A. Blanchard, Cortland, 1; I. J. Foster, East Homer, 2; E. D. Tarbell, Groton City, 5.
Ayrshire— Harry E. Curtis, Cortland, 1; Jay Heath, Cortland, 3; Earl Percy, Cortland, 1; W. E. Smith, Harford Mills, 3; O. Beebe, Hamilton, 7; E. A. Schouten, Cortland, 11.
Grade Shorthorns—H. F. Benton, Cortland, 1; J. E. Severance Cortland, 3; Joseph Rose, Cortland, 6; O. Beebe, Hamilton, 1; E. A. Schouten, Cortland, 1; B. H. Wheeler, Cortland, 1.
Grade Red Polls—L. H. Dunham, Groton, 1; O. Beebe, Hamilton, 1; C. E. Witty, Marathon, 7.
Grade Devons—Carley Smith, Lisle, 2; B. H. Wheeler, Cortland, 1.
Grade Jerseys—B. R. Knapp, Cortland, 3; B. H. Wheeler, Cortland, 15; Fred C. Hyde, Cortland, 1; W. H. Knapp, Cortland, 6; H. F. Benton, Cortland, [3]; David Benham, Cortland, [1]; W. E. Smith, Harford Mills, 1; O. Beebe, Hamilton, 1; E. A. Schouten, Cortland, 1.
Grade Guernseys—W. H. Knapp, Cortland, 1; W. E. Smith, Harford Mills, 4; O. Beebe, Hamilton, 5; E. A. Schouten, Cortland, 3.
Grade Holstein Friesians—N. F. Webb, Cortland; M. S. Nye, Preble, 2; L. H. Dunham, Groton, 4; B. H. Wheeler, Cortland, 2; H. F. Benton, Cortland, 3; Carley Smith, Lisle, 2; O. Beebe, Hamilton, 1; E. D. Tarbell, Groton City, 2.
Grade Ayrshires—Jay Heath, Cortland, 1; B. H. Wheeler, Cortland 1; W. E. Smith, Harford Mills, 4; O. Beebe, Hamilton, 6; B. A. Schouten, Cortland, 5.
Oxen and Fat Cattle—Carley Smith, Lisle, 1; O. Beebe, Hamilton, 2; B. H. Wheeler, Cortland, 2.
THE RACES.
The summaries of the trotting and pacing races yesterday were as follows:
FAIR NOTES.
J. E. Edwards, who was in charge of the carriage entrance, said that between 4 and 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, 523 teams passed out through the gate.
One representative of the rural districts reported that he had been flim-flammed out of over $13 by indulging in one of the [illegal] games that was in operation.
A McLean man lost his bicycle, a Progress, yesterday afternoon. He left it standing by the side of the exhibition hall, and when he went after it, the wheel was missing.
Everybody was pleased with every feature of the fair except the weather Wednesday and Thursday, and the accident to [guideless pacer] Marion Mills.
Those people who were so quick to censure the manager of Marion Mills for not allowing her to go on the track Thursday should now realize their mistake.
Mrs. Darby-Turner had a very attractive case of hair goods and toilet articles in a prettily decorated corner on the second floor of the south wing that aroused much interest among the ladies.
The large booth of the Gillette Skirt Co. proved a center of attraction, not only for the ladies who were interested in skirts, but for every one, young and old, great and small, male and female, for Mr. Gillette gave away as souvenirs pieces of hardtack such us the soldiers at the front have been served with for rations, and anything that savored of the war proved a drawing card at once. The rush was something terrific, as every one tried hard to get into the front row to get a piece to carry home. Attached to each piece of the hardtack was a little printed slip telling what it was and by whom presented.
In the 2:28 race yesterday afternoon just after beginning the second circuit of the track in one of the heats the bay mare Dorinda owned by J. N. Aylward of East Syracuse shied at something in such a way as to throw the driver from the sulky. The sulky turned up on one wheel and the mare broke into a run giving an occasional kick as something struck her heels. Two or three horses were ahead of her and these kept on out of her way. The drivers behind reined in their horses sharply so as to avoid the driver who lay on the ground only a little bruised and then swept on behind. The mare kept her place in the procession dashing forward at full speed and completed the heat, though the other drivers were a little anxious less they be run into. But she never swerved and after the line had been passed the runaway slackened speed as the others did till some one caught her by the head. One wheel was smashed and both tires were punctured.
MARION MILLS' CONDITION.
BUT LITTLE IF ANY IMPROVEMENT SHOWN TO-DAY.
The Guideless Wonder Lies in Her Stall at the Fair Grounds and is Having the Best of Treatment—A Talk With Her Manager, C. O. Joslyn, Who Believes That Some One Frightened Her, Causing Her to Stumble in a Rough Spot.
The question on the lips of every one to-day is, "How is Marion Mills?" Marion Mills, the guideless wonder, who fell upon the track at the fair grounds yesterday afternoon before 9,000 people seriously if not fatally injuring herself, shows little if any signs of improvement to-day. She lies on a bed of soft straw in her stall, No. 28, at the fair grounds, covered with blankets and with her head packed in ice to allay the fever, and is constantly attended by Dr. J. C. Stevens and her two grooms. Dr. Stevens has been with her continually since the time she fell, leaving her only to get his meals, and Dr. W. L. Baker is also in attendance as much as possible in connection with his Fair duties. She is receiving the very best or medical treatment and care. It has been determined positively that the injury is concussion of the brain, but what the outcome will be cannot now be foretold. She had a rallying spell early this morning, but at 10 o'clock did not seem as well. Her pulse and temperature were very high, and she seemed quite nervous, frequently raising her head and throwing it about. Occasionally she moves her legs and feet a little.
A STANDARD reporter this morning had a chat at the fair grounds with C. O. Joslyn, the manager of Marion Mills. Mr. Joslyn is confident that the cause of the mare's falling is that some man started out on the track and spoke to her, and that she in trying to avoid him, and knowing also that she came near falling when she first went over the place, stumbled and could not recover herself. The pacing harness she wore, he says, was not at fault in any particular. Not a strap was broken, and no change had been made in the length of any of the straps by changing the location of any of the buckles. The STANDARD man saw the harness and examined it carefully, and found nothing about it to indicate that anything had been changed about it in a long time. The harness was made expressly for the mare, and Mr. Joslyn stated that he yesterday, as always, examined the harness just before she went on the track and was satisfied that everything was all right.
Marion Mills is owned by Geo. W. Athearn of Oshkosh, Wis., and is 7 years of age. Her career as a "guideless wonder" began in the fall of 1896 when she paced sixteen exhibition miles, covering engagements at Minneapolis, Grand Rapids, Terre Haute, Springfield and St. Joseph.
In 1897 she performed at Hot Springs, Ark.; St. Louis, Mo.; Boston, Mass.; Lowell, Mass.; Concord, N. H.; Detroit, Mich.; Cleveland, O.; Buffalo, N. Y.; Chicago, Ill.; Syracuse, N. Y.; Hartford, Conn; New York, N. Y.; Poughkeepsie, N. Y.; Trenton, N. J.; Brockton, Mass.; Dover, N. H.; Philadelphia, Pa. These engagements comprised fifty-six exhibition miles, thirty-eight of which were in 2:10 or better. On July 7 at Combination Park, Boston, she paced over a half-mile track in 2:05 3/4. On July 16, at Grosse Point, Detroit, she paced in 2:04 3/4.
Previous to that time she was a sulky pacer, but it was difficult to start her in races as she was so fierce to go, so her owner conceived the idea of training her to go on the track alone. Last year she traveled 9,844 miles in her own palatial car, one end of which is arranged with every modern device for shipping and horse comfort, the other end being furnished as an office and reception compartment.
Her exhibitions this season have been as follows: May 16, New York City, horse show; May 28, Philadelphia; June 6, Geneva; June 13, Elmira; June 20, Binghamton; June 27, Syracuse; July 11, Utica; July 18, Detroit, Mich.; July 25, Cleveland, O. She came from Cleveland to Cortland, and was booked for Bangor, Me., next week followed by Watertown, N. Y., Allentown, Pa., and Trenton, N. J. Last year her owner refused an offer of $20,000 for her.
She is light bay with black points, stands 15 1/2 hands high and weighs 950 pounds. She comes from good racing stock.
BREVITIES.
—Grace church will be open for service to-morrow after having been closed for three weeks owing to the absence of the rector on his vacation.
—During the torrid wave this week there were thirty-two deaths from heat in various northern and western cities. There were at least eight suicides.
—New display advertisements to-day are—Stowell, Great Clearing Sale, page 8; A. S. Burgess, New Fall Hats, page 7; Opera House, "Devil's Auction," page 5.
—The last of the summer series of union services of the churches on Church-st. occurs to-morrow evening at the First Baptist church. The sermon will be preached by Rev. E. B. Gearhart of Syracuse.
—At the meeting of the Sons of Veterans last night the question as to who accomplished more in the Spanish war, Sampson or Hobson, was debated, and the decision rendered was in favor of Sampson.
—To-morrow is the last day upon which the present choir at the Presbyterian church will sing, as Miss Marsh enters upon her engagement at Ithaca next Sunday and the engagement of the rest of the choir also terminates.
—Mrs. Jane Dodd, aged 68 years, died at 4:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon at the home of her sister, Mrs. Margaret Stebbins, one mile east of Cortland on the Truxton road. The funeral will be held Monday at 1 o'clock P. M. Burial in Cortland Rural cemetery.
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