Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-06
TRACY CITY.


The Tennessee Coal and Railroad
Company-The sewanee Mines.
; To the Editors of the Union and American:
For nv own qualification and the in
tercst of the enterprising portion of our
COUNTRY. propose to give you few
statements in regard to this eyry of
industry and future promise.
| Letter-writers sometimes abound in
glowing descriptions, because the scenes
~ is new and therefore exciting, or be-
cause letter-writiDg with many, having
become trade, they can afford display
when profits will justify. Neither of
these motives can influence me, because
| have for twelve years been familiar
with these mines, and those who have
had charge of them. 49,
g.. am not a professional letter,
writer, but plain, earnest, practical
man, and citizen (or nearly SOY of this
State. l can but feel deep interest in
its future, and in the development of its
rich resources. | shall write a few
articles. on this subject and bear in mind
constantly this great truth, that oVer-
wrought statements may lead to abortive
efforts and disappointed expectations,
and these discourage the energies Of
communities as well as individuals, and
are, therefore, always unwise and hurt
ful. | shall, therefore, make no state~
meat without at the same time courting
the closest investigations Of its practical
| and absolute truth. This immense coal
interest, with many others in the State,
must lie at the base Of our prospects as a
manufacturing people. Coal is the great
force that is to move and keep in motion
our material wealth. l regard these
mines, as they now are, as the best
property of the State, and for these
reasons:
The stock of the company is estimate ed
at 100000, and this is the property COM
posing said stock: There are twenty
one miles Of railroad; two first
rate engines; one hundred
coal cars; one hundred and
twenty-five miners cars; five miles of
wrought iron track in the mines; 1900
acres of land-3,000 of which are coal
lands with coal beds from four and half
to nine feet thick; seventy>one dwelling
houses; steam sawmilI, with planin g,
lathe and shingle mills, put up since the
war at cost Of about $4,000. The
company's lands contain an abundance
of timber, pine, poplar, oak and black
walnut.
To show the present trim Of the COM
pany we need only state that $1,000
cross ties, all the rolling stock, the mills,
IL ha
The present capacity of the mines is
about Z 800 bushels of coal per day, be-
sides lumber, laths, shingles, etc, or
about 100000 of bushels per year.
They have store house also, at which
they sell from $l25000 to 100000
worth of goods.
One peculiar property of these mines
is their drainage. Although about forty
acres of the three thousand have been
mined, net one dollar has ever betn .ex-
pended for drainage. The ventilation is
also simple and complete. And the ele>
vation of the mines above the road is just
enough to secure the easiest possible
manner of handling and loading the differ
ent qualities of coal. | have seen many
of the best mines in Pennsylvania, and
was raised in their midst and have never
seen any that possessed so many advan~
tages when fully developed as these
Sewanee mines do. The quality and
demand for coke, alone, and the peculiar
facilities for making it, would meet the
highest expectations Of these mines,
surrounded as they are by the immense
iron fields of Tennessee.
1t is Just and right too to say that the
men who have had charge of these mines
since the war were faithful men, but
were new and inexperienced in the busi~
ness. Dol Colyar, who controls by far
the largest portion Of the stock, is law
yer, and with full practice, and, of course,
was compelled to head this great interest
with a divided mind. Energy can ac~
complIsh much, but its full benefits are
only realized when coupled with cOncen>
trative attention and experience. They
began in 1866 with everything in ruin, as
will be seen from the foregoing state.
ments, and no money to work with except
as they made it. And they have added
| to the stock as shown by the last report
to the stockholders, Sl90,OOO. This
4 - dllu pAlL VI bhO
whole stock of 100000 So that if this
| $4,000 had in four years been declared
in dividends upon $4,000, it would
surely have placed this stock much
above par. And it is an important fact
Just here, to say that the original cost OF
these entire works, which is now reck-
oned at 100000, was Sl,0400O0. This
may seem like strange statement, but
it will be understood perfectly by those
who have borne their part in leading
such interests up from the desolations OF
war, without the aid Of unwasted capital.
l will ask the reader CT this letter to
preserve it, and follow the progress OF
these mines. They are now under the
sole control and management Of Col. z.
Ii. Marbury, who is, himself a stock
holder. And under his experienced and
skillful manipulatiOns its stock will COM
mand heavy premium in the markets OF
this country in much shorter time than
four more years.
| Now, in conclusion, we will ask IN
justification Of all these statements, that
any man at all familiar with coalmining
interests shall visit Tracy, and take the
time to investigate carefully for himself.
| If Northern capitalists who have made
their fortunes in the great coal trade,
were to examine this whole subject their
experience would prompt to an owner
ship i'll less than a fortnight.
| We are, in this country, only in the
early dawn of bold and fruitful enter>
prise; and we are timid, because mex
perienced. But the wealth of our
mountains and valleys cannot longer be
concealed. Per cent is the watchword
of this heaving and surgng nation; and
our undisturbed hoard must pay it out
to exacting and restless American en-
sgy. Indolent Investment may sit
down on its pile of Z per cent bonds;
but dashing enterprise will soon prove
that they are neither as stable nor
fruitful as the contents OF these hills
The slow tribute Of the one is to
wiring by the fe,O from the unwilling
hands of the many. The young man
who was turned brown on the battles
field is the one who is expected to pay
the bondholder; and how long he may
do SO without change is yet to be seen
But when will the products of these
mountains be regarded as useless, or
be unwelcome to markets and homes
of men. Every dollar invested in enters
| .:o, H. .b;c Earde IN liOhian tha hur