EPIDEMIC OF LOCKJAW, FIRE AT CHAIR FACTORY, TIOUGHNIOGA CLUB, BEANS IN A CAN, AND OLD DAYS IN SOLON

 

Contaminated Horse "Jim."

Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, Nov. 2, 1901.

EPIDEMIC OF LOCKJAW

Caused by Administration of Diphtheria Anti-Toxin.

ELEVEN DEATHS HAVE RESULTED.

City Chemist of St. Louis Made the Stuff Which Has Caused the Deaths. Now Inoculating Others Who Were Treated With the Fatal Serum.

   ST. LOUIS, Nov. 2.—The list of deaths attributed to lockjaw as a result of the administration of diphtheria antitoxin manufactured by the city chemist now numbers 11, two more deaths being reported yesterday.

   Eleven other children are reported to the health department as suffering from lockjaw, with a slight chance for recovery. The cause of lockjaw in each case is said to be poisoning from the city's diphtheria anti-toxin.

   The health department has now begun the free distribution of tetanus antitoxin for injection into the blood of patients who have been inoculated with the infected serum and thus exposed to lockjaw.

   The health department has announced that no more diphtheria anti-toxin will be manufactured by the city of St. Louis.

   The investigation ordered by the city coroner's jury to determine positively the cause of the deaths of the eight children who are alleged to have died of lockjaw following the administration of the city anti-toxin is being pushed and it is expected it will be completed in a few days.

 

Li Hung Chang.

LI IS SERIOUSLY ILL.

Has Had Hemorrhages For Last Two Days and His Condition Is Grave.

   PEKIN, Nov. 2.—Li Hung Chang's foreign physicians now pronounce his condition grave. He has had hemorrhages for the last two days.

   His death would probably affect the negotiations as to Manchuria, which he has been conducting with M. Paul Lessar, Russian minister to China.

 

Death of Mrs. Stark.

   Mrs. Alveretta Stark, wife of Mr. Richard H. Stark, died at her home, 156 Tompkins-st., Cortland, last night at 9:45 o'clock, from cancer of the liver, aged 44 years, 2 months and 5 days. The funeral will be held from the house Monday at 2 o'clock P. M. Burial in Cortland.

   Mrs. Stark was the oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. James W. Tarbell, who formerly lived at Groton, but who now live at West Groton. In 1874 she married Mr. Stark, and had she lived till the 12th of this month they would have been married twenty-seven years. Ten children were born to them, all of whom are living except the first child, who died in infancy. The other nine are, Mrs. J. W. Evans, Bert Stark, Grace Stark, Guy Stark, Alma Stark, Ollie Stark, Hazel Stark, Marie Stark, and a boy baby only one week old. She also leaves two brothers, Mr. Andrew Tarbell of North Lansing and Mr. Miles Tarbell of South Lansing, and two sisters, Mrs. J. D. Hubbell of Groton and Miss May Tarbell of New York.

 

FIRE AT CHAIR FACTORY.

Caught from Friction of Shavings—Extinguished by Wickwire's Men.

   At about 5:30 o'clock last night Smith Turner, an employee of Hayes chair factory, chanced to pass in front of the shavings box in the boiler room and discovered a light on the inside of the box, revealing itself through the cracks about the door casing. The shaving box, so called, is a brick receptacle about 15 or 20 feet square, into which the shavings from the wood shop are swept through large pipes, being drawn there by suction induced through the operation of a fan, the apparatus being called the blower. This stands in the center of the boiler room. The only opening into it, aside from the suction pipes through which the shavings enter it, is a wooden door on the side toward the boilers through which the shavings are taken out to be shoveled into the fire boxes for fuel.

   The light about the door casing showed Mr. Turner that the shavings inside the box were on fire. He quickly called the attention of Engineer Thomas Smith to the fact, and Philip May ran across the street to Wickwire Brothers' mill and gave the alarm of fire. In the twinkling of an eye the Wickwire fire brigade had run out their hose cart, connected with their engine and pump and had a line of hose into the boiler room across the street. When the water came through the hose then and not till then was the door of the shavings bin opened. Flames and smoke shot out and a volume of water was poured in which extinguished the flames in very short order.

   By keeping the door shut all air was kept from the fire and there was no draught upon it. The fire was in the main on the other side of the box from the door so that the door itself was scarcely scorched.

   The only damage done was the burning of a few shavings and the tearing down of the fence where Wickwire's men came through with their hose cart.

   Some one turned in an alarm of fire and the department responded, but threw no water.

   The cause of the fire was at first a query but was explained by Mr. Hayes. The shavings are usually short bits from the planer, but yesterday the planer was taking off strips 15 inches long. Some of these caught on a revolving shaft of the blower on the way to the bin and whirled about so fast constantly striking the walls of the blow pipe that enough friction was created to start the fire, which was then quickly communicated to the mass of shavings in the bin. Mr. Hayes says he has had one fire previously from the same cause. Hereafter he will look out for all long shavings.

 

THE TIOUGHNIOGA CLUB.

ITS POSITION TOWARD THE SCHOOL APPROPRIATION.

A Member Asks Us to Deny that the Club Is Opposed to It—He Gives Some Good Reasons.

   A member of the Tioughnioga club of this city calls the attention of the STANDARD to a recent item in the Cortland correspondence of an out-of-town paper stating that most of the members of that club are opposed to voting the appropriation called for by the board of education of this city, to erect a new school building to accommodate the increasing number of children seeking education in our city schools. This correspondent does not deny that our schools are overcrowded; that children are herded in halls unfit for occupancy for such a purpose because there are not sufficient and proper rooms in our school buildings; or that children are turned away from school because there is no room for them. He does not deny any of these facts. He simply asserts that the members of the Tioughnioga club are opposed to voting this appropriation.

   Our friend, who is a member of this club, declares that this charge against the club is false, and he asks the STANDARD as a simple act of justice to the organization to deny the charge. He declares that he is well acquainted with the membership of the club and has been a member from its organization.

   To show the situation more fully, this member calls attention to the fact that the board of education, as is well known, consists of nine members, as follows: Ferdinand D. Smith, president, dealer in hardware; Edward Keator, president of the First National bank of Cortland; William J. Greenman, president and superintendent of the Cortland Door and Window Screen Co.; Arthur F. Stilson, stockholder and superintendent of Wickwire Brothers manufactory; George J. Mager, president of the Second National bank; Albert W. Edgcomb, special agent of the New York Life Ins. Co.; William H. Newton, head of the firm of Wm. H. Newton & Son, manufacturer of carriage tops and carriage specialties; Frank P. Hakes of the firm of Davis, Jenkins & Hakes, insurance agents; Curtis L. Kinney, president of the Cortland Forging Co.

   These are all men of integrity and ability, who have succeeded in their own business, and have made a study of this school building question in all its ramifications, and have recommended and asked for this appropriation for this school building.

   Now out of this board of education of nine members, six are also members of the Tioughnioga club. Our friend wishes to know if this looks like the club's being opposed to this appropriation. The six members of the school board who are also members of the club are Messrs. F. P. Hakes, William J. Greenman, F. D. Smith, William H. Newton, Curtis L. Kinney and Arthur F. Stilson. They certainly are not opposed to the appropriation. Besides this, Superintendent of Public Schools F. E. Smith is also a member of the club and one of its board of directors. There are fifteen members of the board of directors of the club, and so far as our complainant is informed there is not more than one, if there is even one, who is against the appropriation. Among the directors and members of the club favoring the appropriation are the following: Charles C. Wickwire, son of C. F. Wickwire, (Mr. Wickwire's father and his uncle T. H. Wickwire, are also members of the club, warmly in favor of the appropriation, and the largest taxpayers in Cortland); Silas W. Sherwood, son-in-law of Mr. H. F. Benton, a large taxpayer and earnestly in favor of the appropriation; Mr. Chas. F. Brown, mayor of the city; Mr. Geo. J. Maycumber, city chamberlain; Mr. Frank E. Price, commissioner of charities; Mr. David F. Wallace; Mr. Nathan L. Miller, city attorney and chairman of the Republican county committee; Judge Joseph E. Eggleston; Former Judge Stratton S. Knox, president of the board of public works and of the National Bank of Cortland; Mr. Edward Alley, president of the board of fire commissioners and cashier of the First National bank; Mr. G. S. Van Hoesen, president of the board of police commissioners; Mr. F. J. Peck, cashier of the National bank of Cortland,

   But our informant says that it would take more space than the STANDARD could afford to give to it to enumerate all the members of the club who favor this appropriation. It would include most of the membership. In short, he says, so far as his information goes, there are not more than a few, a small minority, who have given any evidence of feeling against it. And he declares that the whole club should not be judged from the opinions of this minority. He also states from his own knowledge that some of those in the club supposed to be opposed to the appropriation are not voters at the special election, and one who is a voter and opposed has publicly declared that he will not vote on the subject at all, for reasons which he has publicly stated.

 

BEANS IN A CAN.

Pupils Cannot Be so Disposed of Regardless of Their Grade.

   The unthinking person may suppose that pupils can be disposed of like beans in a can and that if there is a vacant seat in any room in a school any child who wants to enter school can be placed in it. This is the basis for some one's calling attention to several rooms in the public schools which lack a few pupils of being seated to their capacity while other rooms are overcrowded, and of concluding from this that there are plenty of seats for all the children. In order that a child may enter any room he must belong to the grades that are there taught. There may, for instance, be five vacant seats in a fourth grade room and there may be five children desiring to enter the first grade, but if the first grade room is full the fact that the fourth grade is not full does not help the situation a particle. Children can only go to the rooms which they are prepared to enter.

   And that very fact shows why the board of education's proposition to add to the Central school rather than to add to the number or capacity of the ward schools is a wise one. Until the Central school became crowded beyond its capacity it was the great equalizer for all the other three schools. The children on the outskirts could go to the ward schools till they were full, then the children living nearer the center of the place could go to the Central school to do the same work there if the ward school was full and not have any further to walk. There would not have been children enough available for any one of the three ward schools to justify employing another teacher and, establishing a duplicate room in that school for any one grade, but there were enough children from the three outlying districts to fill one room. The result was that the one room was placed in the Central school for certain grades and the children near the center were sent to it. But now the Central itself is more than full so that its ability to be an equalizer has ceased.

   On that same principle if a ward school is needed at present in the Fitz-ave. section another one is just as much needed east of the Lackawanna tracks. But there are probably not enough children in either of these two sections to fill every grade in two new schools in addition to the schools already there, though a teacher would need to be hired in each of the two districts even if the grades were only half full. If, however, the children half filling these grades in two schools were brought together in a single school at a central point one teacher could do the work of two, one janitor could do the work of two, one furnace could do the work of two and the city could be saved the cost of one establishment. The board of education has thought of all of these things in arriving at its conclusion.

 

Keeping Children Out of School.

   The state law provides that children 5 years of age may be admitted to the public schools. More than twenty-five children 5 years of age applied for admission to the Cortland public schools in September and the parents of about twenty of these were persuaded by the school authorities to keep their children out of school another year, or at least another term because the schools were so crowded.

   A childless critic says they ought to be kept out of school, they are too young to go to school. That is simply a difference of opinion with some of the parents. The school law does not make school attendance compulsory at that age, but it says that children 5 years of age may go to school, if they desire to and their parents desire to have them, and if so it is the duty of school boards to find a place for them. The critic simply advises defying the law.

 

Cortland Science Club.

   The regular meeting of the Cortland Science club will be held this evening at the Hatch library at 8 o'clock. The program will include a review of Rev. Robert Clements' paper of two weeks ago by Mr. A. P. McGraw. The speaker of the evening will be Major A. Sager, and his subject, "The Sea and Some of Its Inhabitants."

 

A Change of Location.

   Mr. H. L. Yates, who for the past two years has conducted a grocery store on Park-st., and who for eleven years conducted a store on the corner of Squires and Owego-sts., is today moving to the vacant store in the Squires block, where he will keep a stock of cigars, tobacco, stationery and notions. Mr. Yates expects to open some time next week.

 

Charles G. Maybury.

OLD DAYS IN SOLON.

MORE REMINISCENCES FROM THE PEN OF MR. MAYBURY.

He [Recalls] Father Welsh and Many of His [Benevolent] Deeds and Tells of the Sayings and Doings of Other Old and Valued Friends Among the Early Settlers.

   To the Editor of The Standard:

   SIR—Your correspondent is pleased that a condition of health prevails again that may permit of an occasional letter along the lines of the olden times that may bring back to the memory of some of your readers the happy days of young girlhood and boyhood when a thought of the sealed future before them would kindle a flame and thrill of joy which they fondly hoped would bring to their lives the dearest desires that the heart could wish. During the misty years of half a century or more that future has been slowly opening to each one. Some lives have been gladdened and others saddened by the revelation.

   In writing these short sketches of Solon and its pioneers, the story would not be complete without a brief mention of some settlers who came into the town some fifty and sixty years ago. I refer to those citizens, the fathers and mothers of whom were mostly born in the green isle where the Shamrock is treasured among the sweetest memories of the dear native land.

   Father Welch, the good soul, I am sure is still remembered by many of the children now living of those settlers, all of whom I am informed are now dead, except Michael Quigley and William Kelley. Each of these is now nearly 90 years of age and in full possession of all his faculties. Father Welch's residence was in the city of New York and I think he was chiefly instrumental in settling the colony of Irish people in Solon, and after they were finally and permanently located on lands which they purchased he used to come up two or three times a year to minister to them, both spiritually and temporally. He was a priest who was reverenced by all of his parishioners and was held in highest esteem by all people in the town who came to know him. He seemed an educated and polished gentleman of the old school. This writer always understood that Samuel Emerson, Esq., who was much in New York in connection with his droving business, made the acquaintance of Father Welch, and gave him kindly aid in bringing the Irish families into the town. The Reverend Father could readily see that their condition would be greatly enhanced by leaving the crowded city and get a piece of land where they could make a permanent and pleasant home for their families. The homes of many of them were in New York, Brooklyn, Jersey City and Hoboken, and among the names of those remembered as heads of families were William Griffith, John Cain, John Hickey, Thomas Condon, William Gilbertson, William Madden, Peter Madden, Michael Quigley, William Kelley, James Gorman, John Gleason, Martin Hayes, Messrs. Morris, Haley and Hanley and others which the mists of our half a century have blurred from memory, and for the same reason the given names of some of those mentioned may be incorrect. If so, I would beg pardon. Many of those named became prominent men of the town and raised interesting families, their children intermarrying among some of the old families of the neighborhood.

   There are a few anecdotes and numerous sayings of some of those men which have been remembered and handed down by the present generation, and in making mention of a few of them in this letter the writer begs to assure living representatives that no disrespect or disparagement is in any way intended, for the writer knew many of those men and valued them among his most respected friends But they rather exemplify the ready natured wit of a native born Irishman.

   The Solon tavern was kept for many years by Mine Host Cornelius Fish, Esq., and in those days a bar where liquors was sold seemed quite indispensable. The neighboring men of the corners and vicinity made the hotel their evening lounging place, and occasionally some one would call on a friendly treat, or perhaps, as the boys say, the host would "set, 'em up." One time on the first of April Mr. Hickey and some friends were invited up by the landlord to partake of a social glass. Hickey poured out his glass, water, and drank it with apparent satisfaction. The host began to smile, when Hickey said "That was as good whiskey as I ever got here." So the landlord was told.

   Mr. Hanley was a large broad shouldered man and intensely in earnest, when he had anything on his mind along the line of business; and withal he possessed a very deep bass voice. He had a bright daughter—Kate—for whom he wished to secure a position as teacher. His friend, Joe Twentyman, was trustee of a nearby district. Mr. Hanley arose very early of a bright morning, saddled a horse and set out to interview the trustee on behalf of the daughter. Mr. Twentyman had arisen, and stepped out upon to the porch. When he saw Hanley ride up to the gate, Twentyman said "good morning, Mr. Hanley." No reply. Mr. Hanley got down from the saddle and deliberately hitched his horse, opened the gate and came up to the trustee, and said, "Tell me this, have ye hired a tacher?" He believed in no intermediate parley before business.

   Tommy Condon, as he was familiarly called by his neighbors and friends, was quite an eccentric character. His red head and smiling face always betokened a happy spirit. When he made the final payment on his farm, purchased of a gentleman in Brooklyn, N. Y., he became very happy when he received his final receipt. Seeing a neighbor passing he ran out crying. "Me farm is paid for, me farm is paid for. I have the satisfaction piece in the house sent up all the way from Brooklyn. Come in and let me show you it." At another time it was said Mr. Condon called at a friend's house just as they were sitting down to dinner. The hospitable neighbor said, "Mr. Condon, sit down and eat some dinner with us."No, no," he replied, "I have just been aiting bafe (beef) till I cana see the fince (fence) of me own garden."

   It was said the boys were watching him one spring morning. He came out with his gun to shoot a robin which was perched on a stump a short distance away. Just as he' took aim the bird flew farther away to another stump, "ah," said he, "ye need not fly away, for I'll have the fithers off of ye. Ye're my mate (meat), ye're my mate." The bird took warning and flew away every time just as he was in the act of firing which roiled Tommy's genial good nature very much.

   Mr. Hanley, before mentioned, returned from Cortland one evening, called on his old friend John Hickey, when Mr. Hickey said, "Friend Hanley, you are now weary and it is supper time, come sit down and eat with us," which invitation he accepted in the same spirit in which the invitation was extended. Mr. Hanley was a great lover of good tea. His cup was soon empty and he passed it over to Mrs. Hickey and said, "A little more tae, Mrs. Hickey, your tae is very palable tae." C. G. M., Winona, Minn., Oct. 20, 1901.

 

TWO HOURS IN WHICH TO VOTE.

One of the Provisions of the Election Law of the State.

   There is a law requiring an employer to permit employees to have two hours to vote and to pay them for the time off, but it requires notice the day before to the employer. It is Section 113 of the Election law, and runs: "Section 113. Allowance of Time for Employees to Vote. Any person entitled to vote at a general election held within this state shall, on the day of such election, be entitled to absent himself from any service or employment in which he is then engaged or employed, for a period o( two hours, while the polls of such election are open. If such voter shall notify his  employer, before the day of such election, of such intended absence, and if thereupon two consecutive hours for such absence shall be designated by the employer, and such absence shall be during such designated hours, or if the employer, upon the day of such notice, makes no designation, and such absence shall be during any two consecutive hours while such polls are open, no deduction shall be made from the usual salary or wages of such voter, and no other penalty shall be imposed upon him by his employer by reason of such absence."

   By Section 41 of the Penal Code it is provided that an employer who refuses to permit an employee to vote as provided in the election law or reduces his wages because of the exercise of this privilege is guilty of a misdemeanor.

   The constitutionality of the provision for payment during the two hours does not seem to have been passed upon in the courts.

 

BREVITIES.

   —About 125 Cortland people went to Ithaca on the special Lehigh Valley train at 1 o'clock this afternoon to witness the Cornell-Princeton football game.

   —New shelves are being placed in Giles' department store and other improvements are being made that will greatly improve the appearance of the place.

   —Mr. C. W. Townsend, who has rented the bowling alleys in the Riley block, will begin operations next Monday for placing a shooting gallery in the rooms.

   —A regular meeting of the board of managers of the Hospital association will be held at the hospital on Monday at 3 P. M. A full attendance is desired.

   —The sale of seats for "Eypta" this evening has been brisk today. There are many desirable seats left, however, which will probably be taken before the performance begins.

   —Mr. George McKean, formerly proprietor of the European hotel on Court-st., who has leased the Messenger House, will take possession of the premises next Monday.

   —Mr. John McAllister of DeRuyter, who has been an extensive egg dealer in that town, has located in Cortland at the corner of Elm and Pomeroy-sts., and will engage in the egg business here.

   —Mr. George H. Colgrove of Ithaca and Miss Nellie E. L. Peek of Cortland were married at the Homer-ave. M. E. parsonage in Cortland on Thursday, Oct. 31, by Rev. H. L. Rixon. Only immediate relatives of both parties were present.