Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-06-05
ACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
what IN Needed.
NO. LNXII1.


NO. LxXIII.
We occasionally hear the remark, Z" If
Fast Tennessee is so good q country as il is
claimed to be, why is it that its natural re-
sources have not been developed?n We
answer that it has been for the lack of cap
ital and properly directed enterprise. Our
iron and coal mines, our marble and lime
stone quarries, our fertile land, our unsur-
passed water power, and our forests of fine
timber have never been of much advan-
tage to us until recently, for the reason
that we have not had the capital to convert
the raw material into such articles as we
need for use and for expectation. We are
sorry to add that our people have never eX-
hibited a spirit of enterprise, of such a
character as to attract capital toward our
section.
We have not enjoyed the advantages of
railroad communication for very great
length of time. Our railroads have been
completed only q few years previous to the
war. During the four years of the late
desperate struggle East Tennessee was
almost constantly occupied by large, ac-
tive, hostile armies, which consumed our
substance, laid waste our fields, burned
the railroad bridges and used up the roll
ing stock of the roads. At the end of the
war these roads were put in condition as
soon as possible, to accommodate the COM
mercial necessities of the country, and
ever since we have steadily progressed.
Property in many localities is worth two
and three times as much as it sold for at
that time. New industries have sprung
up in different parts of East Tennessee,
and we fiatter ourselves that we are enter
ing upon an era of prosperity, which is to
result in our section taking its stand along
side of our more prosperous and in some
respects. more highly favored sister states.
But still we need capital. We want
more railroads, and we want more iron
and coal mines and more quarries opened.
We want capital to properly cultivate and
replenish our fields. Not one farmer in
ten has sufficient capital to stock his
farm and to improve it, so as to make it
yield anything near what it should yield.
With n few hundred thousands invested
in completing unfinished railroads and
opening these mines which are now being
East Tennessee would become the wealth.
lest section in the Union. The completion
of the roads insures the opening of the
mines and the erection of the manufac-
tories of every character. The opening of
these mines and the erection of manufac-
tories will prove such an incentive to that
class of our people engaged in agricultural
pursuits, that farmers will redouble their
efforts, and our country will certainly
blossom as the rose.n To us capital is
everything. To be sure there must be en-
crgy and a judicious expenditure of means,
but VIC think these will follow as one of
the results.
Knowing that capital is what we need,
we invite emigration, as the best means
of securngit Every stranger who comes
among US sees our natural advantages,
and will direct his efforts toward their de-
velopment. The man of large means will
see a field in the coal and iron mines,
forests, water power, &c, for profitable in
vestment, and if we can secure the cooper
alton of such men, they may soon render
this beautiful hill country of ours with its
rich vallies, all that is desired. We want
all such emigration as this. We know
that such men, if they become interested
in our country, will find it to their inter
est TO push forward the completion of rail
road lines, which will be the life of the
country. We want skilled labor-all that
we can get. We want good farmers, who
can take charge of our land where il is not
properly cultivated. Labor is capital.
Skill is capital. Industry and energy is
capital, and emigrants bringing such capi-
tai as this into our country are welcome
everywhere. We want their money, their
energy, their example and their counsel.
FUNNY