The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-12-07
A WESTERN TOUR.
Sketch of Trip to Ohio, Read Before the
Union Bridge Agricultural Clab,
6y Member.

1
we saw and otherwise learned may not be uninter-
Ferry) through the Valley of Virginia, past North
| Mountain until we entered the Mountains beyond
Cumberland is varied and in some places beautiful
At Piedmont struck the coal strata, FROM tnIs
point to Deer Park the wheel ana rail- produced
| that peculiar grinding noise which we hear on a
| heavy ..up grade" Here. at the east edge of the
Glades there are fine accommodations for visitors
who wish to escape the heat ana ans OF tne c my
| green with native grass; but beyond TINS park tne
wild fern, the golden rod and yarrah bloom in pro
| fusion Whilst the edge OF the swales the black
alder holds undisputed possession. Five miles OF
| this rough prairie brings the traveller to Oakland
"Deer Park is 300 feet above tide. From the sum
nit down Cheat River, overlooking the grand semi
circle of mountains that enclose this dark stream we
| come to the tunnel "a of mile in length. At New
berg strike the coat vein again, on Three Forks
Creek In drifting into these coal banks the dip is
| towards Taggart's Valley. The water accumulated
and interfered with the mining, tunnel was cut
through the mountain, draining the mine into TINS
that it killed all the fish in the river for miles below
| Arrived in Wheeling at IL o'clock. Next morning
entered Ohio by climbing the rlyer mus iof an
ing the cellar walls of the State, sandstone, COAL
| limestone, clay, &C. l learn from an address py
prof Orion President of the Agricultural College,
| that the soil southeast of line running through
the counties of Columbiana, Coshocton, Muskingum,
Fairfield Ross Highland and on to the river near
Cincinnati are what he calls native Soils which
constitute nearly all the soil in this section of the
hood in which it is found All of the northern and
| western portions, in general way belong to the
blue limestone or Cincinnati group, the disntegra
ton of which forms the soil of the blue regions
| at Columbus was sunk loss feet before the top of
this limestone reached; at Toledo it was reached
at 800 feet; in Cleveland at depth OF 100 feet and
at Youngstown the formation descends to 1000 feet
| below the surface. - 49,. -, -,
farmers are beginning to use phosphate and bone
| meal on their wheat crop. They mix the wheat and
ofc eed r Much the soil reaching through
Harrison and Guernsey counties is sandy ana poor,
| and with our system OF farming would s9on De
| washed away but here stock-raising and woolgroW-
| ing are paramount to every other business anu
hence these steep hillsides are clothed with perma
nent native grass. Harrison county does not Ialse
| wheat enough to feed its people. At Freeport on
saltwater, are singular rocky caverns called
bear-dens about fifty feet deep, and opening OUT 70
wards the valley. Visited of these dens whist
waiting for the contrary flood of this stream 70 SUD-
fall to the mile from this point to its mouth Some
wears ago fiat boats built here loadeo Win Pro
duee and then sent dTing nd dGw too III them long
time 10 make trip. They have now prospect VI a.
railroad to Wheeling me gfadlng bsb Iv be- down
The apple and peach crop are fine and very aDun-
dant Sorghum is raised in considerable quantities,
and it is certainly preferable to old rags 1or syrup
aaneSviIIe is doing heavy business in iron manu-
factories being at the head of slack-water naVlga
| ton on Muskingum river, and connected east ana
west nv the baltimore and Ohio Railroad with i'm
portan points, it has facilities for doing large pus
mess a pleasant ride down the river for 81 miles
| brought us to Malta, in Morgan county. Near TINS
point is burning well: About one year ago gen
tleman by the of Williamson IN boring IOr OIL
in Little Wolfe Creek Valley struck Ssure IN what
is known the Huron Shale at a depth OF ooO leet
Since then constant stream OF oIlent gas mas Det t
escaping; when touched off with ire II puris WIN
an intense light in a solid flame, twenty feet Nigh
This man has laid pipe to his house and now uses
force of the escaping gas sufficient to work pump
in an oil well near by, which yields or parrels Oh
| oil per week company has been formed to con-
yey it to McConnelsville distance OF three miles,
| for the purpose of lighting the town some years
since. in deepening salt-weH below Malsa d VEN EN-
salt in pulsations of once in thirty SECONDS
The gas was utilized by being burned under the
chaldron in which this water was reduced 10 salt
Since the Williamson well has been flowing the salt
well has ceased to emit gas.
counties is the decrease in population WITHIN the
last ten years-Morgan has lost 1900, Knox l,0oO
Ross and Highland considerable, and others, IN
which are no large towns proPoruonate f e
whilst the cities have gained. The owners OF many
small farms have sold out to their more wealthy
neighbors and emigrated west or to the cities. one
large farm i'll Morgan is formed of five small tracts
obtained in this way. The great staples OF this
county are stock and wool. From the town OF Malta
over one thousand bushels of damsons were shipped
this season. and is said that the apple crop along
the shores of the Muskingum fails, the spring
fogs preventing the blossoms from being killed by
frost Rode four miles before daylight to meet the
GAINESVILLE boat, which, in the chilling damp OF the
river passed some large salt works near Taylorsvlle
where 100 barrels of salt were taken on board The
spray thrown up by the large stern wheel of the
.NiIik' occasionally produced beautiful rainbow
of colors spanning the wake of the vessel as it qui-
ptlV
ezcr zane and John McIntire laid out the town.
They established ferry here, and McIntire opened
hotel, the first in all that country 1T was IN
view of the falls Louis PHILIPPE was once guest
at this hotel. 1t consisted of two log cabins about
twelve feet apart, connected by roof There are
several fine fountains in the place. of them is in
the court house yard. The water is pumped into a
reservoir on an adjoining HILL 100 feet high, and by
attaching hose at once to the fire plugs, water may
be thrown above the roofs of the houses by the pres
ID the Licking Creek, by the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad we soon came to some overhanging cliffs,
north of the canal, known as the BLACK Hand Mar
rows" from the circumstance that the Indians used
these smooth sandstone rocks for painting the out
lines of animals and other pictorial writing upon
hence the name. 1T is the scene of many an an
Gent legend and wild hunting story" These clitfs
appear to be on the line dividing the native from
the drift Soils through which enter as by gate,
the gently undulating and level lands o.. Ohio.
Newark is in the heart of a fine farming region.
The county fair is held i'll the Old Fort, as the re-
mains of an old embankment near the town called.
Twenty years ago the State Fair held here,
remains Of the Mound BHlders It is of circular
form, with gateway on the east side, and contains
Just 80 acres In the centre Of the enclosure Is
On 81 miles to Columbus. Near here is seen the
bad effects of land speculation upon the prosperity
here in 1876 the land east of it was held high by
spectators that it has only recently changed own
ers and been improved, but still looks like some
out-of-theway western clearing. The beautiful sit
uation broad streets elegant private residences and
grand public buildings, make this city an attractive
place to visit The drive along State street. for two
miles east, is fine any in the country level and
smooth, part Of the way, ITO feet wide divided by
two rows of NAPLES into three distinct carriage ways
The capitol massive stone building with cHpola
| on top which looks like immense cheese box,
does not display much architectural beauty outside,
| but the chambers, both Senate and Delegate are
large and nicely decorated. The library and flag
rooms are places of interest large bust OF Abra-
| great echo hall, in which modest man fears to
talk loud, for the walls and dome send back. with
Cioodale Park near the mouth of the Olentanzy
river, is ornamented with fine fountains and has a
| fish pond with sloping grassy banks. The park Is
| planted with all kinds of native trees.
West of the Sciota, beyond its broad black loamy
bottoms is the new Insane Asylum, an ii immense
brick structure, containing LOGO rooms, The walls
and Ia qIaFter Two miles afthetf west and 4olFF
miles from the city, on the National Roaa, Is Camp
Chase This recruiting ground for the soldiers dur
ing the war, contains 400 acres Of land ana Is now
divided into six or seven small farms well improved
and in excellent state of cultivation. ride past
miles of cornfields through the old town of Frank
linton, railroads over the river on an iron
bridge, and for two miles along the brightly lighted
| edge of the city.
Our train on the L. NJ R. R. was one of three that
passed out of the west end of Union Depot at TO- A.
| NJ, September SO. The country is pot MUCH im-
proved. beyond the Influence ofthe eity pnlit near
ing Xenia. when the farms began to snow taste
and culture had not seen in the State. The corn.
fields of the Little Miami Valley, like the rice fields
I was shown field that had been in corn for twenty
years; think it will yield this year Is barrels per
| acre. Waynesville, thriving little town in this
valley, was first settled by Friends, who now COM
prise large part of its population Attended their
yearly meeting end then started for Bellefontaine,
Logan county, Retraced our steps to Xenia, which
by the way signifies IA Newly ears Gift then Went
| north, past Antioch College, yellow Springs This
school was founded by that eminent teacher. Horace
| Mann, and promised under his administration fine
results. But alas the mysterious messenger of God
called him away to the school of Eternity and the
blooming promises of Antioch withered and died.
Recently its prospects have frightened an endow-
ment has given it new life. Among its Professors is
]. Burns Weston, the pedestrian. The Little Miami
runs for two miles through very deep gorge,
bounded by perpeIfdi elar locks oyeIhung bY ever
greens, and presents some wild scenery Where the
Students from the college occasionally resorted for
recreation
At Springfield the manufacturing interest is very
large; Die thFee shops Of The Champion Reaper and
A large establishment for building Turbine water
wheels is located near the depot This is emphati.
oally q live town. Waited here over night for our
truant trunks TO on, which, by the carelessness
of the Corwin agent, had been billed" to Dayton
instead of this point.
Belefontaine is near the highest point of land in
the State, yet west of town there are many fine
springs and some swales swampy prairies One
large spring called Silver lake. covers SO acres and
is probably 70 feet deep, II is well stocked with fish,
and in winter large quantities of ice are gathered
and stored in houses on the shore. ~ ~
Our friend, Dr. B., nearly every year goes on a
fishing and hunting expedition to an artificial la Ike;