Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-09-10
Athens Items.


EDS. CHRONICLE: To-day the farmers
of McMinn county were out in full force
at Athens. The brains of the county were
present. Nowhere have 1 seen a finer
looking body of men, and nowhere have
witnessed more life among the farmers. 1t
is a SANDER upon them to say they are
"old fogies." They are full of life, and
thoroughly comprehend the situation.
To be sure they are not .JttsSy about their
doings, but they are at aork. McMinn
is the banner county in wheat raising, if
not in stock raising, also. There are some
farmers here who never fail to produce
good crops. They have done so this sea-
son, unfavorable rs it has been. / will
mention Messrs. Matthews, Matlock,
King, Shuggart and others. McAIinn can
also boast of having the lagest per cent. of
ground in meadow and clover. The facts
will sustain me in this assertion; and the
average of all other productions is equal to
any other comfy. OF course, don't pre-
tend to say that there is not room for i'm
proyement. There is vast room for i'm
provement, and none seem more fully to
see and appreciate this fact than the farm
scious of their "short comingsn in this re-
spect, and this is pretty good evidence of a
marked change for the better in the fu-
ture.
The water-powerl of McMinn is i'm
mense. l was astonished to find so much
OF 1t. There is power enough to move any
set of machinery, and all convenient to
the railroad. 1t has been made available
to some extent. There are numerous mills
and of the highest character, and two ex-
cellent cotton factories, the Mt. Nerd and
the Eureka. They are both doing profit
able business and support a large number
of operatives. There is nothing TO prevent
this country from becoming a great agri-
cultural region but the lack of capital and
enterprise. Nature has performed her part
to perfection. Imagine the millions of
dollars that might flow into the pockets of
the people If this wonderful water power
could be harnessed up and utilized. In
the vicinity of Athens, indeed Just at her
doors, there is enough for every purpose.
A stranger would suppose in passing
Athens on the railway that it was an I'M
important town. What a mistake! 1t is
a delightful place, and filed with an inter-
estlng, intelligent and social population.
How could IL be otherwise with the SEQ
Iastic advantages which exist here. The
Methodist people have flourishing insti-
tuition of learning, with an able faculty
1hClC - ldISt dCaueIlllC DullOllg ana
hlled with pupils. Miss Bridges has an
excellent school, and is a lady OF splendid
accomplishments. Iknow of no more be-
fitting place for schools. Athens was never
known TO have an epidemic of any sort.
Sickness is rare the doctors are generally
poor. Such water Here are the coolest
aud clearest springs on the continent. We
visited large spring in the very heart of
town. How refreshing, when the Their
mometer runs up to ninety, to drink its re-
freshing waters
Here lives that great genius, Samuel
=. WINS the spicy editor of the Athens
Post. Had he spent his days in New York
conducting a journal he would have ac-
quired national reputation as q writer.
There Is no mistake as to the fact that he
Is endowed with peculiar faculty as a wri-
ter of ability. Perhaps no man in America
can excel him as a paragraphist Here is
his forte. His sentences are short and
pitby, and always significant His wit
and sarcasm are striking His modesty is
proVerbia!. he is gentleman by nature
and stands high in his community. 1t af-
fords me pleasure to pay him this feeble
tribute, for am indebted to him for many
acts of kindness.
1 met with our mutual friend Matthew
Nelson, Esq, who, with his excellent fam
lily, are sojourning in Athens among their
friends and relations. He was the picture
Vi ueaItIl, anu wondered what ne would DO
without the springs Of Athens when he
returned home. / saw Blizzard, Bradford,
Bryant and Van Dyke. l told Blizzard
and Wins that "nait tight squeeze" we
would make Gran9ers of them. Wins has
two acres and half of land, and Blizzard
rs understood to be an amateur farmer.
We will take them on probation. By the
way, we will soon have a number OF
Oranges organized in East Tennessee. The
farmers are just beginning to find them
out. CIVIC.