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| Christiaan De Wit. |
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| Louis Botha. |
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| St John Brodrick. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, May 24, 1902.
CONFIDENT OF PEACE.
Certain the Long and Bloody War Is Ended.
CABINET GIVES OUT NO NEWS.
General Feeling in London That the Boers Will Accept British Terms Which Are Said to Be Liberal—Activity In the South African Mining Stocks.
London, May 24.—There is every reason to believe that peace in South Africa is practically secured. How soon it will be announced depends, apparently, more upon the convenience of the Boer leaders than upon the inclination of the British government. The private and official advices received in London from South Africa all point to the same conclusion. The delay is technical, and to end the long war seems to be the desire of both British and Boer leaders. The latter, however, are unable to convince all their followers of the wisdom of acquiescing to the terms of peace.
Information as to what transpired at the meeting o£ the cabinet is closely guarded, but it is not likely that the cabinet transactions were of vital import. The surmise of the well informed person places the sum total of the deliberations of the cabinet ministers at a decision regarding points of the peace agreement of entirely minor importance. Another surmise is that the cabinet has merely sent a rather mock ultimatum to South Africa which can be used by the Boer leaders in explanation to their forces. Both these surmises probably contain an element of truth, but neither can in any way affect the widespread belief in the best informed quarters that the end of the war has come.
In fact those persons who are best acquainted with the actual details of the present negotiations only qualify this optimistic expression of opinion by guarded reservations concerning the extent of the personal control of the Boer leaders over their commands. Were the Boers a thoroughly disciplined force, dependent upon the action of their general officers, peace would probably be proclaimed at once, but Botha, Dewet and the other generals seem themselves unable positively to guarantee the degree to which their example will be followed.
The delegates at Vereeniging, according to information in possession of the war office, are fairly evenly divided. Consequently extreme precautions are exercised both in London and Pretoria to prevent any premature action or report which might adversely influence the burghers.
The most pessimistic forecast heard only admits that a few isolated bands of irreconcilables may be left in the field.
A member of the house of commons who is in close touch with the government said that he believed everything was settled and the British terms would be found unexpectedly liberal.
The British public is still quite ignorant of the course of events in South Africa and there are no demonstrations on London streets, although on all sides the question asked is "Is it peace?"
On the other hand stock exchange throughout the day was a seething mass of brokers who eagerly bought South African shares, while long after the closing of the exchange nearly a thousand brokers crowded Throgmorton street and did a frantic curb business on the strength of the peace outlook.
The appearance of Mr. Brodrick, the secretary of state for war, at the volunteer service dinner was watched eagerly in the hope of gaining an inkling of the government's private frame of mind. But Mr. Brodrick's listeners had to be contented with one brief and adroitly turned reference to the present situation. Responding to the toast, "The Imperial forces," the war secretary said: "I would go beyond my duty should I enter into detail of the communications which are now passing, and which prelude, as we all hope, the surrender of the Boers."
Mr. Brodrick then proceeded to reiterate the oft-declared intention of the government not to be drawn into any compromise which would jeopardize future peace in South Africa.
Returned Endless Chain Letters.
Wilkes-Barre, Pa., May 24.—After keeping several of the postoffice clerks busy for several weeks the last of the endless chain letters sent to the firm of Van Kirk & Robins of this city were returned by Postmaster Hahn to their writers or sent to the dead letter office. The number of these letters exceeded 95,000. Of these 28,000 with return addresses on the envelopes were sent to their writers. Most of them were supposed to contain checks and orders for $2.50 each.
Mails Are Denied.
A dispatch from Washington says: "Postmaster General Payne yesterday issued an order denying the use of the mails to the Cortland Supply company of Cortland, N. Y., for operating an endless letter chain scheme similar to that conducted by Van Kirk & Robins at Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and against which a fraud order was recently issued. The Cortland Supply company failed to appear before the assistant attorney general for the postoffice department on May 12."
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
The Inverted Pan Stamps.
Soon after the Pan-American postage stamps were placed on sale about a year ago, says the Utica Herald Dispatch, a Brooklyn man discovered that on a dozen of the 2-cent denomination the picture of the railroad train was inverted. Not being a philatelist, he used four of the stamps on letters, and gave two of them away. Soon after he found himself besieged by dealers who wanted the remaining six stamps, and they were finally sold for $20 apiece. So far as known not another sheet of the 2-cent "inverts" was found, although it is understood that somebody did procure the balance of the sheet of 200 at the Brooklyn office. A specimen is now valued at $150, with practically none on the market at that figure.
A few weeks after the discovery of the 2-cent "inverts" a Syracuse coal dealer found that some 1-cent stamps he had been putting upon circulars were also inverted. Subsequently several sheets more of philatelic freaks of this same denomination turned up in various portions of the country. There are probably 500 copies of the 1-cent ''invert" in existence and each sells at $25.
The printing of the Pan-American stamps ceased about Aug. 1 last, the sale of the series ceased on Oct. 30, and a couple of months ago those unsold, with a face value of $600,000, were burned up. Up to that time philatelists knew of no "inverts" of denominations other than the 1-cent and 2-cent. But one day, while a collector in Washington was looking over some stamps belonging to the young son of an official in the postoffice department, he was astonished to run across an "invert" of the 4-cent denomination. Being interrogated, the boy said he had got the stamp from his father. Inquiry at the department disclosed the fact that a whole sheet of inverted fours had been printed. The story of this mistake also explained how the freak 1-cent and 2-cent stamps came to be printed.
The officials of the bureau of printing and engraving exercised unusual care in printing the Pan-American stamps so that the entire requisition might be filled without error. The black picture in the center was printed first. After being dampened and pressed, the sheets were then printed with the border in colored ink. If after the first printing a sheet should be turned around when laid by hand on the pile, or on the plate that printed the colored border, the central picture would, of course, appear inverted after the second printing. Where sheets were being turned out by the millions, some errors of this sort were inevitable. In order to detect them, all sheets, after the second printing, were passed through many hands before being placed in the vaults for shipment, and every employee whose duty it was to inspect them was cautioned to be on the lookout for "inverts." After the discovery that some inverted twos and ones had got out, vigilance was redoubled, and although many misprinted sheets were detected, it is believed that they were all destroyed, so that no more ''inverts" escaped from the bureau.
It appears, however, that just before the last issue of Pan-Americans a sheet of the 4-cent stamps with inverted picture that had escaped the eyes of various examiners, was found by an inspector as it was about to be shipped to a postmaster. It was sent to the postoffice department, and a clerk was ordered to print upon each stamp the word "specimen." In some way four of the stamps were not so printed. The 4-cent inverts were placed one each in an envelope and presented to officials and congressmen. Ultimately they became the highly prized properties of various stamp dealers and collectors. It is said that a way has been found to remove the word "specimen" by means of chemicals, so that more than the four stamps not printed originally with the word are now probably in existence. Copies with the "specimen" are worth $100 each, while one without the word was sold at auction recently for over $300.
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| Major General Samuel Hatheway. |
GENERAL TRAINING.
Paper Before Daughters of American Revolution.
PREPARED BY MRS. GEO. H. SMITH.
Early Military History of Cortland County—Prominent Figures in the Militia—How the Training Was Conducted.
The following paper by Mrs. George H. Smith was presented at the last meeting of the Tioughnioga chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution:
A celebrated author once said, "It is a duty which we of the present generation owe to the memory of the pioneers of civilization in the region of country where we dwell, to gather up with care whatever records of the times there are left and, studying them well, transmit them in the most enduring form to succeeding ages."
Scarce 110 years have passed since the first echo of the axe of civilization was heard in Cortland valley, or the Yankee rifle laid open the skull of old Bruin, as he sat crouched behind his rocky rampart in the gloomy mountain gorge, grinning a look of defiance at his unwelcome intruder. Years have passed since the footprints of civilization first appeared in the Tioughnioga valley. Cortland county was formed from Onondaga in 1808 and received its name from Gen. Peter Van Cortlandt, a gentleman who was extensively engaged in the purchase and sale of land.
Cortland county has a military record to be proud of. Many of the early residents took part in the war of 1812. The first military organization directly affecting the territory embraced within the county dates back to 1796. In those days the military spirit was more active than at the present time. The war of the Revolution had terminated but a few years before and' the Federal constitution had recently gone into effect. The new government was looked upon, as to a certain extent experimental, doubts being felt as to its permanency. Foreign complications were threatening the peace, while the borders were still menaced by the Indians. Therefore the wisdom of keeping up efficient military organizations in every county was generally acknowledged.
Military honors and office implied much more distinction than in later years, and were sought with corresponding avidity. Seekers after political preferment were prompt to join the military ranks as a step thereto, while the wearing of a uniform and the pleasure and excitement of "training days" attracted the masses of those liable to military duty. Wherever they were held, thousands flocked to the scene, filling the adjacent highways; perching on the fences and climbing trees. The farmers came in with barrels of new cider in their wagons, which fluid was supplemented by the popular golden ginger bread, and general hilarity ensued on all such occasions.
Company training took place the first Monday in September in the different towns. Each member had to be personally warned out by the sergeant and many were the ways in which they tried to evade the officer and keep in hiding until he had given up the search and left for his next man.
General Training.
General training took place on the second Tuesday in September. The members were warned out in the name of the colonel. The annual reviews of the several regiments of the county were for many years held either in Homer, Virgil, Cincinnatus or Solon. In later years some of the trainings were held in Cortland village in the fields then vacant south of Tompkins-st. and west of South Main-st. The officers wore elaborate uniforms with much gilt and lace. A straight bodied, swallow tail coat with brass buttons, white trousers and a large red or white sash around the\ waist, and crowned with a high felt or bear skin hat with red or white plume. The privates had no regular uniform. The prominent citizens of each town held officers' commissions in their local companies. Among their number we find the names of Gen. Hatheway [pdf], Gen. Randall, Capt. Ballard, Capt. Carley, Capt. Mallery and Capt. Bouton, Col. Green, Col. Kinney and Col. Squires and many other officers. Gen. Hatheway was always the central figure at all general trainings, and manifested great pride while reviewing the troops which consisted of light artillery, cavalry and infantry. Col. Squires of Marathon had magnetic power over a corps of men in the field which gave him renown. He would maneuver a regiment so that they would go through successive evolutions with the regularity of the pieces in a game of chess. Of the officers Col. Green made the most commanding figure on horseback.
A Primitive Affair.
Hon. Thurlow Weed at one time resided in the western part of Cincinnatus, now Marathon. Writing to a friend he said, "I attended one regimental review, or general training, as it was called. It was an eminently primitive one. Among the officers were two chapeau, to which Capt. Carley, one of the two, added a sword and sash; four feathers standing erect upon felt hats; fifteen or twenty muskets; half a dozen rifles; two hoarse drums and as many spirit stirring fifes. Of rank and file there were about 250. In the way of refreshments there was ginger bread, blackberry pies and whiskey. But there were neither “sweat leather,” little jokers nor other institutions of that character upon the ground. Having, before leaving Catskill, seen with my own eyes a live Gov. (Morgan Lewis) review a whole brigade I regarded that training as a decided failure."
Mr. Ballard's Description.
The late Hon. Horatio Ballard gave a very interesting account of military affairs in early times published in his published reminiscences. He said, "The regiment embracing the undivided town of Homer, Preble and Scott was a noble one. It was composed of a company of cavalry, grenadiers, artillery, rifle and infantry. Military pride was there cultivated and upheld throughout the ranks of society. I hope there are some yet living who will remember the splendid troop of cavalry as it paraded on the green in Homer commanded by Joshua Ballard, and officered by the cherished names of Isaac Rindge, Stephen Knapp, Henry DeVoe and others, with Roswell Lee as trumpeter and Hi Herrick as color bearer; or the brilliant company of grenadiers dressed in beautiful uniforms and commanded by Hezekiah Roberts with Jeremiah Day on the fife, and Jerry Selkreg on the drum as his chief musicians, or the heavy artillery with its brass ordnance marching with stately tread through the streets of Homer, and commanded by Benj. Tubbs; or the rifle company in uniform of green tunics and feathers in caps moving on the double quick, and commanded by John Ely. Oh, who that shared them will ever forget the emotions of that spirit-rousing time when the old fashioned general training day occurred in the village of Homer and Gen. Daniel Miller in full military dress, including a tall straight yellow plume and chapeau and buff trousers bestriding his caparisoned horse, with erect and stately mien and commanding look took his station with his staff to receive the marching salute of the regiment.
It was a marked era in the history of the old brigade when Roswell Randall became its commandant. He was a model military officer, possessed of faultless taste in the matters of military dress and was fond of the splendors of military parades. General Randall possessed manly beauty and a graceful horsemanship combined with a thorough knowledge of military resolutions. In the uniform of the general and staff and the trappings of the horses the military regulations were fully carried out. The county was laid under contribution for the best horses for annual parades. These were paling days in the military annals of the county. The general and staff were accustomed to ride in carriages until within a short distance of the hotel quarters and then to mount the led horses and ride into town under the animating blasts of the bugle and with quickened pace forming in platoon before the hotel when every rider would deliver at command a pistol shot. This was a sort of prelude for the awakening scenes of the day. After the review was a stately march of the regiment from the parade ground along the streets of the town, escorting the general and staff with banners flying and the multitude electrified with scores of ear piercing fifes and scores of spirit stirring drums, emphasized with the roar of cannon. Then came the halt and the official dismissal and this, "general training day" was closed. The old militia organization continued in this state until the year 1862 when it gave way to the National Guard of the state of New York and this was in turn swallowed up by the organization of the vast northern armies for the suppression of [civil war] rebellion.
MR. CHARLES B. DOWD
Won an Oratorical Prize at Cornell University Last Night.
Mr. Charles B. Dowd of this city won the Cornell '86 Memorial prize in declamation at the armory in Ithaca last night in competition with twelve other members of the school of oratory. Mr. Dowd is a graduate of the Normal school in the year 1901 and won the Gamma Sigma prize in declamation in that year.
The foundation for the '86 Membership prize is a fund of $1,886, left as a memorial by the class of 1886. The prize given to the successful contestant is $86. The contestants are members of the school of oratory, who number about 125, and in last night's contest each of the 125 members of the School of Oratory was a candidate for a position upon the memorial stage. Of the twelve taking part two were Cortland Normal men, Mr. G. M. Champlin and Mr. Dowd.
The Cornell Sun, in commenting upon the contest, says, "Mr. Dowd, '04, showed himself to be a finished speaker in voice and gesture. His heavy bass voice of pleasing quality was well controlled. The sincerity and life which he put into his speaking contributed largely to his success." It is said that the contest was the strongest that ever occurred at Cornell.
Mr. Dowd's declamation was "Our Constitutional System" by Burke Cockran.
To Build a New House.
Mr. Isaac H. Cary of Brooklyn has bought the west half of the Selover lot on Prospect-st. and will during the summer build upon it a handsome double house which will be occupied when ready in the fall by his two nieces, Mrs. Elizabeth H. Lane of this city and Mrs. Florence Hull Fisher of Brooklyn, who will move her residence to Cortland at that time.
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| Attorney Orris U. Kellogg. |
HON. O. U. KELLOGG'S HOLSTEINS.
Cattle Raiser from Distant New Zealand Inspects His Famous Herd.
That the reputation of Hon. O. U. Kellogg as a breeder of high grade Holsteins is not limited by the boundaries of his own state nor even his country is proven by the fact that he is being visited by Mr. H. H. Street of New Plymouth, New Zealand, who has made this journey of several thousand miles for the especial purpose of consulting Mr. Kellogg regarding thoroughbred Holsteins in this country and with the intention of taking back with him to New Zealand, such specimens of Mr. Kellogg's herd as he can induce that gentleman to part with.
Today Mr. Street is in Syracuse with Mr. Kellogg, where they are inspecting the herd of Holsteins owned by Messrs. Averill & Gregory of that city. Mr. Street, who is one of the most extensive land owners and cattle raisers of New Zealand, anticipates enlarging his herd with some of the choicest Holsteins to be found in America. Mr. Street believes that the United States is fast supplanting Holland as the home of the Holstein.
BREVITIES.
—The regular dance will be held at the park tonight.
—Cars will run to the park tomorrow after 1 o'clock.
—About forty-five couples attended a private dancing party at the park last evening. The new Cortland orchestra furnished the music.
—A special meeting of the D. A. R. is called by the regent to be held at the home of Mrs. S. W. Sherwood, 79 Railroad-st., Monday afternoon at 4:30 o'clock.
—Mr. L. N. Hopkins took his 35-foot steam yacht to Little York lake today. The boat has been overhauled and put in an excellent state of repairs for the summer season.
—Mrs. Dorr C. Smith and Mrs. Arthur Ł. Chaplin are entertaining a party of ladies by giving a musical at the Cortland House this afternoon in honor of their guest, Mrs. Robert H. Chapman of Hartford, Ct.
—St. Mary's Catholic church has purchased of A. J. Goddard the lot on North Main-st. just north of the parochial residence. The lot has a frontage of 75 feet and is nearly 200 feet deep. Consideration, $4,325.
—New display advertisements today are—Forrest Seed Co, Tomato plants, etc., page 6; Gas Light Co., Gas ranges, page 6; C. F. Brown, Medicine by telephone, page 6; Mutual Life Insurance Co., Life insurance, page 6.
—The National Baraca convention which was to have been held at Auburn next Tuesday and Wednesday will be held at Syracuse instead. The state board of health has ordered the convention abandoned at Auburn because of the prevalence of smallpox in that city.
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