USA > New York > Cayuga County > History of Cayuga County, New York > Part 9
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said nothing in defense, but before Mr. Bird knew it, he was indicted by the October Grand Jury for criminal libel. His trial was set down for the roth of December. The court room was crowded with men and women including a large part of his congregation. The de- fendant, through Mr. Drummond, who consented to act as his counsel, made an apology and promised not to do so again, and the indictment was dismissed.
In 1893 the one hundred and first anniversary of the founding of Hardenbergh's Corners in 1792 passed into history. The question of celebration had been mooted from time to time during the years 1891 and 1892, and even a committee of this society was appointed to consider the matter, but the movement took no definite shape until a large and enthusiastic meeting of citizens was held at the Court House on May 23, 1893, when committees were appointed and an organization perfected.
As a lasting memorial, the Common Council on June 19th, adopted on official seal for the city from the design of Frank R. Rathbun. Two calumets crossed, signify the totem of the Cayugas, the elder freeholders of this region, the bowed arm and hammer and the motto Pax et Labor signify Auburn's mechanical industries. Five thousand medals of this seal were struck off; one was given to each of the school children, and they were also sold for twenty-five cents apiece.
The anniversary exercises commenced on Sunday, July 2nd, when special religious services were held in St. Peter's Church, in which all the clergy of the city participated, also the Mayor and ex- mayors of the city and the Common Council.
The second day of the celebration opened with a heavy thunder shower. The children's parade, which was appointed for this time, had to be postponed until the next morning. In the afternoon the literary exercises were held in the Genesee Rink. The rink was crowded, despite a violent thunderstorm which burst at the time set for this part of the program. Judge Charles C. Dwight pre-
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sided; John W. O'Brien, Esq., read an historical sketch of Auburn, and President, J. G. Schurman, of Cornell University, delivered the oration. Both were admirable productions and were listened to with rapt attention.
On the morning of July 4th, took place the parade of the school boys of Auburn, numbering over 2,000, with a few from surrounding towns. Every school in the county had been invited to send repre- sentatives. In the afternoon a monster procession paraded, con- sisting of militia, firemen from this and neighboring cities and bands of music.
There were likewise floats representing the Empire State, Liberty Bell, the Santa Maria, Hardenbergh's mill, Hardenbergh's log hut decorated with coon skins, and other devices, historical or amusing. This was followed by a long line of vehicles, each representing some one of the different industries of the city. It was much the longest procession ever witnessed in Auburn's hundred years of history. The fireworks in the evening were not a success. A vast mass of people filled Genesee street from North to Market street, and waited patiently from eight to ten o'clock to witness them. A searchlight added some interest to the scene as it fell here and there upon this mass of humanity. Over $3,500 was raised by subscription for this celebration, and enough remained over after all expenses were paid to send a handsome present to President Schurman for his kind services.
The streets of Auburn were never so thronged with people as during the days of this celebration.
According to Lamey's Directory census, issued soon after, on this anniversary year the population of Auburn had increased to thirty thousand people.
Another subject which agitated the city fathers was the subject of lighting the city. A contract with the Electric Light Company for two years for $25,000 per year, was finally authorized on August 2 Ist, lighting to commence on January 1, 1894.
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The Electric Light Company were a little late in getting their plant in readiness for January Ist, and, as the contract with the Gas Company expired on that date, parts of the city were left in darkness several nights. The Common Council thereupon assembled and annulled the contract with the Electric Light Company and made temporary arrangement with the Gas Company. Negotiations then followed with the Electric Light Company, as the result of which a modified contract was agreed upon, by which the moon was to be relied upon for nights when it consented to shine, the Chief of Police to determine the proper degree of brilliancy with which to irradiate the city.
The Common Council directed A. Shimer to take down the Princess Rink. It had been condemned as a dangerous structure, at which the aforesaid proprietor was very wroth, and commenced to build over against his said rink a stone wall.
The Fifth Ward sewer was completed in September, 1893, at a total cost of $26,222.II. About the same time, work on the First Ward sewer was commenced.
The business interests of the city stood the summer panic well, none of them being forced to the wall at that time. The Birdsall Company finally succumbed on October 9th, and a receiver was appointed to wind up its affairs. It was announced in September, that the affairs of the Auburn Woolen Company were to be wound up by voluntary liquidation. On February 26th, Samuel Laurie and John W. Martin, were appointed receivers of this property. Receivers were also appointed for the Sutcliffe Brewing Company.
The great plant of D. M. Osborne & Company started up in October and has been running since. On February 26th a solid train of thirty-one cars with the machinery of this company left Auburn for the New England states, where a large trade is developing.
The paving of Clark street, the repair of the old street roller, the commencement of the Bradley Memorial Chapel for Fort Hill
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Cemetery, the completion of the Welch Memorial Building, the success of the Auburn Gun Club over the other teams of the state, the conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, held in this city in September, the annual convention of New York firemen held here on September 20th. also belong to the events of the year 1893.
In the year 1897 the Auburn Press Club was organized with William I. Donnell president and Victor T. Holland secretary and treasurer. In the same year the Auburn Telephone Company was formed with Senator B. M. Wilcox, president.
When the Spanish-American War broke out in the spring of 1898, the Wheeler Rifles went to the front as Company M., in the Third Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry. A full account of the operations of this company appears in a separate chapter.
In that year the work of paving the streets of the city was commenced. Orlando S. Lewis was then mayor and his régime was noted for a great improvement in the thoroughfares of Auburn. He was the leading advocate of the project, but was ably seconded by George R. Peck of the Advertiser.
Auburn held an Old Home week celebration from June 24th to 29th, 1906. Elaborate preparations were made for the week- holiday and invitations were sent to the absent sons and daughters of the city, far and near, to come to the festival. Every day of the week had its programme of entertainment and amusement. On Sunday there were religious observances; on Monday a re- ception and games; on Tuesday a great school parade, an alumni banquet at the High School and a life-saving exhibition by the Fire Department. On Wednesday a grand union picnic was held at Lakeside Park, where speeches and fireworks added to the entertainment. Thursday was historical day, of which a dis- tinctive feature was a grand military reception and ball at the armory. On Friday a great Civic, Military and Industrial parade was held.
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CHAPTER IX.
THE MODERN AUBURN.
Auburn is delightfully located on an undulating town site over seven hundred feet above sea level, on both banks of the Owasco River, a short distance below the foot of Owasco Lake, a beautiful sheet of water over a mile wide and stretching eleven miles to the south, in the heart of the famous "lake country" of Central New York. The "plain," like the "village," is mere poetic license, since Auburn sits serenely fair upon her seven hills, like the Imperial City itself, for we familiarly say "East Hill," "West Hill," "Fort Hill," and the others, even "Capitol Hill."
A fertile agricultural region surrounds the city, and within its very borders are found inexhaustible supplies of limestone, the blue and the gray in patriotic union, and of gravel, sand and brick-clay building materials on the spot. Owasco lake is the City's reservoir, hundreds of feet deep and impounding the waters of two hundred square miles of watershed, from which a municipal water plant furnishes water for domestic and fire purposes through sixty-five miles of street mains under the Holly system.
Citizens have added to these natural advantages the dams at the waterfalls-some nine within the city limits, with a total descent of one hundred and fifty feet-and the manufacturing plants, which have made the wealth of the city, and the transportation lines, urban, suburban and interurban.
The local electric railway runs by two routes to the foot of Owasco Lake, where beautiful Lakeside Park, a high-class resort maintained by the railway company, Island Park with its new summer theater, the Owasco Country Club and other attractions draw thousands daily in the season.
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The Auburn division of the New York Central Lines, in connec- tion with its new passenger station and freight houses, affords excellent facilities for transportation east and west, putting the city in close touch with Syracuse, Albany and New York, and with the foot of Cayuga, Seneca and Canandaigua lakes, and their first-class steamboat lines, and with Rochester and the west.
The Lehigh Valley railroad, which also has new passenger and freight stations, besides connecting directly with the coal fields of Pennsylvania, gives an outlet to Fair Haven on Lake Ontario, and by one route along the west shore of Owasco Lake reaches its numerous cottage sites, and by another route for forty miles along the east shore of Cayuga Lake brings the city into communication with the resorts of that lake and with Wells College, Cornell Univer- sity and Ithaca, and affords an alternative route to New York.
The Auburn & Syracuse Electric Railway furnishes a half-hour high-grade service to Skaneateles Lake and Syracuse over a scenic route. The Auburn & Northern Electric Railway is building a line seven miles to Port Byron, connecting with the great trunk lines across the state. The New York, Auburn & Lansing Railroad is building a line from Auburn to Ithaca, and other electric roads are projected to the south and to the west.
Two telephone companies, the Bell and the Automatic, local and long distance, the Western Union and Postal Telegraph com- panies, and the American, United States and Interurban Electric Express companies complete the facilities for intercommunication.
The city has experienced its civic awakening, and with a re- formed charter and all the dignities of the larger cities it is rapidly becoming cosmopolitan. With a population approaching 40,000 it takes pride in several miles of smooth pavements and many miles of macadamized streets, in electrical subways throughout the business center and spreading into the residence quarters, many fine business blocks, thirty-five stores, fifteen public schools with
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handsome brick buildings, more than twenty beautiful stone and brick churches, Music Hall, the Burtis Opera House and the grand Burtis Auditorium, seating nearly five thousand, at which the best musical and theatrical attractions are presented. The United States Court House and Post-Office, the State Prisons and the State Armory, quarters of the Wheeler Rifles, Second Separate Co. N. G. N. Y., the County Court House, the City Hall and the Public Library are a most creditable line of public buildings, while the two hospitals, two orphan asylums, the Home, etc., are most beneficent charitable institutions. The grounds, buildings and equipment of the Auburn Theological Seminary are of the highest order, and the new buildings of the City Club and of the Woman's Educational and Industrial Union are unsurpassed in their classes.
The residence portion of the city consists of detached houses and spacious grounds very largely open to the streets and neighboring yards without fences, producing with the wide streets the effect of a great park. The streets are bordered with grass plots and lined with beautiful trees. Then there is Seward Park, the Y. M. C. A. field and park, floral circles, etc., for the further pleasure and adornment of the city, besides several beautiful cemeteries, of which Fort Hill, in the southwest part of the city, is pre-eminent, occupying the site of a pre-historic Indian fortification and adjacent lands.
The financial interests of the community are cared for by two national banks, two private banks, two savings banks, and a new trust company.
The Auburn Light, Heat and Power Company furnishes electric light and electric power and steam heat to individuals and corpora- tions and lights all the streets and municipal buildings with electri- city under a city contract, and the Citizens Light and Power Com- pany provides competition in electric light and power, while the Auburn Gas Company supplies illuminating and fuel gas to private consumers.
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The Auburnian has every facility for keeping abreast of the times, for the Rochester and Syracuse morning papers are laid on his breakfast table, the New York dailies are here at noon, and the afternoon brings forth the two local dailies, the Advertiser and the Citizen, produced along the most advanced lines of the newspaper business. The Cayuga County Independent and the Auburn Journal are weekly and semi-weekly papers.
The library in the Dodge Morgan Building contains 26,000 volumes and 8,000 pamphlets. It is open for the free use of the public, as well as the faculty and students.
The Seymour Library Association maintains a free public circu- lating library, established in 1876, through the munificence of the late James S. Seymour. The library contains about 15,000 volumes, is located on Genesee street, and is a magnificent building, which with the site was a gift to the association by Mr. Willard E. Case, in commemoration of his father, Theodore P. Case. There is also a free reading room and library supported by the Women's Educational and Industrial Union for the special use of women, and for a number of years General W. H. Seward, has pro- vided a free reading room for men, which is one of the noblest of gifts to the workingmen and youths of this city. There are many other organizations in Auburn both social and fraternal.
The handsome armory erected in 1873, is built of native lime- stone and finished in ash at an expense of $90,000. It is the head- quarters of the Wheeler Rifles or Second Separate Company. This company enlisted in the Spanish War as Company M, Third New York Volunteers.
Two Grand Army posts, Post Seward and Post Crocker look with jealous care to the interests of the veteran soldiers and their families.
The Cayuga County Historical Society first came into existence in March 1876, mainly through the efforts of the late Reverend Charles Hawley, D. D., who served as its president until his
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death in 1885. The present incumbent of that office is Willis J. Beecher, D. D.
The United States Court House and Post-Office was erected in 1888. It is built of gray stone and red brick, and is one of the handsomest buildings in Auburn. This city enjoys all of the advan- tages of a free postal delivery, has six sub-stations, twenty-two reg- ular carriers, several substitutes and nine rural delivery carriers.
The County Court House and City Hall are handsome buildings of Grecian architecture. The county clerk's office was erected in 1882. It is of brick three stories high and contains the offices of the county clerk, county treasurer and superintendent of the poor, the county judge's chamber and the supervisors' rooms. A modern jail is in the rear of the county building which also contains the residence of the sheriff.
The Y. M. C. A. occupies a handsome building in the center of the city. It has a large membership and maintains four depart- ments of work, Physical, Educational, Social and Religious. The Physical Department has a well equipped gymnasium, including an excellent swimming pool and bath, and also a magnificent ath- letic field. The Educational Department maintains a library and reading rooms, and numerous evening classes in various branches of study. The Association also possesses a beautiful wooded park adjoining the athletic field; both field and park were the gift of the Misses Willard of this city.
There are about two hundred different streets in Auburn extend- ing in the aggregate over one hundred miles in length and crossed by four hundred and seventy-five cross-walks.
An active Board of Health looks with vigilant care after the public sanitary interests.
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CHAPTER X.
THE PRESS.
REVISED BY CHARLES F. RATTIGAN.
John Delano, on the 20th of July, 1798, published the first number of the Levanna Gazette and Onondaga Advertiser, at Levanna, the first paper published in the State, west of Whitestown, with the exception of the Ontario Gazette, published the year previous, at Geneva.
The second paper published in the county was the Western Luminary, at Watkins Settlement, now Scipioville, by Ebenezer Eaton, on March 24, 1801.
On the 30th day of April, 1806, the brothers Henry and James Pace, established the Aurora Gazette, at Aurora; but not succeeding, they removed their office here, and on the 7th of June, 1808, issued the first number of the Western Federalist, which they continued for eight years. It was printed upon a blue sheet, about the size of cap-paper, and very coarsely executed.
The Paces were of English birth, with decided sympathies with the mother country on the questions which led to the War of 1812. Their radical Federal doctrines were not well received by many of their readers. Yet, as their's was, for some time, the only local paper having the monopoly of legal advertising, and printing their small sheet quite cheaply, they held the field, until, by the competition of the Cayuga Patriot, and the growing unpopu- larity of Federalism, they were forced to yield to the Auburn Gazette, in 1816, a neutral paper, noticed in its proper place.
The fifth paper published in the county was the Cayuga Tocsin, at Union Springs, in 1812, by R. T. Chamberlain. But business interests soon induced its transfer to Auburn. The Patriot, being then well established, so held the field as to leave little chance for
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the success of another Democratic newspaper, and the Tocsin was soon discontinued.
The sixth paper in the county was the Cayuga Patriot, first published by J. G. Hathaway, who was succeeded in 1814 by Samuel R. Brown. It was politically opposed to the Federalist, advocating the doctrines of the party which sustained the war, supported Daniel D. Tompkins, in opposition to DeWitt Clinton, and was the organ here of the party of which Enos T. Throop was a leading representative. It was a small quarto, coarsely printed, but conducted with fair ability, and well received. It made such rapid inroads upon the field hitherto occupied by the Federalist, as, within two years, to compel its discontinuance. Its office was over a wagon-maker's shop, near the river, on the west side of what is now Mechanic street. A young man, who afterwards became one of the leading journalists of the country-Thurlow Weed- worked here, and gives us a graphic sketch of the editor, his consort, and the village:
"Nor shall we ever forget the upper story of a wagon-maker's shop, where the Cayuga Patriot was printed, for there we worked, and laughed and played away the winter of 1814. Samuel R. Brown, who published the Patriot, was an honest, amiable, easy, slip-shod sort of a man, whose patient, good-natured wife was cut from the same piece." He adds that "Auburn was then a small village, without sidewalks, or a pavement, and, save Sackett's Harbor, the muddiest place we ever saw." Richard Oliphant, then a lad, was a typesetter in this office, and Mr. Weed compli- ments him for his skill and fidelity, which his after-life fully exemplified.
James Beardsley published the Patriot in 1817; David Rumsey, father of the Supreme Court judge of that name, in 1819; and in that year U. F. Doubleday purchased the establishment. He had had some four years' previous experience as a publisher, and in his hands the paper prospered. He published it for eight years,
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when, on April 1, 1827, Isaac S. Allen became, with him, an equal partner, under the firm name of Doubleday & Allen. They pub- lished the paper for four and a half years, or until September 21, 1831, when, on Mr. Doubleday's election to Congress, he transferred his interest in the paper to Mr. Allen. The latter continued the publication until December 30, 1833, when Willett Lounsbury became a partner, under the firm name of Allen & Lounsbury, by whom the journal was published about nine and one-half years, and until Mr. Lounsbury's death, which occurred suddenly on May 18, 1843. Mr. Allen then purchased the interest which Mr. Lounsberry had held in the paper, and individually continued its publication until June 12, 1845. Mr. Doubleday was employed, at this time, to write, each week, the leading editorial, though then the Agent of the Auburn Prison. At the latter date Mr. Doubleday became again the sole owner of the paper, Mr. Allen retiring.
On November 17, 1846, Mr. Doubleday, being about to remove to Illinois, transferred his interest in the Patriot to Henry A. Hawes and Henry M. Stone, who published it under the firm of Hawes & Stone, until its consolidation with the Tocsin, Second, in June, 1847, the combined papers receiving the name of the Cayuga New Era.
Auburn Gazette was issued in June, 1816, by Skinner & Crosby -Thos. M. Skinner and Wm. Crosby-Mr. Skinner being the manager and principal owner. He came here from New London, Conn. Frederick Prince, who had worked in the same office with Mr. Skinner came on with him, and worked in his office here for many years.
The Gazette was ably and carefully conducted, and, for the time, neatly printed. It was independent in politics, with a leaning towards the Clintonians, and so continued for two years, when its title was changed to the Cayuga Republican, a decidedly Clintonian sheet. The nominal publisher was Augustus Buckingham, an
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employee in the office, but who had no interest in the paper. His name was so used because he was free from any taint of Federalism, and as a measure of business and political policy. A few months later the name of Frederick Prince appeared as publisher, Mr. Skinner appearing only as printer, though the sole owner and real publisher of the paper, Mr. Crosby being dead. The paper soon became a leading and thorough party organ, and secured for itself a liberal patronage. It was continued by Mr. Skinner for fifteen years, under the title of Cayuga Republican, when, in May, 1833, it was united with the Free Press, the new paper taking the name of the Auburn Journal and Advertiser, published by Oliphant & Skinnér-Henry Oliphant and T. M. Skinner-both experienced and successful newspaper publishers. They continued its publi- cation for six years, when Mr. Skinner retired.
The Cayuga Republican was always a well-conducted and printed journal, received with favor by its readers, and liberally patronized. Its editors were seldom announced, or publicly recognized. Richard L. Smith and G. A. Gamage are the only ones so made known. The latter gave to the paper, for one year, his entire time, and, while in his charge, it gave clear evidence of his erudition, his elegance as a writer, and skill as a journalist. But original articles, except an the eve of elections, were not then common. The matter consisted mainly of extracts from the city papers. Editorial and local departments were not then regularly maintained.
During the great agitation which the subject of Anti-Masonry produced in Central and Western New York, from 1827 to 1837, this journal was the organ of the Anti-Masonic party, and so con- tinued till its union with the Free Press, in 1833. At this time there were no regular book stores in the village, and Mr. Skinner, and later, U. F. Doubleday, maintained very creditable book and stationery stores, in connection with their newspapers.
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The Evangelical Recorder, a religious weekly magazine, was started in January, 1818, by the Reverend Dirck C. Lansing, as editor, printed by Thomas M. Skinner, and discontinued at the end of the first year for the want of patronage.
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