St. Bernard's Annual Ball

Knights of Pythias

The Cortland News, Friday, January 28, 1887.

ST. BERNARD’S ANNUAL BALL.

A Fine Time at Taylor Opera House Last Thursday Evening.

   The members of St. Bernard Lodge, K. of P., never do anything by halves, but they fairly out did themselves at their public installation of officers and second annual ball at Taylor Opera House last Thursday evening.

   The public installation of officers was witnessed by about 400 people, who were much pleased with the ceremonies. W. D. Ferguson, of Syracuse, Grand Chancellor, was the installing officer. Besides these ceremonies, the Misses Alger and Mrs. C.  L. Kinney rendered fine vocal and the Cortland Orchestra furnished instrumental music. Speeches were made by Mrs. Mee and Cap. Randall of Syracuse. The latter's remarks elicited much applause among the Knights assembled but left the poor uninitiated in the dark as to the solution of the jokes perpetrated. Fifteen Knights of the Uniform Rank were present from Syracuse and lent their aid to the ceremonies.

   At half past ten the floors were cleared and Clark & Muncey's orchestra took their place on the stage and commenced making so much noise with their string, reed and brass instruments that it was impossible for the 125 couples who remained to keep their feet quiet. The dancing was kept up until 4:30 Saturday morning, and a nicer or more orderly party than that present could not be found.

    Supper was served at the Arnold House, and a beautiful and tempting repast was spread before the hungry dancers who did full justice to the edibles before them.

   A small sum of money was netted the organization, but the benefit and good time cannot be computed into dollars and cents.

CORTLAND AND VICINITY.

   Martin Edgcomb will sell his house and lot, No. 36 Grant st., at a bargain. Call at once.

   The date of F. D. Somerby's lecture under the auspices of the order of the Iron Hall [mutual insurance association--CC editor] has been changed to February 12th.

   While coupling cars on the local freight train at this station on Tuesday, Jesse Howard, of Lisle, had the index finger of his left hand crushed. Dr. Nash dressed the wound.

   The Homer & Cortland Horse Railroad company have put on another close car, No.7, for their increasing traffic. It came over the E. C. & N. road and was unloaded last Sunday.

   A bill has been introduced in the Assembly by Mr. Tisdale authorizing the Cortland Opera House Company to issue bonds for $12,000 to pay outstanding indebtedness.

   Hugh McGuckin, of Summer Hill, was sentenced at Albany last week to one year in the Erie Penitentiary. He was convicted at Auburn for sending obscene letters through the mail.

   Lewis Chapman, Fred Hicks and Mrs. Delia Reynolds were brought here on Tuesday from Homer on warrants charging them with "willfully and wrongfully offending and outraging public decency and endangering the public peace." Their examination is set down for to-day.

   Thursday evening last B. H. Roorak, who lives near the fairgrounds met with an accident that shook him up in a lively manner and made his hair stand on end, but which luckily for him, resulted only in a scare. While crossing the D. L. & W. tracks at Clinton avenue he was struck by the engine attached to the south bound express train and thrown about thirty feet. No bones were broken and Roorak was able to walk home. Where are the crossing gates that our railroad commissioners promised us a long, long time ago?

   Considerable change has been going on in the up-town store occupied by Brown & Maybury. Messrs. Maybury & Maycumber have removed their insurance business up-stairs in the rooms with the Water Works company's office. The Western Union Telegraph office has been moved further back in the store and a new desk put up for the instruments, making it more private. The prescription room has also been partitioned off giving more room.  Altogether it is a decided improvement on the looks of the place.

   Patrick Doud, our efficient night watchman, while in Albany last week sustained a simple fracture of his right arm and dislocated the wrist by slipping down upon the icy sidewalk. He returned home on Friday and is doing well.

MEANESS PERSONIFIED.

   Some time during Saturday night unknown persons entered the new house of

A. Cook on Frank street, and with an adze or some other sharp tool hacked up the window and door casings, the stairs and railings, knocked off plastering, broke blinds, and otherwise defaced the building. The house was recently built and was not yet entirely finished. Several of the workmen were dissatisfied with Mr. Cook, alleging that he had not lived up to his agreement with them, and it is supposed that this was the method taken for revenge.

   T. F. King, a carpenter, and Mr. Bookstaver, a mason, were suspected of the mischief and were arrested. The evidence against them is strong, but entirely circumstantial. The edge of the instrument with which the chopping was done had been in contact with a nail at some time and was nicked. Some of the chips showed the marks plainly. Sheriff Van Hoesen went to a house in course of erection on Tompkins street where King and Bookstaver were employed and found, behind a tool chest, an adze belonging to King that had nicks on the edge, which fitted the marks on the chips in the house. Their examination was set down for Wednesday, but postponed until to-morrow. Fred Hatch appears for the defendants and H. A. Dickinson for the people.

CHEAP EXCURSION.

To Washington City—An Opportunity to Visit the National Capital—One of the Handsomest and Most Interesting Cities in the World.

   The General Passenger Agent of the West Shore Rail Road is arranging the details for a popular excursion from Central New York to Washington city, on Wednesday, Feb.2nd. A better time for a visit to the National capital could not be selected, as Congress will be in Session, and the galleries of the United States Senate and House of Representatives will be open to visitors as well as the public buildings. A call at the White House, the home of the President is on the programme. The capital building is the most magnificent public edifice in the world. The other public buildings are on a grand scale, and can all be visited.

   The Department of Agriculture, with its extensive green houses, museums of everything connected with agricultural methods and products; the Smithsonian Institute— known as the National Museum of Natural History, and containing the Government's Centennial exhibits, donations from foreign countries, and an endless collection of curiosities; the Botanical Gardens, which consist of a series of vast conservatories filled with rare and curious plants, flowers, and fruits; The Corcoran Art Gallery, containing a magnificent collection of paintings, statuary and art objects; the Washington Monument, which is the loftiest and finest in the world; the Soldiers Home surrounded by a beautiful park, and the many other public buildings and private residences, combine to make a visit to Washington instructive, interesting, and memorable.

   A special train will be run through to Washington over the West Shore Railroad in connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Excursion trains will leave Canastota at 12:00 m., Wednesday, Feb. 2nd., arrive at Washington city at 7:30 the following morning. Excursions tickets will be sold at the rate of $10.00 for round trip good for return by any regular train until Feb. 7th. Sleeping cars will be run and reduced prices have been secured for excursionists at leading hotels.


Knights of Pythias: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_Pythias

 

 

Interstate Commerce Commission Created

The Cortland News, Friday, January 21, 1887.

Washington Letter.

(From our Regular Correspondent) Washington, Jan. 19, 1887.

   Congress and the social world of the Capital have both been busy during the week. Society has attended the President's levee in honor of the Diplomatic Corps, and another given by the Chief Justice of the United States; has eaten Mrs. Cleveland's elaborate luncheon; gone to her semi-weekly noonday receptions, and made and received calls by the thousands. Congress has talked even more than usual, but it has voted as well. Some of its most important work was aimed at the Mormons of Utah, and much was done in behalf of the farmers and shippers of the county.

   I might as well say much was done for the people of the country generally, for the passage of the Interstate Commerce bill is a triumph of the people over corporations, pool-makers and stock gamblers. This measure came safely through the Senate by the decisive vote of forty-three to fifteen. The Senators sat with it on Friday until past midnight, and a vote was not reached until after nearly twelve consecutive hours of debate.

   It is not claimed that the bill is perfect or adequate in all its details, but it is an experimental step in the right direction. The important thing was to assert the power of the people over the corporations that they have created for their service, but which have proved in too many in stances instruments of oppression and extortion. The bill simply proclaims that the master has not yet abdicated to the servant.

   The legislation is the result of long years of struggle in Congress. The Interstate Commerce bill has been introduced and re-introduced in every Congress for more than a decade. It has been made and unmade and remade, changed, added to and taken from, nursed, encouraged, repulsed and thwarted in both ends of the Capitol until sometimes it seemed almost hopeless effort.

   In the discussion which preceded the Senate's final judgment upon this matter, several prominent Senators took part, and among them were Messrs. Edmunds and Ingalls. The former mentioned that when the Legislature of Iowa passed the first granger act some years ago, the direst calamities were predicted of it, but none of them had come to pass. On the contrary the railroads of that State had prospered more than ever before; and he believed that when the great railroad system of the United States found itself compelled to submit to this legislation, it would turn out to be for its benefit as well as for the benefit of the whole people.

   The Senator from Kansas, who rarely speaks without giving his remarks a sarcastic, ironical, or witty turn, said, among other things, that he was sorry he had to vote for this bill, and he thought a great many other Senators were in the same condition. It was a bill which practically nobody wanted, but which everybody intended to vote for. It was a bill as to the meaning of which nobody agreed, but which everybody said ought to pass.

   Mr. Matthews, the colored Recorder of Deeds from Albany, is not the only nominee of President Cleveland who is having trouble about his confirmation, now. Public Printer Benedict is having opposition from different sources. Beside the 30,000 members of the typographical unions who are opposed to him on the ground that he is not a practical printer, there is no end to the criticism that comes from Congressmen of work being done daily at the Government Printing Office. The Congressional Record is full of mistakes, and sometimes the speech and language of Members are made to appear ridiculous and senseless. This sort of thing makes the Congressmen indignant, for no matter what their errors may be, they have been accustomed to be put in good shape, and come out all right in the Record. It is quite probable the House will take some action condemning the work now turned out of the Government Printing Office.

   It is inopportune for Mr. Coleman to be assailed just now by the Live Stock Commissioners of Illinois. He is the head of the Agricultural Department in Washington, and Congress has just voted to elevate his Department to Executive importance, and give its chief a seat in the Cabinet with the impressive title of Secretary of Agriculture. This Western Commission says the discovery of Pleuro-pneumonia in Illinois was due to them, and not one case was ever discovered by the Government Bureau of Agriculture, as is pretended by Mr. Coleman. They charge him with ignorance of the laws of Illinois on this subject, and the Department of Agriculture with incapacity to handle such questions.

   Whatever most farmers may say about the proposed Secretary of Agriculture it is quite certain that the above mentioned farmers think, inasmuch as they have gotten along so far without any help from a Government Bureau, they can continue to get along without a figure-head to supervise their interests.

REX

Interstate Commerce: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Commerce_Commission