Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-02-07
township correspondence.
BROOKFIELD.

Feb. 1st, 1865.
EDITOR CHRoNICLE:-Since many other
townships seem to be represented in your
columns, why should not Brookfeld-so EN-
inently proverbial for trotting horses and
foot races? 81
Within a few years past, the oil excitement
IN some parts has prevailed TO the extent
that some have almost become ~lunatics on
the subject, in consequence of which, a song
has been put out called "'0il on the Brain
There is now a disease prevailing in this vi
cinity which seems to be due to a similar
cause, and somewhat of a contagious char
acter, which according TO my diagnosis, may
be as properly termed "coal on the brain"
The coal enterprise is continually increasing,
and getting of considerable magnitude
There are four banks in this township out of
which coal is being taken in large quantities,
while another large bank a mile or so south
of the center is being opened by the Cleve-
land Coal Company, which promises TO con-
tribute largely to the interests of our town,
enhancing the value of real estate, which is
already very high. There are many farms
changing hands, the purchasers generally
having ar eye single to the coal that thew
hope to find under them. We are daily
hearing new talk about buying or selling
farms, and continually hearing the questions |
prOpounded, "Any coal under your farm %
''Have you drilled YETI" &c. The next
matter that engages our attention, pertain
ing to the coal business, Is a large group of
wooden houses, in the vicinity of a coal
bank, approaching in size that of a town.
We see at a glance that those houses are the
dwellings of the good husbandmen whose
smooth phizs manifestly show them to be
those who traverse the dark subterrane cav
tiles for the mineral, which, when ignited,
shines so lucidly upon our hearth stones, III
calculably contributing to domestic comforts;
especially when one has an acute, or malig-
nant attack CT ennui, if not a permanent
remedy, it certainly is a great relief to sit and
look v~acantly into a bright cheerful fire and
whistle Fishers melancholy Hornpipe.
Among other matters of interest in Brook
field may be mentioned the fact that there
are only three drinking saloons in the place,
while our adjacent town south has twenty.
made s~ojourns in many of the West
ern and Southern States, l can safely remark
hat l never saw a place the size of this, in
there was as little dissipation as here.
1t is true, however, that the boys nave a lit
lie ''spree" occasionally, or what was tech
lically called in the army 4" a pea warmer"
1t appears that recently there is q peculiar
Kind of whisky in town, that has a specific
upon the combative organs; which !
when having been imbibed rather e~xtrava-
yantly at a party a few nights since, there s
,nsued a regular old fashioned Kentucky
rec fight. Girard was largely represented in !
he affray, among whom was a large man who, +
hourishing very gracefully an iron po-
received a blow from an unsupported
nemy, which resulted in a black eye. An
,ther unfortunate gentleman received a blow
bout the mesial line of his phiz, flattening
ut his nasal protuBerance after the manner
f a contraband's By this time another :
nan, in attempting to bring one of his pedal l
xtremities to bear upon the epigastric region r
f his antagonist, found that the floor few up e
nd struck him in the back of the head. One
f the party that took a very active part in 4
be affray, on being asked, a few DAYS since,
yhich side he was on. very Justly replied, 81 g
on the under side" No doubt the bold Z
cart grew faint from a rehearsal OF the bru- a
Il affair, but 'tsuch is life, and the best ii
in the world have a Glare up occa-
d.