The Cortland Democrat, Friday, February 16, 1900.
CORTLAND IN 1874.
A CAREFULLY COMPILED RECORD OF INTERESTING EVENTS OF THAT YEAR.
Burglars Operate in the Village—The Building of a New Clerk's Office Was Agitated in that Year—The Cortland Horse Nail Company Organized With a Capital of $90,000—Baptist Church Dedicated—Election Matters—Officers of Various Organizations Elected—A Glimpse of 1857.
(These historical and reminiscent sketches of Cortland events began with the year 1868, and will cover a period of a quarter century, one year's events appearing in each issue. The entire series will form a valuable record and be very interesting reading.)
It was in 1874 that the people of Cortland county realized the needs of a more convenient and imposing county clerk's office, and the newspapers seemed to have had a preconcerted agreement to agitate the building of a new structure that should meet the requirements of the county. As a sample of the many uncomplimentary allusions to the old office we quote from the Marathon Independent as follows: "It seems to us that the Cortland papers are making a great deal of fuss about a mighty small county clerk's office. No stranger staying in Cortland a week, or even two, would find it without some citizen pointing it out. We always supposed it to be a smoke house belonging to some meat market, until told what it was." The matter was precipitated in the board of supervisors by the introduction of a resolution by Mr. Fredericks of Cortland, reciting that "the county clerk's office of this county, by the accumulated business of more than half a century, has become inadequate to meet the wants of the public, and that by its exposed condition is unsafe as the repository of the public records."
It was therefore resolved that a committee of three be appointed by the board, to whom the matter should be referred, to report at an adjourned meeting held November 30. That committee was composed of Mr. Fredericks of Cortland, Mr. Hicok of Homer and Mr. Mallery of Marathon. On December 1 at the special session, the committee presented two reports, the majority report, signed by Messrs. Fredericks and Mallery, recommended that the board cause to be built a county clerk's office as soon as the same could be done lawfully, estimating the cost at $12,000 to $15,000. Mr. Hicok concurred with his colleagues as to the needs of a new office, but submitted a preamble and resolution as follows "Whereas, citizens of Homer have offered to build a clerk's office and present it to the county, resolved, that the present board either accept the proposition of the citizens of Homer, or delay action until some future time.'' The reports were received, but no action was taken that year. The resolution of the board ordering the building of a new office, passed in 1875, will appear in our history of that year in next week's issue.
CORTLAND VISITED BY BURGLARS.
On the night of August 2 burglars made something of a haul in Cortland, confining their work to private houses rather than business places. The residence of Samuel Keator was entered, but the burglars were evidently frightened away, as they secured nothing at that place. At Lewis Bouton's, among the valuables missing was a gold watch and chain, silverware valued at $25, a purse containing $15, a gold breast pin, a pair of boots and a pair of pantaloons. The residence of M. Michelson was also entered the same night and a silver watch and chain and some small silverware taken. Four strangers were arrested the next day at Jamesville on suspicion, and while they admitted being here the day previous, they denied the charge of burglary, and none of the stolen goods were found upon them.
CORTLAND HORSE NAIL CO.
It was in 1874 that the Cortland Horse Nail company was organized, the capital stock being $90,000. Considerable enthusiasm was aroused over the project, as it was prophesied that the factory would be of great advantage to Cortland, land for the shops was donated by the late H. P. Goodrich and others, and during the following year the plant was ready for operation, the building erected for the purpose being the same now used by the Lehigh Valley railroad company as car repair shops. After the Nail company gave up business, however, the building was bought of the receiver of that company by Thomas Smith, at that time of Homer, and other capitalists, and for eighteen months was used at a plant for the manufacture of omnibuses and cabs. The officers of the Horse Nail Company at the time of the organization were as follows: President, Chauncey Keator; vice-president, Jas. S. Squires; treasurer, Wm. Newkirk; secretary, Hugh Duffey; attorney, Hiram Crandall; directors, Jas. S. Squires, E. P. Slafter, Wm. Newkirk, Hugh Duffey, Chauncey Keator, Wesley Hooker, Samuel Keator and Chas S. Chamberlain.
BAPTIST CHURCH DEDICATED.
What is now known as the First Baptist church edifice was completed, and on February 18 dedicatory services were held, Rev. Dr. S. Thomas of Brooklyn preaching in the afternoon, and Rev. Dr. Strong in the evening. Shortly after the occupation of the new church, the old building, which had been moved several feet to the northward, was sold at auction, Adolph Frost being the purchaser at $200, which included the seats and everything else within the building. Mr. Frost, however, had no intention of running an opposition church, and it was torn down, part of the material being used by the new owner and other portions sold.
VALUE OF BOND RECOVERED.
In 1867 the safe of P. H. & D. McGraw at McGrawville was broken open and several thousand dollars in bonds and currency stolen. Included in the booty were $2,000 worth of United States bonds belonging to Wm. Lord. The numbers and denominations of these stolen bonds were sent to banks all over the country and also to the officials at Washington. Some time afterwards one of these bonds was presented to the treasury department at Washington, having been forwarded by Vermilyea & Co. of New York. Possession of the bond was traced back to Wilkinson & Co., bankers of Syracuse, who refused the demand of Mr. Lord for settlement of the value of the bond. Suit was brought to recover, and in 1874 the court of appeals decided the case in favor of Mr. Lord.
OFFICERS ELECTED.
In the list of officers of Vesta lodge, I. O. O. F., elected January 5, we fail to recognize a single name familiar at the present time N. G., G. Sperry; V. G., G. L. Waters; secretary, C. S. Thomas; permanent secretary, J. D. Fredericks; treasurer, J. W. Benjamin; J. P. G., J. T. Pratt.
Cortland Co. Agricultural society, elected January 20: President, Augustus L. Merrill; vice-president, A. P. Rowley; secretary, T. Mason Loring; treasurer, J. C. Carmichael.
At the February election of officers of Lincoln lodge No. 119, I. O. G. T., F. J. Doubleday was chosen chief templar, and Asa F. Robertson, whose sudden death was announced last week, was elected financial secretary. At the August election Howard Harrington was elevated to the chair, and D. Eugene Smith, now principal of the Brockport Normal school, was chosen secretary.
Cortland Co. Sportsmen's club, February 26: President, F. O. Hyatt; vice-president, Irving H. Palmer; secretary and treasurer, Lewis Bouton; trustees, O. D. Owens, John D. Schermerhorn, Henry L. Carpenter.
Cortland lodge, No. 490, F. & A. M.: Master, M. A. Rice; S. W., Dr. H. T. Dana; J. W., I. H. Palmer; treasurer, Jonathan Hubbard; secretary, E. M. Seacord; trustee, W. W. Gale; S. D., Dorr C. Smith; J. D., George Fairbanks.
Cortland fire department: Chief engineer, H. F. Shirley; first assistant, E. M. Seacord; second assistant, B. F Taylor; treasurer, C. W. Stoker; secretary, H. L. Gleason.
ELECTION ECHOES.
At the annual town meetings in February several changes were made in the personnel of the board of supervisors, the Democrats and Liberal Republicans electing their candidate in Homer, and that stronghold of Democracy, Preble, electing J. D. F. Woolston as supervisor. The following were chosen in the several towns: Cincinnatus, F. M. Benjamin, Dem.; Cortlandville, W. D. Fredericks, Rep.; Cuyler, A. Dunce, Rep.; Freetown, Clifton W. Wiles, Dem.; Harford, S. H. Steele, Rep.; Homer, John H Hicok, Lib.; Lapeer, W. L. Chaplin, Rep.; Marathon, Patrick Mallery, Rep.; Preble, J. D. F. Woolston, Rep.; Solon, P. F. Moses, Rep.; Taylor, C. P. Warren, Rep.; Truxton, Dr. J. C. Nelson, Dem.; Virgil, R. M. Price, Dem.; Willet, Samuel C. Dyer, Dem.
Early in the spring Mr. Wiles, the supervisor-elect in Freetown, moved to Cortland and on April 6 a special election was held in that town to choose a successor, Richard L. Dart receiving a majority of 21 over Lorenzo Tarble.
The delegates to the Democratic and Liberal Republican state convention from Cortland were John H. Hicok, Calvin S. Hathaway, Dr. J. C. Nelson, H. T. Nye, Daniel S. Lamont, R. R. Maybury, Hugh McKevitt and F. M. Benjamin.
At the Republican county convention, held October 3, A. P. Smith, G. W. Phillips and D. C. Squires were chosen delegates to the state convention, and Frank Place to the judicial convention.
BRIEF MENTIONS.
On the first of January, 1874, N. H. Haynes entered upon his duties as sheriff of Cortland county, the under-sheriff being W. H. H. Blaney of Homer, with Moses Gale as deputy.
In January the firm of Jones & Roberts, proprietors of the DEMOCRAT, dissolved partnership, Mr. Roberts retiring. In April another change in ownership took place, B. B. Jones disposing of the plant to Amos Roberts and Daniel S. Lamont.
Benj. T Wright began a three years term as district attorney on the first of January, and in the spring he moved from Marathon to Cortland. At the spring term of court Mr. Wright secured the conviction of Lyman Gower for stealing a horse from Calvin S. Hathaway of Solon, and he received a sentence of eighteen months in Auburn State prison.
A remarkable instance of a sudden change in weather occurred in March, 1874. On the 12th of March the snow in this locality was of such a depth that a passenger train became stalled just south of Cortland, and on the 19th, just a week later, a heavy thunder storm passed over this section.
Dr. F. P. Howland, now a well-known physician of Cortland, opened an office for practice at Marathon in April.
J. C. Gray, the jeweler on Lincoln-ave., moved from Marathon to Cortland in April.
Caleb K. Davis, a retired gentleman who now lives in Venette-st, at that time managed his farm near State Bridge, and raised some mammoth strawberries, a local newspaper acknowledging a sample which measured five by four inches.
Among the marriages chronicled in 1874 were the following: June 17, Daniel S. Lamont to Miss Etta J., daughter of Orson A. Kinney. June 17, Frank J. Doubleday lo Miss Libbie Stafford, by Rev. E. C Curtis.
It was in 1874 that the notorious "Tom Collins" joke was traveling over the country, and Cortland wags sent many a man on a wild-goose chase for mysterious "Tom Collins."
Samuel N. Holden, who has for the past year served the village of Cortland as president very satisfactorily, was in July, 1874, appointed postmaster at Harford.
July 18 fire destroyed what was known as the Ballard store-house.
Jarvin Pierce of Lisle, a brakeman on the Syracuse & Binghamton railroad, was killed at Cortland July 27, while coupling cars.
In August Wm. F. Hallstead, who afterwards became the practical head of the Lackawanna system, was appointed general superintendent of the Syracuse & Binghamton division.
C. C. Darby, who lives on Greenbush-st., Cortland, and is mail route agent, conducted a flour and feed mill at Killawog in 1874.
According to a census taken that year by the trustees, Cortland had a population of 3,613.
In October Mell Conger of this village sold a pair of horses to a Syracuse gentleman for $1,400.
A sad affair occurred at Lapeer in October, when a two-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Adams fell into a boiler of hot water end was scalded to death.
FESTIVAL IN 1857.
We are indebted to C. Fred Thompson for the loan of a printed invitation to attend a national festival, held at the Eagle Hotel in Cortland, January 8, 1857, (the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans) "to commemorate the glorious victory recently achieved over the enemies of the constitution and the union of states." The list of committees will be interesting reading, and we give them as follows:
Honorary—Henry Stephens, H. S. Randall, Hamilton Putnam, J. P. Ingraham, A. S. Higgins, Alexis Rexford, George Ross, Ulysses Heberd, Oren Bowen, George Murray, M. Van Hoesen, Wm. Alvord, Col. J. B. Raymond, Lytle Ferguson, Gen. S. G. Hathaway, James Comstock, Abram Aker, John S. Dyer, Joseph Reynolds, Frederick Hyde, M. D., A. L. Ballard, J. A. Schermerhorn, W. O. Barnard, James Cowan, E. C. Reed, Ashbel Patterson, Peter Walrad, J. M. Pierce, Dr. P. H. Burdick, Timothy Green, Col. Wm. Bell, J. C. Nelson, M. D., C. D. Fish, Anson Peck, Thomas Barry, S. R. Griffin, Gen. Roswell Randall, Horatio Ballard, M. L. Webb, Frederick Ives, Hiram Crandall, Henry Brewer, Israel Boles, Gideon C. Babcock, Col. Erasmus Bowen, Ira Skeel, N. Culver, Enoch D. Branch, Edmond Stephens, Wm. Blanchard, 2d, Charles Kingman. Thomas Tillinghast, D. C. Squires, Thomas Wentworth.
Arrangements—Lyman Reynolds, Z. Fairchilds, W. E. Lewis, Thomas Harrop, Judah Pierce, I. W. Taft, Jefferson Kingman, Wm. Benton, Benjamin S. Coe, M. S. Delano, C. A. Kohler, John D. Schermerhorn, Theodore Cornwell, Leander Palmer, A. L. Pomeroy, E. Clark Carley, Albert Dickinson, E. M. Getty, Lewis Barton, Thomas Morgan, H. B. Stephens, E. F. Gould, E. C. Clute, O. Porter, S. L. Thompson, Duncan G. More, Calvin L. Hathaway, Hugh McKevitt, Walter Jones.
Room Committee—Albert Crandall, G. W. Bradford, Giles Rexford, D. K. Smith, H. D. Spoor, Hilton Rouse, Perry N. Emerson.
E. & C. N. Y. RAILROAD.
Annual Election Held Wednesday—Two Tickets Before the Meeting—N. A. Bundy Gives Notice of a Suit Against the Company.
The annual meeting of the stockholders of the Erie & Central New York railroad company was held Wednesday afternoon, and at the election of officers two tickets were placed in nomination, one by Nathan A. Bundv, who represented 2,679 shares of stock owned by the Otselic Construction company and ten shares of his own. The U. S. Fidelity company of Baltimore, however, elected its board of directors as follows: I. H. Palmer, H. M. Kellogg, W. D. Tisdale. C. W. Stoker, H. P. Davis, L. N. Frederick, Chas. O. Scull, F. M. Hall, G. F. McKeogh, H. C. Harden, J. S. Rosenthal and R. D. Lang.
The directors subsequently met and elected the following officers:
President—Chas. O. Scull.
Vice President—Lawrence N. Frederick.
Secretary—H. M. Kellogg.
Treasurer—W. D. Tisdale.
Executive Committee—Chas. O. Scull, F. M. Hall, R. D. Lang, J. S. Rosenthal and L. N. Frederick.
At the close of the meeting, Mr. Bundy gave notice that a suit would be brought by the Otselic Construction Co., W. D. Meserole and Nathan A. Bundy against the U. S. Fidelity Co. of Baltimore and the Erie & Central R. R. Co., to recover on a contract, the trial desired in Cortland county.
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| A Trust Meeting. |
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.
A bill has been introduced into Congress to repeal the National Bankruptcy law. The sponsor of the measure to repeal it is Hon. J. P. Daleven of Iowa.
The Kentucky crisis seems to be over and it is only telling the truth to remark that Governor Taylor had very little sympathy or backing from Republicans outside Kentucky. His methods really stamp him as a rogue, lacking common sense.
Driven out of the Democratic party, and ostracized by decent men, the notorious Breckinridge of Madeline Pollard fame, has found his level as the confidential adviser of a Republican usurper in Kentucky.—Albany Argus. Such advisers may, in a measure, account for Taylor's actions.
If the Constitution can be suspended in Porto Rico slavery can be re- established upon that island. Congress has just as much authority to make laws to introduce slavery into Porto Rico as it has to deny the people of that island equality under the laws of the United States.
If there is not to be American control of a canal, built by America, there should be no canal. Congress has no power to appropriate the people's money towards an enterprise which would benefit Europe as much, if not more than this country, should the canal be kept neutral in time of war.
A New York dispatch Monday stated that Andrew Carnegie has informed Democratic Senators that if anti-imperialism is made the leading Democratic issue he will make a larger contribution to the campaign fund than he ever did to the Republicans, which makes the guesses run up to $1,000,000. He is also stated to have said that be offered to return the $30,000,000 paid for the Philippines if the Government would abandon them.
A dispatch from San Francisco on Tuesday gives another very cogent reason why the United States should abandon its attempt to subjugate the Philippinos. In addition to the hundreds of lives lost in the guerilla warfare, the dispatch states that "during the last three months nearly 250 demented soldiers have been sent across the continent and it is said that over 200 more will soon arrive there from Manila. In nearly all cases the men are violently insane." They are taken to the government hospital at Washington. Will the American people much longer continue to endorse the policy of subjugation?
England, long ago, ignored the Clayton-Bulwer treaty and the English press now has good reason to regard John Hay as a good friend of John Bull when he seeks to deliver the Nicaragua canal, practically, to the English after Uncle Sam shall build it. The New York Sun, a stout administration organ, says that the ratification of the Hay-Pauncefote agreement would be a "stupendous blunder," adding: "All that the new treaty permits us to do is to assume the sole cost and risk of the construction of the canal. What the new treaty preserves in force and actually fortifies is the Clayton-Bulwer provisions for European control of the American canal after we shall have built it and paid for it."
McKinley owes his election to the trusts. The trusts owe their prosperity largely to McKinley's protective tariff. The two are inseparable friends. As a political expediency the Republicans may fire a few blank cartridges at the trusts, but the Democrats mean business. They believe in protecting the people, and that is why there is to be a campaign against trusts. There is no department of industry in which trusts are not throttling independent dealers, destroying competition, gaining control of the market price of the material they purchase and of the products they sell, and making conditions more burdensome in every direction for the people. The people must throw off this bondage or it will crush them.
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| John Morley. |
All Imperialism is the Same.
John Morley, the English statesman, thus strikes home at England and America: "First, you push on into territories where you have no business to be, and where you had promised not to go; secondly, your intrusion provokes resentment, and in these wild countries resentment means resistance; thirdly, you instantly cry out that the people are rebellious and that their act is rebellion (this in spite of your own assurance you have no intention of setting up a permanent sovereignty over them); fourthly, you send a force to stamp out their rebellion; and fifthly, having spread bloodshed, confusion and anarchy, you declare, with hands uplifted to the heavens, that moral reasons force you to stay, for if you were to leave, this territory would be left in a condition which no civilized power could contemplate with equanimity or composure."
HERE AND THERE.
The village schools were closed Monday—Lincoln's birthday.
The Free Methodist church is enjoying a series of revival meetings.
Edward Dowd has purchased the house and lot, No. 71 Clinton Avenue, and has taken possession.
The weather of the past week has been of a nature to cast discredit upon the ground-hog theory.
The Cortland Y. M. C. A. has increased its membership this week by four juniors, one intermediate and twenty seniors.
Did you get one Wednesday? All made out of paper, lace and posies and with little cupids and poetry all over it.
The regular monthly meeting of the Cortland County Ministerial Association was held Monday in the Y. M. C. A. parlors.
The Y. W. C. T. U. had charge of the literary program at the regular meeting of the Prohibition League Monday evening.
A special meeting of the Cortlandville Grange will be held to-morrow evening for the purpose of conferring the third and fourth degrees.
The terms of three school commissioners expire with the charter election in March, as follows; Alburtus A. Carley, N. J. Peck and Chas. F. Brown.
Charles Sanders has taken charge of the circulation department in Cortland of the Syracuse Post-Standard, Asa J. White confining his duties to correspondence alone.
The second ward caucus this evening will witness a sharp contest between the friends of David C. Beers and E. M. Yager, both of whom are candidates for trustee from that ward.
The friends of Benjamin A. Nichols, who goes to Pittsburg, Pa., next week to accept a position, will give him a reception at the Homer-Ave. M. E. church this evening.
The village Republican caucuses will be held this evening from 7 to 9 o'clock, at the following places: First ward, Ritter's barbershop; second ward, firemen's hall; third ward, Wells butter store; fourth ward, Messenger House. The village convention will be held on Monday at 2 o'clock in Fireman's hall.
Last Sunday was a gem as winter Sundays go. The sun shone bright and the appearance of the streets was a strong reminder of spring and Easter time. Large crowds were out for church services and in the afternoon the streets were filled with people in the full enjoyment of the first warm, pleasant day of the season.
There is a demand for old rubber at present, and the price per pound has reached 10c in New York. The reason of this jump in the price is explained to be the enormous quantity of the material used for tires for automobiles and other vehicles, besides that employed for the millions of bicycles in use.
A bill has been introduced in the Assembly which provides that in any city or village of the State, upon complaint of any person that they are annoyed by the continued barking of a dog on adjacent property, a magistrate shall order the nuisance abated, and if it be not abated in five days, he shall order the dog killed. Now if some member will introduce a bill to prohibit the nocturnal yowling of cats and secure its passage, people will rise up and call him blessed.
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