The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-01-13

tI1lS pfaCe snt Do stp&Sz
readers of the ENTERPRISE. For Y0bk
years Black River, near Lorain, lay
dead, as Dickens said of Scroogc,
"Dead as door nail" In my recollec-
ton under good old Democratic rule,
the east pier being gone, the channel
was filled up SO that q man could at
times walk across the river where now
float vessels of 1000 tons burthen, the
channel now being sixteen feet deep.
A few tumble down warehouses did a
small grain shipping and freight bust
ness, but now are among the things
that were. Business was confined to
one store kept by VIM. Jones, still
resident of this place. The usual shoe
shop, blacksmith and post office were
mong the inevitables; an old scow
ha uled across by hand was the ferry of
those.days, succeeded by the float bridge
built of square timbers floating on the
waite T, and this again was displaced by
the in on structure some five years since.
Lorain, the place has slowly improved,
many business houses having been
built. Hotels, docks and facilities for
shipping the large amount of coal daily
received. The wonder to me was where
were the vessels to carry it away as fast
rs it came, but when we see that an
eighteen hundred ton schooner has
capacity for $50 car loads, then the
problem is easily solved. But Lorain
has something bew in business way !;
Mr.. Hogsn, the lively real estate agent,
has succeeded in getting the largest
Brass Foundry in the world TO locate
here. An hour was pleasantly spent in
looking about the new structure and
getting an idea of its proportions. 1t
will be ready for occupation April 1st.
The main building is to be 4O0x40 feet,
three stories high, of brick, stone corHice
and slate roof; north and south wings
l7Ox6O feet, two stories, besides other
buildings detached. They will put on
force of four hundred mechanics,
which will increase the population of
the village nearly six hundred soul {.
The work has been carried steadily
along ali through the winter, excepting
the last very cold days. Fifty to one
hundred men are at work carrying for
ward the brick and woodwork as fast
as possible. OF course the citizens are
delighted over the prospect. Business
men tell me there are no stores to be
had, inquiries being made for that class
as well as dwelling houses. Trade has
been good and rs yet no abatement. All
kinds of brsines are represented here,
vet there is room for more, or will be
| in spring. Many Thousand tons of
| beautiful ice are being put up, steam
power in some cases being used to
transport il fl ON river to ice house.
| This same beautiful ice was the tempter
| which caused your unlucky correspon-
! dsnt to fall, not from his usual high
standing nf morals, but from his per
pendicular. Skates had a hand, or
rather a foot, i'm it. Nineteen years
without practice on those slippery
| deceptions beat me, "beat me bad"
| 1t did not take three minutes to prove
| it, for they went from under me like a
flash of lightning, bringing me down
and giving me c''nstellated view of
the Heavens for nothing. Then with
the air filled with exclamation points
and my left arm in a sling, one knee tied
up, aching head and friend TO see me
home, left the ice. sadder, but of
course no wiser, for 1 shall sometime
make the trial again. This surely is
tuO long for your patience, will cut it
off right here. y.