The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1890-07-24
JOHNSON CITY's FUTURE.
A Pen Picture of What She Will be
Ten Years Hence.
EDITOR COMET:

In your issue of the 18th inst. you
say: "If the present rate of increase is
maintained and it is more likely to in
crease than diminish, 1900 will find
johnson City with a population Of
about 10000"
Your figures are much too low. If
an earthquake does not destroy the
bottom Of the place, or some unfore-
seen disturbance stay the progress Of
commercial business, Johnson City,
inside of the coming ten years, will
have assumed the place and proper.
tioAs of an industrial, manufacturing
city, with a population of not less and
perhaps largely more than 50,000
Why? First, it has the peculiar to-
Biography, and with the Watauga river
as a water front, for a first-class man
ufacturing city. In this respect it has
better natural advantages than Pitts
burg, Pa, except that 1t lacks navi-
gable water front; but this will at an
early date be cured by system of
locks, making close connection with
the navigation of the Tennessee river.
Second, the location is convenient
ly surrounded by the best market,gar-
den lards in the world, and by this
mean not only superior soils for the
growth of garden products, but for all
the small fruits of our temperate eli
mate; and as to dairy farming and
bee culture, upper East Tennessee has
perhaps no superior and but few
equals. In this connection it is proper
to state that our seasons almost uni
formly favor the growing crops, but il
need be, (aud it will be well to so pro-
vide) our thousands OF springs Of pure
water flowing from the high grounds
can, with little expense, he used for ir-
rigatlng purposes in cases of partial
drouth. These advantages are such
that operatives can be fed at least
three per cent. cheaper than at Pitts
burg
The basin OF East Tennessee, SUR
rounded as it is by wall of lofty
mountains, and its own surface area
tempered by a superior abundance Of
spring water streamlets, is favored by
10 temperature much cooler in summer
and warmer in winter than is the ter
ritory east and west Of us on the same
Vines of latitude; and both as to hot
and cold extremes, the contrast is
great when comparison is made with
all our northern latitudes; hence, in
the articles Of fuel and clothing, the
expense to operatives will be at least
five per cent. less here than at Pitts
burg.
Fourth, the easy down grade will
make the delivery of coal certainly as
cheap as the freight charges paid at
Pittsburg; but the peculiar location of
the coal States north OF Johnson City
will now, and for fifty years to come,
cause the mining OF that article to be
at least two per cent. cheaper than at
the mines which supply Pittsburg.
Fifth, our classes of iron ores are as
good as, if not little better than, any
in the world and can be deiverd at
johnson City five per cent. cheaper
than at Pittsburg.
In the above estimates if ! have
erred, it is by making the percentage
figures too low. The aggregate of ad-
vantages sums up fifteen per cent. ]
have made comparison with Pitts.
burg because it is now a great iron
and steel manufacturing centre, and
so to speak, a nejghboring locality. II
comparison be made with more north.
ern or northeastern locations, the per
centage of difference will be still
greater in favor of Johnson City.
But there is one other item to bt
looked at before sum up. 1t is wood
and as to it, the contrast must be only
partial as to Pittsburg, but general al
to the thousands of industries norh
west, north and northeast OF us. Wood
especially the hard and fne-graineC
qualities, constitutes an item of very
large and expensive interest.
With the lines of road now built an(
Others soon to be completed, all th,
desired woods used in manufacturing
can be delivered in Johnson City from
twenty-five to shirty per cent. cheape
than at the localities above referred to
The next pertinent inquiry is, aite
iron and steel are forged into raw ma
terial at Johnson City, or, and in com
bination with wood converted int
all the articles found in our hard
ware stores, and, in fact, ontside O
them in the way of railroad vehicle:
threshers, mowers, reapers, engines
locomotives and stationary pianos
organs, kitchen and parlor furnitur
and fixtures, aud farming and sho
utensils, tools and fixtures, can the
be sent to market or delivered to Gus
TONERS as cheaply from Johnson Git
as from st. Louis, Cincinnati, Chicago
Massillon, Springfield, Pittsburg, Me-
York or Boston? | answer, and on a
average, as cheap or with less freigh
expense. From some Of the points r,
ierred to more favorable delivery ca
be made along navigahle water lines
but, if change has to be made iror
tFhn wotnr lines IN railrnad lines eyp