The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-12-22

COulDlHeu uElHg dtOub Pl"S'iO"A h
: clal results and success; and situated
as she is, in the great Blue Limestone
Basin OF Tennessee, embracing abou
J $3.50 square miles, and including all, o.
in part the counties OF Davidson, Will
son, Smith, Jackson, DeKalb, Putnam
Coffee, Bedford, Lincoln, Giles, Maury
Marshall, Williamson, Cheathaln, ant
Sumner-an area equal in extent to one
eight of the entire state-possessine
natural clements of prosperity and agri'
cultural wealth, equal, il not surpass
ing, any other portion of the habitable
earth; surrounded as this basin is by
the great natural divisions OF the State
the highland rim, the table lands, and
the mountainous ranges, and occupying
an elevation fsome 900 to 1000 feet above
the sea; it does seem that nature, as il
studying our very interest, countless
ages gone by, has carefully stored here
abouts, mineral wealth, to an extent
little appreciated by the present gener-
ton, and who, we fear, will never form
Just conception of its magnitude and
value, or appreciate the goodness and
wisdom OF HIM from whom all blessings
flow.
We find on examining the Highlands
of Middle Tennessee, that they occupy
an area aPproximating 5000 square
miles, and encircling almost undisturb-
cd the great basin just spoken of, there
being no wide or important valleys to
break it, except those in tho regions adj
! iacent to tho Cumberland, Duck and
! Elk Rivers, which make their escape
| through the northern and western sides,
but do SO through narrow valleys
bounded on both sides by high hills.
| Here it is thai We may well begin to
study the Trestle Board OF nature, and
read intelligibly, language that God
has iEdelibly written in the rock forma-
ton. But il is not necessary for the stu
| dent of nature 10 tsrry long in our beau.
| tiful Basin To detcrnine-snd that in
! diligently too-the beneficence here dis
played. Our peculiar soil, the timber
and the grass, the returns given our
husbandmcn, and our rocks, from the
highest hills to the lowest valleys, speak
in language mute but eloquent, that
Heaven designed that those who inhab
it this beautiful basin should he pros
porous and happy, by following agri-
gfF ~ ina
to achieve grander results, Omnipotent
wisdom and goodness has deposited in
these highlands and mountainous rang
es, a supply ofirOn and coal OF such vast
extent, that it would De hard to con-
ceive them exhaustible, and of quality
interior to none. And here it is that
the trees, soil, and the rocks, begin to
speak a new language, from which we
may gather that Il icGs not intended that
man iRhGbHiBg this section should lire by
agricultural pursuits alone. Hero it is
we see nature making bare, or thrusting
up from the bosom OF these mighty hills
and mountains, many useful ores and
minerals, which are but the finger
boards directing us to the true source of
wealth OF this section. Here it is we see
sgriculturalists, toiling among the rocks,
working contrary to the designs Of
nature herself, and receiving but scanty
returns. How often is it that a farmer
from these highlands approaches our
limestone basin and alluviai valleys,
and looks out upon the richly laden
crops, and reasons within himself, that
if he had but such lands AS these, he
could soon get rich "This man." he
says, "works no harder than / do, yet
see the difference! He obtains from 80
to 10 bushels of corn, and from 20 to 30
bushels ofwheat to the acre, while ! get
from 20 TO so bushels of corn, and from
! to 10 bushels OF wheat" Reversing
this, suppose the thrifty and well to do
farmer from the basin, or valley, visits
the highlands; he wonders that people
could labor and toll contentcd in so bar
rem a country, and that were it not fer
the good water, purity of air, and album
dance OF game, there found, these hills
would be the most God forsaken of all
earthly places. This is true picture,
and one too, in which we fear too many
of our commercial men and capitalists
take the view of tho valley farmer. The
secret OF the whole, is misunderstood
ing of the situation, on the part OF the
latter, and total misapplicstion OF in
dustry on the part of he who inhRbits
these highlands But how long will II
be before these things are properly I'M
derstood by these same farmers, COM
mercial men, and capitalists? How
long before they learn to properly ap-
preciate and interpret. the millions OF
unused wealth, locked in the bosom of
these mighty hills? VIII it he when
our Farmers OIub, that pas been dis
cussing the labor question, fully realizes
that their industrial methods have not
been conducive to their best interest,
and that enduring prosperity can only
come with the introduction of new
methods? viii it be when they shall
have collected the debit sido of our ac
count, and exhibited to our great farms
ing commonwealth, the immensely OF
tao aanual drain that is made on them
for foreign manufactured goods, when
every original constituents are perhaps
more abundant here than anywhere on
earth-plows, chains, bar iron, horse
shoes, nails, railroad supplies, hollow
mare, stoves, edge tools, cutlery, agri-
cultural implements, wagons and CARR
ages, and in fact, ION goods IN all their
shnpes, and wood fashioned into every
form7 When all this shall have been
demonstrated TO them, may we not hope
that tn truth of our real situation will
fash upon them, and that the dawn OF
more brilliant era will not be far dis
tant? Then, with proper. encourage
ment to manufacturers, and the build
ing of few short lines of railroads,
wholly with the view of bringing forth
these latent treasures, i viii no longer
be necessary ;or us to go to Louisville
for plows, Cincinnati for axe, hCe and
pillow handles, st. Louis for broom sticks,
wheeling for nails, Pittsburg for iron,
New England for cotton or WOODEN
fabrics.
Deed.
FULLER, for a long time pilot of
Noah's Ark, in this city, is dead. He