The Cortland Democrat, Friday, April 19, 1901.
CASE FOR CORONER.
MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF GEORGE E. GORDINIER.
Found Unconscious Sunday Morning Over in the East End Near the Lehigh Valley Tracks—Died Within a Short Time—Coroner Santee Making a Thorough Investigation.
Coroner E. M. Santee has been since Sunday investigating the death of Geo. E. Gordinier, which occurred Sunday morning under mysterious circumstances. About 6 o'clock on that morning Sidney Buck, who resides on Cleveland-st., discovered a man lying by the Lehigh Valley track between the Cortland Forging company's shop and the River-st. crossing, and upon investigating he found that the man was unconscious. One foot was on the rail of a side track, and his clothing was saturated with water. After removing the stranger, whom he supposed to be intoxicated, he notified the police authorities, and Chief Smith with Officer Fellows were soon on the scene. They brought the man, who proved to be George E. Gardinier, to the engine house, and before a physician could be summoned he breathed his last. Coroner Santee at once took charge of the remains, which were removed to Undertaker Wright's rooms, where an autopsy was later held. The only bruises found were on the knees and upon his face, all of them slight as if he had fallen. He had apparently taken no food for several hours.
Upon his clothing was found only two cents in money, and a watch which he usually carried was missing, but it has since been learned that it was left with J. C. Gray for repairs by Mr. Gordinier himself about 4 o'clock Saturday afternoon.
There have been many rumors and surmises relating to the affair, most of them without any foundation. The fact that his clothes were wet would indicate that Gordinier had fallen in the river,
One Bert Lamb, who was known to have been with Gordinier Saturday evening, was arrested Sunday on the charge of intoxication and held for five days, or until after the coroner concludes his investigation.
It has been learned that Gordinier came down from Homer on the car that reaches this city at 8 o'clock in company with a man who was not Lamb and that Gordinier paid both fares. Gordinier's companion, who is well known round the city, got off the car at the postoffice, while Gordinier went to the Lehigh station and was seen to start up the track for his home in an opposite direction from the place where the body was found.
Coroner Santee continued the investigation of the case at the court house yesterday.
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| William H. Clark. |
SCHOOL BOARD TAKES NO ACTION.
Its Members Wish to Know What the State Can and Will Do.
The matter of an appropriation sufficient to build an addition to the Central school building has been deferred until it can be learned just what the state authorities can and will do towards providing an academic department at the Normal school. At a meeting of the board held Monday evening the following preamble and resolutions were adopted:
In view of the fact that the public schools of the city will be inadequate to accommodate the public school children next September; and in view of the fact that there are certain undefined rights and privileges of the pupils of this city at the State Normal school which have never been defined and over which there seem to be serious misunderstanding and as a result of which the public schools are now seriously crippled for room and will be to a much greater extent next September unless some relief is granted therefore.
Resolved, That this board of education request State Superintendent Charles R. Skinner to meet at his earliest convenience the mayor of our city, President W. H. Clark and Dr. Cheney of the Normal school, the president and secretary of this board or the representatives of those various interests, at a time and place to be named by Supt. Skinner, for the purpose of adjusting if possible these undefined interests or in case such interests cannot be adjusted, to ascertain the policy of the state, so that our people may understand what to expect in the future.
THE TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.
One of the Most Successful Ever Held in the County.
It is impossible for the Democrat to give even a brief synopsis of the proceedings of the teachers' institute, held at Homer last week, for to do it justice would require several columns of space. Suffice it to say, the instructors, the commissioners and the teachers all unite in pronouncing it one of the best ever held in Cortland county.
The instructors were selected with special care and we wish to make especial mention of Miss Mable Whitcomb, who is a Cortland young lady, and who gave exceedingly interesting talks upon drawing.
The resolutions unanimously adopted Friday afternoon reflect the sentiment of the teachers, a portion of which we give below:
We, the teachers of Cortland county, in bringing to a close the annual institute, extend our thanks to the board of education of Homer for the use of the academy building; to the faculty of Homer academy for their reception and entertainment on Monday evening; and to the citizens of Homer for their hospitality during the week.
We present our warmest thanks to Dr. Francis J. Cheney and the faculty of the Cortland Normal school, to Superintendent Smith of Cortland and Principal Tuthill and his faculty, all of whom contributed largely in personality, method and thought, and to Miss Mabel Whitcomb whose instruction in drawing entitles her to high rank among the teachers of the state.
We congratulate the Commissioners MacDiarmid and McEvoy upon the success of this institute and we pledge to them our hearty support. We shall endeavor to have the increased efficiency of our school work stand as evidence of the merit of the program which their efforts have had presented.
ON TO DERUYTER, N. Y.
Home Telephone Co. to Extend Its Lines in That Direction.
The Home Telephone Co. has decided to branch out in all directions. Having practically completed its service to Syracuse and intermediate towns it now proposes to run a line to DeRuyter through East River, East Homer, Truxton and Cuyler.
It is probable that in addition to giving the people of those places phone communication with this city and its connections the farmers living along the line will see the advantage of securing the service as has been done between Cortland and the county house. It is really a great thing for those living in rural communities for it brings them practically within city privileges.
The two new switchboards mentioned in these columns last week have been placed in position and the wires are being connected as fast as possible. This gives the office a capacity of six hundred connections.
A very pretty directors' room has been fitted in the rear of the office and furniture will be placed in the same shortly.
THAT GRANT-ST. FLAGMAN.
Spirit of Unfairness Towards the D., L. & W. R. R. Company.
No observer of passing events can fail to note the spirit of unfairness which seems to actuate the common council in its relations with the D., L. & W. railroad company. That corporation is a heavy taxpayer in the city of Cortland, its taxes for the present year reaching the sum $1,315.65. It maintains a flagman al each of the following street crossings in the city: Port Watson, Railroad, Elm and Clinton-sts., and Homer-ave. just outside the city limits. It allows the city to run all the surplus water from the Railroad-st. pavement through its land, occupied by Messrs. Ryan & Hall, to the east end of Venette-st., where it is carried off under the tracks, a privilege which we understand can be curtailed at any time.
The common council, or at least some of the aldermen, seem determined that the company shall go still further and maintain a flagman at Grant-st. at an expense which it is said the company declines to bear.
The unfairness of this proposition becomes apparent when the city's leniency to the Lehigh Valley road is considered. The latter corporation has crossings at Tompkins, Owego, South Main, Port Watson, Railroad, Elm and River-sts., and at only one of these crossings is the company asked to maintain a flagman. The Elm-st. Lehigh crossing is extremely dangerous, and we hear of several instances where accidents have been narrowly averted at that point.
Why is the Lackawanna company pursued so persistently in its failure to provide a flagman at one crossing, when the Lehigh is allowed to run trains over six unprotected crossings?
This is not intended as a criticism on the management of the Lehigh Valley road, but simply to show the unfair spirit shown by the common council.
OUR LADY REPORTER.
She Does Fairly Good Work For One Who is Inexperienced.
(A young lady of this city, who has taken a strong fancy for reportorial work, has on several occasions requested the privilege of experimenting through the columns of the Democrat, and upon the express condition that she should avoid any favoritism towards woman's rights, we have consented to grant her the privilege of filling a column of space in this issue.—Ed.)
At last my wish is gratified, thanks to the editor of the Democrat. I am sure a woman can write just as fluently and can ferret out news items as keenly as any man who calls himself "lord of all creation," and while I hope and expect to entertain the readers of this paper, I ask that they take into consideration my inexperience and overlook any little shortcomings.
I am told that the authorities of several cities in this state, notably Buffalo and New York, are enforcing the sanitary code which deals with persons who expectorate on the floors of public conveyances, Buffalo going a step farther by prohibiting people from spitting tobacco juice on the sidewalk. Why cannot Mayor Brown and his ward advisors do likewise in Cortland? Such an ordinance is perfectly reasonable and necessary, for many a woman's costly dress is practically ruined by the filth swept from the sidewalk. I fancy I hear some garrulous member of the male sex ask why the ladies wear such lengthy trails anyway. My dear sir, it is not for you to judge what we shall wear; we choose our apparel to please ourselves, and though the men may ridicule us, we think our style of dress is less open to just criticism than some of those six or eight inch collars with which the dudes torture themselves, while they stand in the doorways along Main-st. and ogle every young woman who passes along the street.
I am told that the manager at the Home Telephone company has recently issued an edict for the guidance of the operators at the central office, and among the "Them shalt not do," etc., is a ban prohibiting the chewing of gum. Horrors! Oh, the cruelty of human nature! Such restriction is more cruel than the notorious Blue Laws of Connecticut in olden times, when a man was forbidden to kiss his wife in public; when to ride on the Sabbath was a crime; and when men and women were not allowed to sit together in any place of worship.
Some one has informed me of a town not a thousand miles from Cortland which has been changed from an angelic town to one under control of his Satanic majesty. Inasmuch as the women figure prominently in the transformation, I may be harshly criticized by my sisters for giving it publicity, but I believe a reporter should give the news without fear or favor. The disruption all came about through an agent of a flour firm offering six prizes to the women for the best six loaves of bread made from the firm's flour. One hundred sixty-nine women entered the contest. Over one hundred women were present when the verdict was announced, and those who lost were so angry that they tried to tear the judges limb from limb. The judges escaped through a rear door and left town as quickly as possible. The contest has entirely destroyed the good will and happiness which has heretofore existed among the homes of the town. There are slander suits, discords in the churches, daily quarrels and hair pulling among the breadmakers.
Because of a disposition to look backward, Lot's wife became a pillar of salt. Curiosity on the part of my own sex, even in this day, is often fraught with unpleasant results, as was the case on North Church-st. last Sunday afternoon, when a woman was too intent on looking backward at a couple passing in a buggy, stubbed her toe and fell flat on the sidewalk. She lived to experience a certain degree of mortification over the result of looking backward. Lots wife didn't.
Human nature is the same the world over. Cortland not excepted, a truism brought forcibly to my attention last Saturday evening while promenading up and down Main-st. on the look out for material for this department of the Democrat. A well-dressed gentleman was perambulating the sidewalk with a sweet little girl by his side, and the many tempting displays of oranges awakened a desire for some of the fruit, and the young miss, as such children will, began to tease her father for a few pennies to invest. ''Oh, papa, buy mean orange, please do!'' she appealed, and later I heard her say. "Give me some pennies, papa, to buy some candy.'' Did he do it? Not much. He told the little girl that he hadn't any money to spend for such foolishness, and then what did the brute do but enter a cigar store, telling the girl to wait outside, And when he came forth he was smoking the weed with all the abandon of a millionaire. No pennies for his little girl, but plenty of cash for his own selfish indulgence.
Thurlow Weed.
CINCINNATUS, N. Y.
Early History of Cincinnatus.
Cincinnatus, April 18.—The second installment of Thurlow Weed's letter will be found below:
"The settlers employed in clearing and bettering the land, raised just enough to live on from hand to mouth. Their principal, and indeed only reliance for the purchase of necessaries from 'the store,' was upon their black salts, for these the merchants always paid the highest price in cash or goods.
"I remember the stir which a new store, established in Lisle by the Rathbons from Oxford, created in our neighborhood. It was all the talk for several weeks, and until a party of house-wives, by clubbing with their products, fitted out an expedition. Vehicles and horses were scarce, but it was finally arranged: A, furnishing a wagon; B, a horse; and C, a mare, and D, a boy to drive. Six matrons with a commodity of black salts, tow-cloth, flax and maple sugar, went their way rejoicing and returned triumphantly at sunset with fragrant Bohea for themselves, plug tobacco for their husbands, flashy calico for the children, gay ribbons for the girls, jack knives for the boys, crockery for the cupboard, and snuff for grannie. This expedition was a theme for much gossip. The wonders of the new store were described to staring eyes and open months. The merchant and his clerk were criticized in their deportment, manners and dress. The former wore shiny boots with tassels, the latter a ruffled shirt, and both smelt of pomatum! I do not believe that the word 'dandy' had then been invented, or it would have certainly come in play on that occasion. Thirty years afterwards I laughed over all this with my old friend Gen. Ransom Rathbon, the veritable proprietor of that new store.
"The grinding for our neighborhood was done at Hunt's mill, which on one occasion was disabled by some defect in the flume or dam, and then we were compelled to go with our grists either to Homer or to Chenango Forks.
"I recollect, on more than one occasion, to have seen boys riding with a bushel of corn (bare-back, with a tow halter) to the distillery, and return with the gallon bottle of whiskey, balanced by a stone in the other side of the bag.
"In the autumn following our removal to Cincinnatus, I had worked out and earned leather (sole and upper,) enough for a pair of shoes, which were to be made by a son of Crispin (deacon Badger, if I remember rightly,) who lived on the river a mile and a half away. The deacon, I doubt not, has gone to his rest, and I forgive him the fibs he told, and the dozen journeys I made bare-footed over the frozen and 'hubby' road in December before the shoes were done.
"I attended one regimental review, for general training, as it was called. It was an eminently primitive one. Among the officers were two chapeaux, to which Capt. Carley, one of the two, added a sword and sash, four feathers standing erect upon felt hats; fifteen or twenty muskets; half-a-dozen rifles; two hoarse drums, and as many spirit-stirring fifes. Of rank and file there were about two hundred and fifty. In the way of refreshments there was gingerbread, black cherry pies and whiskey. But there was neither sweat-leather, little jokers or other institution of that character upon the ground. Having, before leaving Catskill, seen with my own eyes a live governor, Morgan Lewis, review a whole brigade, I regarded that training as a decided failure.
"There were no events at all startling, during my residence at Cincinnatus; no murders, no suicides, no drownings, no robberies, no elopements, no babes lost in the woods occurred to astonish the natives. A recruiting sergeant came along (it was in embargo times,) and three or four idle fellows (Herrings and Wilders by name, I think,) 'listed and marched off.
"There were neither churches nor 'stated preaching' in town. A Methodist minister came occasionally and held meetings in private houses, or at the school house. In winter there was a school on the river; and the master, who 'boarded round,' must have had a good time of it on Johnny-cake for breakfast, lean salt pork for dinner, and samp and milk for supper."
(Continued next week.)
HERE AND THERE
You can now catch trout if you can
The farmers are getting in their fine work with the plow.
May 1 is the date on which Boston Smith will be at the First Baptist church.
Country people coming into town report that t h e roads are getting in very good shape.
Dell Barber, the city ice man, who has been hibernating all winter, is on the streets with his cart once more.
The semi-annual roll call of the Epworth League of the Homer-ave. M. E. church will be held next Sunday evening.
A prayer meeting will lie held at the W. C. T. U. rooms tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 o'clock. Subject, "Sabbath Observance."
"Needles and pins, needles and pins." The Easter bonnet is got along with, but the youngster's Fourth of July out-fit is just ahead.
Several persons nave been "pulled'" the past week for riding on sidepaths without a 1901 badge. It is strange that wheelman will be so careless.
Mrs. H. L. Rogers entertained a company of ladies at whist Tuesday afternoon. Mrs. J . M. Jewett won the honors, a large bouquet of carnations.
An Indian woman from the reservation near Syracuse was in town Wednesday selling baskets of very pretty colors and designs. Spring is here for dead sure.
When you want to go to Willet over the Erie & Central New York railroad, buy tickets for Gee Brook, as Willet station has been obliterated from the railroad map.
J. D. Freer of the town of Virgil has a freak calf born April 3, which has no tail and all urinal and fecal discharges are made from the same orifice. The animal seems to be healthy notwithstanding its freak formation.
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