Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-08-22
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
More About DuCktOyvn.
NO. XXXIv.

Some of the other mines not heretofore
mentioned and described. are: Eureka,
Mary, CulshOte, Old Tennessee, Copper
Hill and Mobile. The history and condi-
| ten of these are about the same as those
given; none are now being worked, having
| been exhausted of the black ore. A test
! for yellow ore was made at the Copper Hill
mine, and, as | learn, large quantities and
a good quality of this ore found. The mine
was abandoned Immediately after this dis
covery and has never been worked since.
| The people at DucktOwn cannot easily be
made to believe that it was abandoned be-
cause it would not pay the company to
work it. In fact there are experienced
miners here who say this mine is as rich,
| if not richer, than others that are being
! worked and paying.
| In concluding what l have to say on the
mining operations at this place. allow me
to say that it is the prevalent opinion Of
! those here who are capable of forming an
| opinion on this subject, that there are mil
| lions of dollars of wealth lying in this cop
| per region never yet discovered. There is
| much capital being expended here now, all
| of which, have no doubt, is yielding it's
| bountiful return, but there is room and OPP
portunity for thousands and thousands
more. East Tennessee needs all her min
eral resources to be developed. We invite
and welcome both capital and labor from
sections to do this, with full confidence
that an abundant remuneration to p!tal-
ist, labOrOr and the country at large, will
be the result.
DucktowD needs
RAIL ROAD.
And there is at the present a fair pros
pect in this direction. General Phillips,
of Georgia, the President Of the cOmtem
plated road from Marietta, Georgia by
Ducktown, intersecting the East Tonnes
see River, short time since visited Duck
town, while there he made a speech To the
people in which he said that the State of
Georgia had appropriated $4,000 per mile
for the distance from Marietta to the State
line, distance of about eighty miles, that
the town of Marietta had subscribed $780,
600 and that with this amount and what
might yet be secured in a few months he
hoped to complete the road to DucktOWn
in eighteen months. The mining COM
panies have not yet subscribed anything
to the road, which, of course, they will do
if it is thought by them practicabl one, and
its completion at an early day probable.
A railroad to Ducktown will render the
mining business less expensive in securing
fuel, shipping, &c. 1t will also reduce the
expense of living by reducing the cost of
everything shipped from Cleveland, their
nearest depot. And almost all the pro-
visions are shipped which is unfortunately
the case. This leads me to speak of the
consideration of the country from an
AGRICULTURAL STANDPOINT.
The soil is partly white clayey nature and
pretty sandy. The rocks that appear on
the surface are generally slate-stone, sand
stone, or gossan which forms the OutcrOp
of copper veins. Near, and on the noun
tains granite and some limestone are
found, and with these the soil is dark
and richer loan in some places. The land
is hardly stony enough for one of our sta
pie crops of corn. Yetsome corn is grown
here and have seen on the OcOee river
fields that would compare with those of
many other sections of East Tennessee
The people here say the soil is not adapted
to wheat culture. But on taking pains to
make inquiry, find that scarcely any Ell
forts or experiments have been made in
this direction. Some, it is true, have
tried to raise wheat, but no careful
select ton of the seed nor thorough
preparation of the ground was made.
One gentleman gave me disappearance on
this subject, and stated that he could
raise wheat here but that it was always
full of cookie, cheat and smut. This OF
course is the result anywhere IN East Ten
nessee, where seed of an inferior quality IL
sOwn and the ground is not well prepared.
do not contend that this as wheat grow
ing section is equal TO many others, but L
know with proper management wheat
might be raised here to a better advantage
than has been done heretofore; also that 1t
would be better for the people to do SO
than to pay one dollars extra on every
hundred pounds of flour. | think the
land is more adapted to wheat than corn,
and with a little manuring | know wheat
would do nicely. 1t is high land and lays
fair to the sun. Oats grow only tolerable
well / never saw finer Irish potatoes any
where. All garden vegetables do well.
But what pays best here is fruit culture.
Almost every kind of fruit have seen in
this mountain country eXcels little in
size and especially in quality those noticed
in other portions of East Tennessee. The
apples are about as fine as those sometimes
shipped from the mountains of North Car
olina. DR.. Ketchersid is now intending to
give some attention to the apple culture.
On his farm few miles from Ducktown,
he has now growing about thousand
young apple trees. Peaches are fine and
so abundant the trees are everywhere
breaking down. Grapes grow here even
without cultivation. My attention was
called to a large vine growing on tree in
DR.. Ketchersid's yard, never having been !
cultivated nor even trimmed, which was !
hanging full of the finest quality of grapes. |
From some cause, perhaps the purity and |
dFyness of this mountain atmosphere, they |
seldom ever rot here. Small fruit of all |
kinds, so far as has been tried, does well.
From the fact that there are so many en- |
gagged at mining and have to buy all their |
provisions, thus creating continuous mar |
ket for everything in the line of agricul- |
ture, and from the fact that so much of this !
land is lying uncultivated, and can be Sc |
cured for this purpose at extreme low rates, |
think here is great opening for those
wishing to engage themselves in this di- !
rection.
CONCLUSION.
In view Of vast mineral resources, of |
some agricultural advantages, of beautiful |
mountain scenery, of healthful location, /
and of promising future, Ducktown and |
her inhabitants invite immigration. The |
people are mostly Englishmen and perfect |
ly free from prejudice on any subject. They j
welcome those of all political prejndices |
md Hornn1i m q mol and Look /