 |
| Major General Adna Chaffee. |
 |
| General Vincente Lukban. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, June 16, 1902.
SWEARING ALLEGIANCE
They Promise to Help Maintain Peace in Samar.
SOLDIERS REPORTED BOLOED.
Civil Government to Be Established in Samar—General Amnesty July 4. Prospects Bright in Leyte Island. Manila Printers Want Their Wages in Gold.
Manila, June 16.—Friendly natives in Manila say a report is current among their countrymen that the five soldiers of the Fifth cavalry who were captured by the insurgents May 30 have been boloed to death near Teresa in Morong Province, Luzon. This report has not been confirmed by the American authorities of that district.
Twenty-five members of a band of notorious insurgents who were captured while fighting with General Lukban in Samar took the oath of allegiance to the United States and were subsequently released. Four members of the band were killed in the engagement which resulted in the capture of their companions. The 25 who have sworn allegiance have seen General Chaffee, and have promised to give him all the assistance in their power in the work of maintaining the present peace conditions in Samar.
A commission has been sent to Samar to appoint Senor Llorentes governor of the island and to establish civil government there. It is expected that a general amnesty will be declared July 4; this amnesty will result in the release of Filipino prisoners now on the island of Guam.
The prospects in the island of Leyte for a speedy termination of the armed resistance there are bright.
Speaking at the West Point centennial dinner, which was held here last week, Acting Civil Governor Wright said he did not think "the strife now being waged in congress on the Philippine government bill is as fierce and as irreconcilable as it appears to be;" that the sober second thought of the American people was always right and that they would in time do justice to the Americans in the Philippines.
Henry C. Ide, the member of the Philippine commission who was assigned the department of finance and justice, has received a petition from the printers in the employ of the government asking that their salaries be paid in gold, or in some other established and non-fluctuating currency. In reply to this petition Mr. Ide said he thought that the conditions of which the printers complained would probably be relieved. They are now paid in Mexican silver.
 |
| General Christiaan De Wet. |
DE WET ADVISES LOYALTY.
Assisting Boers to Return to Their Farms—Supply Depots.
London, June 16.—Dispatches lately received here from South Africa show that the surrenders of Boers are proceeding with the greatest good will. The total of the number who have already surrendered is about 16,500, and the British are extending every possible kindness to the men who come in.
The appearance of General Dewet at the camp at Winburg was the signal for a great display of enthusiasm. When he arrived at the camp General Dewet was at once surrounded by thousands of Boer men, women and children, who struggled and clamored to shake the hand of their hero.
General Dewet mounted a table and delivered an address. He warmly applauded the staunch support that the women had given the burghers during the war which, he said, had greatly encouraged the men in the field.
Continuing General Dewet recommended his hearers to be loyal to the new government and said: "Perhaps it is hard for you to hear this from my mouth, but God has decided thus. I fought until there was no more hope of upholding our cause, and however bitter it may be the time has now come to lay down our arms. As a Christian people, God now demands that we be faithful to our new government. Let us submit to his decision."
Neither Gen. Dewet nor Mr. Steyn, former president of the old Orange Free State, was wounded during the war. General Dewet has not seen his wife for two years.
The repatriation committee, which has been formed to assist the Boers in returning to their farms, has a gigantic task before it. The concentration camps will be converted into supply depots to provide the returning burghers with the means to rebuild and restock their farms. The wives and families of the Boers will, if desired, be maintained at the expense of the government while the burghers are preparing the farms for their reception.
Two thousand of the national scouts who fought upon the British side during the war will immediately be disbanded and each scout will be provided with a pony and enabled to return to his farm.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
The Stars and Stripes and the British standard floated side by side in great harmony last Wednesday evening, when the king of England and a brilliant suite dined as the guests of American Ambassador Choate in London. The king and queen met and chatted with some distinguished Americans, including Special Ambassador Reid and J. Pierpont Morgan. It is an unusual thing for a sovereign to visit the diplomatic representative of a foreign government, and the incident marks King Edward's desire to show honor to the United States. And the representative of the great republic was fully equal to the occasion. The reception to the King was all that was due to the head of a friendly nation, while in keeping with quiet American dignity.
EARLY INDUSTRIES.
A Paper by Miss Nellie L. Conable Before the D. A. R.
INTERESTING BITS OF HISTORY.
The Old Red Mill—The Early Merchants—Old Paper Mill—The Pottery—The Carding Mill—Early Churches—Early Newspapers—Wanderings of the Postoffice.
The beautiful, enterprising and flourishing village of Cortland, situated about midway between Binghamton and Syracuse, began to be settled in the early part of the nineteenth century.
The Old Red Mill.
Among the early settlers was Jonathan Hubbard, who in 1798 purchased all the land lying between Main and Greenbush-sts. and from Port Watson-st. north as far as the river. He also purchased a few acres below, near that river, on which he erected a mill in 1804. When the mill was built, all the land in the neighborhood was, nothing but a wilderness. Under the terms of the contract by which he secured the land he was required to erect a dwelling upon it within two years. A mill was built, and here he began housekeeping and grinding the grists the farmers brought from long distances. It was the second mill built in the county, and was painted red, then and for many years being known as "Hubbard's red mill," or "the old red mill." Jonathan Hubbard died in December, 1814, and the mill was kept in the estate until the two children attained their majority, when by the division, it fell to the daughter. About 1824 it was sold to Horace White and has since passed through many hands until in 1873 it came into the possession of Thomas F. Brayton. It is now owned and operated by Wickwire Brothers. Jonathan Hubbard also built the first frame house in the village on the northeast corner of Main and Court-sts. He was the wealthiest man in town and died in 1814.
Early Merchants.
Among the first merchants of Cortland were two brothers, William and Roswell Randall, who commenced business in 1810, and Mr. Asahel Lyman who commenced a little earlier. These merchants kept such articles as were in demand in a newly settled country, and were obliged to transport their goods by teams from Albany over the Cherry Valley turnpike, and thence to Cortland. Mr. Lyman, after carrying on business several years, erected the "Old Brick store," opposite the Cortland House. It was built in 1817 of brick manufactured about 2 miles from the village by Truman Doud.
Messrs. William & Roswell Randall established business on the corner of Main and Port Watson-sts., opposite the Messenger House. In exchange for their goods these merchants were obliged to accept such commodities as the country produced. Among these, ashes were a staple article, which they converted into potash or perlash [sic] for New York market. Two smoking, seething, hissing distilleries were kept in constant operation, converting the grain into whiskey which, except what was consumed here, was transported down the Tioughnioga river in arks built at Port Watson, down the Susquehanna to Harrisburg and other large places.
The Old Paper Mill.
It was in 1823 that the old mill which ruined the health and fortunes of several good men was erected by Nelson Spencer for a paper mill. I have copied a few extracts from a letter written by Mr. James H. Sinclair, who passed his boyhood days in Cortland, giving some ideas relating to his mill. He said, "When the mill was built I am unable to say. It was erected, I am quite sure, by Nelson Spencer who was distantly related to the Randalls of Cortland. Early in the spring of 1832 or 33, my father, Thomas Sinclair, in company with John J. Speed, both of Ithaca, purchased the property and father at once removed with his family to Cortland, and took charge of the job of refitting the mill, which was at the time in a very demoralized condition. The building must have been a dozen or more years old, and nothing, I believe, but coarse paper had been made there, and the machinery was of the most primitive kind. Paper had been made by the hand process, the pulp dipped from a vat in a sieve-like frame, forming the sheet by gently shaking—a tedious process and one requiring a skilled workman.
At that time there was quite a settlement of dwellings clustered around the old mill, which had been and were afterwards occupied by employees and their families; and there was also a store, owned and run on a small scale by the mill owner. The new firm of Speed & Sinclair refitted the mill throughout and put in a machine for making paper, but with no driers. They made fine papers a specialty, and their goods stood foremost in the market. My father died in the spring of 1841, and for some time after that the business was leased to the employees in the mill.
About the year 1847, Daniel Bradford, who was engaged in book-selling in the village, purchased the property, and conducted the business of papermaking. The next purchaser was Stephen D. Freer of Cortland who converted the old establishment into an oil mill. Later it passed into the hands of the Messrs. Cooper, who converted it into a foundry and machine shop.
The Old Pottery.
In 1829, when Cortland contained only about 400 inhabitants, a small building was erected near Otter creek by Sylvester Blair, this building to be used for a pottery. Clay was brought from Amboy, N. J., to Syracuse by boats, drawn on wagons to this village, made into pots and shipped in arks down the Tioughnioga river or peddled throughout the country. It was the only pottery in this section of the country, and Blair employed but two workmen, and did a business amounting to about $10,000 a year. He continued in the business until 1835, when he sold to Mason & Russell, by whom it was conducted on about the same scale for a few years. Chollar and Darby purchased the business in 1839 and during the next ten years increased it about one-fourth a year. In 1849 they sold to Madison Woodruff, who for eighteen years had worked as a journeyman in the pottery, and under his management the business increased. He built new and larger pottery buildings in 1858, and for six or eight years did a good business.
Cortland Machine Co.
One of the oldest industrial establishments in Cortland are the works of the Cortland Machine Co. The works were established in 1832 by Daniel Larned, and were conducted by Anthony & S. D. Freer from 1837 until 1860, and were for years devoted to manufacturing and repairing agricultural implements.
The Old Carding Mill.
Across Otter creek, a little old wooden building, half covered with ivy and with moss grown roof, used to attract the attention of every passer-by. A sign over the door read:
In 1821 Horace Dibble came through Cortland on foot, passed the night at David Merrick's hotel and in the morning started out on his walk through Homer and on, until he should find employment. Passing by this building, he was impressed with its desirable location, and vowed that did he ever possess sufficient money, he would become the possessor of the spot. Upon making inquiries he learned that the building, in the rear of which stood a saw mill, had been erected by a man named McClure five or six years previously. It was occupied as a nail factory by William Sherman, who had invented a machine into which the iron was fed and nails were cut, headed and stamped with the letters W. & S. The young wool carder walked on, thinking of the time when be hoped to own this, the most desirable location for his business he had ever seen, and card wool for himself. Horace Dibble's hopes were fulfilled and in 1833 he purchased the mill and for fifty years carded wool on the same machine, which is thought to have been built in Little York years before it came into Martin Merrick's possession. Between 1847 and 1852 Mr. Dibble planted some willows and several beautiful trees were seen a few years later over this portion of a popular drive.
The First Sanders' Speller.
The courthouse and jail were located on Court House hill. Mr. John Keep was the first judge of the county. The location of the courthouse seemed objectionable and the old structure was condemned and pronounced unsafe and about 1837 the brick building with its stone jail in the rear was erected on the corner of Court and Church-sts. In this year, too, the Universalists built their church, and it was about this time that Charles W. Sanders first issued his speller, the press work being done on an ordinary hand printing press in the Republican and Eagle Office and Daniel Bradford doing the binding.
In 1840 the Cortland Democrat was issued with Seth Haight & Henry W. Depuy as the editors and publishers.
There were three hotels or taverns as they were then called, one kept by Danforth Merrick, on the site of the Cortland House, one on the northwest corner of Main and Court-sts., kept by Joshua Ballard and one on the site of the Messenger House kept by Nathan Luce.
Early Churches.
The first religious society in Cortland was formed in 1801 and soon a house of worship was erected opposite the turn of the road leading to Homer. The society was called "The Baptist church of Christ in Homer." Rev. Alfred Bennett was its honored pastor for many years and in 1824 it numbered nearly 700 members. It was then divided into three societies, constituting the Baptist church in Homer, in Cortland and in McGrawville.
The next religious society organized in Cortland was the Methodist. They erected the first house of worship in the village in 1820, Rev. Geo. W. Densmore being the pastor at that time.
In 1833 it is found that the Baptist society built a new edifice on Church-st. Canfield Marsh was the postmaster, having succeeded John Lyndes in July, 1830, and keeping the office in his store in the old wooden building which stood on the site of the Union hall block, where he was a manufacturer of and a dealer in hats and caps, and Rufus A. Reed was the editor of the Republican and Eagle. Mr. Reed's printing office was in the second story of what was once known as Elder's Store, but in 1836 the three-story building on the corner of Main and Port Watson-sts., known as the Keator block, and the Republican office was removed to the corner rooms in that structure. During this period, also, was published the Cortland Advocate edited by Henry S. Randall. About 1846 the Liberty Herald was established by James W. Eels and Nathaniel Goodwin.
A schoolhouse that first stood on the site of the Messenger House was built in 1811; the first church was (1813) erected by the Baptists, and in 1814 the universalist society was formed.
Stage Mail from Syracuse.
At first the mail was brought from Syracuse by a four horse stage, the horn announcing its arrival being tooted vigorously from the upper end of Main-st. to the postoffice door. The arrival of one mail and the departure of another were the only enlivening events of the day. The postoffice at that time was a very small affair and persons were considered lucky who received one letter a month. In 1814 the postoffice was established in a front room in Mr. W. R. Randall's house, Oliver Wisell being the first postmaster, and during this year too, was established the first newspaper, the Cortland Republican, a four page paper, and edited by Benjamin S. and David Campbell. In 1817 the Repository, a weekly newspaper by Dr. Jesse Searle, was established. Joel B. Hibbard succeeded Richard Scouton as postmaster in 1841 and transferring the office from the Eagle tavern to his store on the opposite corner of Main and Port Watson-sts. A few months later in that same year he was succeeded by Tercius Eels, a merchant. On May 14, 1842, Danforth Merrick was appointed and removed the postoffice to the Cortland tavern and in September of that same year Andrew Dickson was appointed his successor and the postoffice was again located at the corner of Main and Port Watson-sts.
In 1828 William Randall erected his mansion on Main-st., also the female boarding seminary which Oliver W. Brewster conducted for a number of years in the old frame building then standing on the northwest corner of Main and Court-sts., which had formerly been occupied by Eb. Hopkins as a tavern and in which music and the languages were taught young ladies, some of whom came from a distance. It was converted into a tenement house and afterward occupied by Smith & Kingsbury's hardware store.
The Cortlandville academy was incorporated in 1842, occupying the district school building, then standing on the Normal school grounds and Cortland and Homer were two as refined and intelligent communities as could be found in the state. Since that time Cortland's growth has been very rapid, and its population has been drawn by the demands of its manufactories for labor. Other industries are in prospect and there is every indication that with the educational advantages afforded, our city will be a center of still much greater importance.
BREVITIES.
—The bad holes in the Railroad-st. pavement are being repaired.
—A regular meeting of the W. R. C. will be held tomorrow at 3 p. m. in G. A. R. hall. A large attendance is desired.
—Cortlandville lodge, No. 470, F. & A. M., will confer the third degree at its regular communication Tuesday evening at 7:30. Homer lodge, No. 352, will make a fraternal visit and light refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the work.
No comments:
Post a Comment