Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-10-30

honey, to go winging their way In
search Of some fanoie6 better home.
Well, the poor woman hung her head
for an instant, IS she hammered some
halfway justification for the proposed
fight, enough to convince me. however,
that I had only made her merely unhap-
py, perhaps, and i left, quite convinced
that the. example set by our far-off pro-
genitQrs, in showing rest essness in
whatever Eden located was still and al
ways would be q characteristic of their
descendants to the very end; that that
Adam and Eye were not all who had
been located discontentedly in pleasant
places. $50
! One strong and controlling reason
why, in all the past history of emiora-
ton and settlement of the whole coun-
try, the rich valleys Of Kentucky have
been so much overlooked was that the
range. Of rough mountains, EXTENDING
almost from the Ohio river to Oumber.
land Gap, compelled trains of emigrant
wagons to keep on southwest clear to
the last-named place, as to the only
point where this tremendous cape could
be "doubled;" and, once through the
Gap" then before them lay feasible
road to Central Kentucky, Middle Ten
nessee, and, indeed, to the whole West.
And il, comparatively, . few in these
early times diverged mountainwards
from this great leading pathway to
richer lands, they were those who es-
pecially liked hunting for its own sake;
and who, in the mountain districts,
would be sure of sport not to be found
for any length Of time in a more agri-
cultural district. So II was, then-as
have said in the first portion of this
chapter-the mountain ranges and val
leys we're in the outset peopled with
those who transmitted their unthrifty
ways to their descendants; and hence,
whatever the native resources of those
fine valleys, they have largely remained
undeveloped to this day.
But-the query is worth entertain
ing-is it indeed the case that because
the great tides of emigration, assisted by
railroads and other potent agencies,
have swept past this great mountain
region on both sides, to find homes in
the far VESTS it so that this section
will be overlooked and neglected to
the very end? Will there not come a
reaction a desire to look up desirable
places nearer home? and, making Of
this mountain region with it's unbound
ed water power, it's mineral wealth, its
iron, and coal, and copper, and lead,
and salt, a true New England of the
South, develop it to better conditions
and results than hitherto it has been
fortunate enough to experience? Blessed
especially as it's residents are with good
health, and this to degree excelled by
no other region on the continent, all
this should awaken public attention to
it's advantages, and cause some more Of
our people to benefit by them.
And in regard to what has been here
said of the mountain regions of Ken
lucky and Tennessee indeed of that
whole scope of country in the head
waters of the Big Sandy and New rivers
on the one side and the Cumberland and
Tennessee rivers on the other-mucht the
same reasons exist for making infinitely
valuable to the people of this country
for homes the mountainous region of
North Georgia, and the sections of that
character adjoining. In: that naturally
favored hill country, it was declared by
the Cherokees when they were made to
abandon it for the lands west of the Miss
issippi, "a man was never sick or
sorry;;" and at present it is encouraging
to know that every year public attention
it getting somewhat more drawn to it,
the chief attraction being it's mild and
healthful climate, which supplies favor
able conditions for many who find it
impossible to live in the severer climate
of the North. o.
! But there are potent reasons why the
people of the South themselves should
turn to the development ct Lat portion
! of their territory, which, after all, has
more elements of real power in it than
anything offered to them besides. The
mountainous region of the South is
emphatically the white mans country
And bearing in mind that the two
greatest elements of power known to
this or any age are iron and coal; that
these are the agencies that in the end
make nations rich and respected, and
! this consideration alone should make
| the fortunate possessors of such ele.
ments of strength eager to make the
most of them.
! The great mistake that the South has
made in the past was in entertaining
the belief that the agricultural, or, as
some of her political oracles fondly
termed it, "the patriarchal condition,
was that which was most desirable
that which would most certainly give
her empire and greatness reflect
ing that iron commands not only gold
but everything else almost of which il
is the representative. Fear, it should
be borne in mind, however reluctant We
may be to acknowledge it, is too Otter
in this world constituent or condition
Of respect; andwe may say of cannon
foundries and ship-yards that, although
these may not lay the world under
tribute as does cotton, they compel that
tribute of respect, without which cot
ton, money or anything else may be
comparatively valueless.
! I have said that the hill region is the
! white mans country; and this because
while he must in the very nature of the
case leave cotton and rice and sugar
/ clllGllT0 10 tA0 CO4O1ou IdCo3 Ao u11ASo1
could he but realize it-can do with
these mineral treasures what the other
! race can never do-can develop po1vev
And, although what am going to ad'
duce may be deemed but trite OF
lements of development Indicated
IRON and coal-to make almost every
other civilized, or even half civilized
nation pay money tribute to her to the
extent annually Of more than $4,000
100000? Whatever nation wants money
goes to her; aid the obligations, conse'
quently, that appear at che London
Stock Exchange comprise, perhaps
four or five hundred millions Of dollars
on which we alone as one nation pay inter
est; and this, along with the bonds Of
Egypt, Turkey, the South American
states, all far-off nations, indeed, be
sides those, including to q greater o.
less extent all the nations of Europe: J
I Intelligent labor, let it be noted, doe
not, as . general thing, seize upon {
| hoe, and, under the blazing sun of tn.
| Gulf States, undertake to develop til,
cotton plant; neither will it wade in til,
rice sWamps for q meaper wage. Blu