Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1865-05-11
For the Gallipolis Journal.

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For the Gallipolis Journal.
In tracing the progress Gallia
county has made, we come to one
conclusion, namely, that the county
is self made, aye; even more, and we
risk the assertion, that more capital
has been made in the county, end
carried away to to be employed IN
other places than ever was brought
into it, by any manner of means
whatever. When the French colony
settled Galllpolis, those who had
money in considerable amount, soon
decided that the country around,
must begin in a rural way, and 30
re main for an indefinite period, and
hence sought other places, where to
invest their money and employ their
talents. When men with a large
amount of money in their pockets
came into Gallia, their remark was,
''the country is too broken, too much
poor land" and SO went farther west,
yet at the same time Gallia county
was well suited to the condition of
those with moderate means, and
hands willing to labor, hence the
primal condition of Galiia, was indus
trious poverty, yet at the same
time all those by their industry had
generally secured for themselves a
competence. In the spring of 1917,
we landed in Gallia, and found as we
thought almost paradise for man
to live in, the climate so mild COM
pared with that of Vermont, the en-
tire forest covered with vegetation
that served all the farmers need with
pasture; and the wild deer so plenty
that fresh venison was never es-
teemed rarity. Domestic animals
all fat and sleek, requiring no care
other than to give them salt TO keep
them tame, thrifty orchards in full
bearing, the soil In an almost vir-
gin state, produced crops that to a
northern man, were abundant beyond
expectation, and all the appliances
nature bestowed seemed well adapt
ed to the wants of man. But nature
could not supply the necessaries of
life. Commerce only could do that,
and IN those times commerce be
tween the Ohio river and Atlantic
cities found the Allegheny Noun
tains interposed, and or every pound
of goods of any kind hauled over the
mountains, the consumer paid ten
cents for freight, while none of the
grosser staples of the west, such as
flour pork, DC, would pay freight even
as back loads. Horses and beef cat
tie were taken to market on foot,
though the returns were small owing
to the long distance driven. Ginseng,
Feathers, Beeswax, Furs, Deerskins,
and some other light articles were
/ sometimes bartered for goods in the
stores at low prices, but the balance
was ever against the consumer, 1.-THE
farmer The land offices and for
eign owners of land in the yankee
purchase, with merchants and ira
ders, all conspireG to gobble up
every dollar that found its way into
the Ohio Valley. Wildcat currency
dealers tried their hand at supply
ing medium, which only made bad
worse, and from 1922 to 1926, a
county could not have been worse off
in financial matters than was Old
Gallia. Wheat stacks rotted because
no one would pay even twenty-five
cents in money Tor bushel. The
raising of hogs was neglected, for
pork sold from 81 80 to two dollars in
quantity, paid in store goods. 1t was
dark period. Steam broke the spell.
When the old v Velocipede commenced
making regular trips from Louisville
to Pittsburg. every man woman and
child, ran to the bank to gaze in as
tonishment at a ship as it were, run
ming of its own power five miles an
hour, up stream in the Ohio. We
heard though doubling, a sagacious
old man say to the crowd ''now is
the commencement of good times.
That boat leaves some money to day
and takes away three hundred dol
lars worth of produce, and the money
or something we need as much will
come back to us when she returns.
Now we need not be in despair II
was about the time of which we
write that the public mind became
sensible of the necessity of public
Improvements, after some agitation,
the system was perfected in Ohio
and the work was begun. Then la
Dor obtained money for reward. A
new impulse was instsntaneously. OBJ
served throughout, the state for eact
We'd with the other to produce tbs
greater amount of wheat, beans
wool, pork, beeves and horses o.
what ever would sell for money. A
bright day has opened, and til,
whole State and old Gallia as part
! bounded ahead An old resident o
the county in 1886, said to US, 9th
8 times are good, waited forty years
and I almost despaired of ever see