The Washington herald., 1909-06-13
MINERAL WEALTH
UNDERLIEC STATE
Tennessee Slowly Develops
Natural Resources.
RANKS SECOND IN THE SOUTH
Coal. Iron. Copper. Zinc, Phosphate.
and Cement Rocks PlentifuI In ths
Mountain ReEiOn-FarmsnR I'm
proves Under Government Care.
Water Power OF Large Use.

I
Knoxville, Tenn, June 2-The dav haz
passed when IN the Southland material
prosperity can be regarded as Inseparablv
associated with the growing OF cotton
and tobacco.
Tardy has been the recognition h, i+s
own people OF the natural resources -
the region and the importance OF iavestl-.
gazing and conserving these for the vel
fare OF its people. one OF the last OF the
Southern communities 10 awake from its
Rip Van Winkle sleep Is Tennessee.
Or all the States east OF the Roelv
Mountains. least is known OF The natural
resources Of Tennessee II IS gratifying
10 note that the state is awakening 10 tba
Importance Of promoting the wise devei-
opment % these resources. as evidenced
In the passage by the last legislature OF
the bin for the establishment OF 4 STATE
I geological survey. Though slow in rec
osnizing the importance Of this work now
that Il has come, along with Ike swak-
eHing TO the importance Of public sduca-
I ton. there Is destined 10 take place in
the near future forward movement In
economic and social conditions in this
state
Growing in Mineral Production.
( Under the guidance and stimulus OF th4
Y Agricultural Department and experiment
station OF the state University marked
progress has been made during the last!
few years by the farmer. Few have
realized the variety and extent OF the
mineral products 10 be found IN Tennss-
see. A remarkable tribute 10 the richness
o. these resources Is the fact that. not.
Withstanding the Indifference manifested.
hy the state toward their deveiourrs,et
during che last fifty years. Tennessesi
ranks eighteenth in the list of States IN.
the value OF mineral production for 1907
OF al the states OF the South. Alabama
alone exceeds Tennessee IN the value Of sta
output OF minerals. The output OF Ten
nessee exceeds that OF Georgia and ken
tucky combined and. emitting Alabama
Kentucky, and Texas. Il exceeds the CON-
bined output OF all the other States %
the South
IN the production o. phosphate rock
Tennessee Is exceeded BY Florida o,ly-
and IN harytes by Missouri In The pro- y
duction q the quarries Il stands fifteenth.
but under this head is included marble. In.
which the STATE ranks fourth IN the
production % copper. the state ranks
sixth, n that of coke seventh. OF pig
ron eighth. OF coal twelfth. and OF claw
products tEenty-frst
Rich Deposits OF Coal.
The coal deposits OF Tennessee underu6
about 27oe square miles OF the Cumbe--i
land plateau region. They Constitute an
extension OF the Appalachian coal field.
the extreme southern limits o. which oe-
cur in Middle Alabama The coal meas
UreS or Tennessee belong 20 IRE Io~-ese
; tPOttsvilie) division. as recognized in thsi
northern part Of the field which presents.
marked thickening toward the south.
They are separsble into two divisions. the
lower of which Is characterized bv a
great conglomerate lookout or Iee).
below which occur a variable thickness
OF shales and sandstones. with some beds
OF coat OF excellent quality
The principal coal deposits however.
occur in the upper division which con-
tains large number OF beds. several or
which are OF workable thickness One OF.
these, the weI-knoWa Sewanee bed. has
been recognized as apparently continuous
over several thousand square niles.
In the Jellico district this bed is known
as the Jeilico. Coal Greek. Glen Marv.i
and Poplar Creek coal IN general. thz
Goals Of the Southern Appalachian region,
are OF superior quality The SeTaneei
coal OF the ChattanoOga district ans thar,
from the corresponding horizon IN tha
southern part OF the Jeilico district Is
vel adapted 10 coking In general. th4
coal OF Tennessee constitutes q high
grade domestic and steam fuel
Copper in the Southeast.
The copper furnished by Tennessee
comes entirely from the Ducktoz-n dis
trict IN the extreme southeastern cor
ner OF the state Special interest attaches
10 the operation IN the district because o.
the perfection OF the plant and the sue,
cess attending the working OF large de-.
posits OF low grade pyrrhotitic ore
Large deposits OF zinc occur IN th0
Knox ooloDiIe IN the Tennessee Valley.
but development IN the handling OF ths
ore has not yet reached a stage result
ing n very large production. with sus-
ncient capital and the adoption OF sue.
eessful methods OF handling the ores. zfnc
mining Is destined 20 become an Imports
ant feature Of the mineral Industry oH
Eastern Tennessee
While Tennessee is provided with un<
limited quantities Of cement materials,
this Industry Is as yet In its fncipisncy IN
clay and the iron industries.
Iron slowly Developed.
Il is well known that the state poss
sesses large deposits OF iron ore. and eoa-
siderable progress has been made in the
development OF some OF these. But there
are undoubtedly large deposits of this
valuable mineral. concerning which very
little Is known
Among the resources OF the state
worthy OF consideration Is that OF tha
water power capable of being derived from
the streams that descend the slopes OF tn
mountains and highlands Information
concerning the water power Of Tennessee
IS very meager- In the voiuninous re-
port on this subject IN the tenth censuz
no mention whatever Is made Of Tennes--
see Nevertheless. there is no doubt that.
the state possesses vast store OF water
power. fact that IS already attractinR
the attention OF investors. and the con-
servaticn OF which should early engage
the attention OF its people.
O. r. GORDON
Univerity q Ternssses, Ksoxvs1s
New Cement racforx 4, Veu-zuera