Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-12-14
For the Portage Sentinel.

Mr.. EDITOR: The awkward attempt, by the ed
itor of the Whg, in his paper of Nov. %, to
at the late appraisement of real estate in Portage
County, because indeed, that appraisement was
made by democrats, his characterizing it as "Loco
foco retrenchment and reform at home, for the
love of the dear people," has induced me to
careful examination of the Abstract, of the CO.
pious Statistical table furnished by the indefatga
BILE Auditor of State, for the state board Equal
ization, and find nothing therein to justify CEN
sure, or indicating that the District assessor of
of Portage have not done as near exact justice in
their opponents, as those of majority of the
counties of Ohio. On the contrary, it appears
that Portage is of the eight counties out of the
SS in the State, in which the average appoint
ments of the recorded sales of the six months pre-
vious to October l, do not vary quite 80 cents an
acre from the average price at which the same
land sold,- fair indication that our appraisement
was not wide of the real value. Yes, while the
record Of sales in other counties showed the ap-
praisements of two dollars, 5 dollars, 10 dollars,
and IN one instance an average or Is dollars on
one, below what purchasers gave for the same
land ours was within Al cents of the exact price
that purchasers gave for the same land, on an
average Of the sales in our county.
| If Mr.. Wing will make up another column OF
appraisements of the counties about ius, includ-
ing only those that join or corner on Portage, he
will find that the average is more than % dollars
an acre, (22 12) while the average of Portage is
but 20 73. He finds fault that Portage is apprais-
ed 95 cents above the average of the State
Will he insinuate that Portage is not better than
an average county of the State, populated as it is
by more than 25 thousand people, and vast cap.
ital invested, first rate railroad and canal
piercing its centre, and nearly every farm i'm
proved, having also a good soil and good water
| power.
| l would not indeed, be uncoveteous to my
friend, Mr. Herrick, 1 think appreciate and fully
commisserate his position. His paper is the or
gan of party SO signally and repeatedly defeat
ed here, in county where it had so long reigned
triumphant; and now, in the absence of all real
cause of complaint against the democracy, he is
compelled to conjure up some imaginary fault
and change it on "loco focoism,'' submit in ST.
lence, and thus tacity admit all is right on our
part
| Perhaps Mr.. H. only intended his article to aid
our member of the board of Equalization to re-
duce our valuation, to make it more nearly cor
respond with other counties that have been ap-
praised for below their real value, as was Ashta-
bula, appraised at an average of $lO,4O per acre
though the average price 1909 acres sold was
$ls,ll, and the same land appraised at but $l2
27; but little than two thirds of the price ii
sold for. Ashtabula he will remember, was the
old banner whig county, and we may presume the
appraisements there were not made by the much
despised s'loco foco's.''
We may we'll thank the "loco foco' State
Auditor, whose clear sighted vigilence procured
the records of deeds to be searched in each coun-
ty. to show the State Board of Equalization the
value>o of lands, indicated by bona fide sales
thus to counteract the tendency of fraudulent OF
ill-judge appraisements.
| By the blanks left in the abstract, however,
conclude all had not, when the abstract was
printed, complied with his directions in that re-
spect, nor with the law in several other particu.
lars. The returns however from Portage, not
withstanding it's ssloco focsm," enabled the Aud
itor of State to give the returns in full from this
county. Respectfully,
| J. HARMON.
\ A. Do-Ho Cnrt