Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1880-09-21

tol anu was glad they were here on this
occasion.
Prof. Kerr, the State geologist of n
c, was next introduced by Gen. limbo.
den.
rRoF. KERR
made one Of the most interesting speech.
es to which we have ever listened. He
was from the State Of N. c., which Gen
lmboden had facetiously called the Rir
Van Wrinkle State. King Charles haC
created the State so as to extend from
the Atlantic to the Pacific. At that time
1t was much nearer us than now and
embraced half the ground on which one
half of Bristol stands. he was sorry N
{. had been so generous as to give Ten.
nessee away. He presumed she did &C
when she was In that 20 years sleep
Here, he said, Is the heart of the cont.
nent and the center of dominion for al
least the eastern half of America. There
is no place on this earth that can be
compared with yours for coal and iron
n. c. Is going to reclaim this terri.
tory. She is now pushing two converg,
ing lines of II. II. towards you. One Of
them from the harbor Of Georgetown, s.
G.. to Lenoir, which ia distant only
fifty-hve IN les from Bris-
tol and only 80 from Cranberry. The
other is from the head Of navigation on
Cape Fear River, via Greensboro, a dis
tance Of $50 miles, to Lenoir, where the
two converge. From the Yadkin she
will press n line to New River on your
A. N. & o. Il. r. passing the Ore
Knob.
Prof. Keer illustrated his remarks by
reference to large map, showing that
the Cape Fear connection Of 100 milcs
was the shortest between the tropical
coast and the mountain plateau cf coal,
iron and timber. 1t connects the high
eat points of the Appalachian chain with
deep water by the shortest Of all routes.
The climate here Is that OF Ontario--45
degrees isothermal. At Wilmington,
the mouth Of Cape Fear, the climate is
that Of Mobile and Middle Mexico.
This 100 mile section will be seen TO pos
sess the essential variety Of all the civil
ized world. There you have the posi-
bilites of the whole continent. No
where else is this the case. II Is the
same as reducing the dktsnce between
Mexico and Canada 10 $50 miles. The
warm bath Of the Gulf stream which
leaves the coast at Wilmington brings
there the climate Of the Gulf, with the
Palmetto. Here you have the Grand-fa-
ther, the Black and the Roam with their
elevations Of 1000 feet. The census will
show that n. G. lacks, Of all the Gulf
States only the orange. The umberS of
the Lake region are being cut at an ay-
erage of 1900 square miles per year, n
rate that will exhaust them In twelve
years. After that they will have TO look
here for timber for America and for Eu-
rope. Pituburg alone requires 90 mill
lions OF feot per yard. The longleafed pine
the king OF timbers, runs for 100 miles on
this line. Make the Va. and Ky. con-
neciion and on its line you will pass
through all the varieties Of timbers In
the world. or the 22 varieties OF oak
we have 10, and Of the 8 varieties OF
hickory we have Z. Europe has no hick-
ory. When the Germans dug into Par
IL the handles OF their picks were made
OF N. c. hickory. Prof. Kerr alluded TO
the N. c. geological formations, the
granite, the Oldest In the world, and car
rying here NJ well as elsewhere the best
minerals on the earth, the iron, the cop
per and the gold. Aahe county has the
most sucoessful copper ores on the con-
tinent, making million pounds OF %
per cent. pure copper per annum. The
plaster and salt Of 8. W. va. would con-
tinuc 10 be necessities for man. Our
lands we're breaking down for want OF
facilities for reaching plaster. Acceeei-
blllty will make this the Summer resort
of tho continent The Ashcvlllc plateau
IL 1900 feet above the sea level.
We can give only an imperfect con-
densatlon of Prof .Kerr's speech, which
was one exhibiting thorough acquaint-
ance with the subject and the most pro-
found aud comprehensive research. We
have never seen nh audience more thor
oughly interested.
Al ils close Mr.. Fowler moved n vote
Of thanks 10 the gentlemen composing
the conference for their visit TO Bristol,
together with tho request that they come
again. This wW seconded by Col N
NJ. Taylor, the Attorney for tho W. N
G. II. II. and adopted by n rising vote ol
every one prescni.
In the afternoon Vice President Jamcl
OF the n. G 4 !. ". q. X. X. placed We
hiclca at the service Of the party and ac-
companied by Col. Taylor, j. II, Win
ston President OF the Hoard Of Trade
Mr.. Finch Of the A. NJ. & o. r. Il.
Gen. Imbodsn, Mr.. James and Mr.. Fow'
Ter. They were driven several miles OH
on the N. q. Il. r., aud TO various 9th.
or points IN the vicinity Of Bristol
these gentlemen were much pleased
with Bristol, and we're by no meant
slow In expressing their preference fol
Il AZ chief point In the great chain o
l,a,nr,uuiration they nre endeayorlnR Il