One Citizen's Lament

Walton - Our quiet town came near being the scene of considerable conflagration on Tuesday. J. G. Shaw’s dwelling house, situated in the upper end of town, was discovered to be on fire in the roof near the chimney, and had it not been for its timely discovery, a dangerous conflagration would have resulted.  Our citizens have been warned time and again to make some arrangement for the suppression of a fire.  We neither have ladders, buckets, or anything else to meet the devouring element.  We have tried to have the town incorporated but have failed.  There were forty or fifty signers to a petition to the last Legislature for that purposed.  Some few men sent a protest and the will of the people was set aside.  If there is a place in the state that needs municipal law it is certainly this town.  Our streets are a disgrace to any civilized community, never being cleaned.  The sidewalks filled in some places with barrels, &c.  Horses on the walks, no railings, no racks for tying horses, and still our merchants are happy.

from Covington’s Daily Commonwealth, April 10, 1879.