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| Main Street, Cortland, 1899. |
The Cortland Democrat, Friday, February 24, 1899.
MAIN-ST. ASPHALT NOW THE PROPERTY OF THE VILLAGE.
Trustees Accepted it and Paid Contractors in Full—The Latter Keep it in Repair for 10 Years and Protect Village from Damage or Infringement Actions—Thus the Board Have Paved the Street and Paid for and Completed the Job.
The meeting of the [Cortland] village trustees Monday night was an important one. All were present and as the Warren Scharf company furnished a satisfactory maintenance bond and one protecting the village in the event of litigation over the Parkhurst curb, the pavement was accepted. Trustee Nodecker indulged in a heated monologue because of the action and voted nay on all resolutions but the balance of the board were unanimous.
The maintenance bond is in the sum of $18,000 and is signed by W. R. Warren and the Fidelity & Deposit company of Maryland as sureties and by it the contractors are to keep the pavement in repair for a period of 10 years from the affect of the weather, natural wear or poor material. No condition is imposed on the village All repairs are to be made within 30 days after notice by the trustees and the pavement is to he relaid after the placing of additional sewer, gas, water or other work at the original contract price. The village is also protected and saved whole from any damage suits, including the two begun, owing to any omission, negligence or carelessness of the contractors. The sum still due the contractors, $23,069.31, was ordered paid, making a whole of $70,549.43. Engineer Allen was voted $152.79, the balance due him, making $2,139.02 paid him or 3 per cent. He presented the board with a handsomely framed group of photographs taken along and during the work by his assistant, Mr. Hill.
Thus the board of 1898 have accomplished the big job of paving Main-st. for over a mile with asphalt and it is paid for and the village amply taken care of in the matter of [law] suits. When the muddy spring arrives and the excellence and convenience of the pavement becomes apparent the tax payers will be amply repaid for the cost.
The itemized smallpox bill of Dr W. J. Moore for $190 was audited minus $34.20 paid for fuel, meat and groceries. Some other bills were also ordered paid.
A committee from the board of engineers requested that a proposition to raise $500 for a team for the Hook and Ladder truck be submitted at charter election.
The annual report of Police Justice Mellon, showing the earnings of [his] office from criminal business to be [$1,083.15] and receipts of police force and fines to be $937.50.
Trustees Sprague and O'Leary were appointed a committee to examine the village treasurer's books and report to the board next Monday night when the budget will be made up. That will be the last meeting of this board for the transaction of business other than to canvass the vote of March 11.
JUDGE KELLEY BUSY.
Many Cases in Justice Court This Past Week.
Justice of the Peace John H. Kelley has been doing a "land office" business of late. In the case of Martin Welch against Melvin Butler, a discussion over a horse "with swelled legs" and which "somewhat stopped" the judge rendered a verdict for plaintiff, giving him possession of the horse and $5.75.
The action brought by Helen Hammond against James Morse, for alleged trespass, was adjourned to next Tuesday when it will be tried before a jury. Plaintiff sues for $200 alleged damages for wood cut on her farm in Dryden.
The case of Wellington Eister against Miles D. Goodyear, John G. Viele and Chas. L. Viele, an action to recover for services as carpenter has been adjourned to March 30.
The case of the Richardson Manufacturing Co. against J. R. Hollister will be tried to-morrow. N. L. Miller for plaintiff. E. W. Hyatt for defendant.
The case of the National Music Co. against H. C. Harrington also comes up to-morrow.
The case of the Acme Cigar Co. against George O. Lowell has been adjourned to March 11.
The case of W. D. Tuttle against Burnet E. Miller was last Saturday adjourned till to-day.
Ralph I. Wheeler against John E. Severance, an action to recover for alleged labor will be tried to-morrow.
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| Satire of Raines Excise Tax Law. |
Town Meeting Results.
Town meeting returns show a Democratic gain of one on the board of supervisors over last year, making six Democrats and nine Republicans. From Cincinnatus comes the ever reliable Dr. Benjamin Kenyon re-elected and Freetown will send M. A Mynard, who represented that town on the boards of 1886 and 1888. John A. Wavle, the Democratic county committeeman, will represent Harford in place of J. H. Brown who has been with the board continuously since 1892.
Preble returns a good old Democrat in Dr. H. D. Hunt whose next will be his fifth year on the board. John O'Donnell who has represented Democratic Truxton for the past four years is also returned for a fifth term. Adelbert E. Ingersoll, new to the board and old in Democracy will make the sixth Democrat.
That there are many towns in the county which are debatable and in which we should win next time, is shown, by the many small majorities. In Lapeer F. M. Surdam has only one vote to spare defeating J. R. Robinson, while a year ago Mr. Robinson was elected by one vote. In Solon, J. G. Bingham has only five , Fred A. Crosley of Scott, has eight and I. W. Phelps in Taylor has ten.
In these towns where we lost by so small a majority, it is of no use now to mourn, but keep paddling and in 1901 the Democrats will have ten or twelve of fifteen supervisors.
Drugstores only in Cortlandville will have license the coming two years. To be dry under the Raines law will be a new experience to Cortland and on that account we will not prophecy. Marathon, Preble, Scott, Willet and Truxton are wet.
STANDARD NOT IN IT.
A MOTION FOR PEREMPTORY MANDAMUS DENIED.
Board of Supervisors Vindicated in Awarding Session Laws to Homer Republican—An Appeal Would Be Useless.
Messrs. Dougherty & Miller, attorneys for the board of supervisors, yesterday morning received from Hon. Burr Mattice a decision denying the motion of The Standard Printing company for a peremptory mandamus requiring the Cortland county board of supervisors to show cause why they should not reconvene and award the publishing of the session laws for 1899 to the Cortland Standard instead of the Homer Republican.
The motion was argued in Binghamton Feb. 7 by O. U. Kellogg for the plaintiff and N. L. Miller for defendant. The decision denying the motion practically settles the matter for if the case be carried to the appellate division it could not be heard until May and might be further delayed. Before that time the majority of the laws will have been published in the Republican.
The decision will give very general satisfaction throughout the county to members of both parties, not because of any vindicative [sic] feelings against the Standard or its publishers, but because in this matter, when they already had the lion's share they, by special legislation, sought to gobble all of a good thing and freeze out an honest competitor who is really entitled to the small share it has had of county or state patronage.
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| William H. Clark, editor and publisher of the Cortland Standard. |
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.
Charter election March 14.
Two trustees are to be elected in the first and third wards J. H. O'Leary and Peter Nodecker have held the office for two years and both have had a keen eye for the tax payers' interests.
We elect a police justice this year. The strife between Fred Hatch, C. S. Bull, E. E. Mellon and Rowland L. Davis is going to divide the Republican party at the convention tomorrow. A good chance to elect a genuine Democrat.
Third Ward Republicans are organizing early in the hope of electing a trustee. Nodecker won out by small margin two years ago and the careful watchfulness of his administration has largely increased his friends so that, if he consents to run again, he is sure of an increased majority.
Yesterday's dispatches from Manila tell of the burning of about a thousand houses of the city by the Filipinos. A big battle is probable to the near future. Stick to your imperialistic policy, William, while you can. Majority rules and you must soon give it up, for all but the jingoes are cooling to their senses.
William H. Clark was father of the move to create the office of police justice in Cortland. It's funny that his candidate has never been elected to the office. Bull was elected twice by the Democrats, and then the Silk Stocking club "converted" him and he ran on the Republican ticket. Mellon on the Democratic ticket defeated him. Oh, yes, history repeats itself, and the Democrats will elect the next police justice.
Nobody but the ring politicians want biennial sessions and the opposition of the masses who are being heard by the Senate Judiciary committee is having its effect. Labor organizations have sent large delegations before the committee to speak in opposition and few can be found anywhere to favor the bill. It should never be passed by the legislature again but if it is the people will turn it down at the polls next November.
Gen. Miles sticks to his statements concerning the "embalmed beef." He says he has affidavits from men who saw the beef undergoing the embalming process, and says that the canned "roast beef" was nothing but what was left after the extract had been boiled out of it for "beef extract." The pulp was put up in cans and served to the army as canned roast beef. The soldiers reported that they could not keep the stuff on their stomachs. It is now in order for the contractors who furnished the meat to ask for an investigation. Gen. Miles says he can prove all of his charges, and the people believe that he is not far from speaking the truth.
POLITICAL NOTES.
The friends of the beef-packing interests allege with a good deal of heat that the statements of General Miles concerning "embalmed beef" are injuring the business of a great American industry both at home and abroad. If the statements are true and the evidence that they are is overwhelming, the business ought to be injured. In that event the beef packers and contractors have nobody to blame but themselves. If they cared more to make big money out of army contracts than to maintain their business reputation they must take the consequences.—Portland Eastern Argus.
McMackin is a Knight of Labor, and as a delegate to District Assembly 49 K. of L. of New York city, was a member of the notorious "Home Club" of "advanced socialists," which sprang up in the early 80's. This secret club in the K. of L. did its best to disrupt the older trade unions, but in vain. The unions still live, while District 49, once 60,000 members strong, has dwindled down to less than 5,000. The older trade unions of New York have no love for McMackin, and will not look upon his appointment as commissioner of labor as a concession to their organizations. The trade unions of Geneva had hoped for the appointment of Charles S. Dumar of Typographical Union No. 6 of New York.—Geneva Gazette.
As near as we can summarize the position of Hon. John Sherman, he is opposed to the manner in which the war was conducted, opposed to the way we have treated the Cubans, opposed to a larger army, opposed to the retention of the Philippines, opposed to the peace treaty, opposed to the management of the Department of State, opposed to country lawyers in public life and opposed to the election of rich men to the United States Senate. Otherwise Mr. Sherman is a staunch supporter of the administration.—Washington Post.
A little less personal attack upon opponents of the President's policy, and more convincing argument, would be a wholesome change just now. One fact is more potent than a million hard names.—Poughkeepsie News-Press.
The next time Uncle Sam buys a $20,000,000 cargo of savages, let him deal with a seller who can deliver the goods.—Albany Argus.
Every now and then some matter pertaining to the United States projects itself into Congress and interrupts the work of governing our island possessions.—Detroit Free Press.
The deficit in the [New York State] public buildings department is only about $218,000. One more year of [Governor] Black's administration and it might have been necessary to mortgage the Capitol.—Newburgh Register.
Senator Lodge's remark that the situation in Manila is unique, in that those to whom we have tried to give liberty have turned upon us, may be interpreted that the Filipinos want their liberty, not ours.—Waterbury American.
FROM EVERYWHERE.
After the first of April the Central railroad will cease to operate the West Shore as a separate road; but will run it as a division of the Central, using it almost exclusively as a freight road.
Fulton is to have an important industry. The American plant of the Nestle Food company of England and Switzerland will be established in that village. It will make condensed milk, requiring the yield of 6,000 cows and give employment to 200 hands. The industry will give a great boom to Fulton, N. Y.
L. W. Osborne of Nebraska, our consul at Samoa, was born in Ithaca. During the recent trouble in Samoa, the German consul seized the Supreme Court building, barricaded himself within. Mr. Osborne promptly kicked the door in, seized the doughty representative of the Kaiser by the neck and pitched him out into the street.
Seneca lake presented a most interesting and unusual appearance, Friday, caused by evaporation due to the extreme cold. Streams of great white clouds arose from the blue waters and extended into the heavens. In some parts it seemed more dense than in others and then a great cloud would rise and whirl around looking like a huge waterspout. The wind beat the waves into a fury and great white caps rolled from shore to shore. The whole had the appearance of a mighty boiling caldron and was a most picturesque sight. Despite the severity of the recent weather Seneca has been proof as usual against freezing and its waters from shore to shore are unbroken and as clear as in summer time, with the exception of just a fringe of ice a few feet wide, and even in many places that is lacking.—Waterloo News.
HERE AND THERE.
A horse driven by Fred Coffin became unmanageable last Friday afternoon and ran north on Main-st. At Court-st. the village scraper was at work and a thill of the runaway struck one of the horses attached to the scraper squarely in the side. The horse injured belonged to Marion Witherell and serious results were at first feared but did not materialize. The thill was broken by the collision.
A Cortland man, Charles Mees, Jr., is the inventor of an electric alarm attachment which can be used in connection with any clock and which will surely wake any sleeper, no matter how hard he may be to awaken. When the time comes for which it is set it begins and continues to ring until a switch is opened and the gong, would, figuratively speaking, "wake the dead." He has applied for a patent.
One of our western exchanges says: The three stingiest men in LaSalle county live in Mendota. The first one will not drink enough water unless it comes from a neighbor's well. The second forbids his children writing anything but a small hand as it wastes ink to make large letters. The third stops the clock at night to save the wear and tear on the machinery. They refuse to take a newspaper on the ground that it is a terrible strain on the spectacles to read.
The funeral of Charles A. Lownsberry was held at New Woodstock Saturday afternoon. He held a $3,000 [insurance] policy in the Cortland council, Royal Arcanum, and his is the first death since its organization.
The Wickwire wire mills are now running 13 hours a day and cannot keep up with orders. The hen park netting branch of the business, while new, is booming beyond all expectations.
The funeral services of Randolph Beard were held from his late home on Church-st. Monday at 2 o'clock. Rev. Geo. H. Bingham officiated and burial was in the Rural cemetery.
Candidates at the town election should remember that they are required by law to make affidavit to election expenses within ten days.
"The Sleeping City" was the attraction at the Opera house Wednesday night. It is all right.
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