Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-08-16
FACTS ABOUT. EAST TENNESSEE.
The Cumberland Table Lands,
Etc. .4rf4H feaH

hBias8 ,b3sNo. xxxrIf. 'NaH'h
We give the following letter, which will
prove of interest to every one having an
eye to the celebrated Cumberland table
lands: lf1 ff- .
CRossvILLE, CUMBERLAND Co., Tenn,
bilg .bfu g.t July 2lst, 1868.
MESSRS. RULE n KICKS;
Gentleman! Knowing of your wish to
make known outside the borders of our
own State, our advantages of climate, soil.
water, mill privileges, DC, avail myself
of your journal to give Information to the
people of the North, of the exceeding sa-
lubrity OF our climate, the fertility of our
soil under fair system of farming, and
the great and many advantages to be Sc
cured by them i'm coming from the terrible
winters which they endure, and from the
rich and sickly prairies, on which they
witness the wasting of their families, to
this climate, so genial and prpmotive of
physical comfort and longevity, and TO
this soil, which so amply rewards Wen ti-
rectcd industry. -. ..HH ... f.tL
| shall write particularly Of the Cum
berlaud table lands, expecting that the
friends Of other portions Of the State will
look to their own interests. have 40
wish to build up this ut theeXponse of any
other locality inside our borders but Tia IS
mountain district has been 50 rccklessly
and shamefuily traduced. that l gladly
stand forth rs its champion
We have been, and are isolated. No
railroads, no good pike nor common
roads our population sparse and poor,
our industries paralvZied, Our system OF
agriculture that of 100 years ago, our agri-
cultural implements as primitive rs in the
days of the patriaTchs, nearly total igno-
rance of what was going forward in the
outside world, postofliccs, either none or
without business, with postmastcrs' sala-
ries at two dollars year, Such was n
true picture of this country only very
few years since; and i'm the spring of 1860
our roads were nearly impossible, bridges
all destroyed, fences burned by opposing
armies, or by fires set in the woods; log
houses abandoned and decaying many OF
them burned, barns falling down, open
fields growing up to blackberry, sawbriel
and sassafras; of cattle hogs and sheer
scarcely any; population of the county
by estimation, | 800, of which were two
northern families. Then, nearly every
man who came into this town was armeC
with pistol or rifle, or both Until july
of that year not post office in this couu
ty. Crops made with BULL iackass,
COW, a hoe n mattock or by any agency
that would break the soil. AT that time
L do not know of but one farm upon which
was an acre of cultivated grass. Such wa
our condition in 1866 II is sad to remem
Der, it was sadder to witness. But now the
contrast.
We have here a pOstoflice which IS IL
ceiving and sending out six mails pc
week, the postmaster receiving salary o
over one hundred dollars; and in thu
county are seven postofflces. Our pop
ulation is now nearly 1000 souls and in
cludes about one hundred and fifty North
ern families. Many of our old log cabins
have been repaired and are inhabited
many new ones built to a considerable
extent our fences have been rebuilt, ant
many old fields cearedup, cultivated, ant
now producing fine crops of clover, red
top or timothy, good plows moving ma
chimes and other improved agriculture
Implements introduced many hundred
of acres seeded to the various grasses tn
best variety of potatoes, probably, that
TO be found in any county of this State
Much attention has been given to gather
ing the best seeds and the finest fruits q
the North nurseries have been establish
ed, and are prospering vineyards plant
ed; the choicest breeds of cattle, swine
and poultry introduced. In truth ther
is amongst us a wide spread spirit of i'm
provement and progress which has alread
accomplished much, and is full of promis
for the future. En- phatically, we have bC
come IA live people! In many cases thos
who have slumhered all their lives, are
at last, thoroughly awake and will II
more become drOnes, They begin to rea
ize the advantages of well directed enter
terprise. -
In future numbers | shall speak, iu dt
tail, of our fruits, soil, advantages for stoc
raising, curative qualities of our clmat
aud waters, mineral wealth, &c.
Yours truly,
w. w. PowEhL.