The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-12-10
OUR CORRESPONDENT JOEL GETS
INTO KENTBCKY-WHAT
HE SEES AND HEARS.
ASHLAND, KY. Dec

AoL--1A4ADp 1AA A(SNl --a1-1 -eest>Se7
Our party of railroad experss has reach
ed this city after q long, fatiguing, but
most interesting journey. The 2l5miles
between Johnson City and Ashland
covers a country of such Immense and
varied resources that one is lost in won
der that they should have remained un-
developed all these years, while great
States have been peopled in the western
wilderness, and great centres Of industry
been established with millions Of capital
in regions remote from coal, iron and
timber, the three prin essentials Of mo-
dern manufacturing prospeyitYs Yet
here are these raw materials ins such vast
abundance that the mind can scarcely
crush the idea of their immensitY From
the Big Sandy river through to Scott
county, Virginia, are coal measures Of
unheasured magnitudes, and hard woods
ana poplar in virgin forests covering
millions of acres. At zaherry are
twenty eight miles of Bsssemer ore of
the purest quality. "A railroad $50 miles
long, of which but Ice miles remain to be
constructed, will open up all this terri
tory, and bring the ore and coke to the
blast furnaces of this Hanging Rock dis
trict which lies on both sides of the Ohio
River In this district are more than
twenty blast and charcoal furnaces,
many of them idle for want of ore, while
others are making cheap pig iron at a
small profit because they cannot afford to
pay for hauling the Marquette, Lake Su-
perior, ore $50 miles. There is one great
furnace and nail works employing seven
hundred men that makes soft pig for the
market, but buys iron made elsewhere
for its nail mandatory. These iron
men tell us that when they can get the
Cranberry ore and the South Eastern
Kentucky coke, they will require eigh-
teen, trains daily of twenty cars each to
supply their present capacity, and that
within five years their works will be
doubled. So much fer this end of the
route But there is another view of the
subject of infinite Importance to North
Carolina. The same freight trains that
bring ore and coke this way will carry
back coke and coal to the Cranberry dis
trict in Mitchell county and supply the
fuel for any number of blast furnaces
close to the ore beds. What that means
tor Mitchell county may be inferred from
the fact that within radius of five miles
of Ashland is population of $1,000
dependent mainly on the iron industry
for living. But let US go step further.
Suppose Asheville were to construct
road across to Bakersville to effect Juno
ton there with the Charleston, Cincin-
natl and Chicago, and thus get cheap
coke. The Western North Caroline
would bring from the great deposits in
Cherokee county their purest hematite
ores, and blast furnaces in Asheville
could haV 10 Sc, 81
ton East, West and South. The same
line to the North East and to Cincinnati
and the Lakes. These are not specula-
tive or mythical suggestions, but practic-
able for execution if Asheyille SO elects.
Much might be written had time, of
the immense resources of the territory
we. traversed in other than the great
staples beretofore mentioned. zpie coun-
'tfyis thinly peopled, especially in South
western Virginia. The greatest simpli-
city prevails. As rule the people supply
their few needs by their own labor.
Geese and duck feathers and ginseng
purchase such luxuries as snuff, coffee
and gunpowder- the little mountain
stores. Homespun for men and women
is the usual material for garments.
Churches and school houses are far apart
except in the county towns of Estillville,
Gladeville and Clintwood. But there
are vast natural pastures abundantly
watered when stock will thrive, there are
rich coves and bottoms that never felt
the plow, there are tens of thousands of
acres that might be brought to the high
est condition of fertility on which no
man lives. To all these now remote re-
gions the railroad will carry population
and enterprise until the SOLITARY place
shall rejoice thereat." JOEL.