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| Killing fur seals on St. Paul's Island. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, Feb. 27, 1902.
ORDERS TO COLLECTOR.
Sharp Letter to the Secretary of the Treasury
ABOUT ILLEGAL SEAL FISHING.
Collector Claims His Acts Were Misunderstood by Department—Has Sent Canadian Official at Skagway Out of the Country—New Collector Appointed.
Washington, Feb. 27.—Some time ago the secretary of the treasury received unofficial information to the effect that J. W. Ivey, the collector of customs at Sitka, had instructed his deputy at Unalaska not to permit Canadian vessels, presumably about to engage in pelagic sealing, to obtain supplies at that port. The collector was directed to send a statement of the facts to the department and was informed that if such orders had been given they must be rescinded. The department received a telegram from Ivey saying:
"My instructions were not against vessels engaged in alleged legal seal fishing, but against Canadian vessels actually engaged in pelagic sealing, which is illegal and criminal, when committed within the marine jurisdiction of the United States. If there is an ancient treaty between the United States and Great Britain by which British subjects can commit depredations destroying American property and depleting our revenue of tens of thousands of dollars annually, the sooner such treaty is abrogated the better. Your solicitude regarding international complications with Great Britain need cause you no uneasiness as the poaching season is not yet opened. Your new collector will arrive in time to enforce your orders. My Americanism will not allow me to rescind an order which gives British subjects privileges within our marine jurisdiction which are denied our own people.
"There is another matter that may attract your attention. I have recently issued orders to the deputy at Skagway, a copy of which has been sent you, which has put the Canadian officers located there out of business and sent them to their own territory. You are aware of the fact that the chief Canadian officer there became so offensive that he interfered with American officers in their discharge of their official duties, opened United States customs mail, dominated over the railway officials, discriminated in the order of shipment in favor of Canadian merchandise against that shipped from Seattle, established a Canadian quarantine at Skagway, collected moneys and performed other acts of British sovereignty in a port of the United States, such as hoisting with bravado the cross of St. George from the flagstaff of his custom house.
"I have sent the concern, bag, baggage, flag and other paraphernalia flying out of the country. You may fear the shadow of international complications and rescind this order but a Reed, an Olney or a Blaine would not."
Signed Anti-Pigeon Shooting Bill.
Albany, Feb. 27.—Governor Odell has signed the bill prohibiting pigeon shooting in the state. He presented the pen with which he affixed his signature to the measure to John D. Raines, president of the state society for the prevention of cruelty to animals.
DUE TO SLOW WATCH.
Conductor of Wrecked Train Said His Watch Was 20 Minutes Slow.
Auburn, N. Y., Feb. 27.—The blame for the wreck on the New York Central and Hudson River railroad near Aurelius station Monday night is laid by Conductor G. W. Butler of East Syracuse to his watch. Butler was the chief witness at the coroner's inquest. He was in charge of the wrecking train which is held accountable for the tragedy.
Butler declares that his train barely came to a stop at Cayuga, and that Engineer Durrand continued without any order from him. By his watch the train had 11 minutes, ample time to reach Aurelius before the passenger train left.
After the collision he said he compared his watch with others and found that he was 20 minutes behind. He did not attempt to account for the loss of time by his watch between Canandaigua when it was correct and the scene of the wreck, nor did he advance any theory regarding the action of Engineer Durrand in leaving Cayuga when he knew he was on time of the passenger train.
The other witnesses called were telegraph operators who told of the orders on which the trains were running and trainmen, whose testimony was not important.
SPLENDID GIFT TO HOMER, N. Y.
Mr. and Mrs. C. O. Newton Present Water Works Plant to Village. Village was Planning to Purchase of the Bond Holders—When Price was Agreed upon at $30,000 Mr. and Mrs. Newton made Purchase and Presented it without Condition or Restriction to Village.
Mr. and Mrs. C. O. Newton of Homer this morning completed negotiations for the purchase of the plant and property of the Homer Waterworks Co. at a cost of $30,000 and presented them as a free gift without condition or restriction to the village of Homer. The people in general were taken completely by surprise by this munificent gift, but appreciate it very highly just the same.
The waterworks plant was put in about sixteen years ago. The company was capitalized at $100,000 and the stock was all owned by out-of-town parties. Some six years ago the company was closed out at receiver's sale, and the bonds were then reduced to $40,000. These were held by eastern parties who were represented by H. M. Verrill, an attorney of Portland, Me. In recent weeks the subject was agitated of the purchase of the plant by the village and a committee of citizens was appointed to conduct negotiations. A price was finally agreed upon of $30,000. The committee was planning to submit the price to the village officers and they would have made arrangements for a special election to vote upon the purchase, when Mr. and Mrs. Newton stepped in and made the purchase at the price agreed upon and have presented the entire plant to the village.
The plant includes about 7 miles of street main pipe and fifty-one hydrants. There are a large number of renters, but there is no doubt but that the number will soon be greatly increased. The village has paid an annual rental of $2,000 for the use of its hydrants. This will all be saved. The rental fees will more than pay for the expense of conducting the affairs of the plant.
Plans for the future will now have to be appointed. It is expected that a water board will be appointed who will make the regulations in accordance with the necessities of the case. Mr. E. J. Bockes has been for a number of years the very efficient and acceptable local representative of the owners, and of course knows much more about the system than any other man in Homer.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.
A City Improvement Society.
The Ladies' Literary club of Cortland has taken preliminary steps toward the organizing in this city of a Civic Housekeeping club, of which some three hundred have been instituted in different cities and villages of the country. The object of the club will be the beautifying of the city in one way and another and in general performing those duties which seem to belong to no one in particular to do, and which as a consequence usually go undone. In New England there are many such clubs and they usually go under the name of the village or city improvement society. The work which they have accomplished in the last decade is something marvelous. They have sometimes started with such simple tasks as seeing that loose papers are picked up from the streets. They have offered incentives in one way and another to bring it about that lawns are kept mowed, that streets are curbed uniformly, that unsightly objects are removed. Some of these duties belong to private individuals to perform, some of them to municipal authorities. They in no way interfere with municipal jurisdiction or run counter to it, but in every way seek to hold up the hands of the authorities and aid them in benefitting the place in general. In the village of Norwich the Civic club has recently put a handsome fountain upon the public park and has built a $9,000 chapel at the cemetery. Various means have been employed for raising the money for the purpose, but the object was one in which the whole village was interested. All the ladies of the town were behind it and the purpose was accomplished.
The Ladies' Literary club is to be congratulated upon being the organization to start such a move in Cortland. It is a purpose worthy of commendation and will undoubtedly meet with popular approval. A committee has been appointed to confer with the mayor and with other clubs in the city to secure a general co-operation in the founding of the new society. Just what steps will be taken yet remains to be decided upon, but the desire is to interest the ladies of the city generally in the enterprise, and if this is accomplished there is no doubt that many satisfactory results will be obtained in the course of a few years.
The Gift to Homer.
In another column will be found today the statement of the generous gift of Mr. and Mrs. C. O. Newton to the village of Homer. That village has for some time been considering the purchase of the system of waterworks which has been owned by a private corporation. Mr. and Mrs. Newton have bought the entire plant and property at a cost of $30,000 and have presented it a free gift without condition or restriction to the village, What better monument could two people erect to themselves than to do such an act? They have been lifelong residents of that village. Its interests have been their interests, and now they are abundantly able to give it assistance and aid. It will be aid too that will touch every property holder in the village. The annual rental for hydrants of $2,000, which was formerly raised by tax, will be saved. It is probable, too, that there may be some reduction in rates, but that remains to be seen. The rents must cover expenses and an allowance for extensions and improvements. But it is a generous gift in any event and one that will be highly appreciated by every resident. The village is to be congratulated as the recipient, and Mr. and Mrs. Newton are to be congratulated upon their public spirit and generosity.
PITCHHOLES IN CUYLER, N. Y.
Discouraging to Try to Drive—Town Has a Railroad Again.
CUYLER, Feb. 25.— We have a railroad again but expect the next little flurry of snow will cover it so that we will have bid goodbye to it again for another week.
Quite a number attended the Goodwin-Picket wedding at the hotel Thursday evening, Feb. 20.
Mr. and Mrs. John McAllister of Cortland are visiting Mrs. McAllister's parents Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Morse.
Supervisor Barber is in Syracuse today.
Miss Rena Lee and Miss Ethel Potter of Syracuse are visiting at B. F. Lee's.
Mr. Vella Allen of Chicago, Ill., who for the last three weeks has been calling on old friends in town will return to his home this coming week.
Bert Theobald and Henry Spicer were in the city last Friday.
Mrs. Hannah Gates is very sick and at this time her recovery is very doubtful.
Last Saturday a party of sixteen drove from here over to Apulia station to give the Rev. S. W. Andrews and family a surprise, but according to reports they were somewhat surprised themselves before they got there. Talk about pitchholes, well it takes that party to tell about them. When they came home they did not dare to try those pitchholes again so they came home another way. Well somewhere up that way the side hill is covered with hot bricks, tin horns and other remnants but they do say that there is a track down … by the Labrador pond so that other travelers need not be afraid to try that route now.
Mrs. Baldwin at the hotel remains about the same.
This morning Millard Davenport unloaded a car of fine registered Holstein cattle. Mr. C. P. Burr of Auburn sent them to be put on his farm occupied by Davenport.
George Abbot of Cuyler Hill is drawing with teams his registered stock that he bought at the Foster auction.
BREVITIES.
—New display advertisements today are—Baker & Angell, Shoes, page 8; S. P. Smith, Meats, page 7.
—A. L. Niver of Dryden has bought a half interest in P. J. Peckham's barber shop and has taken possession.
—The Y. M. C. A. basket ball team left this afternoon for Syracuse where they will play this evening. Tomorrow they play the Watertown team.
—The dedication of the new Presbyterian church at McGraw occurs tonight at 7:30 o'clock. The installation of Rev. E. J. Noble as pastor of that church occurs tomorrow night at the same hour. Many Cortland people will attend both services.
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