The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-02-03

investigations made of minerals found
on several farms. A Cincinnati engi-
neer has been there for about month
making tests and samples of mangar,-
ese and iron ore show high percent
age. 1t is stated authoritatively that
$3.50 900 will be spent on the erection
of the plant If complete reports bear
out the present outlook.
The Dixie Tannery, one of the larg-
est industries of Bristol, will at once
begin the manufacture of leather belt
ing. A building is now being erected
near the company's plant and the
hides, which heretofore have been tan
ned and shipped to New York, will be
cut into betting Of all widths. The
company is one of the largest in the
business, with branches all over the
United States and in many foreign
countries.
To place all clerks of the various
courts, trustees, register of deeds and
sheriff on salary fixing the minimum
at $4,000 and the maximum at $4,000,
but providing that each office must
earn that amount is the substance of
bill that has been introduced into the
legislature. This bill applies to the
entire state and each office must be
self sustaining. The passage Of this
bill will turn into the state and county
treasury thousands Of dollars annually.
The anti-storage bill passed. by the
Tennessee Legislature, under which
they will be compelled to 60 out of
business at Bristol, together with the
decision of the Supreme Court on the
constitutionality of the Webb-Kenyon
law, has completely crushed the hopes
of the mail order liquor dealers there.
Some of them had expected to go to
other cities and enter the mail order
business, but they now feel that the
Webb-Kenyon law will kill the ship
ping business and are beginning to
look about for other lines of business
to enter.
At the meeting of the County Judges
Association of Tennessee in Nashville
the anti-fee bill pending before the
Legislature was unanimously Endorsed.
A committee will be appointed to re-
quest the Legislature to enlarge the
present State Reformatory for Boys
or else build new one. The present
facilities are regarded as inadequate
to care for the juvenile prisoners of
all counties. The association went on
record as favoring State home for
feeble-minded children and children af-
fiicted with incurable diseases.
An opinion was handed down by
the Supreme Court in the case Of Bris-
ter VS.. Shelby County and Memphis.
This is the school census padding case.
The court modified and affirmed the
DEGREES of the court below, which com.
pei the return to the educational de-
partment of the state of the money
fraudulently secured by padding the
scholastic census. The amounts in
volved amount to about $4,000. Capt.
G. T. Fitzhugh represented the interest
of the state.
The United States Cast Iron Pipe
and Foundry company of Chattanooga
cast the first steel pipe especially for
South American trade ever cast in the
United States. This first shipment of
steel for the South American trade is
regarded as a great achievement as it
puts Chattanooga on the ground xoor
of the overseas expansion. The cast
ings were part of $3,500,O00 order
which the municipality of Buenos
Ayres has placed in this country and
of which the Chattanooga concern has
secured large part.
Three bills now pending in the gen
eral assembly affect the educational
laws of the state. One of these bills
appropriates 100000 Of the general
educational fund, $4,000 to the Uni
versity of Tennessee and the remain
der to be apportioned to the state
normal schools and the Cookeville
Polytechnical school by the educa-
tional department. Those who have
studied the educational question agree
that the three state normals and the
negro normal cannot be maintained
on the sum named.
J. H. Grayson, who harnessed the
Watauga river in Carter county and
brought hydro-electric current to Bris-
toll, plans for the building of another
large dam in the river five miles west
of Elizabethtown. Mr.. Grayson and
his associates sold the Watauga river
property to the H. L. Doherty syndi-
cate, owners of the Bristol Gas and
Electric company and the Grayson syn
dictate Is understood to have netted
100000 on the development. The new
dam will furnish electric energy for all
of the Industries at Elizabethton and
in that section.
Jake Carrier, Bristol hotel pro.
prietor, who was convicted last week
at Blountville of robbing guest of
$3.50 and sentenced to three to ten
years in the state penitentiary, has
given a $4,000 bond and will appeal
to the supreme court. The guest who
claimed to have been robbed was H.
T. Sutherland, a mechanic of Kings.
port. Carrier denies strenuously that
he touched" the guest and claims