Cortland Contrarian: REBUTTAL TESTIMONY, OFF FOR PALESTINE, TYPHOID AT ITHACA, SMALLPOX, CORTLAND HOSPITAL, AND COMMON COUNCIL

Anthracite Coal Strike Commissioners.

Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, February 4, 1903.

REBUTTAL TESTIMONY.

Witnesses All of Opinion That Payment by Weight Is the Only Just Method.

Philadelphia, Feb. 4.—Much of the rebuttal testimony presented to the anthracite coal strike commission was furnished by mine workers from the upper region. In this section the miners are asking for payment by weight. The witnesses in every case were questioned concerning the advantage of such a change in the wage scale and all were unanimous in the opinion that the method was the only just one where the veins were flat.

Witnesses were called to testify concerning the alleged restriction of the coal production and considerable evidence was introduced regarding conditions in the coal regions during the strike.

Rev. P. J. McMahon, rector of the Roman Catholic church at Minersville, said a committee of union mine workers called upon him about four weeks after the strike began and requested him to counsel his parishioners against acts which might bring the strikers and the union into disrepute. Similar advice, Father McMahon said, was offered in other churches with the result that there was no disorder in that vicinity during the progress of the strike.

At the afternoon session C. D. Gallagher of Plymouth, a miner in the employ of the Delaware and Hudson company, was questioned regarding the alleged restriction of the coal output. He knew of no cases wherein the miners were responsible for this condition, but stated that what limitations were made were the result of company's failure to furnish enough cars.

RIOTS AT WATERBURY.

Strikers and Patrons Victims of an Attack.

Waterbury, Conn., Feb. 4.—In spite of the admirable policing in the center of the city that section was not without its sensational incident. This time, however, it was the strikers and their patrons who were the victims.

From a crowd which had gathered near the Waterbury club a bus was attacked with stones. Patrick Flynn, a striker, acting as conductor of the bus, was struck in the head. Of the 12 passengers in the vehicle, nine of whom were women, two were hit. Mrs. James Aubrey was struck on the hand and Miss Susan Coyle received a hard blow on the shoulder.

No trolley car was in the locality and to those who witnessed the affair it seemed apparent that the attack was directed against the striking union men.

During the early night the militia were able to keep down the turbulent spirits except in the matter of stone throwing. Two men were arrested for this offense. A non-union conductor reported when his car reached the city that he had been shot at, but not much stock was taken in his story.

Late at night the details of an incident of the day leaked out in which a private of Company C, Second regiment, Robert Duncan, was more or less seriously injured in an encounter with rioters.

While on patrol duty a stone was hurled at Duncan. Later he was set upon by rioters. He undertook to defend himself with his bayonet when his assailants seized the gun and struck the soldier in the groin with the stock. The blow was a serious one and the man's condition was such that it was deemed advisable to send him to his home in New Haven.

Rev. W. J. Howell.

SS Kaiserin Maria Theresia

OFF FOR PALESTINE.

Rev. W. J. Howell and D. F. Wallace Start Tomorrow.

Rev. W. J. Howell, pastor of the First Baptist church, and Mr. D. F. Wallace leave Cortland tomorrow morning for New York and Saturday morning sail on the Kaiserin Maria Theresia for a two months' trip through the Mediterranean to the Holy Land. Miss M. F. Hendrick and her sister, Mrs. Briggs of Rochester, sail on the steamer, but will spend the time in Egypt and in side trips up the Nile [while] Mr. Howell and Mr. Wallace devote to the Holy Land.

This party which is personally conducted includes 359 people. Last year about 500 took the trip, but this year the number of applicants was so great, numbering over 800, that two steamers were chartered and the Celtic sailed last Saturday with the first installment of the party. In this party for the Maria Theresia are forty-four ministers. Eight of the passengers are personally known to Mr. Howell, one being Mr. Van Deman of Ohio, his classmate for three years in Rochester Theological seminary. Thirty-four states will be represented besides Canada and Chili. There will be one woman preacher in the company.

On board the steamer there will be preaching each Sunday and the first four preachers are to be Rev. Wayland Hoyt, D. D., of Philadelphia; Rev. Nelson Millard, D. D., of Rochester; Rev. Thomas Villers, D. D., of Indianapolis, Ind.; and Rev. B. B. Tyler, D. D., of Denver, Colo.

At each landing point upon the Mediterranean twenty local guides will be at hand to conduct parties of about twenty to points of interest. They anticipate a fine time.

TYPHOID AT ITHACA, N. Y.

Fifty New Cases Reported During Twenty-Four Hours.

The Ithaca News says that fifty new cases of typhoid fever in that city were reported to physicians between its hour of going to press on Monday and the same time on Tuesday, making 286 cases in all under care of the physicians of the city. Thirty-four trained nurses are on duty in the city which is as many as can be obtained here now though many more are needed. One physician has twenty-one cases, one has twenty, and many have over twelve each. The physicians are under a terrible strain. The cause of the difficulty is attributed to the drinking water and every one is urged to boil every drop of water used. Ithaca is truly in a deplorable state. The News prints a long list of the ill, and there is also a large death list each day.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.

Seeking the Smallpox Germ.

Dr. R. G. Perkins of Cleveland, and an advanced student from the Western Reserve Medical college, says the Albany Journal, are engaged in a work that may result in a complete revolution in the methods employed to prevent and treat smallpox. Completely isolated from their fellow men, these two are conducting experiments whose purpose is the isolation and identification of the smallpox germ, which has thus far eluded all bacteriologists.

Dr. Perkins has devoted his whole life to scientific research, and when the city council of Cleveland adopted an ordinance giving the health department the power to establish a laboratory in which the search for the germ of smallpox could be conducted, he gave up his position on the staff of one of the local hospitals in order that he might undertake the tedious and dangerous work.

Thus far he has nothing to say about his experiments save that "it takes a long time to discover anything of value in this line."

Should he succeed, his name would stand just a little higher than that of Dr. Jenner, the discoverer of the precautionary measure called vaccination. When the smallpox germ has been identified and isolated, the discovery of means of killing it without harm to its victim will be a matter of only a little further experimenting, and after that both the prevention and the cure of smallpox will be greatly simplified.

Ithaca's Deep Well.

A well that it is purposed shall be 400 feet deep is being drilled in Ithaca. The projectors expect to supply one whole block of people with pure water. The well is to be thoroughly piped to prevent any surface water getting mingled with it. The water will be pumped into a tank 60 feet high from which it can be drawn to supply the users. It will probably be completed by June 1. Nearly every one in Ithaca is now boiling water because of the typhoid fever epidemic.

Ithaca's City Hospital.

The ordinary capacity of the Ithaca city hospital is twenty-two, but it now has forty patients crowded in. Many applications for other patients are on file and the hospital committee has issued a public appeal for help to take care of the ill. The officers of the Unitarian church have offered the first floor of their church for hospital purposes till other arrangements can be made.

Cortland Hospital, North Main Street.

CORTLAND HOSPITAL.

The Possibility of a Change of its Location.

MAY TAKE THE COPELAND CORNER

Under Certain Conditions—More Room is Needed—Perhaps Unwise to Build More on Present Small Lot—Option Obtained on the Desired Site—Present Corner Would then be Sold.

The board of managers of the Cortland Hospital association is considering the advisability of a change of location. The present hospital building is altogether too small for its immediate use. More and more the institution is sought by private patients for operations. Emergency cases have been unusually frequent there of late. A steady growth in its use and its usefulness is noted. For a long time it has been necessary to rent rooms outside for the nurses when not on duty, for they could not be accommodated at the hospital as every room was required for strictly hospital purposes.

More Room Needed.

The board is face to face with the necessity of building an addition which will call for an outlay of several thousand dollars. This may be done by adding a third story to the present structure and putting into it the operating room, [another] room and the nurses' quarters with some private rooms for patients, or it may be better to build a two-story addition along side of the present building.

But the question also arises as to whether it is wise to build any more upon this lot, which at best is a comparatively small one, and which more and more is being surrounded by other dwellings. It would perhaps be just as well if the hospital were not so centrally located, and it would undoubtedly be better if it could have more room upon its lot

The Copeland Corner.

At this time comes the possibility of buying the property of the late W. S. Copeland at the corner of Homer and Fitz-aves. There are five acres of land in this plot and the property is now owned by the Cortland Savings bank. The hospital board has secured an option upon it with right to purchase for $10,000. This matter was thoroughly discussed at the board meeting on Monday afternoon, and as a result it was decided that if the present property could be disposed of at a fair price the board would buy the Copeland place.

The present hospital property is a valuable one. The hospital would make an admirable apartment house, or it could be restored to its former state as a dwelling house. The location is highly desirable. It is a corner lot, well situated and the street car passes the door.

The Proposed Site.

The proposed site is also on the street car line and for that reason is quite as desirable as the present one. It is a quarter of a mile further out of the city and would be more quiet. There are five acres of land in the tract and streets are on three sides of it. Consequently if it should be thought wise to sell off a couple of acres of land for building lots there would be some rebate upon the purchase price and at the same time ample land would be left. The dwelling house upon the lot is an unusually fine one, but it would require some changes in its interior to make it useful, and it would be quite as necessary to build an addition there as in its present location. But an addition built upon the new property would seem to be more permanent than one on the present site, for there would always be the prospect in view on the present lot that sooner or later a change must be made.

Must Have Sewers.

Before purchasing the new lot, however, the hospital board would need to have positive assurances from the city that the sewer system would be extended up to the new house. It could not think of having a hospital without sewer connections. The sewers now fall short of this corner by several streets.

But the whole matter falls back upon the question of the sale of the present corner. Unless this can be disposed of or unless the board can secure some extra assistance it will not feel warranted in buying the new lot. But all the members of the board feel that if it is known that the present lot would be sold a purchaser will be found before very long.

Death Due to Heart Disease.

Coroner E. M. Santee yesterday reviewed the remains of Mrs. Catherine Smith, who died at Harford Mills very suddenly, and decided that death was due to heart disease and that no inquest was necessary. She was the wife of James Smith.

Hospital Donations.

Recent donations to the hospital include A. B. Benham, skimmed milk and buttermilk; Mrs. J. C. Jones, twenty-five pounds sugar and pear pickles; Mrs. J. L. Eades, two chickens; Miss Briggs, rubber sheet.

Cortland Mayor Charles F. Brown.

COMMON COUNCIL.

Outfit for Sealer of Weights and Measures

TO BE PURCHASED AT ONCE.

Water on Railway-ave.—Reports of City Officers—Safe for Chamberlain's Office—Bills Ordered Paid.

A regular meeting of the [Cortland] common council was held last evening at the office of the city clerk, at which all members were present.

Aldermen Yager and Skeele, as a committee to look up the matter of purchasing an outfit for a city sealer of weights and measures, reported that such an outfit could be secured of a Buffalo firm for $115. The city might rent the outfit of the county sealer, but a charge of $50 a year would be made for this, and the committee was of the opinion that the city might better buy its own weights and measures. In Syracuse they had found that the sealer was paid a salary of $1,000 each year, and that with a decidedly antique set of weights and measures he went to stores when complaints were sent to him and tested the dealers' scales or measures. The committee was of the opinion that the sealer should be paid by fees as prescribed by law, and that a round of inspection should be made regularly.

Upon motion of Alderman Pettigrew and seconded:

Resolved, That the committee on sealer of weights and measures be continued and that they take the matter up with the city attorney and be authorized to purchase an outfit and report at the next regular meeting.