Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-05-11
Letter From the ..Corners..
JAsrrn NILS. Nav 9th. 1871

JAStEE MILLS. MAY vlAi ~
EDS HERALD:-Owing to the busy sea
son, have delayed furnishing any news
from Jasper In order that may not leave
a link out for April. must go back and
begin where my last article ended, and
chronicle few remarkable events which
occurred at the Corners during last month.
On the evening of April 7th, considerable
skirmishing took place; such as the throw
ing of stones and other missils. One young
man received a wound on the head either
by a stone or the explosion of shell; he
was borne from the field and placed under
medical treatment and recovered. On the
morning of the 10th, the hardest battle
ever fought at the Corners took place
east of the Postotfice, about stones cast
on the way that gOeth down to GAIA"
The parties withdrew from the field of bat
tie in good order and have recovered frem
their bruises and sprlins received in the
contest. Our people don't hght-with as
much science as Henan and Sayres but the
beauty of thing is, they have the grit. l
must now dismiss the Corners for the
present.
l think there will be nearly full apple
crop, and half crop Of peaches, and con-
siderable other fruits. All kinds of grain
and grass bespeak bountiful crop. Truly
our people are well rewarded for all their
labors, yet it appears hard for US to recon
Gle ourselves to the low prices for which
we have to sell our farm produce, and we
are induced to grumble and complain about
high taxes, but if we could realize double
the amount for all our farm produce, inelud-
ing our stock, we would have the same old
song, high taxes" [ am glad to say there
is only small minority who are disposed
to complain and oppose the building of free
turnpikes, and strenuously oppose the erec-
ton of new Court House, in our County
Seat This class of men imbibed a disease
during the war and the flood of greenbacks.
called the Tyler grip and there is no get
ting over the disease, for it appears natural
with some men; but the building of few
more miles of free turnpike and Court
House, will throw these men into spasams,
and that will either kill or cure them. If
our Commissioners wait for these men to
make public improvements, they will never
make any. All classes of men admit the
fact that our turnpike improvements was a
step in the right direction, although the
building of them imposed heavy taxes on
the people, but they can and are willing to
pay them, and the strongest evidence we
have of this fact, is, that they are still
building turnpikes; and l believe, in the
course of ten or twelve years, that we can
travel in any direction through Fayette
/ County, on free roads. This speaks well
of the energy, wealth and industry of its
people. When we look back some fifteen
years. and see what was the state of busi-
ness and trade in Washington, compared
with the present, the rapid increase in bus
mess, all must agree, has =been brought
about by public Improvements, such as the
building of our railroad and free turnpikes
which enables the farmers to throw theil
produce regularly on the market during tho
entire year, thereby, securing to them 4;
more healthy market These improve
ments, as before stated have cost the peo
pie Of Fayette County, a large sum of mon
ey; yet the agricultural products of the
County have annually met these heavy de
mands, and left to the farmer rich re
ward for all his labors, besides. But some
! may ask: Docs the farmer make money by
these pike improvements | answer, yes
and appeal to the good judgment of the
people, and ask if your lands have not in
creased in value, from thirty to forty, ant
even fifty per cent? Then, where does tn,
farmer sustain any loss, by these improve
, ments? He has sustained no loss, but h
has made ten per cent, annually, by the in
crease in value of his lands, since the tim
these improvements first began, until now
high tide yet; for the more miles of road
built in the County, the more valuable vii
her lands be. We recOllect well when W
: had no railroad through Fayette county
r All felt that we needed such an improve
, ment. Spirited meetings. were called alOn
the proposed line of railroad. All CAV
their assent to be taxed for the purpose c
making the improvement. Even in thos
days there were some "Belshazars,'' whC
: for shame-sake, had to give their assent
) but trembled in the knees for the sake c
4 the almighty dollar. These will, to-day, ad
, nit that every dollar they were taxed t
build the railroad, has made them ten /
/ return, in the increased value of their lands
: Strip US to-day of our railroad and fire
5 turnpikes and l will venture that the cul
: rent price of our lands in Fayette count,
would range from $25 to $35 per acre, an
to-day our lands are selling for from $50 I
800 per acre. Now, | ask if these in
provements have not made this differenc
It All must agree that they have. Then VIII
1t stop making improvements if the peOpl
; make money by the operation as we'll q
: to enjoy the comfort of travelling on goC
roads all the year? Ihis theory will hol
good in another direction, that is, the III
derdraining of our low lands. Some me
T say it is too expensive; tile is too high,
n labor too high, and this keeps them fro
e, every trying the experimel and COZ S
quently they are not able to appreciate IL
value of draining their low lands. No
u this is just like the building of turnpike
- 1t will increase the value of lands ten p
~ cent, from the beginning, from the fact tn
r our low black lands are the most produ
/ tive we have, when once drained. My e
perience, in puttingin underdrains, is to u
:, tile, and l believe a ditch put in with go
- tile, and we'll graded, will last fifty yea
Il l invite those who may wish to try the c
y pertinent, to the tile factories of Elias a
y Isaac Coil. who keep large stocks on ha1
y B