Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-04-17
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
Knoxville as a Manufacturing
Center.

we come now in the place marked out
for our articles, to consider the advantages
Knoxville affords as n manufacturing
point Our readers who have fixed in
their minds the geographical position we
assigned Knoxville in our last article,
will remember that it has a large and
growing territory to be supplied by its
merchants and manufacturers with goods,
wares and merchandise.
The manufacturing interests of this city
are yet comparatively undeveloped. We
have, however, as we believe, the basis for
making this manufacturing center. Just
thirty miles north of us are immense
fields of coal. They lay side by side with
valuable beds of iron. They are immedi-
ately on the line of the Knoxville and
Ohio Railroad, which we trust will soon
be extended north to the Ohio at Louis
vile and Cincinnati. An unfinished link
of less than sixty miles is all that sepa-
rates us now from rail connection with
the Ohio Valley. The coal referred to is a
soft bituminous of fine quality. It burns
clear and is of the same character as that
at lockwood, which is used in the iron
furnaces without coking. This coal will
answer in any manufacturing estab-
lshment. At the mincs, slack coal
can be bought at from three to
four cents per bushel and the
coal just as it comes from the mines at
eight cents. The latter can be bought by
the car load in Knoxville at twelve cents
and the slack coal at eight and eight and
one-half cents per bushel. This coal is
superior for gas purposes and will answer
in most cases where the best bituminous
coal is used. So much for coal, which is
an important item in all manufacturing
enterprises.
LUMBER AND IRON.
The next important article for manufac-
turers is lumber. We have in East Ten
nessee almost every variety of timber
found in the North. Our stock is not yet
large enough to keep the market well sup
piled with seasoned timber, but this will
not long be the case. We give the follow
ing prices of lumber as furnished us by n
gentleman in the trade:
Undressed pine lumber can be bought
by the quantity at from twelve to
fifteen dollars per thousand.
First clear, pine and poplar lumber, is
worth from twenty to twenty-five dollars
n thousand. Good oak lumber, for wagons,
runs at about two dollars per hundred
Walnut, first clear, ranges at fifty dollars
per thousand; green at from twenty-five
to thirty-five dollars. Other lumber runs
at about the above rates. Most of this
lumber is sawed in East tennessee. The
numerous streams and rivers with which
this section is watered afford fine facilities
for floating logs and RATS, and the supply
of timber in our mountains is yet very
large. We have timber enough for gene
rations.
Iron is needed, of course, in most manu-
featuring enterprises. We have furnaces
in East Tennessee that supply us with SUI
perior pig metal of various grdaes and
kinds. We have from Carter county q
very fine pig iron for car wheels. 1t is
used here by our car wheel factory
Messrs. Clarke, Quaife & Co.-and we have
seen certificates from railroad authorities,
awarding it the very highest praise.
We have in the Knoxville Iron Com
pany a growing establishment. making
superior bar iron Of all grades, and superior
nails. These can be purchased at the low
est rates and afford inducements to man
ufacturers who will need their wares.
We believe that in coal, lumber, and
iron, Knoxville affords ~oryfavorable adj
vantages for manufacturing enterprises,
largely using these articles.
OTHER FIELDS FOR ENTERPRISE.
We wish here 10 invite attention to 9TH
er fields open for capital and enterprise
and promising, as we think, great re-
wards.
We noticed IN our last article the great
amount of grain that is annually shipped
to and by Knoxville. We think large
Touring mill that would grind up this
wheat and corn, and that would encour-
age the production of more grain, would
prove profitable investment. The fact is,
there is vast amount of flour brought
into this market from other States and
sold to Tennessee consumers. So long as
it is notorious that East Tennessee wheat
makes thelbest flour known IN the mar
kets, II is wrong that we should pay toll to
foreign mills for our bread.
.t We believe East Tennessee affords fine
field for wool growing. Experienced
Eastern wool men have pronounced it the
finest field known. With the growth OF
this department. Of farming, enterprise
should gohand in hand here at Knoxville