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| Joseph Roswell Hawley. |
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| Walter Wellman, journalist and explorer. |
RURAL POSTMASTERS.
Useful
Citizens In More Ways Than One.
MR. HAWLEY'S PLEA FOR THEM.
Odd Things Mr. Wellman Unearths
at the National Capital—Surviving Veterans of the War—Where They Are Largely
Located—Pension Facts.
WASHINGTON,
April 27.—(Special.)—Not in a long time has there been heard in the Senate
chamber a more interesting speech than that which Mr. Hawley of Connecticut
made a short time ago in defense of the country postmaster. The senate had
under consideration a proposition to extend the civil service rules in a
limited sort of way to country postoffices, and Mr. Hawley, whose remarks often
have the genuine New England flavor to them greatly to the delight of his fellow
senators, came to the front with an argument against the plan which was almost
classical.
The senator
said he did not like the idea of making mere substations of country
postoffices. He preferred the old fashioned postoffice in the suburban villages
and country districts. He was fair enough to admit that in Boston and other
large cities, perhaps, where there are a half dozen municipalities practically
one, with easy methods of communication between them by electric and steam
cars, it may be well enough to establish branch postoffices responsible to the
central, or metropolitan office.
Fountains of News.
"But
that is a different thing," said Senator Hawley, "from reaching out
5, 10 or 15 miles into the country and taking the old fashioned, rural postoffice,
which is an institution in the affections and traditions and feelings of
the people. Going out of my own town in New England, or any other town you care
to name, we come upon some suburban village or country settlement where one
country store, by general consent, has contained the postoffice for a
generation or several generations in the past. Very likely it is a place of
resort. It is a fountain of news. It answers the purpose of a clubhouse, in a
certain way, for the people of the neighborhood.
"The
postmaster and his father before him knew everybody in the town. If he saw a
country wagon moving along he would go to the door and hail the man to know if
he was going by Oak lane. On receiving an affirmative reply he would say:
'Well, take along this letter and this copy of a religious paper to the Widow
Jones, who lives out there. She hasn't been in town this week and perhaps she
is ill.' Of course the mail is taken out. This sort of thing is going on all
the time. It is one of the regular incidents of the country postoffice.
"Now
under the proposed new scheme there would go to that postoffice your young man
who has been lucky enough to pass a civil service examination in the city, 20
miles away. He does not know anybody out there, he does not understand the
people, he has no house, he has no wife, he has no shop, he has no place to put
his postoffice, and the old postmaster does not look upon him with friendship
and does not intend to let him have a corner of his store. What is he going to do?
Who wants him anyway?"
Veterans on Both Sides.
Odd things
are coming to light everyday to show us what a great and magnificent country we
have. Just to think, it is 30 years since the great war of the rebellion closed,
and according to the census figures of 1890, now first published, it would take
seven enormous books, each so big that a small boy could not lift it, to contain
the names of all the veterans of that war still living. The official figures show
that nearly 1,500,000 men who took part in the rebellion were alive when the
census was taken about six years ago.
The exact
figures are as follows:
Union
soldiers, sailors and marines, 1,034,073
Confederate
veterans, 432,020
Total
1,466,093
All but 5
per cent of the men who took part in the war on the Union side were white and
the remainder were colored or civilized Indians. Of the white soldiers 90,000
were born of foreign parents and 172,000 were born in foreign countries. In other
words, considerably more than one-fourth of the Union soldiers were foreigners either
by birth or parentage. Quite different are the facts as to the Confederate
soldiers. In the armies on that side of the line the colored troops numbered
less than 1 per cent of the whole and the soldiers who were foreign born, or
born of foreign parents numbered only 23,000 out of a total of 432,000.
Distribution of Old Soldiers.
Some
interesting facts concerning the geographical distribution of the surviving
veterans have been gleaned from the official reports. A surprising number of
northern soldiers have settled in Dixie since the war. Union veterans are
sprinkled all over the south, from 30,150 in Kentucky down to 2,063 in Georgia,
but the number of Confederate veterans in the north is much smaller. The entire
northeast, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania, contained in 1890 only 2,433,
of whom 1,074 were in Pennsylvania and 787 in New York. There were only 11 lonely
upholders of "the lost cause" in Vermont, but they had the sympathy
of 14 Confederate widows. The western states along the Ohio river make a little
better showing for the southern veterans, Ohio containing 1,277, Indiana 1,353
and Illinois 1,759, and Kansas has 1,916, but the number dwindled to 115 in
Wisconsin and 48 in North Dakota. Southern widows were much fewer in these
western states outside of Missouri, where they numbered 1,940, against 17,558
southern veterans.
Texas now
contains a larger number of Confederate veterans than any other state, or
67,000, against 49,000 in Virginia, 47,000 in Georgia and 44,000 in North
Carolina.
Pennsylvania contains the largest number of surviving veterans from the
Union side, or 110,780, Ohio is second with 101,602, New York third with
86,000, Illinois fourth with 71,000 and Missouri fifth (greatly to the surprise
of many people) with 64,000.
A
comparison of these figures of the surviving veterans of the Union with the
number borne on the pension rolls indicates that more than two-thirds of the
veterans are already drawing pensions. The number of veterans pensioned under
the general law in 1895 was 852,453, and under the act of 1890, 365,118,
exclusive of 17,767 navy pensions. This made a total of 735,638 invalid
pensions growing out of the civil war, or considerably more than two-thirds of
the 1,034,073 veterans living in 1890.
VENEZUELAN QUESTION.
Commission Will Probably Decide Against
Great Britain.
NEW YORK,
April 27.—The Herald's Washington correspondent says: After a careful
investigation of the many misleading publications concerning the status of the
Venezuelan boundary question I am now prepared to give an authentic statement
of the case as it stands at present. Negotiations are still in active progress
between the United States and Great Britain in the direction of arbitration. As
far as any definite understanding is concerned, the two countries are just as
far apart as they were when Secretary Olney's famous note went to Lord
Salisbury last July. It is only the evident desire on both sides to find some
way by which an amicable adjustment may eventually be made that gives a
peaceful aspect to the case as it now stands.
As to the
negotiations which have taken place, I can state positively that the first
proposition came from Lord Salisbury, and that this contemplated a settlement
of the matter either by negotiation or through the medium of an arbitration tribunal,
with the understanding, however, that the territory now actually occupied by
British subjects should be considered British property.
After it was found that no satisfactory agreement
could be reached upon this point, Secretary Olney made a counter proposition to
Lord Salisbury, in which he advised a general arbitration treaty between the
United States and Great Britain for the purpose of peacefully settling all
questions between the two countries. No answer has yet been made by Great
Britain.
The last
communication of Secretary Olney embracing this proposition was delivered to
Lord Salisbury a week or ten day a ago. The dispatches from
London, without stating what the counter proposition
of this government was, indicate that Lord Salisbury has rejected it. The
conclusions of the Venezuelan boundary commission will undoubtedly have an
important bearing on whatever decision may be reached between the two
countries. The president and Secretary Olney, I am informed, are aware of the
trend of opinion on the part of the commissioners and they are so thoroughly convinced
that their final conclusion will in the main be adverse of Great Britain that
an intimation to that effect has already been given to the British foreign
office. With this information in his possession Lord Salisbury, it in thought
not unlikely, will be found more conciliatory than he has been, and that it may
serve to expedite the negotiations in the direction of ultimate arbitration.
The
administration, I understand, is very anxious to have the commission hold back
its report until some definite conclusion has been reached as a result of pending
negotiations with Great Britain. It may also be said that the commission will
be governed as to the time of submitting its report by the wishes of the
president.
Penniless at Eighty.
George Cass
of Solon came to Cortland yesterday morning bringing with him a man nearly
eighty years of age, Joseph Baum, who has been staying with him for over a year
and turned Baum over to the tender mercies of Superintendent of the Poor O. P.
Miner. It seems that Baum has children who are capable of supporting him, but
he would not consent to go to the home of any of them. He insisted that he
would go back to Cass' [house] but Cass refused to have him around longer.
Baum got
out of the wagon and started to wander around the town. Officer Goldsmith was
notified and Baum was placed in the lockup. This morning he was arraigned on a
charge of vagrancy, and after some persuasion consented to go to the county
house for a few days until his children could be communicated with and
arrangements made for his support. It is said that he was once quite well off
in this world's goods, but is now penniless.
Death of L. T. Cole.
Mr. Lewis
Truman Cole died yesterday morning of quick consumption at his residence, 66
Railroad-st., aged 38 years. He had been an employee of the Cortland Harness
& Carriage Goods company up to five weeks ago when he was taken with bronchitis
which terminated in quick consumption, causing his death. His parents, Mr. and
Mrs. E. Cole, reside at McLean. He leaves a wife and a daughter Helen, also two
brothers, Frank A. Cole of Binghamton and Fred J. Cole of Syracuse.
The funeral
will take place from his late residence tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 o'clock,
Rev. L. H. Pearce, pastor of the First M. E. church officiating. Interment will
be made in Cortland Rural cemetery.
KILLED BY A HORSE.
Robert J. Barned of Marathon Attacked
in a Stall.
About 2
o'clock P. M. on Sunday Mr. Robert J. Barned, who lives on Cortland-st., went
to his barn to hitch up his horse to drive out, and as he entered the box stall
the horse started for him and bit his back, left shoulder, and ear and about
his neck. His wife, hearing him call, went at once to his assistance and also
Mr. Coy Miller who lives opposite. Mr. Barned was helped to the house and Drs.
Trafford and Miles attended him. He was conscious up to the last and suffered
much from hemorrhage in the throat, when he died about 8 P. M. His son Robert,
who was at Mr. Northrup's on Groton-ave. at Cortland, was sent for, the same
horse being driven for him, and he arrived in time to be recognized by his
father who died soon after.
Mr. Barned
and family were very much respected here and came from Cortland a few years
ago. He leaves two sons Leward and Robert who are engaged in the photograph
business here, also a daughter, Miss Addie who lived with them. Mr. Barned was
a member of Hiram Clark Post here and of the I. O. O. F. at Cortland.
The Odd
Fellows of Marathon and the Post have rendered whatever assistance is needed. The
case seems very sad and his death sudden. They have the deepest sympathy from
the whole community.
BREVITIES.
—The
Cortland Door & Window
Screen company will begin running nights tonight.
—The park
cars ran for several hours yesterday afternoon and about a hundred people took
advantage of them for a ride to the park.
—Messrs. E.
C. Alger and T. H. Dowd are very busy issuing bonds to Cortland county hotel
and saloon keepers. These gentlemen represent the Fidelity Deposit company of
Maryland.
—New
advertisements to-day are—C. F. Brown, a man of intelligence, page 6; A. S.
Burgess, statements backed by facts, page 8; Case, Ruggles & Bristol, shirt
and suit sale, page 6.
—The comic
opera "Tar and Tartar", which appears at the Opera House on
Thursday evening is meeting with great success
elsewhere and has some excellent press notices. The company is said to be a
very strong one.
—Mr. George
Brown of 15 Taylor-st. fell from a heavily loaded wagon Saturday afternoon and
one wheel nearly passed over him, crushing his side and fracturing a rib. Dr.
Henry was called and attended to the injured man.
—The Candy
Kitchen has been removed to 17 Railroad-st. in the store occupied by F. I.
Graham. Mr. Graham is still in part of the store, but will remove to the Graham
building on Main-st. as soon as Mrs. H. H. Pomeroy, its present occupant, moves
to the Dowd block.
—A box car
heavily loaded with feed bound for McGrawville was derailed near the park
junction [east side of the Elm Street bridge] at about 9 o'clock this morning.
The McGrawville car was on this side of the accident so that a team has had to
be used all day to carry passengers from that point to McGrawville. Men have
been at work all day to get the car back on again, and it is expected that they
will succeed before night, but with the big load on board it is an awkward
thing to handle.
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| Chauncey M. Depew. |
TO GIRDLE THE EARTH.
Dr. Depew to Telegraph a Message
24,000 Miles.
(From the New York World.)
Chauncey M. Depew expects to perform on May 7 the greatest triumph of modern electrical
science. He expects to rival the famous first telegraph message "What hath
God wrought," with an epigrammatic sentence that is to be sent around the
world by a current of electricity generated by the power of Niagara Falls.
For many
days Mr. Depew has been studying over what is to be heralded as his greatest
epigram. It must not be more than a dozen words in length, and it must express
the master thought of a master mind. All this famous talker's eloquence, all
his learning and all his ready wit must he concentrated in the one sentence.
The object
of sending this message is to demonstrate the triumph of electricity over
distance. Telegraph wires and cables reach now to nearly all parts of the
world, and some of them make single jumps of hundreds of miles, but everywhere
throughout the telegraph and cable system there are unavoidable relays, and
messages are often repeated before they reach their destination.
With the
power of Niagara Falls the greatest electric power in the world is generated
for the purpose of distributing it to many points. Electricians have said that
long distance transmission of electricity is impossible. Nicola Tesla said he
would prove that it was possible, and the Niagara Power company backed him with
millions of dollars.
The
wonderful exposition of all the newest things in electricity opens in
Madison Square Garden May 4, and the electric power
generated at Niagara
Falls will be transmitted to New, York on ordinary
telegraph wires of the Western Union company. It will be made to demonstrate
that 475 miles is comparatively nothing for electricity to jump.
Then Dr.
Depew will make the great trial of sending one continuous current around the
world, or as nearly around the world as the cable lines will permit.
His message, addressed to either E. D. Adams or F.
W. Hawley, of the Niagara [Power] corporation, will be telegraphed from Madison
Square Garden over 24,000 miles of cable and be received again in the same
room, accompanied by the certificates of telegraph managers at the various
points of land it touches. The electric tour will be over in a very few minutes,
but just how long it is impossible to say.
The message
leaving New York will go over the Western Union cable to Penzance, England,
thence onward to Lisbon, and underneath the Mediterranean Sea, coming to dry
land again at Suez, to run along the famous canal, and then diving under the
Red Sea to emerge at Aden. There, borne along by the power of Niagara, it will
pass under the Indian Ocean to Bombay, across India to Madras, and under water
again to Singapore on the Malay peninsula.
The next place it will be heard of is in a desolate spot on the Northern
shore of Australia, and then in Mebourne and Sydney.
If there
was a cable under the Pacific ocean Dr. Depew's epigram could make a circuit of
the world complete by a long dive under the sea to San Francisco; but that
cannot be done. So the message will rebound on its trail, and by running along
the east coast of Africa reach Cape Town. Then it will jump to Lisbon again and
start across the Atlantic ocean to Pernambuco, Brazil. South America will be the
last continent touched, and with one more flash under the seas it will be back
in New York.
"Dr.
Depew was selected to send this message," said Mr. Hawley yesterday, "because
his fame has spread throughout the world more, perhaps, than that of any living
American. We concluded, too, that if he could not clear the track for a grand
flying tour of the world then no one else could. The various telegraph and
cable companies have generously entered into the project, and the message will
demonstrate the great powers of electricity in this direction."
