Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-02-11
From the Tennessee Land Register.
Tennessee Compared with Other
States.

OF the Hon. Nj. i. Williamson on the
assessment of taxes and suggested re-
forms. We again take pleasure in re-
ferring to this valuable compilation and
shall extract some Of the comparisons |
made, for the benefit of our readers who
might not. otherwise see them, showing |
how Tennessee compares in the list Of
her sister States.
"From these reports (the census re-
ports, 1S70,) we learn that New York |
has the largest population and Nevada
the least-and that Tennessee stands !
ninth, being exceeded in numbers by
New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois,
Missouri, Indiana, Massachusetts and
Kentucky. In square miles or acres
she is exceeded by twenty States, she
being the taoenty,frst in superficial area.
In lands in farms she is exceeded only
by six-Illinois, Georgia, New York,
Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina. In
this respect she stands secenth In farm
lands improved, she stands tenth, being
inferior only to Illinois, New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri,
Virginia and Kentucky. We also ascer-
tain from the same reports that only
one-third Of the lands in the State are
approved, while twenty.four States have
u greater proportion of improved lands
Six States besides Tennessee show one
third of lands improved, and six States
show n 3oss proportion of improved lands
The census reports further show that
in farm products Tennessee stands ninth;
animals slaughtered, ninth; wheat rails
ed, thirteenth; rye raised, seventeenth;
Indian corn raised, seventh; tobacco
raised, second cotton raised, seventh
wool, fifteenth. In the value of live
stock, Tennessee is ninth in number Of
horses, twelfth; mules and asses, third
milch COWS, eleventh work oxen, fifth.
From this it will readily be seen that
Tennessee stands far above q middle
point in prominence, as compared with
other States, in 1870. In this connec-
ton it is noticeable that the States who
exceed Tennessee are those who during
and since the late war have had an
unprecedented prosperity; their cities
doubled in population and improvements;
heir railroads doubled in miles; their
mines and manufactures doubled; and
in like proportion did farm lands i'm
prove their products, and live stock en-
hance in value, and great prosperity was
10 be seen ON every hand ; while in Ten
ncsscc the war swept away many i'm
provemcnts, such az houses, barns, mills
and manufactures, and destroyed rail
roads, or by its consequences they We're
allowed to decay; her live stock was
nearly all destroyed, and the spirits of
her people were greatly depressed by
their great losses in relations, friends
and property. 1t is certainly commend
able that so good a showing could be
made as that above given, and when we
consider that only one-third of her lands
are cultivated, as shown by the tables,
what may be expected from her when
enterprise and industry shall claim these
waste place" and turn them to proauc-
ton. 1t may be said that this cannot be
done; that these lands are not suscepti-
hIe of producing wealth; that they are
mountains or ridges. To this we would
say, here is our greatest wealth; our
coal, iron, copper, zinc, lead, and other
minerals, are the great foundation for us
to build upon, and especially in East
Tennessee.
But it would not be fair, with 50 good
Il showing as has been made above, not to
present some Of cur short comings, which
we find in the following;
ain assessed value Of real estate, per
capita, our State stands twenty-seventh,
Ten States only being inferior to her in
this respect, viz: South Carolina, Mis-
sissippi, Minnesota, Illinois, Arkansas,
Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Florida and
North Carolina. In this particular,
Massachusetts stands on the list, with
1918 to each inhabitant.
4" In assessed value of personal prop
,erty per capita, Tennessee stands with
out an inferior, at 81, with S24.5O to
each inhabitant, Rhode Island ranking
l, with 1912 to each inhabitant.
g In real estate and personal property
combined per capita, Tennessee stands
%, her interiors being Arkansas, Geor
gia, Minnesota, Illinois, Texas, Florida
4 -. 81 NIL N,-ol;r, -