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


thoroughfare. It was the trail of
the buffalo, whose instructive en-
cheering never fails to direct him
Alright. The Northern Indians, the
Shawanese and other tribes, in their
hostile incursions into the land of
the Cherokee, made it their war
path. Following in the tracks of
these, and guided by the wonderful
tact of the pioneer woOdsman and
hunter, Daniel Boone, led the van
of emigration and civilization into
the dark and bloody ground and
when he and his brave and self
devoted compeers, and their de-
scendants, than whom a nObler race
of men does not live, wrested that
fair land from the savage, subdued
the wilderness and developed its
mighty natural resources and sus-
capabilities until it became the
bountiful and never failing source of
food and stock supplies of the cotton
States it was almost exclusively
over and along this great natural
highway that the trade, traffic and
travel between the two interdepen-
dent sections was conducted. 1t
was over this route that the droves,
herds and Cocks of Kentucky, in
countless numbers, and the best
ever grown on the face Of the earth,
were driven to market; and oyer it
were returned the millions of wealth
which laid the foundation of the
prosperity and happiness of that
great country. Why now turn
from the old way? The fathers saw
in it the finger of God they follow
ed it, and found that it was good for
them. And when the late civil war
came upon the country, and the
armies of the North were being
moved down upon the South, and
the latter were alert in closing all
the most eligible channels of inva-
sion, it was to Cumberland Gap that
their attention was first directed,
and it was one of the first positions
occupied by the Confederate forces
in East Tennessee. II was regard
ed as the key to the country. 1t
was considered that a large inva-
ding army would not attempt any
other passage, because no other was
so easy and direct as this old way of
the waters, the buffalo, the Indian,
the emigrant and the trader nor,
was any other attempted until the
Confederate military power in East
Tennessee had become unable to
make any serious resistance, and
was about to yield the country, and
when it finally fell, Cumberland
Gap was the last fortress which it
surrendered, and there, over the
lofty rock ramparts Of that strong
hold, it's banner, as a symbol of per-
manent occupation, was lowered for
the last time.
Local and wayside interests, as a
rule, are of minor importance in the
location of great national roads and
but when these interests
are of such nature and character
that their development will con-
tribute to the material prosperity of
the whole country they should be
accorded a commanding and a con-
trolling influence. Such interests
here unquestionably. exist, some Of
which we will briefly notice.
COAL AND IRON.
This line of road after passing
through the rich coal fields of the
part Of Kentucky,
passes into and through the coun-
ties of Claiborne, Granger, Ham
blen and Cooke, in East Tennessee,
and is now nearly completed to the
line Of the of North Carolina through
the last two. The most important
coal field in America is said to be
the Appalachian, and it crosses
through the eastern part of Ken
lucky and the county of Claiborne,
that section, in Tennessee,
and would be bisected by a continu-
alton of the road nOrthward over
his line Of road from Morristown.
And here, in juxtaposition with
his vast coal field, passes what is
we'll known in the geology Of Ten
lessoe as "the Dye Stone Iron Belt"
This belt of iron ORE" says KiIle-
Drew, Resources of Tennessee, p.
225, is remarkable for it's length
md richness. 1t skirts the eastern
)ase of the Cumberland table land,
md extends in our State from Chat
to Cumberland Cap" and
lmOng the counties embraced he
Claiborne, Hancock,
which adjoins Claiborne on the east,
md Granger, emitting Lee, imme-
lately to the east Of Cumberland
Zap, in Virginia, as his work was
confined to the minerals of Tennes-
zee. From the same able work, pre-
pared by the late learned and accom-
0lished Commissioner of Agricul-
ure, Statistics, Mines and Immigra-
ion, J. B. KiIlebrew, Esq, under the
direction of the Bureau of Agricul-
ure Of the State of Tennessee, we
quote as follows:
'0ne Of the richest deposits of this ore occurs
'ithin few Hundred yards of Cumberland Gap,
nd extends, without o break, twenty miles along
be mountain, and is half mile in width. 1t
orms u regular stratum of Wslden's Ridge, four
eet beneath the surface, and varies from eighteen
lches to three feet III thickness. This stratum is
arallel with the slope of the ridge, and forms
omplete sheet or shield, with an OVERLAPPING
tratum Of clay, sand and gravel. The ore is |
lised with powder, and thrown ont in large broad
heets. Il is here very hard and massive. The |
hole cost Of raising this ore at Cumberland Gap,
nd depositing it i'll the bridge loft ready for |
melting, IS dollar per ton. This fact will be |
ppreciated by the reader when he reflects that |
res delivered ready for smelling in the Pittsburg
lrnaces cost froH ten to twelve dollars per ton.
'On the spurs which shoot ont from the Cum
erIand table land deposits of limonite iron
re Of superior excellence, yielding from the fur
ace fifty per cent. This caps the hills, form
lg ledge with intcrminging gravel, from six
en to eighteen feet i'll thickness. Some Of these
ads sSid to have an unusually small quantity