Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-12-19
From Sundays second edition.

Mr.. EDITOR: In your paper thus
morning an article appears under the head
ing of ''What does it means" which asks
will Knoxville succumb to Chattanooga"
This query seems to have been suggested
by reason of the fact that two gentlemen of
Knoxville had seen fit to take some stock in
blast furnace, to be located at Chattanoo-
ga While conceding that these gentle
men had a perfect right to invest their
money how and where they please. Yet
the tone of the article is that these men
have injured Knoxville by their act in this
matter. That they had ''gone back on
Knoxville" much to her damage and future
prosperity. In short, that it was almost dis
horable in them to have taken stock in any
thing not of Knoxville.
|, Now, l did not commence this communi-
cation for the purpose of apologizing for,
or defending these gentlemen for any of
their acts, or investments. They have al
ways been considered abundantly able to do
that for themselves. Believing, however,
that these gentlemen would have preferred
naturally to have invested here in Knox
vile, had all things been equally advantage
GUS, l am induced to write this communica-
ton to let Progress know why Chatta-
nooga received the aid instead of Knoxville.
Near Chattanooga are coal mines, owned by
a corporation willing to spend some of their
means in building large and extensive coke
works. They have prepared themselves to
furnish iron furnaces with any
quantity of good coke at very low price
In addition to that they take a very large
amount of stock in the furnace to be built,
which will, in addition to their profits as
stockholders, furnish them large market
for their coke. -- t
What is the case at Knoxville? Every coal
bank yet opened, available for Knoxville
use, is controlled by one big corporation,
stocked up in the millions, some of its stock
holders Knoxville's most wealthy citizens.
Have they ever spent any money building
coke ovens? Do they really know whether
their coal will or will not make good
coke? Do they propose to reduce their
royalty for any such enterprise
Not bit of it. Their en-
terprise thus far consists wholly
in paying lawyers fees to see that some
poor devil has not placed his rail tense over
| their line, and thus trying to steal some of
their land. They don't invest a cent in
their output or make coal cheaper. They
cannot to-day tell whether they could fur
nish coal that will even make coke that
could be used
Let Progress" use his influence to
make coke cheap in Knoxville and 1 will
guarantee that the gentlemen who have
invested in Chattanooga will put twice as
much in Knoxville furnace as they have
done in Chattanooga; in fact, as much as
any other citizen of Knoxville, not except
ing Progress"
A few months since an effort was made
to raise money for a cotton factory. The
two gentlemen who are now censured for
investing in Chattanooga subscribed $780,
600 towards it. and procured sixty or sew
enty thousand dollars more in New York
Were their efforts seconded generally By
men in Knoxville able to stock in such an
enterprise? think not.
Let Progress" therefore, turn his at
tention to those who need squirting, rather
than to those who have shown the willing
ness to do something for Knoxville.
Justice"