The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-05-23
A PEN SKETCH
OF Canton and Canton People by
Major Armstrong : An
Interesting Letter.

Ohio cities. He visited Canton on Thurs
day and sent his paper the following pen
picture of our city and our people;
"This county, Stark, is named after an
illustrious revolutionary soldier who de-
clared in the battle of Bennington, that
he would win the fight or make Molly
stark widow. This Canton is entirely
different from the Canton that / knew,
when as a lad, / visited my brother, an
attorney, the law partner of genial
Sam IIahm, who was then in congress.
IL was then town eight miles from
| Massillon.' The farmers hauled their
wheat and pork to Massillon, where the
| canal enabled dealers to pay better prices
than they could get in an inland town.
Now, Canton far surpasses Massillon In
population and business, but II Is doubt
| full as to whether II leads 1t in wealth, as
| Mr.. Robert Shields told me, Wednesday,
that there are more wealthy people in
Massillon, than in any town of its size In
the state. Most of this money was made
out of manufacturing enterprises OF
varied character. One of the allegorical
characters represented on the front of the
oourt house here Is a mower and reaper
drawn by two horses; which typifles to
great extent the industry that has made
! three large towns in this county-Massil-
| ION. Alliance and Canton. The @. Ault.
man Co. organized by Cornelius Ault-
man. was really the parent of the prosper
ity of Canton. To his genius, push and
business qualifications the people of this
eitv are indebted for much of their sue
cess, The Aultman Co., owing to the
hard times, about year ago went into
the hands of q receiver, but 1t has recently
been reorpanizcd Its works are now
running again, with every promise of sue
cess. / speak above of the court house, 4
am told that when the proposition was
made to build new court house there
was a tremendous kick from the farm
ers, and from Massillon, always a little
| Jealous of the county seat. Some shrewd
| lawers, who wanted more room in the
oourt house. conceived the idea of repair.
ing the old building. They went before
| the legislature secured the passage OF a
bill authorizing the bonding of the
county for $10O 900 with which TO make
repairs' The bill was passed and the
result is that only two or three very un-
| imnortnnt walls remain of the antiquated
! oonrt house. and new one of large capac-
ity and excellent architecture takes its
place, There are three court rooms In the
buildinp and ample room for all county
officers and vaults for public records.
| Thus the 'repairing' led to new build
ing, and tells plainly how easy 1t for
LAWYERS to whip the devil around the
stump. What the four female figures on
the oupalo of the court house. each with
large trumpet in hand, means do not
know. unless they mean to blow Major
McKinleys boom into the north, south,
east and west.
"JJpon the register of the Hotel Hur-
| ford, last night, / saw the sprawly sigma
| ture of our governor, who was here, yes
terday, for few hours. When in this city
Major Mckinley makes his home in
modest rooms at this hotel, which Is not
very grand one by any means. l am
| ir formed by both democrats and repubn-
cans that Maj. Mckinley stands very hlgh
with all kinds of people in this city,
W, thout reference TO politics or condition.
| He is pleasant in his intercourse and
| affable to all. OF course he Is living
great man Of that town. He gives IL cele-
brity, as Hayes gave celebrity to Fremont,
as Garfield gave national fame to Mentor.
Mai. Mckinley skipped off to Carroiiton
efore had chance to see him. Mr..
Whiting and other leaders are as comment
of McKinley's nomination for president
by the republicans as men can be OF any
future possibility. l think myself from
what hear that his friends, hohlsaat,
Mark Hanna and others have made an
organization, inside their own party, that
cannot be beaten. Mckinley has trav-
ersed the country, north and south, ana
he is not doing that for his health only.
"This city has had several prominent
men in Ohio affairs. Gen. Lahm, Geo.
w. Belden, VIM. X. Upham, BENZ. Lei
ter, Judge Meyer, Louis Schaeffer, We're
all leading men in public affairs years
ago. 1t is coincidence that the last
United States district attorney for the
northern district of Ohio before the war
came from Canton; and there never was
democrat in that office until Mr.. Cleve-
land was elected, in 1884, Hon. Robert 5.
Shields, who for four years ably admins
tered the duties Of the position. 1t was in
this city that the electrical Gen. Ed. ,.
Never, of Cleveland, was born. And
speaking of electricity, this city has fine
system of electric street cars. They all
concentrate at one point, near the court
house, and run frequently to all sections
of the city. Every half an hour train
! Is run from Canton to Massillon, connect
ing these two cities with each other, for
business and social relations, and this fact
to some extent has smothered the un-
pleasantness often engendered by their
rivalry
% Archie McGrcgor, well known In
democratic circles in this state, is still
alive. He was considered a 'copperhead
during the war, and l believe was Il pris
oner of state at Fort Lafayette, a few
| ,,ontbs XUhen Sec Steward had thf
power by touching bell TO arrest any one
McGregor was editor of the Stark County
Democart, and while advocating free
speech and free press was abused most
violently by his republican neighbors
who laughed when he was arrested But
Mac got out all right, lived through th'
war, visited his old home in Scotland
wrote some interesting letters from there
and is vet about ON the streets, and car
write as good Scotch poem as he did II
the days of Aud Lang Syne
"These politicians in McKinley's tow
are very reticent. They are afraid tha
ANYTHING they may say will injure thu
Little Napoleon. Ali their intesests ar,
invested in him, and until he gives then
the wink as to which way Stark count,
will 90, they'll be as quiet as a mouse
But / am satisfied that the delegation
from Stark will be mixed. Som
: will vote surely for Gen. Keifer on frs
4 ballot, and others for Nash. OF cours
r Judge Hoyt will get his pro rata OF tn
8 delegation. Mr.. Baldwin, one OF tn
I leading republicans here, is put down ol
the Kiefer column. Gen. Sherwood, VIII
b has been secretary of state and con
4 gresham, expresses wonder that the re
all aff la paff m