Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-03
MIIAIONAIRES TALK.
Opinions of Enoch Ensley. ]. C. Nelly
and Napoleon Hill.
Three Richest Men in Memphis, Who Have
Invested in Sheffield Enterprises More
Than 100000
Memphis Commercial.

Tennessee, has received letter full of
Clark of Alabama, member of the river
and harbor committee, relative to the
work of improving the navigation of the
Tennessee river.
A representative of the Commercial
yesterday called on Col. Ensley to ask
him about Sheffield, when he showed the
letter. 1t inolosed draft on the part of
the river and harbor bill as recon-
mended by the committee, which pro-
vides for the completion of the work of
Improvement, including Muscle Shoals
and Colbert Shoals, S425 900 to be sp-
propriated for the purpose.
The reporter found Col. Ensley and
Napoleon Hill in deep discussion of iron
making. Messrs. Hill and ] . G. Nicely
have just bought the three new furnaces
known at Sheffield as the Cole furnaces,
iEfad IRE just now taking more interest in
s. f3fE iron than their big grocery houses are
in supplying pigs feet to grocery con-
sumers.
The conversation on SO attractive
subject as manufacturing in the South
was extremely interesting. Mr.. Hill, in
his emphatic and forcible way, declared
that the South was bound to GO ahead
rapidly and be supreme.
Referring to his recent purchase at
Sheffield. the reporter asked him what he
thought of the future of the place.
''Well, think my investment there
shows my faith in it. o yes,'' he
added, 81 think Sheffield is going to
be great place. 1t has the river, fine
manufacturing facilities, and the Tens
nessee valley is the finest valley t&8
] TTrifai haitian
! Cumberland or Shenandoah valleys.
| Col. Ensley here read from a recent
paper an extract from speech delivered
by Chauncey NJ. Depew of New York at
dinner given by the Yale alumni
society at Delmonico's, in which the
| great speaker and railroad magnate de-
clared: =
"The net result of this visit to tif5s
! South, to my mind is just this-that the
| South is the bonanza of the future. We
have developed all the great and sudden
opportunities for wealth, or most of
| them, in our Northwestern states and on
the Pacific Slope. But there is q vast
country With the best climate in the
world, witA conditions of health which
are absolutely unparalleled, with vast
| forests untoaehed; with enormous veins
| of coal and tom which yet have not
huOMn U0ypAtQ bHOlE
conditions; with$oil that, under proper
cultivation, for HstEa capital can support
tremendous psrHaation; with condi-
tions in the natnoshhere for comfort
able living winter aud summer W ich
exists nowhgFS else in'sthe country; and
that is to ps4sie attraction for the young
men who f6ut from thst farms to seek
settlemeR and not by Immigration from
abroad ~ 1 do think they will 90
that wayEbut by the internal immigra-
ton from our own country, it is to be-
come in time, as prosperous as any other
section of the country, and as prosperous
by purely American development.
"Why, we know that as well as he
does, said MIR. Hill, and, addressing
Col. Ensley, ''you know it better than
he does. -
go, yes,'' said Col. Ensley, eve
know a good deal about it, but still it's
well to have such q fellow as Depew to
put US on the back and tell US to go
ahead It's worth more than the dis
coveries of biologists. Depew clearly
expresses an opinion which has weight.
Many people. you know, have no opin-
ions, and will follow the leadership OF
such man as Depew.'
Touching Sheffield, Col. Ensley said:
90 With the opening of Muscle and Colbert
Shoals, see no reason to doubt that
faeld will be great city. Too much
money has been spent on the river to
allow the small remaining distractions !
TO stand in the way. Anyhow, Sheffield |
stands practically at the head of naviga-
ton of the Tennessee river. The indus |
tries now at Sheffield are tremendous, |
and its future rapid growth is certain.
With the five big furnaces, situated as |
they are on the Tennessee river, iron |
ores, coal aud limestone convenient of |
the very best quality, the healthy cli-
mate, beautiful country and the assur- |
ance of other industries, such as rolling |
mills and pipe works, the advantages of !
Sheffield are unexcelled. and it is bound |
to be city which, with the river open,
may catch up with Memphis. OF course,
Sheffield is one of the new towns and has
had boom; but that's all past and the
town is on a solid basis, and while it may
have its ups and downs hereafter it is
well enough founded to flourish while
many others suffer.
Asked about the quality of iron manu-
featured at Sheffield, COL, Ensley pro-
duced report which showed tests prov
ing the remarkably high tensile strength
ssP3b 600 to 56, 600 pounds to the square
Inch. All reports showed the Sheffield
IRON TO De OF nrSt class Qu3ilty.
Further conversation ELECTED the fact
that on account of an increase of 800 per
cent in the river trade, preparations are
making to increase the number of boats
plying to and from Sheffield. Col.
Ensley has just received q letter from B.
S. Rhea & Co. of Nashville, announcing
they were building a new steamer to beEf
3caIled the City of Sheffield, which WIFI Be
added to the three the firm have in the
trade. The letter asked il the boats
would be supplied with iron for the re-
turn trip, and has replied be would fur
nish them all they could carry, and ten
more boats could find plenty to do.
Mr.. ]. C. Nicely, another one OF tne
prominent Mempbians who have invested
in Shefneld, was seen yesterday py
Commercial representative and heartily
agreed with all that had been said in Ia IL
vor of the young city by Messrs. Hill ane
Ensley. .sShefReld, be said, "is
bound to be a great city. Her position
cannot be surpassed. There is nothings y
with any sort OF show Of enterpEise -
keep her back. There is not only an
abundance of the right sort OF minerals
north an6fsouih of this site, short dis
ts8ee away, but everything conducive to
make it a pleasant and profitable place