The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-05-25


Importation OF steel and Of steel making ores from
abroad Is on the increase
''In 1879, thirty-four per cent a. an the iron
produced in this country was made Into steel
The nesrnes. Of the very pure ORE q East Tsn.
nSsses and Western N0rth Carolina 10 the pura
Goals in the upper Cumberland region are an
Assurance that with transportation secured, thai
region win be one Of the great iron aud steel pro
ducing oentoVs Of the world"
Now, here is a large area Of ter
ritory, composed of the counties OF
Claiborne and Hancock, and parts
Of Granger and Union in East Ten
nessee, and of South Carolina, Ken
lucky and Southwestern Virginia,
the richest, perhaps, on the Ameri
can continent, in all natural Rdvan-
tages and resources, slumbering, as
they have slumbered for ages, unde-
velOped and untitled aud yet a
glance at a railway map will show
that these contiguous sections, al
most burdened with dormant wealth.
compose a portion Of the largest
district barren of railways east OF
the Mississippi river. This remark
able fact is stated by Proctor, but in
the nature of things it cannot long
remain true. A more inviting field
for enterprise and capital does not
lie open anywhere, if there be one
that comes within the range of
comparison.
In short time there will be only
this small hiatus in the great lines
of railway running in direct course
between the waters Of tho Ohio and
those that wash the shores of our
South Atlantic coasts. That this
will be closed up very soon by some
one, no one with any knowledge Of
the facts can for a moment doubt.
The exigencies of the country de-
mand, and imperiously require the
consummation of this great work Of
local development and of intercom-
munication between these two great
sections which are so interdcpend.
ent. The only questions are, by
whom shall the work be done who
shall at the same time confer an in
estimable blessing on the country,
and secure the profits Of what must
be the most profitable road Of It's
length and cost perhaps in the world.
AS before stated, the first railroad
project that excited the public mind
in Tennessee, and attracted attention
from abroad, was this connection
of the waters of the Ohio
and the Atlantic by the utilization
Of this great natural highway. IL
never ceased to be favorite scheme.
On November Is, 1853, the legis-
lature Of the State Of Tennessee
chartered the Cincinnati, Cumber-
land Gap and Charleston railroad
company, declaring the intention
and purpose to be the construction,
use and maintenance Of a railroad
from Cincinnati, on the Ohio river,
or some other point nearer Cumber-
land Gap than Cincinnati, already
having railroad connection there
with, through Cumberland Gap and
the Udiley Of the French Broad TiUer,
near Pant Rock, the Southern boun-
Diary line Of the State Of Tennessee,
to Charleston, South Carolina, or
some other pointnearer Cumberland
Gap than Charleston, already hav-
ing railroad connection with Charles
ton" with power to unite and con
solidate with roads in the States Of
Kentucky and North and South
Carolina. The termini of the road
were expressly fixed at Cumberland
Gap on the North, and the State
line on the South, near Paint Rock,
and the general course of the road
located up the valley Of the French
Broad. In terms it was declared
that the main object of the charter
was the construction Of a road from
Cincinnati By Cumberland Gap and
Paint Rock to Charleston, South
Carolina, and the road was required
to be completed within ten years. A
large amount of stock was subscrib-
ed and paid in the counties along
the northern section Of the
road, in the counties Of Granger,
Claiborne and Hancock, as well az
i'm the counties traverSed by the road
south of the mountain. As we have
before said, work was commenced at
and the road placed in
running order on the Southern sec
ton, nearly to the State line, over
which the cars have been running
for several years, with the now alb
solute certainty Of speedy. compile
ton and the desired Southern con-
nections. Much work was also done
on the northern section, in the d.
rection of Cumberland Gap. The
road came within the provision Of
the Tennessee Internal Improve
ment law of 1852, under which the
State loaned her bonds to the com
Dany, reserving a lien on the road |
5or her security. After some prog
.sss had been made, for reasons un-
necessary here to state, the aid Of
,he State was suspended the work |
ceased; the war supervcned; and |
work was not resumed until after its |
when the aid Of the /
State was again extended, with the |
'esult of the partial construction Of |
he road which we have indicated. |
But the road in its unfinished con
lition, and without any terminal
was unable to meet the
interest on the bonds Of the State
which had been loaned to it, rs was
he case with many other roads that
lad received aid under the Internal
law; and under the
provisions in the original act, and
ubsequent legislation, the road was
old to its present owners, under a
.ecree of the Chancery Court at
Nashville, in the year 1871, who
ince that time have been, and are
till operating the section Of the
DAD South Of MorristOwn, and are
ow rapidly completing the same to
he terminus of the Carolina road, !