Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-03
OUR SWITZERLAND.
Interesting Notes of Trip to
East Tennessee.

Tel ROOn'S ShaF 1feo-L<udcSuOnat
matters-UnFka and P0tstiale Fur
naces-Iron Mauufaeture at chafta-
nOoga-America's Future Centre of
Iron Production.
To the Union aud American;
NASHVILLE, Oct. 2.-On a beautiful,
balmy, quiet Sunday afternoon, little
more than a week ago, Just as the sun was
tipping the grand old tops of the Unaka,
with purple and gold and amethyst, and
the shadOwy twilight was settling upon the
rich green valleys, your correspondent
alighted from the train and stood in the
ancient town OF Joneshoro, which nestles
in rural beauty in smiling valley, and is
almost hidden by the surrounding hills.
Jonesboro is the oldest town in the State,
having been laid of in the year 1T19, two
wears subsequent 10 the erection of the
county, and was the first capital. 1t has a
population of about twelve hundred. Its
public buildings are highly respectable.
Two good institutions of learning are 10
Gated IN the town. There are also four
churches, three newspapers, two hotels and
ten commercial establishments. The pri-
yate edifices wear the sOmbre hue Of age,
and many of them reminds one Of the pic
lures of the prim-lookiDg, deep red brick
houses, which oTnamented the upper parts
of looking-glasses forty years ago. The
railroad passes nearly through the center of
the town, parallel with, and but a short
distance from the little rock-walled creek.
which flows quietly by the houses and
almost under them, serving as the common
sewer for the town. From this creek the
hill on the south rises to a considerable
hight, upon the sides of which ara perched
residences and Offices of various kinds. In
the suburbs of the town are some beautiful
prominences rising dome-likes whose tops
are ornamented with neat residences and
tasteful Yards. But for the railroad one
could almost imagine himself,while gazing
upon the quiet streets and the tangled ar
rangement of the houses, that he had got
among "brethren who dwell together in
unity SO compact are the buildings.
Having enjoyed the princely hospitality
of the Sewer House, whose lordly proprie-
tor unites the kindness of friend with the
ciyility and politeneSs of landlord, your
correspondent, in company with Prof. Pres
nell, sailed forth the following morning TO
visit the
IRON REGION OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
This constitutes part Of the eastern iron
belt Of the State, which embraces the coun-
| ties of johnson, Carter, Washington,
Greene, Cooke, Sewer, Blount, Monroe,
McMinn and Polk. Riding in direction
south from Jonesboro for the distance of six
miles, We passed through wide gap OF the
Cherokee Mountains, which are the subOE-
dinates of the higher and grander range
which lies beyond and are the Unakas
proper Going two miles further, we
reached the NOlichucky, a rapid, roaring
river fretted by huge rocks that have tum-
bled into its channel from the Oyerhanging
bluffs. Crossing the river, We entered the
village of Embreyille, the seat of furnace
of the same name. This is at the foot Of
Bumpass Cove. and was erected many
years since. Formerly a nail factory and
refinery were in operation at the same
place, but the nail factory was removed to
Knoxville after the war. This furnace has
two tuyers, driven by water power, and
has 4 capacity of six tons per day. 1t
makes cold-blast charcoal iron of
superior quality, but is now out
of blast. The ere Is brO1ght from banks
three miles south of the furnace and deliv-
cred in the furnace loft at $3.50 per ton.
Charcoal is burnt by contract at five cents
per bushel, and delivered at six and half
cents. The ore banks here are very rich,
and are found in knobs, hills and ridges,
which rise above the level Of the valley
from 90 to $50 feet. The inalri1 is deep
brown. or chocolate colOred earth. and the
ore occurs in masses of all sizes, from
small grains up to Jumps as large as a sugar
hogshead. Some of the ore contains, lead
and zinc. and also iron pvrites. The lime
stones end DoiOmites Of the region also
Contain galena in disseminated grains, and
at one point the galena is so abundant that
il has been worked as a lead mine, the ma
chinery, however, has gone to ruin. As to
the amount Of iron ore in this cove no
proper estimate can be made, but suffi-
cienl amount is visible TO run the present
furnace for a century: And this cove is
but a type OF the numerous cOveS which
occur from johnson to Polk. In this
eastern iron belt there are found three spe-
cies of ore:
1. Limonite, which Yields from fifty to
sixty per cent. of iron from the furnace.
2. Hematise, which yields from iifly to
| siXty-five per cent, and
2. Magnetic, which, when pure, yields
| y per cent. Of iron.
The limonite occurs as honeycOmb and
hard. solid ore; sometimes also, in stalac-
titici and open, dark lustrous Shaggy forms,
occasionally with external scales rejecting
all the hues Of the rainbow. 1t is found
| too in winding or eOntOnted layers two CT
three feet in thickness.
On the following day we rode over the
northern part of Washington county and
| visited
| THE EARLIEST SETTLEMENTS IN TIE
STATE,
| on the Watanga. The country between
| Jonesboro and the WatanSa is heavily
| timbered and presents some fine farming
areas, Some of the land has been in cul-
tivation for over one hundred years, and
is still productive. The first wheat eveI
| grown in Tennessee was .raised On land
now owned by GecrE5 z. I aw, Esq. The
soil rests gbon Knox DOlOmite, and is cal
careO-sileceous and clsyey, strong and easily
reclaimed. Some of the ridges are cherry
The lands are rolling and billy, and tbs
DolOmite crops out in many Dlaees II
strata highly inclined, Neat Mir. Faw's
farm, on the lands OF 5. L. Edwards, is
THE FAMOUS BOONE TREE,
| which contains the earliest record Of evil
| cation IN Tennessee. II stands on the
northwestern slope of hill which rises Up
| from Sinking creek, near the Bl0nrtvilit
| and JonesborO stage road. The hill j,
thicl1ly set with beech, mapleand oak, and
| the whole earth is Tamified with gnarleC
roots, which cover the surface like an in.
| extricable mat. The dense woods, the rOal
of the little creek. IS it leaps in cascades
over the tilted limestone, and the dee;
gloom of the forest give wiidness TO TIN
| surroundings hot unlike what one MAJ
imagine it was ia years ago, when DAME
Boone, the bold pioneer, resting his riff,
against the tree, carved in indelible char
aciers the result of his 6ay's work in thi
way:
d. Boon
CinED a BAR o.
Ire
in The
YEAR
17GO
| At that time he was twenty-siX years G
ace, and doubtless was more than 10
miles from any human habitation, relEiH,
! alone upon his own brave hssTi, Strong arr
! and rusty rife. The tree is just two feet i
diameter and leans about. three degree
| from perpendicularity. 1t has been great
defaced by seekers after Immortality, VIII
have inscribed their names, otherwise III
known, all over it for ten feet, or nearly 81
above the surface Of the ground. For se'