Little Falls transcript., 1889-10-04

kEukA LAKE is FOR THE sUNFL OVER
Who're the Great American Bloom Boasts /
@sc s Patriotic Pedigree. jE#sS jEs<
II the question Of the selection Of a ma
tional flower should be left to the deci-
sion Of the residents in this part OF the
delightful Keuka lake region it would be
settled in favor Of the sunAower.
The first settler on lands within the
village boundaries of Halnmondsport
was Capt. John Sheathar. He purchased
his homestead in 1896 direct from the
agent of Sir William Pulteney, who
owned the most Of Steuben county.
Capt. Sheathar, his biographer says, was
a Revolutionary soldier. He held COM
mission as captain Of dragons, and had
the reputation of being an excellent off,
Ger and favorite with Gen. Washing
ton. He lived on the head Of Crooked
Keuka) lake, and Jared sumptuously.
He was generous, hospitable man and
true patriot. He was Of. a stout, port
ly figure, and made fine appearance
on horseback dressed in his Continental
regimentals. as he used to appear on all
| celebration occasions
Capt. Sheathar came from Virginia,
and he brought with him into the Keuka
lake wilderness number Of sunAower
seeds which he planted in the grounds.
It is said that he frequently declared that
Washington's favorite flower was the
| sunhower, and it is tradition that the
seeds Capt. Sheathar planted here came
from flower that grew on the estate of
the father Of his country. The sunhow-
ers that grew from the seeds of Keuka
Lakes pioneer settler were probably the
first that bloomed in western New York.
Today. all through this region of lus-
cious fruits and brilliant blooms, scions
Of that illustrious stock hold proud
place. They brighten every garden,
and beam from their lofty and sturdy
stalks on many velvety lawn. They
burst in glory from amid the green acre
age of trailing grape vines, high on the
slopes that guard the shores Of Keuka
lake, and close to the foliage fringed
borders Of the lake itself they bow their
stately, gold crowned heads to the sa-
luting breeze. Summer cottages along
the lake, set back against the hills among
old oaks and pines and elms, find them
selves, as the season grows, almost hid
den by the broad leafed growth of this
great flower stalk, and the cottagers
walk with a sunburst at every turn. The
flowers lift up their glowing faces against
the gable windows, and even nod at one
another across the housetops.
1t is the pride of the Keuka lake citi-
zen to have it recorded in his local print
that he has placed upon the editors table
the largest and brightest sunflower of
the season, or that he has the highest
sunhower stalk or one with the most
flowers on it. Thus The Hammondsport
Herald of this week announces that
Nicholas Augur has shown to the editor
a sunhower that grew in his yard, and
that it measured twelve inches across in
side its fringe of golden leaves. It had
seeds enough to plant five acre lot. A
paper in another town says that sun
flower stalk twenty feet high and hav-
ing seventy-five immense flowers on it
is sight to be seen in James Sebring's
dooryard, and that it is worth going
twenty miles to see.
Keuka lake wants to be put on record
as being for the suntlower for the ma
tional flower first, last, and all the time.
-Hammondsport Cor. New York Sun.
Official Reviewing Music.
The Marine band was one of the very
few bands that passed the presidential
stand at the review in Baltimore last
Monday that did not play "Hail to the
Chief" sIt's a common impression
among band masters" said Professor
Sousa, its leader, last night, s'that this
Hail to the Chief is the proper presi-
Dental saluting air. That's mistake.
The tactics of the army and navy do not
prescribe Hail to the Chief when pass
| ing before the president. The tactics
prescribe that when band passes its re-
viewing officer the drums shall roll and
trumpeters sound, but it is utterly silent
as to the band. The band might pass by
in silence so far as the tactics say. Hail
to the Chief is the traditional saluting
air. 1t is originally a Scotch boating
song. and any one who studies it care
fully can detect it's Scotch characters.
TICS The air is pretty one, and years
ago became one of the favorites of the
Marine band.
''Owing principally to its sonorous BEAU
ty and to the bands familiarity with the
air and evidently, perhaps, to its title,
the Marine band fell into the custom of
playing it at the White House on state
} occasions as the presidential party enter
cd tho reception room. In this way the
notion became current among bandmas-
te:s that Hail to the Chief was tho
Official reviewing air. It is not. As a
matter of fact, the Marine band never
plays it when marching past the presi-
dent. It always plays 'Semper Fidelis,
tho review march of the Marine corps.
The music was written by Professor
Sousa, especially for the review of the
Marine corps. Hence its title, 'SeHnper
Fidelis,' the motto Of the corps. It is so
written that the roll of the drums and
the sounding of the trumpets, as drum
corps and trumpet corps pass the review
| MS O1AICSA, oA4d1A AOA1 AA AilIeSIt1 i)t4Tt
Of the air, and every ono who heard it
as the Marine band passed the stand last
Monday will admit its perfect adaptable
ity to the purpose. ."-Baltimore Ameri-
can.
The trial Of the new automatic block
railroad signal took place on the Pitts
; burg and Western railroad. Between
fifty and one hundred prominent rail-
road officials and electricians had as
sembled on the tracks opposite the expo
sition. The weather, wet and cold as it
was, could not have been worse for cleo
trical experiments. In addition the en-
gine which the inventors had contem-
plated using and had rugged up for the
occasion was at the last moment sent
out on the regular business of the Pitts
burg and Western, and they were under
the necessity of hastily rigging up an
: other. The apparatus was in very bad
condition in consequence of this haste,
but still all the tests were interesting.
The first trial made was that of train
; moving on a single track and protecting
itself in front and rear by means of the
danger signals. As the brush, connected
with batteries, touched the conductor of
the signal apparatus, danger eigns were
!. instantly shown in the front and in the
rear of the train. The experiments were