The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1911-11-03
DEVELOPMENT OF TALLULAH

changes bewails the fact that
Tallulah Falls is to be utilized as a
water power and hopes it can be
preserved for its scenic beauty. 1t
is indeed one of Natures master
pieces-the rugged mountains and
the grand chasm, into which the
water plunges. lashing itself into
snowy foam as it strikes the jagged
rocks.
But it is idle to talk of Tallulah
going to waste as it has been doing
for centuries. The State does not
own the property and the legislature
would not appropriate the money
with which to purchase it, for it's
value has never been realized until
within recent years.
The development of Tallulah Falls
as water power is a part of one of
the greatest undertakings in the
history of the State In Importance
it ranks with the construction of the
Western & Atlantic railroad at
time when railroad building was in
its infancy. This is the beginning
of the Age of Electricity. The
mysterious power that travels along
copper wire was unknown few
years ago. 1t has been but twenty
years since the street cars in Atlanta
were logged along by mules. Today
we ride from Marietta to that city
drawn by the waters of the Chatta-
hoochee river, which had been
flowing idly downward to the sea
since the dawn of Time.
Tallulah Falls is said to be the
finest water power east of the Rocky
Mountains. There will be a column
of water six hundred feet high,
which, confined in a tube in the
granite, will develop eighty thousand
horse power. The Company develop
ing Tallulah has other water powers
on the Chattahoochee and Savannah
rivers and when its plans are fully
carried out all of Middle and North
Georgia will be supplied with an
amount of electrical power unknown
in this country unless it be in the
section of Niagara Falls. Tallulah
will light the streets and dwellings
of Marietta, pull street cars to
Dalton, Rome, Cedartown and other
points, and turn the wheels of in
Vulnerable manufacturing establish
ments, for it is stated by engineers
that such a current can be sold
cheaper than electricity can be
manufactured with steam.
The plans of the company include
the c, lstruction of street car lines
in such sections as will not justify
the building of steam railroads and
we look to see all the mountain
section of North Georgia developed
with these roads electrically equip
ped. 1t will be a tremendous thing
for the people who are now shut off
from the rest of the state and will
add enormously to the wealth of
Georgia.
Tallulah will be far more interest
ing then than now for it will be the
dynamo of a vast industrial develop
ment, giving employment to men,
enhancing the value of lands, bring
ing the products of the mountain
sections to the cities, and carrying
progress and education into remote
corners. Ten thousand will be
benefited where one now sees anG
admires the beauty of the Falls.
We could not if we would stoE
such development. Our woods are
being rapidly cut away. Our coa
supply will in time be exhausted
Nature gives us this power to supply
the needs of the present and coming
generations and mans genius telli
US how. In time we shall need Il
harness the tides of the restIes.
ocean, or may be draw power anC
heat from the suns rays, but tht
great thing for Georgia today is the
development of the water powers Of
the state and we should be Thankful
that we are so richly endowed II