Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, Aug. 16, 1901.
BACK TO THE RANKS.
Joliet Steel Workers Vote to Join Strikers.
EFFORTS TO EFFECT SETTLEMENT.
Former Mill Owner Has Long Talk With Shaffer and Will Lay Sketch of Terms Before Manufacturers. More Men Quit Work at McKeesport.
JOLIET, Ill., Aug. 16.—The four lodges of the Amalgamated association employees of the Illinois Steel company at the Joliet mills, by a unanimous vote, decided last night to obey the strike order of President Shaffer. The conference was in session from 3 o'clock in the afternoon until 9 o'clock at night before the decision was reached.
The steel mills were closed at noon to enable the members of the association to attend the meeting which was called yesterday morning. He [Shaffer] was accompanied by Vice President Davis of the fourth district. Both men presented the side of the association to the local members. It was argued that in order to secure the organization of non-union workers in the East, it was essential that the Western men would have to join the strike movement. Mr. Tighe also appealed to the fealty of the men to the association; he urged them to be men and stand by their union. His remarks were received with enthusiasm and presaged the vote that followed.
This action will close the entire plant here throwing out of employment nearly 8,000 men.
The Joliet men had the same contract with the Illinois Steel company as the South Chicago workers, who refused to listen to the arguments of Secretary Tighe. Mr. Tighe left for Milwaukee last night.
PITTSBURG, Aug. 16.—Once more there are efforts afoot to settle the strike being waged against the United States Steel corporation by the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tinworkers but their success is problematical. Neither side will admit that there has been a single step toward bringing about a reapproachment or there is any prospect of an exchange of peace proposals.
B. M. Caldwell, formerly a mill owner of Mingo Junction, is known to have conferred with the strike leaders with a view to sketching a basis of settlement which he plans to place before the officials of the steel corporation. He is believed to be the mysterious man who conferred with President Shaffer for more than two hours at the strike headquarters yesterday although the latter said later that he has not seen Mr. Caldwell for months. Both sides vigorously denied that they had either made overtures or received proposals, but it is known positively that the plan is under consideration. Mr. Caldwell is acting independently and does not represent either the manufacturers or the men.
President Shaffer in a significant statement made at noon yesterday said that personally he was for peace and that he was fighting only because he was on the defensive and forced to fight. Meantime the contest between the two great interests is being waged with vigor and slightly varying fortune. The steel corporation seemed to be somewhat stronger at the lower union mill of the Carnegie company in this city, although the strikers are still working hard to cripple or close it. The corporation also added to the force at Wellsville and announced that at last it had the plant running to its full capacity.
It had been anticipated that the day would show some move on the part of the American Tin Plate company toward opening one or more of its plants with non-union men, but nothing was done and there were no attempts at extensions in other directions.
Three hundred men employed at the seamless tube plant at McKeesport, an auxiliary of the National Tube company, threw down their tools and joined the strikers. It is said that they quit because they would not handle non-union made material. During the day the strikers kept a close watch on the plants that are being operated with non-union men and also kept alert pickets around the Carnegie plants and the works that are completely closed down. There were few developments and except in the instances enumerated there have been no changes in the general situation.
Good order was general throughout all the strike districts. President Shaffer and his associates had a busy day at strike headquarters. They were on hand early and with a "dead line" that kept the third floor of the Bissell block clear of all intruders, went into conference with the man who is believed to be Mr. Caldwell, who has come into the breach with a peace plan.
It is reported that the United States Steel corporation is negotiating for the absorption of the Republic Iron and Steel company. There have, it is said, been a number of conferences between prominent stockholders in the two companies and that the terms of purchase have been practically agreed upon. The Republic plant is a large one and its purchase would add greatly to the commercial strength of the steel corporation. No statement as to terms is obtainable.
Youngstown advices say that the officials of the American Steel Hoop company have asked the strikers to attend a meeting today at which they propose to lay before them the terms offered at the manufacturers' and strike leaders' conference. The Amalgamated officials are opposed to the meeting and will forbid the men to attend.
President George Powell, of the International Tin Plant Workers Protective association was in conference with the Amalgamated officials yesterday. It was stated that they discussed the report that the American Tin Plate company was to import black tin plates from Wales. President Powell declined to talk when he left the strike headquarters.
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| J. P. Morgan. |
STEEL STOCK TO WORKERS.
J. P. Morgan to Make Employees Copartners in the Business.
NEW YORK, Aug 16.—The press says: "J. Pierpont Morgan has planned the greatest labor union of the age—a union of labor and labor's ally, capital. According to his plans, stock of the United States Steel corporation valued at several millions of dollars at par, has been set aside for the purchase at inside figures by the 165,000 men employed by the companies that make up the great steel trust. It is contemplated to form this co-partnership between the shareholders and the employees of the United States Steel corporation.
''The plan was conceived before the steel strike was thought of and then it was expected that it might be put in operation in two years. It required time to formulate the details of such a tremendous undertaking. For this reason announcement was withheld.
"At a recent conference, however, between the executive board of the Amalgamated association and Charles Schwab, the president of the United States Steel corporation, it came out that Schwab under the direction of Morgan had formulated a profit sharing scheme whereby it was proposed to make every employee in the steel corporation a copartner in the business."
A Sympathetic Strike.
MCKEESPORT, Pa., Aug. 16.—All the employees of the National Galvanizing works, a branch of the National Tube works, struck this morning. About 200 men are employed. A meeting will be held Monday to organize a lodge of the Federation of Labor.
BAD BLOW FOR GROTON, N. Y.
Bridge Company to Shut Down Indefinitely—Some of It to be Moved.
An Associated Press dispatch from Ithaca says: The Groton Bridge company of Groton, N. Y., [pdf] which was recently absorbed by the big United States Steel corporation, posted a notice yesterday to the effect that the mills will be closed down indefinitely on Saturday night. Men have been put to work to remove some of the machinery and all the material on hand will be shipped to other plants of the corporation.
Manager Landon says the plant will be closed for at least three months, but he is of the opinion that it will be opened again. The plant employs 400 men and for fourteen years has been the sustaining industry of Groton. Most of the employees have built themselves houses and if the mills are removed it will be a severe blow to the men. Until the time the plant was absorbed by the corporation the plant had all the work it could handle.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Some Interesting Postoffice Statistics.
The report of the chief inspector of the postoffice department, which covers the losses and accidents the department sustained during the last fiscal year, is interesting and significant. It shows that during the year the number of postoffices robbed was 1,635, the number of letter boxes rifled was 158, the number of stagecoaches held up was 37, the number of mall wagons looted was 3, and the number of mail pouches stolen was 656. In the same time 643 postoffices were destroyed by fire and 71 postal cars were wrecked and burned.
One can hardly congratulate the department upon having so much property destroyed or damaged, but that these things should happen and make hardly a noticeable eddy in the current of postal business gives one some idea of how vast and strong that current must be. Considering the magnitude of the department's operations, the losses were insignificant, hardly a drop in the bucket.
The report further says that during the year about 52,000 complaints were received regarding letters and 48,000 regarding packages. Compared with the immense number of articles carried, these 100,000 complaints form an exceedingly small proportion. A carefully conducted business that receives 100,000 complaints during a year must be a business of great magnitude. Such a business is that of the postoffice department. Altogether the per cent of losses either through accident or peculation and the number of complaints are small as compared to those in private business enterprises.
THE CANNING FACTORY
Work is Now Being Pushed Hard and Every One is Hustling.
One of the most interesting spots in Cortland is now the canning factory on Squires-st. Big loads of beans are now arriving at frequent intervals and the machines, which seem almost human in their accuracy and the hundred employees, mostly women and girls, who are now busy are getting them into cans ready for shipment at an astonishing rate.
The bean pods that are now being brought to the factory are of excellent quality, and the producers report a good crop. When delivered to the factory the beans are taken immediately to the second floor where there are located tables for the snippers, who break off both ends of the pods. From here the beans go to the graders' machines which separate them by shaking through different meshed wire screens into three grades according to size. In order to make the pods still more nearly uniform in size the sorting process is still farther continued by hand until the grades are very even indeed.
From the sorters the pods are taken to\ the cleaner and thoroughly washed, and from this they are taken to a can-filler, where the cans are partially filled. From here the cans are passed along to girls who complete the filling and here each can is weighed and made to contain exactly a pound. The cans are then placed in trays that hold a dozen each and taken by boys to the brine tank where the brine is run up on them. From this they are carried to the capping machine, where they are automatically sealed. The sealing machine is one of the latest of its kind in use. It is a Hawkins patent, and will cap about 35,000 cans in ten hours. The cans pass through it with a precision and accuracy that is surprising.
From the capping machine the cans pass into large iron crates which, when filled, are lowered into the large cooking retorts. When taken from these the cans are ready to be labeled.
The bean season, Mr. Halstead states, will last till nearly the middle of September. The corn canning season will begin about the first of September, and the outlook for this crop is also excellent.
The proprietors are fortunate in securing as foreman Mr. R. M. Rush of Camden, who has had a wide experience in the canning business. Mr. Frank Bartle of Oneida, who formerly operated the capping machine for the Fox Stanwix factory, has charge of that work here. Miss Alice Maynard of Camden is the bookkeeper.
Patrons of Industry.
Sweet Home association of the Patrons of Industry, Cortland, held a meeting at Eli Stafford's, Groton-ave., on Saturday evening of last week. The next meeting will be held on Saturday evening of this week at Wm. Cooper's, Homer-ave. Every member is requested to be present as there will be something sure to interest them.
CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
Has Secured Mr. Lee L. Wellman as a Vocal Instructor.
For some time the proprietors of the Cortland Conservatory of Music, Messrs. Darby and Bentley, have felt the need of having both a man and a woman as instructors in the vocal department of the Conservatory. Miss Tickner, who has been the vocal instructor during the past year and will continue the coming year, has met with a very gratifying measure of success and the excellent support which the people of Cortland have extended to the institution have determined the proprietors to do everything in their power to extend the capacity and efficiency of the school in every possible way. In addition to Miss Tickner, Mr. Lee L. Wellman has been secured as vocal instructor the coming year. Mr. Wellman's ability as a singer and a musician is too well known to the people of Cortland to need comment. Since graduating from the Cortland Conservatory of Music he has studied voice placing under the instruction of the eminent voice specialist, and exponent of the Italian school, J. Harry Wheeler of New York, from whom he received very flattering recommendations as a singer and instructor.
He has done a considerable amount of teaching in and around Cortland during the past three years and has demonstrated his ability in this direction, and in securing him, the proprietors feel that they have made a very desirable acquisition to the very excellent faculty of the Conservatory. Mr. Wellman will bring with him, for use in his work, a concert grand piano which, with the concert grand piano now in Mr. Bentley's department and the new pianos to be placed in Mr. Darby's and Miss Tickner's rooms, will give the Conservatory an equipment second to none in the state. Mr. Wellman is now in Mr. Wheeler's summer school in Chautauqua and will return in time to commence his duties at the Conservatory the second of September.
Students should register Friday and Saturday, Aug. 30 and 31. Regular work begins Monday, Sept. 2. Send for catalogue.
WILLIAM OSCAR DOUGLASS.
Former Resident of Cortland Passes Away in Binghamton, N. Y.
Word has been received in Cortland of the death this morning in Binghamton of Captain William Oscar Douglass, a former resident of this city, a nephew of Mrs. G. N. Copeland of Homer and of Mrs. Cornelius Kinney of Cortland and a cousin of Mrs. James E. Tanner. He was about 60 years of age.
Mr. Douglass was a cadet at the West Point Military academy from July 1, 1861, to Jan. 23, 1862, when he went to the war, where he was first a private in Company F, second battalion of the Fourteenth infantry. On April 30, 1862, he was made a sergeant, and on June 1, 1862, was promoted to be a second lieutenant of the Fourteenth infantry. On July 2, 1863, he was brevetted as captain "for gallant and meritorious service" in the battle of Gettysburg, In this battle he was shot through both legs and was injured upon the head by a spent ball, and was brought home to Cortland to recover. On May 14, 1864, he was made first lieutenant of the Fourteenth infantry. He was honorably retired on Dec. 31, 1864.
The funeral will be held at the late home on Oak-st. in Binghamton on Sunday at 1:30 o'clock.
Mrs. Maria O. Dodge.
Mrs. Maria C. Dodge aged 74 years died at 12 o'clock last night at the home of her daughter, Mrs. M. L. Decker, 24 Railroad-st. Mrs. Dodge has been an invalid for many years and since the death of her husband, Mr. L. B. Dodge, in 1894 has made her home with Mrs. Decker. She was in her usual health until Monday night and it is only since that time that her condition has been considered serious. Mrs. Dodge was born in Preble in 1826 and her maiden name was Maria C. Warner. May 9, 1849, she was married to Mr. L. B. Dodge of McGraw, and for a number of years lived on what is known as the Dodge farm near McGraw. She was a member of the McGraw Baptist church.
Four children survive her. They are: Mrs. M. L. Decker and Walter R. Dodge of Cortland, Dr. G. W. Dodge of Moravia and M. W. Dodge of Nubia. Funeral services will be held Sunday at 2:10 P. M. Burial in Cortland.
THE STEVENS FAMILY
Held Its Fifth Annual Reunion at the Park Thursday.
The Stevens family held its fifth annual reunion at the park yesterday, and notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather over one hundred were present. All these were the descendants of John and Thankful Stevens, the youngest children in the company being the sixth generation from that worthy couple. Tables were spread upon the broad veranda of the pavilion and a bountiful dinner was served. This was followed by an impromptu program of an informal character, largely reminiscences of the earlier days of the family. Officers were then selected as follows:
President—B. Frank Rice, Cortland.
Vice-President—George Stevens, Cortland.
Secretary—Mrs. Arthur L. Stevens.
Treasurer—Dewitt Stevens of East Homer.
The next reunion will be held at the park on the second Wednesday in August, 1902.
KEECH-PURVIS PICNIC
Held Thursday at the Home Of Charles Stowe in Harford.
The sixth annual reunion and picnic of the Keech-Purvis families was held yesterday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stowe in the town of Harford. There were about fifty present and, although the rain interfered somewhat with the arrangements and perhaps kept some from being present, the spacious farmhouse furnished ample room for all and a most enjoyable time is reported. After an elaborate dinner there was an interesting program with music and recitations and officers were elected for the coming year. Four deaths were reported since the last meeting: Mr. Robert Purvis and Mrs. Samantha Bouton Klink of Cortland, Mr. Carpenter of Harford and Samuel Hale of Richford.
Among the guests from a distance who were in attendance were: Dr. and Mrs. F. H. Forshee and daughter Bernice and Mr. and Mrs. L. F. Gee of McGraw, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Gaylord, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Bouton of Cortland, Mrs. Samuel Hall of Richford and George Keech of Pleasantville, Pa.
The officers elected were:
President—Charles Keech, Harford.
Secretary—Mrs. Cora Gee, McGraw.
Treasurer—Mrs. Charles Stowe, Harford,
The reunion next year will be held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Stowe near Dryden.
The Fox Picnic.
Although outside the heavens wept, inside the hearts of the Fox family there was sunshine as fifty-seven representatives of the same, big and little, gathered on Ang. 15 for their fourth annual reunion at the Cortland park. After much careful and satisfying attention given to the good things to eat, an adjournment was made for the program to the hall above. W. D. Fox, J. H. Fox and Seymour Webster sang; prayer was offered, after which the president Rev. W. D. Fox of Preble gave a short address. Mrs. Frank Snyder read a paper, a tender and loving memorial to the three who since last meeting had been called higher. Rev. Mr. Fox sang again and Mrs. Frank Snyder read a most pleasing poem "The Family Picnic," proving beyond doubt that the Foxes number at least one favored with the gift of poetry. At the business meeting which followed, C. E. Chapman of Freeville was elected president; Mrs. Frank Snyder of Cortland, vice-president; Mr. Harris Roe of Freeville, secretary and treasurer; C. E. Chapman, Seymour Webster, Harris Roe and George Haskins, committee of arrangements for the next picnic.
BREVITIES.
—New display advertisements today are—M. A. Case, Drygoods, page 6.
—Rain caused the postponement of all baseball games scheduled to be played in the State league yesterday.
—Mrs. S. W. Sherwood gave a thimble bee to a party of ladies this afternoon upon her spacious piazza at 79 Railroad-st.
—Carrie Nation, the saloon smasher, is expected to go through Cortland on one of the northbound evening trains tomorrow noon to speak in that city in the afternoon, and is scheduled for an address at 8:15 o'clock tomorrow night at Assembly park, Tully lake.
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