The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-06
SPECIAL Correspondence Cleveland LElDrR,l

-4NSA8 4lg1k Nl INV VI =
Atlantic and Great Western Railway, will
not fail to have noticed with much interest
and even curiosity, the town of Kent tor
merry Franklin, Portage County, Ohio. 1t
is located in one of the most picturesque
positions on the C~uyAhoga river, in an M
dalsting and highly productive country,
with q population highly enlightened and
loyal, and is the central point on the great
railway thoroughfsre extending from Sala.
msncA to Cincinnati, With Q warm sandy
soil, and with slime water privileges for
manufacturing purposes as csn be f. und in
the State, the town Of Kent promises TO be
one of the most thriving and eIterprisihg
in the State of Ohio. This village, former
" called Franklin, wss named after the
present Vice President of the Road, Mr..
Marvin Kent Esq. The part enacted by
him in the construction Of the A. & G W. is
largely understood and appreciated BY the
public At sn ea,ly day Mr.. Kent had
tie ssgacity to see that q line of railway,
running diagonslly across the State would,
at some time, if completed, prove to be the
grand trunk of the railway system of Ohio
and the West, with It's branches ramifging
every section of the country. To see this
was of itself q noble achievement. Mr..
Kent did not however, stop here. With
an sudscity of faith that sssounded others
and for s long time found no sympathy
with others, he set himself resolutely to
work to achieve his ideas. Very few can
form any conception of the magnitude and
difficulty of such a work. 1t was Necessary
10 proceed in such manner as not to excite
the suspicion or jealousy of other railway
corporations that might have desired e
crush the project in the bud. This re-
quired time and infinite pains. Nothing
dsunted, Mr.. Kent proceeded with his
work, embsrking in the seemingly hazard
GUS enterprise every cent of q large for
tune. His devotion was succeeded by lal ge
and generous contributions all along the
line of the proposed route. Three sepa-
rate charters, Ons in New York, one in
Pennsylvania, and one in Ohio had to be
obtained.
For d time the very existence of the road
hung upon the will of Mr., Kent. In this
critical juncture he did not desert the en-
terprise, but proved faithful to the end.
Through endless lsbOrs and difficulties,
however, the road was at length built, and |
Mr.. Kent was st last glsddened by the re-
of the fruits Of fifteen wears of
labor in behalf o: his one original idea.
Mr.. Kent is comparatively 8 young man
yet, and has many years Of usefulness and
honor b. fore him.
But Kent is not only noted for being tn
resideDce Of the pr scsor and executer of
the Atlantic rosd, but is also highly inter-
esting in view Of the present cOnditi IN and
the immediate prospects betoreit. At pres
emit there IS q population here Of shout one |
Thousand. SOsOOn as the shops ofthe Allan
tic rosd are completed, employment will be
for from seven to eight hun
ired men. This, by the ordinary rules of
calculation, will add from twenty-five hun
ired TO three thousand additional people
10 the place. Tie presence of such q large
.orce of wOrkmen will, of course, attract
hundreds Of Others. The organizing pow
sr of the town wi draw to itself trsdes-
men. merchants and a~rtiz4ns of all kinds.
there is urgent need, at present.
If cAbinet-mskers, bOJt and shoe dealers,
carpenters, lumber men and, in short of all
rsdes and occupations by which 3 town is
Three hundred new houses would
ind 6 ready ssle to-day, and capita lists
Who wish an investment both profitable
md secure, would do well 70 turn their at l.
ention 70 this place. Tenement bulldogs
will rent for ten per cent. on the invest
nent. An abundance of town lots can be
at prices ranging from 800 to
400.
Kent is the end of two divisions of the
DAD, and consequently there are being
at this point the finest workshops
hat are TO be found in the county. The
uschine, car, smith, boiler and paint shops
re all building of beautiful and durable
levin blocks o. sand stone. A very supe-
ior qusrry is near sthand where to- day 1
aW one stone split of 200 feet long, 8 feet .
vide and 3 feet thick. This ofitselfis mar
l ne d not describe, in detail, the
ize or extent of the buildings, as they have
been given to your readers on q
ormer occasion. Suffice it to say that
iere is to be built a large proportion of the
ollIng stock of the road, including freight
psssep ger cars, Locomotives and every
hing else necessarily included in the
machinery OF q rosd of such i'm
extent. There is also q very large
otton factory erected here, built BY ZsnCs
Kent ESQ for an eastern manufacturer,
Who wss 70 have furnished the building
Win machinery for l 5000 spindlss, but
Vho failed by reason of financial embar-
Sssment. This great cotton mill will ,
i've employment to over 300 operatives.
Among the manufactures of Ohio of :
pecisl importance is to be included the
Arge glass factory located at tnis point.
{ is st present owned by Day, Williams
Co, formerly Of Cleveland, and Is the
My window-psne glsss factory in Oh
The extent of their trade, already reach;
nsny parts of the East and West may
Inferred from the fact that they emp
rom forty 10 fifty workmen, make Use
,oxes of glass annually, use /,
ons of coal daily, two and one T,
Islf of sand, and one Of soda
sh. 100000 feet of lumber for boxes, and J
hirty tons of straw for packing, are anDu-
lily used. They pay $1,000 monthly for
Their buildings extend two hun.
rel feet along the canal ana railroad, and
re eighty feet deep. The basis of the
lass made here is the beautiful fine white
which underlies the whole town.
The glass is wonderfully clear and free
defects. It is but justice, also, 10 the
Jhristisn character of this firm, to say
hat unlike many capitalists, they have
,uilt beautiful tenement houses for their
vorkmen, where they may live with com.
ort and self-respect. There are seven
Iouble houses owned by the firm, each
wenty-eight by iorty feet.
We are not over ssnguine or extrsva-
rant in saying we are quite confident
hat, with al these advantages, Kent is
destined, before many years, to be a place
# from five TO ten thousand inhabitants,
With q corresponding amount of intslli-
renee and general msrslity. There are
3 number of foe business blocks
nd a large hotel Lere; others will be
erected during the summer and ensuing
1esr. -~r
Young men who wish TO work, trades
men who are looking for good openings
A.