Marietta Daily Times, July 24, 1917
Conditions noted along the line, and things we saw on this trip, cause us to speak of it through the press, for we believe some persons living here do not fully appreciate the many good and beautiful things of really high class that they see and pass each day, because they are either absorbed with other affairs, or don't have their "thinking caps" on.
After leaving the city and on arriving at Rathbone, we noticed with pleasure and relief, that the "avalanche" in front of Mr. Marsh's home that has advanced several times without orders or even giving the countersign, has been arrested , and that he seems now to have the conditions well in hand, all of which must have required courage on his part in trying to hold this soil where it belongs.
Then coming to the Children's Home, we find the exterior conditions in fine form, and while we did not visit the Home, we learned that Mrs. Jordan, who is in charge, is complete master of the institution, outside and in, and that much credit is due her for her faithful and untiring efforts. She has instituted gardening, or truck growing, among the little boys, who have small lots or tracts laid off near the car line tracts from car windows, all of which show that the boys take pride in doing the work and doing it well, and through Mrs. Jordan's efforts, there is being instilled into the nature and being of these boys that grand feature in any man's life, industry and pride in what he does.
Who knows but that some of these boys may some day be leading men in many ways of agriculture. Mrs. Jordan buys their products, pays them the money, and they are to spend it for clothing or the useful things they need, which proves another good point brought out by Mrs. Jordan.
Splendid Wheat Field
On up the beautiful paved way, through gardens galore, we next came in view of a wheat field on the land of W. W. Mills at Millgate that arrested our attention. It has been our good fortune to have visited some of the leading wheat growing states from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, and in all our life, we have never seen a field of wheat that was better, and few that equalled this. Judging from the thickness of same, its even height, and being so well filled, these points make it a sure prize winner this season in Ohio. It was a grand sight for the eyes of those who enjoy and appreciate anything along this line of agriculture.
We saw it after it had been cut and shocked and should like to know how much it would yield per acre. We understand that at a meeting of farmers and fruit growers which was held in Marietta recently, Mr. Mills and Mr. Chamberlain and other prominent landowners were present, and each addressed the meeting, both claiming they were not real farmers, but simply "agriculturists." Well, we think Mr. Mills has the wheat growing theory on the right plan and would suggest that some of our farmers get his formula and apply his method in producing the crop for 1918. He surely has the key on wheat growing and the soil to back it.
We did not visit his delightful summer home on the crest, above Millgate Station, the view of which is hidden from the driveway below by the canopy of trees on the hilltop, but we are told that all its beauty and grandeur are at once uncovered when you arrive at the summit, and that the view up and down the beautiful Muskingum and across the valley is extremely picturesque. Mr. Mills, with all his wealth, generosity, hospitality and patriotism, is a grand man to have in this or any community.
One Big Garden
Leaving Millgate, we passed the lovely farm homes of Mr. Dawes, Mr. Cram, Mr. Dyar, and the Devol Brothers, and you are simply in one big growing garden, interspersed with fields of corn, alfalfa, barley and oats, all of which indicate great prosperity.
The next we find is the Country Club grounds on the farm of the Devol brothers, and they are beautiful from either the driveway or the Inter-urban car line. From the latter you see the north side and golf links, while from the driveway you see the south side and the "automobile trail" into the grounds.
We left the paved way at Mr. Dyar's and took the dirt road up the river front, and when we passed the Country Club we were then upon the large farm of Harry Chamberlain. He has recently erected a very fine barn, in fact about the last word in barn construction.
This magnificent structure, 60x100 feet, with mandrel roof and all the associate buildings surrounding it, and the beautiful grove in the background, makes a commanding appearance from the river front. Mr. Chamberlain has moved from their old resting place these associate buildings, from near the home. The new structure is very spacious and convenient, having automatic water service and complete sewerage system, with creosote blocks installed, and perfect ventilation, in which the air can be changed every twenty minutes.
After seeing inside, as well as the outside, we were reminded of the two battleships we once went on board, while they were anchored in the harbor at Seattle, long years ago. I refer to the Charleston and the Baltimore.
In the new barn, Mr. Chamberlain keeps his herd of pure bred Guernseys and high grade Guernsey Jerseys, while in the other barn, the horses are quartered. The associated buildings comprise the chicken and hog houses, blacksmith shop and machinery or tool house. The moving of all these was a large undertaking, but their going has added much to the beauty of the surrounding home at Walnut Hills.
Mr. Chamberlain takes great pleasure in all of his home affairs, but especially is he proud of his herd of pure bred Guernseys and feels that in "Souvenir of Mt. Vernon," which is at the head of his herd, no better sire can be found in the country.
Marietta's Coney Island
We finally landed at Devola and took a stroll down to the beach that we have heard so much of, and where the bathing is so fine and attracts thousands of persons during the bathing season. Some are going in now, but a little later the season proper will open and the sport will be kept up until cool weather. The banks of this beautiful river are dotted with campers all summer, some of the camps being elegantly fitted up and equipped for home comfort and pleasure, by some of Marietta's leading citizens and persons from a distance, who spend their vacation here in leisure hours of bathing, boating and fishing.
The famous resort is to Marietta, what Coney Island is to New York City, and we readily see why it is so popular with the people.
Returning to the station we met a friend who wanted to show us some real estate values in the way of lots at Devola, so we walked about with him and looked them over, and I must say if Devola is to ever take on any boom, the owners of these lots, or some of them, must give the lots a shave and a haircut, for they do look wild and wooly. The mullen and weeds were "head high to a giraffe" on some lots, and such conditions lead the passerby and onlooker to think the owners had forgotten they had these lots, or decided the suburb was a "dead one," and no use to clean up. No greater mistake can be made, however, than to think that the influence of such conditions are not detrimental to Devola.
There are some pretty homes here, the "Flag Bungalow" of Mr. Peters, and the bungalow of Mr. Withum are new and modern in all ways, and equally so is the stucco home of Mr. Ryan. Recently a town hall has been erected on one of the lots at Devola, and it adds much to general appearances of the village. The business meetings of the township and all the elections will be held here in the future, rather than at Unionville, as has been the custom in the past. The building is frame, with brick veneer and stone trimmings, very substantial and cozy.
Near the town hall and station is a store and dwelling combined, owned by Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Johnson, and this serves a great convenience, not only for the residents, but also for the campers on the waterfront. We understand there are some persons living near Devola, who can do some of the "specials" in life, or that they are "combination people."
A combination horse is rated as one of the most useful of all horses, because he can do different gaits, and can be used under the saddle and is equally useful when hitched in harness, and I believe the same may be applied to a man who can do many things with success.
We were told Carl Becker, who is the leader of the orchestra at the Auditorium Theatre in Marietta, and a man who is recognized by the musical profession everywhere, and who has clerical ability unusual, is also a practical farmer and truck grower near Devola, and that Dr. Frank Sparling is a prominent physician in the community, and at the same time a very successful farmer and truck grower, employing a large force of help during the garden season, and that R. B. Ward is a pioneer farmer and truck grower on scientific principles, having educated both his sons at the College of Agriculture at Columbus.
Mr. Ward is sort of a "Community Father," being a man of affairs in the township and community in general and always on deck. Ed Devol spends his summers in farming and truck growing near Devola and in the fall goes to Florida, where he spends the winter engaged in the culture of oranges and grapefruit, near Winter Haven. We were told that other prominent truck farms were on up above Devola, and that another summer resort, called Fern Cliff, was only one mile away.
At this resort they have a dance hall and amusements of all kinds all summer, and that a Mr. Stowe lives near there, who is very popular with the Brotherhood of Elks, who accept and enjoy his hospitality many times during the summer, and that the United Woolen Mills people have a fondness for him and his fine home and take their vacation trip to his place each summer, where they dance and feast, and that all the girls of the company think there is no one just like "Pop Stowe." We surely were pleasantly met by all on our little trip, and enjoyed it very much and think we would like to own a home at Devola, and some day we may.
Joker Starts Something
While were were waiting for the car, our attention was called to a sign on some stakes where pumpkins were planted. It read like this, "Pumpkin Park, California pumpkins, watch 'em grow, they say they grow to be ten feet long. Say boys! I mean the vines." We could not understand its meaning, and as we read it some gave us the laugh. So we called up Mr. Wilson, who is in charge of the Inter-Urban affairs and grounds at the station, and asked him if the company was starting an "experiment farm" on the station lot at Devola. He said they were not, and that he had advised the party who had the "nerve" to plant said pumpkins on their land that a trip to Columbus, Ohio, was in store for him for trespassing on the company's grounds. We then inquired who the "Jasper" was who did this, but no one about Devola could or would tell.
We wanted to return to Marietta over the gravel road and paved way, via the Putnam School and church building combined, by the way, established the same year the writer first saw the peep o'day in 1859, near which Sam H. Plumer lives, who is one of the county's best, reliable and industrious men; also the home of John Strecker and his son-in-law, Elmer Drain, who are very successful in everything they attempt, and the old "Devol homestead," where Clark Devol is "monarch of all he surveys," and the county experiment farm, in charge of that good and capable man, Owen Riley, also the "Iris," a suburban home owned by our old friend, Will Neubeck, who we regret to learn is in poor health.
He has made this land, bought of Charles Dyar, into a beautiful country home and farm, which is being farmed by a Mr. Davis, who is a hustling farmer, with good ideas, a fine wife and bright family, among which is a son who was strong in the corn contest of Ohio, and had a free trip to Washington, D.C., and other eastern points last year, where he enjoyed all and got much good information.
Right here, we are also near the land of the Devol Brothers, who not only farm and grow garden stuff with great success, but are also among the leading dealers in Ohio in "white face" or Hereford cattle, pure bred and high grade.
We should have called upon Mr. Devol of dairy fame, but time did not allow. "Jimmy" is a real bright up to the minute fellow, not only in dairy work, in general farming, and the affairs of our country, and how he and his cousin, Ed Devol, of Devola, have ever escaped matrimony is more than some can understand. They are congenial fellows, who seem to have a fondness for the ladies, but a lack of courage to propose.
If somebody don't shoot or imprison me for this write up, I may appear again, as soon as I harvest the pumpkins at Devola.
We were told at the last moment that Pinchville or Pinchtown, on the way has been changed to Unionville. We asked why its original name, "Pinchville," and were informed that in days gone, booze was administered from this, a road house there, and that the frequenters were mostly from Marietta, and all got pinched; thus the name "Pinchville."
