Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-01-23

1.-THE Times. now ~ heretofore, complain
Of "the high price OF real estaie' IN 'fon'oi
and talks Of "thc sxtraordnAIy edvsncs q
lots" DO. 40. j,
vanoe' in every ycspectf
that lots III Ironton, are held al any higher rates
taking population. b, siness, prospects. &c. w
10 account, than they are at Portsmouth, ual
Iipolis.. Marietta, VI any Other town Of note Oh
the Ohio nver.
Zeal esiate may decline In lronton, i Is decli
ming almost everywhere clse--has already de
clined in most Of the thriving business citic'
and towns ef the country"
The Ironton Registe,. OF LAST week
throws ou, the above challenge. Tha'
pa per, snow, as heretofore" 10 faithful
and true to the interests OF the land mo-
nopolisis and speculators about this
place. We admit, and take pleasure in
stating, that lronton has had on extra
ordinary advance in more respects than
in the price Of lots. II is with pride
and pleasure that we have from time TO
time recorded the ropid growth and ad
vance of the place, and we yield TO none
in our desires and endeavors to make the
people here and those that shall ccmc
in future, more prosperous still. There
is o point beyond which real estate in
place like this cannot iurthef advance
in price. and the place itself continue
to grow and prosper Persons differ a.
bout their ideas as 10 the true prosperity
of q place. Some think that the inter.
ests Of capital should be fos,ered; ; Others
that labor should be encouraged.
Whether the price Of real estate has
now reached the highest point it is capa
BILE Of attaining within twenty years from
the foundation Of the place, we do not
undertake to say but it is our candid
Judgment that it cannot advance two per
cen, year for twenty years to come.
The very places which the Register
mentions, we had in our mind while pre-.
pairing the article to which exception is
taken. They each afford examples Of
negative instruction on the.folly Of try.
ing TO build up a large place at any
point, however favorably it may be sit.
uated, and at the same time realise large
fortunes off those who purchase and i'm.
prove the lots.
The advantages Of any particular 10.
cality mus, be very ex'raord nary indeed
that will justify SO rapid an advance in
land as there has been here, lronon
had advantages that were worth possess.
ing. il they had been improved at the
,ime-advantages which Portsmouth is
now enjoying. We are not we'll acquain.
ted with the price Of real estate in Gal.
lipolis or Marietta, but have always un.
derslood that it is rated too high in each
Of those places to admi, Of their rapid
growth. An extensive monopoly Of land
about Portsmouth, held by few indi.
viduals. and which they refuse TO sell at
reasonable prices, has kept that place in
the category Of second class cities.
What are the comparative advantages
and "prospects" Of lronion and Ports
mouth .! The former is the depot for a
bout the same quantity Of iron as the
latter. In this particular the advantages
are about equal. Perhaps there may be
a balance of three or four furnaces in
favor OF Portsmouth. Ironton has some.
what more invested in manufactures than
Portsmouth. The balance in favor Of
lronton would be about the value of
Campbell, Ellison & Company's Foun'
dry, the Star Nail Works and J. NJ.
Merrill & Company's Machine Shop
On the other hand, Portsmouth, at the
month Of the Sco,o valley, the termi.
nus OF the Ohio Canal, also the termi.
nus OF o certain broad gauge rail lroad.
that runs somewhere through the Iron re.
gion, and goes on towards the North
There is. too, a graded and grovelled
turnpike road from Portsmouth, through
the Scioto Valley. to Columbus.
That place has a permanent school
fund. arising from land donated for that
purpose by :he original founder Of the
place, and which has tuilt the best Of
houses and amply sustains the teachers.
The streets are graded and gravelled, and
the side walks are paved. Besides. it
has an extensive wharf that is public
property. The building Of streets, the
wharf, &C., are all yet to be done in
Ironton; but eligible uhimproved lots
can be purchased for less, per foot. in
Portsmouth than in Ironton. On this
point, we speak from personal knowl.
edge, having purchased property in both
places.
From the above facts, it is evident