Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-08-13
ROME


sor road, west Of the turnpike in Coebrook.
1t now appears that by some means one
Sidney .Beckwth got himself elected as
Supervisor in the district, where portion
Of this road is situated when in due time
he called out some Of those subject to a
road tax, and ordered them to pillow up
the travelled road west Of and adjoining
to the north and south turnpike. When
informed Of his wishes, most of the men
refused to work and paid their tax in
money. Tie then plowed up the south half
OF the road for about 10 rods in length.
and made a narrow track against the Usage
orange hedge Of Deacon Lorenzo Allison
owner Of the land on the south side Of
the road. This track when finished was
barely sufficient in width to pass with
single wagon. He then cut deep ditch
on each end Of the old travelled road so
as to compel the people to travel the new
road or none. The trustees at once called
the attention Of the county Commission
ers to the subject, who on viewing the
!
help and place the road back on its for
mer bed-to keep an account Of the ex.
pense which the county would pay. This
done the Commissioners brought suit
against Beckwth before Justice Reeves for
that amount, and also for their own time
spent in the premises. The witnesses in
the case were examined by Hon. r. G..
Wade who appeared in behalf Of the
county. The Justice on hearing the tes-
timony gave judgment for the whole
amount claimed, which will not likely be
reversed by jury of our county. And
now as this road matter has become
a public matter in which our whole county
is to be interested we had thought that
al plain statement Of the case might not
be out Of place. First then, the defend
ant is farmer and man Of large
wealth, both in lands and money, and
his farms are situated on both sides Of
this road east Of the turnpike. A few
years since he purchased farm where he
now resides. 1t is bounded south on this
road and west on the turnpike. One OF
his first public acts was TO plough up the
old road running past his farm. This
being an extension of the road where
he committed the depreciation last COM
planned Of. To do this he threw down
the fence Of his south side neighbor-E.
NJ. Beckwith and ploughed up a strip Of
some 25ft wide through his then growing
crops which were then nearly matured.
At the same time threw his heavy rail
fence further back into his growing crops
On this line he made new road bed put
ting his own fence in the center Of the
road where ii had been used as public
highway for near 85 years. His next pub.
lie act was to encourage and lead on an in
furiuted Irish mob in the wholesale destruc
tion Of fences and other property on the
south side of this road in which near two
miles of fence was Frustrated in one sin
gle day and a vast amount of other prop.
erty destroyed-not disturbing the fence
against his own farm. When the trustees
and others interfered to stay his reckless
course he only replied by patting his fat
and puifed up pocket book, claiming it
more than match for the whole town
ship Of Colebrook, and in this respect it
proved in measure correct. 1t was
shown in evidence that this road was a
county road, that it was laid out in 1911.
grdled through the town in the same year.
AT that carly day it was the only road in
a direct line from Cleveland to Meadvlle,
Pa, consequently was largely travelled, not
with carriages as at present but, in the
fashion Of the times on horseback or on
foot. The first settlers on this road were
Halsey and b. f. Phillips, in the fall of
1920. Both Of those early settlers were
present as Witnesses the former aged 90
years the latter rs years. On their arrival
in the township they found one mile of
the road cut out from the west line Of the
township east. 1t was not cleared until the
next summer. A large amount of the
work on these roads were done by the early
settlers. These two aged pioneers have
worked two weeks at a time with yoke OF
oxen and hired man, free of charge to the
public. 1t was also in evidence that the
road thus plowed up had been made into
a turnpike more than forty years ago and
that 1t had at no time been made south Of
its present bed, or used for travel or
worked, or used as public high
way, south OF its present bed
There is not now or ever has been any de-
sire by the settlers on that road to have it
moved either way. 1t is bordered by
wealthy farmers and no one desires to have
it tampered with. Besides it is one OF the
best roads in the township and now il
the Commissioners do their duty, they
will order the road east of the turnpike,
on the old road bed, so long shut off from
the public by the aforesaid Beckwith again
opened to the public and TO this act Of the
Commissioners every honest man in the
county will say Amon
Aug. B. UNCLE TIN.
Why is barosma the best known remedy
for kidney and liver dliiculty2 Because
hug mad oh 10.