The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-04-25
DUCETOWN LETTER.
DUcKTowY, Tenn, Apr. 18th

lanta, under date of Apr. 10Th,
quite a long account of a trip of
the editor TO Ducktown in com
pany with Rev. j. b. Ford of
Cleveland, by and through Car
tersville and Ellijay, Ga. 1t is
rather a pity that those two dis
tinguished gentlemen did not
confne themselves to the social
and more essential spiritual en-
Of their Brothers and
Sisters and not blundcr over so
many things without any general
or proper knowledge. The prin-
ciple object seems TO be TO plas-
ter Capt. j. L. Raht very elabO-
rately for his great abilities and
extraordinary business capacity
in connection with the progress
of the mines for q years. Should
his capacity be admitted it is
quite evident that it was given
for his individual benefit and not
the success of the mines or the
company who employed him; for
it is a well known fact that at the
expiration of his agency he was a
very rich man, and moreover tits
an authentic truth that when he
was first employed by the u. Q. ~.
Co., of Tennessee, about q years
pryor to his dismissal that he
came here a poor man without
apparently all his worldly riches,
goods, chattles, &c, in a carpet
bag, and that after controlling per
haps a half 4 dozen rich copper
mines for so many wears. that he
finally ruined some Of them and
bought in their mining property
at a Sherin's sale, and he also
brought the present company out
in debt to him for a large amount
beside-equal to a fortune Of it.
self. And while he was the only
agent of the company in Tennes-
see he attached all their property
in the State for this balance. The
ores during his administration
were far richer than they are to-
day, requiring vastly less mateTi-
| al and labor to convert them into
copper-also the price of that
metal was nearly double what it
is at this date. Yet the Compa-
nv under the present manage
ment. at the very low price Of
copper-1G and 1G!c. per h., is
prospecting and making money
against all the opposition practi-
ced in every conceivable shape
and form by its enemies, some Of
who have grown rich and fat on
its patronage, while some of those
in a subordinate position as well
as outsiders who were fed from
the crib Of the company for
years, suddenly left their service
on the advent of the administra-
ton, supposing the loss of their
great abilities would instantly
crush the company; and with
| their loud tongues have since
been engaged in denouncing the
new government as imbecile and
unworthy OF the confidence Of the
people, and employing every
available means to discredit and
damagei it to the fullest extent.
The company however, through
the determined resistance Of its
superintendent, to all the en-
croachments of the would-be de-
stroyers. of the homes and bread
of Thousands of families, who
have been sustained and fed by
his enterprise, has survived the
shock and lives to see the day
when TRAY. Blanch & Co." have
to seek some other trail to bark
on-this one having grown Uery
cold indeed and about frozen out.
Pioneers of their tribe, we are
told, have discovered in a distant
land great attractions in new
game that can be caught easier
without barking so loud on the
track, and it IS to be hoped by all
good citizens that when the horn
blows the balance will all follow
we have no use for them here
Capt. Rahti is credited with bull.
ding the Isabella Church unaided
from any other source which i,
untrue, and it is a fact worthy o
mention that the company gave
two or three hundred dollars ant
also that many of the citizens as
sisted by subscription and thai
he (Capt. Raht) retained the mo
news thus contributed at the fol
lowing pay day, it being charged
. against employees on the pay roll
other statements are not cOrrec'
with regard to the company
B present operations, which no one
knows anything about properly
but the general superintendent
! and he says he did not see the
editor of the Advocate or know
at the time he was on the prem
ises. The editor further state!
| that Mr.. John IL. Williams ha'
, charge of the company's store
which is not true. Mr.. William.
is employed in the company
store as assistant to Mr.. Jas, B
Witt, who is chief clerk, Ate.
+ all these plumbers the eviden
, toadyism to a rich man is furthe.
exemplifed on his passage dowl
t Ocoee river toward Cleveland
t he speaks of the smiles it woulC
! hrinn 10 Northern farmers' face