The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-19


had lived. Perry CO. would, in all prob
ability, be Republican to-day; for Filler
started in an uncompromi-ing Whig,
and his extensive popularity, coupled
with the power he exercised in shaping
: the political current, would have had it-
/ influence in that day. Abont one-half
/ the people in the county did not pretend
to form an opinion as to how they shonld
vote till they knew chow Filler was go
/ ing"
! William P. Darsf, who was one of the
/ pioneer citizens of the county, moved TO
/ Circleville, and was elected Clerk of the
Court of Common Pleas of Pickaway
county.
/ The first meeting held in the county
! looking towards the construction of the
/ 'Zanesville and Maysville Turnpike"
was in Somerset on the 31st day of Oc-
tober, 1885. The meeting assembled af-
/ ter due notice in the court house, and
as chairman, and DIR. Louis J. Moeller
was chosen secretary. A committee was
appointed TO draft a preamble and reso-
lutions, expressive of the object of the
meeting. consisting Of George Morris,
Henry Dittoe, James Slevin, John F.
Linn. and John b. Orton.
The preamble narrates that the road
under consideration is one of the oldest,
passing through one of the earliest set
Elements and richest portions of the
State, and that turnpiking it would be
of incalcnlable advantage to the citizens
along the line "a well as those of the
State and adjoining States who travel it.
1t was recommended that an act of in
corporation should at once be secured;
then follow The three resolutions which
I give in full, as showing how "our
fathers" made the incipient movements
that led to so grand result as the build
ing of a turnpike, the advantages of
which have never been over-estimated
by the people CT Perry County.
ResoIred, That as the sense of this
meeting, it Is expedient to apply to the
Legislature of Ohio at the next session
thereof, to incorporate turnpike COM
pany to make a turnpike road to embrace
the aforesaid points.
ResoEued, That committe, to consist
of twenty members, be appointed with
power to act with such committees as
may be appointed by the citizens of any
other counties interested in said road,
and to recommend to such citizens to
appoint similar committees to meet with
the committee of this county at Lancas-
teF on the 21st day of Novembe 1885
to consult on and promote the object of
this meeting.
ResolUed, That said committee is au-
thorized TO form and circulate petitions
among the citizens favorable to such
turnpike road.
In accordance with the second resolu-
tion, the following persons were appoint
ed said committee:
Samuel Ream, Thomas Ritchey, Jacob
Fink, James johnson, Louis J. Noel
Ter, John Beckwith, Henry Dittoe,
John B. Orton, John E. Linn, George
Morris, David Pardee, Daniel Griggs,
George Drummer, James Slevin, Jacob
Noles, Michael Dittoe, William B.
Davis, John Comfy, VIM. II. Beard,
Daniel Lidey, John Hammond. John
Law, Thomas King, Charles Mckinney
and Neil Crossen.
this array of old familiar names, to
whom the citizens of Northern Perry
are indebted for the first movement in
an improvement which is worthy to
stand as a monument to their public
spirit and enterprise.
This meeting was followed by others
until the work was got under way.
The abolition question was beginning
to be agitated about this time, and there
was only one person in ten thousand
who could see any evil in slavery, or
who was bold enough to assert that it
was wrong. About the first abolition
meeting in the State was held at Putnam,
where there was a small knot of anti
slavery men. After the meeting had
made its resolves. the leading GAINESVILLE
paper spoke as follows:
"'Tell it not in Gath that at the Alb.
olition convention which assembled in
Putnam last Wednesday, there were
t,Uo black dclegotcs! 0 tempora, o
mores!w
A short time afterwards, the confer
ence Of the NJ. E. Church assembled at
Springfield and passed resolutions
strongly condemning the measures ad-
vocated by the anti-slavery men, 'uhich
lUere calculated to create dissensions betreen
the Stare holding and non-siare holding
States" This was at a time that every
body was trucking to the slave power of
the South. The Springfield paper
backed mp the doings of the Conference
in these emphatic words:
"This expression of opinion on this
delicate subject is as ii should be. and il
ia to be hoped that when our brethren Of
the South learn the true feelings of the
North and West. they will relax in the
lawless inf1iction of summary punish.
ment, and abstain from using such idle
words of gasconade as I'VE say to the
North, BEWARE!"
The Methodist Church, which is al
ways the fret to be aggressive upon an
evil, will hardly understake at this day
to defend the action of that Conference
Indeed, the NJ. E. Church afterwards
became the great aggressive force against
slavery. SENEX.
Mexican ADV are to the effect that
there was hard fighting on Friday near