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| John Hay. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, June 19, 1901.
CABINET MEETING.
Desultory Discussion of Chinese Question, Philippines, Cuba and Porto Rico.
WASHINGTON, June 19.—The cabinet meeting yesterday was without important feature. There was desultory discussion of the Chinese settlement, the situation in the Philippines, Cuba and Porto Rico but nothing of moment developed and no action was decided upon.
The president is prepared to issue his proclamation declaring the abolition of duties between the United States and Porto Rico if the insular legislature at the extraordinary session called for July 4 presents facts to him to sustain the claim that the revenues under the Holland tax law make the island self-sustaining.
The members of the cabinet believe that the Chinese settlement is close at hand. In talking of this settlement, Secretary Hay suggested that the amounts voluntarily paid the American missionaries by Chinese provinces should be deducted from our aggregate claim of $25,000,000. The general sentiment of the cabinet seemed to favor this course, but no action was taken.
Secretary Hitchcock reported that a decision of the courts in the suit to enjoin him from proceeding with the opening of the Kiowa. Comanche and Apache reservation in Oklahoma probably would be rendered in a few days. Until the court acts nothing further will be done.
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| Cecil Rhodes. |
Cecil Rhodes Will Go to England.
CAPE TOWN, June 19.—Cecil Rhodes will sail for England July 3. It is believed he goes on a special mission relative to the settlement of the war in South Africa.
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| Emperor Wilhelm II. |
Peace for Years to Come.
BERLIN, June 19.—In the course of a speech at Cuxhaven last evening Emperor William said: "In the recent events in China I see peace for Europe for years to come."
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.
No Women Need Apply.
Co-education has been a bone of contention at Wesleyan university, Middletown, Ct., for a number of years. It is now coming to a head. At the meeting of the senior class Monday, resolutions were passed debarring females from taking any part in the exercises of class day. The junior class has also passed resolutions which say that the two sexes will not sit together during senior year. The young ladies are indignant at the move and pronounce it unkind and ungentlemanly. The affair is an outgrowth of last year's trouble, at which time the trustees of the college agreed to separate the two sexes as much as possible in the work of the last two years, but as no stop has been taken by the trustees the classes have taken the matter into their own hands. They hope to have separate departments for the two sexes.
There was trouble for years over the same matter at Brown university, but it seems to work in an altogether satisfactory manner at Syracuse and in many western colleges.
◘ There is no more pathetic spectacle than that of the little great man who, just a week before, has delivered a virile address to the graduating class of his daughter's alma mater in regard to sweet and gentle woman's dependence upon the sturdy protecting arm of man as he stands by in dumb, impotent indignation and sees his athletic daughter walk off to play golf in the new checkered hose which he bought to wear with his best bicycle suit.
A TRIP TO PALESTINE.
ADDRESS BY A. P. MCGRAW BEFORE SCIENCE CLUB.
Statement of the Geography, Geology and Archaeology of the Country Followed by Personal Reminiscences of His Recent Trip—Copiously Illustrated by Maps and Photographs.
The members of the Cortland Science club with their wives were last night the guests of one of their number, Mr. Albert P. McGraw, at his beautiful home at McGraw. It was a regular meeting postponed from the previous Saturday night so that Dr. Higgins, the president, and Dr. Reese might be present, both of whom had been as delegates from the New York Medical society to the American Medical association at St. Paul, and who with Mrs. Higgins and Mrs. Reese had since taken a side trip with other physicians to the Yellowstone park. The members assembled at 7:20 at the Traction company's office to take the special car arranged for, but when the treasurer attempted to settle for this before starting out be learned to his surprise that Mr. McGraw's hospitality had extended clear up to Cortland and that the bill for the car had already been taken care of by the host of the evening.
There were about forty in the party that arrived at their destination at 8 o'clock, and, after cordial greetings by Mr. and Mrs. McGraw, who were assisted in receiving by Mrs. H. C. Hendrick, Mrs. M. S. Kinney and Rev. Edward J. Noble, the new Presbyterian minister at McGraw, and a few minutes spent in a social way, the meeting was called to order by the president and the program of the evening was taken up.
Mr. John W. Orr first gave a very able and interesting review of the paper of the previous meeting by Prof. L. H. Tuthill of Homer upon the "Geology of New York State."
Mr. McGraw was then called to the floor by the president for the address of the evening. The speaker had, by request, chosen for his subject, "Personal Investigations in Palestine, Syria and Egypt." As a preliminary he spoke quite at length upon the geology, archaeology and geography of these countries, illustrating his points and making them very clear by upwards of a dozen large maps which he had caused to be prepared for this special occasion. He showed the effect of time, of volcanic action and of the cooling process of the earth's crust during the ages in bringing about the present geographical and geological conditions. He said that Palestine was formerly anything but the barren country it now is, and queried why the change. Originally covered with forests, on man's advent and the development of the civilization we find recorded on the monuments prior to Israel's occupation, denudation commenced. During the reign of Solomon in the time of the Assyrians and after the fall of Jerusalem its population was deported, irrigation was suspended, the rains falling on unprotected slopes washed the soil down into the valleys and the hills became bare as today.
Northern Africa and Western Asia present a vast stretch of desert or steppe land relieved only by a few narrow fertile tracts set apart by deserts to the north, east and south with the sea to the west. Syria occupied a well defined position, as she was destined to hold a chosen people to fulfill a peculiar mission.
As her position was intermediary, so her people became in commerce the great middlemen and in religion mediatory between God and man, the representatives of the only universal faith. Of small extent, settled by petty tribes, she has nevertheless been the contention of all nations from the earliest times to the present. History has constantly swept through her. Assyrians, Egyptians, Hittites, Scythians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Moslems, Franks have held her; Europe and America are still trying to plant upon her soil both their civilization and her former religion. Semitic (or descendant of Shem,) however, she was originally, and Semitic her population remains today.
The speaker made a striking comparison in showing the small size of this tract of territory which formed "the promised land" of the Israelites. He said, Canaan or Israel or Palestine is usually regarded as extending from Dan on the north to Beersheba on the south, in its narrowest sense from the Jordan to the sea; in its broadest to include a strip of thirty miles wide lying east of the Jordan. A glance will show us that from Dan to Beersheba is but 140 miles, while the Jordan is but 50 miles from the sea, and an area 140 by 80 miles will represent it in its broadest sense. Apply these figures to distances with which we are familiar. In New England its length would equal the distance from Boston to Mt. Washington in New Hampshire; its breadth from Boston to Springfield. In New York state let the Hudson river coincide with the course of the Jordan, New York to Albany would be a little more than its length. The Connecticut line would represent the eastern desert and the Delaware river the greatest breadth. A small country, but its diminutive size only gives greater emphasis to what it has done and to its large place in history.
The physical peculiarities of this section were referred to at length, the mountain barriers at the north which protected from cold, the slopes facing the sea so that the condensation of moisture produced great fertility in the former days making it indeed the land flowing with milk and honey, the gift of God, the prize of the Eastern world, the possession of which was the mark of God's peculiar favor, the spot for which the natives would contend. Today, said the speaker, Palestine is a land of ruins, not on a large scale as in Italy, Greece or Egypt, but ruins everywhere. One may travel in western Palestine mile after mile and see no sign of life except the occasional goat herd or a man and donkey trying to cultivate soil between rocks, but every hill top is crowned with heaps of stones, vestiges of an ancient city or fortress. In eastern Palestine the ancient cities also remain deserted, ruined but still standing. The ruins we now see standing are of the most diverse ages: Saracenic, Crusading, Roman, Grecian, Jewish, Canaanitish.
It is a country of great contrasts. In the midst of rounded hills or long ridges of gray limestone, clad mainly with a grey heather, without variety of outline or beauty of color, the eye wanders over to the eastern hills with their long line of purple shadows, and turns westward to a birdseye view of the maritime plain and the distant glimmer of the great sea. In the shadow of a thirsty land with its dry watercourse lies the bubbling spring, or the deep cool well—links by which each successive age is bound to the other.
Mt. Zion (the sunny) touches the desert of the Jeshimon. Above the Ghor of the Jordan, running far below the level of the sea, luxuriant in its tropical foliage, towers Hermon with its mantle of snow, its halo of frost and mist.
Every climate is represented, and how closely these differences lie to each other. Take a section of the country across Judea. With its palms and shadoofs the Palestine plain might be a part of the Egyptian delta; but on the hills of Shepheldh which overlook it, you are in the scenery of southern Europe. The Judean moors which overlook them are like the barer uplands of central Germany. The shepherds wear sheep skin cloaks and live under stone roofs, sometimes the snow lies deep. A few miles further east and you are down on the desert among the Bedouin with their tents of hair and their cotton clothing. A few miles further still and you drop to the torrid heat in the Jordan valley. A few miles beyond that and you rise to the plateau of the Belka, the eastern range, where the Arabs say "the cold is always at home." Yet from Philistia to the Belka is scarcely 70 miles.
No other known district, said the speaker, combines such variation of scene, soil, climate, flora; none other so well fitted to be a home of a people with a universal destiny; in none other could the Bible have been written so as to appeal to the intelligence of men universally.
In describing the geography of Palestine the speaker made frequent reference to a splendid relief map of the country which stood about nine feet high and four feet wide at one side of the room. It was modeled in some form of composition and showed every hill, mountain, valley and plain with the location of all rivers, lakes, towns and cities. Mr. McGraw has recently secured this at large expense and it is understood that when the new Presbyterian church is completed at McGraw he will present this to the Sunday-school, of which he has so long been the efficient and acceptable superintendent. It will indeed be a valuable possession to the school.
The latter half of the address was devoted to a description of Mr. McGraw's recent trip to Palestine, upon which he formed one of the Auburn seminary party conducted by Rev. Dr. Riggs. He brought home with him a great number of photographs, some of which he himself had taken, and these aided materially in making clear the story which he told of people and places. Daring the course of his talk he took occasion to pay a glowing tribute to the memory of tbe late Rev. Dr. Maltbie D. Babcock of New York, whom he characterized as being the life of the party, and who was ever watchful to see what he could do for the comfort or pleasure of his fellow travelers. Mr. McGraw's whole address was interesting in the extreme and full of information and facts that appealed with especial force to his hearers, coming as they did from one who had been so recently among these sacred scenes and places.
At the close of the address the minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. A committee previously appointed reported that the last meeting of the club before the summer vacation would be a banquet to be held at The Kremlin [Hotel] at 8 o'clock on Friday evening, June 28.
A vote of thanks was then passed to Mr. McGraw for his kindness in providing the car for transportation and to both Mr. and Mrs. McGraw for their hospitality. The chairman [Dr. Higgins] ruled that the clause in the original motion extending thanks to Mr. McGraw for his fine address was out of order as it had been expressly agreed in the early days of the club that no thanks should be extended to members for their papers or addresses. These simply formed the individual member's part of the club work. The chairman, however, felt that he and Dr. Reese could extend a special vote of thanks to the clerk for delaying this meeting till their return from the West so that they could enjoy it.
Mrs. McGraw served strawberries, ice cream, cake and lemonade and after a brief season of social enjoyment the return trip was made, reaching Cortland at about 11:15.
O'Connell-Foote.
Mr. Maurice J. O'Connell and Miss Mildred E. Foote were married at 8 o'clock this morning by Rev. J. J. McLoghlin at St. Mary's Catholic church in the presence of a large number of friends. The bridesmaid was Miss Bessie O'Connell, sister of the groom, and the best man was Mr. John Foley. The bride wore a handsome traveling suit of castor shade and carried bride roses. The bridesmaid was attired in pink. The ushers were Messrs. George H. Foote and Charles O'Brien.
Immediately after the ceremony a wedding breakfast was served at the home of the uncle and aunt of the groom, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ritter, 9 North Church-st., which was attended by about twenty of the quests. The wedding presents were numerous, among them being a gift of $100 in gold from the Cortland Wagon Co., where Mr. O'Connell is employed. Mr. and Mrs. O'Connell left on the 9:48 train for a week's trip, during which they will spend a few days at the home of the bride's parents in Madison, N. Y. Upon their return they will make their home at 9 North Church-st.
New Hose House.
Messrs. W. H. Newton & Son have just erected a hose-house, 9 x 13 feet in size, between their factory building and the Lehigh Valley railroad tracks. The city authorities have equipped the house with a good supply of hose, ready to be attached to the hydrant near by in case of need. One of the old hose carts belonging to the fire department is also being overhauled and put in order, and will be placed in this house. Messrs. Newton & Son, by their enterprise, have not only furnished added fire protection for their own immediate property, but have conferred a benefit upon all persons residing, or doing business in their vicinity.
BREVITIES.
—The party that was advertised to be given at the park by Dillon Bros. next Thursday evening has been postponed.
—Walter Stafford appeared in city court this morning and waived examination and was held to appear before the grand jury.
—The Traction Co. will run a car to McGraw Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights at the close of the music festival concerts.
—The policemen were all given orders last evening to arrest all persons found riding on the sidewalks. To date there have been three arrests made.
—Stephen Simmons was sentenced to five days in jail in city court this morning for being drunk and smashing furniture at his home on Groton-ave. yesterday.
—The jury in the case I. H. Palmer vs. J. H. Bull returned last evening and reported that it was unable to agree upon a verdict. It was out about an hour and a half.
—Sheriff A. R. Overton went to Rochester this morning with Benjamin Walrad, who was recently committed to the Rochester Industrial school by Justice Kelley of McGraw.
—James Belchir, who confessed to slashing with a knife the Jersey cow of Mr. A. W. Graham, was given a hearing in city court yesterday afternoon. He was held for the grand jury, and his bail fixed at $500.
—The commencement exercises of Smith college was held at Northampton yesterday and the graduating class of 225 was the largest class ever sent out by the college, The commencement address was delivered by Rev. James H. Canfield, LL. D., librarian of Columbia university, New York. Miss Mabel Brewer of Cortland is a member of this class.
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