54 Middlebury. — Sulphate of Lime. 



some large ponds, one of which lies in Stark County. In hurrying 

 along to join its waters with the larger stream, it has to pass over the 

 same rocky deposits, which make the falls of the main Cuyahoga. 

 They however are not so much elevated, and of course offer less 

 obstruction. This fall, or succession of falls, continues for more 

 than a mile, and affords great facilities to the mechanic and manu- 

 facturer. The village of Middlebury is at this place, and carries on 

 an extensive business in many kinds of manufactures common to the 

 west. The population is about six hundred. The increased value 

 of landed estate in this region, embracing a space of not more than 

 four miles square, is really astonishing. The rapid progress of Ro- 

 chester, N. Y., is known to have been a standing wonder, but the 

 increase in this spot will far surpass that. The immense, I may al- 

 most say endless, water power, the passage of two canals so near 

 their doors, and the extensive and rich agricultural region around 

 them, afford advantages not to be found in any other spot west of 

 the mountains. Several furnaces are in operation at Akron, the ore 

 which they use being brought from Tuscarawas County, on the ca- 

 nal. While at the former place, I observed a boat load of crystal- 

 line sulphate of lime, white as the driven snow, thrown carelessly 

 on the landing, amongst the dirt. It costs about six dollars a 

 ton. It is in large masses, and in some parts of the world would 

 be thought valuable, for alabaster vases and other ornaments. It 

 is brought from Sandusky Bay, where it is found in great quanti- 

 ties. This beautiful mineral is used in some counties on the Musk- 

 ingum for agricultural purposes. At Akron, I took passage in a ca- 

 nal boat. The canal here passes through the Portage lake, which 

 we entered soon after. It is a beautiful sheet of water, bordered on 

 the west side by a Tamarack swamp. Near this pond are several 

 others of considerable magnitude, abounding with fine fish, and the 

 Nymphasa, or fragrant water lily. Peat is found in abundance, in 

 nearly all these swamps, which border the outlets of the ponds. 

 Within the compass of a few miles on the summit level, there are 

 not less than ten or twelve ponds of considerable magnitude. Some 

 of them discharge their surplus waters into the Tuscarawas, others 

 into the lake streams : across this level the canal runs the distance 

 of ten miles without a lock. It is but a few years since these ponds 

 were the favorite haunts of the beaver, and many a rich package of 

 furs has been taken here by the Indians and by the border hunters. 

 There was a time when ponds were much more numerous than now. 



