Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-05
A New Source Of Wealth.
AMERICAN HeusE, Boston, MASS.

January 18TH, 1865 !
Mr.. EDITOR: l wish to open through the me-
dunn Of your columns to the people of Tennessee, a
new source of wealth which is now prohered them,
and which if improved, will be of inoaculable ad-
vantage to the State and of great pecunary inter-
est to those who have the enterprise to embark In
IT, will explain
Tennessee of all States in the Union, is supposed
.seTG1und more largely in oak forests the bark of
which is supposed to be of better quality for the
manufacture of leather than any found on this
tnent if not in the world In fact the entire range
Of the Cumberland Mountains through western
Virginia and Kentucky, down through to Ala
bama, both their eastern and western slopes, is
almost one continuous forest Of oak These forests
have hitherto been regarded as of but little value
too distant and isolated from the States which mo-
nopolize the manufacture Of leather to find mar
ket FOR their bark and the limited extent to which
that branch Of industry prosecuted in the States
in which these forests are embraced TO furnish a
market of any considerable extent they have not
been regarded for this purpose as Of much value
a discovery has recently been made by which
the astringent or tanning properties Of oak bark
be compressed from the crude bark Just as it is
peeled and without grinding or teaching to an i'm
perishable consistency, ready for barrelling forty
gallons, at density Of ten pounds TO the gallon,
being the product Of a single cord Of prime chest
nut-oak bark. This extract is worth in Boston.
New York aud Philadelphia, ten cents per pound,
or one dollar per gallon, for home consumption or
for shipment 70 Europe. A million barrels annu-
ally, at those rates, will not supply the demand
The census statistical reports show that New York
and New England manufacture moro than two
thirds Of the leather produced in the United States
This leather is all-or nearly so--tsnned With hem
lock bark as thess States produce no other tanning
material but hemlock and Too far removed from
the oak producing States 10 make available oak
bark in its crude condition. Open 10 these a suf-
Gent supply Of oak extract and they will uss no
other in the manufacture of leather Where bark
can be had in the forest at five dollars per cord in
any Of the States named, and manufactured into
extract and delivered in any Of The cities named,
It viii return 70 the manufacturer lover every ex-
penss including the price Of bark cost Of mauufac-
turs transportation, price Of barrels commission,
&C. s net profit Of At least twenty-five dollars on
every cord Of bark thus manufactured
A million cords Of bark could be annually col
'0~'041 "''~ PiNPN- o-S-'1 IA sNV JAWS AoOfs
named which, if manufactured into extract return
ing 70 those conducting the enterprise net income
Of twenty-five million dollars annually snd distri-
buting an almost equal amount FOR labor, bark,
transportation, &C. among the people.
The machinery for accomplishing this work is in
successful operation, as myself can bear witness,
having seen i several Occsaions. It is massive,
strong and simple and manufactured BY the Aleer
or South Boston Iron Company, from whom all
particulars may be learned. The Shoe and Lsether
Reporter, Of New York, 1 understand, VIII give q
full description Of the machine with all particulars
Of the msnner Of making Extract, &c, in its next
issue presume il is taken By the leather dealers
IN Knoxville. an myself OIL iiptsfgsted Ia his
state t a5sa is rs rs Hs rs sasi Sc
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