Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, September 30, 1898.
THE FREETOWN HIGHWAY.
THE NEW ROAD NEARLY COMPLETED.
The Town Board Inspects the Work on the New Road between Cortland and Freetown—An Improvement Over the Old Road—Work Will be Accepted.
Under the direction of Highway Commissioner John Kane work on the new highway between Cortland and Freetown, so far as the town of Cortlandville is concerned, has been nearly completed. A visit of inspection was made to-day by members of the town board to look over the work, preparatory to accepting the road at the next meeting of the board which will be held on Monday, Oct. 8. The party, consisting of Supervisor D. F. Wallace, Justices T. H. Dowd, J. A. Kelly, E. C. Parker and W. R. Beggar of the town board, ex-Supervisor R. Bruce Smith and Attorney W. D. Tuttle with Highway Commissioner John Kane and a representative of The STANDARD started about 9 o'clock for a ride of six or seven miles to the place where the new road commences.
Part of the work has been done by Commissioner Kane himself, but under the highway law the commissioner is not permitted to expend more than a stated amount for this kind of work. As this amount was not sufficient to complete the road Mr. Kane, acting with authority from the town board, let the contract for finishing the highway to the Freetown line to Mr. W. S. Freer. Mr. Freer was found putting the finishing touches upon the job which is now practically completed. A few suggestions made to the commissioner by the members of the board as to the ditches and some other minor points will be attended to and when these are completed it is probable that the road will be accepted.
The members of the board expressed their approval of the work done by Commissioner Kane and by Mr. Freer and if the Freetown authorities will put their part of the new highway in as good condition as that in the town of Cortlandville the road will be a great improvement.
The object of the new highway is to avoid the steep hill which is encountered just after turning from the Marathon road towards Freetown. The road turns to the left and goes around the hill, following the bed of the creek. Part of the work had been completed when the cloudburst of Aug. 16 occurred and the roadbed was washed out. The country through which the road passes is entirely new. Part of the way the trees and underbrush had to be cut before the work of building the roadway could be commenced. For quite a distance the bank of the creek has been walled up so that the danger from another washout has been in a great measure done away with. In addition to Mr. Freer's contract there is still quite an amount of work to be done upon the old road leading up to the point where the new road branches off. At one point in particular, known as the Devil's Elbow, where there is a dangerous curve a cut is to be made and the roadway widened. In other places the roadway is so narrow that teams cannot pass. This section is also to be widened and improved.
It was nearly two and a half years ago when the people of Freetown who were especially interested in having the new highway opened up presented a petition to Judge Eggleston asking that a commission be appointed to look over the ground with a view of opening a highway which would do away with the hill before mentioned. Judge Eggleston appointed as such commission Messrs. Dwight N. Hitchcock of Homer, George H. Holmes of Cincinnatus and Walter L. Chaplin of Virgil, who decided that the road should be opened and made their report to that effect. An order was accordingly made by Judge Eggleston that the road be opened. The Freetown people at once went to work and did some work upon the part of the proposed route in their town and were of course anxious to have the rest of the work completed. No provision, however, had been made up to the present year for raising the necessary funds and the work has been delayed.
At a special meeting of the board of supervisors, May 18, the matter was brought up and the town authorities were given the power to raise money for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the judge's order. The new road is nearly two miles in length and the distance is about equally divided between Cortlandville and Freetown. The Freetown people are the ones who have been especially desirous of having the new road opened, and it now remains for them to complete their part of the work by following the example set for them by Commissioner Kane and the Cortland authorities.
The advantages of the new route are apparent. The long hill in the old road is steep and stony and at certain seasons of the year is positively dangerous. A number of serious accidents have happened upon this hill which in addition to being steep is so narrow in places that two teams cannot pass.
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| Cortland Opera House on Groton Avenue. |
CORTLAND HOSPITAL BENEFIT.
The Grand Society Event of the Coming Week.
All Cortland society will be interested in the production of the Living Duplicate Whist Kirmess to be given in the Opera House, Oct. 5, 6, 7 and 8, with a Saturday matinee. Not a single moment of the entire evening's performance will be in the least tedious and all should try to attend the first entertainment next Wednesday evening. The ticket selling contest is progressing nicely. The five persons selling the largest amount of money's worth of tickets before 6 o'clock Oct. 7, over $25, will receive one of the five beautiful prizes which are now on display in Mr. F. B. Nourse's window. No person selling less than $25 worth of tickets will be eligible for a prize. All persons interested in having a friend, who has entered the contest, secure a prize may have the money they turn in from the sale of tickets credited to that friend. Those interested in this contest please report what progress you are making every few days to Mrs. Cobb, Monroe Heights. One of the contestants, it is reported, has sold a great many tickets. A report from all contestants is earnestly requested on this week Saturday. This entertainment promises to eclipse any other ever attempted in this section of the state.
CUBANS AS POLICEMEN.
A Large Force Will Be Organized.
PLENTY OF WORK FOR THEM.
So Soon as the Cuban Troops Disband the Lawless Element is Expected to Break Loose and Will Have to Be Kept in Check — Spanish Troops Evacuating.
SANTIAGO, Cuba, Sept. 30.—Arrangements have been completed for the formation of a force of Cuban mounted police for the Province of Santiago. It consists of a commandant with rank of major, three captains, six lieutenants, ten sergeants and 240 enlisted men. The rates of pay of the enlisted men are the same as in the United States army, while the officers get two thirds. General Castillo has charge of the preliminaries of the appointments. He must select capable men who have only served in the Cuban army and the officers must have held similar or higher rank in the Cuban army. This police force will have a large territory to cover and it is expected that so soon as the Cuban troops disband the lawless element will break loose and will have to be kept in check. Even at present quantities of cattle are stolen and complaints are frequent both to Generals Wood and Castillo, and they are determined to put an end to this state of affairs.
The Cubans are beginning to understand that the sudden change they wanted after the surrender would have caused disorder and confusion, while now every day a number of Cubans are appointed to positions of power and emolument.
The United States collector of customs here, Mr. Donaldson, has requested General Lawson to appoint United States consuls at Guantanamo, Santiago and Manzanillo. The treasury department at Washington seemingly considers that the island of Cuba is foreign territory and requires oaths before consuls in the transaction of shipping and other business.
Dr. Zimmerman, a Lutheran preacher, is an applicant for the position of United States consul at Santiago. He also proposes to preach on Sundays.
Captain Brady of the signal service is endeavoring to arrange with the Cuban Submarine Cable Company for a courtesy similar to the one extended by the British West Indies Cable Company, a daily bulletin service of the world's news. As matters now stand Santiago is dead to the world so far as news is concerned, the present mail service being extremely limited, letters reaching here only about twice a month. The bulletin service if granted will be invaluable.
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| Captain General Ramon Blanco. |
EVACUATION ORDERS.
Spanish Troops In Cuba Preparing For Shipment to Spain.
HAVANA. Sept. 30.—The Official Gazette publishes a decree signed by Captain General Blanco and bearing date of Sept. 27, granting pardon to and ordering the release of all political prisoners now undergoing confinement in the inland.
It is understood that orders have been given to the Spanish troops at Holguin to march to Gibara, concentrate there and hold themselves in readiness of shipment to Spain. The troops at Puerto Principe are ordered to go to Nuevitas, those on the Juearo-Moron trocha to San Fernando and those at Mansanillo to Cienfuegos. The third and fourth divisions of the First army corps will embark at Matanzas, and the first and second divisions of the same corps from Havana. The forces in the province of Pinar del Rio and the division engaged in the defense of Havana, with General Blanco and his staff, will embark at Havana.
The Spanish provisional forces organized here will, according to orders, go out of existence and will be incorporated in the ranks of the expeditionary troops of the Spanish army returning to Spain, and a part of the "Mobilizados," irregular troops, will be disbanded.
Each battalion is authorized to sell the horses, mules and oxen belonging to it and a special commission is appointed to oversee the sale by auction of the cavalry horses and the mules of the commissary department.
BETTER HOSPITALS.
Important Results Will Follow Secretary Alger's Tour of Inspection.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30.—Important results are likely to follow the extensive tour of the military camps just completed by Secretary Alger, and especially in the matter of reorganizing the hospital service in the field. The secretary conferred closely with not only the commanding officers and medical officers at the camps, but especially with the 15 colonels whom he met, looking to the ascertainment of their views upon the relative merits of the division hospital and regimental hospital.
After a thorough examination of the two plans, Secretary Alger has framed a project for the amalgamation of the hospitals in such manner as to retain the most desirable features of both. His plan is to have the division hospital arranged in sections of tents, lying is wings branching off from a central aisle. These can be easily made by the use of a few flies and a proper connection of the common "A" tents. Then the sections are to be allotted to the different regiments in the division, each in care of one of the regimental doctors, yet receiving the attention of the high class talent and female nursing which it is possible to have only in the big division hospitals. In this way the men would preserve the individuality of their commands and the idea may be carried so far as to subdivide the sections into smaller ones, assigning one to each company, and thus enabling the sick men to fall in with their mates when they go to the hospital.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
The Democratic Ticket.
The Democrats at Syracuse finished their work hurriedly yesterday and adjourned. A poll of the delegates was taken but once, on the several candidates named for governor. The bosses had agreed the night before on the ticket, and after the rollcall on governor it was "finished" by the casting of a single ballot on the name presented for each of the other offices. This routine, the speech of President Schraub and the reading of the platform, composed the dull exercises of the second and closing day of the convention. The only relief from the dullness was afforded by Delegate Pierce's renewed effort to get the convention to face its principles, and by the wild hurrah that greeted the mention of William J. Bryan's name.
The convention was characterized by the strifes of bosses in secret for control, and cowardice and duplicity before the public. In its platform it "arraigned" and "condemned" and "execrated"' everything done under Republican administration; it promised everything good should follow the return to power of the party whose last installation at Albany was attended by outrages on the ballot and thefts of seats to which others had been elected. It was silent as to the currency and the Chicago platform. And with effrontery rarely equaled the convention nominated for second place on the ticket one of the infamous state officers who, as the canvassing board in 1892, disobeyed the order of the court and made effective the crime of Maynard, Emmons and company.
Mr. Croker, though professing otherwise, desired to nominate for governor the man who has served him so well as mayor of New York. The Brooklyn boss would not join in this and without his aid the upstate opposition could not be overcome. The next best for Croker to his own Van Wyck was his brother, Mclaughlin's Van Wyck. To the union of the Metropolitan bosses on the Brooklyn judge enough help was joined to nominate.
Little is known of Judge Augustus Van Wyck, as little as was known of his brother Robert when Mr. Croker named him for mayor, a man whose boorishness to the public and abject subserviency to Croker have characterized his nine months in office. The Brooklyn Van Wyck may be a gentleman, but his handicap is very heavy. It is understood he supported the Chicago ticket and platform in 1896.
Undaunted by the fate of Maynard, Elliot Danforth for some time has had an itching to try again his chances before the people. Danforth, as state treasurer, was a member of the state canvassing board that consummated the theft of the state senate in 1892. The board was warned that the court of appeals forbade the counting of the fraudulent Dutchess [County] returns. Danforth and his associates counted it and turned the senate over to Democratic control. He and they were arraigned for contempt of court, found guilty and fined. His nomination for the second office in the state exemplifies what Democrats mean when they profess devotion to right and honor.
Of the other candidates, except Mr. Schenck, all that is known is told in the biographical sketches brought by the telegraph from their immediate neighborhoods. Later it will be discovered whether they are devoted to the cause of 45-cent dollars and what their other peculiarities.
Mr. Schenck has held the office of state engineer and surveyor. Under him and Mr. Hannan as superintendent of public works the canals were allowed to go to decay to the disgraceful condition in which they were found when they came into Republican hands.
There is absolutely nothing in this ticket inviting the public's confidence. The candidate for governor is McLaughlin's man and Croker's mayor's brother, presumably as narrow minded and boorish as the latter. In second place it has Hill's man and the smell of the Maynard crime. The candidates for controller, secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general are unknown; the candidate for state engineer is known too well. The influences behind the ticket are the same as those which stole the senate in 1891-2.
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| Main Street, Cortland, N. Y., circa 1899. |
PAVING PROGRESSING.
All Hands Rushing—Asphalt to Go Down in a Few Days.
All hands are still pushing the paving of Main-st. as hard as possible. The weather could not be improved for such work, but it is almost beyond belief that such fine days can last long as we have been having for the past week.
The old brick pavement that was laid a dozen years ago or so on the west side of Main-st. south of the Squires building for a distance has to-day been taken up. The street railroad track has been torn up as far south as the residence of M. P. Cleary and the transfer car only runs as far north as that now from the Lehigh Valley station. The track on Main-st. between the hotels was laid on chairs and when it came time to excavate below the ties the track as a whole was shoved to one side and was then shoved back again when ready. But south of the Messenger House the rails were laid directly on the ties and this portion of track must all be taken apart and relaid as the rail must be laid on ties next time.
The bricks in the old pavement are being hauled off and piled up near the bottling works on Port Watson-st. It is difficult to know what they can be used for in the future as they are too soft for paving, but they may come in play at sometime.
On the east side of the track the cement has been laid south as far as O'Leary & McEvoy's store. It is not quite as far down on the west side. Excavation is now going on between the south end of the Main-st. stretch and the Messenger House corner. A six-horse team on a plow this morning was a prodigious force in starting up the dirt.
The sight of some of those Italians shoveling crushed stone is a sort of eye-opener to lazy people. The work is about the hardest that can be imagined, and the shovels which they use are about a third larger than the ordinary shovel, while the rate of speed at which they move is fully three times that of the ordinary workman, and it may be said too that few men could stand it long to pitch in as they do at that kind of work.
The through cars for Homer and the McGrawville and east side cars now start from a point nearly in front of B. B. Hubbard's store. It will not be long before the McGrawville cars can get down to their old starting place, the Messenger House.
A number of trolley poles that stand so far out in the street as to be within the new curb are being moved to-day, and the crowd of spectators looking on is almost greater than the workmen, though they are about as thick as they can stand and work.
A resident of Main-st. this morning made a good suggestion regarding the way of taking care of the South hill water. He proposed that a ditch be prepared to convey the water to the east side of Main-st. near the railroad tracks and make an arrangement with the railroad company by which it could be carried in a ditch across the flats till it can reach the creek near the trout park. A comparatively small expense will prepare such a ditch to work perfectly, and all the water which now pours down South hill and which would be dammed up by the increased elevation of the pavement could be collected into it. This gentleman said that he was perfectly willing to raise his sidewalk, and the grade of his lawn if need be to conform to the new grade and to do all in his power to assist in the advancement of the general good, but he was confident that if the South hill water, with which he was well acquainted, was not taken care of but was left to settle away in the ground after each rain it would find its way to a greater or less extent into the cellars of all the residents of that part of the town and would make them all damp; and that he should object to and he expected that all the other people affected would object to it too.
COUNTY COURT.
Decision Handed Down as a Result of Appeal from Lower Court.
The jury in the case of the The People vs. George Hall, indicted for assault in the second degree, which was on trial yesterday, brought in a verdict for the defendant.
The case of Ada C. Stiles, respondent, vs. William Forrest, appellant, is on trial. This is an action to recover for alleged damage to real estate through the taking out of a furnace and some other articles claimed as fixtures from a house sold at mortgage sale. E. E. Mellon for plaintiff. E. C. Alger for defendant.
All other jurymen except those on the case were discharged, so that this will be the last case tried.
Judge Eggleston handed down a decision in the case of Robert Clegg, respondent, vs. Thomas Hinds, appellant. This was an appeal from a decision of jury in Justice Parker's court in McGrawville. The case was tried last April. The action was brought to recover about $20 which it was alleged that the defendant did not turn over to the plaintiff five years ago when the defendant acted as clerk and cashier for the plaintiff at an auction. The defendant claimed that he turned over all the money that was paid in to him. He acknowledged that there was a mistake in the bookkeeping and claimed that he had noticed and acknowledged it as soon as his attention was called to it, but claimed another mistake made at the same time was more than an offset of the amount in question, and the other amount he claimed was never paid into his hands by the party making the purchase at the auction. The jury heard the evidence last April and after long deliberations brought in a verdict for the plaintiff of $6.56. J. H. Kelley appeared for the plaintiff and W. D. Tuttle for the defendant. Judge Eggleston [affirms] the decision of the lower court with costs.
BREVITIES.
—The cobblestone pavement on Main-st. which is now being taken up to be replaced with asphalt was put down in 1866.
—Mr. George X. Copeland of Homer died this afternoon at 2 o'clock at the age of 78 years. The funeral arrangements are not yet made. The STANDARD contained an item a few days ago in regard to his illness.
—Mr. I. O. Crissy of Albany, representative of the University of the State of New York, was in town yesterday examining Joiners' Business school, which is registered, and will in the future be under the supervision of the regents.
—The heat has been so intense this week in Kansas that it warped the rails on the Union Pacific railroad. At one place a train had to use a sidetrack that was in the shade of some buildings, the mainline being so bent out of position that it was impassable.
—Reports from Miss Nellie Sweeney who was operated upon Wednesday afternoon for appendicitis are favorable. She has been in considerable pain at times during the day, but her temperature and pulse are low and the indications are all in favor of a speedy and complete recovery.
—Mr. E. W. Higgins of 75 Elm-st. has shown us some handsome blackcap raspberries, which he picked this morning, and which are as large and perfect as could be asked. This is pretty late for raspberries even in Cortland county. Can any of our readers show any later ones?
—New display advertisements to-day are—Opera House, Kirmess, page 5; Union Shoe and Clothing Co., Clothing, page 4; McGraw & Osgood, Make the Trial, page 5; F. Daehler, Overcoats, page 4; Angell & McFall, Friend of the Cooks, page 6; Palmer Bros., Peaches, page 7; Model Clothing Co., Fall and Winter Suite, page 4.
—The John B. Stanchfield special train from Elmira to the Democratic state convention at Syracuse returned home last night, pausing through Cortland at about 6 o'clock just ahead of the regular train. The Ithaca band which accompanied it got off here and waited in Cortland till the arrival of the 7:55 Lehigh Valley train which it took for Ithaca.
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