The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-10-23
NOTES AND DOTS.
5WHZTKELL AND IT'S INDUSTRY
AZ FOWLER MORRLS'S.
CHESTNUT BLOOM p. O.,
Oct. Is. 1873.

To the Editor Of the Morristown Gazette
I wrote last week from Newport,
Cooke county. From thence went up
the 81 Bumeombe ~ railroad to Whit
well P. O.. This is a new place, where
is a branch of operations going on in
the interest of the great Southern Land,
Iron and Coal Company. The company
has purchased many thousands of acres
of mineral lands in the Southern States,
and have headquarters at Pittsburg,
Tenn. Capt. Lee, of Ohio, is local agent
at Whitwell, but he was not at home
when / was there, SO | failed to gain
much information which might have
been of interest to your many readers.
The Company own 90, 600 acres of land
in Cooke county, and is, am informed,
inclined to buy more rather than sell
what it now owns. The individuals
composing this company are English
men, and it is believed that the capital
of the company is ample to carry outfits
plans, which are to mine on a large
scale, not only in iron and coal, but
gold, if it comes in their way.
At Whitwell is mill in which the
company grind and prepare for market
large amount of barita The noun
tain near Whitwell Depot is full of
that mineral. The miners are from
Cornwall, England, many of whom are
employed about 10 miles from Whit
well in digging iron ore.
This company is, am told, operating
in Alabama. and perhaps other States.
When you, Mr.. Editor, and 1 were
boys, the United States was dependent
upon England for a great amount of
crude iron, as we'll as tin, of which we
supposed the United States destitute, as
also of emery. We now supply our
selves with iron and steel, almost exclu-
sively, both crude and manufactured,
and are actually pushing our manufac-
tured wares into the English markets.
thing we never thought of, thirty
years ago We now have tin and emery
mines from which to draw, and hence
are almost Independent of the Old
World for these metals. Not only so,
but we are annually furnishing Europe
millions upon millions of pounds of
dried fruit, and fresh beef and mutton,
both in the quarter and on the hoof.
Our trade with England and the CONT
Eent of Europe, in these articles, is al
ready immense, and destined to be much
greater. These, with our exports of
grain and manufactures of wool and
cotton, in the three years past, have
turned the balance of exchange in our
favor. Ending with June 80, 1873, it was
much more than two hundred millions
of dollars. If this goes on, in a few
years we can liquidate our present pub
lie debt held in Europe, besides putting
our people in better condition to dis
charge the debt owing to our own citi-
zens. We will find relief in having the
balance of trade in our favor, instead of
against US.
Perhaps you think 1 have gone off in
a tangent, in the above paragraph, but l
have written it on purpose to say, that
we have not only arrived at that happy
condition that the balance of foreign
trade is in our favor, but we are com
polling the great manufactures of Eng
land to seek our country to manufac-
ture in and, consequently, English cap
ital, in large amounts, is seeking invest
ment in the United States, as see this
great Southern Land, Iron and Coal
Company, composed of Englishmen.
Ere long, many more companies will
come over here.
Leaving Whitwell, on foot, after re-
naming there two or three hours, 1
came down the railroad to Bridgeport,
and took the dirt road leading to w. F.
Morris, one of your prompt paying sub
scribers. This Wednesday, October 8,
arrived at his residence just at dusk, and
was most cordially received. MIR. M. is
a farmer lives on the farm owned and
occupied by his father in his lifetime,
which is situated directly on French
Broad nearly three miles from Old New
port. Near his house / found a bran
new framed school-house 24x40 feet, well
built and conveniently arranged. 1t
was the work of mine host, James @.
Murray. Thomas Odell and some others
residing in the district. 1t is public
school-house, and John Clark is teach
ing school in it. 1t goes by the name of
Rockhill Academy.
Mr.. Morris has built grist and saw
mill, which are propelled by water from
French Broad river. He has but one
run Of stones for wheat and another for
corn, but his mill does excellent work.
He challenges any mill within fifty
miles of him to do better work with
wheat.
1t rained all day, Thursday, the 10th,
but very moderately, and l was SO cor
daily uged not to put out in the rain that
l remained all day with Dir, Morris and
babe him goodbye on Friday morning.
to wend my way towards home via Old
Newport. Called again on 81. P. Darby,
who had just returned from South Caro- |
lima, where he was born and reared,
He gave glowing account of the pros
perity of the people down In the old |
cotton State. People have raised a good
crop OF cotton, for which they are re-
ceiving the cash, though at moderate
prices. But the secret of their success
is the erection of cotton factories in |
their midst. In consequence, the farm |
ers have a home market for all the agri-
cultural products they can raise, besides
cotton, which is the very best market
they can possibly have. Passed over
the river again and put up with J. A.
Rorex, and on Saturday called upon
various parties and arrived home to
spend the Sabbath day.
You see that have dated this letter
from Chestnut Bloom p. o. Well, I can
III IL. Iour Il L. ftnr ruooks nd |