The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-12-10
Illinois correspondence,

good old mother, who resides in Por-
tage county. The PREss is received
here regularly and eagerly sought after
in our household. When once taken
up by any member of the family it is
not laid aside until perused thorough
ly, especially the local columns, adver-
tisements and all.
To-day is Thanksgiving Day. Our
turkey was led to the block and sacri-
feed on the altar of Thanksgiving. 1t
was enc of our own raising, and never
paid the profits of the middle man. 1t
had eaten bushel OF meal, costing SO
cents, one bushel of shelled corn, cost
ing 50scents, besides crumbs and vast
age from eur table. Turkeys eau be
bought in the market here from the
middle-men for half dollar head.
We beginstO believe that the mid
die man ia an indispensable being, of-
tea convenient when we have anything
to sell, or when we want to buy.
Winchester il the county-seat of
Scott county, or @Little Scott as it is
familiarly called, from the fact that
it is one of the. smallest counties IN the
state. The town contains about two
thousand inhabitants, and the county
about thirteen thousand. The bust
ness of the county consists principally
of agricultural pursuits. Winchester
being the only town ofany importance
where mercantile trade aud manufae-
turing is carried ON to any extent.
The principal farm products of the
county are winter wheat and corn.
Tie wheat crep is always sure crop
here, and corn never fails of a fair re-
turn and handsome profit to the
farmer. No corn is raised in the coun-
ty for export, it.nearly all is fed to
hogs and cattle until they are prepar-
ed for market. No county Of its size
in the state feeds as many hogs and
cattle as this county. No section OF
Illinois can produce a better grade Of
wiater wheat, which often will aver
age from twenty to otwsnty-three bnsh-
els to the acre 1t is not uncommon
to hear our farmers boast of raising
enc hundred bushels of shelled corn to
the acre. Very little rye, barley or
oats raised in this county. The hay
crop consists of timothy and clover
mixed. The pasturage is blue grass
and clover, white and red. s i
Winchester supports one extensive
pIoW manufsctory, two extensive car
riage and wagon shops, one large fur
niturs manufaetory, three tile and
.stene@warei factories, = coal shaft, 81
feet Hdesp, which employees thirty men,
packing house, two elevators, besides
numerous small shops, mercantile and
business houses that ara usually found
at a western county seat of two thou
sand people. .hs ~ 'si't 9'ioi'f' ..'a
Scott county was once the home OF
the immortal Douglas twas here he
opened his first school as teacher,
and for three long mcnths "taught the
young idea how to shoot" at the log
school house in Winchester. 1t was
here he made has maiden speech on
the "political topics of the day." and
received the applause Of. the hardy
yeomanry who settled at an early day
along the valley of the beautiful river
Illinois, which IS ten miles west of
here. Those honest sons of toll then
told. Douglas they would send him to
Washington. and sure enough they
did send him there, and had he lived
they would have made him President
instead OF that man they call General
Grant '.Little Scott. follows where
| Douglas led when alive, it having
given heartyendorsem atthe polls
of the teachings and policy of the
Little Giant from that day to the
present. ffhe late election it gave the
Democratic candidate, Tor Congress 663
majority over the administration can
| didate. :. In the presidential race be-
/ tween Douglas aud Lincoln the ma
/ jority for Douglass was about $50
Though dead, the Little Grant" still
lives i'll tiLittle Scott.
4 The autumn and fall season here
/ was delightful. The Indian summer
in. the. West is the most pheasant sea-
SON OF ithe-year. Our first snow fell
on the 10Th of November. In three
/ days it had disappeared, followed by
| a twelve hours rain, since which time
/ it has been cool and pleasant
There will be L, 900 .hogspacked in
| this county this winter. The most OF
the hog crop is shipped to ST. 5Louis
| by railroad, a distance Of eighty miles.
The prices paid range from Sc so to
| S7.25 gross Wheat Is only worth 80
cents for choice iWiAi err Corn, SO cts,
| shelled.T Potatoes 81 per bdsheI
! Wood $3.50 per cord. Hard lumber
( $50 10 $25 per thousand feet The
market FOR cattle is dull!Y Good steers
are worth 81 to $3.50 for feeding. Fat
cattle So per 100 pounds. o. lhi Ohe
Lands rate highin this county. Com
mon farm lands, fenced, with cheap
| improvements, sellifroH $50 to $40
| per acre. First class farm lands within
four miles of town, rate at $50 to $lQO
per acre, owing TO the Improvements.
Last month, twenty acres, lying one
and half miles from the court house,
no Improvement except fencing, sold
for $ll0 per acre. seash. There is no
county in the state, without a large
city population, where lands sell as
high as in this county. Our best
farms sell readily at from $50 to $50
| per acre, which is a decline OF ten per
cent. on'prices four years ago.
The health of this Section is always
good, and particularly has it been so
the present season,
More anon. t''''io BUCKEYE.
y iaf--I. .uE-..n 1iY9T -.
In will cost $3.50 a year TO light up
I the city clock of Middletown, Conn.
t.So saGsYthe jSent;1eI A tVifoess Each