The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-19

York SUI.
The New South Is Land OF fortunes.
Those made in the past are simply an in.
dica,ion OF those TO be made in the future.
Tennessee is awake to the new industrial
life shown in Georgia aud Alabama. Chat
tanooga is beginning TO wear silk stockings
and TO sport the imperial purple. Mineral
developments in her vicinity are adding to
her wealth aud importance. This Is
demonstrated by a visit to the wonderful
Valley OF the sequatchie. 1t lies about
thirty miles west OF Chattanooga 1t is
from four TO five miles wide and about
eighty.tivc miles long. Just now It is u
center Of attraction to those seeking for
tunes in the South. Investors in coal and
minerals evince unusual ,nterest in its
treasures, and it is evidently destined to
be a paradise for manufacturers. Cities
near by are throbbing with business en-
ergy, and the whole surrounding country
is eagerly awaiting the possibilities attend
ing It's development.
soqualchie Valley is shaped like huge
canoe. Its main opening is ut Bridgeport,
on the Tennessee River. The Sequatche
joins this stream few miles above that
point The vale is inclosod on the west
by the Cumberland Mountains and on
the east by Wallen's Ridge. The Cum
berland rim Is about ., 800 feet above tho
sea level, and the ridge triilo lower
Both are rocky and well wooded The
ScQnaichic, IN riches, recalls the tabled
valley found by Sinbad, the sailor. Its da.
monds however, ap black. They are in
untold quantities. Two veins OF soft coal
running the whole length Of the range,
pierce the Cumberland Mountains Tho
first cuts the range $50 feet above the val
lev, and is four and half feet thick. Tho
second Is $50 feet lower, and Is two and
half feet thick. The upper vein carries
the least sulphur, aud lis coal makes the
best OF coke Tor smelling purposes Al
ready tho sky Is Redeemed by the glare Of
cooking ovens. They do not begin to sup.
ply the demand for the coke. New ovens
nic being built Twenty years from now
continual line Of them will undoubtedly
illumino the entire valley. and over 200. 900
persons be there employed In manuiac.
turing industries.
But the valley does not depend entirely
upon the Cumberland range lor is wealth.
Tho Wallen Ridge is fully rs rich. II lao
had been placed ut ils base thousands Of
years ago. Tubal Cain would have opened
his eyes In wonder. 4 ilyc-ioot vein OF
red fossiliicrous iron undcrles the whole
ridge. IL begins six miles from Bridge
port and parallels the valley. The orc
lies beneath the ridge like a rod pamphlet
under u thick book. lls edges are exposed
on each side. II crops out in the valley
for seventy miles. II yields 81 per cent.
OF iron. Mixed, In the proportion OF ten
20 one, with the soft ore found In Georgia
few miles below, It produces wrought
and cist iron OF a superior quality. In
decd, u ~ ~ Tor all purposes except the
making OF steel. Tho coal deposits near
by enhance the value Of the ore, and the
mineral increases the value OF tho coal.
A third factor In trinity Of unearihrd
wealth Is limestone ridge which crops
out In the center of the valley. There
ARE said TO be n, least 25,OOD acres Of tho
iron ore under the WALTON Ridge. with an
average thickness OF four icoi. II Yields
1900 tons 10 the acre, aud IL worth
about 80 cents ton. This estimate
aggregates $1,000 10 the aero, or $780, OOO,-
OUO worth Of iron ore in the 5000 acres.
Fully half OF the land containing the ore
II owned by farmers eager 10 sell II has
no agricultural value. The mining Of the
ore will create market TO- produce aud
enrich the inhabitants ul the valley. The
farmers see this aud are anxiously await
ing the advent Of capitalists. Tho land
can be now bought Tor from : loo tOs lOper
acre, In proportion 90 lie distance FROM the
railroad. spurs reaching every mno can
bc built without trouble. There are
thiiiy.eighi miles OF outcrops oi strait.
fed ore running mile into the ridge. The
Tennessee Coal, lron & Railroad Company
is working the only mine thus Ear opunrd.
The ore Is easily mined. ID lies In sheet
upturncd toward the center Of the valley.
II has a gradually lcssening dip into tho
mountain. The sheet protected the strata
below from weaihcring. aud 40 formed a
''bcnoh." Drainage has cut through II.
aud left n row Of foothills rooted with or.
This is stripped and worked In the usual
manner. Working 10 the dip. no water
has yc, appeared, iheground being drained
by lower strata.
80 much ior the iron deposit along tho
scquaichlo Valley. A railroad Is open To
point half wry up the valley. II can
easily be- extended 10 Nashville. II strikes
the Memphis Charleston aud road. per.
mcaiing the Southwest at bridgeport. Nor
- ANiH iHt hHil ilNllh " NNuHpufiAiluus
Much OF the ore can DO shipped down tho
Tennessee River Ia ilal-boats 90 Decatur
aud other points. The canal along tile
Muscle Shoals will DO open In September,
and this will give the valley water.
way 10 over half the States Ia the Union
The most Of the ore Is now consumed by
the furnaces In the valley. The coal veins
are only four miles from the iron deposits
The Tennessee company owns about IS, q
OOO acres Of the coal lands There are ~, d.
oO0acrcs al acent 20 their purchase, sought,
Il Is said, by senator Joe drown, OF Gcor.
ga lie il running what u known as the
Dado Coke Works, eight miles southeast
OF the mouth Of tho sequaichio. lilo has
hcro several hundred ovens attended hv
over a thousand men. Among them are
600 conyic,s from tho Georgia State prison.
They are taken under contract The SEN
ator, Il Is understood, feeds aud clothc.
thom, end pays their passage home when
Terms OF imprisonment expire.
am told that the Dade coal carries
more sulphur than the upper vein Of coal
In the hcquaichie Valley. II ~, the
hequaichio coal will make better coke
for smelling purposes. This "a probably
why Senator Brown "a seeking slice Of
the Scquaichie coal field. II Il difficult
a. secure any definite information about
his coke ovens In Dadc. Certain ID IL that
his agents and prospcclors are In the Cum.
bertrand Mountains, and that upon their
reports depends a deal that may awaken
capitalists. Tho land upon which tho
Governor has his eye was lately Owned by
Breeze a Co, OF Wall street. They trans
tI.ls tsl A.. y