 |
| Erie & Central New York train near McGraw, N. Y. |
The Cortland Democrat, Friday, November 3, 1899.
BUNDY IS MANAGER.
A TEMPORARY COMPROMISE EFFECTED.
The Erie & Central New York Controversy—A Dual Management Averted—Agreement Reached On Wednesday.
For some time rumors have been current in this village that a change in management of the Erie & Central New York railroad was to take place, and last week it was positively asserted that Lawrence N. Fredericks had been appointed as general manager of the road. A representative of the DEMOCRAT interviewed Mr. Fredericks last Thursday and he emphatically denied that any new appointment had been made at that time, and stated that while a change might be in contemplation, no action would probably be taken at present.
Monday afternoon, however, it was announced that Mr. Fredericks would hereafter perform the duties of the president and general manager, and all employees were so notified.
On the other hand Mr. Bundy had not resigned as vice-president and general manager, and claimed to still have control of its affairs. Mr. Bundy is a gentleman highly esteemed, not only in Cortland, but all along the line of the road, for it is safe to say that but for him Cortland and the eastern towns of the county would not now be connected by bands of steel. In 1896 Mr. Bundy, whose home was in Philadelphia but who spent his early life in Chenango county and was thus somewhat familiar with the situation as regarded the Cincinnatus railroad, took hold of the enterprise, and by indomitable pluck and energy succeeded in pushing the road to completion. For three years he has devoted his entire time to the work of construction and fostering business enterprises along the line, and it is said he has also invested quite heavy financially in the road. Whatever the dual outcome of the unfortunate controversy may be, Mr. Bundy will always enjoy the respect and good will of Cortland and the towns benefited by the railroad.
On Wednesday a compromise was affected by which Mr. Bundy is to retain the office of general manager during the term for which he was elected, and by that time it is possible a readjustment of the road's affairs may have taken place.
Mr. Fredericks is a gentleman who is fully versed in railroad matters, having been connected with the Pennsylvania system, and he has also served as general manager of an elevated railroad in Baltimore. He will remain in Cortland as the personal representative of President Scull.
On account of the new time table soon to take effect on the Lehigh road, several important changes will necessarily be made on the E. & C. N., the most important of which will be the headquarters of the trainmen at Cincinnatus over night instead of at Cortland.
Cannot Vote.
Women cannot vote at the election next Tuesday for school commissioner, as has been contended. Under the present ballot law, if this had been attempted, grave complications would have probably arisen, as with the blanket ballot there would have been no feasible way to restrict their vote to the one office of school commissioner. Given the blanket ballot, and a moment of seclusion in the booth, and the lady voter would have been able to exercise the right of franchise on the whole ticket, with absolutely no chance of her being detected. A recent letter from the attorney general conveys the information, however, that while the laws of 1892 conferred the right to vote at elections for school commissioner upon the fair sex, the act has been declared unconstitutional by the courts, and is therefore inoperative.
A Mixed-Up Deal.
Several days ago Lewis Rood of Brewery Hill bought a horse of John Holden of McLean, and not having the collateral he gave a chattel mortgage for the purchase price of the animal. The very same day he sold the horse to J. O. Hammond of McGrawville. This style of deal was not satisfactory to Mr. Holden, who learned of the transaction, and he took steps to recover the horse on the mortgage. This in turn was unsatisfactory to Mr. Hammond, who caused the arrest of Mr. Rood. The case came before Justice E. C. Parker at McGrawville, attorney W. D. Tuttle appearing for the plaintiff and Rowland L. Davis for defendant. Mr. Rood decided that the better way out of the scrape was to settle, which he did by paying the claim of Mr. Holden, all the costs, and the plaintiff's attorney's fees.
How We Use Up the Forests.
A cord of spruce wood, the Boston Transcript estimates, is equal to 612 feet board measure, and this quantity of raw material will make half a ton of pulp or one ton of ground wood pulp. Newspaper stock is made up with 5 per cent of sulphite pulp and 80 per cent of ground wood pulp. The best known spruce land, virgin growth, possesses a stand of about 7,000 feet to the acre. Twenty- two acres [of] this best spruce land will therefore contain 124,000 feet of timber. An average gang of loggers will cut this in about eight days. This entire quantity of wood turned in at any one of the large mills will be converted in a single day into about 220 tons of such pulp as goes to make up newspaper stock. This pulp will make about an equal weight of paper which will supply a single large metropolitan newspaper just two days.
A New Hotel.
Readers of the DEMOCRAT vividly recall the disastrous fire of 1897, which swept nearly the entire business portion of the nourishing village of Whitney's Point. The town then supported three hotels, viz: Quick's hotel, the Beach House and the Rogers House. After the fire only one, the Rogers House, remained.
During the past year two commodious brick hotels have been built, the one known as the Griffin House standing upon a commanding corner of the village, directly opposite the postoffice, and it is conducted by Mr. F. J. Clarke, The Griffin is a substantial structure and supplied with all modern improvements. There are twenty-two rooms for the use of guests, all heated by steam. Hot and cold water is carried throughout the house. The building is lighted by electric lights, and it furnishes a very comfortable home for the traveling public. The dining room and kitchen are under the immediate supervision of Mrs. Clarke, and the menu is excellent. A large barn is located just south of the hotel and is well adapted to the needs of the surrounding farmers and the traveling public. Mr. Clarke, by his courteous manners, has already secured a fair proportion of the trade of the town.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.
The Cortland Standard, our great Republican daily, has gleaned from ancient history the uncontradicted fact that Messrs. Beardsley and Childs, the Republican candidates for school commissioner, were at one time teachers, and on the assumption that, once teachers always teachers, they are now truly teacher candidates. The DEMOCRAT, too, has been delving into ancient history and has brought to light the almost forgotten fact that the senior editor of the Standard was at one time one of the great Republican leaders of the county, but were we to apply the assumption once a leader always a leader, would not the present Republican leaders challenge the inaccuracy of our inference?
Granted that the Standard is well informed—and it ought to be—regarding the spirit that has dominated its party conventions. We should like to ask whether the Republican candidates for school commissioner were nominated on account of their active interest in education, or their recent successes in teaching, or whether it was not on account of political partisan services rendered at caucuses that demanded reward in the conventions. Ask the acknowledged head of the Republican party in the county why it became necessary to nominate Beardsley as his successor in the office of school commissioner, and he will smile, blush, close one eye, slide his hands into his trousers' pockets, rock himself backward and forward on heels and toes, gaze heavenward through his binoculars, smile again and any nothing. He has learned that at certain times "silence is golden," and has learned to practice that great political aphorism, "when you have nothing to say, say nothing."
Even Teacher Beardsley would hardly claim that he received the nomination on account of his teaching record, any more than he did on account of the high exaltedness of his character. He knows why he got the nomination, and knows, too, that he wants it for revenue only. Teacher Childs would not claim that he secured his nomination on account of his record as a teacher, any more than ho would claim that he would run the office in the interest of his big brother, the agent of the American Book company in this section, although it might be a convenience to have a school commissioner in the family.
Rumors abundant have reached the DEMOCRAT regarding the Republican candidates for school commissioner, but we forbear labeling rumors as facts, or opening airy themes as established truths, lest we may encroach upon the preserves of our esteemed contemporary.
The Cortland Standard and Homer Republican are chanting in delicious harmony and without a single discordant note, a doleful ditty over the heart- rending canvas of Miss Cobb, the Democratic candidate for school commissioner in the Second district. There are those ready enough to say that when such antagonistic forces are so united, filthy pelf must be the moving power. Shame on such an idea! How does any one attach such motives to such immaculate?
Miss Cobb is charged with being a woman. She does not deny it. Her friends are charged with asking votes for her on the sole ground that she is a woman. They emphatically deny the charge. The DEMOCRAT, in advocating the election of Miss Cobb, is actuated by no spirit of chivalry, but is fully impressed with the belief that she would make a far better commissioner than would Mr. Childs. She is more in touch with the schools as they are to-day, and would devote her whole time to the duties of her office, a fact that could not be truthfully asserted of Mr. Childs. We do not believe that our Republican contemporaries are well informed as to the duties of school commissioner when they affirm that the duties of the office are now mostly clerical and executive. The duties are almost entirely supervisory. The examination papers are examined at the department of public instruction, and the number of teachers' examinations throughout the year have been decreased with the avowed intent of having more efficient work done in supervising the schools. No one would dare say that Mr. Childs could be as helpful to the teacher in the supervisory work as Miss Cobb could be.
The only reason, it may be said, why the sex of Miss Cobb was referred to was due entirely to the fact that it was quietly being passed from mouth to ear that Miss Cobb's nomination was the entering of women into politics, and that a woman could not make an efficient school commissioner on account of the arduous nature of the work. Miss Cobb's candidacy, rather than being the entering of women into politics, is the notice given by the Democratic convention, that the schools must be kept out of politics, that partisanship has no place in our schools.
The DEMOCRAT has made some careful inquiries as to whether a woman makes a success as a school commissioner, and is able to refer our Republican friends to some sources of information. Let them ask Washington county what school commissioner has reached the highest rank in the history of that county, and they will receive the answer, Myra Inglesby, the present incumbent. Let them ask of Oneida county the record of Commissioner Dora A. Davis, who has completed two terms of service and has been again unanimously nominated. They will learn that no commissioner in the state stands higher in acknowledged efficiency, in influence or supervisory work. Let them learn of Cattaraugus county of the excellent work of Martha Van Renssalear, or of Broome of the marked ability of Mrs. Kinskern. Let them ask of Tompkins county the name of the most progressive, most influential and most helpful commissioner in the last two decades, and the name of Ella Gale, now teacher in the Cortland Normal school, will be given.
Away with the trash that a woman cannot adorn the office of commissioner. All Miss Cobb asks is a fair field, an equal chance and no favors or slurs on account of her sex.
HERE AND THERE.
Election next Tuesday.
The annual pew rental at the Presbyterian church took place Wednesday.
There never was a better time to "whoop for Cortland" than the present.
Cortland 18, MeGrawville 12 tells the story of the base ball game last Saturday.
A New England supper will be given in the Memorial Baptist church this evening.
Thanks to the heavy rain, Halloween pranks were few and far between in Cortland.
What a Jolly old planet this would be if every man would act as he thinks his neighbor should.
The Fiske University Jubilee singers will give a concert at the Congregational church this evening.
Cortlandville Grange will hold a social this evening at the home of George Loucks on South Hill.
Communion services will be observed in the Congregational and First Baptist churches next Sunday.
The DEMOCRAT will next week give the official election returns from every town and district in the county.
Halloween was observed by the Congregational society by an entertainment styled "Divination" social.
Mrs. Sarah Fuller has been appointed administratrix of the estate of the late Adelbert Fuller, deceased.
The village board will hereafter hold meetings only monthly, on the first Monday evening of each month.
The south end of Venette st. seems to be a repository for old iron, which possesses more value than in times past. [Reference to burglaries in the vicinity—CC editor.]
Good and judicious advertising in the local papers is worth more than all the fence signs that were ever painted.
Cold weather knocks the vim all out of Cortland base ball cranks, barely a dozen attending the game last Saturday.
Dr. P. M. Neary has purchased of C. E. Rowley the residence No. 17 Tompkins-st., and took possession Wednesday.
The trial of John Truck, charged by the grand jury with murder in the first decree, has been postponed until next February.
Our clothing merchants think "there'll come a time some day" when overcoats will be in demand, and they don't care how quick it arrives.
Turkey dinner will come later this year than usual, the president having designated Nov. 30 as a day for thanksgiving. It's a long time to wait.
Temperance mass meetings will be held in the Congregational church Tuesday and Wednesday evenings next, to be addressed by C. N. Howard of Rochester.
Charles Johnson of Virgil, whoso arrest on the charge of assault was given in these columns last week, was discharged by Justice Harrington, the evidence not being deemed sufficient to hold him.
W. A. Grady of Cortland was up before Justice E. C. Parker at McGrawville last Saturday on the charge of public intoxication, and pleading guilty he was given five days in the county jail.
On Wednesday evening of next week Rev. U. G. B. Pierce will give a lecture in the Universalist church on "With Blanket and Camera in the Arizona Wonderland," by stereopticon views from original negatives. Price of admission, 25 cents; students and children, 15 cents.
The DEMOCRAT is necessarily well filled with political matter this week, but it is good Democratic thunder, just appropriate to the closing days of the campaign. We are liable to devote some space next week to crowing over a Democratic victory on Tuesday, and then our readers may expect a partial rest in this line.
Cortland Souvenir.
"Grip" (E. L. Welch) says that the Historical Souvenir of Cortland will be issued for the holidays and that it will contain five hundred illustrations and the historical sketches of one hundred associations. "Nobody is aware of the great amount of work and expense involved in the preparation of such a publication," added "Grip." There are photographs to be taken and their reproduction on copper. The conditions of the weather are consulted in taking these photographs, with more care than usual. Cortland photographers are putting themselves out to secure the best results.
For example, the problem of obtaining a birdseye view of Cortland was not easily involved. Only one print was available and that was on Prospect hill. Through the kindness of Mrs. J. S. Bull "Grip" and Mr. Hyatt, the photographer, were admitted to the cupola of the Bull mansion on Graham- ave., where the whole village was spread out in the form of a letter U at their feet. By sweeping two thirds of a circle Mr. Hyatt secured nine 8x10 negatives. When these are joined together, he will have a birdseye of Cortland 90 inches in length, made expressly for "Grip," and a copy will with every copy of the Souvenir.
"Grip" is pleased with the support he is receiving in Cortland. In no issue is the Souvenir an advertising project. It is historical—wholly relating to Cortland from beginning to end. It contains the history of every church, social and fraternal association, society, lodge and organization in town. Not a line or cut will be used to destroy the character of the work as a historical production.
No comments:
Post a Comment