The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-01-18


We publish the following interest
ing letter from an old and esteemed
citizen who recently went east for
medical treatment:
BEREA, Ohio, Jan. IL, 1872.
Mn. EDITOR - Dear SHs 81
intended to have accepted your
kind offer Of q letter Of Introduction
to your brother at Cleveland, but be.
ing so busy arranging my business
for q few weeks absence, it slipped
my mind.
1 left Ottumwa on the $40 train,
P. NJ, of December 10th, previously
telegraphing to Burlington and se-
curing a sleeping berth to Chicago,
and arrived there one hour behind
time the next morning. After break
fast at the St. James, / concluded to
lay over n train and view the DESC
lated city. l left on the 5:l5 train
train for Cleveland. On my arri-
val there | found my stay was to be
at Berea, IL miles this side of Cleve-
land and one mile off the G.. C. G.
and Lake Shore R.R. There is a little
incident connected with the nameing
Of this place that is somewhat anus
ing. Two men by the names ofShel.
don and Brown attempted to form a
little community on the plan of the
early christians, but being more sell
fish than they, Gas people generally
arc now-a-days) broke up in a muss.
1t was thought the place had, how
ever, assumed importance enough to
have q name, but they could not
agree as to what it should be, each
party having their favorite name.
They concluded to appoint an even
ing to pray over the matter and
leave it to Providence. They did 50
and waited till next morning, but did
not know how to get the answer
They finally concluded to toss up
coppers and the one that got heads
twice was to be the fortunate one.
Berea was the lucky name. Berea
has . population Of about twenty-five
hundred inhabitants, and from the
fine public school house, orphan asy-
lum and college, besides several re-
spectable churches, would Judge the
people were about the right stripe.
1t is 50 overshadowed, however, by
Cleveland that it will never be a
place of much note except in the ar
| ticle of stone, from which the very
celebrated grindstones are manufac-
tured, known oil over the country as
the Berea Grindstone. The ~quarries
are immense, affording employment
during the working season for five
hundred hands. There has been
shipped from these quarrieA during
the past season, including block and
grindstones, 13,146 car loads, averag-
ing ten tons to the car, 13l,46O tons.
The grindst0ns businesse itself lis
an item of some Importance. The
business amounts to 80 tons per day
for sever months in a year, amount.
ing to $3.50 tons of grindstones. 1t
is astonishing to sea with what speed
they are turned. Perhaps some
would be curious enough to know
the process. The chisel is u com
in thickness, with the end drawn
to nearly a point and turned up.
The stone is brought into the rough
shape of grindstone, a hole made
through the center with a pick, nut
on to an iron shaft and set in mo-
ton. The iron described above Is
then brought into contact with the
stone, with the lower end resting on
a fGicrim four or i've inches from
it, the bar held firmly in both hands,
and in from five 10 ten minutes il
comes out a grindstone as we see
them. Until the bellows was in
vented to blow away sthe duet the
turning OF grindstones was the most
unhealthy business a person could en-
gage in. The constant Earring of
the person that holds the iron, to-
gether with some dust, makes it
still unhealthy.
l should judge that Chicago would
be a great market the next season
for these stone.
l expect to get leave to be absent
q week or ten days to visit some
friends down in old Licking. l shall
return this way with my face turned
toward Ottumwa to greet friends and
dear ones at home.
Truly YOURS. M. Il r