Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-12-12
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The Narrow Gauge Road.

EDITORS CHRONICLE: In addition to
the facts already presented relative to the
new railroad from Clifton to Knoxville,
and the country through which it is to
pass, the question is naturally asked, how
the French Broad Valley derived the name
of the Great French Broad Valley. After
looking up the authorities and investiga-
ting ancient and modern literature, it was
not found to be derived either from the
Latin or the Greek, but from the vast ex-
tent of her territory, the depth, richness
and fertility of her soil, her water power,
fine timber, mineral springs, salt water,
and scenery, the grandest of the grand,
and the sublimest of the sublime all these
items combined make up the sum total of
her greatness. The valley is bounded on
the north by Bays Mountain and on the
south by English's Mountain; across the
valley from mountain top to mountain top
is about an average distance of thirty
miles; from Clifton to Knoxville, about
fifty-one miles leaving an area of country
densely populated, of from fifteen hundred
to two thousand square miles, unaccommo-
dated by any public means of transporta-
ton except what the Indians had.
One of the best evidences of the richness
and yield of her soil is the newspaper ac-
counts of her corn and hogs. When you
read of from 600 to 200 hogs leaving East
Tennessee for the Southern market, they
are always from this valley, and generally
from the counties of Cooke and Jefferson.
The water power running down out of
the mountains through this valley is not
surpassed and perhaps unrivaled in any
country, it being sufficient, if properly inn
proved, to turn machinery enough to am
ply feed and clothe the world The tim
Der, fine minerals and mineral springs need
no special comment.
There has been stream of salt water
discovered passing through Jefferson cOun-
ty immediately along this lire of railroad.
Mr.. Spredsley is now digging six miles
from cambridge at depth of between 500
and 900 feet with flattering prospects of
salt. AS for the scenery of this country
the most eloquent pen could give you but
a faint description. From the valley facing
south, as far as the eye can carry you from
East lowest, you are struck with the beau
tiful appearance of Englishe's Mountain
Immediately Outlooking. This is what
is known as old Smokey, the power be-
hind the throne, its lofty peaks rising higher
and higher through the ethereal atmOs-
phere, making one feel, if he could but
stand upon one of her prOudest peaks, he
could almost strike hands and hold COM
munionwith the saints i'll the third heavens
You can then take position upon very
Springs. In the upper corner of Sewer
county, facing north, you can overlook al
most the entire valley, sight which is
calculated to bewilder every thought and
faculty of man. Before your eyes lay,
down through deep blue, tinged atmos-
phere, some of the villages of the country
numerous farms and farm-houses, ripping
brooks, green grass, the lowing herds of a
thousand farms. Prominently attracting
the attention is the rolling waters of the
French Broad, winding, tapping and coil
ing upon itself, as it were like some mon
strous serpent, for distance of near one
hundred miles. And when this
new link of railroad from Clifton to Knox
vile through this valley is put in, which
will give shorter and better connection
with the latter place and the great cities of
the Southeast, the unanimous verdict of
the jury will be that if the Great French
Broad Valley is not paradise, it will APP
proximate it more nearly than any spot
upon Gods green earth. .r
PRO Bono PUBLICO.