The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-11-25
zEDoM THOUGHTS.
BY Tn : EDITOR.

concluded on last Inufsuay morning
to 60 to Vinton Furnace, in Vinton
county, to make personal observation
of the great discovery just made. Of cox
ing the Vinton county coal. The result
of my observations at the furnace viii
be found in another place.
Going to the depot in the morning
overlook Sheriff Ewing, starting to Co
lumbus with Partlow and Smith. They
were handcuffed together, and it was
one of the worst cases of "nigger equali-
ty" had seen for some time.
We arrived at Hamden at 9 o'clock,
and had to wait two hours for the next
train. After stopping at the hotel, went
to the Office of the Hamden Leader, but
the door was locked. An hour later /
again called, but the door was still lock-
ed, and had suspicion that another
my return, found to be the case. That
is all right A man who is low enough
to work for Bowen, could not be expect
ed to stick
Branson Miles, of Webster, was with
me- and when we arrived at Vinton Sta
tion, an express wagon was on hand to
take US to the furnace, three miles east
of the railroad. A switch runs from the
railroad to the furnace The scenery
about Vinton Furnace is romantic and
beautiful. 1t is just hilly enough to rem
der the landscape as fine as the imagina-
tion could picture.
We stopped at beautiful residence
and took dinner Mr. RAIDER one of the
owners of the furnace. appeared to live
there, and his father was also there. but
l learned that Mr.. RAIDER jr. is not mar
ried, and that the fine, healthy looking
intelligent woman who presided at the
table,was the wife of another of the own
ers of the furnace We had an excellent
dinner, and Immediately after dinner
went with Mr.. RAIDER to examine the
new coking establishment on the fur
mace bank While waiting to have our
express wagon got out, Mr.. RAIDER show
ed us his chemical apparatus, for analyz
ing the various minerals. He is quite a
scholar and meteorologist.
Getting into our old ''ramshackle' ex-
press, we returned to the station. over
the same miserable Ioad-the worst
ever saw, except the coal road from
jackson to Bierly's. We had to remain
at the station and wait for the accommo-
dationC) train until 81 o'clock. There
is withering sarcasm in calling this the
accommodation train, as there is not one
single feature about it even squirting to-
wards accommodation.
Our train took US to Hamden at
o. clock, and after a good warm supper al
Tommy McClure's tavern, retired to
my room, clean, warm room, with
writing these few lines.
Before | retire for the night permit
me to say few words about Hamden
Nearly every city scribbler who stops in
Hamden has some fling to make at the
venerable old town. l knew Hamden
thirty years ago, when it was called
Charleston. Nearly all the old houses
yet rem ain. But there are many new
ones" and "true ones" as the immortal
j. Wesley Wallace was wont to say. In
going the distance of one square, from
McClure's hotel to the main street, at the
store of Mr.. Wilcox, you pass some half q
dozen saloons" and drug stores" and
billiard room. did not hear any
drinking or carousing in these establish
ments, nor did see any drunken men
on the streets, or about the depot. but
met several young men in this locality
whose noses were pretty red, and several
noses were badly blistered, evidently the
result of bad Hamden whisky.
What Hamden needs above all things
is irst-class fire, on some dry, cold
windy night, that will sweep over the
entire village, and thoroughly clean il
out. Some good buildings would have
to 60; but the sacrifice could well be
made, in order to get the saloons" and
scores of old outhouses cleaned out. Ev
| to have from three to half a dozen miser
able old stables, coal houses, hen coops
privies, cow sheds, smoke houses, dog
kennels, &C., attached. These are only
an incumbrance-a scab, or a wart, as il
were upon the face of the town. There
is enough good kindling wood in Ham
den, to supply all Vinton county during
the entire winter; but the citizens,
fear, will never burn it voluntarily; hence
good providential fire would be great
blessing.