The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-06-05

fl. l7EINsou's ARTICLE
.,,,,nd.s Great Stat'st'c'an
Hha' sI a. the Result OF ,, I'm
Give, s.,sn or'he S0"'"'s "'S'''
.,culAeLE WEALTH.
E ,,c,urcr's Record OF his week
|| The &'" ~ eIaborat, .rcvicw OF Che s""'"
essSp ab'',sy .,css. by lIou. Edward A'S'n-
Dd Is n..,on based on his recent trip
o'' " ~. section. 1t is the best af.-
''o'sa w. nri,,cn upon the South by AT.
RI' ''. He SAYS that il may almost
%. - oeciops for him to d 4 a., at sa SuS"
''n .;,h the resources of the South
2 tia. his jps'i"e''i"" is found u" IN , tine
|s '"'' ,.rt that in ,he very heart OF me
'''"S w., Of The United States is an
S." H. .s large as France, endowed
81 ~ roricd resources and w'th n
% .;mste than almost any other SIM
within the limits of our common
ssS''' 49, xhicb is very sparsely settled
= ,,;, , few Years age scarcely known
~ x.x England people. The time has
ome he saws, for men to comprehend
IT., there lies at our door very large
e. :, .,,oos, unoccupicd territory capa-
H. Of s.ing made the homes OF million" NJ.
10 intelligent and Industrious families
territory capable of supplying
-. fruit and vegetables i'll almost
...,sss abundance, where yet large
-, If the grain and meat are imported
mo West Mr. Atkinson confines
.,;su mainly to the great Appalachian
,n;or Of the South from the Potomac TO
go Alabama, and from the Piedmont
s.sion TO the Blue Grass district OF Ken
- OF this section Ike says "one
mill, spend months instead of days IN
q ..;,c observations. Even then, unless
s,bo trip we're extended beyond a twelve
\ ,.on,b ONLY half the story might be told.
I, rc,, as the work of exploration has been
,o,inr the last 10 wears, the half has not
q, hceu told of this imperial series OF
aaooosi,s Of coal and probably of iron, to
$.,y nothing of the other resources OF TINS
BAR, Of the Southland. Almost any at
s,omDt 10 forecast the future OF this part
] If our common country becomes mere
vision The whole area is so much eie-
Mated above the level Of the sea as to be
d, d, trpc sense 1 white mans country.
s'rhs mountain and plateau section pos
sscsscs 4 climate in which any kind OF
Sxo,k ma, hc performed by white or black
|alike. in some portions of the area de-
sscribed are probably to he found the best
sroudlious Of climate, of soil. of humidity
sapd rainfall, aud of all the other elements
which 60 TO make staiwurt men and wo-
Imen
COAL AND IRON.
Referring to the coal and iron resources
Iof this area, which covers about 250.00O
square miles, Mr.. Atkinson says that it is
about equal to the combined areas Of Eng
land. Wales, Scotland and Belgium, half
of France and half of Germany, which
are the main sources Of the iron produc-
ton OF Europe If any one would fully
comprehend the future Industrial develop
reut of the area which ! have bounded
and described in this country, let him
draw maps OF each $50 GOO square miles
as have described each section, on the
same scale (of course eliminating the
British channel and North sea-, then set
of London and Liverpool against our own
great scaboa cities; lay one map on the
other and stick pin through the points
over the European area where the great
centers OF industry are now established;
remove the map OF Europe, and find the
pertoration in the map Of our own terri
tory; then imagine, il possible, what the
conditions will bc at or near those points
o single generation hence. Are not the
mountains Of iron ore and the mines OF
ca, the true loadStone to which all forms
0! industrial energy are attracted! At
few points the capitalization has begun,
but as yet it is only beginning, and one
may not yet venture TO predict where the
processes will 90 OH most rapidly More
over in European iron countries large
quantities Of ore have to be drawn from
Sweden and Spain, European railroads
have largely been built to serve war pur-
poses Southern railroads wholly in the
interests OF peace and for the diStribu
ION OF the abundance which makes for
human welfare. In Europe, passing from
ureAt Britain into France, from France
through Belgium and Luxembourg to Ger
many, and taking into view the condition
Of Spain, would not one find every posi-
Die obstruction that could be placed in
The way 10y difference of race, creed and
by national animosity, accom-
panied by burden Of debt five times as
great as that which uow rests upon us?
Does 1t not require the product Of the
"ork Of one man occupied in the pursuits
u peace to support every idle soldier in
camp or barracks, waiting for the spark
W witch war and resolution may be en-
seNGered at any moment: Is not the
aofaer OF each country an armed camp?
:, not all tue railways laid out more for
lie contingencies Of war than for the
service OF peace? In Dassinr over the