MAZET INVESTIGATION, LATHROP-MAYCUMBER WEDDING, AND FIREMEN AT ITHACA

 

Harper's Weekly, Sept. 7, 1899.

Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, August 3, 1899.

DIVING STILL DEEPER.

The Mazet Investigation Going Further Than Anticipated.

LEGISLATION WILL BE ASKED FOR.

Every Member of the New York City Council Has Been Subpoenaed to Appear Before the Committee and Show Cause Why They Should Not Be Removed.

   NEW YORK, Aug. 3.—The most interesting thing developed in connection with the Mazet investigating committee was the fact that every member of the municipal council had been subpoenaed for the purpose of determining why the present city legislative body should not be abolished. Charles F. Dillon of the staff of Mr. Moss, attorney of the Mazet committee, attended the meeting in the municipal assembly and served the subpoenaes. With each subpoena was this letter:

   "Dear Sir—I am much impressed with the reasons as published in the city record which are given for not adopting the resolutions to issue bonds for street paving. You will be subpoenaed to appear before this committee at 11 a. m. on Thursday and will be treated fairly and courteously. The assembly will be urged to convene and legislate against the municipal assembly and I desire that your side of the controversy shall be correctly presented. FRANK MOSS."

   The swirl of forces at the investigation was largely around the dock department. The principal witness was Charles F. Murphy, treasurer of the dock board. He was on the stand nearly two hours and was asked many questions by Mr. Moss as to why the dredging firm of Morris & Cummings had been awarded so many contracts and why few firms interested in dredging work were willing to compete against this company. Interesting evidence was also elicited tending to show that the Uvalde Asphalt company obtained the lion's share of the dock board's contracts for asphalt pavements.

   Just before the adjournment the question of influences and methods connected with the changing of the motive power on different street railroads came before the committee, James B. Keating, commissioner of highways, and John Beaver, treasurer of the Third avenue road being on the witness stand. Nothing of importance, however," was elicited from these witnesses before the adjournment.

 

FUTURE OF CHINA.

The United States Could Settle England's Trouble With Russia.

   NEW YORK, Aug 3.—The Journal of Commerce publishes an interview with Archibald Little, a traveler in China and an authority on Chinese affairs, and who now is on his way home to England from China. Touching the present aspect of affairs in the Middle Kingdom, Mr. Little is quoted as saying:

   "I think public opinion here has somewhat misapprehended the scope and character of the so-called Anglo-Russian agreement. It does not realty involve any concession on the part of Great Britain to the sphere of influence, a policy to which every British merchant in China is as much opposed as our friends of the United States can possibly be.

   "None of us can be blind to the fact that the Russianizing of the whole Chinese province of Manchuria is simply a question of time. I don't think there need be any talk of war in dealing with this question. When the powers chiefly interested serve notice on Russia that she has gone far enough she will stop. If she ever gets to Peking, as she certainly will if let free to do as she pleases, nobody will be more astonished than the Russians themselves. It is here that it seems to me that the United States might perform a valuable service, not only to its own commerce, but to that of the rest of the world. Occupying the position of a friend, both of Russia and Great Britain, your government might properly use its influence to effect some adjustment between the conflicting policies of these two powers."

 

JIMTOWN'S CONVERSIONS.

A Church at St. Joseph Where Slaves Got Religion Under Orders.

   Jimtown is not on the new map of Missouri. Before the war it was the only suburb of St. Joseph. It was a stone building back in the woods from the big road. At certain seasons it was occupied five days in the week as a schoolhouse. It was for rent on Sunday to any denomination that wanted it for church purposes.

   But the original purpose of the building was to have a place to convert negroes who were hired out by their owners. There were several plantations in that neighborhood on which negroes from Virginia and Maryland were colonized. A few men owned nearly all the slaves in the country and let them to people who were not financially able to own such property or who found it cheaper to hire than own.

   Whatever crime was committed in St. Joseph or its county at that time, was always charged to a negro, and if an arrest was made the negro suffered, and so did his master, for the latter went to the slave's rescue from a mercenary more than any other motive. And thus in hiring help the question came to be asked, "Is your negro honest?" The simple affirmative averment of the owner was not sufficient. It was necessary for him to add, "He is not only honest, but got religion at Jimtown," mentioning the date. Sometimes an overparticular employer would ask who conducted the meeting, for there were a few preachers in the community whose reputations were clouded by suspicious circumstances which had not been explained.

   This was what suggested the building of the stone church. It came to be known as Jimtown, because of the unharvested crop of jimson weeds that grew in that country in the early days. It was said that the weeds grew from seed carried by the negroes from Virginia, who believed that the weeds kept off witches. The negro revivals in the Jimtown church usually took place after hog killing time, a few weeks before Christmas. The negro in the first stages of religion was not so apt to shirk work during the holidays or get drunk. That these revivals were commercial affairs in the interest of the owners was shown in various ways, one of which is recalled.

   A white man in St. Joseph wanted to hire a colored whitewasher. The white man was noted for his strong Baptist faith and leanings, and when the owner of the property said his negro got religion at the last Jimtown meeting the employer asked who preached, and upon being told he said, "That preacher's a Methodist." The owner could not deny this.

   The employer wanted to know if the owner didn't have any Baptist negro. The owner had none he could recommend for whitewashing. A few days later the owner went to town and informed the man who wanted to hire that the whitewasher had "back slid from the Methodist church, got religion over again and had been baptized in Black Snake creek on the previous Sunday." The man was hired for a year for $100. Before the contract expired whitewashing business took a drop, and the employer informed the master that the negro had "broke over the Baptist religion" and was no good for work. But the owner was a very wily old Virginia gentleman and had a smart son who was a lawyer. The father and son took the negro to a Jimtown Baptist revival, had him reconverted and rebaptized and sent him back to his employer in St. Joseph with the intimation that if he failed to work it would be the fault of the employer, who still owed half the money for the negro's hire. The contracts usually called for half cash down in the beginning and half at the expiration of the contract.

   Another peculiarity of the Jimtown revival, so far as it affected a colored man's employment, was that it was not warranted unless conducted by a colored minister. At a revival instituted for everybody by a white preacher the latter was informed that he must limit his invitations to mourners to whites. — New York Sun.

 

Orris Won.

   ITHACA, Aug. 3.—The Orris Hose company of Cortland won the hose race in the firemen's contests in this city to-day, time 46 3-5 seconds. The following companies took part in the contest: Independent of Lestershire, 49 3-5 sec; C. F. Johnson of Lestershire, time of run 45 sec., failed at coupling and were ruled out; Conger hose of Groton, 46 4-5 sec. Independent hose of Lestershire defeated Conger hose in the hub and hub race by one-third of a second. The Independent's time was 23 seconds.

 

FIREMEN AT ITHACA.

Convention Goes to Auburn Next Year—Rain Stopped the Contests.

   The Central New York Firemen's association convention at Ithaca yesterday was attended by an increased number of delegates, among whom were A. A. Sager, B. S. Townsend and G. H. Gregg of Moravia; J. E. Eggleston, F. J. Burns, John F. Dowd and D. F. Waters of Cortland; Wm. Stewart, E. W. Hyatt and W. W. Salisbury of Homer; J. W. West of McLean; C. F. Green of Dryden and E. F. Lefier and P. L. McGrail of Groton.

   Auburn was unanimously chosen as the place for holding the convention next year, and it was voted to hold the convention the last Tuesday in July.

   The contests were down for yesterday afternoon.

   Rain interfered with the program. The hose races were not finished and two of four teams entered will run to-day. Orris Hose team of Cortland and the Independent Hose team of Lestershire competed over a three-hundred yard course against time. The Cortland team covered the distance in 46 3-5 seconds. The Lestershires were three seconds slower.

   The grand parade occurs this afternoon and the band contest at 6 o'clock to-night.

   The Ithaca Journal says that a man from Harford, while making his way out of Percy field with the crowd after the Rome-Cortland game, was robbed of his pocketbook containing $15 in cash, a bankbook on a Cortland bank and papers of value to him. The book was in the inside pocket of his vest, the vest was buttoned, as was his coat. He felt a person jostle him, but did not miss anything nor notice that his vest had been unbuttoned by a stranger. He has no recollections of the pickpocket's appearance and hopes simply for the return of his papers.

   The name of the man who was robbed is Martin Yates. He has, since the robbery, looked around the fields, street car sheds and other places near the Percy field, hoping to find his deeds and receipts and Cortland Saving's bank book, but at 2:40 o'clock he had not discovered any clue to the pickpocket or property.

 

Cortland City Band, 1888.

Firemen's Convention.

   The Cortland City band, which is to compete for the prize in the band contest at Ithaca this evening, played several selections on Main-st. on their way to the train this morning.

   About 650 people went from Cortland to Ithaca on the morning trains and the noon train carried about 150 more. The special train which left just ahead of the regular this morning was made up of eight coaches and all were full. The band and delegations from the different fire companies took advantage of this train which would get them to the convention city earlier than the regular train. Two cars from McGraw were attached to the regular train, one of these being the special car for the Buchanan Hose company. This car had a large banner on each side with the words "Buchanan Hose" printed in large letters.

 

Lathrop-Macumber.

   Mr. Jesse Lathrop and Miss Lizzie Macumber were married at the home of the bride's sister, Mrs. George P. Shares, 12 Wheeler-ave. at 8 o'clock last evening. Rev. O. A. Houghton, D. D., performed the ceremony.

   The bride was tastefully attired in white India mull and white satin. The bridesmaid also wore white. The best man was Edwin Macumber, brother of the bride. The bridesmaid was Miss Edith Southworth of Homer.

   The house was decorated with ferns, evergreens, sweetpeas, potted plants and white clover. Many beautiful and useful presents were received. None but the immediate friends of the bride and groom were present. Among the guests were: Mrs. Elnora Macumber and son Merton, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Macumber, Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Macumber and son Jervis, Ellen Terry, Mrs. Augusta Curtis, Floyd E. Mott and Miss Lanelle Minerva Tripp of Dryden. Miss Bessie Sampson played the wedding march. The happy pair left on a short wedding tour amid a shower of rice and old shoes.

 

In the Courts.

   Police Court—Henry Temple of Taylor, public intoxication. Discharged and ordered out of town.

   Before Justice Harrington — James Ryan against Margaret Proctor, action to recover for labor. Judgment for plaintiff, $17.05.

   Olive L. Atwater, landlord, against George Greene, tenant, action in summary proceedings to obtain possession of property. Judgment rendered in favor of plaintiff.

 

Operation was Successful.

   Miss Gertrude Tracy, whose illness at the hospital with appendicitis was noted in The STANDARD yesterday, was operated upon this morning by Dr. Bogart of New York, assisted by her uncle Dr. E. D. Page of New York and by Dr. Sornberger of Cortland. The operation is believed to be entirely successful, and her recovery is expected.

 

THE PAVING WORK.

Italians Began Mixing Concrete This Morning.

   A gang of Italians began mixing concrete for the foundation at the west end of the new asphalt pavement on Lincoln-ave. this morning. The excavation in that street is completed. A large force of men is at work excavating in Tompkins-st., and curbing is being laid rapidly, beginning at the west end. Quite a number of the local laborers did not go to work this morning, but new men are being taken on and the work does not seem to be impeded.

 

BREVITIES.

   —New display advertisements to-day are—Burgess, Suits, page 8.

   —The funeral of Irena Ruth Topping, infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Verne Topping, will be held at 5 o'clock tomorrow afternoon from the residence on Union-st. and interment will be made in the Cortland Rural cemetery.

   —A regular meeting of Cortland lodge, No. 351, Ancient Order of United Workmen, will be held in the lodgeroom Friday evening, Aug. 4, 1899, at 8 o'clock. A large attendance is desired as several candidates are to be initiated.

   —Mahan's twenty-fifth Musical festival will be held Sept. 11 to 15 inclusive, at the Cortland Opera House. The fact of its being the twenty-fifth will doubtless induce extra effort on the part of Mr. Mahan to make this festival a notable one.

   —Mrs. Nellie L. Winters, wife of Clayton Winters, who lives near Blodgett Mills, died yesterday morning from peritonitis at the age of 23 years. Funeral services will be held to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock, and burial will be made in Cortland Rural cemetery.