The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1873-07-17
From the Cumberland, Nd, Dary News.
Ho-&Dr nF,Sn

Canton, Ohio.
We passed day last week in the above
named thriving little city, and having an
hour or two of leisure time spent 1t IN
making some observations and gathering
few items about the place.
Canton is located on the Pittsburgh,
Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad, one
hundred and one miles from Pittsburgh,
and eighteen miles from Alliance, where
the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad
intersects the one first named. The coun-
try surrounding is of rolling character,
finely timbered and well watered. As
we passed along in the cars we observed
| that harvest was in progress, and the
husbandman's tickling of earth's ribs had
made her break into a broad grin" of
bountiful grain, which the steady farmers
engaged in gathering.
One accustomed to our mountainous
country cannot fail to be struck with the
absence of "big hills" in the region where
| Canton is located. 1t seems to be lying
almost fat down, and no part ofthe town
affords full view of the balance unless
houses are brought into requisltlon. The
city has about the population of Cumber-
land, estimated by our informant at 12,-
900, although the place apparently covers
larger area efground than Cumberland.
In point of buildings we think Canton
exceeds Cumberland. There are certain
ly more if not finer private residences, and
the Court House Is handsomer building
than there is in Allegany county. The
streets, so far as We saw, are wholly un-
paved, and there RE very few sidewalks.
The city is provided with Holly Water
Works which were constructed the same
season that ours were A supply Of wa
ter is drawn through main from a lake
distant about three miles. They have
gas also, which costs $3, ,25 per thousand.
Canton Is, as at present constructed,
almost a new place. For years it was
but a small, scattered village. Several
years since some wealthy, enterprising
capitalists with an eye to location, put
up a manufacturing establishment IN the
place, the advantages which recommended
the selection being cheap fuel and water,
ample room for buildings, (cheap and
sometimes even for nothing,) low taxes
and good transportation facilities. The
pioneer establishment, We believe, was a
reaper and mower mandatory. Others
quickly followed, and still more are pro-
jected. We have before US hurriedly
compiled list of manufactures in the place
numbering thirty in all, and embracing
works for the production of reapers and
mowers, cast-steel, reaper-knives, saws,
bridges, safes, printing presses, plows,
rakes, cutlery, soap, wooden goods, dut-
ing irons, sash and doors, flour, paper,
(printing and wrapping } and stoves. The
establishments employ in the smallest
about a dozen men, and IN the largest
from three to four hundred-in them all
over two thousand operatives are engaged. |
Of course, the accession of this large num-
Der of people to the population of the
place, with the money they drew and dis
bursed, gave q wonderful impetus to
Canton, and IN few years time it ran up
from about three thousand population to
its present size. Many of the establish
ments referred to are sf large dimensions |
They are built of brick, well arranged for
business, and not bit cramped for loom,
as is so frequently the case inlarger cities. |
The reaper and mower works, safe works,
press works, and soap factory are admira-
BILE buildings. In one or more of these
cases large lots of ground were given on
which to erect the buildings. A rather
active air perVades the community, par
ticularly around the depot, and the whole |
place has business aspect, although |
there was almost an entire absence of
that hustle and rush which strangers
have remarked in Cumberland. This fact |
streets OF Canton. But few drays or wag-
ons were to be seen, and there were no |
such crowds there as on our streets. Lo-
csl traffic, in fact, seemed dull.
Gas and water we have spoken OF. Coal |
is obtained about three miles from the |
city and hauled for use. Underneath the |
place Is a heavy vein of coal, which can |
be brought into use by shafts when ecca- |
sion demands. For the present the plan |
in use is the cheapest.
Taxes IN Canton, Ohio, seem pretty |
high. They are in the aggregate we un- |
derstood, $2,75 on the $l00 We were |
told that q good deal OF this Is but tempo |
rary, and Is owing to- recent extensive |
work on streets and sidewalks, and |
large donation towards county buildings. |
The community is at present deeply in
terested in the construction of the Valley |
Railroad, to run from Cleveland to the |
Ohio river. passing through Canton 1t |
is expected to aid materially IN the de- |
Velopment of the mineral and ore proper |
ties which abound prolifcally in that re
gion.
We have been led into recital of the |
above items about a thriving city on ac-
count of the weil-knoWn hberaiity Can
toms citizens in stepping to the front and |
generously, literally aiding enterprises
which proposed to locate amongst them.
By this means the advantages which they |
possessed were brought to public notice, |
and the result is that to day they have |
one of the most active and prosperously |
solid and rapidly growing cities we have /
ever seen.
When we saw it all we were led to re-
feet that for Cumberland probably there
is chance IN the next few years to take
a stand as a manufacturing place. We |
have every facility that Canton has, and
in the matter of transportation can exsel
that place decidedly. The only thing we /
lack is market for agricultural imple-
ments. For everything that could be |
manufactured here that had to be shipped |
away to be sold we have ample avenues
for carrying, and more in prospective |
Why should we not then before long be /
enrolled in the list of manufacturing cities? |
Gas, water and fuel we have in abundance,
and plenty of ground on which to erect |
buildings. Our own capital Is perhaps |
mostly employed, particularly As we |
have been building so much lately. But |
with the proper exertion outsiders with |
capital could be induced to come here and |
locate. Already one firm from abroad, |
Messrs. Thomson and Paxton, are here, |
and will shortly have their steel works In |
operation. We hope that scores of Others |
like them with knowledge, experience, |
energy and money, will follow, and that |
in few years We will outstrip Canton |
even.
Eff. Kunkeps Bitter Wine OF Iron.
This truly valuable tonic has been Sc thorough
Iy tested by all classes Of the community that it
is now deemed 1ndlspens sable as q tcnic medi- |