Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-06-01
A LETTER EROM TENNESSEE.
athens. Tenn, May 10Th, 1891.

y athens, Ien0., Nag L9tb, 1891.
}d Dear Monitor,-For many years [
have had a strong desire to travel
| through the South. The problems Of
this section have wanted to study on
the ground itself. That desire is at
last satisfied From the very heart of
! the south this letter is written. Take
a map and draw line from the east
ermost point of Maine to the city of
New Orleans, and then draw another
| from the most northern point of Lake
! Superior, to the extreme southern
point of Florida, and the two lines
will cross each other in the vicinity of
Athens, Tennessee. This is therefore
the center of that portion of the Uni
ted States lying east of the Mississippi
river. To me it is a section of intense
| interest. Here lived the loyal noun
| taineers of East Tennessee. At Knox
vile, fifty miles north of here, lived
and died that old hero, ParsOn BrOn-
low, and that other famous loyalist,
Horace Maynard. These mountains
were familiar to Andrew Johnson in
the days of his childhood. From these
hardy mountaineers were recruited
seven regiments of infantry, and four
regiments of cavalry for the union
army before the union troops came
into this region. Up and down this
beautiful valley from Knoxville to
Chattanooga, raced the armies of
Burnside and Longstreet; and it was
between these hills that Sherman hur-
ried his troops for the relief of Burn
side after the capture of Mission Ridge.
There must be some connection be-
tween the awakening that thrills this
land to-day. This is not only the cen
ter of the eastern half of the United
States, but it is the center of what is
familiarly known as "the new south"
New because of the coming in of new
enterprises, and a new development
among the people themselves. New
cities are springing up with the rapid
ity hitherto known only to the West.
About fifty miles west of Knoxville,
just where the Emory river breaks
through the only pass in Walden's
Ridge, is the magic city of Hartman.
On the 26th of February, 1890, there
was but one house worthy Of, the name,
where now is a bustling thriving city
of three thousand inhabitants. From
Walden's Ridge west is abundance of
coal of the best quality, while east
from the same point all the way to
Virginia, the hills are packed with
iron ore. Manufactures are springing
up on every hand. Hartman, the
city of sixteen months, has the follow
ing manufacturing establishments in
operation or in progress of erection:
Brick yards, tack factory, machine
and foundry works, Cumberland man
ufactory workers, hoe and tool
factory, rolling mill, Gibson agricul-
tural works, Hartman wrought iron
Co., East Tennessee furniture factory
and laundry.
The Cincinnati Southern railway,
running due south from
Cincinnati, cuts through the
Cumberland mountains, and with the
East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia
railway, opens up this vast region.
The first named road in running from
Lexington, Kentucky to Hartman,
pierces twenty-seven tunnels; that
indicates the rugged character of the
land. Chattanooga, Lenoir City Knox
vile and a score of other places are
feeling the effect of the new life that
is building up this part of the south.
There are manufactures here at
Athens, also, but the chief interest in
this place is in the fact that the U. S.
Grant University, is located here.
This school that is doing so much for
the great south, located inpart also at
Chattanooga has in all departments
575 students and an alumni of 255. 1t
now employs Al professors and teach
ers. Its property at Athens is valued
at 500, 900 and at Chattanooga at $780,
600. The students here this year rep
resent seventeen states, and from the
top of Lookout Mountain near the
Chattanooga building on clear day
one can see into seven states.
The students are mostly from east
Tennessee. They are of type pecu-
liar to themselves. Many of them, in
deed the majority are from very hum
bic homes. Reared in log houses con-
sisting usually of but one room, they
know practically nothing of the world.
The young men are tall and strong
with high, square foreheads. They
make good scholars. The professors
call them bright. There is a certain
manly, unsophisticated atmosphere
about them that appeals very strongly
to me. They are the hope of the south.
The Z. S. Grant University deserves
friends who will assist it in its great
work among this people. The Chan
cellor, John F. Spencer, has done a
noble work here. He is assisted by an
able corps of teachers. The universi
ty is situated very appropriately in
the locality where the great general
whose name it bears, achieved his
grand victories that opened all this
country to the union.
From this place L expect to go to
Chattanooga and Atlanta and then
turning east, visit the Carolinas and
Virginia and then continue north to
Vermont. From some place on the
way / may send another letter to your
readers. VIM. III. Holiness