The McGrawville Sentinel, Thursday, February 19, 1885.
OUR THANKS ARE DUE.
The Marathon Independent seems to question the calling of the SENTINEL as a news journal heretofore and cheers us on in our work in this manner: "Messrs. Fayette S. and Fred J. Berggren of Syracuse have purchased the McGRAWVILLE SENTINEL. Both have had large experience in the printing and newspaper business and will give McGrawville a newspaper. Fred was foreman of this office for a year, and has many friends here."
The Cortland Standard formally, as a news item, says that "Messrs. F. S. & F. Berggren of Syracuse, formerly of McGrawville, have purchased the McGRAWVILLE SENTINEL and will hereafter conduct it. The publication day will be changed from Saturday to Thursday." In the Standard's, correspondence from this place we clip the following: "We notice a great improvement in the last issue of the SENTINEL. A new broom sweeps clean. We hope it may continue. There is no reason why we shouldn't have a good paper here. And a good paper should be well supported. It helps the village. We trust that Berggren Bros. may have abundant success in their venture. And in saying this we are by no means disloyal to the stanch and well known sheet in which these words appear. We believe both should be supported here, and while we are anxious to see our own local paper do well, we shall ever say a good word and make a strong endeavor to increase the well-earned prosperity of the old and reliable Standard."
The Cincinnatus, Register butters our bread in this style: "The McGRAWVILLE SENTINEL has passed into the hands of the Berggren Brothers, formerly of Syracuse, and was hardly recognized as it came to us last week. The Berggren Brothers are practical printers and we have no doubt but that the SENTINEL will look up from this date. Success to the new firm."
TUESDAY'S RESULTS.
Town meeting, Tuesday, to say the least resulted rather surprisingly. To be sure, the republicans of the town expected to carry the head of the ticket, but some thought that an effort would have to be made to do that. When the snow came Monday then republicans began modifying their words and claimed that if they should be defeated it would be all on account of the weather, which would keep farmers from the polls. The democrats too, may have thought the same as the republicans and considered the victory for them more easily accomplished. However, the republicans carried the day and the SENTINEL extends congratulations to the persons elected and predicts that both democrats and republicans will be well satisfied with the public transactions of the incoming officers.
The democratic nominees for election were all men well suited for the positions they were intended to fill, and if any or all of them had been elected we should have expected a no less careful attention to our town affairs than we expect now. The tickets on both sides were cut and pasted to a considerable extent, but we are led to believe it was not so much through personal spite as just a mere—almost wavering—favor to the person voted for.
Solon republicans almost outdid themselves by electing a supervisor and a portion of the remainder of their ticket. Elsewhere in the SENTINEL will be found returns from all over the county as we have received them.
AN APOLOGY we think would be in order for some of the persons who so hastily condemned the furnace at the school house. We have heard so much grumbling in regard to the new building and other things connected with it that we had ourselves begun to believe that some impropriety had been meted out by parties in authority, and consequently we suggested no reason for the furnace not working last Wednesday which we reported. But now we learn the cause and will lay it in the right light before our readers. In the first place, through an oversight the furnace had not been provided with either shaker or poker and over a wheelbarrow of ashes had accumulated beneath the grate besides those between the grate and fire. Then to make matters worse a cold air flue some twenty inches square was open which would counteract the influence of most any furnace.
Nelson Owen of Cortland, coming as soon as notified of the state of affairs, and under his care for fifteen minutes the furnace caused the temperature to register in one room 84 degrees, and in the other two 76 degrees. A furnace is no more a self-regulator than an ordinary stove and it must receive proper attention. As far as the school building is concerned, we find a diversity of opinions. Most of our people don't want the job to do over again, but those who have children to educate are well satisfied, and we think that this feeling of satisfaction will, ere long, universally prevail.
THE SENTINEL publishers again extend thanks for their kindly reception. During the week we have been accosted very frequently with the remark, "I could read my last paper!" We consider this one point gained but shall not be satisfied with that alone. It is an easier matter to print so that people can read readily than it is to write so that they may read profitably and understandingly. This point we shall make our study and we hope as each year rolls round our readers may say with propriety that the SENTINEL has been worth to them many times the dollar paid for it. If any reader of this is not a subscriber to the SENTINEL, we urge upon such a person the necessity of supporting your home paper. The best way we can illustrate what we would impress on your mind is that if we printed but one paper of each weeks issue it would cost quite a sum of money. If two are printed each week the cost of each would only be half as much, and if four each would cost only a quarter of the amount one would cost in the first instance. On this basis we see 500 copies of a paper would cost in labor as much as 1,000. The cost of the paper for the other 500 must be added and then we have the extra profits with which to improve our paper. Metropolitan newspapers are among the most important factors of civilization and a town paper is looked to as a proper representative of its immediate vicinity, therefore if it shows enterprise it deserves a hearty support.
FROM LIFE TO DEATH.
Will G. Miller of Marathon Shoots Himself while in Company with His Brother and a Friend.
Mrs. David I. Brownell of this place was notified last Sunday that a nephew of hers—Will G. Miller of Marathon had committed suicide by shooting, and an indefinite report was circulated through the village to that effect. The affair was indeed a sad one and bears a moral that should not be overlooked. Will G. Miller was twenty-three years of age and was to have been married to Miss Anna S. Kane this week. He had some time ago been addicted to intemperate habits, but had apparently reformed, which was a pleasure to all his friends. Saturday morning he went to Cortland to make a few purchases and while there he was again induced to drink. Liquor soon got the upper hands of him and when he got to Marathon he was so boisterous that he was given lodging in the lock-up. This event greatly sobered him and he was soon released. He keenly felt his disgrace and appeared demented. He went to the store of Tarble & Swift and there bought a 32 caliber revolver and some cartridges and a fancy cup and saucer, leaving the latter to be called for. Then in company with his brother Elmer and James Gray started for home. After walking about a quarter of a mile Will placed the revolver to his temple and fired, killing himself instantly.
Suicide Near Cincinnatus.
Albett Gundelach, a respectable German of German, Chenango county, was found dead in his house, Friday, by his wife who had returned from a neighbor's where she had been working. A shotgun laid by his side, one barrel of which was discharged. His skull was blown all in pieces and was scattered all around the room. We do not learn the reason of the rash act. The deceased was addicted to drink and had been taking laudanum on the day of the suicide.
A Silver Wedding.
Notwithstanding the great fall of snow last Monday evening, about seven o'clock the jingle of sleigh bells and merry voices might have been heard. Promptly on time they met at the appointed trysting place and a gay party of three big sleigh loads containing from fifteen to twenty persons each, and several private loads started for the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Doud. The occasion was the twenty-fifth anniversary of their wedding day.
We are nearly an hour wading through the drifts, but in a hospitable welcome we forgot the weather outside. By half past eight o'clock nearly seventy-five friends had assembled, bringing with them refreshments for the evening.
The "Surprise" leaked out late in the afternoon giving the house keeper just time enough to provide several pans full of par excellence dough nuts. To make the evening a success the friends of the "bride and groom" presented them with a beautiful china tea set with silver butter dish and spoon holder.
After a substantial repast and lots of merry making, again we tried the drifts and were safely brought each to his home by our careful drivers. May the health and love and prosperity that have followed this worthy couple for a quarter of a century still rest upon and abide with them in all their future, is the hope of their
MANY FRIENDS.
THE COUNTRY ROADS.
HOW THEY ARE DOCTORED UP BY THE PATHMASTER AND MADE ALMOST IMPASSIBLE.
A Slipshod Way of Doing Business That Sorely Needs a Reformation.
(From the New York Hour.)
There is no place where slipshod, or imperfect methods are more disastrous than they are in road-making in this State; the very system itself—which a few townships have lately freed themselves from—virtually inflicts these methods. A small township is divided, say into twenty districts, nearly conterminous with the different school districts. The different persons representing votes or property there are taxed, both by poll and assessment, and an officer called a pathmaster, on one or two different periods between the 1st of May and the 1st of November, "warns" these persons out by timely notice, to work their tax. The farmer's team, cart and scraper all count, as well as his own personal labor and the labor of his hired men. Those who do not choose to work "commute," at the rate of a dollar per day, and need not appear.
There are always a goodly number of the commuting class widows and valetudinarians, and others—and their money, theoretically, goes to hire the labor which they cannot or do not wish to bestow. As the pathmaster is not held to any very strict account, there is a general belief that in frequent cases, this money goes no further than into his own pocket. If the pathmaster is honest it does; but if he feels that he has a certain incomplete interest these public funds which he himself may complete [sic], the road will not get the benefit of them. Practically too, it often happens that some of the assessed men get out of giving their work, and escape commuting altogether. The pathmaster, as every country resident knows, either lacks the power to compel obedience to the law, or stops short of any extreme measure.
In addition to all these liabilities, another aid to inefficiency is to be found in the brevity of the working day on the road. For some reason, although the farmer himself rises with the sun to do his work on the farm, he does not appear on the road until eight o'clock, and he is not expected to. And he does not remain on it till the day ends. He departs, usually in time to do an hour's work on the farm after returning home. To make matters still worse, the spring work on the road is never done in time. It is almost always made to wait for the farmer's convenience, and this is not often earlier than June. But by June, the general road-bed has made itself, for the most part, and to do more than to fill up the gullies on the hills and to remove loose stones, and reshape the water-courses at this late date, is to do positive damage. The pathmaster thinks not; and so about nine-tenths of his efforts are worse than thrown away. To rake up soft loam on the hard road-bed is his delight, and it is the equal delight of the summer shower to transform it into the thickest mud.
It requires weeks sometimes, for nature and the pressure of continued travel to set things right once more; but by a sort of anatomical evolution, the road-bed always becomes hard in October. Unfortunately the pathmaster finds out just at this time that he has a little more work on his list to apply, and October is his favorite month. It is exasperating to see the hard road-bed broken up late in the fall, for this treatment ensures soft, rutted roads for the entire winter, except when sleighing comes to the public's relief. Yet how often just this false step is taken, with all the detriment which it implies!
No one who has ever lived in the country long, in this State of wherever the New York system prevails, will fail to recognize the brief outline of its working which, we have tried to draw. A far better method is to accept the system which a few towns have lately adopted—and which is now permissible to all—and have all the road work in a town done by contract under the town commissioners. By this method a certain force of men is set apart constantly for the business, under one skilled director; machinery and teams specially adapted to the work are procured and, what is best of all, the work is done in the right way and at the right time.
But, with any method, there must be interest and earnestness. A great obstacle to having good roads is, that few are aware of the economical value of them. They are not merely luxurious for the benefit of fast drivers exclusively, and for idle people. They are of vital interest to every farmer, and every person who rides over them. The wear and tear to horse-flesh, harness and vehicles, caused by poor roads, are simply incalculable. If it could be put in figures, the result would be startling—almost fabulous. At the same time, no expense required to make good roads is ever lost. It is an investment that at once enhances the value of every farm and piece of real estate that borders on them.
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