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| American Baseball Lithograph. |
The Cortland Democrat, Friday, September 14, 1900.
MAY WELL FEEL PROUD.
Some Figures—Estimated—of the Cost of Base Ball in Cortland.
President Daniel Reilly may well feel proud of his success in engineering the affairs of the Cortland Base Ball association the past season. That it is no small undertaking, the writer after three years' experience well knows, and certain features made it harder this year than ever before. However, all the obstacles were met by Mr. Reilly in a business-like way and duly surmounted; all players and other obligations were promptly paid, and the business stroke by which the last money necessary to finish the season was raised places the president well up among the successful boomers who make a profession of floating the stock of corporations [when] the chances of return are really small.
Few people have any idea of the large amount of money necessary to keep a team in this league, which is about as fast as the much older Eastern league. Just let us figure it up: When playing away from home we get $40 for each game, except an occasional holiday or when some special attraction is offered in connection with a game, then we get 40 per cent of the gate receipts, which rarely gives us over $60. Half our games are played away, so this sum for the season amounts in round [numbers] to $2,500, which figure is plenty large, for when it rains and we do not play we get but $20 and nothing extra when the game is played off later. A fair and large enough [average] for receipts at home games is $85 each or about $4,500 for the season from this source, which includes gate and grand stand. These are the only visible means of income or a total of $7,000.
It costs, to begin with, about $1,300 a month for salaries or $5,200 for the season. Then $40 each game to the visiting team or $2,200, for we never pay over the guarantee here, except on Decoration day and July 4, and the little extra we then pay is nearly balanced by the days when it rained and we pay only $20.
Then the umpires get $6 a day or $300.
When the team is away we pay the transportation and board. With the railroad jumps in this league it is figuring very conservatively to allow $5 round trip for the transportation of each man and twelve men on twenty-five trips would be $1,500. Their hotel bills are $1 a day and being away half the season or two months would cost us $700. There are many other items of expense, such as advertising, rent of grounds, new balls, uniforms and bats, bus hire in many places to get to the grounds, sending a representative to league meetings, etc., which swells the cost of our ball team to $10,000 and more a season.
Our receipts as estimated are $7,000 leaving a deficit of $3,000. Of this $1,000 is raised by a fair in the winter—where does the other $2,000 come from? Well, it comes by begging, just plain begging. And that thankless task has usually to be done by two or three men and the bulk of it by even less than that. The above figures are by no means official; that is, they are not given us by the officers of the association, but are estimates of our own, just to show, for few have ever thought of what a lot of money it takes to have Cortland represented in professional base ball circles as she has been the past few years.
HELD UP AND ROBBED.
A Commercial Traveler Meets Footpads in Virgil, N. Y.
A bold hold-up occurred between Cortland and Virgil last Saturday night, when S. L. Billings, a commercial traveler from Boston, was relieved of $112 and his gold watch.
Billings has relatives living near Virgil and as he was passing through Syracuse he decided to make them a flying visit.
Accordingly, he came to Cortland on the noon train that day, and hiring a livery rig, drove to the house of his relatives. He stayed there during the afternoon and about 10 o'clock started back to this city to take the 11:33 train for Binghamton.
When he had reached a point about two miles this side of Virgil, he says that two men, evidently tramps, met him in the road and inquired of him the time. He obligingly stopped the horse and pulled out his watch to give them the information they desired.
Just as he did this, one of the fellows pulled a revolver from his pocket, and pointed it directly at him, [shouting] "Hold up your hands." The other fellow had meanwhile grabbed the horse by the bit and Billings, seeing that escape was impossible, did as he was commanded. The fellow with the revolver, holding the weapon in his hand, rapidly went through his pockets. He took from him his pocketbook containing $112 in bills and also his gold watch, as above stated, but fortunately for Billings, he omitted in his haste a ten-dollar bill which he carried in his watch pocket. The men then struck the horse a sharp blow with the whip and ran rapidly across the fields.
Billings, thinking discretion the better part of valor, allowed his horse to run for a distance and drove straight to Cortland having no time to report before taking train for Binghamton.
Sheriff Arthur E. Brainard received a letter from him Sunday morning stating the above facts, and the Sheriff will endeavor to apprehend the guilty parties.
TAX EQUALIZATION.
CORTLAND COUNTY WELL TAKEN CARE OF BY STATE BOARD.
Supervisor O'Donnell's Resolution of Last Year Brings Forth Good Fruit — The County Equalized at $1,342,703 Less Than Last Year.
The equalization table prepared by the state board last week deals very fairly by Cortland county, and the result must be gratifying to every taxpayer. This action of the state board was not secured, however, without cooperation on the part of the supervisors, who have our county matters in charge. On the 13th of last December Supervisor O'Donnell of Truxton introduced the following preamble and resolution, which were unanimously adopted by the board:
Whereas, It appears that the county of Cortland is paying an unjust share of the State tax; that in our judgment the valuation of this county should be reduced, therefore
Resolved, That the chairman of this Board appoint a committee of three, one to be chairman, to present the claims of this county for a reduction in said amount and that said committee be authorized and empowered to take such steps and employ such assistance as to them may seem best and for the interest of this county.
This committee composed of Supervisors O'Donnell of Truxton. Hunt of Preble and Chairman Hammond of Marathon, examined the assessments of the several towns in Cortland county, and they later met the state board of equalization at Albany, to whom they presented facts and figures in substantiation of their request for a reduction in the equalized assessment of this county. The table adopted by the state board, in so far as it relates to Cortland county, is as follows: Assessed value of real estate in 1899, $12,490,986; amount deducted, $1,706,207; equalized value of real estate, $10,784,779.
To show the reduction from the figures of last year we quote the official statement issued by the state comptroller to the board of supervisors in 1890: Equalization valuation, $12,127,482.
This shows that Cortland county secures an actual reduction from the state equalized valuation of 1899 of $1,342,703, which based upon the same ratio of taxation would result in a saving of something over $3,000 as Cortland county's share of the state taxes.
New Milk Deal.
On Saturday last the E. & C. N. Y. R. R. shipped the first milk over the D., L. & W. R. R. The Scranton Dairy Co. have entered the territory along the line between Cincinnatus and Cortland, and we understand will pay $1.05 per 40 quart can of milk up to the first of April, when a further contract will be made for the following year A D., L. & W. milk car was left at McGrawville Friday night, from which place the first milk was shipped to the Scranton Dairy Co. A new milk depot will be erected either at Cornell's or at the Fralic crossing in the near future and it is expected that a far greater number of dairymen will send their milk over our road in the future, and as the milk goes to a large condensery having government contracts good prices are anticipated permanently.—Cincinnatus Times.
W. C. T. U. CONVENTION.
Address Delivered by the President Miss Libbie Robertson.
The following address was delivered at the W. C. T. C. convention held in the Universalist church, Sept. 5 and 6 by the president Libbie Robertson.
Dear Sisters of Cortland County:
"Safely through another year God has brought us on our way." Since we last met in annual meeting one of our local presidents and three others have heard the call "to come up higher" and [to] rest from their labors. To us who remain their memories are fragrant, their earnest loving work will never be forgotten. Not great were they, but faithful. The cause which we love, and for which so many are giving their lives, is advancing. The gospel of temperance is being carried by willing hands to the uttermost parts of the earth. Our fifth World convention recently held in Edinburg was an encouraging one.
Reports which come to us from week to week through our national papers, show us that aggressive work is being done. We rejoice in the safe return of our Y. missionary. Miss Clara Parish, who has given four years of her beautiful young life to this work; and by her wise and unselfish efforts among many strange people has made herself so greatly beloved. Who of us has made even a small sacrifice? Under the skillful management of our capable President Mrs. Ella A. Boole and her efficient helpers our state is taking a high place among the powers which work for righteousness.
New York State like all others is divided into counties of which Cortland, beautiful for situation, the joy of all out hearts, is by no means least. In its valleys and in its hill tops cluster charming villages of various sizes. It also boasts of or laments over the fact that one of its villages has attained to the dignity of a city during the past year. But this is our county, of it we are justly proud. It is an educational center. Happy homes are here but alas, many unhappy ones as well, and the prolific source of this unhappiness is the rum traffic
Dear sisters, this is our field, if we do not till it who will? We are organized for the work. The reports of our superintendents will show us what has been accomplished during the last year. I believe that public sentiment is increasing in our favor and let me say, my dear fellow workers, that just as fast as we actually do something to command the respect of the communities in which we live, we shall have it. Let us not be timid or fearful to undertake any work which shall advance our cause. Remember our motto, "woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt." I think it will rejoice your hearts to know that the curfew bell rings in Homer. While not wholly brought about by the Women's Christian Temperance Union, we are glad to know that the initial steps were taken by them. All honor to the Board of Education which has made it a fact. It is a source of sorrow and anxiety to your president, that so many of the smaller unions are becoming depleted, not so much by death, as by increasing age and infirmity. What is the remedy? We do not want these unions to become extinct. There is only one thing that can save them: the infusion of young blood. How shall we get it? There must be daughters and sisters in this county, who are only waiting for some one to say to them, "The Master is come, and calleth for Thee," when they will gladly arise and take their places among the workers. Who will speak the word? Will you? Would God it might be I. And may God, who can make the feeblest word spoken for him effectual, give his blessing. Let us remember our dependence. "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it."
I would recommend that these smaller unions taken up two or three or even one department only, which seems to them to be most necessary in their locality, and work it to its utmost, taking for their motto, "This one thing I do." I also recommend that the stronger wealthier unions become missionary unions. What more worthy way for a union, which God has blest in its enterprises for putting money into its treasury than to use a part of it to send an organization through the county, to help the weak union and organize new ones? Certainly no union earns money to spend upon itself. I would recommend further, that the unions as far as possible take up contest work. It can be made an educational power in any community. It would urge upon every union the necessity of doing your business in a systematic manner. "Hap Hazard" doesn't work any better in temperance work, than in any other.
First in importance is having a fixed time for holding the meeting, agree as to whether it shall be weekly, semi-monthly or monthly, the second is a good plan, and then hold closely to it. Let no trifle swerve you from it. By no means have your meetings subject to the call of any one person. I fear we often leave too much upon our president. She is a very important person, but the meetings are not entirely dependent upon her. If the time comes for meeting and the president is unable to be present, the vice-president should act in her place, and in the absence of both, one of the secretaries. By no means let the meeting go by. If there are not enough present to do business, hold a prayer meeting, that is always in order, and may be just the thing most needed at that time. It will give an added dignity to your union to meet regularly. The president has been unable to arrange for a complete tour of the county as yet but has been in correspondence with all unions, a one sided correspondence in some cases, as one or two have not even replied to her offer. I will visit, Providence permitting, all the other unions after convention if not as president in some other capacity, if desired. I am hopeful that a generous response will be made to the call for funds, which shall be used for work in the county.
Dear Sisters, we are often called a mutual admiration society. Now much better than that we were filled with wrangling. Let us pray that God's under spirit may take possession of our hearts, that we may be free from unjust criticism of each other, from thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, and that in honor we may prefer one another, and our unions be like Caesar's life "above reproach."
The army canteen is still a menace to our soldier boys. The Raines law is yet a curse to New York state. We are on the eve of another presidential campaign and Cortland has had a city charter forced upon it without even a local option clause in it—but—
Portland Cement Factory.
Information is now given out that the capitalists from Binghamton and elsewhere, who have been negotiating for land at Collins Point, one mile south of Ludlowville, whereon to establish a Portland cement plant, have finally secured the land needed, and that the plant will surely come. Mr. Sherman Collins represents the company in Ithaca, and states that architect Wood will begin work at once on elaborate plans, and the actual construction of the plant (which will give employment to 300 men at the start, and represent an outlay of capital of $250,000,) will be begun next spring. When in operation, the daily output will be 1,000 barrels, thus adding a very large and important industry to this locality. The works, from the nature of the process of manufacture, will be run night and day.—Ithacan.
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| John B. Stanchfield. |
The State Ticket.
The ticket nominated by the Democrats in convention assembled at Saratoga this week is one that deserves the support of every Democrat in Cortland county, for the reason that it was not made at the dictation of any man or body of men, but was the choice of a large majority of the delegates. Bird S. Coler had many friends in the convention who stood loyally by him, as they had a perfect right to do, but when the ballot for a candidate for governor was taken and it was announced that John B. Stanchfield of Elmira had received a large majority of the votes. Senator D. B. Hill, who was the acknowledged leader of the Coler forces, moved that the nomination of Mr. Stanchfield be made unanimous, referring to the nominee as his ''friend of lifelong standing.'' Mr. Coler himself promptly wired congratulations to Mr. Stanchfield and offered his services during the campaign.
While there were differences in the choice of a candidate, the action of Mr. Coler and his friends insures a united and harmonious party behind the candidacy of Mr. Stanchfield, who is one of the brightest and most capable gentleman for the office of governor there is in the state. His record is clean, and that he will be elected is one of the certainties of next November.
William F. Mackey, the nominee for lieutenant governor, was a candidate for the head of the ticket, and it was with great reluctance that he consented to accept second place, but in response to the universal demand of the convention he decided to obey the call to duty, and he was unanimously nominated for lieutenant governor. The remainder of the ticket is composed of excellent men, John T. Norton of Rensselaer being the nominee for secretary of state, Edward S. Atwater of Dutchess for comptroller, John B. Judson of Fulton for treasurer, Thomas F. Conway of Clinton for attorney general, and Russell R. Stuart of Onondaga for engineer and surveyor.
With such a ticket the Democracy of New York enter the campaign with enthusiasm and with a determination to win, as they deserve to do.
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| George Frisbie Hoar. |
Imperialism Indicated.
Senator George F. Hoar has swallowed his convictions on the great issue of Imperialism. On January 4 last he gave voice to his true sentiments. There are many Republicans who agree with Senator Hoar when he protested against the war in the Philippines. Unlike Mr. Hoar, most of these Republicans will vote true to their convictions. This is what Senator Hoar said last January:
''I stand here to-day to plead with you not to abandon the principles that have brought these things to pass. I implore yon to keep to the policy that has made the country great. I have nothing new to say. But 1 ask you to keep in the old channels and to keep off the old rocks laid down in the old charts and to follow the old sailing orders that all the old captains of other days have obeyed, to take your bearings as of old from the north star—
and not from this meteoric light of empire. Especially if I could, would I persuade the great Republican party to come back again to its old faith, to its old religion, before it is too late.
''If when we made the treaty of peace we had adhered to the purpose we declared when we declared war; if we had dealt with the Philippine Islands as we promised to deal, have dealt and expect to deal with Cuba, the country would have escaped the loss of 6,000 brave soldiers, other thousands of wrecked and shattered lives, the sickness of many more, the expenditures of hundreds of millions and, what is far worse than all, the trampling under foot of its cherished ideals. There would have been to-day a noble republic in the East, sitting docile at our feet, receiving from us civilization, laws, manners and giving in turn every thing the gratitude of a free people could give—love, obedience, trade. The Philippine youth would throng our universities; our Constitution, our Declaration, the lives of Washington, and Lincoln, the sayings of Jefferson and Franklin would have been the textbooks of their schools. How our orators and poets would have delighted to contrast America liberating and raising up the republic of Asia with England subduing and trampling under foot the republic of Africa.''
PAGE FOUR—SHORT EDITORIALS.
Illinois will again be Democratic, according to a poll just completed.
Richard Olney, attorney general in Cleveland's cabinet, is now an ardent Bryan man.
William L. Wilson, who was postmaster general under Cleveland, has come out for Bryan.
The Indianapolis Press, which supports McKinley, says: "The Republicans have no sure thing in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota, while it looks very much like defeat for them in Kentucky, and it is very easy to figure out their loss of the House of Representatives." This is a frank confession.
Chairman Jones says of the Vermont election. "If the Democrats make a similar gain in Illinois as in Vermont and in Arkansas, a couple of months from now we will carry that state for Bryan. There is no significance in the Republicans' carrying Mr. Jones's home county in Arkansas; it is always Republican.
The Ontario Repository-Messenger calls attention to the following: "At Fall River the wages of 35,000 cotton mill operatives are to be reduced 10 per cent September 17th, in addition to a shut down of 25 mills this week whose employees will lose $93,700 by the stop. Those cotton factory people will unquestionably appreciate the prosperity that McKinley built.
The nominations made by the Republicans have fallen like a wet blanket on the Republicans of the state. Papers like the New York Tribune, the Buffalo Express, and the Brooklyn Standard Union frankly comments upon the convention as utterly dull and spiritless, destitute of enthusiasm for the nominees or belief that the ticket is strong. Unbiased opinion, outside of partisan circles, is that the ticket headed by Platt's man, Odell, can be beaten, as it ought to be beaten.
HERE AND THERE.
And what will the base ball cranks do now?
People have become used to biting the dust this year.
The hot dry weather has brought corn to maturity earlier than usual this fall.
Harvey B. Whitman is serving a fifteen days sentence in jail for public intoxication.
A sidepath to Truxton is in process of construction. That is a pretty good town to wheel to.
Our birth record this week promises future happiness for many boys who are yet in babyhood.
A new silo belonging to John Brooks at South Cortland was blown down during the gale of Wednesday morning.
Football players are beginning to cultivate their hair, which will continue to get longer as the days get shorter.
The work of laying the curb on Groton-ave. has begun, and concrete laying at the west end will soon he under way.
Some unknown person recently entered the home of Miss Nellie McEvoy on Clinton-ave. and stole her gold watch.
The Epworth League of the Homer-ave. M. E. church will give a reception to the Normal students next Wednesday evening at the church.
More baggage was taken from D., L. & W. trains at Cortland on Tuesday than on any one day in years, due to the great influence of Normal students.
Is it because Cortland has become a city that nearly all the showers pass around us—north, south, east or west? There is certainly a screw loose somewhere.
The present entrance class at the Normal school, which numbers about 130, is one of the best prepared classes that has ever entered that institution of learning.
In our obituary department six deaths are recorded, the combined ages of which are 492, or an average of 82 years. This is a remarkable record of longevity.
At the entertainment given by the Degree of Pocahontas Tuesday evening, the sofa pillow was awarded to Miss Kate Stack on ticket No. 35. The organization cleared $20.
Since the manufacture of Red Cross stoves began, F. D. Smith has sold fifteen hundred of that make alone. We doubt if any retail dealer in the state can show a greater record.
The wind of Wednesday was the heaviest in Cortland since the memorable hurricane of Sept 30, 1896. The only damage, however, was the breaking of several trees about the city.
Galveston, the city of mourning at the present time by reason of the destructive hurricane last Saturday, was for two years the home of Rev. and Mrs. J. L. Robertson, now of Cortland.
Several acres of meadow and considerable railroad line fence below the junction was burned recently. If we don't have copious rains soon what little ice crop remaining is liable to end in smoke.
Manufacturers say that tan shoes are going out of style, and here we are with a pair that ought to last a year longer. This fashion business is the ruination of many newspaper men.
The lazy reporter has become so true to name that we have decided to dispense with his services, and next week a smart reporter will tell what he finds to chronicle. We are bound to employ the best on the Democrat force if we don't make a cent.
James H. Turner has resigned the position of clerk at the Cortland postoffice, and will probably be succeeded by Franklin Jones. Mr. Turner was a very obliging official, and the same can be said of Mr. Jones who for the past year and a half has been canvassing for the Democrat, He will be missed by the Democrat, and its subscribers will be pleased to see him in the stamp window.
In the bastardy case spoken of last week's issue of the Democrat, one James Reiley was referred to as the defendant. As there are two Cortland citizens of that name, it should be understood that the defendant recently came to this city from Cuyler. It is not likely any one would infer that the James Riley who has always lived in Cortland was alluded to, but owing to the similarity of names we make this explanation to guard against any possible mistake.
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