5 Gent's Furnishing Stores. 3 Furniture Stores. 1 Gunsmith. 3 Laundries. 8 Meat Markets. 9 Merchant Tailors. 7 Millinery Stores. 15 Barber Shops. 2 Five and Ten Cent Stores. 8 Cleaning and Pressing Stores. 2 Creameries. 9 Restaurants. 32 Saloons and Liquor Stores. 3 Second Hand Stores. 2 Undertakers. 4 Bakeries. 7 Bicycle Stores. 3 Cloak and Suit Companies. 3 Jewelry Stores. 3 Book Stores. 2 Florists. AMUSEMENTS: Opera House. 1 Skating Rink. 1 Bowling Alley. 10 Billiard Parlors. Race Track and Fair Grounds. RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE: 1 Hospital. 15 Churches. 20 Secret Societies. The various manufacturing enterprises in Kenton give employment to over twelve hundred men. People living in the country and west of Kenton, on the Erie Railroad, cannot go to Kenton and return the same day on this railroad. This city has no interurban or city car lines. HEPBURN is located on the Erie Railroad one and one-quarter miles south of "Mile 33.3" on the right of way map. The town of Hepburn proper has a population of one hundred and fifty, but the principal feature is the park lying adjacent to the Scioto River and a lake fed by springs. This is the only park in this locality and is greatly patronized by residents of Kenton, Marion and the surrounding towns. Excursionists are brought to this lake over the Erie Railroad, from places at a great distance. Private parties, to the number of twenty or thirty individuals, drive to the park from Kenton on an average of two or three per week during the season. It is customary for the churches to hold their annual picnics in this park. The park is equipped with customary amusements, and affords boating, bathing, and fishing in the river to the patrons. A large number of campers are located at the lake during the season, and upon the grounds may be purchased all supplies needed. The total attendance is from fifteen to eighteen thousand annually. A branch line from the Lima-Eastern could be built to this park, developing it to a greater extent and making it a feature of the road and a source of great revenue. MARSEILLES is on incorporated village lying three and onehalf miles north of "Mile 35.3" on the right of way map. Its present population is four hundred. This village is entirely isolated from railway facilities, the Erie Railroad lying seven miles to the south and the Pennsylvania Railroad eight miles to the north. All merchandise and supplies are freighted by wagon from Kenton, Marion and DeCliff. A freight station built at "Mile 35.3." would provide storage for freight that went into the products that came from Marseilles, and the Road derive a revenue from all the business done in the Village. The one general store carries a full line of merchandise and transacts business to the amount of twenty thousand dollars annually. They would doubtless exceed this amount with better transportation facilities. The surrounding district is supplied from this village. The business enterprises of this village are as follows: 1 General Store. 1 Meat Market. 1 Barber Shop. 1 Furniture Store. 1 Hardware Store. 1 Stave Factory. The village also contains two churches, one graded school, one post office. SCOTTOWN is located at "Mile 43.4," has a population of two hundred, and its nearest railroad is about four miles south of the village. All merchandise and supplies are freighted by wagon from Marion or DeCliff. Over two hundred and fifty tons of coal were brought to the village in this manner last year for individual use. The transfer of cars from the Toledo and Ohio Central at Kenton, or the Columbus, Hocking Valley and Toledo at Marion could readily be accomplished on the electric road, the reduced cost for hauling in the coal making this fuel in greater demand. The three general stores handle over twenty-five thousand dollars worth of merchandise per annum, all of which would be freighted over the Lima-Eastern. The town is very prosperous, lying, as it does, in the center of an excellent agricultural district. Following is a list of the business enterprises of this village: 3 General Stores. 1 Barber Shop. 1 Hotel. 2 Blacksmith Shops. There is also in the village a church, graded school, and a post office. BIG ISLAND is a town having a population of about fifty. There are no railroads, whatever, running through this village. It is shown at "Mile 48.8" on the right of way map. All supplies are freighted by wagon from Marion. It contains one general store, a blacksmith shop, one church and a school. The proposed line passes through the center of the settlement. MARION, the county seat of Marion County is a thriving railroad and manufacturing city located forty-four miles north of Columbus. The Columbus, Delaware and Marion Railway is in operation south to Columbus, and a line is now under construction north to Bucyrus. This line gives excellent passenger and freight service, having an hourly schedule from six A.M. to nine P.M. to Columbus, and ten and eleven P.M. to Stratford. Cars arrive from Stratford at six, seven, and eight A.M., and from nine A.M. to eleven P.M. from Columbus. The running time from Marion to Columbus is two hours and twentyfive minutes, and from Marion to Delaware one hour, making connections at Prospect for Richwood and at Delaware for Magnetic Springs. The fare from Marion to Columbus is seventy-five cents, round trip one dollar forty-five cents; from Marion to Delaware forty cents, round trip seventy-five cents. Four railroads pass through Marion-the Big Four, Erie, The Columbus, Hocking Valley and Toledo, and the Columbus and Sandusky branch of the Pennsylvania. The Erie Railroad freight tonnage at Marion for last year was eight hundred fifty thousand tons; the passenger earnings at Marion Station were eighty-five thousand dollars. This covers out-going business in both directions. The principal manufacturies are steam shovels, contractors' tools and harvesting machinery. The limestone quarries have an enormous output of crushed rock, building stone, and lime. The growth of Marion in recent years has been phenomenal-the population in 1890 was 8,327, in 1900 11,862, and at present it is estimated at 17,000. The value of property, according to tax duplicates is six million seven hundred thousand dollars; actual real estate values eighteen million two hundred fifty thousand dollars. The industries of the city are carried on by about fifty manufacturing companies giving employment to more than five thousand persons with an annual pay roll in excess of three million dollars. The numerous enterprises of the city are listed as follows: MUNICIPAL: 18 Miles of Paved Streets. Water Works. Sewer System. Garbage Disposal Plant. 4 Parks. 3 Fire Departments. 1 Patrol Station. STEAM RAILROADS: The Big Four. The Erie. Columbus, Hocking Valley & Toledo. ELECTRIC RAILROADS: Columbus, Delaware & Marion Railway. MANUFACTURING: Marion Steam Shovel Company. 2 Brick Manufacturing Companies. 2 Planing Mills. 2 Ice Companies. 3 Stone Quarries. 1 Brewery. 1 Silk Manufacturing Company. 3 Cigar Manufacturing Companies. 1 Monumental Works. 3 Wagon Manufacturing Companies. FINANCIAL: 5 Banks. 3 Building and Loan Associations. COMMERCIAL: 1 Bottling Works. 5 Piano Stores. 9 Hardware Stores. 10 Hotels. 10 Liveries. 6 Jewelers. 44 Saloon and Liquor Stores. 52 Groceries. 11 Dry Goods Stores. 11 Druggists. 3 Express Companies. 2 Telegraph Companies. 2 Telephone Companies. 8 Clothiers. 9 Wood and Coal Yards. 2 Furniture Stores. 5 Feed Stores. 19 Meat Markets. 4 Restaurants. 2 Wholesale Grocers. 20 Barber Shops. 2 Daily Newspapers. 2 Semi-weekly Newspapers. 4 Weekly Newspapers. 22 Shoe Dealers. 8 Confectioners. 8 Millinery Stores. 5 Cigar Stores. 2 Florists. 2 Laundries. 3 Undertakers. EDUCATIONAL: 10 Public Schools. AMUSEMENTS: Opera House. Fair Grounds. 1 Skating Rink. CHARITABLE AND RELIGIOUS: 2 Hospitals. Young Men's Christian Association. 23 Churches. 40 Secret Societies. PASSENGER INCOME. The location of proposed line, and character of territory occupied, makes the possibilities for passenger traffic particularly attractive. The proposed road runs through three prosperous counties, whose aggregate population is one hundred and eighteen thousand, and connects by a direct line the three county seats. In each city, the existing east and west steam road has its station remote from the business |