Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-11-12
JOTTINGs BY THE WAY.

Well, l am heartily glad have
got out of the coal and iron regions
of Pennsylvania and Ohio-out of
the smoke and SCOT and dirt so notica-
ble-because so disagreeable-in all
towns of those sections. But
there is nothing like getting used
to thing, and the dwellers in these
towns seem perfectly oblivious to
the fact that there is anything disa-
greeable-perfectly contented and
happy.
If memory serves me, l closed my
letter at Canton, the county-seat of
Stark Goa very excellent farm
ing section, soil rich and productive,
and under better cultivation than
most of the surrounding counties
farm houses and barns larger and
better, and an appearance Of COM
fort and thrift not apparent in some
of the central counties of the State.
Canton is an old and wealthy town
of 5000 inhabitants. Its site is part
ly on the fat-the business portion,
the Court House, churches, and all
the finer residences are on the hill
and ridge running northward. The
square is very large, around which,
as usual, are the best stores in town.
On the northwest angle, in front of
the St. Cloud Hotel, stands the Court
House and sheriff's residence and
jail-built of cut sand stone. There
are two towers, in one of which is a
fine clock, illuminated at night. It
is large and fine building, and
| with the residence, jail and iron
fence, cost 1925, 900, and is justly re-
garded among the best in the State,
ranking with those of Mansfield,
Sandusky, New Lisbon, &c. There
are five superior churches, one now
building, the German Catholic, SOx-
100, and spire 22O feet. The Og-
den, near the depot, and the St.
Cloud, are the principal hotels. But
the finest residence is that of G. Ault-
man, the large manufacturer of
threshing machines, With one ex-
ception it is the largest private
dwelling l have ever seen. The
main building is SOx9O feet, with the
wing, $50 feet long-=three stories.
There are 81 rooms, frescoed in the
most elegant style by Partisan ar
fists, and furnished in the most lux,
uriant stvle. The cost of building,
furnishing, &C., &c, $175, 200, and
with all the grounds and surround
ings, considerably above 100000.
1t stands to the north of the Court
House, on North Market st., on a
beautiful elevation, and is one of the
most conspicuous objects in the city.
This city can boast of the best anna
teur band, consisting of twenty-five
pieces, in the State. They competed
and successfully, for the prize at the
trial this fall. l bad an opportunity
of hearing them on Saturday. even
ing; all the members are mechanics
in the machine shops or factories,
but. they know how, to manipulate
the delicate instruments in render
ing with power and effect the most
difficult and elaborate music.
In the morning, I heard Rev -
Park, preach an excellent discourse,
founded on Job l, v, .deducing
therefrom the rather characteristic
and novel theme, "Satan at Church"
Satan as a church goer, ever busy
among the worshippers, plying his
arts and begulling the unwary-
whether in pulpit or pew. Though
Mr.. Park is not sensational preach
er, yet his sermon produced-a great
sensation as he announced the top
les and elaborated each clearly and
pointedly, the more salient of which
I will briefly state:
He began with the pulpit-the
arts he plies to seduce the minister
from his true and right course, viz:
the temptation to magnify his own
talents, learning, rhetoric, holding
up self instead of the cross; his own |
words instead of the simple story of |
the cross; the temptation to de-
spondency, unftness for, and want |
of confidence in his own ability, or |
in higher aid; the tendency and in
clination to keep back a portion of |
the truth lest he offend some of his
wealthiest and most influential mem |
bers, and so they withdraw their
support OF drive him from his
charge, thus trimming, and yielding |
to evil for a bread and butter con.
siderstion; that the gospel messen-
gers in these days needed to be fear
less, pointed and plain in their
preaching and battling against evil.
Then he went for the pews, whose
occupants were often hypercritical
of their pastor, or inattentive or alb
sorbed in worldly and business mat
ters whilst sitting in church; others
applied what was intended for them
to some one else; some had 'itching
ears" for something sensational
some scientific essays. others did not
want sound, pointed, pracital preach
ing, or wished him to prophecy
smooth things" and leave their con-
sciences undisturbed; others, again,
took offense at the plain truth, &c.
But / must not weary you; suffice
it to say, if that sermon could be re, |
peated in every church, it would set
many to thinking that Satan does
really sit with them in church mant
times too often, and breaches more
powerfully and effectively to theit
hearts and intelleots than does the
pastor, with his we'll studied and
carefully prepared manuscript or ex-
tempore discourse. /,
1t reminded me of an incident in
he times of the Reformation. One | !