The sun., 1908-01-26
UTOPIA STARTED IN OHIO
Mr.. ELLSWORFH'S PLANS FOR A
EODEL TOWN AT HUDSON.
cave the village Q 90 900 when II AdOpted
PrOhlblti0n--Streets Free From Trolley
Tracks, Underground wires, No Ugly
Buildings. ana q COllege hA the Plans.


PrOhIbItl0n--Streets Free From Trolley
Tracks, Underground wires, No Ugly
Buildings. ana q COllege m the Plans.
CLEVELAND, Ohio, Jan. 2s.--James w.
Ellsworth. a coal operator. whose home IL
n New York, has taken under his protec-
lion the village OF Hudson. In northern
Ohio. which was for more than half CEN
ury the seat OF Western Reserve Univer-
-, and intends to make II the most beau
,,rnl spot in Ohio. as well as a seat Of
learning.
He has already made one gift OF SiOO.OOO to
thevllage, and within the next few mouths
he will spend many additional thousands
IN beautifyinR the little town and carrying
our his plan of making 1t an educational
centre. These amounts may seem small
according to present day standards OF giving,
but when il is considered that Hudson
has only 800 inhabitants the importance of
these sums is appreciated.
The gift of 100000, which has been ac-
Cepted by the village. In TO be spent for the
construction Of electric lighting. water and
sewage disposal plants. together with con-
duits and mains for lighting and supplying
water to every house and building in the
village limits. All the appliances will be
n the most modern construction and all
the wires will be laid under ground in order
not TO mar the beauty Of the village.
Mr.. Ellsworth did not make this gift
without some conditions. as 1t is his inten-
tion to have everything in the town just
az he wants it. Perhaps the most impor-
taut condition was that the sale Of all in
to1icating liquors except beer should be
prohibited.
Il was his intention to have one saloon
in the village, which he would own himself.
where beer would be sold. With that pur-
nose in view he bought a block in the heart
II the village for his beer saloon.
According to the laws OF the State. how
ever. the village had to be either wet or
dry. and he was forced to abandon his half
way measure. The wet and dry election
vas held the last week in December, and
the village voted by an overwhelming
majority TO 60 dry. Accordingly. before
the first Of February its three saloons will
20 out Of business.
Had II not been for the fact that slO0.OOO
vas at stake Hudson would not have gone
dry. The wet element has always been
decidedly in the majority. but the friends
OF the demon rum put the prosperity OF
the village above their individual thirsts
and made a sacrifice Even one OF the
three saloon keepers signed the dry petition
and voted 20 put himself out OF business.
This gift is going TO be n great thing
for the village he said. Nobody but q
cool would vote against it,"
The two other saloon keepers made a
hall hearted hSht against the cause Of
temperance. But after the election sv@n
they admitted that the perpetual drought
vas probably q good thing for the village
since Il would wake things up.
The other conditions were of a minor
character, but more or less important
for the making Of q beautiful village. All
the overhead wires are to be removed
and placed In conduits under the streets,
and new trees are to be planted and cared
for by the village.
In addition no street railway can ever
operate through the streets OF the village.
Ellsworth is willing to have a suburban
line enter the village by a private right Of
way, hut he does not want tho streets
marred with rails or trolley wires.
These conditions were OF course agreed
to, and the village has bound itself 20 live
up to them for fifty years or forfeit it's rights
to the gift.
But all this is only part OF the coal oper-
ator's plans for Hudson. He has acquired
the title to the campus and college buildings
NJ Western Reserve University and within
= short time will rebuild and remodel them
80 that they can be used for their original
purpose. 1t is his intention TO bring a
college or university to Hudson to occupy
the Gdndsngs. just what institution he
rli DO successful in inducing 20 locate
,hars Is not known.
The old college buildings have been in
di1lse since 1884, when Western Reserve
University was moved to Cleveland. Some
~ them are very old. having been built
back in 1877, when the institution was
founded. II will require at. least $50 600
10 put them in shape, and in addition new
buildings will have 10 be erected il a uni
vsrsity Of Any size decides to locate there
But the cost does not make any difference
% Ellsworth. He is determined TO make
Hudson famous throughout the land.
Perhaps the most novel part Of his pro-
granme in beautifying the village is the
distraction OF unsightly buildings and
everything in fact that does not suit his
taste. His agents have been busy buying
up property all over the village on which
are located buildings which he thinks are
> detrinent to his plans. These structures
sill be torn down and fine new buildings
erected in their place.
L want 70 make Hudson not only a
model town bus the most beautiful spot In
OHIO ir which 10 lives he said when he
frst outlined his plans 20 some Of the
eadins men in Hudson. III you viii Co
sperats with me will make this village q
roodern Utopia
Naturally the Ellsworth gift and the
rromise Of moro TO como has started a
boom in the little village. Realty values
nave increased from % 10 IS per cent. and
he inhabitants have awakened from their
ing letharU.
lime was whom Hudson Was the leading
own Of northern Ohio. It Was long the
oantre Of rich agricultural district and its
sores were the largest and best stocked in
he Western Reserve. AZ one time IL had
= population OF more than 1000 and people
wen came there from Cleveland 20 do
th.ir buyinR