The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-09-17
Robinson civ. Tlnst Tennesaee.


about one hundred miles SllghtlY ]
north of east Of Knoxville, and some ]
twenty-five miles S. S. w from Bris- !
tol on the Virginia line 1t is the
northern terminus OF the Cranberry
mine narrow gauge railroad. which is
dignifed, ] think, by the name Of
East Tennessee and North Carolina
Railway, and occupies pleasant site
in beautiful valley with the noun
tains of the Appalachian system
looming grandly and mistily in the
southern distance, on the extreme
eastern verge Of Washington county,
which has Jonesboro for its county
seat The town has rather strag-
Cling appearance, caused in part,
probably by the uneven lay OF the |
land-there being a good-sized hillock |
near the center upon which is located
the public school building. | did not
ascertain the exact population, but
should Judge it to be place of from
1900 to 1000 souls. This is the only
place in East Tennessee so far As the
writer's observation extended. that
manifests decided symptoms of new
growth. Everything bears evidence
of thrift and enterprise and prosper
GUS future seems to be assured. OF
Icpufee, the town is small and new
| bat there are certain induces that
point to conclusions very favorable to
| the little place. Unfortunately, the
writer failed to obtain names and fig
ures and this,-necessarily brief sketch
will pretend only. to- give impressions
and facts in generai9 Upon my arriv-
, | al in town my first care was to find as
, lgood place as possible to care for the
. Timer man and see to his personal
lcomforts. This was soon obtained at
! the Hoss House, kept by Mrs Hoss,
= widow. Clean beds, good table, and
II general.go care, were marked feat
! ures OF the trotelu After attending tt
= mo. l." sailed forth in quest of in
y formation and naturally looked VI
some disciple of Blackstone-of which
q I understand there are four-anc
! good luck steered me into the offic
! Of H.H. Carr, Esq. A "scraped &C
= quaiptancegstqund Mr.. Carr a yer.
= obliging gentleman and well cup il
- his profession, aud through his court
~ esy and kindness ! was enabled to Sc
= the various points Of the town and oil
. tain considerable general information
i, The largest industry in the place
an immense tannery, making tn
- heavy valuable oak tanned leatht
- 1t belongs to an extensive Now 4orl
10 firm that has various other tanneriC
u, in different parts Of the countr
n The concern owns several thousan
= acres OF mountain land purchased
-, Iorder to obtain bark, which is peelt
!, II by its own men, sometimes employir
~ as high as six hundred hands in Il
4. woods peeling bark. The quantity
- tan-bark now on hand is simply q
a. tonishing. No figures were obtain'
be but everything is conducted on a hui
80 scale, some two hundred men BEN
"a employed in and around the tanner
~ Another vast industry are the ir'
or works now nearly completed, and W
be capable OF making the large
castings and the finest engines al
machinery. In connection with I
y. y iron works will be run large woo
- working establishment, to manufi
' ture, doors, blinds, sash, &c, &c, a
'. great many other articles from wo'
In addition to these industries j
~ mentioned there are two saw-mill'
not so large of course, as these
=" Muskegon or Montague, but fair mi
y in which is sawed poplar (white wot
~ some white pine and other kinds
= lumber. The only thing remainl
o"' to make big town to dead mo
certainty" is the building of bls
furnace at this point, by the Grant
!. ry Coal and Iron Company, and il
seli claimed the Company has announ,
itself as being certain to SO build wi
IAN in year. This will certainly G
the town "boom" and insure
u permanent future prosperity /
iisV- growth. The business portion Of
ays. town is somewhat rambling in
rse character but mostly composed of s
rice stancial brick blocks and the stC
inc looked to contain very good sto'
SIT Seine Of the merchants have fine l
dences indicative Of good profits
business. There are two newspap
the Comet, and another the name
'50.' which has been forgotten, four
Vo yers, and without doubt the IL,
'' quota OF doctors. Among the pc
Of interest visited was the large spl
near the center OF the village wi
!, az throws out large stream Of w
..'". and sinks out of sight in the grour
few rods from its source. The al
Ever very salubrious, malaria being a p