Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-11-13
THE KNOXVILLE WHIG
Knoxville, Tenn, November 10. 1857.
Trom the NashviII, pr,.. nnd rin,..
East Tennessee


We give below the address Of Mr.. Bokum deliy
cred before the Irving Literary Society Mr.. Bo
kUm said, by way of introduction that bis subiec
carried his thoughts back 10 days long past Wher
teacher in Harvard, he gave q courss of lectures
On Germany. Meeting Mr. Webster AZ the time
be said to him: You doing what 1 would de-
II ] were in Germany; I would talk about M,
home' It was 10 this case not Germany, however
but East Tennessee his adopted home, that Mr.
Bokum proposed TO speak.
The following is the address in question
East Tennessee is rich in rivers and streams. The
HOlston or Tennessee flows through the centre OF
the valley; auxiliary streams flow down from thu
Blue Ridge, and breaking through the various
chains Of the Alleghanies-which bound East Ten
nessee IN the east-mingle their waters with the
Holston or Tennessee while others fow 10 the same
river from the west. With such an accumulati on
Of force the Tennessee encounters the Cumberla nd
Mountains near Chattanooga breaks through one
Of The ridges, and turns into the State Of Alabama
Can II be astonishing that with such history of its
streams East Tennessee should abound in opport u
mites for the erection of manufa ctories
East Tennessee is rich in mountains and valleys.
II embraces portion Of the AlleghRnies, the val
ley between that chain and the Cumberland Noun
ains, and portion Of the latter It has been called
the Switzerland Of America As 20 Switzerland.
these mountains have an elevation, where the pas
tures and the game the principal wealth Of th 9
mountaineer and like Switzerland the air Of the sc
uountains 10 pure and salubrious, but there in a
great measure, the comparison ceases 10 hold while
The Eummis of Switzerland present the spectacle of
the majestic but desolate regions of eternal ice and
snow, where the stirring Of life give place TO
the silence Of DEATH the higher summit OF the Uncka
chain covered with snow only from two 10 three
months Of the year, and many Of It's treeless sum-
mits are so well covered with grass that they afford
pastures for cattle and sheep almost the whole year
round The streams OF these mountains abound In
trout, and the immense forest with a variety Of
game: The vast mineral wealth Of these noun
talns has been Tor many years almost entirely unde
voopod, the sounds of the few fOrges which were At
work being but as q faint voice inviting those who
heard il TO come aud take possession of the mineral
wealth but q better day has come, and enterprises
on an extensive scale now set on foot in many
parts Of East Tennessee
Protected by the high mountain chains in the
East from the hOt, sultry winds Of the South, and
by the Cumberland Mountains from the raw, pierre
ing prairie winds Of tho Northwest and elevated
900 feet above the ocean, the valley Of East Tennes
see Is favored with a calm and habitualy transpar-
ent atmosphere; the winters arc short but sufH-
cienly cold 10 invigorate the system. The summers
are remarkable for the cooling breeses which
springs up there at the time Of the greatest heat
tho nights admit OF refreshing Sleep and the au-
lunns are magnificent and often extend 30 the mid
do nf nonnnahor
The many streams which Cow into the Holston or
Tennessee ard rrgate the land, has given the val
4 Icy Of East Tennessee a high reputation for lis
breads.uffs and lis live stock its orchards bearing
.
such an extent that hardly farm Of any consider
abls extent can be found that has not one or more
~ them. OF whatever losses, during the late con-
test the contending armies might make light, they
made light of the loss Of East Tennessee. Its
wealth in grain, in cattle and in hogs, not less than
ts mineral resources, we're highly appreciated on
either side, and Chicamarga, Missionary Ridge,
Lookout Mountain the assaults Of LongBtreet on
Knoxville and the sturdy defence Of Burnside evil
dently proved how highly they are esteemed.
NJ -, & hoc TroA fT,F
uessee less than those portions Of the State where
slavery formed the basis OF their wealth. its late
history has filed il with confidence in the future,
and East Tennessee shows therefore recuperative
power equalled but by few portions Of the South
orn States. At Ducktown, in Polk county, the
working of the copper mines is carried on with in
,Tessinr success The mineral wealth Of Greene
county is being developed by wealthy and inAuen-
tJsl companies. The zinc Of Jefferson county in a
lew years will employ thousands of miners, work
men and farmers and the steam whistle Of the cars
of the Kentucky Railroad, welcome, though not
musical is waking up the valleys and the people Of
Anderson county and tells them of the vast blocks
Of coal so long hidden in tho Cumberland noun
tains and now made accessible TO remunerative
market
The city Of Knoxville also presented q striking
proof Of the general progress which the people of
East Tennessee making, and which II partly
30 the peculiar advantages of its situation In
. the language Of an able writer whether viewed
.
ing in all the great minerals except gold and there
fore adapted 70 manufactures or as being Rt the
intersection Of two lines Of railroads, one connect
ing the Atlantic coast with the Northern lakes, and
The other New York with New Orleans-or geo.
graphically as the precise centre Of East Tennessee
or as The centre OF region the circumference Of
which extends from Lexington 10 Louisville Nash
ville Atlanta, Charlotte and Lynchburg; her posi-
ton is q commanding With regard TO the
trade which will 1ow Southwark from Upper Ten
~. .l-.-1f I'D NLoufu rarA
from North Carolina by way Of tho French Broad
Railroad well as Northward by the East Ten
nessoe and Georgia Railroad, Knoxville is the first
important town this interior or domestic trade will
strike; here the merchandise will be sold and dis
trbuted, and here the producer and farmer will
find his market and therefore best market.
The nesrness Of Knoxville 20 the cotton region
adds also greatly 20 lis Importance. The region
must be supplied from abroad with most OF the srti-
Cles manufactured from IRON call 20 mind the sgri
cultural products of this region, too remote from
the great exporting markets 10 be oxorbantly dear
the immense water power the coal Of the best
quality which can be sold at from R0een 70 twenty
csnts per bushe the genial climate and the fscli-
tics Of railroad communication, and 1t cannot be
but evident that Knoxville, under The impulses
which the abolition Of slavery has given 70 that
whole region viii, at no distant period, become a
populous manufacturing centre
There is but little difference between the climate
Of the valley and the table land of East Tennessee
On the whole the ground Of the table land is infe-
ror 20 that Of the valley, but If it produces less
corn, is highly adapted for grazing purposes
There are thousands of acres found there of natural
meadows, where horses, cattle and hogs need only
the attention Of the farmer during the few days
while snow is on the ground.
In closing these remarks on East Tennessee,
cannot but refer 10 tho fact that the beautiful and
sublime scenery Of East Tennessee has furnished
admirable subjects 10 the painter while the poet
siso has sang its praises in touching and eloquent
strains Not only our countrymen but many who,
bu. for a time have lived in Rsst Tennessee are
ready TO say with him:
Who knows thee we'll Is sure 10 love,
Whcre'cr his wandering footsteps rove,
And backward ever turn 20 thee
With fond, regretful memory,
Feeling his heart impatient burn
Among thy mountains 20 return.