The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1890-05-22

He Predicts an Era or Commerolal
Greatness for Both. He Says the
Cranberry Mines Are Unparal-
Ieled--The Finest Magnetic
Steel Ore Produced
From Them.
Chat ~ ogs Times.i
Gen Wilder, who has the construc-
lion O. four blast furnaces under way
at johnson City, Tenn, was at the
Hotel Stanton yesterday. The Gener'
al has been closely identified with the
commercial and iron industries of
East Tennessee for the past twenty
five years. In pleasant chat he
spoke about the wonderful develop
ment now going on in Johnson City,
and said that within the past year the
plucky little town had experienced
building boom, and this consequently
advanced real estate without the aid
of attractive advertisements, or the
magnetic glamor of AN auctioneers
eloquence. The city has grown from
the ground floor up, and there is every
element about the place to assure the
disbelever in new cites that it will
become an industrial center OF great
Importance.
Gen. Wilder said that the city was
laid out to accommodate population
OF 100000 people, and his predictions
were that this number would ulti-
mately locate there He is certain
that il the prophecy comes true tho
city will have sufficient industrial en-
terprises OF stable character to pro-
vide for all who seek home there.
Am ing other things he referred to
was the marvellous vein Of ore in the
Cranberry district. He said that this
vein is the finest magnetic steel max
ing ore in the entire world 1t is low
er in PHOSPHORUS by one-third than
any ore on the American continent,
and therefore best adapted to the
needs Of producers of Bessemer steel
rails. In referring to Andrew Carne-
gie's sweeping denuDciation of South
ern pig as metal for producing Bes-
semer steel rails, the General said that
Mr.. Carnegie did not know anything
about the great VEN which ran twen-
ty.eight miles along the Chilhowee
Range from Johnson City or he would
not have spoken as he did. He stated
that this vein was 400 feet thick that
upon the surface around Johnson
City there was more Bessemer ore
than could be used in all the South
ern furnaces in fifty years, no matter
how many furnaces were built He
further remarked that the ore was
placed under the MIST severe tests
by the several analytic chemists con-
nected with the Roane Iron Works AT
lockwood, the Allentown Iron Works,
PENNSYLVANIA, the National Tube
Works, McKeesport, Penn, and the
Crescent Steel Works, Pittsburg,
Penn all Of the chemists pronounc-
cd the pig which is produced from the
ore to be the best for the purpose OF
producing steel in the United States.
The Crescent Steel Works, operated
by Miller, Metcal 4 Parkins is using
the pig metal from the Cranberry
mines for the production OF silver
steel which is the finest in the mar
ket,
The General went on to state that
the building of furnaces at johnson
City will be of immense advantage tc
Chattanooga. One OF the furnaces
will he in operation early next Janua
gy. He went on to say that johnson
City would supply Chattanooga with
pig metal for its steel making. Some
of tie Northern manufacturers haC
made overtures TO the Johnson City
Company asking it to supply then
with all the pig it could output. But
said the General, | refused them
Chattanooga is always prominent II
my heart, and to help the progress o
this city Johnson City will take I
hand which will mutually help both.
The General said that had Chatta
nooga accepted his statements twenty
FIVE years ago, she would have been
greater city than she is now. Peopl
thought his ideas chimerical ant
dreamy, but after developments prov
ed that he was right, and have vindi
Gated him. What were then though
Hypothetical conjectures are nov
demonstrated facts, and hundreds Q
people are enriched thereby,
Between this city and Johnson Cit
there will be the nest railroad facil
ties provided; now the two cities ar
connected by the main line on tn
East Tennessee, Virginia Il Georgi
Railroad From Johnson City ther
are being constructed other railroad
which will give the product Of the cit
an outlet into the Eastern and We
tern markets The general said this
some Of the most magnificent unio
depots will be built in the South.
Gen. Wilder thinks that Johnso
City's close proximity to Pocahontf
coal mines will be great lever
help it on to commercial greatness