The Indianapolis journal., 1891-04-14
THE RIVER OF DEATH.


Chickamauga in the Indisu tongue means
the river of DEATH" and whenever the
name is mentioned we associate it with
the battlefield upon which was fought the
most bloody engagement of modern times.
Your correspondent visited the scene
where carnage once reigned supreme. and
instead of the boom of cannon. the rattle of
musketry or the whistle of shell was the
sound of the saw and the hammer. A live.
progressive, enterprising town is springing
up at the point where General Rosecrans
made his headquarters on the first day of
that memorable conflict.
At this place spring gushes forth from
under q rock. flowing thirty millions of
hours. This spring is one of the
greatest of natural curiosities. and has
been q puzzle to geologists. Two
therefrom has been damned and beauti-
full lake thus formed, upon which are q
number of small pleasure boats. and q
boulevard extending for four miles around
the lake forms an excellent driveway.
Crawfish Springs has long been known as
q place of resort, but heretofore there has
been no hotel, and until three years ago
Chattanooga. thirteen miles distant.
was the nearest railroad point.
d Columbus railroad was built and the
place was thronRed with visitors on pleas
ant days.
Two years ago tho reunion of the blue
and the gray IN which 10 600 soldiers of both
armies participated. was held here and the
place became more widely known.
Then Congress appropriated 1926. 1000 to-
ward making Chickamauga battlefield q
national park. and all sections of the coun-
try took an active interest in the move
ment.
The town of Chickamauga being the
natural entrance to the park, aud the place
where General Roseerans made his head
ayarters on the first day of the battle, was.
of course. the point most generally visited.
The Crawfsh Springs Land Company
purchased the ground for mile and q half
on either side of the spring, be-
sides several thousand acres of
coal lands and twenty,six miles OF
town in the highest style of landscape
art. The streets were paved with gravel,
the points OF beauty were left unchanged.
and the entire place now assumes the ap-
pearance of an attractive park.
The next movement of the company was
to build hotel, and they erected one of
the most elegant resort hotels in the South,
perfect in all of it's appointments and sup
piled with every modern convenience.
A railroad was commenced by the CON-
pany and is now being as rapidly con-
structed as men and money can accomplish
it to the iron and coal fields.
The coal mines have been opened to the
depth of 100 feet, and it is demonstrated
that. in addition to domestic and steam
coal. there is q practically inexbaustible
vein of the finest coking coal in the coun-
try. the product analyzing 20 per
cent. of fixed carbon. as against "a per cent.
in the weil-known, Pocahontas coke. 1t is
| also q fine burden bearing coke.
The iron ore is the richest in the South,
analyZing 60 per cent of pure metallic iron
and running 81 per cent. furnace test.
most fertile farming country and q vast
| territory of valuable timber lands are also
| tributary to Chickamauga.
Limestone. fre-clay and water are to be
had In abundance.
Nature has therefore bestowed every ad-
vantage upon the place, and iJ is destined
to become . residence. commercial and
manufacturing city.
The transportation facilities are excel
lent. The Chattanooga. Rome IL Colum-
| bus railroad now runs two daily passenger
trains, and has arranged to put on a special
! train between Chickamauga and Chata-
| nooga, making three round trips day,
| with no intermediate stOpa. Three other
lines to Chickamauga will be built during
| the present year.
| The lard company is one of the stron gest
| ever organized in the South. being com
| posed of Hon. A. 8. Hewitt, Alfred Sully,
Simon Borg and Lehman Brothers, of New
York; w. b. Lowe. J. W.. English. j. w.
English. jr., s. f. Parrott George w. Par.
rOtt. John Z. and Patrick Calhoun. of At
| lanta: Gordon Lee. of Chick amauga; Gen.
J. +. Wilder. of johnson City, Tenn, and
j. ID. Williamson. president of the Chatta-
| nOoga. Rome Il Columbus railroad. An in
| trOductOry sale of lots will be held April
| % and 20. to which reduced rates will be
| made on all railroads. The interest occa
stoned by the historic associations, the
| beautiful scenery. the attractive climates
| and the natural mineral and agricultural
resources. insures highly successful sale
at that time