Year: 1874

we have alluded. North of us lay


many of the finest and most fertile


counties OF Virginia, all of them offer.


ing great inducements to emigrants


Nowhere can the farmer find fairel


lands than are here offered at very low


prices, and nowhere can capital be


more profitably invested in mining


and manufactures. South of us


stretched that remarkable country


whidh constitutes the territory of


East Tennessee.


East Tennessee has been the SwitZer-


land of America, and it deserves the
| title. Its average elevation above the


ocean Is about 900 feet. Mountains


encircle it and ridges and peaks rise in


picturesque beauty throughout its ex-


tent. Beautifully clear streams flow


through it, and from their banks
stretch valleys of rich land resting
| upon limestone base. East Tennes-
! see seems tO haze little in common
| with the rest of the State 1t isl noun
taineous, while Middle and West Ten
nessee are level; it raises grass and all
the cereals in perfection, the rest of
the State is best adapted to cotton; it
had few negroes before the war, the
other part of the State many; it was
not loyal to the COnfederacy, the bal
ance of the State was. There has
been talk of erecting East Tennessee
into a separate State, but the project
has not met any great favor.


During a visit which we made to
East Tennessee two years ago we pub
llshed in the Lltetiigencer a descrip-
tion OF the physical characteristics of
the country and we need not repeat
what we wrote then. 1t is fair and
fertile land, offering the greatest in
ducements TO agriculturalists and capi-
tallsts. Limestone lands, naturally
equal to any IN Pennsylvania, can be
purchased, with good improvements
upon them, Bt very cheap rates. The
war has left legacy of debt which
many have not been able to free them
selves feom. Not a few have found it
difficult to adapt themselves to the
changed coalition of labor and embar-
rassment has been the natural result.
For Northern farmers there are great
bargains here. and chance to secure
desirable homes for themselves and
their children III a climate which can
not be surpassed. We have had abund-
ant opportunity for observation. AID
it is our dellbrate Judgment that the
climate of East Tennessee is all that
could be desired AS i practical test
of the winters it is only necessary to
state that Fast Tennessee had none of
the deepsnOwS which fell in Southern
Pennsylvania during last winter, and
none Of those which we have had dur
Ing the present winter. There are cold
snaps during which some ice is formed
and there are SHOWS, but there are very
seldom three days together during the
winter when outdoor work upon the
farm cannot he done with comfort,
The autuDlns are long and bright, and
much Of the winter weather is like our
finest November days. Frequently
there is no cold weather until late in
December. Spring comes five or six
weeks earlier than with us, and gar
dening is begun in February. March
Is like our April, and April more
pleasant than cur May. The ther-
mometpr does not rise rs high in sum-
mel Us with us. elevation of the region
tempering the heat. There is always
Il breeze in the afternoon, and the sum-
mer nights are said to be delicious. If
we were looking for a favored region
in which to locate we should choose
Fast Tennessee or Southwest Virginia,
in preference to any portion Of the
United States,