Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1872-02-15
A Michigander i'm East Tennessee
and What he Says About Ii.


Sometime since. a gentleman frol
f Michigan passed through East Tennessee
[ stopping at all its railroad towns. II
} thus speaks of our country in correspor
dence to home paper:
by reference to your Atlas you vii
observe range of mountains running il
a north-easterly and south-westerly course
through the northern portion of Eas
Tennessee, extending from the V;rgini;
State line to Middle Tennessee; also ;
similar range about so miles south of thu
same. and running parallel Herewith.
The first named range is called the
Cumberland, and the last is known by the
general title of the Blue Mountain range
and which is known at various points, tc
designate prominent peaks, by the respec-
tive names of Stone, Iron, Smoky and Un-
aka, and other cognomens.
This valley is about 225 miles long and
as before stated will average so miles
broed.
Now extending up this valley from
Chattanooga, to within so miles of Knox
vile, is the Tennessee River proper. AT
this place and on up at their respective
points of juncture, the Clinch, Holston,
Watauga, Nolachucky, French Broad,
Big Pigeon, Hiwassee, Ocoee, ank Emory
rivers, join their respective volume to
make the general food.
All these have their many branches and
innumerable creeks, say nothing of the
many thousand beautiful springs, that
help to swell the general whole, of Tenn
essee's Aqueous real m as we'll assto di-
versify the State with beautiful valleys,
hills, and glens
Chattanooga is at its foot, and is gener-
ally embraced with the boundaries of East
Tennessee.
The estimate, by good authority, fix the
figures at 1900 miles of river navigation,
above Chattanooga in East Tennessee a
lone.
Imagine a climate, free from chills and
ague, and the mean elevation of the whole
valley at, say 1000 feet, with its hills,
valleys and plains. with soil, by nature
fertile, but by art most wonderfully abus-
ed, abounding with the oak, ash, elm, To-
Gust, cherry, black walnut. &c. &c, aad its
mountains, with pine and hemlock, with
oak and other timbers, and you have at
one broad comprehensive glance, per-
feet view of East Tennessee.
At various points, these mountains
abound with the richest of iron ore, and
finest quality of bituminous coal, of such
rare quality, as do not require in many
places, the process of cokeing, in the
smelling of iron ore.
This vast area of country grows as ma
tural products of the soil, wheat, corn,
oats, barley &C., &C., as well as both Irish
and sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, with
the apple, peach and other fruits.
If we we're to stop at this point, we
should not give your readers correct
idea of the true condition ofth State
We moan by this, that one accustomed
to northern farms and villages, northern
systems of agriculture and schools of the
amount of produce and good accruing by
such systems-of buildings, both in town
and country, with the activity of all class
es-can not form a correct idea, by the
above wholesale description of East Tenn
essee valley, nor of the south; till they
have seen it for themselves.
Imagine a country, its lands owned in
large bodies froom 800 to 5000 acres and
even more, in single tracts, with buildings
what we would call ordinary, as a rule,
throughout the country and sparcely
settled.
Add to this, what we would call poor
class of log houses few and far between;
its people rich in horses, mules, cattle
and slaves. All this, with beautiful
climate, pure water, and varied soil, with
an exhausting system of culture, without
giving back any returns to the soil, for its
generous production, and you have East
Tennessee as it was before the war.
Now have devastating war sweep over
just such a country, destroying or maring
all its best buildings, wiping out its fences,
and running many of its best orchards, in
deed obliterating all but few mossy
stumps, and you have the country just af-
ter the war about as it was.
We say about, for this picture is def
cient of its back ground. All its society,
as it existed among the wealthy, was bro
ken up, among the masses, there is not
what we we folks would call society.
All know the evil effects of war. War
is unmerciful, cruel, debasing the people
that engage in it, increasing immortality
and licentiousness. From our own expe-
rience of these things in the north, with
all our advantages of general intelligence
We will leave you to judge for yourselves
of its effects upon people otherwise stu
ated, and will here drop the vail, as to
what it was when the war closed.
Since the war it has, considering the
general poverty of the people, made very
great progress.
From one end to the other of this val
ley, lumber can be purchased at from II
to $40.
The average is SIC per thousand
Finishing lumber, the best pine, black
walnut &c. &C., may be had at from $50.
to $50 per thousand.
Stone, brick, all classes of marble, and
other building material are easy of access,
and with improved machinery and skilled
labor, may be procured at very nominal
rates
The average amount of wheat per acre
is very low, owing to the poor system of
cotton. Perhaps ten bushel would be a
fair general average.
1t is not an unusual thing to see straw
stacks standing in the open fields, which |
by the weather stain or cut sides, and by /
their respective states of decomposition, |
one can trace their respective ages. We
counted in two fields that adjoined each
other, straw stacks all the way up for each
year from 1865.
Clover used to be grown for feed, and
for seed-to plow it under was esteemed
a gross innovation and wilful waste. We