Spirit of the Times Batavia, Genesee Co., NY October 8 1887 A BIG TREE. Among the famous elms of America the Boston Herald names the "Big Tree" of the Senecas, near Geneseo, washed away in 1857, the trunk of which measured 28 feet 9 inches in circumference, but says nothing about the monster monarch that used to stand on the Calvin DUTTON farm in Pavillion, this county, and which was fully as large as the one above mentioned if not larger. It was blown over in 1881 and the base of the trunk is now on the Pioneer ground at Silver Lake. There is an unsettled controversy as to whether this or the Geneseo elm is the original "Big Tree" of the Senecas. Perhaps Bro. SANBORN, of Albion, who is well posted in Indian lore, can give us information on this point. + + ANOTHER DAILY PAPER. Messrs. ROBINSON & ROGERS, of Boston, are in town looking over the ground with a view to establishing another daily evening paper here. Both are practical newspaper men, are well pleased with our village and are quite sanguine of making a success of their proposed new venture. The newspaper field seems to be pretty well covered now and whether another daily paper here would pay or not is a question that experience alone can settle. With the News and a half dozen dailies from Rochester and Buffalo to compete with it would seem to us that such a venture would be a profitless one--at least for the first two or three years. + + NOT A PATIENT PATIENT. Patrick BAILEY is a track hand on the Central Hudson road and lives on Maple street. He has been sick for some time and was attended by Dr. PATTEN. On Thursday of last week the Doctor left some medicine for him to take, with specific directions as to size and frequency of dose. During the afternoon Bailey undertook to regulate his own doses and, taking the bottle, drank nearly half its contents. It nearly proved his last dose for it came within an ace of killing him: He rapidly sank into a stupor and would soon have died had not medical aid been speedily summoned. He was rallied from his dangerous condition and will no doubt more patiently await the results of smaller doses. + + John SCHEBISH's Death. The death and speedy burial of the boy John SCHEBISH last week was the cause of considerable comment and several rumors were set afloat as to the cause of his death, but the facts are not different from those stated last week. It is pretty certain, however, that the boy had been unwell and not properly cared for by his parents, who are said to be ignorant to the last degree. Health Officer PALMER has investigated this most extraordinary case and has been informed by the family that this boy had been sick more or less with inflammatory rheumatism for more than six months, and at the time of his death was taking from a physician in Buffalo. John had frequently gone in swimming during the summer, in direct opposition to the commands of his parents, which probably was the approximate cause of his death. Therefore, to exhume the body and hold an inquest would be to not only incur an unnecessary expense and hazard the lives of those who handled the body, but would be of no practical usefulness to the family, neighborhood or the medical profession. + + THE SWINDLERS ESCAPE. The three sharpers who got $3,000 from Edw. COPELAND last Friday made a quick escape but were not so spry but that they might have been overhauled had COPELAND appraised the officers of his loss at once instead of waiting an hour or two after they had gone. The men hired their rigs of Champion, at Le Roy, and drove here. After they got the money they drove through Pavillion, where they stopped a half hour, and thence to Moscow, where they left their horses, taking a train on the D., L. & W. road, probably for New York. Before leaving, however, they wrote to Mr. CHAMPION, telling him where he could find his rigs. There is very little sympathy expressed for COPELAND. Had he lost the money in a legitimate speculation people would have been sorry for his misfortunes, but as it is they rather chuckle at his loss. + + A HARD BLOW. The past week has been one of almost constant rain and on Monday last a heavy and damaging wind storm prevailed, causing heavy losses to the farmers hereabouts. Thousands of bushels of apples, good marketable fruit, were blown off the trees and many fruit trees of various kinds were blown down. At Buffalo the wind attained the fearful velocity of sixty miles an hour, making havoc with the shipping and doing great damage to many vessels. There was very little damage done in this immediate vicinity but out in the country it was considerable. Although the farmers delighted to see the much needed rain they were sorry to be the victims of the heavy wind. + + TO INCREASE THEIR BATAVIA BUSINESS. The New York Lumber and Wood Working Co.'s factory in New York city is to shut down on the 15th inst., and all of its wood working machinery, valued at between $15,000 and $20,000, together with its mammoth engine and boilers will be removed to its branch factory in this village. Its workmen and their families will soon follow. A new brick engine and boiler house is to be built immediately at the factory here, just north of the present one, to be occupied by the coming engine of 150-horse power. An electric light plant is to be put in at the works and run by the additional steam power. This light will enable the many employees to make a full day's work and do overwork when needed. Superintendent HONECK expects to leave for New York next week to superintend the removal. With this additional machinery and steam power the factory here will be able to turn out an immense amount of work and keep a large number of men employed the year round. Since its establishment here the factory has been crowded with work, and the present indications are that it will be through the days to come. Mr. HONECK informs us that the number of additional men to be employed here will be thirty to forty, most of whom are skilled workmen and have families. Their presence here will be very welcome and will materially aid the growth of our village. + + THE FARMERS CLUB. The farmers having about completed their fall work will soon no doubt turn their attention to the reorganization of the Farmers Club. This can be made what it has been in the past, a valuable institution to its intelligent patrons and every farmer within a reasonable distance of Batavia should avail himself of the advantages of a membership therein. It is profitable for a farmer to discuss and compare means and methods employed in their business and the successful farmer is he who puts to a practical use the knowledge he gains thereby. Start up the club and let it have the hearty support of all. + + AN ATTEMPTED MURDER AVERTED. Peter WERNER has tried for many months to collect a board bill of Elroy CHURCHILL amounting to $77, and not succeeding finally lost his temper and avowed his intention to kill his debtor if he did not pay. Thursday he came up town in an angry mood, and finding CHURCHILL in the Genesee House he approached him, loudly threatening to shoot him, at the same time flourishing a revolver. Capt. LYNCH's son Thomas sprang upon WERNER and disarmed him and CHURCHILL was hustled out of the place by some friends. Being liberated from the grasp of those who held him WERNER sought elsewhere for a revolver, but seeing his excited condition no one would let him have one. He has probably had time to cool off by this time and no doubt concludes that his neck is worth more than $77. Temper is a bad thing. + + EXIT THE SHOE MAN. THYNG, the shoe man, who came here and opened up a store and advertised to sell first class goods for almost nothing, found some rather slim picking and has finally packed up his traps and left. His store was a place of desolation, but few people going into it. And why was this so? Simply because the Times, ably seconded by the News "raised a rumpus" about our townspeople patronizing itinerant and unknown dealers to the detriment of home interests. What we had to say on that score, although vigorously presented, has had a good effect and the fact that the people let this concern alone conclusively proves that we were right. + + - this edition, to be continued - submitted by Linda C. Schmidt