Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-03-01
RESOURCES OF TENNESSEE.


Interesting Letter from an Old Citizen
on the Climate and Productions of
the State.
From the Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot, Feb 4.
Since the Hon. William K. Ver-
beke's visit to the South, and his ar
ticle upon Madison county, Mississip-
pi, which appeared originally in our
paper, having been extensively read
and copied in portions of the South
ern States, he has been in receipt of
numerous letters rom leading men of
the South, containing valuable infor-
nation and quite interesting to the
people of the North, many of whom
are unacquainted with the extraordi-
nary resources of the South, so that
it must prove mutual advantage to
both sections that as much publicity
as possible be given to everything
that relates to portion of our com
mon country of which little or moth
ing is known, or where erroneous
ideas exist concerning it. One of
these letters, written by Samuel p.
Ament. Esq, a gentleman of wealth
and influence, and one of the oldest
residents of Nashville, Tennessee, we
publish to-day. We commend it to
the careful attention of our readers:
NASHVILLE, Jan. %, 1S7cc.-Hon.
William X. Verbeke-Dear SIR:
have been resident of Nashville for
nearly fif.y-three years, and this win
ter has been the coldest I have ever
experienced in Tennessee. This
morning was the coolest thus far of
the season, the thermometer being
down to zero at seven O'Clock, which
has not occurred here for many years.
To US this severe weather seems ter
rible, and how we could live and en-
joy life in one of the cold bleak north
ern States, where snow and ice pre-
vail from i've tOSeven months in the
year, without experiencing much suf-
fering, don't know. Although this
cold spell is upon us, which is unpre-
cedented, yet Tennessee has one of
the finest and most delightful eli
mates in the United States.
The State is divided into three
grand divisions-East, West and
Middle Tennessee.
The eastern portion abounds in
minerals of almost every kind-iron
and coal of the very best quality and
immense quantities, which can not
be exhaufted for ages; copper not
surpassed by any in the world; lead
and tin almost pure; marble of the
finest description, the front of the
custom house recently built at Knox
vile is constructed entirely of Ten
nessee marble. The water power is
unlimited. Timber for building pur-
poses is of the very best kind, and
like the mineral resources is very
great. The mountain lands produce
the finest fruit, such as apples, peach
es, pears, grapes, etc. The valleys
are very fertile, producing fine grass,
wheat, oats, rye, barley add clover
not to be excelled anywhere. rhe
yield of corn is wonderful, producing
from fifty to eighty bushels to the
acre. There is no State in the Union
which holds out more inducements
to capitalists to invest than East
Tennessee. 1t is true we are cursed
with set Of lazy, thieving freedmen
that are a curse to themselves and to
all around them. Like ia Mississippi,
as YOU have described it, and as in ev-
cry other Southern State, thousands
of acres of the rich valleys are lying
idle, with no fence around them the
rails being burned up during the wal.
The freedmen are too lazy to work,
and there are not enough white men
to till these fine lands. This Is the
case too throughout the entire South.
Can YOU not induce some of your
Young men to come down, mary
some of Tennessee's lair daughters,
settle upon fertile lands and make
fortune ?.KnOxville and Chattanooga
are the principal towns-they are
both in a highly fiourishing condition.
Chattanooga is destined to be the
great city of Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee is an immense
valley of rich level land, between the
Tennessee and Cumberland rivers.-
This valley cannot be surpassed for
fertility OF soil by any other else
where. The natural products are
blue and nimblewill grasses
are very fine. If you should have
passed by some of the large farms be-
fore the war, and seen the numberless
acres of pasture land, set with these
grasses, and the many thousands of
cattle, horses mules, sheep and goats
feeding upon them, you might have
thought you were in the Italy of the
world. You no doubt remember that
Tenue see received the premium at
the Worlds fair at London for its SUI
perior wool. In addition, the princi-
pal productions are cotton, corn,
wheat, rye, barley, fiaE, hemp, etc.
Since the war, there has been great
effort put forth to introduce and inn
prove various kinds OF fruit, such as
apples, peaches, pears, ounces, plums,
etc, which has proven OF great bene-
fit to this portion Of the Safe. Had
it not been for this, thousands of acres
of land would now be lying IdIe-the
freedmen being too lazy nnd TOO tr.-
fling to Tork 1t. THREE o. fcue Of tile
counties al ,una vith tue finest cedar
timber. When onca farm il fenced
with this timber, it will last from