The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-19
MINING IN THE SOUTH.
TeNNEsseE's COAL AMorRoNFlELos
oae ofths Grsats,t MIu,ral.PrOdueInsH H.ElOns oi
thsSouth-I -Iain.ass Beds OF Coal asd AIass Of
Iron Ors-EathusIa.m Of the Growing Com.
petition ofthsI Iron Iut.rssts ofthe North.

PHILADELPHIA, March l7.-A correspon-
dent Of the Pres writing from Chattanooga
has the following to say in regard to Ten
nessee's claims as one OF the greatest coal
and iron States in the Union: The. Nash
vile, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad is
the main artery supplying the richest sec
ton OF Tennessee with the means Of send
ing it's products to market. A few hours
out Of Nashville, on this well.equipped
and excellently managed road, and you
begin to reach the coal and iron belt. 1t
would be impossible to give even glance
at many OF the industries that skirt this
line. AT Cowan branch road comes in
from Sewanee, where there are extensive
furnaces, and English capitalists have
united their energies aud money with a
native company, and are running an i'm.
mense establishment with a capital OF
S., 10000 At South Pittsburgh, on a
short branch OF this railroad, about 100
miles from Nashville, Englishmen have
also planted their capital and labor in two
each OF iron daily. They have built found
ries and machine shops, having as COM
plete appliances for their business as any
on the continent At different points
along the line vast coal deposits have been
opened, and at Tracy City 400 coke ovens
furnish fuel for the furnaces at Sewanee,
and 200 ovens are kept at work at Victo.
ria. These are but samples OF the new en-
terprises springipg up along this line The
railroad Is every day reaching out into
new territory, building branches into
some Of the finest coal and iron deposits in
the Southwest. The mining region through
which this road passes is unlike most min
eral regions, for it is dotted here and there
with valleys OF rich farming lands, and
even the mountain ranges furnish splen.
did grazing for cattle and sheep. Indeed,
the whole section from Nashville to Chat
tanooga presents tempting opportunities
for either the farmer, manufacturer or cap
italist.
WHAT THE WAR DID.
It is not fifty years since the first settle
ment was made here, but none Of the early
settlers seem to have comprehended the
value Of what lay within their hands, and
when the war closed not more than three
or four thousand souls lived where this
thriving town now stands. You would
hardly pay taxes on that section OF Chatta.
nooga that was built when slavery died
and war brought new men and energies to
the work OF developing the rare gifts oil
nature 80 abundant here, and gave fresh
impetus TO. the spirit OF the natives, who
had 80 long slept in the lap Of Incidence.
The war for the Union gave II q new his.
tory as well as momentum, for some Of
the greatest and most interesting battles
OF the war were fought near it. 1t did
more; 1t attracted attention 10 its vast un-
developed resources and to its possi-
bilities as a commercial cen'e er for the rich
valleys that found this plat heir natural
market. Everything ttnnrd to beckon
manufacturing interests. l. the great min
eral productions Of the hlil, could be easily
secured and worked to tn besta dvantage.
War having directed the attention OF push
ing men to it, peace brought them back to
investigate, and finally 10 build. The re-
suit il q surprise. The title town OF 900
or 1000 inhabitants, when the war broke
out, has spread out to the dimensions Of
city Of nearly 10000 people. Six railroads
now run into Union Depot that city OF
100000 inhabitants might envy. 1t has
all The push, hustle and mud Of a provin.
cial town. Historic Lookout Mountain
and Missionary Ridge stand guard over a
hundred industries that have sprung up as
II by magic.