The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-02-24
MANTUA.
Correspondence.

matter, for the melted snow, in rush.
ing torrents, threatens partial or COM
plete destruction to any obstacle which
obstructs its force or comes>in its way.
The CuyahOga river has been on the
rampage for several days, and the large
quantities of thick ice floating down |
raised fears for the safety of all the
bridges along its course, as we'll as
fences, saw logs, ETC., on the wide river |
bottoms. Last night change in the
weather occurred, the snow and ice |
stopped melting, and no further dam
age need be apprehended for today a
cold westerly wind is blowing, with
occasionally a binding snow storm.
AS a contrast to our present prospects
for an early spring, and for the sake of
variety, will copy few extracts from
a private letter recently received from
a friend in Southern Kansas, in King
man county, dated Jan. Slst, 1881.
I'VE fiatter ourselves that we are
now through with the longest and the
hardest winter ever known in Kansas.
We have had constant winter ever
since the first of Nov, which has sick
ened many of this country. With the
mercury cramped up almost within the
bulb of the thermometer, and north
wind blowing with the velocity Of If
teen miles an hour, the young man
growing up with the country" ap-
preciates the sentiments, if not the
poetry, of the following lines, roughly
painted on the cover of a wagon by a
party who had pulled up stakes and
were on their way back to "wive's
folks -
'' sunny Kansasl farewell bid you adieu,
may go to hell but never to you''
"The winter has been harder on us,
as there is not stick of timber grow
ing within forty miles of us, and corn
is worth $40 per ton, for the poorest
quality, so that hay and corn fodder
have been our principal fuel, as eow
chips have generally all been gathered
and burned long ago. AS our winter
is now breaking up, we will be plow-
ing in week. Wild geese are very
plenty-wolves have been too plenty
for the safety of poultry, sheep, and
even men, if out in the night unarmed.
Politics, in this County, as in the
State, is two-thirds Republican, yet
Kingman County elected Democrat
to the legislature by good big major
ity. This is the first rebuke that the
incompetent leaders of the majority
party have had, and it is hoped will
tend to correct the gross party manip-
ulations INDUCED in by the few, who
want everything their own way and
seek Office for corrupt purposes. If in
the multitude of counsellors there is
safety, Kingman County need never
fear harm, for there is one lawyer to
every 250 men, women and children in
the County; and as every town has
two Justices of the Peace, the people
do not lack for legal redress for their
grievances. So considerate was one OF
our Justices not long ago, that he
bound himself over to keep the peace
for one year. highly meritorious ac-
ton, which is commended to Hons.
Weaver and Sparks. Another Justice,
being asked what was the highest pen
atty for grand larceny. replied, e that
he would have to look it up in Spal-
dingfs treatise a; but in any event the
defendant would have to support the
child"
about all the excitement we have
had the past winte: is a town fight at
our comfy seat, which town is, or has
| .-it ~ I,
sides of the river. But as land sharks
and county seat makers often get beat
ell at their own game, so it has been
with the Kingman spectators who
moved in, after honest people had set.
tied on the north side, they went on
the south side, laid out town, asking
big prices for town lots, but being on a
hill, and failing to find water, after
digging 200 feet, were obliged to give
up and go over to the north side. The
bitterness of the fight is shown by the
| following extract from the final issue
of the Kingman Blade, one of the two
papers published here, in giving its
reasons for rendering up the ghost :
"This town fight and sectional feeling
is even carried into religious affairs.
vine worship only on their own side
we verify believe that if Jesus Christ
lived in one of these towns, the people
| of the other town would refuse to be
saved unless he moved over to their
side"
"The fact, that rs yet we have no
railroad, deprives us of the facilities
for attending lectures and entertain
ments which are afforded in the Ohio
villages, so that very few of us antici-
pate witnessing the performances of
the charming Sara Bernhardt; how
ever, We have our own reading assem-
blies and dramatic and literary socie-
ties, the chairman of which. is, of
course, an Ohio man. Then there a e
our church festivals and frequent pri
vate parties, all of which go to make
life more than an empty dream"
J. s..
The Lecture Association at the Sta
ton is very fortunate in securing the
celebrated traveller, DIR. j. M. PEBBLES
for a course of lectur es, ,on the countries
and the people he has seen on his two
Journeys around the world. The DR..
is very entertaining speaker, and
naver fails to interest his audiences
having large number of drawings
aud paintings to illustrate his subject.
The course commences Monday eve
ming, Feb. 2lst, and will continue
through the week. VERITAs.
Mantua, Feb. 13, 1881.
Comparative TaNatiOn in ohio
TOvvnSs
Tho folloyinu statiStics show the