Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-10-19
CONTEMPLATION.
ALIEN CnZNTY

ALLLH " OHII.
Besides the usual meeting of passen-
gers, the headdchy rumblin, of wheels
and rafting windows, sIamming doors,
bridesmaids calls and Conductors pass
ing lanterns, there were but two inter-
esting occurrences in my ride from
Mansfield to Lima. The first was, that
upon entering the car saw two pure
white, very broad and broken-brimmed
bOnnets- Under these were two fe-
males-one in the freshness, perhaps,
but not gayety of maidenhood, the
other past middle age-both dressed
plainly, and sitting upon the forward
corner seat with doxncast eyes and
looking as meek as doves. A passen-
ger told me they were "sisters of char
ity," had come from Piitsburg, and
had been attentive to persons on the
train needing any little assistance.
L sat down with a young man and
began to interrogate him whence he
came and whittier bound. He was not
at all unwilling to communicate, and
confided to me what did not pIom-
ise to keep. He hailed from Pennsylva-
mia and was bound for Iowa. His
uncle in Iowa had induced him form-
erly to come out West and buy piece
of landss While at his uncle's the lat
ter was very kind TO him while his
money lasted, and took frequent occa-
siOns to borrow. So when the young
man was ready to return East, his
land was but part paid for, and he had
barely enough money t, tlke him
home. Meanwhile lie s'had saw" girl
out there, and engaged. She wrote to
h m quite while in Pennsylvania, and
finally quit telling him she'd heard he
hadn't very good name. 1t was his
opinion that his unc,e had made this
| up and told her, so he wouldn't come
back 10 Iowa, and he might keep the
money he had borrowed. He had been
treated mighty mean and was going
out to straighten things up, and il
lshe'd believe him and have him he
was going to get married.
J He then showed me her picture. He
1 had started from home in a hurry; had
lust about enough money to take him
to Iowa and bring them back; had bor-
lrowed his brothers. watch; had one
lshirt on and another one in his valise
to get married in; and s.them at hoTne''
would be surprised when he should re-
turn with his wife. He had II pistol in
Ibis pocket, which he showed me, say
ling he didn't know but what he might
need it if he "got into ftlss' with his
uncle / thought word of admoni-
ton not out of place here, and express
ed the hope that he would have no oc-
tcasion to use it.
Lima, the C0unty-seat of Allen,
|; numbers about 5000. It is situat on
high ground compared with the coun-
: try around it, and does considerable
business. The streets are paved with
flat fOssiliferous limestone, which ex-
hibits most beautifully what are known
to geologists as ''Sun Cracks" that is
cracks formed by the drying of the
material in the sun previous to petre-
faction. These stones are found along
the streams. At Bluffton, in the Nor
thern part of the County, the citizens
bored to a depth of 123 feet in search oi
whatever might be beneath, and al
that depth the same thin layers could
be detected by the working of the au-
CUR. The result of the boring is an ar.
tesian well of white sulphur water
!. There are also, several wells of water
,, South of Lima, at atdifferentdepths from
I to 80 feet from which the water flow:
, at the top. The country is very flat
! and subject TO bilious fevers and ague
! though tits undergoing a thorough sys
tenn of drainage, which work is requir
|; ed and regulated by law.
There are some cases of milk sick
ness, but like the weed which causes il
y sis not just round here; but over there
: two or three miles there's plenty of it. ,
The people seem contnnted however
!. and many having been brought VI
here "don't know where one would gt
!. not to have ager." The soil is very
rich and produces az large corn as
+ have ever seen. I measured stalk
which farmer brought in. 1t meas
ured 9 feet from the root to the tip o
], the ear. He said he had made no par
ticular effort to find the tallest. Tt;
timber is a mixture f b ech, elm
white, BLACK, AMI lue ash, walnut
buckeye aud. burr oak.