Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-05-07
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE
Our Churches Quaker settle
ment Our Climate as
Health Resort.
NO. CIV.

A correspondent from Indianapolis,
writing on behalf of several proposed inn
migrants, wants to know about the
churches and schools in Knoxville.
We have two Presbyterian, two Method.
list, two Episcopalian, one Baptist, one
Welsh, one German Lutheran, one Catho-
lie, and missionary churches of almost
every denomination. We have colored
churches of every creed except Catholic.
The church buildings are all substantial
and well cared for, and the congregations
and Sabbath-schools all flourishing. We
have a church-going community.
We have excellent free public schools
in Knoxville, open about nine months in
the year. We have the East Tennessee
University and State Agricultural College
an Institution of great promise and high
standing. We have Female Institute and
private schools of great excellence. AS to
churches and schools; Knoxville certainly
presents very great inducements.
QUAKER SETTLEMENT AT FRIEND svILLE,
Situated on Gallahar's Creek, Blount coun-
ty. two miles and half miles from Fort
Ish was erected, to guard the early settlers
from aboriginal depredations is thrifty
village of about two hundred inhabitants
mostly of the Quaker faith, which any one
passing by will observe. The Meeting
House, erected in pleasant grove of tim
Der in the village is 40XS0 feet plain, but
neat, and is the first evidence of the faith
of the surrounding Society. An elegant
brick building on neighboring hill is
Friendsville Institute, which has just closed
its present term. The school in the Insti-
tute has been kept up for several years,
from to 10 months each year. There is
also the Win. Forster home, in connection
with the school which was erected to edu-
cate young ladies, not only in "book learn
ing" but improved modes of housekeep-
ing-this "Home' is supported by some
wealthy ladies of Philadelphia, Pa.
Two dry goods stores, saw and grist
mills, tannery, blacksmith and wood shops,
are in active operation. The surrounding
lands are productive for wheat corn and
oats, and only need to be properly cultivat-
ed to yield an abundant crop. Fruits grow
on every farm, but are all killed by the
late freeze. Wheat is now heading and
bids fair to make good yield.
We extract the following facts about our
climate as health resort from an article
by F. X. Baily, NJ. D., published in the
Tennessee Land Register:
Since 1865, there has been a constant in
this section. A very great proportion of
those who are now living here, are highly
satisfied with the change in respect to eli
mate and healthfulness. 1t is eminently
proper in this connection, to present some
facts bearing upon the question.
The whole section now under consider
alton is elevated on an average about 900
feet above the level of the sea. The sur
face is diversified with hill and valley, and
along the latter are found streams of pure
water, which find their origin in gushing
springs upon every hill side. In the high
er portions, along the Virginia line, can
be found the speckled trout which, to the
New Englander, will be suggestive of his
native hills. ..
The valleys are narrow and the streams
rapid. No wide marshes can be found in
the whole region, and, except along the
larger streams and rivers as we approach
Chattanooga, no considerable bottoms are
found, which give rise to malarious dis
eases.
A very prominent feature, then, of Eas
Tennessee, is its freedom from diseases,
which are so common in the Northwest
ern and Southwestern States. The Au-
tumnal fevers, which have become an OBJ
ject of dread in so many parts of the Union,
are seldom found here, and never, except
upon some of the streams, In fact, the
heathiest part of the year, in the hilly
portions, is from July to February where
as III many States that portion of the year
is invariably the most sickly. According
to reports in the census of 1850 and 1860, il
will be seen that our present average of
mortality was lower than that of any
other section east of the Rocky noun
tains.
Diseases of children-such as cholera
ipfantum, and other summer complaints
never prevail to any extent. With one or
two exceptions, an epidemic of any disease
has never been known. Even cholera,
which appears to observe no law in its
prevalence, has never visited this section
but once or twice.
A second very important feature in this
region is the mildness of the winters, and
GOODNESS of the summers. \ casual observ-
er of the map, will naturally conclude that
at latitude of 36o- the weather will be
very hot in summer. But the latitude is
compensated by the altitude. The higher
we ascend from the level of the sea, the
cooler the climate in summer, so that upon
the highest mountains lying along our