The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-08-10
RAILROAD.
ONE BRANCH FOR BIG STONE
GAP.
Descriptive Sketch Of the Propos-
ed Knoxville and Bristol
Railroad.

4
Railroad.
A short time ago The Times no.
ticed in full the Newman Erb
Scheme" which was noted in Drcx-
Ell, Morgan & Co.'S report as being
so near an issue as to effect the val
ne of the stock of the East Tenness-
see road The article referred to
caused endless correspondence on the
subject, and in reply to inquiries, the
engineer who has recently examined
the proposed route, addresses the
following communication to The
Times:
GAS the proposed Knoxville and
Bristol road has created an apparent
eager desire for correct information
for and about the country through
which it will pass, as it would take
up my entire time to answer the
the numerous letters Of inquiry con-
tinually coming to me, | mast beg
space enough in the columns of your
wide-circulated journal for a brief
statement of facts as they have been
obtained from observation and per-
sonal examination.
From Tate Springs, in Grainer
county, the road will pass on to the
Hawkins county line through pne of
the lovelicst wales in East Tennessee,
well -watered and fertile, with every
evidence of a prosperous and we'll
contented people. Immediately after
entering Hawkins county, and con-
timing in the same valley, Moores-
burg is reached, small village in
which is the wonderful Epsom-Lithie
we'll opened to the public BY DR.. D..
A. Summers.
This will unqncstionably become a
noted watering place when improved
and dcyelope,l. Thus we have two
attractive summer resorts within the
first nine miles travcrse,l by this pro-
iected road. Soon after leav-
ing Moorsburg. the heart of the
Southern marble belt is entered upon,
and continued on with for about for
tv miles. This marble is said to be
the equal of any in the known world
for beauty, variety in coloring, fine
ness of quality and durability. The
deposits of this material are mex
haustiblc. and will furnish the bal
last for the proposed loadbcd, as 1t
has served for many years to erect
marble chmncys to log cabins and
door stoops and horse blocks to the
villagers and farmers. Although this
marble brings the highest obtalnable
market price, there has been but lit
tie development of these magnificent
quarrics, owing to their distance from
railway transportation. TO give
some idea of the vast wealth lying
undcvclopcd in thse quarries, we will
take tile following low estimates:
Not less than 200 square miles of
solid marble deposits will be drained
by this proposed road, which, if
quarried only fifty feet deep, would
yield 27S,OO0,000,00O cubic feet
at so cents per cubic foot, it would
be worth the fabulous sum of $780,
900, 100000. Besides the marble
there are continuous forests of the
more valuable hard woods extending
the whole length of the road, with
vast deposits of fine quality of bar
ytes and zinc ore, almost as extern
sive in quantity, which yield from
% to 81 per cent. of the pure metal,
and these resources are backed by
one of the finest agricultural sections
in the State, known far and wide as
the Holston Valley. In regard to
the mineral resources the marble lies
chiefly in Hawkins; the barytes and
zinc in Sullivan county Besides the
mineral springs already noticed, the
road will pass near Galbraith's,
Hale's, and several other summer
resorts of note at intervals along the
route. The towns it will pass
Through are all thriving and growing
and he-pcople prosperous. Rogers'
vile is one of the wealthiest towns
in East Tennessee, its citizens hos