Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1878-11-30
LETTER FROM OHIO.

young friend, typo and citizen, ''struck
out" for the Yves: few days ago. He
has "hung up" in Urbana, Ohio, for
time, and writes back to us under date
OF November &c, as follows:-
DEAR Boss-Having some time on
my hands to-day, l will try and fulfill
my promise to give you an account OF
the country through which / passed on
my journey West / left Martinsburg
on Thursday morning, November l4th,
at 7 A. NJ, via the Cumberland Valley
railroad, for Harrisburg, Pa, passing
through one of the finest farming sec
tons of this Or any other country. /
was very much impressed with the
thrifty look of all the farms on the
route, nearly all of them having good
houses, and fine, large barns, in fact. in
nearly every case, the barn was better
than the house, thus reversing the Vir-
GINA rule of a fine house and no barn.
On nearly every farm that passed in
Pennsylvania, the farmers were break
ing up their land for the spring crop Of
corn and oats. The Pennsylvania farm
ers claim that by blowing in the fall
they get the ground in better condition
for the crops, as the freezing and thaw-
ing of the winter months thoroughly
disintegrates the soil, rendering it as
mellow as 40 ash bank The farmers
through Pennsylvania keep much more
stock than our Virginia farmers, some
farms of 80 or 100 acres having as high
as forty head of cattle on them.
arrived at Harrisburg at IL A. NJ,
and as / did not leave until 345 P. NJ,
concluded to look around little. Har-
risburg has population of about co.
900, and is a great railroad centre. 1t
has many fine buildings, among them
the State House and Lechleil Hotel. but
on the whole l cannot say that l was
very favorably impressed with it. and
was really glad at 3.45 P. M. to take
the cars for Pittsburg, where we arrived
at IL =. NJ, and Immediately changed
cars for Columbus, Ohio. where we ar
rixed at A. NJ, having made the run
from Harrisburg to Columbus, AL miles,
in about 10 hours, or at the rate Of Al
miles an hour. At $50 A. NJ, we left
Columbus for Indianapolis arriving at
this place, 4S miles west of Columbus,
at s a. NJ, on the morning Of Novem-
Der 18th.
Urbana is the county-seat of Cham
paign county, Ohio, and is situated at
the crossing of three railroads. 1t is
the business centre of the county, and
has population Of about six thousand.
1t is well laid off, lies almost level,
and has water and gas works, good
streets and sidewalks, and more hand
some residences than any place of the
same size that have ever visited, The
public buildings are numerous, and
would do credit to a much larger place;
among them are the Court House,
Weaver House, Cer,y Hall, 2nd Meth
odist Church, now building at cost of
about $4,000, and last, bat not least.
the City College, Il free school building,
lately erected at cost of about Sl2O,-
900, not including the ground, twelve
acres, which cost about $4,000 more.
There are also several other fine public
school buildings in the city. There are
numerous manufactures here, among
them the L. S. Car Works, owned by
| Chicago parties, which gives employ
ment to about 800 hands.
Urbana has three newspaper Offices,
two of which publish papers both daily
and weekly. The Gazette and Citizen,
weekly, republican in politics, is the
leading paper of the county, having a
circulation of about 800 Ii is well
managed and paying office, and has one
Of the most complete and best equipped
county news and job offices ia the State,
turning out as good work as you will
find anywhere.
Farms here are worth from $50 TO
Sl50 per acre. Farm hands get from
SIS to $50 per month. board and wash
ing, and as the land here is nearly all
level, with no stones, it follows that the
work is not as hard as it is in Virginia;
also give cents per bushel for shuck-
ing corn, and while | am talking Of
constructing let me tell your Drag
shuckers of Shcpherdstown, who say
they can shuck ten barrels Of corn a
day, that they will have to 'pull in their
horns" as that is no work at all, for
there are parties here who claim to
shuck iweniy barrels, or one hundred
bushels, every day. This is a wheat
country here, immense crops being
grown; this yeai S crop averaged 25
bushels to the acre. There is also con-
siderable corn grown; it will average
about 40 bushels to the acre. Broom
corn is also grown largely, as there is a
large broom factory in this place, which
consumes nearly the whole crop.
Living is cheaper here, l believe, than
in the East, Wheat 80 cents, corn rs,
potatoes 40, apples, the best, 20 and 25
cents, turnips 10 cents per bushel. You
can get good board for 50 per week, in
cludiug lodging There has beer con-
siderable excitement here lately on the
temperance question. They hold meet
ings every night in the hall of the Y.
NJ. c. A; Mrs. Reese, Of Steubenville,
Ohio, a lecturer of some note, and con-
siderable ability, has been addressing
the meetings nearly every night, and
has induced many to sign the pledge.
! We have also had some excitement
over the railroad war, the fare from
/ here 10 Philadelphia, now is only al 90,