Year: 1873

NO. CXVII.


The following we copy from the edito-
rial columns of the Nashville Banner of
the 10th inst:


Ducktown, in Polk county, is the most
interesting place in Tennessee. Its impor-
tance is not generally appreciated, if in
deed known. There are not a few who are
Ignorant of the fact, that Tennessee can
boast of the greatest and most interesting
copper mines in the United States, great
not only for the quantity and quality of
the ore, but great in the extent and man.
ner of mining it, and reducing it at the
mines to merchantable nuggets of pure
copper, ready for the rolling mill.


The mines are forty miles southeast
from Cleveland. To go there, you travel
about fifteen miles across the head waters
of several valleys, separated by low fiinty
ridges, to Parks mills on Ocoee river. Here
the mountains rise abruptly from the COM
mon valley of East Tennessee at q great
height. The geological character of the
country changes from limestone to granite
quartz, mica, slate, etc. You cannot choose
your course in penetrating these granite
mountains, but must take the course of the
Ocoee river, and follow it with its mean
-derings close to the water's edge, and no
less close to the mountain, which is itself
the literal bank of the river. For miles
you cannot turn ten feet 10 the right or
left, because, on the one hand you would
find yourself i'll river which runs and
roars like tornado, and on the other the
mountain would as much as say, thus far
you can go and no farther" f t,t


The mountain on each side of the river
runs directly down into it, or up out of it.
The road is cut on the left side of the river
as YOU 90 up il. 1t Is q good road and
runs with the river about twenty miles.
The main objection to the road is its mar
rowness. The teamsters land they are
many cannot pass each other without
keeping a look ahead, that advantage may
be taken of an occasional side dip of the
road width into the overhanging mountain,
To avoid a collision, making it necessary
to change a team to the hind end of a wag-
on opull it back to. road niche in the
rear. These trihing misfortunes often Oc-
cur.


About three miles before reaching the
first mine in the Ducktown District, the
road bears off from the river to the left, aud
now the mountains appear much lower; in
fact for eight miles before you reach Hi
Hassee Hotel, near the first mine, IL e alti'
tude of the mountains from the river bed
begin to decline, and by the time you reach
Hiwassee the high mountains are at dis
tance behind you, before you and to youl
right and left. You are now in q district
of country walled in for a circuit of many
miles by sharp and lofty mountains, the
Ocoee River being the gate for exit in the
direction of Nashville. This is DucktOwn
here are the numerous copper mines, anC
hundreds of industrious and worthy peo
pie at work, mo idlers) some deep unde
the ground. In all directions you see neat
ly painted dwellings scattered over tn,
low upheavals in the vicinity of the mines
and machinery buildings, some not only
neat but slightly pretentious.


At HiwaSsee you find hotel and street
which would do honor to Murfreesboro'
Not only dwellings, but neat churches will
modest spires are here and there. Th
school-house is not wanting, bushes
houses are city-like and numerous. Tn
heavy smokes are seen rising in differen
directions from the copper works. Al
combined. the aspect is sublime.
would take couple of days TO eXplor
this great mining district to advantage
In one day, however, great deal could b
seen TO interest an investigating and in
telligent visitor


The foregoing is a mere hint rs to tn
interesting and novel character of Duck
town. The general country leaving TN
mines uunoticed, from Parks Mills on u
the Ocoee to Ducktown, and thence int
Cherokee county, y. c., is so very dis
similar to this section. that that of itse
is sufficient TO make the county curiosity
First, the several qualities of granite roc
in the mountains on the OcOee in Pol
county, is important to Nashville, or wi
be as soon as the contemplated railroad
built. This rock seems to be the yer
best, and in the best possible position
come at on the roadside. A friend of tn
Banner just returned from there, has lai
on our table several specimens OF I'll
granite, which he picked up OH the road
side. The river runs with a rapdity an
roar which is astonishing and tiresom
after riding up or down its stormy bank
for three or four hours. The rocks in n
the country indicated, stand on their edge
or ends, straight up; nothingtlies fat-nC
even the smallest atoms of matter of whic
the mountains are built. The aspect
the whole country is that of minerals an
metal in endless quantity. 1t would n
quire geologist TO pursue the subjet
further