Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-07-24
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
Knoxville as a Manufacturing
Center.
No, LXNIN.

uldhlnS lnlS Il 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 a rail connection with
the Ohio Valley. The coal referred to is
soft bituminous of fine quality. 1t 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-
lishment At the mines, 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 manufac turing
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 vet
piled with seasoned timber, but this will
not long be the case. We give the follow
ing prices of lumber as furnished us 10y
gentleman in the trade:
Undressed pine lumber can he 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
q 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
10 thirty-tive dollars. Other lumber runs
at about the above rates. Most of this
lumber is sawed in East I 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 i'll 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 a
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 Il 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 i'll coal, lumber, and
iron, Knoxville affords veryfavorable le adj
vantages for manufacturing enterprises
largely using these articles.
OTHER FIELDS FOR ENTERPRISE.
We wish here to 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 q 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 n vast amount of flour brought
into this market from other States and
sold to Tennessee consumers. SO long as
il is notorious that East Tennessee wheat
makes the best flour known in the mar
kets, 1t is wrong that we should pay toll to
foreign mills for our bread.
We believe East Tennessee affords fine
field for wool growing. Experienced
finest field known. With the growth of
this department Of farming enterprise
should go hand in hand here at Knoxville
a. woolen mill. We believe ii could be
made profitable enterprise.
Standing almost midway between the
cotton belt of the South and the great
commercial marts of the East, in section
aftording the finest water power and "a
most healthful location for wOrkmen, we
see no reason why Knoxville should not
sustain Cotton Factory. Our large whole
sale houses here would of course encourage
such an enterprise with patronage, and it
would otherwise find advantages equaled
by very few points in the South.
In general way Knoxville affords en-
couragement to such enterprises as we
have named. 1t is conveniently situated
in growing section of great diversified
mt erests. 1t is an exceptionally health
ul point. Its citizens would extend lib
eral aid in the way of land and patronage
TO any enterprise reasonably promising
success. All these are considerations worth
presenting.
ehave superior clay Immediately about
Knoxville that can be worked into earth
enware of almost any finish. 1t is pro-
nounced very good by those who have
worked it.
We have marble and limestone here in
abundance. We believe we have stone
here that will one day be aOorked here and
shipped abroad in its finished state. We
nope soon to report further information
on this point. The imposing Postoffice
building now being erected here is being
built of marble pronounced equal to any on
the continent.
WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE WANT
1t might be interesting IN know what