PEACE COMMISSIONERS, CORTLAND HOSPITAL AND ILLEGAL VOTING IN HOMER, N. Y.

 

William Rufus Day, United States Commissioner.

Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, December 6, 1898.

QUESTIONS DEBATED.

Peace Commissioners Reaching an Agreement.

SESSION ACCOMPLISHES MUCH.

Eight Subjects Debated and Seven of Them Practicably Agreed Upon—No Coaling Station in the Caroline Islands—Spain is Not Satisfied With Our Offer.

   PARIS, Dec. 6,—The history of the document which will certify the passage of the oldest colonial power of the world and the advent of the newest, was epitomized by Judge Day in a single sentence:

   "A peace treaty can contain anything which the victors put into it."

   The Americans had listened for hours with their customary patience to the technicalities convoked by the Spaniards against every proposal making for the dismemberment of their empire. The burden of the Spanish arguments was that the matters outside the bare cession of the conquered territories were beyond the legitimate and customary scope of a peace treaty. Finally Judge Day summarized the American position in the foregoing memorable utterance. It was given and taken in good spirit; and from that moment the proceedings were entirely friendly.

   The session accomplished much. Eight open questions were canvassed seven being practically settled without noteworthy friction.

   The commissioners decline to say what conclusion was reached; but the bargain for a coaling station in the Carolines was not cemented and, according to the present prospects, it is likely to fail. The temper of the Americans in this matter is:

   "We made you a good offer for an island. You may take or leave it."

   The Spaniards seem disposed to leave it. The result of this policy may be the leaving of many details involved in the change of sovereignty over the various possessions to settlement by the regular diplomatic processes when normal relations between the two governments have been resumed.

   The Spanish commissioners insisted at the previous meeting that the settlement of the status of Spaniards who remain in the colonies was a problem so closely akin to cession that it could not be logically separated from the latter, but should be considered next to the question of cession and before such matters as coaling stations and religious toleration. They appealed to the Americans, having gained all the great points, to be generous on the minor ones. Accordingly the American commissioners were conciliatory on the order of procedure as to the status of Spaniards remaining in the lost colonies.

   The Spanish commissioners continue fighting with tooth and nail to procure every possible pecuniary and other concessions. The Americans had already promised to guarantee the return of Spanish prisoners in the hands of the Filipinos. Senor Montero Rios proposed that the United States should pay the expense of shipping them to Spain. The American commissioners thought the request unreasonable and considerable time was consumed discussing the question.

   Another problem entailing long debate was the disposition to be made of the Spanish munitions of war in a number of military posts outside Manila, which the Americans have not captured. The Spanish commissioners maintained that Spain should be permitted to ship such munitions home. The Americans replied that as the United States had conquered the Philippines these munitions were spoils of war. The Spaniards finally waived their quibble.

   They appear resigned to the inevitable and now seem to realize that their best policy is to save as much from the wreck as their keenness in raising technicalities can secure for them.

 

TRIED TO EXPLAIN IT.

Colonel Lee a Witness Before the War Investigators.

THOSE TENTS AT CHICKAMAUGA.

He Said That Troops Were Adequately Sheltered With Good Canvas—He Got Tents For Officers but Not For Privates—Exceeded His Rights.

   WASHINGTON, Dec. 6—Colonel Lee, chief quartermaster at Camp Thomas, Chickamauga, testified before the war investigating commission regarding the tentage [sic] facilities at Chickamauga.

   "In the main," said he, "the troops were adequately sheltered with good canvas. There was no canvas that was not of the standard quality except a small quantity bought in Chicago."

   Colonel Lee charged that in some instances officers misused hospital tents. He recalled the complaint of surgeons of the Ninth Pennsylvania regiment that Colonel Lee refused to give them a mess tent stored in Colonel Lee's headquarters and absolutely necessary for the sick. The private tent, he said, could not be issued because it necessitated tearing up a store house containing the supplies of 7 regiments. Colonel Lee referred to General Beaver's published remark that for this the Pennsylvanians "should have taken him (the witness) by the neck and thrown him out."

   "No, not that," interrupted General Beaver, but that they shall have taken you by the neck. If I had been in command of a regiment and my sick were in need of shelter, I certainly would have gotten a tent."

   Colonel Lee declared the number for tents issued had in instances been converted, wrongfully to stable use and said that when the colonel of the Ninth Pennsylvania called regarding the private tent, he (Lee) told him then that he (the Pennsylvanian) was using two hospital tents himself, one to live in and the other as a mess tent.

   "Do the regulations," he was asked, "permit the issuance of hospital tents to officers for living in or messing?"

   "No."

   Pressed on that point, he testified that General Brooke had brought such tents with him from Chicago for his headquarters. General Wade, he said, got his from Tampa in some way, while General Breckenridge received them by issuance from the witness. He admitted he had no right under the regulations to issue such tents to General Breckinridge, but he believed he acted under special instructions.

 

Julia E. Hyatt.

CORTLAND HOSPITAL ELECTION.

Mrs. Julia E. Hyatt Reconsiders and is Re-elected President.

   The Cortland Hospital association held its annual meeting yesterday afternoon and re-elected the following officers:

   President—Mrs. Julia E. Hyatt.

   Vice-Presidents—Mrs. William H. Crane, Mrs. Delos Bauder.

   Secretary—Mrs. A. E. Buck.

   Treasurer—Mrs. F. H. Cobb.

   Some weeks ago Mrs. Hyatt informed the Hospital association that it would be impossible for her to consider the matter of a re-election for another year and that another president must be sought. Mrs. Hyatt has been the president for six years—all but about six months of the entire period of the existence of the association. It was largely through the tireless energy, the patient and unremitting toil, the constant watchfulness as to all details and the faithfulness and loyalty of Mrs. Hyatt to the association, both as to personal work and as to the expenditure of her own means, that the hospital has come to the present degree of popularity and prosperity.

   Having a very distinct realization of this fact the board of managers, and the old and the new advisory boards, each addressed a separate petition to Mrs. Hyatt, signed by all the members of the respective organizations expressing their appreciation of her services in the past and their belief that it would be unwise and inexpedient to make a change in the chief executive officer at this time and urging her to accept a re-election. With this pressure brought to bear upon her coupled with the verbal protests of the members of the association at the meeting yesterday, Mrs. Hyatt was led to reconsider her previous decision and accept a re-election, which was at once carried unanimously, greatly to the gratification of every friend of the hospital.

   The year just past has been the busiest in the history of the hospital, not because of a greater amount of sickness in this vicinity, but because of an increased appreciation of the advantages of the hospital. There have been more patients registered on the average through the year than in any previous year. Last week the high water mark was reached, with twenty-four patients there and every bed but one in the institution occupied, and that a single cot in one of the wards—the nurses themselves having to give up their own rooms. A large share of these were paying patients, so that the sum realized last week was the greatest for any single week in the history of the hospital. But it must be borne in mind that this increase in patients and in revenue means a corresponding increase in expenses, so that the association is by no means getting rich or even paying off all its obligations simply because a considerable sum of money came in for a single week.

   But people are going to the hospital more for operations, more for illness because they can secure better care there than elsewhere. There is a greater demand for skilled nurses from the hospital to go out in private cases at private houses than ever before. The hospital has become an institution that Cortland county could not get along without.

 

MET INSTANT DEATH.

CHARLES WITHEY AN EAST FREETOWN FARMER

Was Assisting in Raising the Frame for a Large Milk Station at East Freetown, When One of the Bents Fell, Striking the Unfortunate Man on the Head.

   Through an unfortunate accident, Charles Withey, a farmer residing about a quarter of a mile east of East Freetown on the road to Cincinnatus, met instant death at about noon yesterday.

   The Farmers' Dairy Dispatch is erecting a large milk station and icehouse near the tracks of the Erie & Central New York railroad at East Freetown, and Mr. Withey was one of the men employed on the contract. When one of the bents for the frame of the icehouse had been placed nearly in position, it slipped, and thus together with the high wind caused it to fall to the ground with much force despite the greatest efforts of those engaged in raising it. The only man injured was Mr. Withey, who at the time was standing between two piles of lumber and could not get out of the way of the falling frame. The edge of one of the beams struck him squarely upon the forehead, cutting an ugly gash from which blood spurted in gushes, causing his death almost instantly.

   Mr. Withey was a son of Eber Withey whose death occurred some years ago, and he was 39 years of age. Besides a wife he leaves three children, the oldest 7 years of age and the youngest but a few months of age. The funeral is to be held from the M. E. church at East Freetown Thursday.

 

ILLEGAL VOTING ALLEGED.

Lewis Rood of Homer Arrested on a Serious Charge.

   Constable Albert Goldsmith went to Delphi yesterday and arrested Lewis Rood on a warrant charging him with illegal voting in the town of Homer on Election day. The warrant was sworn out before Justice of the Peace Thomas H. Dowd by G. F. Jones of Homer. It is alleged that Rood was not a resident of Homer and that on this account his voting there was illegal. This morning he pleaded not guilty to the charge and the case was adjourned until the morning of Dec. 14. Rood was admitted to bail in the sum of $200, his father, Giles Rood, going on the bond.

 

Main Street, Cortland, N. Y., 1899.

VILLAGE AFFAIRS.

Large Number of Bills Audited— Fourth Paving Estimate.

   The regular meeting of the board of village trustees last night was attended by all but Trustee O'Leary of the First ward. The minutes of the last meeting being approved, Clerk Crombie reported that J. & T. E. Courtney, attorneys for Edwin D. Woodbury, had filed an amended or corrected claim against the village for damages alleged to have been received by falling on a Pomeroy-st. sidewalk claimed to be defective.

  The following bills were allowed:

   A. M. Jewett, cleaning clock in Squires building, $5.00

   Telephoning, .10

   Waterworks Co., hydrant rental and labor, 2,274.17

   Beers &. Wakefield, supplies and labor, 56.43

   Street Commissioner's payroll, 173.59

   Police force, 126.00

   W. C. Crombie, clerk, 34.33

   Cooper Bros., grate, 5.00

   E. E. Mellon, police justice, 250.00

   Electric light bill, 407.10

   T. T. Bates, heating apparatus and plumbing, 334.32

   E. A. Didama, health officer, 31.00

   A. Millard, guarding [smallpox] quarantined house of Dr. W. J. Moore, 24.00

   H. O. Allen, engineer, 473.73

   The board voted the quarterly salary to its members.

   The Main-st. pavement is now completed with the exception of placing a few grates over sluiceways, and these will be placed as soon as they can be obtained from the foundry.

   Engineer Allen submitted his fourth estimate of work done and cost of the same, and stated that this would be within $1,000 of the final estimate. It is as follows:

 

   Mr. Allen added that the contract had all been executed except to furnish evidence that the patent right on the curb had been extinguished.

   On motion of Trustee White, seconded by Trustee Nodecker, it was resolved to rescind the resolution of April 6, placing the number and personnel of the police force at the pleasure of the president.

   After authorizing President Stilson to look up the matter of the printing of paving bonds to be issued, the board adjourned for one week.

 

NEW FEED COOKER.

Manufactured and Sold by L. R. Lewis of Cortland.

   Mr. L. R. Lewis has just begun the manufacture of a new feed cooker and agricultural boiler which is known by the name of the Farmers' Favorite. Farmers have generally come to recognize the fact that cooked food is superior for stock in every respect to raw food. It possesses double the value for stock and poultry. The result is that some kind of a cooker is in great demand. Mr. Lewis has met this demand by putting the Farmers' Favorite upon the market.

   This is made in six sizes, having a capacity of from twenty-five to 100 gallons of feed each. The price is low, so that it can come within the reach of every one. It consists of a heater with cast iron ends and steel sheet sides. The fire is placed in this. Above this rests the boiler which is made of galvanized steel. A valuable feature of his heater is that the boiler can be removed and replaced by a pan for boiling sap or sugaring off, or for any other purpose, making the whole apparatus of great value to its possessor on account of its adaptability to so many purposes, Mr. Lewis shows a cut of the cooker in his advertisement which appears in another column. He would be glad to have those interested call at his shop in the rear of F. D. Smith's hardware store and inspect the genuine article itself which is there displayed and is on sale.

 

BREVITIES.

   —The Ladies' Literary club holds its quarterly entertainment to-morrow evening at Mrs. S. J. Sornberger's.

   —The Fortnightly club holds its quarterly entertainment to-morrow evening at the home of Miss Celia Hinman.

   —James Richardson, a tramp, was this morning sentenced by Police Justice Mellon to four months in the Onondaga penitentiary.

   —The ladies of the Altar society of St. Mary's church were well patronized at the supper served by them in Empire hall last night. The very stormy weather prevented many from attending.

   —The quarterly meeting of Pomona grange has been held in Good Templar's hall to-day. Routine business has been transacted and late this afternoon the election of officers was to take place.

   —The regular monthly mothers meeting (Central) will be held at the home of Mrs. Charles Corcoran, 24 Clayton-ave., Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 7, at 3 o'clock. Interesting subjects will be discussed. All ladies invited.

   —New display advertisements to-day are—Baker & Angell, Jenness Miller shoes, page 7; McCarthy & Sons, Holiday hints, page 4; Model Clothing Co., Clothing, page 4; Opera House, "The Glad Hand,'' page 5; H . W. Chubbuck, Coffee, page 5; Second National bank, Report, page 6.