Cortland Park Pavilion Completed and Ready for July 4, 1896 Celebration

 

 

Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, June 26, 1896.

Secured a Trainer.

   Deputy Sheriff James Edwards was quite electrified last night to read in The STANDARD that Dr. L. T. White, who is to run a footrace with him on July 4, had secured ex-Sheriff John Miller as a trainer. He knows that John is capable of setting a pretty hot pace if he only imagines he is on the trail of a fugitive from justice, and if the doctor trains steadily under the direction of the ex-sheriff he will be a formidable rival. Consequently Jim has decided to secure not one trainer, but two, and he wants the swiftest men in the place. He has made arrangements with the two well known sprinters, E. S. Mathewson and William Riley to give him points. Hereafter until the eventful day he will get up at 3 o'clock in the morning and steal away with his two coaches and train till breakfast time. He takes this early hour so that "Doc" shall not get out on his trail and steal his points or time him. He says he is going to beat the doctor if he has to train himself down to a skeleton to do it.

The New Pavilion.

   The new pavilion at the park is nearly completed and will be a very great addition to the attractions at that popular resort. No one who has not seen it can imagine how fine a building it is. It stands among the old forest trees in the midst of the north grove. It is commodious in size and substantial in structure. The first floor will be given up to a refreshment room, and general sitting room. A piazza fifteen feet wide extends along three sides of the building. The entire second floor is given to the dancing hall which will have a first-class floor. The sides of that building are shingled down and make a very pretty effect. Only a few days more will be required to complete the building. Superintendent Mooney has engaged Officer Goldsmith to be present at the park upon all special occasions and assist the regular daily officers in keeping order.

 

Cortland House

 

 

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, June 29, 1896.

THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.

Program of Events for the Celebration Next Saturday.

   Cortland is to celebrate the glorious Fourth next Saturday in the good old fashioned style. There will be something going on all day long, and it will all be right in the center of the town where it is accessible and can be seen by everybody.

   The day will be opened by a salute of fifty guns at sunrise. At 7 A. M. there will be daylight fire works. From 8 to 9:30 o'clock the visiting companies will be received. At 10 A. M. will occur the annual parade and review of the Cortland fire department, together with visiting companies, all to be reviewed by the president and trustees of the village.

   At 1 P. M. will occur the fusilier parade, with antiques, horribles, calithumplans, civic organizations and the bicycle parade.

   At 2:30 will occur the 200-yard hose race. Companies will lay 200 feet of hose, break coupling and attach nozzle. Prizes $50 and $25. There will also be a 600-feet hub and tub race. Prizes $15 and $10. The 300-feet hook and ladder race will follow. Prizes $15 and $10.

   At 3:30 o'clock will occur the bicycle races open to Cortland county riders.

   Two-mile handicap road race. First, Morgan & Wright quick repair tires; second, one search light lamp, Bridgeport Brass Co.; time prize, Vim tires, Boston Woven Hose and Rubber Co.

   One-half mile green race, for riders who have never started in a bicycle race. First, cyclometer; second, pair bicycle shoes.

   Half-mile boys' race, under 15 years of age. First, one pair League tires. New York Belting and Packing Co.; second, History of the World.

   4:30 P. M., fifty-yard fat men's race between Dr. L. T. White and Deputy Sheriff James E. Edwards, both of Cortland. [text highlighted-ed.]

   Amateur foot race for championship of Central New York. Mathewson and Miller matched 100 yards, 150 yards and 220 yards. Prize, diamond valued at $35.

   Further particulars in regard to the celebration will be given later.

Scared by Firecrackers.

   Mail Carrier Theodore Sheeley had finished delivering the mail on his route this forenoon and had started for dinner. He hitched his horse in front of Stokers grocery and went inside to do some trading. While there, some person with more of a bump of mischief than good judgment set fire to a bunch of crackers and threw them under the wagon. The noise frightened the horse and she started to run up Main-st. in front of the Cortland House the mall cart collided with a lumber wagon tipping the wagon over and breaking the reach. Both crossbars of the mail cart were broken. The horse was stopped without being injured or doing further damage.

 

 

Cortland Evening Standard, Wednesday, July 1, 1896.

GRAND OPENING DAY.

Formal Opening of the New Pavilion at the Park.

   Friday, July  1, has been decided upon as the day for the grand opening of the new pavilion at the Cortland park. McDermott's orchestra will furnish music for dancing during the evening. A band concert by the Cortland City band will be held at 8 o'clock. The band have been in constant practice during the spring and a fine concert may be expected.

   Refreshments will be sold at the pavilion and everything will be done to make the opening a grand success. Special round trip tickets will be sold from Homer and McGrawville after 7 o'clock P. M. on the opening day for 18 cents. Tickets may be obtained at Atwater & Foster's, Homer, and at Maricle & Johnson's, McGrawville. The park presents an unusually attractive appearance this season, and with ample shelter in case of rain will prove even more popular as a pleasure resort than heretofore.

Picnic at the Park.

   One of the most enjoyable picnics of the season was held at the park yesterday afternoon and evening. The party which numbered nearly fifty consisted principally of former classmates at the Normal and their friends. The ladies had the affair in charge and as was to be expected, made the occasion a very pleasant one. They went up on the afternoon cars and by the time the gentlemen arrived the tables were neatly spread and presented a most tempting appearance. Mr. Halsey M. Collins and Miss Grace Stokes enlivened the evening with selections upon the guitar and mandolin until 9 o'clock when the picnic was declared adjourned.
 

Struck by the Electric Car.

   Car No. 18 on the cross town line collided with a delivery wagon on Homer-ave. this morning shortly after 10 o'clock.  Mr. J. S. Larrabee, who was driving the wagon, did not see the car coming and attempted to cross the track at Madison-st. The motorman tried to stop the car but was not able to bring it to a standstill before striking the wagon. The wagon was overturned and the contents scattered promiscuously about. Mr. Larrabee was thrown out but escaped with a few bruises. The wagon was badly wrecked.

Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, July 3, 1896.

THOSE FAT MEN.

All Are in Fine Shape for the Race Tomorrow.

   The entrance of two additional sprinters in the fat mens' race for to-morrow adds greater interest to the race which will be run on Church-st. at 4:30 o'clock P. M. The representatives of Dell Gross of McGrawville were in town this morning and entered him in the race. This announcement will be a surprise to a great many as it is not generally understood that for three weeks he has been in constant training on one of McGrawville's side streets. It is understood that McGrawviile will send a delegation of 600 to shout for their man who they are confident will win.

   Jack Andrews of Homer is said to have been induced to enter much against his will but for the last three days has been getting himself in shape for the event.

   Dr. L. T. White and Deputy Sheriff James E. Edwards, the two Cortland men in the race, who have been longest in training are both confident of success, notwithstanding the new entries. The doctor claims that he could win even if the deputy sheriff had not injured himself with the spikes in one heel yesterday morning while training. He thinks this is going to seriously impair the officer’s chances of winning and help his own. Mr. Edwards is not saying much but when approached on the subject slyly winks his left eye and says, "you just watch and see."

   All the sprinters are in fine shape today and their training has reduced their weights so that they may be expected to appear to-morrow weighing respectfully, Edwards 401 pounds, Andrews 396, Gross 374, White 361. It will certainly be a great race.

GRAND PARADE.

Big Demonstration for the Fourth.

Bicyclists Invited to Join.

   In addition to the annual parade of the fire department and the visiting companys which will take place at 10:30 to-morrow, the line of march of which was published in yesterday's STANDARD, there will be a grand parade at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The committee having this in charge are making every effort to have this part of the celebration a grand success.

    A special feature will be the bicycle parade. Every one who has a wheel is invited to take part in this parade and make the line of bicycles the longest ever seen in Cortland. The Wesson-Nivison Co. are making preparations to have seventy-five men in line, dressed in uniform and riding Loyal wheels. The wheelmen will assemble on Cllnton-ave, Main-st. and Groton-ave. and join the procession from there. Let every one who has a wheel, ladies as well as gentlemen, turn out and join the procession.

A. S. Burgess Store on Main and Central with four story 1896 addition at rear.

 

 

Corner Stone Laid.

   The corner stone of the addition to A. S. Burgess' building was laid yesterday by Rev. David C. Beers, with appropriate ceremonies. Copies of the Cortland Democrat—as being a near neighbor— and also of another newspaper publication devoted chiefly to immortalizing the memories of certain citizens of this village were entombed under an iron pillar. Mr. George Allport did not throw cold water on the affair, whatever rumor may say to the contrary. There was no music, but considerable "chinning'' and lots of fun.

Some Fine Work.

   Messrs. Cramer & Hollister have just completed two large plumbing jobs which are a credit to the firm and models in their line. One is for A. J. Goddard who has been thoroughly remodeling his hotel on Railroad-st. and who now has one of the best equipped houses in his line to be found anywhere.

   The other is for Messrs. Wickwire Bros., at the Central House. The firm has also taken the contract for furnishing the steam heating apparatus for the Central House and have already placed their order for two boilers and radiation for the same. When completed this house will be one of the best equipped in Central New York. Messrs. Cramer & Hollister take just pride in the work and invite inspection of any who contemplate having work of this kind done.

Editor's note:
   We made a mistake and we admit it. We misidentified the Cortland village park pavilion, built in 1896, as the Dwyer Memorial Park pavilion at Little York Lake. The error has been corrected.
   Cortland Park was located along the east side of the Tioughnioga River on Salisbury Hill. The park was developed by the Cortland & Homer Traction Co. A trolley line extended from Elm Street over a steel bridge to the park. The bridge was removed in the early 1950's.

 

WHEEL OF FORTUNE, BIKE BARONS, OLD CHESNUTS

   During the 1896 retail shop and manufacturer bicycle price war in Cortland, the Cortland Evening Standard introduced some mischief on the subject by publishing an article which first appeared in the New York Herald. A spirited response to the New York Herald article by Cortland's Wesson-Nivison Mfg. Co. was published the following day.
   Both articles are published here in order of appearance.

 

 

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, June 15, 1896.

PROFITS IN BICYCLES.

IT ACTUALLY COSTS $30.31 TO MAKE A CRACK $100 WHEEL.

An Article Showing What Big Profits Are Made in the Business —

A New Foundation for Large Fortunes--A Fad From Which Millions Have Been Made.

   If you buy a wheel for $100 you pay $70 profit, says the New York Herald. You may purchase a more costly wheel and pay more profit, in fact, and in proportion, or you may get a much cheaper wheel and pay relatively the same profit, which will be about 250 percent.

   Then don't wonder when you see new cycle signs on our streets every day, find bicycle shops at every available site, and all sorts of shops going into the business by mixing wheels with other merchandise.

   Here is a new foundation on which to erect a fortune of mushroom growth. Family wealth has often been founded on war contracts, patrimony has been worked out of the piles upon "rich strikes" in the "diggin's," millions have been multiplied from spouting oil wells and Dame Fortune's smile has been suddenly called forth by other means that have brought the comfortable assurance of millions to the third and fourth generations.

   Now there appears a new "open sesame” to the cave of wealth. The bicycle has become a wheel of fortune to turn out riches. We have men of wealth who bear such names as "magnate,"' "king" and "emperor" and other titles that imply the power that money gives. Now we are to have the "Bike Baron."

WHAT BICYCLES COST.

   Every purchaser of a wheel knows what it cost him, but very few know what it costs to produce a wheel before the profits are attached. The amount of profit derived from the sale of merchandise is usually a jealously guarded secret, and the larger the profit the more difficult it is for the purchaser to learn the actual cost of production, and how much of what he pays goes into profits.

   This is particularly true of bicycles.

   Try it and see.

   If retailers attempt to give the information they will multiply the correct figures by two or three. If the manufacturer is asked, he will evade the question, or perhaps quite properly say:

   "It’s none of your business."

   But there are tens of thousands of wheelmen who individually know that the particular wheel he himself is riding cost him a hundred dollars, or thereabout, and would like to know what it cost the man who constructed it, at the moment it stood in its glittering beauty a completed bicycle.

   Well, after a search for a competent authority, and after work to induce him to give the figures, The Herald is able to impart the desired information t o its readers. If you have an ordinary high-grade wheel that you were asked $100 for, you are here informed that it costs its manufacturer $30.31.

   The information is reliable, for it comes from an unquestionable source. The gentlemen who gives the figures knows exactly what he is talking about. He is an inventor of improvements in bicycles, has invented and patented bicycle machinery, is a manufacturer of and dealer in all sorts of wheels. He knows the business from A to Z, both inclusive. Here you will see a table which shows exactly what every part of a bicycle costs, and the whole, it will be seen, costs $30.31, and no more.

WHAT YOUR HUNDRED DOLLAR WHEEL ACTUALLY COSTS.

Handlebar T.                                          $00.05

Two head clips                                             .10

Two bolts and nuts                                       .12

Crown (receiving fork sides)                         .12

Seat post brackets                                        .12

Crank hanger                                                .50

Brace lip                                                        .06

Rear fork ends                                              .12

Adjustments                                                  .08

Frame braces                                                .05

Reinforcements                                             .14

Handlebar clamp                                           .07

Seat post T                                                    .28

Two head cups                                              .12

Crown cone                                                   .03

Head adjusting cone                                      .08

Locknut                                                          .03

Lamp bracket                                                 .03

One hundred balls                                         .40

Rims                                                               .60

Tires                                                             6.50

Saddle                                                          2.50

Pedals                                                          1.20

Grips                                                               .26

Nipples on spokes                                          .18

Washers                                                         .03

Spokes                                                           .70

Hubs                                                             2.50

Tubing                                                           3.00

Fork sides                                                       .26

Crank parts                                                     .80

Large sprocket                                                .40

Chain                                                              .88

Nickeling                                                       2.00

Enameling                                                     1.00

Labor in assembling parts                             5.00

                Total:                                         $30.31

HIGHER AND LOWER.

   Now if you wish a wheel particularly fine, with the best of finish, full of artistic lines, and suited to the most cultivated taste, you are the man the dealer is looking after. You will pay more money and much more profit for such a wheel. You may pay $125 or $150, and such wheels cost more to produce than the foregoing figures show.

   The rims may cost $1.25, the tires $12, the saddle $4 and the pedals $1.60. Then the finish will be better than the standard wheel and there will be more nickel plating on it.

   Of course, you may go into silver or gold, and extend the cost to any figure you wish; but the further you go the greater proportionate profit you will pay.

   On the other hand, you may indulge in the false economy of going to the other extreme and buying the cheapest wheel to be found, but even then you are paying about the same percentage of profit. You may go below the standard mark of $100, a dollar at a time through the scale of prices, until you reach the lowest figures.  At the upper end of the scale there is not much difference in quality, and often it is simply in the amount of profit the seller is willing to accept; but the price of much cheaper wheels is made possible by the grade of material used, and the class of workmanship.

   There are tires that cost $2.50, saddles that cost eighty cents, and pedals that cost forty cents. Then second hand, and second, and even third and fourth, rate material is sometimes used.

   The work of assembling  the parts is another factor. It may be done with skilled labor that costs $5 for each wheel, or by boys who simply throw the wheels together.

COST OF SINGLE PIECES.

   The Herald's inquiries among the dealers for singe parts of the bicycle developed the fact that there was quite a variation in the prices put on the articles, but an average shows that the original cost price is multiplied by five. A saddle, for instance, which cost at the factory 80 cents, is sold for $4, and one which cost $2.50 for $7. Handlebars that cost from $1 to $1.50 are sold for $5 to $7. Smaller articles listed in the factory cost at 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 12 cents, cost from 25 cents to $1. The 25, 30, 40 and 88 cent articles are sold at from $1.25 to $3.50.

   So it goes through the list. If a man anxious to experiment should purchase all the various parts of an ordinary $100 wheel, one at a time, and pay an expert for putting them together, his wheel would cost about $178.
 

Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, June 16, 1896.

EDITOR'S SADDLE.

   We are mad clean through, reason enough, to think that we can't go away for a day's spin through the country without coming home and finding the news editor has been sticking his rusty shears into the New York Herald, May 29, and extracting that old chestnut, headed, "Huge Profit In Building Bicycles," which was so thoroughly ventilated in the New York Daily's and the Cycling Press week before last.

   It is bad enough to have The Herald print such nonsense, without every paper in the country copying it. We have a friend here engaged in the bicycle business who would like to engage at once the services of the man who will build his high grade bicycles for $30.31, and pay him a big salary, too.

   Anybody with any experience in bicycle construction would know at a glance that The Herald's figures apply to such wheels as are assembled and put on the market without guarantee or pedigree. We have seen a good many sold in a town not 100 miles away from here. The wheel described in The Herald has no more kinship with the high grade $100 wheel than an ordinary cow has with a thoroughbred trotter. Both animals are quadrupeds and there the semblance ceases.

   Figures like those given in The Herald might be applied to any business with equally surprising results. We would find road wagons could be bought as low as $20, and also as high as $100. No sane man would say one was as good as the other.

   We might figure the cost of editing a newspaper by itemizing the paper and ink at so much per pound, then adding the labor of type setting and tending the presses, subtracting this amount from prices charged for advertising and sale of the paper, we would know just how much profit is being made in running the paper. In both cases invested capital, brain work in the office, cost of placing with the consumers, bad debts, and the thousand and one incidental expenses which come in and cut away the profits, have been neglected.

   Unlike newspapers bicycles have to be followed up for a year with a guarantee, and reputable manufacturers make their guarantees good. Guarantees cost money and have to be charged for. The guarantee is the unknown quantity of the equation in calculating cost of bicycles, and prevents the manufacturer from knowing what profit he has made on a wheel till a year after it has been sold.

   When we read articles like that in The Herald we feel like exclaiming with the poet, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."—Hub Sprocket.

   LOYAL WHEELS are daily increasing in popularity, because they are well built and backed by a reliable guarantee. We test them on the Main-st. pavement, and know they will stand riding over any road in the country.
 

THE WESSON-NIVISON MFG.CO.

Owego and Squires-st.
 

Editor’s note:

   The Wesson-Nivison Manufacturing Co. changed its name to Wesson Manufacturing Co. in November 1896.