Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-03-07
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
Labor and Capital.
NO. X.

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| 1t is not always where labor is best paid
that the laboring man will find it to his
interest to go. A business man in calcu-
lating his profits always takes into consid-
Grafton his expenses. So it is with the
workingman. He can often find situations
in large cities where his wages will be from
three to five dollars per day, but he will
generally find in such places that the ex-
penses of living are proportionately high.
We believe that in East Tennessee wages
are, all things considered, as remunerative
as anywhere. We have here diversified
interests. We have a fine agricultural
country that affords abundant labor for
farm hands. We have mines of ore and
coal already in operation that give labor to
avery large numbero of miners and ordinary
| laborers. We have great quarries of mar
BILE and stone of every kind, some of which
are now open and many of which will ere
long be opened that must give work to a
very large number of men. We have huge
forests of the best timber to be found in
half dozen States, which are now being
cleared and worked into lumber for home
use and foreign consumption. This bust
ness is rapidly enlarging and must furnish
labor for many men. We have in addition
to these interests our usual manufacturing
establishments, embracing furnaces, roll
| ing-milIs, foundries, machine shops, sash
and blind factories, and shops for general
wood work, embracing planning, framing,
&C., &c. These are some of the varieties
of work afforded by our varied interests.
To supply these demands for labor we
have supply of certain kinds. The color
ed Iaborers in East Tennessee are not very
numerous. Fewer of this class are to be
found in East Tennessee than in any other
section of the South. There are about
enough of them to supply the demand
usually found for the kind of labor they do.
There are some of them doing general farm
work throughout the country, but as a
general rule they are to be found gathered
about the towns and cities doing work as
BARRIERS, hotel walters, porters, wagoners,
and few of them mechanics AS class,
however, they do but little mechanical
labor. In the country the main farm work
is done by the land holders themselves.
Our farms. as general thing, are divided
into small tracts, and worked by the pro-
prietors. There is, however, a demand in
East Tennessee for good farm hands. A
man who is thorough, practical farm
baud, and has had good training, can find
| in any county in East Tennessee good
| farms for rent or regular employment on
| farm. We hear great complaint among
our land holders that thoroughly reliable
renters or hands are scarce. If any of our
| friends north want to come south and
work ON a farm or rent land for year or
two until they can see for themselves
whether or not they want to locate in East
Tennessee, we say to them that we think
they can find either land or work, and we
do not think they need hesitate on that
score. The usual wages paid farm hands
of experience is from twelve to fifteen dol
lars per month and boarding.
To mechanics we cannot offer as certain
employment, but we believe the demand
for such labor is growing and will soon be
very great. There are, of course, men seek
ing work here as well as everywhere else,
that they could come here and step into
good situation on the first appli-
| cation. There is always, however,
a demand for frst-class, reliable me-
| chanics. We think there are bet
ter opportunities just now offered in
East Tennessee to mechanics with small
capital than to men who want merely
situation. There are so many openings
| here in the way of manufacturing articles
of every day use and great demand, that
| are now brought from distance, but
which could be made here with certain
profit, that we feel like pressing the idea
of manufacturing them here upon our
friends who want to come here and become
part of us. We can think of dozen arti-
cles of wooden ware, buckets, tubs, dry
| measures, &C., that can be made here as
well as any where, but that are not now
made here that we are aware of There
| are but few barrels made in East Tennes-
see, while many are used. In these de-
partments, few enterprising wood work.
men could do well. Carpenters, house.
builders and wood workmen generally get
from one to two and half dollars per day.
We are informed on very good authority
| that there is just now demand for work.
| men of this kind in the country. In
Knoxville, we should think there was not
so good a demand; but taking East Ten
nessee through, a house builder and car
penter of experience informs us, there is a
| better prospect for that class of work this
summer than there has been any time
since the war.
In iron work, there is probability that
new establishments, and, therefore, more
workmen, will be needed. We believe the
shops and Eills already in operation are