ARGUMENT BEFORE STRIKE COMMISSION, SHE MARRIED HER UNCLE, WORLD SHRINKING, INSTALLATION OF FORESTERS, AND HE TRIED TO KILL GUITEAU

 

Clarence S. Darrow.

Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, January 29, 1903.

CAUSE OF RESTRICTION.

Argument Before the Commission as to Responsibility.

RAILROAD PRESIDENTS WANTED.

Mr. Darrow Says It is Unfair to Charge the Miners With Restricting Supply When It Was Done by Others—Commissioners Will Consider—December Output Very Large.

   Philadelphia, Jan. 29.—The mooted question of responsibility for the limitation of the hard coal production was again an issue before the anthracite coal strike commission. The matter was brought up by Attorney Darrow, counsel for the miners, who requested the commission to summon the presidents of the coal carrying railroads as witnesses.

   In asking the commission to request the attendance of the coal road presidents Mr. Darrow said: "There has been evidence offered here on the part of the operators for the purpose of showing that the miners have limited production of the past year. We believe the fact to be that the coal roads have placed a limit on production for years. So long as they make the charge to this commission for the purpose of influencing its decision I want them to bring into court for our examination the presidents of the roads so that we may find out the situation."

   "Do you mean to charge or express the belief," asked Chairman Gray, "that there has been a limitation by the presidents of the coal roads other than the limitation that the market and demand of the market creates? Of course there is a natural limitation. Apart from the interests of the operators and the miners it would be a most lamentable waste to the country to keep on mining coal for which there was no demand."

Deposits Should Be Conserved.

   Continuing the chairman said the deposit of hard coal should be conserved for the benefit of those who come after this generation, and a wasteful, competitive output is a serious thing. He said he did not know but what in some crude way the consolidation of these interests has tended to a more economic management of "this storehouse that Providence has given us in this region."

   Mr. Darrow said in reply: "I do not see that anybody could intelligently consider this case without considering that question. But this is the aspect. I say it is unfair to charge up to the miners that they have been restricting the output when it has been done by somebody else. If the operator has the right to conserve the coal fields, so has the mine worker, and he has the same right to conserve himself and his family, and those who are to come after him, as has the mine operator. For my part I have never believed that a reasonable limitation of work of production was a bad thing. All I do claim is that it is unfair to charge us with a limitation of production over a series of years and say the miners do not earn more money because they are lazy and have been limiting the supply, when in fact the operators have done it."

   "The only question I have in adverse criticism," said Chairman Gray, "is this: take a contract miner. He can limit his own hours of labor. The question is whether the man who wants to work four or five hours should put an inhibition upon the man who wants to work eight or nine hours."

   "Under our present theory regarding the rights of property," responded Mr. Darrow, "where a man has a right to own a coal mine he has a perfect right to work 24 hours a day, with all the men he sees fit. Now the other operators come in and. because they own railroads and because they are stronger, they say: 'No, you can only mine coal three days a week or eight hours a day' or whatever it is. It is exactly parallel whether it is done by the miners or by the operators."

Impossible to Fill Storage Places.

   Here Mr. Dickson, counsel for the independent operators, arose and said that as he understood it the position of the operators is that during the year 1901 and down to the time of the strike, either through some concerted action or as a fact the output of coal was restricted and limited so that in reality it was impossible to fill the storage places. All of the companies, he said, of late years have been going to large expense to store coal at the terminal points. The coming of the strike was foreseen and it was the effort on the part of the companies to get the coal in advance, but they did not succeed in doing so,

   "The great difficulty in the control of the anthracite trade," continued Mr. Dickson, "is that the market will not take it regularly and equally throughout the year. The whole question is therefore that the companies feel that during 1901 and 1902 the men have not been willing to take advantage of all the facilities that were offered to them."

   Chairman Gray expressed the opinion that if the operators attempted to charge a restriction to the disadvantage of the public upon the miners, the latter should be allowed to show that it was not themselves as much as the operators.

   ''Assume that the question is strictly between the operators and miners," said Mr. Darrow. "Have the operators any more right to say to the miner: 'you shall not restrict the number of cars you need' than the miners have to say to the operators, 'we will only need six cars?'"

   Chairman Gray said the proposition was the same.

   "Then," said Mr. Darrow, "has one operator the right to say it to another?"

   "No; I don't think he has," replied the chairman.

   He said also that he did not believe the commission had given the question or restriction any serious thought. There has not been any conclusive evidence that concerted or systematic restriction has existed.

   Mr. Darrow then asked the commission to request Presidents Baer, Harris. Thomas and Truesdale to testify concerning the question under discussion and Chairman Gray said the commission would consider the matter.

   The Lehigh Coal and Navigation company began the presentation of its case to the commission. Thomas Whilden, general inside foreman, was the principal witness. He testified the men did not appear to be anxious to produce as much coal as the company desired, although they are now working 10 hours a day instead of nine.

   Counsel for the miners said the company's December production was 5,100,000 tons, the largest monthly output in many years. If his statement was not controverted, he said, he wished to offer it as testimony, and the commission accepted it.

 

Coal Investigation.

   Boston, Jan. 29.—The investigation of the New England coal situation by the congressional sub-committee was concluded. The members stated that the hearing has proved satisfactory, especially in establishing the fact that a combination of some sort has existed between coal operators to raise prices. The hearings will be continued at other points.

 

Will of a Railroad Magnate.

   White Plains, N. Y., Jan. 29.—The will of Samuel Thomas, the railroad magnate, who died Jan. 11, was filed for probate. The estate, valued at $10,000,000, is left to the widow and children of the deceased.

 

MARRIED HER UNCLE.

Learned the Fact After a Quarter of a Century.

   Ithaca, N. Y., Jan. 29.—Mrs, Clara Belle Freese has brought an action to annul her marriage to Charles E. Freese on the ground of consanguineous relation, she having discovered that her husband to whom she was married in 1876, is her uncle.

   According to the statements made in court, Bradley Freese, a brother of Charles E. Freese, and eighteen years younger than he, died when his daughter, Clara Belle, was about a year old. His widow married Edgar Thomas and the child became known as Clara Belle Thomas. Charles E.  Freese lived in the same house with the Thomases and knew he was the girl's uncle, but when she was 13 years old, he married her. They have two children, one of whom has been a cripple since birth. Mrs. Freese has left her husband since learning her relationship to him before their marriage.

 

Jules Verne.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.

The World Shrinking?

   It was just about thirty years ago that Jules Verne wrote his story of the round-the-world journey of Phileas Fogg. It will be remembered that this energetic and resourceful traveler had to hustle and spend money like water for special transportation facilities to accomplish his journey in eighty days, corrected time.

   Jules Verne's story was not merely a romance. It faithfully set forth the world's transportation conditions as they existed at the time it was written. Eighty days was then the shortest time in which a traveler, trying for a record, could hope to complete a tour of the world. Such a tour would have occupied the ordinary traveler, content to accept the ordinary facilities of transportation, considerably longer than eighty days.

   Before this present year is out, or as soon as the Siberian railway is completed, an ordinary traveler, using the ordinary means of transportation, can journey 'round the world in forty days, cutting Phileas Fogg's record in half. Starting from Paris it will take him eighteen days to reach Vladivostok by rail; from Vladivostok be must make a two days' journey to Yokohama, where he will board a steamer that will land him at Vancouver in twelve days; from Vancouver to New York, via the Canadian Pacific, is a four days' journey; six days on a liner will take him to Cherbourg: and from Cherbourg to his starting point, Paris, is but a step. His journey will have occupied but forty days and he will have made no more changes from one vehicle to another during the progress than would be made by a resident of Rochester [New York] in the course of a summer day's round of the bay and lake resorts.

   The time table above set forth was not made by a romance. It is the business announcement of a practical Viennese railway man bidding for patronage for the company he represents.

   This shows how rapidly the world is growing smaller. It has obviously shrunk by 50 per cent during less than a third of a century. If the shrinkage keeps on at this rate the Irishman's remark that a "man can't be in two places at once, barrin' he's a flea," will soon have lost all force and even intelligibility. Indeed a man can be in two places at once now, if he can be sitting in his office in Rochester and talking business in Chicago at the same instant of time.

 

INSTALLATION OF FORESTERS

Followed by Supper at the Grand Central Restaurant.

   The officers of Court Cortland, No. 1077, I. O. F., were installed last evening by Supreme Deputy B. G. Blaisdell of Watertown, assisted by Dr. Forshee of McGraw as\high marshal and J. D. Doran as high conductor. The officers were as follows:

   C. D.—Frank Watson.

   C. Phys.—Dr. W. J. Moore.

   P. C. R.—Eugene Wells.

   C. R.—A. Bloomer.

   V. C. R.—A. S. Moore.

   R. S.—W. J. Moore.

   Financial Secretary—C. B. Wadhams.

   Treasurer—G. H. Ames.

   Orator—Lee Bartholomew.

   S. W.—J. D. Doran.

   J. W.—T. McMahon.

   S. B.—Frank Watson.

   J. B.—Joseph McDargh.

   A numerous delegation from the Ladies' Hive, K. O. T. M., were in attendance. Instructive remarks were made by the supreme deputy.

   After the meeting had been adjourned a fine supper was served at the Grand Central restaurant which was much enjoyed by all. A companion court is in prospect.

   Supreme Deputy Blaisdell left on the 11:48 train for Binghamton on his way to a meeting of the organizing force of the order in this state at Utica today.

 

CORTLANDVILLE CAUCUSES

Held in all Four Districts—Delegates Elected to Convention.

   Caucuses were held in the four districts of the town of Cortlandville last night. The town convention will be held in the village hall at McGraw on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 2 o'clock.

   The account of the caucuses in the First and Second districts of the town with the delegates elected will be found in the McGraw column today. There were no contests in the Third and Fourth districts. In the former twenty-eight ballots were cast and in the latter thirty-six. The delegates chosen are as follows:

   District No. 3.—Zera H. Tanner, J. J. Albro, Jr., B. H. Lyon, R. H. Wilson, John Eades, Harry Gallagher, Cyrus Hatfield, Jerome Hall, D. L. Beardsley, Frank Blanchard.

   District No. 4—Ira Crandall, Michael Grady, Willard H. Knapp, Marvin Wadsworth, Bert Dinckinson, W. A. Smith, Erving Rice, Emit O'Leary, Leo Letts, Manly Wadsworth.

 

Smith-Woodford.

   Mr. James Smith and Mrs. Augusta Woodford, both of this city, were married last night at 8 o'clock at the home of the bride, 13 Schermerhorn-st. Only the near relatives and a few intimate friends of the bride were present. The ceremony was performed by Rev. D. B. King, pastor of the Homer-ave. M. E. church, and this was followed by a bountiful supper.

 

Death of Mrs. Rowe.

   Mrs. Jennie A. Rowe, wife of Frank Rowe, died this morning at her home at East Homer. She was about 45 years of age. The funeral arrangements have not been announced as yet.

 

Barber's Itch at Ithaca.

   Ithaca is now having an epidemic of barber's itch. The university city seems to be afflicted—ninety-six cases of grip at one time, then an epidemic of fever and now to cap the climax twenty-four cases of barber's itch. What next?

 

Charles J. Guiteau.

Sgt. John Mason.

He Tried to Kill Guiteau.

   Sergeant John A. Mason, who tried to anticipate the law by attempting to kill Guiteau, the assassin of Garfield, has taken up his abode in the soldiers' home in Dayton, O., where he will end his days. For the attempt on Guiteau's life Mason was court marshaled and sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment, but President Arthur pardoned him.—Kansas City Journal.

 

BREVITIES.

   —The K. O. T. M. will meet for drill tomorrow evening. All members are requested to be present,

   —New display advertisements today are—Warren, Tanner & Co., Red Ticket Sale, page 4; J. W. Cudworth, "Optical talks," page 7.

   —Today is the annual day of prayer for colleges and universities throughout the world and is observed by almost all of those institutions in this country.