The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-07-28

a basin of the canal back of the residence OF
General Jarvis. As the balloon was descend
ing and when about thirty feet high, he drop
from the bar into the water, but was too much
exhausted to reach the shore, and sank before
assistance could reach him. All efforts to re-
suscitate him were Intellectual.
A Visit to Ravenna and Glimpses of
Western Reserve-Wealth of Ma
tura1 Scenery at Nelson Ledges.
A beautiful and well developed country
never fails to challenge our admiration and
excite our interest, especially when first pre-
sentsd to the eye. tits natural for people to
loose their interest in objects, in proper
ton asthey become familiar, and to long for
the associations which might surround them
in other places. The toiling mountaineer feels
an irresistible longing to roam at large over
the boundless prairies, where his progress will
not be impeded by perilOus voyages up and
down mountain sides The inhabitant of the
plain, whose eye has long since wearied of the
unvarying monotony, would gladly change the
insipid scene for an abiding place on the crest
of some mountain, where rocks and hills never
disappear. If we are surrounded by wealth
of natural beauty, decorated with the adorn-
ments of art, our restless desires still crave for
change. 1t has become a prevalent theory,
that the country and scenes most remote from
us, and those that are reached by great cost
and difficulty, are the most desirable TO visit.
The truth is half the world live within days
ride of country and scenery which they never
visit, and which in its striking contrast to
their own surroundings, would open to their
sight the essential features Of new world
A wise creator did not store his bounties in
some valley of the East nor shower them upon
some mountain of the West, but everywhere
is stamped some form of beauty, which is ever
varying and changing as we pass from place
to place. All, perhaps, are not rich to the
same degree, for as zone star different from
another star" so one picture of scenery diff
ferenth from another. Yet all are attractive,
and pilgrimages to Mecca are not necessary in
order to look upon attractive scenery. These
reflections were suggested to US during re-
cent visit to Ravenna and other portions of
Portage County. This county belongs to the
family of counties originally under the guardi-
anship of Connecticut, for the ostensible pur-
pose Of planting Western wooden nutmeg
depot, in the dawning light of the star of en-
pire. This plan, however, was not developed,
for when, nearly three quarters of century
ago, New England sent her sons and daugh-
ters to this other world, as it then seemed, it
was found that the strong and brave had come
to ring out chorusses which would terrify,
rather than please brokers in corn stalk fd-
dies, dumb clocks, and other products of Yam
kee ingenuity. The transformation which we
of to-day, who look over the blossoming fields,
with hands in our pockets, have no business
to relate except as quotation. 1t belongs TO
those who stand with STOPPING posture and
whitened locks, under the vine and fig tree,
where once with iron frame and youthful
strength, they swung the ak in the dusk Of
dense and bOundless forests.
Stepping from the cars upon the platform,
at Ravenna, one sees the great industrial pur-
suit Of that section indexed in the cheese fac
tories, two of which are in successful opera
ton near the depot. Passing short distance
up broad neat street, which bears the time
honored name of Main Street, we come upon
the business portion of the town. Here the
street is abruptly widened, by extending back
on one side to the court house, jail and other
public buildings, situated in a nicely shaded
park The business part of the place presents
a compact and substantial appearance, while |
the clean, roomy street and side walks, are so |
Of comfort and cheerfulness, as to |
inspire general feeling of sociaity and life.
Standing upon this business square and observ-
ing what is passing, one may read with ac-
curacy the condition of the surrounding coun-
Try, as well as the social and intellectual stand
ng of the farming community. Neat, stylish
vehicles, drawn by spanking teams, whirl in
rom highly cultivated farms, and give eyi-
lence Of country life in its highest form. This
s the result, both of progressive education
md ancestral blood, for while the country has
cached an age when refinement and educa-
ion are part of its inheritance, yet these
Qualities are iIlumined and strengthened by the
races of New England influences and Puritan
deas, which, though they sprung from a
ountain in another age, are yet distiHguisha-
lie.
Ravenna has an incorporated area of one
nile square, with a present population Of
bout twenty-five hundred. It contains tive
hurches, a handsome public building, and sub
-antial bushes houses and manufacturing in
srests. Two papers are published there and
re well supported Among Its manufacturing
interests, the carriage mandatory of Merit &
.iddle is an especialpride. We were shown
trough the different shops and repository, and
ere forced to accept the conclusion that these
len need have but little fear of compeers in
lis branch Of business. Their trade is not
onfined to local demands, but reaches to the
rye cities of the East and West, and has now
tained a magnitude beyond their power to (
Ipply with present facilities, although they
nploy upwards of eighty men. There is al
moving machine works, glass works, !
oolen mills, &c. +
Improbabiities doubtless prevent the public 7
ind from dealing in extravagent expectations g
future greatness, but with becoming pro l
iety confines its boasts to the morality of a
Iblic sentiment, and the growing beauty of L
avenues and homes. We could fully ap- a
eciate the reason for this feeling, as we T
ssed along wide, shaded streets, by hand Il
me residences, surrounded by attractive
ounds, and saw, everywhere, the impress of '
ste and scrupulous neatness Among the P
est residences that we saw was one belong I
g to DR.. d. R. Jennings, built after his own v
rection, at a cost Of ten thousand dollars. In t
terror appearance and internal arrangement 9
is a model home, being supplied with all the = !
nveniencies which our modern times devise, b
d having about it an air of easy refinement Il
taste that harmonizes so perfectly with true e e
lceptions of home. Country and town n
rch onward hand in hand, with kindred Il
nit and welded interests. The society of II
3 is the society of the others, and the boun- ~
7 lines between town and country are hid Il
Meath the general level of intelligence and b,
inement. During our stay, we paid visit &C
place Of considerable local reputation, in I
northeastern part of the county called D
NELSON LEDGEs. pi
six o'clock one beautiful morning, found Ms. A.
all seven souls, comfortably arranged in a tb
'acious easy wagon, for our ride of eighteen tn
es. Our route took us by rich farms, com he
table farm homes, and amid such scenery ai' at,'
IN undulating country, clothed in ripening on
ducts and wooded ranges affords. On one in
?, the eye sweeps down an easy decline, n; M
r Systematically arranged tiers of we'll So
oed fields, bounded beyond by wooded an,
'ters, or other fields lying gracefully upon S, 30;