Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-05
Correspondence of the Boston Post.

Correspondence of the Boston Post.
ATLANTA, GA, November 23-That the
Southern railroad companies should make
exhibits OF specimens Of minerals, woods
and agricultural products at the Inter
national Cotton Exposition was an after
thought, and this was designed to be sec
ondary to the collection of facts and ma
chinery that have to do with Gotten. The
exposition, too, so far 1t relates to cotton, is
In every way complete, while the specimens
OF ores, woods and agricultural products
are but hints Of the undeveloped resources
OF the regions whence they were taken. Yet,
In spite OF these facts, the railroad build
ing Is the most astonishing part of the ex-
position and, SO far from being of
secondary importance, it is attracting more
attention than all the other departments.
Mr.. George B. Loring himself, who it was
but reasonable to suppose had agricultural
subjects chiefly In mind, was so much sur
prised at the display of specimens of mine
rails and woods, that he proposed that the
collections here should be carried to Wash
ington after the Exposition closes and
placed there on permanent exhibition under
the charge of the Department of Agricul-
ture. Most of the railroads are not only
willing to give their displays for such pur-
pose, but some of them desire to make col
lections that are more nearly complete in
dications of the resources of their belts of
country.
The collections of minerals, woods, agrl-
cultural products and fruits cannot be du-
plicated from any other part of the earth;
and now for the first time the Southern peo-
pie themselves realize, and the whole world
sees, that this is not only the least developed
portion Of the United States, but also by far
the richest, both in the variety and the ex-
tent of its resources. This is such valuable
information, both for capitalists and for
laborers, that this department of the Expo
sttion naturally interests a larger class of
people than the culture and manufacture of
cotton.
To take, first OF all, general view of the
country represented by these exhibits, it is
necessary to point out the main lines of
roads whose companies made the collec-
tione; and, since the section of country
whose resources are indicated are the point
under consideration just now, shall leave
for another letter deal of interesting mat
ter about the railroad systems themselves.
The Richmond and Danville Road, whose
company has the most wonderful exhibit
even made In the world $50 mineralogists
and lumbermen here are agreed), traverses
the country from Richmond, Va, through
Danville, Va, Charlotte, N. c., to Atlanta.
1t has many feeders and extensions, but
along this main line the resources indi-
Gated by the collection of mineral and woods
lie. There are two extensions now in
course of construction which viii cross the
richest mineral region of the Alleghenies-
one line from Asheville, n c., to which
point the road is already completed, to
Chattanooga, Tenn, and another from Knox
Vile, Tenn, diagonslly across the south
western part of North Carolina to a point in
South Carolina. The region indicated here
is the "golden" tobacco belt of northern
North Carolina, where the finely cured
yellow tobacco frequently brings as much
as $50 per hundred weight. The main line
and the extensions that traverse the west
ern part Of the State lead through the
region richest In minerals and woods.
Here there are about fifty gold mines now
worked. Recently an English company
Of great wealth has reopened the famous
Gold Bill mine in Rowan county, the deep
est and most profitable gold mine in the
Atlantic States. It is now $50 feet deep.
Before the war this mine yielded S3 ,OOO, 900.
A single copper mine, the Ore Knob mine,
in Ashe county, employs 600 hands and
copper. Conrad Hill mine, In Davidson
county, promises to be equally productive
Of copper, and it has for forty years been
one Uf the most profitable gold mines In the
State. There are not less than sixty profita-
BILE mica mines In six counties, Mitchell.
YaDcY, Buncombe, Haywood, jackson and
Macon. These mines supply almost exclu-
sively the market OF America, of Canada,
and In part OF Europe. The Weld is about
$4,000 pounds per snnum, and this could
easily be doubled IL there were sufficient
demand. High grade iron ore is distributed
from Halifax to Cherokee counties. A
Pennsylvania firm has recently spent three
quarters of a million in purchasing one of
these beds, and In reaching it by rail. Other
Pennsylvania companies are beginning to
look to these deposits for their iron.
Mari is perhaps the most valuable and
important mineral In the State. It un-
derlies the surface of thirty counties
nearly one third Of the area Of the whole
State. The precious gems found in North
Carolina are worth millions. Every precious
stone except the turquoise has been discov.
cred there. The t'mother of diamonds. -
which Humboldt found in the diamond re-
gion of Brazil, is abundant, and is taken az
strong evidence Of the presence of many
diamonds. A Georgia stone is on exhibition
here that is worth $3.50. The "Hiddenite. -
which surpasses all other American gems
except the diamond, and is equal to that in
value, is found in profitable quantities In
Alexander county.
OF the 126 species of woods found in the |
Southern States, liz are found in North |
Carolina and 102 species and varieties are
on exhibition here. In the same region |
black and white walnut and white Dine |
grow-all the woods that are necessary for |
extensive furniture works.
This is but hasty glance at the exhibits |
from western Carolina. East Tennessee |
sends iron aud coal, and marble that are |
equally significant, and Northern Georgia is |
an integral part of this same mineral sec |
tion. Next to the exhibit made by the |
Richmond and Danville Railroad Company. |
the specimens OF woods and ores collected |
along the route Of the Georgia Pacific "a the |
most suggestive. This Is the new road that |
will open up more profitable industries than
any other single line that has ever
been built In the South. It's route is from
Atlanta west to Birmingham, Ala. thence
to Greenville, Miss. It will make a new
trans-continental route by connecting with
the Texas Pacific west Of the Mississippi
river. About Birmingham. Ala, several
millions Of dollars has very recently been
invested in iron and coal properties. 1t
g the richest unworked mineral region, so
Tar as is known, In the world. The first
rails Of the Georgia Pacific were laid here
a few days ago. ExS Senator John B. Cor
don, the President, drove the first spike in
the presence OF a number of enthusiastic
citizens of Atlanta. The first rails at the
other end, at Greenvflle, Miss, were also |
laid this week. This road viii be worth
millions to Atlanta, to Georgia, to Alabama,
and TO the whole Southern country. The
country that 1t will open is full Of timber as
well as Of minerals. and there is no richer
section for agriculture in the Union than
parts of this belt.
Perhaps the next most notable region
whose resources are indicated at the Ex-
position is Southern Georgia and Florida.
Florida, In itself, is exhaustless In its posi-
Die wealth. Its objections are obvious.