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| This building was used at the Dryden, N. Y., fair for many years and later converted to a garage for Dryden D. P. W. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, September 22, 1898.
DRYDEN'S GREATEST DAY.
MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER BEFORE ATTEND THE FAIR.
Over 13,000 People on the Grounds Wednesday—Weather Was Perfect—Great Exhibition in the Halls and Tents—The Driving Contest and the Races—Dryden's Track Record Broken—Cortland Well Represented Among Exhibitors and Spectators—Everybody Happy.
The great Dryden fair is just drawing to a close after what is probably from every point of view the most successful exhibition in the history of the Dryden Agricultural society. The weather has been simply perfect. It could not have been improved. It was neither too hot nor too cold. On Wednesday the second day of the fair, which is always the best of the three, the crowd on the grounds exceeded 13,000 people. There was scarcely a foot of room to spare for anything. Within the track the teams formed almost a solid mass. The grandstand which seats 1,800 people was full to overflowing. Over by the buildings one moved about with difficulty and progress through them was very slow. At 11 o'clock Wednesday morning the issue of family tickets was entirely exhausted, and after that time the tickets sold were composed of the odds and ends and left over tickets from several past years. At that hour the receipts exceeded by $100 the total receipts at the close of the third day of the fair in the best previous year in its history—and this, let it be borne in mind, was only the forenoon of the second day.
On Tuesday a little over 750 family tickets were sold for use through the entire fair. On Wednesday 1,450 more were sold, making a total of over 2,200 tickets of this kind. On the second day last year the sale was 1,186. These tickets are all good for the admission of five people, and the gatekeepers testify to the fact that every family ticket is sure to have at least five people belonging to it. Some of the families are surprisingly large at fair time and not infrequently six or seven or eight people appear in a wagon with a single ticket, and when they declare that they are all one family no Dryden fair gatekeeper is hard-hearted enough to make a split in a family and divide them up and compel the purchase of extra tickets, and no Dryden fair gatekeeper is skeptical enough to doubt the statement. In fact, they are a model set of gatekeepers. They beam complacently upon the crowd as they pass in with no apparent recollection of any previous acquaintance with any small families in the vicinity, or perhaps it would be better to say with the most perfect remembrance of the great size of the families of all their friends—for they are friends to all who come.
By the sale of family tickets at least 11,000 people must have gone through the gates on Wednesday. The sale of single tickets on this day was 2,302, making over 13,000, and then besides there were exhibitors' tickets and complimentaries and passes for at least 500 more, and that shows up a total of fully 13,500 people there.
They came from everywhere and in every conceivable way. Trains north and south on the Lehigh Valley R. R. were crowded. There were thirteen coaches on the train from Freeville to Dryden in the morning, and it took nearly a half hour to cover the two and three-quarters miles between the two stations—not that the engine couldn't proceed faster, but the distance was short in which to take up tickets, and the aisles were so choked with standing passengers that the conductors could scarcely get through them. In consequence, the train slowed down to give the ticket takers time to work. A second train of six coaches followed close after the first. A carload of passengers went from Cortland on the 12:30 freight and accommodation, expecting to connect with a similar train on the other division and get down to Dryden at 2:30 o'clock after a wait of an hour at Freeville, but the southbound train at Freeville was late and the people never left that station till 3:15 and didn't get upon the fair grounds till 4 o'clock, much to their annoyance. A STANDARD man who went from Cortland on the train took his wheel with him to Freeville and rode over from there easily reaching the grounds in less than a half hour.
Carryalls, and carriages of every description added their portion to the crowd and bicycles were present in great numbers. A young man checked wheels near the gates at 10 cents each, and before noon he reported that he had taken in over $10. Hundreds of wheels were left leaning against fences or buildings without being checked, some being locked and some absolutely loose. Dryden people thought they had a joke on Cortland in regard to its fair from the fact that the Cortland Carriage Goods Co. shut down only a half day during the Cortland fair and shut down a whole day during the Dryden fair, so great was the demand of its employees to take in the exhibition.
But the fair itself was a great one. Secretary Wilson says it is not many years since he used to take all the entries himself, but he couldn't do it this year. Five entry clerks were busy from Monday morning till the books closed on Tuesday. W. H. Drake was the chief clerk in charge of this work, and he said to a STANDARD man that there had been but two years in the past twenty-four that he had not assisted in some capacity in helping the fair along.
In the entries this year all classes were ahead of those in previous years. In round numbers there were over 600 entries in vegetables, of which 300 were upon potatoes alone. There were over 450 entries in the line of fruit and over 500 in poultry.
In the account of the exhibits which follows reference will be made almost exclusively to the displays of Cortland exhibitors. Others will be referred to only incidentally because of former residence here or for some other reason they may have some special interest for Cortland county readers.
Floral hall is of course the center of attraction, as usual, and it never looked prettier than this year. The central pyramid of cut flowers and potted plants presents a very beautiful appearance. Beginning at the right of the entrance in the outer circle is the booth of Joiner's Business school, presided over by both Mr. and Mrs. Joiner. Several typewriters are hard at work, and each one for the asking can have his or her name written upon a card by an expert penman in the handsome business style of writing for which the Joiner school has become so well known.
The next booth at the right is that of Mrs. Sarah T. Tanner of Cortland who exhibits a variety of useful and labor saving articles, for which she is the agent, any one of which is well calculated to delight the heart of the housewife. Among them are the Mills handy laundry bucket, the patent of Mrs. A. V. D. Mills of Cortland; the "boss" griddle greaser, the invention of Mr. F. C. Parsons, editor of the Cortland Democrat; and several other useful kitchen utensils. She also exhibits silver cream polish and a number of ladies' toilet articles.
Mrs. Tanner's next neighbor, as in former days, is George P. Yager of the Fair store, who has a double booth and who exhibits a fine line of dinner sets, individual pieces of china, lamps, pictures and mirrors.
The booth of Palmer & Co., which is next, is one of the prettiest on the grounds. It is presided over by Mrs. Henry Palmer who shows a handsome line of dress skirts and silk waists, all the work of the dressmaking department of this large store. Patterns and samples of silk for waists not made up and trimmings of a large variety are also exhibited. Conspicuous in the booth is the elegant $15 skirt offered by this firm to the lady wearing the handsomest costume in the floral bicycle parade.
All day long there was a crowd before the booth of H. C. Harrington, a Cortland music dealer for, following the fad of the age, there was a continuous performance going on there. It took the form of a concert by Messrs. William Chamberlain and William Welch, who sang solos and duets, their selections being taken from the pile of music on the counter. Many attracted by an air came forward at once and bought a copy of the music, and as a result Mr. Harrington's sales of music were very large. He also exhibited a line of pianos and organs.
A. S. Burgess of Cortland showed a very complete line of ready-made clothing. Quite a specialty was made of children's suits of the latest styles. There was also a handsome display of shirts, neckwear, collars and cuffs and men's furnishings in general.
H. W. Price, local agent for the Singer sewing machine, had on exhibition three machines of the latest styles and the ladies were interested in these of course.
Weyant & Kingsbury of Dryden, two Cortland boys who are building up a fine trade in the town of their adoption, showed a full line of Andes heaters and ranges.
French Brothers, furniture dealers of Dryden, had a parlor and a diningroom fitted up with articles from their store in a way that could not fail to arouse the admiration of all.
Upon the inner circle the Dryden Herald had a prominent booth near the entrance. The editor. Mr. J. G. Eord, with commendable energy publishes a daily edition during the fair each year and if every visitor does not carry home one for a sample it is because he fails to call at the booth to ask for one.
Mrs. T. Everts and Mrs. Darby-Turner have a booth together and it proves an attraction for all the ladles. The former shows the latest styles of millinery and the most stylish of trimmings, and the latter a line of hair goods, switches, combs, and all kinds of perfumes and toilet articles.
Bingham Brothers & Miller have a long booth and devote their exhibit solely to the ready-made clothing portion of their business. They show suits of every description and style and of a large variety of materials and overcoats for fall and winter.
The upper floor is this year devoted exclusively to ladies' work, and the amount of it which is there displayed is enormous. It comprises everything in the line of woman's skill, and is all very handsome and attractive.
In the annex building there are almost as many exhibitors as in the main building. M. E. Sarvay is near the west door with a fine line of shoes.
Shepard has a large booth on the east side, and at first glance one is almost in doubt whether he is still running the same elegant drygoods house which he conducts in the Sampson building or whether he has gone into market gardening. He offered as a special prize a $20 cape or jacket to the lady who exhibits the largest pumpkin which she herself has raised. Thirty-two pumpkins were submitted and when one comes to consider the amount of room that would be occupied by thirty-two bouncing pumpkins of the size that are there shown he would almost wonder where the drygoods exhibit could be placed. But it is there all right, and is a handsome one too. Pumpkins occupy the counter and a large pile of them is in the corner, but over them are to be seen capes, cloaks, jackets and furs, silk skirts and waists, children's cloaks, carpets and rugs and a fine line of millinery goods.
G. F. Beaudry was on hand with a great wheel exhibit. He showed Stearns, Pierce, Rambler, Crescent, Stormer, Penant and Reading Standard. Besides he had a great display of bicycle sundries and of everything interesting to wheelmen.
Graham, the tailor, has a booth as attractive to men as some of the others are to ladies. Suitings, hats, caps and furnishing goods were tastefully arranged, while two young men with banjos kept the crowd listening while they looked.
McGraw & Osgood, the shoe men, made quite a specialty of rubber goods, as well as of boots and shoes of their own manufacture. A ten-pound lump of pure rubber worth $10 was quite a curiosity. Zip, the pet coon, which is well known at their store, made friends with all the children.
Watrous & Baldwin exhibit the Perfection flour can which appealed at once to all the cooks. It is something new and is a great convenience. It holds a little more than a sack of flour and has a way that is a comfort indeed of getting it out in the quantities desired and without dust.
H. B. Hubbard is at his old corner in a double booth, one-half of which is devoted to crockery and the other half to groceries. His new stock of individual dishes in the new colors and in the latest designs roused the admiration of the ladies. A first-class tea maker was busy preparing tea from a popular 30-cent tea which he sells, and during the forenoon yesterday over 1,000 cups of tea were given away. The display of canned and bottled goods was very pretty.
Mrs. G. T. Chatterton had a tasteful array of Perfection skirts of her own manufacture, in silks, sateens, and in her specialty, imported moreen.
M. L. Decker showed New Home, Standard and Wheeler & Wilson sewing machines and there was a handsome display of the work from those machines on exhibition.
W. H. Silcox of Dryden had a cozy corner in which to display a large collection of artistic photographs beautifully finished.
A huge tent just back of the annex building showed where the society will have to put up another building to accommodate the exhibitors. It was full this year. Peck Brothers showed a selection from their store consisting of harnesses, robes, lap blankets and carriages.
E. A. McGraw had a unique kind of a contrivance of wheels in which a score of wheels were kept in constant motion each moving in a different direction from any other wheel. This attracted the crowd, and then they had a chance to see beside them the different articles of carriage supplies furnished by this well known wagon builder.
The Champion Milk Cooler Co. in the center of the tent showed not only coolers but a sample of everything in the line of dairy utensils and their booth was constantly the center of attraction for the dairymen.
In this tent was the vegetable display, and here C. E. Chapman of Peruville showed his 100 varieties of potatoes. It took several long tables to display them upon.
Another large tent is wholly taken up by the display of carriages, surreys and road wagons of Allen & Chubb of Cortland and by a similar display by the Groton Carriage Co. In the center of the tent is the handsome top buggy which Allen & Chubb give as a premium to the owner of the finest pair of matched road horses. There is great strife for this prize and there are fifteen entries.
The poultry and pet stock is all displayed in another large tent. Frank H. Wood is the superintendent. There are a large number of Cortland exhibitors. W. J. Greenman shows forty pairs of bantams of eighteen different kinds. Patrick Dempsey shows White Plymouth Rocks, White Barred Plymouth Rocks, White Wyandottes and Buff Cochins. A. H. Watkins shows White Plymouth Rocks. Black Minorcas, White Crested Black Polish, Buff Leghorns, White Comb Black Spanish and Rose Comb Black Minorcas. A. V. H. Cummings shows White Cochins, Light Brahmas, Black Langahans, Buff Cochins, Black Minorcas, Brown Leghorns, White Wyandottes and White Plymouth Rocks. Several Pineland incubators in full operation in the tent attracted much attention.
During the day yesterday the record of the Dryden track which previously had been 2:19 was broken. The record breaker was Cute, owned and driven by Mrs. E. C. Strong of New Paltz, N. Y., who unpaced made a mile against the track record in 2:16 1/2. Mrs. Strong hoped to have a running horse to pace her mare, but one could not be found so she drove without pacing.
One of the great events of the day was the Beard & Peck ladies' driving contest. There were eleven entries and nine starters in this. The entries were Mrs. Nellie P. Somers, Cortland; Mrs. Anthony Sherman, Virgil; Mrs. H. W. Westfall, Summerhill; Mrs. C. M. Griswold, Dryden; Mrs. William Hyde, Marathon; Miss Alia Burch, West Groton; Miss Neva Seacord, Cortland; Mrs. Lucy Sherman, Como; and Mrs. A. R. Kennedy, Peruville. The contestants were required to hitch up their horses and drive one mile, the horse to trot, run or pace at the option of the driver. There was tremendous excitement while this contest was on. The winner was Miss Burch who received the $25 chamber set offered by Beard & Peck. The second prize was $10 offered by the society and was won by Mrs. Westfall, and the third prize was $5 offered by the society and was won by Miss Seacord. The time was 4:59. Miss Seacord was the first to get harnessed and get started but then a little hard luck overtook her. Another horse startled hers and her horse started before she could get into her wagon. She was dragged for a few rods between wagon body and wheels trying in vain to get in when a bystander in order to prevent an accident caught her horse. She was then enabled to get in, but the short stop enabled another to get by her. The race down the home stretch, all the horses running under the lash, was very exciting.
The prizes for the best decorated bicycles by boys and girls under 12 years were won as follows: Roland Powers of McLean, first; and Frank Wheeler of Cortland, second; Ruth Wilson of Dryden, first; Olive Wheeler of Cortland, second. The prize for the most ludicrous costume worn by a wheelman was won by Grover Hart of Dryden.
The results of the races for Tuesday were as follows:
Secretary Wilson said yesterday that the society is more hampered now from lack of stable room than in the days before they had any stables, because then they didn't try to do anything for the horses that came. They want more room. They now own twenty-seven acres and they want twenty more. They can buy it and they will try to do it before next year and erect more buildings. The new ticket office this year is a fine one and is a model of convenience.
Horse men say that one reason for the popularity of the Dryden race track is that it is a slow track. Racing men can bring their horses there and win the purses and are not afraid of records.
The STANDARD'S canvassing wagon has been a conspicuous object upon the fair ground during the three days of the fair and Mr. Charles F. Sarson, our representative, has received many compliments upon its appearance. He has improved the opportunity to renew many old friendships and make new ones.
A cloud of dust miles long marked every road leading out of Dryden last night between 5 and 6 o'clock, and the teams formed a continuous procession as the people started for home.
There were seventeen passenger coaches on the northbound train from Dryden to Freeville last night and all were as full as could be. The same slow rate of speed was adopted between Dryden and Freeville as on going down in the morning to permit the conductors to take up the tickets. The ride of 2 1/2 miles occupied a full half hour.
The management is happy. The fair has been a great success. They have had the crowd, but they are never satisfied. Next year they say the grounds must be larger, the exhibition greater and the crowd more numerous. It is already "Hurrah for '99."
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| Surgeon General George Miller Sternberg. |
ORDERS WERE NOT OBEYED.
Army Surgeons' Doing Just as They Pleased.
COMMANDERS ALL IGNORED.
Surgeon General Sternberg Made Aware of It.
LEXINGTON, Ky., Sept. 22.—General Breckenridge, who is in command of Camp Hamilton here, and Surgeon General Sternberg had a long conference just before the surgeon general left here with Secretary Alger. General Breckenridge wanted to know just who had the right to command the hospital surgeons. He said at Chickamauga these individuals were a sort of "do-as-you-please" fellows, under nobody's command. General Wilson had requested certain things to be done in the hospitals at Chickamauga, and no attention had been given his demands. Investigation, General Breckinridge said, showed that the surgeons considered themselves subject only to the orders of General Sternberg. General Breckenridge said he found the same trouble at Camp Hamilton, and he wanted to have a distinct understanding regarding the matter.
General Sternberg said that the surgeons at Chickamauga were subject to the orders of General Wilson, and that the general should have found this out. If he saw his orders were not obeyed he should have found the reason for such disobedience and had the matter settled at once. General Breckenridge said the same was the case right here, and he wanted General Sternberg to inform General Singer that he was the proper person to command the surgeons.
Boilers Were Furnished.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22.—The quartermaster's department of the army states that the claim made by certain officers that boilers were not furnished for boiling water at Chickamauga is not true. On the same date that Chief Quartermaster Lee telegraphed for the boilers, 2,000 were sent, and a little later on 500 more. It is also stated that the soldiers would not drink the boiled water because it had a flat taste and preferred and drank the fresh water.
Commanding Officers to Blame.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 22.—The secretary of war, who inspected Camp Poland and reviewed the troops encamped there, made a speech to the commanding officers at General McKee's headquarters, at which he fixed the blame of the sickness in the different camps throughout the country to the commanding officers.
ECHOES OF THE WAR.
Military Notes and Items About the Recent Conflict.
The new torpedo boat destroyer Farragut, built at Mare island navy yard near San Francisco, has almost demonstrated that she can make the speed of 30 knots an hour required by the government. She has made one mile in one minute and 59 and a quarter seconds, and several miles at the rate of a fraction over two minutes per mile.
There were two more deaths at Camp Wikoff. Lieutenant Alfred J. Roberts of Company F, Seventy-first New York volunteers, and Charles Gonga, Troop A, Sixth cavalry, were the victims. Lieutenant Roberts died from pneumonia; Trooper Gonga expired from typhoid fever.
The Spanish volunteers in Porto Rico have now all been disbanded and the Spanish soldiers are engaged in dismantling the armories and barracks and in boxing the guns and ammunition. They are rejoicing over the prospects of an early return to their homes.
The residents of Porto Rico and some of the Americans at San Juan are alarmed because the Spanish ships returning from Cuba stop at that port. They believe there is danger of the introduction of yellow fever into the island.
The transport Seguranca reached Montauk Point having on board sick and convalescents from the hospitals at Siboney, Cuba, there being one unmistakable case of yellow fever on board. All will be sent to the detention hospital.
The repatriation of the Spanish soldiers from Porto Rico has begun. Four hundred men, of whom 200 belonged to the engineer corps, sailed from San Juan for Havre on board the French steamer Chateau Lafite.
Advices from Matanzas, Cuba, continue to report great distress and the spread of sickness, to remedy which, it is asserted, the city officials do absolutely nothing.
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| Main Street, Cortland, N. Y. circa 1899. |
THE BIG IMPROVEMENT.
Main-st. Undergoing a Rapid Transformation.
Those people who like to gaze upon Cortland's cobblestone pavement —if there are any such people—must very soon cease this manner of feasting their vision, for the cobblestones which have at times in Cortland's history been quite conspicuous are being carted away to the stonecrusher where they are being broken up and returned to the street to do service in the concrete foundation for the new asphalt pavement.
About 400 laborers are at present engaged in this wonderful transformation of Cortland's main thoroughfare. The Italian concrete mixers at the north end will reach Maple-ave. to-night. With good weather, a week from now would find quite a quantity of asphalt spread. This part of the work will be comparatively short, as it can be laid at the rate of from 1,000 to 1,500 square yards per day.
The builders of curb and gutter have reached Court-st., and to-day ground was broken for the gutter trench on the east side of the street at the Messenger House. The width of the new street from curb to curb between the Cortland House and the Messenger House will be 61 feet. There are to be no jogs or curves between these points, and for this reason the edges of some of the walks on the west side have to be taken up, and nearly if not all the sidewalk space on the east side is widened. The double tracks of the Cortland & Homer Traction Co. are being moved closer together, and it is believed that when the new street is completed, there will be equally as much, it not more driving space than formerly between the car rails and the curbs. The walks on each side of the street will be of equal width.
After the old cobblestone surface is removed, the further work of excavation is very easy, as the soil is found to be nearly free from stones. The dirt was drawn in when the street was first built, and the old plank road is buried beneath it.
BREVITIES.
—Dillon Bros.' dancing schools open in Empire hall Oct. 11.
—Dr. E. M. Santee yesterday bought the house and lot at 20 and 20 1/2 Groton-ave. for $2,680.
—The Loyal circle of King's Daughters will meet with Mrs. Lewis Bouton, 51 Union-st., Friday, Sept. 23.
—New display advertisements to-day are—Palmer & Co., Flour, page 7; What Everybody Wants, page 4.
—The annual session of the Central New York M. E. conference will begin next Tuesday at Ithaca in the State-st. church. Bishop Foss will preside.
—The regular meeting of James H. Kellogg camp, No. 48, Sons of Veterans, to-morrow night is an important one and the attendance of every member is very desirable.
—A kitten perched on the top of a telephone pole midway between Cortland and McGraw and not daring to come down or not knowing how to do so is an object that attracts the attention of all passers on the road to-day.
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