VENEZUELAN REVOLUTION, PAVING GROTON AVENUE, AND GREENE FAMILY REUNION

 

Cipriano Castro.

Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, September 12, 1899.

VENEZUELAN REVOLUTION.

The Government's Strength Is Waning and Likely to Fail Entirely.

   PONCE, Porto Rico, Sept. 12.—The steamer Philadelphia, Captain Chambers, from Venezuelan ports, brings news of the spread of the revolution and the waning strength of the government. The insurgent leader General Cipriano Castro has 10,000 men under his command.

   According to the same authority a strict censorship of cable dispatches has been established, mail matter is freely opened, and a close watch is kept upon outgoing passengers.

   President Andrade has purchased a Spanish gunboat, with an equipment of eight guns, for $135,000.

   Sixty-six prominent politicians, among them Senior Hernandez, the editor of El Preganaro, were arrested on Aug. 14 and more than 500 have been taken into custody since.

   A fierce battle was fought on Aug. 23 near Barquisimete, when the insurgents captured 2,000 government troops and secured a large quantity of ammunition.

   Senior Rodriguez, minister of the interior, who resigned on Sept. 6, was arrested the following day.

 

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

   In the Japanese city of Yokohama there is a little American colony of some 50 families, who have undertaken to feed and care for the 10,000 American soldiers who are to pass through that city on the way to the Philippines. The accounts do not state that there is any one family that has refused to take part in the handsome act of hospitality, nor do we read that any person has uttered sentiments of opposition in loud tones. It is pretty safe to wager that if the same matter came before a community of 50 families in this country it would be found that at least the head of one family would refuse to contribute toward such an act of hospitality on the ground of opposition to the war in the Philippines. Whatever may be the diversity of opinion as to the policy of the administration respecting the Philippines, there can be no question as to the devotion and loyalty of our soldiers, and they deserve the good opinion and courteous consideration of all Americans, whether at home or abroad. The question suggests itself, are Americans better patriots abroad than at home?

 

Portrait of Cornelius Vanderbilt II.

CORNELIUS VANDERBILT

Died at His Home in New York—Perfectly Well Last Night.

   NEW YORK, Sept. 12.—Cornelius Vanderbilt, Sr., died this morning at 5:15 o'clock at his home at 57th-st. and Fifth-ave., this city. There were with him at the time of his death, his wife, his daughter Gladys, and Reginald, his youngest son.

   Mr. Vanderbilt arrived at his Fifth-ave. home from Newport with Mrs. Vanderbilt at 9 o'clock last night. He appeared in excellent health and spirits and retired soon afterwards. About midnight he was seized with a serious attack and the household was aroused. Telegrams were sent to Dr. Walter B. James of 17 West 54th-st., Dr. Janeway and several other physicians who arrived in a short time. Everything possible was done for the patient but he grew rapidly worse and died at 5:15 o'clock.

   Mrs. Vanderbilt and her daughter Miss Gladys are prostrated by the shock and physicians are attending them.

   Cornelius Vanderbilt was the eldest son of the late Wm. H. Vanderbilt and was born at Staten Island, Nov. 27, 1843. Wm. H. Vanderbilt, his father, was at that time a farmer, and Cornelius at the age of 10 left school and secured a place as messenger in the Shoe & Leather bank. His grandfather, the commodore, learning of this sent for him and asked him why he had not applied to him for a place.

   "Because I did not want to ask you for anything," was the reply. This pleased the commodore and it is said that he made a codicil to his will a few days later leaving $1,000,000 to his grandson.

   Cornelius left the Shoe & Leather bank to go into the employ of Kissam Bros., bankers, but later his grandfather asked him to enter the railroad service. The young man was making $60 a month and declined to leave his place unless he got more money. He was given $65 and accepted it. He was then about 21 years old. The first place given to him was that of assistant treasurer of the New York and Harlem railroad. His rise was rapid and he succeeded his father as head of the Vanderbilt system. He gave to management much time and as chairman of the board was not merely an observer of other men's work, but a worker patiently going through masses of business, applying knowledge, initiative and executive force.

   Mr. Vanderbilt by virtue of his riches and name was invited to take part in many enterprises but he resolutely declined to have anything to do with affairs to which he could not give his personal attention. Consequently his time was much taken up in committee and board meetings. He was a trustee of the Protestant Episcopal cathedral and of several other Episcopalian interests and he gave to each many hours of his time every month. His church and business interests together required him to attend eight or ten meetings a week. He devoted time to Sunday-school work and gave freely to the railroad branch of the Y. M. C. A. and to the work of St. Bartholomew's Protestant Episcopal church in this city.

   Mr. Vanderbilt had few amusements and no hobbies. Under the steady pressure of business and without diversion year after year his health gave way. He had a paralytic stroke in 1896. His active business career closed then. He resigned the chairmanship of the New York Central and the presidency of several of the railroads subordinate to the Central.

   Mr. Vanderbilt went to Europe last spring and came home on June 24, accompanied by Mrs. Vanderbilt and Miss Gladys Vanderbilt, his daughter.

 

Village President Samuel N. Holden.

WILL PAVE GROTON AVENUE.

PETITION WITH A GOOD MAJORITY PRESENTED.

Desire a Pavement from Main-st. to Otter Creek Bridge, and a Large Majority Prefer Asphalt—Public Meeting Appointed Oct. 3—Doings of the Board of Village Trustees—Collector's Bond Filed.

   There was not a vacant aldermanic chair when the [Cortland] board of village trustees was called to order last night by President Holden. After the ordering of a number of sidewalk repairs, the bond of Tax Collector S. P. Bulkley with the following sureties was approved: E. M. Santee, H. L. Bronson, F. P. Saunders, S. N. Holden, A. D. Wallace, C. F. Brown, John Miller, A. S. Brown, H. F. Bingham and H. M. Kellogg. Mr. Bulkley was given his warrant for the collection of the village taxes.

   J. P. Mahoney who superintended the Railroad-st. pavement for the Jamestown Construction Co. was present in response to a previous request from the board to confer relative to the bulging up of the pavement in numerous places. Mr. Mahoney held that this was no fault of construction, and he believed that the expansion joints are now where they were originally laid, but the sides of the street have raised up by the expansion. He said his company was ready to do anything it was expected to do in the way of maintenance, but he did not believe they were responsible for the present condition of the pavement.

   A petition from a number of Groton-ave. property owners was presented asking that a sewer be laid in that street from Graham-ave. to the Otter creek bridge. This will be referred to the sewer board for proper action.

   Following this came the petition for paving that street from Main-st. to the bridge. The distance is 2,219 feet, exclusive of street intersections, or 4,438 lineal feet. The signers to the petition represent 2,722 feet or 503 feet more than the required one-half. Of the forty signers to the petition, thirty-three prefer asphalt, four prefer brick and three state no preference. The public meeting to hear objections to or approvals of the petition was fixed for Oct. 3 at Fireman's hall.

   The signatures to the petition are as follows: Elizabeth L. Barber, E. M. Santee, Beulah B. Santee, C. O. Smith, Geo. K. Leech, E. W. Bates, E J. Hopkins, Bettie C. Hopkins, Isaac H. Holcomb, S. J. Doyle, L. M. Loope, Delos Bauder, David C. Beers, E. J. Warfield, D. E. Smith, A. C. Gazlay, A. Sager, Chas. Baldwin, A. W. Graham, I. W. Watkins, L. S. Watkins, Geo. L. Warren, Carrie A. Meager, N. P. Meager, Thos. Reagan, Mrs. Sarah Reagan, Chas. R. O'Leary, Josephine O'Leary, George F. Miller, B. A. Benedict, Rachel A. Simmons, A. Donzella Squires, E. M. Watrous, Mary Hotchkiss, E. R. Wright, Nellie M. Buckley, Mary Stuart, Catherine Dix, J. A. Graham, P. Sugerman.

   Trustee Thompson reported as a matter of information that from April 26 to Sept. 1 the village team had worked 118 1/2 days and responded to six alarms of fire and had earned for the village $385.50.

   A number of owners of property on Church-st. were present at the meeting, interested either for or against the proposition to change the location of the west sidewalk, but had nothing to say, as the petition still lies on the table and it is the evident intention of the board to let it remain there.

   Trustee Wood moved that the men at work on the streets be paid $1.20 per day of eight hours, but the motion did not receive a second. He had been talking with a state inspector, he said, who claimed that the village is infringing upon the labor law by working its men ten hours per day. He referred to Ilion and Oneida, where similar action has been taken.

 

THE GREENE FAMILY

Held its Annual Reunion at Willet on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

   The Greene family held its reunion Tuesday, Sept 5, in the grove of A. C. Greene. The day was fine and they began to assemble at an early hour. The usual hand shaking and relating of experiences of the last year was followed by an elaborate dinner at which seventy-three sat down.

   After dinner they recorded their names in the secretary's book and then the assembly was called to order by the president, Willson Greene, and the reports of the secretary and treasurer read. A delegate had been sent by this family to attend a Greene reunion of the Pennsylvania branch held at Clifford. In the delegate's report it was stated that the oldest members of this branch were fourth cousins to them. Doubtless other of that name are more or less remote in their kinship.

   After the reports the following officers were elected:

   President—A. C. Greene.

   Vice-President—Dr. Clark Greene of Binghamton.

   Secretary—A. R. Greene.

   Treasurer—Jefferson Greene.

   An executive committee and a committee on music were elected for the ensuing year, which gathering will occur the second Thursday in August, 1900.

   There has been one death the past year, Orville Eddy Greene of Prophetstown, Ill., and two births, Marie Elizabeth Phillips of Binghamton, and Fred Mintline Morgan of Millerton, N. Y.

   Those from out of town were Dr. Greene and family of Binghamton, Edgar Richardson and family, Mrs. Mary A. Vandyke of Killawog; B. F. Greene and wife, Amburs Greene and wife and Maurice Greene and family of Marathon; Mrs. M. Briggs and Miss Helen Peck of Cortland; Myron Wooster and wife, and Mrs. Theresa Greene of Homer; Mrs. Mary Fish and son of McGraw. These reunions grow more and more interesting every year.

 

Samuel N. Holden.

QUESTIONS OF ASSESSMENT.

Is It Wise to Tax Personal Property and Mortgages?

   Questions of assessment are always of vital interest to every village and town tax payer. Last winter the topic of taxes was more widely discussed and more radically acted upon by the state legislature than ever before. In view of these facts and of the rapidly increasing sentiment and practice against the double taxation of mortgages which obtain so generally throughout the state, it behooves every one of our citizens to obtain all the knowledge possible in these directions.

   To this end President Samuel N. Holden of this village and President L. J. Fitzgerald and Secretary W. D. Tisdale of the Board of Trade, have formally invited Mr. A. P. Potter of the State Tax Reform association to speak upon the subject of "More Equitable and Effective Methods of Taxation," at Fireman's Hall on Wednesday evening of next week, Sept. 20. Mr. Potter will then present the failures of other states in carrying out the general property tax and the changes they are making to conform to modern economic conditions. He will present the changes in sentiment and practice that are so rapidly going on in different cities and villages in New York state, and to which, if Cortland does not conform, results adverse to every taxpayer will ensue.

   A general invitation is given to attend the meeting. Literature bearing upon the question of assessment will be given to all.

 

BREVITIES.

   —The Normal [School] opens to-morrow morning.

   —All candidates for the Y. M. C. A. football team are requested to meet at Athletic field Thursday afternoon at 4 o'clock.

   —Work meeting of Farther Lights society of First Baptist church at Miss Grace Morse's, corner Clinton-ave. and North Church-st., to-night at 7:30.

   —The binder on Tompkins-st. was this afternoon laid nearly as far as the Standard building, and the asphalt as far as the residence of Mr. George B. Jones.

   —Since the last term of court, the attorney's circle at the courthouse has been supplied with new and easy cane seated chairs which makes a noticeable improvement and is appreciated by the lawyers.

   —The northbound train on the D., L.& W. usually passing Cortland at 6 o'clock A. M. did not go north until 8:45 this morning, owing to delay on the main line near New York by reason of a disabled engine.

   —New display advertisements to-day are—D. McCarthy & Sons, Dry goods, page 4; McGraw & Osgood, Shoes, page 5; Opera House, "Human Hearts," page 5; Palmer & Co., Groceries and dry goods page4; J. A. Jayne, Boots and shoes, page 4.