Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-03-13
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE,
Miscellaneous Subjects.
No. I.XI.


the rich deposits in that locality. Since
then we have heard many inquiries on this
subject, which we cannot answer better
than TO give the following extracts from
an address delivered in 1869, before the
Knoxville Industrial Association by John
Caldwell, Esq, since deceased, who gave
the subject much thought:
Can East Tennessee present field for
copper mining equal to Cornwall or Lake
Superior
In reply, let me call your attention to
that magnificent mountain range border
ing the valley OF East Tennessee upon the
Southeast from the Georgia TO the Virginia
Line. and give you few facts and figures
within my own personal knowledge.
EARLY in 1851, commenced mining oper-
alions, for copper, in Polk county, Ten
nessee, near the point where Tennessee,
Georgia and North Carolina claim q COM
mon corner tree. These operations, al
though on very small scale, Sometimes
working myself, with one. man at the
windlass and one in the shaft, resulting in
npening four or five mines, which have
been since sold and resold by parties own
ing them, at from S50, 900 to $500, 900 each,
and which have been profitably worked
miles by wagon, shipping thence by rail
from Cleveland, Tennessee, to Savannah,
Georgia and thence by water to Baltimore,
Maryland, or to England, to be smelted
and refined, So rich, indeed, was the ore
here found, that, before wagon road was
cut through mountains which were de-
cared to be impracticable for q wagon
road, a company was formed in the North
and their agent sent out to work a mine,
whose favorite idea was to pack the crude
ore over q mountain pathway for twenty
miles on mules, to n point where wagon
transportation could not be procured to the
railroad.
Polk county, Tennessee and Carroll
county, Virginia, are about three hundred
miles apart. / have travelled over almost
every mile of the intervening distance,
and have found copper at various places,
with evidences of its presence on almost
every mile The stratum or foundation is
identical, and the production very similar ;
and believe the inference is a fair and
legitimate one, that this Smoky Mountain,
az it is called, is continued cupriferous
upheaval, which deserves the attentive
consideration, not only of individuals, but
of the State and National Governments.
The Smoky Mountains rise some five
thousand feet above the level of the sea.
The Ocoee, Hiwassee, and Tennessee riv-
ers flow through this range, cutting these
mountains TO their base and crossing at
their foot heavy course of hematite ore
underlaid by lead.
This course of Tennessee is two hundred
and thirty miles in length, and is def
mite waymark at the southern terminus OF
the limestone formation, and tells the man
of science and research where the transit
ton series begin; and after he crosses the
clay and tale slate, the gneiss, granite,
feldspar, and quartz, which form hill
from seven to eight miles in width, he
reaches the primitive or micaceous forma-
ton which, SO far as the Virginia and
Tennessee mines are concerned, is the ma
triX of copper.
This inviting field for copper operations
lies from fifteen to forty miles southeast
of the trunk line of railroad through East
Tennessee, contiguous to, and in section
already noted for its pure water, its genial
and temperate climate, and its generous
and fruitful soil. May we not, with just
pride and well-founded confidence, offer
this as the Gland of promise" to the agri-
culturalist, the miner, and the manufac-
turer of our own and other lands?
We have here, in copper alone, q field
seven times larger than that on which
England has expended her money and en-
ergies, and been growing rich for near two
thousand years and while their opera
tions were commenced within a stones
throw of the ocean wave. and have been
stopped at depth of S,10c feet by de-
gree of heat beyond human endurance,
here we may begin two or three thousand
feet above water level, and mine for ages
-
obstructed and now closed operations in
many of her most productive mines.
STOCK RAISING.
AS we have been holding out to the
world that East Tennessee is a fine stock
raising section, and as the grasses are in
despensable to this branch of industry, it
is very natural for emigrants to inquire
whether or not grasses will grow here. We
have referred TO this subject before, and
repeat what we have said that this is a
good grazing country. The impre sion
seems to prevail among the people of the
North that it is not. We are at q loss
to know how such an suppression could be
made. Blue grass will grow well in all
our land where limestone is found and
that Is pretty much all over East Tennes-
see. Red clover flowers here everywhere
in the greatest perfection. From one to
two tons of hay on an acre of moderately
good land is the average yield, with little
attention two or three tons are obtained
and many of our farmers are learning
that this is one of the most profitable crops
they can raise. Timothy does we'll and is
coming more into use every year. l...."
We have much low, flat soil upon which
Red-top or Herds Grass thrives and yields
very large crops. In fact, nearly all kinds
of grass which are profitable in other To-
calities grow we'll here. The want of gra-
zing lands or good hay crops need deter no
one from engaging in stock raising, who