The Cortland Democrat, Friday, January
22, 1892.
A BIT OF A FIRE.
The Old
Lyman Block Takes Fire—The Building Sadly Demoralized—The Loss and Insurance.
Just before 10 o'clock last Sunday evening
Officer Goldsmith discovered a blaze in the rear of John H. Day's grocery store
in the Lyman block, corner of Main street and Groton avenue. Calling two or
three citizens to assist, the front doors of Day's store were forced when a
dense volume of smoke poured out. Box No. 333 at the Engine House was pulled
and the members of the department were soon on the ground. Hose was promptly
laid and several streams of water were soon playing on the building.
The flames seemed at first to be confined
mainly to the rear end of Day's store, but the fire soon worked its way to the
rear of the store occupied by Mrs. Sarah Darby as a hair store on the south, and
also reached the garret in the main building. The fire was confined to that
block and was under control from the time water was thrown on the building
until the last spark was extinguished about 1 o'clock A. M.
The fire in the garret gave the firemen
considerable trouble, and when drowned out in one place would soon appear in
another. The building is nearly if not quite a wreck.
The north store was occupied by H. H.
Pomeroy, dry goods and notions. Most of his goods were removed. He had an
insurance of $4,000. Day's loss is about $2,500, insured for $2,000. Mrs.
Darby, who occupied the south store with Miss Dora Miller, loses about $1,000,
insured for $500. Miss Miller, dressmaker, loses $200 with no insurance.
Several handsome dresses in process were saved. Geo I. Pruden, photographer,
occupied the rooms over Pomeroy's store. Very little of his stock was saved.
Loss $2,500, insured for $1,500. Fred Fenner, dentist, occupied the rooms over
Day's store. Most of his property was saved. No insurance. Mrs. Miner, an old
colored woman, occupied the rooms over Mrs. Darby's store. She had retired for
the night and was carried out of the building to the Dexter House, where
friends provided her with clothing. Her furniture was burned.
The building was owned by J. Melvin Samson,
Esq., and was an old landmark having been erected as far back as 1820 by A.
Lyman, who used it for mercantile purposes. Subsequently it came into the hands
of William O. Barnard, Esq., who sold it some twenty or more years ago to
Bernard Dowd, Esq. Three or four years later the late John S. Samson purchased
it and it has been in possession of the family ever since. It is not known how
the fire originated.
It is to be hoped that the owner will build
a new block [Samson block] on the site as the corner is one of the best in town.
That
Chicken Dispute.
Last Thursday evening at least one hundred men
and boys boarded a special train on the E., C. & N road bound for Etna, to
witness the dispute which had been arranged for between Cortland and Elmira
birds. When the train arrived at Etna it was found that officers were present
and that consequently the show could not be held there. The crowd boarded the
train which went on to Park Station, Tioga county, where a large crowd of Elmira
sports were waiting for them.
The fight was arranged to take place in the
basement of a fine new farm barn. While the first pair of birds were being heeled,
it was discovered that the upper portion of the barn was on fire, and the crowd
hastily vacated the basement. A large flock of cows and some horses were taken
out of the building, but all the hay and grain, together with the barn were
soon reduced to ashes. The loss is about $2,000 with no insurance. The entrance
fee amounting to between $200 and $300 was given to the farmer as a partial
compensation for his loss.
Kirmess.
The Kirmess which opens at the Cortland
Opera House, Tuesday evening, January 26th and continuing through the week with
Saturday matinee, will be the finest entertainment ever given in our town.
Everybody is interested and it will make a social success surely, and it will
not fall to please the most fastidious. Over 300 people will appear each
evening in brilliant costumes and the enchanted effect from calcium lights will
make most gorgeous tableaux and scenic transformation. The stately minuet, the
national dance of France, the brightness of the Gypsies, then to the little
fairies from three to four years old and many other dances one cannot tell which
pleases best. A change of program each evening. Let every body show their appreciation
for the hard work, which the ladies of the town have done by good attendance.
COM.
It Was
Cold.
Last Wednesday morning the thermometers in
this place were worked to their fullest capacity by Jack Frost. At several
different points on Main street the thermometers read 25 and 26 degrees below
zero at 6 o'clock in the morning. At Sager & Jennings corner it went down
to -32, and Dr. Henry's indicator on Owego street just called it. The glass showed -29 at
Lewis Bouton's residence on Owego street, and in the east part of the village
the same record was maintained. McGrawville look the cake, as usual, however,
on cold weather. At 7 A. M. the mercury in A. L. Kinney's yard in that place,
registered 40 degrees below zero. At 9:30 A.
M. the thermometer at the Screen Door works in the south part of this village
registered -22. Yes, it was cold.
Cortland
Water Works.
The Cortland Waterworks Co. hold their
annual meeting on Tuesday afternoon last and elected the following trustees for
the ensuing year: B. F. Taylor, L.J. Fitzgerald, R. F. Randall, F. Cy. Straat,
Geo. J. Maycumber, C. Frank Lighton, Edward Keator, C. S. Strowbridge, O. U.
Kellogg.
At a subsequent meeting of the trustees the
following officers were chosen:
President—L. J. Fitzgerald.
Vice-President—B. F. Taylor.
Secretary—H. F. Randall.
Treasurer—B. F. Taylor.
From
Auburn Prison.
The following letter from the Chaplain of
Auburn Prison explains itself:
STATE OK NEW YORK ,
OFFICE OF THE CHAPLAIN OF AUBURN PRISON
Mrs. M. L. Decker,
MADAM: Your letter of the 1st duly received.
If I should state all the facts relative to the case you mention, it would only
be justice to myself and clerk.
Besides the press that came to the office direct
for myself, we received, during the month of Dec. last, five thousand bundles
of papers, eighteen hundred letters, sixty-eight parcels—presents such as
underwear, handkerchiefs, socks, etc. There were nine hundred and thirty-four
outgoing letters. I seek to exclude only the sensational press. Such matter as
you send we are glad to distribute. The men are anxious to get magazines more
than daily or weekly papers unless the papers are of a very recent date. Indeed
very recent date. If you and your friends were to send me a box of magazines,
Harper's, Leslie's, Century, any kind, last year's or older or Reviews, it
would be a favor to them that you would hardly know its worth.
Very respectfully,
HORATIO YATES, Chaplain.
If anyone having such magazines as the
chaplain speaks of or illustrated papers and would be willing to donate them to
the prisoners at Auburn, if they will send them to my address or, if they
cannot send them, if they will drop me a postal I will send for them anywhere
in the city, and will see that they reach the Chaplain. Please be prompt as I
would like to send the box on or before Feb. 15.
MRS. M. L. DECKER.
TOWN REPORTS.
LITTLE YORK.
Alvin Gay has the thanks of the community for
scraping off the sidewalks after each snow storm.
Rexa Perkins came home Friday evening from the
Teachers' Institute suffering from peritonitis. She is now slowly recovering.
B. L. McNamara is 1st Lieutenant in the ice
business this year. Frank Wilcox takes second place while Fred Porter feeds the
machine.
Wednesday the Little York Ice Co. began
cutting ice and loading cars for their Cortland ice house. The ice is about
eight inches thick and solid. Frank Alvord furnishes the engine power and
Austin Wright does the cutting. The company are about closing some large
contracts for delivering car lots in other places. It will take but a small
amount to replace the sale and wastage in the house here.
ULI SLICK.
HERE AND
THERE.
Lent comes on March 2.
Easter falls on April 17th, this year.
There will be fifty-two Sundays this year.
It was cold Wednesday morning, and no
mistake.
Are you going to take in the Kirmess? If
not, why not?
Revival meetings are being held in the Homer
Ave. church.
Daniel E. Morris, of Solon, has been appointed
a Deputy Sheriff.
If you are troubled by your neighbor's borrowing
your copy of the DEMOCRAT, get rid of the annoyance by asking him to subscribe.
H. H. Pomeroy has removed his stock of dry
goods to No. 11 Port Watson street, Messenger House block. The dressmaking will
be carried on at his home, 31 Groton avenue.
Mr. H. E. Andrews has rented his place on
Lincoln ave. to Mr. Joshua Bliss, and will move next week to Owego street, near
his place of business, the "Owego Street Meat Market."
Agents of the American & National Express
Company are authorized to issue money orders free of charge for the transfer of
money subscriptions for the Russian Famine Relief fund.
The Hitchcock Manufacturing Band elected the
following officers last week: Fred Osborne, leader; L. Holdridge, president; J.
D. Clark, vice-president; John C. Seamans, secretary and treasurer; S. Robinson
and J. Perry, trustees and Frank C. Jones, property clerk.
John H. Day, the grocer, has rented a
portion of the store occupied by Stanford, Banks & Co., as a fruit store on
Railroad street, and is filling the same with a choice stock of fresh
groceries. He will occupy this location until Messrs. Glann & Clark vacate
the store in the Riley block, when he will take possession of the same.
For some days past one of our citizens has been
troubled with a pain in the left ear and a general bad feeling in the left side
of his head. On Tuesday he called at the office of Dr. Dana and had his ear
examined. The doctor produced his instruments and in a few minutes took from the
ear a cherry stone that was snapped in his ear over twenty years ago by a playmate.
At the time an unsuccessful effort was made to remove the stone, and since that
time it had remained out of sight and until recently had given him no trouble.
It was the stone of a chokecherry, and was imbedded in a portion of the ear.
Some blood followed its removal, but the patient feels greatly relieved because
of its absence. The stone was well preserved and did not show its age in any
particular.
The DEMOCRAT is under obligations to Mr.
Geo. W. Cleary, of Elmira, for a copy of the year book published by the Reformatory
in that city. The work is done entirely by the boys in the institution, and is
a very creditable job.
Prof. W. B. Leonard's banjo and guitar
orchestra, consisting of the following little people, Misses Jennie Humes,
Mabel Fitzgerad, Mabel Brown, Bertha Powers, Bessie Benedict, Masters Rob.
Barker, Charlie and Harry Wickwire, and Louie Hulbert, through invitation of
Miss Goodman, will appear in the coming Kirmess in costume, also the Amphion
Banjo Club. Prof. Leonard has arranged the music especially for the occasion.
 | |
| Copied from Grip's Historical Souvenir of Cortland, page 181. |
Dr. H. T. Dana, Grip's, page 181:
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