Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-07-16
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
Land and Timber Of ROane
County.
No. CIV.

We make the following extracts from a
recent letter to the New York Times,
written by Mr.. A. Pettyjohn, of Kingston
to him in regard to East Tennessee, and
Roane county in particular:
This is very old town, the county seat
of Roane county, containing, i suppose,
some 800 or 400 Inhabitants, and is situated
on the Clinch river near its mouth, where
it empties irto the Tennessee river, and
distant from Knoxville some forty miles
by land, and is reached by rail to Loudon
and thence to this place by daily mail
steamboat, running every day except Sun
days from Loudon to lockwood Iron
Works and back, touching at this place
twice day to deliver the mails, freight
and passengers. / have never known
country where nature has been more lavish
in her gifts. The climate is a temperate
and delightful one, and our latitude is be-
tween $40 and So north, and the winters
frequently not more than three months
long; very seldom any ice for putting up,
and few SHOWS, which generally last about
twcnty-four hours. The past winter,
however, like that in other sections, was
the coldest known to the oldestinhabitant,
notwithstanding which we had only one
snow, which was two inches deep, and
several others which barely whitened the
ground. Our river bottoms are unsur~
passed in fertility, and produce annually
from forty to siXty-five bushels of corn to
the acre, and have been cultivated in corn
in succession, l suppose, ever since the
land was cleared. When properly culti-
waited, all the cereals thrive remarkably
well, and the grasses as we'll as anywhere,
making, when well managed, from two to
four tons of hay to the acre, and which
finds ready sale in the Southern markets
Mt tixra
and stock raising are in theirinfancy here.
4 4 Il While no tobacco, except
small patches, is raised here, yet there is
no better country in existence for raising
the weed. Our late falls will more fully de.
velop tobacco than in Virginia, where it is
not unfrequently cut prematurely to save
it from frost, sometimes as early as Sep
tember and never later than October
Lands are worth here from s. to 500 per
acre, river bottom bringing the latter price,
and as much timber land on the ridges as
will support the farm thrown in. Every
thing can be produced here that grows in
temperate climate, and the markets of
the world are accessible through the agency
of the Tennessee River, A boat can be
loaded here and landed in New Orleans
without breaking bulk. There are but
three manufacturing establishments here
two saw mills and a whisky distillery.
Timber of all kinds is very
abundant and cheap. Heart pine and vel
low poplar are the chief kinds, and are
brought down the two rivers in RATS and
sell at So to 81 per thousand in the log, and
when shipped to the markets, down the
river, in boards sell at from SIS to S25 per
thousand. This branch of business could
be made very profitable if the lumber were
manufacturedintoa agricultural implements
and wooden ware generally, and for which
we have the finest white oak, hickory, ash
"a m NJ 4
would also be profitable branch of busi-
ness.
Walnut in abundance can be had in log,
delivered here, at $50 per thousand, and
cut into veneering will sell in the North
ern markets at from 500 TO 5000 per thou
sand. And then we have a quantity of
the finest ash, both straight and curled,
and also red gum, which makes beautiful
furniture. Our county is very rich in
minerals, particularly iron ore Of the very
best description. There are two large and
profitable iron furnaces in the county-one
at lockwood, with Gen j. II. Wilder as
Superintendent, and the other at Oakdale,
with Col. Whiting as Superintendent,
both from New York, and first rate business
men, and either of whom will answer any
questions from parties wishing to remove
hither. We also have marble and red
sandstone in abundance and of superior
quality. Our soil is limestone, and the
country finely watered with springs,
branches, creeks, and rivers. Stock-rais-
ing can he made n source OF great profit.
The markets of Chattanooga, Atlanta, Au-
gusta, and Savannah are supplied princi-
pally from the Tennessee country, and al
ways pay high prices. Our stock is mostly
of The scrub kind, but recently a few en-
gentlemen have introduced
some fine horses, cattle, and hogs, which
will much improve our present stock.