Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, March 9, 1899.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
Gave Away the Franchise.
In connection with the candidacy of Mr. D. E. Call for village president upon the Democratic ticket the voters are remembering that he is the man who while president of the village two years ago virtually gave away the electric lighting franchise without any compensation whatever to the village and tied the village up to the present lighting company for twenty-five years. The responsibility for this act is fixed personally upon Mr. Call by the fact that the resolution for extending the franchise for this long period was tied in the board of trustees, two voting in the affirmative and two in the negative, and Mr. Call voted in the affirmative, thus extending the franchise.
It will be remembered that Trustee Warfield with his usual good judgment at the meeting at which action was taken urged that the board be not over hasty, that before voting upon it the franchise be submitted to the village attorneys for approval to see if it was right in form and that there was no technicality lurking under cover in it that might be turned to the disadvantage of the village—a very reasonable request to make—but those in favor of it would not delay and Mr. Call helped hurry the franchise through without careful consideration.
That matter is over now and cannot be considered or reconsidered in the course of the coming year, but the principle remains. Who knows what question of vital importance to the village may come up during the coming year. There is reason to believe that the coming year will be a very important one to the taxpayers in connection with the disposal of actions brought against the village and in the general settlement of the paving matter. Mr. Call's record is made. Do the people approve of it? The following from the files of The STANDARD of Dec 7, 1897, giving the account of the meeting of the board upon the previous evening show the way in which the franchise was rushed through and makes interesting reading at the present time.
The question of the lighting franchise was then taken up. Trustee O'Leary expressed himself as opposed to any franchise extending twenty-five years, he did not believe in tying up the village corporation that length of time. Mr. Duffey contended that that would not be the effect of granting the franchise; it is not exclusive. He explained that the directors of the company had come a long distance to Cortland and very much desired a decision last night. It was a matter of business with them whether the franchise was granted or not. If it was granted, the company could feel secure in its business here, and would have much less difficulty in floating its bonds. Trustee O'Leary thought it unwise to grant the privilege for so long a time, and suggested that the village might sometime wish to own its electric plant. Mr. Duffy seriously doubted any such state of affairs. Mr. O'Leary said that it had been done in many other places, and might be done here. But he opposed the granting of the franchise here because he did not believe it to be for the best interests of the village.
Mr. Duffey remarked that he thought the village ought to be liberal. The trustees ought to be broad gauged enough to recognize the help the Traction company is to the village. It ought not to be dealt with as an enterprise that can be placed on a truck and moved away in the night time. It is here to stay; it is one of you. Be liberal; be just, at least.
Trustee Warfield said he had nothing but the best of feeling toward the Traction company, but as to franchises, was a little afraid of them. He was not in condition to support the proposition without the board's clerk and counsel present.
Mr. Duffey suggested that there was no need of counsel in the matter. It was so plain any school boy could understand it.
Trustee Warfield thought that from past experience there was some law connected with franchises, and referred Mr. Duffey to the present litigation between the village and Traction company over the Railroad-st. pavement which arose over the provisions of a franchise.
Trustee Nodecker jocularly remarked that there was no need of having a lawyer draw up a franchise. They would surely leave some loop-hole for a chance at litigation. That is their business.
Trustee Wallace moved that the franchise be extended. It was seconded by Trustee Nodecker. Trustee Warfield called for the ayes and nays, which were taken with the following result:
Ayes—Trustees Wallace and Nodecker—2.
Nays—Trustees Warfield and O'Leary—2.
It became the duty of President Call to cast the decisive vote, and he voted aye, thus granting the franchise, and the following resolution became adopted:
"Resolved, That the Cortland & Homer Electric company, its successors and assigns, is hereby granted a right, privilege and franchise and is authorized and empowered to place poles and wires and the necessary and usual appurtenances thereto in and upon the alleys, streets, lanes, avenues and other public places of the village of Cortland, for the purpose of carrying currents of electricity for electric lighting, heating and motor power, such franchise to be for the period of twenty-five years from Jan. 1, 1898. Such poles to be placed under the direction of the street committee of this board, and all work done under the provisions of this grant, to comply with the requirements of the national board of underwriters."
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| USS IROQUOIS (AT46) |
ON THE OREGON.
Letter from Morgan McAllister Written from Honolulu.
Mrs. B. H. Lyon of South Cortland received a letter last week from her brother, Morgan McAllister, (who is on board the battleship Oregon, and at that time was in Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) which is as follows:
HONOLULU, H. I., Sunday, Feb. 5, '99
DEAR SISTER LENA—We have just arrived in Honolulu to-day, at 2 o'clock A. M. and dropped anchor in twenty-six fathoms of water. The steamer Scandia left here this afternoon for Manila with 1,400 soldiers on board. They were the Twentieth regulars from Fort Worth, Kan. The Morgan City is lying here expecting to sail at any time. She has the wives and families of the aforesaid vessel on board. The gunboat Yorktown left here ten days ago and the gunboat Bennington left two weeks ago. They are going to Manila. The dispatch boat Iroquois is here. She came in a week ahead of us, and the cruiser Philadelphia is on her way, somewhere around Semore, (that is a small island a thousand miles or so from Manila.) I can not say where we are to go as I have not heard yet.
The Hawaiian quarter of a dollar has the same value in American money. On one side are the words, "Kalakana I, King of Hawaii." the other side says, "Uamaukeeakaoina I, Kapono, Hapaha." They also use paper money with a ship on one end, a train on the other and a herd of wild cattle with a man lassoing them from the back of a horse, in the middle.
Queen Lily's palace is in sight of the ship here. The country is all green and the climate is something fine.
There are sharks here large enough to swallow a whole ham at once. Some of them are sixteen feet long. We were trying to spear one here today that was trying to swallow an old pork barrel we heaved overboard, but we did not get him. One shark came up to the side and tried to grab a negro by the leg, who was scraping the side of the ship, but they drove him away. They are very thick here.
There are eight large islands and as many more small ones here. One island is used for lepers altogether, and there are a great many there. No one is permitted to go over where they are. I would like to stay here a while if I could.
When we were at the Galapagos Islands I saw but three houses, and they say there are but three people living there. The islands belong to Ecuador, and are about four days' run from Callao, Peru.
I can tell you a great deal more about Honolulu, when I have been ashore once. Some of the men are going to get liberty to-morrow. There are some sugar refineries at Hilo and many other industries. They raise sugarcane, bananas, oranges and apples. When I have been ashore, I will write again.
The following was written later:
Well, this is a nice place to live: surf-bathing is one fine thing. There is a large volcano on the island of Hawaii; it is called Hilo. Oahu is the name of the island where Honolulu is situated. I bought some papers here to-day and this paper I send you was printed and made in Honolulu, Prices are very cheap in here. Shoes only $1.25 a pair. These are remarkable islands and a good place to get a start in life. They tell me you can get $85 a month and board on a plantation here. If you were both here you would never leave I am sure. The Hawaiian Star states in its last issue that we are going to Manila.
While coming down from the mountainous island of Hawaii to our present anchorage, I could not help noting the resemblance here to the straits of Magellan, for I was up on deck that night as it was too warm to sleep below decks. You cannot comprehend the climate here, for likely you think the heat intense but it is not. That is why the climate is beautiful; it is so moderate and does not run to extremes. We have a little shower every evening regularly, just enough to cool the air and give everything the appearance of life.
The population of the islands is 130,000 in all. I do not know the population of Honolulu alone, as the paper does not state. I will send you one of the Hawaiian daily papers. A large number of the people here are Japs and Chinese, but the Americans have "Full sway." Oh, I should like to live here a while if I could do so.
Well, you must let me close now, with love to all.
Your loving brother, MORGAN MCALLISTER,
U. S. M. C., U. S. S. Oregon.
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| Memorial Baptist Church, Tompkins Street, Cortland, N. Y. |
Memorial.
Deacon Leroy Gillet was born in town of Cortlandville, Cortland Co., N. Y., on the 15th day of April, 1822. Died Feb. 28, 1899. He was of that quiet, contented turn of mind seldom met with in this day of uneasiness, when people are continually seeking to improve their condition by a change of residence, seeking new scenes and new surroundings. He in contentment remained upon the old farm, dying in a house erected over the same cellar occupied by the house in which he was born. He was twice married, the second wife being Miss Melinda Beardsley, and the date of the marriage being May 27,1867. The immediate surviving family are besides the widow, one son, Luewellyn L.; one daughter, Mrs. Mary L. Beardsley; one sister, Mrs. Adelia Cullin of New Orleans; and two brothers, Fayette of Iowa and Lucian B., at present residing with the family of deceased at the old homestead.
Deacon Gillet was by the hands of Rev. Simmons, baptized into Christ and to fellowship with the First Baptist church of Cortland March 21, 1858, and at once entered into the activities of an earnest, devoted Christian career. He was always a lover of children, especially boys; many a one will long remember the good times enjoyed during a visit or temporary stay in the home of this man who took such delight in their entertainment, and in turning their youthful feet into the paths of righteousness.
His church work must be briefly spoken of. He was made a deacon of the church during the pastorate of Mr. Kincaid, and continued in the sacred office (which was more to him than a mere title) to the time of his separation from the First church to aid in organizing the Memorial church. He also served the church many years as trustee, filling that office at the time of the building of the present church edifice. Teaching in the Sunday-school was his special delight.
Numbered among the boys of his Sunday-school class we find the names of many who have taken exalted positions among their fellow men, as the few names given will indicate: the late James Duane Squires, Esq., so long the efficient and beloved superintendent of the Sunday-school of the Calvary Baptist church of New York City, also Rev. John B. Calvert, D. D., editor of The Examiner and president of the New York state Baptist convention, Rev. Frank Willkins and Rev. Fred Vandenburg, with others that might be named. Beside teaching boys, he should be mentioned as a teacher of a class of elderly men known in the school as "the little Samuels." His attendance upon church service was with great regularity. Although he had three miles to drive he rarely missed a service; he could go through mud of any depth, face storms of any degree of fierceness, resist cold or heat in making the journey between his home and the church to meet his Christ and his brethren in the house of worship.
He rarely ever missed a meeting of Cortland Baptist association, and for many years served on the missionary committee of that body. His journeyings to and from church took him through the southern part of the village; he observed the rapid growth of this portion of the town and found springing up in him an ever increasing interest for the spiritual welfare of these settlers who are principally mechanics and laborers. He began to pray that a mission Sunday-school might be established here; the time ripened, such an enterprise became a fact. Counting no service for the Master too great, with his lunch basket in his wagon, he and his family would attend service in the morning, always in time for the early prayer-meeting before preaching, and remain to the mission school in the afternoon.
Performing service like this for the people of the southern part of the village, he soon found himself praying that a church might be there organized, and when the time came for such organization, a little more than two years ago, he felt that he must help answer his own prayers, therefore he took a letter from the First Baptist church and became one of the thirty-five constituting the Memorial Baptist church (a memorial of one of his Sunday-school boys, viz., James Duane Squires) which by persistent work and sacrifice on the part of both people and pastor has been self-supporting from the beginning and has enjoyed a degree of prosperity, there having been more baptisms than the original number with which the church was organized. He was elected deacon of the new organization, and coming as he did in the ripeness of his experience, the value of his wise counsel and his consecrated service cannot be over-estimated.
Truly it may be said of him: He was a good man; loving as a husband and father; kind, sympathetic and obliging as a neighbor; loyal as a citizen and friend; consecrated and devoted as a Christian.
Politically he was a Republican during those trying days that settled right and forever the great question of American slavery and the unity of our nation, and in later years has actively opposed that greater evil that threatens our nation's peace, honor and prosperity, viz., the rum traffic, by identifying himself with the Prohibitionists.
His funeral was largely attended on Saturday afternoon, March 4, from the house, Rev. J. A. Hungate, pastor of the Homer Baptist church, and Rev. J. Barton French, pastor of the deceased, delivering addresses. Text, Psalms cxvi:15. Four nephews as follows acted as pallbearers: Glen L. Myron, W. and C. Romane Beardsley of Marathon and Burr Stewart of Five Corners. The following friends from out of town were present: Mr. and Mrs. Earl Stimson of Apulia, Mrs. J. Stuerwald of Newark, Mr. and Mrs. Warren Beardsley of Venice, Mrs. Matilda Saxton of Locke, Mr. John Beardsley of Five Corners, Mr. F. M. Beardsley and sons of Marathon. The remains were placed in the receiving vault to await interment in Rural cemetery.
J. B. F.
POMONA GRANGE.
First Quarterly Meeting Held in Good Templars' Hall Tuesday.
The first quarterly meeting of Cortland county Pomona grange was held in Good Templars' hall on Tuesday, March 7, and a good attendance was present. The program for the day was as follows: Reading the minutes of previous meeting, appointment of committee on application, report of delegates who attended the state grange, report of special committee, discussion of resolutions, selection of county deputy, installation of officers, discussion of questions found in question box.
The worthy master appointed Brother Gilbert and Sisters Sherman and McNish committee on applications for membership.
Brother George Hyde, chairman of committee on farmers' institute, gave his report which was very satisfactory.
A resolution was introduced by County Deputy Robinson relative to some granges which it is said have been taking in members for less than the lawful fee which elicited quite a spirited discussion pro and con and occupied most of the time of the morning session.
At the afternoon session, the committee on applications for membership reported favorably on their applicants who were elected to become members and were initiated and instructed. The officers-elect were then obligated.
Brother Robinson's resolutions were laid on the table.
Brother W. L. Bean, chairman of the delegates to the state grange, gave his report of what he saw and learned at the session of the state grange which was full of interest. Sister B. R. Knapp and Brother McNish each also gave a brief report which added interest to the occasion.
The selection for county deputy for the coming year resulted in the choice of B. R. Knapp.
The discussion of the question, "Resolved, That women exert a greater influence than men," was an able and interesting one and the affirmative was participated in by Brothers McNish, Gilbert, W. L. Bean, Jacobs, Hyde, Price and Sister Hyde. The negative was supported by Brothers Webb and Robinson. The question was decided in the affirmative.
It was resolved that the secretary of Pomona grange draft suitable resolutions of sympathy and forward to Brother and Sister John Foster of Little York grange relative to the death of their son.
The grange adjourned, goodbyes were exchanged and all went homeward through the blizzard.
GRANGE REPORTER.
JENMAN-PENNOYER.
Pleasant Afternoon Wedding Wednesday at B. H. Wheeler's.
Mr. George Jenman and Miss Myrtie Pennoyer were yesterday afternoon the central figures in a marriage ceremony performed at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Benson H. Wheeler on Wheeler-ave. by Rev. William H. Pound, pastor of the congregational church. The wedding took place at 2 o'clock, and was witnessed by about thirty invited guests. Miss Olive Wheeler played the wedding march as the bride and groom, unattended, entered the front parlor where the ceremony was performed. Congratulations were freely extended to the young people, and an elaborate wedding dinner was served.
Mr. and Mrs. Jenman left on an afternoon train for a brief trip to Utica and other places, and upon their return will take up their residence upon the farm of S. E. Curtis west of the village which they will occupy during the coming year. That they are highly esteemed by their friends is shown by the large number and variety of gifts received, many of them being costly. Among them were a handsome parlor suit, a dinner and tea set, tea and coffee pots, and lace curtains from the parents of the groom, an elegant silver tea set from Mr. David Davis of Philadelphia, Pa., solid silver spoons, knives and forks, lamps, table cloths, fancy articles, and in fact a great variety of articles needed in housekeeping.
The guests were Mrs. Mary Turner of Union, Miss Lena George of Pennsylvania, Mr. and Mrs. James Jenman and daughters Jennie and Elsie, Mr. and Mrs. Revillo Olds, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel McNish, Arthur Moot, Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Davis, Miss Sarah McAllister, Mrs. F. Seamans, Minard Pennoyer, Mr. and Mrs. S. W. Pennoyer of Groton, Floyd Pennoyer, Miss Rosa B. Goldsmith, Miss Jennie Anderson, A. D. Blodgett, Mrs. Luella Seamans and Mr. and Mrs. B. P. Clark.
BREVITIES.
—The Sons of Veterans meet to-morrow night.
—Rehearsal of the Choral society at the Conservatory of Music this evening at 7:30 o'clock sharp.
—A regular conclave, Cortland commandery No. 50, K. T., will be held at the asylum Friday evening. The order of Red Cross will be conferred.
—Mr. and Mrs. F. H. Cobb entertained a few invited guests last evening at their home on Monroe Heights in honor of Mr. and Mrs. James Meager, who are about to remove to Syracuse.
—New display advertisements to-day are—J. B. Kellogg, Special Sale, page 4; Chas. Antisdel, Horses at Auction, page 6; G. F. Beaudry, Bicycles, page 8; M. A. Case, New Spring Goods, page 6.
—The Woman's Foreign Missionary society will
meet in the chapel of the Presbyterian
church on Friday afternoon, March 10, at 3:30 o'clock. A half hour of prayer
for missions will precede the regular meeting.
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