The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-01-27
RAVENNA TERRESTRIALISMS

ass ?'' PHGBE.
RAVENNA TERRESTRIALISMS.
There has always existed a spirit of more or
less friendly rivalry between this town and Kent,
the result of which has without doubt been
mutually beneficial to the welfare of either place
When Ravenna equipped herself with water
works, Kent followed suit as soon as she could
quiet her own internal dissensions over the mat
ter. Then Ravenna illuminated her streets with
electric lights. Kent fastened to light the gloom
of her streets by the spark and carbon. For
years Ravenna enjoyed the advantages of a first
class Opera House. A few years ago Kent
came smiling to the front with model "Play
house. and now entertains the best troupes on
the road. Even the railroad powers took pity
upon the yearnings of her restless spirit, and
run a line of road to the west of the village
proper, seemingly to crafty her longing for a
=" third line, which should place her on ship
ping equality with her rival.
The only institutions at the County Seat that
she has not succeeded in dividing or duplicating
are the court house and jail. Yet even here,
she hath done what she could, by sheltering
some very excellent legal talent. the location of
whose office is lettered down at Kent, Ohio"
Kent boasts of her Brady's leap while
Ravenna enjoys the distinction of being the
former home of Jesse Grant, the father of the
great General and President.
And thus the comparison might be extended
indefinitely. always finding an offsetting advan-
tage in our town against any superiority claimed
by the other.
The fact of the case is that both are admira
by located towns, containing within themselves
the good points that ought to insure their future
growth. But in one very important particular
Kent is immensely in advance of Ravenna.
We refer to her sidewalk ordinance. In that
progressive town it is forbidden by municipal
authority for any one to construct a sidewalk
out of any wooden material This most whole
some law was in fact anticipated by majority
OF the residents of that town who had alre ady
put down many miles of good stone tagging,
ere the ordinance was enacted. The result is
the efficacy of good law founded on public
sentiment. Wood walks are almost unknown
in Kent. They belong to pioneer age, when
there was neither way nor means to obtain any
other material. They characterize the crude
condition of the forest settlers who have attain
ed to the luxury of their first saw mill and who
proceed to reap the benefit of its fruits by the
adoption of board walks. They are certain
indices TO progressive stagnation, and fasten
upon any place a reputation abroad for {" indel-
ible neligibliy to the rank of first class towns.
What striking contrast between Kent and Ra-
VIENNA in this particular The former place has
discarded these ancient earmarks of primitive
sloth and now, in the place of unsightly stretch
es of board rot and man traps is seen the clean,
level surface of an unbroken line of stone pave
ment. Two abreast is not associated there,
as here, with tipped up board by the unwary
| foot Of one, aud terrible pitch forward and
| fall by the other of the pedestrian Victims who
| suddenly encounters the uplifted board midway
| 'twixt foot and knee, and ploughs his painful
way through splinters and nails, fortunate if he
| escapes with cuts and bruises only. There one
may advance confidently on his way in blissful
unconcern about broken boards, raised nails
holes in the walk, &c.
her walks. She has the unenviable reputation
| abroad of being wood walked town." While
this latter expression is of course, inapplicabe
otherwise to our pretty city, yet we cannot help
admitting that so far as her walks are concerned
she is indeed wood walked town" and suf-
fers in general reputation because of inattention
| to the matter of good walks.
! i Io1o 70
least should not belong TO any Western Reserve
| town the size of Ravenna. 1t is Just such mat
tiers as these, and none more than the one in
subject, that work for or against the good of
town.
~
Aside from the unstable character of wooden
walks, they are source of positive evil in an
other direction. We refer to the public health
Good physicians heve not hestated to say that
| in their opinion, the presence of so many miles
| of foul rottng material, is very nimical to good
health, and is, in fact, a standing invitation for
malaria, dphtheria, and many kindred diseases.
This is unquestionably true in our opinion, and
such constant source of disease continually
| threatening an epidemic and perpetually menac-
the PUBIC nedlll, SnCH q the SUBJECT OF
| Immediate legislation by our City Council.
Shall it be said that Ravenna is behind Kent
in providing for the welfare of her citizens and
in doing all that she to attract new residents
| here? The board walk ought to go. 1t is a
disgrace 10 any town of the dignity or preten-
tons of Ravenna. Council should, at its very
next session, enact an ordinance making it a
future impossibility for foot of board sidewalk
to be built inside the corporate limits of Ravenna.
| ***
| We do not mean to say that Ravenna is de-
void of stone walks. On the contrary, our main
| business street is admirably paved with broad
expanse of fine tagging, and many private citi-
zens have put down first class stone walks in
front of their residences. And wherever this