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| Portrait of Meiji Emperor of Japan and Imperial Family. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, February 7, 1901.
JAPAN'S PRIDE HURT.
Slowly Drifting Toward Alliance with Hated Russia.
MUST DO THIS TO RETAIN KOREA.
War Feeling Is Still Strong, Though the Country Is In No Way prepared For an Enduring Conflict—Felt That Western Nations Should Come to Japan's Aid.
YOKOHAMA, Feb. 7.—If utterances of the native press are an index to the native feelings, a wave of sympathy and affection for England in the death of her sovereign is now sweeping over the empire, something unprecedented in the far east. Doubtless her great age and the length of the reign of Queen Victoria especially appealed to the oriental mind, but far more than these influences the fame of England's ruler as the type of all that is purest and highest in womanhood has contributed to her being placed in a lofty niche in the natives' regard. The relations between Japan and England were always of the most cordial nature and cannot help receiving a great accession of strength from the ebullition of feeling which the death of the queen has elicited.
The announcement of the existence of an independent treaty between Russia and China, which virtually hands over Manchuria to the control of the former, and in so doing far destroys the integrity of the latter, is almost universally recognized by the native press as a violation of the Anglo-American compact, and the nation is absorbed in a discussion of the question of the attitude it must take in the premises.
It is becoming quite plain that the logic of the situation must compel this empire to take measures to prevent Korea from falling into the Russian grasp, and popular sentiment seems to be slowly drifting towards a Russo-Japanese alliance. Should this result, it will of course arouse enthusiasm and it will be entered upon only as a dire necessity with a feeling of bitter disappointment and a consciousness of a severe blow being dealt at the nation's pride. But Japan knows that her natal allies, England and America, cannot be depended upon to take up her cause and that a dread of European complications will prevent any other great power from coming to her rescue.
Must Lay Aside Traditional Hatred.
To fight Russia single-handed would seem to be out of the question, for although the Japanese naval strength far outweighing that of any other power in eastern waters would give assurance of initial victory, the empire is neither physically nor financially prepared for the long conflict which would ensue. It must, therefore, in failure of help from the west in its dire need, join hands with a northern power, lay aside its traditional hatred and fear of Russia and measure its diplomacy against hers in an endeavor to protect the interests of the far Orient.
It is entirely needless to say that this wrenching of the nation's life out of its accustomed groove of thought will be no easy task. The war spirit is still exceedingly strong and it would not take much to set the trend in the opposite direction. Japan as the pioneer of modern civilization in the east deserves better of the west than to be deserted in her hour of peril by her natural allies who, especially in view of the solemn compact which they have so recently pledged themselves [in China], ought to hasten to her aid.
The emperor, who has recently, together with the empress, been suffering from a severe attack of the prevailing influenza, has now fully recovered and is able to attend to state affairs as usual.
A state of things rivalling the Tweed scandal of New York has recently been unearthed at Tokyo. No less than 13 of the municipal council, including its president, has been found guilty by the court of the first instance of receiving bribes for promoting certain schemes for public improvements. Charges made in the same connection against Mr. Hoshi who, under stress of the same recently resigned his seat in the cabinet, have been dropped.
POLITICAL CRISIS IN KOREA.
Sensational Charges Against Cabinet Ministers Causes an Upheaval.
VANCOUVER, B. C., Feb. 7.—According to advices brought by the steamer Empress of China, a political crisis in Korea has been caused by the accusations of treason against four cabinet ministers.
The accuser is Li Yuin, who gained notoriety in connection with the judicial cruelties practiced against An and Kwong last year.
The accused are Pak Che Sun, Korean minister of foreign affairs; Kin Kong Chun, minister of finance; Kwon Chaih Yong, minister of agriculture, and Li Yong Ik, minister of commerce. The charge against them is of being in collusion with the Korean fugitives in Japan.
The vernacular press asserts that Li Yuin is acting at the inspiration of what is termed "The American clique" who, it is alleged, "desire to obtain the removal of the four ministers mentioned as they stand in the way of certain enterprises contemplated by United States capitalists."
It is asserted by Japanese newspapers that the accusations were made subsequent to and because of the removal of two Korean officials, Li In Ying, recently appointed president of the Seoul-Wiju railway, and Chang Pong Hwan, chief chamberlain.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.
Not Italy alone, but unnumbered millions distributed all over the civilized world mourn the passing away of Giuseppe Verdi, the most prolific and the most popular of Italian opera composers, though his life work was practically completed some time before his death, and notwithstanding the good health and active intellect that remained with him to the last the end was not unexpected. There is very little that Verdi wrote before his thirty-third birthday which still retains popular favor, but from the time when "Rigoletto" was produced in 1851, followed so soon by "Il Trovatore" and "La Traviata," there is little which has come from his pen that the world has not delighted to honor. Among his best known works of later years were "Aida," "Otello" and "Falstaff." Besides his 29 operas, 16 of which were written before "Rigoletto" was produced, Verdi in his latter days turned to the organ, the instrument of his early manhood, and wrote much sacred music, notably the Manzoni Requiem in 1874 and as late as 1898 a Stabat Mater and a Te Deum, which were performed in the Paris Grand Opera House.
THE WATER TESTS.
Analysis Should Have Followed the Heavy Rains to Prove Anything.
To the Editor of The Standard:
SIR—A statement attributed to myself appeared in the Syracuse Post-Standard of Feb. 6 which conveyed an altogether erroneous impression. I did say that I had little confidence in the recent water tests, and I will here reiterate that statement. Beyond this the statements in The Post-Standard should not be accorded to me.
It may be well to state my reasons for not considering the water tests of any particular value as regards the recent typhoid epidemic or the sanitary conditions of the water supply of our city or that part of it which is derived from driven wells.
First. The recent typhoid epidemic (and I do not think there has been any more typhoid in Cortland than in other cities and towns in proportion to population) started about Dec. 1, and if my memory is not at fault about two weeks after the unusually heavy rainfall which followed our dry summer. It was my fortune to find twenty-two cases of typhoid fever and all except three can be quite surely attributed to the drinking of well water. The others I have failed to trace. Not more than one or two out of ten cases were where city water had been used exclusively, and even here it is not at all certain that the patient had not drank well water somewhere. The natural inference, therefore, is that the source of infection was not in the city water, but probably in well water.
Second. The epidemic had nearly spent its force before samples of water were taken for analysis and perhaps nearly two months had passed since the rainfall which washed the surface pollution into the gravel and porous soil which underlies our city. Hence a test of the water for pathogenic bacteria or for organic matter could not be expected to disclose those bacteria in any considerable numbers or perhaps none. Nor would we expect to find an unusual amount of organic matter. The disease had practically stopped its spread and, therefore, we ought not to expect to find the germs which cause such disease. Hence the result of the water test is negative so far as disclosing the origin of the epidemic is concerned.
Third. There is nothing in the published reports which shows the depth of the wells from which the samples were taken, and it is a well known fact that there is underlying the city of Cortland at a depth varying from 20 to 30 feet a stratum of clay or hard-pan of from 20 to 30 inches in thickness, and that the water from below this station is of an entirely different character from that above it and is very nearly like our city water in hardness and amount of organic matter contained. The majority of our wells do not penetrate this stratum and hence receive contamination from the surface drainage, which the water below this stratum of clay does not receive. Do we know, or does the party who took the samples of water know, whether any of these wells from which taken were of the shallow kind? This would be of the utmost importance to know before any one could determine the value of the tests made. It is reported that the well at Benton's mill is a sixty foot well. If that is true, we ought not to expect to find its water polluted by surface fifth, since the water comes from below an impermeable stratum of clay. The other wells from which samples were taken may for ought we know all be deep like this one. Most of the wells in town are of the shallow kind, especially among the tenement houses.
With the above conditions existing, one can plainly see that nothing has been proven by the water test save that the samples of water sent were not of a very bad character.
Fourth. The writer having a few years since subjected the water from several wells within the city to the most rigid tests, found some of those waters very heavily laden with organic matter, there being both free and albuminoid ammonia in percentages far above that which condemns a water. These samples were from shallow wells. At that time the water from the deep wells and from the city water works was of excellent quality.
To summarize:—The water tests recently made are of little value as far as discovering the source of our typhoid epidemic is concerned.
First. Because the sample of water for analysis were taken after the epidemic had nearly spent its force, and, therefore the germs of causation could not be expected to be found.
Second. There is no evidence that any of the samples were taken from shallow wells which take surface drainage.
Third. Tests have before been made which show that the shallow wells do contain organic matter in large quantities.
Would it not be well to have some samples of water taken from wells both of the shallow and deep kind (not in mid-winter when the surface is frozen so that there is no surface drainage, but in summer after a heavy rainfall) and have a test made for organic matter, sewage, etc. Such a test would be of value.
Sincerely yours,
S. J. SORNBERGER, Cortland, N. Y., Feb. 6, 1901.
Cemetery Meeting at Preble.
The thirty-third annual meeting of the members of Elmwood Cemetery association of Preble was held in the town hall in Preble village on Tuesday, Feb. 5. The report of the treasurer was presented and accepted showing a good balance in the treasury. W. W. Wright, David O. Crofoot, Orlando Cummings and John H. Gay were re-elected trustees for three years. The election of officers for the coming year resulted in the election of David O. Crofoot, president; Leonard Van Buskirk, vice president; Seth Hobert, superintendent and collector; J. D. F. Woolston, secretary and treasurer; F. J. Collier, James Manchester, Eben Daly, and John H. Gay as executive committee.
It is worthy of note that Mr. Woolston has been the treasurer of this association during the entire thirty-three years of its history.
Death of Mr. Dillenbeck.
Mr. Jacob Dillenbeck died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Jason Gray, who resides in the Wickwire block on Main-st., last evening at 9 o'clock, aged 83 years and 26 days. He leaves four sons: Cassias of Homer, Frank of Upper Lisle, Harvey of Texas Valley, and Charles of Poyntelle, Pa., and four daughters: Mrs. Dwight Love of Syracuse, Mrs. Jason Gray of Cortland, Mrs. Uri Jeffords of Upper Lisle and Mrs. Enos Page of Triangle. His wife died about eighteen years ago. The remains will be taken to Cincinnatus Saturday morning on the 8:50 train and the funeral will be held there at 11 o'clock.
MCEVOY VS. O'LEARY.
Action Brought to Recover for Alleged Breach of Contract.
Sheriff Overton last night served papers upon J. H. O'Leary in an action brought in the supreme court by Edward C. McEvoy to recover from the defendant the sum of $3,750 for damages for alleged breach of contract, and also enjoining him from officiating as an undertaker until the action can be tried. The next term of supreme court for Cortland county and the first at which this action can be brought to trial begins May 6 before Judge Forbes. The papers in the case were drawn by Messrs. J. & T. E. Courtney, as attorneys for Mr. McEvoy, and the injunction was granted by Judge Lyon on Feb. 5.
The complaint alleges that the two parties to this action were partners in business prior to Sept. 21, 1899—for three years in Cortland village, being engaged in the business of undertaking and the sale of furniture, boots and shoes, and for seven years prior to that time at a store between Cortland and Homer where their business was undertaking and the sale of furniture. On Sept. 21, 1899, the partnership between the two was dissolved, the plaintiff having then associated with himself his brother, T. J. McEvoy, who permitted the use of his name for the better credit of the concern and who was responsible for the payment of its debts, but who derived no income and had no interest in its profits. The plaintiff himself is the sole manager of the business. The plaintiff paid the defendant $3,750 for his interest in the business, and covenanted to pay all the debts of the firm and was authorized to collect all sums owing to it. The stock on hand at that time was valued at about $2,000, and there were book accounts due the firm to the amount of about $2,000, but they were reckoned to be worth but about $800. The firm also at that time owed $1,300 for goods and owed the banks $800 for borrowed money. These sums the plaintiff has paid in full.
On this day of dissolution the defendant on his part signed an agreement that he would not again enter into any of the business or any part of the business which had been conducted by O'Leary & McEvoy, either directly or indirectly, while Mr. McEvoy continued in it here in Cortland. But in spite of that agreement, the complaint alleges, the defendant did on Dec. 8, 1899, engage in the undertaking business here in Cortland and published advertisements of the same in the Cortland STANDARD and the Cortland Democrat, and has been engaged in it ever since. The complaint particularly names seventeen funerals which the defendant has conducted and says there are others. The plaintiff says that his business has been damaged thereby, and he asks damages in the sum of $3,750, the full amount paid to Mr. O'Leary in the first place.
From the best information which we can get this unfortunate action is the outgrowth of a misunderstanding between the two gentlemen which arose soon after their partnership was dissolved as the result of some officious action on the part of outsiders. Reports which were without foundation in fact are said to have been carried both ways from one to the other and ill feeling was produced where there had been the most cordial friendship. As a result of this and some other things Mr. O'Leary was led to re-engage in business. There has been soreness ever since, but the final event which led to this action was when both were summoned on Feb. 1, to the same place to arrange for a funeral, each having been called by a different member of the family, one of whom had forgotten that the partnership had been dissolved and supposed that he was calling one of the firm of O'Leary & McEvoy, and neither one of these parties knowing that the other had sent for an undertaker.
Both Mr. O'Leary and Mr. McEvoy have many warm friends here in Cortland as well as throughout the county who are sorry at the unpleasantness that has arisen between them and who wish that the matter might be fixed up in some way out of court.
POPULATION OF CORTLAND COUNTY.
Decrease in Population of 1,081 in Ten Years—Losses of the Towns.
The official bulletin of the census bureau containing the population of Cortland county has been issued, and from this it appears that the county has decreased in population during the last decade 1,081. Every town in the county except Cortlandville has decreased in numbers, and this has gained 46. The city of Cortland has also increased in population 424. The tabulated statement is published in full in this issue.
BREVITIES.
—The Orris Hose company holds its regular meeting this evening in the parlors.
—Grace church choir recital is postponed from to-night until Saturday evening at 7 o'clock.
—Last night was ladies' night at the Tioughnioga clubrooms and a great many enjoyed the occasion.
—The Loyal circle of King's Daughters will meet to-morrow afternoon at 3 o'clock, with Mrs. Doyle, 78 Groton-ave.
—The postponed teachers' meeting of the Presbyterian Sunday-school will be held to-night after the prayer-meeting at 8:30 o'clock.
—John Smith, who was arrested last night by Officer Day Baker, charged with public intoxication, was sent to county jail this morning for ten days.
—New display advertisements to-day are—Palmer & Co., Closing out sale, page 7; M. W. Giles, Inventory sale, page 2; Warren, Tanner & Co., Drygoods, page 6; E M. Mansur, Groceries, page 2; C. F. Brown, Thelma Cream, page 6.
—The Home Telephone company has donated the use of a telephone to the Baseball Fair association for its use in Taylor hall, Feb. 9 to 10 inclusive. The instrument has been placed in the hall and is now connected with the central office.
—The ways and means committee of the assembly, it is said, will report favorably the Fowler bill appropriating $170,000 for rebuilding and equipping the State Normal school at Fredonia, recently damaged by fire. The state has received $80,000 insurance.
—A bill has been introduced in the legislature requiring, in the interest of public health, that all newspapers and magazines shall be printed in type no smaller than eight-point. That is exactly the size of the type in which all local news in The STANDARD is printed. It is hardly probable that the bill will become a law, as all the big city papers which use smaller type may be depended upon to fight it.
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