The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-04-13
Letter from the State Capital.
CoLuMRus, April s, 1876.

CoIuMBUs. April S,lS76.
Lands are presumed TO have value
for farming purposes very much less
than for some other purposes And
the laws of value ordinarily hold good
in real estate. as in other departments
of trade. But even here we meet with
anomalous exception, among which is
one here in the Capital city of the
State. Less than one half mile from
High street, the business street of the
city, on East Broad, the "Fifth Ave-
nue." of the town, is to be seen a little
farm of thirty or forty acres, which,
under the provisions of will. is to
remain intact for nfnety-nine, years
from the probating Of the will. This
property belonged to Alfred Kelly,
name familiar to all whose portion it
was to handle the cred dog" money,
The issue OF the Ohio State Bank, the
business Of which closed up about the
time the civil war opened. Seeming
ly determined to immortalize his name
and, so far as he coaid, his prOperty'
| he forbade any division of his landed
estate for the time mentioned. Wheth-
| er his purpose will be carried out to
| the "end of time may and may not be
j done. Before the eninety and nine
! years revolve around the city fathers
! will, iuall probability, lay the hand of
taxation SO heavily that somebody's
| purse will cry out.in anguish AT the
Gland grabbing spirit OF the old buffer
! whose real estate prnedivities even the
grave could not squelrh.= Even now.
with the silver trimmings, of the cof-
! fin of the dead hardly tarnishetl, in
| obedience 10 the fat t'dust thou art
and unto dust thou shalt RETURN lots
/ from this farm are being leased for
building purposes, and probably when
the real interests OF the city demand
| 1t, dead man cannot deter sOulless
city corporation from opening streets
through this property, rs the growth
of the town may demand. Wealth
has power to answer to the demands
of living man's3wiIl, but it also has
power often to defeat. a dead mans
''will." ..-..+,,, .....,.- s4-,.lt..
The first of the week the States
Prison needed just one more inmate
to make the even fourteen hundred.
Probably this missing link" is found
before this time and has taken his
place. 1t is proposed in the General
Assembly to arrange with the city of
Toledo to receive a limited number
of Juvenile offenders into it's Work
| House. The substantial reasons urged
| for this arrangement are the crowded
condition of buildings of the Reform
Farm, and the crowded condition OF
the Pcnitcntiary, as we'll as the unfit
ness Of the associations for young Of
| tenders i'll the States Prison. Moth.
ing seems to hinder the arrangement
unless it be distrust that Toledo, the
city of large expectations, will .'play
sharp in the way of compensation
1t is desirable in the premises. if such
all arrangement can be made, that il
should be affected. 44a 4.ij re
Municipal corporations still haunt
the halls OF legislation with thcil
wants, most of which relate to taxa.
ton and TO corporation debts. There
seems sort OF "irrcpressible conflict
between the tax payers and the hold.
crs of city debts. Corresponding with
this comes up the cry, (disinterested
OF coursc) from the county officials
against the County Fee Bill" of last
Winter. III is worthy of remark thai
the act did not satisfy lis friends al
the time of its passage, nor does il
seem to satisfy any one now who has
carefully examined its provisions ol
observed its workings. ii.H
Since writing the above the bill
sideratiOns did not obtain in the dis
cussien upon the merits of the bill
nor upon The final vote, The leading
members of both parties advocating
the bill, while some prominent men
opposed it. The discussion disclosed
The many difficulties that beset The
subject. AS The closing days of the
aession come on, the usual amount ol
Belknapcry begins TO crop out in the
modest requests of members, as they
ask for a little stationery TO he sent tO
-
very large families in the State, il the
members of the same are to have only
i one inkstand, q dozen pencils. and q
score of penholders each. One mem
ber who has been exceedingly blatant
for economy, in State expenditures.
gobbled so many pencils and pens
that the question need not be asked il
he were an editor. for in no other
calling could so many be used up, un-
less he were in the stationery business,
but like Dickens character, he still
seargant who has dealt with more
check, probably, than any other man
in the State, finally said, "Wait a lit
tie, Mr.. f., 1 am having 4 quit claim
deed for the State House and grounds
made out for you"
AS we may have mentioned before,
we will speak of two facts, relating 10
the work of the General Assembly,
| quite anomalous. The one is the de-
mand for an early Adjournment, and
the other is to send up demands for
immediate legislation OIL the last days
Of the session, as is true of this Lcgis-
laturc, as of its predecessor. AS an
Instance this Saturday morning comes
an imperative call for an enabling