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| Gen. Maximo Gomez on horseback. |
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| Gen. Maximo Gomez. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, May 16, 1899.
PAYING THE CUBANS.
Another Obstacle Has Presented Itself.
GENERAL GOMEZ WILL NOT ACT.
Being Opposed by Certain Cuban Generals, He Declines to Have Anything to Do With Appointing Commissioners to Help Distribute the Three Million Dollars.
HAVANA, May 16.—General Maximo Gomez informed Governor General Brooke that he must withdraw from the plan for distributing the $3,000,000 appropriated to the payment of the Cuban troops, to the extent that he will not name other commissioners to replace those originally named by him who have refused to serve.
Governor General Brooke is to go ahead with a new plan, Gomez remaining in an attitude of friendly inactivity.
General Brooke will issue an order for Cuban privates and non-commissioned officers to meet at specified places on specified dates to receive payment. They are to be accompanied by their company officers for the purpose of identification. Both General Gomez and the governor general feel that the privates ought not to lose their share in the American gratuity merely because the schemes of certain high officers in the Cuban army have interposed obstacles. The belief among the Americans is that the company officers will assist in this way.
General Brooke's order will be disseminated through the newspapers, placarded in the postoffices [sic] and given the widest circulation practicable.
General Gomez has written a history of his relation to the army payment question. It includes the correspondence that has passed between himself and the governor general, and it is intended to make his position clear to the public and to contrast his conduct favorably with that of other Cuban leaders.
STIRRING UP STRIFE.
Cubans Opposed to Surrendering Their Arms to the Americans.
SANTIAGO, Cuba, May 16.—Considerable dissatisfaction is expressed here over the demand by the United States government that the Cuban soldiers relinquish their arms before receiving their shares in the distribution of the $3,000,000. La Independencia and other papers publish excited articles protesting against the acceptance of any such proposal.
La Independencia suggests that a stamp tax be instituted, by means of which loyal Cubans would be enabled to "save the soldiers from the dishonor and humiliation of giving up the arms which won their liberty."
On all sides among the Cubans of Santiago violent expressions are heard regarding what is termed "the niggardly conduct of the Americans."
GEN. HENRY DENOUNCED.
A Porto Rican Editor Who Probably Has a Grievance.
SAN JUAN, Porto Rico, May 16.—The Democracia of Ponce, the organ of Senor Luis Munez Rivera, former president of the Porto Rican insular cabinet, who is now in the United States, publishes a letter from him in reference to the recall of Major General Guy V. Henry, recently governor general of Porto Rico. In the course of the letter Senor Rivera says:
"Who does not know that the government in the hands of such a man was like the web of Penelope, now woven and afterward torn or unravelled? Who does not remember a thousand errors which the insular secretaries could not repair? These are the real reasons for the recall—reasons laid bare by me with rude frankness to the American colonial commission.
"The motives assigned by the United States secretary of war (General Alger), namely, consideration for the health of General Henry and similar excuses, had no basis in the facts of the case. General Henry wished to remain in Porto Rico. I telegraphed you on March 28 from Havana, advising you that the change would be made, and later I joyfully confirmed this information, on the strength of official advices from New York. I do not wish General Henry any ill; but I do not want the island of Porto Rico transformed into a lunatic asylum."
The publication of this letter has caused as much surprise as criticism, as General Henry left the island after a magnificent demonstration of good will on the part of the Porto Ricans.
General Davis, the new governor general, will rescind the order issued recently giving liberty to the press.
CORONER'S JURY REPORTS.
Death Due to Collision—No Blame Charged Anywhere.
The following is the balance of the report of the coroner's inquest in the matter of the death of William L. Williamson which was concluded at Homer yesterday afternoon before Coroner Green and a jury:
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Dr. G. D. Bradford was the first witness before the inquest in the afternoon. Dr. Bradford was the physician appointed by the coroner to make an examination of the body of Williamson on May 12, 1899. He described the conditions as they existed at the time of the examination. A wound on the forehead showed a fracture of the skull. This wound was in the middle of the forehead and above the left eye and was about 3 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. The skull bones were depressed upon brain. The bones of the nose were broken and shattered. The left cheek bone was broken but there was no break in the skin over the cheek bone. The injuries seemed to be confined to the face and front and left side of the head. A man in order to receive such wounds must have been struck with great velocity or have struck the opposing object with great force. In the doctor's opinion such wounds would be sufficient to cause death by general shock and concussion of the brain or by compression on the brain or hemorrhage. In this particular case he thought death was due to shock and concussion rather than to hemorrhage.
JOHN A. MAXWELL.
Mr. John A. Maxwell, superintendent of motive power of the Cortland & Homer Traction Co., was called. Questions were asked as to the speed at which cars usually run on the part of the line where the accident occurred. From the fact that no passengers were on the car Mr. Maxwell thought it would be running slower than usual as there would be no stops to let off passengers. The car was probably running twelve or fourteen miles an hour. A car running twelve miles an hour could be stopped within fifty feet. The headlight would make it possible to see 250 feet ahead of the car, more or less, depending upon how dark it was.
G. FRANK JONES.
On the night in question I saw Wm. Williamson twice. The first time was about 8 o'clock in the evening when he was driving out of the alley between O. B. Andrews' and "Mick" Murphy's. He appeared to be intoxicated. His horses were walking and I judged he was able to take care of himself, so I let him go on. The next time I saw him it was a little after 10 o'clock. I looked out of the window at my house on South Main-st. and saw Williamson driving by towards Cortland. His horses were going about as fast as they could trot. I have known Williamson all his life. I have sent him home several times when he has been intoxicated.
'
FRED V. BENNETT.
I knew Wm. Williamson during his lifetime and recognized the body of the man who was killed as that of Wm. Williamson.
The testimony of Mr. Bennett closed the evidence before the jury. After deliberating for nearly an hour the jury rendered the following verdict:
That William Williamson came to his death by reason of fracture of skull on the night of May 11, 1899, at about 10:15 o'clock. The accident causing death of deceased occurred a little south of gashouse between the villages of Cortland and Homer. From evidence, the jury find the deceased was driving south in lumber wagon; when nearing the gashouse the team were running at a rapid rate; that Mr. Williamson was evidently under the influence of liquor and unable to control his team. At this place he met and collided with the north bound trolley car, No. 9. Said collision throwing him either against the car or car irons or on the ground causing said fracture of skull.
(Signed)
F. H. GREEN, Coroner.
LEONARD J. CHRISTLER,
W. C. COLLINS,
F. V. BENNETT,
F. R. THOMPSON,
J. H. CLARK,
J. O. BURROWS,
E. A. WILLIAMS,
O. B. ANDREWS,
CHARLES A. FORD.
NEW TELEPHONE SYSTEM.
Half Rates to Private Houses on a Group Line.
Manager Nolan of the Cortland telephone exchange has invented a new system for a certain kind of telephone and has put it in operation in Cortland. It is designed for the use of private houses and is so simple in character and so little likely to get out of order that he is enabled to put a number of these phones in on the same line at half rates. Only a one-cell battery is used and the bridging bell is peculiar. It is the intention to place these telephones in groups of six on the same line bringing together if possible six people or families who will be congenial to each other and who will be very likely to want to talk with each other. By this new arrangement of Mr. Nolan's any subscriber on this line can call any other subscriber without disturbing the central office or causing any new connections to be made there. It is in short quite a family affair. At the same time these subscribers have the opportunity to be connected when they desire it with any other telephone in the entire exchange.
One of these lines has already been put in operation and three telephones are put upon it. Three more will doubtless be added to the line very soon. These telephones cost the subscribers $12 a year or $1 a month, or about 25 cents a week. Shoe leather worn out in going to market costs more than that, and this can all be saved, for nearly every grocer and market man in town has a telephone.
BOARD OF EDUCATION.
Improvements Planned at the Schermerhorn-st. School.
The board of education of the village held its regular monthly meeting at the superintendent's office in the Central school building last evening. The contract for placing telephones in each of the four public school buildings was ratified, and the bills for printing by the Cortland Standard Printing Co., $16.75, and F. C. Parsons, $2.25 were ordered paid. The committee on buildings was authorized to have placed at the rear of the Central school building a new fire escape.
The building committee, which consists of F. D. Smith, E. Keator and M. H. Yale, was given authority to have erected at the rear of the Schermerhorn-st. school building an additional story which shall contain two rooms and have a seating capacity of about eighty pupils. A kindergarten department is to be started at the Schermerhorn-st. school the coming year, and this department will occupy one of the lower rooms vacated as grades are moved upstairs.
The annual graduating exercises of the Central school will occur at the Opera House on June 16, and Superintendent Smith has been assured that either State Superintendent of Public Instruction Charles R. Skinner or Deputy Danforth E. Ainsworth will make the address.
The graduating class consists of the following fifteen members: Frank McClure Geer, Patrick Joseph Garrity, Harry French, Maybrie Elizabeth Tyler, Sarah Frances Baldwin, Amy Smith, L. Ruby Rockwell, Mabel Ingram Rynders, Mabelle Mae Ryan, Claude G. Ryan, Thomas Street Clark, Max Smith Higgins, A. T. Smith, Wm. Niver Brown, Jessie Louise Jones.
FUNERAL OF MRS. PRICE.
Remarks by Dr. Houghton and Dr. Pearce.
The funeral of Mrs. Thankful A. Price was held at her late home on Railroad-st. last Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Scripture was read and prayer offered by Rev. O. J. Purington of Williamson, N. Y. At the time of the death of Mr. Price in 1890 Mr. Purington was pastor of the M. E. church at Virgil and officiated on that occasion. A quartet consisting of Mrs. Charles S. Hulbert, Mrs. Charlotte Nash-Head, and Messrs. C. F. Brown and T. N. Hollister sang with fine effect "Oh sing to me of Heaven." This was followed by the further reading of Scriptures by the Rev. A. C. Smith of Preble, formerly of Virgil.
Rev. O. A. Houghton, D. D., pastor of the First M. E. church, of which the deceased was a member, then spoke as follows:
"And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them."
My attention has been called by friends of the deceased to this passage of the Holy Scriptures as suggestive of thoughts beautifully appropriate to this sadly sweet funeral service. I could not have selected more fitly nor wisely myself. Certainly our venerated sister has died "in the Lord," and she is "henceforth blessed." She rests from her labors of love on earth, and the memory of her righteous life and works of mercy and self-sacrifice crowd in upon our thoughts at this hour, while the love blessings of many thankful recipients of her tender ministrations follow her to the skies. The sadness is ours, but hers is the blessedness. We have lost inestimably, but she has gained "a crown of life that fadeth not away." The rest of a great, good soul such as she is, must be blessed and sweet beyond all earthly conception.
It would startle us to hear "a voice from heaven" to-day while gathered here. We might hear voices from heaven daily if we were as spiritually minded as John, the Revelator. He heard a voice that announced to the world through him that which was wondrously and gloriously new. The voice said that death is blessed to him who lives righteously. Death is the dread of the race. He is the King of Terrors. He introduces the soul into the immediate presence of an offended God. What can be more terrible! But, no. The voice from heaven said death is blessed. It is the fond leap of a child into the waiting arms of infinite love. What news is this to trembling humanity? And the voice from heaven announces that we may die "in the Lord." Not alone and unattended must we go through the dark "valley of the shadow of death," but held in God's arms, sustained and soothed by a sense of peace and even victorious joy. There is safety then, in death. The saint of God faces no uncertain future. Death to him is no "leap in the dark." There is entire freedom from all fear and sense of danger. "There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." To die "in the Lord" is to die under shelter. No foe without, nor fear within, can disturb the soul's peace. It goes into eternity with the Christian's shout of triumph, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
In the last interview but one held with our departed sister she said to me "I am full of inward joy. I have been rejoicing in the Lord all day." To live "in Christ Jesus" with "no condemnation" and to "die in the Lord" is to be "forever with the Lord." There is no separation. Paul exclaims "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or swords? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord."
To die in the Lord means that there has been fidelity to the end. It is not a fitful, vacillating service that the saint of God renders. It is a constant humble obedience, controlled by a steady and undeviating purpose, doing and enduring unto the end. Such have the promise of salvation and such are never disappointed of the divine presence in death. We thank God for the grace that strengthened our departed sister thus to endure. There was no fitfulness in her service. It was every day the same. Through storm and sunshine alike, as did her Divine Master, she kept her sweet way, going about doing good. She was constantly thinking of others and devising ways to relieve them. Hers was preeminently a ministry of helpfulness. She might have excused herself many times on account of her own helpless condition, but her "strength was made perfect in weakness.''
The law of her life was self-forgetfulness in helping others. Constancy, fidelity, love unto the end. In all of her relations to her family and friends and to the church of her choice, its public services and social meetings, she was constant and unswerving as the sun of heaven. Always and under all circumstances she was to be depended upon. Our church could sustain no more serious loss in any one member. She was one of God's lights in this dark world, shining not by borrowed rays, but from an inherent necessity. She was self-luminous like the fixed star that shines because it is a star and cannot be inconstant.
Such saints are blessed in death from henceforth. They enter immediately upon the happiness of heaven and that happiness is eternal. It is "from hence forth." Of this the voice from heaven assures us and the corroborating testimony of the Holy Spirit "makes assurance doubly sure." "Yea, saith the spirit." Even so, saith the spirit." There is no possible doubt about it. There is no intervening period of waiting. The saints of God at death enter immediately upon the felicities of the redeemed in the better world. Paul said that to depart this life was to be with Christ which was far better, and that was why he was in joyous haste to go. This voice from heaven assures us of rest without trial in that better country. "They rest from their labors." There is that perfect enjoyment that comes of perfect being in a perfect world.
And this felicity and security with God in heaven is the reward of their faith and service. Their works do not precede them as a ground of salvation, but they follow in consequence, and as a reward of holy living. Salvation is the free gift of God to all on the ground of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, but the good works that come in consequence, the sacrifices made, the sufferings endured in patience for Christ's sake, are an acceptable offering to God, and become the Saint's reward, his treasure in heaven. Their works follow them in attestation of the genuineness of their faith, and their eternal honor. "Faith without works is dead, being alone."It is faith in Christ's atonement that saves, faith alone, but not the faith that is alone. It is proved by obedience and good works. A true, saving faith seeks how much, not how little it can do in attestation of the genuineness. The Christian thus leaves an immortal legacy to the world. It is the power of a well-spent life. "Their works do follow them." The influence of their labors of love and works of mercy and benevolence are a lasting power for good. The church, the community, the family rise up to call them blessed, and the voice from heaven corroborates the verdict.
And what a priceless legacy has our sister left us in the memory of her testimonies and deeds of love, it is her beautiful life that makes her testimonies precious and powerful. Her passive virtues have been developed to an eminent degree by endurance of suffering, for suffering has been largely her lot in consequence of seasons of illness, and latterly of the unfortunate accident of a broken limb. But she bore all of these sufferings, together with the sorrow of the loss of friends and near relatives with that fortitude and faith and patience that characterizes the true saint of God. Nor did she become selfish in her sorrow, for she was never too ill or too feeble to think of the sufferings and needs of others, and to plan ways of doing good. In her sufferings and consequent restlessness she has ever found sympathetic helpfulness and tenderest care in the dear daughter who mourns her loss to-day, and who, in the past years and months is a part of her ministrations, has often held her hands to induce repose and sleep. During this last illness she read to her one day a little poem entitled "Hold Thou my Hands." "Mary," she replied, "I don't have to ask him to hold my hands. He carries me right along like a child in its mother's arms. I have no fears, no worries, but I want to tell every one of the anchor that holds.
She sent the following testimony to the prayer-meeting: "My fear is all gone and this deliverance came to me without even asking for it. I am at rest. It seems as though I was being carried. I can hardly pray. It is all done for me. I don't have to pray. I never enjoyed such rest in him as on this sick bed. Tell the young people especially that it pays to live a Christian life."
Among her leading characteristics I may mention fortitude, loyalty to principle, loyalty to her church, uprightness in life and strict integrity in business. Her offerings for the sanctuary were sent if she was not able to bear them herself. It is not necessary for me to mention her benevolence as voices from all points of the compass unite in testimony of her unselfish bestowments of aid in money and in the various ways that love could desire. How many have lost a helpful friend to-day? And much of her benevolence was made possible because of her self-denial. She was a good steward of her Lord's goods. She practiced economy that she might be able to give. It was her joy to deny herself that others might be helped from her hand. She was in deep and prayerful sympathy with all the benevolent enterprises of the church and a regular and munificent contributor to them all.
Nor were her benevolent bestowments confined to her own church. In every good thing at home or abroad she delighted to share to the extent of her ability. The house of the Lord was her delight. She loved its courts, the public worship and the assembly of the saints for prayer. In her heart there was a quick response to the truth, and she fed with relish upon the word. She was the helpful friend of her pastor who bears testimony to his deep personal bereavement at her loss.
The quartet sung, Jesus, Lover of my Soul," and then Rev. L. H. Pearce, D. D., former pastor of the First M. E. church, but now presiding elder of the Geneva district, spoke in part as follows:
I regret that Dr. Houghton has called upon me to speak at this impressive moment. I do not feel that my poor words can suitably express what I fain would say. And yet such have been my relations to this home that it seems appropriate that I should lay the best loving tribute of my heart at this casket which holds the peaceful form of our beloved dead. This place is home to me. Here I have loved to linger. In these rooms my eye falls upon familiar objects. The home feeling comes upon me as I meet here again precious friends that have added so much to my life. I hear in the refrains just sung familial voices that have often seemed to me keyed to heavenly music. There lingers here the subtle, indescribable atmosphere of a loving presence that has always been a perfect benediction to all who have entered this home. How can I speak of her?
Human lives are like mountains. For the most part they are like vast mountain ranges—human lives blending with and resembling each other, but grading ruggedly and unevenly up from the low skirting foot hills into the higher slopes and summits whose undulating crestline extends along the sky, as far as the eye can reach. But here and there are mountain heights, lofty summits that lift themselves above all others in beauty and greatness. One of these mountain heights, one of these Alpine lives was that of the devoted, beautiful, saintly Mrs. Thankful Price. She was not great as the men of the world would call greatness. Hers was the greatness of goodness, hers the beauty of saintliness. Great and beautiful for instance in her humility. She was one of God's lovely saints. The humblest service for her master was honor enough for her. She did the blessed work of her life in the spirit of one who serves and serves joyfully. In her humility it was her joy to do as Christ would have her do. It was her only anxiety to know his will. She as dearly as any one we ever knew fulfilled the idea of that lovely book, "In His Steps," for she ever asked, "What would Jesus Do?" Her piety was indeed of the cheerful stamp. Its radiance shone in her face, sparkled in her words and breathed in her spirit.
Then I think she knew much of the best of faith. That was a beautiful and characteristic incident, related a few moments ago by her pastor, about the Lord holding her. She did not have to struggle to her place, nor struggle to retain it. She simply rested, and the secret of her resting was the fact that she loved to be with her Lord. A minister once said to his little girl who had crept into his study: ''What do you want, my child?" She replied "I don't want anything, only to be with you, papa." Our sister, this loving child of God, had earned the rest and joy of being with her heavenly Father. She has now entered upon the full fruition of that blessedness, "Forever with the Lord."
The ending of this simple, beautiful, saintly life has brought deep shadows upon us, but in the darkness of our bereavement we gain views of the spiritual and eternal that we do not ordinarily have, even as the night brings out stars. An hour ago I stood and talked with a man upon whom freshly rests the sorrow of his life and he told me how in the gloom in which he is walking he has a sight of spiritual and divine things of which he never before even dreamed. Ah, how deep and clear become our conceptions of God and heaven at moments like this. Dr. Parker once sat on the prow of a vessel on the Atlantic as the evening shades were gathering. He was wrapt [sic] in meditation as he looked at the restless billows below and the deep blue sky above. Some one said to him: "Dr. Parker, what do you see?" "I see nothing but God" was his reply. If we are spiritual at all in our reflections at this moment we should see nothing but God. By all the lessons of this hour and all the spiritual influence that touch us now, I call upon you to make sure of the Kingdom of God and presence of his glory. Good bye dear, loving, beautiful, faithful friend, we shall not nee thee attain till we go to join thee in the sight of the beatific vision of God in the skies.
The services closed with the singing of "Sweeping Through the Gates." All the pieces sung were selected by Mrs. Price in the early part of her illness, they being special favorites with her.
The bearers were all nephews of Mrs. Price as follows: Ernest I. Edgcomb of Syracuse. Fayette Spencer of Fairfield, Ia., Wilbur Spencer of Marathon, Lynn Spencer of Virgil, Lynn Adamy of Geneva and Malden R. Spencer of Killawog.
Mrs. Price is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Isaac Edgcomb and Mrs. William Stacey, both of Cortland, and all that remain of a family of eight children.
She had four children, three of whom died in infancy, and the fourth, Spencer Price, died in 1878, two years after his graduation from Syracuse university. His wife, who is now Mrs. F. E. Tower of Brooklyn, was with Mrs. Price before her death and had always been very near to her. But for the past thirty-two years her daughter in fact has been Miss Mary Oday who loved her as an own mother and in return received a mother's love, and who did for her everything that a daughter could possibly do.
BREVITIES.
—A nice shower this morning, but the weather continues chilly and fires are an absolute necessity.
—Regular meeting of Tent No. 804 tonight at 8 o'clock. All members are requested to be present.
—The Wide Awake Literary club will meet at the home of Mrs. William Schenck on Hamlin-st. this evening, May 16.
—The residences of Rev. John T. Stone, Silas W. Sherwood and Arthur F. Stilson have been connected with the telephone exchange.
—A large number of Cortland people went to Marathon this morning to attend the annual meeting of the County Y. P. S. C. E.
—All milk producers will be interested in a notice posted at Seller Brothers' milk station at McGraw which is today found in our McGraw letter.
—Cortlandville lodge, No. 470, F. & A. M., will hold a regular communication this evening when the third degree will be conferred. An official visit is expected from District Deputy Grand Master J. T. Durham of Oneida.
—There is said to be a possibility that Wagner parlor and sleeping cars may supercede Pullman cars on the D., L. & W. R. R. in the near future as the Pullman contract is soon to expire and as the road is now practically a Vanderbilt road.
—Dr. E. M. Santee has received from the former publishers of the Syracuse Standard their check for $750 in full settlement of the damages sought through the action for libel which was on the calendar for trial at this term of the supreme court.
—There was only a small audience at the Opera House last night to see "The Burglar" presented by the Madison Square company, but those who were there enjoyed the entertainment very much indeed. The company was an excellent one and the play was well staged. The plot was realistic and the general effect was fine.
—New display advertisements to-day are—L. N. Hopkins, Tested seeds, page 7; D. E. Shepard, Ladies' furnishings, page 6; D. McCarthy, High class dress goods, page 4; Bennett's, Bicycles, right wheels at right prices, page 7; M. A. Case, New wash skirts, page 6; Glann & Clark, Rough Rider shoes, page 8; Dey's, Midsummer millinery opening, page 7.
—The work of lowering the sidewalk in front of the Messenger House to the new grade of the paved street which is also about the original grade of a decade ago is in progress. This will give the hotel some cellar windows once more and admit light there. These were stopped up to within about two inches of the top by the raising of the walk some years ago.
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