The Cortland Democrat, Friday, September 21, 1900.
MINES CLOSED DOWN.
Anthracite Coal Region Effectively Tied Up.
RUSSIA EXCITES SUSPICION.
Powers Are Watching Her Moves in China—Situation in Stricken Galveston Is Greatly Relieved and the Citizens Have Taken Courage and Are Hard at Work Rebuilding Their City. New British Torpedo Boat Breaks the Viper's Record—United States Government Nails a Libel on Its Marines. More Cases of Bubonic Plague Discovered at Glasgow—Boer War Nears Its End.
All the mines in Lackawanna, Sullivan and Susquehanna and nearly all in Luzerne counties of Pennsylvania are closed and the men idle. Not all of them are on strike, but the strikers are in sufficient majority to force out the men who are willing to work. The operators will make no effort to run their collieries unless it chances that enough men will work to operate them full or nearly full handed, but this is not expected. Most of the companies have closed down their mines and will make no effort to resume until the men are ready to return to work. The region where the strike is general employs about 85,000 men and mines about 21,500,000 tons of coal, divided as follows: Luzerne county, 53,000 men; Lackawanna, 30,000; Susquehanna, 1,500 and Sullivan, 400. In Luzerne and Lackawanna counties are situated the most of the mines of the Lehigh Valley, Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre, Delaware and Hudson, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western, Pennsylvania, Ontario and Western, Susquehanna, Hillside, Scranton, Temple Coal and Iron and Jermyn companies.
The flight of President Kruger to Lorenzo Marques, the turning over of his command to General Viljeen by General Botha on account of illness, and the daily breaking up of Boer commandos are everywhere considered as an indication of the speedy termination of the war.
Vice President Schalkburger has taken the place of President Kruger.
The eastward advance of the British is moving on in a broad sweep 70 miles long through the broken valleys and mountains of the Transvaal Drakensberg. General French is at the extreme southern point, toward Barberton, with General Hutton supporting him. General Pole-Carew is in the center at the railway near Godwin river. General Frenchs' advance has been strongly opposed. In the extreme north General Buller has had magnificent success and has driven the Boers over the passes toward Spitzkop. General Ian Hamilton is supporting General Buller. The Boers who were at Warmbath appear to have retired to the northward. The system of garrisoning towns with field forces for the surrounding districts is meeting with great success.
General Methuan is clearing the country road to Zeerust. General Clements is between Krugersdorp and Rustenberg, while General Barton is near the former place. General Bradley is at Heidelberg.
The British commanders hope that within the next two weeks the Boer headquarters in the east of the Transvaal will be surrounded or the commandos dispersed. Then the final quelling of the opposition to the British in the various districts will, it is thought, be speedily accomplished.
Warm weather will soon make it impossible for the Boers to keep their cattle in the bush veldt, and they are already driving them south.
Small bands of Boers continue to threaten attacks on the railway south and east. The railway is too strongly guarded, however, for them to achieve any success.
The mikado has sent one of his aides-de-camp, Mr. Okazawa, to China to inquire as to the health of the Japanese troops. Mr. Okazawa will also convey to them gifts from the mikado of 100,000 bottles of mineral waters and wine and 750,000 cigars and cigarettes.
A woman who was employed as a ward cleaner in one of the hospitals of Glasgow has been stricken with the bubonic plague of a mild type. There are now 17 definite cases of the disease, one suspected case and 115 under observation.
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| Owasco Lake, New York. |
Great Fishing at Owasco Lake.
The bass fishing at Owasco lake for the past two weeks has been something phenomenal and a day does not pass without big strings being taken out. Last week the records were broken and the population of the lake waters was decreased by the removal of hundreds of black bass. The banner catch so far, was made by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Morse and Charles N. Talladay the latter part of the week. Mr. Morse is camping near Wycoff's and Mr. Talladay went to the camp for a short visit.
The first day the party went fishing off the shore a short distance from Wyckoff's station. They caught 43 bass. The second day their catch numbered 28 and the third it was 13, a total of 83. The bass were all of good size, the largest one weighing nearly four pounds. The big one was caught by Mr. Morse and it took him just fourteen minutes to land it. When the fish struck the bait he went out of the water about four feet. He fought from first to last and for a quarter of an hour Mr. Morse had all he could do.
The fish are all remarkably gamey and once one is hooked it is continuous fight until he is either tired out and comes to the surface or gets away.
On the bars off the Four Mile house good catches have been made and there are boats from the foot of the lake to head filled with eager bass fishers. All kinds of bait, crabs, grasshoppers, minnows and crickets, are used but the big catches have been made with the crickets.
Old fishermen, who have fished Owasco lake for years say that such bass fishing at this time of the year is unparalleled.
A Brave Preston Lady.
Two tramps stopped at the house of Augustus Champlain in Preston last Wednesday, and asked his wife for something to eat, she being alone at the time. As she unfastened the screen door to pass out the food they entered without an invitation. Before they had the food half eaten, they demanded a dollar each, saying they were going hop-picking and wanted money to get there with. Mrs. Champlain told them she had no money but perhaps her husband had and she would call him. They would not let her do that, and she said, "Perhaps I can find it,'' and started for another room, the two tramps following close behind her. As she stepped into the room she picked up a loaded revolver and said, "This is the dollar bill I was after, and now you get." They "got" in a hurry.
The Battle of Groton Heights.
Editor Cortland Democrat:—In your issue of Sept. 14 I was greatly interested in a communication from the graphic pen of the "Dean of Cortland Journalism," especially where he refers to the battle on Groton Heights, and mentions my grandfather as being one of the soldiers engaged in that bloody strife.
I well remember with what interest I listened and what reverence 1 had for my grandfather as I heard from his lips the stories of the Revolution and especially the battle referred to by your correspondent.
My grandfather, Gilbert Edgcomb, was born on the 2nd day of March, 1762, at Groton, Conn. At the age of fifteen years he enlisted in the service of his country for three years, and was with Gen. Washington at Valley Forge. He served out his time faithfully and was regularly discharged.
On the 6th day of Sept., 1781, while at work in the field, hearing the alarm guns of Fort Griswold he immediately left his work, mowing bushes, and throwing his scythe aside he hastened to the fort. A short time after his arrival the fort was summoned to surrender.
The enemy received from Col. Ledyard this reply: "We shall defend this fort so long as there is a man alive." After a fierce and obstinate struggle the enemy scaled the walls. The murder of Col. Ledyard took place as described by the "Dean" in his letter.
The enemy then reached the interior of the fort, which was soon followed by a surrender. Then an indiscriminate slaughter took place and out of the 160 men who were defending the fort against 600 of the enemy, only 30 escaped unhurt.
These thirty were drawn up in line and exposed to the insults of the enemy with threats of being "skivered." Benedict Arnold was seen by them at this time.
Grandfather, with his fellow prisoners, then had his hands tied behind his back and was put on board a small sloop; from there he was transferred to a man-of-war, where he was compelled to lie on a wet cable with his hands bound for the space of fifteen days. He was then placed in the old sugar house in New York city, where he was daily threatened with impressment.
Remaining there until after the surrender of Cornwallis, suffering indescribable hardships, driven to such an extremity as to feast on an unlucky rat that they were fortunate enough to capture.
They were discharged and landed in New Jersey and commenced their long round-about journey for their homes in Connecticut.
One of their number died on the journey. Their route was through Pennsylvania and New York, without money, compelled to beg for food and shelter; at length they reached their homes. After reaching home grandfather remained at Connecticut until 1820 and he then removed to Cortland county N. Y., where he died Oct. 7, 1847, in full prospect of a blessed immortality.
In politics my grandfather was a Democrat of the Jackson and Van Buren school.
In 1840 the Democrats selected as presidential electors in New York state soldiers of the Revolution. Grandfather was nominated for one of them on the Van Buren ticket. Gen. William Henry Harrison carried the state, consequently the Van Buren electors were defeated. ISAAC EDGCOMB.
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| Chestnutting by Winslow Homer, Brooklyn Museum. |
HERE AND THERE.
Syracuse is badly afflicted with the ''pink-eye.''
A new engine house for the Erie & Central road is being erected at Cincinnatus.
Democratic headquarters on Railroad-st. will be a pleasant place to spend the evening.
Presiding Elder A. W. Cooper will preach in the First M. E. church Sunday morning.
Chestnutting parties will soon become popular, and there seems to be a good crop of the nuts, too.
Peck Brothers have bought of J. R. and A. M. Schermerhorn the old rink on Main-st., used by them as a sales-building.
The horse attached to the delivery wagon of Mitchell & Strowbridge ran away yesterday morning, but did little damage.
If we should be fortunate enough to be visited by a rain storm within the next two weeks it will of course be styled the equinoctial.
A Cortland aggregation of ball players went to Marathon last Friday and were defeated by the team at that place by the score of 4 to 3.
The man who laid in his winter supply of coal when it was selling at $4 a ton ought to be happy and to be able to look upon the strike with complacency.
Chestnut coal jumped in price from $4.25 to $5 a ton in Cortland last Saturday. If the strike continues any great length of time it will doubtless be much higher.
Rev. L. J. Christler, rector of Calvary Episcopal church, Homer, has accepted a call to St. Peters church, Auburn, and will eater upon his duties on the third Sunday in October.
Rev. W. H. Bawden of Port Chester has been appointed superintendent of the Southern district of the Anti-Saloon league, of which Cortland forms a part.
The Dryden fair, held this week, might well be called the second edition of the Cortland exhibition, judging from the interest taken in it by people from this city during the week.
The Cortland Athletic association proposes to close its business as an organization, having placed its affairs in the hands of H. J. Harrington as receiver, who will dispose of the property of the association and pay what small indebtedness there is.
There is an urgent call among the poor of our city for garments of any description, especially children's clothing, shoes, stockings, dresses, etc., many being in need of comfortable clothing in order to attend school. Any person desiring to give anything in this line, or groceries or vegetables will please leave them at 29 Greenbush-st. with Mrs. McElheny. Care will be taken that they are distributed where most needed.
At a meeting of the board of education held Monday evening, it was decided to at once place the extra room in the Schermerhorn-st. building in proper shape for use to accommodate the overflow of scholars from the regular departments. The room is now being supplied with heating apparatus, and another teacher will be engaged soon.
The report in the Standard that the D. L. & W. railroad company had taken possession of coal consigned to Cortland parties to supply its own needs is erroneous. The car at Maxson & Starin's and the car at the Wallace Wallpaper factory, referred to by the Standard, were delivered to those parties on Wednesday.
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