Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-08-06
A LITERARY CENTER.
The Taste of Our Ancestors for Good
Writing,
As Shown by Old Magazines Printed in st
Clairsville in 1888 They were
Ahead of Us.

Ahead of Us
Our ancestry in this town were more
literary in their tastes than we of to-day
= This is easily shown; one evidence of 1t
is the fact that a magazine, more purely
literary than any now published short OF
! Philadelphia, about three-scOre years
years ago, fiourished here. 1t has been
} our fortune to examine several copies of
the Literary Cabinet and Western Olice
Branch, published in 1888, edited by
Thomas Gregg, and printed by II. j.
Howard The latter gentleman will be
remembered by our older readers. He
was for some years editor and proprietor
of THE CHRONICLE. This old journal
was published semi-monthly. 1t was a
little larger than the common magazine
size, and each number contained about
8 pages. 1t seems that the Literary
Cabinet was, in about 1888, consolidated
with the OIiUe Branch, then published in
Circleville, o., and the new periodical
was brought out here.
AS showing the tastes and inclinatiOnS
of the people of this region, this journal
is of great interest. 1t was devoted to
literature and the diffusion of useful
knowledge" 1t was necessarily made
up largely of clippings, but there was
much space given to original matter.
From these latter some estimate can be
made of the intellectual caliber of our
forefathers, and in the unconscious COM
parison thereby instituted between that
time and this, we have no reason to be
proud. For breadth of view, for grasp
of thought, and for clearness and dignity
in expression there is nothing now pub
lished in this or adjoining counties that
can equal the original productions of
this old magazine. Judged by these calm
old columns, we have degenerated in
taste and deteriOrated in scholarship.
There are poems in them that are really
poems; there is no lapse of grammar or
rhetorical absurdity; the style is copious
yet stately, and is distinctive enough to
be known as a style-which cannot be
said of any writers hereabouts now
classical illusions are in their places, and
learned quotations are used with due re-
spect to their significance.
One of the first papers that attract
ones attention is an original love story |
by c. c. Carroll, father of Judge Carroll, |
of this place, and at that time a physi-
clan and lawyer here. The story is of
New England life, and is entitled "The
Muddy Brokers" 1t is written with
strength, and has both Imagination and
form. An extract from letter about
New York says that the writer stopped
at Bunker's Inn, then the best hotelin the
city, and that he paid two dollars day.
There was, he says, one other larger hotel
in the city, namely, the City Hotel,
where two hundred beds were made up"
This is not surprising when we consult
table of the chief cities on another page,
and find New YOrk's population to be
213,0O0, while Philadelphia has 161, ALP,
Cincinnati 34,0O0 st. Louis 1852, with
the other great cities of to-day in proper
ton. Neither Pittsburgh or Cleveland
are given in the list, and Chicago was
only "place of skunks.'' "The Life of
Washington" by Jared Sparks, work
which is now a classic, is announced as
being in press.
There is much other interesting origi-
nal matter, some on science, but not a
word of politics. The authors conceal
their identity under classical names, a
fact that is to be regretted, for one can
not help wanting to know it, if we have
any descendants of those old HterateurS.
The territory of the Cabinet and Branch
must have been extensive, for in list of
agents are towns all over Ohio, and in
West Virginia and Pennsylvania. At
Bridgeport, DR.. Henry West, Postmaster,
was agent; at Belmont, Ezer Dillon, Jr.;
at Barnesville, Nicholas Judkins; at
Flushing, Samuel T. Sharp. The editor
offers premium of twenty-five dollars
for the best original tale submitted to
him, the judges to be James Weir, Esq,
Moses Coulter, and Horton J. Howard.
An obituary records the death of Abner
Wells, Sr., of this township, in the list
year of his age; and on the following day,
the death of Deborah Wells, his cOnsort,
also in the list year of her age.
Interesting as showing just where me-
science was at that time is a pa
per on "The Triumphs of Science and
Arts" The writer speaks of the wonder
full progress of science which was equal
to the task of carrying passengers at the
rate of II miles an hour, of
lighting streets by an invisible vapOr,"
and of printing 1000 papers an hour. In
the manner of those who have ever since
written on this subject he is prophetic.
He speaks of the steam engine, which
was then going at the rate of 30 miles an
hour, and predicts that it will some day
reach 60 miles.
There is much interesting biography,
history and scientific matter, and it
strikes us as unfortunate that there is
not now demand for such literature in
this region.
Tin-Plate Mill.
The Iron Axle Mill, of Wellsyille, Is
erecting an additional plant for the
purpose of manufacturing tin-plate.-
The building when completed will be la
feet long, 60 feet wide and 26 feet high.
In addition to this there will be shed 40
feet wide on each side running the full
length of the building. Machinery of
the latest pattern will be put in and
about 10 men employed in this depart