The Daily News Batavia, Genesee Co., NY Subscription Price, by Mail, One year, $2; by Carrier, Five cents a week. Saturday Evening, March 5 1892 PAST AND PRESENT. "Do you know," said Harvey WEED of Bushville to a News reporter, "that I helped build the wooden railway mentioned in Saturday's Past and Present? My father and I lived in Medina at the time, 1834," he continued, "and took a contract to fill the spaces between the ties with dirt so as to make a roadway for the horse to walk on. It was something of a job, too, for when the road constructors came to a hollow they would lay in enough ties to make the road level, and the spaces between the ties we had to fill. The ties used were cut from the woods on either side of the track and anything that came handiest was used. The rails, however, were selected with care, and were of oak, 16 feet long and six inches square. The ties were notched to receive the rails, then a wooden key was driven in wedge fashion on the outside of the track, holding the rails firmly in position. The only iron used in constructing the road was at the highway crossings. At these points strips of wagon tire were nailed on the rails to preserve them from injury. I remember one Fourth of July a good many people rode out from Medina as far as the road was completed, about four miles, and enjoyed an elaborate celebration. The survey of the road was made by Otis TURNER. It was finished, I think, in 1835, but was only used three or four years. The company owned one car and one horse and made on trip a day each way." * No man who ever suffered from one would think that one definition of a carbuncle in Webster's is " a beautiful gem of a deep red color." * Candidate DITZELL, who is running for Alderman in the Third Ward, has one accomplishment possessed by few men. It is his rare ability to catch birds. He doesn't put salt on their tails, but he puts some sort of a sticky substance on trees, fences, etc., which attracts the birds and, as they alight upon it, holds them fast. It is an old country way of catching birds, and Mr. DITZELL knows well how to do it. * Joseph W. BURKE, the Alexander enumerator, owns a copy of the Attica Atlas of July 27, 1853, containing, credited to the Batavia Times, "the returns of the census marshals to the County Clerk's office from all the towns except Batavia and Bethany." The populations of the eleven towns reported, with the figures of Batavia and Bethany which the Times secured from other sources, was as follows: Alabama, 2,194; Alexander, 1,798; Batavia, 5,302; Bergen, 1,800; Byron, 1,641; Darien, 2,172; Elba, 1,901; Le Roy, 4,253; Oakfield, 1,529; Pavilion, 1,758; Pembroke, 1,664; Stafford, 2,055. Under the head of Alabama the Times said: "There is a boy in Alabama, fifteen years old in April last, who weighs 212 pounds, is 5 feet 10 inches high and well proportioned. His name is Harrison BASOM. He is a smart, intelligent and active boy." Enumerator BURKE, speaking of his work, says that there are only four persons in Alexander 90 years of age or over. The oldest inhabitant is Helen CURTIS, mother of Roswell C. CURTIS, in her 96th year. "How old are you?" the enumerator asked an Irish woman. "Eighty-three years next Lady Day," was her reply. What did she mean? Another person, on being asked if he was born in this country, replied: "No, I was born in Vermont." "It was surprising," Mr. BURKE says, "how few people were aware that an enumeration was being taken. It is remarkable how many people are more or less deaf." * One of the projects which Evlyn F. HOUSE, formerly of Batavia, has well under way in Chicago, in addition to his Silver King mining enterprise, is the undertaking of the International Bath and Hotel Company, with a capital stock of $1,000,000, which proposes to construct a hotel on the southwest corner of Drexel boulevard and Fifty-first street. The land is leased for 99 years and the hotel building is contracted to be sold to a Chicagoan at a stipulated price as soon as the World's Fair is over. The company will operate it, or lease it, during the Fair. The name of the house will be the Silver King Hotel, and some unusual features in the way of silver decorations are promised. It is proposed to make this the headquarters of Colorado people during the World's Fair. The structure will be nine stories high, and will, according to present plans, be equipped in a most elaborate manner, the baths being a feature of much importance. * THIS MORNING'S NEWS. Heavy snowfalls are interfering with railroad traffic in Massachusetts. DUN's report says that domestic trade has gradually improved during the week. Marcus and Abraham COHEN prepared for an explosion of gas in their store at St. Louis by unscrewing the fixtures. They were removing their goods when the explosion took place and both were killed. The insurance money they expected to get amounted to $2,500. It is said Warner MILLER may be dropped as delegate-at-large to the National Republican Convention and that the Big Four will consist of Chauncey M. DEPEW, Thomas C. PLATT, J. Sloat FASSETT and Senator HISCOCK. PLATT's name may be presented to the convention as a Presidential candidate. A murderer named HAGEMAN was sentenced to death by the guillotine at Slade, in the province of Hanover, yesterday. The first time the blade descended it did not sever his head and the executioner tried to pull the head away with his hands, but was unable to, and tried the blade again. It failed in its work the second time and then the executioner took a sharp knife and cut the head away with it. * WANTED.--The ladies of Batavia and vicinity to know that Flora A. JONES sold 316,574 bottles of her famous Blush of Roses, for the complexion, in 1890. Thousands of Batavia ladies use it, consequently every druggist sells it. * BANK OF GENESEE! Established in 1829. The Oldest Bank in Western New York. Offers its patrons all modern facilities for the transaction of their Banking Business. * Money to Loan. We have money to loan on improved village and farm property in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, and Orleans Counties at Five and Six Percent. TARBOX & SHERWIN. * Boston Bazar 55 Main Street. Variety is Certain to meet the desires of most people. We have a Variety. New Goods continually arriving. Boys Blouse Waists 25 c. Boys Shirt Waists 25 c. Fine Outing Flannel Waists 50 c. Finest box paper and envelopes 15 c. Wire Plate Holders 10 c. Whips 10 c. Carpet Beaters 20 c. * Japanese Goods! We have opened a Branch Store at 87 Main Street, Batavia, N.Y. A large and elegant line of Japanese Goods which we will sell at very low prices. This stock includes a Good Assortment of Vases, Rugs, Screens, Plates, Cracker Jars, Rose Jars, Tea Pots, Creamers, Salad Bowls, Tea Sets, and a good many Useful Articles. These goods are all Imported direct and will be here until the First of April ONLY. E.H. YOST & Son, Rochester, N.Y. * submitted by L.C. Schmidt