The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1902-07-17
Gen. wilder talks Of Johnson City.

at is astonishing to lots of people
why the Knoxville papers allow so
much space to places like Greeneville
and Maryville while johnson City, to.
day one Of the most important towns in
East Tennessee, has nothing ever said
about it, said Gen. John T. Wilder to
a Journal and Tribune man.
Gen. Wilder, who is q man who has
always stood in the front rank of the
philosophical aud enterprising, has
visited johnson City often since the
construction OF the Soldiers Home was
begun, and he had returned from trip
just short while before he was seen,
making his observations not only of
value, but Of interest.
"That place is today thrilled with
spirit of enterprise and go-aheadness
which had seldom been felt in this sec
ton. The building of the Ohio River
and Charleston railway toward the sea-
board is going rapidly forward and
within year there will be eighty-two
miles of it in operation. Over five
hundred men are at work now on its
construction. This road is demanded
by the section of country, the richest
imaginable; it will tap and realizing it,
the money behind it is trying to get it
in shape as soon as possible.
Alongside of it is the narrow gauge
road which runs to Cranberry, With
four locomotives it can not begin to
handle the business from the lumber
camps and mills and the mines with
which it communicates, and it will
soon be extensively enlarged in capaci-
ty and rolling stock. johnson City is
one Of the best woodworking points in
the United States and many other man
ufacturing plants, in operation or being
erected, are giving it an atmosphere Of
prosperity.
'There are o number of brick yards
there already, but the building and
construction which is going on there is
Of such proportions that the local yards
can not supply the demand, and thous-
and Of clay cubes are being sent from
Knoxville to be used there. In this
way Knoxville is deriving great benefit
from johnson City, but still more could
be gotten if Knoxville would hustle as
other cities, not as near to the fele, are
doing.
'"To cap all that has been done and is
being done, the soldiers home, one of
the grandest institutions in the world,
which will cost over "a, 900, 900 before it
is completed, and for which over 81,
900, 900 will be expended this coming
year, is being constructed in johnson
City. The magnitude of this institu-
ton, both in point of size, and in regard
to the immense impetus which it will
give to the growth of the city, is not
hardly appreciated. In every way il
will be when completed the largest,
most magnificent, most popular, and
most prosperity contributing affair in
the state Of Tennessee.
"In speaking Of the industrial activi
ty of johnson City, the tale is not told
without enumerating some of the in
dustries which have contributed tt
bring this condition about; There sr'
two OF the biggest veneering plants il
the state there; box and stave factories
heading mill, re-sawing mill, two o.
three saw mills, fine -four mill, larg,
foundry and machine shops, furnaces
and brick yards, and many other di
verse enterprises, such as the electro
pin factory for use on telephone ant
telegraph poles, and the novelty works
which manufacture shuttles, bobbins
skewers. and other novel varieties G
wood work.
'Those lines Of railway which I men
toned while ago could really be con
sidered street railways, for they trs
verse the streets Of the town. The Obi
River and Charleston, the Embrevillt
which was owned by the man who Ell
tablished the first abolitionist paper i
the United States, and the mario
gauge, all are contributing greatly
y the growth and importance of the cit
and it is shortly intended to suppl
ment the service which they are givin
by new electric Car line.
"All of these things tend to NAL
! Johnson City one Of the places in Ea
Tennessee which in a few years vi
have grown to such dimensions that
will have completely forgotten its pr
vious stage of existence. "-Knoxvil