Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-01-08
An Alabama Letter.

AA'>~>~SS~~A ~ W ava O~S ~~>e~
sion for space in the columns of your
paper. I embrace this opportunity to
answer the many questions asked me by
nv northern friends concerning Florence.
the climate, natural resources, surround
ing country, etc.
The city is located in the extreme
northwest part of the state on the north
bank of the Tennessee river, on q rolling
plateau from one to two hundred feet
above the river, That nature has done
her part to make Florence healthy
ana beautiful place can readily be seen,
lying as 1t does many miles from swamps
or marshes with a clear atmosphere.
perfect drainage, an abundant supply of
pure spring water, and with an average
tempature of 67.1 degrees, the highest
during the last two years being 81 de-
grees, the lowest Is degrees above zero,
this IS obtained from the official records
OF the signal service here.
As beautiful place Florence stands
without peer. and all who have seen 1t
admit 1t is justly entitled to the name,
The beautiful, "by which it is familiarly
known to many. Well may her citizens
be proud of the broad and we'll shaded
streets, romantic and picturesque drives.
I would be doing injustice to the place
not to mention its educational advan
tages. 1t is we'll supplied with schools.
both for the white and colored. There
are located here, the State Normal Col
lege, with an enrolment of over three
hundred pupils. the Florence Synodlcal
Female College and the Baptist College.
This showes that her people in the de-
yelopment of her wonderful natural
resources, are not forgetting educational
development. In no city can greater
religious harmony and better christian
feeling be found, than in Florence.
Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal,
Baptist and Catholic churches, stand as
living, speaking witnesses to the morality
and religious devotion of her citizens.
With the combination of advantages
this city and country present. where
lawns may be seen green the year around
and roses in bloom ten months out Of
twelve. why should resident of the
north who is deslrious of locating in q
mild climate look farther?
So much has been said and written on
this subject and of the New South, its
advantages as manufacturing place,
especially iron, it would be uniting in
me to repeat that which is fameliar in
hesninds of most readers of thssP Prsss:j
However, will add few lines in this
direction and describe the peculiar loca-
tion of the ore in this section, very
unlike the iron ore fields of different
parts of the country, where i: requires
shafts and expensive machinery to bring
the ore to the surface. 1t is found here
already on top of the ground, and the
mines are worked the same as if they
were gravel BEDS The ore cars are
loaded with steam shovel at the mines,
and from there run direct to the furnaces.
This am informed by iron manufac-
turs, is great saving OF labor, and we'll
worthy of thought and consideration.
When the question arises as to where
can lion be manufactured cheaply. a
visit to one of the furnaces here enables
the writer to state. It not only requires
ore, but large quantities of limestone
and coke are used in making iron, the
latter too being used in proportionate
quantities according to the grade of the
ore, all of which are found in close prox-
unity to this city. Nature seems to have
favored this particular spot. Not only
are we in the midst of these practically
inexhaustible ore mines, but surrounded
on the north and south by timber sufficient
in quantity and quality to attract the
attention of the manufacturer. The eye
of the lumber dealer of the north is
turned this way, and scarcely q week
passes but what inquiries are made on
the streets Of this city for these valuable
timber lands. Owing to their remote
location they have heretofore had nom.
inal value, but have at once became
greatly enhanced by development Of new
lines OF railroads. which are rapidly
penetrating these vast forests of gian,
poplars, pines, hickories and oaks.
The city already has three lines Of rail.
roads. Another the Florance Northern
is under construction. and is built BY
local capital wholly in the interests OF
Florence. 1t is rapidly reaching COM
pletion and pushing its way northward
to connect with several trunk lines of The
north. This road leads through the im-
mense iron ore fields of Tennessee which
| will contribute their vast wealth to the
| rapidly growing iron interests of thil
| city. One of natures greatest gifts te
Florence is the Tennessee river. the
| Hudson of the south.
Unlike many of our peighboring cities
we are not wholly dependant on railroads
| for transportation, neither are we at the
mercy of railroads at the close of nayiea
| ton, like many river towns of the north
Rates on freights from here are moi