Potter County Journal

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Ctftttitw l^nrital
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ESTABLISHED 1848.
COUDERSPORT, PA., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1897.
VOLUME 49, NUMBER 24
MARRIAGE A FAILURE. The Court of Quarter Sessions Called
Upon to Decide the Vexed Ques= tion in Two Cases.
After llu' Jury had bo(3n dis- char<,fL'd last week two eases of dis- crtion weve tried by the court in presence of u lar<jjo and curious au¬ dience. Where a wife brings action to compel her husband to support her it is generally expected that there are two sides to the case and that the trial will divulge some spicy family jars. Aud to many a one. galled by the rineulo matri¬ monii it is some consolation to know that "there are others."   •
The legend of the Dunmow flitch is in i)oint and indicates that these little family differences are not of modern invention nor are the.y at¬ tributable wholly to the exactions of complicated nineteenth century civ¬ ilization
At the church of Dunmow. in England, there was an ancient cus- toi^ that a flitch of bacon should be given to any married couple who. after 12 months of matrimony, should come forward and malce oath that during that time they had lived in perfect liarmony cind fidelity. The origin of tlie custom is lost in the mists of antiquity, but it was prob- ablj' begun by sonu^ unhappily mar¬ ried man who wished to make a test in order to see whether he was really worse oft' than other people.
The test oath was administered by a jury ot maids and bachelors who subjected the ai)plicants to a searching cross examinatiou where¬ by many who expected to get the Hitch of bacon were found unworthy. Applicants for the reward of domes¬ tic virtue and peaceful temper be¬ come more and more rare till in truth the flitch went begging, and the custom fell into disuse. This would appear to sujjport the claim that there is some foundation for the general supposition that there is a good deal of ijuarreMng among mar¬ ried couples. The divorce co^irts add to the testimony, and a book which has recenti}' appeared, en¬ titled ""Love Att'airs of Some Fam¬ ous Men," relates how many of them found that the course of true love ran very roughly after marriage. Neither John Wesley. Thomas Car- lyle. Sir Edward Coke, Abram Lin¬ coln nor many others of equal emi¬ nence could Irave ]);..'lak.n of the Dunmow  Hitch.
Neither could the pafti(>s who aj)- peared beftu-e His Honor on Thurs¬ day and l"^riday of last week.
Mrs. Joseph Jjock wood the mother of two little girls had left her hus- l)aiid. who was living on the Eleven Mile, last A])ril because of some dif- liculty with his sister who made her home with them. One child was kept by Mr. Lockwood and when the mother came to see that there was trouble and she alleges that he took her by the nap of the neck and lired her out doors, then by the heels and dragged her out: that she kept returning and he kept rei)eating the -iiring" till she was at last fired into the buggy and she then drove back to her sistei's house'. The defendant claimed to be ready to care foi' llie children and for his wif(> if she would return and l)cliave herself.
Ungovernable* temper with an al)- seni-e of that abiding sense of con¬ jugal duty and kindness of heart that alone can make married life tolerable, sccmiis to have separated thi.s unfortunate couple and made a court of law iu>cessary to dehne their rights. Mi-, llrightman ap- pearcnl for Mrs. Lockwood and ^Ir. Oniiei'od for Mr. Lockwood.
The second case tried on Friday morning, was Mrs. Day against her husband II. \V. Day a cai'])enler living in Coudersport. The prose- cutri.x left her husliand because he refused to assist her in tracing some stories that had been circulated about her. She also claims to be in poor health and unable to support herself, Mr. Day has been paying her board at various places and had otTercHl to take her back if she would come and "be a wife to him." This case might be cited to prove that ¦"marriage is a failure'".
.1 udge Olmsted divided the costs in the first case* and took security from Mr. Lockwood to pay one dollar a week for the su])port of the child kept by his wife. In the second case he di.smi.ssed the charge of desertion and put tho costs on Mrs. Day. Messrs. Heck and Seibert appeared^ tor Mrs. Day and Mr. Brightman defended Mr.   Day.
IN PEACE, ASLEEP.
Died, at Coudersport on Sunday. ; December 1!), 1897, Mrs. Lizzie (Bit¬ ting) xMetzger in the 4()th year of her age.    Hi the quiet of a Sabbath eve¬ ning,   after   months   of   intolerable suftering,   the  patient   spirit   of   a I noble woman was released from its ' bondage  of suffering   to   wing   its flight   above   the   cruel   things   of earth.    A devoted husband  and  an affectionate son are left to mourn the death of this brave, patient, unself¬ ish woman.
Deceased was born at Reading and her parents dying when she was quite young, she made her home with her aunt. Mrs. M. T. Seibert. They came to Wharton, this county, in 187L and the next year Lizzie was married to Wesley Berfield, with whom she lived for three years. One son, Walter, was born to them. He is now a man with a family of his own and is highly respected b}'^ all who know him, a very worthy young man.
For over ten years Lizzie sup¬ ported herself and boy by hard work and close economy, making her home with the family of her uncle. M. T. Seibert, and with the family of B. F. Bertield. both families being very kind to the homeless woman and her bright little boy. both of whom appreciated every kindness shown them and were alwaj's ready with willing hands to render service to those who needed help.
Hi 1.S87 Lizzie was married to William H. Metzger. Esq.. one of the prominent citizens of tins town, who is bereaved by the death of a faithful wife whose suffering with cancer for the past two years has tried the fortitude of both. A good home and the best of care was at last the happy lot of this woman who had butt'eted the waves of adversity with a cour¬ age and cheerfulness seldom equaled. The funeral is appointed for to-day at '2 o'clock at the Presbyterian church, of which church she was an active member, interment to be made in Eulalia Cemetery.
Deficit Decreasing.
The people who were assuming a few daN's ago that the new tariff law would not i)rol)ably produce suffi¬ cient revenue to meet the running expenses of the Government are be¬ ginning to change their minds. The present indications are that the De¬ cember receipts will equal the De- •^ember expenditures, and the Treas¬ ury officials estimate a large in¬ crease in receij^ts early in the com¬ ing year. There is every reason to believe that the new law will pro¬ duce a considerable surplus iu the next fiscal year without any addi¬ tional tariff legislation.
STONE AND THE VETERAN.
Congressman William A. Stone, of Pennsylvania came out ahead the other day in a contest with the Washington police in which the comfort of an old soldier was at stake. Yesterday a decrepit veteran from Pennsylvania hobt)led on c-rutches through the capitol on a sight-seeingex])edition. He became tired, and, seeing a row of six un¬ occupied benches in the rotunda, he made for them and sat down to rest. A policeman instantly made for him. "Get up from there,"' he commanded. "Don't you see that sign up there":''' pointing to a legend which bore the words, "'These benches exclusively for ladies."
The veteran protested that he was tired out and that as the benches wers not in use he felt that an old man who had lost a leg in the coun¬ try's defense might be permitted to use a small space on one of them. '"It makes no difference," declared the ]X)liceman. ""My orders from the police board are to keep men out of these seats.    You must move on."'
The old soldier gathered up his crutches and prepared to move on just as Col. Stone came passing through. The Colonel is a veteran himself, and. seeing a comrade in distress, he inquired the cause. The veteran explained and Col. Stone lost his temper.
""Sit right down again on that liench."" he exclaimed, ""and stay there until _you get rested." Then, turning to the]joliceman, the Colonel denounced his conduct in rather strong language, and added that he would have that sign taken down if he had to get a resolution through the House to do it. The officer walked off' and left the Colonel and the veteran swapping reminiscences on the "ladies" bench.""
Last night the captain of the Cap¬ itol police called on Colonel Stone and today the sign over the benches was removed. Hereafter .old sol¬ diers can find a resting place in the rotunda of the Capitol.—E.r.
Sudden Death.
Th(^ sad intelligence was wired from Brockport, N. Y., this (Wednes¬ day) morning, that L. T. Beach, editor of the Brockport Repidilie died suddenly at his home in that place. The family of the deceased, well known here, have the sympa¬ thy of this whole community. Doc¬ tor Buck and daughter Dot will go to Brockport tomorrow.
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson is being received with marked at¬ tention in his tour through the South and there is reason to believe that his visit to that section will re¬ sult in great atvantage to its agri¬ cultural interests. There is a marked contrast 'between the atti¬ tude of this Republican Secretary of Agriculture and his Democratic predecessor, who spent most of his time in frowming down the beet-su¬ gar and other laudable industries and devising plans to prevent the distribution of seeds to the farmers of the country.
TRIAL AND STRIFE.
"Is it worth while tliat we jostle a brother?" —JoACiUiN Miller.
Do you think it Is right to strive with each
other, Alonjr the .journey where trials are rife? Is it right to sneer at the mistakes of another Whose burdens   are heavy,   and   cheerless their liie? God pity us all when we stoop to such strife.
We need all his pity when we injure each
other. And hope for his grace when repentant we feel. To reach out a hand to some sister or brother. Resolved that their future life shall be real, For each one is mighty for woe or for weal.
'Tis the least we can do in life's little journey, Ou through the selfish world down to the sea. To gi*'e of good cheer to the heart that is
j'earning For a brighter day comingand in doing will be Sending a hope star out over the lea.
Never a trouble or trial is ended •So long as there's some one striving alone Out where the storm-beaten world   Is con¬ tending For the lives of their dear ones, aye, even their own, While the heart, with its burden, is heavy as stone.
Then stop and think ere you strive with an¬ other, Thiuk of tiie trouble brought into their life ; And reiieraber that every man is your brother Forever aud iiye, in death or in life. Think better before you sloop to such strife.
There's never a day so barren or callow. But a turn of your pat li will somewhere reveal Someone struggling out in tJie shudow Of the troubles aud trials they caunotcouceal. Trials like theirs are keener thau steel.
Then, i'^ it right to strive with each other, Along the journey Avhere trials are rife? Is it right, do you tliink, to sneer at another When burdens are heavy and cheerless their life? God pity us all if we stoop to such strife*
—ABFAN LiEGRAND COTl'ON.
SHALL W^E KEEP SANTA CLAU5 ?
Speaking of the effort of some to destroy the myths and fancies that gladden the heart of childhood. The Philadelphia Enquirer says :
There was a time in the history of the world when nymphs and dry¬ ads held sway, when every stream and fountain and forest was peopled with fair divinities, wheu the fairies danced on the midnight green and nestled in the cups of the field flow¬ ers, and played innocent pranks up¬ on stupid mortals, and danced and sang at the court of Oberon and Ti- tania. They are all gone, and as Schiller says, "they live no longer m the faith of reason.'" And yet there are some people who, doubt¬ less, now and again sigh for their return even to a world that is so rich in wonders as that of today, and who would gladly see brought back the days of poetry and ro¬ mance and legend. To banish San¬ ta Clans from the earth would make it dreary, aud to think that he could be driven from his old and familiar haunts, that he would turn his rein¬ deers loose in the frozen North and hie him to some icy cave and there perish of loneliness, is something that theiconoclastmust notdream of.
H" there is a time in life when the imagination should be rightly touched and when the dreamer should be allowed to dream, it is that of childhood. No shadow has yet crossed its path, it is illumined by the ""light that never was on sea or shore,"' it is happy in its mus¬ ings, in the fancies that it conjures up, in the castles that it builds, iu its trusting faith in all that is good and pure and fair and lovely. AVhat has the belief in Santa Clans ever done that it should be relegated to the land of ghosts and myths? To hundreds of thou.sands of men and women who have today passed into life's long afternoon and are travel¬ ing to meet the night and the dark¬ ness, the thought of the children's saint comes as a tender memory. It carries them back to a region in which the sun ever shone, and the birds and the flowers sent out their song and their fragrance. The snows of Christmas were given warmth by his coming, the happy chimes that rung out the message of peace and good will had their music added to by the tinkle of his sleigh bells, and sleepy ey > refuse to close until he could be heard on the roof, laden with gifts as precious to the young heart as if they came from the treasures of the three Kings of Orient.
Men may pull down the old struc¬ tures that imagination and fancy have reared in cloud land; the age may be too practical to dwell there; we are of the earth earthy, and so mu.st pin our faith only to earthly things. And yet, when we think of all that made our 3'outh-time happy, of the pleasure that we had in our dreams of fairy land, of the childish delight with which we peopled for¬ est and hill and stream and meadow with marvelous beings, and of the yearning that even now sometimes fills us, tired and jaded as we may be, when memory calls back those days with all their glorj-^ and their splendor, each one of us must feel like saying with Wads worth:
I'd rather be A Pagan, suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea.
Have  glimpses   that  would make me less
forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea.
Or bear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.
NEW BAPTIST CHURCH.
The Building Boom in Greater  Cou¬ dersport Extends to the Church Interests.
A very earnest meeting of the of¬ ficers and members of the Baptist church in this Boro was held on Tuesday evening of la.st week at which it was decided to build a church on the site of the present one, costing $15,000. Towards this amount. .^5,000 was subscribed by those present and it is thought that at least $2,500 more will be sub- sci'ibed by members. This is a most gratifying showing for that church and they have assurance from citizens of the town, not church members, of liberal sums, so thatthe debt, if any, will not be such as to burden future generations.
The building is to be of brick and stone of modern architecture with gymnasium, reading rooms and other compartments convenient for the auxiliary church organizations. Surely every citizen of Coudersport irrespective of religious affiliations will be interested in the prosperity of the Baptist society and assist in the erection of a house of worship that will be a credit to the town. There seems to be no such word as fail in the lexicon of Rev. McLatchy and he is in earnest in pushing this work to completion. The new build¬ ing will be commenced as soon as spring opens.
FARHER'S INSTITUTE MIXUP.
In another column will be found contradictory statements as to the date of holding the "'Annual Insti¬ tutes" in Potter county. The no¬ tice published last week, the hand bills sent out and the dates on the large hand bills were all authorized through C. L. Peck Esq., by John Hamilton of tne State Department under the direction of which these Farmer's Institutes are held. These all provided for an Institute at Cou dersport on Jan. 3 and 4, and at Millport Jan. 5 and 6.
Shortly after we received Mr, Peck's notices one came in regular form provided by John Hamilton to be filled by the Local Institute man¬ ager, who" we are told is W. A. Gardner. Supposing this to be the same in substance as the notice of Mr. Peck we gave the matter no attention, not noticing that there was a r''iscrepancy in the dates.
It seems that the whole trouble comes from a confusion of authority. Ira Bishop who signs himself Pros. is president of the Farmers & Breeders Association which has evidently got mixed with the De¬ partment of Agriculture of which Mr. W. A. Gardner is resident member and for which Mr. Peck is acting under directions of John Hamilton, Director of State Insti¬ tutes.
The best way out of the muddle is to hold a four day meeting at Cou. dersport which will cover both dates.
THE   BICYCLE    RACES.
(New York Herald.)
The six-day bicycle race is over, and the lights are turned out ou one of the most disgusting exhibitions ever seen in New York. The ex¬ hausted, crippled, half delerious creatures, whose agony of mind and body has been on view to a morbid public at 50 cents a head, have been lifted from their wheels, and, merci¬ fully, at last allowed to rest and sleep. The authorities would not permit a public exhibition of ani¬ mal vivisection or of any other hor¬ rible suffering forced upon a dumb brute: yet these riders endured tor¬ tures that brought them to the verge of insanity and physical col¬ lapse, and all for a paltry gain to themselves and the enriching of their backers. Skilledtrainers were required to keep the men alive and sane, and details of what happened to some of the wretched contestants have been untold, because unfit for publication. Out upon such exhibi tions of tortured humanity under the name of "sport!" Thank heaven, the scene is over! May it never again be enacted in New York, nor a heartless public be found to pat¬ ronize it should it be reattempted.
Man and Wife are One.
An old-time distich tells us that "a woman, a dog, and a walnut tree, the more you beat them the better they'll be:" and under old En¬ glish law a husband had the right to chastise his wife with a stick no thicker than his little finger. The New York judges have improved on Saxon law. A woman sued her hus¬ band for §2000 damages on the alle¬ gation that he had beaten her, and the court held that as a husband and wife are one, one person cannot sue itself for damages when it beats itself. The punishment which the womau complained of was self-inflic¬ ted, and, therefore, she must be con¬ tent to know that in time the injur¬ ies will heal themselves. The law, if the court kuows itself, and in this instance it evidently thinks that it does, does not propose to apply any balm of Gilead in the shape of filthy lucre to self-inflicted wounds and bruises.
NOW IT IS FIAI  MONEY.
The free coinage of silver on the basis of 16 to 1, has been practically abandoned by the Democratic or¬ ganization throughout the country. It was throttled and suppressed in New York where the Democrats won both city and State; it was di¬ plomatically evaded in Maryland under the leadership of Gorman, and but for the anti-Gorman feud in the ranks of the party would have been successful. It was made a promi¬ nent feature of the Democratic pol¬ icy in Massachusetts and Ohio, where the Democrats were whipped out of their boots.
The most significant indication we have had of the purpose of the Democratic leaders to abandon the free silver heresy is in the resolu¬ tions unanimously adopted by the Democratic caucus of Congressmen a few day ago. Of the 125 Democrat¬ ic members of the House .over 100 were present, and the party policy adopted commanded the practically unanimous support of the members.
This caucus determined upon the line of policy the party should pur¬ sue in the present Congress, and the Democratic faith is summed up in four resolutions. The first de¬ clares aga,inst all efforts, direct ov indirect, to retire the greenbacks and Treasury notes; the second de¬ clares against extending the privi¬ lege or reducing the taxes of our national banks; the third demands belligerent rights for the Cuban in¬ surgents, and the fourth favors a just bankrupt law.
There is not one word in this new Democratic platform adopted by the Representatives of the States in Congress, in favor of free silver. Indeed not a word is uttered about silver as a circulating medium; and the fact that special emphasis is given in Democratic hostil¬ ity to the the retirement of green¬ backs or Treasury notes, obviously means that instead of undertaking to carry 40-cent silver dollars as a feature of Democratic faith, fiat money without intrinsic value what¬ ever, will be the next financial pol¬ icy the country must confront.
The slump of the Democratic lead¬ ers from free silver to fiat money is entirely logical, as the bottom has entirely fallen out of the silver heresy since wheat has advanced to a dollar in gold, and the silver dol¬ lar reduced iu value to 40 cents. The free silverites seem to have come to realize the folly of making a silver dollar really worth 40 cents and making it fiat money for GO cents, and they logically conclude that if 40 cents"worth of "silver can be made a fiat dollar, a piece of pa¬ per issued by the government that costs little or nothing can just as well be made fiat money and forced upon the people. ;J Free silver is simply a bastard fiat money theory and those who have advocated it make themselves onl}'^ the more consistent by dropping silver and making fiat money of paper.
It is very evident that the free coinage of silver will not again be espoused as an article of Democratic faith, but the next issue that is cer¬ tain to come for the judgment of the American people will be naked fiat mone3^ The advocates of cheap money see the folley of spending 40 cents to issue a dollar when they can issue a dollar practically with¬ out cost, and everything now points to the Democrats of the House tak¬ ing measures in the present Con¬ gress leading up to the issue of naked fiat money in 1900. It is something gained to have the free silver heresy confessed as dead by its leading advocats, and the intel¬ ligence and integrity of the people can be confidently relied upon to meet the issue of fiat money, that means undisguised repudiation.— Phihalelphia    'Times.
Never Saw The Enterprise.
In the Cosmopolitan. Prof. Harrj'- Thurston Peck discusses Ameri¬ can journalism and pays this tribute to the editors of our country:
"'The newspapers in this country never print the most interesting things they know. Out of real reti¬ cence and good feeling thc}^ refrain from publishing the best stories in their possession. They spare their opponents, even in the hottest cam¬ paigns anything that would blast their private lives and wound the hearts of women and children—a proof of the good feeling and real kindness that are essentially Amer¬ ican and for which one would seek in Vain abroad. American newspa¬ per men are continually in receipt of confidential disclosures of the most sensational news value, and if any professional journalist has ever violated such a confidence as this, if he has ever shown himself un¬ worthy of the trust that one repos¬ es in a man of honor, or if he has ever let the instincts of a news- gatherer master his good faith as a man and his patriotism as an Amer¬ ican, then the present writer, at least has never heard of it.''
LAW COLUMN.
The November earnings of 104 railroads whose reports have been presented are more than twenty per cent, in excess of their November earnings last year.
Various Acts of Assembly and De¬ cisions by the Courts Interesting to the People at Large.
Preliminarg llearings.
All crimes and misdemeanors, ex¬ cept such to which exclusive juris¬ diction may be given by some Act of Assembly to the Court of Quarter Sessions,, are triable in the Court of Oyer and Terminer, although the Court of Quarter Sessions has con¬ current jurisdiction.
Registers'  Expenses.
Under the Act Ot April 25, 1889, P. L., 52, a register of wills may furnish his office with inventory and appraisement blanks and proof of death blanks at the expense of the county, as "stationery re¬ quired." He cannot, however, charge the county with the expense of printing the formal parts of deeds and mortgages in the deed books and mortgage books furnished him by the county commissioners, or postage, or janitor service.
Disorderlij  Conduct.
It is not generally known that by tbe Act of Assembly passed in 1895 persons may be convicted of disor¬ derly conduct although the .same may not amount to a riot. We give the law in full.
Sec, 1. Be it enacted, &c., that from and after the passage of this act if any person or persons shall willfully make or cause to be made any loud, boisterous and unseem¬ ly noise or disturbance to the annoy¬ ance of the peaceable residents near by, or shall thereby cause the assemblage of persons upon or near to any public highway, road, street, lane, alley, park, square or common within this commonwealth, whereby the public peace is broken or dis¬ turbed or the traveling public an¬ noyed, he, she or they shall be guilty of the off'ense of di.sorderly conduct and upon conviction there¬ of before any justice of the peace, alderman, mayor or burgess shall be- sentcnced to pay a fine not exceed¬ ing ten dollars, and in default of the payment thereof shall be committed to and imprisoned in the county jail of the proper county for a period not exceeding thirtv day.
Skc. 2. It shall be the duty of all justices of the peace, aldermen, mayors and burgesses to }>ay c.-rr to the treasurer of their respective counties ali fines or forfeits collected ^ by virtue of this act, quarterly, on or before the first Monday of March, June September and D(>cember of each year, and at the expiration of their term of office.
HAITI'S  ANGER.
Haiti and a certain crop of Ameri¬ can grumblers who seen] to think that nothing is right that is done by the United States fiaid fault because the Fedei'al governmcnl did not in¬ terpose ,to prevent GL-rmany from exacting payment from the Haitien republic for alleged outrages against a German subject. Haiti is re^iorted to be so angry that she is iiiort- hos¬ tile toward the United States than toward Germany. About all that can be said as to that is that it is Haiti's privilege to exercise her temper when she feels like it. The United States is no custodian of the little Republics in the West Indies aud South America. We have troub¬ les enough of our own. without going out to father the shortcomings of our neighbors and share in the petty disputes they are continually inviting with the old world. If Haiti has offended Gern.any let her settle, and hereafter behave. That is what we vv^ould expect if she had off'ended against the United   Slates,
The sooner it is understood at home as well as in our neighbor re¬ publics that the United States has nothing to do with the entangle¬ ments the little states are getting into from time to time the better it will be. The American 'govern¬ ment has no concern until its own safety is assailed. Then it will make a decisive move. President Cleveland intorefered in the Ven¬ ezuela cases because the aim of Great Britain was to capture Ameri¬ can territory. Had Germany de¬ manded American territory from Haiti the Kaiser would have heard from Washington quickly. It is Haiti's misfortune to be little, but that should teach her to be prudent. It cannot constitute the United States her guardian. If we were to fight the battles for all the countries of the western hemisphere we would not get done with the first one until a dozen more would be awaiting us. Haiti and the chronic grumblers have no case against the United States.—Pitfshvrg   Times.
Judge Noyes, of Warren, has joined the other Pennsylvania judges who will hereafter naturalize no for¬ eign subjects that are unable to read and write. The howl of "ju¬ dicial usurpation," raised by some Democratic newspap'^vs, against the courts which have taken this stand does not appear to have greatly freierhtened them. '