The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-05-17

HuHHSlN Ou9HVl NdtEd now VI III SplCuCIt
os ich nix defor greaga conf Was soil
ich NIT maner DUP He put out no
wheat that year, His neighbor George
Hantz pursued the same course one sea.
son, when he had sufficient on hand to
last him over the year. And yet the few
yet with us, who lived at that day say,
there was more real happiness enjoyed
among the people then than now, when
wheat commands So 100 bushel. why
is this. thus ?
The history of the township would be
incomplete without mention being made
o; Jacob Gaskins, a colored man, gener-
ally known among the early settlers as
Schwartz Jake. He was born in She
nandoah Valley, Virginia, Of slave par
ents, but manumitted at the age of 2I,
and came to Plain township in 1877.
He commenced an improvement on a
section ofland belonging to John Haines,
of which he had lease of five years. AT
the expiration of that time, with what he
made, and the sale of little property
owned in Pennsylvania, he purchased
25 acres. Without any capital except
the natural endowment of industry and
economy, he accumulated a large props
erty, and although he con6ded too much
in the representations of white men, in
going security and making improbable
investments, his estate at his decease was
valued at over $4,000. He had great
muscular power, and the tales told of his
feats of strength are truly marvellous.
He was always an important adjunct at
'raisings' and 'huskings.' AT the time
of his coming into the State, there was
law in force requiring black men to give
bond with approved security for good
behavior, and that he would not become
county charge. His bondsman was
Jacob Funk, church member and
man of peace. AT raising, Jacob S,
Palmer, stout man and somewhat
given to display of physical strength,
undertook to make a butt of Gaskins.
The latter finally lost his temper and ap>
pealed to his bondsman, who was pres
ent, to give him permission to thrash
Palmer. This being refused, Palmer be-
came more overbearing. Meanwhile,
Funk left the ground, when Gaskins, unN
able to bear it longer, picked Palmer up
as he would a child, and threw him over
a staked and ridered fence. Palmer SUBJ
sided, and the negro was never afterward
molested, Jacob Gaskins will long be
remembered as having qualities that
would be profitable for white men to i'm.
itate.
The county officers shared by Plain to
this date are as follows; Henry EberN
hard, Commissioner, one term Jehu
Grubb, Representative, two terms Pc
ter M. Wise, Representative, one term
Jacob Hostetter Representative, one
term Senator, four terms; John Bran~
don, Sheriff, two terms. Peter Loutzen~
heiser and Jacob Hostetter were each
elected Associate Judge by the Legisla-
lure. From this it will be observed that
the township has been less favored than
others of less population.
Without disparaging any other towns
ship of the county, it must be conceded
that Plain bears the palm in an agricul-
tural point oil view. For fertility Of soil,
average annual yield, amount Of tillable
land, appearance of dwellings, barns
and outhouses, orchards, fences, roads,
school buildings-every thing, in short,
which contributes to make up desira>
BILE locality, it is questionable whether it
is excelled by any rural township in the
State