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| Secretary of War Russell A. Alger. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, September 27, 1898.
INVESTIGATING WAR METHODS.
First Formal Meeting of the Investigators.
GENERAL POLICY OUTLINED.
Letters to Be Sent to the Various Departments.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.—The commission selected to investigate the conduct of the war department held its first formal session with all the members present. The session lasted just two hours. The proceedings were limited to the outlining of a general policy and the formulation of letters of inquiry which will be made public later. The letters which have been decided upon are to be addressed to the secretary of war, the quartermaster general, the commissary general, the surgeon general and the chief of the ordnance department of the army. They will consist in the main of inquiries intended to bring out all of the facts that can be given relative to the organization of the volunteer army. These officials will be asked to give specific information so as to cover each of the departments in question, concerning the condition of the army both at the beginning and the close of the war.
The questions are so formulated as to call out answers covering the organization of camps, the purchase of supplies and the making of contracts with transportation companies, and also to show the methods adopted for furnishing supplies to the various commands and for protecting the health of the soldiers. There will be an especial effort to develop the motives that actuated the department in the choice of camp sites as there have been charges to the effect that they were located as a matter of favoritism to railroad companies.
The commission also considered several letters of complaint from persons professing to have information bearing upon the subject of investigation and decided to address replies to the writers of each of them, requesting them to put their charges in specific shape and informing them of the scope of the inquiry. It is intended that if the replies received to these letters show the writers to be in possession of real information to summon them before the commission when it is feasible to do so, or otherwise to secure their affidavits. When, however, it becomes evidence that their accusations are mere idle complaints with no information back of them, the writers will not receive any further attention.
The commission also expects to extend its inquiry before it closes its work to the extent of the various divisions and brigades and probably extending it to the colonels of regiments from which complaints have emanated. They will be expected to give full information as to the pains they may have taken or failed to take concerning the location of their troops and their general welfare.
The commission decided to hold two sessions daily, one in the forenoon from 10 to 12:30 and the other in the afternoon from 2 to 4 o'clock.
ECHOES OF THE WAR.
Military Notes and Items About Recent Conflict.
The Cuban commission has effected an arrangement with the Spanish authorities whereby the steamer Comal, carrying a cargo of supplies for the suffering people of Cuba, will be permitted to land her cargo at Matanzas free of duty. The Spaniards claimed $60,000 duties on the cargo at first.
Private James Twisby, colored of Troop F, Tenth cavalry, was shot and killed by his comrade, Linsey P. Holt, at Camp Wikoff in a quarrel over a Spanish gold coin. Holt will be tried by court-martial.
Work on the gunboat Yorktown is nearly completed at Mare island navy yard at Vallejo, Cal., and she will be ready to go into commission next month.
Orders have been issued by the war department to move the remainder of the troops at Camp Wikoff to their various stations in the West and South.
General Wheeler has left Camp Wikoff for good, and will go to Huntsville, Ala., to assume command of the cavalry and other arms of the service there.
Soldiers of the Spanish-American war, when so disabled that they cannot care for themselves, will be admitted to the National military homes.
Major General Otis at Manila reports that the health of his men generally is good and the percentage of sickness is small.
The lord mayor of London made a state call on our peace commissioners while they were in that city.
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| Alfred Dreyfus. |
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
There is so much which is tragic and revolting in the various manifestations of the Dreyfus case that it is a genuine relief to find a ludicrous phase associated with it. This smile gets its wrinkle in the antic performance of the young Bourbon pretender, Philippe, Duc d'Orleans, whose main recommendation is that he was the son of that very sensible and decent fellow, as princes go, the Comte de Paris. This young gentleman has been shrieking in the van of the anti-Dreyfus mob and accusing the French ministry of everything short of high treason in admitting a revision of proceedings. His princely heart, all quivering with patriotic fire, burst out as follows:
Frenchmen, we are masters in our own country. Your servants, subject to occult and pernicious power, presume to impose upon you the will to which they submit under pretext of proving the innocence of a man whom the military tribunals have condemned as a traitor. It is the army they are trying to destroy and France they are striving to ruin.
Frenchmen, we will not allow it!
How reckless Paris, always ready to be amused even at death and disgrace, always keenly susceptible of a joke, must have guffawed at the sonorous sound of the royal "we" and made faces at the great-great-grandson of that arch scoundrel among princely renegades, Philip L. Egalite.
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| Main Street, Cortland, N. Y., circa 1899. |
WANT A NEW GRADE.
PROTEST AGAINST THE LEVEL OF THE NEW PAVEMENT.
Main-st. Property Owners and Residents South of the Messenger House Fear That Their Cellars Will be Flooded With Surface Water and Their Buildings Rendered Unsightly.
President Stilson was in his place at the meeting of the board of village trustees in the office of Clerk W. C. Crombie at 8 o'clock last evening. Trustees White, Nodecker and Sprague were soon in their aldermanic chairs, Trustee O'Leary being absent and by 8:30 the wheels of village legislation were fairly in motion when Clerk Crombie read the minutes of the last three meetings.
Trustee Nodecker reported a defective sidewalk at 20 Washington-st. and also a complaint of several residents about limbs of a tree on Rickard-st. hanging close to the walk. President Stilson reported that Street Commissioner Stearns recommended a new walk on the premises of John Garvey on Pomeroy-st. A few days ago Edwin Woodbury, aged about 50 years, had fallen on the walk and injured a hip. He recommended that affidavits be secured regarding the manner of the injury, and on motion of Trustee White, Trustee Nodecker was appointed a committee to have this matter in charge.
Mrs. Julia E. Hyatt had earlier in the evening left the following protest with the board, and it was read by Clerk Crombie, and referred to Engineer Allen: To the Honorable Board of Trustees of Cortland Village, N. Y.:
We the undersigned petitioners respectfully represent that we are residents of Cortland village aforesaid and own residences and lands fronting and abutting upon that portion of Main-st. in said village commencing a few rods south of the Messenger House and extending south on said street to the south line of the property owned and occupied by Wickwire Bros., and south of the Lehigh Valley railroad tracks. Your petitioners further represent that the Asphalt Paving company who are putting down or are about to put down an asphalt pavement on that portion of Main-st. above mentioned are so raising the grade upon said street as to cause great damage to the undersigned and other owners of property on said street. That the grade of that portion of said street above mentioned as now surveyed raises the grade to such an extent as to render it necessary for your petitioners respectively to do a large amount of grading and filling in upon said lots which would not only be very expensive but would be a permanent injury to the said premises, and each of them. Your petitioners further represent that said grade if raised to the extent now contemplated would in some instances render it necessary to raise the buildings on said premises, or otherwise render them unsightly on account of the height of said grade, and as your petitioners further represent would cause great damage to your petitioners by the water that would find its way into cellars and yard's.
Your petitioners most earnestly protest against having said grade raised as contemplated in the survey now made as unnecessarily burdensome and injurious to your petitioners and others on said street. And your petitioners further protest against raising said grade as now contemplated as being in violation of the understanding and express agreement made when your petitioners signed the petition to pave said street.
Wherefore your petitioners ask that your honorable board take such action as will prevent the injuries here complained of.
SAMUEL KEATOR,
A. L. COLE,
E. F. ELDRIDGE,
JANE S. KEATOR,
H. S. HAMILTON,
R. B. SMITH,
JULIA E. HYATT, Dated Cortland, N. Y., Sept. 26, 1898.
Payment of the following bills was authorized:
James Grant, making sewer connection and labor, $44.40
Cortland Savings bank, interest on bonds, $7,030.00
Trustee Nodecker, the special committee on the claim of Norman Thompson for injury to his crops on Elm-st. from overflow of surface water, reported that he had made an investigation and had found the crop of cabbages, etc., almost worthless.
Dr. White, who was appointed a special committee on Opera House license, reported that he had been unable to meet the trustees of the Opera House, but hoped to do so before the next meeting. No miscellaneous business being brought up, the meeting adjourned for one week.
DISPOSITION OF WATER
After the Completion of the New Asphalt Pavement on Main-st.
The question of how the surface water from Main-st. and other streets is to be disposed of after the new asphalt pavement is laid has been the subject for considerable discussion among residents of the streets affected. This morning a STANDARD man inquired of Assistant Engineer Hall as to the provisions for disposal of surface water under the new order of things. He said that from the Cortland House north, all water will run north. That on the east side of the street will pass through East Main-st., and then into the Tioughnioga river. That on the west side will continue around the hospital corner on North Main-st. and into Otter creek. Water on Arthur-ave. and Madison-st. will run west into Otter creek. Water from Maple and Lincoln-aves. will flow toward Main-st. Groton-ave. water will be conducted across Main-st. to Clinton-ave. South of the Cortland House on the east side, water will go as far as Railroad-st., and that on the west side will go as far as Court-st. Between Railroad and Court-sts. on the east side, water will flow to Court-st., where it will go down Court-st. as at present. Water from Court-st. south will flow to Port Watson-st. Sluiceways across Main-st. will conduct water from Tompkins-st. to Port Watson-st., and all the water from the rest of Main-st. south of the Messenger House, will also reach Port Watson St.
Union-st. and Argyle Place are each at present lower than the grade for the new street. Water from Union-st. will probably be conducted through sewer pipe south along the line of the pavement to Railway-ave. It will probably be found that the only way to dispose of Argyle Place water will be to grade the street up so that the water will flow from it to Main-st. This is only one of several emergencies which the village officials will have to deal with when the new street is completed and when it is found what is necessary to do to dispose of surface water in the best way.
Frederick-ave. is not yet an accepted street of the village, but this will probably be taken care of in the general plan, as the street will doubtless be accepted at some time.
The grade of the new street south of the Messenger House will probably not be changed by reason of the protest filed with the village board last night, but will remain as decided upon previously. A portion of the curb had been laid, and if the grade should be changed, of course this would have to be taken up and a new curb laid.
The work on the big job is progressing rapidly to-day in all departments.
HUNT CORNERS.
HUNT CORNERS, Sept. 26.—All is quiet as the fairs are over.
Mr. Ernest Bradt and daughter of Newark are spending a few days at Henry Bradt's.
Evening meetings will be held this week except Saturday.
Henry Waters has returned to college at Binghamton.
Mrs. Effie Cowles of Marathon visited Mrs. C. A. Burgess at her father's home last week.
The farmers are busy filling their silos.
W. A. Stockwell of Cortland was in town Friday on business.
Some from here attended the Democratic convention at Cortland Saturday.
Miss Ellis in New York.
The Newtown Register, borough of Queens, Greater New York, gives a summary of the schools within its borders with a list of the teachers and the number of pupils each has. Among them is school 68 at Evergreens of which Miss Franc C. Ellis, formerly of Cortland, is principal. She has 672 pupils in her school and fifteen assistant teachers, one of whom is Miss Mary A. McGowan, also formerly of Cortland. Miss McGowan has fifty-eight pupils in her department. The Register says of Miss Ellis:
Miss Ellis, the branch principal, was formerly the principal of the Middle Village public school, from which she was transferred after the close of the last term. She has taught for several years at the latter school where she proved herself most competent as a preceptress, bringing the school up to a high grade of scholarship, and being greatly beloved by her pupils. The residents of Evergreens are indeed favored in having at the head of their school one so well fitted for the position.
BREVITIES.
—New display advertisements to-day are—W. W. Bennett, Sterling Ranges, page 6; Model Clothing Co., Wanted, page 7; D. McCarthy & Sons, Fall Suits and Jackets, page 8; M. R. Case, Dressgoods, page 6; National bank of Cortland, Report, page 7.
Egyptian Cucumbers.
Prof. A. O. Palmer, the optician, has to-day been showing samples of Egyptian sacred cucumbers, of which he has raised several dozen in his garden. He secured the seed last year from some seed firm. The cucumbers grow from 3 to 6 inches in length and are thicker than the ordinary cucumber. They are covered with prickers, are very palatable, resembling in taste the cucumber usually raised in this country.
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