DEATH OF STEPHEN D. FREER

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, July 15, 1887.

Death of Stephen D. Freer.

   Stephen D. Freer, a lifelong resident of Cortland, died at his residence on Port Watson street last Sunday aged 72 years. For many years prior to 1861, he and his brother Anthony, owned the Cortland Foundry and Machine shops and the large hardware store on Port Watson street where a very large business was transacted. They also bought large quantities of wool and other products of the farmers of this county. In 1861, we believe, they sold the establishment to Messrs. Benton & Chamberlain, since which time the deceased has been engaged in various other pursuits. For several years he was in the coal business and a few years since built the large coal dumps now owned by Maxon & Starin. Mr. Freer was an industrious business man, and was highly esteemed by all with whom he was acquainted. He had been about town until Friday last when he was taken with a chill, which his enfeebled system could not withstand. Funeral services were held from the house on Friday afternoon.

Bishop Ludden’s Private Secretary.

   Rev. Patrick McEvoy, assistant pastor of St. Patrick's church, Geddes, has been selected by Bishop Ludden as his private secretary. Father McEvoy's former position will be filled by Rev. Phillip F. Harrick, formerly assistant priest at St. Lucy’s church, but who has been stationed at St. John the Baptist's church since the illness of the late Father Bourke. An assistant will probably be given to the pastor, Father Mutlaney.—Syracuse Currier.

A Terrible Fall.

   Soon after 6 o'clock last Monday evening, William Riley, who keeps a shoe shop on Port Watson street, immediately adjoining the alley in rear of the Keator block, heard a dull thud, and looking out of the window saw the form of a small boy lying upon the ground in the alley apparently lifeless. He at once went to him and picked him up. Mr. Riley recognized him as one of a family of children that had moved into a rear room in the fourth story of the Keator block the week before, and he at once carried him to the room where he began to revive. His mother was absent at the time but was sent for and soon arrived.

   The boy is about three and a half years old and had been left in the room with three other small children while his mother was away at work. The little fellow went out into the hall and climbed upon a trunk that stood by the half window, and leaning out of the same fell to the ground below, a distance of over 40 feet, striking on the hard roadway.

   Dr. White happened to be near and was called to attend him. His right leg was broken above the knee in two places, and he was considerably bruised on other parts of his body. The doctor dressed his wounds and left him as comfortable as circumstances would allow.

   When Mr. Riley reached the room he found an old corded bedstead with two dilapidated blankets thereon. These were the only articles of furniture in the room. Neighboring women at once brought bed clothing and made them as comfortable as possible, while several gentlemen started out with subscription papers and soon had quite a handsome sum raised for the poor woman, and her little family.

   Five or six weeks ago the woman's husband L. P. Thompson, left her in destitute circumstances and has not since been heard from. They were then living in the Squires block. Some two or three weeks ago, Mrs. Thompson concluded to break up keeping house and after leaving her children with friends to go to live with a sister in the western part of the state, and to that end she disposed of her furniture to the best advantage possible.

   For some reason, best known to herself, she started on a search for her husband which proved unsuccessful, when she returned to Cortland last week and leased the rooms in the Keator block. She had disposed of her furniture and had used what little means she had in a fruitless endeavor to find her rascal of a husband.

   Ugly rumors have been in circulation to the effect that merchants and others residing in this village, to whom Mrs. Thompson became indebted after her husband left her, for supplies, had taken her furniture from her. We have been at some pains to hunt down these rumors and find the following facts.

   When she broke up keeping house, she sent word to Messrs. Dowd & McSweeney, grocers, that she was going away and wanted to see them. Mr. Dowd called and she voluntarily turned over to him a stove and table to apply on her account with them, saying that she was going away and wanted to dispose of all her furniture. These goods were not worth the amount of her indebtedness by several dollars, but Mr. Dowd agreed to call the account square, and that is all there is of this case. We fail to see wherein Mr. Dowd has acted in anything but an honorable manner throughout, he has also trusted her for goods since her return and was not aware of her destitute circumstances. We presume the other cases will turn out about the same.

   The little boy is a bright little fellow and there is some hopes of his recovery.

   Overseer of the Poor Wheeler had the family removed to rooms in rear of No. 17 South Main street, where they have been made quite comfortable.

HERE AND THERE.

   Barnum's great show Aug. 15th.

   Try Coaline headache powders.

   The McGrawville corset factory has shut down for a few days.

   Mrs. Nellie Powers, of Scott, has been granted an absolute divorce from her husband, John Powers. The former has charge of her daughter Pearl.

   Augustus Sanders, who was injured at Sylvan beach, July 4th, mention of which was made in last week's DEMOCRAT, died at his home in this village, last Thursday afternoon.

   Someone wants to know if Cortland resembled Goldsmith's "Deserted Village" last 4th of July. Authentic information can be obtained of those who remained at home, instead of leaving town to "find the Fourth."

   Isaac W. Brown has just completed his annual enumeration of children of school age on the corporation, and reports as follows: First ward, 546; second ward, 638; third ward, 634; fourth ward, 374, making a total of 2,182. This is an increase over last year of 132.

   Last Saturday night, George Vincent, who lives about two miles west of this village, was arrested on a warrant issued by Justice Bouton on the charge of keeping a disorderly house. The Carpenter women who were sent to the penitentiary, last winter, on a similar charge, were inmates, and they were also arrested. Sentence was suspended on the latter by their promising to leave town at once, never to return. Vincent's examination was set down for August 10th.

   Burglars entered the residence of Wm. Joslyn, on James street in Homer, last Sunday night, and secured fifteen dollars in money. They also entered the residence of C. W. Gage, and carried off a valuable overcoat and a hat. They also entered the house of L. S. King and the cellar of Geo. Frazier, from neither of whose premises is anything missing. It is thought that the burglars traveled north. Undoubtedly they are the same rascals that were in this place the night previous.

   Paper doors are coming into use, and, as compared with those of wood, possess the advantage of neither shrinking, swelling, cracking or warping. They are formed of two thick paper boards, stamped and molded into panels, and glazed together with glue and potash and then rolled through heavy rollers. After being covered with a waterproof coating and then with one that is fire proof, it is painted, varnished and hung in the usual way.

   What is the difference between Clark's "official organ" and a hand organ? One is meant to extol himself and "sing his praises," while the latter is used to amuse and charm the public. It would be a good plan for our neighbor to take a trip to the Adirondack Mountains in order that he may divert his attention to something besides “self;" and, should he have occasion to "shake hands with himself" while there, what more fitting or desirable place could he select than the solitude of the "mountain top?"

   Whew, a gust of wind from the "peppermint district" Say, Brother Clark, did you ever see a real diamond as big as your fist? No, that size is cut glass. So with your sheet; it is an immense apology for a newspaper at $2.00 a year. If the Standard was devoid of the half of its paper that tells how good the whole is, how would its columns figure up then? Last week, by a mysterious arithmetical process Clark adds 1,764 inches of reading matter and 730 inches of advertising together and makes a total of only 1,033 inches in his whole paper. About a year ago Clark claimed a circulation of 2,000 when he only printed 1,728 papers, and about 200 of them were not sent out to subscribers, but were saved for some other purpose. How much stronger is Clark's affidavit than his statement at that time? Of what value is a paper that cannot tell the truth without swearing to it?—McGrawville Sentinel.

   The following puzzle may be of interest: Two trains, each consisting of a locomotive (A and B) and four cars and traveling in opposite directions on same track meet each other at a turn-table large enough to hold either an engine and a car, two cars or both locomotives. The trains must pass each other, and it can be done.

   We call the attention of our readers to the advertisement of the Cortland Water Company, to be found on this page. The company want men to work on their trenches in this village, and they propose to give residents of the town the first privilege. Failing to secure the help needed here, they will be forced to go elsewhere.

   Calvin F. Cobb, Esq., the Scott correspondent of the Cortland Monitor, was arrested last week Wednesday by constable Burdick, on complaint of Stephen S. Brown, of the same place, on the charge of libel. The complainant claims that he was libeled by Cobb, who reported for his paper, certain proceedings of a recent meeting of the Excise Board of that town. Brown was a member of the board. Cobb gave bail for his appearance at court.

   At Blodgett's Mills during the severe thunder storm Saturday evening, the barn of Mr. Ransom Simpson was struck by lightning and in a short time was burned to the ground. Mr. Harry Pierce, of McGrawville, was there at the time with a horse and carriage. The horse broke loose and got out of the barn. The carriage and also some other things were saved. The house of Mrs. Marcellus Barnum was struck the same evening, but fortunately did not take fire, although three rooms were more or less damaged. The lightning entered the south end of the house, passing through the upper chamber, down into the parlor and out through an adjoining bed-room. Paper was torn from the wall in different places, a picture on the wall was torn into shreds, and the electric fluid left destructive traces wherever it passed. Mrs. Barnum, with her little grand-daughter, Carrie Smith, was in the north part of the house at the time, but did not know until the next morning how near they had been to death.—-Marathon Independent.

WANTED.

   150 men to dig trenches for water works. Commence work Tuesday, July 5. Apply at once at the office of the Cortland Water Works Company, No. 7 Railroad street, Cortland.

Measuring Type.

   The Standard of last week pretends to give the amount of reading matter published in the several papers in this county. It makes the statement that the Standard had 1,033 inches of reading matter and the DEMOCRAT only 553. If our neighbor had been a practical printer, he would have adopted the printer's standard of measurement, which is the only rule of determining the amount of reading matter in a given space. For the purpose of exploding the Standard gas bag, we took the trouble to measure up the reading matter which that paper contained last week.

   Allowing good liberal measurement and the Standard contained just 41,628 ems. We then measured the reading matter in the DEMOCRAT and found that it contained 85,016 ems, or more than double the reading matter to be found in the Standard of the same week, and this is only a fair average of the papers every week.

   A large part of the matter in the DEMOCRAT was set solid, while most of the matter in the Standard was leaded and the type used is two or three sizes larger than the type used in the DEMOCRAT. It isn't the number of inches that tells, it is the number of ems [ratio of width to height—CC editor]. If our neighbor doubts our statement let him ask any printer and satisfy himself. Is it any wonder that he don't dare to make his own affidavit?

The Howe Stove Company.

   A stock company has been formed in this place for the manufacture of the Howe Ventilating Stove, which has been gaining favor with our citizens quite rapidly, within the past two years. A description of the principles involved in their construction and of their practical working has been heretofore given in these columns. The capital stock of the new company is $180,000, and some of our most substantial business men are stockholders. The company will occupy the shops now used by the Sanford Fork and Tool Company, as soon as the latter have vacated the same. Considerable additions, we understand, will be made to the buildings now in use, and the new company expect to push things. The following are the officers:

   President—C. B. Hitchcock.

   Secretary and Treasurer—F. W. Collins.

   Trustees: C. B. Hitchcock, F. W. Collins, E. Rickard, Theo. Stevenson, William Howe, Wm. H. Clark, Hezekiah Howe.

   This new industry will employ a large number of skilled workmen who will make this place their home. A large number of the Howe stoves have been sold in this village within the last two years, and have given the best of satisfaction to all purchasers.

Recommended:

Stephen D. Freer: http://www.usgenweb.info/nycortland/books/1885biob.htm