The Cortland Democrat, Friday, June 9, 1899.
AMBER, N. Y.
In our issue of last week we tried briefly to mention some portions of the early history of the town of Otisco, and also to refer to some of the representative men of the present day. The article last week was reserved for Otisco Center mainly, and we now desire to speak of Amber and vicinity. Amber is a pleasant little village located at the foot of Otisco lake and comprises a population of nearly 800 people. It is within the town of Otisco, but is four miles distant. The road leading from Amber to Otisco Center is hilly in the extreme, and no great amount of travel is seen between the two places. The approach to Amber from the south is along the shores of the beautiful Otisco lake and is a very desirable route for sight seers. The business of the village consists of two flourishing stores, a first-class hotel, a machine shop, and harness and shoe shop.
The village of Amber is only eight miles distant from Marcellus and receives a daily mail from that point.
B. C. GRENNELL.
B. C. Grennell conducts a general store at Amber and has for eight years past. He is a pleasant gentleman and has by honorable dealing built up a very flourishing trade. He carries a full assortment of dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes and farmers' ready-made clothing. He also further enjoys the distinction of being postmaster of the village.
H. S. JONES.
H. S. Jones was born in Lafayette in 1869. In 1896 he moved to Amber and purchased the store, stock and house and lot of F. D. Griffin, since which time he has built up a profitable business among his fellow townsmen.
JAMES READY.
Among the prominent men of Amber we wish to speak with especial pride of James Ready. Mr. Ready was born in Preble November 4, 1861. His early life was spent in his native town. At the age of fifteen years he moved within the boundaries of Otisco. In 1889 Mr. Ready moved to Amber and purchased the Lake house, which he has since conducted. This house is finely situated upon main street in close proximity to the lake, and commanding a fine view of the surrounding hillsides. The house is finely furnished and in every way a desirable home for boarders. The scenery at this place during the summer months is grand, and annually a large number of people avail themselves of the accommodations of this house and enjoy the refreshing breezes of the beautiful Otisco lake and the balmy air of the surrounding hillsides. The menu, which is under the immediate care of Mrs. Ready, is equal to that found in any hotel in the county. Especial attention is given to summer boarders, and Mr. Ready's prices are within the reach of all. A fine bar is attached where the choicest wines, liquors and cigars can always be found. A long distance telephone is located in this hotel for the convenience of guests. Mr. Ready is also largely interested in the sale of various lines of wagons, etc., and enjoys to the fullest extent the respect and esteem of his fellow townsmen. He runs an excellent livery in connection with the hotel.
WILLIS KENYON.
Willis Kenyon conducts a general machine shop, and manufactures a large number of pumps, also steam engines, both stationary and portable. General custom machine work is also done by Mr. Kenyon at reasonable rates.
HENRY STREETER.
Henry Streeter has been for some time the agent of the Osborne M'f'g company and has built up a profitable business among the surrounding farmers. He also conducts a harness shop, where repairs of all kinds are made.
WILLIAM LAMB.
Wm. Lamb owns and conducts a very pleasant boarding house upon the banks of Otisco lake. He has several cottages which he rents by the week or month to parties desirous of a summer outing. He also owns a fine line of boats which can be leased at reasonable rates.
HENRY KINNEY.
Among the representative men of the village of Amber we desire to speak of Henry Kinney, who for some years has enjoyed the distinction of justice of the peace. Careful and considerate in his decisions, Mr. Kinney has won the esteem of his fellow townsmen.
WHEELER H. WHITE.
Among the older men of Amber and vicinity we mention with pleasure Wheeler H. White, who is a carpenter and joiner by trade, and still can be found working in his chosen vocation.
UNION CHURCH.
Only one church can be found in Amber and that is known as the union church. Services are regularly conducted by Rev. Wm. Ebert, pastor.
OTHER PROMINENT CITIZENS.
Among other prominent and highly respected citizens we wish to mention John Bishop, Geo. Fitzgerald, Solomon Wheeler and John Van Benthuysen. These gentle men have all passed their sixtieth birthday and have done much toward the present prosperity of Amber and vicinity.
CHAS. STRAIT & SON.
Chas. Strait & Son conduct a blacksmith shop in Amber and enjoy a large trade with the surrounding farmers.
AUSTIN S. GAMBELL.
A few miles south of Amber stands the large grist mill owned by Austin S. Gambell. Mr. Gambell was born in Otisco in 1852 and was the son of Daniel Gambell and a grandson of Squire Gambell, who came from Vermont in 1829, and erected the mill now owned and run by Austin Gambell. Mr. Gambell is one of the prominent men of the town and owns in connection with his grist mill a portable saw mill and steam thresher. A son of Mr. Gambell now runs the stage route between Otisco valley and Preble,
JOHN HACKETT.
About one and one half miles south of Amber on the shores of the beautiful Otisco lake, stands the hotel now owned and conducted by John Hackett. Mr. Hackett was born in Cicero, Onondaga county, in 1852. His early life was spent at his native town and at Marcellus. In 1877 Mr. Hackett came to Amber and took possession of the hotel which he now owns. The hotel stands upon an eminence overlooking the lake. The house is well furnished and finely adapted to supply the wants of summer boarders. The menu is excellent and is under the supervision of Mrs. Hackett. Excellent fishing can be found here at all times. The place can be reached daily by stage from Preble and affords an excellent place for a summer outing at reasonable rates.
PROMINENT FARMERS.
Among the prominent farmers of Amber and vicinity we desire to speak of Solomon Wheeler, John Bishop, Geo. Fitzgerald, L. Tyler Frisbie, E. Rice, John Van Benthuysen and Chas. and Marcus Hotchkiss.
OTISCO LAKE.
Otisco lake originally was five miles long and from one to two miles wide, but in 1870 an artificial dam was built, whereby the lake was raised eight feet. This lengthened it two miles and materially increased its width. Since the lake was raised it has been used as a feeder for the Erie canal. By the building of the dam by the State authorities 1,000 acres of land was submerged and many hundred acres of valuable timber and farm land destroyed. The farmers, were, however, amply paid for all loss and damage. Some years ago a contract was let to build a roadway across the head of the lake, but the work has never been completed. It is, however, understood that the contract for the completion of the work has been signed by a Rochester firm, and the work will without doubt be completed during the present summer. This road will prove a great convenience and will save the farmers of Spafford seven miles travel when going to and from Syracuse.
COTTAGES.
Many comfortable cottages have been erected upon the east shore of the lake and during the summer months are constantly filled with summer visitors. Among the cottage owners, we mention Ridgeway Rowley, Mrs. Van Bergen, Calvin Priest of Cortland, Mattie Van Denburg of Preble, Mr. Allen of Otisco, Wm. Lamb of Amber, and on the west shore we find the beautiful cottage of Mr. Straus of Syracuse.
The beautiful scenery about this lake, the balmy and invigorating air, the numerous springs of ice cool water which rush from under the numerous bluffs along this lake, all tend to make it one of the most desirable summer homes in New York State. The lake abounds in pickerel and other fish, and the forests adjacent afford good sport for hunters.
Preble, N. Y., Addenda.
In our history of Preble two weeks ago we were led to say that Millard Nye worked the farm owned by A. Severson. This farm was for many years the property of Mr. Severson, but was purchased by Mr. Nye three years ago and under his excellent management has become one of the most productive farms in the town of Preble. Mention should also have been made in the Preble article of the fertile farms of W. H. Tully, Smith Wright, Frank Gay, Ezra Wells, Mr. Cummings, the Van Hoesen estate, Clark Van Hoesen, Barnet Cummings, C. J. Cummings and Chester Cummings. These farms are situated on the east road between Preble and Tully and are all well kept and under a high state of cultivation.
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| Fast Mail Train at Cincinnatus, N. Y. |
ERIE & C. N. Y. R. R.
A SUCCESS BEYOND ALL QUESTION.
Startling Figures—Not a Passenger Injured Thus Far—Passenger, Freight and Express Business Phenomenally Large.
On the 28th of April, 1898, the Erie & Central New York railroad was formally opened to its eastern terminus at Cincinnatus, and many readers of the DEMOCRAT will remember with pleasure the celebration given the event by the people of that town on the eastern border of the county, a town which required several hours to reach by team previous to 1898, while now the run is easily made from Cortland in forty-five minutes. So much for the wonderful power of steam.
It is needless to enter into a repetition of the trials and perplexities experienced by the promoters of the scheme to connect Cortland with the Otselic valley, extending over a period of nearly thirty years, as the history is familiar to everybody. What the road is now doing and what the record for the past year has been is of far more importance to live readers of to-day than a research of the past.
When manager N. A. Bundy, to whom more than any other single individual is due the completion of the road, announced its final opening to Cincinnatus something over a year ago, not everybody possessed faith that it would prove a financial success. The writer well remembers the remark made by a well known business man in a town not many miles from Cortland, soon after the opening, to the effect that the new road would not transport five car loads of freight in a year, and he made the emphatic prediction that within three years the rails would be torn up and the right of way revert back to the original owners for pasturage. The gentleman was sincere in his opinion, but his judgment was at fault.
With the view of learning something of the road and of the volume of business carried on between the terminals, a DEMOCRAT representative inspected the line from one end to the other last Saturday afternoon, being accompanied by Treasurer W. D. Tisdale, who has from the first been a firm believer in the success of the enterprise, and who courteously gave the reporter every facility to secure information.
The last time the trip was made by the writer, a year ago this month, it must be confessed that the track was about as uneven as one cares to ride over, the locomotive having the appearance of a boat on the ocean wave during a heavy sea. Although the roadbed would not now allow the running of an Empire State express over it, a decided improvement has been made, the run of nineteen miles, including stops, being made in about forty-five minutes. The stations at McGrawville, Solon, East Freetown and Cincinnatus are neat structures, and ample in size for the present business of the road.
A very important source of revenue is the milk traffic, some 300 cans being daily brought to Cortland and sent to New York over the Lehigh. Milk stations are located at Solon, East Freetown and Cincinnatus, and foundations are now being built for stations at Willet and Maybury's Mills. These will increase the milk transportation very materially. Manager Bundy has also discovered considerable timber along the line, and for the convenience of shippers he has caused side tracks to be laid whenever needed for the placing of cars to be loaded with lumber. Two car loads of stock are shipped every week, which with merchandise and farm produce brings in a source of revenue that is surprising.
The west bound freight, however, is but a small part of the business. To show the extent of the traffic over the Erie & Central New York, we quote a few figures that will astonish our readers. During the month of March the amount of freight forwarded from Cortland alone was 1,920,693 pounds, or nearly one thousand tons. Of this amount 1,868,280 pounds went through to Cincinnatus and 57,413 pounds to way stations. In April 1,215,168 pounds was sent eastward from Cortland, 1,074,410 pounds going to Cincinnatus and 140,758 pounds to way stations. In February 1,197,432 pounds were shipped from Cortland to Cincinnatus and 95,429 pounds to way stations.
The passenger traffic also exceeds the anticipations of the management, large numbers of people taking the ride to Cincinnatus for recreation, in addition to the patronage of the people who live along the line.
Two mails each day are taken over the road, and Cincinnatus is brought into communication with the outside world, a condition in pleasing contrast with the old-time methods of stage routes. The people along the line can leave their homes in the morning, come to Cortland, go to Syracuse and spend several hours, and arrive home again early in the evening.
A new industry that will be given an impetus by the new road will be the raising of cabbage in the Otselic valley and along the line. Hitherto there has been but little cabbage raised in that locality, the long cartage preventing satisfactory returns. This year it is said that several hundred acres of this product will be raised and shipped over the E. C. & N. Y.
The success of the road has been phenomenal, and its future prospects are very flattering, for the reason that business all along the line will steadily increase. And the future growth of Cincinnatus and other towns along the line depends in a great measure upon the success of the road. The present officers of the company are as follows:
President—Chas O. Scull of Baltimore.
Vice President—N. A. Bundy.
Secretary—H. M. Kellogg.
Treasurer—W. D. Tisdale.
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| Jacob Gould Schurman. |
Washington Letter.
(From our Regular Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, D. C , June 5.—Mr. McKinley has given the country another exhibition of a lightning change of mind. After allowing those who talked with him during several days to get the impression that he was about to call for volunteers for the Philippines, he suddenly changed his mind and announced that the cabinet had decided not to call for volunteers, but to replace the volunteers now in the Philippines with regulars, and to authorize Gen. Otis to enlist natives. It is believed that the principal factor in bringing about this lightning change, was a cablegram from Prof. Schurman, president of the Philippine commission, containing a fairy story announcing the early surrender of Aguinaldo. Similar fairy stories by the same author were the basis of the hope of early peace indulged in by the administration some weeks ago. The rainy season, which lasts three months, is on in the Philippines, making it impossible for Gen. Otis to worry Aguinaldo much for that length of time. That's why no early surrender is at all probable.
Representative Gordon of Ohio talks interestingly of the political situation in his state. He said: "Whoever thinks the Republicans are invincible in Ohio, this year, will be badly fooled. There never was a time when the party was so badly split by factional dissensions, as now, and if the Democrats are awake to their opportunity, they will beat Senator Hanna's candidate for governor. I have no idea who will be named as the Democratic candidate, but we have plenty of good material to draw from. Ohio is naturally Republican, but the people do not take kindly to political bosses, and they are going to show their resentment at the polls this year.
The friends of Representative Sherman of New York are claiming that he was buncoed by the Henderson-Sherman speakership combine into which he entered a short time ago, and there appears to be foundation for the claim. The combine has made Henderson the only Western candidate for speaker and given him an apparent walk-over for the speakership. It is intimated that it was formed to do that very thing, and that the administration was a party to it, having decided that Sherman's friendship for Reed, and Reed's influence over him, made him undesirable speakership timber. There may, of course, be a slip up in the programme, but it is the general impression in Washington that Henderson has the speakership clinched, and predictions are freely made that Sherman will find it advisable to withdraw in Henderson's favor, long before congress meets, in order to get Payne's place at the head of the ways and means committee, which carries with it the floor leadership of the party. The withdrawal of Hopkins in favor of Henderson is beloved to have been the work of Joe Cannon, who wants his old place at the head of the committee on appropriations, and has probably been promised it, although some say that Hopkins is after the ways and means committee for himself.
HERE AND THERE.
The village assessors have begun their annual still hunt.
Don't catch bass until next Thursday, June 15. It's $25 before that date, and everything free after.
The difference between some men and women is, men don't paint their faces and women don't paint the town.
The banks of Cortland will on and after July 1 close at 8 o'clock in the afternoon.
W. E. Pratt has opened a stockbroker's office over Brown's drug store.
Nearly all the churches in Cortland will hold Children's day exercises next Sabbath.
The bicyclist who hasn't a sidepath badge on his wheel is beginning to be considered behind the times.
A graphophone concert will be held in the Y. M. C. A. rooms this evening, the admission fee being ten cents.
The sidepath from Cortland to McGrawville was finished last Saturday night, and it is said to be one of the best in this section.
Last year the village board began advertising for paving bids July 15. This year they begin this week, over a month earlier than 1898.
F. P. Saunders has erected a very handsome barn on his lot in Clinton-ave., and has the foundation for his new house nearly completed.
No Republicans were injured in a rush for enrollment in this village Monday. But few seemed to care whether names were on the roll or not.
The Loyal Circle of Kings Daughters will meet with Mrs. J. R. Birdlebough, 73 Homer-ave. this afternoon at 3 o'clock. A large attendance is requested.
Chief of Police Parker did a good job Sunday morning when he broke up a gang of youthful card players. They were let off with a reprimand by the police justice.
The maple tree worm is getting in its fine work in Cortland. Thousands of them are seen crawling up the trunks of trees and they put in ten full hours at hard labor.
Rev. Jesse A. Hungate, who has been pastor of the Baptist church at Homer for several years, tendered his resignation last Sunday morning, to take effect about September 1.
The annual session of the Cayuga association of Universalists, held in Cortland Wednesday and yesterday, was extremely interesting to all present. The attendance was affected by the heat, yet the church was quite well filled. A more extended report of the meetings will be given next week.
The Cincinnati Times has been in existence just one year, and it is the healthiest yearling one often sees. Mr. Blanchard has the happy faculty of getting all the news and of putting it into the most readable shape. Like the Cincinnatus railroad, the Times is a success, and Mr. Blanchard has our hearty congratulations as a meager reward for his efforts.
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