SOME HOPES FOR PEACE, AND SHOOTING CATERPILLARS

 

President William McKinley.

Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, May 24, 1899.

SOME HOPES FOR PEACE.

Philippine Commission Makes a Partial Report.

THE PRESIDENT IS GRATIFIED.

Outlook For a Solution of the Whole Trouble In the Philippines Very Bright—The Recent Conference In Manila May Bear Fruit—All Are United on the Subject.

   WASHINGTON, May 24.—Secretary Hay received from President Schurman of the Philippine commission a long message giving the results of the meeting thus far held with the native Filipino commission sent by Aguinaldo to treat with the Americans. The message was laid before the president at once. He was very much gratified at its contents, which were said to be very encouraging for the outlook that something definite may be accomplished.

   President Schurman reports that the native commissioners will take back to their people the proposition for a form of government, etc., suggested by the American commission.

   The text of the dispatch was not made public and will not be. It was stated on the authority of a gentleman who spent much time with the president, that contrary to reports from Manila, there are no differences of any consequence between the military and civilian members of the commission as to the course to be adopted in dealing with the natives.

 

USS Yorktown (PG-1).

Caring For the Yorktown Prisoners.

   WASHINGTON, May 24.—Admiral Dewey's last concern before leaving Manila was for the safety of the unfortunate crew of the Yorktown's launch held captive by the Filipinos. He has initiated steps that are expected to result very soon in the release of these captives, but it is deemed unwise to make them public in advance of their execution. At Admiral Dewey's request General Otis has succeeded in making arrangements with the insurgent leaders whereby he is enabled to supply the American prisoners with necessary food and clothing.

 

Operation on Queen Victoria's Eye.

   LONDON, May 24.—Truth, in spite of semi-official statements to the contrary, insists that an operation for cataract on the queen's eyes is inevitable. It says: "The queen has just consulted Professor Pagenstecker of Wiesbaden who guarantees the success of the operation and opines the queen will entirely regain the excellent sight she possessed until recently."

 

Queen Victoria.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Queen Victoria's Birthday.

   Queen Victoria to-day celebrates the eightieth anniversary of her birth. In point of years she is the oldest monarch in the world, with the exception of King Christian IX of Denmark, who was born on April 8, 1818. Her reign exceeds in length by many years that of any living monarch. On June 20 next she will have been on the throne sixty-two years. The next longest reign is that of Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria-Hungary, which began on Dec. 2, 1848. The longest reign of a British sovereign previous to Victoria was that of George III. He ascended the throne on Oct 25, 1760, and died on Jan 20, 1820. During the last ten years of his reign, however, he was hopelessly insane, and the Prince of Wales virtually wielded the scepter as regent.

   Queen Victoria to-day receives the sincere congratulations of the people of the entire civilized world on the rounding out of four score years of her illustrious, exemplary, eventful and influential life. And from no quarter of the globe does there go out to her more hearty congratulations than from the United States of America. The past year has seen a great and significant change in the relations between her people and our own. The friendly attitude of Great Britain toward us during the war with Spain checked any possible desire some great European powers may have had to involve us in further complications. And since the war the British consuls in Spain have gratuitously looked after our interests in Spain, pending the resumption of our diplomatic relations with that country. Moreover, the British press and people have vigorously sustained the American policy in the Philippines, have shown appreciation of our military prowess there, and have maintained the right of the United States to an influential place as a world power. Finally, in far off Samoa, Americans and Britons, for the first time since our war for independence, have fought and died side by side. In view of the closer kinship of the English speaking race thus brought about, the eightieth anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth is an occurrence alike auspicious to the American and British people.

   In Canada particularly the celebration of the day will be given an international character by the participation in it of various delegations from the United States. Some questions at issue between us and our neighbors of the dominion, which should have been amicably adjusted ere this, are still in dispute. Our Canadian friends will in time doubtless see their way clear to accept a fair compromise. Meanwhile a mutually satisfactory agreement must needs be furthered by the joint celebrations in the dominion to-day.

 

Admiral George Dewey.

INSURRECTION BROKEN.

Admiral Dewey Gives His Ideas Concerning the Philippines.

   NEW YORK, May 24.—A dispatch from Hong Kong to The Journal quotes Admiral Dewey as follows: "During the year that has elapsed since we came to Manila I have not had one sick day until now. A year is long enough in this climate for an old man, and I am glad to be permitted to rest. On this account I expect to remain in Hong Kong two weeks. That ought to recuperate me. My intention is to spend the time at Victoria Peak, where I hope to be absolutely free from worry. Nobody is more sensible of the kindness of the people who have extended me invitations, but I do not wish for entertainment. My health will not stand it at present. Two weeks of perfect quiet at the peak ought to make a new man of me.

   "I have the greatest enthusiasm in the future of the Philippines. I hope to see America's possessions the key to Oriental commerce and civilization. The brains of our great country will develop the untold agricultural and mineral richness of the islands. We must never sell them. Such an action would bring on another great war. We will never part with the Philippines, I am sure, and in future years the idea that any body should have seriously suggested it will be one of the curiosities of history.

   "The insurrection is broken. There will be no more hard battles and the new era for the islands that was temporarily delayed by the rising will soon begin. Aguinaldo and his generals must be captured, and then the very semblance of an insurrection will cease."

 

SHOOTING CATERPILLARS.

New York Apple Belt Overrun With Insects—New and Quick Method Adopted.

   A Wolcott dispatch to the Chenango Telegraph, Norwich, N. Y., says: This village might well be the center of an active engagement in the Filipino campaign, judging from the constant discharge of gunshots heard on every hand. Every man who owns, [or] can hire or borrow a shotgun, has hired himself out to neighboring farmers to shoot the nests of the tent caterpillar or apple tree worm from where they hang in countless numbers in the fruit trees.

   This statement seems absurd. Nobody ever before heard of sane men going gunning for worms, or the nests of worms, but that is just what they are doing by hundreds throughout the great apple belt. And the demand far exceeds the supply, both in men and weapons, for a relentless war must be waged against the larval enemy or the apple crop of 1899 will not only be an utter failure, but the trees themselves will be destroyed.

   The apple tree worm is not a worm at all, but a true caterpillar, the larva of the coddling moth, generally known as the tent caterpillar. Each tent will ultimately hatch out from 5,000 to 25,000 caterpillars, and as there are from one to fifty nests on a single tree, the necessity of fighting the pests is evident. They prefer apple leaves as a regular diet, but their number is so incalculably great this year that they are found on walnut, oak, elm and other forest trees, besides all sorts of fruit trees. In the forests and open fields they are being left practically unmolested.

   When the nest first develops with the hatching of one or two eggs in March it is not larger than a half dollar. The caterpillars are then not bigger than gnats and the eggs are almost microscopic, but each "worm" begins to eat and spin as soon as born, and the subsequent growth of both caterpillar and tent is marvelous. When ready to spin their cocoons and leave the larval state for the pupa, the caterpillars are from 2 1/2 to 4 inches in length and as thick as a penholder. Millions fall a prey to birds, but other millions do not; and the one great problem now facing the American orchardist is how to conquer this new foe.

   The agricultural departments of both state and nation are thoroughly aroused and bulletins are being showered upon the farmers giving receipts for spraying solutions and other methods of extermination. The leading horticultural societies also are taking a hand in the tactics; but, as usual, it is upon the rank and file, the common soldiery of the farm houses, that the hard work of the campaign devolves. At nightfall the whole country side is literally lighted up with the kerosene torches with which the hapless worms are being cremated, this hour being chosen because the caterpillars have then returned from feeding.

   This process is slow; so shooting was resorted to. Nothing except powder is used, with merely a thickness of oiled paper to hold it in the cartridges. Farmers supply the powder and pay from $1 to $1.50 a day for a lad and gun to do the shooting.

 

Civil War Monument, Major Grover, Church Street, Cortland, N. Y.

DECORATION DAY.

Full Program of the Exercises of Next Tuesday.

   On Sunday evening, May 28, Grover post and Grover corps will meet at 7 o'clock sharp in G. A. R. hall to attend divine service in the First Methodist Episcopal church. Dr. O. A. Houghton, the pastor, will preach the sermon. Memorial day services will be held on Tuesday, May 30, in the Cortland Opera House commencing at 2 o'clock P. M. The Post and Corp will assemble in G. A. R. hall and be ready to march to the Opera House at 1:30 o'clock where the following exercises will take place:

   Music, Cortland City Band.

   Prayer, Rev. John T. Stone.

   Reading—Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, Chaplain H. M. Kellogg.

   Singing , Male Quartet.

   Memorial Day Address, Rev. J. Barton French.

   Singing, Male Quartet.

   Benediction, Rev. W. H. Pound.

   The line will form immediately after the dismissal in the following order and march down Clinton-ave. to Church-st. through Church-st. to the soldiers' monument:

   Marshall, J. F. Wheeler.

   Aids, J. R. Birdlebough, E. D. King.

   Cortland City band.

   Grover Post, No. 98, G. A. R., George W. Wolcott, Commander.

   Visiting Posts and Comrades.

   Grover Post, No. 96, Mrs. Alice A. Hoxie, president.

   Disabled Veterans in Carriages.

   Citizens Generally.

   A halt will be made at the monument where brief exercises will be held as follows:

   Music, Cortland City Band.

   Prayer, Rev. U. S. Milburn.

   Singing, Male Quartet.

   Decoration of monument in memory of the absent dead.

   Address, Adjutant O. P. Miner.

   Flowers will then be distributed to the veterans by the ladies of the Women's Relief corps, after which the line of march will be taken up and move to Cortland Rural cemetery, where the flowers will be placed upon the graves of the fallen heroes by the side of the flag they loved so well and fought to save.

   At the conclusion of this impressive service the comrades will form around the grave of Major Andrew J. Grover, after whom the post was named, and a detail from the Post will give three volleys over the grave. "Lights out" will then be sounded by Bugler J. C. Seamans, when the column will re-form, march to G. A. R. hall and break ranks.

   Grover post extends a cordial invitation to all veterans, including those of the Spanish war, to join them on Sunday evening and also to fall in on Memorial day on the left of the Post, to be seated with the organization at the Opera House and march with the Post to the cemetery.

   The clergy of Cortland, the town board of Cortlandville and the president and trustees of Cortland village are invited to occupy seats on the platform at the Opera House.

   Donations of flowers are again solicited. Those who can spare time are kindly requested to send them to G. A. R. hall, Burgess building, on Tuesday morning, where a committee of ladies from Grover corps will be in waiting to form them into bouquets. All children are especially asked to assist in bringing flowers, even if it be only a few, the act will be fully appreciated.

   Details of comrades have been made to decorate graves in Catholic cemetery, South Cortland and Blodgett Mills. The citizens of Cortland are requested to decorate their places of business and residences on Memorial day, and all are most cordially invited to attend the exercises.

 

IN THE PUBLIC EYE.

Four Celebrated Men all Natives of Cortland County.

   A subscriber of The STANDARD calls attention to the fact that four men who have come to occupy high positions in the government are all natives of Cortland county and some of them at least were boys together here in their earlier days: Former Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont, now first vice-president of the Northern Pacific R.R. with headquarters at New York; United States Commissioner of Patents Charles H. Duell of Washington; Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals of New York State Alton B. Parker, and United States District Judge Edward B. Thomas of Brooklyn. This is a pretty good showing for one of the up-the-country counties.

 

Dryden Springs Mineral Water.

   Mr. Simmons of Cleveland, O., a prominent businessman who has been associated with one of the most successful mineral water establishments in this country, has been secured to take charge of the mineral water plant at Dryden Springs. His experience and ability are such that the development and success of this plant under his management are believed to be assured. The first carload of packages in which this water is to be shipped was forwarded from Philadelphia to Dryden last week. Mr. Simmons and Mrs. Simmons will reach Dryden the early part of June.

   Dr. Nivison's Dryden Springs sanitarium is to open June 5.

 

HOMEWARD BOUND.

Former Resident of McGraw Returning by Overland Drive.

   Wadsworth, Ohio, May 22, 1899.

   To the Editor of The STANDARD:

   SIR—Perhaps the many readers of your valuable paper would be interested to know how we are getting along on our long journey overland from Central Ohio. We left Ottawa, O., on Tuesday. May 9, and stopped with a farmer three miles west of McComb that night. We are slowly working our way through the state east and have traveled 186 miles. The people we have stopped with have treated us well and we are enjoying our trip very much.

   We have come to the conclusion that there are trials and tribulations in this way of traveling. Imagine our surprise at being disturbed from our slumbers at 1 o'clock at night by the rain drops leaking through the roof and striking us in the faces. We had to get up and move our bed to another place only to find that the drops had found another hole through the roof and were dropping on our bed again. I had to put up a canvass to keep the water off.

   Crops are looking well in this state. Most of the corn has been planted and some of it is up. The hay crop looks very discouraging and the price has advanced to $8 a ton for old hay. I asked a man what he would take for a Jersey cow he had tied to the fence. He said "$100 wouldn't touch that cow. We can make sixteen pounds of butter a week from that cow, sir." I told him "she was a daisy" and drove on.

   We came very near being caught in a cyclone last Tuesday. It had been very hot all day and we had to travel slowly. I stopped at a farmhouse to get a pail of water for my horses and to my surprise discovered the storm coming from the northwest. We got into a barn just as the storm reached us. Less than a quarter of a mile from where we were, three large trees were broken off. At Greenwich chimneys, smokestacks and buildings were damaged. Nearly a dozen children were injured by slate which was blown from the roof of the schoolhouse. Six miles south of Akron the storm was terrible, accompanied by hail. The hail stones varied in size from a hickory nut to a teacup and killed a hundred head of stock.

   We are stopping over Sunday with an old German family and they are talking in German and the air is so full of Dutch that I can hardly breathe. Hope to be in Cortland the last of June.

   Yours Respectfully, D. A. THOMPSON.

 

BREVITIES.

   —The weather can't be improved upon.

   —New display advertisements to-day are—Smith & Beaudry, Wall paper, page 7.

   —H. B. Hubbard has sold his house and lot, 24 Madison-st., to A. H. Winchell. Possession to be given July 1.

   —The East End Indians defeated the South End Thunderbolts in a thirteen inning game yesterday afternoon. Score 7 to 6.

   —Earl Yager and Berton Mallery were arrested last night without lighted lamps on their wheels, and to-day in police court each paid a fine of $1.

   —Canastota reports that its Lehigh Valley coal trestle is now taxed to its utmost capacity by the added business brought there from Ithaca and that the railroad company is about to enlarge it.

   —Among the real estate changes of Tompkins county noted in the Ithaca News is the following: "Mary A. Sperry of Cortland to Andrew J. McMahan, property in Groton. Consideration $1,150."

 

To Ithaca by Wheel.

   All those interested in taking a trip to Ithaca by wheel on Decoration day are invited to meet at the Y. M. C. A. rooms at 1 o'clock to-night. Bear in mind that the attractions of the day over there include the Cornell-Pennsylvania and the Cascadilla-Military academy boat races.

 

CAYUGA LAKE REGATTA.

Round Trip Ticket to Ithaca from Cortland on May 30, 60 Cents.

   On account of the grand regatta on Cayuga lake at Ithaca on May 30 the Lehigh Valley R. R. will sell low rate excursion tickets from all stations. Round trip from Cortland 60 cents. Tickets will be sold going May 29 and 30 and will be limited for returns to May 31. To enable the holders to see the entire race from start to finish special observation trains will be run along the shore of the lake keeping even with the boats to the finish. Tickets will be sold for seats on these trains at $1 each and no greater number of tickets will be sold than there are seats on the trains. The attractions of the day will include three races: the Cornell-Pennsylvania race, the Cascadilla-New York Military academy race, and the single scull race for the Charles S. Francis gold medal; also a fencing contest and a ball game between Cornell and Syracuse. Special train from Cortland leaving soon after noon and returning to leave Ithaca at about 8 o'clock. [Paid Ad.]