Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-02-04
The County Seat-Delmlnt.


me question of the day, and as you express
Four willingness TO give all parties Con-
cerned a chance 20 be heard. and as St.
Clairsyille aid BellaIre have both lac their
say thr oush the public papers, it would
seem necessary, if We wish to keep pace,
that a passing notice, at least, should be
given to the merits of Belmont.
That tue county seat, at its present loca-
ton, is not the most convenient for ali the
of the county, | believe is not de-
MED; and that a majority Of The inhabitants
of the county desire a removal TO some
poiut. ] think must be evident TO all who
are comverssnt with the feelings Of the
people. But whether they can concentrate
on a point remains 10 De seen.
Bellaire seems TO think that owning 10
the system OF R-irJads now passing thr,'
our county, she is The poin: TO hich a re-
r.oval should be made. So far as railway
GosoilnStS ak ltuNCistu u We CUNIit slIt
has equal advantages with our place, and
no more; and as To any other advantage
she is far behind US. But NY object is not
30 much TO deory the advantages that any
point may think they have, as to present in
u fair light our own, as | think every point
shuuid make the best show they can, and
then cheerIul!y submit TO the maturity -
The first advantage is that We are situate
Immediately on the Rail Road, and, so far
as that may be an argument in our favor,
are equal with Bellaire or any other point.
In The second place, We are near the
centre OF the county, geographically, being
but one mile North Of it. taking the county
from North to South, and but two and one
half miles West. taking it from East To
West, which We take TO be near enough
for all particular purposes; and then we
have the advantage Of as good coua,v roads
and a. many, if not msre, than any other
viilage in the co unity. Further, " e are but
Il rec miles rom the National Rad, at the
nearest point, and a sooG graded rold, te
McAdamize which would BE- much less ex-
pensive than to make one from ST. Glars.
vile to The Rail Road at any point named
by them. In opposition to our Geographi.
cal position, it Is claim.d that tie river
townships, particularly Pultney and Pease
owing to the Will ges in them. would re.
move the centre OF population nearer St
Clai. sviile than Us. In answer to This We
would say that from conversation with tn,
business mtn of those places they admi
that the citizens of those TOW nships cnr
attend 10 county business at this point witt
more comfort and much less expense thar
they can at St. CIairsville, he convenience
of Railroad more than making up for differ
ence in distance. So far as beauty AM
healthiulness OF location is concerned, ",
claim to be second to no place named.
As to the expense of removal, which
seems to be the great bugb,dr with St
Ciairsville, we ihi k the dose given IS $,
large that it will soon work Itself off, ant
perhaps leave the patient in a more health
condition than before it was given. AM
by the way, how long has it been sine,
those anti-removalisis have been seize,
with this econdmiziug fit, and sueh a low,
Tor he interests Of the ''dear people" W,
think the symptoms were fist discovere,
about The time they began to see the peopi,
were in earnest. And we would here be:
leave to apply the ciosing remarks of thei
committee to themselves, that is if thos
who are SO clamorous against removal Ji
not consider the removal an injury to them
personally. We would hear but little if an
opposition from that quarter. But to re
turn to tine expense of new buildings. ]
appears that Bellaire has brought the mat
ter down to a practical point, and has a
agreement from a competent and respuns.
bic 6uilde' that he would build o CUur
House and Public Office for a fraction les
than So 800, which would be in every res
pect more cUmmodiuus and better suited I
the business of the county than the one
now occupied ever were; and that the in
and ~Iailor's house would cost say Sc 60
more. making the who e cost a fractio
over Sl4 600. Some say this estimate
too low. and for the sake of the arIumer
we will admit Il. at the Court House won
j cost from $4,000 to Sl4 600, which Won
not only build a comfortable house, but on
S that would be an ornament to the count,
: This then w,u!d m he the whole cost frol
$4,000 500 oG.
This amount, ii the whole of it shou!
be raised by taxation and in one yea
would add just fifteen cents tax TO the hui
bred dollars, or, 10 make it plain, the ma
who Is now taxed ON one thousand do,la
would have just $3.50 more to pay, and Il
man Sho has ii, Thousand dollars on II
: lax duplicate, would have an add tional t,
oil just $3.50 But is is uo~a ar stat
ment. Rem We The county scat to til
o place. and We will agree 10 raise by vulul
tary subscription at least oEe-half Of Il
amount; that would reduce the tax to Sc
ehty i've cents on the thousand dollar
. which would be required TO be paid in tN
years; SO that the man who has FIVE thou
, and dollars on the tax dup icate would h.,
, in addition TO his other taxes just 81 s.
> additional 10 pay for two years. T'his is
a fair and just statement OF The case ana
the expense of removal seems to be Il
: only objection urged by those oDpcsed "
{ Will expect TO hear no more from them c
that score. As to the present county bull
j ings being good and substantial, and suf
: Gent Tor fifty or a hundred years, we thin
Z those who signed that certificate must hav
u good deal OF the commodity called gu
elastic in their consciences. PERHAPS the
views may be correct, but We think ii
buildings in that time would be like ii
j" boy's jack knife, have so many new bad,
and handles that there would not be nut
=" o the old knife left. But if there real
is SO little necessity Of a removal why {
the citizens Of ST. Clair: vile !rar to sui
NIT the question to the voters of the count,
Are they fearful that they cannot take ca
of their own interests, or are they leartr
that the interests IF their tow NAV /
made to suffer. As TO the Rail Road sal
scription that must he provided for in Il
m, VI few, yo,rs end ,ba+ Soc ,.. -. Il