The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1876-11-10
TENNEsSEE2S MINERALOGI-
CAL WEALTH.
Interesting Report by Col. J. Id.
KilIebrew, on the OcOee and
HiWassee District.

Interesting Report by Col. j. I'D.
KIlIebrew, ON the OcOee and
IEiwassee District.
We have received from Col. j.
b. killebrew, Commissioner of
Agriculture, Statistics and Mines,
a pamphlet report on the Ocoee
and Hiwassee District. 1t eyinces
a deal of careful study, patient
investigation and deep research.
The author states that there is no
region in Tennessee containing a
larger number of valuable miner
ais than that drained by the Ocoee
and Hiwassee rivers. Gold, cop
per, lead, iron, roofing slate, lith-
ograph stone, marble and baryta,
can be found within an area Of
two thousand square miles. The
Ocoee and Hiwassee district is
composed of the counties of Mon
roe, Polk, McMinn, Bradley,
James, Meigs and a portion of
Hamilton lying east of the Ten
nessee river, and that Of Roane
lying south and east of the same
stream. The Hiwassee district,
lying east and south of the Hiwas-
see river, and extending north
and west to the Tennessee river,
was coded to the United States in
1919, by a treaty with the Cher.
okee Indians. The Ocoee district,
situated south of the Hiwassee
river, was acquired from the same
tribe of Indians by a treaty made
seventeen years later. The topog-
raphy of the district is varied.
Mountains rise. to an altitude of
$500 feet on the southeast, and
Hangover and Haw's Knobs, be-
tween the Little Tennessee and
Hiwassee rivers, tower to aheight
of over 5000 feet. The Hiwassee
is navigable for a distance of thir-
ty-three miles during nine months
in each year. The Ocoee, which
is one of its tributaries, rises in
Georgia, and is navigable for
three or four miles above the
mouth. ,s
The iron ore found at Tillico
Plains, in Monroe county, on the
Tillico river, thirty miles from its
mouth, is very valuable. 1t shows
no flint or sihceous matter in its
composition, and is mined with
great ease and rapidity, one per
son being able to raise three or
four tons per diem. Owing to
the manganese contained in it,
it is believed that it will prove
invaluable for the making Of Bes-
samer steel. Car wheels made of
this iron in 1851 are still used by
the Memphis, and Charleston
Railroad, and are considered good
and serViceable yet, Better or
more availrble water power than
that afforded by the Tillico river,
at the point where it breaks from
the mountains, can not be found
the State. 1t ruShes down into
the vally though high bluffs Of
slate and conglomerate rocks,
numerous tributaries pour in
to the main stream. The copper
district of Tennessee is situated
in Polk county, in the southeast
ern corner of the State. 1t occu
pies an elevated basin, ITO feet
above the sea, containing nearly
'orty square miles. The copper
ores are in three belts or veins,
separated at intervals of a
lalf mile or more. About five
hundred men are employed at
he copper mines, while a sub
.;istence is derived by a large
lumber, by cutting wood in the
,icinity and making charcoal of
t. The copper region labors I'M
Ter great disadvantages on &C
'ount of its distance from a mar
and the transportation. Capi4E'
alists are constantly seeking in
ormation about the district, and
t is hoped that many will be at {
racted to Tennessee through the !
ledium Of the report. J