USA > New York > Oswego County > Orwell > History of the town of Orwell, New York, from 1806 to 1887 > Part 10
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124
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
Acadia, now Nova Scotia. About 1614 Dutch colonists landed on Manhattan Island and founded New Amsterdam, now New York. On the 22nd of December, 1620, the Mayflower sought anchorage by the "stern and rock-bound coast" of Massachusetts. The "Pilgrim Fathers" landed upon Plymouth Rock, organized the colony of Plymouth, and laid broad and deep the foundations of a free government. Thus four nations obtained a foothold in the New World and for many years they struggled for supremacy. It is needless to say that the English Puritans prevailed, but not until the Declaration of Independence in 1776 was America's full freedom won.
POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES.
CENSUS OF 1880.
States and Territories.
Alabama
1,262,505
Arkansas
802,525
California
864,694
Colorado
194,327
Connecticut
622,700
Delaware
146,608
Florida
269,493
Georgia
1,542,180
Illinois
3,077,871
Indiana
1,978,301
Iowa
1,624,615
Kansas
996,096
Kentucky
1,648,690
Louisiana
939,946
Maine
648,936
Maryland
934,943
Massachusetts
1,783,085
Michigan
1,636,937
Minnesota
780,773
Mississippi
1,131,597
126
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
Missouri
2,168,380
Nebraska
452,402
Nevada
62,266
New Hampshire
346,991
New Jersey
1,131,116
New York
5,082,871
North Carolina
1,399,750
Ohio
3,198,062
Oregon
174,768
Pennsylvania
4,282,891
Rhode Island
276,531
South Carolina
995,577
Tennessee
1,542,359
Texas
1,591,749
Vermont
332,286
Virginia
1,512,565
West Virginia
618,457
Wisconsin
1,314,497
Total States
49,371,340
Arizona
40,440
Dakota
135,177
. District of Columbia
177,624
Idaho
32,610
Montana
39,159
New Mexico
119,565
Utah
143,963
Washington
75,116
Wyoming
20,789
Grand Total
50,155,783
ELECTORAL VOTES OF THE STATES.
---
Alabama
10.
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
4 12
Georgia
22
Indiana
15
Iowa
13 9
Kansas
Kentucky
13
Louisiana
8
Maine
6
Maryland
S
Massachusetts
14
Michigan
13
Missouri
-16
Mississippi
9
Minnesota
7
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
20 0 5 3
7/ 8,, 3 6 3
Illinois
128
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
New Jersey
9
New York
36
North Carolina
11
Ohio
23
Oregon
3
Pennsylvania
30
Rhode Island
4
South Carolina
9
Tennessee
12
Texas
13
Vermont
4
Virginia
12
West Virginia
6
Wisconsin
11
129
CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
Mode of Choosing the President and Vice-President.
CLAUSE 1. The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-Presi- dent, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President; and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as Pres- ident, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which list they shall sign and certify, and transmit, sealed, to the seat of gov- ernment of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate; the President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted; the person having the greatest number of votes for President shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the per - sons having the highest numbers, not exceeding three, on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the representation from each State having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the States, and a majority of all the States shall be necessary
130
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional dis- ability of the President.
CLAUSE 2. The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President if such number be a majority of the whole number of elec- tors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list of those voted for as Vice-President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately by ballot, the Vice-President
Duties of the President.
He shall, from time to time, give to the Congress in- formation of the state of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary oc- casions, convene both houses, or either of them; and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive embassa- dors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.
131
CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
Congress in General.
-
All legislative power herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
CLAUSE 1. The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several States; and the electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State Legislature.
CLAUSE 2. No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.
CHAPTER VI.
1. New York State in 1609. General History condensed. Situa- tion at the Present Time. 2. Population by Counties. 3. New York State government, David B. Hill, governor. 4. Senators, number of. 5. Twenty-first Senatorial District composed of Oswego and Jefferson counties, and by whom represented. 6. Assembly, number of members, by whom represented, etc.
The records of New York State date back to 1609, when Henry Hudson, an agent of the Dutch East India Co., the Half Moon, sailed up the beautiful river which bears his name.
He was searching for a supposed passage to the Pacific Ocean, but sailed no farther than the mouth of the Mohawk. In 1814 a permanent settlement was made by the Dutch on Manhattan Island, and Fort Amsterdam was built as a trading post. A few wooden houses clustered around the Fort. Soon after Fort Orange was constructed. Notwithstanding frequent struggles with the Indians, the Dutch population increased and prospered, under the govern- ment of the sagacious Peter Stuyvesant. The English soon laid claims to the territory by right of previous discovery, but the Dutch kept possession until 1664. At that time Fort Amsterdam was taken by an English fleet, in the name of James, Duke of York and Albany, and brother of the English monarch, Charles II.
In his honor New Amsterdam was called New York, and Fort Orange, soon after surrendered to Casteset, was called Albany. About 1666 New York was made a city. In 1673, England and Holland being at war, New York was treacherously surrendered to the Dutch, but the next year peace was concluded, and the colony restored to the English, who thereafter retained possession. New York State was originally inhabited by the Five Nations, one of the most powerful of the Indian Confederacies. The Oneidas, Onon-
133
NEW YORK STATE.
dagas, Cayugas, Senecas and Mohawks formed the Iroquois Con- federacy. During the French and Indian wars they were allies of the English, while the Indian tribes, north and west, gave aid to the French. During those years New York was the scene of many conflicts and of bloody massacres, including those of Schenectady, Wyoming, and Cherry Valley. Many memorable events iu the Revolution took place within her borders, including the capture of Ticonderoga by Ethan Allen, the Surrender of Burgoyne at Sara- toga, and the discovery of Benedict Arnold's base attempt to be- tray West Point into the hands of the enemy. In all the French, English and American contests, the possession of New York was eagerly sought after, from the great number of her natural advant- ages.
New York is 318 miles in length and 300 in breadth at its widest part, 46,000 square miles and 60 counties. It is bounded on the west by Canada through the waters of Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence separates the land of the two countries; on the east by Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut; south by the Atlantic, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; west by Pennsylvania, Lake Erie and Niagara river.
The State presents every variety of surface, from the fruitful plains of the western and southwestern portions, to the hills and mountains of the east and northeast. There are two chains of high- lands, rising into mountains in the Adirondack regions of the north and the Catskills of the south. Mt. Marcy, over 5,000 feet in height, is the loftiest peak. The eastern portion of the State is best adapted for grazing, and the western for grain. The climate varies greatly. Along the coast lines it is mild, but subject to sud- den changes. In the northeast it is severe, but more uniform.
The Geological Series within the State is very complete, from the oldest Palæozoic rocks to the lowest members of the Carbonifer- ous System.
New York is pre-eminently a State of lakes and rivers. Lakes Ontario, Erie and Champlain are within her borders. The interior is studded with beautiful sheets of water, jewels of the earth which reflect the jewels of the sky. Among the largest of these are Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Canandaigua, Cayug , Owasco, Oneida, Onondaga, Otsego, Skaneateles, Seneca, and George, the latter a perfect gem of beauty. Nearly all of these are navigable, as are
134
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
the principal rivers, the Hudson, Mohawk, Genesee and Oswego. The natural advantages of the State are superior to those of any other in the Union. She has the great ocean at her door and be- side it the third largest city on the globe. Into New York harbor, one of the finest in the world, sails every year more than 10,000 ships bringing two-thirds of all the imports of the nation, and car- rying away in their outward bound course, more than one-half of its exports. On her left hand she has the great lakes. Through her heart runs the Erie Canal, projected by that far-seeing states- man, DeWitt Clinton, and uniting the waters of the west with the Atlantic.
Bands of iron span her mountains and girdle her valleys, unit- ing the seaboard with the "Garden of the West," the Mississippi Valley.
With her various lakes, rivers and canals, and her 6,000 miles of railways, she compels the Western States to pay tribute to her, in sending their products along her rail and water ways to Eastern markets.
In her midst lies the fertile Valley of the Mohawk. From Syra- cuse come annually 3,500,000 bushels of salt. Her northern moun- tains are full of ore. In the west are subterranean rivers of oil. Her manufactures are varied and extensive, the products of more than 40,000 factories.
New York furnishes many attractions to tourists and landscape lovers. The scenery of the Adirondack and Catskills is grand be- yond description, and that along the entire course of the Hudson is wonderfully beautiful. The Palisades are objects of great inter- est, but the crowning natural wonder, not only of New York, but of the United States, is the Falls of Niagara. No words can do justice to the grandeur of this vast cataract, which has thundered on unceasingly through unnumbered ages.
Niagara River has a fall of 160 feet, Salmon River one of 110 feet, four miles east of the village of Orwell in Oswego county, and Genesee River one of 96 feet at Rochester.
This great State, by reason of its remarkable advantages of soil, its immense system of internal communication, its easy access to the sea, and not least, wealth, industry, energy and general intelli- gence of its people, now numbering more than the combined pop- nlation of the colonies at the time of the Revolution, is justly enti- tled to rank as the Empire State.
135
POPULATION BY COUNTIES.
POPULATION OF THE COUNTIES OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK IN 1880.
Albany
154,890
Alleghany
41,810
Broome
49,483
Cattaraugus
55,806
Cayuga
65,081
Chautauqua
65,342
Chemung
43,065
Chenango
39,891
Clinton
50,897
Columbia
47,928
Cortland
25,825
Delaware
42,721
Dutchess
79,184
Erie
219,884
Essex
34,515
Franklin
32,290
Fulton
32,985
Genesee
32,806
Greene
32,695
Hamilton
3,923
Herkimer
42,669
Jefferson
66,103
136
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
Kings
599,495
Lewis
31,416
Livingston
39,562
Madison
44,112
Monroe
144,903
Montgomery
38,315
New York
1,206,299
Niagara
54,173
Oneida
115,475
Onondaga
117,893
Ontario
49,514
Orange
88,220
Orleans
30,128
Oswego
77,911
Otsego
51,397
Putnam
15,181
Queens
90,574
Rensselaer
115,328
Richmond
38,991
Rockland
27,690
St. Lawrence
85,997
Saratoga
55,156
Schenectady
23,538
Schoharie
32,910
Schuyler
18,842
Seneca
29,278
Steuben
77,586
Suffolk
53,886
Sullivan
32,491
Tioga
32,673
POPULATION BY COUNTIES.
137
Tompkins
34,445
Ulster
85,838
Warren
25,179
Washington
47,871
Westchester
108,988
Wayne
51,700
Wyoming
30,907
Yates
21,087
Totals
5,082,871
138
HISTORY OF ORWELL
NEW YORK STATE GOVERNMENT.
EXECUTIVE AND DEPARTMENT.
GOVERNOR.
DAVID B. HILL, (Dem.) of Elmira. Term expires December 31, 1888. The Governor is elected by the people; holds office for three years; is commander-in-chief of all the military and naval forces of the state; has power to convene the Legislature, or the Senate, on extraordinary occasions; communicates by message to the Legislature at every session the condition of the State, and recommend such measures as he deems expedient; transacts all necessary business with the officers of the government, civil and military; expedites all measures resolved upon by the Legislature; takes care that the laws are faithfully executed; and has the power of granting reprieves, commutations and pardons for crime. Salary, $10,000. Office in Executive Chamber, New Capitol. Private Secretary, William G. Rice.
LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR.
EDWARD F. JONES, (Dem.) of Binghamton. Term expires December 31, 1888. Is elected by the people, holds office for three years; is president of the Senate, and has the casting vote therein; is a member of the Canal Board; is one of the commission- ers of the land office, of the New Capitol; is one of the trustees of the Idiot Asylum, and one of the trustees of the State Hall, and ex-officio, one of the Regents of the University, and member of the
139
STATE GOVERNMENT.
State Board of Charities. If the Governor dies, resigns, is im- peached, or otherwise becomes unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, they devolve upon the Lieutenant Governor for the residue of the term. Salary, $5,000.
SECRETARY OF STATE.
FREDERICK COOK, (Dem.) of Rochester. Term expires De- cember 31, 1888. Is elected by the people, holds office for two years, is the keeper of the records, books, patents and papers be- longing to the State, receives and records laws, pardons and other legislative and executive acts, applications from companies under general laws, election returns, etc., furnishes certified and printed copies to the United States, State and county officers, and other persons authorized to receive them, supervises the printing of the laws passed each year, reports annually to the legislature statistics of the pauperism and other crime, and other information which it may call for. He is a member of the Canal Board, a Commissioner of the Canal Fund, a Commissioner of the Land Office, a member of the Board of State Canvassers, a Regent of the University, a trustee of the Idiot Asylum, and a member of the State Board of Charities. Salary $5,000. Office in the New Capitol. Deputy Secretary, Deidrich Willers; Chief Clerk, William S. Waterbury.
COMPTROLLER.
ALFRED C. CHAPIN (Dem.) Brooklyn. Term expires De- cember 31, 1888. Is elected by the people, holds office for two years, superintends and manages the fiscal concerns of the State, reports to the legislature its annual revenues and expenditures, estimates, audits, examines and settles accounts due to or from the State, directs and superintends the collection of taxes and other moneys, draws warrants on the treasurer for the payment of debts due by the State, negotiates temporary loans, if necessary, to meet demands against the State, countersigns and registers all treasur; er's checks and receipts. He is a member of the Canal Board, a Commissioner of the Land Office and of the Canal Fund, a mem-
140
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
ber of the State Board of Canvassers, a trustee of the Idiot Asy- lum, and a member of the State Board of Charities. Salary $6,- 000. Office in the State Hall, first floor. Deputy, Charles R. Hall.
TREASURER.
LAWRENCE J. FITZGERALD (Dem.) of Cortland, Cortland county. Term expires December 31, 1887. Is elected by the peo- ple, holds office for two years, receives and has charge of all the moneys paid into the State Treasury, pays drafts upon the warrants of the Comptroller and Superintendent of the Banking Depart- ment, and keeps the State's bank account. He is a Commissioner of the Land Office, and of the Canal Fund, a member of the Canal Board and of the Board of State Canvassers. Salary $5,000. Office in the State Hall, first floor. Deputy, Elliot Danforth.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL.
DENNIS O'BRIEN, (Dem.) of Watertown, Jefferson county. Term expires December 31, 1887. Is elected by the people, holds office for two years. Defends and prosecutes all suits in which the state is interested, receives costs adjudged to the State, pre- pares drafts of contracts, etc., for State officers and prosecutes in their behalf persons violating the laws in regard to their depart- ments, prosecutes criminals of oyer and terminer when required by the Governor or a Justice of the Supreme Court. He is a com- missioner of the Land Office and of the Canal Fund; a member of the Canal Board and the Board of State Canvassers and Board of State Charities. Salery, $5,000. Office in New Capitol. Depu- ties, Charles F. Taber, William A. Poste, Edward J. Whitaker.
STATE ENGINEER AND SURVEYOR.
ELANTHAN SWEET, (Dem.) of Albany. Term expires De- cember 31, 1887. Is elected by the people, holds office for two
141
STATE GOVERNMENT.
years, prescribes the duties of, and assigns divisions of canals to engineers, visits and inspects canals, prescribes surveys, maps, plans, estimates, etc., in the construction and improvement of a canal, is a member of the Canal Board, a member of the State Board of Canvassers and a commissioner of the Land Office. Salary, $5,000. Office in the State Hall, second floor. Deputy, John Bogart.
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BANKING DEPARTMENT.
WILLIS S. PAYNE (Dem.) New York. Term expires April, 1888. Is appointed by the Governor and Senate, holds office for three years, has the general supervision of the State banks, saving institutions, trust companies and deposit companies. All these corporations report to him, and are subject to examination. Salary $5,000. Office in the State Hall, second floor. Deputy, Josiah Van Vranken.
·SUPERINTENDENT OF THE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.
ROBERT A. MAXWELL (Dem.) of Batavia, Genesee county. Term expires April, 1889. Is appointed by the Governor and Sen- ate, holds office for three years, has the general supervision of In- surance Companies, transacting business in the State, and reports their condition annually to the Legislature. Salary $7,000. Office in the New Capitol. Deputy. Wm. B. Ruggles.
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
ANDREW S. DRAPER (Rep.) of Albany. Term expires April, 1889. Is chosen by a joint ballot of the Senate and Assembly. He holds office for three years, has general superintendence of the public schools, visits them, inquires into their management, ad- vises and directs in regard to their course of instruction and disci- pline. He apportions and distributes the public school moneys, examines the supplementary apportionments made to all the dis-
142
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
tricts by the School Commissioners, and sees that to each district is set apart its proportionate share, and that the same is expended by the trustees and paid by the supervisor according to law, decides all appeals involving school controversies that are brought before him, and his decision is final. He is charged with the general management of teachers' institutes. He establishes rules and reg- ulations concerning district school libraries. He makes appoint- ments of State pupils to the Institutions for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind upon the certificate of the proper local officers, and he visits and inquires into the condition and manage- ment of these institutions. He is chairman of the executive com- mittee of the State Normal School, and apportions among the counties the number of pupils in that school to which it is entitled. He has charge of the Indian Schools. He is ex-officio, a Regent of the University, and chairman of the committee on teachers' classes in academies. He is also, ex-officio, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Idiot Asylum. He receives and compiles ab- stracts from the reports from all the school districts in the State, setting forth their condition and proceeding, and the account of the receipts and expenses for each year. His salary is $5,000. Office in the New Capitol. Deputy, Charles R. Skinner.
SUPERINTENDENT OF STATE PRISONS.
ISAAC V. BAKER, Jr., (Rep.) of Comstocks, Washington Co. Term expires March 8, 1887. Appointed by the Governor and Senate, holds office five years, is invested with the powers and du- ties formerly belonging to inspectors of State Prisons, has the su- perintendence, management and control of State prisons and ap- points the agents, wardens and chaplains of such prisons. Salary $6,000. Office in New Capitol. John S. Lanehart, Agent and Warden, Auburn prison; Isaiah Fuller, Agent and Warden, Clin- ton prison; A. A. Brush, Agent and Warden, Sing Sing prison.
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
JAMES SHANAHAN (Dem.) of Tribes Hill, Montgomery Co. Appointed by the Governor and Senate, holds office until the end of
143
STATE GOVERNMENT.
the term of the Governor by whom he is nominated, is charged with the execution of laws relating to the repair and navigation of the canals, and to their construction and improvement, except such as are confided to the State Engineer and Surveyor, subject to leg- islative control, makes rules and regulations for the navigation and use of the canals and until otherwise provided by law performs all the duties formerly devolved upon the Canal Commissioners or Board of Canal Commissioners. He appoints three assistant su- perintendents, and all the persons employed in the care and man- agement of the canals except in the department of the State En- gineer and Surveyor. Salary $6,000. John E. Ashe, Chief Clerk. Assistant Superintendents, Charles Zieley, Eastern Division; John Stebbens, Middle Division; Ira Betts, Western Division.
144
HISTORY OF ORWELL.
SENATE.
The Senate consists of 32 members who are elected in November of every alternate odd numbered year, and hold their office for two years from the first of January next succeeding. The State is divided into 32 districts each electing one Senator. The Senators receive an an- nual salary of $1,500, and also $1 for each ten miles of travel in going to or from the place of meeting once in each session. Ten dollars per day in addition is allowed when the Senate alone is convened in extra session, or when acting as a court in a trial of impeachments.
TWENTY-FIRST DISTRICT.
Counties of Oswego and Jefferson. Population, 143,977.
GEORGE B. SLOAN, (Rep.), of Oswego. Mr. Sloan was born in Oswego, June 20, 1883, and is of New England ancestry. He was educated in the com- mon schools of Oswego; entered a dry-goods store at the age of 14. Two years later he became a clerk in an Oswego milling and produce house, and at the age of 22, went into partnership with H. C. Wright, in the grain and commission business. From 1856 to 1864 he was in partnership with Cheney Ames, formerly State Sen- ator, and afterwards established the firm of Erwin & Sloan. At present he is engaged in banking and manu-
145
STATE GOVERNMENT.
facturing. His first Presidential vote was cast for Gen- eral Fremont, in 1856, and he has always since support- ed Republican candidates and measures. He was a member of the Assembly in 1874, '75, '77 and '79; serv- ing the first year on the Committees on Canals, Insur- ance and Privileges and Elections; the second year as chairman of Ways ane Means and member of Insurance, and fourth as chairman of Ways and means. In 1877 he was Speaker of the House. He was elected to the Senate by a plurality of 4,795, his opponents being George W. Bradner, (Dem.,) and Isaac G. Jenkins, (Pro.)
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