The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1894-07-28
way Down IN Tennessee.


will be interested In knowing somethln
of the country recently visited by Mr.
R. r. Williams, Of this place, and for thai
reason we havr taken the pains to obtain
from him brief description Of the
country, its people, climate and pro.
| ducts.
| As before mentioned in this paper,
Mr.. Williams went south for the purpose
Of examing some slate deposits In which
northern capitalists are interested.
These deposits are in Blount and Monroe
counties, eastern Tennessee. He spent
several weeks In that particular part OF
the state, and was much interested In Its
| remarkable resources. The fact is that
northern people know but very little of
their southern nelghbors, and this is
more particularly true of those portions
of the south remote from railroads and
commercial centers.
Blount county lies In the extreme east
ern portion Of Tennessee, being separated
from North Carolina by the Great Smoky
Mountain range. 1t contains popula-
tion 1859. Maryville, located on the
East Tennessee Georgia & Virginia r. II.
is the county seat. 1T has a population
of 1,6OO, several churches and schools,
two colleges--the Maryville college con-
Quoted by Presbyterians and the Freed
mems college conducted by Friends-three
-four mills, two saw mills and three wool
en- mills. 1t lies sixteen miles south Of
Knoxville, is the terminus OF the only
railroad running into the place and has
only one newspaper.
AS odd as 1t may seem to us northern
people Blount county contains no saloons
and is Republican by large majority
The surface of the country is broken and
mountainous, but the valleys are very
fertile. The principal products are corn,
wheat, oats, wool, butter, sorghum. pork
and livestock. Iron ore, marble, slate
and limestone are the principal minerals.
Mr.. Williams states that he saw the larg-
est deposit Of slate In Eastern Tennessee
while on his trip that he has ever seen
on this side of the Atlantic ocean, and he
has seen some Of the best and largest
quarries in Vermont and Pennsylvania.
The slate Is In two colors, black and green,
is remarkably free from mica aud other
impurities, has perfect cleavage, and un-
like the slate of Lake Superior, Is not
greatly "seamed' or .'jointed." He saw
one perfect slab taken out which was 5 q
feet wide by 8 feet long and one inch
thick. He considers the slate of this re-
gion excellent for both milling and roof
ing purposes The position of the beds
in the mountain side is such that they can
be worked with great facility and econo-
my, requiring no expensive machinery
for hosting rock to the surface or pump
ing out water.
Iron ore underlies a great portion Of
this country, existing in abundance in
the mountain districts. 1t Is a red or
brown hematite, aud although leaner
ore than those of Lake Superior. 1t makes
good bar iron, works well 10 the fuanace
and is easily and cheaply mined. Its
proximity to the great coal fields OF cast
Tennessee, Virginia ana North Carolina.
and low cost of mining will bring it In to
prominence in the future.
Another great source OF wealth which
is Just now attracting attention of north
erp capitalists, Is the extensive forests
OF valuable timber existing in this region.
consisting OF pine, oak, walnut, cherry,
hickory, etc. There are tributary TO the
upper Tennessee and its branches thous-
ands Of square miles Of virgin fore sts
which may yet be purchased at very low
prices. Messrs. Charles Hebard Il Son,
of Pequaming, own from thirty to forty
thousand acres of these lands In Blount
and Monroe counties.
Considering the vast and varied re-
sources Of the south there is probably no
other section of country OF equal extent
which offers such opportunities for de-
velopment and such Inducements for the
investment OF capital. What is most
needed at present is more railroads and
northern push and enterprise.
the people of that part OF the south
visited by Mr.. Williams are very hospita-
BILE. The well-to do farmers are inteli-
gent, but the poorer classes densely
Ignorant The school system of the
country is greatly inferior to that Of
Michigan.
One thing more pleased our informant
greatly. That was the genial ana salu-
brious climate Of east Tennessee. 1t is
entirely free from those extremes OF heat
and cold so frequent In she north. Al
though the summer sun Is warm the heat
is greatly modified by the mountain at
mospbere and is never stifllng or oppress-
i've as In prairie countries.
Many pleasing anecdotes are related
by Mr.. Williams OF his sojourn In the
south which we should like to reproduce
for the entertainment OF our readers,
but lack OF time and space forbids at
present.