CARNEGIE INSTITUTE, MR. WU ON MARRIAGE, GILLETTE FACTORY, FIRE AT SCREEN FACTORY, AND KING'S DAUGHTERS ELECTION

 

Andrew Carnegie.

Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, Jan. 30, 1902.

CARNEGIE INSTITUTE.

Meeting of the Trustees at the State Department.

MR. CARNEGIE PRESENTS DEED.

William E. Dodge of New York Elected to the Board on Account of Mr. Cleveland's Declination—Mr. Carnegie Explains Scope of the institution.

   Washington, Jan. 30.—An adjourned meeting of the trustees of the Carnegie institute was held at the state department and a long step was taken towards permanent organization and the initiation of the work of the institution. Abram S. Hewitt of New York called the meeting to order and Secretary Hay was elected temporary chairman and Charles D. Walcott temporary secretary. William E. Dodge of New York was elected to the board to fill a vacancy caused by the declination of ex-President Cleveland, who sent a letter regretting his inability to serve. After the roll call Mr. Carnegie made a brief address, presenting the deed of gift:

   "I beg to thank you deeply for so promptly, so cordially, aiding me by acceptance of trusteeship. A note from the president congratulates me upon the 'high character, indeed I may say, the extraordinarily high character of the trustees, such are his words. I believe this estimate has been generally approved throughout the wide boundary of the United States.

   "My first thought was to fulfill the expressed wish of Washington by establishing a university here, but a study of the question forced me to the conclusion that under present conditions, were Washington still with us, his finely balanced judgment would decide that in our generation at least such use of wealth would not be the best.

   "One of the most serious objections, and one which I could not overcome, was that another university might tend to weaken existing universities. My desire was to co-operate with all educational institutions and establish what would be a source of strength and not of weakness to them and the idea of a Washington university or of anything of a memorial character was therefore abandoned.

   "This gift, or the donor, has no pretentions to such honor, and in nowise interferes with the proposed university or with any memorial. It has its own more modern field and is entrusted to co-operate with all kindred institutions, including the Washington university if ever built, and it may be built if we continue to increase in population as heretofore for a generation. In this hope, I think, the name should be sacredly held in reserve. It is not a matter of one million or ten million or even of twenty millions, but of more, to fulfill worthily the wish of Washington, and I think no one would presume to use this almost sacred name except for a university of a first rank, established by national authority, as he desired. Be it our part in our day and generation to do what we can to extend the boundaries of human knowledge by utilizing institutions.

   "Gentlemen, your work begins, your aims are high; you seek to extend known forces and to discover and utilize new forces for the benefit of man. Than this there can scarcely be greater work. I wish you abundant success and venture to prophesy that through your efforts in co-operation with those of kindred societies in our country contributions to the advancement of race through research will compare in the near future not unfavorably with those of any other land. Again I thank you."

   After accepting the deed of gift of $10,000,000 from Mr. Carnegie, the trustees proceeded to adopt by-laws and then elected the following officers: Chairman of the board of trustees, Abram S. Hewitt; vice chairman. Dr. J. S. Billings; secretary, Charles D. Walcott; Dr. Daniel C. Gilman, late of Johns Hopkins university, was elected president of the Carnegie Institute.

 

Andrew D. White.

Prince Henry of Prussia.

Invited to Visit Cornell.

   Ithaca, Jan. 30.—President Schurman has cabled Ambassador Andrew D. White to extend to Prince Henry an invitation to visit Cornell university when the prince arrives in the United States. It is hoped by Ithacans that the invitation coming from Ambassador White, a former president of Cornell, will receive favorable consideration.

 

Minister Wu Ting Fang.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.

Mr. Wu on Marriage.

   In Washington the other day, Chinese Minister Wu fell to discussing matrimony, according to a Washington correspondent, and gave it as his opinion that the method of bringing about marriage in this country is nearly as full of faults as the peculiar customs of China. A month ago an estimable American woman residing in San Francisco arrived in Washington with a young Chinese girl in her charge. She became acquainted with the girl while engaged in mission work in San Francisco, and a marriage with her protégé and an industrious Chinaman in business in Philadelphia was arranged. The engagement was managed as is the custom in China, without either party seeing the other. Photographs were exchanged, however, and the two agreed that they could be happy together. The American woman brought the girl East to be married, and while in Washington called on Minister Wu. The latter got the cards announcing the marriage, and he understands that the couple are happy. Discussion of this incident led some one to remark that there was a great element of risk in bringing the girl a couple of thousand miles to marry a man she had never seen and that it was a strange proceeding.

   Then it was that Minister Wu gave his opinion. "Not strange at all," he said. "In fact, not nearly as curious as the way you Americans do, from our point of view. Marriages in China are always arranged in this way, and they usually turn out happy. Of course, it is very different from the custom here, but they are both radical. So I would suggest a compromise, to include the selection feature of Chinese marriages and the meeting feature of American courtships. But I dare say that parents are often more competent to judge of who will make good husbands and wives than their more interested sons and daughters. You can learn a good deal about a girl by seeing her photograph and having another tell of her charms. Your own custom of judging a girl by seeing her constantly has its faults, for they say that love is blind."

   The American young person is not likely to fall in with the minister's suggestion, although argument in concrete might be brought in favor of it. On the other hand, if arranged marriages always turned out like that of a certain unfortunate crowned head, concerning whom much has been printed of late, it is doubtful if even China would long follow its present custom.

 

FACTORY TO ENLARGE.

Gillette Cannot Keep up with Orders with Present Facilities.

   The expected has happened. Ten days ago it was apparent that the Gillette Skirt Co. could not keep up with its great rush of orders without increasing its facilities. But at the same time the management did not want to be hasty and it was thought that perhaps orders might diminish after a little, but on the contrary they have increased and it has been decided to enlarge at once and the contract for the new building has been let.

   An addition 38 feet wide and two stories high will be built forward 54 feet toward Homer-ave., from the front of the factory. The second story will be fitted up with shafting for more machines. The first floor will be used for a cutting room. There will also be a commodious and convenient dressing room and coat room for the lady employees. Of late they have been exceedingly crowded in this respect. The office will also be extended out into the part now used for a dressing room, thus affording another relief, as the office has been badly overcrowded since the business has so increased that more help was necessary. It is expected that the building will be completed in about six weeks.

 

Sanborn Insurance Fire Map 1902.

FIRE AT SCREEN FACTORY.

VARNISH BUILDING BURNED WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

Stood Apart from Other Buildings—Plentiful Use of Water Kept Flames from Lumber Which Was Piled Near—Fortunate Fire in Every Respect—Work of Rebuilding Already Begun.

   The varnish building at the works of the Cortland Door and Window Screen company was burned at about 8:30 o'clock last night. A plentiful use of water prevented the spread of the flames to other buildings or to lumber which in great quantities is piled near. The building which is considered an extra hazardous risk and upon which in consequence no insurance can be carried stood at least 60 feet distant from the nearest other building of the factory and is located upon a triangular plot of ground between the main track of the Lehigh Valley R. R. and a switch from that road which extends down into the yard to the shipping room. It was about 20 by 50 feet in size and one story high. Lumber, which is almost as dry as though from a kiln, is piled along both sides of that switch, and is in places very near to the varnish building. Fortunately last night it was covered with snow and fortunately, too, there was no wind blowing. Had the night been like the previous one when there was a perfect gale of wind from the south no power on earth could have prevented the destruction of the whole plant.

   The origin of the fire is unknown. The building is heated by steam and lighted by electricity and the company does not intend that any other form of light shall be taken into the building and, does not know that it ever has been. A train on the Lehigh Valley passed ten minutes before the fire was discovered and it has been suggested that a spark from the locomotive may have caused the fire, but this is uncertain. The fire was in the east side of the building next the track when first seen, but whether it took its origin from the outside or the inside of the building will probably never be known.

   The factory is now in its busiest season and with two forces of hands is being operated day and night. All through the early part of the evening two men had been carrying screen doors into the varnish building to be varnished today. They had gone to another building after a fresh supply and were just returning when they discovered the flames. The fire was also seen at about the same moment from the engine room by Night Engineer Byron Pratt. Mr. Pratt at once pulled down and left down the lever of his big steam whistle and the shrill screams from its gigantic throat carried terror not only to the scores of employees in the works themselves but to all the residents of that part of the city.

   One of the men rushed to the office to telephone an alarm of fire to the [fire] engine house. The office door was locked, but he burst it open. Whether he was unfamiliar with a telephone or in his excitement did not wait for the operator at the central office to answer is not clear, but in any case he could not get his message through. Another man ran to the corner of Port Watson and Pomeroy-sts. to pull the fire alarm box.

   Meanwhile the men poured out of factory eager to help in any way possible. It was remembered that two barrels of varnish, two barrels of benzene and a barrel of naphtha had been put into the varnish room yesterday afternoon and there they stood unopened and with the flames speedily drawing near to them. Instantly there was a rush for them and all five barrels were quickly rolled out of the building and to a place of safety. A line of fire hose was attached to the big pump in the engine room and the pump was started. A stream of water was turned first upon the burning building and then when it was seen that the building would be destroyed any way the water was devoted to soaking down the nearby lumber piles so that they might not be ignited.

   At first there seemed to be some difficulty about the fire alarm box and the bell did not strike correctly. But when it was pulled a second time it worked all right and the fire department responded quickly. Hitchcock Hose Co. attached to the hydrant at the corner of Port Watson and Pomeroy-sts., and took its hose across the back gardens and fields toward the burning building, but it wouldn't reach. Water Witch attached to the end and altogether 1,100 feet of hose were laid. The other companies attached to hydrants further up the street, but the hose would not reach and no water was thrown by these companies.

   With the two streams, one from the engine pump and the other from the city hydrant, the flames were soon extinguished. The officials of the Door and Window Screen Co. exhorted the firemen to let the fire in the varnish building burn itself out if need be as the loss in any case would not be great, but to save the lumber piles at any cost as their destruction would shut down the works, as no more dry lumber like that could be procured on short notice.

   After the fire was out the employees of the factory began at once clearing up the debris. The charred materials and embers and siding of the building still hot were piled into wheelbarrows and taken into the engine room and burned up. Everything was made ready for rebuilding as soon as morning should come, and today a gang of carpenters is at work hurrying up a new building to replace the old one. Except for a recess of an hour or two last night work in the factory was not interrupted, but was continued as usual this morning. It is said that the lack of a varnish room will delay the completion of work for about two weeks, but when the new varnish room is ready for use extra help will be put on to enable that part of the factory to catch up with the others so that the actual delay in shipments will be very slight.

   Taken altogether it was a very fortunate fire.

 

King's Daughters Election.

   The Loyal Circle of King's Daughters has elected the following officers for 1902:

   President—Mrs. S. S. Stearns.

   Secretary—Mrs. Jesse F. Bosworth.

   Treasurer—Mrs. C. F. Thompson.

   First Vice-President — Mrs. A. A. Sprague.

   Second Vice-President—Mrs. Henry Relyea.

   Third Vice-President—Mrs. J. O. Hammond.

   Fonrth Vice-President—Mrs. E. R. Wright.

   General Superintendent of Local Charity—Mrs. Ella McElheny, 29 Greenbush-st.

   Superintendent for First Ward—Mrs. J. J. Moore.

   Superintendent for Second Ward—Mrs. S. Doyle.

   Superintendent for Third Ward—Miss Annie Kingman.

   Superintendent for Fourth Ward—Mrs. E E. Ellis.

   Superintendent for Fifth Ward—Mrs. H. O. Smith.

   Superintendent for Sixth Ward—Mrs. J. O. Hammond.

   Chairman Fruit and Flower Committee—Mrs. H. J. Baker.

   Chairman Finance Committee—Mrs. E. D. Parker.

   Chairman Sewing Committee—Mrs. A. W. McNett.

   Chairman Literary Committee—Mrs. Stanley Bierce.

   Chairman Entertainment Committee—Mrs. W. K. Harris.

 

BREVITIES.

   —The population of Groton according to the census just completed has increased in the last two years from 1,342 to 1,400.

   —The annual public exercises of the Alpha Delta fraternity will be held at Normal hall tomorrow night at 8 o'clock.

   —New display advertisements today are—R. W. Mitchell, Meats, page 5; W. J. Perkins, Stomach tablets, page 6; S. P. Smith, Meats, page 5.

   —Mr. Horace W. Seaman of Marathon, formerly of Cortland, has purchased of Ryan & Hall the dwelling house adjoining their store on Port Watson-st. and will take possession March 1. This was formerly the Mrs. Dorliska Tisdale place.

   —Harold, the little son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. H. Łowerre of 25 Prospect-st., who has been very ill with pneumonia for several days, died at 11:30 o'clock this morning. He was a very bright and attractive little fellow and the blow is a hard one for the parents, who will have the sympathy of many friends in this hour of sorrow. He lacked a few days of being four years old. The funeral arrangements have not yet been made.