The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1910-08-04

Atlanta Ga, July 27-The Tennes
see Copper Company, whose plant is
located at Copperhill, Tenn, one-half
mile from the Georgia line, is do
ing all that it promised the state
of Georgia that it would do, and
it has fulfilled every one Of those
promises, and more So
Twenty-Five members of the house
of representatives went to Copper
hill to investigate the plant of this
company, the trip being at the sug-
gestion of the officials of the copper
company to Investigate the conditions
existing at the plant
This was not an official trip, for, on
Tuesday. the general judiciary COM
mittee of the house of representatives
killed all legislation against the Ten
nessee Copper Company, but, as the
trip had been formulated before this
step was taken, it was decided to
carry it to a completion.
The objection to the running of the
Tennessee Copper Company was that
the fumes generated by the refining
of copper were pervading the lands
of Gilmer and Fannin counties, Geor-
gia, and spelling crops. vegetation and
foliage.
The trip showed conclusively to the
minds of every one on the train that
the crops, vegetation and forests i'll
the district were In no way affected
by the fumes generated by this plant.
To be explicit, there are now NJ
fumes. These nave all been done
away with, and the only smoke escap-
ing from the stacks of the company's
plant is steam, and do not harm any
thing
Every member of the legislature
was taken for tour of inspection
through the big plant. which is won
derful thing in itself, and could not
be fifty described so that the reader
could pick in his minds eye just the
enormous proportions of the wonder
full industry that is right in the heart
of the state.
No objection Now.
The Objectionable fumes that caus-
ed all the trouble previously are now
caught in chambers and condensed by
what is known as the chamber .
process, steam and water being added
to the fumes as they pour into these
chambers, a condensing process then
starting and the fumes being convert.
ed into liquid which is carried off
through several other processes until
it becomes the pure sulphuric acid as
marketed the country over.
The Tennessee Copper Company
was the first to originate the idea of
holding the fumes from furnaces and
converting them into gases, and to
such an extent have they been sue
cessful that they are now supplying
oae-third Of the fertilizer trade of
the United States with the sulphuric
acid which it takes to make the fer
tilizer.
This is considered remarkable when
it is taken into consideration that the
refining OF copper is the main object
of the plant, and that the making OF
sulphuric acid was only secondary
consideration, and that this alone is
now turning into a wonderful indus
try.
A Great Industry.
1t has been said that the citizens
OF the surrounding counties were the
ones wno were kicking the hardest
regarding this plant being in opera
ton. They were few years ago
when the copper company officials
themselves admit that the fumes were
doing some damage, though not as
great as reported. Several of the lead.
ing citizens of the towns in the vicin.
ity OF Copper Hill, when talked to,
were unanimous in stamping the in
dustry as great thing, and that the
company was not doing any damage
to crops as has been stated.
Thus the company has lived I'D to
all it's promises. the state of Georgia
has gained the end it has wished to
gain and the citizens Of the districts
who were most vitality interested are
now unanimously opposed to any leg.
islation against the copper company,
terming it an injustice.
To give one an idea of the vast
plant is at the best a hard Job. but.
roughly, the following will tell it,
There are $500 men employed by
both companies. These men support
q population of about $4,000 people.
directly deOpndanf nm Tho ,,1on4o