The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-05-21

in a recent lecture delivered IN Inc
Court house, reviewed and in a great
measure repeated the history of Perry
County, with a view 10 show how the
county seat was removed, and why it
should be restored. The question is one
of deep and material interest to the peo-
pie. He stated that the State Commits
sioners of 1918, when the county was
organized, that Somerset was selected.
First, because of its central position;
Second, for the quality of land; Third,
on account of population. The county
then had its present boundaries. Som
erSet necessarily became the point of To-
cation for the county seat, but
The law under which county seats
are established, and which has grown
venerable with age, requires the Com
missioners to purchase lands, not to ex-
ceed seven hunderd acres. to divide it
up in lots, and from the proceeds of sales
to refund the county treasury for cost of
pnblic buildings. This could not be
done in the case Of Somerset in 1918, for
there were no lands for sale near the
point where the Commissioners felt
hound to locate. A. a substitute for
land the Commissioners required the in
FAINT village to donate six thousand dol
lars in money. I get this bit of history,
not only from old settlers here, but from
the report of the Ohio Senate select
committee on House bill No. 146 1859
This was heavy draft on village OF
mediate vicinity who gave from their
scanty means.
sit is almost impossible to convey to
you, after the lapse of fifty-seyen years,
the faintest picture Of the situation
then. Stumpy streets, log cabins, home
| spun clothing, grists going days jour
nev on horseback to mill. the hum OF
the spinning wheel, the noise of the
hand-loom, buckskin breeches and lin
sey hunting hirts,-willing to pay S6,-
| 600 for the location and establishment
of the County seat-S6,00 obtained
| from the sale of coon skins and other
| trophies of the chase; from maple sugar
and tree molasses; from wheat at TWEEN.
ty-fve cents per bushel, when calico wa;
fifty cents per yard, and days wages
| but thirty-seven cents; and barrel o.
salt cost So in GAINESVILLE; 5000 from q
| 81
offering. 1t was equal to the payment
of all the taxes of the county, assessed
for one year, and bore the same relative
value to the population then, that Sl75,'
900 bears to our population now.
"That was the price, and the cOmpar
ative price, paid by the friends of Som
porary location of the county seat o.
Perry county, but TO use the words o
the law of Ohio under which it was To-
Gated, the price also paid for its 'estab
Iishment. The honest pioneer of thai
day, like his children of this day
had no right or reason to suppose
that the great State of Ohio was
obtaining his money, his hard earned
dollars, under false pretense, or thai
this noble State wonld lend itself to de
priye them, or their children, of wha
they had purchased. They, our homes
and unsophisticated fathers, believed
that when Ohio undertook the sovereisT
task of establishing a county seat, anC
Ievying a considerable price therefor, !;
had honor and manhood enough to keel
| its covenant.
"There never was but one Legislator,
of Ohio mean enough to sully the fai
fame of the State-to force price upor
us for an article and then bargain will
others to back them with the whole mil
itary power of the State if we refases
to surrender our rights under the cove
nant with the State-and that was tn,
Legislature of 1S50-51. This Legisla
ture was guilty of an act of unmeasureC
peridy in passing the law by which
vote was taken in 1851 to remove on
county seat to New Lexington"
Somerset has successfully experienced
the earthquake of war, the fever of min
eral land speculation, the agony of rail
road acquisition, and the moral spasn
of the temperance crusade, but all thes
she has survived and in some measur
grown more or less famous upon. He
greatest trial is at hand. Her old-ne,
and new-old county seat recovery is up
on her like Complication of physica
and mental trials and Affections, froI
which she must emerge triumphant o
fall like Lucifer-never to hope agair
Let Judge Whitman retire from tn
hustle and toll of practice at the Cincir
: natl bar, and HE him to Perry Count
to shake his leonine locks in the throt
of mighty rhetoric for the recovery {
the comfy seat, ard again, in the lar
guage of her abandoned Court-hous
motto. ''Let justice be done, if III
heavens should fall" E. B.