The Post-Standard from Syracuse, New York • Page 108

General's Spirit Lingers at Hathaway House SOLON Maj. Gen. Samuel Gilbert Hathaway has been called the most romantic figure ever to have lived in Cortland County in the eastern Finger Lakes Region. Today shreds of this romantic aura cling to the handsome stone mansion that the general built in 1844. Situated on Route 41, seven miles east of Cortland, the home remained as a private residence owned by Hathaway descendants for 115 By RON WALSH CORTLAND The Common-Council Tuesday night unanimously authorized Mayor Samuel Forcucci to establish a market value, based on contracted appraisers' findings, for acquisition of five properties in the city's proposed federally funded downtown urban renewal project on N.

Main Street. Aldermen also unanimously approved establishment of two downtown sidewalk sales and exhibition projects and set a date for a public hearing on the city's 1974 paving program. John Fennessey, project director for the State Urban Development and John Hil-debrandt of the state urban renewal agency presented appraisers' reports on the urban renewal project for the Hotel Cortland block. Figures in the appraisal were kept from the press by the council and mayor. Fennessey noted that the project has been hanging fire with the urban renewal office since January.

He added that the program appears to be moving into its final stages. The mayor was given authorization by the council to review the appraisers' report, establish a fair market value for the properties and begin negotiations for purchase. Hiidebrandt noted that the originally proposed federal grant was $500,000 and present figures being used for budget allowance for the project are in the neighborhood of $866,000, including $70,000 for relocation of existing tenants of the properties. He also noted that the two contracted apprasiers, reports and the review appraisers' findings may, if the council desires, by submitted to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for approval. Hildebrant estimated that HUD determination of reasonableness of the appraisal figure would take less than 30 days.

Aldermen and the mayor decided that the appraisers' figures would be withheld from publication until HUD approval has been obtained. The mayor noted that HUD spokesmen have suggested the city hire a project manager for the development and suggested Hiidebrandt for the post, commenting that Hildebrandt's urban renewal projects in Syracuse are approaching completion. Hiidebrandt said, "If eel this would be a very challenging and rewarding project to work on. I have lived in Syracuse 30 yearn Kke Cortland, having carried on negotiations with persons here on several occasions. If I am accorded the opportunity to do this work, I shall be pleased to do so." The proposal was laWed for private negotiation between Hiidebrandt and the council as to salary and working conditions.

The mayor then proposed and the cmmcil unanimously approved authorization for newly aflptf nted City kmemt Morris WinefreH to attend a cwrse in basic property evaluation tml week at Cornell years. In July, 1959, it became the property of Robert F. Kali who established a restuarant and inn known as Hathaway Hall which operated for some 10 years, ow ca House, the old mansion has been given a new lease on life by the Frank Ti-nelli family of Cortland who recently purchased it and opened it again as a restaurant. Gen. Hathaway's romantic image was not his creation al University.

Cost of the course will be $60. The mayor also set a date and time, 7:30 p.m. June 3, for a public hearing on the city's 1974 street paving program and aldermen unanimously approved the action. Lynn Stack of Highgate Manor Nursing Home asked city permission to set up a booth in front of Marine Midland Bank ori Main Street for sale of craft in Texas Now serving at Reese AFB, With jflfiT tfVtttfityJ mand mil. is 2nd Earl P.

Smith 1ly swrt of retired Air Force M. Sgtand Mrs. Earl P. one. Among his ancestors were names of legendary character.

His ancestor, on his father's side was Plymouth Colony's second governor, William Bradford. Through his mother, the general's lineage could be traced to Sir Humphrey Gilbert, half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh, and a famous explorer in his won right and to John Alden, who was immortalized in the story of his courting the Pilgrim girl, Priscilla, as a items made by patients at the nursing home. The request was unanimously approved. James Keller, chairman of the Downtown Merchants' Divison of the County Chamber of Commerce, requested approval of setting July 18 to 20 as Sidewalks Sales Days and Aug. 23 and 24 as Downtown Art Show Days.

Aldermen, also unanimously, approved the requests. Newark Bows To Mynderse SENECA PALLS Mynderse Academy, trailing 5 to 2, pushed across four runs in the fifth inning Tuesday to nip Newark, 6-5, in a Wayne-Finger Lakes thriller here. Geneva High, behind Jim Award Ecology Plaque CORTLAND Residents of Randall Hall Tuesday at State University College campus here claimed the first prize plaque and an award of $30 for their total collection of 9,250 pounds of paper for recycling in the college's 1974 ecology contest. Under the direction of Pete Payone, the hall students began gathering the waste paper in mid-March and deposited the bundles each Thursday in special receptacles outside Neubig Hall on campus. "The stop waste" action was part of a contest at the college to collect paper on and off campus.

The competition was initiated by the college's ad hoc committee on ecology, under the chairmanship of freshman Jackie Williams of New Hartford, and Eric Schlesinger of Allentown, an Albany graduate student at the college. During the contest period, 19,365 pounds of paper were collected by participating residence halls. Second place winner was Alger Hall Dormitory, with collection under the direction of Ray Franco. Residents collected 4,585 pounds of paper for their $30 award. The total of 2,155 pounds of paper weighed in by residents of the Towers Residence Hall, supervised by dorm director Cathy Beck with, gave them third priie of $15.

Miss Williams noted Tuesday that dormitory residents have hwf reated that part of the award money will be donated to local charities. Schlesinger urged all community residents to make use of the paper recycling receptacle which will be outside of Neubig Hall during the summer. Gagnon, defeated Midlakes, 6-3. Mynderse and Geneva share first place in the Eastern Division with 10-3 records. Mynderse ends its league season Wednesday at Midlakes while Geneva visits Waterloo.

The latter is 9-3 in league play and must win to stay in contention. Bob Hurley stood out in relief for Mynderse, holding Newark scoreless in the last two innings. Sophomore Bruce Millisgotthewin. The Blue Devils looked good defensively, coming up with double plays in the sixth and seventh frames. Mrs.

Fox9 Succumbs DE RUYTER Mrs. Marion T. Fox, 80, of Middle Lake. Road, a retired De Ruyter school teacher, died Monday at' Cortland Memorial Hospital. Services will be at 2 p.m.

Thursday in the De Ruyter United Church of Christ. Burial will be in Middlebury Cemetery. Calling hours will be 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Smith Funeral Home, where Eastern Star services will be at p.m. Contributions may be made to the Memorial Fund of the DeRuyter United Church of Christ or to the Arthritis Foundation.

Surviving are her husband, Amos a son, John of De Ruyter! two daughters, Mrs. Louise Chappell of DeRuyter and Mrs. Grace Parsons of Penn Yan! a brother, Dr. John M. Thomas two sisters, Mrs.

Hulda Gale and Mrs. Sarah Killary, all of Vermont, and 12 grandchildren. Born in Middlebury, Vt, she was a 1915 graduate of Middlebury College and was ed to Phi Beta Kappa. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Mrs.

Fox was a member of DeRuyter United Church of Christ, where she taught an adult Sunday school class 29 years. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and DeRuyter American Legion Auxiliary. SCOUTS SLATE DRIVE ONTARIO Boy Stool Troop 128 nif! cowdocl a ptipet dfive Jwif? I ifi conjunct ion Willi Ihe Ontario Efwifuffliwfh ffWfl tlW dfftf WW rand. proxy for Capt. John Smith.

Basically the mansion looks much as it has for more than 100 years. The general built well. The original house was field stone but soon an addition, doubling its size, was built of stone cut by hand from Quarry Brook above the site and sledded down by oxen. The two-foot thick walls were planked on the inside and the foundation was constructed with interlocking corner stones. O'Mara Outlines Ways To Cut County Spending CORTLAND In a sharply "If these steps fail, I will increase, worded memo to heads of de- propose to the County Legisla- "Expenses over which we partments, Cortland County ture an across-the-board cut in don't have complete control Legislature Chairman James the operating budgets of coun- are going to affect the 1975 O'Mara Tuesday laid out a ty departments," O'Mara said, budget," O'Mara wrote the de- 10-point program to reduce "This is a drastic step, but it is partment heads, county expenditures.

preferable to yet another tax Among them, the chairman Value Sought Of UR Parcels noted, are renegotiation of the county contract with its employes, increased Medicaid costs, a possible federal halt to funding of the Community Action Program, county assumption of paying salaries of seven employes who were being paid by the federal government, increased programs for the county's senior citizens and first-year costs of assessment revaluation. "In addition, the county must continue to set aside funds for two major capital expenditures acquisition of more space for county functions and installation of a shredder to handle the county's solid waste," O'Mara added. "Failure to set aside money for those projects will necessitate future borrowing for the county. "I am firmly committed to holding the line on the county tax rate'" O'Mara said. "When the prices of food, clothing, gasoline and electricity are rising rapidly, county residents should not be burdened another property tax increase.

"To prevent the increase, consideration is centering on a 10-point program, which includes increased emphasis on state and federal aid, a program to increase the rate of return on county funds which are invested, review of the county's personnel needs, efforts at increased interdepartmental cooperation and centralized volume purchasing of supplies," the county's first Democratic legislature chairman reported. "Other proposals include increases in direct fees charged to users of county services, increased use of the county computer for record-keeping operations, elimination of unnecessary travel by county employes, and termination of low priority programs and programs which compete with the private sector," O'Mara said. "To carry out the 10-point program successfully, the legislature will need the cooperation of every department head "If the department heads do not cooperate in realizing savings in areas which don't seriously impair their programs, we may have to make cuts in areas which do impair programs. "In our private lives, we all must meet the burdens of inflation and new responsibilities within a limited income by making difficult choices," O'Mara added. "The same effort must be put forth by county officials." Benefits For Women ITHACA Female veterans of the armed forces are eligible for the same benefits as male veterans, according to NYS Division of Veteran Affairs local counselor Howard J.Forbes.

Women have generlly operated under the same military and naval laws as men and as veterans, they are entitled to the same benefits, Forbes said. Certain procedures must vary in recognition of the difference in sex, Forbes explained. These include the manner in chich medical, hospital and domiciliary care are provided. But Forbes said that there is no difference the standard of treatment ot the basis of determining eligibility for these benefits. State veteran counseling centers are open 9 a.m.

to 5 p.m. weekdays to assist veterans, servicemen and their families. Ray Assigned Sgt Donald R. Ray, sen of Mr. and Mrs Donald J.

Raj of cfcen AB, Germany, from MctJelns APB, i Broad boards of cherry, maple, pine and ash were used for the floors, sometimes with two woods alternating. Primitive drainage tiles for the cellar were made by the general and his helpers and a mill was put up for sawing and finishing woodwork for the interior of the house. Water for the home, barns, two fountains and extensive lawns was brought from a spring two miles away by four- inch square wooden pipes bound in braf s. Later a 200-foot well was drilled. Originally four chimneys were built for wood-burning stoves.

Later four more were added to serve bedroom fireplaces. Evidence of the former elegance remains today. There are still six of the original fireplaces faced with Italian marble. The cherry staircase, rising from a central hall, retains its handsome character. Opens Race, Raps Walsh "Bill Walsh is an ineffective, do-nothing Congressman, a Congressman who puts loyalty to the party above our interests." With that charge, Robert H.

Bockman, Syracuse, officially embarked yesterday on his campaign as the officially endorsed Democratic candidate Alumni Donate $2,500 ITHACA The Cornell University Society of Hotelmen announced Tuesday it donated $2,500 to the Lois Farmer Meek Memorial Fund, established after the death in February, 1973, of the wife of the late Howard B. Meek, founder and first dean of the School of Htel Administration at Cornell Uni-vesity. The gift will greatly help in reaching the $5,000 goal needed to establish the fund as an endowment, said Dean Robert A. Beck. Funds from the endowment, he said, will be used to purchase additions to the memorial bookshelf placed in Mrs.

Meek's honor in the Hoard B. Meek Library at the hotel School. The society, which made the gift at its annual spring meeting, also pledged future gifts of $1,000 if they should be needed in order to reach the $5,000 endowment level Others wishing to contribute to the fund may send their gifts to Beck at the hotel school. Pupils Plan Concert LANSING high ftitd high sdhao) wwf Is wf II present their annual mint concert p.m. Thursday in the high school auditorium.

William Phelps will direct the middle school hand, and Joanne Ball will direct the junior and senoir high choruses, Jwrtcff high strings and the for orchestra will be directed by Wade Alexander. Hie program includes music by Sehnbert, Corelli, Simon and OarfwM and Rodfers and Haffliiwf stein. The twit eft is Fflee fo the and fip-f esfniwnis will he the lawn after the etent 4 to oppose Rep. William F. Walsh, GOP incumbent, in the 33rd District, in the fall election.

Bockman, with Onondaga County Democratic Chairman Thomas J. Lowery at his side, held a press conference at Democratic headquarters here yesterday. It was prefaced by an announcement by Lowery that all Democratic county chairmen in the 33rd District have endorsed the Bockman candidacy. Bockman is a Maxwell school instructor at Syracuse University. For the last several weeks he has coursed, back and forth through the sprawling 33rd (Finger Lakes) Congressional District, talking to party leaders, meeting the voters and speaking wherever he could find an audience.

The Democratic candidate is confident that Walsh, completing his first term, can be if he runs, but Bockman doubts he will. "He has filed the first papers for re-election but there is some doubt whether he will run again," the Democrat told reporters. If he does run, Bockman stated, the Walsh record will be the issue in the campaign. "Walsh voted the Republican party line almost exclusively," Bockman asserted. He contended Walsh "voted against our interests" when "he voted against mass transit funds for the city of voted for the Railroad.

down the Emergency Health Care bill and then voted to uphold Nixon's Purchase Approved SENECA FALLS The Town Board, meeting in special session Tuesday night, approved the purchase of $49,730 in X-ray equipment for Seneca Falls Hospital The interest will be 575 per cent on a five-year note. It was reported that the Board of Managers of the hospital received bids, for which it did not Town Ally. Tom Jones said the standard bidding procedtire may be bypassed in the event of an emergency. A major breakdown in the ray equipment occurred a few weeks ago, Jones added. The breakdown easwed a delay in the sfctwJW tng of operatrofis, Tfcp payment for the note for the win come from lite hospltaTs of the two front parlors is graced by a pier glass mirror extending from the floor to the 14-foot-high ceiling.

Most of the downstairs rooms are papered now in a rich red flocked paper the front parlors having been referred to in the past as the "red rooms." Some of the walls originally were covered with an ingenious mixture of plaster and marble dust which Compete Next Monday The crack K-C Eagles color guard, repre- title in June at Niagara Falls. Helping to senting the Kirk-Casey American Legion display their new blue and gold banner Post at Seneca Falls, will march in the are, from left, Bob Kreager, Marty Deck-Memorial Day Parade next Monday. The er, Ken Lisk, Paul Horton, Charlie Peck, award-winning outfit won seventh district Jim Creeley, Mike Bergan, and Hank honors last year, and hope to win the state Shumway. State Editor Local News Dan Carey, Assistant POST-STANDARD 10 May 22, 1974 5:3 Phillips Given Post SENECA FALLS The Board of Education Tuesday night announced that William Phillips, serving as district principal at Moravia Central School in Cayuga County, has been hired as superintendent of schools here to succeed Dr. William C.

Connor, who resigned May 1 to accept the superintendent's post at the Maine-EndweH Central School in the Southern Tier. Phillips graduated from Bloomsburg (Pa.) State College in 1958, majoring in science with a math minor. He received a master's degree with a major in biological science at Syracuse University in 1960. Since that time he has pursued a graduate program at Syracuse University and Cornell University, majoring in school administration, supervision, and elementary curriculum. Phillips taught science and mathematics at Troy and Clarks Summit, high schools from 1956 through 1959.

He then served as biology teacher at Maine-Endwell for two years before assuming the duties of vice principal of the school for two years. He served a year as administrative intern in the Sherburne schools and in 1965 returned to Maine-Endwell as high school principal, where he served for six years. In 1971, he became district principal at Moravia. The new school superintendent is a member of the American Association of School Administrators, State Council of School District Administrators, State Council for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Moravia Rotary Club, Moravia Fire Department and the Moravia-Locke Chamber of Commerce. Mr.

and Mrs. Phillips have two children, aged ft and 10, and expect to move to Seneca Palls at the end of this school year where he will be assuming his duties on July 15. Arthur L. Baker has been serving as interim school sn-perinteiidtent since early this Baker served as school sn-pvrtMeiMcM for 13 years, tiring hi was fine textured and very hard an excellent background for the works of art that hung there. The art displayed at Hathaway House was noteworthy, far from what one might have expected in such a remote rural setting.

Elizabeth Hathaway, the last direct descendant to wear the Hathaway name, was a painter and art connoisseur and she collected many valuable items from Europe and the Holy Land. An article in the Syracuse Herald of Aug. 13, 1933 said that "during her lifetime the mansion housed one of the richest private collections of paintings and statuary in the United States." At her death in 1908 many of the pieces went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Following Miss Hathaway's death there were various transactions regarding the property until finally the contents of the mansion were sold at a tremendous auction in September of 1933. There were 3,945 items listed for sale and one newspaper headlined the eient, "Rare Antiques Lure Many to Solon Auction." The general was left to fend for himself at the age of 9 and supported himself by doing odd jobs and farm work near his birthplace of Freetown, Mass.

When a little older he took a fling at becoming a sailor by shipping on a voyage to the West Indies, which made him decide that a life at sea was not for him. So it was with gun and axe that he headed for the "western and eventually wound up in Cinci-natus in 1805 where he purchased 300 acres from a Revolutionary soldier. At the time of his death in 1867, he was master over more than 4,000 acres. Hathaway mansion was a magnet that drew many people and their problems to Solon. -Bertha Eveleth Blodgett, in her book "Stories of Cortland County," puts it this way: "The Hathawav mansion was a gay and hospitable place in the middle years of the last centu ry.

Visitors were coming and going, politicians came to seek advice, young people dashed in and out, persons interested in the state militia were there to 1 consult the major general, the I children were home from col- I leee or from travels in Europe, the townspeople and the farm- I ers were needing neip ana instruction. "Gen. Hathaway was the I man who managed it all I He went to Albany in I 1822 to be a state senator and I to Congress in 1832, but Albany and Washington were not to be compared with Solon in his eyes, and his manor between the hills looked better to him than all the kingdons of the earth." Among the many visitors who came to see the general were two presidents of the United States, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. As in-1 dicated by Mrs. Blodgett, I farmers in the surrounding I area set great store in Gen.

I Hathaway's advice. Alsol scores of them were the ten-1 ants who worked his vast acres I and brought payment in sheep, I goats, cheese and other produce. His counsel must have been satisfactory for his neighbors elected him a justice of the peace in 1810 and retained him in that office for 48 successive years. So it was that through the wise and just performance of his duties he became known as the Sage of Solon. The general obituary was written by a prominent land Countv author and states-l man, Henry S.

Randall, who! concluded it with the state ment: "His domestic affec tions glowed like molten For 24 years this attection wi bestowed on Sally Emersc whom he married in 1808 sweet Sally, who didn't livi quite Jong enough to enjoy ti luxury of the new stone ma sion in Solon. Sally bore 11 chil dren and the general outliv seven of them. In 1842 he to a second wife, Catherine Sax tonofGroton. On a wooded knoll some tance back of Hathaway Hon is the family cemetery km as The Cedars where GenJ Hathaway and 33 members 0 the family are mined. Mementos of the Hat family may be seen at Sugget House, the museum main! tained by the Cortland Covntjl Historical society, 25 Hon Avenue.

Cortland. A drum tl belonged to the general and military uniform complete with epaulets, plnmed hat and dress sword are on display! wme wuness 10 nis pioneer is his worn leather sadd ponch with a large brass on eacn side. The ffiRsewn Is open lo tl pnWte from I to p.m. Mo days, Wednesdays and Frfl days. 1 10 p.m.

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