Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-01-02
JAMES TIMMONs, Editor.
THE COUNTY SEAT DIGESTION.


THE COUNTY SEAT QUESTION.
The county-seat, socillcd, is established
for the convenience ofthe people, and the
voters of each h-county are permitted, un-
der certain restrictions, to say where It
shall be located. The question is one
in which every citizen of a county is in
terested, and one, too, which should be
determined without bitterness Of feeling.
In 1865, a vote was tken In this county
upon the question Of removing the couaty-
seat from Perrysburg to Bowling Green
tnd there was . small majority in favor
Of removal, arising from the want of a
proper understanding of the question by
large number ef voters, who were gov
erned in their action by the single C,
that Bowling Green was a central point.
1t is nov confidently believed that tho OK
peIience Of the people since the removal OF
the seat of justice to Bowling Green, to-
geathcr with better understanding of
the whole question, would insure the
success of propo,iton to rc-cstabli,h
the county seat at Ierrysburg by large
mai i)rity, should the question be subuir-
ted to the people. The citizens of Il W
ling Green ,vilcnly believe c at su'h
would bc tie result, Otherwise they
would not be willing to spend so m 'ch
time and money in fF,rt5 TO preven: the
people from cujoyi,g the privilege Of ali
expression Of opinion upon that su' C
through the ballot box.
Bowling Green has but one reason to
offer in f,vor Of locating the county-seai
ut that place, and that is the fact that she
occupies a central po lion in the county
All other things b, ing equal. that facl
alone should ,cide the question in hel
f.vor but every thoughtful person mus
admit that geographically ntrl lcc
tion may not be a.convtnicLt I ONT, or thai
it may cvtn be the least accessible f al y
locality within The limits of county. Tn
questions Of convt ni-nce and accessible y
cannot always be measured by ile'
alone, for it is al old and true saying that
''the farthest way round is the nearest
way honey 1t requires but little reflec
ton to convince any one that Bowling
Green Is not loc ,ted at point where it is
most convenient for the people Of tie
county to transact their business.
Bowling Green is no mlrket place
No fal lmsr thinks of taking his Pre- duc'
there. The merchants Cf that village
cannot handle grain, pork, Or anything
else which is not consumed by the resi-
dents of the village. Farmers caLno
even get grist of grain ground there, ol
within less than six milcs Of the village
Those persons living in the village, ol
within its immo Giatc vicinity, may pur
chase groc,rits and dry goods Of the VII
lage dealers, but bcy end this tho convcn
ience Of no one is promoted by the eXis,
tnce of the village, so far as general busi
ness is concei ned. There are now, or vii
be, on the completion of the r ilroaGi
running through the county, about twenty
Villages in this county, any onesof which
(unless it may be the village Of Portage
affords better market for the farme
than b pwling Green.
Any farmer who docs not pass through
Bowling Green on his return from mar
ket, enabling him to step on his wa,
and pay his taxes, is unGtr the necessit.
of making two journeys and losing tT'
days time in the payment Of his taxes
one day goir e to market to sell bis pro
duce and get the money, and another da.
In going to the county seat 10 settle Wit
the Treasurer. BY having the county
seat located market place, the ,rme
my skill two birds with one stone"-
sell his produce and pay his taxes, ma
king one journey and one day answer fU
both purposes. 1t viii thus be seen tina
the farmer living at any poiat outside {
small circle Immediately surrounding
the village OF Bowling Green, would sav
time and travel, was the counfy-seat a
Prrrysburg instead Of Bowling Green
Let us take an example. Suppose a fal
mer living two miles this side of BOwlin
Green, is depending upon raising mono,
from the sale Of his fattent hCgs to pa
his taxes. Does he think Of taking ther
TO the county scat, two Mills distant, t
sell them? CeI Itainly not. lie hlu's ther
. ~ y
returns home, and the next day viii! g
to Bowling Green to pay his taxes. Wit
the county-seat at Perrysburg, he coul
sell his pork and pay his taxes at the sam
Place, saving time and the four miles {
travel in gowing to and returning froc
Bowling Green. What we wish TO ilr
press upon the mind of the reader, is III
fact that of the six thousand voters in til
county, not to exceed five hundred {
them would go to Bow ing Green once
year for business purposes, and WHIT
they go there on business connected Wit
the county, they must go at the compl,t
and entire sacrifice OF private buslnes
Another point which should be borr
the county-all Of the well improv,
roads, with perhaps two or three Mine
eXetp iOns-lead TO, or in the direction
Perrysburg, while Bowling Green hi
but one well improved road, and it leaC
from that village to Ptrrysburg. I
reach the present cOunty-seat, it is ne
cessary. for iiye-siXths Of the people of Ii
county to travel on cross roads which Al
not now and never will be well improved
That these roads are very bad, in som
portions of the year, the people need NJ
be told. They are worse than the roa
leading from Bowling Green to Haskin
the nearest railroad sta ion to the count
seat, and it has been so bad that it h'
been necessary to discontinue the line
hacks for several weeks, persons goin
TO the county-seat being compelled
take private conveyance at Perrysbur!
although the distance is five miles great'
thln from Haskihs. Perrysburg was f
many years not only the couuty-sea
but the only outlet and market place f
the people Of Wood county and portion