The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1895-01-17

duces this in the greatest abundance,
ana the climate is such that is always
servlceable. Even in our coolest win
ters, the swift mountain streams are
never frozen, and they are capable of
furnishing power for all the manufacto-
ries of the United States
FIRST IN Importance among her min
erals is coal. The coal area of this divis-
ion covers all the counties that lie on the
Cumberland Plateau. We must recall
the fact stated by Mr.. +. L. McCroskev,
OF Knoxville, in his admirable paper on
the coal district OF East Tennessee, that
the first car load of East Tennessee coal
was shipped in October, 1867.
THE ANNUAL OUTPUT
is now more than 100000 tons. In
1857 the city OF Knoxville used no coal
now she pays $275, 600 year for coal, all
OF which is supplied by the East Ten
nessee mines.
1t is declared by high authority that
conservative estimate of the quantity of
coal above water level in the upper East
Tennessee District is 1000, 100000 tons.
which at the present rate of output
would be exhausted in 1000 wears.
nave no estimate OF the extent of the
Chattanooga or lower district.
All this coal can be extracted without
pit-mining, such as is in general use in
England. Below the water level and
available by pit-mining there are. bv
estimation, four billion tons of coal. 1t
is not hard COAL and therefore very
little coke has as yet been made from it,
but as a steam coal it is not surpassed
anywhere in the world, and it is literally
a mine OF inexhaustible wealth. There
is no doubt that eventually coke will be
easily made from it, and new and val
liable industry thus developed. Coal of
a similar quality is cooked in Western
Pennsylvania in great quantities and by
an Inexpensive process
Hardly less important and valuable
than the coal is the East Tennessee
marble. In this product East Tennessee
surpasses all countries. There are two
hundred varieties of it, of the best Quail
ity and of established commercial value
have not access to statistics later than
June 30, 1892, but during the twelve
months ending at that date the shin.
ments on the East Tennessee, Virginia
q Georgia Railway were 22,022 tons.
The extent to which our marble is en-
ployed will be indicated by the state.
ment that it was largely used in the
capitol at Washington, in the capitols at
Albany, N. ., and at Nashville in the
Commerce building at San Francisco,
Cal, the Memphis Custom House, the
Rand-McNally building, Chicago, and in
public buildings IN Chattanooga, Cincin-
natl, Boston, Montreal and the CITY of
Mexico.
The most beautiful of these marbles.
perhaps, is the Hawkins County varie.
gated, which is used in much of the
interior work OF the Capitol at Washing
ton, and is a favorite for that purpose
wherever 1T is known. For richness and
variety of coloring it is unapproached.
The most abundant and most valuable
species is a light gray stone, which is
susceptible of the highest polish. and
has unlimited durability. The firmness
OF its texture deties abrasion, and it
seems to be superior to atmospheric in
tuences. The custom-house at Knox
vile is built entirely of it. The steps to
the north entrance of the custom-house
have been in place for almost twenty
years. Thousands of people pass up and
down them daily, going to and from the
postotfice, and during all that time, thew
have not worn the eighth of an inch.
The first large business house in Knox
vile was built fifty years ago, and
trimmed with this gray marble, and no.
where can there be seen the slightest
appearance of disintegration. There are
now In operation, in the valley of East
tennessee, about one hundred marble
quarries, thirty of them being in the i'm
mediate vicinity of Knoxville. w. H.
Evans q Sons, among the largest marble
manufacturers in the United States, have
Tor years maintained mill with twenty
gangs of saws, at Knoxville. In all there
are five establishments at Knoxville. en-.
gagged in saving and finishing marble.
One of the largest of these is owned by
corporation headed by Senator Proc
tor, of Vermont, and this investment OF
Vermont capital in East Tennessee is a
significant fact. And the development
of this immense industry came from the
exhibition of single block of marble at
the Philadelphia exposition.
I LllVlO OIL q IlllCO WGll IUu-DTOs
ducing districts in Tennessee, two Of
which are in East Tennessee. Well
known deposits of Limonite are found
almost continuously from the Georgia
line.to the Virginia line, in the eastern
border counties. Sullivan County is rich
in red hematite, and deposit OF Clinton
or fossiliferous ores extends along the
southern base of the Cumberland
plateau, continuously across the State.
Starr Mountain, in McMinn County, is
one huge mass of Clinton ore, which is
now being mined, several thousand tons
being ready for shipment.
With very few exceptions however,
these deposits, while known to exist and
to be practically inexhaustible, are en-
tirely undeveloped In five counties of
East Tennessee there are valuable
DEPOSITS OF ZINC AND LEAD.
These, and especially the lead, are I'M
developed. In the extreme southeast
ern corner of the State, in Polk County,
mines OF copper have been worked for
more than forty years. Various causes
interfered for time with the working of
these mines, but within the last three
years operations have been resumed with
satisfactory results. There is probably
not county in East Tennessee which
does not contain either coal, marble,
iron, lead or zinc in sufficient quantities
to repay development.
There are fourteen iron furnaces in
East Tennessee in active operation or
temporarily suspended There are eight
copper mines in Polk County, all capa-
BILE of producing ore. The principal
operations in zinc have been carried on
at Messy Creek, in Jefferson County,