Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-05-26
LETTER FROM ANDERSON COUNTY
CrOps-A Zig Farmer-The springs
Iron Ore and Furnaces-AbOrigin
AntINniIIes. etc.

Iron Ore and FurnRces-Ab
Antiquities. etc.
DIVERS P. o., TENN,
. May 10, 1875.
To the Editors Of the Chronicle:
In rapid transit from Knox coun~
ty to this point, during the week, |
was glad to see but little signs remain
ing Of the late frost. The woods are
fast getting into fun leaf and crops
are growing Off faster, though not
with the best prospect. The floods
and cold weather have thrown farm
efs somewhat behind with corn plant
ing and the baked condition of the
bottom land will make its preparation
difficult without more rain. some Of
the earlier corn Is being plowed over
for the first time, but it lacks vigor
of growth. | find fair amount of
apple fruit still remaining in this vi
entity, but the peaches were all
killed. THERE'S some very good wheat
but oats and grass are backward.
/ stopped last night with Uncle
Billy Staples over the line in Roaue
county. He is probably the largest
land proprietor in the State, having
seven thousand acres in Roaue coun-
ty, alone, besides untold acres in the
mountains and elsewhere. His home
place contains about four thousand
acres in one body. Before the war he
raised immense quantities of grain,
hay, mules, horses, cattle and hogs.
In one year he shipped twenty-five
thousand dollars worth of bacon Of
his own raising. He has always been
q great trader and never gets tired of
telling young men how To take start.
Forty or fifty years ago he commenced
business on the mountains, somewhere
near Kingston, by going in debt for a
horse and few acres of land. He paid
out the first year mainly by hunting
venison and selling it at two cents n
pound. In the meantime he also
traded ,enison for about fifty calves,
and embarked in the cattle business.
After that he rose rapidly and surely.
| He now buys a new farm of from five
to seven hundred acres every year or
two. There seems to be greater
! tendency towards amassing large land
ed estates out here than near around
! Knoxville. Farms of from three
hundred to seven hundred acres are
quite common.
The Springs here are being prepared
for visitors. Among the guests already
| beginning to arrive, | noticed one or
| two young men from Knoxville. The
surroundings are very pleasant, and
the water is good. Only its inaccessi-
bility prevents this becoming a place
of considerable resort. The scenery is
very inspiring and the seclusion par
ticularly impressive, there being no
nearer approach to the steam-whistle,
and other disturbing noises of civiliza'
ton, than the tinkling cow-bells. 1t
is thought, however, that before many
years a railroad will be built near here
along the foot of Walden's Ridge con
Meeting the Cincinnati Southern and
the Knoxville and Ohio roads. The
immense iron deposits reaching from
lockwood and Oakdale on through to
| Virginia in almost unbroken richness
will soon compel such a step. An
English company has lately bought
near here, and expects to put up works.
The time is fast approaching when a
continuous line of great furnaces will
set their smoke-stacks TO stand sentry
over these mountains from ChattanoO~
ga to the Virginia line.
interesting Aboriginal remains which
| find in this section. On the Staples
farm is salt spring, near which is a
large bed of ashes, charcoal, broken
pottery and other debris of an ancient
sslt-works, operated doubtless by the
Mound-builders, a race who existed
here anterior to the Indians. Similar
remains are also found near a salt
spring in the gap of Walden's Ridge,
not far from divers, and near the
old Eastbrook's salt works. At the
former place, I succeeded in three or
four hours time, with the assistance OF
a friend, in digging out eighty or ninety
pieces of pottery, bones and other rel
les. The pottery seems to be a CON-
pound of red clay and ground muscle
shells, lightly burned or dried in the
sun. No metal utensils have ever been
found. 1t is probable that these peo-
pie were identical with the ancient
Aztecs, and from some cause, now I'M
known, abandoned this part of the
continent and migrated Southwark to
Mexico, long before the discovery OF
America by Columbus. VIAToR.