Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-09-13


an instance or two.
The first victim of tho disease wa:
Squire Laney. He was taken sick an6
died within Il few hours. Immediately
after the Laney case an English family
named Lucas who lived in the neXt
house became subject to the disease
There were 6 or persons in that
household, and all but one of then
died. | knew this family we'll, and
aided them in their condition of suf
fering and death, the sight of which
was distressing to behold. Their little
daughter had died, then one of the
boys was taken sick and died, then
their poor mother passed away, and
there were clear indications that the
remaining members of the family were
then in the first stages of the disease.
The house was regarded as u pest
house and most of those who were at
tending the sick declined to risk their
| lives by entering 1t was then determin-
ed TO remove the sick members to some
other location and abandon the house.
| Two of them, the father and son were
removed to the residence of Deacon
Ebner Brown, and the remaining boy
was taken by the Rev. Z. ID. Pelton
and wife to the Methodist parsonage.
This boy was the only one of the family
who survived. The father and son
were taken to the good deacons house
but were too far gone to live. Side by
side in room of that house they lay
in the agonies of death. That scene
[ cannot forget. They died and were
buried. Then that self.sacriticing
christian woman Mrs. Brown was taken
down. She had become physically cX-
hausted, in her effort to aid the sick
and the dying ; and she died as result
of her self sacrificing effort to aid suf-
fering humanity. There were many
others who rendered noted services
during this calamitous season, but /
cannot speak further on this subject at
this time.
now desire to invite your attention
to the system of improvements that
were adopted by the officials of this
county by which to drain Wood county
and to place its rich soil in line for
agricultural developments. In the at
tempt to do this have received from
Auditor John B. Wilson statistical
data of much value concerning
THE DITCHING OF WOOD COUNTY,
their magnitude and their cost.
1t is well known 10 the old citizens
that there was bat little systematic
ditching done until IL date subsequent
to the war. Each man made the
attempt to do that which was right
in his own eyes. In many instances
they paid no regard to the curvature
of the globe, or the interests of their
neighbors; consequently, while some
benefit might accure to them, their
efforts proved to be a damage to their
neighbors on the lower level. This
error was soon corrected, and by means
of the grand outlets which have been
provided, and by the construction of
public roads and the system of drainage
which are collateral in many instances
on each side of them, the surface water
is speedily carried off and the drainage
OF farm property on their lines has
been made effective. The railroad
system also with four of them running
in Il north and south direction Through
the length OF the county, the large
bitches which are on each side OF their
lines receiving and conveying off to
convenient outlets Il large body of the
surface water.
The magnitude and cost of the main
bitches or canals may be appreciated
by the statement which has been
politely furnished me by AuditorW ilson
The largest ditch, the Jackson cut
off, is nine miles long and it's construc-
tion cost $lf0,500 and drains nearly
30 900 acres of land. The Touissant
ditch is % miles long, the Rockey Ford
ditch II miles, and the work performed
on the different branches of the Por-
tage has been large and effective.
1t has been estimated that the cost of
the whole drainage system of Wood
county, as it now is-including railway
bitches, those on each public highway
and such as have been constructed by
the farmers on their private property
will reach into millions. These
improvements form the basis of pros
perity to the Wood county farmers.
Without them they could have snade
but little progress in the cultivation of
their farms or in the developments of
their crops.
We now come to another branch of
public improvements, which has been
closely identified with the system of
drainage established, and is essential
to the prompt utilization of values from
the crops; by furnishing ready access
to the markets-that is the construc-
tion of the public roads. On this sub
JeCL, huullOf wv llsOIl HIS lufIlSDcu lac
with the following data:
THE PUBLIC ROADS OF WOOD COUNTY
THEIR MILEAGE AND COST.
There has been 155 roads constructed
in Wood county, under the provisions
of the improved road laws. They ex-
tend over line of BOG miles and have
cost an aggregate sum of 1910, 400. In
addition to these, there are also $50
county roads, so that the 3S9, 800 acres,
which constitute the basis of Wood
county, are intersected by 664 public
highways.
The railroad systems which cross
Wood county extend over III miles of
main track and 2S miles of sidetrack.
There are but few farms in the county
but are within radius of four miles
of railroad. The numerous enter
prising towns which have arisen on
their lines of route furnish IL ready
market for nearly all kinds of farm pro-
ducts.
1t is difficult to estimate the amount of
increased value which is TINS impaired
to the farms in their proximity. Nor is