The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-02-16

R. r.
MoRRIsTowN, Tenn, Jan. q, 1881. /
Mr.. A. L..GREER .n
DEAR SR-In response to your
letter. of the 22d inst, / have the
honor to say that we are moving
toward Cumberland Gap. As |
stated in my former letter, the
Western N. G. road will be com
pleted by the LIST July next, thus
giving Morristown direct communi-
cation South, with Charleston, Viii
mington and Port Royal. Onr inten-
ton is to build road North from
Morristown to Cumberland Gap,
hoping to meet at that point some
road that will afford us direct com
E1unication with the great cities on
the Ohio and in the Northwest.
Ours is the Morristown, Cumber-
land Gap and Ohio Railroad Com
pany. A large part of the prelim-
mary work is finished, and we ex-
poet to push the road on as rapidly
as our means will allow. That the
road on our side of the mountain
will be built, I think can assure
you. The question is, who will
meet lis at the line? What com
pany will seize the golden opportun-
fly, and occupy the future great
trunk route from Cincinnati to the
seaboard? The question must be
answered by the capitalists of Gov
ingtOn and Cincinnati, or Of Ious-
vile. The Cumberland Gap, Nor
ristown and French Broad route is
natures route. It divides the finest
coal and iron fields in North Ameri-
ca it crosses every variety Of soil
east Of the Mississippi it will open
up almost ilIimitable areas of forests
containing every variety of arbor-
escent growth indigenous the United
States. In addition to the immense
beds and fields of camel and blum
inous coal and red ham attic iron
ores in Southeastern Kentucky
which this route will cross diagon-
ally, it cuts right through the great
zine and lead deposits of Claiborne
and Jefferson counties, in Tennessee,
which are now being actively devel-
Oped-belt after belt of brown hem
attic ores in East Tennessee and
Western North Carolina of incalcud
able extent and richness, and recent
Iy discovered speculor and magnetic
iron ores of the French Broad re-
gion, that are said to be of great ex-
tent and superior quality. A rail
road on this route viii enable the
cities on the Ohio to obtain the beau
tifully variegated marbles of East
Tennessee, witch are now being ship
ped in fabulous quantities to New
York, Philadelphia and Boston. 1t
will carry 10 The cities on the Ohio,
instead of to the Eastern cities, the
mica, corundum and copper now
being taken from tho Western North
Carolina mines in great quantities.
In short, a ra;Ioad on this route
will open up and make tributary to
your city and Cincinnati the richest
and most varied and extensive min
cral belt on the continent. The
agricultural wealth, and the wonder
full variety of the agricultural pro-
ducts Of the region traversed by
this route, should demand some con-
sideratiOn. At one end of this route
are produced the rice and cotton
which the markets and manufactur-
ing interests of the other demand
At the other end are produced the
grasses and cereals and live stock
to compensate by exchange for the
rice and Gotten of the former, and
on the highlands between the two
are grown the finest tobaccos and
most luscious fruits anywhere pro-
duced in the United States. The
freightage over such a route as this
would be simply immense, especially
50 in view Of the additional fact that
it is the shortest possible route from
the cities on the Ohio to the sea-
board, and the harbOrs it reaches
are the most capacious and safest
on the Atlantic coast. | am aware,
sir, that those not familiar with the
facts l have stated, will regard my
views as extravagant. Five years
ago, before I had investigated for
myself the almost terra ircOsnita OF
Eastern Tennessee, Western North
Carolina and southeastern Kentucky
/ should have regarded such state
lnents as [ have herein made as ex-
travagant and hyperbolical; but now
after FIVE years residence here, 1 can
conscientiously say, verify, "the half
hath not been told"
Is not the development of the in
calculable wealth along this route
an object worthy the ambition of
any man, yea, of even a great city
think so, and / call upon you, and
through you upon your city, to lend
earnestly and zealously a helping
hand in the great work. Trusting
that you and your people will be
able to see clearly your way to aid
us in an enterprise of such prime
Importance as ours, by building a
road from your city to Cumberland
Gap, and meet us at that place, /
beg leave to subscribe myself,
Yours truly,
a. III. GREGG,
Pres. N, G. G. & o. r. r. Co.