VILLAGE BOARD VS. ELECTRIC LIGHT CO.

 

A. J. Barber.

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, April 7, 1899.

THE FIGHT IS ON.

THE VILLAGE BOARD VS. ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY.

A Democratic Street Commissioner Elected—Patrick Dowd the Choice of the Majority—Fred Hatch for Clerk—Balloting Outrivals the Pennsylvania Legislature—Another Claim for Damages.

  Not in years has there been such a series of sensational and exciting proceedings at a village board meeting as was witnessed Monday evening, when within a period of three hours a Republican board elected a Democratic street commissioner, after taking seventy-two ballots, another claim was made against the village for damages by reason of the change of grade in Main-st., and preliminary steps were taken towards removing all street car tracks from the streets of the village. These exciting events, with a large amount of routine work, prolonged the session until a late hour, the final adjournment not being taken until nearly 11 o'clock. The proceedings in detail were as follows:

   Attorney B. T. Wright appeared in behalf of Mrs. Julia E. Hyatt, and inquired what the board proposed to do with her claim for damages. He also presented another claim in behalf of Mrs. Viola L. Blasford, who demands damages in the sum [$2,600] for injury to her property by reason of the change in grade. The board wished time to investigate the claims and the matter was deferred to a later date.

   Herman Bergholtz of Ithaca, and Edwin Duffey asked leave to speak on the matter of difference between the village authorities and the Electric Light company, which was granted. Mr. Bergholtz said the Traction company and the Electric Light company were two distinct organizations, the latter not being responsible the acts of the former. He expected to put in bids for lighting when the contract expired, and asked that a date be set for a conference between the trustees and the officials of the Electric Light company. This was agreed to, the exact time not being designated. During the debate Trustee Wood stated plainly that he was not in favor of paying the company $5,000 a year for lights when it was owing the village.

   A. J. Barber, chief of the fire department, asked for the appointment of a committee to perfect plans for preparing quarters for the team to be purchased in accordance with the vote at the last election. The president later appointed Messrs. Thompson and Wood as such committee.

   A large number of bills were audited, and upon two the board declined to act. The bid of the telephone company for the use of a phone in police headquarters was laid on the table, some of the trustees holding that the village should not pay for the service. Trustee Thompson was appointed a committee to investigate the monthly bill of the Cortland & Homer Electric Light company, amounting to [$387.50], was also put over on motion of Mr. Wood, who claimed that the service was unsatisfactory. Two bills were returned to the board of health for approval. On motion of Mr. Thompson each laborer is to hereafter receive his own check.

   The clerk was directed to present a bill to the First National bank for interest overcharged.

   A numerously signed petition was read asking the board to accept as a public highway the street known as Willow-st., extending from Main-st. northeasterly, laid on table.

   At this point President Holden caused to be read a long preamble and resolution relative to the Cortland & Homer Traction company.

   The preamble recites that the company has forfeited its franchise, first, by refusing to pay its assessment for the paving of Main-st., amounting to $2,669.24; second, by refusing to pay its assessment of $14,451.70 for paving Main-st.; third, for its failure to construct and maintain a road from its present intersection with Clinton-ave. to Port Watson-st. bridge as provided in the franchise.

   The resolution accompanying the preamble orders that the company shall within —days from the passage of the resolution take up and remove the rails and track, the ties, poles and wires belonging to said company, and that the running of cars by electricity over or upon any of the streets of the village be and the same is hereby prohibited and forbidden.

   The resolution was laid over for one week on account of the proposed conference between the village authorities and the Traction company's officers.

   The notice served upon H. B. Westcott, manager of the Electric Light company, last Thursday evening and which is given elsewhere in this issue, was sanctioned and confirmed by unanimous vote of the board.

   When the matter of appointment was reached, the clerk read petitions from the following candidates for the office of street commissioner:  Patrick Dowd, Day Baker, James Grant, Daniel Geer, D. Totman, W. J. Nash, Isaac Towne and M. Crippen. A ballot was then taken for street commissioner with the following result:

   Patrick Dowd, 2

   S. S. Stearns , 1

   Daniel Geer, 1

   Seventy-two ballots were taken with exactly the same result, when finally Mr. Thompson decided to bring the matter to a crisis. He thereupon moved that Patrick Dowd be chosen street commissioner. Mr. Sprague moved to amend by substituting Dewitt C. Johnson for Mr. Dowd. The yeas and nays were ordered, Messrs. Sprague and White voting yea on the amendment and Messrs. Thompson and Wood voting nay. The tie was broken by President Holden who voted nay. On the original motion the same vote prevailed, President Holden again breaking the tie by voting for Patrick Dowd.

   A communication from C. V. Coon was read, asking for the appointment of clerk. Mr. Crombie then retired, Mr. Thompson acting as clerk pro tem. The first ballot for clerk gave two votes for Fred Hatch, one for W. C. Crumbie and one for C. V. Coon. The second ballot gave C. V. Coon two and Fred Hatch two. Mr. Thompson moved that Mr. Hatch be elected clerk, and the yeas and nays were called for, Messrs. Wood and Thompson voting for Mr. Hatch, Messrs. White and Sprague [voting] against. President Holden was again forced to cast the deciding vote, which he did by favoring Mr. Hatch.

   F. L. MacDowell was elected a member of the health board from the first ward, and Dewitt Greenman from the third ward. The board then adjourned.

 

Too Free With His Pistol.

   An Italian by the name of Ben Santros, whose home is said to be Cincinnatus, created considerable excitement in South Main-st. Tuesday morning by firing of a pistol while surrounded by a crowd.  The fellow was intoxicated, and he was quickly placed under arrest and lodged in jail. In police court Tuesday morning he pleaded guilty to intoxication and was fined $10, which he promptly paid. He was then arrested on the more serious charge of carrying and exploding dangerous weapons. He waived examination and gave bail in the sum of $200, his case going to the grand jury.

 

Secret Society Notes.

   At a meeting of the Cortland commandery, No. 50, Knights Templar, last Friday evening, the Red Cross degree was conferred upon two members. At the close of the initiation the commandery enjoyed a banquet, having as guests a large delegation from the Tioughnioga club.

   Cortland lodge, No. 351, A. O. U. W., is gradually increasing its membership, and the social features of this organization are heartily enjoyed.

 

Thomas B. Reed.

Washington Letter.

(From our Regular Correspondent.)

   WASHINGTON. D. C., April 3.—A bomb was exploded in administration circles by a prominent New York Republican who came to Washington for the purpose, when it was announced that Gov. "Teddy" Roosevelt was in the field for the Republican presidential nomination next year, and that there was an understanding between "Teddy" and Gen. Miles, who has been credited with entertaining a similar ambition himself. Some of Mr. McKinley's friends appear to think that he is bound to be re-nominated and re-elected, but those of them who are long headed and who have had experience in politics, do not look at things that way, they know that both Roosevelt and Miles have qualities which are calculated to arouse the enthusiasm and support of the young men in their party, and that with good management a combination of their following might give the Hanna-McKinley machine a hard fight, if not an actual throw-down. If this announcement is straight, Boss Platt must have failed in his efforts to keep "Teddy" off the McKinley track.

   With all Czar Reed's faults, and he has enough and to spare, he has never been a sneaky fighter, which is more than can be said for the administration crowd, which is afraid to come out in the open and try to defeat Reed for the speakership, but is engaged in trying to bluff him into not being a candidate, by stating that the administration has determined to throw its influence for Reed, but with the express understanding that the rules of the next House shall be changed so as to cut out all the Czar business. The idea is that Reed would not care to be speaker, if he is to be shorn of the autocratic power he has wielded. This is on a par with the talk which has at times been heard ever since Reed first became speaker, about Republicans who were going to unite with the Democrats to change the rules and curtail the power of the speaker. They never did so, and if the Republicans elect Reed speaker of the House again, as they will almost surely do, he will be the same old Czar.

   A group of army officers were discussing the cost and results of the campaign of Gen. Otis against the Filipinos, which has just closed with the taking of Aguinaldo's capital, and the driving of him and his army into the interior, when one of them said: "For my part, I don't think the game worth the candle. After a considerable loss of life, we have the Philippine insurgents just where the Spaniards had them. That is, we have possession of the coast and all of the towns and they are in the interior. It is true, that if we start after them, our pursuit will be very different from that of the Spaniards, and that in the end American grit is bound to win, and we shall succeed in killing, capturing or subduing them all, but it will be no picnic I assure you, and I know what the country is; we shall pay dear—far too dear I think—for our triumph over them.

 

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

News About Our Neighbors Told in Short Paragraphs.

   The brain of Frank N. Sheldon has been sent to the medical department of Cornell university and now, preserved in a glass jar, occupies a place with other curios in the museum.

   The Oneida lawyer, James B. Jenkins, has won his suit for the New York Indians against the government. The judgment with accrued interest amounts to $2,000,000, which sum will be appropriated by the next Congress.

   A German optician recently carried $800 out of Hamilton, obtained by selling at enormous prices spectacles filled with what was proved to be common window glass.

   Geneva wants $3,000 for quarantining the "Joshua Simpkins" theatrical company of small-pox fame. Senator Raines has introduced a bill to that effect.

   An Ithacan who had accepted the office of overseer of the poor, resigned because he would have to work every day if he retained his office.

   The National Salt company has organized with a capital of $12,000,000. Ithaca and Ludlowville are included.

   The Moravia Republican says a large number of cows have died of apoplexy in that vicinity this spring.

   Onondaga is the only county in the State which has but one coroner.

   The sale of some of the Dolge real estate took place at Dolgeville Tuesday. Assignee Kernan was on hand and took charge of the sale, and announced the terms of sale to be 20 per cent cash and the remainder 20 days after the sale had been confirmed. The Felt trust purchased considerable of the property put up. The prices at which the real estate was sold were ridiculously low compared with the value placed on them by their former proprietor. Village lots for which Mr. Dolge had asked $500 were sold for $15 to $20. The prices brought were so very low that it is thought the court will refuse to confirm the sale, and they will have to be sold again. The aggregate amount of the sales was $8,601. The property sold was valued by Mr. Dolge at $150,000.

 

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

   It is Clerk Hatch again.

   By the way, the present board of trustees have by their business like procedure in several matters won the support of all residents.

   Our Democratic member of the board of village trustees seems to be getting in his work with good results. After seventy-two ballots a Democrat was elected street commissioner.

   In speaking of the Corset factory in our McGrawville article last week, we by mistake alluded to "the failure of P. H. McGraw & Son." We should have said "the failure of P. H. & D. McGraw" and assure our readers that no reflection was intended upon Mr. A. P. McGraw, as the balance of the paragraph alluded to will testify.

   The Pennsylvania legislature is within two weeks of adjournment, sixty-seven ballots have been taken and Matthew, the Great, is farther from election than he was when the voting began. There is talk of a compromise and of Quay's retiring as he has been advised to do by his best friends. Shake the plum tree, Matt., shake it, while you can for your days in the land of the shakers are numbered.

   Apropos of the present differences in the Democratic party, the Atlanta Constitution is moved to remark: "You know what the old Whig politician said about Democratic rows—that they always resulted in more Democrats. Well, that will be the result of the present jangle," and we all sincerely hope that history will repeat itself. It certainly seems to have begun as far as the elections held this week are concerned.

 

HERE AND THERE.

   The farmers' winter vacation is about at end.

   The village assessors will soon be on the war path.

   If "winter lingers in the lap of spring" much longer her knees will ache.

   Tom Howard says March came in like a roaring lion and went out like a grizzly bear.

   A. S. Hayes of Cortland has assumed the management of J. C. Seager's feed store at Cincinnatus.

   Vertical writing is now the hobby in the schools of this state, but it may be a short lived one, as it gets the children into the habit of writing back-handed unless they are closely watched.

   It is seriously announced that the letter R will eventually be eliminated from the alphabet. Great Scott! Just think of the absurdity in the pronunciation of the name of this paper without an R.

   Next week will be a great lime for school teachers in Cortland, the annual Institute beginning on Monday and continuing until Friday afternoon. Something over one hundred teachers will be present, a large proportion of them being ladies.

   The weather last Sunday was a disappointment to the great mass of people who celebrate Easter. The sky was dull and the air chilling enough to the marrow to make the donning of Spring raiment the forerunner of a place in the obituary column. For this reason there were but few Easter bonnets and no bright colored gowns. In their places there were furs and heavy overcoats. The services in all the churches were impressive, and the palms, lilies and other floral decorations put on an air of cheerfulness that was in marked contrast with the weather outside.