Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-05-25
KNOXYILLE'S OPPORTUNITY.
A Fine Chance TO Add Largely to Our
Capital and Population.

There have been cities suddenly built III
| by unsurpassed natural advantages, anC
there have been many others made pros
porous and populous by the energy anC
enterprise of their people. We have
known of towns and cities sleeping in
dull stupor over mines of wealth, Just be-
cause their capital and energy were help
lessly waiting for some supernatural power
or foreign enterprise to bring to the doors
of their citizens wealth and prosperity.
We have known, on the other hand, of
places laboring under great disadvantages,
noisy with the clangor of shops and bust
| ling with the life and enthusiasm of pub
! lie spirited, energetic citizens, started on
an endless career Of prosperity by organ
| lied effort.
Knoxville has many natural advantage S
! for manufacturing center These advan-
| tages, however, are unfortunately not er-
| cLltSiUC. There are other points in East
| Tennessee having facilities for industrial
| enterprises of Il high order. Knoxville
| comes in direct competition with several
of these points we might name, and the
measure of our growth and advantages
over them, depends directly upon the de-
y
manifest.
a neighboring city IL few days ago, by
voluntary subscription, raised one hU1l-
drcd and fifty thousand dollars, to secure
the location in its midst a TheoIOgical
Seminary. The same city has offered to "a
Rolling Mill Company, land and a large
sum of money if they will remove their
shops to that point. This city has advan-
tages directly competing with Knoxville,
and the enterprise and enthusiasm of its
people have advertised 1t far and ride as
one of the growing cities Of the South. If
Knoxville expects to grow and become
great city, its people cannot afford to fold
their arms and allow rival place to draw
to it the population and capital our city
needs.
KNOXVILIE'S OPPORTUNITY.
All we have said above is to prepare our
people for statement we have now to
make. We have assurances of the highest
character, that a powerful manufacturing
and mining company, of undOubted tinan-
cial standing, are now preparing to locate
ut some point IN East Tennessee an inn
mense industrial enterprise that must eX-
pand and increase in value every year,
The gentlemen directing this enterprise are
now considering the advantages Knox
vile presents. They propose, if satisfactory
blast iron furnaces capable of turning out
sixty tons Of pig metal per day. The prox-
innate result of such an establishment
would be to bring to Knoxville at least one
thousand additional population and eX-
pend here every week thousands of dollars.
Other establishments and additional pOpu-
latiOn would soon inevitably follow.
WHAT THEY WANT.
A gentleman of this city fully alive to
the Importance of the enterprise has adj
dressed to the President and Directors of
Knoxville and Ohio railroad, communi-
cation enquiring what rates of freight on
the coal, ores and material daily cOnsum-
ed would be guaranteed. If reasonable
prices are offered in this respect, and a
suitable location can be found near the
city at Il reasonable price KnOCUjUc aUjU
get the prize.
This is no sensational news item on
merely possible enterprise. We know
what we say, when we assure our readers
that this important enterprise will be Sc
cured to Knoxville if our railroads and
land holders show that sagacity and pub
lie spirit we have right to expect. The
parties referred to are gentlemen of prac-
tiCal experience as iron men, of abundant |
financial resources and of the highest busi-
ness capacity. They are not embarked in
a wild enterprise, but have deliberately
the field East Tennessee presents,
have the available points offered for their
works under consideration and propose to
build their furnaces where they secure the |
most satisfactory advantages.
Knoxville can secure this promising en-
terprise if it uses proper judgment and en-
terprise. Will not our best business men,
largest real estate holders and railroad men !
see to it that the opportunity is improved? |
We can in this one effort give to Knox
villea new life and enterprise that must |
start it on that splendid career as
a manufacturing center, about which we
have all talked for twenty years. Now is |
the time to act. Let us hope the occasion |
will be fully understood and improved.