UNIVERSITY OF B.C. LIBRARY 3 9424 0597 9093 8 PKOCJbSSING-ONE Lp 1-ClSE U.B.C. LIBRARY wm m wn Wfn)n / Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from University of British Columbia Library http://www.archive.org/details/firstsecondreporOOtenn I r / i First and Second Reports of the Bureau of Agriculture for the State of Tennessee. IISrTRODXJOTIOlSr TO THE RESOUECES OF TENNESSEE BT J. B. KILLEBREW, A.M., ASSISTED BY J. M. SAFFORD, Ph. D., M.D. 2b u-hoia loccU a.'viistanc^; w-cts rendered by C. W. CHARLTON, H. L. BENTLEY, of East Tennessee. of West Tennessee. PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE. NASHVILLE, TENN. : TAVEL, EASTMAN & HOWELL, PaiNTERS TO THE StATE. 1874. COMMISSIONERS BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE. W. H. JACKSON, President Nashville, Tennessee. J. B. KILLEBREW, Secretary TOM CRUTCHFIELD, Chattanooga, HUNTER NICHOLSON, Knoxville, R. B. HURT, Jackson, « A. B. HAYNES, White's Station, " J. M. SAFFORD, Chemist to the Bureau Nashville, ** To the General Asscmhly of the State of Temiessee, and to His Excellency, John C. Brown : Herewith are submitted the first and second reports of the Bureau of Agriculture. The publication of the first report was delayed because it was thought best by the Commissioners that a review of the whole resources of the State should, with the accompanying map, be included in one volume, and because Parts II., III. and IV., which constitute the first report, should be preceded by Part I., which is a general introduction to the whole State. It is believed that the report is original in its conception and character, and will serve, in a most effective way, to bring before the world the almost illimitable resources, yet undeveloped, of the great State of Tennessee. The plan of the work, together with the idea of introducing the agricultural and geological map, is the united conception of the Commissioners of the Bureau, and it gives me pleasure to bear testimony to the zeal, interest and good judgment displayed by them in all their meetings; but to J. B. Kille- brew, the efficient Secretary, is eminently due the credit for his good judg- ment, correctness, zeal, enthusiasm and untiring energy, coupled with a re- markable versatility in the preparation of the matter of the report, and un- remitting labor in getting it through the press. He has been a faithful and assiduous public agent, and has not only earned the salary given him, but has, in my opinion, merited the thanks of the people of the State for this work of such magnitude, requiring, as it did, so much and such constant and persistent labor, and one which will certainly add millions of property to our State. I regard the outlay of the funds for the collection and dis- semination of facts pertaining to the resources of the State as the best pos- sible method of increasing its wealth, reducing taxation, and aftbrding gen- eral and early relief to the people. The enquiry for this Report from most of the Northern States and Terri- tories, and many of the Southern States, as well as from Canada, England and Switzerland, is truly gratifying, and shows the general desire for in- formation in respect to the resources of the State, and confirms me in the opinion I have entertained from the first, that the expense incident to the work will prove the best outlay the State has ever made. On account of the pressing demand for such information, and at the sug- gestion of Gov. Brown, the Commissioners, at their last meeting, instructed the Secretary to prepare and send out advance sheets of such chapters as IV would prove of general interest, and I am pleased to be able to state that these sheets were sought for eagerly, well received and copied by the lead- ing papers of the North and of our State, and have already served to at- tract special attention to the State. With due respect to the wisdom of the last Legislature, I will add that the number of the Reports ordered will prove totally inadequate to the demand. In conclusion, permit me to call special attention to the accompanying Map, as one of the important features of the Report, and the meed of praise is due to Dr. SafFord for his skill, care and good taste in its preparation. It is the most accurate map of the State ever published. As the financial agent of the Bureau under the law creating it, I respect- fully request of the General Assembly that it will appoint a committee to examine and pass upon my accounts, which I insist on, as I think it a rule that should be adopted and adhered to with all agents of the State who handle public funds. Respectful ! y submitted. W. H. JACKSON, President of Bureau. CORRECTIONS. The readers attention is called to the following errors and omissions : On page 93, thii-d line from the top, read 1,445,000. On page 339, seventh line from top, Murfreesboro should have been put fourth as a wayside shipping point for cotton, having shipped 9,743, and on this account, on page 743, sixteenth line from bottom, Murfreesboro should have been excepted. There are numerous verbal errors, many of wliich were detected and corrected before the whole edition passed through the press. It is not deemed necessary to point them out specifically. In preparing the manuscript from notes, Tennessee Central College and the Pharmacal College, located at Nashville, were unintentionally omitted in the reference tj the educational institutions of Davidson county. PRE F AC E. The volume now presented to the public is the result in part of the work done by the Bureau of Agriculture since its establishment in 1872. Its pub- lication has been delayed simply because of the amount of work requisite to its proper preparation, and of the unwillingness of the Bureau to send out an unsatisfactory and unreliable report. This introduction embraces a general review of the agricultural, mineral and industrial resources of the entire State, with brief notices of each county. No pains have been spared to obtain the facts. All localities of special interest have been visited — the coal fields, iron belts, the best as well as the worst agricultural sections Altogether, the jjreparation of the Report has involved a travel of 15,000 miles by myself and assistants, and has necessitated the writing of nearly 2,000 letters, besides circulars. It has been the chief aim to make a relia- ble, rather than a popular, report. Facts have been stated impartially and without exaggeration. No considerable industry has been overlooked, no valuable resource left unnoticed, no subject in which strangers would proba- bly feel an interest left untouched. The great leading idea in its prepara- tion has been to give just such information about the State as ordinary, un- scientific men would like to know. Capital and enterprise being greatly needed, every subject calculated to attract them to the State has been touched upon. But it is not claimed that the work is perfect. It is only an introduction to the resources of the State. Tennessee is too large, too varied in its rough wealth, too diversified in its industries, too magnificent in its possibilities to be exhausted in one, two, or a dozen reports. But while it is by no means perfect or exhaustive, it is believed that it will com- pare favorably with similar reports in this country, or in England. Mr. C. W. Charlton, from East Tennessee, contributed the articles, with the exception of what refers to the geology, on the following counties : Bled- soe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hawkins, James, Jefferson, Loudon, Marion, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Polk, Rhea, Roane, Scott, Sevier, Sequatchie, Sullivan, Union, and a portion of Johnson. Mr. Bentley, of West Tennessee, supplied the larger part of the articles on Ben- ton, Carroll, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Gibson, Hardeman, Haywood, Hen- derson, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Tipton and Weakley, and a part of the general description of West Tennessee. VI Preface. Id addition to the aid received from my regular assistants, my acknowledg- ments are due to Judge Shields, Prof. Nicholson, Hon. H. N. Snyder, and Hon. T. Nixon Vandyke, of East Tennessee ; to Mr. B. F. Lillard, Dr. W. M. Clarke, J. M. Carnes, Dr. D.Lee, A. B. Robertson, W. T. Nixon, D. H. Goodrich, Col. R. C. Morris, Col. Tom Claiborne, Dr. J. W. J. Payne, Hon. J. A. Trousdale, B. F. Cockrill, Judge C. W. Tyler, and many others, of Mid- dle Tennessee ; and to Dr. S. T. Gilbert, W. J. Sykes, John S. Toof, L. J. Dupree and others, of West Tennessee. These gentlemen have taken a de- cided interest in the work from its inception, and have cheerfully furnished me with all the information in their power pertaining to their respective localities. To Hon. H. N. Snyder the Bureau is under special obligations for the faithful and elaborate description of the trade and resources of Hamil- ton county, which work cost him months of hard labor. Other acknowl- edgments of aid received are given in the Report. The small maps, illus- trative of the surroundings of particular cities, were furnished by the cities themselves. The larger map was prepared expressly for the Bureau by Dr. J. M. Safford, who, in addition to his labors in this particular, has rendered me constant assistance in all matters pertaining to the geology of the State, and the proofs of the whole work have passed under his supervision. In- deed, his aid has been invaluable. To the officers of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad, as well as to those of the Nashville, Chat- tanooga and St. Louis Railway, my obligations are eminently due, not only for facilities afforded, but for valuable assistance rendered in procuring facts. These railroads, owned and operated mostly by citizens thoroughly identi- fied with the State, have shown every disposition to further all the plans of the Bureau looking toward the material development of the State. My thanks are also due to A. H. Shrader, of the St. Louis and Southeastern Railroad, for kindly courtesies. It may be well to state that since the facts upon which this report is based have been collected, real estate has fallen in a majority of the counties not less than fifteen per cent, in price. J. B. KiLLEBREW, Secretary. July 28, 1874. CONTIBINTS. PART I. Tennessee in General. CHAPTER I.— Topographical Fea- tures, Natural and Civil Divisons.. 1 CHAPTER II.— Climate 6 CHAPTER III— Geological Forma- tions of the State 26 CHAPTER IV.— Relation of Geo- logy to the Farm 47 CHAPTER v.— Soils 54 CHAPTER VI.— Timber 71 CHAPTER VII.— Farm Products... 93 CHAPTER VIII.— The Grasses of Tennessee 112 CHAPTER IX.— Live Stock 122 CHAPTER X. — Tennessee as a Dairy ^State 140 CHAPTER XI.— Grape Growing in Tennessee 154 PAGK CHAPTER XII.— The Honey Re- sources of Tennessee 174 CHAPTER XIII.— Coal 183 CHAPTER XIV.— Iron 220 CHAPTER XV.— Copper 243 CHAPTER XVI.— Other Minerals.. 253 CHAPTER XVII.— Transportation — Rivers 276 CHAPTER XVIII— Transportation — Railroads 305 CHAPTER XIX. — Condition of Agriculture 350 CHAPTER XX.— Public School System 370 CHAPTER XXI.— A Word to Im- migrants 385 CHAPTER XXII.— Occupation of the People and General Statistics... 405 PART II. East Tennessee. GENERAL DESCRIPTION 423 ANDERSON COUNTY 448 BLEDSOE COUNTY 457 BLOUNT COUNTY 460 BRADLEY COUNTY 464 CAMPBELL COUNTY 466 CARTER COUNTY 470 CLAIBORNE COUNTY 473 COCKE COUNTY 483 GRAINGER COUNTY 487 GREENE COUNTY 497 HAMBLEN COUNTY 500 HAMILTON COUNTY 504 HANCOCK COUNTY 528 HAWKINS COUNTY 534 JAMES COUNTY 538 JEFFERSON COUNTY 540 JOHNSON COUNTY 542 KNOX COUNTY 549 LOUDON COUNTY 575 MARION COUNTY 577 McMINN COUNTY 979 MEIGS COUNTY 586 MONROE COUNTY 588 Vlll Contents. PAGE. MOEGAN COUNTY 590 POLK COUNTY 592 KHEA COUNTY 595 EOANE COUNTY 597 SCOTT COUNTY 601 FAGB. SEVIER COUNTY 603 SEQUATCHIE COUNTY 606 SULLIVAN COUNTY 609 UNION COUNTY 612 WASHINGTON COUNTY 614 PART III. Middle Tennessee. C4ENERAL DESCRIPTION 619 BEDFORD COUNTY 624 CANNON COUNTY 637 CHEATHAM COUNTY 641 CLAY COUNTY 647 COFFEE COUNTY 655 CUMBERLAND COUNTY 662 DAVIDSON COUNTY 670 DICKSON COUNTY 701 DeKALB county 707 FENTRESS COUNTY „ 714 FRANKLIN COUNTY 722 GILES COUNTY 735 GRUNDY COUNTY 745 HICKMAN COUNTY 751 HOUSTON COUNTY 760 HUMPHREYS COUNTY 766 JACKSON COUNTY 774 LAWRENCE COUNTY 779 LEWIS COUNTY „... 790 LINCOLN COUNTY 799 MACON COUNTY 808 MARSHALL COUNTY 815 MAURY COUNTY 828 MONTGOMERY COUNTY 845 MOORE COUNTY 859 OVERTON COUNTY 866 PERRY COUNTY 875 PUTNAM COUNTY 883 ROBERTSON COUNTY 890 RUTHERFORD COUNTY 900 SMITH COUNTY 915 STEWART COUNTY 922 SUMNER COUNTY 937 TROUSDALE COUNTY 947 VAN BUREN COUNTY 951 WARREN COUNTY 960 WAYNE COUNTY 971 WHITE COUNTY 979 WILLIAMSON COUNTY _... 990 W^LSON COUNTY 1004 PART IV. West Tennessee. GENERAL DESCRIPTION 1014 BENTON COUNTY 1022 CARROLL COUNTY W.\\ CROCKETT COUNTY 1U3U DECATUR COUNTY 1045 DYER COUNTY 1053 J'AYETTE COUNTY 1062 GIBSON COUNTY 10G9 HARDEMAN COUNTY 1077 HARDIN COUNTY 1085 ILVYWOOD COUNTY .1094 HENDERSON COUNTY 1104 HENRY COUNTY 1109 LAKE COUNTY 1118 LAUDERDALE COUNTY 1125 MADISON COUNTY 1132 McN AIRY COUNTY _1140 OBION COUNTY _ 1148 SHELBY COUNTY „....1160 TIPTON COUNTY 1179 WEAKLEY COUNTY 1185 TENNESSEE IN GENERAL. CHAPTER I. Topographical Features— Natural and Civil Divisions. The State of Tennessee lies between lat. 35° and 36° 30' north, and long. 81° 37' and 90° 28' west from Greenwich. Its greatest length from east to west is 432 miles, and its extreme width 109 miles. The longest straight line that could be drawn in the State, would be from the north-east corner of Johnson to the south-west corner of Shelby, and would be near 500 miles in length. The entire area of the State is about 42,000 square miles, or 26,880,000 acres. Rhomboidal in shape, the symmetry of form which Tennessee presents is striking when seen upon the map. It is bounded on the north by Kentucky and Virginia, on the south-east by North Carolina, on the south by Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, and on the west by the Mississippi River, which separates it from Arkansas and Missouri. It touches eight States on its borders, a greater number than is touched by the boundaries of any other State in the Union except Missouri. It is un- equaled in the number and excellence of its navigable rivers. The great Father of Waters washes its western boundary, and the placid Tennessee and beautiful Cumberland, with sources in other States, sweep in concentric semicircles through the fairest and most valuable portions of the State, furnishing, cheap water transportation for the varied products of tlie soil and of the mine. 1 Resources of Tennessee. NATUKAL DIVISIONS. The State has eight great natural divisions. On its eastern borders rises, in great ridge-like masses and treeless domes, the hnge Appa- lachian chain, the loltiest peaks of which attain an elevation of more than 6,000 feet above the sea, and upon whose brows and bald sum- mits the flora of Canada and the climate of the north may be found. These mountains form one of the natural diNi.-iuns of tlie State, and are called the Unakas. Many beautiful and fertile valleys and coves nestle amid this grand range of mountains ; but aside from these, this division is of but limited agricultural importance. Its average eleva- tion above the sea is 5,000 feet, and it has an area of 2,000 square miles. Adjoining this on the west, and enclosed between the Unakas and the Cumberland Table Land, is the beautifully fluted Valley of East Tennessee. This Valley, so called because of the relations it bears to the mountains on each side, is a succession of ridges and minor valleys, running in almost unbroken lines from north-east to south-west. If one could sail over it from east to west at a moderate elevation, this division Avould resemble the tumultuous waves of a stormy ocean that have been arrested and hardened into stony firmness, but viewed from the highest peaks of the Unakas, the ridges and valleys melt into a common plain. The innumerable valleys of this division make it, agriculturally, one of the most important in the State. The average elevation of this great Valley is 1,000 feet above the sea, and it has an area of 9,200 square miles. Next in order comes the Cumberland Table Land, a high, elevated plateau, that rises in massive grandeur 2,000 feet above the sea, and 1,000 feet above the Valley of East Tennessee. Buried in the bosom of this plateau are huge treasures of coal and iron. On its eastern edge it forms almost a continuous line running in a north-easterly direction, and rises with an abruptness that is marked and striking, presenting a formidable, gray, rocky, cliff-lined rampart. The western edge is irregular and jagged, notched and scalloped by deep coves and valleys, which are separated by finger-like spurs pointing for the most part to the north-west. The soil of this division is sandy, thin, porous and unproductive, and it is of but little agricultural importance. Its area is 5,100 s(|uare miles. Resting against the western edge of the Cumberland Table Land and extending to the Tennessee River, with an average elevation of Natural Divisions. 3 1,000 feet above the sea, are the HighhuKls, RimUmds or Terrace- lands. This division is diversitied in places ^vith rolling hills and wide valleys. For the most i)art, however, it is a flat plain, furrowed by niinierons ravines and traversed by fretpient streams. The soil of this di\isi()n is of varying fertility, but altogether it is a region of great agricultural importance and wealth. Its area is 9,300 square miles. In the center of these Highlands, and surrounded by them, is the great Central Basin, elliptical in shape, and resembling the bed of a drained lake. It may be compared to the bottom of an oval dish, of which the Highlands form the broad, flat brim. The soil of this basin is highly productive of all the crops suited to the latitude, and it has been well named the Garden of Tennessee. In this basin stands the capital of the State. It is of the first importance as an agricultural region. Its area is 5,450 square miles, and it has an average depres- sion of 300 feet below the Highlands. This whole basin, with the sur- rounding Highlands, is slightly tilted towards the north-west, and has a less elevation on that side than on anv other. The Western Valley, or the Valley of the Tennessee, forms the next natural division. This is comparatively a narrow valley, with spurs from the Highlands pointing in towards it, and sometimes running down to the margin of the Tennessee River. The surface is broken and irregular. The soil is fertile, but marshy spots, covered with cypress forests, occur in places along the river. The main valley sends out various subordinate ones, extending sometimes as far as twenty or twenty-five miles before they are lost in the Highlands. The Western Vallev is not considered as including all the territorv drained by the tributaries of the Tennessee, but "its general limits are the lines along which the Highlands on both sides for the most part break away." The average w^idth of this valley is ten or twelve miles, and its length the breadth of the State. It has an area of 1,200 square miles, and an elevation of 350 feet above the sea. The Plateau or Slope of AVest Tennessee is the seventh natural di- vision, and is peculiar in having but few rocks, differing in this par- ticular from all the divisions mentioned above. It is a great plain, that slopes gradually towards the Mississippi River, gently undulating, and differing widely in the character of its soil and scenery. Here the streams are sluggish, and the banks unstable. Furrowed with river valleys, this division extends for an average distance of about eighty four miles, when "it abruptly terminates, falling off into a long and stec}) bluff' or escarpment, that overlooks the great alluvial low plain or bottoms of the JSIississippi." The soil of this division is light, 4 Resources of Temiessee, porous, siliceous, and charged with the elements of an abounding fer- tility. Its superficial extent is about 8,850 square miles, with an average elevation of five hundred feet. The Bottoms of the Mississippi form the eighth and last natural division, and constitute a low, flat, alluvial plain, teeming with a rank luxuriance of vegetable life that is almost tropical. Lakes and mo- rasses are frequent. The soil is of exuberant fertility, and will pro- duce year after year, with no apparent diminution in quantity, enor- mous crops of corn and cotton. Its agricultural resources are immense, and when reclaimed from the dank, dark forests, will subsist a larger population than any other portion of the State in proportion to its area. The surface embraces 900 square miles, and it has an average elevation of 295 feet above the Gulf of Mexico. We have thus hurried rapidly over the eight natural divisions of the State, giving the salient points of each and leaving out all details, in order that the reader may have a clear conception of them, for these divisions furnish the best possible basis for the classification of our soils and for a thorough understanding of the extent of our mineral wealth. To recapitulate: I. The Unakas. High, mountainous, with enclosed valleys. II. jThe Valley of East Tennessee. A fluted region ; a succession of parallel valleys and ridges. One of the most beautiful, populous and fertile portions of the State. III. Tlie Oumberland Table Land. The region of coal. A high plateau or table, capped wdth sandstone. IV. TJie Highlands, or Rimlands, or Terrace-lands, that encircle a basin of rich lowlands in the center of the State. Soil clayey, silice- ous, and for the most part productive, but of great variableness of aptitudes and capabilities. V. Tlie Central Basin, enclosed by these Highlands. The center of wealth and political influence, and rich in all the elements of a splendid civilization. VI. 2he Western Valley of the Tennessee. Narrow, irregular, low, swampy, productive, but sparsely settled ; in a condition of compara- tive wildness. VII. The Plateau or ^lope of West Temiessee. Slightly rolling; streams sluggish ; soil for the most part light, siliceous, fertile, and capable of sustaining an immense population. Vlil. The Mississiirpi Bottoms. Dark with a dense vegetation; spotted with lakes and marshes; soil of inexhaustible fertility. Civil Divisions. CIVIL DIVISIONS. These eight natural divisions have l)een reduced to three civil di- visions : I. Eant Tennessee. Comprising all the territory from the Nortli Carolina line to about the center of the Cumberland Table Lan such a variety <»f cro])s, that ai-e grown to perfection. The hills, the knobs, tlie Climate. 7 mountains, tlie intervenient coves and valleys, give great diversity of siTb-climate. Tennessee has indeed a double climate— one resulting from latitude, and the other from elevation— so interwoven and modi- fied by varieties of soil, position, exposure, trend of mountain ranges, etc., that the characteristics of the c-limate of every State from Missis- sippi to Canada mav be found in it. The deliciousness of the climate in spring and autumn is unsurpassed- by that of Italy. The glory of our Indian summer, when the whole physical nature, attuned to the surrounding influences, exults in an abounding and jubilant vitality, has been a fruitful theme for the poet and the philoso])her. At that season, which usually occurs in November, the softened tints of ijie landscape, beautified by the blended colors of decaying leaves, are charming and ravishing to the eye. An agreeable haziness pervades the atmosphere, which attempers the rays of the sun, destroying the glare without lessening the brightness. It is the most delightful season of the year. Spring resembles it in all save the haziness of the atmos- phere and the bright colors of the decaying leaves of the forests. In treating of the climate of the State, we shall notice the means, maxima and minima of temperature, the number of days between killing frosts, quantity of rain, and general direction of wind. The figures and results given will refer mainly to the Valley of East Tennessee and to the part of the State west of the Cuml)erland Table Land, the climatic features of the latter division, as well as those of the Unaka Range, which rise so much above the general level, being noticed parenthetically as we proceed. 1st. Temperature. Along a line running east and ^vest through the middle of the State, which we may call the middle parallel, the mean temperature of the vear is about 57° in the Valley of East Ten- nessee, 58° in Middle and 59° in West Tennessee. This gives a range, in traversing the State longitudinally, of three degrees. The differ- ence is partiallv due to elevation, but not wholly. Making allowance for this, it will still be found that the temperature increases going westward. Along the s(nithern boundary of the State the annual mean will be found to be about one degree higher than it is on the corres- ponding part of the middle parallel, while on the northern boundary it will be as much lower, thus giving a range of two degrees. This is an approximation. The Eastern Valley presents an exception, on account of the great difference in the elevations respectively of the northern and southern boundaries. The range here is fully three de- grees, one degree by reason of the difference oi' elevation and two hj variation of latitude. 8 Resources of Tennessee. The mean annual temperature of Tennessee is the same as that of some of the most delightful regions of the globe. Its isothermale pass through North Carolina, the northern part of Spain, touch the south of France, traverse the vine-clad hills of Italy and the classic land of Greece, through fig-growing Smyrna, crossing the Caspian Sea near its southern extremity, through the great tea-growing dis- tricts of China, and through thp spicy fields of the Japan Islands, re-entering the United States near San Francisco. Thus it is seen that Tennessee, climatologically, is in the same belt in which origi- nated the laws, religion, the civilization and refinement of the western world. Though upon the same isothermals there is a marked diifer- ence between the climate of Tennessee and that of the European States mentioned. The range of the thermometer is not so great in the lat- ter. Our summers are hotter but not so long continued, and our win- ters are colder. The orange, the olive, the lemon and the fig, that flourish upon the shores of the Mediterranean, do not mature in our climate. But for the production of those plants that require a high degree of heat, it far surpasses the countries of the same isothermals in Europe. Indian corn, melons, annual vines, grow with amazing rapidity upon fertile soils. Under the more fiivorable conditions, com will sometimes grow three inches in a single night, and the melon and grape-vine almost as much. European grapes rarely do well with us. Attempts to acclimate the Malaga grape-vine proved unsatisfactory. The rainfall, being greater in Tennessee than in the Levantine States of Europe, induces a premature rot. The native varieties of grapes, however, are brought to a high degree of perfection, as may be seen by reference to the chapter on grape culture. The amount of annual rainfall in Turin is 88 inches, while the annual temperature is 53°. In the Madeira wine-growing districts the rainfall is 30 inches and the average temjicraturo 07° — winter averaging 61° and summer 71° — showing an average range of only 10°. Our annual temperature itj about 58°; rainfall, 46 inches; and range of thermometer, when sum- taer and winter averages are compared, about 45°. The following tables j)resent monthly and annual means derived from observations taken at Knoxville, Falls of Caney Fork, Lebanon, Nashville, Glen wood and Memphis. They were prepared with great care, and the utmost pains were taken to insure accuracy in the ob- servations, by prompt regularity and by using the most approved in- struments, and placing them in positions where they were not subject to any undue influences, either of the sun or of the wind. Climate. No. l.—{KnoxfiUe, 1873,) Elevation of College Hill 993 feet. THERMOMETER. Months. a Mean of Rangk. A. M. Ob. P. M. Ob. Night Ob. Maxi- mum. Mini- mum. Dififer ence. 34.3 41.2 44.2 56.S (58.9 74.3 76.2 75.3 68.rt 53.1 44.5 42.2 30.9 35.9 35.4 49.6 61.9 69.7 71.0 70.1 62.3 45.8 38.8 37.8 38.6 45.9 52.3 66.9 77.0 81.0 83.5 83.6 78.4 63.2 49.9 46.1 33.4 40.2 43.5 56.3 65.1 71.7 7:5.4 72.6 65. ;t 50.7 42.8 41. G 54.8 63 65 73 85 90 91 92 90 76 70 G'.t 9 6 6 35 50 61 64 66 50 26 15 16 54 59 67 50 May 40 30 Juh 28 August 24 Septfmber 41 50 November 55 53 Annual 56.6 50.8 63.9 79.6 33.7 46 Jso. 2.—[Xashville, 1873.) Months. THERMOMETER. January February ... March .... April May June... July August September., October November . December.. Annual Mean of Range. A. M. P. M. Niglit Maxi- .Mini- Dififer g Ob. Ob. Ob. mum. mum. ence. :55.4 32..'5 39.2 ?,L2 65 5 60 43 6 38.8 47.8 13.6 70 13 57 .7.4 40.1 5:^.9 45.6 72 11 61 59.4 52.8 66.5 57.8 87 39 48 TO.O 65.7 76.2 67.0 91 51 40 77.9 75.8 83.1 74.9 93 67 26 80.0 76.9 81.9 TG.G 95 68 27 sO.l 74.7 87.0 77.4 94 66 28 72.5 67.2 79.1 69.7 95 50 45 56.8 4!). 5 64 3 .54.2 80 28 52 47.1 42.3 52.7 45 9 77 20 57 44.6 40. 1 48.2 I!!. 3 73 22 51 59.5 54.3 65.2 56.6 95 5 90 The hours of observation Avere 7 a. ville and Nashville time respectively. M., and 2 and 9 p. M., Knox- lO Resources of Tennessee. ^ ,5 « I 3 U O V 3 - (U S I. u Climate. 1 1 Table No. 1 has been sujtplicd hy J^rotcssor J. K. I'ayue, of East Tennessee University, officer in eliar^c of the United States signal sta- tion at KnoxviHe; table N(». 2 by ]Mv. A. C\ Ford, officer in charge of the same service at Nashville. These two tables include the obser- vations of but one year, 187o, and supply the means of making com- parisons between the tempei-atures of Nashville and Knoxville for twelve months. In a few years the data of the signal service will yield us invaluable aggregates and means. Table No. 3 is of special interest. It embraces results of continu- ous and unbroken observations coAcring a series of twenty-one years. We are indebted for this and many other tables in this report to Prof. Wm. M. Stewart, of Montgomery county, to whose learning and zeal in the cause of science, indefatigable industry and tireless patience the State owes a debt of lasting gratitude. This gentleman has done more towards making out the meteorological characteristics of our climate than all others combined. The following table, No. 4, is copied entire from Dr. Saiford's Re- port, and contains data not otherwise accessible. It presents annual means, iu degrees and hundredths of a degree, derived from observa- tions made at six stations. The means of Glenwood arc the same as those of the corresponding years in Table 3 : Knoxville.. Lebanon.... Nashville... Glenwood.. 1851. i " J57.43 159.31 1852. 1853. 55.67 " 58.10 " 58.08 57.62 1854. 1855. 57.67 57,75 1856.11857. 1858. 1859. 1860. i o £ I " u 2 " 59.83 57.77!57.05'59.1fi 59.46j57.34 54.23|54.62i57.12 " ; " ,57.03 " 157.76 58.521 " 158.47 56.63158.25 i57.26 Falls of Caney Fork! Period of 2 years, (1855—1856) 58.48 Nashville 1 " "5 " (1840—18*4) i58.44 Memphis I " "3 " (1850—1852) 60.80 From these tables a number of interesting conclusions may be draAvn, in addition to the means already mentioned. At Glenwood the mean temperature of wiuter, as deduced from the observations of twenty- one years, is r>7°.87; of spring, 56°.? 1 ; of summer, 74°.40; of autumn, 57°.54. From limited Knoxville data, four years, we have as the mean of winter 38°.6(), and of summer 74°.()2. The.se means do not present as great diflfercnces between the winter and summer tenipera- tures of the two places as we have a right to expect, for when t]ie means of these seasons in the same year are com{)ared, we find the 12 ' Resources of Tennessee. Slimmer of Knoxville to be from one to two degrees cooler than that of Gleinvood. The summer mean of Knoxville is, doubtless, nearer 73°.6, at which it was placed in Dr. Saiford's report. Assuming this to be correct, Knoxville has a])out the summer temperature of Phila- delphia, Penn., as well as that of several points in Central Virginia, of Cincinnati, Louisville, Ky., Southern Indiana, and Central Illinois. It is, too, that of the central part of Sjiain and the northern part of Italy. The summer of the East Tennessee Valley is, therefore, con- sidering its valley-like character and its low latitude, a comparatively cool one. This is mostly due to the considerable elevation of the region above the sea. This lower summer temperature has its influence in giving to East Tennessee agricultural features, to some extent, diiferent from those found elsewhere in the State. It might be thought that the mountain ranges which bound the Valley on both sides ^vould materially aifect its climate. This, how- ever, is not the case. These ranges are liapjiilv so situated as not to obstruct, to any considerable extent, the southwesterly and westerly winds, which of all others, in an agricultural })oint of view, are most im])()rtant. The great trough, of which the Valley is a part, is open towards the southwest, so that these winds, coming from the Gulf of Mexico, and charged with warmth and moisture, flow freelv through it, im])arting, during the spring and summer, fertilitv to all its parts. The mountain ranges, doubtless, change the direction of the M'inds to some extent, and thus make southwesterly and northeasterly winds more frequent than they >vould be otherwise. The summer of the Central Basin, the mean of which for the middk^ part may be placed at 75°, but ranging from about 74° to 76° in pass- ing from the northern to the southern portions, is approximately tlie same as that of the northern parts of Georgia and South Carolina. West Tennessee has summer means higher by about a degree than those of the Central ]iasiii. The differences are" sufficient to lengthen the growing season, and so to modify the climate as to throw a large part of this division into the cotton-growing region. The average winter temperature of the middle parallel of Wxa State may be pla(!ed at about 3«°, and it is doubtless nearly the same in East, Middle and West Tennessee. From the (Jlenwood table (No. 3) it is seen that January is the cold- est montli, 34°.08 being the mean of this month for 21 years; then follows December, its mean being 38°,54; then February, 41°; and Climate. 1 3 then the remaining months in order as follows: November, 46°.45; March, 47°.30; October, 57°.17; Ai)ril, 57°.84; May, 64°.98; Sep- tember, 69'^; June, 72°.14; August, 74°.85; July, 76°.22, which, as the hottest mouth, terminates the climax. The temi)eniture of tlic Cumberland Table Land is from four to five degrees lower than that of points on the same parallel in the Central Basin, and from two to three lower than corresponding points in the Valley of East Tennessee. Tlu' difference in temperature is mo-st apparent at night. The Table Land has been for years a favorite resort during the hot months. Scores of summer retreats, ])ublic and private, may be found ujwn its flat tops, most of them located on or not far back from its cliff-bound edge. At several points, as at Beer- sheba and Lookout, summer hotels have been erected, and the.se have clustered around them many elegant cottages, altogether forming at- tractive mountain villages. This has been brought about by the agree- able summer temperature and the pure air of the Table Land, in con- nection with its pleasing and, in the vicinity of its escarpments, its wild and grand topographical features. During the summer of the year 1859, Benj. Bentley, Esq., of Spring Grove, upon the Table Land in Cumberland count)'-, and Prof. A. H. Buchanan, of Cumberland University, Lebanon, made regular and systematic observations, at their respective residences, in order to fur- nish data for the comparison of the mean temperatures of the two places. The following tables contain the results : No. 5. — Mean Temperatures for the Summer of 1859, at Spring Grove, Cumberland County, Tenn. June. July. i August. Summer. 6 A. M. 2 P. M. ; 9P. M. 64.03 78 46 66.83 66.74 83.71 71.03 64.16 77.00 68.58 64.98 79.72 68.81 I Mean. 69.77 1 73.82 1 69.91 71.17 No. G. — Mean Temperature for the Summer of 1859, at Lebanon, Wil- son County, Tenn. June. July. August. SHmmer. 6 A. M. 2 P. M. 9 P.M. 66.96 80.55 72.65 71.09 85.87 78.06 68.80 80.42 74.30 68.95 82.28 75.00 Mean. 73.38 78.34 74.50 75.41 14 Resotu^ces of T chines see. No. 1.— Extremes oj Temperatures, or the Maxima and Minima, observed during Summer. Maxima. Myiima. Range. Spring Grove- Lebanon July 19 & 21. July 18 & 19. .93° June 5... 42° .97° 1 June 5. ..46° 51° 51° 00 Difference 4° 1 4° According to the tir.st two tables, the .summer mean at Spring GroYe is 4.24 degrees less than at Lebanon. The former has, however, a lower latitude than the latter. Correcting for this, or supposing the points to be on the same parallel, the difference in temperature be- comes greater, and is equal to about 4.5 degrees. Observations taken at Xashville during the same summer show very nearly the same result. The highest ridges of the Unakas have a mean yearly temperature of about 42°, which is that of the northern shore of Lake Superior and of Quebec and Montreal. This will account for the presence of trees and other plants on these mountains Ixdonging to a Canadian flora. 2d. Extreme Teiaperatures. The following table. No. 8, prepared by Prof W. M. Stewart, from his observations taken at Glenwood, is full of interest from an agricultural point of view. It shows the vicis- situdes of tenijierature to which vegetation is exposed — an important .consideration. It i,s, also, highly interesting in other respects, which will be appreciated by the intelligent reader. In the following table the minus sign ( — ) indicates temperatures bc- loAV zero. The thermometers employed in these observations are of the mo.st careful construction, are provided with adjusting arrangements at the top of the tube, and are at lea.st verified once during the year by reference to the freezing point. They are free from i*eflected heat, and exposed to an ojien circulation of air, on a northern aspect. It will be observed, by an inspection of the table, that during the period over which these obs(;rvations extend, the temperature has never reached 100° Fahrenheit during the Avarme.st terms, a tempera- ture which is frequently attained in the Northern States and Canada. In July, 1800, the mercury rose to 99°, which is tlu^ liighe.st range. During the same lu-riod, it will appear, the temperature has fallen below zero on several occasions, tlu^ lowest being minus 8°, in Janu- ary, 18;")7 and 18(54, respectively, making the range for the period, 107'^. Oui- coldest days occur in January; the wai-me.st in July, with very few exceptions. Climate. aSnsH •mm Oi-lr-l«QO:32C-.r-IC100r: t— I CO CO »0 ^ »0 »0 ' C CI rt •xBrc •a8nB}j 00 -^ 1/3 e«; '^ t^ If; -^ tc -* CO I o 5* r-l eO •^ in » iO 13 CO C^ rH CO ) ro IMOOOJOiCC: C50;gt-C00 C5 «D /5-^ ^^ •niK oocoxoqict^CitoiM^^o I rHi— (C^i-^miom-rr coco S ?8 •XBW COt--Oi— i" t ^t^ CO CO 1/3 o^ ■^t-OOt-OOOCOOOOXI— l~CO HCOl-C10?30 0»t^COO:^ COtDt-(Ci-*XOCOi-l'-^t~-^ t- CO t~ oc X CO c: ov c: t^ 1- CO ■fi-f'OiCCCCO!f»(N-+-4'-*CO 0 5 ! 00 ^wOOt-i — r-C:— i-HCOCOUOr-l ri r-1 (M CO lo ic t- CO T)> p-; eJi ^ i 0 CD b- OO O to .-1 ■gi QO t~ l~ ■* i-coa;02a>aooot~t-cD °M ° 00 r<5 CO -f 1-1 ■«< CO » Ci -H CO <>] iSI~-.0T)<-*-3>ir3CO X C". in t- oi CO t- o t~ o a; CO I r-ICO'^i-'3iOCO->»icOT-l (NCOCOCOlOO'— lI^OCOCTSi— I 1-- 1- 1- 1- CO as oi X Oi t- CO !>• ■8Jr;a«a icoscncc'^x i^-cocoi— iMt— «5 CO -^ "^ lO ■"*' CO Ol CO -^ -^ "^ -^ -^ •niK iCi-<-HOe*-*ooir3iMoocoio -l •XBH OOOCOcOCOiCXOOiCOOlM I (M r^i^-oooooD C5C;c; cixcoco i oo cqoscDco-*!— lO-^ooi-HT-it— lOlC'3'tOCOCOC^CO-^^cO'^ T-X-^U3 — tncOt— 0-^t^(M CO CO l~ 000000X0003 t^t-co •aguBg O^COC^liOCOCOCSiOOt^L^O -^i-Oio-^cccococo-f-^-^co ■OTM I— •<*'-*o,-iOO:ccco>-i< 35 -H lO T— 1 03 e w !^ b 0 ji CO 0 '"C ■^ s ^ ,•« e « ^ ^ -: .^ " g si! IS to S -^ ^ dco i-ieo 00 CO ^ if -j5 P- •.= o-v !^? T< '.^ 1-7 « d ,.; c^ oi i/i i-i c4 !>• 1-^ i^ ?4 '-"-H o8lol:-t-COOiC-9<0 OiCO 00 hH-* 0 lO t- >o •.:> " X 0 i-o in 0 p p X !M -j; ir: ^ 0 1 1- 'I" •£ t- tr C od CO CO ci CO X iC "^ CO G< t-H CO CO si i GO r.-* C: C<» Tj- CO r-< 0 L^ t--^ -^ rH P c4cOl=>C!N-*cirH-jc4cO-c 0 ro .r- a-# i i rH COrHOCO^OOOS^— <>lt-t-^ C TJ->ri-'i-»»■ r-i cf (TJ ifS '^ ^ r-i i-i Ci d-* si T-l -* s 0 .CO -.£> CO 5S t-H S ^ 0 !M t- CC 5< I>- =; <= UO t- d octCi.'icoc^oocarHr-iyic^-* c4 -COt^li^t-T— If— t'H'd — »OCZ> CO CO -j; rA 0 1- "-o 0 cc ;.= I;;: » T-H e^ «= t^ a «ciOr-;i?ioicor4o2 t--55Trococ-j:=iOi-;.c-ra3 d 0 ic c4 "^ -^ ci ^" '^ "^ o 6 1-3 2 « Years. i a 1-5 s II 1852 In. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.50 0 0 0 In. 0 0 0.50 0 3.50 0 0 0 0 0 5 In. Spits 0.88 2.00 1.63 4.50 7.00 0 0 4.50 1.87 0 In. Spits 1 0 2.50 1 0.25 7 2.50 0 0 1.75 In. Spits 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 In. Spits 1.88 2.50 2.13 9 7.25 14 2.50 4 50 1.87 6.T5 1863 In. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 In. 0.50 3 0 0 7 1 3.25 0 1.50 1.75 In. 10 1.25 3.50 2..50 6.75 0 50 0 10 0 0.25 In, 3.25 0 0 2 8.25 0 0 0 0 6.25 In. 0 3 0 0 5.75 0 0 0.13 0 1.50 In. 13.75 1853 1864 7.25 1854 1865 3.50 1855 1866 4.50 1^6 1867 27.75 1857 1868 1.50 1858 1869 1870 3.25 1859 10.13 1860 1871 3.50 1861 ]ir2 9.7S 1862 f MEit NS POl t THE MONTB 8 0.12 1.28 2.72 1.70 0.83 All the snows and sleets which have fallen during the period are given above, except those which barely covered the ground. In 1852 such was the case the whole winter ; the falls of snow and sleet are recorded as only "spits" for that year. In October, 1852, (month not included in the above table) there was a fall of snow the depth of about l^^inches, the only instance of a measurable depth for that month. The above measures arc given only as approximations; it is seldom po.ssible to obtain accurate measurements, as the snow is frequently more or less drifted. The deepest snow of which there is any recol- Climate. 23 lection in this section of conatry, commenced falling ab°ut 10 A M W l\ lannarv 1810, and continued nntil about 3 o'clock the next Irn^g le " .7thirtee'n inches of snow on the ground gla.ed w.th X c'o'at of ic:; it was attended with a strong north-east w.nd. Winds The winds often constitute an important element in cU- ma!: TlJso:therl,. and south-westerly whnls, charg«^ w. ^nnt^ from the tropical regions and .mr n„ .n ^^^^^^ flow over the surface of the State gmng g ^ ^ ^^^^^ and stimrdating the veg^taUon * [ rt^; ^ ^^,„,^ , direction as that the hiffher mountains ot the otate tieuu rp„i i^ "nterLe with these life-giving and fructi^fyjng breezes Tahl No. 17 gives the number of winds f^^.t^'^eled te o hert compass in a decade of years. The southerly wmd,exceeat in frequency. Tables Nos. 18 and 19, contributed by Prot. J. ^ 'payrand Mr. A. C. Ford, show the prevailing '^-^™ <^- ^^ month of 1873 and for the year, at Knoxvdle and ^»*;'' ^J^P^'^^j ively, and also the rate at which the '^^'^'^ ^^ t miles they are supposed to pass over. ihe pie% ailing Knoxville was south-west, and at Nashville west. Jor Ten Years, from 1863 to 1872 inchmve, at Glenu^ood, Momg j Tennessee. 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 | 1869 N. N. E. E. S. E. S. s. w. w. N. W. Calm. 158 97 105 129 115 135 107 1 103 106 99 122 1 129 I 208 114 137 I 112 104 94 , 137 144 113 129 165 160 Note -The hours of observation are the Smithsonian hours, ^}l- \^-^- 2 P M and 9 P. M., for this as well as all the other tables furnished by Prof. Stewart. The figures in the above table show the number of times the wind has been observed to blow from the indicated quarter for the succes. sive years. u Resources of Tennessee, . o o CO ft 0CC-^O0O00O5COC;fl a CO to ®'S OSCOOOOOOOt-t^i-HJrJ^I^ Hi— ICq(Nr--IOCDt:-05 Oi-<(M^Ot— COO-^t-i-lC ooooe«-^oot~oio:o-*iQ a6;Dirt«JTj5Ti<'^TO'-^iritDui ■^05OtO01G0G0 00lClO05t0 otcococooJo^oioiooo^t* •noipajiQ San'iBAeJj . '- 11 S a lS °-5 5 3 == « " o « H5|i|^- 0) -* -•^ ^^ -^ K^" QQ g» 03 4) 03 fe . 3 03 • P" BB fl 4) >» 0) ^ aw.13^.2 O 13 "d ff) ^ OJ -o-^ rfl Q - CO o ^ _ w^ -d S^ ° ^ *^ o c3 Ol T3 O ■ e3 CO o) -tJ o) *^ p,." C " 3 *^ g a & g a-a ji t* !i ^1 o3 c3 3 o 5 S fl' 7i S « S S I -^ - . 1 ^^ w ats^^'a I 900 OSS cQ^ a For the benefit of those who may wish to know the barometrical variations at Glenwood, for the h)ng scries of years during which ob- servations were taken, a table embracing these data will be given in the appendix. Tables of similar observations for the year 1873, re- corded at Knoxville and Nashville, will also be given. The southern States, as appears from the census reports, are much more favorable to old age than the northern ones. The largest num- Climate. 25 ber of persons over one hundred years of wgo. is to be found hi Georgia, which reports 297; Louisiana, 279; North Carolina, 265; Mississippi, 263; South Carolina, 236: Tennessee, 207; while Penn- sylvania, with nearly three times the j>(>pulation of Tennessee, has but 103; Massachusetts, 46; New York, 1(57; Ohio, 90, Maine, 21; New Hampshire and Vermont, 7 each. Nearly the same proportion ob- tained in the census returns of 1850 and 1860. The percentage of deaths to the whole population of the United States was, for the census year beginning 1st of June, 1869, and end- ing May 31, 1870, 1.28. In Tennessee it was 1.13. There are twenty- four States and Territories in which the percentage was greater than in Tennessee, and twenty-two in which it was less. But it is a no- ticeable fact, that those States or Territories which were reported as most healthy were those which were being settled, and the proportion of children small. The proportion of deaths in the United States under five years of age to the whole number of deaths, is 41.2 per oent. This proportion in Tennessee is less, being about 39 per cent. By leaving out those States and Territories which are being settled, it will be found that Tennessee ranks in the list of the healthiest States in the Union. The agency of climate is far more important in deter- mining the intellectual improvement and material prosperity of a State than even the soil itself; for as health is due in a great degree to climate, so wealth is dependent upon health and enterprise. The two latter are almost the necessary antecedents to the former. However fertile a region may be, it cannot become the focus of wealth unless its conditions are favorable to health, and consequent activity of the mind and body. The two united, fertile soil and salubrity of climate, coupled with a fair degree of enterprise, will ensure a high social and material development, and luippily for the State of Tennessee, both are found \vithin its borders. ^^ Resources of Tennessee. CHAPTER III, The Geological Formatioxs op the State The formations of the State, like its topographical features, are nu- merous and varied. They are mostly made up of rocky strata, such as limestone, sandstone, slate and gneiss; in the western part of the Statetheir materials are beds of sand and clay, which are not hard- ened mto rock, though more or less com,pact. A formation, in a tech- nical sense, is a stratum, or a group of strata, having characteristics which make it an individual thing, and which separate it from other strata, or groups, analagously characterized. This definition the reader will appreciate after reading the chapter. The formations are gener- ally wide-spreading, but differ greatly in thickness. The Black Shale ior example, though outcropping in very many counties of East and Middle Tennessee, and thus at intervals showing itself over an area of thousands of square miles, will not average more than fifty feet in thickness. It IS now, as a formation, very fragmentary, much of it havmg been removed in the washing out o'f riv!r valleys ba Is, and in he general eros,on to which the surface has been subjected; but it was once contmuous-an unbroken, comparatively veiy thin slice •spreading out, not only through this State, but far into adjacent one iiorth and s.uth. On the other hand, the great Magnesian Lm stone-the Kno. Boloraite-n,.on which Knoxville is focated itsev- eral tbousand feet in thickness, which, with the great extent of he formation and its calcareous character, gives it greaf agricultural ^hie this forT '^r'T'""' '''''^''"'' fo--^tioi. in a report lik this, for the reason that the soils are derived from them. At he start we may say, the whole surface of the State was bare rock or b". stratum. By the action of the elements, or, what is the same, by .:. - v.x^..:.v^V*^*+-^Vr^»*--«^*^*^""^'''*^Hf* T /t e^ f e ri ( r (, ( i>, ii .v / /./ A GEOLOGICAL SECTION TROM THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER through DYER COUNTY, NASHVILLE,SPARTA;KI 0mfimfm^ ^?SS'^:^];^!K5^'!I'^S?^°'^;H'?^^ P^' NT ROCK .0 x„. WARM SPi 5 '^ s: I 1 i 1 ► < t 5 L ¥ I \ tL .: "^•^'•^-r -N: "-- ■--~'^"\r^^^i^^^ ,'/ «/ ^ /- fl v / r r I'nako (liniit famt Ml . II II C S X <• f \ ^\ \ \ - ^ i fi ScKnoxSii^t- I »l,01.niK«»B:l ' »,u<~..,. l^|iH THe WARM S^'JGS .NORTH CAROLINA Srr /Mrs I/" ■>/"/' 1 """" '" ^'"' ^'<'/"'''^ HHNNMMMMWMM Geological Formations. 27 weathering, the rock.s have crumbled and disintegrated into earthy- matter, thus originating the soil. The surface portion of this weathered material, modified and enriched by vegetable growth and the addition of dead vegetable matter, is the sqil proper, the remainder being the subsoil. By this process limestones, for example, have given us limestone soils, and sandstones sandstone soils ; and indeed, it may be added, each variety of limestone and each variety of sandstone respect- ively its particular variety of soil. It follows from this that a map of the formations will be a map of the soils, and that a knowledge of the composition of the former will aid much in acquiring a knowledge of the composition, and hence the strength, capabilities and deficiencies of the latter. The Map which accompanies this report has this double character; it is a representation of both the geological and agricnltural features of the State. What is said is intended to have reference to the formations mainly as soil-originating and soil-producing masses, though some notice will be taken of them as depositories of important minerals. The outcrops, or the areas, which the formations severally contrib- ute to the making up of the surface, are represented on the Map by different colors. In the Valley of East Tennessee these outcrops occur in long lines or bands, for the reason that, in this part of the State, the strata have been, by disturbing elements, greatly tilted or thrown upon their edges. Dipping or inclined strata are the rule here, while in the middle and western portions of the State the strata are approximately horizontal. This difference in the position of the rocks will account for the peculiarly banded aspect of the east end of the Map, so different in appearance from its other portions. The reader is supposed to have the ISIap before him. In the south-east corner will be seen a table of the formations. At the bottom a vertical section running east and west through the State is represented, which is in- tended to show how the formations are superimposed upon each other, and how they lie with reference to the surface as well as to a horizon- tal line. The dip of the rocks at the east end of this section is too great, being distorted on account of the great difference betM'cen the vertical and horizontal scales. The true dip is more like that indi- cated in the small section, M. N. The following is a table of the formations occurring in Tennessee. It commences with the oldest and lowest, geologically, and proceeds in order to the most recent. The table corresponds with that on the Map : 2.8 Resources of Tennessee. id) LOWER SILURIAN. 1. Metamorpliic Rocks, 2a. Ocoee Group. . . . * . . 1 Potsdam Period. 26. Chilnowee Sandstone, . . . j 2c.' Knox Sandstone, . . . . ^ 2c." " Shale, .... V Quebec Period. 2c.'" " Dolomite, . . . . j 3. Trenton or Lebanon, . . . I Trenton Period. 4. JNashville or Cincinnati, . . . j (6) UPPER SILURIAN. 5a. Clinch Mountain Sandstone, 56. AVhite Oak Mountain Sandstone, . 5cu Dyestone Group, 5d. Niagara Limestone, 6. Lower Helderberg, . (c) DEVONIAN 7. Black Shale, .... ^> Niagara Period. J Low. Helderberg Period. Hamilton Period. (ff) CARBONIFEROUS. 8a.' Barren Group, . . . . "| 8a." Coral, or St. Louis Limestone, . V Lower Carb. Period. 86. Mountain Limestone, . . . j 9. Coal Measures, .... Coal Measure Period. (e) CRETACEOUS. 10a. Coffee Sand, ^ 106. Rotten Limestone or Green Sand, . .Cretaceous Period. 10c. Ripley Group, j (/) TERTIARY. 11a. Flatwoods fe^inds and Clays, . . 1 Tertiary Period. 116. I^a Grange Sands, . . . j {g) QUARTERNARY AND MODERN. 12a. Orange Sand or Drift, . . . Quarternary Period. 126. Bluff Loam or Loess, . . . Terrace Period. 13. Alluvium, Human Period. Geological Formations. 29 In the descriptions below, the order presented in this table will be followed. We begin with the Lower Silurian Division. 1, THE METAMORPHIC ROCKS. This and the two following divisions, the Ococ(^ Gronj) and the CMl- howee Sandstone, are very thick and massive formations. They em- brace the rocks of the great Unaka ridges. Their strata are hard and pre-eminently mountain formation's, and are not found outside of the Unaka area, or, in other words, outside of the great raised and moun- tain border, the summit of which presents the line separating Tennes- see from North Carolina. The first of the trio, the Metamorphic Formation, is made up of thick and thin-bedded granite-like rocks, w^iich belong mostly to the varieties called by geologists gneiss,"^ talcose slate and miea slate. These rocks are mainly composed of quartz, mica, talc, feldspar, and allied minerals. They were once common sandstones, conglomerates, shales, &c., but have lost their original character, and have become crystal- line, through the agency of subterranean heat, or through the steaming and baking to wdiich they have been subjected. This formation is represented on the Map by the deep red or crimson color which is seen in four patches on the North Carolina line. In the latter State the group outcrops in a continuous belt, running from Georgia to Virginia. The red patches are projections of this belt into Tennessee. The copper mines of Polk County and the magnetic iron ore of Carter are in this formation. 2«. THE OCOEE GROUP. This is a great series of half altered rocks, having an estimated thickness of 10,000 feet, and making up the greater part of the Una- kas. The series includes heavy beds of conglomerates, sandstones, clay slates, semi-talcose and roofing slates, and locally beds of magne- sian limestone (dolomite), all of which generally dip at a high angle. The mass often holds veins of quartz, some of which, in the more southern counties, are gold-bearing. The group makes a wide belt in the counties south of the French Broad River. The formation is marked 2a on the Map, and is colored light chestnut. Profitable quar- ries of roofing slates might be opened at a number of points within the area of this formation were they accessible by railroad. *Gnei8s is simply a name for stratified granite. 30 Resources of Tennessee. lb. THE CHILHOWEE SANDSTONE. This is a mass of sandstone having, it is estimated, a maximum thickness of not less than 2,000 feet. It is the rock of Cliilhowee Mountain and of the other similar mountains which together make up the most north-westerly interrupted range of the Unakas. The green bands on the Map show the outcrops of this formation, and at the same time as many mountains. The sandstone is generally heavy- bedded and grayish white when weathered. It often presents itself as Avhitish quartose sandstone, and sometimes includes sandy shales. It is curious to observe how its mountains, in a broken chain, skirt the higher Unakas. We pass now, for a while, from mountain-yielding formations — that is to say, from those so hard and insoluble that the elements, by wear and tear, have not been able to remove their lofty portions — to forma- tions mainly valley-yielding, or to those so soft that erosive natural agencies have been able to scoop out of them our valleys and basins. The mountain formations are hard because their rocks are, in good part, siliceous or flinty ; the valley rocks are soft because mainly calca- reous and magnesian. The valley formations may have reached once as high as the others, but they have yielded to the wear of time, making low lands, and leaving their more durable associates in moun- tains and hiy;h ridy;es. The next five formations contain more or less limestone and dolo- mite. The first, the Knox Sandstone, of least importance, contains, as its name imports, beds of sandstone, makes ridges, and presents in fact a sort of transition group between the mountain and valley forma- tions. The first three outcrop in the Valley of East Tennessee ; the others of the five belong in common to the Valley of the East and the Central Basin. The last three are, in an agricultural point of view, the most important formations of the State. 2c.' KNOX SANDSTONE. Following the last in ascending order, is the Knox Sandstone For- mation. This is a series of variegated sandstones and shales, with which occur occasionally beds of dolomite. The aggregate thickness may be placed at 800 or 1,000 feet. The formation is of little inipor- Geological Formations. 31 tance agriculturally, but in some sections of the East Tennessee Valley- it contributes a marked feature to the topography of the country. The formation is presented in sharp, roof-like or "coniby" ridges. Of these, Webb's, or Rosebury's Ridge, a few miles west of Knoxville, and the so-called Bays Mountain on the south-eastern boundary of Knox County, as well as Beaver, Bull Run and Pine Ridges, in the western and north-western part of the great Valley, are examples. This and the two following formations, the Knox Shale and the Knox Dolomite, are represented on the Map by the belts of light pink marked 2c. The sandstone division, when present, lies generally at the north- western margin of the 2c belts. 2c." KXOX SHALE. This division is a group of variegated — brown, reddish, buff and green — calcareous shales, 2,000 or more feet in thickness. It often contains thin layers of oolitic limestone; in fact, leaving the middle line of the Eastern Valley and ajjproaching the Unakas, the formation becomes more and more calcareous, in some counties being a sort of slaty limestone or dolomite. This, of the three formations surnamed Knox, is emphatically the valley-yielding one. Especially is this true of the north-western, western and southern portions of the Valley of East Tennessee. It is the formation of many long and beautiful and generally rich valleys. Rogersville, Madisonville and Cleveland, in part, are located on the shale. The outcrops of this formation are in- dicated on the Map by those strips of light pink, marked 2c, which are without " hatchings ; " those with them are areas of the Knox Dolo- mite. Fossil shells and trilobites are found in some of the limestone layers of this group, and are about the oldest traces of animal life as yet met with in Tennessee. 2c.'" KNOX DOLOMITE. The surface of a large part of the Valley of East Tennessee is formed by the outcrops of this formation. The division is the most massive calcareous formation in the State. It is estimated to be not far from a mile in thickness. It consists of heavy bedded strata of blue and gray limestones and dolomites,* the blue prevailing in the lower part and the gray in the upper. At the base the rocks are often oolitic, while above they are generally crystalline or sparry. There is ♦Dolomite is a limestone-like rock containing magnesia. 32 Reso7irces of Tennessee. another feature of the formation which has, when the strata clip at a high angle, not a little to do with its topography, and that is the pres- ence of more or less chert or flint in the formation. The chert occurs sparsely in thin layers and nodules. The topography of the Knox Dolomite is quite varied. It presents valleys, plateau-like areas, and broad rounded ridges. These ridges, however, pertain to the great Eastern Valley, and are not high and precij)itous like the Unaka ranges and the high sandstone mountains, to be mentioned. They are undulations of the Valley. This forma- tion is mainly that of the coves and valleys entangled among the ranges of the Unakas, though with it others occur, such as the Knox Shale and even Trenton and Kaskville rocks. The plateau-areas have been formed in regions where the strata of the Dolomite happen to be nearly horizontal. Such a region is found in Hamblen County and the northern part of Jefferson. A portion is called the New Market Valley, and is noted for its fertility. Another plateau area is in Camp- bell and Claiborne counties, which is much broken by the considerable canon w^hich PowelPs River cuts through it. Some of these areas, when the chert for any reason predominates, become "knobby re- gions," as, for instance, a strip of country lying between Chattanooga and the mouth of the Hiwassee River, and the belt east of Missionary Ridge. When the strata of the Knox Dolomite are much inclined, the formation generally presents us with characteristic chert-covered rounded ridges. These are very long, some of them being traceable for a hundred miles or more. Well marked ridges of this kind occur in the southern part of the Valley of East Tennessee, and in the northern part west of the middle line. Knoxville is on one of them, Athens being on the same. Missionary Ridge, Black Oak, Copper and Chestnut ridges, Wallin's Ridge in Claiborne, as well as Chestnut or Big Ridge in Sullivan and Greene, are examples. The fragmentary chert, which has been liberated by the solution of the calcareous rocks which originally enclosed it, lias accumulated in such quantities as to form a sort of protective cap, shielding the strata during later ages from erosion, thus giving origin to the ridges. The rocks of the Kwjx iJoloniife are made up of the carbonates of lime and magnesia, with whicli there is more or less sand and argilla- ceous and ferruginous matter, the composition being such as to supply a strong soil. The lower blue and oolitic strata are fossiliferous, the soil derived from tliem being none the worse for this character. Very generally the soil of" tlic lurmation is good. Gcoloo-ical Formations. ZZ 'i> The outcrops of tlio Knox Dolomite are confined to the A'all(\>' of East Tennessee, with the exception of a single limited outcrop far Avest to be mentioned. It nowhere counts to the day in the Central Basin, though nearly reached by the denudation. West of the Basin it reappears in a very curious spot called the Wells' Creek Basin. This is located on A\\'lls' Creek in Houston County. At this place there has been an uplift of the rocks, by which the Knox Dolomite has been brought to the surface. In the north-west corner of the Map is an enlarged re])resentation of this liasin, with a section indi- cating the ])osition of its rocks. The Knox Dolomite is re])resented on the ^lap in common with the Knox Shale by the light pink color, 2c, but the areas of the former, as already stated, arc to be distinguished by the presence of hatchings. 3. THE TREXTOX OR LEBAXOX GROUP, AXD 4. THE XASHVILLE OR CIXCIXXATI GROUP.* The strata included in the above formations are best considered to- gether, so far as the purposes of this Report are concerned. The pre- vailing rock is blue limestone, rich in fossil matter and yielding first- class soils. The groups are represented by the same blue color on the IMap, and marked 3 and 4. They are especially tlie rocks of the Cen- tral Basin, where they lie approximately in a horizontal position. In the Valley of East Tennessee they make up much of titie surface, two- large belts occurring southeast of the middle line, and many long strips, the location of as many valleys, north-west of the same line. To the west beyond the Central Basin they are uncovered in the bed of the Tennessee River. These rocks, yielding to denuding and erosive agencies, have pre- sented us with our rit^hest valley and lowland depressions. In the Eastern Valley the double series has locally interpolated in it some hard, sandy layers, which have given origin to certain ridges and knobs, nevertheless even here it is mainly valley-making. It will be l)est to consider tho:^e rocks with reference to their occurrence, first, in the Eastern Valley, and secondly, in the Central Basin. 1. In the VaUei/ of E(td Tenna^t^ee. The maximum thickness of the entire series in this part of the State may be placed between 2,500 and *Trenton i? a New York namo, and was first applied to this formation as it occurs in tliat State. Lebanon, in this State, is locuiud on the same formation. The formation next above the Trenton is Keen botli at NaTfliviUe and Cincinnati, lience both names have been used. For soma reasons Nash- ville is to 1)0 preferred. In New Vork tliesc rocks are known as the Hudson Formation. 34 Reso2irces of Tennessee. 3,000 iQ.Q.i. It is divitled into two principal members, the lower em- bracing strata which appear as blue limestones on both sides of the v alley, and the upper, which are calcareous throughout, but very «andy in the south-east half of the Valley. The lower member varies from 200 to 600 feet in thickness. It is thin and of little importance in the north-eastern counties. It is more or less argillaceolis, but always presents itself as blue limestone. In connection with adjacent strata (the uppermost strata of the Knox Dolomite and the upper member of this series) it forms many rich valleys. Its strata often dip at high angles, and when this is the case it outcrops in very nar- row strips. The upper memlier is, in the south-eastern half of the Yallcy (Unaka side), a great mass of sky-blue calcareous shale, more or less sandy. It often contains "thin layers of limestone and locally tliin sandstones. Here is also its maximum thickness, which is not far from 2,000 feet. The two great blue belts (see Map) in this part of the Valley represent areas formed chiefly by the outcrops of this mem- ber. The most easterly is denominated the belt of " Gray Knobs," the other, the belt of " Red Knobs," or respectively the "Gray Belt" and the " Red Belt." The first is remarkable for the crowded, bold, pointed and steep hills which many of its portions present. These gray hills or knobs, and the vales winding among them, owing to the composition of the rocks from which the soil has been derived, are often very rich. Many little forms lie on and among the knobs. The existence of these knobs is due to the way the sandy calcareous shales have yielded to erosion. The dipping position, together Avith the oc- currence now and then of hard layers with the soft, have determined the topography. Tlie other belt, the "Red Knobs," gets its name from the presence vvitliin it of remarkable lines of red hills, which are primarily due to the interpolation, in the Trenton and Nashville series in this part of the Valley, of a few plates of a hard ferruginous sandy limestone. The strata dip and the hard plates half way protecting the softer rocks, liave given origin to the hills, and the iron oxide, liberated, colors \\\q. soil dec]) red. There are a number of lines of these " red knobs." One can be seen from Knoxville, pursuing its south-westerly course on the ()j)i)osite side of the Holston. This lino originates in tlie vicinity of Strawberry Plains, passes in sight of Knoxvilli! and Athens, ;ind reaches a point a few miles east of Cleve- land, being nearly one hundred miles in length. The slopes of tlie red hills are often exceedingly rich. AVithIn this belt are also locali- Geological Formations. 35 ties of gray knobs, like those of tile first belt mentioned, and also vales and traets showino- limestones of the lower strata of the series. In addition to the Iron Lhnedone, there is another interpolated rock which ontcroj)s in the Ked Belt, and that is marble — some of which is red and white varie<:>ated, and some grayish white. The marble occnrs in heavy layers, ontcropping in long lilies and in inexhanstible quan- tity. Its outcrops, however, are not confined to the Red Belt. One, especially, in the blue strij) near Rogersville, in Hawkins County, may be mentioned. The blue stri|)s in Sullivan County are areas fidl of gray knobs. The long narrow ones in Greene and AV^ashington are ridges of a dark shale mainly, which lies at the base of the upper mem})er we are con- sidering. Passing into the north-west half of the Valley (Cumberland Plateau side), the upper meml)er of the Trenton and Nashville series loses much of its sandy, shaly character and becomes finally, for the mosf^ part, thin-bedded, blue limestones, which are impure, loaded with fos- mIs, and sandy enough to yield an excellent soil. The mass also loses in thickness, and the interpolated beds mentioned, the Iron Limedorm and the marble, thin out gradually to nothing. The strata become like those seen around Nashville. Many very long, attractive valleys are l)ased upon these limestones in the north-western half of the Val- ley. Among them may bd mentioned, as examples, the Be^aver Creek, Raccoon, Hickory, Big, Powell's, Tennessee, Lookout, and Savannah Valleys. The reader can sec the blue valley ranges on the Map. Before passing to the Central Basin, a word as to 8c(|uatchie Val- ley. This is regarded as a j)art — rather an outlier — <»f the Valley '^" East Tennessee. In its trend, formations, dij) of rocks, topogi'aphy, &c., it is like the Eastern Valley. Of the formations so far consid- ered, it has outcro|)ping ranges of the Knox Dolomites as well as of the blue linn^stone formatioiis we have just considered. 2. Ill fhe Chitraf lUixiu. ^^'e are now in a different country. The strata are practical horizontal, tmd the parallelism c^' ridges and val- leys, of outcro])s and axes, resulting from a universal di[)ping of rocks, is no longer S(,>en. The Trenton and Nashville rocks make the bottom and much of the sides of the liasin. Their area of out('rop is seen at a glance on tlu' Map. The two divisions, Trenton and Nashville, are easily made out in the Jksin. On the Map the Trenton is the part|>f the blue marked .J, and the Nashville that marked 4. All the rocks are bine, fossil iferous limestones, their analysis showing them to bo 3^ Resources of Tennessee. rich in the components of a good soil. The Trenton strata are more argillaceous; the A^'ashville more sandy, iand have generally a darker blue color. The aggregate thickness of the strata of the two divisions exposed is not far from 1,000 feet, each being 500. The Trenton has been sub-divided into minor divisions. First the Central Limestone, a mass of dove-colored thick-bedded limestones^ containing often much chert or flint. It is the lowest rock in the Basin, and exposes a thickness of about 100 feet. It outcrops within a circular area having a diameter of alxmt thirteen miles. Murfrees- boro is within the area. The soil of this rock is rich and red, the color being due to oxide of iron derived from the decomposing chert. The chert is found, by analysis, to contain considerable iron. Outcropping around this, in a ring, is a bed of flaggy limestones 27 feet thick, called Pierce Limestone. Around the last, in another ring, the two forming concentric rings- around the central area, is the third division, the Ridley Limestone. It- is a group of heavy-bedded, dove-colored limest.ones, 95 feet in thick- ness, and making a fine country. This is followed, in another ring, by an important division called GloAe Limestone, which is made up of light blue, flaggy limestones, with an aggregate thickness of 120 feet. The Glade Limestone is the rock upon which the Red Cedar forests of the Basin grow, and the boundaries of its outcrop could be made out by these forests. The divasion spreads out and is the surface-rock of considerable areas in Rutherford, "Wilson, Bedford and Marshall. Such areas occur also in Maury, AVllliamson and Davidson. Lebanon, Shelbyville and Colum- bia, in part, are located upon this division. The Glade Limestone is followed by the uppermost division of the Trenton, the Carter's Creek Limestone, the thickness of which varies from 50 to 100 feet. It is found, as are the others, everywhere, in its proper horizon, within the Basin. It is another series of heavy- bedded, dove-colored limestone. On Carter's Creek if is whiter than usual, and is mneh used for making lime. • The Nashville Formation is toleraljly homogeneous. About seventy feet near tlie base is much more sandy than that above, and is the fiurface-rock of several of the best farming regions in the Basin, of "which the country between Columbia and INIount Pleasant is one. West of the Basin there are only two outcrops of the Trenton and Nashville ro(!l7 Dolomite; and the other is in the bed of Tennessee River, in the "Western Valley, where the roek is mainly hydraulic limestone. The marbles of the Eastern Valley, the hydraulic limestones of the same Valley, of the Basin and the ^^"estcrn Valley, fla<>;stones and the varied and choice building materials and lime rock are the useful con- tributions of the Trenton and Xashville formations to the wealth and industry of the State. A\ e come now to a series of half a dozen formations of compara- tively little interest to the farmer, though one of them is of great interest to iron men. The first three belong exclusively to the East Tennessee Valley ; two of the others have their principal development in the Western Valley, while the last, the Black Shale, is common alike to both Valleys and to the Central Basin. 0(1. CLIXCIT ^[OUNTAIX SANDSTOXE. Next above the Trenton and Xashville formations is a bed of Red C^alcareoiis SJtalc, which has in Hawkins C'ounty a thickness of 400 feet. Following this is a gn;yish white thick-bedded sandstone, also not far from 400 feet in thickness. This Sandstone forms tlie south- eastern slope of Clinch Mountain, and is there a very conspicuous rock. The Red Shale is always found next below the Sandstone, and is provisionally included with it as one formation. The group is 6a on the ]Map, and is represented by a deep ochre yellow. It is not found •outside of the East Tennessee Valley, nor in this south of Knox ■County. The hard sandstone is always associated with high ridges, which are mountains in the Valley. These are Clinch Mountain, already mentioned. Stone Mountain, Devil's Nose, House Mountain, Bays Mountains, Xewman's Ridge, l^owell's and Lone INIountains. The Sandstone yields a poor soil ; the Shale a better, though generally cropping out near the crests of the mountains, it presents but a lim- ited area. oh. WHITE OAK MOUXTAIX SAXDSTOXE. This is a group of variegated sandstones and shales, generally red- dish-brown, but alternating with greenish, buff and differently colored strata. These rocks are found on the summit and eastern slope of White Oak Mountain in the southern part of the Valley. This moun- tain is partly in James (^ounty and partly on the line between James and Bradley. A limited develo2)ment of the group is also seen on the 38 Resoiu'ces of Tennessee. eastern slopes of PoM^ell's and Lone Mountains in the northern part of the Valley. Like the Clinch Sandstone, it is a mountain forma- tion, with a maximum thickness of about 500 feet. he. THE DYESTOXE GROUP. Next in ascending order is the group of strata enclosing the red' iron ore (dyestone) of the north-western side of the Eastern Valley .^ The formation is a series of variegated shales and thin sandstones,, from 100 to 300 feet in thickness, and holding from one to three or more layers of fossiliferous iron ore. INIuch of the mass either is, or lias been, quite calcareous. In some localities thin beds of limestone occur. This formation, associated with two others to be mentioned,, (the Siliceous or Barren Group and the Black Shale, constituting a trio of formations,) is found in numerous small but long ridges. One of these runs almost continuously along the eastern base of the Cumber- land Table Land from Virginia to Georgia, everywhere presenting^ more or less iron ore. The part of the Valley in which these ore ridges occur, is indicated on the JNlap by the belt of green stars imme- diately east of the Table Land. The formation itself is represented by a red line. 5(J. NIA(iARA LIMESTONE. AVe noM' reach a limestone again. This formation pertains mainly to the Western Valley. It consists of thick-bedded fossiliferous lime- stones, more or less argillaceous, often crystalline. At many points its rocks weather into shale-forming glades. In the Western Valley,, wherc the formation has its greatest development, it is about 200 feet thick, and is equally divided into two members, the lower presenting ix'd and variegated strata, some of which are fair marble, and the iipper including gray rocks. The group forms the greater part of the- .surface of the Western Valley. On the Map its outcrops, together with that of the next formation, the Lower Hehhrberg, is shown by the red color, the two formations being distinguished by the number* 5a and C. The Niagara Limestone extends eastward, showing itself 1)1 the vaHcys of Duck River and liutlido, to the IJasin, on the Avestern ^loj)e of wliicli its upper or gray m(Mn])er, much reduced in tliickness, outcrops. It is not seen on the eastern side of tlie Basin. In the Valley of East Tennessee tliere is very little of it. A strip of it is Geological Forrnatio7is. 39 met with at the eastern base of Powell's Mountain, and another at the l)a>Ki of Newman's Ridge. 6. L()Wf:R HELDERBERG I.IMESTC)^•E. This limestone, like the last, has its greatest development in the Western Valley. It is a series of blue, thin-bedded, fossil lime- stones, frequently containing eherty layers, es])ecially in its upper part, and has a maximum thickness of about 70 feet. The formation out- crops in the valleys of Buifalo and Duck River. It is occasionally met with on the north-western slopes of the Basin, but is not promi- nent. In East Tennessee it has not been observed. It is represented on the Map, as stated by the portion of the red marked 6. These blue rocks, rich in fossil matter, make an excellent soil, rather better than the Niagara limestones, but its outcrops present comparatively small areas. 7. BLACK SHALE. In the introductory part of this chapter this rock was referred to as an illustration of the wide spread a formation may have, although comparatively very thin. The Black Shale is a stratum of nearly black, bituminous, rather tough shale, or slate, which can sometimes be obtained in plates a yard or more across. It outcrops in East Ten- nessee, the Central Basin, and in the Western Valley wherever, with but few exc'eptions, its proper geological horizon is brought to tiie sur- face. Its maximum thickness, 100 feet, is in the Eastern Valley. Its general average throughout the State is less than 50 feet. Its outcrops are marked on the map by black lines. These outcrops are themselves linear, occurring in the Eastern Valley on the slopes of ridges, or in narrow straight valleys at the bases of ridges, and in the Basin and the Western Valley generally on slopes. The shale contains pyrites, which unfits it for roofing purposes. It contains enough hydrocarbon oil to make it burn with flame for a time, a property which leads many to mistake it for stone coal, but it does not consume to ashes. Should the petroleum wells give out, this rock may become a -ource of "coal oil," or kerosene, a burning fluid that has become almost in- dispensable. The four following formations belong to the Carboniferous Age of geologists — so called because the last, or uppermost, is the great depos- 40 Resources of Tennessee. itory of our stone coal, l^hey form lar^^e areas of surflice, and their consideration is very iiiijwrtant from an atirjcultural point of view. The Barren Group and the Coral L'unc-sfo)U' are the surface rocks of the Highland lUm. of ]\Iiddle Tennessee ; the 3Iountain Limestone out- crops on tlie slo])es of the Cumberland Table Land, while the Coal Measures make its broad table-top. 8«/ BAltREX GROUP. This and the Coral Limestone are sometimes included under one name — the Siliceous Group — for the reason that both contain much flinty matter. It is chiefly characterized by the presence of heavy layers of flint or chert, intcrstratified with more or less limestone. In some regions the mass becomes a tolcitibly homogeneous blue calcareous shale. It often ijicludes heavy beds of crinoidal lime- stone. In the Aallcy of East Tennessee its cherty layers alwa}-^ accompany and rest ujion the Black Shale. It is one of the trio which, as stated, is found in the dyestone ridges. In this Valley its outcrops are linear, and are represented, like the Shale and Dyestone, by lines. In Middle Tennessee the Barren Group includes the rocks of the edge and the ])ortion of the Rim immediately around the Central Basin, as indicated by the dark bufl' color and the mark 8a' on the Map. It is seen, in general, to be the formation immediately above tlie Black Shale wherever the Highland Rim breaks off into valleys, gorges, c^'C. The thickness of the formation is "250 to 300 feet, falling, however, behjw this in the southern part of the State. Set". THE CORAL LIMESTONE. This formation is gray and bluish limestone, almost always contain- ing nodules of chert, fossiliferous, sometimes siliceous and argillaceous, nnd everywhere characterized by a large fossil coral, known to geolo- gists as Litliostrotion Canadense. It has a maximum thickness of about '2oO feet, and is separated from the Barren Group mainly on ac- and. The limestone strata present many yarieties; some of them are choice building material. For the most part the strata are highly fossiliferous, and of sucli a composition as to yield a strong soil on the slopes. In the northern part of the State, in White and Oyerton, a sandstone stratum, from 40 to 50 feet thick, occurs in about the middle of the group, which has given origin to a bench or terrace around the slopes of the Talkie Land, and in ad- dition caps a number of outlying "little mountains" and ridges. The outcrops of the jNIountain Limestone are 86 on tiie ]Slap and are un- colored. 9, THE rOAE MEASURES. This is the last formation of the carboniferous division, and, more- over, the last — that is to say, the uppermost — of all the formations con- sisting of liard rocks. It is, as stated, the depository of all the beds of true stone coal in Tennessee, and for this reason, if for no other, of very great interest. The formation caps the Table Land and is co- extensive with it, and has therefore an area of 5,100 s([uare miles. It is a series of conglomerates, shales and sandstones, containing a greater or less number of beds of coal, and is on an average (not including the north-eastern portion) from 500 to 600 feet thick. In the north- eastern portion, and within the counties of jMoi-gan, Anderson, Scott, Campbell and Claiborne, there are high ridges, towering above the 42 Resoiwces of Tennessee, jrcneral level of the Table Land, in which the coal measures have a thickness of more than 2,000 feet, and include not less than sixteen beds of coal. One of these, near the base of the mountain, is exten- sively mined, and is from four to seven feet thick, and even of greater thickness. Other l)eds, not yet explored, Init showing outcrops of three and four feet, occur. In all the counties, wholly or in part, on the Table Land banks of good coal are found, most of which are"of good workable thickness. For more detailed description of the cotd bexls, see chapter on coal. The greater part of the flat surface of the Table I^and is immedi- ately underlaid with sandstone. The ridges which rise alx>ve the gen- eral level have shales cropping* out on their slopes. The soils of these ridges, and of the coves and mountain valleys about them, are gen- erally better than elsewhere. The Coal iSIeasures are colored dark gray on the Map. We reach now formations of a mucli later age than those described. Thev are almost wholly confined to West Tennessee, and include all tbe strata of sands, clays, marls, and siliceous beds of that part of the State. There is evidently an old shore line running from south tO' north through the State, coinciding Avith the Tennessee Eiver through ])art of Hardin County, but generally lying a few miles west of that stream. Along this shore line the older rocks, the solid limestones, .slates and siliceous rocks of Middle and East Tennessee are abruptly beveled off tt) an unknown depth, and, going west, are seen no more within the State. The entire area between this line and the Missis- sippi River is occupied by formations (cretaceous, tertiary and quarter- nary,) the materials of which have been , the Rotten lAmedone ajid the Geological Formations. 43 Ixlpley beds, are included, by geologists, under the name Cretaceous^ The Coffee Sand is the lowest of the three, and outcrops from beneath them, just beyond the old shore, in Decatur and Hardin (bounties. It* area of outcrop — marked 10« on the ^Nlap and cohn-ed light green — is comparatively small, and most i>f" this is covered by the superficial Orange Sand to be described. Tlie C'olfee Sand is a grou]) of stratified sands, usually containing scale-^ of mica. Interstratified more or less with these sands are thin, often p;ipcr-like, layers of dark clay, the clay layers oce^^sionally predoniiiuitiiig. Sometimes beds of lamiiiat<'d or slaty clay of considerable thickness — from one to twenty feet or more — are met with in the series. The group contains in abundance woody fragments and leaves, converted more or less into lignite. The thickness of the series is not known ; the part exposed is probably not far from 200 feet. For eight<>en or twenty miles in Hardin County the Tennessee River and the old shore line, and hence the limit between the old and new formations, coincide, and for this distance the river washes the Coffee Sand, presenting at intervals interesting bluffs, of which the principal ones are Coffee Bluff at Coffee I^anding, that at Crump's Landing, and the one at Pittsburgh Landing. lOb. eottp:n ij^iestone. Lapping over the Coffee Sand on the west is an interesting forma- tion known as Botfen Limestone, or sometimes as Green Sand. Its mass consists generally of fine quai'to>e sand mixed with clay, forming a clayey sand. AVith this is much calcareous matter. The mass con- tains also the green grains of a mineral known as Glaveonite. The layers in which these grains are most abundant niay be used as a fer- tilizer. The formation throughout contains fossil shells of many va- rieties, some of which are of veiy large size. Conspicuous among these are great fossil oyster shells. These at some localities have been gathered and burnt into lime. Thi< formation is the northern exten- sion of the Eotten Ijimestone of jSIississippi and Alabama. Li Ten- nessee its maximum thickness is in ^IcXairy County, and is about 350 feet. AVhen dry, the material of the formation has a greenish gray color; when wet, it is much darker. Its outcrop is represented on the- Map by the same color as that of tlie last formation, and is marked 106, though it must be recollected tluit Orange Sand covers much (»f this. 44 Resources of Tennessee. lOe. TvIPLEY. So far as its material is concerned, tliis formation is mncli like the Coffee Sand. It is mostly made up of stratified sands, ^liich are often laminated with thin clayey layers. Oc^casionally a bed of slaty clay is met with. In Hardeman County a bed of limestone, from two to six feet in thickness, and a bed of green sand containing shells occur in the series. The Ripley group may have a thickness of 400 or 500 feet. It outcrops provisionally within the area lOe of the map, not regarding tlie superficial Orange Stind. Its color is also light green. 11a. FLAT^\'OODS GROUP. Following the Cretaceous rocks, \\-(> liave two formations wliich are included in tlie Tertiary division. The name Flatiroodii was dven to tlie first ])y the Mississippi geologists. In Tennessee the formation has ]iei-liaps a thickness of 200 or 300 feet, and does not differ materially from the Ripley and the Coffee Sand, excepting in containing propor- tionally much more laminated or slaty clay. In the Geological Report of Tennessee this is called the "Porter's Creek Group," so called be- cause a- heavy bed of the laminated clay 100 feet thick occurs on the -creek of tliis name. Its belt is l\A (;i?AN(ii-: (irott. This, the second formation refori'cd to in the Tertiary division, out- <'rops, less the, portion covered by the Orange Sand, oyer a large part of West Tennessee. Its belt, l\b on the Maj) and colored canary yellow, is forty miles wide, and extends in a northeasterly direction ihrongh the central ])ortion of this part of the State. As seen in blulfs, railroad cuts, tVrc., it is generally a stratified mass of sands, more or less argillaceous, which, wIkmi weathered, are yellow, red and orange. Its sands are often lil<(! those of the other grouj)S just de- scrilx'd, and contain locally Icaxi's and beds of lignite. The series presents also beds of white and variegated clays. The thickness is uid's in East Tennessee and of the red knobs about Knoxville. This soil is more friable and more fertile, but prob- ably less durable, than the Knox Dolomite. It is also less sandy and stiffer than that of the Nashville Limestone. This soil has sometimes black chert in it, and the sand, from its disintegration, gives a suffi- cient mi^lowness to the soil, and the red oxide of iron acts as a chem- ical agent in giving it fertility. In productive capacity it is equal to any in tlie State; grows to great perfection all the cereals. Wlieat grown upon this soil is exceedingly ilinty and heavy, some of it weigh- ing seventy pounds to the bushel. Not so productive of blue grass Soils. 65 or barley as the Xasliville Limestone ; it is probably better suited to tlie growth of cotton. It forms the fine cotton belt which encircles Murfreesboro, extends to Bedford and embraces the greater portion of Giles, Maury and Williamson. It is designated on the Map by the figure 3, and, it will be seen, covers some of the fairest and most desi- rable portions of the State. 3. The Nashville Limestone Soil differs from the preceding in having a greater quantity of siliceous material and not so much clay. It is mellow, porous, highly productive, adapted to blue grass, corn, cotton, oats, wheat, barley and vegetables of every kind. It is specially suited to the production of fine large melons, which are unequaled for sweet- ness, juciness and delicate flavor. The watermelons of the Nashville market are a source of admiration to all visitors, and they form quite an item in the agricultural products of Davidson County. This soil is more easily worked and washes more readily than any of the calca- reous soils. It covers nearly one-half of the Central Basin, and forms many of the beautiful valleys of East Tennessee. It is designated on the Map by the figure 4, and for all purposes is second in importance to no soil in the State. The subsoil is of a more yel- lowish tint than the subsoil of the Trenton or Lebanon. The qualities of the two varieties of soil last mentioned are of the highest order, and, considering their great versatility, durability and fertility, it is no exaggeration to say that they have not their superior in any land. It is the character of this soil which has made Middle Tennessee famous, and that has invested the country around Lexing- ton, Kentucky, with a charm which has attracted from Europe some of the most renowned stock-breeders of the world. 4. The Niagara Soil is confined almost exclusively to the Western Valley of the Tennessee and the Valley of Buffalo River. It rests upon a gray and red limestone, is moderately productive, but not so Avell adapted to cotton or wheat as those last described. It grows In- dian corn well and some of the grasses, but it is not so strong nor has it such depth as the Lebanon or Nashville. It has frequent glady places, which will subsist only scanty herbage between the fissures of the rocks. This soil must not be confounded with the alluvial bot- toms of the Tennessee and Duck rivers. It is designated on the Map by 5. For the growth of wheat they are espeeially ada])ted. AVe have seen as miieh as forty bnshels (if this cereal raised u]>(»n an acre of such ek-- vated alluvial soil. The streams on the Highland liim have their lowlands highly -charged with liinty material. The soil is free and comparatively light, being formed, for the most part, of the silt deposited from the waters, intermingled with chert and fragments of shivered limestone. Uj^on this character of soil are grown in great abundance peanuts, eorn and jiotatoes. It never compacts, but renunns loose and friable throughout the growing season. Though not so |)roductive of timothy ns the more. clayey bottoms, they are more highly esteemed for all •<;'ro])s that reijuire cultivation. The alluvium of the Mississippi forms by far the largest area of this soil, and differs in sonie degree from that on the other rivers and streams of the State. The Mississippi River flows upon the top of a ridge, the margins of the stream Taeing higher than the country a short distance back. Immediately upon the banks and running back for half a mile or more the soil is fine, sandy, yet sufficiently argillaceous, impregnated with vegetable matter, mellow and rich. Back of this, low, marshy strips occur where the lands have not been brought into cultivation to any extent. . Beyond these marshes the dry alluvium again appears, and extends out in places for many miles. This is the most productive region in the State, but being low and flat the situa- tion is liable to malarious influences, and is therefore not considered desirable for homes. The soil is black, and has an undetermined ight of one or two feet; dark with an overhanging foliage these swani])s seem ihc habitation and breeding places for all the slimy, |)oisoMoiis i-cptilcs ihat dciilc the land. Timber. 77 A great deal of cypress tiniher is luatle into sliiiioles, and staves for sugar hogsheads and niohisses barrels. The wood sj)lits easily, too much so indeed, to make good shingles. Set in the ground it will re- sist decay for a great while, which makes it valuable timber for fencing posts. The wood has a neat appearance when made into hollow wooden-ware, closely resembling in color the White Ash, with a slight reddish tint. The CVjiress is considered a valuable variety of our timber. DOGAN'Ooi). {Cornm Florida) Though never growing to any considerable size, it is found uj)on rich soils in every part of the State and upon some spots in the "bar- rens" where the soil is considered thin. The wood is hard, fine- grained, heavy, beautifully white, and susceptible of a brilliant polish. It supplies a very needful want in the domestic arts. Shuttles for weaving, gluts for mauling, horse-hames, cogs for mill-wheels, are best when made of Dogwood. The Dogwood gives a highly ornamental appearance to our forests, its large white flowers being a sure harbinger of spring. These are succeeded by bunches of vivid, glossy red seed. The appearance of its bloom is the time adopted by many farmers for the commencement of corn-planting. Elm. (Ulmus.) There are three species of Elm found in Tennessee, viz: AVhite Elm [U. Amerkana), Slippery Elm (U. Fulva) and AVahoo, AAltch or Cork (T\ Akifa). The first named is quite famous in some parts of the United States as a shade-tree, notably so in New Haven, Connec- ticut. It is widely diffused in considerable abundance throughout the State, and is by far the largest and most stately of the Elms, attaining in favorable localities as much as 100 feet in height, with five feet diameter. It is marked by the tendency of the loAver branches to sweep the earth. It is l)ut little used as a tiniber, nor is it esteemed for fuel. The next named species, the Slippery Elm, averages from forty to sixty feet in height, with a diameter from one to two feet. It is quite as widely s])read though not so abundant as the White. Its wood is yS Resources of Tennessee. coarser, stronger and more durable under exposure, yet not enougli so to render it very valuable for any considerable use. The chief char- acteristic of the tree lies in the fact that the inner bark, es])ecially of the branches, contains much mucih\ginous matter, which is extensively used as an emollient. The last named species, the \\ ahoo, Witch or Cork Elm, is smaller than either of the others, and may be very easily distinguished by its smaller leaves and the peculiar corky excresences which cover the stems. Its wood is tougher and heavier than either of the other spe- cies, and is more used for the hubs of wheels. Xone of the Elms are valued, however, for timber or fuel, though all are sometimes used in the absence of better woods. Firs. (.16/e.s.) Of the Firs there are two species found growing in the State — the Balsam Fir {Ahkn Fra-scri) and Black Fir or Sj)ruce [Abies Xif/m). Some of the highest mountain peaks are covered with the Balsam Firs, and they are seldom met with at a lower elevation than 4,000 feet. The dark, sombre, dusky foliage of this tree has given the name to the Blaclf Mountains of North Carolina, and makes the charactei-isti(t feature of many of the highest peaks of the Unakas. Being inacces- sible, it is rarely made into lumber, though the trunks often rise 100 feet in height. It is distinguished by a balsam which gathers in blis- terlike intumescences in its bark, and gives the name to the tree. The Black Fir is also met with in the same localities. GcM. (Xi/s-ia.) Two very different species of ti'ces are commonly called (nun; l)orh are cpiite al)undant in Tennessee. The Black (ium (\i/sm Aquaf'u-d) is usuallv found upon rich, iiioi.--t soils, and grows to a consider;il>lc size where the soil is favoraliU- to its growth. It is a valuai)le ti;iil)ci- for hubs, and is much used for that |)urpose on account of the ditlicnlty with which it sj>lits. Indetxl, -o intcrwo\en are its fibres, |)assing lik<' ])laitcd strings from one side to the other, that the most persistent cilbrt can scarcely separate; them. It makes good plank for rough l)nil(bngs, but docs not di'css or polisii smoothly. The Sweet (Jnni { Lhjdiihtiithir S/i/roi-lfliui) finds its most congenial Timber. 79 home in wet, mari^liy jjlaces. It i,< found in every part of the State in sueh situations. I^arge (juantities of it are manufactured into plank, which is used for coarse Avork. It is cheaper than poplar, and decays much more ra])idly. It is 'tough and compact, and is said to be sus- ceptible of a bright })<>lish. It is sometimes used in cabinet work, and makes a passable article of furniture, though not greatly admired. This tree exudes a gummy substance highly prized by children as a chewing wax, hence its name. The supply is ample. Hickory. ( Carya .) The great abundance of this timber and its diversity of uses in the arts make it one of much interest. There are in Tennessee six species of hickories, divided naturally into three divisions, viz: 1. The Shell- or Scaly-bark {Carija Alba), in which the old bark of the tree splits and shells off at both ends, remaining attached only in the middle ; the nuts are but little pointed or ridged, thin-shelled, containing the sweetest of kernels; the hull is thin, and splits entirely into four pieces, which fall apart. 2. Thick Shell-bark (C Stilcata). This is more common in the mountains, and differs from the former in ha\'iug its leaflets in three pairs instead of hco, a thicker hull to the nuts, and ridges and points on the sides and ends of the nuts. In the second division the bark does not scale or shell off, and the hulls do not split off from the nuts, though the kernels are quite eatable. The species in this division are Common Hickory (C Tomentosa), Pignut Hickory (C. Glabra), and Small-nttt Hickory (C Microcarpa). The third di- vision has btit one species in Tennessee, and is marked by the thin shell and hull and bitter kernel of the nut. The Common Hickoiy {Carya Tormentosa) grows well upon all soils of middling quality in the State. It is known by the great dispropor- tion between the tree, when young, and the root, the latter sometimes being much larger in circumference than the tree, assuming a tiat or grub-like form. This tree is foimd in abundance in what are called the "hickory barrens" on the Highland Kim. When small it i- nsrd for barrel and hogshead hoops and for l^ox-casings. It is also used by bricklayers as wythes to tie up their scaffoldings^ It is exceedingly tough and strong but easily split. The bark is often used by gra]>c growers for tying up the vine, a purpose to which it is admirably suitcil, as it peels off \\ith ease in the spring, and will remain supple ann account of the great number ol" sprouts \vhich it sends u}) Timber. ' 8i from the stump, it is regarded with no favor, though the tre6 often attains the dimensions of four feet in diameter. The bark is some- times used for making horse-collars. Black or Yellow Locust. {Robinia Pseudacacia.) This tree, considered a pest by a large number of farmers, is really one of the most valuable species of our timber. For elasticity, dura- bility, pliability, strength, lightness and toughness, there are but few woods, if any, equal to it. It grows well upon almost any soil. It flourishes upon the slopes of the Highlands and Cumberland Moun- tains, and also upon the sides of the Unakas. It is found upon the north sides of Clinch and Powell's Mountains, and will flourish upon the glady places of the Central Basin where no other tree will survive. It is valuable for hubs and posts and railway ties. For posts it is said • to excel red cedar. It has been known to last for a century in the ground. Many of the old fields, scarified with grinning gullies, could be made profitable to the owners and transferred from deformity to beaut}'- by planting the locust. It grows with rapidity, and will make in ten years good posts or railroad ties. This tree rarely attains a greater size than one foot in diameter and a height of thirty or forty feet. Honey Locust. {Gleditschia Triacanthos.) The Honey Locust is abundant upon all the rich soils of the State. It is found in company with the walnut, elm, scaly-bark hickory, hornbeam, ash, &c. The chief value of this tree is for posts, it being very durable when set in the ground. It is most commonly regarded as a nuisance on account of its long thorns. Maple. (Acer.) There are three species of maple found in our State, viz : the Sugar Maple {Acer Saccharinum), the Red Flowering or Swamp Maple [Acer Rubrum), and White Maple {A. Dasycarpum). The first, or Sugar Maple, abounds in the coves of the mountains and on the rich bottoms of streams. It formerly covered a large por- tion of the Central Basin, and was the chief reliance of the early set- 6 82 Resources of Tennessee. tiers for sugar. The wood of the Sugar Maple has a remarkable beauty. The Birds-eye Maple, a variety of the Sugar Maple, has an exquisite appearance. The fibres of this maple are often contorted into little knots, resembling the eye of a bird, hence its name. It likewise has fibrous undulations that give the w^ood a wave-like and handsome appearance. When highly polished the wood has a silky lustre, and the effect which liglit and shade produce on the landscape is brought out by the curly undulations of the wood, giving it a pleasing and varied appearance. This timber is very abundant in every part of the State, and could be made a source of great profit by being sawed into veneering slabs and sold for the finishing of passenger cars and the making of furniture. The Red Flowering Maple grows in wet soils and on the marshy mar- gins of streams. The wood is hard and close-grained. The fibres in some of the trees assume a sinuous course, giving a surface of change- able light and shade. It also has a silky lustre when polished, and is valuable for cabinet work. The most beautiful varieties sell higher than mahogany. It is quite abundant in every division of the State in localities suited to its growth. The White or Silver Maple Avith us is a smaller and rarer tree, dif- fering from the Red Maple in the color of its leaves and flowers. The wood is very white and fine-grained, but quite soft, and in no way so valuable as that of the red. Red Mulbeery. (3Iorus Rubra.) The rich soils in every part of the State are productive of this tree. It is highly esteemed as fencing posts, being almost as durable as the locust. The fruit is nearly as large as the blackberry, which it greatly resembles. Oak. (^Querciis.) Tlicrc are more tluin one hundred s})ecies of the Oak to be found in the United States, and of these Tennessee lias twelve or more. Thej grow in every county in more or less abundance, and altogether consti- tute the great body of our timber. The most valuable species is the White Oak (QucrcvJi Alba). This tree attains an enormous size in the Valley of the Tennessee, and in the first and second tier of river counties of Vfo.st Tennessee. It is also found in (jonsiderable quan- Timber. 83 titles in many parts of East Tennessee, tlio best being on the ridges in the western part of that division of the State ; or in the tier %i ■counties resting against the Cumberland Table Land, and also on tlie slo])C'S of the ;Unaka Mountains. Tlie ridges and valleys lying on Duck and Buffalo rivers are covered with stately White Oak^. Indec'd, this tree is pretty generally scattered through all the woodtd regio:is of the Highland Rim. The timber is strong, durable, com- pact, elastic, and of better quality than that made of the same tree further north. It is extensively used in making all the wood work of wagons, except the axles. ^Manufacturers of agricultural imple- ments find it indispensable, especially for making plow handles and beams. It is said to be the only timber grown east of the Mississippi, the staves from which make vessels suitable for wine or spirituous liquors; and this not altogether because of the tightness of the casks, but because the wood imparts no disagreeable flavor to the spirit^. The making of white oak staves for the European markets has grown tx) be quite an important industry. The number annually shipped from the lower Tennessee River, and made in Hardin, AVayne, Perry, Humphreys and Stewart is ascertained to be 1,635,000. About half of this quantity is shipped out of the Cumberland. The heavy pipe staves are 60 inches long, 5 inches wide and 1^^ thick; light pipe oG inches long and same width and thickness ; claret staves 40 inches in length. The following are the prices paid by foreign dealers in the New Orleans market : Hea%y Pipe, . . . §140@225 per thousand. Light Pipe, . . . . 80@110 " " , Claret Staves, .... 80@100 " " The prices paid for cutting and riving are, for Heavy Pipe, . . . . ■ $36 ])er thousand. Light Pipe, .... 2r)(«3o " " Claret Staves, .... 2o " " In addition to staves, much AVhite Oak lumber is shi])ped out of the same river to Paducah and Afemphis ; also to Mound City for botit building. The young trees of the A\ hite Oak are extensively used in making baskets for domestic uses and in bottoming chairs. They are rived into thin splits, which are scraped with a knife mitil the surface is smooth and highly polished. Hoops for tobacco hogsheads are made from trees of eight to twelve inches in diameter. Smaller than this, 84 Resoui^ces of Tennessee. the necessary width caunot be secured, as the immature or sap portion of the wood, with a very small quantity of the heart, is the only part valuable for hoops. When larger than twelve inches in diameter the wood is too frangible or "brash." Away from the immediate banks of navigable streams, or beyond the reach of railroads, this timber has ■ its chief value as fence rails. A good fence of AVhite Oak, with the rails four inches square, Avill last thirty years, and its great weight will enable it to resist the winds, if well staked. The usual price paid for standing trees accessible to market is one dollar a foot across the stump. "White Oak lumber sells at the mills for $18 to $20 per thousand feet, according to demand and accessibility. For the manufacture of feed-troughs it has no equal. Seasoning into irony hardness, it cannot be eaten up by mules or horses as the poplar and other soft woods. Neither can it be penetrated by rats, and corn or wheat bins made of it are secure against the ravages of these animals. For floors it has but one superior, the white ash. For the erection of mill-dams its great weight and toughness make it indispensable. So many are its uses and so great is the inherent value of this timber, that it may justly be styled the king of the woods, as iron is the king of the metals. The Red Oak (Quercus Rubra) grows generally in every portion of the State. When of sufficient size it makes fine boards or slabs for roofing. Staves for tobacco hogsheads and flour barrels are chiefly made of Red Oak. Though neither so tough nor so durable as the white oak, its rigidity and comparative freedom from warping give it a greater value for sills and house logs. A large majority of the log houses in the State are built of this timber. It is more widely spread than the white oak, and a large proportion of the charcoal consumed by our furnaces is manufactured from this timber. Post Oak. (Quercus Obtusiloba.) Wherever the soil is dry, gravelly and thin, this tree grows. It is not so clastic as the white oak, but is more durable. It makes the best railroad ties, being solid, tough, close grained and hard to split; the latter quality giving it its chief excellence for railroad ties. It is found in every part of the State. Timber. 85 Chestnut Oak. {Quercus Cmfanea.) This tree delights in high, poor, barren and rocky soils, and may be found upon such in every division of the State, but especially upon the leached soils of the Highland Rim. It is chiefly valuable for its bark this being used in the tanneries, and much of it is shipped to other states. There are trees growing on the Highland Rim, and on the southern sides of many of the ridges in East Tennessee, that will yield a cord of bark, which, if ground up, would sell in the St. Louis market for '?18. Xo tree of the forest is so rich in tannin. The leather made by the use of the bark is the most solid and durable manufactured, and sells for a higher price. Thousands of acres covered with the Chestnut Oak may be bought for one dollar per acre. The wood is said to be hard and well suited for flooring. Black Oak. (Quercus Tinetoria.) Michaux was of the opinion that the Black Oak does not grow in Tennessee. In this, however, he was mistaken. It is found in con- siderable quantities on the Highland Rim, especially those portions that have a rich loamy soil, as in Montgomery county and parts of Stewart and Robertson. This tree is considered the most valuable found in the forest for making boards. It rives easily, and the boards made from it are not inclined, when nailed upon a roof, to curl up. Much of this timber is also made into hogshead staves, thousands of which are annually shipped to the St. Louis market. !Many of the flour barrels used in the State are made of this timber. Its durability is greater than any of the oaks, except the white oak and post oak. It is a very valuable species, and forests of it sell very high. Scarlet Oak. (Quercus Cocchiea.) This species is found in abundance in East Tennessee growing in moist places. It is also found in the small swampy spots in Middle and West Tennessee, though not in sufficient abundance to make it of par- ticular interest or profit. The timber is about ocjual in value to the red oak, and is used for the same purposes. 86 Resources of Tcmiessee. Black Jack Oak. {Qucrcm Nigra.) As a timber tree this species is very unimportant, thongli it covers a considerable portion of the " Barrens." It grows for the most part upon a red clay, ferruginous, cherty soil, usually poor and thin, but sometimes very fertile. Tlie black jack lands in the northern parts of Stewart and Montgomery are among the most productive in the State. The lands in that region differ from the blackjack "barrens," in this: that they have an undergrowth of gum, dogAvood and hazel, and also an extensive growtli of scrub hickory, interspersed with the Blaclv Jacks. Xo tree so well resists the annual conflagrations that sweep through the barren plains as the Black Jack. Its tough, thick, rough bark is proof against the fires, and to this cause may be attributed its multi- plication over the "Barrens." Made into rails, it decays in three years. It is valueless, except for fuel and the abundant yield of potash which the ashes make. During the late Avar much of it was converted iato ashes for the manufacture of saltpetre. It ^\•ill serve no good purpose to enumerate separately and in detail the other species of oaks found in the State. It will be sufficient to say that they do not exist in quantities sufBcient to make them of special worth in an industrial point of view. The swamp white oak,, tlie overcup, the yelloM' oak, the suiall chestnut oak or chincpiapin, the laurel oak, the Spanish oak, the willow oak, the bear oak, and possibly one or two other species, are found in small (piantities. A s})ecimdii of nearly every tree mentioned may be found in the Valley of East Tennessee, as the rich high ridges of that region give almost every condition of soil and climate PrxF.s, (Pin)if<.) This is one of tlic niost Mbundnnt and one of th(^ most valu:d)le of. fur forest growth. Tlici-c are two sjjccics of Pines sufficiently abun- dant to be named among the timl)er trees. These are the Yellow Pine (P. Metis), tlie most abundant, and tlie White Pine {I\ ^Sfrohii.s). The Yellow Pine gi-ows in considcraMe (|uantiti('s in th(> vicinity of Knoxville, and, indeed, in many of the parallel ridges in the Valley of Kast Tennessee. It is also found in extensive forests on the (/umber- land Table Land, and forms considerable belts in Hardin and Lawrence Timber. 87 counties. Patches are found on the south hill sides of AVayne, and in less quantities in several of the counties of the Highland Rim and West Tennessee. It is known most generally as short-leaved Pine. It abounds on poor soils, those usually of sandstone, but often on red clay with gravel. It takes possession of abandoned old fields, and will grow with rapidity where the soil is too sterile to produce other vegetation. On this account it is specially valuable. In the regions where it abounds it forms the principal timber for do- mestic purposes. For clapboards, floors, sills, joists, rafters and roofing it is almost universally used. Fine grained, resinous, durable and strong, it has but few superiors as a timber tree. Though yielding tar and turpentine it is but little used for this purpose, hardly enough of these articles being made to supply the local demands. The Wliite Pine is not so abundant as the preceding. It is diffused in more or less quantities over the slopes of the Unaku ^lountains, and is found locally on the Cumberland Table Land. It grows to a larger size than the yellow pine, and makes a quality of lumber highly prized on account of its lightness and comparative freedom from resinous exudations. For the manufacture of goods-boxes, mantles, door-shut- ters, window-sash, and esjjecially for ceiling, it is much used. The supply of this timber is limited, and much of it inaccessible to market. PoPLAE. {Lyriodendron TuUpifera.) ^ There are several varieties of this tree, known locally as Blue, White and Yellow Poplar, the latter of which is by far the most valuable as a timber tree. This grows upon rich soils almost everywhere. The finest specimens we have seen in the State are in Obion and Dyer counties, in West Tennessee, and in Maury and Macon, in Middle Tennessee. Of all the trees of our forest this attains the greatest di- mensions. Trees twenty to twenty-five feet in girth and from sixty to seventy feet to the first limb are often met with. More than 10,000 feet of good lumber are cut from some of them. The wealth of poplar timber is very great in almost every part of the State. Millions of feet are shipped annually by river and rail, and it is more used in the construction of house's than any other wood. The studding and clap- boards, sills and joists, rafters and shingles in a large proportion of frame buildings are made of this timber. A roof made of Yellow Poplar shingles is very durable. It will last for thirty years. Plank and paling fences constructed of it will stand twenty years with good S8 Resources of Tennessee. cedar or locust posts. The wood is soft, light, and is worked with ease. It admits of a good polish, and is used in the manufacture of common articles of furniture. Its greatest defect is its liability to shrink and swell by the alternations of dry and wet weather. It is never attacked by the borer. Fence rails have been known to last for more than fifty years exposed to all the changes of weather and season. Poplar lumber sells in the Nashville and Knoxville market at $15 to $20 per thousand feet. A great quantity is sold in the Memphis market at the same rates. It may be bought at saw-mills through the country at $10 to $15 per thousand, and it is often delivered at points three or four miles distant from the mills at these prices. East Ten- nessee affords the cheapest poplar lumber. The great number of saw- mills in that division of the State lying remote from railroads and the ruggedness of the country roads over which, in Wagons, the lumber has to be transported to market, make it very cheap. Fifteen million feet of poplar logs are annually floated down the Cumberland River in rafts to Nashville. Sassafras. {Sassafras Officinale.) As a shrub the Sassafras is found in every portion of the State, and more particularly in the Valley of East Tennessee, and upon the Highland Rim. It is a great pest to the farmer, sometimes covering a field with its sprouts almost as thickly and continuously as if sown. These shrubs upon thin soils never reach the dimensions of a tree, and rarely ever attain a size sufficient for fence stakes. The roots of the Sassafras have an aromatic flavor, and are used by many persons for making tea. Foi-merly the tea made of Sassafras roots was very gen- erally used at certain seasons of the year. It is pleasant to the taste? and has a sweet aromatic odor. The pith, which is valuable for mak- ing mucilage, is ol)tained by splitting the sprout and scraping it out with an awl-shaped instrument. When dry. Sassafras pith is worth from three to four dollars per pound. The leaves are used in making gumbo, the young twigs and bark in making beer. It is as a timber tree, however, that we wish to consider the Sassafras. In West Tennessee it takes its place among tlie lordliest of the forest. A section of one cut near Union City, in Obion county, and exhibited at the industrial exhil)ition in Nashville, measured sixty inches in diameter, exclusive of the ])ark, which was one and a half inches thick. Timber. 89 The wood is soft, brittle, rigid and close grained, and is used for liouse studding, and to some extent for the manufacture of furniture. Sycaimotie. {Flatanus Occidentalis.) This is elsewhere known as the Plane, or the Buttonwood. It is found growing on the margins of streams in almost every portion of the State. The wood is used in cabinet shops, and makes a beautiful article of furniture. It bears a good polish, being fine grained. Sometimes the grain is wavy and strikingly beautiful. Only as a fire- wood is it regarded with any favor by the farmer, as it will not split, and speedily decays when exposed to the Aveather. It grows with rapidity, and like the linn, is troublesome on account of the sprouts that it sends up from the stump. TuPELLO. {Nyssa Aquatica.) The Tupello abounds in swampy places in West Tennessee. It is a soft wood and difficult to split, the fibres being interwoven like a plaited cord. This property makes it valuable for wheel-hubs. The surface of a dressed plank shows rippling marks like those used by map- makers in designating the shores of an ocean, but intertwisted. This wood is also used for making bowls and trays. Walnut. (Juglans.) The two species are commonly designated as Black and White Walnut. The Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra) is pretty generally diffiised over all the rich soils of the State. Its growth is an unerring indication of fertility. It abounds in the Great Central Basin of Middle Tennessee ; it grows on the better parts of the Highlands; it flourishes on the north sides of ridges and in the valleys of East Tennessee, and attains a marvelous size uj)on the calcareo-siliceous soils of West Tennessee. There is probably no state east of the Mississippi River which has a greater quantity of this valuable timber. On the Cumberland Table Land, a few miles from Wartburg, in the eastern part of Morgan county, is a grove of walnut timber that cannot be surpassed on the continent. In this locality trees six feet in diameter rise in princely grandeur to the height of more than one hundred feet, and strike the 90 Resources of Tennessee. traveler with astonishment at their niac^nitnde. Thickly set upon the soil, in company with massive white oaks, their trunks rise to the height of fifty feet or more without a limb. Keraote from market, this valuable timber is scarcely used except for fence rails. The Cin- cinnati Southern Railroad will probably brinoj all of this excellent timber into market and make it a source of profit to the owners. Stumps and crotches of the walnut wlien worked up into veneering slabs were once very valuable on account of the beautiful curlings of the grain, though not so much in demand at present. Common walnut lumber, seasoned, is worth from |25 to $40 per thousand, and every year shows a marked advance in the price. It is no overestimate to say that the walnut lumber that could lie made on the line of the Cin- cinnati Southern Railroad would pay a large portion of the debt of the State of Tennessee. The exquisite and rich brown color of the wood will always make it sought after by the cabinet maker. It is extensive- ly used in making door-shutters and frames, window-blinds and sash, railing, newel-posts, counters, and other finishing work about dwell- ing-houses and places of business. For gunstocks, picture frames and the ornamental work it is largely used. It is a favorite wood for the manufacture of coffins, and is well adapted to certain uses in naval architecture. Tennessee has great reason to rejoice in the abundance and excellence of its walnut timber. The bark of the Black Walnut is much used as a domestic dye, im- l)arting to woolen goods a color much resembling that ot the wood itself. " Brown jeans," from the first settlement of the State, has constituted the chief winter clothing lor the men and boys of country homes. Butternut or White Walnut. {Juglans Cinerca.) This tree grows upon the margin of streams, and is sometimes found oil rich northern slopes. It is diffiised over almost as great an extent of territory as the black walnut. Resembling the latter when young in its foliage, it assumes a form clearly distinguishable at maturity. The wood is much lighter in color than the black walnut, and has a reddish tinge. It is durable but not strong, and is sometimes used in ornamental work fi)r giving variety and contrast. The doors of el- egant houses in Nashville are often made of it. It is sometimes ship- ])tjd to New York for similar purposes. Timber. 9 1 The trees Ave have mentioned eonstitnte the bulk of" our tinil)er, but there are many other kinds Avliich have a special interest. Among them the Yellow Wood, the Cucumber tree, the Jjaurel, the Holly, the Hornl)eam, the Box Elder, the Chinquapin tree, the CVab A])ple, the Haekberry, the ^\'illf all si;fec*, from one acre to forty acres, are being planted in every division of the State, and the certainty with which they bear and ripen assures for Tennessee, in the near future, a high pre-eminence as a grape-growing State. (The reader is referred to the chapter on grape culture for details.) Plums and apricots, pears, nectarines and cherries flourish and yield in profusion. Even the fig, in sheltered places, may be brought to maturity in the open air. Nor must that nuich-used but greatly abused fruit, the blackberry, and its congeners, the raspberry and dewl)erry, be passed by without mention. Everywhere throughout the State the bushes are indigenous. In the woods and in the fields, on poor soils and on rich, covering the mountain tops and flourishing in the alluvial bottoms, the blackberry bush supplies a rich, healthy and delicious fruit, and in quantities sufficient to supply ten times the present population. So numerous and so excellent are the berries that pickers are sent out from Cincinnati, and from other towns north, to gather and ship tlie fruit. The rasi)berry and the dewberry grow wild and yield abun- dantly. The cranberry grows wild in the elevated swam])y })laces of Johnson county, and but for want of facilities for transj)ortation, could be made a source of great ])rofit. These berries, covering in the aggregate an area of 10,000 scpiaiti acres, are equal in all resjK'cts to the best to be found in the north. Farm Products. 95 Indian Cokn. Tennessee ranks sixth as a corn-growing state. In 1840 it stood first. Its average animal production of this great cereal is not fai' from 50,000,000 bushels. The great Central Basin of Middle Tennessee, the rich valleys of East, and the lowlands of West Tennessee raise enormous cro})S of this grain, and the quality is greatly superior to that grown in higher or loM'er latitudes. The grain matures earlier than in the north, and dries thoroughly, fitting it to make a superior quality of meal, and it is noted for its freedom from rot. The average yield: per acre for the State is about 23 bushels ; but this average is low, due to the pernicious habit in some parts of the State of planting the same land year after year in this exhaustive crop without manure. Among the best farmers, those who practice rotation and clovering, the average yield is not far from 40 'l^ushels. The rent paid for some of the ])ottom lands on the upper Tennessee is twenty and sometimes thirty Ijnshels of corn per acre, and the yield often reaches seventy-five, and in some rare instances, one hundred bushels per acre. The varieties of corn grown in the State are almost innumerabh-. The gourd-seed, a large cob variety, is generally preferred for river and creek lands ; the yellow for thin, rolling uplands. The variety known as the Willis corn, hard, white, flinty, and not subject to rot, is very valuable for thin soils. The stalk is not large, and the ear and cob small, the latter rarely more than one inch in diameter, thougli the yield proves veiy satisfactory. It is especially valuable from the fact that it matures two weeks earlier than the larger kinds. A cross between the gourd-seed and Willis, knoMn as the large Willis, par- takes of the excellent qualities of each variety — the flintiness and free- dom from rot of the one, and the large size of the other. Both varieties of the AVillis corn make excellent meal, white, sweet, and of fine keeping qualities, not so liable to become musty and sour during the hot weather of sinnmer as that made from the larger and softer varieties. The weight of Willis corn is about 58 pounds to the bushel; gourd- seed, 5<3. Bulk for l)ulk the former will shell out one-seventh more than the latter, though more wagon loads of the latter may be gath- ered from a given quantity of land; but not more bushels of shelled corn. 96 Resources of Tennessee, The Cooley corn, about which so much was written a year or two ago, did not succeed very well in our climate. The seed was dis- tributed by the Agricultural Department at Washington, but the yield proved altogether unsatisfactory. Indeed, in this respect it did not equal any of the common varieties, nor did it mature any earlier than the Willis corn. Wheat. The usual quantity of wheat raised varies from 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 bushels, with an average yield per acre of from seven to nine bushels. About 1,000,000 acres are sown annually. The best wheat-growing portions of the State are to be found in the upper coun- ties of the Valley of East Tennessee, the counties lying on the north side of the Highland Rim, the northern counties of West Tennes- see, and the rolling lands of the Central Basin. The average in these regions is not far from fifteen bushels. Though the average yield o Avheat is far from being what a thorough preparation of the land and early seeding could make it, yet the excellence of the berry compen- sates in some degree for the scantiness in the yield. The flour made of Tennessee wheat commands in every market a superior price. A recent writer in the Soufhern Revietv estimates that at least one-half of the flour exported to Brazil and other intertropical countries is man- ufactured from wheat grown south of the Ohio and the Susquehanna. There is a peculiarity in the flour which enables it to resist damp, and it will remain fresh and sweet when flour made from northern grown Avheat will become sour, lumpy and worthless. It also has the capacity of absorbing more water, and retaining it in the baking process, giving a greater number of pounds of bread for a given number of pounds of flour. All the nutritive elements are developed profusely in the wheat of Tennessee, and maturing a month earlier than the wheat (!rop of New York, it commands a ready market at good prices. The Boughton wheat is probably more extensively sown than any other variety. It has a smoath head and a hirge white berry, very plump, but subject to smut, which has to he guarded against by soaking the seed-wheat in a solution of blue-stone or sulphate of cop- per. The red May wheat was for many years a favorite with the farmers of the State, but the yield continued to decrease until it was rarely ever sown. It has a round, plump, red grain, and makes a fine yield of most excellent flour. At one time on portions of the High- land Ilim this variety yielded, on good soils, forty bushels *per acre. Farm Products. 97 Succeeding that was the blue stem, which, when the seasons suited, made a very generous return, but as it often failed, the farmers ceased to sow it. The Mediterranean, though not yielding so abundantly as other varieties, is a very sure crop. It is grown in limited quantities in al- most every county in the State, though the quality of the berry is greatly inferior to that of many other varieties. There are several kinds of amber wheat sown, which have taken local names. It is not so liable to smut as the white wheat, but it does not sell so high, and rarely yields so well. Oats. Tennessee annually produces about 5,000,000 bushels ot oats. The best authorities put the yield at 16 bushels per acre, but the primitive methods employed in separating the straw from the grain leave a large portion of the latter adhering to the straw. Twenty-five bushels per acre can be grown upon any soils in any portion of the State that have not been impoverished by bad tillage. Even upon the thin, barren, flat lands that are found upon the high- lands in Lewis, Lawrence, Coffee, and other counties, oats grow with a prodigal luxuriance, as also upon the sand-stone soils of the Cumberland Table Land. Upon the richer valley and bottom lands fifty bushels per acre is not considered an exorbitant yield, and seventy-five have been made. Greene, Hawkins, Knox, Sullivan, Roane, Washington and Blount-, in East Tennessee ; Davidson, Wilson, Montgomery and Sumner, in Middle, and Obion, Dyer and Gibson in West Tenessee, furnish the best soils for oats. . In the sale of this product there is a considerable loss to the farmers of the State, on account of the weight of the standard bushel. The statute of weights and measures needs revision and readjustment 80 as to correspond with those of contiguous and other states. The standard weight in Tennessee for a bushel of oats is thirty-three pounds, while most of the states have adopted thirty-two pounds as the standard. By reason of this discrepancy of the standard bushel, the farmers, in the sale of their oats lose one bushel in thirty-three, or three per cent. The Quartermaster's Department of the United States has adopted thirty-two pounds to the bushel, and there is no good reason why Tennessee should adhere to the old standard, and thereby cause a loss to the producers of the State. 7 98 Resources of Tennessee. Tobacco. Tennessee stands third as a tobacco-growing state, Kentucky being first and Virginia second. The annual product of this great staple varies from 20,000,000 to 25,000,000 pounds, or from 13,000 to 22,000 hogsheads. The average yield per acre is between 700 and 800 pounds, though as much as 1,200 and 1,500, and even 1,800 can be grown upon the best soils in good seasons. It ac- quires a peculiar richness grown in some of the soils of Kentucky and Tennessee. Tough, thick, gummy and leathery in its character, it has the capacity of absorbing water, which makes it peculiarly adapted to the manufacture of strips for the English market. The tobacco known as the "Clarksville tobacco," and which grows on the rich red soils of Stewart, Montgomery, Robertson, Cheatham, Dickson, and in the counties of Kentucky lying contiguous to the three counties first named, will absorb about 33 per cent of water when dry. It is prepared for the English market by pulling out the main stem and packing it in hogsheads as dry as possible. These " strips " are watered after reaching the English market, and inasmuch as the duty on tobacco is about 72 cents, gold, per pound, it is seen that every pound of water absorbed by the strips will be 72 cents, gold, in the pocket of the importer, and he is thus enabled to sell per pound at the same price that he buys, and make thirty- three per cent on his investment, less the charges. It is this peculiar property of the Clarksville tobacco that gives it such a high rank among the English dealers. Much of the tobacco grown in this district is shipped to Africa, the natives of that country preferring it. The upper parts of Sumner, Trousdale and Smith, all of Macon,. Clay and Jackson, and parts of Overton, Putnam Wilson and DeKalb raise an article of tobacco not well suited for the manufacturer. It would make good strips on account of its absorptive capacity. Tliis tobacco is large, leafy, coarser than the Clarksville tobacco, and is de- ficient in the active principle of tobacco. It is principally consumed in the French and Spanish markets, a small quantity going to Italy and Germany. Obion, Dyer, Henry, Weakley and Benton counties, in West Ten- nessee, raise a very fine Ynanufacturing leaf. It is, indeed, the finest article for that purpose grown west of the Alleghany mountains. It is rich, silky, mild, of a light color, some of it rivalling the brilliant Farm Products. 99 colors of the fading hickory leaf. It is especially valued for bright and mottled wrappers. All of this tobacco is consumed in the United States, none being exported on account of its high price and scarcity. This tobacco is not so well adapted for stemming purposes, and even if it were, the price is too high to make its use in this manner profit- able. Coifee, AYarren, Moore, Lewis, Lawrence, Wayne, Hickman, Hum- phreys and Dickson raise small quantities of light, mild tobacco. Nearly every county in East Tennessee grows tobacco enough for home consumption. A great drawback to its cultivation there, is the prohibition put upon its sale by the government. Small farmers can- not aiford to pay the license. The farmers throughout that region regard it as a great hardship that they are not able to sell this product except to licensed dealers. Very few raise enough for a hogshead, and the prohibition of selling without license puts them at the mercy of a few licensed dealers. The quality of East Tennessee tobacco differs widely from that grown in Middle or AVest. It is smaller and lighter and not so rich in the alkaloid nicotine. The stronger tobaccos of Middle and West Tennessee contain as high as six per cent, of nicotine, while that grown in East Tennessee does not contain above three per cent. It, however, is preferred by many on this account for smoking and chew- ing, being milder, pleasanter and more agreeable. It may be mentioned that, before the war, there were sixteen stem- meries in successful operation in the city of Clarksville. The object in stemming is to evade the tax and increase the value per pound. We have already stated that the duty on American tobacco in England is three shillings, or about seventy-two cents per pound. In Austria, Erance, Italy and Spain the tobacco commerce is monopolized by gov- ernment, under direction of a Regie. In Germany the duty on Amer- ican leaf is four thalers per 100 pounds. In Belgium the impost is reckoned after deducting fifteen per cent, for tare. The duty is thir- teen francs, twenty centimes (|2.40 gold) per 100 Kilogrammes (100 American pounds equal 45| kilos). In Holland the duty is twenty- eight cents, gold, per 100 kilos (28 American pounds being equal to 12.7 kilos). In Russia the duty on leaf tobacco is four roubles forty kopeks per pud ; on smoking tobacco, twenty-six roubles forty kopecks per pud; and on cigars, two roubles twenty kopeks per pound. The " pud " is equal to about thirty-six American pounds. In Turkey the duty is fifty cents, gold per \\\ American ounces. lOO Resources of Tennessee, The excessive taxation to which this article is subjected bears with great and increasing weight upon the producer. Substitutes are used^ and the consumption greatly diminished. Tobacco has become almost an article of prime necessity, and experience has demonstrated that a habitual smoker or chewer would as soon dispense with meat upon his table as tobacco after his meals. Tobacco is now subject to a tax of twenty cents per pound by the government — about two and a half times the price received by the producer. The following table gives a comparative statement of the revenue from the several sources of manufactured tobacco during the fiscal years ending June 30, 1872, and June 30, 1873: Sources of Revenue. Cigars and cheroots of all descriptions, domestic or imported Manufacturers of cigars, special tax Snuffs of all descriptions, domestic or imported Tobacco of all descriptions. Stamps for tobacco or snuff intended for export Dealers in leaf tobacco Retail dealers in leaf tobacco. Dealers in manufactured tobacco. • Manufacturers of tobacco Peddlers of tobacco Sales of Cigars, leaf and manufactured tobacco, and excess of $5,000 of tbe penal sums of bonds of manufacturers of tobacco Total Fiscal Year 1872. S 7,566,156 119,294 497,092 24,073,683 63,576 116,917 934.341 11,971 363,137 40 $33,736,170 52 Fiscal Year 1873. I 8,940,364 81 153,195 57 1,082,106 77 22,314,074 27 5,582 70 110,089 60 8,020 54 1,663,053 30 11,944 00 50,694 96 44,572 59 $34,382,699 23 We have dwelt thus long upon tobacco because it is the only great product of the State that is subject to a burdensome tax, and every effort of our people should be made to reduce or lighten the load upon their industry. Cotton. This is one of the great staple products of Tenne.s.see. In 1850 the number of bales raised in the State was 212,000; in 1800,296,464; Farm Products. lOI in 1870, 181,842. The number of acres devoted to this staple in the State was for 1870, 526,180; 1871,489,352; 1872,552,403; 1873, 613,267. The following table will show the number of bales handled in the State for the year ending September 1, 1873, though much of this cotton came from Missifisippi, Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia: Shipments from Memphis " Nashville " " other places in Tennessee and Kentucky Stock in Memphis and Nashville at end of year Shipped from Memphis to New Orleans Shipped from Memphis, &c., to Norfolk, od, and the general improvement in feeding and sheltering. In West Tennessee, stock-growing has not until quite recently re- ceived much attention from the wealthier farmers, and the number of cattle is comparatively small. In general, the natives resemble closely those of Middle Tennessee, from which they are directly descended. Of late years, there is a marked improvement in the care of stock, and a corresponding improvement in the cattle, both native and graded. Improved Breeds. What crops a farmer shall grow, and what stock he shall breed, are questions to be determined ultimately by the market demand ; yet there is a natural order of crop development noticeable in the history of the agriculture of every new state. The first settlers and their immediate descendants in Tennessee grew only corn and potatoes, and raised hogs and a few cattle. Scarcity of labor, remoteness from market, primi- tive habits and simple wants combined to confine their efforts within a narrow circle. Hence it is that we find the chief crop of the early set- tlers and their immediate descendants was corn. This was their main reliance for bread. In 1840, Tennessee was the largest corn-producing state in the Union. But corn is bulky and difficult of transportation, and in the absence of railroads, the Tennessee farmers had to ship their corn by the Tennessee, Cumberland and Mississippi rivers. The next step was to feed this corn at home, and the hog being the main reliance for home meat, hog growing came to be the leading business of the Ten- nesssee farmer, and in 1850, Tennessee took first rank as a hog-grow- ing state. In the meantime, the demand for corn and bacon was being met by the western and north-western states, and a new demand had risen in the cotton states for mules. In response to this demand, Ten- nessee became, by 1860, the largest mule-growing state in the Union. Here we have three changes, as it were ; first it is corn, then hogs, and then mules; but these were not changes, in fact, for in 1850, there was a greater amount of corn grown than in 1840; and in 1860, a larger number of hogs than in 1850, The whole was the result of the growth and development of the agriculture of the State. The devastations of the war not only checked all growth, but up- 130 Resources of Tennessee. rooted to a large extent the system of agriculture on which all previ- ous development had been based. Since 1865, the agriculture of the State has been slowly settling down and adjusting itself to the new con- dition of things, and new growth and development are only just setting in. In 1860, there was a manifest tendency towards the growth of beef cattle in the State, and had not the war intervened, it is not im- probable that Tennessee would have contested for the supremacy in cattle growing in the census report of 1870. Fortunately, however, the war did not destroy the causes which were then directing the atten- tion of the farmers of Tennessee to cattle breeding. These still ex- isted, and, when the war closed, began to operate in full force. Es- pecially is this true of Middle and West Tennessee. Evidence of this state of things was furnished, not only in the increased activity in the cattle trade, but in the fact that in the exhibition rings of the various fairs, improved cattle attracted far more attention than ever before. Owing to differences of condition, and certain economic causes. East Tennessee has been slower to feel this cattle movement, but it is now spreading very rapidly through the Valley, and in time will undoubt- edly extend into the securest mountain fastness. What losses came of the war, it boots not now to reckon, but wLs- dom itself teaches us to try if we may not find something of good to come of it, for beyond question " There is some sort of gooJ in all things evil, Would men observingly distil it out." The war swept away the cattle of the State to such an extent as to compel the introduction of others to supply the immediate wants of the inhabitants — operating, in this respect, just as a fire often does, to improve the appearance of a town, by making room for a better class of houses. Having to buy, many farmers went to Kentucky, and else- where, in search ot the best blood of the improved breeds, thus laying the foundation for herds of pure breeds, as well as furnishing the means of grading up the native cattle to a very high state of im- provement— two effects of very nearly equal value to the agriculture of tlie State. If it were practicable, it would not be desirable, to substi- tute the pure-bred Short-horn at once, unless at the same time the rich pasture, comfortable quarters, and abundance of feed, essential to the right management of this noble breed, could be brought along with thorn, and substituted for the rather scanty pasture, scarce shelter, and limited food, upon which the natives manage to live. Live Stock. 1 3 1 Again, while it is scarcely to be expected that the farmers of Ten- nessee will, within any short period, establish a breed of beef cattle superior to what the Short-horns are, under the most favorable circum- stances, it is not unreasonable to anticipate that, by judicious and per- sistent selection and crossing, a breed may be established which will be better adaj^ted to the conditions of the farmers of the State. "Whether such a breed will ever arise, remains to be seen ; but it is a fixed fact that for the majority of Tennessee farmers, the pure blood of the improved breeds can only be introduced gradually, by the use of pure bred males. But this fact does not in the least militate against the introduction of the pure breeds, by such farmers as are so fortu- nate as to be prepared for it. They will always find their reward in ready sales, at remunerative prices. For, besides the constant demand for good bulls by the farmers who only seek to grade up their cattle, the number of breeders of pure breeds will naturally increase year by year with the improvement of agriculture. WfiAT Breeds to Ixtroducp:. Each farmer must be his own judge as to the kind of cattle that he will keep; but circumstances will necessarily govern the choice of all, to some extent. The principal of these circumstances are, location and character of the farm, capital and market. A farmer living on the uplands of East Tennessee, however much he may admire, and desire to possess the lordly Short-horns, could not act wisely to invest in them unless he knows some better way of growing meadow and pasture grass than his neighbors know, and has besides, better sheds for winter care of them. Nor would he be acting much more wisely to attempt to cross the Short-horn on his small native cows. The difference be- tween the two is too great for a happy cross. There is, however, an im]>roved breed of cattle, just suited to the uplands of East Tennessee — that is the Devon. This, the oldest of English breeds, and, by some, held to be the best, too, is uniformly of a rich, deep red color, niedium size, very hardy, extremely active, kind feeders, generous milkers, making excellent beef, and the best work-oxen of all cattle. The Devons would cross readily and well on the native, and add innncnsely to their value, whik' detracting nothing from their hai-dincss. If, however, the natives whicii a farnuir owns are extra good milk- 132 Resowces of Tennessee. • ers, and he is well situated to inake and sell either butter or cheese, it might pay him to get an Ayrshire or Jersey bull to cross on them. This certainly, if he lives near a town or railroad depot. In the Valley, and especially along the river bottoms, wherever heavy crops ^of hay and deep pastures may be grown, the Short-horns may be introduced with profit; but even in the best valleys, it is a matter of doulit if the Devon will not give the most satisfaction. Along the line of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, the sale of butter and cheese forms how a considerable part of the farmer's profit, and this trade will certainly increase very much with the in- crease of population. Hence, the dairy breeds will be in demand in this section. For this purpose the Jersey and Ayrshire are pre-eminent, the former for butter and the latter fqr cheese. Already several small herds of Jerseys have been started by enterprising farmers, and a short experience gives the most encouraging promise of their success in all parts of the Valley. They cross very successfully with the natives, alwayc adding a rich flavor and golden color to the milk. As a town cow the Jersey, or the Jersey grade, is without a rival. For East Tennessee, therefore, the Devon is the best breed of cattle for the general farmer, while the Jersey and Ayrshire will suit the dairy best. In Middle Tennessee there are two sections described on the Map accompanying this volume as the Highland Rim and the Central Basin. Throughout the former section the pasturage and meadow growth are comparatively light, and as a consequence the heavy-feed- ing Short-horns cannot be possibly grown by the farmer, generally. Here, again, the virtues of the Devon come happily into play, and what has been said of East Tennessee uplands may be repeated of the Highland Rim, with the exception, probably, of the northern and eastern portions where better soils prevail. In the Basin the soil is different. Here the pastures and meadows are, or may be made, rich and luxuriant enough to carry the heaviest of cattle with profit. This, then, is the natural home of the Short-horns in Tennessee. Here, too, the natives are b(>st adapted to crossing with them, and the farm prac- tices are best suited to their easy introduction. In West Tennessee, also, there is a considerable section in which Short-horns seem to thrive well. In the greater part, however, the Devon would most likely be the best, all things considered. Live Stock. 133 What has Been Done. For forty years past there have been a few enterprising and intelli- gent farmers, scattered throughout the different parts of the State, who have sought to improve the stock of cattle in the country by in- troducing improved breeds. The first of these importations were -drawn from Virginia, Maryland, and Kentucky, and consisted of what was variously known as the Patton, Teeswater, or English cattle. Pre- cisely what breed of cattle this was, or whether the same stock went by different names, is not known with certainty. It is probable, how- ever, that there was more or less of the same blood in all, and that this blood was Short-horn, though it was more or less tainted by a mixture Avith native. At any rate, these early importations were very- good cattle, and left a good impression on their descendants. Thev were generally large, roomy co\vs of a deep red color, frequently flecked with white streaks, and almost invariably deep milkers, fat- tening kindly, and altogether combining many of the most desirable qualities of farm cattle. Subsequently, the importers have directed their attention to the Short-horns, and from time to time some of the best animals to be found in the United States have been brought to the State, while other gentlemen, not counted with these, have gone to England and brouo-ht back some of the choicest animals of the best herds. From 1838 to 1843 seems to have been a period of remarkable activity in all agri- cultural matters in Tennessee, and during this period the Agricultu- rist, published at Nashville, contained numerous advertisements and notes of imported and otherwise noted Short-horn Durhams to be found in the State. Shortly after this the financial pressure which swept over the country seems to have paralyzed all enterprise among the stock men, and we find no account of any further importations, until some dozen years after. In the meantime the stock already imported and their increase spread through the various neighborhoods, tendino- very much to the elevation and improvement of the grade of cattle. About 1855 the spirit of improvement began to revive. Fairs were established, and farmers began to look to the improvement of their stock. By 1860 this spirit had spread to every part of the State, and almost every county had a Fair Association. During this period many additions were made to the Short-horns of the State from some of the best herds in the United States. During this time several importa- 134 Resources of Tennessee, tions of Ayrshire and Devon cattle were also made into the State from Scotland and from New York. The breaking out of the war put a stop to all agricultural progress, and at its close left everything pros- trated. Since the war, the spirit of improvement has begun to revive, and is fast awakening the farmers of the State to a higher appreciation than ever was before had, of the superiority of good stock over bad, or in- different. Many very valuable Short-horns have been brought into- Middle and West Tennessee from Kentucky, and the Limestone Basin is fast becoming noted for its good cattle. In East Tennessee, through the inspiration and instrumentality of a few public-spirited citizens, in various sections of the Valley, several very promising herds of Jerseys have been started, and the cattle fever is fast spreading among the farmers. At various times before the war small importations of Short- horns were made into East Tennessee, but from some cause or other^ they never seem to have spread or taken root in public estimation. Since the war, also a few importations have been made, which promise to succeed. One or two of the many emigrants from New York, Pennsvlvania, and other northern states, have brought with them ex- cellent specimens of Devons, which are growing into favor with much rapidity, as well they may. Concluding Remarks. It may not be out of place to close this brief and imperfect sketch of the Cattle of Tennessee, with a few remarks of a general character, in the nature of suggestions to cattle breeders. Cattle breeding, whether of pure breeds or grades, is one among the highest of the arts of agriculture. It requires a greater degree of judgment, foresight, skill and patient perseverance than the manage- ment of any farm crop. At the same time it is for him who loves stock, the most pleasant, and may be made the most profitable branch of farming. But the successful cattle breeder must of necessity know liow to cultivate his farm, otherwise he will often find his stock of cattle-food running short, and his farm and cattle going down hill. Every cattle breeder should seek to keep up a steady growth and improvement in not only individual animals, but in the average quality of his cattle. To do this, he must fix upon some perfect standard of excellence and work always towards it. Live Stock. 135 Excellent as are the best specimens of the improved breeds of cattle, in none has perfection yet been reached. The way is still clear for improvement on the best. The greatest and nearest field of labor and of profit, however, lies in the grading up of the natives. This is the work for the many, while the establishing of new breeds, or the im- provement of the old, is the work of the few who have the genius, backed by the capital, to devote to it. But the means of improvement are common to both — these are : careful selection of males, generous feeding, and comfortable quarters. The chief obstacles to the improvement of the cattle of Tennessee, are the very general practice of allowing inferior males to propagate, thereby transmitting their bad qualities ; the cruel and improvident habit of compelling cattle to shift for themselves through the greater part of the year, unprotected from the inclemencies of the weather, and unaided by any nutritious food. While such practices prevail, im- provement is impossible. With any sort of care, however, the best breeds known elsewhere may be introduced, and the native cattle may be improved to the great profit of the farmers and the general improve- ment of the agriculture of the State. Sheep. There is probably no state in the Union, that in climate, physical features, and productions, excels Tennessee, in the proportion of her t^rritor}' adapted to the successful prosecution of the important in- dustry of wool-growing. The vast plateaus, and extensive ridges and valleys of the eastern division of the State, seem, almost, to have been fashioned by the Creator especially for the production of wool, while the table lands of the middle and western divisions can hardly be ex- celled for the grazing of large stocks. Notwithstanding these great natural advantages, for the want of proper legislation, and a correct appreciation of our true interest, the aggregate number of sheep in Tennessee is, according to the last census, only 826,783, and of wool 1,389,762 pounds. Our State, taking as low as the fifteenth rank in the production of this very important staple of commerce, the relation of the number of sheep to pounds of wool produced, show^s only an average of 1.82 pounds per head; a very low estimate, which may be accounted for, inasmuch as this estimate, in all probability, fails to cover a large proportion of the home consumption never reported to 136 Resources of Tennessee. the census agents. The fact is, however, patent that our flocks call loudly for improvement. It will be observed that the per centum to our population, is only about one sheep to every three persons, while it requires at least two sheep to comfortably clothe each person ; also, the small proportion of sheep to every one hundred acres in cultiva- tion being only twelve head, shows how sadly this great interest is being neglected; and that, too, in the face of the fact that the United States annually import from forty to sixty million pounds of wool to clothe its inhabitants. Estimating that Tennessee consumes, in the proportion to their population, it would require at least one-thirtieth of this amount for her portion. Estimating this at only twenty-five cents per pound, (a low estimate), for the manufactured article, and we have the enormous amount of $500,000 annually paid out by our citi- zens for the item of clothing alone, and that, too, for an article which, by producing at home, they would not only save the actual outlay, but annually benefit their lands, to at least an equal amount. Now, add to this the amount of mutton, which might be produced for public mark- et, which would swell the aggregate to at least $1,500,000 of revenue to our people, over and above the present product — and we have the loss from the neglect of this great industry. We would respectfully point our law-makers to the fact, that in trav- eling through the State, our attention has been repeatedly directed to the disposition on the part of many of our enterprising citizens to engage in this pursuit, but are deterred by the want of proper legisla- tion to guard the sheep from the depredations of the millions of worth- less curs that infest every portion of the State. A State that has the advantages of Tennessee, both climatic and physical, that does ndt produce one-half of the necessary wool required to clothe its inhabit- ants, shows a bad condition of things, either in its legislation or in its producers. It has the capacity to produce besides the necessary amount re(|uired for clothing, wool enough for exportation, which, even at the present low price would realize money enough to feed every inhab- tant and educate every child within her borders. This is a subject that must commend itself to the serious consideration of every think- ing man of our State. We would here recommend to our people to demand it of our law-makers, to afford every legal protection to this important branch of husbandry within their power, in order that those of our citizens who are disposed to adopt it as a business may feel that they at least will have equal protection with other pursuits. There are at present but few persons in the State engaged in the development Live Stock. 137 of this interest, doubtless owing to the great risks they daily incur from a want of proper protection by our laws. Those who have given this subject any attention, have been abundantly rewarded, in their success, and Tennessee has just cause to be proud of having pro- duced the iinest specimen of wool that ever came under the microme- ter, also of having received the grand medal at the great London Exhibition, held in 1849-50, where every nation of the world had specimens of wool on exhibition. This was done by Mark R. Cock- rell, of Davidson county, a name so intimately associated with this special branch of husbandry, not only in the State of Tennessee, but throughout the world, that any mention made of w^ool-growing with- out his name, would be incomplete. After a careful study of the wool of every country, he fearlessly maintained that the peculiar climate and soil, and protecting agencies of Tennessee, would make it the best wool- growing region under the sun, and he proved ij: by wresting the pre- mium for the finest fleece from the assembled wool-growers of the world. Many counties of the State are introducing the improved varieties of sheep of late years, in addition to the famous Merino flock which dates its foundation back half a century, and that has always so eminently prospered under skillful treating, aided by our mild climate, and almost perennial herbage. The Cotswold, Southdown, Leicester, and Oxford- shire, have made their appearance and are prospering under skillful management in various localities. The great demand for combing wools of late years, has had the tendency to direct breeders to these long-wool varieties in an increased degree. Should our climate not prove too warm for these larger breeds, that lay on an excessive amount of flesh, they will certainly prosper as well here as in any part of the United States. .With this industry properly protected, it will very soon receive the necessary attention to make it one of the leading sources of revenue to the State, commending itself to our citizens gen- erally, not only as a cheap and remunerative investment, but as the most rapid and surest way of reclaiming the worn-out lands. By con- verting the half-wild animals now roaming at large in many counties of the State, (producing little wool of the lowest grades), to useful wool-bearing animals, by the introduction of improved blood, manipu- lated by skill and care, we produce a machine for converting the nox- ious weeds and useless herbage into gold, more easily than by any other means, thereby introducing comfort and happiness into thousands of cheerless homes. 138 Resources of Teimessee. Swine. The adaptation of the soil of Tennessee to Indian corn, oats, and clover, renders the State one pecnliarly fitted for the development of the live stock interest. Tennessee, regardless of the fact of only one- fourth of the area being in cultivation, and the loose system practiced by numerous farmers in many sections of the State, ranks seventh in the production of Indian corn, which is one of the great essentials in the successful production of large herds of swine for the public mark- ets— ranking fifth in the number of hogs grown for market, aggre- gating 1,828,690, distributed very generally throughout every county in the State. The average production of corn per acre, in actual cul- tivation, being only 23 bushels, it becomes plainly perceptible that by a proper rotation of* crops, clovering, pasturing, and a proper hus- banding of manures, deep ;ind improved modes of plowing, etc. — means that are within the reach of the huml:)lest farmer — the average pro- duct can be easily doubled, or trebled, thus increasing, in like pro- portion, the average weight of hogs sent to market. In connection with this, the introduction and distribution of the improved breeds throughout the State, will vastly increase the hog crop, b(Hh in quantity and quality. This industry became well nigh annihilated during the late war, but owing to the rapid reproduction of this animal, especially when well cared for, our State is now producing twenty per cent, more hogs than previous to 1860. This animal is probably more rapidly susceptible of improvement, by judicious care and breeding, than almost any other species of our domestic animals, and sooner de- teriorates under bad treatment and neglect. Hence, in renewing the herds in the State, the importance of introducing the improved varie- ties has evoked the attention of many of our best citizens, who are largely engaged in breeding the highest type of animal for breeding purposes, large importations having been made, and are constantly being made in many counties of the State, until many sections are already noted for the high quality and excellence of their swine. ^lany persons from distant states, from old breeding districts, as well as our own citizens, who have attended our agricultural fairs of late, luive expressed great admiration for the number and quality of tiie hogs exhibited ; indeed, such is the interest and laudable rivalry manifested to procure the best, that many importations are coming into the State from Europe at great expense. Many of the difi'erent breeds Live Stock. 139 have been introduced with success; among them the Berkshire, Essex, Poland China, iS^eopolitan, Sussex, and others, each having their champions and especial admirers ; but we believe the Berkshires, in their adaptation to the climate and wants of our people, have the most advocates. Such is the perfection to which the hogs of the State are now bred, it is exceedingly questionable whether as fine specimens can- not now be found in Tennessee as are either in the United States or Europe. The State is at present producing twenty-six hogs to the 100 acres of land in actual cultivation, making the percentage about 145 hogs to each 100 inhabitants; whereas, we might easily produce one hog to each and every acre cultivated, in addition to other necessary live stock, making five times as many hogs as the State has population, increasing our surplus meat to at least 100,000,000 pounds; and this too, with manifest benefit to our lands, and an addition of f 2,000,000 net to our revenue. If we mistake not, in a very few- years the State of Tennessee will become one of th'e great meat marts for the south. As such it certainly oifers very great inducements, both to the emigrant from the old world, and the ice-bound, sterile land- owners of the northern and eastern states, who are desirous of seek- ing new fields for the development of skill and labor, in the pursuit of the pleasant and remuneraeive industry of stock husbandry. To all such we say, that no other enterprise promises a better reward for so small an outlay of capital as stock-growing in Tennessee. 140 Resouj^ces of Tennessee. CHAPTER X Tennessee as a Dairy State. In a foregoing chapter, we have spoken of the aptitudes of the soils of Tennessee for the production of vahiable grasses. It woukl almost follow as a necessary consequence that it has natural advantages for the economical production of butter and cheese. This subject de- serves the attention of every one interested in the productive industry and wealth of the State. The fact is generally known that all kinds of farm labor are not equally profitable, and the thoughtful owner of the soil has to consider the question, what crops will pay him best, taking every fact and condition into account. In bringing dairy hus- bandry before the public for consideration, our object is to diversify our agriculture, not to disparage the planting of cotton, tobacco, corn, or any other crop, nor to discourage wool-growing, stock-raising, or the production of fat animals, like hogs, cattle and sheep, for meat. Rightly understood, every branch of tillage and of husbandry adapted to our climate and soil, may be regarded as a member of one family, a friend and near relative, which should never be treated as a stranger and an intruder, to be resisted or driven out. Last year. Great Britain consumed over thirty million bushels of corn grown in the United States, and eighty-five million pounds of our cheesa. Tennessee corn was not worth fifty cents a bushel, generally, to the farmer to send to any foreign market; that is not one cent a pound; but good cheese, such as is made in Ohio, sold readily from thii-teen to fifteen cents a pound at wholesale. If we can produce cheese, and one j)ound is worth from twelve to eighteen ])ounds of corn, it is plain that there will be a great saving in the cost of transportation to export our corn to Europe in the shape of cheese and butter, rather than in the form of grain. The Dairy. 141 The idea of sending grain, grass, fodder and other forage to market in the form of fat animals, or in the shape of young muk's and horses, is not new to our readers ; but not many have had facilities for prop- erly studying the question, whether the vegetation of the farm will not return more profit if transformed into butter and cheese of the first quality, than if sold in bacon or any live stock. If we carry our dairy industry no farther than to supply the home demand for cheese and butter of northern manufacture, it Avill be one step in the right direction. Do this, and the fact will soon be learned, that while some southern farmers prosper by raising cotton for the factories of England and Scotland, other southern farmers may do even better by producing cheese and butter at from twelve to thirty cents a pound, to feed in part the operatives who card, spin and weave this cotton. The beauty of dairy husbandry is, that little or no plowing is needed. A field that has yielded excellent grazing for cows every year for half a century, is just in its prime, needing perhaps a little bone-dust or land plaster. There are Bermudit and blue-grass pastures in the south which are as old as the federal government, and without re-seeding or any cultiva- tion— being generally in commons near cities and villages — they yield annually a liberal quantity of milk to thousands of families who pay nothing for this grazing. Augusta, Georgia, was the capital of that state in the last century, and its large common has been well set in grass about a century. If the more southern climate of Georgia permits a dense turf to form and last so long on rather poor soil, naturally, even when hard tramped and close fed, it is absurd to believe that the climate of Tennessee is less favorable to any grass-growing or dairy purpose. So far as there is a deficiency of the best American and European grasses as they may be found in Kentucky, Ohio, New York and England, the defect is due, not to our forbidding sunshine, or lack of rain, but to the general belief that planting pays better than anything that grass can be turned into on the form. If a cow-pasture or sheep-walk required as much cultivation and labor as a crop of cotton, from year to year, this opin- ion might be well founded. But there are pastures set in grass four hundred years ago, when Columbus discovered America, that still grow luxuriantly in England and on the adjacent continent, without any breaking of the sod or tillage whatever. In January, 1874, good but- ter sells in Nashville, New York, and London, at thirty-five cents a ])ound. A fat hog sells at five cents a pound in Nashville. It takes grain and plowing to make the five cents per pound porker, but not 142 Resources of Tennessee. the butter, worth just seven times as much per pound. Either our people, Europeans and northerners, do not know the relative value of meat, grain, and dairy products, or we should plant and plow less, have more land in grass, and reap our share of the wealth that flows from the skillful manufacture of butter and cheese. Several chease factories are in successful operation in North Carolina, and two are in contemplation in this State — one in East Tennessee and the other near Nashville. Experience proves that wherever the soil and climate will permit corn to grow, cheese and butter can be manu- factured at a profit at present prices for good articles. Very poor but- ter, cheese and meat are unprofitable staples to produce, and that sort of industry should cease. But when we consider the fact that there are three hundred and fifty million people in Europe and America to be fed, and remember how many careless and stupid men and women there are in the world employed in husbandry, we need not be surprised to learn that, while there may be a surplus of nieai* butter and cheese, and of badly fattened or badly cured meat, prime articles sell at a rea- sonable profit to the intelligent and careful husbandman. The principle of association, carried into the dairy business first in the State of New York, and since adopted in England, Switzerland, and other countries, has wrought great improvements, and served to kill the market for in- ferior butter and cheese in all large cities. Agriculture, by close study and earnest efforts to excel, has become not merely a rude industry, but a fine art ; not only an intelligent profession, but a highly cultivated and advanced science. The farmer wants to raise food that will give the toiling millions pure and healthy blood, at the least cost to them, and at a profit to himself. Food must sustain life, health and warmth. To do this with the greatest economy of labor, capital, and satisfaction to all parties, the dairy cow comes in as an indispensable agent, and an indispensable factor in the problem. Allowing her to give only ten pounds of milk in the morning, and the same quantity in the evening, for 200 days in 365, the yield in a year is 4,000 pounds. As a quart of milk Aveighs about two pounds, ten pounds at a milking requires only five quarts, while some cows give twice that quantity ; and it is rare that a good milker goes dry 165 days in a year if she has projK'r attention. What is the value of 4,000 pounds of new milk as com- pared with the beef that can be made on the same amount of cow- feed? As we have avoided an exceptional case in favor of milk, we will do tiie same in reference to beef, that the comparison may be just. An average three-year old steer or heifer may give 600 pounds The Dairy. 143 of meat, estimating the liide as a part and /f equal value. This as- sumes in substance that a dry cow will give '200 pounds of beef on the feed that might produce 4,000 pounds of milk. If we take ten pounds of fresh corn-beef, free from bone, and dry it perfectly, it loses seven and a half pounds of water, weighing when dry only two and a half pounds. Twenty pounds of milk dried in the same way weighs just the same as the meat, having lost seventeen and a half pounds of water by evaporation. From these flicts, it follows that a cow or steer must return for food consumed 2,000 pounds of beef in 200 days to equal in dry nutrition matter that supplied by a dairy cow in the same length of time. If the curd, butter and sugar in new milk are worth as much, pound for pound, as good beef, excluding all moisture in both, but including the natural bone and fat in beef, then grass, hay, grain, fodder and roots, will yield mankind just ien times more healthy blood for human veins in cow's milk, or in butter, cheese, and milk-sugar, than in beef. Viewing dairy husbandry by the light of these facts, the reader will understand why it is fast driving the raising and fatten- ing of cattle out of the best farmed districts of New York, New Eng- land, old England, and Europe. When a first-class cow gives ten quarts of milk twice in twenty-four hours, her yield per day is equal to twenty pounds of lean, fresh meat, in solid matter. The relative value of a pound of dry milk and a pound of dry meat is worth con- sidering, as the question affects both meat and dairy production. Not only the young of gramnivorous animals grow rapidly on milk, like calves, colts, lambs, and pigs, when liberally supplied, but the young of all carnivorous animals, like lions, tigers, and wolves, take their meat in the liquid form by sucking their mothers. The young of the human species is no exception to this general law. Milk is improved blood to promote the rapid organization of animal parts in early life. It is highly nutritive when its water is reduced one-half to bring it down to the standard of all fresh, lean meat. This separation of water is an easy process. In 100 pounds of cured cheese the consumer buys seventy-five pounds of nutritive elements, including those that support respiration and ani- mal heat ; in 100 pounds of lean meat (muscle) he buys between sev- enty-five and seventy-six pounds of water, and less than twenty-five pounds of the elements of nutrition. If the steak or mutton-chop is worth ten cents a pound, the cheese should sell for thirty. But it has been shown that milk production is now so largely developed in the best cows, they having been milked for unknown thousands of years 144 Resources of Tennessee. before the time of Abraham, cheese can be made cheaper per pound than beef. There is less labor in the production of beef than cheese ; yet the whey left from cheese-making, and the skim-milk left, includ- ing butter-milk, in making butter, are compensating items in the dairy business. Concentrating milk by gentle heat applied to large quanti- ties in vacuum pans pays quite as well as to remove water and deliver the valuables in cheese, in butter and in sugar. As dried meat keep.s much better than undried, so condensed milk may be preserved as easily as dried fruit. Eggs and oysters are dried and kept in good order for any length of time. The cheap and large manufacture of ice has an important bearing on dairy industry in the southern states. The cooling of dairy rooms is now well understood, and practicable at small cost. We should not hesitate to avail ourselves of these im- provements no more than of steam engines, power looms, reapers, steamboats, railways, telegraph wires and electric batteries. A cheese factory is a new agricultural battery. How to charge this battery is a question in agricultural engineering on which we will venture a few hints, drawn from the best authorities. Mr. La Mont, who has been engaged many years in the manufacture of cheese in Tompkins county, New York, raises forty tons, dry weight, of good corn-fodder on five acres at one crop. He finds this corn-hay equal to that made from timothy or herds-grass ; while the yield being eight tons to the acre, is four times larger on any given surfaces. In three-fourths of the counties of Tennessee, by planting the earliest varieties of corn, two crops for fodder can be raised in suc- cession on the same land within six mouths. This is impracticable in all the northern states, and as they all find corn, hay, and green blades and stalks the cheapest feed for dairy cows, it is easy to see that our cotton climate, properly understood and utilized, will keep more cows to the acre, and yield more milk, butter and cheese to the ten acres or one hundred, than the dairy farms of New York worth $100 per acre, or those in England worth five times that sum in gold. Milk comes directly from the blood of the cow, and is one form of her blood, of which, strange to say, some cows have given' sixty pounds in twenty- four hours. Su(!h cows are all stomach, which is usually very large, a.s well as its other digestive and assimilating apparatus. The ma- chinery which extracts first-class cheese and butter from green corn- stalks and leaves is very simple and easily managed. Carrots make rich^ yellow butter and cheese. Twelve hundred bushels of carFots have been grown on an acre, but GOO may be relied on with fair sea- The Dairy. 145 sons, good tillage and rich soil. As four bushels of carrots are equal to one of corn for cows or horses, this makes a crop of roots equal to 150 bushels of corn per acre. If it was impossible to raise corn, cow- peas, turnips, cabbages, beets, carrots and pumpkins in Tennessee, or blue-grass and other northern grasses, clovers, Bermuda, and many- other southern grasses, we should not commend the industry which may easily transform these cheap articles into cheese worth from twelve to eighteen cents a pound, and into butter worth from twenty-four to thirty cents a pound. Let Tennessee farmers give earnest attention to the production of the best dairy stock — and in what part of the world can better cows be raised? If any northern state has better blood for breeding purposes, surely we can buy and import a few bulls and heifer calves for seed to start with. An enterprising people who have built many cotton and woolen mills, iron works, railroads, and their equip- ments, need not dread the cost of seeding land to perennial grass for pastures, nor the expense of raising dairy cows, and supplying all the wants of cheese and butter factories. At one of these new institutions a small farmer, whether he rents land or owns it, can sell at a fair price all the milk he can possibly produce, whether it is ten pounds or ten thousand pounds a day. This market for milk creates at once a demand for land and a demand for labor, in a new and profitable in- dustry. To render the milk a commercial article like good bacon, it requires simply the extraction of the surplus water that exists in this lacteal secretion. It will not pay to transport much water from Tennessee to New York or London ; and seven-eights of milk as drawn from the udder is pure water. If we coagulate the curd dissolved in milk- water by using a little rennet or acid, and press it into cheese, most of the water and nearly all the sugar are separated in whey. Nothing in farming is more chemical in its processes and results than daily husbandry; nothing more favors a division of labor. One farmer may raise dairy cows as his business, another feed them and send their milk to the factory, which, if large, may be divided into three departments. In one the milk goes into vacuum pans to be condensed by evapora- tion at a low temperature, and sealed up for exportation. In another department cheese is manufactured, while in another butter is the pro- duct. Hogs or cows eat the butter-milk, whey and milk-sugar. Every- thing is carefully saved and turned to the best account. All the droppings of dairj-cows arc husbanded as having value in gold ; and so far as bone material is exported in cheese it is replaced in the soil 10 146 Resources of Tennessee. by the purchase of bone-dust, guano or South Carolina superphos- phates. On many a meadow and pasture a spring branch, creek or mountain stream, for irrigation, is quite within our reach in Tennessee. The annual fall of rain in this State, and its distribution through the year, greatly encourages grass culture, dairy husbandry, the formation of bold and lasting springs of cool water, cheap and successful irriga- tion. The general topography of Tennessee enables farmers to carry water from one level to another, by its own gravitation, in ditches, for fertilizing purposes; and in probably every county hydraulic power is available to pump water in quantity for watering fields and gardens. These, and many other inestimable agricultural advantages really exist, and our people have only to improve, utilize and enjoy them. But one of the greatest advantages which the State of Tennessee enjoys is the length of the growing season. It will be seen by refer- ence to the chapter on climate, that the average length of the growing season, through a period of twenty -three years, is 189 days. The hardy grasses will grow through nine months in the year on many of the low sheltered valleys in the State, so that the actual number of days in which cattle must be fed wholly upon hay, bran, meal or corn, is very small. This we regard as quite an important element in the calculation of the profits upon dairy products. One of the most prac- tical and successful dairymen in the State, Mr. S. Collins, formerly of Ohio, in a communication upon this subject, says that grazing furnish- es tlie principal food from the first of March to the first of December. In the sale of milk and butter this gentleman estimates the annual profits in the dairy business, near a city, on each cow to be $100 net, and that over and above the value of the calves raised and the ma- nure made. In regard to the profits in a neighborhood away from a city or a railroad, he says : " In that case the cost of hauling the produce raised to a shipping point is quite an expensive item. The cows could consume these pro- ducts and furnish in their stead butter and cheese. A very ordinary cow will produce two hundred and fifty ])ounds of butter, or five hund- red ])ounds of cheese annually. For the next twenty years first-cla.ss butter will sell at not less than forty cents per pound, and cheese in time will become one of the staple articles of all classes. In this case the butter would ])ay one hundred dollars to the cow, and the cheese seventy-five, besides the butter-milk and wliey for the rearing of hogs would amount to quite a sum." The Dairy: 147 "I do not," he continues, " })ropose to make the culeulations in de- tail. The farmers of Tennessee should investigate this branch of industry. If they could see, as I have seen in the dairy districts of Ohio and New York, such prosperity and wealth as abound there with the increased fertility of the soil, they would not hesitate one moment, but speedily go to work and make this the great dairy state of America. A cow can be raised and fed for one-third less here than in the dairy districts of Ohio and New York. The growing seasons begin here so much sooner, and continue so much later in the fall ; the Avinters are' so much milder and shorter, that Tennessee has overpow- ering natural advantages over the states named. Cool springs are numerous. I have seen as fine, firm butter made here in the spring- houses in the hottest days of summer as I ever saw made in the north. There is no question better settled in my mind than this, that if any noted family of milkers, such as Devons, Ayrshires, or Alderneys, were brought here and bred for twenty years they would greatly increase in size and in the flow of milk. Gen. Harding, a breeder of note, has a family of Alderneys which. he has bred on his farm for years. The largest cows of that breed I have ever seen, came from his farm. It may be asked, what has climate to do with increasing the size of a. coAV? Just this: If we sow rye and barley early in the fall, w^e have good grazing almost the whole year. The young calves are sure to get their share, and this has a powerful influence on the growth of any animal, and when continued for years the size of the lacteal ducts are increased from constant distension, and a consequent increase in the flow of milk. There is not a milkman in Ohio but will say that cows increase in their milk as soon as they are turned upon the green grass in spring. The cows may have been fed their fill on bran, slops, hay, cooked or raw carrots, etc., but green grass will produce the greatest flow of milk. I do not say that the milk is altogether as rich, quantity for quantity, but the amount of butter will be greatly in- creased, for the quantity of the milk will more than <'om])ensate for the slightly increased deficiency in richness, " The inducements for entering upon this special (U'partment of farm economy in Tennessee are very great. The changes that would be wrought would be of the most beneficial character. J^y entering into dairy husbandry, the farmers would not only increase the fertility of the soil, and make the State ])rosperous and wealthy, but the whole aspccit of this country would be changed. Old wornout fields would be converted into green pastures and their former fertility restored ; 14S Resources of Tennessee. the productive wealth of the State would be doubled, and happiness, peace and calm enjoyment would take the place of the worry, vexation, uncertainty and discontenment of the present course of farming. Nor is this the dream of a theoretical visionary. The dairy business is not of recent origin. It is a branch of agriculture that every farmer knows something about. Every family has a cow or a few cows to furnish milk and butter for domestic use. By increasing the number and con- verting all the products of the farm into butter and cheese, they save transportation, assure a ready market, and build up a prosperity im- possible, when all the products of the farm are shipped from the farm upon which they were raised. In New York and Ohio, the most suc- sessful farmers are those who thus dispose of their products. Their farms are in better condition. Their bank balances are on the right side. And yet these farmers live in a more rigorous climate than this, and where the cost of a pound of butter is one-third more than in Tennessee. Double the profit can be made in this State that can be made in Ohio. In illustration of this, I will simply mention the fact that during the winter of 1873-4, I killed a beef every two weeks, and they were fat and good, as many men from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and \yisconsin, who stopped with me, can testify. Now, these beeves did not eat one grain of corn during the entire winter, and had only oc- casional feeds of hay, and that when snow was on the ground. I state this to show how easily we winter cattle here. If the farmer wishes to soil his cows, he has two or three months longer to soil-feed from." Such is the testimony of one of the best dairymen in the State, as to /the natural advantages which Tennessee offers for the dairy busi- ness. Around Nashville, there are about forty dairies. Sweet milk Kells for eight and a third cents a quart ; butter-milk fifteen cents per gallon, and good butter forty cents per ])ound. A cow that will give six hundred gallons of milk aniuially, which is a small estimate, will bring in two hundred dollars, and upon the supposition that it will recpiire half tiiis amount to feed her and market the milk, there will be realized one; hundred dollars net. Now, in the State of Vermont, where cows have to be fed ^ix months in the year, and where the facilities for getting milk to nuirket are ecpially as good as in the State; of Tennessee, we have this state- ment furnished by one of the dairymen of that State, in which it will be observed there is no milk sold, probably for want of a nuirket. The cows were a mixture of natives, Devons, Durham and Jerseys, and were in number twelve. In June, it took twenty-two pounds of The Dairy. 149 milk to make one pound of butter, and towards the close of the sum- mer t^venty-one, and in winter twenty. The skimming Mas done twenty-six to twenty-eight hours after straining. And here is the account kept by Mr. Drew with twelve cows : Creditor. Sold 2450 lbs of butter for $1,152 02 Used in fiimily 18G lbs, worth at 35c., 65 10 Sold calves, pigs and pork, 120 00 Pork salted, 500 lbs at 7c., 35 00 Killed one calf worth ^ 6 00— $1,377 12 Debtor. Cost of meal feed to cows, $ 197 00 Cost of meal feed to hogs, 10 00 Paid freight and express on Butter, GO 00 — 267 00 $1,110 12 Leaving $92.50 per cow to pay for work, hay and pasture. It will be seen that the profits in the State of Tennessee are over twice as large, while the superior advantages of milder weather will make the business far more agreeable here than in Vermont. From ISIemphis, we have the following statement from a very reli- able and intelligent gentleman. He says, in response to our letter of enquiry : " There is almost an unlimited demand in Memphis for good milk and good butter. Dairying, properly managed, not including a third of the minutiae, expense, etc., common in the eastern states, is here a very profitable business; so much so, that one Italian who commenced poor, is now a wealthy merchant and owner of a number of fine brick houses — all made since 1860, and nearly all from profits on his dairy. " There are about thirty-six dairies around Memphis, the largest of which has about one hundred and fifty cows in milk. The trade is wholly local, and not one pound of good fresh butter is made to the one hundred demanded by the local consumers. The price of butter ranges from forty-five to seventy-five cents per pound. There is usually great carelessness in its manufacture, yet even this inferior article averages fifty cents per pound. "I cannot imagine a more lucrative prospect than that promised by a butter fa(!tory located near the city, with the necessary fixtures, 150 Resources of Tennesvee. .sprijig-water, capital, knowledge of and attention to bnsiness. Milk sells at fifteen cents a quart, or from forty to fifty cents a gallon, and this is usually considerably diluted with water. The cows are turned upon the commons, except in the dead of winter, to make their own support from the spontaneous growth of grass. The native cattle is almost wholly used, there being a strong prejudice against the importa- tion of the Short-horns from the blue-grass region of Kentucky. These fine cattle treated, or mistreated, as they are here, are not healthy. Confinement does not agree with them, and their digestive apparatus is not equal, under our hot suns and with our muddy water, to the task of reducing our coarse garbage and heritage to milk, butter and a healthy animal economy." Around Knoxville, the dairy interest is assuming considerable im- portance. The influx of many northern gentlemen has given a fresh impetus to this (le])artment of agriculture, and avc doubt not that in a few years Knoxville will be the center of one of the greatest cheese- producing regions south of the Ohio river. The rich valley lands, sparkling springs, moderate climate, and ready markets, all point out that division of the State as pre-eminently suited to dairy husbandry. Even now, butter forms one of the staple products, and its manufac- ture is regularly increasing. The shipments of this article from the stations along the East Tennessee and Virginia railroad during the }ear ending June 30, 1873, was 346,819 pounds, of ^vhich over 25,000 pounds were shipped from Knoxville. As the profits of this business depend greatly upon the richness of the milk as well as the quantity, we append a table showing the rela- tive value of the milk of the different breeds of cattle. This table is the result of carefully conducted experiments made in England a few years since, and is exceedingly valuable to those intending to embark in this business. Milk of Diffeijent JiijEEUs of Cattee. No. 1. KKKll — GRASS AND HAY ONLY. Pure Brittany cow's milk lit. 27 per ct. cream. Pure Jersey 18.65 " " Pure Durham Vo.Wl " " Pure Ayrshire E!. H Pure Devon H.ST Cross between Jersey and Durham l^l'5 The Dairy. 151 No. 2. FEED — GRASS, HAT, ONE LB. LINSEED CAKE. Brittany cow's milk 20.00 per ct. cream. Jersey 18.98 Durham 16.02 Ayrshire 14.14 Devon 15.31 Cross breed 18.21 No. 3. FEED — GRASS, HAY, BREWERS' GRAINS AND ONE MEASURE CONDIMENT. Brittany cow's milk 20.00 per ct. cream. Jersey 18.62 " Durham 16.09 " " Ayrshire 14.09 " " Devon 16.07 Cross breed 18.84 " " No. 4. FEED GRASS, HAT, MEAL AND FEED EXTRA. Brittany cow's milk 22.00 per ct. cream. Jersey 20.00 Durham 17.95 Ayrshire 13.94 Devon 15.09 Cross Breed 19.05 No. 5. SAME FEED — BUT CHANGE IN i-ROPORTION. Brittany cow's milk ,. 21.50 per ct. cream. Jersey 19.08 Durham 18 56 " " Ayrshire 14.84 Devon 17.00 Cross Breed I8 60 " " To sum up the advantages which Tennesse offers as a dairy district, we have : 1. Comparative cheapness of pasture lands, being about one-fourth the price of those of the same quality in Ohio and New York. 2. The adaptability of these lands for the growth of the various grasses — among others the celebrated Blue-grass of Kentucky. 3. The length of the growing season. 152 Resources of Tennessee. 4. The mildness of the weather and tlie short time that cattle have to be housed and fed. 5. Active demand at high prices for all dairy products, and the regularly increasing consumption of them. It may not be generally known that the value of the dairy products in the United States is as great as that of the cotton crop. The fol- lowing figures, taken from the census report of 1870, will show the aiormous proportions to which this business has attained. In a com- parison of its value with the cotton crop, we have put butter at thirty cents and cheese at twelve cents per pound, and milk at thirty cents per gallon : Chmparison of the Value of the Dairy Products of the United StoMs with the Value of the Cotton Crop for 1870. DAIRY PRODUCTS. Butter, 515,092,683 lbs. at .'JOc $154,527,804 90 Cheese, 53,492,153 lbs. at 12c 6,419,058 36 Milk, 236,500,599 gals. at 20c 47,110,119 80 Total value dairy products $208,056,963 06 COTTON CROP. Bales, 3,011,996@450 lbs to bale, would be 1,355,498,200 lbs at 15c $203,324,730 00 Showing the value of the former to exceed the latter by $4,712,233. In 1870, Tennessee reported 9,571,069 pounds of butter, 142,240 pounds of cheese, and 415,786 gallons of milk sold, which, at the prices above given, would amount to $3,071,545.70. The cotton crop of the State for the same year was worth $12,274,335. If the same ratio was preserved in Tennessee that obtains for the United States in rela- tion to these two products, Tennessee would have to increase her dairy interest by nearly $10,000,000. The value of the dairy products in the United States is considerably more than half the value of all slaughtered animals, and is over two- thirds tlie amount of wages jKiid to farm hands, including board. The Dairy. 153 The state of society in the south has been such that but little at- tcintion has been paid to this branch of agriculture, and many farmers are unacquainted with it as an element of wealth and prosperity. It has always been classed with the smaller industries, but in the aggre- gate value of its products, the dairy interests overshadow every other farm product. With such advantages as Tennessee presents, it will certainly, in the near future, become one of the great dairy districts of Ainerica. 154 Resources of Te?i7iessee. CHAPTER XI, Grape-Growing ix Tennessee. Perhaps in no direction has a greater forward movement in our State been made during the last decade than in the cultivation of the grape. The admirable adaptation of the soil and climate to the raising of this product was in a great measure unknown, or neglected, until after the great social revolution which the war occasioned, and our farmers began to consider the feasibility of cultivating a crop that would combine the profitable with the pleasant, and in a measure dis- pense with the steady, hard toil demanded in the cultivation of cotton or tobacco. One of the first efforts to grow grapes in this State was made by Mr. P. F. Tavel, a native of Switzerland, who came to the county of Stewart in 1844, bought land, and afterwards returned and brought out his family in 1845. During the fall of that year he set out two acres of grapes upon Lick C^*eek, two miles from Dover. The varieties he planted were imported, and they failed to do well. In only one or two years out of seven or eight was there a full crop, but it was observ- able that the vines ^vhich were pruned closely did not do so well as those which were suffered to run ujKin trellises, and the European plan of close pruning was believed V)y Mr. Tavel to be a disadvantage to the vine on our rich virgin soils. Tiie attempt was finally given up, and the impression made tliat our climate was not propitious for the growing of this excellent fruit. Some ten years aftcrwnrd a few enterprising persons in various parts of the State were indu(ted, after insj)ecting the vineyards around (■incinnati, or hearing of the wonderful success of Mr. Long- worth, to plant a few vines of the Isabella and Catawba varieties. Grape Growmg. 155 Among these early pioneers we may mention Mrs. Rebecca Dudley and Mr. James Clark, both of Montgomery county. No history of grape culture in the State can be written without making honorable mention of these two persons, who, long before grape-growing or wine- making was thought possible in our State, planted and successfully managed several acres of vines, and made wine, that by reason of its excellence and flavor soon became famous throughout the country. The varieties they planted, however, were not Avell suited to the lati- tude, and the fre(iuent failures of their vineyards induced the belief that Tennessee could never be made a grape-growing State. For a time thev were even discouraged, but eventually, from some circum- stances not necessary to detail, Mr. Clark was led to believe that his frequent failures did not arise from the nature of the location, soil or climate, but from the unsuitableness of the Isabella and Catawba to our latitude. Acting in this belief, he tested some new kinds and found that they did well, among others the Ives Seedling and Concord. These he subsequently planted altogether and abandoned his old vine- yard. Several other vineyards in the meanwhile were planted in the county, and many new varieties tested. Among the most fruitful of these are or were owned by N. F. Hood and P. H. Porter. Hon. O. P. Temple, of Knoxville, A. Severin, of Chattanooga, A. Cox, of Pulaski, and T. S. Barbour, of Shelby, also richly deserve the name of pio- neers in the growing of the grape. We propose to give in this chapter, as far as we may be able, some account of the vineyards in the various divisions of the State. Grapes on the Highland Rim. Clark's vineyard is ])lanted upon a spot of ground that had been turned out on account of its exhausted fertility ; it occupies an elevated situation in Montgomery county upon the north bank of Red River, one of the tributaries of the Cumberland. The land is rolling, and has a red, gravelly subsoil. The whole rests at a considerable depth upon blue limestome. Geologically, it belongs to the coral or Lithostro- tion bed of the Carboniferous. The land, before its exhaustion, was well adapted to the growth of wheat, corn and tobacco, and had been alter- nated with these crops until its sterility was so great as to render their culture no longer remunerative. Two acres of this land were set out in the month of A])ril, 1869, in grape vines six feet each way. Potatoes and peas were planted be- 156 Resources of Tennessee. tween, and the vines received no other cultivation than that necessary to make this crop of vegetables, except to keep the grass cleared away next to the vines. The succeeding year, 1870, Mr. Clark set out four additional acres, seven feet apart, varying the distance more with a view of saving vines and testing the difference in the yield per acre than anything else. He is now impressed with the belief that upon land of moderate fertility, six feet is ample when the training is done on stakes. Upon very rich soil he would prefer a greater distance. After the vines were set out, which was done by marking off the land the distance before mentioned, and digging a hole at the crossings, into which about a peck of rich light black loam was put, and the roots of the vine covered with about three inches of soil, he planted stakes, which reached about five feet above the surface of the ground, and tied up every vine. The best wood for stakes is cedar, or black locust. Higher than five feet is not to be desired, as in that case they are apt, in wet seasons, to be blown about by the wind to the great in- jury of the vine. Hickory bark is used for tying — the bark being kept to its proper height by nails driven under it. This vineyard is planted exclusively with the Ives Seedling, which, Mr. Clark is of opinion, is decidedly the best wine grape that can he grown with us. When the whole vineyard comes into bearing, he ex- pects to get on an average at least 500 gallons to the acre. In the making of wine, he uses an ordinary cider-press, putting the bunches in whole. The expressed juice is put into nice, clean barrels and stowed away in a cellar for fermentation. Care is taken to keep the barrels full and the bung-hole loosely closed. AVhcn it is remembered that all the work on this vineyard is done by one old man seventy-five years of age, except during the season of gathering and pressing, it certainly suggests, in a most forcible man- ner, suitable employment for the many persons in our State who, either from feebleness or misfortune, can find nothing remunerative to engage their attention. Hood's vineyard is situated just east of the city of Clarksville, on Red Ilivcr, and about a fourth of a mile from the corporation. Th« land slopes slightly to the north and west, and the soil is a clayey loam, a small proportion of which is gravelly. In all essential particulars, it is much of the same character of soil as that of Mr. Clark's vine- Grape Growing. 1^7 yard, except that much of it is free from graveh This vineyard covers about seven acres, and about 700 of the vines are six, and 2,200 five vears okl ; the remainder, four years okL They are set six feet by eight, the narrow way being east and west. Tliey are tied to stakes four feet high with bark, and were all pruned in the spring to one bud. Mr. Hood uses the tM'o cane or arm system of training. The vineyard was plowed five times during the summer, and the hoe and fork used once about the vines, requiring the work of two hands, who also per- form the work of summer-pruning or pinching six times. Unlike the vineyard of Mr. Clark, tliis has a great variety. "We observed the Concord, Ives, Taylor, Clinton, Diana, Rentz, Hartford Prolific and Crevaling. Of these the Concord and Ives are most pro- lific and most profitable. The Concord is slightly subject to rot, but always yields a good crop. The Ives never rots, is hardy, and always prolific. The Clinton and Taylor are hardy, but shed their leaves through July and August, thereby exposing too much the bunches to the direct rays of the sun. Crevaling does best on loose soil free from gravel. The Diana and Rentz are both hardy, the first superior in quality. The Rentz is not well flavored, and is chiefly valuable for coloring matter. The wine is very dark, and is used to give color to lighter wines. The Hartford Prolific is a good early grape, but not desirable for wine. The Taylor makes the finest wine, but yields too scantily to be profitable. The next best for wine are the Ives and Crevaling. Mixed with the Concord, the Ives makes a very superior wine, and one much sought after in the wine markets. From the Concord, wine of two colors may be made. Pressed before fermenta- tion, the wine is white ; after fermentation, a rich, bright red. We have rarely seen anything in the way of vineyards approaching the productiveness of Mr. Hood's. Plis older vines averaged over twenty-five pounds of grapes in the year 1872, and the bunches w^ere compact, free from rot, well shouldered, and positively beautiful. This productiveness is doubtless attributable in a great degree to the care, good culture, and intelligent pruning given them by Mr. Hood. The late frosts injured the crop of 1873. From his vineyard he made, in 1872, nearly seventy barrels of expressed juice, each barrel holding forty gallons. In addition to this Avine, he shipped from his vineyard several hundred boxes of grapes to the various markets north, realizing from this sale a sufficient amount to cover all the expenses of extra labor. Porter's vincvavd is alsd 011 the banks of Rcil I\i\cr, two miles east 1 58 Resources of Tennessee. of Clarksville. It has an elevation of 500 feet above the sea, is open to the north winds, and the soil, in all essential particnlars, is the same as that upon whieh the vineyards before mentioned are planted. In response to our enquiries eoneerning his vineyard, and his success, Mr. Porter says : "Secretary Bureau of Agriculture : " In obedience to your request, I propose to give in detail my ex- perience in the cultivtition of the grape, feeling well assured that^ it "svill in time be one of the leading industries of the State. Soil and climate mark the State of Tennessee as well suited to the growth of this delightful fruit, and the only drawback to its culture is the limited demand for wine. For twelve years past, I have been experimenting on a small scale in the culture of fruits in general, and of the grape in particular. My location might be called hilly, for it would be very difficult to find a level spot on my premises. Soil, a tenacious, gravelly clay; have no trouble in finding gravel and stone to make all necessary roads. Underlying this is })lenty of limestone. My first planting was red and white Catawba for family use, these being the only grapes of which I had then any knowledge (ex- cept the Isabella, which with us is worthless). These vines were planted around my garden and on the border, and have had good crops for several years. In the spring of 1862 I ordered from St. Louis two each of Delaware, Herbemont, Taylor, Hartford, Union, Village, Concord, and Norton's Virginia Seedling; also, some cuttings of Norton's Virginia, which I grafted on wild unfruitful vines. From these grafts I had a good crop the ensuing year — from one vine sev- enty-five bunches. From these vines I made cuttings and layers, and during the next three years planted one acre lying on a hillside with southeastern exposure, rows running east and west, eight feet wide and six feet apart in rows. These I have since trellised with number ten annealed wire, thi-ee wires to the row, bottom wire two feet from the gi-ound, second eighteen inches above, and third eighteen inches, making trellis five feet high. Good cedar posts, twenty-four feet dis- tant, end ]>arts well set in the ground and braced from inside; wires drawn tight, supported by one nail in each post; drawn half length in post and bent over. This trellis has borne three heavy crops of gra])es without any repairs. Cost ])or acre for M'ire about sixty dollars. I think this trellis, if well put up, will endure twenty-five or thirtv years, and though more expensive at the outset, will, I am satisfied, Grape Growing. 1 59 be found more economical in the aggregate, should it last only ten years, than the single stake system. The cultivation of these vines consists of one plowing in early spring with shovel plow to loosen the soil, and hoeing to cut the grass in the row of vines. After that the cultivator is used about once in two weeks to Jvcep down weeds and grass and keep the surface soil loose. " I prune pretty closely at any time in pleasant weather from the first of November till the first of March. To summer pruning I am opposed, believing that the grape when near maturity requires the shade of its own leaves to protect it from the hot sun of August and September. Where the vines grow luxuriantly, (and they frequently meet across eight-foot rows) I throw them across the top of the trellis, where they form a good protection to the grape against the summer heat. Where unprotected by this shade, I have had the upper branches scalded, as if laid on a hot stove. " Of varieties, time of ripening, and qualities, I will here speak of such as I have tried. "Concord. Hardv, very prolific, ripens very uniformly from about the 10th to the 15th of August, has had neither rot nor mildew, has fine sho^v)^ bunches, good for the table, and makes a pleasant red wine ; a rapid grower; will bear a good crop the third year from planting with fair cultivation. " White Catmcba. Ripens with above, rather thick skin, very sweet, somewhat pulpy, a regular bearer, hardy, a good grower, not quite so prolific as Concord ; and mixed with Red Catawba, I think very much improves the flavor of the wine. "Araph (white). Very much resembles White Catawba, bunch rather smaller, thin skin and less pulp. "Rogers, or Rogers' Hybrid No. 28, (white). Fine, large berry and bunch, bears well, and has a delicious flavor. "Martha, another white grape. My vines, young, bore a few bunches past season. I am much pleased with it. "Salem, another Rogers' Hybrid. — Vines bore a few bunches past season ; promises well. "Herbemont. Said to be a superior wine grape ; too tender for our climate. Mine were killed root and branch. "Delatoare. Perhaps the most delicious of all our native grapes ; hardy, a slow grower while young, tardy in coming into bearing, re- i6o Resources of Tennessee. quires better soil and culture than any other grape, but in its fourth or fifth year will richly repay the labor and time spent on it ; wood very firm and difficult to propagate from cuttings in open ground. " Crevaling. Drops its leaves ; not worth planting. " The above ripen about the same time, and can be used together in making wine, and, properly mixed, adding to its value. Late Geapes. "Norton^ 8 Virginia Seedling, Propagated only by layers ; difficult to grow, (I have lost more of these in transplanting than all other varieties ;) a rapid grower ; when started, rather capricious in bearing, sometimes yielding an immense crop, at other times almost nothing ; makes a very astringent red wine ; highly praised by some ; when thor- oughly ripe, pleasant, acid ; berry small, bunch large. The must of this grape possseses more body than that of any of the preceding va- rieties, by fifteen per cent., by Oischu's scale. "No Name. This grape I found growing here twelve years ago, and do not know its name or origin ; wood short-jointed, firm ; diffi- cult to propagate from cutting ; exuberant groAver ; buds out very late in spring, thereby escaping spring frosts ; bears profusely ; berry, black, small ; bunches very large, shouldered, and the most compact I have ever seen ; fine flavor ; ripens about with Norton's Virginia, August 1st to 15th of September, and makes a beautiful brown wine of great body. I am so pleased with this grape that I wish to plant, as soon as I can raise the vines, five to ten acres of this variety alone. "And now for the celebrated Ives Seedling, of which we have all read and heard so much of as a Avine grape. I have between six and seven acres planted. A portion of these bore the past season — their third season from planting. They are at least one year longer coming into bearing than the Concord, and I do not think they will yield as many grapes per vine, but they are hardy, healthy, easily propagated, and will give satisfaction. I have not made wine from them alone, (not having sufficient the last season to fill a cask) but by a test with the saccharometer, find very little variation in the must from that of the Concord. The Ives colors earlier than the Concord, but in their Grape Growing. i6i period of ripening there is little difference. As a table grape, I think it inferior to the Concord, possessing more acid, which may probably be in its favor as a wine grape. " Besides these named varieties, I have perhaps a dozen or two others on trial, of the merits of which I cannot speak at present from expe- rience. I have been making wine for the past five or six years as an experiment, without any previous knowledge of the business, sometimes using sugar and sometimes wathout, and believe our State as well adapted to the gro\\i:h of the grape, possessing as good wine qualities as any east of the Rocky Mountains. We do not expect to compete with California, for there they can grow all the foreign grapes, which we cannot, out doors. Is it profitable ? I believe that I can produce, on an average, 500 gallons of Avine per acre, and can make more money with wine at fifty cents per gallon than with tobacco at $15 per 100 pounds. Besides, the greater portion of the work is light and pleasant. Many may not wish to make wine, but every one is fond of grapes, and can raise them cheaper than almost any other fruit. " P. H. PORTEE." Geapes in the Centeal Basin. Gox & Dunlap's vineyard is one of the most extensive in the State, embracing thirty acres, and is situated within one mile of Pulaski, upon an elevation 300 feet above the town, and commands a fine view of the surrounding country. The soil is a black loam, exceedingly fertile, of the depth of sixteen inches, and has a large number of black cherty rocks intermingled with it. Its great fertility may be inferred from the fact that its original growth was black walnut and wild grape vines. The first preparation which Messrs. Cox & Dunlap gave the land was plowing and subsoiling to the depth of twenty inches, thereby in- suring a good drainage, which is all-important in a vineyard. They then visited the vineyards in Ohio, where they spent some time in gathering all the information they could in reference to the grape and its manufacture into wine. This was in 1867. The same winter they purchased 2,000 vines one year old, of the Ives Seedling variety, at $125 per thousand, besides a large number of cuttings at about $20 per thousand. They included in this last purchase all the varieties grown there, in order that they might test each variety and ascertain 11 1 62 Resources of Tennessee. those best adapted to the soil and climate of Middle Tennessee. With these they set out eighteen acres, and have since that time raised a sufficient number to plant out twenty-one acres more. Of the original eight acres about four are in Ives Seedling ; the remainder is divided between the Concord, Norton's Virginia, Hart- ford Prolific and Diana. The last, Mr. Cox thinks, is by far the best table grape, but is not such a sure crop as the Ives Seedling, Norton's Virginia, Hartford Prolific or Concord. He has no confidence in the Catawba ; and the Isabella rots so much that he hardly thinks it is worth planting. Of all the varieties the Ives Seedling rots least, and next to it the Hartford Prolific and Norton's Virginia. The Concord is an excellent variety, but not such a good bearer as the Ives. The Delaware he has high hopes of. The order of ripening is Ives Seed- ling first. It is ready to be worked into wine by the first of August, usually. Immediately afterward comes the Hartford Prolific, then the Concord, then the Diana, then the Delaware, and lastly Norton's Vir- ginia, which is ripening during the whole month of September. The Ives Seedling is highly recommended as a superior grape for wine. The bright red of the wine and its rich flavor make it a favor- ite wherever it has been tried. Norton's Virginia also makes a red wine, but the color is deeper. It has a fine flavor, great body, and is much esteemed for its medicinal qualities. The Concord makes a showy, light red wine, but not so good as the others mentioned, though, as answering the purpose of both a table and wine grape, it could probably be made as profitable as any grape grown. Messrs. Cox & Dunlap have also five varieties of Scuppernong, which they procured from North Carolina, and are giving them a thor- ough trial. Besides the old Scuppernong, they have the Thomas, Flowers, Sugar and Tenderpulp, and they feel quite sure that these valuable varieties will do well on an elevated, rocky situation. All the varieties of grapes, except the Scuppernong, are planted eight feet each way, and trained to stakes, two stakes to a vine. The system of renewal is adopted, and all suckers and shoots are pinched ofi^, except two canes to each vine, which are left to bear the succeed- ing year. Each one of these canes in winter is carried up one stake and bent over to the other, there being two stakes, one for each cane. The stakes to each vine are placed one and a-half feet apart, and if the vines are pro])erly trained, all the sjiace between the stakes, as well as around them, will be filled with grapes. After the land has been Grape Growing. 1 63 marked off, one active man can plant ont 200 vines a day, and can keep down thronghont the year the weeds and grass from eight acres, besides keeping the vines pinched back and suckered. No more culti- vation is required than is necessary to raise a crop of corn, and after the third year, Avith proper management, each vine ought to yield twenty-five pounds of grapes. The products of this vineyard for 1872, were 2,500 gallons of wine, and many hundred boxes of grapes, or altogether about 8,000 pounds were shipped by the Louisville, Nashville and Great Southern railroad to Louisville, Chicago, Cincinnati, and other points three weeks in ad- vance of the maturing of the same varieties around these cities. The quantity of wine made in 1873 was not equal to that made the previous year. The frosts of 1873 materially lessened the yield *f)f grapes, as care was not taken to protect the vineyard by clouds of smoke. In Lincoln county, on the high rolling ridges that surround Fay- etteville, grapes yield profusely. It is precisely the same characte'r*of soil as that upon which Mr. Cox's vineyard is planted. Dr. Diemer has for years made the growing of this fruit highly remunerative. Around Columbia and Nashville are some flourishing vineyards. Grapes ox the Cumbeeland Table Laxd. By reference to the chapter on soils it will be seen that the soil of this region is almost wholly from sandstone, porous and thin. Elevated 2,000 feet above the sea, this Table Land has a climate considerably cooler than the localities jiamed. It, indeed, has the climate of New York and Pennsylvania. Mr. Rogers, of Beersheba, and E. A. Nath- urst, of Tracy City, both of Grundy county, have given considerable attention to the cultivation of this fruit. The vineyard of Mr. Rogers overlooks one of the deep gorges that make such a distinguishing feature of the landscape around Beersheba. The fogs and mists that cover the mountain side in the summer months made the spot unpro- pitious for grape culture, and his vineyard of several acres proved a comparative failure. On the other hand the vineyard of Mr. Nathurst, situated several miles from the steep escarpments of this plateau, where the land is rolling but not subject to the fogs that rise up from the deep gulfs and lowlands that lie at the foot of the mountain, is highly pro- ductive, and produces crops with reasonable certainty every year. 164 Resources of Tennessee. From a five year old vineyard he sold for the year 1872, 3,000 pounds of grapes, averaging nine cents per pound, or $270 for grapes. In addition to this he made 200 gallons of wine, worth probably $200. Total income from vineyard of seven-eights of an acre, $470. He estimates that the labor cost liini $70, leaving $400 profit. This land was considered good for nothing except for the underlying coal and tan-bark privileges. The Swiss who have settled upon the Cumberland Table Land feel greatly encouraged at their success in grape-growing. Nearly every little farm has a few vines, and some of the immigrants have set out quite extensive vineyards. They manufacture the grapes into wine, and after bottling it is sold to visitors. A ready market is the only thing lacking to ensure great success in this branch of husbandry. Grapes^ in East Tennessee. From the ridgy character of the lands in East Tennessee, and the possibility of securing any desirable exposure and soil, great expecta- tions are entertained in regard to the future developments of this crop ; and the experiments that have been made fully justify these expecta- tions. In many of the counties the grape has been grown with re- markable success. Stanley and Richey's vineyard is situated four miles east of Chatta- nooga, on Missionary Ridge, which rises 1,100 feet above the sea. It has an eastern exposure, and embraces twelve acres, five of which are in full bearing. The oldest vines are five years old. The fourth year they bore enormous quantities of the finest grapes. From five acres 40,000 pounds of grapes were sold, of which 25,000 pounds were sold at an average price of ten cents per pound — many of them selling for sixteen cents. These sold in Macon, Georgia, and Montgomery, Ala- bama, brought sixteen cents, in Atlanta twelve and a-half, and in Chat- tanooga ten cents. At least 15,000 pounds were lost in consequence of the breaking out of the cholera. The soil of this vineyard is loose and gravelly, with a deep red clayey subsoil. The gravel extends a considerable depth below the surface. The original growth was hickory and black oak. The varieties planted are the Concord and Hartford Prolific, the for- mer largely predominating. The former is much more certain in its fruitage, but the latter ripens from two to three weeks earlier, and has Grape Growing. 1 65 a tougher skin, and for that reason will bear transportation better and ■will keep a greater length of time. The vines are trained on horizontal wire trellises, and are set eight feet apart each way, though it is thought that eight by twelve would be better — the vines twelve feet apart in rows eight feet wide. The grapes of the same variety will ripen in Chattanooga four or five weeks earlier than in Cincinnati. On Walden's Ridge, which rises five hundred feet higher than Missionary Ridge, the grapes ripen two weeks later, but will retain their plumpness and sweetness two weeks longer, on account of the purity of the atmosphere. Great complaint is made of the want of care in the handling of the grapes by the express companies, and the sale is oftentimes greatly damaged on account of their bruised condition. All through East Tennessee similar situations may be found. East- ern or southern exposures hasten the maturity of the fruit, but it is thought no other benefit accrues from such exposures. One compe- tent man can superintend thirty acres. The vineyard of Judge Temple, near Knoxville, though small, is one of the most productive in the State. It is situated near the bank of the Holston, on a commanding eminence, and overlooks the river. The late frosts of 1873 did not affect it. When seen by the writer, the vines were loaded down with rich, jjurple clusters, which peeped out from their leafy coverts with tempting sweetness. They were sold in the Knoxville market for about twenty cents per pound. This vine- yard has several varieties, but mostly Concord. Vineyards in West Tennessee. Near Memphis, there are several extensive vineyards which yield bountifully. One of the largest and most productive is owned by C F. Vance, who says in relation to it : " I have vineyards about two miles east of this city. Ten acres of Scuppernong grapes and two acres of other varieties, consisting of Con- cord, Ives, Virginia, Norton's Virginia, Herbemont, Delaware, Goethe, Cynthiana, Hartford Prolific and Clinton. Of these last varieties, about one-half were planted a year ago, and the remainder last fall. They are all thriving and promise Avell. Fifteen hundred of them stood the heat of last summer, and all survived except two or three. 1 66 • Resources of Tennessee. " This is the fifth year of my Sciippernong vineyard. I lost about one- fourth of the phmts set out by the injudicious stirring of the ground about their roots in summer. The ten acres are now doing welL They bore some fruit h\st summer, and will increase every season from now onward. I think they are better suited to this soil and climate than any other variety. They are never caught by frost, and are not at- tacked by the insects or diseases that other varieties are subject to. " I have two vines in my garden about fourteen years old, and they never failed any year to bear fruit ; some years more plentiful than others, but always fruit. " They need no pruning after the first year; all that is needed is scaffolding for the vines to run upon. The vine is of very luxuriant growth, and requires a great deal of scaffolding. I am using trellis wires — No. 9 annealed wire ; whether they will do or not when the vines become old, I cannot say. It is an experiment, but well recom- mended by persons who have tried this mode of training. " I made this last summer a few kegs of wine out of the Scupper- nong grape. The grapes were rather immature when pressed, but the wine is pronounced by good judges excellent. The perfume or ' bou- quet ' of the Scupixjrnong wine is very manifest. Some wines have no 'bouquet' at all, but this 'bouquet' is perhaps more distinguishable in Scuppernong than in any other variety. The wine-ether and the ' bou- quet' are easily recognized in the Scuppernong by smell. It is a white wine, and worth $4 per gallon. " The soil of my vineyard is sandy — the land gently rolling, and well drained by nature. I chose the locality on account of the wilder- ness of wild grapes which festooned nearly every tree in the grove." B. B. Barnes also has six acres in Scuppernong grapes, half a mile east of the city of Memphis. Vineyard planted four years ago — vines trained on wire, (No. 8) seven feet above the ground. Most of the vines fruited last summer. The land is rolling, with slopes towards the four points of the compass — all slopes e(jually favorable so far. The vines grow better at the apex of the hills than at the base. He also has 1000 dwarf pear trees — 12 different varieties — four years planted. Lost twelve per cent, by late frost last spring. Bartletts suffered fifty per cent; Duchess d'Angoleme notliing. Duchess is his favorite, and in future will plant nothing else. ^ T. S. Barbour, three miles from Memphis, is exclusively engaged in Grape Growing. 167 the culture of the small fruits. The surface of his land is rolling, with southern and northern exposures. Soil black loam, with a hard clay subsoil. The farm embraces fifty acres, ten of which are in grapes, ten in raspberries, and twenty-eight acres in strawberries, besides a few gooseberries and blackberries. He has several varieties of grapes, among others, the Concord, Delaware, Ives Seedling and Hartford Pro- lific. The two first named varieties are most valuable. These and the Ives Seedling are the best paying varieties. The Ives and Delaware have never rotted, but the Concord sometimes rots badly, and the older the vines the worse they rot. His habit is to plant the Concord every year and to cut down the older vines. The Hartford Prolific is value- less, and rarely ever brings a paying crop. The Ives Seedling ripens about the same time, and in a measure supplies its place. Mr. Barbour has cut down all his Hartfords, believing the effort to raise them is time and work wasted. The Concords yield about ten thousand pounds to the acre, while the Ives have averaged as high as twenty thousand. Mr. Barbour says he can see no difference in the yield and time of ripening on a northern or southern exposure, if other things are equal, such as soil, cultivation, etc. The price of grapes in the Memphis market for the last three years has been on an average through the season of eight and ten cents per pound. They are shipped to New Orleans, Louisville, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Chicago in large quantities, and a much higher price realized. It will be observed that at the lowest price named, Mr. Barbour realizes $1,600 per acre from his Ives Seedling, and half that amount from his Concords. Of strawberries, his main crop consists of Wilson's Albany. They usually begin to ripen about the middle of May, and sell in mar- ket for from sixteen to twenty-five cents per quart, owing to supply, quality, etc. Mr. Barbour says the best yield he has ever obtained from an acre was 32,000 quarts, or nearly one hundred bushels. Too muifih rain or a long continued drouth greatly lessens the crop. In addition to his Wilson's Albany, he has five acres in the Kentucky Late, a few Charles Downings, Jucunda, etc. He regards the Wilson's Albany as the only variety that will bear transportation over rough roads. Currants do not succeed in the latitude and soil of Memphis. It may here be mentioned that Mr. Barbour is the pioneer in berry and grape-growing in the vicinity of Memphis. There are several vineyards around Humboldt that ])roinise well, as 1 68 Resources of Tennessee. also in the neighborhood of Jackson. We have no statements from the owners of these vineyards, but it is generally understood that they are small but productive. For certain varieties, the soil and climate of West Tennessee are well adapted, especially for the Scuppernong, which likes a sandy, porous soil and a hot climate. Several years since, Mr. Severin, of Chattanooga, had charge of a vineyard near that city, which was a model of neatness, and proved highly remunerative. The subjoined communication from his pen gives his method of culture and propagation. It is a plain, practical statement of everything necessary to be learned by any one desirous of entering upon the pleasing occupation of grape culture, as well as the profits that may be expected : Essay on the Management of Vineyards. To the Secretary of the Bureau of Agriculture : In reply to the request for information on the subject of grape cul- ture in Tennessee, I will endeavor to present my views and experience in a manner rendered in some degree feeble and imperfect in conse* quence of a want of readiness in the use of the English language. I am pleased to perceive the cultivation of the grape is attracting the attention which its importance deserves, as, with the exception of California, the soil and climate of no country are better adapted to wine-growing than the soil and climate of our State. The grape has as yet received but little attention with us : we find a few vines grow- ing, with little culture, in our gardens, or as ornaments on porches ; but the cultivatien of it on a large scale, aided by science and prac- ticed skill, has been rarely attempted, or has soon been impatiently abandoned. The war, too, laid its desolating touch upon many vine- yards which had just begun to reward the labors of their owners. It is unfortunate that few of our people have the inclination, or through the want of means, the ability to test and follow up any experiment of a kind which requires a period of years to develop its intrinsic merit. Such persons are discouraged by every obstacle or providential hin- drance, and of course will thereafter condemn and denounce all similar enterprises. The grape ought to become a great source of revenue to our country, as I am confident that no other fruit can be made so jirofitablc. It grows to its highest perfection in our climate, our burning sun in- Grape Growing. i 69 creases the saccharine principle ; and even the pulpy varieties are ren- dered sweet and i)alatable, with just acid enough to please the taste. I believe that Tennessee is better adapted to the grape than Mis- souri or Ohio, owing to our latitude and greater length of the warm season. In 1859, I sent Mr. Longworth, of Cincinnati, six bottles of Cataw- ba wine, six months old, made from cuttings bought from him three years before. He could not believe that the wine was made of the Catawba, and asked whether I had added any sugar. Varieties of Grapes. There are many excellent varieties suitable to this climate, but too numerous to mention. I shall name only those which I know- to be healthy and productive. Some of the imported kinds flourish a few seasons, then, for some unknown cause, they de- teriorate, or the vines show signs of decay ; but in other localities they continue to prosper. A better plan is to select some native varieties, which are more durable and valuable than the imported. I prefer em- ploying a few only which I know to be healthy and best adapted to our soil and climate ; such are the following : For Table Use. The Dutch Sweet Water, Black Prince, Eed Con- stantia, and West St. Peter's. For Wine Culture. The Catawba and the Concord. The Ca- tawba is without a rival as to quality, but subject to mildew. I made of it a very superior wine, for which I obtained three premiums. I would recommend to any one possessed of the requisite skill and judgment, to experiment with this and other varieties, and thus be en- abled to discover that which is best adapted to his peculiar locality. Soil. Since different plants require soil suited to their individual wants, it is necessarily of the highest importance to select for the grape such soil as is best adapted to its nature. The tendency to disease, the prevalence of destructive insects, and an inability to mature the fruit, may all be traced to the soil. I consider a soil rich in car- bonate of lime, and having a slope towards the south-east, as prefer- able; besides this, it should be a rich, sandy soil, high and dry. If not naturally dry, it should be made so artificially. Cuttings. In selecting cuttings from vines, care should be taken, so that they may not be too massive ; they should have at least five short joints, a small j)art of the old wood being left at one end. After being tied up in bundles, they must be put in dry ditches, and covered up carefully till planting time. 1 70 Resources of Tennessee. Planting. I plant six by six, two cuttings in one hill. Ii both grow, I reject the inferior one in the following spring ; only one vine should be left. Planting vines six feet apart will give the roots ample space, and leave sufficient room for cultivation. Cultivation and Pruning the First Year. The soil should be stirred around the young vine two or three times during the season. I would recommend the two-pronged Yearman hoe and the plow to keep down weeds. In the fall, I take away two inches of earth from around the vines, so that the frost may kill the eggs of insects imbedded in the soil. Pruning the Second Spring. During January and February, I ob- serve whether the vine has not been injured by insects, such as the pulp-worm or grape-borer. I drive a stake nine fdet long freely near each vine; then cut down the plant to two joints or eyes (for safety take oif one afterwards). Replant, if necessary, from a hill where two are growing ; replace the soil previously removed. During the summer, pinch oif lateral shoots and suckers ; tie the vine to the stake ; keep oif insects, and hoe down weeds. Pruning the Third and Fourth Year. Notice whether there is any damage by insects, prune at the same time as in the second year ; but it now requires good judgment, since the standard-bearing stalk has to be selected and established. I select for this a healthy, but not too massive stalk, with joints close together, cut it down to six or twelve joints, according to the vigor of the vine and strength of the soil ; another cane I cut down to a spur of two eyes, and raise the cane for bearing next year. I cut oif branch roots three inches below the surface so that the summer showers may not cause a too rapid growth of the wood. I have the bearing vines made in semi-circular bows, witk three ties to the stake. This should be done carefully. I prefer low training, to have the crop ripened equally for wine culture. There are many methods of culture, each of which has its advocates. Pruning properly performed, and in tlic right season, is of the highest impor- tance to keep the vines under proper control ; but excessive pruning shortens the life of the vine. After two bearings and prunings I have always relaid the vines, to give the young roots a new area; it will keep up a healthy and young vineyard. This climate and the native grapes diifcr so much Irom those of Europe, that every intelligent vine-dresser will have much to learn by observation and experiment. Summer Training. I remove the young shoots from around the crown, replace the soil as before stated in the second year. I have no Grape Groiuing. 1 7 1 work done when the vines are bh^ssoming, the seed is " stoning," or the fruit ripening. I tie the bearing branches neatly to the stakes to allow the drying winds to blow through them, remove such lateral shoots as seem to be unnecessary, to strengthen their growth without taking any leaves from the fruit-bearing wood. I also carefully re- move all insects. In August, when the fruit has turned and the wood is ripe I have the vines to})ped to admit the sun\s rays. This is the last labor. Summer pruning should not be too close nor too long deferred. Cleanliness around the vine is also of much importance. Insects. It would require much time and space to enumerate the various insects that are destructive to the grape. I will name only a few of the most common. One very destructive to the young plant is a red, brownish worm, three-quarters of an inch long ; it feeds on the pith of the cutting and destroys it. In this case the cutting will sometimes take root only on the first eye below the surface, and grow for a few years, and will bear hardly any fruit because it has not a tap-root, and is therefore worth- less. Another enemy to the vine is the grape-borer, or wood-sawyer. If allowed to become domesticated it will, in some seasons, destroy a Avhole vineyard. It gnaws into the main-trunk root four inches below the surface. Its presence is seen by the general aspect of the vine, which seems to droop, the leaves turning up-side doAvn, and on pulling the vine the soil will be seen to yield. This worm must be watched for, and destroyed whenever it is found. A third kind is a small variety of the Carpocapsa Pomonella ; it destroys the vine by depositing its ova. To destroy this I have fires made from the middle of June till July. When permitted to become too numerous it is very injurious, the whole vineyard appears to have the " rust," and as if scorched by fire. It is a good plan to permit free ingress to turkeys, which feed upon it. The bumble-bee and yellow-jacket are also met with in some locali- ties. When the labor is done and the crop seems certain, these pests commence their devastations. I once observed a bumble-bee destroy t-wenty-seven bunches of grapes in twenty-five minutes ; it went from berry to berry, cutting them open and letting the juice run out. All that can be done is to catch and kill them. Insects that arc injurious to the foliage are : 1. The Tettigonia or Vine-hopper. In some seasons, when yet in their first state and un])r()vided with wings, they cover the entire 172 Resources of Tennessee. leaf, which will assume a blotched and scorched appearance. They are seen in July and August. 2. The Spotted Pelidnota. It is about one inch in length, and of a brownish yellow color. It flies in day-time with a humming sound. As it clings to the leaves it can be easily taken and killed. 3. The American Procris. It is covered with short hairs of a yellow color when in the caterpillar state, and is seen, several together, underneath the leaves feeding upon their substance, leaving only the ribs and stalks. Frost. The great danger threatening all vineyards in the spring is that of frost; the more so because it cannot be foreseen, and it may be encountered at any time, and sometimes as late as May. In 1859 a heavy hoar-frost visited our .neighborhood from the 18th to the 21st of April, and ^vas most fatal to the grape crop, as the shoots were from two to three feet long, and the vine was ready to blossom. I had the whole vineyard under fire so as to produce a smoke. The result was, I saved the whole crop of forty acres, with an outlay of .$25, while my neighbor, Judge Massingale, now of Nash- ville, lost his whole crop, though our vineyards were not four hundred yards apart. In conclusion, I beg leave to state that it is not in my power to do justice to this important subject in this short treatise. This branch of industry is yet wholly in its infancy, but it is hoped, in course of time, it will receive the attention which its great importance deserves. To this end it is necessary that all the information, the results of observa- tion and experiment, be gathered from every source and communica- ted to and disseminated by the State Bureau of Agriculture. To the above I will add a statement of the amount of labor and expense required in the cultivation of ten acres in grape-vines; also, an estimate of the probable profits of such a crop: ESTIMATED COST OK A VINEYARD OF TEN AGUES FOR FOUR YEARS. Ploughing, ten acres at .$10.00 $ 100 00 Harrowing " " 1.00 10 00 Checlvingofl" " " 1.00 10 00 Cost of 2G,fl00 buttings at $3.00 per 1,000 Y8 00 Planting, at .^B.OO 30 00 Cost of 13,000 stakes, at $25.00 per 100 325 00 Setting of same, at $5.00 per acre 50 00 $ G18 00 Grape Growing. f 7 3 COST OF LABOR FOR FIRST YEAR. Wages of one hand for two months, at $26.00 % 52 00 Ploughing three times at $3.00 per acre 30 00 Removing the soil from the root, at $2.00 20 00 $ 720 00 COST OF LABOR FOR SECOND YEARS. Spring pruning, at $2.00 per acre % 20 00 Wages of one hand six months, at $26.00..... 156 00 Taking away soil, at $2. 00 20 00 Strings to tie vines, at 50c 5 00 $ 921 00 COST OF LABOR FOR THIRD Y'EARS. Expense the same as second year $ 201 00 Wages of wine-dresser six months, at $.35.00 210 00 Strings to tie vines, at $1.00 10 00 Extra labftr for one month 26 00 $1,368 00 COST OF' LABOR FOR FOURTH YEAR. Expense the same as third year $ '^^^ 00 Extra labor of wine-dresser three months, at $35.00 105 00 Wages two hands two months, at $26.00 104 00 Contingencies 100 00 Entire cost $2,124 00 An average crop will produce 6,500 lbs. of grapes per acre. At 13 lbs. to a gallon, this will yield 500 gallons, at $1.00 per gallon .'. % 500 00 Or 6,500 lbs. of grapes, at 6c per lb 390 00 Hence, an average yield of ten acres in grapes 3,900 00 Cost of raising • 2,124 00 Profit $1."6 00 Or a little over 80 per cent, on cost. In 1859, 1 made from two acres in the fourth year, 1,643 gallons of must. Yield per acre 10,679i lbs. of grapes 174 Resources of Tennessee. CHAPTER XII The Honey Resources of Tennessee. Among the many industries that have engaged the attention of the people of Tennessee, not the least is the production of honey. From the first settling of the State, it has been the custom of a4arge majority of the far^aers to secure a few colonies of bees as a necessary adjunct to a well-stocked farm. Bees, it has been well eaid, "work for nothing and feed themselves," only requiring a small expenditure for hives and a little degree of attention. But in this as in every other pursuit, it is found that the profits are directly in proportion to intelligent manage- ment, and though the old system of bee-keeping furnished ample sup- plies of honey for domestic uses, it was not until the introduction of im- proved hives, artificial swarming, moveable combs, and mel-extractors, that it was pursued as a separate vocation. At present there are many persons who engage in this business almost exclusively, and whose profits are such as to give reasonable satisfaction. In the year 1850 the number of pounds of beeswax and honey (the beeswax not being separated) reported for Tennessee, was 1,036,572; in 1860 there were of beeswax 98,882 pounds, and of honey 1,519,390 pounds; in 1870, 51,685 pounds of beeswax, and 1,039,550 pounds of honey. The falling off of this jiroduct, as shown by the last report of the census in the decade ending in 1870, is doubtless attributable to the devastating effects of the war. At the close of hostilities the number of hives had been reduced fully two-thirds. In many parts of the State scarcely one could l)e found. But as peace resumed its sway the peaceful arts begim to claim attention, and the introduction of all the recent im- provements in bee-keeping, as well as of the Italian bee, gave a ])ow- crful impetus to this branch of rural industry. The yield of honey has been greatly increased during the past three years, and the yield i Honey. i 7 5 for the year 1872 perhaps exceeded that of any previous year in the history of the State. The heavy rains in the spring of 1873 greatly reduced the honey product, it falling far belo^y the average yield for many years. However, the high character of Tennessee honey, made in northern cities by the shipments of 1872, and the satisfactory prices for which it was sold, atoned in some respects for the short yield the following year, and our bee-keepers are more hopeful than ever of the profitableness of this businsss. Uniting, as it does, pleasure with ease and plenty without drudgery, and opening a field for original and profitable investigations and discoveries, it is growing more and more each year in public favor, and with the natural advantages that Tennes- see affords, it will doubtless assume increased ^proportions as the State becomes thickly populated. It is claimed by eminent bee-raisers that Tennessee has the best climate and the greatest variety of food for bees of any state in the Union, it having all the forage of the northern states, and all to be found in the southern, while it has some that is not found in either. The White Clover, Golden Rod and Aster are not found in states further south. In the extreme south the honey is not so good, nor are the bees disposed to lay up stores of food, as they can be furnished with supplies outside almost throughout the year. The climate of Tennes- see being a medium one, with mild and short winters and agreeable summers, and with the delightful seasons of the fall and spring, makes the State specially adapted to bee-culture. Dr. Hamlin, one of the most extensive and eminent bee-raisers in the United States, says the bees and queens reared in this climate are large, thrifty, and not excelled by any he has met with from any portion of the world. He further says, in a note to the Bureau, that no state or section of country, with which he is acquainted, equals Tennessee in all the de- partments of bee-culture. We suffer less in the loss of bees in winter? ■ and from those diseases to which they are subject in other localities. Some of most destructive diseases are unknown in Tennessee. The Italtan bees were first brought into this State in the year 1866, by Dr. T. B. Hamlin. They were imported directly from Italy. Since that time they have greatly increased, and 2,000 queens were raised in the State in 1873. Eminent superiority is claimed for this species over the common black bees, and their results are far more satisfactory. They arc domesticated; they are what may be called civilized; they are less hostile and more given to the peaceful pursuits of collecting and storing up honey; they are more manageable and less fretful. Mr. Lang- I 7 6 Resources of Tennessee. stroth, whose experience with this species entitles his opinion to great weight, gives the following as their points of superiority : " 1. The Italian bees gather freely from the second or seed crop of red clover, and from other sources of forage not frequented by the common bees. In regions where late summer or full forage is scarce, this will often make the diiference between a good profit and a heavy loss. " 2. The pure Italian bees are much more peaceable than the black bees. The assertion, however, which has been made by some, that they will not sting, is not true ; and the crosses between them and the black bees are far more difficult to subdue, if once enraged, than the black bees. " 3. Italian bees gather much larger stores of honey than the black bees. Dzerzon, the great German apiarian, after many years experi- ence, says that the profits of his apiary have been doubled since their introduction, and we have received numerous statements showing that colonies of these bees have in this country secured a generous living, and often a surplus, where common stocks have not gained a suffi- ciency. " 4. The Italian queens are more prolific and keep their brood more compactly in the combs, than black queens, and their swarms are usually earlier and larger than those from black colonies. " 5. In opening a hive, an Italian queen is much more readily found than a black one, not only on account of her brilliant color, but be- cause the Italian bees are much more quiet on the combs than the black ones, and the queen is less disposed to leave the combs for the bottom board or sides of the hive. " 6. Italian bees are far more inclined to supercede their queens, when past their prime, than the black bees, and colonies are therefore much less liable to become weak and queenless. " 7. The Italian bees are far less disposed to rob than the common kind. The importance of this peculiarity in an apiary where move- able-comb hives are used, will be readily appreciated. " 8. The Italian bees defend their hive against robber bees, whether black or Italian, much more successfully than the black bees. In opening a large number of full stocks and nuclei during several season* from April to November, we have not lost a single colony from rob- bery. The experience of Dzerzou on this point fully agrees with our own. I Honey. 177 " 9. The Italian bees protect their combs from the ravages of the bee moth much more effectually than the black bees. " 10. The Italian bees cling much more tenaciously to their combs than the common bees, so that in handling the combs the young bees which cannot fly do not, like black ones, drop on the ground or upon the person of the operator. "11. When the position of a colony is changed, the Italian workers acquaint themselves with their new location much more readily than black bees, thus greatly facilitating many important processes in the practical management of an apiary. "12. Italian workers are much longer lived than black ones, and the queenless colonies therefore do not become so rapidly depopulated. " 13. Colonies of Italian bees can be united during the working season, with far less quarreling than would be incurred in uniting black ones. The first cross between the Italian and black races is' far superior to the black bees, which are improved by any mixture of Italian blood. It may also be added that the Italian bee is less sub- ject to casualties and disease than the black bee. The Italian is fast superceding the old black bee, and will doubtless in a few years drive it out altogether. Mr. S. W. Cole, of Madison county, Tennessee, one of the most practical and successful bee-keepers in the State, in answer to a letter of inquiry, sends the following communication to the Secretary of the Bureau of Agriculture. It shows the immense advantages that Ten- nessee presents for the business of the bee-keeper, both in the mildness of its climate, the variety and regular succession of wild flowers, and in the immunity which the bees enjoy from disease. Secretary Bureau of Agriculture : Emigrants intending to settle in Tennessee would naturally look at its resources from the various standpoints of their occupations, profes- sions, and tastes. The agriculturist would desire information as to the productiveness of the soil, and the various farm products, prices, etc. The miner would look to the mineral wealth of our mountains; the stock-raiser to the adaptability of the country to grass-growing, and the horticulturist to the character of the soil, elevation, freedom from frost, and access to market, etc. It is the intention of this paper to call the attention of the above mentioned class, and all others, to 12 178 Resources of Ten7iessee. the " Honey Resources of Tennessee," for the reason that it clashes with no interest or interferes with any other profession, but is freely given to all. The production and sale of honey are fast becoming an industry of no mean importance. As our rapidly-growing cities in- crease in population, the demand for honey increases, and the fearful rate at which parts of our country are being denuded of forests, and with them many of our choicest honey plants and trees, its price will surely be enhanced. The supply of honey now does not nearly keep pace with the demand, and although the introduction of moveable- comb hives, the Italian honey bee, and the use of mel-extractors, have caused so great a revolution in bee culture that the production of honey is now three-fold more than it was a few years ago — the price has not only kept up, but has steadily advanced. A half-century back, the sale of honey in the United States was hardly thought of. Twenty- five years ago, ten cents per pound was the top of the market, and it was considered dear at that — while now, with the immense amount that is put on the market, the bee-keeper who uses improved methods to obtain his honey, is insulted if he is offered less than twenty cents per pound, and a choice article Avill now bring double that price. For a number of years, I have made bee-keeping a specialty, and with the improved methods of management, have obtained results which prove Tennessee to be one of the best honey-producing states in the Union. Fully fifty per cent of all the bees wintered in the northern states are lost every winter from dysentery and other diseases, caused from con- finement of the bees in the hive during the very cold and prolonged winters. Our mild winters in Tennessee permit the bees to fly from their hives, at intervals of from two to three weeks, all through the winter, to relieve their distended bodies of the faeces accumulated from the excessive use of food during cold weather, and they thus avoid the cause of dysentery or bee cholera, so prevalent and so destructive to bees in the northern states. I have not lost one per cent, of my bees during any winter since using moveable-comb hives. In the year 1871, I set apart seven good hives of bees, from which I took no swarms, and used only for the production of honey. The honey was emptied from the combs with an extractor as fast as gathered, and the empty combs returned to the hives to be re-filled by the bees. The following report I made to the North American Bee Keepers' So- ciety, at Cleveland, in December, 1871 : Honey. 179 Honey Recoed of Seven Hives foe 1871. Edimaied hy carefulhj ■weighing, and after extracting, rc-weiglivng and de- ducting from the first amount. No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. No. 5. No. 6. No. 1. April 29th 20 lbs. 20 Ibe. 29 lbs. 34 lbs. 29 lbs. 23 lbs. 25}41b6. 35 lbs. 20>^lbs. 7>?lbs. ll^sJlbs. 8 lbs. 21 lbs. 173^1bs. 29 lbs. 31 lbs. 28 lbs. 22»i^lb8. "8"ibs.' 2>^lb8. 36Xlbs. 29 lbs. 20 lbs. 18 lbs. 19 lbs. 11 lbs. 7>fibs. SXlbs. May 5th 20 lbs. 27 lbs. 37 lbs. 32 lbs. 22 lbs. 22 lbs. 25Xlbs. 14)^lb8. 'io"ibs." 15^1be. 33" "ibs." 42 lbs. 33 lbs. 24 lbs. 23 lbs. 33Xlba. 16 lbs. ■i4"'lbs." 29>ribs. 13i<^lh8. 20 lbs. 12 lbs. isi^ibs." 7>ilbs. " 12th 27 lbs. " 16th " 19th " 23cl " 26th June 2d " 9th " 15th August 15th November 1st 42 lbs. 22 lbs. 22 lbs. 29 lbs. 14)irlbs. 8 lbs. U'lbs.' llXlbs. Total ..: 263 lbs. 225;^ lbs. 216 lbs. 225 lbs. 248 lbs. 102 lbs. 190 lbs. Total amount, 1,529>^ pounds. Average per hive, 230>hical fea- tures of this coal-bearing area, we return to its general features, in order that the reader may have a clear conception of it. First swelling up from the lowlands and forming the base of this plateau, is the mas- sive Mountain Tjimestone, from 400 feet at the northern end to 720 at Coal. 187 at the southern extremity in thickness, extending one-third, and sometimes two-thirds of the Avay up to the general top. Then come strata of shale, sandstone interstratified mth seams of coal, the whole capped by the thick conglomerate before mentioned. These strata be- tween the Mountain Limestone and the overcapping conglomerate sand- stone, are called the Lower Coal Measures. The mountains and ridges made up of strata of coal, shale, fire-clay, sandstone and clay iron-stones that are superimposed upon the conglomerate, are called the Upper Coal Measures. Coal Measures may be defined as a group of strata, in which the coal is interstratified. The coal often appears in beds so thin as not to be Avorkable. These beds, sometimes, however, swell out locally to great thickness. Kecurring again to the building up or formation of this coal plateau, at the risk of being tedious to the reader familiar with it, we shall en- deavor to give a clearer idea by an illustration. Suppose a long, nar- row table to be placed on the ground, sitting longitudinally north-east and south-west. Build up under this table a stone foundation with a sloping surface, lower at the northern end, but reaching half way to the top of the table at the southern extremity. Upon this foundation pile up sheets of plank until they touch its under surface. The stone foundation will represent the Mountain Limestone, the sheets of plank the Lower Coal Measures, and the top of the table the thick conglom- erate cover. Thin blocks piled on the table top, a short distance from the edge, at some places higher, at some lower, being greatly higher near the north-east corner, will represent the Upper Coal Measures. Now, if a little to the east of the tongitudinal middle line a w^ide gash were cut down to the ground through piles of blocks, the table top, sheets of plank, and masonry, from its middle, but southward, dividing the southern part of this mass into two parallel but unequal arms, this gash would represent the Sequatchie Valley, the eastern arm taking the name of Walden's Ridge. A similar gash in the north-east corner, running north-east, would represent Elk Fork Valley. From the head of this valley, if another were cut running south-east, it would represent Cove Creek Valley, both together cutting off the quadrilateral block. It may here be stated that wherever the highest ridges and moun- tains upon the general surface of the Cumberland Table Land are found, the conglomerate has been depressed, and sinks to a lower level tlian where there is no superincuml)ent weight. 1 88 Resources of Tennessee. The reader is now able to appreciate the following section enfirely through both Coal Measures. The section was traced out near the Se- wanee Mines, in Grundy county, by Dr. Safford, and is found in his Geological Report. It is the most complete section of both Coal Meas- ures yet found in this part of the coal field, though the Upper Coal Measures in the north-eastern portion of the coal regions have more beds, sometimes reaching as high as twenty-one. At other places, some of the strata thin out and disappear. Beginning at the top and descending, as though in a well or shaft, we have the Sewaxee Sectiox. (13) Coxulomerate; cap rock of the upper plateau, and the up- permost stratum in the region, 50 feet. (12) Coal, a few inches, (G) (11) Shale, 23 feet. (10) Coal, outcrop, (P) \ foot. (9) Dark Clayey Shale, 1 foot. (8) Sandy Shale, 25 feet. (7) Sandstone, 86 feet. (G) iS/mZe, more or less sandj', 45 feet. (5) Coal, Main Sewanee, from (E) 3 to T ft. (4) S/(a/e, bome of it sandy, 45 feet. IH^ Coal, outcrop, (D) 1 foot. (2) Shale 3 feet. [ (1) Sandstone, 17 feet. We here reach the bottom of the upper Coal jSIeasures, and come to the thick conglomerate that caps the whole coal region. De- scending, we pass successively through CONGLOMERATE, « 70 feet. -« f (10) Coal, outcrop, from (C) i to 1 foot- (9) Shale, vf'nh clay at top, 10 feet. (8) Sandstone, Cliff' Rockj {Lower Cong, of ^Etna Mines), 65 feet. (7) Coal, outcrop, from (B) ^tolift- (6) Shale, with a few inches of indurated clay at top, 8 feet. (5) Sandy Shale, 22 feet. (4) Sandstone, hard 78 feet. (3) Coal, has occasionally shale above and below it; the Coal from (A) 1 to 3 feet. (2) Hard Sandstone, \oc&], 20 feet. (1) Shale, including a tliin sandstone, 20 feet. MOUNTAIN LIMESTONE. The last or the Mountain Limestone forms the pedestal, as it were, upon which the Coal Measures lie. Id II Coal. 189 The above cut is a representation of the entire Coal Measures as exhibited at this region. It ^vill be observed that the main conglomer- ate, which has been spoken of as forming a sheet over the whole Cum- berland Table Land, divides the Upper from the Lower Coal Measures ; and furthermore that the veins below the conglomerate are lenticular in character, while those above are more uniform in thickness. If ad- ditional strata were piled upon the portion above the conglomerate, in- cluding not far from a dozen beds and seams of coal, it would be a fair representation of the Upper Measures as found at Coal Creek, in Anderson. The second coal (bed E.) above the conglomerate is the Main Sewanee, the only one which has been worked so far at this point. The second below (bed B.) corresponds to what has been called the Main ^tna. The escarpment or slope represented in the engraving, is typical of the slope on the western side of the Table Land, in which appear successively the wooded slope, the vertical or overhanging conglomerate, which forms such conspicuous cliffs, the back bench and the uppermost rock. The level portion above the main conglomerate may be considered as the general surface of the Table Land ; but, as will be seen from the engraving, there lies, at a greater or less distance from the edge, superimposed strata that make considerable hills, which often present themselves as a well defined terrace. It may be added for clearness, though involving some repeti- I go Resources of Tennessee. tion, that the main conglomerate in the north-eastern part of the Table Land sinks to a lower level while the strata are so multiplied as to make mountains. In the Sewanee section, the conglomerate is about 800 feet above the low lands at the base of the Table Land, while at Coal Creek, and at other points to the north-east, it comes down to the level of the valleys. Including the Upper and Lower Coal Measures, there are seven veins of coal, aggregating a thickness of from seven to fourteen and a half feet. Many of these beds, however, are too thin to work, and are given merely to show the extent of the Coal Measures. Sewanee Mixes. As an industrial enterprise, this company has some features deserving notice. The effort to mine and ship coal immediately after the war, when transportation cars could not be obtained from the railroads, drove the company to put up a car-shop and build its own cars, as far as its means would allow. Sijice 1859, a small force has been kept employed build- ing and repairing cars, until now the company has 149, which are kept constantly employed, with perhaps about the same number of cars furnished by railroads and coal dealers. In connection with the work, the company has constantly kept going two blacksmith shops — and for a time these shops did most of the work on the engines — but as the business increased it became necessary to get machinery fordoing certain work, until by degeees a regular machine shop, at the head of which is a master mechanic, has been built up, and now the company turns its axles, bores its wheels, takes off and puts on wheels, and does all the work on its own engines. The demand of the company justified private enterj)rise in putting up, in connection with the machine shop, both a brass and iron foundry. The company is running a saw- mill, sawing considerable quantities of lumber, which is used mainly in and al)out the mines, and in constructing its own buildings. Coke burning is now coming to be a leading business with this com- pany. It is erecting 100 coke ovens, and besides is burning on the ground 2,500 bushels of coke per day. In all, the amount of coke burnt will be about 7,500 bushels daily. Recently the company has built a small blast furnace, and is now making iron. This is said to be the first cole blast furnace ev-er built Coal. 191 in Middle Tennessee. The ore used is brought from various points in Wills' Valley, on the line of the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad, and on the Georgia State road. This furnace was erected mainly with a view of testing the different ores of the country. The ore is brought to the mines in return coal cars, and the blast for the furnace is made by the engine running the fan mill. The company is rutining a rail- road which connects with the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad, and on which it uses five locomotives. The whole force employed at the mines, including 156 convicts, is about 450 men. This is the regular minimum force at the season of the year when the work is running light. In the fall and winter the working force is largely increased. This does not embrace the in- cidental employment of labor, such a's getting saw-logs, cross-ties, props and caps for the mines, etc., all of which is done by contract. The product of this work is about 235,000 bushels of coal per month, with a continuing increase. Under the advance move made this year of burning coke and making iron, it Avill be necessary for the company to largely increase the coal production. Looking to this, the company has increased its area of lands by a purchase of 5,000 acres, nearly all of which is coal land, and it is now opening other mines one mile and a half from the main entrance. The work of building a rail- road to these new mines has been commenced. An analysis of this coal shows as follows : Fixed Carbon, 63.5 Volatile matter, 29.9 Ash 6.6 And its use in locomotives, as well as all other uses in contact with iron, shows that it is remarkably free from sulphur. The feature in this coal enterprise, in which the public are most in- terested, is the cheap production of coal. The reports of the Presi- dent and General Manager for that year, show that the company is mining coal and shipping to Cowan at an actual cost of about six cents, and that coal is sold there upon contracts, by the year, at eight and a half cents. The Sewanee Coal Mines embrace a considerable portion of Grundy and Marion counties. They are worked at present from three open- ings, and preparations are being made for opening at two other points. 192 Resources of Tennessee, The vein of coal averages about four and a half feet, and is nearly level; all the openings being just high enough above the rail- road to make loading into cars through chutes quite convenient. For- tunately the stockholders in this company have all agreed that it was their interest to build up the property rather than declare dividends, and this policy has resulted in increasing the work from five cars to sixty (the average maximum work) per day. This company owns about 10,000 acres of coal. The entries through which, making in all about nine miles, fully prove what the coal bed is, averaging four feet ten inches. By an extension of the company's railroad eight miles, it would strike Lane Coal Bank, which is the commencement of a bed of coal extending about thirty miles. This coal has not been worked, but it is probably one of the most extensive bodies of coal to be found in any country. South of the Sewanee Mines, near the Anderson depot, on the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad, is a section which has four coal seams, and so of a section taken at a point a mile east of the lower end of Battle Creek, and at the ^tna Mines. In the northern part of Grundy and in Warren county, the veins are reduced to two, and the whole volume of the Measures reduced from 360 feet id fifty. The veins of the Lower Coal Measures are quite variable, irreg- ular, and often deceptive. They sometimes swell out into lentiform masses of five, six, seven, and even greater thicknesses, and then diminish to a mere thin plate. The quality of the coal is not highly bituminous, generally, but compact, solid, and burns freely. The (piantity of coal in the Lower Coal Measures is quite large, and there are some heavy local developments of this coal in the Valley of the Little Sequatchie Creek, which rises near Tracy City, runs south, and empties into the Sequatchie River a short distance above Jasper. In one place the coal is five feet in thickness, and in another locality it shows itself beneath the cliff nine feet thick, exposing a horizontal layer for the distance of forty feet. In the Valley of Crow Creek, near Anderson depot, on the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad, a bed in the Lower Coal Measures 160 feet below the conglomerate, from two to five feet in thickness, has been worked, but operations, except for local demand, have been discontinued at that point. The (piality of this coal is said to be excellent, being lustrous and laminated l)y thin scams of mineral charcoal. Some ])yritcs, in seams, occur in this vein. This vein thickens further south, and in one place in Ala- Coal. 193 bama it was found to measure seven feet, soon, however, thinning down to two. At the head of Little Crow a vein two feet in thickness supplies an excellent quality of coal. The Valley of Battle Creek supplies a large amount of coal from the Lower Coal Measures. The shipments by the Chattanooga railroad from Bridgeport, the point to which all the coal from that region is sent by the Jasper Branch, amounted for the year ending June 30, 1873, to 279,480 bushels, of which 270,241 bushels were from the Battle Creek Mines. The ^tna Mines. These mines are in Marion county, thirteen miles from Chattanooga, near the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad, and between it and the Tennessee River, in what is called Raccoon Mountain. They were first opened in 1854, and are now worked by J. C. Haselton. The Upper Measures contain the Walker seam, four feet in thickness; the Slate Vein, five to six feet, with eighteen inches of slate and coal mixed, and the Kelly coal, two or three feet — ^the Kelly coal being the lowest. These veins or beds are all above the upper conglomerate, which is here simply a sandstone seventy-five feet in thickness. Between this conglomerate and the lower conglomerate, which is the same that caps the coal region, are two thin veins of coal, unimportant. Below the last named conglomerate are four seams of coal. First in order of descent is the Main ^tna or Cliff vein, the most important bed in the Raccoon Mountains. It has been often worked and large quantities of coal taken from it. Twenty feet below these, the intervening strata being composed of shale, is a vein of coal from one-half to a foot in thickness. Two more veins lie below this, from both of which coal has been taken. In the lowest a bank was opened, which at first was six feet in thickness, increased to nine, and then fell off to three, showing the lenticular characteristics of the veins of the Lower Measures. This jlocality is interesting as showing nine distinct veins, five of which are jof workable thickness. From this point a very large amount of coal has been taken from the Lower Measures, peculiar in its structure. iThe laminse of this coal are separated by seams of charcoal resembling that made of poplar wood, fuzzy or soft and spongy. The coal is of good jquality, comparatively free from pyrites, and makes good coke. The 13 194 Resources of Tennessee. shipments from these mines L ive been as high as 367 cars per month, or 91,750 bushels, but now amount to only forty cars, or 1,200 bushels, owing to the falling off in demand. The section at this place, as taken by Dr. Safford, is as follows : f (8) Sandstone, cap-rock of plateau above the j3Etna Mines 75 feet (7) SliaU 48 " (6) Coal, " FFaZArej' Coal;" uniform, good, cubic 4 " (5) Shale, including sometimes a thin coal, (Cravens) from. ..30 to 40 " (4) Coal, ^^ Slate Vein;" including a layer eighteen inches thick, of shale and coal mixed 5 to 6 " (3) Shale 44 " (2) Coal, "Kelly Coal;" good, cubical coal, from 2 to 3 " (I) Fire-clay, from 1 to 2 " UPPER CONGLOMERATE, simply a sandstone here 75 " (4) Coal, seam, a few inches. (3) Shale 30 to 40 " (2) Coal, seam, ten inches. (1) Sandy Shale, from 100 to 130 " LOWER CONGLOMERATE, Cliff Rock of the sections east of Sequatchie Valley, in which it is included in the Lower Measures; becomes a well-characterized Conglomerate over the upper coal (Main ^tna or Cliff Vein) at Gordan's Mines, in Georgia, doubtless coalesce at some points with the Upper Con- glomerate, the intervening layers thinning out, from 70 to 100 " (14) Shale, sometimes wanting, the rock above making the roof of the coal from 0 to 12 " (13) Coal, Main ^tna, or Cliff Vein; will average, perhaps 3 " (12) Fire clay, indurated, contains Stigmaria, often with rootlets attached; has been made into good fire-brick 1 to 3 " (II) Shale7 5 to 20 " (10) Coal, thin ^tol " (9) Sandstone and Sandy Shale 80 to 120 " S'^J (8) Shale 0 to 5 *' (7) Coal, of good quality, usually too thin t^ be mined, from...^ to 2 " (6) Fireclay 0 to 3 " (5) Sandy Shale or Sandstone 20 to 25 " (4) Shale 15 to 20 " (3) Coal, lowest bed like the last, and banks have been opened in both ^to3 " (2) Fireclay 0 to 3 " (1) Shales and Shaly Sandstones 80 to 150 " Mountain Limestone Fokmation. Variegated Shales and Limestones in the Valley of Running Water. In the deep gorge made by the Tennessee River, where it cuts its way through Walden's Ridge, the same presentation of coal veins 1^ s o (^ s « O 00 a a Coal, 195 appears. The one corresponding to the Main jEtna has been worked to some extent, and the coal shipped by the Tennessee River. The Vulcan Mines. These mines are in Marion county, sixteen miles from Chattanooga, and near the railroad leading from the latter point to Nashville. They were first opened in 1868. They are worked by Dodge & Eaton, who employ at present (January, 1874,) sixty-five hands. The product of these mines for the year 1873, was 365,000 bushels, (eighty pounds to the bushel,) the market for which is Chattanooga and points south. Considerable quantities have also been sold to the Nashville and Chat- tanooga Railroad for use on locomotives. The seam worked at present is two and a half feet in thickness. There are three other seams in the mountain that are known, the largest of which is about three and a half feet thick. The other two average about ten inches each, though a careful examination would doubtless show their lentiform character. Shoal Mines. These were opened in September, 1873. They lie six miles north- east from Chattanooga. There are four veins in view ,* the upper one, four and a half feet thick, is the one worked. When first opened, the coal from this vein was soft and friable, but became harder as the entry advanced. The outcrop of the vein is only eighteen inches in thickness. It swelled out to five and a half feet, and then went to four and a half feet. It has remained regular afLer reaching that thickness The dip of the vein is about five deg:33S out-.vards, just enough to secure good drainage. The mines are not '^zorked at present, owing to the falling off in the demand for coal. The lowest vein at this point was worked by the government during the v/ar. SODDY CrEEX KiNES. These are in Hamilton county, on Goddy Creek, twenty 2niles above Chattanooga, and four miles from the Tennessee River. A tram-road leads down to Soddy Creek, where the coal is dumped into barges and shipped by the creek to the river, thence to Chattanooga ajid other points south. 196 Resources of Tennessee. This coal is regularly stratified, bituminous, and burns freely. At pres3nt, about twenty-five hands are kept employed, and 150,000 bush- els p2? month are exported. The mines were not regularly worked until 1336, when a company of energetic Welchmen leased them for fifty years, paying a royalty of one cent per bushel. A lump of this coal -^reighing 3,600 pounds is exhibited on the streets in Chattanooga, The upper surface for four inches is spumous and shelly, the remain- der of the block is a stratified hard coal, but not cubical. The vein is from two and a half to three and a half feet thick. Sale Ceeek Mines. Nino miles north-east of Soddy, on Rocky Creek, three miles from Tennessee Eiver, in an outlying ridge, are the Sale Creek Mines. The coal from these mines is said to be superior for all purposes. It has fine welding properties, and is therefore much sought after by black- smiths. These mines were worked as far back as 1843 ; but little coal, except for blacksmithing, was consumed in this State at that time. In 1866, Major Thomas A. Brown and Col. John Baxter, of Knoxville, began to mine the coal fo^ shipment. At present, they are worked by V/elchmen, who have leased them, as well as the Soddy Mines, from Cliffc, McRea & Pearl. Thirty miners are employed, all of whom are interested and lessees. The monthly product is 50,000 bushels. A trr.ni-rcad conveys the coal to the river, where it is shipped in barges to points below. Much of it is consumed in the iron works at Chatta- noog?. The structure of this coal is peculiar. No stratification is observable, but it has the appearance of having been boiled, and re- sembbs hardened blocks of boiled pitch. The thickness of this vein is about four feet. The Morgan Mines and the mines at Piney are only used for local purpcocc, and contribute but little to the coal product of the State. The veirs are from two to five feet i:i thickness. At TvTiite's Creek, there is a vein five and a half feet thick, which is used for local pur- poses. At Clear Creek there is a fine development of coal. This prop arty has recently been purc^iased by Stambaugh, of Youngston, Ohio, who ccntemplates the erection of a furnace at this points Two coal veins have been tested, one showing from five to seven feet in thickness, and the other from two to three feet. At Richland Creek, below Sale Creek Mines, is a vein of coal about three feet thick, and another higher up the mountain from four Coal. 19^ to five feet thick. This property has been recently bought by English capitalists. From this point southward, the coal lies in veins nearly horizontal. North of this, the strata are greatly disturbed, the coal veins forming horsebacks, and sometimes assuming a position nearly vertical, lying sometimes in great masses, and again thinning out to a mere wafer. RocKWooD Mines. Continuing north-easterly from Sale Creek Mines, we reach the mines of the Roane Iron Company, situated in Roane county, ninety- two miles, by land, above Chattanooga, and one hundred and tv/enty miles by water. This remarkable body of coal was diocovered in 1840, by William Green, an employee of John Brown, the father of Major Brown, of Chattanooga. Green and William Brown entered the land shortly after its discovery. The coal was soon thereafter opened for local purposes, and used by blacksmiths until the pr&perty was purchased by Wilder & Chamberlain, in 1867. These gentlemen subsequently induced capitalists to enter into business with them, and they have increased their capital from $100,000 to $1,000,000. Two blast furnaces are built at this point, with capacities respectively of twenty-five and thirty tons per day. The iron ore lies in a contiauous vein, nearly vertical, about four feet in thickness, and is oupposed to be a stratum of a synclinal trough which disappears under the Cumberland Table Land, reappearing in the Sequatchie Valley and in Elk Fork Valley. The dip of the iron vein is about eighty degrees, 2Jid in- clined towards the mountain mass. This dyestone vein, or bed, e^-tends from Alabama to Pennsylvania, running a distance through Tennessee of 160 miles. Upon the top of many hills it is folded back by Ltsral pressure so as to resemble a flattened S, A quarter of a mile from this iron vein, are seen the outcroppings of the coal. The dip of the via^xx Rockwood seam is thirty-five degrees towards the north-west. This seam is remarkable for the immense curled masses of coal rolled up between the " horsebacks," and attaining a thickness of from Gi:.:ty to one hundred and ten feet. By reason of the " horsebacks," the dip of the vein is sometimes locally reversed. Three principal entries have been driven in at this place, designated respectively Banks 1, 2 and 3. In Bank No. 1, the main entry is 1,200 yards long, with 1,600 yards of cross entries, and more than a mile of rooms. Bank No. 2 has a main entry 1,000 feet long, with 675 yards of croae entries, and 1,200 yards of rooms. 198 Resources of Tennessee. Bank No. 3 has an entry 500 yards long, but no cross entries. The outcrop of coal above No. 1, is 2e50 feet; above No. 2, 500 feet ; above No. 3, 75 to 100 feet. North-west of the furnace, at a distance of 1,200 yards, in the bot- tom of a small stream that runs down the ravine towards the furnace, is a remarkable outcrop of coal, over which the water flows for one hundred yards. It is on this mountain stream that a local thickness of 110 feet of coal is found. After these thick accumulations, the vein thins out to a mere thread. The coal has a crushed appearance, and though well suited for the purposes for which it is employed, will not bear transportation well. An analysis of this coal, as well as of several others, will be found further on in this chapter. > The number of hands employed at the coal mines at Rockwood is eighty, of which number fifty-four are miners. The daily product is 4,000 bushels, which is brought down by a tram-road to the furnace, and conveyed by a chute into the stock-room. The fine coal is made into coke. Forty coke ovens, besides numerous coke pits, are kept constantly in operation. The proportions of charges are : Coal, ...... 1,600 pounds. Coke, 1,200 pounds. Ore, 2,200 pounds. Limestone, ...... 600 pounds. Seventy-seven of these charges are put in the hot blast furnace, Rockwood No. 2, in twenty-four hours. There are no shipments of coal from Rockwood, the whole amount being consumed by the furnaces at that point, and by the various machine shops. There are other veins above and below the one worked at Rockwood, and the supply is practically inexhaustible. All have the same dip, but dis- turbed by local flexures. Hooper Mines. These are on the Little Emory, four miles from the Tennessee River, aaid htive been worked, for local purposes, for twenty-five years. The | vein is four feet thick, and the coal is of a very superior quality. Coal, 199 Wilcox Mining Company. The property of this company is situated along the north-east line of Roane county, occupying the south-eastern slope of Walden's Ridge. It touches the Big Emory River, in which there is always water enough to float barges and small steamers, into which the coal is dumped from the cars. The property also includes ten acres upon one of the spurs (rf Cumberland Mountain, behind Walden's Ridge. In 1866, William and Edward Small, of Baltimore, bought 1,200 acres of land, and subsequently added other tracts. These gentlemen worked the prop- erty until 1869, when they became bankrupt, and the property passed into the hands of Col. John Baxter. Wilcox Brothers bought the property in 1870, and it was transferred to the Wilcox Mining Com- pany in August of the same year. At the time this company took possession, the facilities for transferring the coal to the river were very poor, but a narrow gauge road has been built with easy grades. The coal is lowered from the mine to the track by an incline 1,000 feet long. The property is now worked by Col. W. J. Betterton. The following is a general section of the strata in that region, as made by Prof. Bradley, beginning with the highest beds exposed, and numbering downwards, while the coal seams are numbered from belo-w upwards : 1. Shaly and shaly sandstones — mostly covered, 130 ft. 2. Dark clay shales, 8 to 10 3. Hard dark micaceous shale, 1 4. CoALiS^o. 12, \h " 5. Hard black sandy shale, 1 " 6. Covered space — sandy shale at 90 ft., 136 " t. Thick bedded and shaly sandstones, 16 *' 8. Thick, irregularly-bedded hard sandstone, 21 " ». Soft clay shale, 5 " 10. CoALiS^O. 11, lto2 " 11. Soft fire-clay, 1 to 2 " 12. Sandy shales and thick-bedded sandstone, 35 " 13. Clay shales, partly sandy, 50 to 60 " 14. Hard sandstone 1 to 3 " 15. Coal No. 10, 1 to 3 " 16. Hard fire-clay and soft shales, 6 to 8 " It. Thin and thick-bedded sandstones, 20 to 30 " 18. Covered — mostly shales, 50 to 60 " 19. Irregular thin-bedded sandstone 16 " 20. Clay shales, partly black, 5 to 10 " 21. Coal iV^o. 9, 1? " 200 Resources of Tennessee. 22. Covered — mostly sandy shales, 50 ft. 23. CoALiVo. 8, "H" " 24. Thick-beded sandstones, 18 " 26. Covered — mostly shales, 45 26. Heavy-bedded sandstone, V2 " 27. Covered — mostly shales, partly sandy, 58 '* 28. Heavy-bedded sandstone, 153 " 29. Covered — probably shales and shaly sandstones, ITl " 30. Heavy and thin-bedded sandstones, 54 " 31. Ferruginous sandy shales, with beds of iron-stone, 90 to 100 " 32. Irregularly-bedded sandstone, 50 to 70 " 33. Covered — sandy shales and iron-stone— p?'o6a6Zy with Coal jVo. 7, 180 to 200 " $4. Heavy-bedded sandstone, 40 to 45 " 36. Shales, 30 to 35 " 36. Thick-bedded sandstone, 1 37. Dark drab, compact clay shales, 40 to 45 38. Shaly sandstone, 12 to 15 " 39. Dark drab to black and ferruginous clay shales, 25 to 30 40. QoK\.No. 6, 3to6 " 41. Dark drab clay shale, with some fire-clay, 5 to 6 42. Shaly sandstone, 10 to 15 " 43. Heavy-bedded sandstone, 47 44. Shales, 8 " 45. Heavy-bedded coarse and fine sandstone,... ~ 53 46. Sandy shales, 8 47. Heavy-bedded light colored ferruginous sandstones — part peb- bly, 5 ^^ 48. Soft clay shales, 2 49. Heavy-bedded fine-grained white sandstone, 31 50. Ferny shales — some sandy layers, 40 51. Coal iVo. 5, 3 to 4 " 52. Hard drab shales, 2 to 3 " 63. Heavy-bedded sandstone, mostly conglomeritic. hevel of Coal ]rne(» from a Greek word fijjnifyinL; blood, because of the blood like color of the iro» ore. The term brown Uematite us, applied to limonite, would appear to bo a mixuomer. Iron. 225 The Tellico ores in Monroe county are varied. The Limonite is most abundant, but there are a few localities where the Hematite and Mag- netite are found. The Hematite ore is so compact that blasting powder is used in raising it. It is very pure, having a few seams of yellow and white ochre. Shot ore is likewise found in this vicinity. Donelley's Bank is the name of the principal deposit of this ore. A tunnel has been driven into a ridge, and for a while large quantities were taken out that yielded in the furnace fifty per cent. Many years ago the immense masses of brown Hematite which cap the copper veins at Ducktown, in Polk county, attracted the attention of iron men. Many attempts were made to work it, but the small per- centage of copper ore present made the iron worthless. Time may develop processes by which it can be made available, but at present the quality of iron is what is called " red short," and is almost worth- less for any practical purposes. There are now in operation, or temporarily suspended, five furnaces in the Eastern Iron Belt ; one in Carter county, one in Washington, two in Greene, and one in Johnson. The quantity of iron made is small, on account of the inadequacy of railroad facilities. While the quantity produced in this region will not exceed 10,000 tons annually, the capacity of the furnaces is equal to the production of 15,000 tons. This charcoal cold-blast iron is very superior. Its chilling properties are just such as to make it most suitable for the manufacture of car wheels, and nearly all the iron made in this region is consumed in Knoxville and other points for that purpose. It has been pronounced equal to the best made anywhere for car wheels, axles, locomotive tires, and, indeed, everything in which toughness, elasticity and strength are required. A fair test was also given to this iron at West Point, for armory purposes, and proved entirely satisfactory. The Dyestone Belt. This belt of iron ore is remarkable for its length and richness. It skirts the eastern base of the Cumberland Table Land, and extends in our State from Chattanooga to Cumberland Gap, a distance of one hundred and sixty miles. The following counties, or parts of them, are embraced within this belt: Hancock, Claiborne, Grainger, Union, Campbell, Anderson, Roane, Rhea, Meigs, James, Bradley and Ham- 15 2 26 Resources of Tennessee. ilton. As before stated, the li^lt includes the Sequatchie and the Elk Fork Valleys, which places parts of Marion, Sequatchie and Bledsoe counties within its area. The chief ore of this belt is a stratified red iron-rock, called at many points Dyestone, being sometimes used for dyeing purposes. It is highly fossiliferous. Like a limestone, or a bed of coal, and unlike the Limo- nite of the Eastern Belt, it occurs in layers. Its quantity, in any given locality, can therefore be estimated, and the result of a given amount of mining can be calculated with some precision. As a mineral species, the ore is a variety of Hematite, which in plain English is blood-stone, the word referring to the color of the ore. If we take common iron- rust and burn it, we obtain a red rust, the change being brought about by the expulsion of water simply. Common brown or yellow iron- rust is then Limonite, the same burned is red Hematite. By the burn- ing more than fourteen per cent, of water is expelled. The composi- tion of Hematite is as follows : Iron TO Oxygen... .o 30 100 One hundred pounds of the pure ore might be made to yield seventy pounds of iron, but, as in case of Limonite, the impurities defeat this maximum production. In practice from forty to fifty per cent, (and rarely sixty) may be regarded as good work. The ore usually soils the fingers readily. At some points it is hard and is quarried out in blocks; occasionally it is soft and easily crushed. The impurities in it are sandy and argillaceous matter and carbonate of lime. Originally much of it contained limestone matter, this having been in the course of ages leached out, leaving red layers as we now find them. One, and, at many points, two or more layers of Dyestone outcrop at the eastern base of the Table Land, almost without a break, through- out its whole extent from Virginia to Georgia. Also in many of the minor ridges, lying from one to a number of miles from the Table Land but running parallel with its eastern border, are other outcropping layers. The latter will perhaps, in the aggregate, equal an outcrop ex- tending continuously through the State and following the direction, as above, of the outline of the Table Land. In addition there are lines of outcrops in Sequatchie and Elk Fork Valleys. Elk Fork Valley is in the extreme north-western part of Campbell county. One of the richest deposits of this ore occurs within a few hundred Iron. 227 yards of Cumberland Gap, and extends without a break twenty miles along the mountain and is half a mile in width. It forms a reg- ular stratum of AValden's Ridge, four feet beneath the surface and varies from eighteen inches to three feet in thickness. This stratum is jiarallel with the slope of the ridge, and forms a complete sheet or shield, with an overlying stratum of clay, sand, and gravel. The ore is raised with powder and thrown out in large broad sheets. It is here very hard and massive. The whole cost of raising; this ore at Cum- berland Gap, and depositing it in the bridge loft ready for smelting, is one dollar per ton. This fact will be appreciated by the reader when he reflects that ores delivered ready for smelting in the Pittsburg fur- naces cost from ten to twelve dollars per ton. On the spurs which shoot out from the Cumberland Table Land, are deposits of Limonite iron ore of superior excellence, yielding from the furnace fifty per cent. This ore caps the hills, forming a ledge with intermingling gravel from six- teen to eighteen feet in thickness. Some of these beds are said to have an unusually small quantity of dead matter. In other places in the same vicinity are said to be deposits of the black oxide, and silicious iron ore, which have never yet been tested in a furnace. Limestone for flux, and sandstone for hearths, are found all through the Dyestone region. Coal, too, abounds in juxtaposition to the iron ore, though preference, until the establishment of Rockwood Furnace, was given to charcoal, for the manufacture of which there are ample supplies of timber. Until the erection of Rockwood Furnace, since the war, stone coal had neyer been used in this State for the smelting of iron. Very fine deposits of this Dyestone ore occur in the Half Moon Island region, both on the Island and on the mainland. Being on the riyer, it is easily transported at small cost to Chattanooga and other points. Before the war a large furnace was in operation at Chatta- nooga, which used the ore from this region. But we cannot pretend, within the limits of this chapter, to point out all the advantages which this region affords for the manufacture of iron, or to enumerate all the exposures of ore. What has been said is sufiicient, perhaps, to give a general idea of the facts. The thickness of the layers varies from a few inches to four and fiye feet, sometimes swelling out locally from eight to ten. So far we have spoken of the Dyestone as occuring in Tennessee ; but it has a great range outside of the State. It extends south-west- 228 Resources of Tennessee. ward through the north-west corner of Georgia far into Alabama, and is represented by several lines of outcrops. It is the Red Mountain ore of Alabama, and has yielded many hundred tons of iron in that State. To the north-west it extends into Virginia, and indeed through it, reaching into eastern Pennsylvania, where it is extensively reduced in splendidly appointed furnaces. The layers of ore are attended with shales and thin sandstones, which, with the ore, make up the Dyestone Group or formation. This is a part of the Niagara geological series. The Dyestone Group is often associated, in the ridges, with two other formations, the Blach Shale and the SUicious Group, both of which lie above it. The three make a trio of formations often met with. Prior to the war there were in the Dyestone Belt five blast furnaces and fifteen bloomaries. The quality of the iron made was excellent. Soon after the end of the war attention again began to be directed to the dyestone beds, and it was not long before a new era in iron making was inaugurated in a portion of the belt, by the building of a superior furnace in Roane county at Rockwood. At thts place are now erected two furnaces, only one of which is in blast. The burning of the gas in the furnace, heats the boilers and makes the steam. These furnaces were built under the superintend- ency of Gen. J. T. Wilder, whose communication to the Bureau of Agriculture, included in this chapter, will be read with increased inter- est as the wonderful resources of this iron belt are made known. We have already said that the Dyestone Belt lies at the very base of the Coal Measures. Here, then, we have, sandwiched, coal, iron ore, limestone and sandstone, the latter suitable for hearths. This circum- stance adds much to the interest of this region. Nothing is lacking to make it one of the most famous metallurgical centres in America but facilities for transportation, capital and enterprise. The Cincinnati Southern railroad has already been prospected, and the route surveyed through this iron belt. It is understood that $10,000,000 have been subscribed, and doubtless in a short time the iron horse, with its civil- ized shriek, will run over beds of ore as rich and as exhaustless as any that exist on the continent. A chain of fiery furnaces will then be built that will illumine the whole eastern margin of the Cumberland Table-land. The light of one will reflect back the light of another. The wilderness of the forest will be replaced by enterprising industry, and there will gather along this line busy communities. Flourishing Iron. 229 towns will spring ii]>, in which manufacturers from the colder regions of the north will rear their establishments for the fabrication of fire- arms, cutlery and farming implements. Under the shadow of the mountains a new empire of industry will spring up, in which there will be no idlers. AVith the creative power of coal the iron rocks that have slumbered for unknown ages beneath the surface will be fashioned into articles of utility and value. Ponderous trip hammers will shake the earth, and the eternal whirr and buzz of machinery will make the very atmosphere redolent of life and enterprise. Farms in the long, rich valleys will teem with luxuriant crops, that will find a ready market near, at good prices, and communities that now live from hand to mouth Avill revel in all the blessings, superfluities and luxuries of life. Nor is this a fancy picture. Under a good government, in a happy climate, wherever coal and iron lie in juxtaposition, and are made ac- cessible by railroad communication, great centres of population are established. See Pittsburg, how opulent ! Mr. Valentine, the able superintendent of Wells and Fargo's Express, says of it : — " If you would see what coal can do for a people who turn it to full account, look at Pittsburg, a city with its environs of 300,000 inhabitants built up by miners of coal. There are no drones in its hive — heads and hands are busy. It lost §30,000,000 by the war without shaking its credit. No city on this continent contains more solid wealth according to its population." If coal can do this for Pittsburg, surely coal and iron can do the same for this portion of the State, and Knoxville and Chattanooga will gather in their laps an almost fabulous wealth, and in time become the Pittsburghs of the South. In the Dyestone Belt are four furnaces now in operation or tempor- arily suspended, and two or three others in course of erection. Oak- dale, stone coal, hot-blast, has a capacity of 1,200 tons per month ; Rockwood, Nos. 1 and 2, both stone coal, hot-blast furnaces, have capacities respectively of 750 and 1,200 tons per month; and the Cum- berland Gap furnace, charcoal, cold-blast, has a capacity of 105 tons per month. Crockett furnace, in Claiborne county, will soon be put in blast. This has the same capacity as the one at Cumberland Gap. Two will soon be in blast in Chattanooga ; one already completed, with a capital stock of $100,000, and the other under way, Avith a like amount of stock. Tiiese furnaces propose to work mixed ores from various points with stone coal. The capacity of each is thirty tons per day. The following letter from Gen.AVilder, superintendent of Rockwood, 230 Resources of Ten7tessee, to one of the commissioners of the Bureau of Agriculture, will be read Tfith interest. RocKwooD, Tenn., March 10, 1873. Mr. Tom OrutoJifield, Commissioner of Agriculture, Tennessee : Dear Sir: — Your favor, asking me to give you a general outline of the mineral resources of East Tennessee, is received. With diffi- dence I undertake the subject, knowing my inability to do it half jus- tice, yet feeling anxious to assist in, such manner as I may, the early development of the vast mineral resources of this wonderful country. East Tennessee is a high Valley, with an elevation of 1000 feet above the sea, running northeast and southwest about two hundred and eighty miles from Chattanooga, on the southern line of the State to Bristol, at the northeastern end, the line of Virginia, with an average width of sixty miles. It is bounded on the southeastern side by the lofty chain of the Unaka range of mountains, reaching sometimes an elevation of over 6,000 feet above the sea, with frequent gaps, through which numerous rivers flow to the northwest. Still further to the southeast, about fifty miles in North Carolina, is the unbroken chain of the Blue Ridge, over six thousand feet high. On the northwestern side of the Valley is the level-topped Cumberland mountain plateau, sixty miles wide, with its southeastern side next to the Valley of East Tennessee. For a distance of 130 miles from Sale Creek (thirty miles above Chat- tanooga) to Cumberland Gap, it is tilted up or folded back against the horizontally stratified Cumberland mountains. This uplifted edge is called Walden's Ridge, and is the southeastern limit of the great Apal- chinn coal field which runs entirely across the State, from northeast to southwest, with an elevation of 2,000 feet, and an average of sixty miles wide by one hundred long, making a coal field of nearly 6,000 square miles, or 3,840,000 acres ; exceeding by 454,000 acres the entire coal area of Great Britain, including England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The Valley of East Tennessee is corrugated throughout its entire length with a number of low ridges running parallel to each other N. E. and S.W. witii the Valley. The rivers from the valley of West- ern North Carolina, at the base of the Blue Ridge, cut through the Unaka chain, and through the numberless ridges of the Valley, until they unite in the Tennessee river, at the base of the Cumberland coal field, following which to the southern limit of the State at Chatta- noosra, the last named river suddenlv turns its course and hews its way Iron. 231 through the Cumberland chain to the northwest. Here, in the heart of the great Valley of the Mississippi, it offers its clear, deep current to bear the commerce of 15,000 miles of navigable waters back through 800 miles of cotton and corn fields, through five great states, to its mountains of coal and iron, veins of copper, placers of gold and hills of marble, in a climate like Northern Italy ; adding with its branches 1,800 other miles of navigable waters to the wonderful network of great rivers that form the national highways for the products of more than half the states of this Union, and bearing a tonnage greater than that of any nation of Europe. This wonderful Valley of East Tennessee is lowest near the base of the Cumberland mountain, containing the coal fields on its northwest side. All its streams head in North Carolina and Western Virginia, and drain northwest into the Tennessee, each river forming a natural highway down stream to the coal fields. Nearly every ridge in the Valley contains minerals of some kind, the cuts through which the rivers flow forming natural openings to the veins of iron ore, which outcrop in nearly every ridge, whilst the great Alleghany chain is ribbed and seamed with veins of iron ore of nearly every known variety. From the same range are taken large quantities of copper at Ducktown, whilst all along its northern base runs a great, broad belt of roofing slate and most beautiful black marble intersected w^ith snow-white veins. Along the base of the Cumberland range runs entirely through the State, a low range or ridge of about 200 feet altitude above drainage, contain- ing invariably two veins of red fossiliferous iron ore, varying in thick- ness from three to ten feet, cropping out through the crest of the ridge on its southern slope, and dipping at an angle of about forty-five de- grees to the northwest. It is supposed to extend under the coal field ; at all events, it crops out at precisely the same geological horizon on the opposite side of Walden's Ridge, in Sequatchie A^alley and in Elk Valley opposite Knoxville, localities 100 miles apart, and each ten miles from the place of disappearance of the ore at the south-east base of the mountain. The coal in Walden's Ridge is a dry, semi-bituminous or rather semi-anthracite, working raw in the blast furnace, and requiring at Rockwood about two and three-fourths of a ton of coal to smelt one ton of pig-metal. The ore averages a yield of sixty per cent, of iron, and the sub-carboniferous limestones furnish ample and excellent flux- ing material, requiring twenty to twenty-five per cent, of flux. No- where along this long line of 160 miles is it more than half a mile from the iron ore to the coal beds, while the massive limestones are invaria- 232 Resources of Tennesvee. bly between them the entire distance. The coal kt Rockwood is very much disturbed, varying from one to over one hundred feet in thick- ness. Our No. 1 furnace has been in blast most of the time for over four years, making a fine quantity of pig-iron for rails with only one kind of ore. No. 2 furnace, of forty tons capacity, will be put to work early iu the spring, when we will turn out, with both furnaces, seventy-five tons of pig-iron per day.* At the base of the Unaka chain, on the south side of the Valley, is a wide chain of high knobs, in many of which are wonderful beds of the finest brown Hematite iron ore, some of which contain maganese. In the Unaka chain are inex- haustable veins of brown Hematite, and in the high mountains of the Blue Ridge are large veins and lodes of magnetic iron ores. All these must go witli the rivers to the coal fields on the northwest side of the great Valley, for this reason — that it requires one ton and a half of good iron ore to make one ton of pig-iron, and it takes about three tons of coal to reduce it, and three to four more tons ot coal to convert and fin- ish it into bar-iron ; thus using seven tons of coal to produce one ton of merchantable iron, and one-third of a ton of limestone, making in all seven tons and a half of fuel and flux. These are found contiguous to large and persistent beds of iron ore, only requiring a mixture of one half of the brown Hematite and Magnetic ores to make merchantable iron, fit for any use in arts and commerce, and giving the advantage to manufacturers located near the coal in proportion to the greater tonnage of fuel and flux used, to the vastly lesser weights and freight of ores required to produce one ton of iron ; in other words, saving in the pro- duction of pig-iron one-half the transportation, and in bar or plate iron or nails, nearly 500 per cent. This is the advantage enjoyed by the manufacturers on the northwest side of the Valley over those located on the southeast side, where is plenty of ores and no coal. Thus is in- sured to the northwest side of the Valley, along the proposed route of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad, a continuous line of works and a dense producing population. A few words might be added, giving a geological outline of a cross section of this Valley and its mountains on either side. Commencing in North Carolina, with the range of the Bhie Ridge, an enormous Eozoic upheaval ribbed with iron ores; thence northwest crossing granite formations to the metamorphic rocks of the Smoky or Unaka chain, walling long veins of copper and iron ores ; thence througli great beds of roofing slate, across the Silurian ridges of the broad Valley, to the single lines of Devonian shales at the base of ♦ No. 2 la LOW, (January, 1874,) in operation, and turne ont an^ average of 30 tons per day, thongh as high as forty and a half tons have been the result of tweuty-lbur hotir,'* work. Iron. 233 the Cumberland. In the steep wall of this mountain you cross three workable veins of finest coal, cropping out above drainage, and reach the level top of the coal fields, having in less than one hundred miles passed from the lowest primitive rocks across the Metamorphic, Silurian, Devonian and Carboniferous formations. These turned up on edge show all the wonderful provisions of nature in minerals, ready for the hand of man, deposited and hidden in the past ages, but unsealed and opened by the Creator's engineers and contractors — the earthquakes 6f the past and rivers of the present — and asking in mute eloquence for the mind and hand of man to take from their abundance and make them useful. These ranges and valleys are in a climate unequalled in salubrity and average comfort of temperature — the driving storms of the great plains of the Northwest being shut oif by the continuous Chain of the Cumberland mountain, and the raging gales of the At- lantic seaboard stopped short of our valleys by the range of the Blue Ridge and Unakas. These causes render this high mountain-walled Valley not only more temperate in winter, but much cooler in sum- mer than any valley south of the great lakes or east of the Pacific coast and free from malaria, while the great number of medicinal springs of almost every known property or variety, makes our valleys a favorite resort for persons seeking either health or pleasure. I have written these disjointed papers in a great hurry, being unable either to copy or correct, and send them as crude ores to be refined by workers in words, hoping they may direct more capable persons to call just attention to our enormous resources, I having, pioneer-like, but " blazed out " the road. I am earnestly yours, J. T. Wilder. Appended please find a copy from our books of the workings of our fiirnace for the past two months : Monthly Report of Rockwood Furnace for the Month ending Saturday. December 2{\th, 1872. Materiul, etc. No. Pounds. Ore charged. 2,144.000 $2,835 86 Coke " 891,200 2,005 20 Coal " 1,389,200 LlOl 80 Limestone 552,700 304 59 Labor 1 170 15 Salari'^a 400 00 Material from Store. 303 37 Blacksmithinj; 118 56 Foundry Castings 98 03 Total $8,33 / :ii> 234 Resources of Tennessee. Produce, 590 tons No. 1 mill iron ; cost, ing 62 40-100 per cent. 13 per ton. Ore yield- Report cf Rocktoood Furnace for the Month ending Saturday, January — , 1873. Material, etc. No. Pounds. Ore charged 2,145,500 Coke. 1,408,800 Coal charged 1,636,600 . . Limestone 601,800 Labor Salaries Materials from Store Blacksmithing Foundry castings. Total $3,194 80 3,169 80 1,405 77 331 61 1,486 10 580 00 127 95 68 15 98 03 $10,433 38 Product, 655 tons No. 1 mill iron; cost, $15.92 per ton. Ore yield- ing 62 78-100 per cent. W. F. Sanks — for D. E. Rees, Agent. J. T. Wilder, Superintendent. REMARKS. Ores are charged at $3 per ton, and actually cost by contract $2 per ton. All allowances are made to cover any possible waste or cost of extra handling. The cost for January is unusual, owing to the greater amount of coke used in that month, to reduce the amount of stock of coke on hand. Ore yielded for the time quoted above 62 59-100, and an aver- age of 2.715 tons of coal used for each ton of iron produced. J. T. Wilder. We may add here that the heaviest collection of ores which were seen at the Vienna Exhibition, in 1873, came from Tennessee, and was under the charge of General Wilder. The collection was honored with a premium, though it arrived very late. A list of Furnaces in East Tennessee, with the kinds of fuel and ore used, and the average yield per month. County. ^fame of Fur- nace. Fuel. Blast. Kind of Ore. Averas^e yiold per mo'th Remarks. Roane. Rock wood. No. 1. Rorkwood, No. 2. Oakdale. Coke & Coal. Hot. Red Ilematite. 57(i '.(00 900 Blown out for re- in blast, [pairi. Claiborne. Cunih. Gap I. W. Charcoal. Cold. " " 105 Greene. N.Y. E.T.I. Co. Unaka. .. Bro'u Hematite 200 800 Wa»liiiii,'ton. Bradley. " " " 200 JohllHOU. Bneluionf;. " " " " 100 Carter. Kuoxville Car Co 200 Showing a monthly yield of 3,481 tons per month. Iron. 235 These furnaces have seldom been run to their full capacity. A companv called the Rhea Iron Company, will erect during the present year, in Rhea county, twelve miles below Roekwood, a furnace with a capacity of thirty tons per day. It is understood that this com- pany has 5,000 acres of fine coal and mineral lands. The name of the place is Greenwood. The Ieon Ore of the Cumberland Table Land. The ore found in this region lies interstratified with the shale, sand- stone and coal of the Coal Measures. It is called day iron-stone, and is an argillacious carbonate of iron. It occurs mostly in nodules, but sometimes in layers, and is co-extensive with the coal fields. The low per cent, of pure iron found in it, rarely over thirty per cent., usually twenty, and its comparative scarcity, have caused it to be neglected by our producers of iron. In England the largest quantity of iron is made from this ore, and doubtless the time will come when the iron- stones of Tennessee will be smelted in our furnaces. This, for iron ore, is the least valuable of our iron belts. It covers over 5,000 square miles. The Western Iron Belt. A line drawn from Clarksville, Tennessee, to Florence, Alabama, would pass through the center of the Western Iron Belt. It is about fifty miles wide, and extends through the State, often overleaping the Tennessee River, passing into Kentucky and reaching to the Ohio River. It embraces an area of more than 5,400 square miles. It in- cludes all or parts of the following 'counties : Lawrence, Wayne, Hardin, Lewis, Perry, Decatur, Hickman, Humphreys, Benton, Dick- son, ISIontgomery, Houston and Stewart. On the eastern side of the Central Basin, at the foot of the Cumberland Table Land, is the coun- terpart of this Western Iron Belt. It embraces the counties of War- ren, White, Putnam, Overton and Yan Buren. Could one be elevated so as to have in view the'whole of this part of Tennessee, he would see no such mountains as presented themselves in the eastern part of the State, but, reaching north in Kentucky, and south into Alabama, would be seen an elevated plateau country, covered for the most part with forest trees, though showing some cultivated areas, and here and there a town. In sight to the east and bounding the 236 Resources of Tejtnessee. plateau on that side would lie the depressed and fertile Central Basin, holding the capital and many towns, while, to the west, would lie across the State, and bounding the elevated area in that direction, the narrow broken valley of the Tennessee River. It would be seen, furthermore, that this plateau country is not a little cut and dissected by the valleys of rivers and creeks. Duck River runs thi'ough it in a serpentine course, with gleaming brightness, from east to west. The Cumberland River, with its valley, cuts it completely if we include its Kentucky extension. Buffalo River and valley lie wholly within it. Besides these, very many creeks with narrow valleys curve its edges and fringe it with multitudes of ridges and spurs. This cut- ting has in some parts of the area resulted in the formation of rolling lands, especially along the larger streams. There is presented along the Cumberland River, for example, at intervals, a border of such land' several miles wide. The rocks underlying the plateau region are limestone, more or less charged with flint-masses (chert,) and fine siliceous and clayey impuri- ties. They belong to the two lower divisions of the Carboniferous system, which are known to geologists as the Siliceous Group and thi Lithostrotion Bed, which are described in this report as the Barren ' Group, and the Coral or St. Louis Limestone. The whole country has been undergoing a leaching process for ages. The purer limestone matter has been dissolved and carried away, while the chert, siliceous material and clay have been left behind. The rocks now are generally covered with a very considerable depth of such residual debris. The Iron Belt may be considered as coinciding, for the most part, with this area. To it, however, must be added certain hilly tracts dn the west side of the Tennessee in Decatur and Benton. Over this whole region more or less ore occurs. But only at certain centers is it found in sufficient quantity to be made available. These centers pre- sent accumulations of ore, and are for that reason called "banks." The ore, like that occuring for the most part in the Eastern Iron Belt, is lAmonite, sometimes called, as we liave said. Brown Hematite. The banks, too, though the kind and the jiosition of the rocks, the topography of the country, and other circumstances, make some difference, resem- ble those of the Eastern Belt. They have generally a high position, being h)catcd, with few exceptions, on the tops or edges of the pkiteau ridges. To apjireciatc their geological relations, it must be borne in mind that these ridges are capped with the leached remains, the debris, li h-mi. 237 of tlie rocks of the Siliceous Group, these remains consisting of angu- lar fragments of half-decomposed, and often bleached, chert and sand- stones imbedded in clay, with which is sometimes sand. To this is verv frequently added water-worn gravel. The bed of debris is fi'om 1 few feet to 100 feet in depth, and in it as a matrix the iron ore has, it the centers mentioned, accumulated and formed the banks. It may 3e added that some localities do not abound in chert ; a few aiford ore n red clay alone. The banks vary greatly in the richness of ores and in their extent. 5ome of them cover whole square miles, while others occupy only an icre or two. Oftentimes the ore is intermixed with hard cemented cherty nasses, and yields but a poor return from the furnace. Again it is !omparatively free from impurities, yields, when worked, from forty to ifty-five per cent. The lumps, as taken from the beds, are of various izes, from a few inches to a yard in thickness, and in all possible ;hapes. In Wayne county, near the Wayne Furnace, at the depth of hirty or forty feet beneath the crests of the ridges, large masses are bund so strongly cemented as to require the use of the drill and blast- ng powder to raise them. Of the quantity of material removed from he best banks, one-third is ore. The cost for digging and delivering 0 the furnaces is two dollars per ton. It would be impossible in this chapter to give a description of all he banks that have been worked in this region. In Hickman county here are at least twenty which have been examined, each affording a ulficient supply of ore to run a furnace. Indeed, it has been asserted hat the quantity of ore in this county is equal to that of Iron Moun- ain, Missouri. The supply is also very great in Stewart and Dick- on counties. The iron deposits in Lewis, Lawrence and Wayne are ex- snsive, and underlie much of hill lands in these counties. Decatur and Benton counties, in West Tennessee, though more limited in the extent f their deposits, have some banks of great richness. Indeed, it may ruly be said of this whole region, that it is a wide field of undeveloped r'calth, and capable of sustaining establishments enough to supply the i^orld with iron for a century. There were in the Western Iron Belt, before the war, thirty-five irnaces, four blooraaries, and thirteen refineries, the latter having bout fifty-nine fires. Of the furnaces, Stewart county had the great- st number; Montgomery came next; then Dickson and Decatur, ach having two ; and finally Hardin, Wayne, Lawrence, and Perry dth one each. 238 Resotirces of Tennessee. There are now in operation, or were for the year 1873, eleven fur- naces* in this Western Belt. The names and average monthly pro- ductions are given in the following table : Name. County. Blast. Capacity ^ Month. Hot Hot Cold.... Hot Cold.... Hot Cold.... Hot Cold.... Hot..... Hot.. .. 540 tons. Wayne Lewis Dickson — Dickson Montgomery Stewart Stewart 540 tons. 270 tons. 360 tons. Worley Furnace 240 tons. 360 tons. DoTer Furnace 300 tons. Rough-and-Ready Furnace... 300 tons. 360 tons. Clark Furnace Stewart Stewart 510 tons. LaGrunfe Furnace 450 tons. Aggregating monthly 4,230 tons ; add that of the furnaces in East Tennessee, 3,481, and we have for the monthly product in the StatC) I 7,711 tons. [For more minute descriptions of the banks, furnaces, de- ] tails of the cost of manufacturing iron, see descriptions of Stewart, Wayne and Lewis counties in this volume.] ■ j The fuel used in all the western region is charcoal, and the ore Limonite or Brown Hematite. Wood for its manufacture is plentiful and cheap. The quality of iron is better than that made of stone coal, being used extensively for bar and boiler plate, as well as for car wheels, axles, &c. Mr. George T. Lewis, who before the war was ex- tensively engaged in the iron interests of this region, says : " The Cum- berland Tennessee iron/ has become '©elebrated for its toughness and strength, and has maintained its superiority for nearly forty years in competition with Swedish iron. Though there have been many casual- ties by the explosion of boilers upon the western and southern steam- boats, resulting in the loss, of thousands of lives, yet not one boiler made of this iron has ever exploded." Now, as to the present cost of making this iron, there is a very great diversity of opinion, even among those engaged in its manufacture. Mr. Lewis thinks the cost of making cold-blast charcoal metal in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, is $40 per ton, while the same may be made in the Western Iron Region for less than $30. Stone coal pig-metal, according to the same authority, costs, Avhen made in Pitts- burg, $30.76 per ton. A better grade, he says, can be made at points * Laara Farnace is located in Eentteky, bat most of the pro]»erty lies in Stowart Coanty. Iron. 239 on the Memphis, Clarksville and Lonisville Railroad, at a cost of $20.25 per ton,^-viz. : 2^0118 ore, at f2 $5 00 80 bushels coke, at 10 cents 8 00 \ ton limestone, at $1 25 Superintendence and labor per ton 4 00 Interest on investment 80 InQidentals, per ton 1 00 Repairs, &c. 1 20 Total cost per ton $^0 25 Mr. Lewis' statements, as to the cheapness with which iron can be manufactured in the Western Iron Belt, having been doubted by men holding prominent positions in the government, we have sought other sources of information from the most responsible makers in this region. The following is a bona fide transcript from the books of a company that is extensively engaged in the manufacture of this metal. It is for the year 1871 — the furnace not running through the whole period of 1872 or '73: Operation of Furnace for the Year 1871. Number cords of wood chopped 16,176 Bushels of charcoal used 648,400 Number tons of iron made, 4,110 Number of days blowing ,.,. 296 Average tons per day for 296 days 13 6-7 Number tons of ore received 10,905 Average cost of ore per ton $2.00 Number tons of ore to ton of pig-iron. 2J Number bushels of coal used 639,400 Number bushels of coal to ton of pig-iron 155J Average cost of coal per bushel 7|c. Number pounds of limestone to ton of pig-iron 613 Cost of limestone to ton 50c. Whole amount of daily labor and salaries for the year $26,469.49 Average cost of ton ot pig-iron for labor and salaries 6.44 Extra per ton for hearths, sand, interest, &p - 1.33 From this statement it is easy to sum up the cost of a ton of pig-iron, tims: 155 bushels of coal, at 7f cents $12 04 2^ tons of ore, at $2 4 66 Labor and salary 6 44 Lime 50 Incidentals 1 33 Cost of ton charcoal (hot-blast) iron $24 97 Substantially the same cost appears on the books for 1872 aad 1873. 240 Resources of Ten?iessee. The details, as given from a cold-blast charcoal furnace, in Stewart county, for 1873, are: 170 bushels charcoal, at 8 cents $13 60 2 tons ore, at $2.50 5 00 Labor and salary 6 44 Lime 50 Incidentals 1 33 Cost of ton charcoal (cold-blast) $26 87 If the number of days in the year in which the furnace is idle were deducted, it would reduce the price of iron 20 per cent, per ton on the item of salaries and labor. The estimate is further reduced by the profits from goods supplied to hands. About three-fourths of the labor employed is paid in goods, upon which a profit of 35 per cent, is real- ized. ADVANTAGES OF TENNESSEE FOR MAKING IRON. 1. Cheapness of Ore. As compared with Hanging Rock, Ohio, and other points north of the Ohio River, it is striking, as the following figures will show. They are made for the year 1871 : Cost of ore to ton of pig-iron in the Western Iron Belt $4 66 Cost of ore in the Dyestone Belt 2 00 Cost of ore at Hanging Rock, Ohio 7 50 Cost of ore at Pittsburg 12 67 2. Cheapness of Fuel. In the Western Iron Belt charcoal costs per bushel 7f cents ; at Hanging Rock, 10 cents — making a diiference in cost of ton of iron of $3.50. The difference is still greater between the cost of fuel at Rock- wood and Pittsburg, where stone coal is used. 3. Days of Blowing. This is very marked, when the averages of the furnaces in the Western Iron Belt and those at Hanging Rock are contrasted. Timber is so scarce in Ohio that it is difficult to lay in a sufficient stock of charcoal to get a blast to exceed 2,500 or 3,000 tons. In the Western Iron Region the timber is abundant and con- venient, as also in the Eastern Iron Belt. 4. Taxes on property are loroer. In Tennessee, the amount paid for taxes on a furnace that will make 5,000 tons annually, is known to be $450. In Ohio, a furnace with the same capacity pays $1,200 taxes. Iron. 241 Disadvantages of Tennessee. 1, Want of transportation. This, in all the iron regions of the State, except those portions contiguous to the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, is a great drawback to the iron interests. It takes seven dol- lars per ton to transport the pig iron from Napier's Furnace to the railroad, four dollars per ton to get it to Tennessee River from Wayne Furnace, and from two to three dollars from other furnaces not con- venient to railroads or navigable rivers. 2. Difference in price of labor. Labor is twenty-five per cent, higher in Tennessee, and not so efficient. With all these drawbacks, Tennessee can still make charcoal iron from six to seven dollars cheaper than it can be made in Ohio, Indi- ana or Pennsylvania, and stone-coal iron from ten to fifteen dollars less cost per ton. The subjoined tables will show the cost of making iron in Pennsyl- vania, for the years 1850 to 1873 inclusive. The first table gives the cost of the iron (stone-coal, hot blast,) on the furnace bank per ton of 2,240 pounds, as follows :* TEARS. PRICE PER TON. TEARS. PRICE PER TON. TEARS. PRICE PER TON. 1850 $14 25 13 30 14 34 14 38 16 00 18 87 18 05 17 04 1858 1859 $17 73 16 14 16 85 16 61 16 11 16 53 20 97 32 21 1866 $27 88 1851 1867 27 88 1852 I860 1868 26 00 1853 1861 1869... 26 83 1854 1862 1870. 30 04 1855 1863. 1871 29 65 1856 1864 1872 30 68 1857 1865 1873 32 33 The second embraces the several items of which these sums are made up, and the progressive increase in the price of each. We give these at several periods, before and after the war : Ore Coal Limestone..., Labor Interest, etc- 1S60. 1855. 1860. 1864. 1866. 1869. 1871. $ 5 75 $ 7 51 $ 7 45 $ 9 12 $12 19 $11 86 $12 67 3 70 4 63 3 49 6 41 7 55 7 41 8 59 93 1 26 1 21 1 93 2 65 2 14 2 08 2 22 2 85 1 87 2 85 3 46 3 46 3 54 1 68 2 62 2 83 1 66 2 03 1 96 2 77 1873. 113 30 7 15 1 97 3 79 2 76 ♦These figures were furnished by Jameg M. Swank, of Philadelphia, Secretary of the American Iron and Steel Association. 16 242 Resources of Tennessee. It may be well here to po'iit out the danger which threatens our western iron fields by the inactention or neglect of our law-makers. The timber supply, while abundant at present, is being consumed at the rate of 6,000 acres annually. In the neighborhood of old fur- naces, it has been cut down for a distance of three or four miles, and .t used in the making of charcoal. Sprouts put up every year, but the annual fires which sweep over the old "coalings" with devasting fury, destroy them. No new timber is taking the place of the old. Barren, sightless old fields, covered with broomsedge, meet the eye on every hand. How to protect the young timber in the iron region, is a ques- tion that should seriously engage the attention of our Legislature, for it will not be a question of iron ore in the future, but of timber. A due regard for the rights of posterity, if not for the present occupants of this region, should be manifested in the enactments of stringent laws against all persons guilty of wantonly setting the leaves on fire. Were the young timber protected, it would grow as fast as consumed. Estimating that 500 acres are used annually, by each furnace with a capack;y of twelve tons daily, twenty-five square miles, or 16,000 acres would support a furnace perpetually, on the supposition that the trees will grow in thirty years large enough to be used for coal. In some sit- uations that have been protected by roads and streams from fires, the timber on the land has been cut down a second time, after the lapse of twenty -five years, from the first cutting. It is a crime against the material interests of the State, and destructive of one of the finest iron regions in America, to permit the custom of firing the woods to continue. It is a relic of barbarism, inherited from savages, and should be stopped by the infliction of pains and penalties. In the preparation of this chapter, much assistance has been derived directly from the State Geologist, Dr. SaiFord, under whose eye the proof-sheets have passed, and all the details collected, submitted and criticised. Nothing has been admitted but what we have abundant evidence to be true. Copper. 243 CHAPTER XV, Copper. The copper region of Tennessee lies in Polk county, in the south- east corner of the State. It is in an elevated mountain basin, not less than 2,000 feet above the sea, and 1,000 feet above the great Valley of East Tennessee. This basin contains about forty square miles. On the south-west, at a distance of a few miles, looms up the dome-like crest of Frog Mountain, and from this, trending north-easterly, is one of the ranges of the Unakas. Towards the east and south-east, are the towering peaks of the North Carolina chain, while southward, running into Georgia, the scenery is more subdued. The surface of this valley is made up of hills and ridges, with gneissoid rocks and metamorphic slates showing themselves here and there, the area pre- senting a wild and rugged character. To add to this wlldness, the country is denuded of timber, much of it having been consumed in the making of charcoal, and large quantities have been destroyed by the fumes from the smelting furnaces, which, charged with sulphur- ous acid, wither and deaden all vegetation by their poisonous contact. Through the southern part of the mining district flows the Ocoee River, which, rising among the ridges of Georgia, takes a north- westerly course gently and quietly through the copper valley, as if gathering its force for the fearful plunges through the deep gorges and narrow ravines of the Unaka Range. For twelve or fifteen miles after passing the copper valley, the confined stream, fretted with huge masses of stone, is white with roaring cascades and plaited currents, while, rising almost perpendicularly above, are frowning and winding cliifs, walling in the river, and forming altogether one of the wildest 244 Resources of Temiessee. and one of the most romantic scenes in the south. Along this stream, and near the water's edge, a wagon road has been cut out of the cliffs, and forms the only means of transportation from the mines to the railroad. The Copper Valley is intersected by numerous small tributaries of the Ocoee, which cut deep ravines, between which are the rounded gneissoid hills before referred to. The strata dip at high angles to the south-east, and their ontcrops have a north-easterly and south-westerly direction. The ore deposits are in lenticular masses or belts, lying in the valley, these belts being separated by intervening rocks. Though the walls of the ore are often not well defined, the ore blend- ing and gradually disappearing with the containing rocks, the veins or belts of ore are plainly marked. The deposits are in three belts. From the outcrop downwards, four distinct zones or stories are passed through. These several zones are thus described in a report made by the Union Consolidated Company, in 1866 : "1. Upper part of the ' vein,' consisting of ^ gossan,' i.e., sandy, porous, massive or reniform ore, mixed with streaks of reddish-brown slate. In this zone, and especially in its lower portion, occur mala- chite, azurite, cuprite, in grains, masses, and threads, and native copper in foliated and dendritic forms. Cuprite, (the red osyd of copper,) and the so-called black oxyd, become more and more abundant, and gradually form " 2. The second zone, the transition to which occupies, generally, not more than ten feet on the dip of the vein. This may be called the zone of the black copper ores. It branches upward, somewhat into the gossan. It varies in depth from two to eight feet, and appears to follow with its upper limit, the contour of the surface above. In it are found layers, nodules and pockets of cuprite, and granular admixtures of iron and copper pyrites. This division is abruptly cut off below by " 3. The third zone — that of iron pyrites, and pyrrhotite (magnetic pyrites,) containing but little disseminated copper pyrites, and, on the other hand, a large proportion of tremolite and actinolite, of radial, fibrous structure, and wine-yellow to brown color. The disseminated copper pyrites grows more abundant in depth, until it forms " 4. The fourth zone — that of cojiper pyrites. In the center of the deposit this mineral is almost pure and solid, containing some thirty per cent, of copper. Towards the walls, where it is mixed with Copper. 245 pyrrbotite, iron pyrites, tremolite, and actinolite, the average contents of copper in the whole mass is 8-10 per cent." The third and fourth zones above are hardly distinguishable, and may be thrown together. The "gossan" spoken of is limonite iron ore, which caps the tops of all the veins, but owing to its admixture with foreign ingredients, it makes a "red short" iron, almost or nearly worthless. The following diagram will illustrate the dip of the strata and the included vein with its several zones. A. The Upper Zone. B. Zone of Black Copper Ores. C. The Third and Fourth Zones, containing Copper Pyrites, etc. D. A mass of Wall Rock within the vein, called " horse." E. Iron Ore, or Gossan, on the surface and capping the vein For a great while, the mining operations were confined to the black and red copper ores, but subsequently the yellow copper ores, of which the region is capable of furnishing large quantities, were smelted with satisfactory profits. The lodes of this ore vary greatly in richness, some of the ore containing six per cent, of copper, but much of it not more than two or three per cent. The low grade ores are crushed before smelting, and by a somewhat complicated chemical process the pure copper extracted. 246 Resources of Tennessee. There are now operating at Dncktown two large companies. The Union Consolidated Company, of Tennessee, and the Burra Burra Copper Company. The Union Consolidated Company has the fol- lowing mining properties : The East Tennessee 480 acres. " Mary's 160 " " Isabella 240 " " Callaway 320 " " Maria 80 " " McCoy 140 " " Buena Vista 240 " " Johnson 315 " " Beaver 40 " " Cherokee 320 " " Ocoee 240 " Total comprised in the original consolidation 2,575 acres. Since acquired, mainly for timber 2,67G Making a total of 5,251 " It employs in its operations two steam engines of eighty horse- power and four water wheels of sixty-nine horse-power. It has sixteen furnaces, and employs 562 men and eighty children and youths. The amount of wages paid is $200,000 annually. It consumed in its operations for 1872, 16,298 cords of wood, costing $48,894. The production of ingot copper for the same year was 1,466,847 pounds, worth $308,038. The ores are mined from the company's own lands. The following machinery was added to the improvements during the fiscal year ending in June, 1873 : Diamond Drill Cost $4,205 48 Engine Lathe " 888 25 Hoisting Engine " 4,584 92 Rotating Calciner " 210 69 Machine Drills, Air Compressor, Boilers, &c " 9,103 (19 $19,023 03. The whole value of the property of this company is $474,549.30. We learn from the report of the company that the openings at the Mary's Mine, which were commenced about two years since, have developed a strong and paying lode, and this mine now furni.>^hes a fair proportion of the ore production. Instructions have been given for Copper. 247 the erection of dressing works, and the buikling of a three feet rail- way thence to the smelting works, upon the completion of which, the company will obtain a marked increase of production from this mine. The diamond drill has been doing good service in determining lo- cations for shafts at the East Tennessee Mine. More recently, it has been testing the vein at the Isabella Mine, and at last accounts had reached a depth of 308 feet, the drill hole still in the vein. At various parts of the vein good specimens of ore have been obtained from the core, and the indications are favorable to an important addition to the productive workings. In the opening of this mine, other holes will be bored at different angles, more fully testing the productiveness of the vein ; but it is now pretty well established that it is not less than 200 feet in width, at the point being tested. For further information, we here insert the letters of Capt, John Tonkin, of the East Tennessee, and Capt. E. Mueller, of the Mary's Mine, to the Superintendent, on the 1st of June, 1873, showing the condition of the mines at that time: East Tennessee Mine, June 1, 1873. J. E. Raid, Esq., Agent, Cleveland, Tenn. : Dear Sir — In last month most of our stoping was confined to the slate vein below the thirty fathom level, which has not yielded as much roast pile ore as I expected ; the vein is getting much wider as we go down, and the ore more scattered through the vein. I commenced stoping a few days ago on the main vein south-west of Thomas Shaft, thirty fathom level ; this stope, to all appearance now, will yield a large quantity of ore. I have also commenced to-day the stope below the forty fathom level, north-east of Thomas Shaft. I have discontinued work in the stope on the slate vein until further orders. I have also discontinued work at the stope below the twenty fathom level south-west ; we have a large vein there which contains a good deal of copper, but is so much mixed with slate that I doubt if it can be made available with our present mode of selecting out the ore by hand labor. For the last few days I have been sending ore to the roast piles pretty fast, and expect to be able to do iso this month. Macaulay Shaft was sunk in last month eleven feet nine inches, and the shaft secured with all necessary timbering. Tonkifi Shaft, sunk 248 Resources of Tennessee. fourteen feet, taken out some rich ore from the shaft to-day, and, so far as can be seen, looks very favorable. Cross-cut at fifty fathom level driven nine feet six inches. South- west drift forty fathom level, on the slate vein, driven twelve feet nine inches — copper and slate. South-west drift thirty fathom level, driven three feet. This drift looks well for copper. « North-east drift, twenty fathom level, driven fifteen feet; copper and slate looking favorable. South-west drift, between ten and twenty fathom levels, driven four feet three inches. No copper. Cross-cut at Number 2 Shaft, driven nine feet six inches. Winze north-east of Number 2 Shaft in ten fathom level, sunk ten feet. The winze does not look as well for copper at the bottom. I have suspended work there, had to use the hands in the stope. Cross-cut south-east of Allen Shaft driven ten feet. North-east of Patterson Shaft, a cross-cut was driven twenty-eight feet three inches, and intersects the northern vein, and a drift driven on the vein twenty- nine feet nine inches. The vein, so far, is small, with only traces of copper occasionally. Truly Yours, John Tonkin. Mary Mine, June 1, 1873. Mr. J. E. Raid, Supei'intendent, Cleveland, Tenn. : Dear Sir — The south-west drift from bottom of Henneman Shaft was continued nine feet six inches during last month, most of the drift stands in mundic. Some good copper ore. The cross-cut from Henneman Shaft was advanced twelve feet, mostly in gneiss slate. Some hornblend and quartz. From the winze on Stillwcll adit towards Henneman Shaft, about fourteen cubic fathom of vein was stoped, containing a fair proportion of yellow ore. The stope looks more promising now than before. Most Respectfully, E. Mueller. From these evidences this company is led to expect a considerable increase in the production, parti(uilarly during the present year (1874). The shipments for the year ending June, 1873, were 2,2G7,8G3 pounds of fine copper, which was sold at good prices. Copper. 249 The following statement will show the production of ingot copper by this company in each year since the resumption of work in the fall of 1865: From fall of 1865 to June 1, 1866 257,304 pounds net. June 1, 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1867 632,377 1868 1,013,883 1869 1,006,146 1870 1,466,847 1871 1,441,941 1872 1,390,511 1873 1,267,863 Total 8,476,872 The following table will show the prices realized during the same period, in gross and net, with charges and expenses, as averaged through each year: COPPER FORWARDED. From fall of 1865. to June 1, 1866 .... From June 1, 1866, to June 1, 1867.... From June 1, 1867, to June 1, 1868... From June 1, 1868, to June 1, 1869.. From June 1, 1869, to June 1, 1870... From June 1, 1870, to June 1, 1871.... From June 1, 1871, to June 1, 1872... From June 1, 1872, to June 1, 1873.... GROSS PRICE. 33.78 ^ 27.03 23.72 2380 20.95 21.12 28.02 33(?) It). NET PRICE. 30.22 P K). 24.71 21.72 21 82 19.22 19.39 26.05 30. CHARGES AND EXPENSES. 3.56 ^ K) 2.29 2.00 1 98 1.73 1.73 1.97 The Burra Burra Company has two steam engines, of eighty horse- power, and one waterwheel, of four horse-power. It ran nine furnaces in 1872, and employed one hundred and fifty-eight men and eight chil- dren, paying out for wages $60,000. It also consumed 10,192 cords of wood, costing $30,576, and produced, of ingot copper, 917,329 pounds, valued at $192,639. The ore is obtained from the lands owned by the company. The whole amount of copper made in the copper region is wagoned to Cleveland, a distance of forty miles, and shipped by the East Ten- nessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad. The effect of the working of these mines upon the wealth of the county has been very great. In 1849 the total gross tax collected in the county, was $513.45, and the land was valued at $266,607. Ten 250 Resources of Tennessee. years thereafter, in 1859, the county paid a tax of $4,539.67, and the land was vahied at $2,240,420. In 1869 the revenue from that coun- ty amounted to $8,874.28. History. The history of the development of these mines is invested with pecu^ liar interest, and though often published, will not fail to be pleasing to the general reader, inasmuch as it is marked by exhibitions of in- domitable industry, perseverance and will. It is related of the commissioners who were appointed to run the dividing line between North Carolina and Tennessee, that when they reached a point in their course south-west, just above the Hiwassee River, they became greatly fatigued in climbing the steep, rocky, rough sides of the Unakas, through dense and tangled masses of mountain laurel, and were exceedingly anxious to finish their disagreeable task, whereupon one of them suggested that they run a due south line from their position to Georgia, which was finally agreed upon, and the line was so run. This circumstance robbed North Carolina of the copper region, and gave it to Tennessee ; for had they continued the line in the direction in which they began, this small triangle would have been left to the mother State. In the year 1843 while Mr. Semmons was prospecting for gold, at which time there was considerable excitement in regard to the gold found on Coqua Creek, he thought he perceived indications of that valuable metal at a point whore the Hiwassee mine is located. Vigorously using his pan, he collected an abundance of yellowish particles which he took for gold; biit they proved to be red copper ore. He abandoned the region with disgust. Subsequently Mr. Grant discovered several rich specimens of native copper. The black oxide of copper was afterwards found, and samples shipped to New York, but the report on them was unfavorable. The value of the black oxide was made known to the company by Mr. Webber, a German, in 1847, and secur- ing a lease, he mined and shipped to the Revere Smelting Works, near Boston, ninety casks of ore. This was divided into three lots — one of which proved to be worth 32.5 per cent.; another 14.5 per cent., and the third was thrown aside as worthless. Webber suspended oper- tiouH, aad gave up his lease. The ])roperty was leased to a second per- son, and no further attention was given to it until 1850. The year Copper. 251 previous, however, Mr. John Caldwell came to Ducktown scouting for copper, and found several tons in a cabin, ten feet square, on the prop- erty now known as the Hiwassee. He says: " I found the country unexplored — the school section, now worth a million of dollars, attracting little or no attention. Sat down in the woods for three hours, to mature a plan to control and open the sec- tion. I owned, at the time, one twenty dollar bill. After three hours' reflection, resolved to call a meeting of the citizens of the township, and make a speech explanatory of the value of the school section, and of the importance of leasing it for mining purposes. Told the people that as soon as the mines could be opened, their condition would be improved, and that civilization, intelligence, comfort and wealth, would be the inevitable results. At the conclusion of this remark, a speaker arose in the crowd, and informed me that a large portion of the inhab- itants had come here to get away from civilization, and if it followed them, they would run again. " After the speech was made, drew up a memorial to the Legislature, praying the passage of a law authorizing the commissioners to give a mining lease on the school section. The . memorial was signed by a majority of the citizens, and on personal application, the law was passed, and under it, the lease was taken. "In May, 1850, commenced mining in the woods. In the same year sunk two shafts, and obtained copper from both of them. The excavations made did not exceed twelve feet — at that depth the copper being found. Commenced mining at the Hiwassee Mine in 1851, in connection with S. Congdon, the agent of the Tennessee Mining Com- pany. Built a double cabin, and taught Sabbath-school in the kitchen end of the establishment, aided by young Mr. Walter Congdon." • This gentleman also conceived and carried out the idea of making a wagon road down the Ocoee, instead of packing the copper ore out of the mountains on mules. To this end he labored assiduously. Desti- tute of means to accomplish his purpose, he, by speeches, succeeded in enlisting public sentiment in its favor. "Going," he says, " to a Meth- odist camp-meeting, I obtained permission to make a road speech in the recess of Divine service. The speech over, we took up a collec- tion, principally on accredit, ajid payable in trade. This, however, served the purpose; and on the 6th of October, 1851, the work was commenced. On the first day, three hands worked; on the second, two ; and the third, worked alone — public opinion, strong and power- 252 Resources of Tennessee. ful, being against the enterprise. On the fourth day, hired a dozen Cherokees. "Thus began one of the most important projects in the State, which was consummated in two years, at an expense of about §22,000. The Tennessee Company came early to help in the enterprise, but the Hi- wasseee held back till fourteen miles of the road were passable for wagons. At the close of the first year, Robert McCampbell was em- ployed as the engineer of the road, after which I again turned my at- tention to mining." A narrow gauge railroad is now projected along the same route from Ducktown to Cleveland. The board of directors of the Union Con- solidated Mining Company, who have the building of the road -in charge, are determined to push forward the work as rapidly as means can be assured, without embarrassment to their mining operations. They propose to furnish $12,500 per month after the work shall have been commenced, and to take three-fourths of the sto(;k. The financial pres- sure of 1873 has probably retarded operations in this particular, but such a road is of vital importance to the welfare of the mining interests of Ducktown. But to return. A consolidation of some of the most effective mines was made in 1858, and is now owned by the Union Consolidated Com- pany, which, under the masterly superintendence of Julius E. Raht, has attained a degree of prosperity rarely equalled. Refining works were erected in 1860 by the various companies in common. The copper produced is of excellent quality, and in ready demand. A copper rolling mill and wire works were erected at Cleve- land, but were destroyed during the civil war. A village of some three thousand inhabitants has sprung up in what was a barren, sterile region })rior to 1850, and no part of the State shows a greater industrial activity than the neighborhood of Duck- town. The farmers have a ready market at home for all their sup- plies, at good prices, and a manifest improvement has taken place in the social and domestic life of the inhabitants. Churches and schools prevail, and educational advantages are highly appreciated and sought after. Other Miner acs. 253 CHAPTER XVI. Other Minerals. Having in the three preceding chapters, treated of the coal, iron and copper of the State, its most abundant and most valuable minerals, we propose in this, to speak of such others as may be of interest or importance. It is observable, that while some states have more cop- per, others more iron, and some more coal, &c., no one probably has such a great variety of mineral wealth and in workable quantities. Tennessee, indeed, may be compared to a grand museum, in which nature has gathered a great diversity of rocks, soils, plants, minerals, physical features and climatic influences, all classified and ready at hand, for such purposes as they may be suited. We shall include in the term mineral, marble, gypsum, barytes, cement rocks, building stone, clays, &c., and endeavor to point out the quantity, quality, and locality of each, and give such other information as may be of practical benefit. Marble. The marble of Tennessee has gained, by its beautifully variegated appearance and fine polishing qualities, a richly deserved fame through- out the United States. There are found in the State several varieties, among which may be mentioned the black, grey, magnesian, fawn- colored, red variegated, conglomerate, and breccia. One or more of these varieties are met with in every division of the State. By marble, is meant any limestone that takes a good polish, and looks well after it is polished. The black marble, sometimes beautifully streaked with veins of white calcite, is found in Washington, Greene, McMinn, Polk, Sevier, 2 54 Reso2irces of Tennessee. and, indeed, in many of the counties in East Tennessee, where the limestone has been fissured in local flexures. It is quite compact, hav- ing a great specific gravity, and takes a fine polish. This marble was used to fiDrm the bases of the columns in the senate chamber of the capitol at Nashville. That, with white reticulated veins, would make handsome mantles. The gray and red variegated marbles occur in inexhaustible quanti- ties in several counties of East Tennessee. The two are usually asso- ciated, the one running into the other. The counties, however, which have furnished the largest supplies, are Knox and Hawkins. The gray, which is coralline, sparry, whitish, and often variegated with pink or reddish spots, rests usually upon a blue limestone. It weighs 180 pounds to the cubic foot, and is freer from "dries," or porous sponge- like cavities, or unconsolidated material than that of deeper color. A quarry was opened in 1871, and is now being worked at the confluence of the French Broad and Holston Kivers. This marble spreads over an area of many square miles, aiid is several hundred feet thick. It forms the building stone of the custom house in Knox vi lie, and the quality of it is justly regarded as among the finest in the State. A polished slab shines with glowing brilliancy, and the small pinkish spots that are sprinkled over its surface, give it a delicacy and richness of tint that is surpassingly beautiful. Unpolished, the pink spots do not appear. As employed in the custom house in "drove" work, it has a grayish white appearance, and is mistaken by many for the ordi- nary light-colored uncrystallized limestone. In the bed, this marble does not appear disposed in regular strata, but is found in great boulder-shaped masses, twenty-five or thirty feet across, sometimes sharpened to a point, and again worn down into bowl- like cavities. No gunpowder is used in the quarry. The blocks are all separated by the use of the drill and forcing wedges. Thirty men arc regularly emj)loyed at this place, and the force will be increased as the excellence of the marble becomes known. Already has a demand been created in St. Louis for it, and blocks are sold in that market at from three to six dollars per cubic foot, for mantles, moldings, &c. Since the com])]eti<)n of the stone work of the Custom House, a com- pany has been organized, W. Patrick, President, with a siilficieut ca})i- tal to carry on the business successfully. The stone is sawed into slabs at the (juarry by steam, and trans})orted in flatboats, a distance of four and a half miles to Knoxville, whence it is shipped by railroad to Other Minerals. 255 various points. There are about eighty saws kept constantly at work. Two engines are employed; one for sawing, and the other for derrick work. Boats are brought up within ten feet of the saws, and very little labor is required to transfer the slabs from the one to the other. The following are the prices at which the slabs are sold, delivered on the cars at Knox vi lie : ^ inch slabs, superficial, $ 38 per foot. 1 inch slabs, superficial, 42 \\ inch slabs, superficial, 53 \\ inch slabs, superficial 64 2 inch slabs, superficial, 82 " 3 inch slabs, superficial, 1 10 " 4 inch slabs, superficial, 145 " 5 inch slabs, superficial, 1 80 " 6 inch slabs, superficial, 2 15 " 7 inch slabs, superficial, 2 50 " 8 inch slabs, superficial,.... 2 85 " The above cut to size, ten per cent, added. Rough blocks, 20 cubic feet and under, $3 00 per foot. Kough blocks, from 20 to 40 cubic feet, • 2 50 " Rough blocks, from 40 to 60 cubic feet, 4 00 " Rough blocks, from 60 to 80 cubic feet, 5 00 " Rough blocks, from 80 to 100 cubic feet, 6 00 Monuments blocks sawed to size, 6 50 " All spires measured at base. Marble taken from the quarries around Knoxville, worked into tombstones, show no signs of crumbling after exposure to the weather for fifty years. A large quarry has been opened on the farm of Rolfe S. Saunders, seven miles north-east of Knoxville, on the banks of the Holston River, and near the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad. Mention of this quarry was made by Judge Haywood, in his History of Tennessee. It forms a perpendicular bluff over one hundred feet above the water's edge, several hundred yards in width and many miles in length. A few miles west, the same varieties appear on the farm of Horace Foster. Col. John Williams, near the city of Knoxville, has a valuable quarry of this same gray variety. The bed at this point, is 380 feet in thickness, and divided into three distinct layers. Commencing at the bottom and ascending, there is 1. Variegated with grey and red, with a slight flesh-colored appearance 55 feet. 2. Grayish white, slightly tinted, though not perceptible in an unpolished state 95 feet. 3. Redder, especially near the surface 230 feet. 256 Resources of Tennessee. The second portion of this section furnishes the most valuable mar- ble. It is said to have no superior in the State as building stone. Two miles north of Knoxville, and near the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, is the quarry from which most of the marble used in the State capitol, at Nashville, was taken. It is known as Sloan's Quarry. This marble is more highly variegated than that taken from the quarry at the mouth of the French Broad. It has a deeper red, and is of such rare and exquisite beauty as to arrest the attention of the most unobservant. It w^as used in the state capitol of Ohio for ornamental work. The quarry was opened in 1852, and this, with the one in Hawkins county, has given character to that peculiar species of marble known as East Tennessee marble. A short distance east of Athens, in McMinn county, is a fine bed of grayish marble. It bears a high polish, and is highly esteemed for its beauty. But the Hawkins County Marble is the best known, both on ac- count of the length of time it has been worked, and because it was in that county that the General Government opened a quarry for the ornamentation of the capitol at Washington. This marble is highly- variegated, and differs from that taken from Sloan's Quarry, only in being more delicately shaded, and not being of such a deep reddish tint. The history of the opening and working of the marble quarries in Hawkins county is thus detailed by Dr. Safford in his Geological report : "In April, 1838, the 'Rogersville Marble Company' was formed, by gentlemen in and pear Rogersville, for the purpose of ' sawing marble, and establishing a marble factory in the vicinity of Rogersville.' Orville Rice, Esq., was elected President, and S. D. Mitchell, Secre- tary. The company operated to a limited extent for several years, erected a mill, and sold several thousand dollars' worth of marble an- nually, which was mostly distributed in Tennessee. "In 1844 the company sold out to Mr. Rice, who, on a moderate scale, has perseveringly and successfully carried on the business ever since. "Mr. Rice sent a block of the Might mottled strawberry variety' to the Washington monument. This wa» called the ' Ha irk ins County Block,' ixnd hanTH the inscription, ^ From Hawkins Count 1/, Tennessee** Another block of one of the best varieties, was sent by act of the Legislature, vrhic^h was called the ' State Block.' Other Minerals. 257 " These blocks attracted the attention of the building committee of the national capitol, who, although they had numerous specimens from all parts of the Union before them, decided in favor of the East Tennessee marble. " An agent was soon after sent by them to ascertain whether or not it could be obtained in quantity, who, when on the ground, had no difficulty in satisfying himself as to that point. " As the result of these circumstances, an extensive quarry, affording an excellent material, was opened at a point about nine miles south- west of Rogersville, where the Holston River intersects the marble range. The rock here is, in good part, massive, and several hundred feet in width. The location of the quarry is excellent, and admits of the easy transportation of the blocks to the boats. Many thousand cubic feet of marble were sent off. It was taken down the river, and then by railroad to Charleston or Savannah, where it was shipped for Washington. " A good use has been made of this marble in the capitol at "Wash- ington. The balustrades and columns of the stairs leading up to the House and Senate galleries, the walls of the Marble Room, and other parts of the building, are of Tennessee marble. It doubtless forms half the ornamental marble there." This marble is also used in the money-room of the treasury build- ing in Washington, and it shows its superior beauty when contrasted, as it is, with the marbles from other states. The marble in Hawkins county lies west and south-west of Rogers- ville. It is found on the south-west side of a belt of Trenton and Nashville limestones, and runs for a distance of sixteen or seventeen miles. In thickness, it varies from fifty to several hundred feet. The quarry which the Government opened lies on the Holston River, near the south-west end of this belt. There are quarries of this same marble near Loudon, in Loudon county, and also near Sweetwater. The variegated red marble is also found in many of the counties west of the Cumberland Table Land. One, of a brownisli red, is met with on the waters of Elk River, in Franklin county, in considerable quantities; the gray is also found in the same county; both have been worked to some extent. A gray marble, crinoidal in structure and dotted with red, also occurs in Maury county, at the Oil Spring on 17 258 Resources of Tennessee. Lieper's Creek. Some of tho marble at this place has a ground work of gray, with fleecy clouds of red and green. It is susceptible of a high polish, and would make handsome mantles, table tops, and pannel work. The bed is ten feet in thickness, and extends for a considera- ble distance. An extensive bed occurs on Elk River, and some of the tributaries of Elk in Lincoln county, specimens of which exhibit all the charac- teristic beauty of the red variegated East Tennessee marble. Quar- ries in that county are now worked to some extent. In Henry county, a mile or two from Mammoth Springs, on Big Sandy, and four miles from Springville Station, on the Memphis and Louisville Railroad, is a bed of red marble, mottled, and susceptible of a Vfery high polish. It is similar in character to the East Tennessee marble, and has been used for monuments, tombstones, etc. It is a handsome variety and greatly admired. On Birdsong Creek, in Benton county, there is also marble of sim- ilar character. It is inexhaustible in quantity, and has been quarried to a considerable extent. These beds in Henry and Benton counties are best known as supplying material for lime, they being the last out- crops of limestone in the State going west. In the Western Valley of the Tennessee, there are also other deposits of red marble. The finest presentation is probably in the counties of Perry, Decatur, Wayne and Hardin. Much of it lies immediately upon the Tennessee River. Near Clifton is an extensive bed. The piers of the bridge at Danville, where the Memphis, Louisville and Great Southern Railroad crosses the Tennessee River, are built of grayish marble from Decatur county, found ten miles below Perry- ville. The thickness of the stratum is ten feet; it is inferior in beauty and fineness, but not in solidity, to the Hawkins county marble. On Shoal Creek, in Lawrence County, eighteen miles south of Law- renceburg, and extending on both sides of the creek for a distance of fif- teen miles, is a bed forty feet in thickness, of fawn-colored or brown- ish red marble, with fleecy clouds of green. It bears a very fine polish, and is beautiful in the delicateneas and softness of its coloring. Other strata, in the same locality, are of an intermingling red, green and white colors. Some of it, with a brownish ground, is covered with deep red spots, which shade away until the ruddiness is lost in the common ground. Other Minerals. 259 It is free from "dries/' very solid and compact, and is pronounced by competent judges to be as valuable as any in the State. But for lack of railroad conveniences, it would soon attract the attention which its delicate beauty would warrant. Farmers build chimneys of it, and a furnace-stack built in 1833, by Mr. Vanleer, of the same material, is still standing in an undamaged condition. A short distance below Manchester, a bluish or dove-colored marble appears in considerable abundance, forming the bed of Bark Camp Fork of Duck River. The late Dr. Troost expressed a high admira- tion for its subdued beauty and its fine quality. In Wilson, Davidson and other counties, a dove-colored marble is met with, which is worked up into grave-stones and for other purposes. In Rutherford county, a bed of marble occurs of a pale yellowish color, with serpentine veins of red and dots of black. This bed has not been traced, and specimens have only been polished for paper weights and as objects of curiosity. It bears a fine polish, but is not so handsome as some other varieties. There is also in the southern part of the East Tennessee Valley, and especially in that portion east of the Holston, a' light gray fine- grained rock, variegated with brownish red clouds, which is worked as a marble, though its appearance is greatly inferior to those mentioned above. It is known as magnesian marble. Some of it does not weather well, being reduced by exposure to shaly material. Some of the best occurs near Chattanooga. The Breccia limestones on the Little Tennessee River, south of Chilhowee Mountain, sometimes supply a beautiful marble. The angular fragments, which make up the rock, are often of different colors, and when polished present a surface of checkered and varied beauty, resembling mosaic work. This marble occurs in Greene, Cocke and Sevier. It is not much worked on account of the hardness of some of the angular fragments. The conglomerate marble, differing from the last only in the shape or configuration of the imbedded gravel, being in this rounded and not angular, is found in the same region. They have the same style of beauty when polished. Doubtless there are many other places in which marble has been found, but the great abundance of it in every part of the State makes it an object of but little interest, unless it has some superiority in the elegance or beauty of its appearance. 26o Resources of Tennessee. Roofing Slates. Though slate is met with in every division of the State, very little of it, comparatively, is fit for roofing purposes, being charged with pyrites to such a degree as to undergo decomposition by exposure. The presence of pyrites causes it to crumble into small fragments in a few years. There is, however, in what is known as the Ocoee group, strata of pale, greenish slate, serai-talcose, and free of pyrites. This slate splits easily into thin plates with smooth surfaces, and though never having been used for such, would doubtless be valuable for roof- ing purposes. It is met with in Polk, McMinn, Monroe, Sevier, Blount and Cocke counties. Slates of various shades might be quarried in different localities in these counties — light and dark green, dark purple, reddish and violet. Millstone Geit. Several beds of millstone grit have been found in the State. Per- haps the most noteworthy is that in Claiborne county, at Big Spring, on the road leading from Morristown to Tazewell. The rock is a flinty mass, filled with cellular cavities. The manufacture of mill- stones at this point was carried on as a business before the war, and the demand for them increased as their excellence became known. Many millers regarded them as equal in every particular to the French buhr. The hard gnessoid rock near Taylorsville, in Johnson county, has been used for millstones. Those made of this rock are inferior to the last mentioned, and are unsuited for the grinding of wheat, though they answer tolerably well for corn. The syenitic granite in Carter county is more highly esteemed for grinding both wheat and corn. The conglomerates of the Coal Measures, made up of hard, flinty material, honey-combed in structure, have frequently been wrought into millstones. In Trousdale county, a few miles north of Hartsville, is a stratum of silicificd shells several feet in thickness, that has been used for the sainc purpose. This mass, when exposed to the disinte- grating influences of the weather, is leached of its calcareous matter, leaving it filh'd with iniumicrable small cavities. It was formerly ex- tensively manufactured into millstones. Some of them have been used for forty years and are still preferred to new ones for the grinding of coro. This ([uarry belongs to the upper part of the Nashville forma- Other Minerals. i(i\ tion, is quite extensive, and might be made very valuable if worked. Near Manchester, in Coffee county, a conglomerate is met with that answers a very good purpose for millstones. Some of it has all the characteristics of the true buhrstoue, being hard, gritty, and consisting of silicious pebbles that have been cemented into a flinty mass. Wherever exposed, it has a cellular structure. The same stone appears in Lewis, Macon and other counties, and indeed in many localities in the Sub-carboniferous formation. Hydraulic Rocks. These rocks abound in many of the counties in the State, and most especially in Hardin, Wayne, Perry, Decatur, Warren, and Mont- gomery, and in many of the counties of East Tennessee, especially in Knox and McMinn. Mills for grinding the stone after burning were in operation in Hardin, Montgomery, Warren and Knox before the war. The quality of the cement is excellent. Arrangements for manufacturing it on an extensive scale in Hardin county, above Clifton, had been perfected before the war, and the cement bore well all the tests to which it was subjected. Dr. Safford says of it : " The cement manufactured is of lighter color than the Louisville article, and of good quality. In 1861, Mr. Pillow sent me a barrel, of that first manufactured, for trial. The barrel was put away in my cellar, and, owing to the troubles which soon came upon us, was left there without being opened. In the meantime, during a very rainy season, water rose in the cellar, and the cement got thoroughly wet. It soon hardened, the hoops and staves fell away, and the cement was left in a solid cylindrical mass — a good cast of the barrel which held it. I have also seen, in the Tennessee River, barrel-shaped masses of the hardened cement, from lots originally lost by the sinking of steam- boats." Mr. Saulpaw, a practical mason, who has taken many large con- tracts for the building of bridge piers, says it is the best cement in the United States. The mill for the manufacture of cement at McMinnville, in Warren county, has suspended. In Knox county, cement is made of the brown calcareous shale, which 262 Resources of Tennessee. is found to be a good material for this purpose. The vahie of this shale for the making of cement was first discovered by Mr. Esta- brook, a man of sagacity, energy and public spirit. The quantity of material in the State from which hydraulic cement may be made, and its accessibility to market, together with the con- stant and increasing demand for this article, will doubtless attract at- tention to this unoccupied field of industry. Tennessee could supply the whole southern market with cement at cheaper rates than any other state. It speaks badly for the enterprise of our citizens, that while thousands of barrels are every year used in building cisterns, and in underground stone or brick work, nine-tenths of it should be brought from neighboring states, although the material in the State suitable for its manufacture is inexhaustible in quantity, superior • in quality, and accessible to market. Building Stone other than Marble. In every portion of the State, except in the Tertiary and Quarter- nary formations of West Tennessee, building stone is convenient and plentiful ; though differing widely in its weathering capacity, color and structure, every neighborhood, and oftentimes every farm, has its quarry. The rock most used for building purposes is limestone, on account of its prevalence, compactness and good workable qualities, though the marbles, sandstones and granites are brought into requisi- tion for the same purposes, where they are abundant and convenient. The limestones diifer greatly in their color and durability. Some strata are laminated, others compact; some are oolitic, consisting of minute concretionary spherules, resembling the roe of fish, others granular and crystalline. Many of them make valuable building ma- terial, while others crumble down or exfoliate by exposure. Some have impurities, as magnesia, sand, clay ; others are almost pure car- bonate of lime. Most of the limestones have been formed from shells and corals, ground up by disintegrating agencies, and afterwards con- solidated. When these shells or corals are found comparatively un- broken in the structure of the limestone, it is not so compact or homo- geneous, and will not resist in the same degree the erosive action of frosts or rains. The State capitol is l)uilt of a huiiiiuitod limestone, that shows its sedimentary character in the numcrtjus horizontal bands arranged in Other Mifierals, 263 laminae. It is, in reality, a consolidated bed of calcareous sand. It has a bluish gray color, streaked with lines more or less dark. In the round columns, they appear as lines or bands. It is not a durable stone, and the selection of it for the building of the state-house wa« unfortunate, as many of the stones in that building have begun to ex- foliate or shale oif where exposed. A most beautiful limestone for building, forms one of the ridges in Houston county, a short distance from Arlington, the county seat. It is compact and massive, and lies in huge blocks, with vertical seams. The stratum must be at least fifty feet in thickness. When dressed, it has a creamy or subdued whitish color, with sparkling, crystalline par- ticles. When first quarried, it works with ease, but hardens by time. It stands weathering, and is almost destitute of fossil remains. It is much used in Memphis as capstones, and brings, in that market, a high price. Dove-colored limestones are found all over the Central Basin. Their neutral color makes them a favorite stone for the foundation of dwelling-houses. Four miles south-west pf Nashville, occurs a bed of light-colored limestone, good grain, easily worked, and very durable. It forms some of the most magnificent fronts to the store-houses and other buildings in Nashville. The stratum is four or more feet in thickness, and is known as the Bosley stone. A rock very much of the same character is found in Bell's Bend, probably the same stratum as that mentioned above, which has been extensively used, and some of it, several years ago, was taken to Mem- phis. The owners have made extensive preparation for quarrying this stone, a railroad having been built to convey it to the Cumberland River. The oolitic limestone of the Cumberland Table Land is an excellent building stone, on account of its light color, grain and dura- bility. It occurs on the slopes of the Table Land. A light-colored sandstone, from the top of this Table Land, has been used for building purposes. It is compact, hard and durable. One front in Nashville has been constructed of it. There are localities where a soft sandstone occurs, especially in the counties of Dickson, Lawrence, Wayne, Perry, and Hickman. This rock is much used for building chimneys. When first quarried it is soft, easily cut with an axe into desirable shapes, but hardens by ex- posure. 264 Resources of Tennessee. In East Tennessee, near the North Carolina line, are places that would supply a good granite for building ; both gray and reddish va- rieties occur, the latter somewhat resembling the Scotch granite. In the Central Basin, the surface, glady limestones, as well as the better rocks from quarries, are utilized in the building of fences. All the best farms of Davidson, Maury and Rutherford counties have more or less stone fencing. Many of them have no other for outside boundaries. The prevalence of this limestone rock in Middle and East Tennessee renders the farmers, in a measure, independent of the timber supply for enclosures. Flagstones for pavements can be ob- tained in several localities in the Central Basin. Much of the iron limestones are in thin sheets, ripplemarked, and answer a good pur- pose for flagstones. This has, to some extent, been used for curbing and paving in Knoxville and other towns in East Tennessee. Flags of sandstone occur in Morgan county. Roofing slates are also used for flags. A red ferruginous sandstone, occurring in isolated masses on high points in West Tennessee, often in fantastic shapes, most usually in great cubic blocks, is much used in that region as foundations for build- ings. It belongs to the Orange Sand formation, and supplies a want in that division of the State, owing to the scarcity of building stone. A curious specimen of this sandstone occurs at Hollow Rock Station, on the St. Louis division of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. It is a huge, lonely boulder, without any other rock in the vicinity, and is pierced by a large cavity. Potter's Clay. This clay results from the decomposition of granites and shales. When the clay is red or yellow, it denotes the presence of the oxide of iron ; when white, its absence. Potter's clay has a peculiar unctions feel, and has the valuable property of resisting heat without cracking. Con- siderable deposits of white clay are found in East Tennessee, on the Knoxville and Ohio Railroad, and in the vicinity of the lower Ten- nessee River, in the counties of Hickman, Perry and Wayne; also in Montgomery and Houston counties. Some of this clay has been worked up into stone-ware. There are numerous establishments in the State for the manufacture of Potter's ware, and quite large ones in Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville. The wares arfe sometimes colored Other Minerals. 265 with oxide of manganese. Kaolin, a clay derived directly from gran- ite^ is found in Carter county. Fire-Clay. A useful variety is met with in Stewart county, at the heads of sev- eral of the smaller valleys. The Memphis and Louisville Railroad also cuts through extensive beds in Houston county. Upon the erec- tion of the Cumberland Iron Works, on the Cumberland River, fire- brick at an enormous expense were brought from Liverpool. In pros- pecting for iron ore, a bed of grayish-colored earth was found near the " Morgan Bank," underlying a bed of gravel. This earth was tested, and the bricks made of it were found to be equal to those brought from Liverpool. This bed of clay has been worked to the depth of six feet without reaching the bottom. Much of it has been shipped to various points. Fire-clay is also found in the Coal ISIeasures, always, we be- lieve, immediately underlying a seam of coal. It results from the de- composition of the eiliceo-argillaceous underlying shale, and its plas- ticity and impervious nature, when collected in a bed, prevents it from being carried away by infiltration. Gold. Hopes were entertained for many years that this precious metal would be found in paying quantities. The first gold was discovered in the State on Coca Creek, in Monroe county, in 1831. The dis- covery produced an intense excitement. The farmer left his plow, the woodman his axe, the hunter his gun, the shoemaker his last, and hurried to this newly found El Dorado. Over a space eight or ten miles long and two or three wide, the accumulations in low places and in the beds of streams, were "panned" with a commendable in- dustry. But no very rich deposits were ever found. The highest average per day was about two dollars, and this average fell, until gold digging in Tennessee was abandoned as a profitless business. A com- pany for the purpose of working the Coca Creek Mines has been formed since the war ; what success it has met with we are not in- formed. The following table, taken from Safford's Geology, will show the amount of Tennessee gold that has been deposited in the United States Mint. It will be observed, that the largest quantity for anyone 266 Resources of Te?inessee. year did not much exceed $7,000. The two most prosperous years were 1833 and 1848. TBAB9. VALUE. 'TBASS. VALUE. TEAKS. VALUE. 1831 $1,000 1,000 7,000 3,000 100 300 1,500 1839 % 300 104 1,212 2,788 2,240 3,202 2,642 1847 $2,511 7 161 1832 1840 1841 1848 1833 1849 5 180 1834 1842 1850 1,507 2 377 1835 1843 1851 .... .... 1836 1844 1845 1846 1852 750 1837 1853 149 1838 1854 Total $46,023 Since 1854, the quantity of gold dust deposited from Tennessee has probably been so small as to be unworthy of mention. Lead. Though this metal has been found in various localities in East and Middle Tennessee, no sufficient quantity has been met with, except at one place, to justify the erection of an establishment for its reduction. The veins or pockets have proved unreliable. Among the most prom- ising veins is the Caldwell Mine in Union county. Besides this, are the Jackson Mines in Bompass Cove, Washington county, the Carter and Montgomery Mines in Monroe, and the Hambright Mine in Bradley. The Hambright Mine was first opened in 1851. The Confederate gov- ernment worked it in 1861-2-3, employing 100 men, and spent $25,000 in erecting works. The lead is in pockets, each pocket yielding from a half ton to a ton. In regard to the Caldwell Mine, Dr. Safford, who visited it in 1867, says : " Of all that I have seen, th(^rc is but one that I regard as promising, and that is the Caldvcll Mine on Powell's Uiver. This is in Union county, at a point on the river between Tazewell and Jacksboro', and about six- teen miles from the former place. The vein fills a nearly vertical fis- sure, about twenty inches wide, in nearly horizontal rocks. It can be traced for nearly a mile. At the time of my visit, very little had been done towards its development, l)ut its character, in one plaiic on the surface, could be distinctly seen. The gakuiite, associated with blende and some pyrite, occurs in several sheets, with an aggregate thickness Other Mi7ie7'als. 267 of about five inches. The sheets are separated by a gray vein-stone. There is reason to believe that the character of the lode will improve further down." South of Tazewell, in Claiborne county, a vein of lead ore crosses the road leading from Morristown to Cumberland Gap, and has been traced for several miles. Large specimens have been picked up, but no abundance has been developed. Zinc Ores. There are two ores of zinc easily worked, the smithsonite and cola- mine. These occur at a number of localities in considerable deposits, especially in Claiborne, Union, and JeiFerson counties. A large establishment for the manufacture of white oxide of zinc for paint, was once in operation at Mossy Creek, in Jeiferson county. Since the war it has been suffered to go to decay, although it is under- stood that the lack of ore, in workable quantities, was not the cause of its failure. The zinc ores are probably in greatest abundance in Union countv. Near Powell's River, the Stiner belt of zinc exists. It is fifty or sixty feet wide, and is marked by the absence of trees. Dr. Saiford, who traced the vein in 1865, for a considerable distance, in an east-north- easterly direction, says, that at the time of his visit, six or seven pits had been dug and a large quantity of ore thrown out. Some of this was taken down the river, but the most of it has been lying on the ground ever since. So far as could be seen, the ore, smithsonite and calamine, occurs, with here and there buttons and small masses of galenite, and occasionally of blende, with much siliceous matter, in ir- regular "veins," or in a network of veins. The veins apparently run vertically into the rocks, are from a few inches to several feet in thick- ness, and with the enclosed matter make up the zone described- The rocks of the vicinity are dark and blue magnesian limestones, of the lower part of Knox Dolomite. Some of them are oolitic, and a few thin beds of Knox variegated shale are met with. The strata, in gen- eral, are approximately horizontal. The masses of ore throwui out are rough, heavy, and generally more or less open. The lead and zinc ores are often associated, and with proper means of transportation, tlie working of the latter, no doubt, would prove 2 68 Resources of Te?messee. remunerative, and add to our mining industry. The assays of the best lead ores, {galenite or suljohuret of lead,) show that in 100 parts there is of Lead 86.6 Sulphur 13.4 roo.o Of the zinc ores, smithsonite (carbonate of sine,) contains Oxide of zinc 64.8 Carbonic acid , .^S.2 100.0 Calamine, or silicate of zinc, has Oxide of zinc 67.5 Silica 25.0 Water 7.5 1000 Zinc blende, (sphalerite or sulphuret of zinc) and cerussite, (car- bonate of lead) occur at many of the localities mentioned above, but they are of limited importance. They are only mentioned as showing the great variety of our mineral deposits. Black Oxide of Manganese. This ore is nearly always associated with iron, especially in the banks of the eastern and western iron regions. Though valuable in many of the arts, it has been used only to a limited extent in Tennes- see. Small quantities are mixed with the iron ores in Greene county, which serve to fit the iron for making some kinds of steel. This min- eral is distinguishable from iron ore by the earthy black color of its powder. It sometimes resembles magnetic iron ore, but differs from it in not being attractable by the magnet. Like iron, it is found in small masses all over the State. luoN Pyrites. This mineral also exists everywhere in the State, and inasmuch as it has a yellow color and metallic lustre, it often excites hopes of bound- less wealth. Scarcely a week passes that the State Geologist does not receive a package of this mineral from persons who believe they have Other Minerals. 269 discovered gold beds of marvelous promise. It . is valueless unless when occurring in large quantities, when it may be utilized in the manufacture of sulphur and sulphuric acid. It can be distinguished from gold in several ways. 1. By its hardness. It strikes fire with steel as readily as flint, and from this circumstance it derives its name — pyrites meaning fire-stone. Gold, on the contrary, is soft and easily cut, and of course will not strike fire with anything. 2. It makes a hlaoh mark on a piece of unglazed porcelain, or on the clean surface of a whetstone, while gold always gives a golden yellow metallic streak. 3. If coarsely pulverized and roasted on a shovel to a low red heat it takes fire and burns, giving oflP the fumes of burning sulphur, while gold, under the same conditions, would remain unaffected. AVe have been induced to give these tests in order that persons may apply the tests themselves. A large quantity of this mineral is found associated with the copper at Ducktown. It also occurs in a considerable bed in Greene county, south of Greeneville two miles ; in Moore and Perry, and indeed every- where in the Btack Shale formation. GOPPEEAS. The mineral which has just been described, when it occurs mixed with shales, very often in sheltered places, decomposes in such a way as to give incrustations or deposits of impure copperas. The black shale which crops out on the margin of the Highland Rim, is capped by siliceous, flinty layers. Exposure to the atmosphere disin- tegrates the shales and leaves circular, cavernous spaces, often called " rock houses," with great overlianging rocky ceilings. Sometimes these are called copperas caves, and one near Manchester, described in the article on Coifee county, is of picturesque beauty. There are hun- dreds of these rock houses, in which it is common to meet with heaps and specimens of copperas. This crude copperas is used for domestic purposes, such as dyeing, etc., by persons living in the vicinity. During the conflict between the states, tons of copperas were made from the debris thrown out from the copper mines at Ducktown, this debris consisting in great part of iron pyrites. 270 Resources of Te?inessee. The manufacture of copperas could be carried on to considerable ex- tent in Tennessee, but the low price of that article presents very few inducements at present to engage in its manufacture. Heavy Spae or Barytes. A white, heavy mineral, used for making cheap paints, and takes the place of white lead to some extent. It is found in Middle and East Tennessee. It is mined in Greene, Washington, Jeffer- son, and some other counties. It is found usually associated with lead, constituting the gangue of that mineral. It occurs in all the limestone counties of the State, but rarely in workable quantities. In 1840, while Col. R. C. Morris was prospecting for lead in McMinn county, he discovered an extensive bed of it near the mouth of Mouse Creek, on the west side of the point of the ridge running down between Hiwassee River and the creek, opposite the point from where the lead mine was opened. He penetrated the bed for twenty feet. The deposit is very rich and heavy. The amount mined an- nually in the State is 1,040,177 pounds. The following are the ship- ments from the several stations on the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad for the year ending June 30, 1873 : Fallen's 455,663 pounds. Greeneville 125,498 " Midway 184,847 Morristown 197,835 " Sweetwater 76,334 " Total 1,040,177 " Gypsum. An extensive bed of gypsum would be very desirable as furnishing material for land-plaster, and it has been industriously sought for, but as yet no such happy discovery has been made. Nevertheless, gypsum, in cabinet specimens, has been gathered in many points, both in East and Middle Tennessee. Small crystals have been observed in great quantities in the soils east of Bays Mountain ; in many of the lead veins, and in iron pots or geodcs of iron ore of the Western Iron re- gion. It takes the form of dazzling incirustations in numerous caves, which often assume tlie form of snowy rosettes and icy vegetation. The most noted of these caves is Gray's cave, in the northern part of Other Minerals. 271 Sumner county. On the floor of this cavern are fine specimens of crystallized gypsum, or selenite. Some of the limestone rocks of the Cumberland Table Land are loaded with balls of granular gypsum, a true alabaster. Many of these balls are four or five inches in diame- ter, or even larger. Common Salt. Twenty-five or thirty years ago, salt, to some extent, was made in the State, especially in Overton, White and Anderson counties. The wells, however, failed to hold out, or the water became too weak to justify further operations, in the face of the competition from other quarters. Perhaps the most important locality is at Winter's Gap, in Anderson county, where salt was manufactured for many years. A diagram showing the relative position of this well, is given in the chapter on coal. During the petroleum excitement, many wells bored in search of that oil, yielded salt water, from which a fair percentage of salt might have been manufactured. On Obey River, furnaces were erected and the manufacture of salt begun. The want of transporta- tion probably caused an abandonment of the works. A number of artesian sulpher wells, among others, those in Nashville, in Henry and Hardin counties, were bored in search of brine. The manufacture of salt has not proved thus far a profitable industry. Saltpetee. In 1812-14, a large amount of saltpeter was manufactured in this State, and small quantities during the late civil conflict. The nitrous earth is found in caves. These caves are numerous all over Middle and East Tennessee. They are found in limestone regions. Petroleum. Petroleum has been found at various points in the State In Ovcb- ton county there are many places where this oil oozes from the surface. Spring Creek, in that county, has given the fairest promise of a remu- nerative return. Ten thousand barrels of oil have been obtained from the wells in that vicinity, but the price of transportation made the business unprofitable. On Eagle Creek, in the same county, oil was obtained. On Jones' Creek, in Dickson county, some oil has been found at various times, amounting in all probably to 200 barrels. 272 Resources of Tennessee. The depth to which the boring was carried in Overton county, was less than 100 feet. On Jones Creek, oil was found at the depth of 132 feet. Deeper borings failed to increase the yield. Lignite. This may be termed a half-formed coal, and is intermediate in char- acter between the true coal and a mass of dead vegetable matter. In appearance it sometimes looks like the true coal, but it has rarely the deep lustrous black of that mineral. It is very often of a brown color, light and sometimes spongy. It does not ignite readily, or burn freely, though it is often used for fuel, burning when dry, something like rotten wood, and emitting an empyreumatic odor. In structure it varies considerably, sometimes showing woody fibre and then ap- proaching in aspect the mineral coal. For commercial purposes, its value increases as it approximates the latter in appearance. Some- times it is scarcely distinguishable, except during combustion, when it emits the peculiar odor mentioned and burns with a smothered flame, leaving a large residuum. Extensive beds of lignite are found in many of the counties in West Tennessee, and especially in those counties in which are the escarpments that overlook the valley-plain of the Mississippi. Fair presentations are to be found in Dyer, Lauderdale, Tipton and Shelby. The beds, some- times overlying each other, vary in thickness from a few inches to four and five feet. . A fine bed, four feet thick, is seen at Old River, in Tipton county. At this place are three strata of lignite, with many more thin seams. These beds do not spread out laterally very far, but usually thin out and appear to have been formed from beds of accumulated vegetable matter, either the former growth of swamps, or of drifted material. At Raleigh, the old county seat of Shelby county, situated on Wolf River, a mine was opened in the winter of 1855-6, and the lignite was used as fuel in a hotel at that place. It is said to have been a tolerably good substitute for coal, but in its burning and heating prop- erties, it was far inferior to that article. Attempts were made also to generate steam in a neigliboring saw-mill with it, with not very sat- isfactory results. Blacksmiths have emj)loycd it in their forges when nothing better could be obtained. In very dry seasons, when set on fire, it will burn for weeks in the beds. The lignite, like peat, in order to be used as a fuel, must be mined in the summer or fall and aull'ered to dry thoroughly. Other Minerals. 273 Some interesting adventures in reference to this article have occured, among others may be mentioned the formation of a joint stock com- pany, a few years anterior to the war, for the purpose of mining coal near Old Fulton, in Lauderdale county. It was believed by the pro- jectors of this company that a real coal mine existed, and great were the expectations created. Excitement ran high all along the Missis- sippi River. The advice of eminent geologists was disregarded for the superior knowledge of " practical miners." Great preparations were made and considerable sums of money expended in getting out a huge pile, which, to the eyes of the " practical miners," was the representa- tive of vast wealth. But this, like all other ill-advised schemes, proved illusory, and the company dissolved without finding a sale for their precious products. In many other counties, in the digging of wells, lignite has been met with, and its black appearance when damp has given existence to rumors about the discovery of coal in West Tennessee. In Carter county, also, a limited bed of lignite has been met with, not far from Elizabethton. Into this bed pits were sunk and the mineral used for a short time. We wish to say here, once for all, that no true coal has ever been dis- covered or is likely to be discovered in the State, except within the limits of the Cumberland Table Land, or its outliers, the thousand and one reports to the contrary notwithstanding. In this, as in many other particulars, the negative results of geological surveys have their value, inasmuch as they save immense expenditures of labor and capital in pursuit of chimerical enterprises. So far as Tennessee is concerned, the Coal Formation is distinctly defined, and outside of it true coal is not to be expected. Lignite also has its geological horizon, and belongs to much more recent formations, such as the Tertiary, and more modern deposits. In the future cycles of chemical change, embracing many ages, lignite may be transmuted into coal, but, as yet, it bears the same relation to that article that the sprout does to the old Irish oak, that lies imbedded in the peat-beds or morasses of the Emerald Isle. Another ignis-fatuus that bewilders the unscientific mind and decoys many into the infatuations of delusive hope, is the black shale. Be- cause this material is heavily saturated with an inflammable oil, and therefore ignites and burns, and because its structure is that of a shale or slate, it is thought to be an unerring indication of coal, if not coal itself. In hundreds of places in the State this slate has been dug 18 2 74 Resources of Tennessee. into in search of coal, money and time Avasted, and hopes blasted. If this report should eifect no other good than that of deterring per- sons from engaging in such adventures and illusory speculations, it will have saved a great deal to the people of the State. For more than twenty years men of more than ordinary intelligence have been deceived by the black shale and lignite, and we have scarcely visited a county in Avhich indications of coal are not reported — always hearing of it, but never seeing it, except in its proper geological posi- tions. These errors are akin to those spoken of under the head of iron pyrites. Alum. Alum is found in the same situations as copperas — in the "rock houses" of Middle Tennessee. The black shale could be profitably used in the manufacture of this salt. It also occurs in the sheltered places of the Unaka Mountains. Epsom Salts. In limestone caves, the rocks of which contain magnesia, epsom salts are by no means a rare mineral. This material is found also in many of the saltpeter caves. In some of these it was gathered by the barrel during the war. A noted locality for this salt is Alum Cave in Sevier county. Bluestone {Sulphate of Copper). This is found at Ducktown in large quantities. Beautiful masses have been met with in the mines. The water flowing out of the drifts is impregnated with this salt. It is not, however, separated as sul- phate of copper, but is converted into metallic copper by being brought into contact with iron. A great deal of copper is thus separated every year from this salt. Mineral Waters. Tennessee may challenge comparison with any portion of the United States in the number, variety, excellence, and medicinal value of its mineral waters. They occur upon the lofty peaks of the Unakas, and break out in groups from the bases of the long ridges of the Eastern Valley. The Cumberland Table Land is crowned with spark- Other Minerals. 275 ling clialyl)eate springs, and beautified by some of the loveliest scenery in America. The Highland Rim sends forth sulphurous and chaly- beate springs too numerous to mention, and even West Tennessee, from Kentucky to ]\Iississippi, pours forth great volumes of mineral waters from the deep strata that lie beneath tlie level surface. There are many of these springs tliat have a reputation co-extensive Avith the Union, on account of their curative properties. It cannot be doubted that the pure air, magnificent scenery, cooling breezes, and other healthful influences, will make these watering places favorite summer resorts for all the states lying in a lower latitude. Especially do we refer to those places in East Tennessee and on the Cumberland Table Land, many of which are handsomely improved, and offer ac- commodations equal to the best. During the past summer they were crowded with persons fleeing from cholera, and the miasmata which infest lower districts. Swarms of visitors from Atlanta, Macon, Savan- nah, Charleston, Xew Orleans, Mobile, as well as from Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga, sought these airy retreats, where blankets are in request during the hottest nights of summer. Not even the spring region of Virginia or of New York c^n surpass that of Tennessee, in the splendor of the climate, the delightful coolness of the atmosphere, the wildness and picturesqueness of the scenery, or the health-giving properties of the water. 276 Resources of Tenjiessee. CHAPTER XVII. Transportatiox — Rivers . The State of Tennessee is abundantly supplied with navigable streams. The Mississippi River, always navigable, rolls its turbid current along the western limit ; and the Tennessee and Cumberland, with their tributaries, drain more than three-fourths of the entire sur- face of the State. Of the tributaries of the Mississippi, the Forked Deer and its tributaries (Obion Riv^r and South Forked Deer), the Big Hatchie and Wolf River are the largest and most important. The Forked Deer is navigable for steamboats, at times, as far up as Dyers- burg, the county seat of Dyer county, and some have gone as far as Jackson. Big Hatchie is also navigable for several miles, though the amount of shipping done on this stream is quite small, considering the fertility of the region through which it flows. These confluents of the Mississippi pass through a region remarkable for the fertility of its soil, and its capability of subsisting a dense population. These streams have sluggish currents and earthy banks, and oftentimes rise in fearful floods over the level country through which they flow. Most of the streams of West Tennessee, by their course, denote a warped surface of the country. Flowing, for the most part, in a north-westerly direction until they reach a point within fifteen miles of the Mississippi River, they then turn nearly at right angles, flow south-west, and empty into the Mississippi, generally where that river makes a convex curve. But little, if anything, has been done by the Government to improve the navigation of these streams, and, indeed, little can be done, except to keep the channels cleared of snags and driftwood, and the banks free from overhanging trees. In the year 1838, the Legislature appro- priated $93,000 for the improvement of the Obion, Forked Deer and Big Hatchie. Transportation — Rivers. 277 Tennessee River. This is the hirgest tributary of the Oliio, and so far as vohime of water and length are concerned, it is as much entitled to be called the main stream as the Ohio. It is, in many respects, a remarkable stream. It drains an area of 41,000 square miles, and its total length, from the source of its longest confluent to the mouth is 1,100 miles. Its fall within that distance is 2,000 feet, and its average width 1,500 feet. Rising in the south-west portion of Virginia, and bearing the name of Holston until its union with the Clinch, near Kingston, in Roane county, it sweeps down the Valley of East Tennessee in a rapid current until it passes Chattanooga, a short distance below which it breaks through Walden's Ridge in tumultuous whirls, by a series of l)ends, into the Sequatchie Valley, where the current grows less turbu- lent, flowing quietly down this valley for a distance of sixty miles, and at Guntersville, Alabama, takes a direction nearly west by north. Be- tween Lauderdale and Lawrence counties, in Alabama, 330 miles be- low Knoxville, it spreads in a broad, shallow expansion called Muscle Shoals, flowing over flint and limestone rocks for twenty miles, forming an almost insurmountable barrier to_ navigation, yet affording the very finest water privileges. On the Mississippi line, at Chickasaw, it turns north-west, and forms the boundary line between Alabama and Missis- sipppi; and after a circuit of 300 miles in Alabama, re-enters Tennes- see, flowing north, and emptying into the Ohio -River at Paducah, Kentucky, 800 miles from the union of the Clinch and Holston rivers. Regarding the Holston as the Tennessee, its principal tributaries from the north are the Clinch, Sequatchie, Paint Rock, Flint, Elk and Duck rivers, and Shoal and other creeks; from the south the Watauga, French Broad, Little Tennessee, and Hiwassee, and Big Sandy from the west. Many of these tributaries, especially the Clinch, French Broad and Hiwassee, are navigable for considerable distances, and du- ring the spring freshets, large quantities of produce are transported down these streams on flat and keel-boats to Chattanooera and other points. Muscle Shoals practically divide the Tennessee River into two dis- tinct navigable streams. But for this single obstacle an easy, cheap and desirable water communication could be had between the south- eastern states and the vast fertile region watered by the tributaries of 278 Resources of Tennessee. the Mississiijpi. Its value, as a highway of commerce, early com- manded the attention of our statesmen, who saw that, by removing the obstructions which the Muscle Shoals presented, the means would be se- cured of rapidly developing the population, wealth and resources of one of the finest agricultural and mineral regions on the continent. Accordingly, (we condense from the able report of Major McFarland) the Board of Internal Improvement, as early as 1828, was directed by an act of Congress, approved the same year. May 23, to make an ex- amination of the Muscle Shoals, with a view to opening them to navi- gation, and to submit a plan and estimate therefor, which plan and es- timate were submitted December 18, 1830, and were approved by the President in March following. The salient features of this project were the formation of three basins, by the construction of dams across the river, one below Brown's Ferry, one below Elk River Shoals, and one below Campbell's Ferry, and their connection with each other, and with the deep water at Flor- ence, by a canal along the northern shore. The construction of these basins was rendered necessary by the pro- vision of the act of Congress, that the scheme should provide for bringing the southern shore of the river into direct water-communica- tion with the canal, which it was well understood would, if built, have to pass the shoals on their northern side. To carry out the scheme of improvement presented by the board^ which also related to the construction of certain works at Colbert's Shoals below Florence, Congress appropriated four hundred thousand acres of the public lands lying within the State of Alabama, which were to be sold and the proceeds applied to the construction of the works recommended by the board ; and the execution of the work was confided to the State of Alabama, with the single condition that the work should be begun at the deej) water, near Florence, and carried up the river as far as the funds available would permit. The funds accruing from this source, however, being manifestly inad- equate to the completion of the work as designed by the board, the commissioners of the State of Alabama, who had the work in cliargc, deemed it best to apply them to the construction of that section of the proi)osed canal which was to connect the deep water at Lamb's Ferry with the deep water at Campbell's Ferry; and upon their a])plication, Congress removed the restri(;tion whicli it had placed upon them in respect to beginning the work at Florence, and gave them the author- Transportation — Rivers. 279 ity asked for to enable them to construct this middle section of the canal first; and the. board of internal improvement was ordered to re- examine the question in relation to this proposed change in its scheme, and to report a modified plan and estimate accordingly. Their report bears date March 25, 1831, and in it they state that it is " a plan not presented or approved by this board," And they fur- ther add, in relation to it, " that it will overcome about fourteen miles and six-eighths of the impediments of the river; but after passing these, a boat cannot go farther for want of the improvements to pass over the impediments above and below." The work, however, w^as be- gun that year, 1831. In July, 1836, water was first let into the caiutl, which a few months later was thrown open to navigation — its lower terminus being in the eddy of Campbell's Ferry (now Bainbridge Ferry), and the upper terminus being about three miles below the Lamb's Ferry eddy, the funds not being sufficient to admit of the completion of the work to the eddy itself, where, however, it \vas eventually carried under a small additional appro})riation. The width of the canal, as finished, varied from sixty to seventy feet at the water-surface, with a depth of six feet, and lock chambers thirty-two feet wide by one hundred and twenty feet between miter- sills, with an average lift of five feet. The work, so far as done, was well done, and the canal was, for a time, extensively used ; but the very objection to the scheme, urged by the board of internal improvements in their modified report of March 25, 1831, found constant verification in the fact that boats which had passed through the canal were stopped commonly by the Elk River Shoals above, or the Little Muscle Shoals below; so that often scores of vessels lay idly at one obstruction or the other, waiting for a rise in the river to enable them to pass. In a letter dated May 14, 1838, Mr. Thomas Williams, the chief engineer of the canal, says : "A great quantity of cotton has passed through the Muscle Shoals Canal, but for some weeks ])ast, the unusual lowness of the water has completely suspended navigation ; not that there is any difficulty in passing through the canal itself, but the water on the shoals above and below it (Elk River and the Little Muscle Shoals), is so shallow as to prevent boats from getting into it. There were, a few days ago, about seventy large flatboats, loaded with cotton (all of which had passed through the canal), lying at Campbell's Ferry, waiting for a rise in the 2 8o Resozirces of Tennessee. river to carry them over the Little Muscle Shoals. Many more are detained by the shoals above the canal. The steamer Holston, of more than one hundred tons burden, and intended for the upper Ten- nessee trade, passed up the canal sometime ago, but I am told is de- tained by shoals above the canal." These difficulties, together with the failure of all attempts to obtain further appropriations, either from Congress or trom the Legislature of the State of Alabama, to maintain and extend the canal — a failure due, no doubt, in a great measure, to the financial distress of 1837, and the years immediately succeeding — gradually caused its abandonment. The lockgates rotted and fell to pieces, leaks occurred, the dams across the creeks became broken and disintegrated, quantities of sediment washed into the bed of the canal, and now, over forty years since the work was begun, tow-paths, banks, and bed alike of this great work, which cost the country nearly $700,000, are overgrown with trees and heavy masses of shrubbery, while glimpses only of the fine ma- sonry of its seventeen locks are to be caught here and there through the occasional openings of the dense growth which envelops them. Major McFarland is of opinion, that the scheme proposed by the board of internal improvement, in 1831, for the passage of Muscle Shoals, cannot be improved upon, and the work now remaining to be done, in order to carry it out, is to put the old canal in good condition, to construct the canals around Elk River Shoals and Little Muscle Shoals, together with the basins proposed for connecting them with the south shore. He estimates the entire cost to be from $2,128,500 to $3,676,000, varying according to the width and depth of the canal, and width and length of lock chambers. The latter amount is the estimate for the trunk of a canal one hundred feet wide at the surface, six feet deep, and with lock chambers sixty feet wide by 300 feet be- tween mitre-sills. The following are the itemized necessary improve- ments, with cost, at the three points named, with the canal of the di- mensions already constructed between Lamb's and Campbell's ferries, which is sixty to seventy feet wide at water surface, and six feet deep; lock chambers thirty-two by one hundred and twenty feet between mitre-sills : Ei.K RiTER Shoals. 9 miles of canal-trunk, at $40,000 per mile $360,000 3 locks, Hi feet lift, at $50,000 each 150,000 2 guard-locks, at $10,000 each HO, 000 2 crib-dums across the Tennessee, at $76,000 150,000 $740,000 Transportation — Rivers. 281 Brought forward $ 740,000 Big Musci-E Shoals. 1 guard-lork 40.000 Repair of 17 locks, at $10,000 each 170 000 Repair of 15 miles of canal-trunk, at $25,000 per mile ■•. 375,000 Dams and culverts 50,000 030,000 Little Muscle Shoals. 6J miles of canal-trunk, at $40,000 per mile 260,000 3 locks, 7* feet lift, at $50,000 each.. 150.000 2 guard-locks, at $40,000 each 80 000 1 crib-dam across the Tennessee 75,000 565,000 1,935,000 Contingi^ncies, to proride against leakage, accidents, construction of coffer-dams, pumping, &c., 10 per cent 193,500 Aggregiite cost ■■ 2,128,500 The whole distance and fall from Brown's Ferry to Florence, be- tween which points are the obstructions named above, are as follows: From Brown's Ferry to head of Elk River Shoals, (deep) Elk Kiver Shoals Lamb's Ferry pool, (deep) Big Muscle Showlg , Campbell's, or Bainbridge, Ferry pool, (deep) Little Mnscle Shoals Total DISTANCZ. FAIL. Miha. Feet. 2.6 1.7 8.6 21.1 6 3 54 14.4 82.1 1.25 19 5.35 22.0 38.5 134.2 From Florence, Alabama, to Paducah, Kentucky, at its mouth, a distance of 260 miles, the Tennessee River is navigable for the largest steamers, and the same may be said of the river between Muscle Shoals and Chattanooga, a distance of 200 miles. A rise that will give from four to five feet on the Muscle Shoals, will give forty feet at Chattanooga, and twenty feet at Florence, and enable large vessels to pass to Knoxville, 200 miles above Chattanooga, and renders the Hols- ton, French Broad, and Little Tennessee, navigable for a considerable distance further. Major McFarland, in his report, says the Tennessee has more water than the Ohio, with a permanent bed, broad, deep, and beautiful, witli 282 Resources of Te7inessee. no obstructions except of rocky reefs, with little or no sandy gravel, which prevents the formation of shifting bars that obstruct the naviga- tion of most of the western rivers. Some thirty years ago, slight improvements were made by the Gov- ernment on the river between Chattanooga and Knoxville. These were temporary, however, and no good effects are now derived from them to navigation. The failure to overcome the principal obstruction to the navigation of the river, the Muscle Shoals, together with the rapid construction of railroads, caused the project of Tennessee River improvements to be neglected for twenty years, and it was not again revived until the increasing commercial interests of the country through which it flows, could no longer be ignored. In the year 1868, the Government resumed the work. Appropriations were made in that year, also in 1869-70 and 71, amounting in the aggregate to about ^180,000. The work was done by contract, but it proved to be so slow and unsatisfactory, that the Government, in 1872, abandoned the con- tract system, and has since conducted it by hired labor. Under this latter system, the work has been rapid and effective. Under the present condition of improvement, the river, for conve- nience, may be divided into four sections : 1. The Upper Tennessee River improvement, comprising all the river above Chattanooga. 2. The middle division, lying between Chattanooga and Muscle Shoals. 3. The Muscle Shoals. 4. The Lower Tennessee River, or that lying below Muscle Shoals. The divisions are entirely arbitrary, but they serve to give an idea of the location of the work. On the upper division, work has been prosecuted vigorously during the past two years ; it extended from Chattanooga to Loudon, a dis- tance of 160 miles, and comprised work on fifteen obstructions. Dur- ing this time ^85,000 have been expended on this part of the work. The work on these obstructions may be said to be about two-thirds finished. With regard to the effects so far upon navigation, only two of tlie improvements are complete — at White's Creek and at head of Half Moon Island ; results at those places have met the most sanguine ex- pectations. At the other points the work is unfinished, and only par- tially a(rcoiiiplishes what it is expected it will effect; but the experience of the j)ast j)r(»v('s that almost all of tiie difficulties to navigation on Transportation — Rivers. 283 this part of the river can be removed by a moderate expenditure of money. One of the immediate effects of the improvement at White's Creek, was to prolong the navigable season at least a month, since this obstruc- tion was the first to suspend navigation. Immediately below Chattanooga are a series of shoals known as tlie mountain obstructions, and by the names of Ross Towhead, Tumbling Shoals, Suck, Pot, Skillet, and several others. The most formidable was the Suck. A large amount of work has been done at that place. As this mountain portion of the river will not be used to any extent for commercial purposes until the lower river is open to navigation, no immediate importance is attached to the improvement of these moun- tain obstructions. The policy of the United States engineer officers in charge of this improvement, is to do work which will benefit com- merce immediately, and as the appropriations of Congress become more liberal, a general improvement of the river will be undertaken. The improvement of the Tennessee above Chattanooga particularly recommends itself to Government aid, from the fact, that it is the only portion of the river on which the coal and iron deposits are found in such vast quantities and richness, and which must depend upon water transportation for successful development. The object of all the Tennessee River improvements above Muscle Shoals, is to obtain a minimum depth of three feet in the channel at low water. This condition of the navigation would exist only about three months in the year, or what is known as low-water season. In the low-water season of 1873, with the exception of a few weeks, com- munication by river between Chattanooga and Rockwood Landing, the present most important point on the river between Chattanooga and Kingston, was uninterrupted. With' a favorable season in 1874, the work begun at several obstructions will be finished, thus ensuring cer- tain and safe water communication between the above points. No improvements have been begun on the second division, or that lying between Muscle Shoals and the mountain near Chattanooga. It is in proportion to its length, however, more susceptible of improve- ment than any other portion of the river. At Muscle Shoals the Government has made accurate and elaborate surveys and estimates in the past two years for a canal, the only prac- ticable mode of avoiding these shoals. As soon as sufficient means are at the command of the Government officer in charg-c of this work to 284 Resources of Tennessee. justify its commencement, it will be begun. The important relation which this great project sustains to the whole country, has been too often discussed to bear repetition ; suffice it to say, that it would open to the west an immense area of mineral land in West Virginia, North Carolina, East Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, that would quite rev- olutionize the manufacturing industries of the west and south. On the lower division of the Tennessee River, work has vigorously progressed at Colbert Shoals, the chief of the lower obstructions. This improvement is completed and is entirely successful. With the improvement of Big Bend Shoals, and some obstructions of minor im- portance, constant communication between Florence and Paducah will be secured. The Tennessee River improvement no longer drags its weary length along, but it is a live enterprise, rapidly attaining useful results. During the summer and fall of 1873, five hundred laborers were on the rolls, five times the force that was ever employed before on the river at one time. This fortunate change in the tide of its affairs, is due to the energy and distinguished abilities of Major Walter McFarland, whose plans and conceptions embrace the hydrographic system of almost half a continent, and of which the Tennessee River improvement forms only a component part. The amounts appropriated by the Government since the war for the improvement of this river may be classified as follows : Amount for river above Muscle Shoals $180,000 " " at " " 50,000 " below " " 80,000 Total $310,000 The amount appropriated for improvement at Muscle Shoals was lying the Cumberland carry to and from Nasliville over ten thousand tons of miscellaneous freight, such as sugar, coffee, soda, hardware, tinware, dry goods, clotldng, etc.; 15,000,000 feet of saw-logs arc annually floated from the river above Transportatio7i — Rivers. J03 to Nashville, and probably half as much more to points below. The entire supplies for the upper Cumberland, a distance of over 400 miles, tor the entire year, have to be laid in during the navigable season, which usually embraces the months of December, January, February, IMarch, April, and May. The navigation of the upper Cumberland is suspended after the 1st of June. Coal, to the amount of 350,000 buslicls, and sometimes running as high as 500,000 bushels, is annually brought down from the mines in Kentucky to Nashville, and to points below. Five good boats are kept busy in the upper river trade during the boating season, and nine be- low, besides several towboats that make special trips when the river is high, bringing Pittsburgh coal and salt. These boats are often started to points on the river, but are forced, in consequence of the uncertainty of the water, to some other market. Upon the Cumberland, below Nashville, are nine furnaces now in operation, which, however, are not run to their full capacity. They are as follows: NAME. OWNER. ANNUAL PRODUCT. Cumberland Furnace J. P. Dniillard & Co. Sechler. McCullnus & Cm 0. Hartluck. Supt Woods, Yeatman k Ci Woods, Year man & Co. J. S. ]\[.-Nichols & Co. D. Hillman k Co. D. HillmMn & Co. D. Hiliman & Co. 3,000 tons. 1 500 t lis Mt Vernon Furnace 3,000 tons. 1 3,000 tons. 2,000 t' ns. 1 Laura Furnaee Tri <'■<'■ Furnac^ \ 6 000 tens. Empire Furnace J ' The quantity of iron will be greatly increased hereafter, as some of the furnaces have just commenced operations. Besides these, D. Hiliman & Co. have an extensive rolling mill, and all the iron has to be freighted out by river. The iron made on the Cumberland River finds a ready market at Evansville, New Albany, Louisville, Jeifersonville, Cincin- nati, Newport, Portsmouth, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. There are annually shipped out of the river, from jioints below Nash- ville, besides iron, large quantities of tobacco, flour, staves, and many articles, such as lumber, shingles, boards, hoop-poles, wheat, and oats, shipped from landings, of which no statistics are kept. To sum up the value of the exports and imports of this river, they will amount to lit- tle less than $10,000,000, which might be increased to double that 304 Resources of Tennessee. amount if the river navigation could be made reliable. Mr. Gracy, in concluding his communication, says : " The lands along this river are decreasing in value daily, also the productions. If there were two feet of water, at lowest stage in the year, the increase in values and productions would, in taxes alone, pay the entire outlay in ten years." Amount Given by Government. AVhile the Government of the United States has been liberal in its appropriations to many rivers north of the Ohio, the amount given for the improvement of the Cumberland has been characterized by a par- simony as unwise as it was unpatriotic. During Jackson's administra- tion, and through his influence, about $90,000 were expended in the construction of rip-rap dams, and in deepening the channel of the stream. Nothing more was done until 1871, when, by recommenda- tion of the chief of engineers, $70,000 were appropriated, and an en- gineer placed in charge. About $50,000 of this have been expended on improvements. Five times this appropriation would not be too large, considering the value of the river in a commercial point of view. With eighteen or twenty towns on, or dependent upon, the river for supplies, with immense coal fields lying on its upper waters, and vast iron fields on its lower portion, and with a supply of water lasting only six months, which might be increased to ten, it becomes an important duty that a correct representation of the value of this stream, and the necessity for its improvement be brought to the minds of our national lawmakers. The estimate made by Col. Abert for its improvement, from Point Burnside to its mouth, is less than half a million of dollars, while the benefits that would accrue to commerce, and to the manufac- turing interests, by reason of its improvement, would amount to many millions of dollars annually. In the preparation of'this article on the Cumberland, many of the facts have been derived directly from Col. S. T. Abert, the engineer in charge, or from his exhaustive report. His valuable suggestions de- serve the special attention of our congressmen. Transporta Hon — Railroads. 305 CHAPTER XVIII Transportation — Railroads. Of all the agencies which modern civilization has brought to bear upon the development of the natural advantages and resources of a country, railroads are by far the most powerful. By their rapid, safe, and cheap transfer of the products of the soil, manufactories and mines, they equalize prices, and put those who are remote from market, almost on the same footing w^ith those in close proximity, thereby stimulating production, spreading population, stirring up enterprise, and by aifording facilities for intercommunication, enlight- ening, civilizing and refining the great mass of population. That they bring in their train certain evils, is not to be denied, but the great good which they accomplish outweighs by far the accompanying evils. Before their invention, population gathered about the great river valleys, or on the shores of lakes or oceans ; and inland situations were uninhabited except by wild beasts and savages. But for rail- roads, the greater portion of the interior of the American continent, must have remained a wilderness, untamed by civilization, and afford- ing no outlet to the great human wave, which, for three centuries, was dammed up by the Alleghanies. Breaking over this, it flowed along navigable rivers until the iron road made the prairies navigable, and spread the current of human intelligence, refinement and civiliza- tion from the Atlantic shore to the sparkling waves of the Pacific. Early Railroad Projects in the State. The progress of railroad construction in the United States, from the opening of the Granite Railroad at Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1827, to the commencement of 1874, is shown in the following statement: 20 3o6 Resources of Tennessee. Tear. MILES YEARLY OPEN. INCREASB. 1 Year. MILES OPEN. Y EARLY INCREASE. YEARS. MILES OPEN. YEARLY INCREASB 1827 3 3 28 41 54 131 576 762 918 1,102 1,431 1,843 2,220 2,797 3,319 3,877 25 13 13 77 445 186 156 184 329 412 477 577 522 558 1843 4,174 4,311 4,522 4,870 5,336 5,682 6,350 7,475 8,589 11,027 13,497 15,672 17,398 19,251 22,625 25,090 297 137 211 348 466 346 668 1,125 l,114i 2,438 2,470! 2,1751 1,726 1,853 3,374 2,465| 1 1859. 26,755 28,771 30,593 31,769 32,471 33,860 32,442 35,351 36,896 38,822 42,272 48,860 55,535 62 647 69,158 74,403 1,665 2,016 1,822 1 176 1828 1844 1845 1846 1860 1861 1.^62 1863. . 1829 1830 1831 1847 702 1832 1848 1864 1 389 1833 1849 1865 1866 1867 582 1834 1850 909 1835 1851 1,545 1,926 3 450 1836 1852 1868 1837 1853 1869 1838 1854 1870 6,588 6,675 7,112 6,511 5,246 1839 1855 1856 1871 1840 1872 1873 1841 1857 .'! 1842 1858 1874 These road.s were built at a cost of ^3,326,413 09, or at an average cost of 148,740 per mile. The history of railroad enterprises in the State of Tennessee is one of singular interest, exemplifying the immense impetus which can be given in a particular direction, by the persistent and long continued efforts of a few men. The movement towards awakening public interest in that direction, occurred as early as the year 1835. Col. Robert Y. Hayne, of South Carolina, whose famous debate with Daniel Webster on the Foote resolutions gave him a world-wide reputation, visited Nashville in that year, and delivered an address in Vauxhall Garden, which, as it was in advocacy of the doctrine of nullification, was received with great di.sapprobation by the union-loving citizens of that city, the public sen- timent of which had })een moulded, and, in a great measure, directed by the hero of the Hermitage. During the same year Col. Hayne again visited the city, and advocated in a speech, powerful for its argument, the construction of a railway from Memphis to Knoxville, and from the latter place to Charleston, South Carolina, so as to connect the sea- board with the Missi.ssippi River, the great inland route of navigation. The plan failed, probably on account of the obnoxious character of its advocate, but the effort served to direct attention to railroad enter- prises. A second effort was made two years afterward in the Legislature, by William Armour, representative from Shelby, to unite the Mississippi with the seaboard, by constructing a line from Memphis to Nashville, Transportation — Railroads. 307 thence to Knoxville, and on through to the Atlantic Ocean. He .suc- ceeded in enlisting many in its favor, but the great financial crash of tlip.t year rendered a successful movement in that direction impossible. Public enterprise was killed. Stagnation brooded over every class of business, and it was with difficulty that money enough could be col- lected to carry on the State government. Produce of all kinds fell in j)rice to a point hitherto unknown. The price of cotton in the Nash- ville market was about seven cents per pound, and tobacco, when ship- ped to New" Orleans, often brought the planter in debt. Notwithstanding the financial embarrassments of the country, there were a few men who cherished the ])roject of opening an outlet to the Atlantic by a line of railroads, and who were regarded by the great mass of people as visionaries. Among these may be mentioned Dr. James Overton, a man of far-reaching sagacity, undaunted resolution, and unquestionable genius. In a contest for legislative honors, he ad- vocated the building of a railroad from Nashville to Chattanooga, to connect with the Western Atlantic. This was in 1843, and Chattanooga at that period was a mere shipping station, in a wild section hemmed in by rugged mountains, but lately abandoned by the Indians, and in every respect unpromising. But the keen foresight of Dr. Overton had pointed out Chattanooga as the grand focus to which must converge the lines of traffic from the southern states, and that by opening com- munication with that point, Nashville would command a large trade from the cotton-growing districts of Georgia and Alabama. But the people did not so regard it, and his scheme was looked upon as the delusive dream of a visionary fanatic. He was defeated, and was nick- named "Old Chattanooga," a cognomen which he retained to the period of his death — in life, a name of ridicule, depreciation, mockery; in death, one of crowning honor, pointing out the wisdom, the sagacity, and the almost prophetic foresight of him who bore it. Though the labors of Overton Avere fruitless in practical results, he sowed seeds that were soon to germinate and bring forth an abundant harvest. About the year 1845, the depression in business circles which had continued so long began to be relieved. The groNving^ trade of Nashville made other outlets than the Cumberland River a necessity. Other portions of the State began to show signs of an awakened in- terest in the subject of railroads, doubtless stimulated in some degree by the action of Georgia, in chartering a road to run from Augusta to Chattanooga. The subject was brought before the Legislature, and, under the pressure of influential citizens of Nashville, it passed an act 3o8 Resources of Tennessee. on the 11th of December, 1845, to incorporate "a railroad from Nash- ville, on the Cumberland River, to Chattanooga, on the Tennessee River," and by the 17th section of that act authorized "any state, or citizen, corporation, or company, to subscribe for, and hold stock in said company, with all the rights and subject to all the liabilities of any of the stockholders." The act was amended by the Legislature on the 9th of December,, 1847, in which provision was made that the town of Nashville, through its Mayor and Aldermen, be authorized to subscribe $500,000, and was also further authorized to raise money on loan, by pledging the faith of the corporation, by pledging a portion of its taxes, by mortgage or otherwise, to an amount not exceeding what might be demanded for the calls upon the stock, and that the loan might be created for such a length of time, and payable in such manner as the Mayor and Alder- men might deem best. The Mayor and Aldermen were also author- ized, should they deem such a course best, to issue the bonds of the corporation, provided the bonds so issued should be in sums not less than $500 each, and that they should not be at any greater rate of interest than six per cent, per annum, and should not be payable at a greater distance of time than thirty years. These measures were resisted by the minority, and were characterized as iniquitous, visionary and unconstitutional. A bill was filed in chancery to enjoin the subscription to the road, or the issuing of bonds by the corporation. On appeal, it was taken to the Supreme Court^ and finally decided at the December term, 1848, the opinion being delivered by Judge Turley. This opinion, able in its arguments and irresistible in its conclusions, decided that the Legislature of Tennessee had the constitutional power to authorize the corporation of Nashville to take stock in the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad ; that the making of this road was a legitimate corporate purpose of the corpora- tion, and that it was legally authorized to pay for its subscription to the stock of said road in either of the modes pointed out by the act of 1847. It was about the time the charter was obtained that Vernon K. Stevenson, a merchant, unknown to fame, undertook to canvass the city and create a public sentiment in favor of the enterprise. He entered upon his work with a zeal and an energy that foreshadowed success. Pie visited every house, the high and the low, the rich and th*' poor, not even neglecting the purlieus, where vice reigns rampant. Transportation — Railroads. 309 and secured the signatures of fully two-thirds of the population in favor of the subscription. Godfrey M. Fogg, who was one of his most earnest and efficient co-laborers, and who was acting at the time as chairman of the city finance committee, had the honor of first signing his name in assent of the proposition. For two years Mr. Stevenson canvassed this question, often repelled, but never discour- aged ; often perplexed, but never in despair; hopeful, constant, per- sistent, working in season and out of season, until he at last succeeded in accomplishing his purpose, that of moulding the public senti- ment in favor of building the road. Acting under the authority of the Legislature, the city readily voted $500,000, to be expended in the construction of the road. This appropriation being secured, Mr. Stevenson, in the winter of 1847-8, visited Charleston, South Carolina, for the purpose of soliciting aid from that city. At first the opposition to his scheme was violent, and in advocating it, he even had to endure the irritation of ridicule, it being considered pre- sumptuous in the people of Tennessee to ask for an appropriation from a state, not contiguous, in aid of an internal improvement from Avhich they would derive no immediate benefit. Undaunted by the manifes- tations of opposition, he had the tact to secure a large attendance of the citizens in a public meeting, which meeting was continued for sev- eral evenings, and, though no orator, his plain, practical, luminous statements, enforced as they were with earnestness, directness and candor, wrought conviction in the minds of a majority of the citizens, and before leaving the city he obtained an appropriation of $500,000. The success which he had attained in the accomplishment of his cher- ished design, inspired him with renewed energy. Stopping at Augusta, he secured from the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company |250,- €00, and from the corporation of Murfreesboro $30,000, which enabled him, with the private subscriptions that were afterwards received, and the aid which the State rendered by endorsing the company's bonds, to enter upon the v.ork of construction. Nor must we omit to mention the great service rendered by James O. Jones, ex-Governor of the State. He canvassed many counties in aid of the enterprise and secured a large subscription. His popular oratory and fervid eloquence won many friends for the road, and awakened enthusiasm all along the route. In the month of January, 1848, the company was organized, and Mr. Stevenson was elected president, and continued in that position until the breaking out of the civil war. His arduous and lonjr-c'on- 3IO Resources of Tennessee. tinued labors in the interest of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad have secured for him the title ©•f the father of the railway system in Tennessee. The work upon the road was begun shortly after the organization of the company, but it was not opened for business until 1854, though the portion from Nashville to Bridgeport, on the Ten- nessee River, was put in operation in May, 1853, which, with the aid of steamboats, opened communication with Chattanooga. Such was the inception and progress of this great work, and we have dwelt upon it because it was the first railroad that was completed in the State, and which to-day has no superior, whether we consider the excellence of the road-bed, the efficiency of its officers, the quantity and quality of its rolling stock, and the thoroughness with which all the details necessary to the successful management of a road are carried out. Life is not endangered by parsimony, nor freight lost or damaged by carelessness. Simultaneously with the building of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, was the Memphis and Charleston, which formed a junction with the former at Stevenson, Alabama. We have diligently sought for information in regard to the liistory of the construction of this road, being anxious to show the difficulties encountered in the first building of railroads in each division of the State, but have found nothing satisfactory. Edmond Pendleton Gains, nearly half a century ago, made a railroad s})eech in Memphis, and advocated the construc- tion of a road on the line of the Memphis and Charleston road, so as to connect the waters of the Mississippi with the Atlantic. The Lagrange and Memphis Railroad, chartered in 1835, was graded many years before the Mem])his and Cliarleston was built, but owing to some financial difficulties, the road-bed was abandoned. The Memphis and Charleston was chartered February 2, 1846, the charter authorizing a capital stock of $800,000, and under the persevering hibors of ex-Gov. James C. Jones, who was the first ])resi(lent, (4)1. Sam Tate, Joseph Ijciiow, Minor Mci'iwctlicr and others, was brought to a successful completion in 1857. Tlie East Tennessee and Georgia Raih-oad was (ihartered as the Hiwassee Raih'oad, as early as 18:>(), thecharter having been procured throiigli tii(Mnfluen(r(! of General James II. Reagan, a rejiresentative from McMinn connty. The charter re0 CO t- o •jaqranq laa^ o o o o o -* lO o o t- O O O fO •^BH anoj, •s^BO siaqsng ^H 00 00 o iO (M O ^ ^ 00 CO •woo siaqi^ng. lB3qAi siaqsng i-30COQO Or-ooc»c^r- 000 "r'fin'i— r **< ^ c-a urs t- lO '00 CO — c CO CM C •jTioi^j epjJBg ^ C^I 1—1 ?— r co' o H C aj (-. a) c; CO -a ^ c/j .^ - o x ? o c ^ ^ o o 5 o = 02 10 TS h4 OT fe s o fe m ^ m cc ;z; H w o o H ^ a S i-5 31^ Resources of Tennessee. o o C3 c •spBaq Sat -o:33joj japua p3pn[oni 4oa mSia.i^ siioaa oT 1^ K CO O 1—1 ■^^ e o ^2 CO Sr> ^ ►? s ^ o • ^ 3in«0 3PB0[ JBO 33tni\[^ sasjojji 8p80[ J«.2) I sSoH spsoi JBO O ,— I C o o OJ^ t- O 1— o t- t-^ CO cs I oo •jCbhsuox iyaQ Biaqsng •ujoo«i3qsua C5 189X1^ 8[9qana! cn XI ^'^ ""^ >— ' rt'r-T in" ^"^ •JlBSBiajJBg •[Baw siajJBg; •juoijI 8[ajJBg •nonoo saiBg CO O ^ O 1^ CD O CO CM '^ CO — ■^ r-H lO «0 -^ SS W) - j3 2 — _ii bt) I. > a D r/5 _ ^^ e3 a _i 3^ o aj.== =« r- O z! »5 oV2 a) '^ 5i 3L V ""^ — S 03 j: -5^ 3 Transportation — Railroads. 319 o 6 !» CO ■" 00 J ^ CO <» o -^ 2 i e ^ 00 00 , *Ki 11 1 -I i I o < 1-5 P H M o ;:^ «« o •pBaq ^ _* m -^ -* SnioSajoj In-G japun 0 1— 0 0 CO papnpui joii mSiaj^ 0" 10" «>" c-q' -* snoauBitsosTK suoj, 10 IM 00 •sSoH 8p«o[ JTI3 1 $::; i 1 C5 1 I— 1 CO -* 00 »o lO '~0 '^ •saiTiK ,yi 1— 1 CO CO pns sasjOH spBOj i-eo —1. C<1^ 1 — 1 '—' 1 -"^ cn 0 >o Cfl --0 0 lO 0 Jr- 'i' Cvl -* _ t- ■\-eQO aiaqsng; ^' 0 0" co" CO' '^ OS CO_ t-^ o_ ' -^ ,— r co" •ojo 00 i^ 05 iljsg UBX '35B[g 'saiod: CO Oi -rf 'pUBS 'POO^^SPBOI JBO ■— ' 1— 1 CO 1 'V^ j CO ■8JO SpBOI JBO c-5 CO 1 CO iD 10 •uoji Sij spBO[ aBO I— 1 1-^ C5 M* Co r- CO -CO ^ 0 o_ 0 •BjBO siaqstig ^- 0" 10 ^ -cr 1 t- X— ,—1 0 on ^ i— C3 -* <=> 0 CO C<1 0 lO oc_ •UJ03 8T9nsng cc" lO" oT co" 1 <=> c> f— < -t (M CO 1 c^ c^ 1 0 cs 0 _i 00 CO 0 10 r- in •lB9q^ B[8qsTia: ^"^ C-o CO Ir-^ lO in C5_ CO •nooBg epnnoj CO 0 0 co- in ^H ^ c£:_ lO" ^ co" 00 00 i "^ J— UO CO CO <^ C<1 I-H 0 •5IBS BpjJBg »o. CO '^ Tj^ 1 "^ c^ lO c^ l^ t— C5 to c~. CO -* •IB8K aiaJJBg C5_ -* CO co' 1 <^ 1-- r— Oi 1 «* t- 0 )— ( CO CO •jnoi5 siaaaBg ^- '^ 1—1 CO 1 in 1 *~" 00 1 00 1 i-H 1 I— 1 C -a C3 0 0 • fe 5 3 5 d M CS 0 P5 A t-5 0 CO u m fl 0 1-5 s a ■^ n c 320 Resources of Te?tnessee. The report of the treasurer, AV. A. Gleaves, shows the road to be in a prosperous coudltion, financially. R. C. Morris, the resident engineer for the whole consolidated line from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Hickman, Kentucky, says in conclu- sion of his report : " It is gratifying to me to be able to state that yonr road, consisting of 321 miles of main line, 20 miles of branches, and 30 miles of side tracks, with ample grounds for shops and depots at Nashville, Chatta- nooga, Hickman, and stations on the line and branches, as well as for division houses for men employed on the track, has been steadily im- proving and increasing in value during the past four years, and now ranks second to no road in the south. " The bridges, with few exceptions, have been rebuilt, the important ones having been replaced with iron structures ; a great many depots and division houses built; the road-bed ditched and a large portion of it ballasted; 240 miles relaid with best oak ties, and 163 miles with heavy 'fish-bar' rail; the water stations renewed with red cedar tubs, and the important ones supplied with stationary engines and steam pumps. The work required to reduce the grade on section 53, St. Louis division, to the maximum, is well advanced. Your main line and branches, 341 miles, including side tracks and right of way, could not now be constructed for $40,000 per mile, which I consider a low esti- mate upon the property in its present condition." Nashville and Northwestern Railroad. This road, now consolidated with the Nashville and Chattanooga, making the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway, was char- tered as early as 1852, and was in the course of construction when the civil war put a check upon all public enterprises. It was projected by V. K. Stevenson, at that time president of the Nashville and Chat- tanooga Railroad. He caused surveys to be made, and asked for sub- scriptions by counties and cities to be benefited by it. After canvass- ing various counties, which might be interested, and receiving sub- scriptions to a large amount, and which were in few if any in- stances ])aid, he applied .to the city of Nashville for a f 100,000 cY/.s7i subscri|)tion, which was })aid by a special tax, probably in 1858 or 1859. Nashville subscribed, altogether, $270,000. On this subscription work was commenced, the first being done from Nash- Transportation— Railroads. 321 ville, and with the money subscribed by Nashville. It had pro- gressed but twenty-nine miles from Nashville, and four from John- sonville, when the war opened, and was running to Kingston Springs. During the war, the United States Government, for military purposes, built the road to the Tennessee River, at Johnson ville. At the close of hostilities, Mr. M. Burns, who was then president of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, applied to the Legislature for the amounts which the road was entitled to under the then existing laws, both for ironing and bridging. By his active and continuous exertions the entire aid was granted, and with it Mr. Burns was enabled to com- plete and open the road to Hickman, Kentucky, as originally surveyed and planned. Mr. Burns accomplished this work, when labor was high and when bonds were low, and under general circumstances in which great energy, judgment, and ability were required to finish the enterprise. It was finally finished toward the close of the year 1868. On the 27th day of October, 1869, the president of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, E. W. Cole, submitted a written proposi- tion, on the part of the road of which he was president, to the direc- tors of the Nashville and Northwestern, in which he agreed to lease the last mentioned road, for a period of six years, to put the road in good repair, to pay out certain amounts for salaries, and to pay to the State of Tennessee, monthly, any surplus earnings, which were to be credited to the interest due, or to become due, to the State upon the bonds issued to the lessor. Any surplus after this should be paid to the lessor. This lease continued in operation for three years, when upon the suggestion of Col. Cole, a two-thirds interest in this road was bought by the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, from the commis- sioners appointed by the Legislature and the Chancery Court to sell delinquent railroads in the State, individuals in Tennessee and New York taking the other third. The whole cost was $2,400,000 in Ten- nessee bonds. After this the road was repaired thoroughly, new bridges were constructed, new trestles built, new iron laid, and the whole road put in excellent order. Subsequently, the directors of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, believing it to be to the best in- terest of the company, bought out the one-third interest held by indi- viduals, and the company now owns the entire route from Chattanooga to Hickman, Kentucky, as well as the branches to Jasper and Shel- byville, making the entire length 341 miles. This line is now called the 21 322 Resources of Tennessee. Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway. The gross earnings for the whole line for the year ending June 30, 1873, were $2,298,200 67, and accrued from Freight $1,607,328 35 Passengers 618,781 96 Mail. 40,582 39 Rents and Privileges 31,507 97 Total as above $2,298,200 67 For the Chattanooga Division : Freight $1,222,841 50 Passage 388,476 77 Mail 25,580 00 Rents and Privileges 18,621 00 $1,655,519 31 The expenses were, for Maintenance and Improvement of Roadway $329,202 28 " Motive Power 389,207 92 " of Cars 96,404 14 Conducting Transportation 287,445 17 Miscellaneous 81,528 15 $1,183,787 66 Net earnings $ 471,731 65 For the St. Louis Division : Freight $384,486 85 Passage 230,305 19 Mail.'. 15,002 35 Rents and Privileges 12,886 97 $642,681 36 Expenses 559,150 33 Net earnings $ 83,531 03 The two following tables will show the shipments from way stations eastward and westward over the St. Louis division. The shipments each way over the Chattanooga division have been given under the head of Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. By adding the shipments eastward to the shipments westward, a very good idea can be formed of the exjiorts from the country lying contig- uous to the road. It is a matter of regret that the quantity of peanuts is not given, as the St. Louis division of this road passes through the great peanut-growing region of the State. It will })e seen that lumber, corn, bacon and cotton form by far the largest items. Huntingdon and Hollow Rock, in Carroll county, ship more than one-half the cotton on the route. Transportation — Railroads. 323 CO 00 o CO s .,- ?i •spBaq Snio3 -3J0J aqi JO XuB iap -nn papmoui joa 1^1^ snoaaBiiaosiiv huox oa5cc!COcooooi:-coi«cocccooiooco(Maoc»f> C5 eSr-( pUBS 'pOO^WSpBOl'jBO •ooo«qox epBaijs^oH •noji spBOi j«o 8§0H epBoq; jbo ■a[;iBO spBOT jbo •831IIK puB 83SJOH spBoq JBO •[BOO siaqang •jaqnini isag; •^BH «nox 000 O C5 O o c> >o 000 O O O O '^ o o O C O c; CO o o CS O O O QCi O CO in" cT cT cr^ cs f <" -* 30 O CO -^ t- (M •ajBO eiaqsng o t- 00 cr: -t< lO iO -«♦< esj CO CO •njoQ giaqsng r^ r-l i^- O « 5£> GO C^ i:~-J^^ COiOCO— '■«*< to lO !0 -^ CO t- CO O C^ t— i-T^'co" •;B3qAi iiaqsng -"^^CltOCOfMiOCOCOl— 1 CO CO i^- CO CM CO c^ o •nooBg Bpnnoj lO C: i— ^ cq o CO o ■^ CD CO i-H : WD a a ::• >- .u 5 CO 00 0 0 10 0 «> T-K •ilBS epajsg ■"^ '"' Cq T-* rr •IBapi siaojBg in 0 (M Cl (O C5 ^ CM 0 c-q C> "* IX> •jnoj^ siajJBg I—I ■— 1 0 ■—1 ■"I 0 ^lO-i-i-HCO^r- i-^cq-rcs CO CO ^^C<|:=>0^-j5c^C<1C5COXCO 0 •aojioo saiBg csi 0 io_C5 r^ ■'ii 0 CM 0 CO 0 324 Resources of Tennessee. CO CC o CO 1^ -, "^ ^ ••NtOX 1YX0X •sp«3q Snio3 -3J0J 9qi JO jIfjB jap -un papn[out joa ;^j j[ 8no»n8i[JD9;'j( suox O l-H 1— c^aoo^cH speoi j»o .— ■ rt (M •aniBO speoi JBO C<1 C>^ O C^ -H CO •a3[nif pa» 83«OH SpBOl JBO ^ l-H •J9qinni jsa^ o o o o o o O O O 1— I o o o in o 00 o o c c-j o^ oq^o^co_ C^ c^ O ' — ^ lO Si O ^ 30 00 CO •^9H sao J, ^ ■~o t- •s^BO spqsng CO to OJ •tuoo 9[9qsna O O -^1< O Oi o VD^QO C^ '* es 1-H 00 J— t- °°, o" l-H •jB8qj^ aiaqsna e^ 3,117 562 512 Oi o — CO oo" •nooBg gpanoj to r-l CO Oi r-l «0 l-H o lO ■41BS 8iaJ->Bg o l-H s •jnoi^ epjjBa t— 00 8B ■U0U03 S8i«a o to 1— 11^- — . r- ■^(M 00 a 'n - 5 §33 03 ^ •- n ~ ^ ^' ^.15^ Mr. Camp gives the product at Coal Creek, for 1873, at 75,000 tons. Dr. Hart's statement as to the product at Wheeler's Station, or Careyville, agrees with that given above. The following statement, taken from the report of the vice-presi- dent and superintendent, will show the gross and net earnings of the main line, for the year ending June 30, 1873. From Passengers $ 439,062 84 " Freight 856,772 44 " Express 14,090 00 " United States Mail 57,457 50 " Miscellaneous sources 10,975 iiS $1,378,358 46 The expenses for the same time, both ordinary and extra- ordinary, amount to 929,148 42 Leaving as net earnings, after deducting all expenses, in- cluding the laying of new iron, ballasting track, &c., $449,210 04 The debt of the road at the date of consolidation, was $5,664,785.32. This, under the financial ability brought to bear upon its management, has been reduced in four years to $1,926,791.60, leaving the total in- debtedness now outstanding as follows : The funded debt, including bonds given to the United States Government in settlement of former bonds or notes $4,191,900 00 Deduct from the above the cost of the Morristown and Rogersville Roads, and the money loaned in the pur- chase of securities in the Western North Carolina Road, and the interest on same, which will be re- turned when these properties are sold 453,906 28 $3,737,993 72 During these four years the value of the property has been increased $500,000. The total gain, therefore, during that time will amount to $2,426,791.60. Over and above the operating expenses and the in- terest on the indebtedness, the road has for the same period received $654,791.60. This sum is equal to an annual dividend of about eight per cent. This road shows each year an increasing business, and as tlie iron and coal mines are developed, it will become the great trunk line for the whole of the Valley of East Tennessee. Feeders extending to the coal, copper, and iron fields, will give it increased traffic, and over this line must eventually pass a large portion of the coal consumed by Western Virginia and Western North Carolina. It also forms a direct 328 Resources of Tennessee line from the Georgia cotton fields to the city of New York, the' con- necting link between the net-work of railways of the north-east and south. The following tables, furnished by James R. Ogden, the general freight and ticket agent, will show the great amount of local trade. The first will exhibit a classified statement of freight for three years, and the others, the shipments from each station for the year ending June 30, 1873. The items of copper, butter, feathers, marble, dried fruit, eggs and barytes are noteworthy. It will be seen that the amount of iron has increased in three years nearly fifty per cent. Comparative Classified Statement of Freight Shipped on the East Tennessee^ Virginia and Georgia Railroad, Jor the Year ending June 30, 1873. Bacon and Lard Butter Fiour Corn "Wheat —. Oats Other Grain Dried Fruit Egg;3 Salt Leather Coal and Coke Cotton Yarn Cotton Feathers Lime and Cement Coppor Barytes Marble- StftTf'S Lumbpr and Shingles.. Iron-Pig, Bl'm & Sc'p. Iron — Manufactured.. Horses. Cattle 1 Shefp and H^g^ / Nails and Spikes Hay Miscellaneous Year Ending June 30, 1871. Cars. 2;929 Bales. 139068 Cars 266 Pounds. 3,795,612 279,348 6,919,493 23,733,431 30,089,704 9,628,076 439 227 4,072,476 582,437 19,034,950 52,294,000 62,585,092 187,935 786,300 1,522,825 1,262,422 9,938,916 8,722,864 1,714,824 4,257,655 406,866 1,992,615 127,421,121 371,669,089 Year Ending June 30, 1872. Cars. 3,380 Bales. 131788 Cars. 63| 166i 124 Pounds. 3,844,902 321,366 4,174,355 24,141,677 4,863,375 2,772988 297,666 2 2^4,956 573,667 19,754,150 60,840,000 504,863 66,031,247 264,2.34 723,950 1,636,908 2,053,439 14197,713 9,673,239 2,183,071 1,020,000 2,664,000 1,984,990 338,538 4,420,874 112,723,219 344,789,387 Year Ending June 30, 1873. Cars. 4,489 Bales. 144645 Cars. 59J 301 131i Pounds. 1,938,690 346,819 6.813,661 18.037,345 42,826,560 5.444,629 1,095,676 6,094,237 874,404 22,816,000 441,311 80,792,000 411,351 72,160 888 292 773 480 000 1,200,910 1,040 177 1,582,257 6,370,000" 9,134.548 12,440,634 2,918,437 952,000 5,416,317 2,104.000 7.33,295 3,728,161 134,707,574 443,194,654 Tra7tsportation — Railroads. 329 -XLNTJV-NOai ■jvaog aNT Kooia 'OIJ— KOHI ?S^I 00 1^ o -* ^- to 803 is 'iVH 0 C>rHi— iQOi CCCOT^aiOCir^i-HOiT— IX O— Or-H-^*«I:-(>].-iaiC^COO:05GOiOOC^ CO O :^ TT C^ 00 CO QC C ^'x'cC C^CO^cfOiO X " 30 O 00 '^ C00'0*r?'«4*i— iCOOOX'T-li-i'— I 8 ■:§ 0 :o J^yf <— ' : :ocorH C-3I>-X ;0005-*t"X)'?>'rt^i— lOJlOO-^trSCC'^COi^-'— ' ■Tt< J~. I— I y: T* QO — lO 1^0 ■ 1— I X3 ^ :d cr. cr. 1— I Oi ■r»iC«:>r-<:D ^^ O O C^ CO i-i^OO (M '^J* O t^ OJ rH -^O00!MOC0r-tC0r-(Cvi:CXI-^C0-*'— 11— t O (M(M 05^05f-liOi— iO^rH coco f-Hr-H f-H '^Ol 00 rHr-l i^ 'KIVHO HaLHXO '6XV0 CO Oi^OO-O 05CqC0O-<** C^ CD t-^ 00 OS in CDi— ICOtP :^' sq .00 00 I COCq CO (M TTC^OOOOOX COCOCDt^OiOCD»Ot--^C^COOOCD-^ ■r-oocc^iT— (^QO-rj':^*■'^c;^0"-f^C'^t— t Wt— trHWr-HC^CO.— I J^tJ^^tTCDC^CQ.-i -tOl^'W ccoo •KHOO I -M .— ( O CO -^ ■'fi— < ;05i-i CO w ■ ■■ c^rTcTco't^o ;0»-'t-cOi-i CCCDC X'C:t c oct-^c ir-ioo :■ c^ -+ CD - -T ooco OOiOCSt-'T^COi— tOOCDCCOrHCC-HiO OiM'r- CD-^t^CO-XOlO"— 'Oi-^COX CCCO(MCOaiiOi— 'lOCOT-'Oi'itf' Wr-iCO irrr-HlOc4"rHrH'«*<01COiO 00 ci CC' OOCClO'?* XCOCOC*-^*— 'lO'— LOt— X ^ O I-" O t- ^. 'Tf O 1- ^ O Tf -^ TT cc aiO'<*'f-;a'-t--L-;r-^'*co-<**^ Ir-^o'iOtOCD t^-Ot r— CD lOTf Ir— t— ' cotoaia:-^"^''^' — Oic^i i-it— i CO 1— li— (I— I 330 Resources of Tennessee, Stations. Live Stock— Cars. M < P3 k < H O i5 .^ o 5 Horses Cattle Sh&H's Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds 124,969 494 1,8^2,016 3,347,461 2,278,183 5,172,165 1,090,391 2,129,981 1,942,807 1,269..358 11,568,924 3,544,877 7.697,491 3,402,761 1,672,321 11,776 217 984,789 1^S5,154 l?r70,180 4,039,397 512,986 110,377,t'91 2 .577,687 3.914,683 10.763,062 3259,lfi7 5.180,166 2.559 203 3,061,514 2,046,887 4,176,331 416,542 5.213,406 991,277 41,275 3,022,052 541.740 19.737.049 72,067,151 Pd8 Brietol S 101,993,329 Union 555,216 135.000 64,000 Carter's 2.33.686 484,917 97,7.30 Johnson'? Jonei^boro'.... 3;Stf Telford's 1 19,893 LimestBue 6 428.711 104,359 110.843 Fullen's 455,663 Henderson's .. Greenville 1 26 5 2 5 2 9,998 125,498 184,847 Midway 4.900 50,000 198,032 1,210,291 114,660 272,121 1,631,436 78,517 302,246 112,907 145,97(i .54,428 11,722,. 372 3.382 524,395 Rogersville J. Wtiitesburg... if RuHsellville... 02" 7'" 84,000 1,152,000 Morristown... 197,835 Talbot's Mossy Creek. 4 1 itt" 7 6 13^ 8 42'" 4 i New Market.. StrawberyPls 1 63"' 2 4 15 9 30 9 1 14 10 2,496,000 8,428 McMillan's.... I 49.170 Knoxville 98101 Concord 177,572 33.000 266,804 i Lenoir's ! 101800 Loudon 9 2 8 9 9 9 3 9.4.81.3 Philadelphia .. 107,187 Sweet Water.. 1 3 41,280 76,334 Mouse Creek.. 1,673 109,899 275,848 382.103 180,348 40,699 35.5.714 268,116 24..349 . 455.173 216,111 3,058,627 . 9,409,062 134.707,574 1521 Athens 33974 Riceville 256,000 Charleston 1 Chatata 4,651 464,000 232 Cleveland 16 5 Ooltawah Tyner's State Line 2,192.000 1,895 207,000 275 413.000 193,705 528,0(0 1.53..3.54 .....N "Varnoll's Dalton 175955 Chattanooga.. 27 n\% 1,040.177 Total 59>^ 301 9,134,548 441„311 443,194.654 411351 Besides the articles enumerated in the tables above, there -were shipped over the road 1,582,257 pounds of marble, of which 396,000 pounds were shipped from Rogersville Junction, 1,184,813 pounds from Whites- burg, 1,444 pounds from Riceville. Of nails and spikes, 733,295 pounds were shipped from Knoxville, the product of the nail factory at that place ; of copper, 1,200,910 pounds from Cleveland, the ship- ping .station of the Ducktown copj)er mines ; of coal and coke, 80,- 792,000 pounds, 79,578,000 pounds from Knoxville, and the remainder from Chattanooga; of cotton, 144,645 bales from Chattanooga and Daltoii, Georgia; of .salt, 22,816,000 pound.s, nearly all of which comes from I^ri.stol ; of cement, 480,000 pounds from Chattanooga. Wc may add that this road is managed by able, energetic, and skillful officers, who are faithful in the discharge of their several du- ties, as the business and freedom from accidents testify. The two roads for whi(!h we give such full .statistics are by far the Transportation — Railroads. 331 most important to Middle and East Tennessee ; for though one other traverses the middle division, it does not taj) the coal region, to the de- velopment of which we must look, in part at least, for a restored, pros- perity. Knoxville and Chakleston Railroad. This road runs from Knoxville to Maryville, and is sixteen miles in length. It was intended to connect with the Blue Ridge Railroad of South Carolina, and form, with the Knoxville and Ohio Railroad, a through line from the Ohio River to the sea-board at Charleston, S. C. The road was sold by the State on account of its failure to pay the in- terest on the bonds issued to it for $105,000. We have received no report of the operations of the road, and can therefore give no account of the amount of its business. Tennessee Coal and Railroad Company. This road runs from Cowan, a village on the Nashville and Chatta- nooga Railroad, to Sewanee Mines. It is twenty-one miles in length, and was built at a cost of $850,000. It is now operated by the Sewanee Mining Company. For a more detailed account of it see Grundy county. St. Louis and Southeastern Railw^ay. officers: Edward F. Winsi.ow, St. Louis, Mo., President. James H. Wilsok, New York, Vice President. Charles W. Gardexer, St. Louis, Treasurer and Secretary. Geo. S. WiNSLOW, Mt. Vernon, 111., "I . ., ^o H. L. Morrill, Evansvillo, Ind., / ^ss^«^««^ Superintendents. A. E. Shrader, St. Louis, Mo., General Ticket Agent. This road traverses one of the most fertile regions of the Missis- sippi Valley, and also passes directly through the immense coal fields of West Kentucky and Illinois. The quantity of coal shipped to Nashville by this road is estimated to be 449,000 bushels; to points south of Nashville, 100,000 bushels. All the towns on the line of the road from Henderson, Kentucky, to Nashville are supplied with coal from the mines in Kentucky, while inmiense quantities are carried to St. Louis from the coal fields of Illinois. In addition to coal, tobacco, 332 • Resources of Tennessee, wheat, corn, and whisky are transferred by this road in large quanti- ties. From Springfiekl alone over forty barrels of whisky are daily shipped to St. Louis, Nashville, and other points. The road is admi- rably located, and the facilities offered for the erection of manufactur- ing establishments on its route are so great that they cannot long re- main unnoticed by capitalists. Cheap living, cheap coal, fertile lands, unoccupied water-power, contiguity to the cotton fields and to the iron regions, are some of the advantages of the country through which this road passes. Good management and liberal rates on the part of its officers must eventually make it one of the most desirable roads lead- ing to Nashville. The total length of this road is 358 miles, 48 of which are branches. The distance to St. Louis is 310 miles. Length of road in Tennessee, 48 miles; guage, 4 feet, 9 inches, and 5 feet; rail, 50, 56, and 65 pounds to the yard. Operations for the year ending December 31, 1872: From passengers $260,888 35 freight 626,446 06 Miscellaneous 36 266 44 Total earnings $822,600 85 Operating expenses 632 821 69 Net earnings $169,779 16 The authorized capital stock of this road is $16,000,000, of which 11,000,000 are paid in. Funded debt, $5,807,000. The cost of construction, $11,089,000; equipment, $1,725,000; real estate, etc., $700,000. McMlNNVILI.E AND MANCHESTER RaII.ROAD. The line of this road extends from Tullahoma to McMinnville, the county seat of AVarren. Its length is thirty-four miles. Upon its failure to pay the interest on the bonds issued by the State in aid of its construction, it was sold in 1872. The sale was declared void, and a new sale ordered. It is run by the lessees of the Memphis and Charles- ton Railroad, and has the same list of officers. The total receipts for the road in 1872, no later information being accessible, were from passengers, $6,816.45; from freight, $7,856.05; total, 14,672.50. The expense of running was $12,517.61. This road was projected to run to Sjjarta, Tennessee, and ultimately Tra7isportation — Railroads. 333 to extend to the Kentucky state line, with a view to a connection with the Cincinnati Southern. Work has been done beyond McMinnville, in the direction of Sparta, to the amount of $81,063.76. The total cost to Sparta, it is estimated, will be $659,806 ; and to the Kentucky state line, $1,493,000. Winchester and Alabama Railroad. There is in operation of this road thirty-nine miles from Decherd, on the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, to Fayetteville, the county seat of Lincoln. It was projected to run to Huntsville, Ala- bama, a distance of forty-seven miles. The Memphis and Charleston Railroad purchased it of the State on sale for the non-payment of in- terest, and it is now operated by the Southern Railway Security Com- pany as lessees of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. The receipts from passengers, ending June, 1872, was $6,527; from freight, $12,429.72; total, $18,776.72. Expenses, $16,015.80. Tennessee and Pacific Railroad. OFFICERS: Geo. Maxet, Nashville, President and Superintendent. R. M. Miller, Treasurer, Secretary, and General Ticket Agent. W. M. Marr, Master of Transportation and Conductor. J. D. Manbt, General Freight Agent. This road runs from Nashville, Tennessee, to Lebanon, the county- seat of Wilson. Length, 31 miles; sidings and other tracts, 4 miles; guage, 5 feet; rail, 56 pounds to the yard. It was projected to run to Knoxville, Tennessee, but financial em- barrassments checked its progress. Considering the shortness of the road, it makes a better showing than any short line within our knowl- edge. The company bought the interest of the State in this road on ac- count of bonds issued, paying therefor $300,000. The amount of State loans was $1,185,000. The following is the report of the business of the road for 1872: Cedar lumber, value $99,400 Other lumber, value 8,355 Total value of lumber $107,755 334 Resources of Tennessee. J3esides lumber there were shipped : Barrels of flour 10,437 Sacks of flour 9,099 . Bushels of grain 12,676 Pounds of bacon 321,761 " lard 12,000 " butter 23,568 Eggs, dozens 69,800 Pounds of fruits 44,858 " feathers 6,081 " rags 49.177 "old iron 98,362 Hogsheads of tobacco ,. 140 Bales of cotton 146 " hay 146 Pounds of wool 14,164 " " cotton yarn 8,237 Car-loads of stock 208 For the year ending January 1, 1872, the earnings of the road were: From passengers 132,468 44 " freight 20,950 92 Miscellaneous 4,323 17 Total earnings $57,742 53 The expenses amounted to 41,478 71 Net earnings $16,263 82 We are indebted to R. W. Miller, secretary and treasurer, for the following account of the business of the road for 1873: Passengers over the road 22,474 Car-loads of stock 187 " " flour 128, average 90 barrels each. " grain 96, " 300 bushels " " " bacon. 60, " 16,000 pounds " " tobacco 20, " H hhds. " cotton 24, " 25 bushels " " " lumber 466, " 5,000 feet, f cedar. " " wood 285, " 7 cords each. Louisville, Nashville and Great Soutiiekn Kailroad. This is one of the largest corporations in the south, and the ability and energy which have been displayed by its officers in its management have placed it among the first railroads of America. Boldly striking througli the lieart of Kentuuky, it was the first road whicli phuicd in communication the cotton states of the Mississippi Valley with the great Trafisportation — Railroads. 335 grain-growing states of the north-west, and the wisdom of its projectors is manifested in the fact, that since its main line from Louisville to Nash- ville was finished, a distance of 185 miles, it has, witliin a period of fifteen years, thrown out branches and extended its main line, until the aggregate number of miles has reached 737.3, 380 of which are in the State of Tennessee. The cost of the property owned by this cor- poration amounts to $22,946,338; including other assets, the value of property owned by the company, after deducting floating debt, is $25,583,575,91 ; liabilities, (stocks and bonds) amounting to $23,801,- 939.03. The total earnings for the year ending June 30, 1873, not including leased lines, amounted to $4,909,426.44; expenses, $3,498,- 303.29 ; showing a net profit of $1,411,123.29. A dividend of seven per cent, was paid out of the net earnings, also interest on bonded debt. The bonded debt, for which the road is mortgaged, amounts to $14,820,500.00. The main stem of this road, from Louisville to Nashville, was opened for business November 1, 1859. The Memphis branch, extending from Bowling Green, Kentucky, to Memphis, Tennessee, a distance of 264 miles, and embracing the Memphis and Ohio and the Memphis, Clarks- ville and Louisville railroads, was opened in 1860. The two last men- tioned roads, built under separate charters, were bought by the company and consolidated. The Nashville and Decatur road was leased for thirty years, commencing July 1, 1872. The company acquired a con- trolling interest in the stock of the South and North Alabama liailroad, ■which road was completed October 1, 1872, putting the capital city of Tennessee in direct communication with the capital city of Alabama. We only propose to speak of the trade of such portions of this company's roads as pass through the State of Tennessee. The main stem enters the State near Mitchellsville, Sumner county, and for the distance of thirteen miles passes over a part of the great Highland Rim, and descends through a tunnel into the low lands of the Central Basin. Upon the Highland Rim, contiguous to this road, are grown tobacco and wheat of fine quality. The shipments from the stations on the Rim are mainly of these two articles, as will be seen from the subjoined table. South of South Tunnel, and on to Nashville, the stations show but little tobacco shipped, that from Gallatin having probably been raised in Trousdale county, or upon the Highlands, though the car loads of stock are notably increased. Indeed, there are but few counties in the State that have earned a better reputation for stock-growing than Sumner. We are indebted to Col. Albert Fink, the vice-president and gen- eral superintendent, for the following tables : 2>d>^ /Resources of Temiessee. o CO S ^ ^ ^ ss ^ '^ !l 1 ...... • ■ • JO 1 1 -aajBOOsSBa 1 \\\\\\\\\\\^ |_ 1 : t ::::•:: :S 1 1 " ■ . . ; ~j 1 • -SioajBg ::::;:::::: i) : : : : : : ; : : : : •* 1 < Tf 1 ^ • ■ : : CM 02 °sp«aqs3<)Q :::.••::::: 00 ::::::::::: CM •luani.io 1 : • • CM ::::.::.::; CM puB sniii siajJBg i CM •SDSS«[OK siaajBg ) ; "^ : • : 2 : : : : : ?*<-#' X t~ o o .00 : : .-f^>or-. -^t^-f •i. •utBJO aamo : : ; : t- o ^ cm -* cm o • . : . cm i-( ,-H CM .-H 3 1 * . • »-H • • . • -lOr-c-^KOrt .5>q . . : : roicot-— <,— 1 ; -^ 1^ •njoo : : r : :o»r»;co-^r- -co ij • • • ' lO I— 1 O 1— 1 • \Ci u : : : : : : oo p • t~- O Tji . . . o ,J5 t^ 1^ ,_, ,t X n ■o : : . X oc cc c-- cv) CO •IBOqAV CO : : : CO j^- CO o ■* i« .— 1 ... 00 r— I ro CO 1 : : : ec c •■ : o : : s : : "3 : ■ : ^^ ; ! II o ± : HI i' a : ~ ="S ^^ •=«■> if "3 3 O 3= C Iindergville ndersonvil gefield Jun disori shville. •- - O 3 o -^^ 5 o CM 'V< F.C; ^ O rH • -v -f< bJO g Cv| o ii •\ ' — ' ^ 00 . -, .~ o '-' •N • "S ^ ^ CM 5 H T— 1 G 02 "H q3 <1> Q CQ s ==^ S ^ s TS u A c3 O O C<3 '^" CJ 03 CO 2 ^* 1—1 r; r-- 1-3 ^ i) ..V i=l dj c CO -^ "3 o s a. O «+-! ^ CM 1 ° ^ -H CO "^ O OS '^ fi -^ o g 3 !.< (M O o c3 .. -^ Ph 5 ^ o .S^o -M lO ^j .^ ^-^ ^ o «3 , O) »H s s ^ s 2 ^"^ 9. S CO d _, ^ ;:^ o 1^ .^ _c ^ a .^ c« ■ J -^ t— n. H i! to O) o +-' .—1 aj I* t^ ; — ; H ct r2 i-"^ 'So l*^ Transportatio7i — Railroads. 337 CO o CO si ■^ g c o o o 1§ •9SipnBqDJ3K; IBJaaao spaiioj 0 •ii -iS 'is -S ■ ooor-i g ■•-i ,-• CO in ri .t 40,000 146,350 4,450 94,179 149,496 •jinj^ spnnoj 0 0 at o o m > S -o -to -T-i . •no sp-i«a 1 s ...«•_ -i-H . •jonbii ejgjJBa CO '. ;m . ■ .CO • • • • • : : CM ' ■ ; ■ •pas'! paB 1 J{aOd'j99a8|9JJBa i irt 1 ; : ; i ■ : -00 ^ i : •S9o;B50d siajJBg | .00 ■ -co-* . . . (N . .ao : : ;^! : : .'"' : •lies 818-iJBa 1 0 >o . .T-ICO . . .rt . . . t~ . . . •JnOI,J 8[9JJBa - C«::;: :'^ : :§ 00 .o • ■ :,-ii^ I . : ; : : : ^ : : : : ■ 0 S n 1 coco -O ■ -U^lO -t^ -oto t~ -iMin • •lo.-i ■ . -o • ,« •-a.S! • -TTCO •■•-*■ •mr,'^ CC?5 • 0^ lu^ro • t- • c: CTi ["03 1 ? 5 - '533 = oauCC 0 0 0; c ca '^ 0 . > • 0 : *J — — Hi OhOkJ ff a - I. a 22 33^ IBjanga sputioj Resources of Te^inessee. 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M M"^ M r : : : :os : : : :"" MnMNii ^ 2 o o -<1 1 :N ::::«::: : \ ''r iMiNiMJ 1 :'2 ■ • ■ -^ ■ ■'-' ■ j i M i j i i-« i IS? i j i ig i !'- j;3 i : : j 1 i : i : jJ S5 o H a D M aiBJO JaqJO SS i j i ii i i i j i i ;§=» i 1 j IS i IS i i i !| ! i ! i? i IS i i i^ i i Is •ojoo gS 1 i : Si! iJaSS ! !SS iiS ! !'-^S !Sg 1 S3 ^ ^ i ! ! ! :2 ! ! Sl lm»-H..-C^..'1-< .t-Hr-H..,— d ■IBaqAV SS i^S l-^a : :*?^iSSi£2 :S : !Si :^S ! ! !i2 !^ : : : :°' : ! : ■ I : : 1 ^^ ! : j : '^'^ : i 1 : ! i i \ \ : : j : i : 1 | O :«"!!:! :«:::: : 55 : : ! i !iA . ; . . 12 :«^ : 1 : i : S t: •'' * a a r - ■ a 2 0 a 2 yj a i; » ■a N m S « o BOS a : 1 :t a If! a O-a •', a S a a 5 £ ililillli od : 1 : : ; : : :0 =o : 1 ! >; 1 : : 1.^ . o-a ?'o55S'«C^£ i'y« Ziflfl— ticjM i-<*iS cQte^^mO^sQpqniz;? Transportation — Railroads. 339 Guthrie is within the State of Kentucky, but much of the produce shipped from that point is grown in Tennessee. It will be seen that Clarksville ships the largest amount of tobacco, being 11,125 hogsheads, and Guthrie, which is in the edge of Kentucky, next. Ommiting Nashville and Memphis, the most cotton from way stations comes from Brownsville, being 21,153 bales; Humboldt stands second, shipping 14,172; Mason third, 10,316; Pulaski fourth, 8,863; Columbia fifth, being 8,299. From the lower Tennessee River, from Florence to Danville, the steamer Dick Johnson collected 6,999 bales, which is about two-thirds of all the cotton raised on the Tennessee River from the Muscle Shoals to its mouth. About 10,000 bales an- nually find their outlet by this river. Stewart's Station is noted for lime. 1,473 car loads of iron are shipped by the Memphis division. This road v.ith its branches, traversing, as it does, one of the most productive sections of the country, is destined, with judicious manage- ment, to become the great inland route of commerce between the two sections. It is yet in its infancy. The company hopes before a great Avhile to have direct connections, by Virginia and Tennessee roads, with the Atlantic ports, with the Mexican Gulf by Montgomery, Alabama, and with the Pacific ports b/ Memphis, Little Rock and Shreveport, con- necting at the latter point with the Texas Pacific. Eighteen consecu- tive semi-annual dividends have been made, the road is well kept up, and under the skillful superintendence and management of Col. Fink, it will doubtless continue to extend its arms, until it can command a large part of the trade of the Southern Mississippi Valley, and the trade of 3,000 miles of seaboard. Mobile and Ohio Railroad. officers. Hon. Abraham Murdock, Columbus, Miss., President. Hon. Charles E. Rushing, Marion, Misa., Vice President. John J. Walker, Mobile, Ala., Second Vice-President. Alonzo L. Willoughby, Mobile, Ala., Secretary and Treoysurer. Oliver S. Beers, Mobile, Ala., Auditor. George N. Stewart, Mobile, Ala., General Solicitor. L. J. Fleming, Mobile, Ala., Resident and Consulting Engineer. A. L. Rives, Mobile, Ala., Chief Engineer and General Sup t. John A. Pu'nch, Mobile, Ala., General Freight and Ticket Agent. This road was opened in 1859. At the twenty-fifth annual meeting of the "stockholders, held in Mobile, the president, in his annual report, took occasion to pay a just tribute to the persevering efforts of 340 Resmcrces of Tennessee. Baldwyn in the building of this road, an enterprise at the time of its inception, greater than had been started on either continent — the build- ing of a road that was to extend through seven degrees of latitude, and to connect the waters of the gulf with those of the western rivers and lakes. After thirteen years of patient toil and persistent energy, the road was completed from Mobile, Alabama, to Columbus, Kentucky, a distance of 472 miles. Shortly after its completion the war broke out^ and at its close the road was a splendid wreck. Sixty-five per cent, of its original cost was lost. But by energy and credit, in eight years the property was in a prosperous condition, with increased equipments, en- larged facilities for business, and a developed earning power that sur- prised its friends. Earnixgs for the Year 1872. From Passengers $ Yo4,970 39 _" Freijjht 2,089,681 25 Mail and Express... 127,855 95 Total earnings $2,952,507 5> Expenditures. Maintenance of way $ 582,386 10 Rolling Stock 512,779 48 Transportation 835,053 60 Total Expenditures 1,930,219 18 Net earnings $1,022,288 41 This road has a bonded debt of $10,839,144.46, and floating debt of $1,176,938.03. Its lowest estimated value is $22,500,000. The origi- nal capital stock amounted to $4,466,475.86. This has been doubled. The company has paid off its indebtedness to the State of Tennessee, and resumed the payment of interest on all classes of bonds, May 1, 1870. The following table will show the amount of cotton received at each statio^ on this road, within the State of Tennessee, for the year ending March 31, 1873: Earner's 86 Bales. Bethel. 735 McNairy 733 " Henderson 2,514 " Pin.son 1,099 " Jackson 7,841 " Humboldt 088 " Trenton 6,852 " Dyer 561 " Rutherford 751 " Kenton 1,260 " Troy 41 " Union City 992 " Total 24,146 Bales. Transportation — Railroads. 34 1 Amount of Tennessee cotton received by this road the previous year, 20,856 bales. The number of passengers moved for the year 1872, was 398,884. Average distance traveled by each passenger, 41 miles. The average number of seats provided in each passenger train, 125; the average number occupied, 25, or only one-fifth the capacity of the cars. The total tonnage of the road was 374,531 ; total number of tons, one mile, 553,993.02. Total cars for passenger trains, 56; total freight cars, 1,073; total number engines, 89. Mississippi Central and JS^eav Orleans Railroad. officebs: A. M. West, Holly Springs, Mississippi, President. R. P. Neelt, Bolivar, Tennessee, Secretary and Treasurer. E. C. Walthall, General Attorney. By the consolidation of the Xew Orleans, Jackson and Great North- ern Railroad and the Mississippi Central, this company controls the entire line from New Orleans to Cairo, Illinois, a distance of 549 miles. Running arrangements have been effected with the Illinois Central Railroad company, which places, practically, under, one man- agement, though operated by two charters, 1,700 miles of railway. The extension of the road from Jackson, Tennessee, to Cairo, Illi- nois, giv^es to it an independent connection. By the completion of this work the road gains seven new and independent connections : 1st. With the Louisville, Nashville and Great Southern line, at Milan, Tennessee; 2d. With the Nashville, Chattaiiooga and St. Louis line, at Frost, Tennessee ; 3d. With the Memphis and Paducah line, at Fulton, Kentucky ; 4th. With the Iron Mountain Railroad; 5th. With the Cairo and Fulton Railroad ; 6th. With the Cairo and Vin- cennes Railroad. 7th. With the Illinois Central Railroad, at Cairo, Illinois. By the first, the shortest route yet opened is secured from New Orleans to Louisville and Cincinnati. The second gives favorable con- nection with Nashville. The third secures connection with Paducah and the rich coal fields of Kentucky. The connections at Cairo bring it within easy access of the great coal regions of Illinois. The Cairo and Fulton and Iron Mountain railroads give it direct connections with Missouri, northern Arkansas and Kansas. The Cairo and Vin- 342 Resources of Tennessee. cennes Railroad leads into the great grain-growing regions of the Wabash and White River valleys. In his report for 1873, the president, after enumerating the advan- tages of the connections given above, says : " The ultimate establishment of a line of steamers between New Orleans and Cuba, to run in connection with these consolidated roads^ will follow as naturally as effect follows cause, which, aided by the Mississippi river, will in the main control the direction of the imports and exports, from and into the West India Islands, the value of which may be estimated by the exports from the United States into Cuba, which, in 1871, amounted to |14,200,000, and the imports from Cuba, for the same year, into the United States amounted to $58,584,000. If American enterprise could be infused into Cuba, and their exorbi- tant duties (which on flour are eight dollars per barrel) reduced, we would export as much as we import, and thus keep balances from run- ning against us, and the volume of her commercial wealth would increase with unparalleled rapidity ; and travel, attracted by her tropic charms and salubrious climate, would increase in a greater ratio. " These arrangements fully consummated, transportation will be cheap- ened and business greatly increased by doing away with all transfers and dray^ges on the railroad line. Besides, it will relieve the entire line of roads and steamers of all complications, by fixing definitely its responsibility to shippers and passengers." Regular trains commenced running from New Orleans to Cairo on the 24th of December, 1873. Arrangements are effected by which the ears are transferred at Cairo without breaking bulk. We regret that -we have received no itemized account of the business of the road for 1873. The gross traffic of the road to Jackson, Mississippi, ending Decem- ber 31, 1872, was $1,425,984.37, expenses $846,128.46, of which $67,- 477.59 were charged to the Mississippi Central company as construction expenses, making net earnings $646,333.50. Capital stock $3,935,- 534.60. Funded debt $4,628,980.00. This road is indebted to the State of Tennessee $1,199,180. The floating debt amounted to $3,- 787,030.45. Of the whole road, 120 miles are in the State of Ten- nessee. Gauge five feet. Rail fifty-six to sixty pounds per yard. MlvMI'lIIS AND ClIAUr-KST().N RaII.ROAD. This road was ()j)ened in 1857 from Mcinpliis, Tennessee, to Steven- son, Alabama, where it unites with the Nashville and Chattanooga Transportation — Railroads. 343 Railroad. The lengtli of the main line is 271 miles, of which eighty- seven miles are in the State of Tennessee. It has a branch leading from Macon, thirty-nine miles east of Memphis, to Somerville, the county seat of Fayette county, a distance of thirteen miles, and another from Tuscumbia to Florence, Alabama, six miles. The Winchester and Alabama and McMinnville and Manchester roads are operated by the same company. Receipts for the Year Endikg June 30, 1872. From Passengers $630,423 00 " Freight 670,009 26 " Mail and Express 65,232 77 " Other sources 38,450 99 $1,404,116 02 Expenses. Transportation $312,596 4Y Motive power 286,597 43 Maintenance of w:-.y 236 250 85 " cars 114,946 94 $951,191 69 Receipts over operating expenses $453,724 33 In the above are included the returns of the McMinnville and Man- chester and Winchester and Alabama Railroads. The amount of cotton moved by this road was 188,313 bales. The Southern Railway Security Company leased this road for ninety- nine years, which lease went into effect 1st of July, 1872. By its terms it is to pay, daring the first five years, six per cent, per annum on the capital stock, $5,312,725, provided the net earnings amount to that sum. Three per cent, is guaranteed. "After the expiration of five years the company binds itself to pay six per cent, for the remain- der of the time for which the road is leased. The company also agrees to pay all installments of interest and sinking fund on the bonded debt, amounting to $4,157,000, and $900,000 for completing the Win- chester and Alabama Railroad, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad agreeing to issue consolidated mortgage bonds, amounting to $5,500,- 000, bearing seven per cent, interest in gold, and payable in forty years from July 1, 1872, to cover the present bonded debt, and a fur- ther amount of $200,000 to take up the floating debt." " The road is to be kept in good repair, and to be surrendered at the expiration of the lease in good order and condition." It is now reported (April, 1874) that the company has returned the road to the stockholders. 344 Resources of Tennessee. The road owes the State of Tennessee $1,741,576.75, upon which interest is. due, amounting to $103,315. The Memphis and Ohio has been spoken of under the head of the Louisville, Nashville, and Great Southern Railroad in another part of this chapter. Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad. officers: H. S. McCoMB, Wilmington, Del., President. F. M. White, Memphis, Tenn., Vice-President. S. H. Lamb, Memphis, Tenn, Secretary and Treasurer. E. D. Frost, Water Valley, Miss., General Manager. M. B0RKE, Memphis, Tenn., Superintendent. S. Carey, New Orleans, General Ticket Agent. D. B. MoREY, New Orleans, General Freight Agent. Only eleven miles of this road are in the State of Tennessee, and, though imjjortant to Memphis, it can hardly be called a Tennessee road. It was opened for business in 1857. Distance to Grenada, Mississippi, 100 miles. For the year ending September 30, 1873: The gross earnings from all sources were $5G0,650 79 Operating expenses less material on hand = 301,865 24 Net earnings $258,785 55 Operating expenses, 53 17-20 per cent. Gross earnings of previous year were 522,644 82 Operating expenses previous year 268,152 21 Net earnings $254,492 61 Operating expenses, 51 3-10 per cent. The capital stock of this road is $825,406.99. Funded debt, $2,- 311,214.08, of which $417,800 are due the State of Tennessee. Float- ing debt, $136,121.54. Of cotton there were shipped : From local stations to Memphis 56,444 bales. " local stations to New Orleans 5.037 " Memphis to New Orleans 33,289 Total bales transported in 1873 94,770 Total bales transported previous year 80,077 Increase 14,693 Total present year to New Orleans 38,326 Total previous year to New Orleans 31,901 "Increase to New Orleans - 6,425 Tra7isportaiio7i — Railroads. 345 A comjiarison Mitli the tables of last Ke])ort shows a very favorable increase in loeal cotton, 61,481 against ;j0,744 last year, besides an in- crease of 3,956 bales from Memphis to New Orleans. The movement from local stations to New Orleans Last year was 2,568 bales. This year it is (1873) 5,0H7 " Increase 2,4G9 " Memphis and Paducah Road. This road is now in the course of construction, and will be finished during the year 1874. It passes through the most fertile sections of the State, and makes connection with other roads at Troy Station, Paducah Junction, and Paducah. Col. L. J. Dupree, in a communi- cation to the Secretary of the Bureau, says of the country through which the road passes : " The average distance of this road from Mississippi River is about fifteen miles. The whole road from Paducah to Memphis penetrates the richest districts of Tennessee and Kentucky. "Until the financial collapse occurred, land along the Memphis and Paducah Road was held at from $30 to |60 per acre. It is an absolutely faultless farming country; chestnut, oak, cypress, and every tree that flourishes on the richest land in this latitude grows luxnriantly here. The greater part of the country is level, and the lowest of it is above the highest floods of the Mississippi, which diff'uses itself over the low- lands of Arkansas. The earthquake of 1811—12 made abrupt hills and deep, narrow valleys in rich lands of Obion ; but much the greater part of the country, enriched by the Memphis and Paducah Railroad, and protected against high freight tariflk forever by the proximity of the river on the one hand, and of the Memphis and Louisville Railway on the other, is the most attractive in the State. The reader should remember that the climate of this region is milder than that of East and Middle Tennessee in the same latitude. Knoxville is quite 600 feet more than Memphis above the sea level. Figs and cotton, which never reach maturity at Nashville or Knoxville, flourish along the route of the Memphis and Paducah road. Beyond Troy, 100 miles north of INIemphis, the people cultivate tobacco, grain, and grasses, and raise horses; south of Troy there are rich corn and cotton fields. Forests are most dense, but when swept away by the hand of toil the rich alluvial farms that smile in the sunshine are invaluable. There 3 46 Resources of Tennessee. is no such district of country of equal extent and exuberance in Ten^ nessee." The roads named below are projected or in course of construction : Memphis and Kxoxyille. A portion of this railroad, (narrow guage) in West Tennessee, is now under contract and the work of grading is progressing. The route passes from Memphis on through Sommerville, Bolivar, crossing the Mobile and Ohio Railroad at Henderson's Station, thence through Henderson county, striking the Tennessee River at Salrillo, in Hardin countv. From this point to Clifton, in AVayne county, a distance of seventeen miles, connection will be made through the means of steamboats. From Clifton the road will run on through Waynes- boro, Lawrenceburg and Pulaski, effecting a junction with the Winch- ester and Alabama road at Fayetteville, in Lincoln county. An arm of this road will pass from near Wayne Furnace, through Lewis county, to Columbia. Perhaps no road in the State will pass through a more interesting section of country. From Memphis to Saltillo it will pass through the heart of the cotton region of West Tennessee, and from Clifton to Lawrenceburg it will run over de- posits of limonite iron ore. Hydraulic rocks and marbles of valuable varieties will form the foundation of the road-bed for many miles. The route east of tiie Tennessee River offers favorable locations for immi<::raiits. Land is cheaji, the country high and healthy, and the soils of moderate fertility, from the Tennessee River to a point twelve miles west of Pulaski, where the road will descend into the great limestone Basin of Middle Tennessee, the fairest and the most beautiful portion of the State. In this Basin it continues its course to Fayette- ville. l?y continuing on to the Cumberland Table Land, it will be the means of connecting the coal with the iron ore of the Western Belt, and will also give to West Tennessee coal facilities hitherto not enjoyed and open the grain-growing and stock-raising-regions of the State with the cotton-producing section. The JiiiowNsviLLE and Ohio. This road (narrow guage) will run from Cairo, Illinois, to Browns- ville, in Haywood county, through Bolivar to Middlcton, and there Transportation — Railroads. 347 v^ill connect with the MidcUeton and Ripley road. Twenty-five or Ihirty miles are graded from Brownsville north. I The Cairo and Tennessee. This road is to be bnilt from Cairo, Illinois, to Paris, the county seat )f Henry county, and from thence an arm extended to Johnsonville to connect with the Duck River Valley Railroad — the main line running ihrough Clifton, in Wayne county, to Florence, Alabama. Consider- ilile amount of s#ock has been taken, and the road is now being sur- jveyed preparatory to letting out contracts. Tennessee Central. i This road was first chartered in 1847, and re-chartered during the session of 1869-70. It is designed to run from Huntington, the county scut of Carroll county, ont hrough Gibson, Crocket, a corner of Hay- wood and through Lauderdale to the Mississippi River, at Fulton. It penetrates the heart of one of the finest farming regions of the State, and its course from east to west gives it great advantages over roads running north and south. This road has twenty-five miles of road-bed graded. It -will form a link in the great inter-oceanic route from Norfolk, Virginia, or Charles- ton, South Carolina', to the coast of California. The prospect for its s|)eedy completion is good. The cost from Huntington to the Missis- sippi River, it is estimated, will be $366,000. Memphis and Raleigh (Narrow Guage). This runs out from Raleigh to a point on the Memphis and Louis- ville- road, a distance of some seven miles. We have no official infor- mation in regard to it. Cincinnati Southern. One of the most important projected roads, is the Cincinnati South- ern, from Cincinnati to Chattanooga, passing over the Cumberland Table Land to Emeryville, and thence along its eastern edge, and opening one of the finest coal and iron regions in America. The Kentucky end of this road is now under contract, and proposals have been issued for work on sections in Tennessee. The estimated S48 Resources of Tennessee. cost of the road is $15,000,000, of which Cincinnati subscribed 000,000. Cumberland and Ohio! The Cumberland and Ohio Railroad is in process of construction, and will pass from some point on the Ohio River, through Eminence and Scottsville, Kentucky, and Gallatin, Tennessee, on to Nashville. Sumner county has taken stock to the amount of $300,000. There is little doubt of its early completion. This road will give a new com- peting line to the Ohio River. The following are a classified list of railroads proposed and in opera- tion in and passing through West Tennessee : NAMES OF ROADS. Mobile and Ohio Mississippi Central and New Orleans.. Memphis and Charleston Memphis and Ohio Mississippi and Tennessee Memphis and Paiucah Nashville and Northwestern Memphis and Raleigh, (narrow guage Jaokson and Birmingham Memphis and Knoxville Huntingdon and Jackson Jackson and Memphis. Tennessee Crntral Jackson and Evansville Jackson and Lexington Selma, Montgomery and Memphis Memphis and Vicksburg Cairo and Tennessee River Brownsville and Ohio Total IN OFEKATION. MILES. 119 120 87 152 11 125 90 9 713 PROPOSED. MILKS. 55 117 38 78 97 70 28 14 11 10 90 668 TOTAL LENGTH OP ROADS. 472 559 271 .377 100 165 321 210 350 38 78 96 190 28 260 205 70 60 3,651 The Owensboro and Russelville Railroad is also projected to pass through Sumner county. The Duck River Valley Raih'oad, (narrow guage) running from Johnsonville on the Tennessee River, througli Centerville, the county seat of Hickman, to Columbia and on to Lewisburg, Marshall county to Fayottoville, the county seat of Lincoln, will ])robably be built witliiii tlio next two or three years, and will open a rich agricultural and mineral region. The amount of subscription is $242,500. Tra7isportatiori — Railroads. 3 49 Several more roads were projected, but the financial crisis of 1873 <\\\ render their construction, for a. time, a matter of doubt. Among hese is the Ducktown Xarrow Guage, running from Cleveland to ^ucktown. Two miles of this road are now in operation. Also one iDin Nashville to Clarksville, (narrow guage) is being surveyed, with onie prospect of being built. A narrow guage, five miles long, from Roekwood Landing to Rockwood Furnace, in Roane county, has been n operation for some years. It does all the carrying business from :be river to Rockwood. We have thus given pretty full statistics of the railroads in the State, because the public mind, from causes not necessary to mention, has been directed towards their management, and a great necessity is felt for a work showing the details of their operations, cost of running, and price of freight. The projected railroads are also a matter of interest to persons seeking new locations. 150 Resources of Tennessee. CHAPTER XIX. Condition of Agriculture. The condition of agriculture in the State of Tennessee is not so prosperous as the nature of the soil, the variety of the products, the means of transportation and the salubrity of the climate should ensure. The great civil convulsion which upheaved the very foundation, of the social structure in the south, wrought most disastrous changes among the land-owners and farmers of the State, and especially among those occupying the more fertile sections of Middle and West Tennessee. The change was less apparent in East Tennessee, where the proportion of the slave population to the white was not so great as in the other divisions, and where the character of crops grown was not such as to demand arduous and continued efforts throughout the entire year. In the cotton and tobacco-growing regions the greatest changes were wrought, and the condition of the farms in these sections, denote radical defects in the system of labor or general management, or both. Previous to the war, the farmers in Middle and West Ten- nessee were the most thriving in the State and their farms showed a high state of cultivation and improvement. Each year showed progress and the demand for real estate Avas so great that land attained the limit at which it ceased to be profitable as an investment, except to those whose increasing number of slaves rendered it necessary for them either to extend tlieir domains or dispose of their surplus laborers. So long had this class of farmers been accustomed to the well regulated and Avcll disciplined system of slave labor, that they found it impos- sible to adapt tliemselves to the changed relations between the laborer and the master. Many, who had been })rospcrous and successful under the former condition of things, were reduced to coni])arative poverty under the operations of free lal)or, and sought new fields of business. Naturally enough, at the close of hostilities, many farmers tried the plantation system, or the system to which they had been accustomed, Condition of Agriculture. 351 paying their farm hands by tlie year in money and supplying them ^vith rations. With the high prices of produce immediately subsequent to the war, this system proved remunerative, but as the prices of the staple products declined, while the expenses of the farm remained sta- tionary, it was discovered that some change would have to be made, either in the manner of employing labor, or in the character of the crops grown. Then followed what is called the "share system," by which the laborer is paid part of the crop instead of money, thereby decreasing the risk of the land-owner, and, as it was supposed, applying a spur to the exertions of the laborer. In some cases this worked well, but these were exceptional, and only served to show the necessity of additional reform in farm economy. It was found that under this method of employing labor, the farm could not be kept up, either in its productive capacity or in its improvements. Fences rotted down, noxious weeds and shrubs grew without limitation over the farm, and stock-raising became a thing of the past. The laborer felt disposed to Avork only during the active growing season, and would show a dispo- sition to spend his time during the fall and winter months to no profit to himself or employer. And this state of things exists to a great extent at present. It is found, that the amount required to procure extra labor to do what should legitimately be done by " croppers" con- sumes by far the largest share of the profits of the farm, and the land- owner justly feels that while the burdens of taxation and the social demands of the community rest upon him, his profits are really less than the interest on his capital invested, and are growing smaller each succeeding year. This has in a measure discouraged this class of farmers, and many of them have ceased to regard their estates as a thing of profit, but rather as an encumberance, locking up their capital and clogging their energies. As might be inferred, there are large quan- tities of improved land for sale at prices that would in the states north of us be considered ruinously low — prices for which the land could not be cleared and enclosed, to say nothing of the cost of farm buildings. There is one class of farmers, however, that is both prosperous and happy. We refer to the small fiirmers who own from 100 to 200 acres, and who perform the work on them themselves, hiring only occasion- ally during the busy seasons. This class is improving yearly. Their farms denote thrift, and they luxuriate in an abundance of all the necessaries and many of the luxuries of life. Such farmers fill up Perry, Humphreys atod Dickson counties. They may be found scat- tered in spots in Stewart, Montgomery, Robertson and Sumner. They 352 Resources of Tennessee. form a large majority in East Tennessee, and wherever they are found, a pleasing content prevails. Relying upon their own strong arm for support, the question of labor does not aifect them. Dependent upon no one, they form a class upon which the State must, in the end, rely for its solid and permanent advancement. The march of events is , working out the great problem of labor. It was necessary that some- \ thing should happen to divorce our people from the plantation system — a system that in times past was the very embodiment of economy, energy and productive industry — a system that moulded, in a measure, the industrial pursuits of Old England and New England, and diverted streams of capital by the certainty with which it furnished the pro- ducts of the earth, but a system which is not adapted to free labor, and can never be rendered, for a great length of time, profitable, and which must be abandoned sooner or later by the people of the whole south. No system, yet tried, has given such satisfactory results as that in which the owners work their own farms. In this every inducement is held out for practicing economy, for enriching the soil, for improving the stock, and for elevating the social and intellectual status of the people. We wish to be understood that we are speaking only of farms that are cultivated — not grass farms, nor stock farms. A thousand acres in a grass or stock farm will require but little more labor than one hund- red in a tobacco or cotton farm. Additional acres on such a farm only mean an increase in the number of stock and increased labor upon enclosures. The quantity of labor required on such a farm does not increase with the size of the farm. For the purpose of production, land should be divided approxi- mately in proportion to the number of cultivators. A man who owns the land he cultivates takes a peculiar interest in it. He has a con- stant motive to improve it. To make it as productive as possible is his study, since all he makes is his own. Each man working for him- self, upon his own land, will greatly increase the aggregate wealth of the State : 1st, in the increased products ; '2d, in the superior quality of the ])roducts; 3d, in the increased fertility and im])rovement of the land. Ovvncrsliip makes men more industrious, thrifty, independent and patriotic. The character of the laborer is elevated. The character of the soil is im])roved. Poor sterile hillsides are reclaimed, gullies are sto])ped, and a thriftless laborer becomes a proud and industrious pro- pri(!tor. When the mass of the people own the land they till, the motives to j)r()ductive industry are brought to bear most luiiversally. Condition of Agriculture. 353 A strong stimulus is brought to get as much as possible from the land, and at the same time improve it. Mr. Perry, in his Elements of Politi- cal Economy, thinks the division of the land in France a positive benefit in supplying a regular increase of agricultural products; in creating an industrious, frugal, cheerful peasantry ; in the promotion of a desire and ability to purchase land ; in diminishing pauperism, and consequently crime. The division of land only reaches the point where it begins to be less profitable. He compares the condition of the labor- ing classes of England with those of France. The want of patriotism in the former is constantly manifested by their loud complaints against the government. Having no interest in the soil, they feel little inter- est in the Government. There is a widely marked and striking difference in the three divis- ions of the State in the economical management of the farmers. The most distinguishing characteristic of the average farmer in East Ten- nessee is the effort which he makes to supply what may be required for his own consumption. He is indeed a great provider of the necessaries of life. He is ambitious to live within himself. It is not uncommon on a small farm to see a patch of cotton, which the women of the household work up into cloth ; a spot given to tobacco for home con- sumption ; a field of sorghum from which syrup is made for domestic use ; a few acres of wheat are raised for flour ; corn and oats or hay to feed the stock, which usually consist of a few sheep to supply wool for winter clothes, cows from which a considerable revenue is derived by the manufacture of butter, and a brood-mare or two from which the farmer rears his mules and horses for farm use. Besides these, an abundance of the standard vegetables, such as cabbage, beans, peas, potatoes and onions, is raised, as well as of ducks, chickens, geese, guinea- fowls, peafowls, &c. A few bee-hives, and an apple and peach orchard, are the necessary adjuncts to nine-tenths of the farms in East Tennessee. The most striking fact in the farming operations of that division, is that no money crop, so-called, is raised. Tobacco, cotton, corn and hay, are all grown in small quantities, not so much for sale as for use. The amount of money realized by the average farmer of East Tennessee is painfully small, and yet the people in no portion of the State live so well, or have their tables so bountifully furnished. Many a farmer who lives like a lord at his table, does not realize $200 in money from his entire farm, and this sum comes mainly from the sale of feathers, chickens, eggs, dried fruit, and occasionally a few cattle or mules. Indeed, with their strict habits of economy, the farmers of East 23 354 Resources of Tennessee. Tennessee have but little use for money. The wool and cotton, by the patient industry of the female members of the family, are wrought into cloth. A few hides from the beeves are tanned and made into shoes. Salt, coffee and sugar comprise almost the sum total of pur- chases, while a few dollars are required to meet the demands of the tax-gatherer. The women of the rural districts, it has been said, do their own house- hold work. It is not considered a hardship by them to cook, wash, iron, milk, churn, clean up, spin the " filling" and make the cloth for the entire family. They also make their bed-clothes, and a generous rivalry is sometimes manifested by the house-wives in the making of the neatest counterpane or window-curtain, and other articles for the ornamentation of their homes. At the annual exhibitions of the Fair in Knoxville, specimens of the handiwork of East Tennessee ladies arrest the attention of all spectators, by their beauty of design and elegance of finish. Yet, after all, it must be confessed that this con- stant labor is worrying to the physical frame. A woman who, in addition to bearing a house full of children, makes their clothes and does the drudgery of the whole family, shows too visibly the effects of it. There is a care-worn expression about their countenances, and oftentimes a wasted frame, that speaks too plainly of overwork, anxiety and consequent premature old age. Almost every farm-house is situated near a spring, to which is attached the omnipresent milk-house, where the milk and butter for the family are kept during the summer, fresh and cool. A stranger, passing through the country, is always pleased at the table by the deli- cious coolness of the milk and the firmness of the butter. Ice-houses are scarce, the cool springs which break out from the base of the mountains supplying their place. The character of the produce raised for sale in this division has es- tablished a barter trade, wliich is unequalled in extent elsewhere in the State. Almost every neighborhood lias its country store, where spun- cotton, calico, salt, sugar, and coffee are exchanged for feathers, eggs, chickens, dried fruit, etc. These articles, after being thus collected in considerable quantities, are shipped to Knoxville and other points. It would astonish a farmer of Middle or West Tennessee, unacquainted with tliis trade, to learn to what extent it is carried on. In illustration of it, it may be mentioned that the Secretary of this Bureau, on one occasion, rode up to a little store-house, that was perched upon a steep Co7iditioit of AgriciUture. 355 hillside in one of the counties remote from railroad or river commu- nicatiou. The house Avas about ten feet by sixteen, and the stock of goods consisted of such things as are named above. Upon inquiry it was found that the eggs bartered for during the preceding year amounted to $2/200; feathers to about the same sum; chickens and turlceys, $1,500; and dried fruit, '$2,000. These barter stores are rarely more than eight or ten miles a])art, and their proprietors usually have connected with them a little farm of their own, upon which they work in the intervals of trade. There are fields cultivated in East Tennessee that would be consid- ered, in ISIiddle and West Tennessee, by reason of the abundance of surface rock and their steepness, ^vorthless for agricultural purposes, and yet the farmers in that section, like their prototypes, the Swiss, maintain that such spots are more easily cultivated, will yield more largely, and are more reliable for the production .of crops than the level lands of the valleys. And indeed such a statement, with refer- ence to the north hillsides, is not hard to believe. We have seen fields of corn upon steep slopes, where the limestone rocks almost sheeted the surface, that ^vould yield from fifty to seventy bushels per acre. In looking at them it is liard to say which created the greatest surprise, the extraordinary luxuriance of the crop, or the ingenuity of the farmer in cultivating it. This is usually eifected by using a bull-tongue plow, narrow enough to enter between the crevices of the rock and stir among the broken fragments. The use of improved machinery, except in the valley lands, is im- possible on the farms in East Tennessee. The consequence is that the implements are very inexpensive, and are frequently made at the neigh- borhood blacksmith shop. The valley farms are usually supplied with reapers, mowers, and horse-rakes; and resemble, in every particular, the best farms in Middle Tennessee. The growing of corn and wheat, ,» for a long period, in East Tennessee, without proper rotation, resting \ or clovering, has greatly impaired the fertility of the soil. There is no better land anywhere for clover. The rich, red, ferruginous sub- soils, resting in the valleys upon limestone rock, are susceptible of being kept up to a point of high fertility by the liberal use of clover. But the avarice of the farmer, or rather his stinginess to the land that |j so readily responds to kind treatment, has made the sowing of clover of but little benefit to the soil that grows it; for as soon as it covers the surface with its rich foliage, and the work of renovation begins by shading, herds of stock are turned upon it, and the land is left in its 356 Resources of Te?tnessee. nakedness to the blasting heats of a July sun which evaporate all moisture, and with it the fertilizing elements deposited while covered ^\\i\\ the rich vestment of clover. Or, if not grazed by herds of cattle and sheep, the clover is converted into hay, so that the land receives little or no benefit from it. As for labor in this division, it is abundant in the neighborhood of towns, and commands a less price than in either Middle or West Ten- nessee. It is probably also more manageable and reliable. Good farm hands can be hired about Knoxville throughout the summer months for $10 and |12 per month. After the corn crop is "laid by,'^ and the wheat harvested and threshed, there is but little employment on the farms. August and September, the busiest months in the to- bacco-growing counties, are those of most leisure in East Tennessee. A few farmers, taking advantage of this surplusage of labor in sum- mer, are beginning to grow tobacco for sale. It is a serious drawback to the farming interests of East Tennessee to have so few good roads. Usually they are execrable, and especially is this the case where the roads run transversely across the country. No successful efforts have been made to build turnpikes, though rocks are abundant and convenient for that purpose. With the exception of a few miles of McAdamized roads leading out from Knoxville, we be- lieve there is not another in East Tennessee. Prior to the war, one, partially McAdamized, extended from Morristown to Cumberland Gap; but, though toll is still collected, its condition is such as to warrant the remark that no worse road can be found in the State. For a greater part of the distance it passes up hill and down over great^limestone masses as large as a man's head, and almost impassible for wheeled vehicles. The tax the farmers indirectly pay in getting their produce to market over such roads is very burdensome, and the public mind should be directed to improvement in this particular. Wagons, passing over such roads as prevail in East Tennessee, soon wear out and break down, and teams are strained and overtaxed with- out doing more than half the work that they might do on smooth roads. Yet, with all this. East Tennessee farmers are blest in the gen- eral fertility of the soil, in the glory of the climate, in the excellence and abundance of the water, in the healthfulness of the country, in the sublimity, beauty, and picturcsqueness of the scenery, in the ex- tent and variety of the fruits, in i\\e convenience and abundance of mills, in the magnificence of the forests and value of the timber, in the extent of mineral wealth, the development of which will give home Condition of Aorictdture. 357 markets for their surplus produets, and in that happy combination of physical agencies that develop the highest types of a noble manhood. Unlike his brother in East Tennessee, the farmer of the Middle division, especially in the Central Basin and the richer portions of the Highlands, aims to have, in addition to the food crops, a " money crop," of either tobacco, cotton or peanuts. His anxiety is greater to secure the former than the latter, for his domestic habits are not such as to enable him to dispense with money to the same extent as the farmer of East Tennessee. As a usual rule, except in places remote from towns, he does not manufacture his clothes at home, but buys them. He does not pay as much attention to the smaller industries, nor is his every- day table supplied with such a variety of food. Milk and butter he usually produces in abundance for home consumption, but unless in the dairy business, he does not aim to produce a surplus for market. While his orchards may Cover more acres, his orchard products are less remunerative. Fowls are raised in large quantities, but the money for them belongs to the housewife, and does not enter into his bills re- ceivable. His thoughts center on his money crops, and everything, €ven the appearance of his farm, must yield to the imperative demands of such crops. Gates may be dragging, the palings that guard his vegetables from the incursions of fowls and swine may be missing, his orchards may be pilfered of their choicest fruits by interlopers, all these give him less concern than worms upon his tobacco, or grass in his cotton or peanut fields. He feels no disappointment at having no ^orn or pork to sell. He aims to make a supply. If there is a surplus, he rejoices, if not, he remains contented. He is often enlisted in pub- lic enterprises, and recognizes the fact that his bulky products are more easily carried over a McAdamized road than over a dirt one. He knows and appreciates the value of labor-saving machinery, and his farm is usually well supplied with the best of implements. His work stock are the best his purse will enable him to buy. He also inherits a love for a good saddle-horse. He rejoices in a good cotton-gin, or tobacco screw, gin-house or tobacco barn, and will take infinitely more pains to exhibit tliem than he will his dwelling, although his dwelling may be tasteful and elegant in its surroundings, charming with bright flowers and delicious fruits. He is fond, too, of a good stable, with a bounteous supply of provender, though stables and everything else must yield to the exactions of his "money crop." If a stock-raiser, everything is subordinated to that, it being the " money crop." The possession of a heavy purse once a year is the dream of his existence. 358 Resources of Tennessee. Energetic, thoughtful, intelligent and painstaking, he prospered under a different condition of things. He prospers yet when able to take the front row, or to carry on his farm in a systematic and orderly manner. He is not so careful of his land now as before the war ; he does not value it so highly. His rotation of crops is not so regular. He can be tempted to rent out fields that in the regular order should be rested. Sometimes his clover seed runs short, and he prefers to let the unsown field lie fallow rather than tc> incur further expense. He is not so particular about having his fence corners clean as formerly. He is in a manner disheartened because he can rely upon no regular supply of labor. He threatens every year to seed his land to grass, but is rarely ready when seeding time arrives. He sometimes thinks of selling, but the low price of land holds him back. Plis improve- ments cost too much to sell at low figures. He is a great grumbler, but can think of no occupation that will pay him better. His enthu- siasm is greatly chilled by the course of events, and yet he will con- fess that in a good season, with good hands, his profits are as great and as satisfactory as ever. He has State pride, and glories as much in the prosperity of the other divisions as in his own. He rarel} uses the terms East, West and Middle in speaking of his State. The farms of ISIiddle Tennessee, as a general thing, are much better improved than in the other divisions. In the great Central Basin, a considerable proportion, probably one-third, are enclosed with either cedar or rock fences. The dwelling-houses are good, many of them elegant, some of them princely. Stock-raising and cotton-growing in this Basin are the favorite branches of husbandry. Fine stock-horses, cattle, hogs and sheep of the most approved breeds are to be found in every county. On the Highlands surrounding the Basin, ])eanuts, tobacco, wheat and fruits are the favorite crops. The number of turnpike roads is very large. In some of the county towns as many as ten or twelve enter. Timber in the most fertile districts is growing scarce. The capacity of the soil and variety of the crops are great. Almost every crop of the farm, when well worked, makes a! remunerative yield. Labor is not sufficiently abundant, and is badly] regulated. Small farms and small farmers are greatly needed and de- sired, and could make, with projKM- industry, large profits. Capitalists would find this division of the State almost, if not (piite, as desirable as East Tennessee as a nuuiufacturiug regiou, for coal could be had in unlimited (piantities from our own State, from the upper Cumberland and IVoiii tiie eastern coal fields of Kentucky, wiiile the railroad and river faeiiities are mueli nrc-vter. Condi iioji of A g7^i culture. 559 The average farmer of lower AVest Tennessee aspires to be a planter. He loves to see many broad acres in cultivation. He is ambitious and industrious, careless and energetic. He cares for nothing so much as to see his cotton fields flourishing. He does not try to raise his supplies, but stoutly maintains that he can buy them cheaper than he can make them. Debt has no such terrors for him as for the East Tennessee farmer. He will stake his all upon his prospects for cotton ; chickens, eggs, butter, corn, wheat, hay, meat — all these are little things, and cotton will buy them. Cotton is the Grand Mogul of all the crops. It controls all, and buys all. Land, teams, tools, are as nothing compared wnth the lordly bales rolled out from the gin-house. Gullies may wash, fences may rot, houses may fall to decay, but cotton must be raised. A big crop of this staple atones for all other deficiences. What if the fertility of the land is exhausted in one place, a large crop of cotton will buy fresh fields with virgin soil in another. Taking care of land and resting it may do for the farmer elsewhere, but time is too valuable to be wasted in this way by the average West Tennessee farmer. He can, and does spend money for fertilizers, and they are used where the cotton crop wdll get the full benefit. He will crop out his land, or rent it out, payable in cotton, but rarely in money. He is willing to buy mules, supply provender, advance provisions on the faith of cotton, but on no other farm product. He is inclined to be more cosmopolitan than his brothers of the other divisions; yet he cherishes a high regard for his State, but would cherish it still more if it would produce more cotton. Memphis is his pet, because it is the great cotton market. Once a year he goes down to settle with his commission merchant, clear off old mortgages and make new ones. The rise or fall of cotton in Xew York, or Memphis, spreads with the rapidity of lightning, and in a few hours the most ignorant farm hand smiles with the rise, or grins with the fall of that staple. The rise or fall of corn is nothing if cotton stays up. Cotton is his trade regulator. In the more northern counties of West Tennessee, however, the average farmer is very much like the average Middle Tennessee farmer. He has his money crop, but he feels an interest in making supplies enough for home consumption. He is careful of his soil, and will feed it and nurse it with clover. He takes great delight in his corn crop, until his tobacco plants begin to press him, then the corn must stand second in his affections. He loves his hay fields, but his tobacco fields better. He is fond of rich soil, and studies the aptitudes and capacities 360 Resources of Tennessee. of the different varieties — the yellow, the mulatto and the black — and plants his various crops so that each may have the most congenial soil. There is no better farmer in the State than the farmer of northern "West Tennessee. He rates his lands higher, is better contented, and is more cheerful, pays higher for labor and grumbles less about it. He raises a surplus of all food crops, but pays little attention to the smaller industries. He is fond of good stock, especially good hogs, which his magnificent corn crops enable him to rear in great quantities, unless attacked by disease. He keeps up his improvements, and has a lively faith in the future of the State. Drawbacks to Farming. There are numerous drawbacks to the prosperity of the farmer in this State, among which may be mentioned: 1. The want of active capital. 2. An attempt to cultivate too much land. 3. The want of a sufficient amount of good labor. 4. A want of faith in the profitableness of farming, and a conse- quent inattention to the business of the farm. 5. The expense of fencing. 6. Want of a dog law. 7. Want of home markets. 8. Want of cheap transportation. Active capital to provide suitable labor and tools, and to enable them to hold their crops for the best prices, is probably one of the greatest needs of the farmers of Tennessee. Their crops, at maturity, are hurried into market oftentimes without proper care in the gathering, housing or handling, and under the pressure of unpaid bills, or indebt- edness for labor or supplies, are sold at prices sometimes below the actual cost of production. A farmer under such pressure can neither control his labor, add to his improvements, nor keep them up. All his legitimate profits are lost. The fertility ot his land cannot be increased, for to do so requires the expenditure of ready cash either for fertilizers or fi)r clover seed. Nor is he able, under such pressure, to ])rocure labor-saving machines, nor such breeds of stock, or such varieties of seed, or such im})lcm(!nts as will insure the largest returns. All the profits are lost whicli would i-csult iu the i)aying of cash, and in using nothing but the b(!st inii)lenK'nts, cultivating nothing but the Condition of Agriculhire. 361 host lands, rearing nothing but tlie best animals, tmd eni])loying nothing I)ut the best labor. And the attempt to cultivate too large a breadth of land, is proI)a- bly as fatal to the prosperity of the farmer as the want of means, (iood tillage, next to good soil, is the very foundation of successful farming. The very laws of nature have made this a condition prece- dent to the gathering of abundant crops. An acre well cultivated can be made to yield as much as three half cultivated, while the amount of work would be a third greater on the latter than on the former. Xor must it be forgotten, that a large percentage of every crop is re- quired to pay the cost of cultivation. If it takes fifteen bushels of corn to pay the cost of culture of a crop upon one acre, the farmer who only makes fifteen, reaps no profit. If it is tilled in such a way as to make twenty bushels, his profits are five bushels, anc] if thirty bushels are made, his profits will be fifteen bushels, or three times as great as when he made twenty. The profits begin only after the expenses of cultivation are deducted. Many of the crops now grown in the State do not pay the cost of their culture, by reason of the shiftless methods adopted. By cultivating less land and cultivating it more thoroughly, a better opportunity is afforded for rest and rotation. The expense of fencing is lessened, as well as the amount of labor required ; for in the planting of the crop, the same labor is demanded for an acre that will be badly cultivated, as for one that will be well tilled ; and in the gathering of it, ten barrels can be gathered in a much shorter space of time from one acre, than to go over two for the same quantity. The want of a sufficient amount of good labor can be best remedied by cultivating less land, for whatever tends to diminish the demand, relatively increases the supply, and as the latter increases, the efficiency and regulation of labor are promoted. If ten • men are wanted and eleven apply, the ten will be more efficient, reliable, and controllable than they would be had only nine in place of eleven applied for situa- tions. The attempt to raise crops out of proportion to the supply of labor, will diminish production by impairing the efficiency of the laborer. And from this have followed a want of faith in the profitableness of agricultural pursuits, and a neglect on the part of many farmers to at- tend to their legitimate business. A farmer, like a lawyer, must give his undivided attention to his business if he would succeed. There can 362 Resoin^ces of Tennessee. be no substitute for his presence, simply because no other can feel the same interest in his business that he can. If he cannot do this, if he cannot love his pursuit, he had better abandon it. The first element of success in any business is to learn to love that business. A man should not succeed in any pursuit by neglecting it. It would be con- trary to the inexorable law of our nature. Without this law there would be no incentive to ambition, to industry, to energy, or to hon- esty. Indolence and idleness would be as profitable as industry and energy. AVe might as soon expect a man to be good without being moral, or a thief to be honest while he is stealing, as for men to be prosperous without being industrious and attentive to business. How many plows have been broken, how many tools have been mislaid, how much stock abused, because the interested eye of the master has been absent! Such leaks waste the profits of a farm, to say nothing of the hours of idleness indulged in by the laborers, the slovenly char- acter of the work done, the bad management and the want of interest felt by laborers left to themselves. Every farmer, too, should have intelligence enough to study his soil, ascertain its capabilities, its defects, and its requirements. He should learn how to increase the first, remedy the second, and supply the third. The habit of scratching over large surfaces, and of half cultiva- ting his crops, is one most disastrous to financial success. In place of seeking to widen his acres, he should strive to deepen them. The drifted leaves and silt that form natural compost heaps along the beds of streams, should be carefully gathered, and freely spread over the galled spots that now disfigure so many farms. Muck beds, rich in the elements of plant food, a})ound in many counties. These all could be utilized in the same way. More mind is demanded in the cultivation of the soil. The management of the farm is too often entrusted to those who have neither the intelligence to increase its fertility, nor the interest to preserve it. The soil, that provident mother that supplies food and raiment, comfort and affluence, is treated too much like an enemy. It is expected to surrender its rich fruits and receive nothing in return. Nature cries out loudly against such a system. Every in- dustrial ])ursuit cries out against it. The tax which our farmers pay in- directly by their neglect to provide for the wants of the soil, is more than Ihf'v arc able to (Midurc. When first cleared, much of the land will yield fifty bushels of corn, twcmty-five of wheat, one thousand ponnds of cotton, and twelve hundred of tobacco. But this yield, by slovcnlv and tiniialiii-ai cuUivation, is reduced one-half in a few years, Condition of Agriculture. 363 which is a loss of at least two-thirds of the profits. This could all be stopped by nursing the soil from the first, and not drawing upon it until the virgin fertility is exhausted, and then complaining that farming is not profitable. The process of restoration is a much slower one than that of exhaustion, while it is accompanied by an expense that the very condition of the soil will not permit the farmer to make. While the soil is fertile, two circumstances make it easy to keep it so — one, that the farmer is more able by reason of his abundant crops, and the other; f that the soil will produce green crops in sufficient quantities without other fertilizers to keep up its productiveness On the other hand, when once impoverished, the same things, working in an opposite direction, conspire to keep it in that condition. The farmer makes less, while the outlay necessary to restore the fertility is greater. Fore- cast, which is born of intelligence and experience, is as necessary on a farm as it is in any other pursuit or profession. The tax upon the farmers for keeping up their enclosures is another ])urdensome one, and is more onerous than that of state, county and school united. In the State of Tennessee there are 10,027,762 acres enclosed, requiring 65,681,841 rods of fencing, at a cost of $62,397,748, the interest on which, at ten per cent., will amount to $623,977. But as this amount of fencing will have to be renewed every ten years, we may add ten per cent, more, making the total annual tax $1,247,954, according to the estimated cost by the Commissioner of Agriculture, at Washington, which is less than one dollar per rod, and which probably is about the average cost when the worth of the timber is added to the cost of making rails, hauling, putting up, and clearing the fence cor- ners. But there is still an additional item to be added, viz., the quantity of land occupied. Estimating a zigzag fence, of which kind there is ninety-five per cent, in the State, to occupy a width of four feet, we have nearly 100,000 acres of the best lands taken up by fences, worth at a low estimate $1,000,000, which would rent for five dollars per acre annually, or $500,000. Add this to the preceding estimate of the annual cost, and we have the grand aggregate, $1,747,954. Now this tax is paid by 129,550 farmers and planters, who occupy 118,131 farms, or about $13.50 for each farmer, or $15 for each flirra per annum. Some legislation is needed on this subject. The tax is too burdensome to be borne without complaint, while in some sections timber is growing so scarce that necessity will compel the abandonment of fences to some extent before a great while. A law creating a pound in every civil district is also a necessity. 364 Resources of Tennessee. Roving stock often break over a legal fence, and no damages, by reason of the exemption laws, can be obtained from the owner. Instances are reported where owners of such stock wilfully turned them upon the crops of others, while the suffering party was obliged to bear the loss. The establishment of a pound would force the owner of such trespass- ing stock to pay the expense of impounding and keeping, and would altogether have a most salutary effect. A dog law also would add materially to the prosperity of the farmer. Farmers will not run the risk of raising sheep as long as there are so many prowling curs in the State owned by irresponsible persons. There are about 250,000 families in the State, and it will be no exag- geration to allow one dog to each family. What will support a dog will raise a hog every year that will weigh 200 pounds, so that the people of the State lose, by keeping this large army of dogs, not less than 50,000,000 pounds of pork, or 12,500,000 annually. But the losses do not stop here. Not less than 30,000 sheep are killed annually by these pests, worth, say two dollars each, which will be $60,- 000. Add to this the discouragements to sheep-raising. In all countries where sheep-raising is protected, and the climate suited to this branch of liusbandry, there should be at least two sheep for each person. The population of Tennessee by the last census was 1,258,520. Multiply this by two, and the resulting number, 2,517,040, should^ represent the number of sheep in the State. But the actual number is 826,783 Deduct this from the number that, in all probability, would be raised if proper protection were given, and the loss, properly chargeable to the presence of dogs, will be 1,690,217, worth at least $3,380,434. Jkit we may go further still. There are innumerable streams now wasting their strength against their rocky banks that might be har- nessed and made to ^vork up tlieir wool into valuable stuffs, if the supply of wool was regular and constant. Ten millions pounds of wool could be grown every year in Tennessee without interfering in the least with her other industries. Allow this t(^ be worth forty cents j)er ))ound, or §4,000,000, and that manufacturing establishments could realize fifteen per cent, clear profit, which, with the advantages here offered, would be exceedingly reasonabk", and here we may enter a loss of §600,000. Still further: There are in the State not fewer than 40,000 women, and an ef|ual number of children, who can fiiul no profitable employ- ment on the farm or in our workshops. This labor is lost to the State? Co7idition of Agi'icidture. 365 and this class of persons is a burden upon the communities in which thev reside. Take what tliey now cost from the profits of productive inihistrv, and add to it the profits which they wouhl make the State by hiboring in woolen mills, and the amount "svoiild not fall short of §50 for each person, or $2,000,000 annually. Now let us sum up the actual and constructive losses to the State from this negative protection to dogs, and positive discouragement to sheep raising : Loss for feeding dogs $2,500,000 Sheep killed by dogs annually 60,000 Value of sheep that would be raised but for dogs 3,380,434 Profits of wool factories 600,000 Losses on labor 2,000,000 Aggregating $8,540,434 And this is what we pay for dogs annually. Let our legislators do what is right for the protection of property. If they are unwdlling to do this, they are unworthy the high position to which they have been called. Dogs and sheep cannot thrive together. The question reduces itself to very narrow' limits: Shall we have sheep and prosperity, or dogs and the depravity and idleness resulting from the want of suitable employment for a large class of our citizens. The want of home markets is a very serious impediment to the prosperity of the farmers of the State, and this can only be remedied by the establishment of manufactories. The heaviest tax paid by land and labor is that of transportation. It is estimated by Mr. Carey that corn, which would produce at market $24.75 per ton, is worth nothing at the distance of only one hundred and sixty miles, when the communica- tion is by means of the ordinary wagon road, the cost of transporta- tion being equal to the selling price. By railroad this cost is reduced to $2.40, leaving the farmer $22.35 as the amount of tax saved to him by the construction of a railroad. Assuming the product of an acre of land to average a ton, the saving is equal to the interest at six per cent, on $370 an acre. For wheat averaging twenty bushels per acre, the saving is equal to the interest on $223.66, and still greater on bulkier products, such as hay, potatoes, turnips. But suppose a farmer pays even $2.40 for transporting a ton of produce, the yield say of one acre, one hundred and sixty miles, it will be equivalent to paying the interest on land worth $40 per acre. The average price of 2,66 Resozirces of Tennessee. the very best improved farms in the State is about forty dollars, so that it would apj^ear that unless the farmers on such lands are able to make more than six per cent, they cannot, without loss, ship their products to a greater distance than 160 miles. Now if the products could be consumed at home, there would be the entire saving of six iper cent, on the investment in land. The nearer the market the greater the ])rofits of agriculture, and these profits increase geometri- cally, while the distance diminishes arithmetically. The farmer dis- tant from market is always selling his soil, which is his capital in trade. The impoverished fields all over the cotton, tobacco and wheat regions show that this capital has, in many localities, been exhaust- ed, and while the farmers thought they were living upon the revenue derived from the sale of their crops, they have, in fact, been living upon their capital, and find themselves at the end of a certain period Avith neither income nor capital, and this period is reached when the produc- ing power of the soil is reduced to the point where the cost of cropping is more than the crops will bring in market. This point is reached much sooner in localities where the cost of transportation must be added. By bringing markets nearer and creating an active demand for the products at good prices, the producing power of the land is in effect increased. But this is not all. Home markets enable the farmers to diversify their crops. Many products of the soil will not bear long transporta- tion, and are yet grown very profitably when they can be sold near by. In this class may be included nearly all garden vegetables, and many fruits, besides fresh meats, milk, etc. Farmers do not diversify their cro^DS because only a few products command a ready sale, or will bear transportation. If there were ten manufacturing establishments in the State where there is one now, the markets for their produce as well as the demand would l)e greatly increased, so that they could sell every bean, pea, potato, onion, peach, cherry, tomato, every pound of hay, bushel of corn, and sheaf of oats, every pound of butter, beef, bacon and fresh meats, besides their cotton, peanuts and tobacco, at enhanced prices, wliile they would be able to purchase their hoes, axes, rakes, plows, reapers, calico, domestic, etc;., at reduced rates. The saving in the one place and the increased profits in the other, would serve greatly to better their condition and swell their gains. Land would increase in value for two reasons: 1. Because the profits from its cultivation would be incnsased many fold on account of the active demand for its products; and 2. Because, other tilings being e(|ual, the ])rice of land Condition of Ag7dculture. '1,6'] varies as the population and nearness to market. Labor also would be more reliable, because higher prices could be paid by the farmers, and a better class of laborers secured. The best laborers always gravi- tate to a point where the highest prices are paid. Next to home manufactures, the construction of competing or cheap ' lines of railroads, so as to reduce the freight, gives a powerful impetus _ to agricultural industry. The reason why railroads increase the price of lands is because they increase their value as a producing agent. Ma,ior William J. Sykes, in a recent able speech, puts the whole matter clearly in this way : " It is done," he says, " by cheapening the cost of transportation. This adds value to the articles grown on the land, and as the value of the productions increase the value of \\\q land producing them in- creases also in the same proportion. If an acre of land produces fifty bushels of corn, and it costs fifty cents a bushel to get this corn to market, the land is taxed twenty-five dollars per acre every year to enable the farmer to get his corn to market, but if it should only cost ten cents per bushel to get the corn to market, then the farmer would only pay five dollars on each acre for transport- ing his produce to market, and thus save twenty dollars on each acre planted in corn. . " Cotton is worth four dollars more at Jackson or Henderson Station than at Lexington ; and three dollars a bale more at Columbia than at Lewisburg, because Henderson and Marshall counties have no rail- roads. Peanuts were worth last year fourteen cents a bushel more at Waverly than at Centerville, because Hickman county has no rail- roads ; it costs fifty cents a bushel more to get Hickman wheat to Nashville than it does Maury or Giles wheat, for the same reason. Let these examples suffice. " Some entertain the opinion that it costs a man nothing to haul in his own wagons and with his own teams. What a mistake ! The wear and tear of the wagons, the injury done the horses and mules, the feed of his teams, besides the cost of his labor, really amount to as much as to hire it done, to say nothing of the losses sustained by his absence from home, and his exposure in having the hauling done. Experience has shown that it injures horses and mules as much to haul farm produc- tions a considerable distance over bad roads as it does to cultivate them. A man might say, with as much truth, that it costs him nothing to cultivate a crop with his own wagons and teams, and on his own land, 368 Resotirces of Tennessee, as to say that hauling in his own wagons and with his own teams costs him nothing. It costs as much to haul corn, wheat, potatoes, and such heavy articles many miles over bad roads, as it does to raise them, and sometimes even more. For these reasons we need cheap railroads in every agricultural neighborhood. The tax upon the productive indus- try of the country in transporting agricultural products to market is the main reason why our farmers are not more prosperous. Cannot any one see that where there is cheap transportation the land is made more valuable than where transportation is high, although the land produces the same amount of corn, wheat, cotton or potatoes. The remarks which have been made in reference to corn, apply to all other articles in a greater or less degree. Articles comparatively valueless on account of the want of railroads and the distance from market, become valuable as the cost of transportation is reduced. The reason why lands increase in price as railroads are built, is because they increase in real value. The productions of the forest, the field, and the mines depend for their value and usefulness upon cheap and easy access to good markets ; and, therefore, if the stockholders should never realize any direct profits from the roads, the incidental advantages would more than compensate them for their construction." To this able argument we may add that for the very same reasons that is, the want of transportation, persons living in counties without railroads have to pay more for articles of prime necessity, such as sugar, coffee, salt and calico. Thus it will be seen that the want of transportation cuts two ways — the farmer gets less for the products he has to sell, and pays more for the articles he is compelled to buy. To arrive at his actual losses, we shall have to add to what he loses in the sale of his products the increased price he has to pay for his supplies. Let us illustrate : say on the sale of twenty bushels of wheat he loses ten dollars — receiving twenty where he should receive thirty dollars. But this is not all his loss ; for with this twenty dollars he purchases, in his county town, his supplies, for which he has to pay, say ten dol- lars, in excess, because the merchant has been compelled to pay this for transportation. It is plain that he thus actually loses twenty dollars on his twenty bushels of wheat, throwing away, indeed, all his profits. Cause of tiik Ijow Price of Land. The question is sometimes asked, why is it, that, with all the natural advantages of Tennessee, real estate is so much cheaper than it is in Ohio Condition of Agidculture. 369 or Pennsylvania. This is easily answered. The want of home markets is one cause, and perhaps the greatest ; another is the want of good roads and cheap means of transportation. , The war_ broke up many farmers, and their lands were placed upon the market in such quanti- ties as to go beyond the demand. Estates that were worth $100,000 before the war, have been sold for one-fifth of that sum. In addition to this cause, the unequal distribution of the currency has kept money at a high rate of interest, so that capitalists were more disposed to avail themselves of those high rates than invest in real estate. Persons able to buy were thus drawn out of the market, while those who were com- pelled to sell, were obliged to take the best pieces oifered. A land panic, as it were, grew out of this state of facts, and prices tumbled in every portion of the State, except in those places w^here the white ele- ment predominated and the owners of the land worked it. Super- added to these causes is the fact that in the more fertile and, before the war, more wealthy counties, the laboring population, mostly negroes, have shown no disposition to save their earnings and invest them in homes of their own. In the states north, the first eifort of thrifty and intelligent laborers is to amass means enough to buy homes of their own. This providence on their part creates a demand for land. Were the 150,000 laboring men of the State of Tennessee to save, each, annually fifty dollars, there would be at the expiration of each year, $7,500,000 of surplus funds to invest in the purchase of homes, in the development of new industries, or in both. After all, it is the frugal and intelligent laborer that gives value to real estate and builds up the commercial and material prosperity and greatness of communi- ties, The leading manufacturers of the north were once economical laborers. The great farmers of the country once held the plow handles and took the front row. With an influx of white immigrants, provident by instinct and economical from principle and training, real property would quickly rise to its true value, and their savings would not only make agriculture flourish, but would develop our matchless natural wealth, and cause the State to rise to a degree of opulence undreamed of in the past and impossible in the present condition of things. 24 37^ Resources of Tennessee. CHAPTER XX. Public School System. The educational interests of the State, above all others, have for many years been a subject for the earnest consideration of the thoughtful and patriotic citizen. The spirit of intellectual progress, without some share of which communities must decay and enterprise perish, is coeval with the spirit of independence, and upon which the latter must rely for support and protection. An ignorant people cannot long resist the encroachments of power, and they soon fall into servility to superior minds, or, what is still worse, override all law, and are con- trolled by none of the sanctions of an enlightened conscience. The very foundation upon which the superstructure of our Govern- ment rests, makes it the imperative duty of every citizen to see that the voter is made sufficiently intelligent to appreciate the power that he wields. The most dangerous condition of society is that in which ig- norance rules. There is no security for property or life where the controlling power is ignorance, and its inseparable companions, super- stition and crime. This truth the more enlightened citizens of the State quickly recognized immediately after the war, and urged upon the Legislature the necessity of making some provision for the educa- tion of the masses. A law was soon thereafter passed establishing a system of schools, but it was in advance of public sentiment, and the Legislature of 1869-70 repealed it, and substituted a county system. The members of that Legislature, reflecting the sentiments of their constituencies, saw that a tax sufficiently large to support a good system of public schools would press with great severity upon the property-holders of the State in the impoverished condition in which they were left by the results of the war. The county system during the entire period in which it was in oper- ation was a stupendous failure. Not more than one-third of the coun- Public School System. 371 ties pretended to levy any tax for schools, and of those that did, a ma- jority levied such an insignificant amount that it is a question whether it did not do more harm by interfering with private schools than it did good in furthering the cause of education. Davidson, Gibson, and one or two other counties raised a sufficient amount to sustain free schools for several months in the year, but most of the counties levy- ing a tax were able to keep up the schools but one or two months. This was trifling with a sacred cause, and one that impeded the mate- rial progress of the State. This exclusively county system fell into disrepute with almost all persons interested in the education of the people. Meantime the degree of ignorance became greater. In many of the counties there was scarcely a school of any kind, and the appall- ing fact was made manifest by the census returns, that, while the white population had increased during the preceding decade only thirteen per cent., the number of white illiterates had increased fifty per cent. The fact was made known that there had been fewer schools in the rural districts in proportion to population during that decade than were ever known in the history of the State. This added to the fact that there were 93,651 voters unable to read and write, who were likely to be manipulated in the interest of design- ing men, aroused the intelligent portion of the community to the neces- sity of more earnest effijrts in the cause of free public schools. Dr. Sears, the agent for the Peabody fund, seconded their efforts with money and with advice; and by dint of lecturing, writing, and speak- ing, the public mind was brought to act upon this most important sub- ject, and the Legislature of 1873 passed a general law establishing schools, and making provisions for their maintenance. It also made it obligatory upon the county courts to supplement the State aid by such an amount as would sustain the schools at least five months in the year, or submit the proposition to a vote of the people. While the law is not so liberal in some of its provisions as the importance of the subject demands, still it is a great advance over the preceding, and Avill doubtless form the basis of an enduring system of public schools. A brief synopsis of the law will serve to acquaint persons interested with its leading provisions. Synopsis of School, Law. It ])rovides for the appointment of a State Supei'intendent, county superintendents, and district school commissioners. The State Super- 372 Resources of Tennessee. intendent is nominated by the Governor, and confirmed by the Senate. He is allowed a salary of |3,000 annually, an office in the capitol, and is required to devote his whole time to his duties. For misconduct or neglect of duty he is liable to removal by the Governor. His duties are to collect and disseminate information in relation to public schools; to make tours of inspection among the public schools in the State; to distribute blank forms for all returns required by law; to distribute the school law ; to appoint inspectors of schools ; to require reports from county superintendents, and, in case the latter fail to make reports, to appoint some one to do so ; to prescribe the mode of examining and licensing teachers; to keep and preserve educational documents; to re- port to the Comptroller on the first day of December of each year the scholastic population; and to report to the Governor annually all in- formation regarding the schools. The county superintendents are elected biennially by the county courts of each county. They have supervision of the public schools in their respective counties. They are required to visit the schools, confer with teachers and district directors ; to keep informed in regard to the merits of school books, though having no power to order a change of books, but can only suggest; to secure reports from the directors; to examine teachers, and issue certificates, as may be re- quired of them by the State Superintendent; to report to the county trustees the scholastic population of their respective counties; to report to the State Superintendent all such particulars as shall be demanded; to keep a record of all their official acts. Their pay is fixed by the county courts. The law prescribes that three district directors be elected for each school district, one going out each year, and after the first election each one holding his position for three years. The election is held on the first Thursday in August by the sheriff of each couuty. The direct- ors hold their office until their successors are elected and qualified. Vacancies are filled for unexpired terms by the remaining directors. The directors are required to explain and enforce the school law, and for this purpose to visit the public schools from time to time ; to em- ploy and dismiss teachers in case of necessity ; to suspend or dismiss pupils; to use the school funds in such a manner as will best promote the interest of the public schools in their respective districts ; to see that the census of the children is taken; to hold regular meetings, and call meetings of the people of the districts for consultation ; to keep separate and apart the schools for white and colored children ; to Public School System. 373 disburse the school funds ; to take charge of the public school property, and to report to county superintendents. The clerk and treasurer, who is elected from the board of directors, is required to take the census of all persons between six and eighteen years of age, in the month of July ; to gather statistics ; to keep a record of proceedings. He is furthermore required to give bond and security in such a sum as the board of directors may designate, for the safe keeping and proper disbursements of all moneys that come into his hands as treasurer. He is to keep a cash account, to keep on file vouchers, contracts, and otlier official papers, which shall be open to the inspection of the county superintendent and of every citizen of the district. He is allowed one dollar per day for every day of service, to be paid out of the school fund of the district. Section 22 provides for tlie establishment . of school districts, and invests them with corporate powers. By section 23 public school officers and teachers are enjoined, under a penalty of not less than $200 nor more than $500 and removal, from having any pecuniary interest in the sale of school books, maps, fur- niture, and apparatus, or from acting as agent for the sale of such, or from receiving any gift for their influence in recommending or pro- curing the use of any of the articles mentioned, in the public schools. All school officers going out of office are required to deliver to their successors the papers of their office, under a forfeiture of not less than $25 nor more than $100, and a like penalty for each month thereafter that they shall persist in withholding them, and shall also be guilty of a misdemeanor. All penalties and forfeitures shall be for the benefit of public schools. The suit for penalties is brought in the name of the State Superintendent, and if in a court of record, tlie district at- torney is required to conduct the same. A certificate of qualification is required of every teacher. Teachers are required to keep a daily register of facts pertaining to their re- spective schools. Written contracts must be made with teachers, in which must be specified the fixed rates per month. Teachers may sus- pend pupils until the case is decided by the district directors. All persons between the ages of six and eighteen years, residing within the school district, and, in special cases, those residing in differ- ent districts, may attend school under such regulations as may be pre- scribed by the directors of the districts interested, provided, that white and colored persons shall not be taught in tlie same school. 374 Resources of Tennessee. Orthography, reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography^ elementary geology of Tennessee, and history of the United States shall be taught in every school. Vocal music may be taught. Other branches shall not be introduced except as provided for by local taxa- tion, or shall be allowed by special regulation upon the payment of such rates of tuition as may be prescribed. The fund so derived to go into the fund for the support of the respective schools in which it may be collected. Preference is given to graded schools. Section 33 provides for consolidation with private schools, on condition that all the branches prescribed shall be taught free. The Permanent School Fuxd for the State is declared to be ^2,512,500. For this a certificate of indebtedness is issued, signed by the Governor, under the great seal of the State, and deposited with the Comptroller of the Treasury. In- terest at the rate of six per centum is payable semi-annually on the first of July and the first of January in each year. To the permanent' school fund are added the proceeds of all es- cheated property, of all property accruing to the State by forfeiture, of all lands sold and bought in for taxes, of the personal effects of intes- tates having no kindred entitled thereto by the laws of distribution, and donations made to the State for the support of public schools, un- less otherwise directed by the donors. Only the annual income derived from the permanent school fund can be used for the support and maintenance of the public schools. The Annual School Fund. This shall be the interest on the permanent school fund, the money that may come into the State treasury for the purpose under present or future laws of the State, as well as the money for that purpose from any source whatever, the poll tax of one dollar upon every male in- habitant of the State subject thereto, the money arising from a tax of one mill on every dollar's worth of pro])erty in the State subject to tax- ation. This last tax is paid over to the county trustee in the county where collected, and distrihuted to each school district. State school taxes, with the above ex('ei)tion, are collected in the same manner as other State taxes, l)ut the collectors, in paying over to the Treasurer, designate what part is the proceeds of the school taxes. Public School System. 375 The law declares that when the money derived from the school fund and taxes is not sufficient to keep up a public school for five months in the year, in the school districts in the county, the County Court shall levy an additional tax sufficient for this purpose, or shall submit the proposition to a vote of. the people, and may levy a tax to prolong schools beyond the five months. This tax must be levied on all pro- perty, polls and privileges liable to taxation, but shall not exceed the entire State tax. The tax so levied shall be collected as other county taxes, and distributed by the County Trustee to each school district, in proportion to the scholastic population. The State Treasurer and County Trustee are required to keep the school moneys separate and apart from state and county funds. The Comptroller is required to apportion all school moneys in the treasury, on the first Mondays in October and April of every year, among the several counties, according to their scholastic population as reported to him by the State Superin- tendent. The warrant for the amount due each county is drawn in favor of the County Trustee. The County Trustee is required to keep separate accounts of the state funds and county funds, whence derived, on what account the moneys were severally derived, and by what order, on what account, and to whom they were distributed. The money received by him shall be reported immediately to the County Superintendent, and to the direct- ors of each school district. He is also required to give bond, with surety, to be approved by the County Court of his county, in double the amount of money that may come into his hands. His compensation is one-half of one per cent, on the amount distributed by him. Section 45 provides for the incorporation of school districts, which shall be invested with the following rights and powers : 1. To purchase and hold, in the name of their respective boards of directors, such real estate and school furniture as may be necessary for school purposes. 2. To levy a tax,not to exceed three mills on the dollar, upon prop- erty for prolonging schools, for purchasing school sites and building school-houses, and for payment of necessary school expenses, but they shall have no power to levy a tax for any other purpose. The law also provides that when a majority of the freeholders of a district shall make application in writing to the school directors of a district to levy a tax for school purposes, stating the amount to be levied, it shall be the duty of the school directors to call forthwith a meeting of the people' of the district, designating the time and place of 376 Resources of Te?tnessee. meeting, and giving thirty days' notice thereof, the object of the meet- ing, and the tax proposed, in one or more public places of the district; and if the directors shall fail to call such meeting, it may be called by any fifteen freeholders of the district, in the same manner as required by the directors. When such meeting is assembled, it shall be the duty of the school directors, or those having called the meeting, to lay before it the pur- poses for which it is proposed to levy a tax; and if a majority of the legal voters of the district shall vote for a tax, the amount so voted for shall be assessed by the directors upon the property of the district subject to taxation. The school directors of the district shall appoint a tax collector to collect the taxes then assessed, and shall fix his com- pensation. The collector is required to give bond in double the amount of taxes to be collected, which taxes are to be paid over to the Treasurer of the district. All sums of money derived from the State or county funds, which are unexpended in any year in any public school district, are required to be placed in the hands of the County Trustee, for redivision the next year, but the sums derived from district assessment are not sub- ject to redivision outside of the district. Section 51 provides that none of the provisions of the law shall be so construed as to interfere with schools or school systems already es- tablished in cities or incorporated towns, or conflict with the chartered rights, by virtue of which funds for their support are being received, raised, and distributed, or to limit them as to the power to extend the course of study, it being intended to encourage the establishment of pulilic high schools, when the population justifies it, as a means of perfecting the grading and elevating the standard of scholarship. The law provides that all such schools shall receive their pro rata shares of money, raised under the provisions of the act, according to their scho- lastic population. Such are the leading provisions of this law — a law which, in some re- spects, is a compromise between a county system and an exclusively State system. While the smaller and poorer counties preferred a State system throughout, the more wealthy and populous counties preferred the the county system, and it was found impossible to enlist the represen- tatives of the latter in favor of any law that did not retain some of the features of the county system, wliercby the money collected in tlie respec- tive counties should be expended where collected. The result was the Public School System. 377 present law, with two separate and distinct funds, totally independent of each other, yet each distributed in proportion to the scholastic popu- lation. The proceeds of the permanent school fund and the poll tax are distributed to the counties by the Comptroller, while the sum de- rived from tlie levy of one mill on each dollars' worth of property, as Avell as that raised by county taxation, is distributed by the County Trustee. The money raised by each district is entirely under the con- trol of the directors of that district. Not more than thirty-five counties at the present time (May, 1874,) have levied a tax for school purposes. The question in others has been submitted to the people. It cannot be disguised that the Civil Rii^hts Bill, now pending before Congress, has had a very damaging eifect upon the school interests of the State. Many eager and zealous friends to the cause have ceased to work for it until the fate of that bill is made known. A large number of counties postponed action on that account. It cannot be doubted that the passage of that bill would ruin the public schools in the State, and give a blow to educational prospects in the south, from which it would not recover for generations. Preju- dice cannot be removed by legislation. Of all the qualities of the human mind, it is the most tenacious and the most difficult to eradicate. It conquers judgment and masters the will. It is made powerful by custom and long usage. Statesmen in all ages have recognized this fact, and have guarded against intensifyng it by legislation. The pas- sage of the Civil Rights Bill, while it cannot possibly benefit the class for which it is intended, would be a severer stroke to education than even the war itself. Ignorance would be increased, virtue and intelligence among the masses would be diminished, and a corrupt and depraved so- ciety, composed of two incongruous and incompatible elements, would keep back the State in all its prossgreive movements, whether intel- lectual or material. The majority of the citizens in this State are white. They are able to sustain private schools. While the white population numbers 936,119, the colored numbers only 322,331, or about one-fourth of the whole. Can the colored population be educated without public schools, and would public schools be established and main- tained under the effects of this Civil Rights Bill? This is the practical question. The ostensible friends of the colored race in this movement, are showing themselves to be indifferent to their intellectual progress in pressing this bill. If public schools are destroyed, what shall pre- vent the colored race from becoming the victims of ignorance and stu- pidity? Who shall provide private schools for their instruction? ^I'J^ Resources of Teimessee. What possible good, theoretical or practical, social or otherwise, can be accomplished by having a system of mixed schools. Discord would be generated, factions will spring up, prejudice would be nursed, and the whole social structure would be shaken to its very center. With such a delicate question, enlightened statesmen should deal gently. The application of force in this particular, under the color of securing rights, would be accompanied with evils so much greater than that intended to be corrected, that it would be like blotting out the sun in order that a tallow dip might send its feeble rays over the world. Whose rights are impaired under the present system? If colored chil- dren are refused admittance into white schools, so white children are denied places in the colored schools. As well might the farmer be de- clared inimical to his cows, because he does not permit them to occupy the same enclosure with his horses. The white and colored children of the State have claims upon it, as the cattle and horses have claims on the farmer, and like the farmer, the State should place them in posi- tions where both will receive the greatest benefit. By keeping the schools separate, both races will be advanced, and a spirit of healthy emulation will spring up, and the very prejudice that exists may be made a powerful lever in forwarding the improvement of both races. The school system of the south had just begun to unfold itself like the beautiful bloom that presages the fruit. The Civil Rights Bill, like the threatening of an untimely frost, has shed its withering and blight- ing influence over it. If that becomes a law, now or hereafter, all the rich fruitage which a system of public schools would assure, will be destroyed beyond redemption. If the bill be passed, no power on earth can revitalize that bloom, which, to the people of the south, is the germ of progress and enlightenment, the avenue to the "treasures of knowl- edge, th(! delights of learning, the comforts and sweets of domestic life, and the incalculable joys of our rational existence." The following counties have levied taxes in addition to the State tax : Bedford. Eighteen cents on each one hundred dollars, and one dol- lar on polls. Bledsoe. Fifteen cents on each one hundred dollars. Clay. Ten cents on each one hundred dollars, and one dollar on polls. Davidnon. Ten cents on the hundred dollars, one dollar on polls,* and forty cents on merchants' largest stock. Public School System. 379 Dyer. Ten cents on the hundred doHars, one dollar on polls, and one dollar on each marriage license. Franklin. Twenty cents on the hundred dollars worth of realty, and fifty cents on polls. Giles. Fifteen cents on the one hundred dollars, one dollar on polls, and one-fourth of the county levy on privileges. Gibson. Twenty-five cents on the hundred dollars worth of property. Grundy. Thirty cents on the hundred dollars, forty cents on polls, and one-third the State privilege tax. Hamilton. Five cents on the one hundred dollars worth of property, and one dollar on polls. Hamblen. Five cents on one hundred dollars worth of property, fifty centf^on polls, and ten cents on privileges. Hawkins. Ten cents on one hundred dollars personal property, ten cents on one hundred dollars of merchants' stock, and twenty-five cents on polls. Haywood. Five cents on one hundred dollars, one dollar on polls and marriage licenses, and the State tax on privileges. Hardeman. Fifty cents tax on each dog, and fifty cents on polls. Humphreys. Twenty cents on each one hundred dollars worth of property, one dollar on polls, and one-half the State tax on privileges. Houston. Twenty-five cents on each hundred dollars worth of property, one dollar on polls, fifteen dollars on each tippling house, five dollars on each merchant, and one dollar on each marriage license. James. Ten cents on one hundred dollars, fifty cents on polls, and one mill on privileges. Knox. Ten cents on each one hundred dollars worth of property, one dollar on polls, and ten cents per hundred dollars on merchants' greatest capital. Lake. Ten cents on property, one dollar on polls, and two dollars on dogs. Loudon. Ten cents on each one hundred dollars worth of property. • McMinn. Five cents on each one hundred dollars worth of prop- erty, and one dollar on polls. MeNairy. Ten cents on each one hundred dollars worth of property, and one dollar on polls. Matiry. Five cents on the hundred dollars, and one dollar on polls. Montgomery. Five cents on each hundred dollars worth of property. Monroe. Ten cents on each one hundred dollars worth of property, and one-half the State taxes on privileges. ;8o Resources of Tennessee. Obion. Twenty cents on property and privileges^ and fifty cents on polls. Roane. Fifteen cents on the hundred dollars, and one dollar on polls. Robertson. First of January, 1874, there were assessed twenty cents on the hundred dollars, one dollar on polls, and fifty per cent, of State tax on privileges. The April term repealed the tax and submittted it to the people. Sevier. Ten cents on property, and twenty-five cents on polls. Shelby. Five cents on one hundred dollars. Stewart. Twenty cents on property, one dollar on polls, and a tax on privileges equal to State tax. Sumner. Fifteen cents on property, and one dollar on polls. Washington. Twenty cents on property, and one dollar on polls. Wayne. Ten cents on property, and one dollar on polls, and one- fourth the State tax on privileges. Williahison. Five cents on property, one dollar on polls, and one- half the State tax on privileges. Most of the counties will be able to carry on schools for five mouths in the year, a few of them six months, and one or two ten months. Scholastic Population for the Year 1873, Between the Ages of Six and Eighteen. East Tennessee. Counties. Anderson.. Bledsoe .... Blount Bradley.... Campbell .. Carter Claiborne .. Cocke Grainger .. Greene Hamblen... Hamilton .. Hancock.... Hawkins .. James Jeflerson ... Johnson — Popul ion. ,869 ,689 ,449 ,332 ,125 099 ,682 ,897 424 505 .571 638 ,363 ,345 ,440 ,433 ,054 Counties. Knox Loudon Maiion McMinn Meigs Monioe Morgan Polk Khea Roane Scott Sequatchie.. Sevier Sullivan Union Washington. Popul ation. 9,193 2,559 2,409 4,764 1,624 4,219 1,02-4 2,50& 1,911 4,004 1,522 776 4.153 4,096 2,604 5,059 111,835 Public School System. 381 Middle Tennessee. Counties. Bedford Cannon Cheatham . . Clay Colfee Cumberland. Davidson — DeKalb Dickson Fentress Franklin — Giles Grundy Hardin Hickman — Houston Humphreys , Jackson Lawrence — Lewis.. Lincoln Popu lation. 7,483 3,395 2,191 1,844 b,630 1,285 21.193 4,012 3,162 1,705 4,519 9,484 1,4.53 4,312 3,418 1,233 o,llio 3,227 2,676 620 7,432 Counties. Population. Macon 2,389 Marshall 5.399 Maury 11,241 Montgomery 7,575 Moore 2 383 Overton 3,335 Perry 2.314 Putnam 3,420 Robertson 5,345 Rutherford 10,508 Smith 4,839 Stewart 3,463 Sumner 6,515 Trousdale 1,705 Van Buren 904 Wcirren 4,298 Wayne 3,313 White 3,264 Williamson 7,685 Wilson 8,062 189,354 West Tennessee. Counties. Population. Benton 2,841 Carroll 5,697 Crockett 3,867 Decatur 2,357 Dyer 4,301 Favette 8,533 Gib.son 8,844 Hardeman 5,943 Haywood 6,401 Henderson. 5,136 Counties. Population. Henry 6,530 Lake 899 Lauderdale 3,448 Madison 7,566 McNairy 5,007 Obion 5,860 Shelby 23,810 Tipton 3,827 Weakley 6,129 116,996 recapitulation. East Tennessee 111,835 Middle Tennessee 189,354 West Tennessee 116,996 Total 418,185 East Tennessee. School districts in East Tennessee, except Monroe county 573 White schools organized 1284 Colored schools organized 149 Total schools organized 1433 ^82 Resoiirces of Tennessee. i Number of pupils enrolled, white 58181 Number of pupils enrolled, colored 4984 Total enrolled in East Tennessee 63165 Teachers licensed, white, male 1354 Teachers licensed, white, female 237 Teachers licensed, colored, male 97 Teachers licensed, colored, female 33 Total teachers licensed 1721 Number of Teachers employed in East Tennessee. White, male 1205 White, female 199 Colored, male 80 Colored, female 33 Total number teachers employed 1517 Middle Tennessee, ( With the exception of Moiitgomcry County.) School districts 775 White schools organized 1697 Colored schools organized 327 Total schools 2024 Number Pupils Enrolled hetween Six and Eighteen. White 71108 Colored 14245 Total 85353 Teachers lisenced, white male 1541 Teachers lisenced, white female 414 Teachers licensed, colored male 237 Teachers licensed, colored female 133 Total 72^ Teachers employed, white, male 1398 Teachers employed, white, female 410 Teachers employed, coloied, male 217 Teachers employed, colored, female 113 Total 2138 West Tennessee, {Except Tipton, which failed, to give the number enrolled.) School districts 433 White schools organized 489 Colored schools organized Il3 Total schools organized 603 Public School System. 38 o Pupils eurolled between six and eighteen, white 20288 Pupils enrolled between six and eighteen, colored 4'.395 Total enrolled 24583 Teachers licensed, white, male 472 Teachers licensed, white, female 166 Teachers licensed, colored, male - 93 Teachers licensed, colored, female 46 Total 777 Teachers employed, white, male 380 Teachers employed, white, female 177 Teachers employed, colored, male 70 Teachers employed, colored, female 47 Total 674 Total for the State, {Except Monroe, Montgoviery and Tipton.) School districts 1781 "White schools organized 3470 Colored schools organized 589 Total schools organized 4359 Pupils enrolled between six and eighteen, white 149577 Pupils enrolled between six and eighteen, colored 235'^4 Total 173101 Teachers licensed, white, male 3367 Teachers licensed, white, female 817 Teachers licensed, colored, male 427 Teachers licensed, colored, female 212 Total 4823 Teachers employed, white, male 2983 Teachers employed, white, female 786 Teachers employed, colored, male 367 Teachers employed, colored, female 193 Total ^329 For many of the above facts the Bureau is indebted to the courtesy of Col. Fleming, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. It may be added, that the private schools of this State are of a high order, and well supported. All the religious denominations have one or more institutions of learning, each, under their supervision and con- trol. There are also three so-called State universities, one in each division of the State. The Cumberland University, at Lebanon, has 384 Resources of Tennessee. established a well earned fame by the thoroughness of its instruction, and is especially noted for its legal department. The Sewanee Univer- sity, beautifully located in Franklin county, on the Cumberland Table Land, gives promise of extended usefulness, and doubtless in a few years will be as richly endowed as any in the State. The Vanderbilt University, the buildings for which are now being erected in Nashville, will be richly endowed. Mr. Vanderbilt, of New York, has donated to it ^500,000, and the Methodist Church, South, is making eiforts to raise $500,000 additional. The Presbyterians are striving to locate the Southwestern University at some point in the State. Clarksville, in Montgomery county, offers over $150,000 to have it located at that point. It is a fertile, healthy, accessible region, and well suited for the seat of a university. It is understood that an endowment of $500,- 000, if not already, will soon be secured for this institution. The Baptists are also taking steps to establish a first-class university, with ample endowment ; and it is thought that the northern branch of the Methodist Church will shortly establish one in Knoxville, with an en- dowment also of $500,000. Fisk University, located at Nashville, by the colored people, is being handsomely endowed, mainly from the north. Besides these colleges and universities, there are a dozen or more flourishing schools for young ladies. It cannot be doubted that Ten- nessee will become the great educational center of the Mississippi valley, and that it will have invested, in a f^w years, more than $10,- 000,000 in institutions of the highest order. A Word to Immigrants. 385 CHAPTER XXI, A Word to Immigrants. In a work, the object of which is to give a plain, practical statement of the resources of the State, it is altogether proper that some space should be given to that class of persons desirous of seeking homes in this State, and upon whom it must, in a great measure, rely in the future for its material progress. That many have come to the State, and have to some degree become dissatisfied, we have no purpose or intention of denying. But this discontent has arisen in nearly every instance from the want of the exercise of proper judgment in the se- lection of their places of residence, or from the inherent sterility of the soils upon which, in consequence of their great cheapness, they have been induced to occupy. Let it be understood, once for all, that the productive, improved lands of this State, favorably located with respect to markets and transportation, cannot be bought for one dollar nor five dollars per acre. Good lands, upon which an industrious, hard- working man may grow rich, are to be found in every division of the State, but these lands are worth from eight to fifty dollars per acre, ac- cording to improvements and location. Good unimproved lands may be bought for half this price. Good soils are, in the end, the cheapest. An acre of land that will produce fifty bushels of corn is far cheaper at thirty dollars than an acre that will produce only twenty bushels, though the latter may have cost only ten dollars. The work* required to cultivate each is just the same, which may be set down as worth fifteen bushels of corn. In the first instance the farmer will make thirty-five bushels, in the latter five bushels, after deducting the worth of his labor. So that, although the higher priced lands cost three times as much, the profits are seven times as great. But the expenses do not stop here. The cost of improvements and the demands of the family, are as great on the poor soils as on the rich, and this expense will, un- less a rigid economy is practiced, in nine cases out of. ten eat np the profits and leave nothing to the tiller of the poor soils. Hence follows dissatisfaction. Immigrants who have sold their farms in Ohio, Penn- 25 386 Resources of Teftnessee. sylvania, and New York for fifty or one hundred dollars per acre, ought not to expect to purchase lands of as good quality in this State for one-tenth the prices realized in the northern states. There is no reason for such expectation. This much may be said truthfully. Lands equally as productive, and with greater aptitudes, and in a better climate, can be bought from fifty to seventy-five per cent, cheaper here than in the north, and this arises from a variety of causes, among which may be mentioned : 1. The great quantity of land for sale, in consequence of the de- struction of the labor system and the scarcity of labor. 2. Because a large proportion of our old farmers can never adapt themselves to the change from slave labor to free labor, and are there- fore anxious to retire from the occupation of the farm. 3. Farming is not profitable unless the owner can " either hold him- self or drive," and this is what many farmers cannot get their consent to do,, and are consequently not prosperous. Though every farmer who works thrives, and such constitute a large majority. There is no question that the advantages which this State offers to men able and willing to work are very great. They can have rich soils, healthy climate and good markets. There is scarcely a product of the farm that does not sell twenty-five per cent, higher here than in Illinois and Ohio. Corn, wheat, oats, hay, butter, cheese, are all made in the north-western states and shipped to Tennessee, and through it to the southern markets. Why should not the inhabitants of those states remove nearer their market and save transportation, and where the same knowledge of business and attention to it will produce equal results ? Why not possess themselves of soils equally as productive at half the price ? Are not these sufficient inducements, not to mention a thousand others ? Below is a statement framed in the experience of a large number of small farmers in the State who occupy good soils : 100 acres of the best land, at $30 $3,000 00 2 mules to work same, at $150 300 00 1 two-horse wagon and gear I;'i0 00 2 plows and gear 20 00 Otiier necessary fani.ing implements 25 00 125 buslit^ls corn, at 5(1 cents fi2 50 300 pounds of pork, at 5 cents 15 00 1200 bundles of oats, at 2 cents 24 00 Seed wheat and oats .35 00 $3,H3l 50 Add for interest on disbursement 300 00 Total investment $3,931 50 A Word to Immip-rants. 3^7 "^ii On land of the quality to be had for the price mentioned there can be raised by one man, with the exercise of proper industry, in an average seasonable year: * 3 acres of tobacco, averaging 800 pounds, at 7 cents $16S 00 10 acres of wheat, 15 bushels per acre, 150 bushels, at $1 150 00 5 acres of hay, producing 8 tons, at $20 160 00 15 acres of corn, 40 bushels per acre, 600 bushels, at 50 cents.... .SOO 00 8 acres in oats, 30 bushels per acre, 240 bushels, at 50 cents 120 00 1 acre sweet potatoes, 100 bushels, at $1 100 00 1 acre Irish potatoes, 150 bushels, at $1 • 150 00 Beans, peas, etc 50 00 Total $1,198 00 Deduct value of labor 200 00 There remains § 99S 00 The profit on this investment is over twenty-five per cent. In this, no account is taken of profits that might be made in converting the provender into stock, the sales from the poultry yard, apiary, orchard, and many other items that a thrifty farmer might add to the list. No farmer will say these are over-estimates, on good soils well worked. But it may be asked, if such profits can be made, why do not the farmers grow rich in the State? Why do they complain so much of poverty, and why do they have so little money ? We think this can be easily answered. In the first place, it is not true that they have no money ; and if they have none, it is because they do not work themselves, but rely upon hiring the entire force employed on the farm. In the present disorganized condition of labor, and the want of attention given to their business by a certain class of farmers, they do well to get a sup- port for their families. How much better would a merchant or me- chanic do who would sit idly in his house, and leave all his business to the control of irresponsible agents? The wonder is that such farmers do so well, or make so much. In the second place, many farmers cultivate too much land, and do not have it in good tilth. The crops are therefore meager, unsatis- factory, and unprofitable. In the third place, however extravagant a farmer's family may be, he does not consider that his farm makes anything unless he has a sur- plus left after paying all the family expenses. ''In place of tobacco six acres of cotton may be substituted, which onght to yield, with good tillage, at least 250 pounds of lint cctton per acre, or ] ,500 pounds at 12 cents, SISO 00. 3^8 Resources of Tennessee. In the fourth place, many farmers pay taxes on a large quantity of woodlands that do not contribute a dime to their incomes. The capi- tal invested in such lands is worse than dead, inasmuch as it entails an annual expense in the shape of taxation. In the fifth place, farmers rely too much upon the virgin fertility of the soil, and there is but little saving or making of manure, and but few farmers will even haul out that which accumulates about their stables. We do not wish to mislead any one who desires to settle in this State, and we would not have .them disappointed after arriving here. To say the least, this course Avould be the very worst possible policy. There are hundreds of industrious men in the State of Tennessee wha have bought small farms, and paid for them with their own labor in the short space of four years, besides supporting themselves comfort- They did it by rigid economy, by indefatigable industry, by the exer- cise of a proper judgment and a wise forecast. They did it by hard, patient, and persistent toil, not greater, however, than thousands in the northern states practice every year. The very fact that Tennessee can grow such a variety of crops, makes it patent that the farmers, with the same labor and industry, can make here a greater profit than in the north. His cattle and hogs do not require to be fed so long, the number of days suitable for outdoor work is greater, the amount of capital required to be invested is less, and the price for a majority of his products higher. Is there any good reason why they should not be prosperous ? A strange hallucination sometimes takes possession of the minds bf many northern immigrants upon their arrival within the State. Not only do they expect to get lands of the same productive capacity for about one-tenth what they are worth in New York; not only do they expect to have a winter so mild as to make the feeding of stock un- necessary; but they cherish the hope that their labors' will be greatly lessened, while their profits will be greatly increased. Now this hallu- cination should be dispelled. There has been no country yet found in which men can bo thrifty without work. It is a law as inexorable as the law of gravitation that man shall eat bread in the sweat of his face, and in shirking labor he shirks thrift, independence, and moral recti- tude. Land is cheap, the winters short, the products varied, the mar- kets good, but work is necessary to attain success in this as in other pursuits. A Word to Immigrants. 389 The question is often asked, through letters and otherwise, how will the people of Tennessee receive northern men and women? As kindly as they deserve. If they come to stir up strife between the races, they will not, and should not, be respected. If they come to live by their wits, and, by making false representations to the Government, to secure a fat office, they will not, as they should not, be respected. If they come to preach the unutterable turpitude and sinfulness of the former slaveholder, and to set themselves up as examples of virtue and un- stained purity, they will not, and should not, be respected. But if they come with earnest hearts, and willing hands, and cheerful voices, to help build up the prosperity of the State, be their politics what it may, be their religion what it will, they will be received with all the heartiness and all the civility that it is possible for a gallant people to exercise. They will be welcomed with open hands, and encourage- ment and sympathy will be given them by every intelligent man and woman in the State. Instances could be given, and names mentioned of persons who fought in the Union armies, who would be sent to Con- gress to represent the people against whom they fought, or other posi- tions given them of honor and profit if they would accept. The preju- dices of the war have vanished, except in some dark corners of the State where the facilities of intercommunication are scarce, and where ignorance broods, and prejudice is nursed, as an evidence of patriotism. Yet even such places as these are difficult to find. The great body of the citizens sincerely wish for a denser population, and would give to worthy men and women every attention in order to make them com- fortable and happy in their new homes. It is also asked whether it would be best for immigrants to come singly, or in groups, or colonies. Experience has shown that, not only in this State, but in every State, they are better satisfied, and go to work more earnestly and vigorously when they have the compan- ionship of some of their old friends and neighbors. Not less than six or eight should come at once. Lands in sufficient quantities may always be secured in one neighborhood to settle several families. Coming in groups, they are usually independent. They have a society of their own. The transition is not so sudden. The feeling of lone- liness is dispelled, and they do not feel so much like strangers in a strange land. But they should not practice an exclusive- ness. They should lay aside whatever prejudices they may have inherited or imbibed, if they expect others to do the same. Like be- gets like. A cold, suspicious, distant demeanor on the part of immi- 390 Resources of Tennessee. grants will beget the same on the part of the natives. They should come, not claiming Ohio, Pennsylvania or New York as their homes, but should at once throw themselves into sympathy with all the move- ments looking to the welfare of their adopted State — be citizens of it, willing to endure the hardships, enjoy the privileges, and partake • of the glorv of the hour. The past, with all its bitter acrimonies, and enmities, should be ignored. Kindly and courteous intercourse should be cultivated. They will find the people of this State as tolerant of opinion as they are anywhere. They will find the observance of law and order as general as in the northern states. They will find that there is no distinction made on account of birthplace; that intelligence, honesty and moral worth are the only passports needed to be received into the best society. Here, as elsewhere, immigrants are sometimes imposed upon by unscrupulous men. E,eal estate is sometimes sold for more than it is worth, but this is not done half so often as in the north-western states, simply because the great amount of laud for sale, and the competition between sellers, make them, in nine cases out of ten, more eager than the buyers. By the payment of one-third or one-fourth of the purchase money, time extending through two, three and even four or more years, can be had for the payment of the remainder. Usually, however, inter- est,varying from six to ten per cent., is demanded on the deferred pay- ments. By paying all cash, a deduction is often made of from ten to twenty per cent. The farmers of the State are usually " land poor." The weight they are carrying is too great. They need relief, which can only be obtained by selling off portions of their lands to immi- grants, and investing the money where it will be more easily controlled and will yield a larger per cent, than in surplus lands. This they are anxious to do. There is another error that prevails to some extent among the people of the north, and this error has been industriously circulated to our prejudice, by a class of pot-house politicians, who bank upon prejudice, and whose occu]>ation would be destroyed if the simple truth were told. It is to the effect tliat the ])eo])le of this State do not respect laboring men. There was a time perhaps, when labor and servility were associated somewhat together, but the fiery crucible through which tlie State has passed lias purified public sentiment in this par- ticular. The horny hand and brawny arm and stalwart form, if con- nected with honesty, intelligence and moral worth, augment rather than diminish respect. The truth is being cli^arly recognized that the A Word to Immigrants. 391 man or State incapable of labor is incapable of greatness; that labor is the living soul of nations as of individuals ; that in proportion as men discard labor, just in that proportion do they revert to the condition of the savage; that labor is the true index of civilization, and that without it civilization itself would be lost. The pernicious doctrine, that it is not respectable to labor, has ceased to be taught ; on the con- trary, the disgrace of indolence is daily discussed. The respectable idler is becoming scarce. His supports are growing feebler each year. His hold upon society is lost. Whether as a lawyer, a doctor, a mer- chant, a mechanic, or a farmer, if his indolence is so great as not to make a support, he is flouted at by society, shunned and disrespected. On the other hand, diligence, economy and attention to business will soon assure a high place in the estimation of the community. Some of the brightest lights in the State were once mechanics. Money alone, however, has no power to purchase respectability^ nor poverty such a disgrace as to work a forfeiture of it, unless the poverty is the result of indolence and inattention to business. An impression prevails extensively north, that the people of the State of Tennessee are exceedingly ignorant. To a certain degree this is true. The number who can neither read nor write is a burning shame to the legislation of the State, and yet, it would be difficult to find in any State in the Mississippi Valley more really educated men and women. Those who are educated at all, are usually well educated. The people in respect to education may be classed thus : The negroes, who are almost totally uneducated ; the poorer white classes who live in sparsely settled districts, remote from schools, and who have never had the means or opportunity to educate themselves or their children ; and lastly, those who have had school facilities, either public or private, afforded them. The latter class are usually as well instructed as any class of people in the United States. The second class are beginning to reap the benefits of free schools, and as the population becomes more dense, their advantages in this particular will be increased. The first class are making commendable progress, and institutions of learning are springing up in every portion of the State for their benefit. Of course it will be a question for immigrants to decide whether they will prefer cheaper lands without school facilities, or higher lands with ample opportunities for the education of their children. By high priced lands we mean those ranging from fifteen to forty dollars. It may be said, in this connection, that at present there is not a civil district in the State that does not have a free public school taught from two to ten 392 Resources of Tennessee. months in the year. The provisions of the school law are such that each civil district may be incorporated and any additional tax levied, provided, it does not exceed thirty cents on the $100, to prolong the schools beyond the time which the public funds, derived in other ways, will support them. There is still another error disseminated to the prejudice of the people of the State. It is, that a secret society, known as the Kuklux, exists in the State, and that persons who are obnoxious are maltreated and driven away by these secret emissaries. There never was a baser slander perpetrated upon any State than this, so far as Tennessee is concerned. There is not a respectable man in the State of Tennessee who would tolerate for a moment such an unlawful, atrocious and mischievous society as this is represented to be. There have been fewer outrages committed against persons or property in the State of Tennessee, during the past five years, than in any other State in the Union. Public sentiment is so strongly enlisted in favor of the pres- ervation of the peace of society, that no man, however bad or however reckless, would dare for one moment to place himself in such an obnox- ious attitude, as to declare himself in sympathy with the shadowy, vis- ionary and diabolical band of Kuklux and their alleged atrocities, and thus exhibit himself an enemy to law and order. Our courts of justice are amply sufficient to preserve order and insure justice, and they do the first and render the second. All fears in regard to such an order are groundless. Ten thousand persons in the State would be willing to enter into bond to guarantee protection to the life, person and prop- erty of all industrious, honest, sober immigrants, whether they come from the north or from Europe. Quiet and order are the foundation stones of good society. The people of the State recognize the freedom of every man in his opinions, and will protect and defend him in the maintenance of them. Another error propagated, is, that the State is deeply in debt, and that taxation, of necessity, must be burdensome. A bare statement of facts will serve to correct this error. Taking the census reports of 1870 as our guide, in a comparison of the states, because the figures given in these reports are more accurate and more reliable in every respect than any others within reach, we find, first, the following as showing THE SHARE PER READ OF WEALTH. 1. New York |1 483 27 5. California l,14n 15 2. Mas8H(hu8Ptt8 l,4r)3 (13 6. PenngylvHnia 1.081 31 3. Connecticut ..1,44130 7. New Jersey 1,038 49 4. Rhode Island 1,306 28 8. Ohio 838 73 A Word to hnmigrants. 393 9. Illinois 8:?5 10. Mar\land 824 11. NewHmp^hire 79H 12. Delaware 777 13. Indiju.a 754 14. Missouri 746 15. Nevada 732 16. Vfrmnnt 711 17. Wi fniisin 6t.5 18. Michigan 6(i7 19. Iowa 601 20. Oregon $ 567 21. Nebraska 563 22. Maine 555 23. Minnesota 520 73 24 37 25 6t; 26 35 27 58 28. 48 29 72 30 99 31 90 32. 41 33. 03 34. (16 35. 26 36. 35 37. 70 Kansas 518 36 Kentucky 457 ■16 L()uisi;ina 444 51 West Vircrinia 431 32 Tennessek 3'i5 89 Virginia 334 31 Arkansas 322 81 South Carolina 294 99 Mississippi 252 67 North Carolina 2.3 39 Florida 235 23 Georgia. 22ii 47 Alabama 2n2 46 Texas.... 194 30 TAXATION ttPOX EACH $1,000 (tRUE VALUe) OF PROPERTT. 1. Nevada $26 2. Louisiana 21 3. Arkansas 18 4. Mississippi 17 5. Maine 15 6. Nebraska 14 7. AlMbama 14 8. Kansas 14 9. South Curolina 13 10. New Hampshire 12 11. l.wa 12 12. California 12 13. Massai husetts 11 14. Minnesota. 11 15. Oregon 11 16. Vi ginia 11 17. Florida 11 18. Missouri 10 19. Ohio. 10 34 20 85 21 33 22 86 23 36 24 83 25 77 26 15 27 30 28 88 29 62 30 25 31 63 32 57 33 26 34 26 35 22 36 82 37 52 Maryland $10 30 Illinois 10 28 Georgia 9 79 Kentucky 9 48 Vermont 9 07 West Virginia 9 03 North Carulina 9 02 Indiana 8 52 New Jersey 7 88 Connecticut 7 83 Wisconsin 7 67 Michigan 7 52 New York 7 47 Khi^de Island 7 31 Texas 7 10 Tennessee 6 79 Pennsylvania 6 44 Delaware 4 30 TAXATION PER HEAD. 1. Nevada $19 2. Mas.«achusett8 17 3. C:.lifornia 13 4. Connecticut 11 5. New York 11 6. New Hampshire 10 7. Rhode Island 9 8. Louisiana 9 9. Ohio 9 in. Illinois 8 11. M ine 8 12. Mfiryland 8 13. Nebraska 8 14. New Jersey 8 15 Missouri 8 16. I.wu 7 17. Kansas 7 18. Pennsylvania 6 19. Vermont 6 30 20 in 21 95 22 28 23 07 24 22 25 98 26 71 27 33 28 59 29 53 .30 49 31 35 32 18 33 08 34 58 35 33 36 96 37. 41 Indiana $ 6 42 Oregon 6 39 .Minnesota 6 20 Arkansas 5 91 Wisconsin 5 10 Michigan 4 57 Mississippi 4 51 Kentucky 4 34 South Carolina 3 92 West Virginia 3 89 Virginia 3 76 Delaware... 3 34 Alabama... 2 99 Tennessee 2 69 Florid i 2 64 (leorgia 2 21 North Carolina 2 20 Texas 1 38 394 Resources of Tennessee. PROPORTION OF STATE AND LOCAL DEBT TO POPULATION. ( The Slims given being the per capita division of the debt.) 1. Louisiana $70 03 2. Massachusetts v.. 47 49 3. Nevada 46 74 4. Virginia 45 G4 5. Tennessee* 38 80 6. Mainland 37 18 7. New York 36 46 8. New Hampshire 35 04 9. California. 32 29 10. Connecticut 31 79 11. North Carolina 30 31 12. Rhode Island 27 32 13. Missouri.. 27 25 14. Maine. 26 52 15. Pennsylvania 25 27 16. New Jersey. 2n 22 17. South Carolina 18 53 18. Georgia 18 37 19. Kansas 17 68 20. Nebraska $16 98 21. Illinois 16 61 22. Kentucky 14 34 23. Alabama 13 31 24. Florida .- 11 64 25. Vermont 10 88 26. Arkansas 8 57 27. Ohio 8 .34 28. Iowa 6 73 29. Minnesota 6 34 30. Michigan 5 68 31. Wisconsin 5 60 32. Indiana. 4 64 3.^ Delaware 4 21 34. Mississippi 3 13 35. Oregon 2 40 36. Texas 1 97 37. West Virginia 127 Now, when it is remembered that one thousand dollars worth of per- sonal property is exempted from taxation, and persons owning less than this pay no tax except the poll-tax, it will readily appear that the poor, hard-working laborer bears but a small proportion of the bur- dens of society. We very much doubt whether there is any State in the Union, in proportion to the value of its agricultural products, that pays so small a tax. It is true the State debt proper amounts to $27,920,386, but there are debts due to the State from solvent rail- roads, amounting to $6,437,548.75, which promptly meet the interest as it falls due, leaving $21,482,837.70 as the amount upon which the State must pay interest. Add to this the school fund, $2,512,500, the interest upon which may be met by one-half the tax which will be derived from railroads, not to mention the uncollected back taxes, amounting to nearly $1,000,000. Now the lowest estimated true value of property in the State is $500,000,000. It will most probably reach $600,000,000. The products of the faj-m, the forest, market gar- den, and home manufacture, amount to $106,000,000 annually, to say nothing of the value of live stock, $55,000,000, and the value of manufactured products, over $34,000,000. Besides, but few of the counties are in debt. Local taxation is light. Many of the counties have a surplus in their treasuries. And when it is considered what Tennessee may become, with enterprise and well directed energy, its debt ap])ears but an in considerable sum, which may be paid by the gradual increase of wealth, without inconvenience to its *The debt in 1870, when tho census was taken, was over $40,000,000. It has been reduced one-half. A Word to Immigrants. 395 citizens. The taxes on merchants and on privileges are estima- ted to be sufficient to pay the expenses of the State Government. The rate of taxation, which will, at present, pay current expenses and interest, will, at the average rate of increase in taxable prop- erty, absorb the principal in a few years. The true value of property in the State in 1850 was ^201,240,686; in 1860, $493,- 903,892; in 1870, $498,237,724. In the decade between 1850 and 1860, the value of property increased 145 per cent. In the suc- ceeding decade it did not increase quite one per cent., though this was owing to the destruction of property by the war. It is estimated that at least $200,000,000, including slaves, were lost to the property- holders of the State between 1860 and 1870. But for that calamity, $700,000,000 would have been the true estimate in 1870, or about forty-two per cent, increase. Estimating the same rate of increase to have obtained since 1870, and we ought to have $600,000,000 in 1875, $700,000,000 in 1880, and nearly $1,000,000,000 in 1890. In sixteen years from the present time, we should collect double the amount of taxes, at the same rate of taxation and the same relative assessed value of property as in 1870. To put it in a different way: If the increase in the value of property be four per cent, annually, the increase in the amount collected at the same rate ought to be four per cent, if the ratio between the true and assessed value is maintained. If the revenue derived from taxation on property in 1875 should be enough to pay the interest on the State debt, we can set aside as a sinking fund in 187G 4 per cent, of present revenue derived from property. 1877 8 1878 12 " " " " " " 1879 16 1880 20 1881 24 1882 28 1883 82 " " " " " " Assuming the taxable property will be, in 1875, $320,000,000, at forty cents, the present rate, the revenue from this source should be $1,- 280,000. Now, in 1876, if the property of the State should increase at the rate of four per cent, per annum, and the rate of taxation remain the same, we shall have the exhibits as given below. The first column represents the annual increase of revenue above that of 1875, because of the increase in the value of taxable property ; the second column 39 6 Resources of Tenjiessee. represents this increase, with the interest on the amount paid towards the State indebtedness added : 1876 % 51,200 $ 51,200 1877 102.400 plus interest on sinking fund, 105,472 1878 153,600 " '• " " 16;^,U00 1879 204,800 " " " " 223,980 1880 256,000 " " " " 288,583 1881 307,200 " '• " " 333,098 1882 358,400 " " " " 428,284 1883 409.600 " " " " 500,181 1884 460,8i)0 " " " " 586,391 1885 612,000 " " " " 672,775 1886 563.200 " " " " 764-341 1887 614,400 " " " " 861,402 1888 665,600 " " " " 964,286 1889 716,800 " " " " 1073.344 1890 768.000 " " " " 1,188,944 1891 819.200 " " " " 1,311480 1892 870,400 " " " " 1,441,369 1893 921,600 " " " " 1,599,051 1894 982,800 " " " " 1,736,194 1895 1,024,000 " " " " 1,871,566 In twenty years, in this way, we shall have reduced our debt $16,- 164,341, and be in a condition to pay to the sinking fund thereafter over $2,000,000 annually, without increasing the rate of taxation. But we have other expectations of an increase in taxable property. By 1875, nearly every railroad in the State will be liable to taxation, which will add $70,000,000 to our taxable property, though we have included one-half of this in our estimates. All the elements exist in the State also for giving full development to the manufacturing industry of the people. Within the next decade all the pent up forces will burst forth, and the erection of manufacturing establishments will proceed with a marvelous rapidty. Evidences of this are beginning to be seen. Without some unforeseen calamity, at the present rate of increase $100,000,000 will be invested in manufacturing enterprises within \\\ki next ten years, and the debt of the State can be almost extinguished at the present rate of taxation. Financially, there are but few States in a more prosperous condition when the aggregate wealth and undeveloped resources are considered. The surest way of diminishing taxation is by stimulating development and produc- tion, and this the people of the State are beginning to do. Several letters have been received by this Bureau, in which the question is asked, what class of people could do best, farmers, me- chanics, tradesmen or professional men. We answer unhesitatingly, any class that will produce. There is room for 100,000 small farmers, and then the State needs for the further development of its rough A Word to Imfnig7'ants. 397 wealth 100,000 skilled laborers and artisans. The excellence and va- riety of timber, the abundance of coal, the immense deposits of iron ore found in forty-four counties out of ninety-three, the superb water- ]iower that flows in rapid currents through nearly every county in the State, the contiguity of the cotton fields, the cheapness of living, the access to markets, the salubrity of the climate, the central position of the State itself, all point to its future as a great manufacturing center. Iron can be made cheaper, agricultural implements will find a readier market, fuel is more abundant, water privileges are better and cheaper, the weather is milder than at the north, and nothing is wanting but skilled hands to weave the cotton and wool into textile fabrics, to con- vert our woods into the implements of industry, to transform our ores into useful metals, and to develop other beds of treasures that lie slumbering in our valleys and mountain chains. We want mechanics and capital to do this. The field is open, the time is propitious, the harvest is ready. As for traders and professional men, the supply is already equal to to the demand. Nor does the State need any more of what is called cheap labor, that is, labor that can be hired at a small price, to do a small amount of work in an unsatisfactory manner. We want laborers who are intelligent enough to think, and prudent enough to be honest, and wise enough to save their earnings. We want laborers that can be advanced socially, that can invent and can utilize the forces of nature, and compel them to work in obe- dience to the will of man. We want the same character of labor- ers that have made that vast belt of the American continent, ex- tending from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Ohio River to the lakes, the theatre of an industrial activity nowhere else seen on the continent. Measured by the production of wealth, these laborers have proved far the cheapest, and they have also cheapened the means of living while they have elevated themselves. Doubtless, many would like to see an influx of house servants, cooks, milkmaids, &c. These would find remunerative employment at good prices, and we wish it distinctly to be noted, that the prices paid for working men and women in this State, are by no means an index to the prices that would be paid for labor of a more reliable character. The world over, and especially in the United States, laborers are paid in proportion to their real worth. As has been already said, one of the greatest drawbacks to the prosperity of a portion of the farmers of this State, is that a portion will not work themselves, nor will those employed by them work 398 Resources of Tennessee. as tliey should. They constitute the grumbling and dissatisfied portion of the population. First-class wages are asked by a majority of the laborers, and about sixty per cent, of first-class work done. As agents of the State, and regarding its interest as paramount to all considerations of the mere personal convenience of the community, the officers of this Bureau regard as the greatest want of the State to be a supply of skillful, energetic, ingenious, industrious and frugal people, to fill up the unoccupied fields of our industry. The class most needed, are men who have a spirit of thrift and independence, resolute hearts, cunning hands, and clear brains. No fairer field was ever presented for the occupation of such a class. It is a field filled with all the ele- ments of wealth and of substantial enjoyment. Here is an abundance of raw material and rich soils, upon which all the fruits and all the crops and all the animals necessary for man's support, comfort or conven- ience, can be raised with less labor, and less expense, than in a higher latitude. Here are mighty rivers, and flowing creeks, and purling riv- ulets, and gushing springs of sparkling waters, suited for navigation, for machinery, for stock, the dairy, and the household. Here is a cK- mate so congenial to the physical man, that the very exuberance of his spirits doubles his pleasure, and robs adversity itself of half its woes. This is the home of the working man, land and living are cheap, labor is high and in demand. The laws have exempted from taxation |1,000 worth of property, and the exemptions from execution are ample to secure comfort, though one may have unwarily become involved in debt. One word, by way of recapitulation, to those contemplating removal to this State. Do not be deceived by the falsehoods that have been circulated to the prejudice of the people of this State. Do not believe that the native citizens are lawless and despise the stranger. Do not think that labor is looked upon as disreputable. Disabuse your minds of the impression that Tennessee is unhealthy. Consult the census re- turns for the last seventy years on this point, and convince yourselves. Do not place yourselves in the hands of unscrupulous and designing men, and tlien hold the people of the State responsible for the damage they may do you. Let no immigrant be deceived about titles to land. Complaints have sometimes been made by ])crsons coming into the State, who have been imposed upon by unscrupulous j)arties. The responsi- bilities of this office, as well as a just sense of truth, impel us to make known that in the early history of this State, unwifHe enactments were made for granting our public lands, and many persons now have the A Word to Immigrants. 399 grant of this State with its great seal affixed, who have no title. It will not do for strangers to accept an entry and grant as sufficient evidence of title. In every county in the State there are persons who may be re- lied on, and who will give correct information in regard to titles, claims, &c. And, moreover, if immigrants will confer with this Bureau, direc- ting their letters to " The Bureau of Agriculture, Nashville, Tennessee," every effort will be made to give them correct and reliable information, without charge. The officers of it are determined not to publish any thing that they do not believe to be trr,", after seeking and consult- ing the very best sources of information to be had. For the further information of immigrants, we append a synopsis of such laws as may be of interest or value to them, relating to mortgages, redemptions, deeds of trust, exemptions, liens, and the naturalization of aliens. Laws of the State of Interest to Immigrants. Mortgagee and Deeds of Trust. A mortgage is a conveyance to a creditor of property to secure the payment of a debt due or to become due, or the repayment of a sum loaned. A deed of trust is a mortgage with power of sale added. The mortgagor and conveyor in deeds 0 trust are similar. Where real estate is sold under any decree, judgment or order of a court of chancery, whether founded on a foreclosure of a mortgage or deed of trust, or otherwise, is redeemable at any time within two years after such sale. But the right of redemption may be expressly waived by the deed or mort- gage. And again, where the court, upon application of the complainant, orders that the property be sold on a credit of not less than six months, nor more than two years, upon confirmation of such sale by the court, the right of redemption or repurchase is gone, and the title of the purchaser becomes absolute. All mortgages and deeds of trust, of either real or personal property, may be registered. The place of registration in case of mortgages of real estate, is in the county where the land lies, unless it lies partly in two or more counties, and then it may be registered in either; and where it contains several tracts of land lying in different counties, it shall be regis- tered in each of the counties where any of said tracts lie. Mortgages of personal property shall be registered in the county where the person exe- cuting the same resides, but if he is a non-resident, then in the county where the property is. Mortgages and deeds of trust have effect between the parties thereto, and their heirs and representatives, without registration ; but as to other persons, not having actual notice of them, only from the noting thereof for registration on the books of the register, unless otherwise expressly provided. An assignment of choses in action is not embraced in the registry acts, and is as good with as without registration. A mortgagor in possession of lands is not accountable for rents on a bill to foreclose; but a mortgagee in possession is accountable to the mortgagor for rents and profits. A raechanic'9 lien has priority over the special lien of a mortgage in a case where the contract is made with the mortgagor, and the mortgagee 400 Resources of Tennessee, has written notice of the same before the work is begun or materials fur- nished, and he consents thereto or fails to object within ten days after re- ceipt of the notice. Redemption. Real estate sold for debt is redeemable at any time withia two years after such sale in cases where it is sold under execution, or under any decree, judgment or order of a court of chancery, whether founded upon a toi'ecliisure of a mortgage, or deed of trust, or otherwise, unless, upon application of a complainant, the court order that the property be sold on a credit of not less than six months nor more than two years, and that, upon confirmation thereof by the court, no right of redemption or re- purchase shall exist in the debtor or his creditor, but that the title of the purchaser shall be absolute ; or where it is sold under a deed of trust or mortgage without a judicial sentence, unless the right of redemption is ex- pressly waived by the deed or mortgage ; or where it is sold for taxes. The right of redemption does not extend to any sale under and by virtue of a power contained in any deed of trust, mortgage, or other instrument, whereby said right is waived or surrendered by such mortgage or convey- ance. The time for redemption begins to run from the date of the confirma- tion of the sale, and the debtor has two years from that time in which to redeem. The debtor, whose interest in real estate has been sold, redeems by paying to the purchaser, or to any one claiming under him, the amount bid or paid by him, with interest thereon at the rate of six per cent, per annum, toge:her with all other lawlul charges. If the purchaser is horvx /?o?e a creditor by judgment, decree, or debt acknowledged by deed, and ■within twenty days after the sale he makes an advance on his bid and cred- its his debt by depositing a receipt therefor with the clerk of the court in which the judgment or decree was rendered ; or, if the sale was made under a deed of trust or mortgage, he acknowledges a receipt for such ad- vance before the clerk of the county court for registration, and causes the same to be registered in the county where the land lies, then he shall hold the land subject to redemption at the price bid and such advance, just as if he had bid the whole sum at the time of the sale. A creditor redeeming from the purchaser at the sale, holds the property subject to redemption by the original debtor, or any other of his creditors, upon the same terms on which it was redeemable in the hands of the first purchaser or any person claiming under him, that is to say, by the party proposing to redeem paying or tendering ,o the person holding the land the amount of money paid or credited by him, with interest at the rate of six per cent, per annum there- on, and agreeing to pay to the debtor the further sum of ten per cent, or more on the sum bid for said land when sold, or crediting him with that amount or more on the debt owing to him by said debtor. Any creditor having i-edeemed land from the original purchaser, or from one who had previou.sly redeemed, may within twenty days advance upon his bid any sum to the extent of his debt or debts, just as if he had been the original purchaser. Real estate suld lor d«?bt and made redeemable, continues re- deemtbie to the debtor and his creditors for two years after the sale, no mattei' how often it may have been previously redeemed. No person hold- ing the temporary title to real estate subject to redemption shall use more of the wood growing thereon than the timber required to keep the improve- ments in good repair, and fire-wood necessary for those occupying the same, nor deslruy or remove from the land any iencing or buildings. The debtor A Word to Immigrants. 401 permitted by the purchaser to remain in possession shall not be liable for rent from the date of the sale to the time of redemption ; and if the pur- chaser or assignee take possession under his purchase, upon redemption by the debtor, he shall have a credit for the fair rent of the premises du- ring the time they were in the purchaser's possession. Where the pur- chaser is absent from his usual place of residence, so that the tender to him in person is prevented, or resides out of the county where the land lies, the debtor may pay the redemption money to the circuit court clerk of the county where the land lies, to be held by him for the person entitled to it. In case of the death of the debtor, the right to redeem descends to his heirs. Exenvpiiona. A homestead in the possession of each head of a family, and the improvements thereon, to the value of one thousand dollars, is ex- empt from execution, or attachment, or sale, under legal process. Thirty dollars of the wages of mechanics or laboring men are exempt from execution, attachment, or garnishment. And the following named articles are exempt from execution, seizure, or attachment in the hands of heads of families: Two beds, bedsteads and necessary clothing for each : and for each three children of any one family, one additional bed, bedstead and necessary bed clothing — the value of such bedstead not to exceed twenty-five dollars, two cows and calves, and if the family consist of six or more persons, three cows and calves, oup dozen knives and forks, one dozen plates, half dozen dishes, one set of table-spoons, one set of tea-spoons, one bread tray, two pitchers, one waiter, one coftee-pot, one tea-pot, one canister, one cream-jug, one dozen cups and saucers, one dining-table and two table-cloths, one dozen chairs, one bureau, one safe, one wash-basin, one bowl and pitcher, one washing kettle, two washing tubs, one churn, one looking glass, one chop- ping axe, one spinning wheel, one loom and gear, one pair cotton cards, one pair wool cards, one cooking stove and utensils, or set of ordinary cooking utensils, one meal seive and one wheat seive, one cradle, one bible and hymn book, and all books used in school, two horses or two mules, or horse and mule, or horse or mule and yoke of oxen, one ox cart, yoke, ring, staple and log chain, one two or one horse wagon and harness, one man's and one wo- man's saddle, two riding bridles, twenty -five barrels of corn, twenty bushels of wheat, 500 bundles oats, 500 bundles fodder, one stack of hay worth twenty dollars, if the family consist of less than six persons, 1,000 pounds of pork or 600 pounds of bacon ; if the family consist of more than six per- sons, twelve hundred pounds of pork or nine hundred pounds of bacon, all the poultry on hand and fowls to the value of twenty-five dollars, a home- made carpet, six cords of wood or one hundred bushels of coal, and one sewing machine. If the head of the family be engaged in agriculture, the following articles, in addition to the foregoing, are exempt : Two plows, two hoes, one grubbing hoe, one cutting knife, one harvest cradle, one set of plow gears, one pitch fork, one lake, three iron wedges, five head of sheep, ten head of stock hogs. In the hands of every mechanic, there is exempt one set of tools, such as are necessary to the pursuit of his trade. One gun is exempt to every male citizen eighteen yeais of age, and every female who is the head of a family. To heads of families there is also exempt fifty pounds of picked cotton, twenty-five pounds of wool, and upper and sole leather enough to provide winter shoes for the family, and to each mechanic fifty dollars worth of lumber or material. 26 402 Resources of Tennessee. lAens. Proprietors of warehonses have a lien on all tobacco and proceeds for fees and charges on same. There is a lien upon any lot of ground or tract of land upon which a house has been constructed, built or repaired, or fixtures or machinery furnished or erected or improvements made, by special contract with the owner or his agent, in favor of the mechanic or undertaker, founder or machinist who does the work, or furnishes the materials, or puts thereon any fixtures, machinery or material, either of wood or metal. And the benefit of this provision relative to the mechanics, apply to all persons doing any portion of the work, or furnishing any portion of the material for the building. Each mechanic so employed, has the lien in proportion to the amount and value of the work he does or the material he furnishes. The lien includes the building, fixture or improvement, as well as the lot or land, and continues for one year after the work is finished or material fur- nished, and is not afi'ected by the owner's disposal of the lot or land. Every journeyman employed shall have the lien if he notify the owner of the prop- erty in writing of his intention to rely upon it, when he begins to work or furnishes materials. A debt contracted by the master, owner, agent or con- signee of any steam or keel boat, within this State, on accouut of any work done, or materials or articles furnished, or groceries or provisions supplied, for or towards the building, repairing, fitting, furnishing or equipping such boat, or for wages due to the hands of the same, shall be a lien upon such boat, her tackle and furniture, to continue for three months. The owners and proprietors of wharves and landings have a lien on all boats, rafts and other water craft and their loading for the payment of their wharfage fees. Whenever any horse or other animal is received to pasture, for a considera- tion, the farmer has a lien upon the animal for his proper charges. Any person keeping a stallion, jack, bull or boar for public use, has a lien on the offspring of the same, until the season is paid for, provided the lien is enforced in five months. Livery stable keepers have a lien on all stock received by them for board and feed. When merchants, factors or cotton brokers sell cotton, a special lien in behalf of the vendors, exists for five days from and after the day of sale. Silversmiths, lock and gunsmiths, blacksmiths and artizans generally, are empowered, at the expiration of one year from the time of the contract and leaving the material with them, or the article to be repaired, if not claimed or called for, to sell the same at public outcry and satisfy their charges out of the proceeds. A judgment or decree obtained in a court of record in the county where the debtor re- sides at the time of rendition is a lien upon the debtor's land Irom the time the same was rendered. If the judgment or decree was obtained in any other county than that in which the debtor resides, the lien takes effect only from the time when a certified copy of the judgment or decree is regis- tered in the county where the debtor resides, if he resides in the State, or if not, then in the county where the land lies. But this lien will be lost unless an execution is taken out and the land sold within twelve months after the rendition of the judgment or decree. Any debt by note, account or other- ■wise, credited for the rent of land, is a lien on the crops growing or made on the premises, in preference to all other debts, from the date of the contract, and it continues for three months after the debt becomes due. And any debt by note, account or otherwise contracted for supplies, implements of industry or work stock furnished by the owners of land to lessees, or by lessees to sub-tenants, and used in the cultivation of the crop, is a lien upon the crop growing or made during the year upon the premises, but the lien A Word to Immigrants. 403 must be contracted for on the lace of the note or other writing, and this lien does not have priority over the lien of the owner of the land for the rent. Naturalization of Aliens. Any alien, being a free white person, may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States, or any of them, on these conditions : That he shall have declared on oath or affirmation, before the supreme, superior, district or circuit court of some of the States, or of the territorial districts of the United States^ or a circuit or district court of the United States, two years at least before his admission, that it was bona fide his intention to become a citizen of the United States, and to renounce all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign state or sovereignty what- ever, that at the time he applies to be admitted, he shall declare on oath or affirm, before some one of the courts aforesaid, that he will support the con- stitution of the United States, and that he renounces all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign state or sovereignty whatever. The court admit- ting such alien shall be satisfied that he has resided within the United States at least five years, and within the State or territory where such court is held at least one year, and that during that time he has behaved as a man of good moral character, attached to the principles of the constitution of the United States and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same. In case the alien applying for citizenship shall have borne any hered- itary title, or been of any of the orders of nobility in the kingdom or state from which he came, he shall make an express renunciation of his title or order of nobility. Every court of i-ecord in any individual state having common law jurisdiction and a seal and clerk or prothonotary, may naturalize aliens. The children of persons duly naturalized under any of the laws of the United States, or who may have become citizens of any Dne of the said States under the laws thbreof, being under the age of twenty- one years at the time of their parents being so naturalized or admitted to the riglits of citizenship, shall, if dwelling in the Uuited States, be consid- ered as citizens of tha United States. If an alien, who has complied with the conditions and directions set forth herein, shall die before he is actually naturalized, his widow and children shall be considered as citizens of the United States, upon taking the oaths prescribed by law. The alien's resi- dence in the United States must have been uninterrupted for five years next preceding his admission to citizenship. An alien under twenty-one years of age, who shall have resided in the United States three years next preced- ing his arriving at the age of twenty-one years, and who shall have contin- ued to reside therein to the time of making application for admission to citizenship, may, after he arrives at the age of twenty-one years, and after he shall have resided five years within the United States, including the three years of his minority, be admitted a citizen of the United States, without making the declaration required two years before his admission, provided, he makes it at the time of his admission, and declares on oath, and proves to the satisfaction of the court, that for three years next preceeding, it has been his bo7ia fide intention to become a citizen of the United States, and shall in all other respects comply with the provisions of the naturalization laws. An alien of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, who has enlisted or shall enlist in the armies of the United States, either the regular or volun- teer forces, and has been, or shall hereafter be honorably discharged, may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States, upon his petition, with- 404 Resources of Tennessee. out previous declaration of his intention of becoming a citizen, and lie shall not be required to prove more than one year's residence within the United States previous to his application to become such citizen. The court shall require proof of good moral character, of residence, and that such person was honorably discharged from the service of the United States. All nat- uralized citizens shall be entitled to all of the rights, privileges and immu- nities of native born citizens, and while they are in foreign states, shall re- ceive from this Government the same protection of person and property that is accorded to native born citizens in like situations and circumstances. Geiieral Statistics. 405 CHAPTER XXII. Occupation of the People and General Statistics. It is well to observe, at the outset of this chapter, that though we give an abstract of the census returns for 1870, but little reliance, so far as the State of Tennessee is concerned, can be placed in them. To convince any one of this, it is only necessary to compare the amount of land as returned by the assessors for taxation and the amount re- turned by the census takers. In the first instance, it was in 1872, 24,822,508 acres, and in 1873, 25,078,308, while the census reports give only 19,581,214 acres, showing a discrepancy of 5,241,294 acres. It is much more reasonable to suppose that the list given in by the tax payers would fall below than above the actual number of acres. The following table represents the decennial progress in population since 1790: CENSUS. WHITES. FREE COLORED. SLAVES. TOTAL. INCREASE! PER CENT. 1790 32,013 91,709 215,875 339,927 535,746 640,627 756,836 826,828 936,119 361 309 1,317 2,779 4,555 5,524 6,422 7,235 322,331 3,417 13,584 44,535 80,107 141,603 183,059 239,459 275,784 35,791 105,602 261,727 422,813 681,904 829,210 1,002,717 1,109,801 1,258,520 1800 195.05 1810 147.84 1820 61.55 1830 61.28 1840 21.60 1850 20.92 1860 10.68 1870 13.40 As to the order of states in point of population, Tennessee, in 1790, stood 16th; in 1830 it stood 7th; in 1850, 5th; after which time it began relatively to fall back, for we find, in 1860, it stood 9th in point of population, and preserved its place in 1870. Of the population in 1870, 936,119 were white; 322,331 colored; 70 Indians. 4o6 Resources of Tennessee. The population of the principal cities as reported, was in 1870, Chattanooga 6,093 Kuoxville 8,682 Memphis 40,226 Nashville 26,865 Now estimated 11,000 13,000 " " 60,000 " " 40,000 Density of population in 1850, was 24 to the square mile; in I860, 25; in 1870, 30. The following tables will show the population by counties, and the decennialincrer.se since 1790. Eight new counties, viz., Clay, Crockett, Hamblen, Houston, James, Loudon, Moore and Trousdale, have been organized since the census of 1870 was taken. We have not the means of ascertaining the population of these new counties. A fair idea can be obtained by comparing the list of voters which we give in this chapter. The counties from which fractions were taken will doubtless show a less increase in the census report of 1880. AGGREGATK. COUNTIES. 1870 1860 1850' 1 69381 1840 1830 5.310 1820 4668 16012 1810 .3959 8242 1800 1790 8704 24333 8234' 4870' 14237 11652 7445 10502 19447 7909 6678 9321 12458 10237 :M61 62897 7772 11425 9340 13706 26145 4717 14970 25666 32413 12421 2166X 3.250 17241 7148 18074 n7f)8 15837 25094 14217 20380 9856 9326 12583 I 19476 i 5852 , 28990 2428 ! 10838 7068 21584 8463 4459 13270 11701 6712 9509 17437 7124 7258 9643 10408 9689 3460 47055 6276 10573 9982 10536 24327 5054 13848 21777 2()166 1(1962 191104 3093 13258 7020 17769 11214 16162 19232 14491 19133 9312 90(t6 11725 16043 5018 22813 5658 Bedford 21511' 20.546 30396 6315 4772 5959 5676 Bledsoe 4648 5005 11258 3259 88:39 Blount 12424 11745 11028 5587 Bradley 12259 7:385 6068 6149 5110 4244 2668 8982 7163 15967 12:362 9397 6296 5372 6414 "■"9:369 "9474 "'8470 8:300 6992 6017 Carroll 4835 "5508 4892 4190 "4798 5154 4813 Coffee 8a51 8184 38882 30509 28122 20154 15608 9965 345» 6003 8016 DeKalb 5Sfi8 8404 7074 6:361: 44W 26719 1 21501 4454' :3.550 13768' 1203:3 19548 13(i89 25949 21494 17824 10572 17824 16076 72&5 1904 8t552 2748 15(520 5801 18703 1(K)(56 14410 5190 4516 Dyer FontresH 'Tiv:-\ i rank 1 in 1(5.D(1 12558 7(551 11:324 5730 "'454V5 (5.397 9713 "'7367 7610 Giles 7741 2773 10075 5660 17456 8175 2276 821 14)56:3 11(5.55 48(58 1:3(58:5 53:54 8748 12249 8119 (51 .87 9(i9S 11801 K«28' 824') 1:3:570' 150:3.5 17259 i i:3870 1:3164 11875 1462 10949 7W3 656:3 6970 182:33 1 9:597 ! t)422 ! 15073 1 i:5"04 14'.H)6 8618 5195 12872 (»- . ^■' * 6080 4067 7593 8953 2583 1511 .5401 7:309 Jefferson 9017 :5705 2ii.')8 18807 15485 1 14498 1:30:54 10171 12446 ^ \^''''Z''''''z^i''. ; LilU.l.T.lMJC ■" 7559 51C)9 :4:« General Statistics. 407 COUNTIES. AGGREGATE. 1870 1860 1850 1840 1830 1820 1 1810 1800 1790 7601 1986 28050 6633 23480 6841 16207 36289 13969 12726 4511 12589 24747 2969 15584 11297 6925 7369 8698 5538 15622 16166 33289 4054 2335 11028 76378 15994 12019 13136 23711 14884 7605 2725 12714 16317 10209 20755 9.375 25328 25881 9320 2241 22828 7290 215:35 6190 14.592 .32451S l:i555 14732 4667 12607 20895 3353 12817 12637 6042 8726 8558 4991 ia583 15265 27918 3519 2120 9122 48092 16*57 9S9(; 1*5.52 220.30 10705 6117 2581 11147 14829 9115 18216 9381 23827 26072 9280 4438 2:3492 6948 21470 6314 1.5616 29520 1:391 Hi 128(54 4879 11874 21045 34:30 7633 11211 5821 63.38 7121 5411! 3''71 21493 22075 14761 6104 165:30 6070 14.555 2S1,S6 12719 9385 4794 12056 16927 2(560 4814 9279 7419 3570 11.594 5508 :3888 Marshall 276&5 22089 14460 1623 10359 5697 13708 2529 14.349 12219 2.582 1676 8021 2899 1:387 Obion 2099 8242 7128 5(543 7094 2384 Polk Rhea 4415 12ia5 1(5145 29122 1905 3985 10948 13801 14280 8186 11.3-il 13272 26134 42i5 7895 9938 19552 2504 5581 7270 10265 4280 Seott Sevier Shelby 6920 311.57 1.8412 9719 11742 22717 8887 6442 14721 21179 a587 107:;i5 22445 6800 5717 5648 19906 6968 4772 364 175R0 4595 3419 361» Smith 11649 4294 8397: 4262 1(107:; 7015 6847 13792 10218 4616 4447 20569 5317 19211 219« Tipton 2674 10179 13861 8170 14608 11444 27201 27443 10803 11751 7705 9870 10747 27006 24460 15210 10995 10:348 9.557 5725 7740 fi.379 5872 60131 2459 4797 99(57 2(5638 2.5472 White 8701 20640 18730 4028 1.31.53 11952 Williamson 2868 3261 Wilson Totals 12585201109801 1002717 829210 681904 422771 261727 105602 35691 Occupation of the People. Classifying i-hem with reference to occupation, we find that out of 367,987 persons engaged in all classes of occupation, 267,020 are en- gaged in agriculture, or over 72.6 per cent. ; 54,396 in personal and professional services, or 14.7 per cent.; 17,510 in trade and transjjor- tation, or 4.7 per cent. ; and 29,061 in manufactures and mechanical and mining industries, or 8 per cent. Compared with Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky, Tennessee has a far greater propor- tion of her working people engaged in agriculture. Illinois has but 50 per cent., Iowa 61 per cent., Indiana 58 per cent., Missouri 52 per cent., and Kentucky 63 per cent. But we shall find that the cotton States immediately south, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, will average about 80 per cent, of their population engaged in agricultural 4o8 Resources of Tennessee. pursuits. On the other hand, Massachusetts has only 12 per cent., and Connecticut 22 per cent. The following tables, compiled and calculated from the census re- turns for 1870, furnish some interesting facts in regard to the agricul- ture of the United States. Column one shows the ratio of persons engaged in agriculture to the whole number of persons returning occupations in the several States. Thus, Maine has 39 per cent., etc. Column two shows the number of acres of " improved land " to each person engaged in agriculture. Column three shows the amount in money value of farm land for each person engaged in agriculture. Column four shows the total value of farm products for the year 1869 for each person engaged in agriculture. Maine New Hampshire, Vermont Massachusetts Rhode Island Connecticut New York , New .Terse J Pennsylvania...., Delaware Maryland Virginia North Carolina.., South Carolina.. Georgia Florida Alabama , Mississippi Louisiana Texas Arkansa.s Tennessee Kentucky West Virginia .., Ohio Michigan Indiana Illinois Wisconsin Minnesota Iowa Missouri Kansas California .39 35 $1,255 .38 50 1,730 .53 53 2,403 .12 24 1,584 .13 26 1,843 .22 37 2,846 .25 42 3,400 .21 31 4,079 .25 44 4,012 .39 43 2,924 .30 46 2,117 .58 33 871 .76 29 283 .78 14 216 .75 20 281 .70 17 234 .79 17 232 .81 16 314 .55 14 411 .70 17 361 .80 17 366 .73 25 818 .63 55 1,192 .64 34 1,373 .47 36 2,655 .46 27 2,127 .58 38 2,375 .50 51 2,455 .54 37 1,885 .57 30 1,302 .61 44 1,865 .52 34 1,487 .59 26 1,233 .20 128 2,950 $ 404 482 597 442 404 606 677 676 707 511 439 211 215 202 239 209 231 282 367 290 372 323 335 316 500 430 460 560 510 445 544 990 377 1,041 There are 6,843,278 acres of improved land in the State, according to the census returns, divided into 118,141 farms, or an average of 166 General Statistics. 409 acres to the farm. In 1860, this average was 251 acres; and in 1850, 261 acres, showing a striking tendency towards small farms. The number of farms have also increased from 72,735 in 1850, and 82,368 in 1860, to 118,141 in 1870. Of these, Shelby county has the largest number, 4,187. Giles stands second, having 3,917. LcAvis has the smallest number, 223. The entire value of the farms is estimated at 1218,743,747. According to the assessor's returns, there were for 1873, as will be seen, 25,464,857 acres of taxable lands (exclusive of town lots) in the State, valued at $200,673,358, showing an average assessed value of $8 per acre. The value of the entire assessed tax- able property for 1873 was $308,089,743 or a little more than three- fifths of the true value, as given by the census reports. This result* from the exemptions of $1,000 worth of personal property, and from the deduction of 15 per cent, on real estate, though the real estate is nominally valued at what it Avould sell for on a credit of one and two years. The subjoined tables, compiled from the returns of the asses- sors, will show the taxable property in each division of the State, the number of voters, and the number of polls : East Tennessee. Counties. No. Civil Dist. Voters in 1871. Acres As- sessed in 1873. Value. Total Valua- tion of Taxa- ble Property. Polls. 12 10 17 13 14 13 13 13 14 25 10 12 14 17 8 14 10 21 11 17 13 8 20 8 10 10 13 10 14 8 18 U 19 1.508 860 2,381 2,177 1,349 1,601 1,957 2,173 1,952 4,016 1,712 3,917 * 501 3,054 963 2.436 * 680 6.093 1.604 2,608 l,4:i5 1.119 2.278 601 1,375 9a5 2,407 738 2,1(30 467 3,074 1,476 3,428 194,921 223,:y8 316,561 185,137 262.&50 269.7.36 195.867 257.273 178.935 324,143 101,687 191.881 112.570 288.986 103.782 179,198 233.126 290,579 1.37,933 270.249 274.631 129,144 444,913 803,258 253,510 202,691 212,789 387.831 549,059 1.31,2.58 237,271 98.475 304.736 Sl.088.889 648.033 1.985,134 1.543,358 854.175 894.657 768.419 l.ia5,918 1,284,128 2.609.144 1,1(>5.988 2,.397.701 474.995 2.027.727 641.010 2.146,127 .54.5.973 4.a59.947 1,484,372 2,066,817 1,103,4.30 1.072,322 1,878,973 .352.515 975.454 969.8: '.6 1,770.129 1,377,867 296. a32 1.819.856 7:34.093 2.270.0:« $1,266,591 818,229 2,. 310,. 357 2,.5:35,820 992.912 1,004,4.51 907,093 1,:362.0.32 1,. 531. 807 3.413.3:36 1.676,665 7,012,903 519,650 2,.316.675 754,372 2,4.59,205 613,326 9,.5ft3,5;33 1,972,2.52 2,7.54,273 1,263.199 1,148.930 2,.304,291 398,081 1,220.470 1,123..570 2,210,961 266,943 1,-593,648 347,526 2,:394.472 843.015 2,709.541 1,018 Bled.^oe 630 Blount Bradley Campbell 1,585 1,276 1.072 Carter 1.094 1.326 Cocke Grainger Greene 1,460 1.369 2,800 1,0.59 3,227 Hancock 807 1,963 522 JeflFer.«on 1,720 723 Knox 4,177 Lou 1,794,307 512,100 1,123,915 1,2(5.5,-580 230,888 5,178,933 987,802 4,62.5.106 11,109,144 5,716,02.5 1,130,1(58 828,466 890.712 i,2a5,oa5 4,516,117 9,614,975 2,841,2.59 1,. 524,379 5,185,727 1,152,904 259,493 2,5^5,768 1,6(U.494 1,. 320, 610 7,629,778 6,691,164 3,260 1,395 Clay Cheatham Coffee Cumberland Davidson Dickson DeKalb 797 926 1,298 393 10,914 1,502 1,.536 615 Franklin Giles 1,672 4 640 Grundy Humphreys Hickman 540 1,390 1,330 Houston 629 Jackson 1,204 Lawrence Lewis Lincoln Macon 1,037 213 3,1.34 1.088 Marshall 2,.535 Maury Montgomery Moore 4,728 3,096 1,003 Overton Putnam Perry 1.218 1,177 956 2,436 Rutherford Smith 4,987 2,118 Stewart 1,880 2,776 Trousdale ^ an Buren 651 300 1,543 Wayne 1,452 White 1,171 Williamson Wilson 3,623 3,695 109,796 10,800,929 $92,425,463 $136,906,579 80,858 West Tennessee. Benton Carroll Crockett Decatur Dyer Fayette GiD.son Henderson . Hardin Hardeman . Haywood.... Henry Lake Lauderdale Madison McNairy .... Obion Shelby Tipton Weakley .... 641 970 411 .3:59 540 851 529 214 010 2.35 784 821 587 8:54 099 i:50 187 4.59 79it &5,4-40 239,663 .3.52,0:50 163,(5.58 205,:5.')4 327, (iOO 4:38,(i.52 366,195 374,287 .317,(i.5(i :598,826 296,958 :5.57,7()5 84, :',(!() 272,415 :5C)1,,SI2 402.()7('> 29(5.278 442,5:U 270,7(14 3:57,:i.s7 6,316, :500 % 911,277 3,1.53,880 2,(561,121 918,642 3,214,148 4.910,805 5,(il8,()95 1,9,58,128 1,(509,0.50 3,.3:59,0.54 3,700,9:57 2, .812,81)0 755,883 2,442,(523 3. Si!:!, 124 1.7.')3,55() 3,(;:n,l49 9,54(i,:5n 2,7(i3,]55 3,().53.464 $(5:5,217.856 1,012,619 3,787,8.55 3,163..5.Si) 1,0.54.846 4,072,0.81 6,;U3,:;25 7,471. :5.S9 2,;ill,.5:58 1,9:50.970 4,449, (W) 5,697,559 3,().5(;.:u() 908.:586 2,829, 1.8:5 6,248,727 2,161,269 4,52.5,8(X) :58,.55:5,951 3,:554,(582 4,100,065 $107,(5;{3,0;55 The ajTRreifate number of voters is 260, .321, though the counties marked with a star ('•') are not given in full; the number given being the number of votes cast in the last elections. General Statistics. 411 The following table will exhibit the average yield of farm products in the State for 1869, their cash value per acre, and the number of acres of each : AV. YIELD. AV. VAI.IJE. KO. ACRES. Corn bushels 25.8 8.8 11.3 19.3 22.5 20.0 88 845 1.43 $12 12 8 53 9 15 8 87 16 87 15 00 45 76 70 13 23 79 1,976,744 AVheat " 836,022 Eye " 20,530 Oats " 203,108 Barlev " 1,368 Buckwheat " 475 Potatoes " 13,863 Tobacco.... pouuds 41,420 Hay tons 108,391 AVERAGE PRICE OF LIVE AXIJIAI^S. Horses % 84 48 Mules 105 51 Oxen and other cattle 14 77 Milch Cows 23 57 Sheep •. 1 66 Hogs 4 49 Table shoiving Number and Size of Farms in each County. NUMBER OF FARltfS. COUNTIES. t^ 5 O 1 a p 5 S c o s . S si 18,806 V c ■n Co oio u o Total 118,141 170 8,076 19,987 42,862 27,788 412 50 Anderson 1,034 1,667 1,165 481 1,170 1,133 607 1,514 960 527 908 1,100 1,509 1.004 421 1,948 33 25 53 21 16 241 11 110 3 31 131 1Q3 586 60 39 132 196 118 235 79 51 59 27 479 60 40 206 216 114 144 106 281 426 489 469 169 216 256 251 549 447 184 285 437 312 378 158 704 254 551 310 104 442 309 179 252 266 160 156 227 255 241 83 455 123 483 97 103 440 265 139 122 180 111 116 117 231 168 33 346 2 1 Bedford Benton 1 Bledsoe 4 3 3 1 Blount 2 Bradley Campbell Cannon 1 ■ 1 4 1 5 Carroll Carter Cheatham 8 1 Cocke 11 I 8 Coffee 4 1 21 Cumberland Davidson i 412 Resources of Tennessee. Table Sho^ving NiJiBER OF Farms— -Continued. xrivrBER OP FARMS COTJXTIES. o r ^ ; " ' ■* ^ o t3 1 5 s •A CO 5 a 0 0 1 S^ a ■ 00 5 3 0 0 8 Decatur 655 1,200 857 2,311 2,796 646 1,358 3,373 3,917 1,169 1,873 272 850 758 2,307 1,059 336 957 1,923 2,083 1,178 1,108 1,820 1,410 601 2,397 192 1,113 950 223 3,393 1,062 1,547 937 1,658 3,061 1,186 1,205 588 991 1,644 394 2,130 1,828 1,138 546 1,325 690 1,339 1,811 7 53 28 93 133 56 51 161 214 68 35 11 33 20 257 31 116 4 141 80 71 36 168 50 60 103 1 12 36 10 149 128 1 508 45 263 195 47 11 5 21 29 168 163 159 63 113 286 38 132 60 252 94 842 440 129 187 825 1,199 90 86 64 68 84 406 213 16 100 335 296 305 284 469 93 81 279 7 205 273 38 997 207 40 73 215 646 30 117 83 17 172 95 695 441 452 86 354 42 70 165 240 517 315 938 1,403 216 477 1,498 1,475 383 404 105 256 313 799 435 73 322 755 861 445 471 654 355 227 957 81 552 447 103 1,154 410 908 139 657 956 184 494 244 213 565 198 841 579 362 169 484 117 396 479 229 260 261 300 525 163 344 646 607 342 681 51 253 240 515 255 69 281 466 584 219 246 351 454 156 682 55 206 150 56 616 221 382 108 428 576 360 373 115 363 417 64 295 390 137 160 254 128 456 562 118 115 154 129 264 76 292 240 399 277 653 41 230 101 303 125 61 238 223 258 127 70 174 447 73 363 45 136 43 16 460 88 211 102 308 589 412 171 131 384 450 8 125 249 26 110 120 114 365 468 1 DeKalb 3 Dickson 5 7 25 1 4 2 13 7 10 Dyer 2 1 5 1 1 8 2 4 Fayette 5 Fentress Franklin 2 Gibson Giles 2 Grainger Greene Grundv Hamilton 5 4 1 Hancock Hardeman 20 Hardin i' Hawkins 11 3 4 1 Henderson Henrv Hickni an 11 Humpli revs 1 1 5 Jackson 3 6 4 3 Jefferson Johnson Knox 9 2 1 1 1 Lake 1 Lauderdale 1 Lawrence Lewis Lincoln 7 16 1 5 3 4 26 4 1 2 6 17 1 Macon Madison Marion 4 Marshall 1 Maurv 5 1 2 McMinn McNiiirv Meigs Monroe 2 l" 3 Montgomery 1 Aforgan Obion 2 3 2 7 2" 7 1 3 2 1 Overton Perry Polk 1 1 Putnam Rhea 1 6 2 Roane 1 Robertson 2 General Statistics. 413 Table Showing Ncmber of Farms — Coniinued. COUNTIES. Eutherford. Scott Sequatchie . Sevier Shelby Smith Stewart Sullivan Sumner Tipton Union Van Buren. Warren "Washington Wayne Weakley .... White Williamson. Wilson NUMBER OF FARMS. 2,011 621 303 1,003 4,187 2 272 1^012 1,526 2,528 1,055 715 432 1,372 1,400 1,401 2,312 1,152 2,467 3,059 42 76 115 51 339 166 44 225 78 14 17 18 57 21 109 76 44 169 157 151 147 19 141 917 473 175 87 254 155 44 90 154 94 414 348 226 459 461 s V Zi - c S 3 ^^ ^~*. 5- s 7Z "0 (M 576 623 248 125 59 55 354 285 2,039 619 823 464 464 224 404 432 916 687 411 299 225 275 152 82 499 377 385 484 500 255 1,042 600 363 301 850 5021 1,196 793; 587 25 50 171 264 340 102 372 569 171 151 73 284 413 121 236 207 466 448 31 1 1 5 3 2 4 18 4 1 14 1 2 2 5 11 16 4 Manufacturing Industries. The manufacturing industries of the State have been largely increased since 1870. The number of establishments at that time was 5,317, em- ploying 732 steam engines and 1,340 water-wheels, 19,412 hands, and a capital of $15,595,295. The amount of wages paid was $5,390,630 ; value of material, $19,657,027; value of products, $34,362,636. De- ducting value of material and cost of labor from the value of products, and there remain $9,314,979, or nearly sixty per cent, on the capital invested. In this, however, salaries paid are not included. Among these establishments may be mentioned 25 cotton factories, 15 woolen manufactories, not including wool carding, of which there were 133 ; flouring and grist mills, 1,058 ; furnaces, 14; founderies, 29; sawmills, 702; tanneries, 209 ; carriage and wagon, 220 ; agricultural implements, 25; blacksmith shops, 719; furniture, 80; saddlery and harness, 161 , distilleries, 44; breweries, 6; steam engines and boilers, 7; manufiic- tured tobacco, including cigars, 181. In the manufacture of cotton goods and iron, the establishments, if not doubled in number; have twice the capacity they had in 1870: 4^4 Resources of Tennessee. and so of the distilleries and carriage and wagon shops. The coal product has been trebled. There is a growing tendency in the minds of the citizens to diversify their pursuits by the establishment of man- ufactories. The want of home markets is greatly felt. The undue proportion engaged in agriculture is a serious drawback to the pros- perity of the State, More than fifty per cent, is not to be desired. Xor is it for the best interest of society to have a fewer number. Those in agricultural pursuits should be numerous enough to supply food and material, and no more, to those engaged in other pursuits and profes- sions, and to be able to absorb, in times of financial distress, those thrown out of employment. Relative Rank of Tennessee. As compared with other states and territories, we find Tennessee to stand — in area twenty-first ; in population, ninth ; in number of in- habitants to the square mile, seventeenth, though if the true number of square miles were given, it would be the fifteenth ; in land in farms, seventh ; in improved land, tenth ; in farm productions, ninth ; in Avheat raised, thirteenth; in Indian corn, seventh; in tobacco, third; in cotton, eighth ; in wool, fourteenth ; in the value of live stock, ninth ; in number of horses, twelfth ; in mules and asses, second ; in milch cows, twelfth; in work oxen, fifth; other cattle, twelfth; in swine, fifth ; in animals slaughtered, ninth ; in home manufactures, fifth. Financial Condition of the State. Amount debt State of Tennessee January 1,1870 $43,052,652 25 " " " " " " " 1871 38,539,802 25 " " " " " " 1872 33,190,938 37 " " " " " 1873 30,632,200 76 " " April " 1874 27,920,386 45 AMOUNT DUE STATE. From solvent railroads; Mississippi Central Railroad $1,199,180 00 Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad 417,800 00 Mcnipliis and Charleston Railroad 1,741,576 75 Interest due from last 103,315 00 $3,461,871 75 General Statistics. 41 5 Brought fwward $2,461,871 7o From endorsed bonds for which State is secondarily liable : Nashville and Qiattanooga Eailroad $1,237,000 00 East Tenn. and Va. Railroad, consolidated 242,000 00 Memphis City Bonds endorsed by Memphis and Little Eocic Railroad 673,400 00 $2,152,400 00 From purchasers of delinquent railroads : McMinnville and Manchester Railroad $105,000 00 Edgefield and Kentucky Railroad 330,250 00 Knoxville and Kentucky Railroad 12,500 00 Tennessee and Pacific Railroad 150,000 00 Interest on all of above 125,527 00 Knoxville and Charleston Railroad, unsold, valued 100,000 00 $ 823,277 00 Total amount due State $6,437,548 75 Net amount upon which State must pay interest $21,482,837 70 To which add school fund 2,512,500 00 Wliole amount for which the State must provide interest $23,995,337 70 "Which amount would require an annual interest of nearly one mil- lion four hundred and forty thousand dollars. A List of Newspapers and Periodicals Published in the State. Courier, Bristol. Democratic. Weekly. Herald and Tribune, Jonesboro. Republican. Weekly. Echo, Jonesboro. Ptepublican. Weekly. National Union, Greenville. Democratic. Weekly. New Era, Greeneville. Republican. Weekly. American, Greeneville. Weekly. Gazette, Morristown. Democratic. Weekly. Spy, Morristown. Republican. Weekly. Press and Herald, Knoxville. Democratic. Daily and Weekly. Chronicle, Knoxville. Republican. Daily and Weekly. Grange Outlook, Knoxville. Agricultural. Weekly. Holston Methodist, Knoxville. Religious. Weekly. Commercial Advertiser, Knoxville. Commercial. Weekly. Republican, Maryville. Republican. Weekly. Journal, Loudon. Republican. Weekly. East Tennessean, Kingston. Independent. Weekly. Valley News, Kingston. Republican. Weekly. Enterprise, Sweetwater. Democratic. Weekly. Post, Athens. Democratic. Weekly. 41 6 Resources of Tennessee. Banner, Cleveland. Democratic. Weekly. Republican, Cleveland. Republican. Weekly. Commercial, Chattanooga. Republican. Daily and Weekly. Times, Chattanooga. JDemocratic. Daily and Weekly. Herald, Jasper. Democratic. Weekly. New Era, McMinnville. Democratic Weekly. Observer, Fayetteville. D-emocratic. Weekly. Express, Fayetteville. Democratic. Weekly. Home Journal, Winchester. Democratic. Weekly. Commercial, Shelbyville. Democratic. Weekly. Gazette, Shelbyville. Democratic. Weekly. Sentinel, Lynchburg. Democratic. Weekly. Gazette, Lewisburg. Democratic. Weekly. Free Press, Woodbury. Democratic. Weekly. Democrat, Manchester. Democratic. Weekly. Index, Sparta. Democratic. Weekly. News, Gainsboro. Independent. Weekly. Monitor, Murfreesboro. Democratic. Weekly. News, Murfreesboro. Democratic. Weekly. Herald, Lebanon. Democratic. Weekly. Sentinel, Hartsville. Democratic. Weekly. Examiner, Gallatin. Democratic. Weekly. Tennessean, Gallatin. Democratic. Weekly. Record, Springfield. Democratic. Weekly. Chronicle, Clarksville. Democratic. Weekly. Tobacco Leaf, Clarksville. Democratic. AVeekly. Record, Dover. Democratic. Weekly. Union and American, Nashville. Democratic. Daily, Semi- Weekly, and Weekly. Republican Banner, Nashville. Independent. Daily, Tri- Weekly, and Weekly. Rural Sun, Nashville. Agricultural. Weekly, Bulletin, Nashville. Republican. Weekly. Commercial Reporter, Nashville. Commercial. Weekly. Journal of Commerce, Nashville, Commercial. Weekly. Christian Advocate, Nashville. Religious. Weekly. Baptist Watchman, Nashville. Religious. Weekly. Banner of Peace, Nashville, Religious. Weekly. Gospel Advocate, Nashville. Religious. Weekly. Independent Workingman, Nashville. Weekly, Southern Press, Nashville. Neutral- Weekly, Tennes.see Post, Nashville, German. Weekly. Good Templar, Nashville. Temperance. Weekly. Journal of Medicine and Surgery, Nashville. Medical, Monthly, Pharmacal Gazette, Nashville, Medical, Monthly. Tennessee School Journal, Nashville. Educational. Monthly. Religious Historian, Nashville. Religious. Monthly. Sunday School Magazine, Nashville. Monthly. Sunday School Visitor, Nashville. Monthly. Sunday Morning, Nashville. Monthly. Sabbath School Gem, Nashville. Monthly. Sunday School Standard, Nashville. Monthly. General Statistics. 417 Our Little People, Nashville. Monthly. Southern Law Review, Nashville. Law. Quarterly. Theological Medium, Nashville. Religious. Quarterly. Review and Journal, Franklin. Democratic. Weekly. Herald and Mail, Columbia. Democratic. Weekly. Citizen, Pulaski. Democratic Weekly. Journal, Lawrenceburg. Democratic. Weekly. Citizen, Waynesboro. Democratic. Weekly. Journal, Waverly. Democratic. Weekly. Transcript, Savannah. Democratic. Weekly. Reporter, Lexington. Democratic. Weekly. Times, McKenzie. Democratic. Weekly. West Tennessean, Huntingdon. Republican. Weekly. Democrat, Dresden. Democratic. Weekly. Signal, Troy. Democratic. Weekly. Progress, Dyersburg Democratic. Weekly. Gazette, Dyersburg. Independent. Weekly. News Gazette, Trenton Democratic- Weekly. Journal, Humboldt. Democratic. Weekly. Exchange, Milan. Democratic. Weekly. Herald, Union City. Democratic. Weekly. Sentinel, Alamo. Democratic. Weekly. News, Ripley. Democratic. Weekly. Intelligencer, Paris. Democratic. Weekly. Whig and Tribune. Jackson. D«mocratic. Weekly. Dispatch, Jackson. Democratic. Weekly. Herald, Jackson. Democratic. Daily and Weekly, Courier, Jackson. Independent. Weekly. States, Brownsville. Democratic. Weekly. Bee, Brownsville. Democratic. Weekly. Record, Covington. Democratic. Weekly, Bulletin, Bolivar. Democratic. Weekly. Falcon, Somerville. Independent. Weekly. Appeal, Memphis. Democratic. Daily and Weekly. Avalanche, Memphis. Independent. Daily and Weekly. Register, Memphis. Democratic. Daily and Weekly, Ledger, Memphis. Democratic. Daily and Weekly. Western Methodist, Memphis. Religious. Weekly. Tennessee Baptist, Memphis. Religious Weekly. Southern Advertiser. Memphis. German. Weekly. Southern Farmer, Memphis. Agricultural. Monthly. Masonic Jewel, Memphis. Masonic. Monthly. The table following is inserted to supply a much needed demand. It is taken from the census returns, and shows improved land, value of farms, live stock, &c. 27 4i8 Resources of Tennessee. COUNTIES. g J > o P. s I ■J "", « LIVE STOCK. 1 o a; 3 "3 > C CIJ t S Mo ^ ,5 ." 'S i o o 0) o < ■3 a 3 % c o J3 § No. 1,893 4,668 2.028 1,354 2,488 2,455 1,488 2,487 4,076 1,:326 1,529 2.112 2,830 1,881 964 5,428 1,436 2,002 1,917 3,531 4,534 1,380 3,043 5,47(1 6,6:36 2,248 5,279 621 2,393 1,514 3,146 2,670 3,ro5 2,6S1 8,649 3,600 2,600 2,:355 2,780 3,097 1,601 4,543 615 2,799 1,867 443 6,9:34 1,<599 3,931 1,977 3,881 6,7,35 2,653 2,999 1,069 2,5;39 3,272 940 3,716 3,360 1,971 1,057 2,166 1,4,55 3,0(>1 3,000 3 U X o be 3 '% O a> 6 a % 1 Anderson A ores. 50,750 143,537 46,443 33,873 91,740 74,597 40.042 59.149 127.515 36,386 43 213 47.847 67.33-i 55,307 16,174 126.481 41,205 51,405 50,534 83.724 152.766 29,059 91,716 13-i,669 182.894 82,518 162 031 12,274 e8,958 39,778 138,112 51,005 116,79s 75,949 92,520 110,172 57 ,329 44,018 68,834 118, I3i 28.393 135,960 13,379 53,728 33,«37 9,168 189,5t>2 42.690 94,169 3.3.211 114,002 196,242 98,731 64.596 41 ,204 101 976 130,.S95 12,248 75.416 82,9(i3 2!<,2.s(( 34,648 51.:tl5 32.72;i 102,502 140,641 Dollars. 1,045,727 7,511,259 463,607 702,880 2,410,825 2,077,861 897,182 1,671,572 3,077,511 1,022,2:6 758. 5;» 979.459 1.523,952 2,414,115 414,455 12,186,365 564,677 1,549.156 1.381,330 1,950.346 3,901,190 527,275 2,784.364 4,890,570 6,717,824 1,6^0 266 4,526,184 429,190 2,416,203 692,815 3,335,4o9 l,29:i.203 2,:i48,287 1,885,796 1,929,885 2,645,294 1,411.409 1,6(.3,934 1,075,086 3.694.155 763,190 4,502,445 882,4 il 2,536,'.t80 803,4.S6 211,140 6,5-,il,190 639,731 3 953. 675 9.'^9,as0 3,707,071 10,086,9,-9 2,350 882 1,139.310 729,108 2,2.53,045 4,172,162 263,952 2,437.755 l,.3.57,26i 991 67:! 887,695 812,779 996,474 2,58742;^ 4,291,516 Dollars. 344,492 2,037.652 599,786 387,703 986,532 639,655 350,291 1,088,168 1,791,796 275,355 379,496 254,175 ao2,850 598,277 227,074 1,967,907 577,699 710,808 533.067 l,528,oS5 2,974,576 219,302 1,012,127 3.327,52;3 2,690,754 533.925 1,200,990 356,108 571,856 &34,031 2,154,818 746.785 815,053 1.403,495 1.168.172 1,337 686 975.199 648,819 631,496 993.655 237 671 1,116.430 398,348 1,197.975 574 891 107 804 2.066,.342 1,143,735 1,601,143 499,367 1,204,956 2,682,211 856,6^2 943.156 266,318 829,515 1,706,506 162.877 1,5(54,292 623,539 499,295 317,949 637,645 717,727 6] 9,768 1,359,245 Dollars. 3:-i7,678 1,471,421 372,297 2:B1,915 540,8^4 448,542 263,685 680,805 910,2.55 193,166 341,92(1 32vi,016 433,768 463,201 175,359 1,2'9,870 311,117 548,285 366,936 862,591 1,085,136 194,839 625,000 1,319,242 1,736,504 433.913 890,043 104,140 445.340 244.673 793,203 £0.',919 593,066 662,705 732,519 915.425 536.926 512,13;i 5:«.605 652.822 210,240 840,2-^7 125,802 594,1)20 353,H41 84,664 2,155,474 424.090 956,719 356,903 1,229,100 2,015,;3,55 530,128 61.5.521 213,5,50 419.798 873,2.56 133,759 871.179 ,570,079 384,690 160,998 419,792 262,120 520,488 970,816 No. 1,783 6,255 1,747 1,137 2,847 2.1M 1,390 3,360 3,517 1.0:^<3 1,450 1.752 1.994 2,506 527 5,646 1,2S8 2,737 1,622 3,855 2,839 942 2,945 5,631 7,672 2,233 4,644 601 1,-75 1,263 2,684 1 ,993 .3,192 2.172 2,816 3,658 2,374 1,971 2,984 3,210 951 4,907 511 1,992 1,745 329 7,968 2.233 2,849 1.571 6,202 8,-64 2,336 2,3:^8 996 2,3.34 3,023 515 3,742 3,450 1,706 715 2.218 1,152 3.390 3,9'i8 No. 261 2,372 819 2:36 476 730 235 1.202 2,265 167 820 187 525 603 103 2,223 628 653 997 1,.562 4,073 148 750 2,955 3,458 350 858 99 563 98 2,202 S70 417 1.889 1,679 2,722 1,790 914 435 461 142 913 381 1,12:1 544 209 3,434 561 3,195 265 2,598 5,346 713 1,149 2.^4 „485 2,569 1,671 4:f4 804 364 ;!.39 243 604 2,461 No. 636 716 1,075 498 813 638 684 1,046 857 239 293 824 1,145 599 524 138 764 1,183 655 923 405 822 948 No. 6,064 25,204 7,790 5.555 10,82.s 9,146 6,671 12,198 10,822 6,4:30 4,825 9.502 9,730 8,107 4,466 12,221 6,649 11,473 6,925 8,831 3,828 5.021 8.820 No. 9,773 ? Bedlord 38,962 a Benton 20,016 4 Bledsoe 11,048 S Blount 15,725 6 7 Bradley 13,633 9,784 8 Cannon 23,550 9 Carroll 35,018 10 11 12 Carter.. Cheatham 1 'laiborne 7,253 14.980 11.942 IS O'cke 19,297 14 Coffee 17,226 15 16 Cumberland Davidpc-n. ..•. 10,311 29,667 17 Decatur 13,508 18 19 DeKalb Dickson 20,999 11,557 ?0 Dyer 36,448 91 Fayette 30,762 22 F.'iitres? Franklin 12,017 24,074 94 Gibson 5:33114.113 51,103 95 Giles l,3a3 1,000 1,026 298 796 661 1,007 1,383 1,298 351 1,308 882 549 1,094 2,040 7ti8 369 744 256 605 771 165 1,371 800 101 1,014 396 693 703 827 3,36 5:56 562 473 1,169 1,643 928 540 1,.364 542 827 134 18,658 9.797 21,130 1,880 6,741 7,:365 7,139 8,044 16,567 5.206 10.168 10.878 (i,927 8,9:37 15,323 11,598 6,004 13,441 816 3.118 5,520 1,676 27,075 8,175 3,558 5,()05 16,218 21,:3:iO 9,829 9,865 4,392 8,:346 8,015 4,312 10,505 17,293 5,.328 4,(;42 10.460 5,:306 10 552 1.146 47,700 ?fi Grainger 47,723 27 98 Greene Grundy 25,306 5,892 99 Hamilton 16,;359 30 SI Hancock Hardeman. „ 10,690 34,936 21,2:35 21,700 32 Hardin 1 lawkins 34 35 Haywood Henderson 20,514 32.559 3fi Henry .34 384 37 Hickman 23.793 3H Humphreys 18,418 39 40 41 42 43 44 4-5 4fi Jackcon 29,120 Jefferson 17,971 Johnson . Knox 5,271 22,519 Luke 5,853 I.auiierdale 22,086 Lawrence 13,584 Lewis 3,.361 47 LincDln 26,595 48 Macon 13,227 49 viadison •31,906 V) Marion 17,020 51 Marshall.. 32,038 52 .Maury Mc.Miiin 53,124 16,558 54 55 McNairy Meifi;;' 21.801 8,098 5ti Vlonroe 13,422 67 58 59 .Montgomery Morgan Obion 28,205 9,.53a 44,1.37 7 1,067,775 2.054 163 353,2(i0 496,659 73,373 353.700 204 190 586,-508 484,721 466.470 522,921 547,805 767,220 514,554 491,3,55 530,276 527,853 85,782 548,54() 414,570 443.809 189,695 73,315 l,233,'.i60 2.56,483 692.910 265,100 591,358 1,44'" 9^5 350,8.33 370431 17«,7,33 415,010 810,194 52,042 917,445 394.026 368.045 152 425 .332.254 187,970 504.590 550.920 Bushels. 73.441 104,801 18,986 21,550 104,501 41,727 65,208 26,870 4,206 63,3'J6 44,585 59,039 45,259 26,462 9,115 131,558 20,549 32,250 58,810 7,023 9.450 24,067 68,371 12,118 70,512 86,0U5 149,518 11,242 44,963 41,308 19,799 15,151 112,306 9,717 17. 26,816 34,202 29,967 54,3 1 4 132,453 34,682 259,047 1,892 5,465 22,095 3,472 72,179 60,756 9,781 27,989 83,691 61.387 77,810 18,362 18,T 50, -'67 62,.37 15,548 21.919 69.957 9.312 17.192 37,854 30.03 112.029 149,01 Pounds. 15,578 19,290 412,435 14,220 675 10,628 8.509 30,750 10,840 1,H0 419,265 4,827 17.741 13 387 l:'..098 21,490 44,6!0 87,076 402,130 412,440 840 16.990 9,983 97.300 40,655 16,646 41.. 585 2'147 855 9,9' 5,000 300 12,370 40 15.134 1,715.001 18,913.5 113,177 713,578 10182 7.557 26,532 2,100 32,417 5,677 31.83' 950,768 17,487 12,788 14,215 4,862 6,33s 200 2,875 4,856,378 7,944 645,937 1«7.331 5.244 1.100 131,856 10,276 .350 2,10?,322 Bales. 869 696 Potatoei" Sugar 2 54 5,023 62 30 "1,416 1,159 12 9 4,908 20,131 289 9,815 8,367 7,884 2,026 10 510 4,191 2,.385 755 107 9 71 2 52 6,337 522 120 3,745 1,988 9.255 724 2,063 9,36 4 3,347 456 ""21 2,256 16 495 Pounds 12,884 35,516 10,288 11465 18,178 14,826 12,055 21,451 13,044 7,978 8,179 15 300 15,074 12,597 8,497 30,310 9,796 20,4b0 15,028 3,314 3,305 9,044 16,294 12,67' 34,259 15,989 39,511 3,158 12 912 13,967 9,1)20 10,275 26,r-'4 10,118 15,923 16,459 14,96: 14,622 26,311 21,892 11,333 26,328 815 447 10.598 3,040 48.113 13,605 8,692 9,157 34 553 35,544 17,8r8 13,509 4, .396 16,324 14 009 9,17 17 082 25,586 10,429 7.639 19,092 9,0.88 14.027 19,387 Bushels. 11,063 17,408 19,926 4,714 3,520 12,810 2,445 7,045 371 2,781 7,609 3,150 6,219 11,726 2,367 62,854 15,913 9,1-56 12,i54 2,931 26.077 4,901 9,915 60,276 28.074 8,045 11,331 3,652 1,480 3,489 32,143 10.472 4.950 31,037 30,736 31,882 16,226 17.829 12.803 9,280 046 24,243 4,3.s2 5,002 9,391 3,004 23,103 9,H40 9.724 10,662 16,656 24.962 13.102 22.028 3,497 9,208 33,490 3,415 33,607 14,.514 6,254 4,575 11,581 6,185 11,609 27.455 Hhds 30 200 160 12 191 20 12'; 420 Resources of Tennessee. COUNTIES. •a 5 > 2 a 1 P^ 0 =! "5 > Total (estimated) value ol all farm productions, in- cluding betterments and additions to stock. LITB STOCK. 0 > 0 «> 0 0 w < -a a OS CD M 0 n 0 0) a (57 Rutherford Acrp>' 181,447 20,682 15,505 57,338 164,431 120 332 47.382 104.306 181,189 67,370 46.435 i'6,414 85,844 106,646 56 957 113,457 64,361 155 471 163,834 Dollars. 10,153,110 298,248 .382,060 1,444,930 9,987,974 3,182,929 803,838 2,434,109 5,167,581 2.2.36,745 904,320 370.120 2,454,908 3,228,291 1,201,233 3,453 713 1.203,790 6.528,324 7,147,654 Dollars. 2.260,874 181,869 150,180 308,498 4,169,342 1,278,088 637559 655,732 1,690,216 1,458,235 505,506 236,262 751,645 882,804 766,893 1,393,025 673,072 2,594,875 2,195,087 Dollar i. 1,519,939 176,947 146,756 364,923 1,418,849 1,096,202 461,870 593,487 1,435,431 600,109 231,235 143,041 570,221 605,797 645,740 1,024,853 377,622 1,403,202 1,919,019 No. 7,953 824 655 1,954 4,221 4,857 1,579 3,384 7,582 1,879 1,451 718 3,218 3,620 2,500 3,914 2,345 7,194 9,682 No. 3,493 69 104 257 4,676 1,239 994 202 3,078 1,851 118 112 666 297 962 2,673 349 3,121 4,150 No. 5,862 1,4('0 680 2,264 6,629 3,715 2,158 3,405 5,378 2,784 1,264 766 2,781 3,604 2,898 4,062 2,122 5,060 5,185 No. 496 579 298 574 542 1,979 1,007 268 687 184 400 406 906 462 1,585 1.047 806 379 584 No. 17.183 6,589 2, 72 9„578 5,720 17,591 8.939 15,634 20,421 4.675 6,326 3,247 12.495 13,208 9,674 13,034 8,144 15,226 24,023 No. 33,376 6S Scott 13,189 69 70 Sequatchie Sevier 6.193 13,083 71 79 Shelby Smith -1,070 33,687 73 Siewart 15,652 74 1 8.478 75 37,304 76 Tipton 20,240 77 Union 6,971 78 8.584 79 80 Warren 18,814 15,3.35 81 Wayne 24,841 8'' Weakley .38,935 83 White 17.;-!40 84 Williamson 41,703 85 Wileon 48,708 General Statistics. 421 PRODDCKD. Wheat. ti t- (C tn cs « Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. 22.725 152,0-20 13.746 24 726 1,001 12,472 2,035 63.483 1,575 4 333 14,692 287 57 126,004 3,833 31.380 436 400 132,247 5,650 40 163,074 7,222 30.579 29,61.5 14,002 108 735 422 1,111 72,280 1,072 170,934 6,43!) 47,428 1,500 1 5 136 173 211 55,181 1,158 45,568 181.7-.26 4,662 1,765 239,950 3,189 Bushels. 867,443 88,311 103,010 260,214 940,796 888,0' ' 428,311 302,227 1,155,914 446,771 168,579 104,033 339,250 290,388 484,861 879,544 347,944 1,010,443 1,173,201 Bushels. 63,514 17,793 6,915 42,460 7,697 72,52S 26,623 176,387 2;33,837 18,681 69,799 4,456 515,348 148,383 19,314 1,945 22.129 !t9,933 151,067 Pounds 1,300 9,283 9,353 13,997 950 2,250,202 1,191,620 16,307 909,568 170 14,169 9,858 27,446 22,806 26,769 2,599,590 21,816 80,415 332,901 Bales. 8,4J2 6 32,434 8 1,809 170 10,052 884 135 lu5 1,101 7 84 3,815 1.2U5 Pounds 23,285 12 560 5,904 16,109 1,264 32,674 16,1.35 27.026 38,860 5 195 ■ 10 673 6,006 24,212 26,694 17 ^56 20,056 15,735 29,944 36,854 Potatoes Bushels. 24,299 4,200 4,102 7,308 50,747 15,163 18,746 7.844 25,074 18,380 ""4,2i6 17,15-.' 3,656 14,927 10,282 13 .301 20,5.55 33,362 Sugar Hhds 654 15 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 P^RT II. EAST TENNESSEE, (With a Description of Each County.) The State of Tennessee is divided into three political divisions, known as East, Middle and West Tennessee. Of these we are to speak now only of East Tennessee. This division of the State em- braces the counties of Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan and Washington, forming the first judicial circuit; Camp- bell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Sevier, Scott and Union, forming the second circuit; Anderson, Blount, Fentress, Knox, Loudon, Monroe and Morgan, forming the third circuit; and Bradley, Bledsoe, Hamilton, James, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, E,hea and Sequatchie, forming the fourth circuit — in all, thirty-three counties, containing an aggregate of 7,961,079 acres assessed for taxation. The census returns give to East Tennessee 329,112 inhab- itants. History. It is not within the province of this paper to attempt even a sketch of the history of East Tennessee, only in so far as may be necessary to a proper understanding of the present condition of this division of the State. For this purpose a very brief summary will suffice. The present State of Tennessee was once a part of North Caro- lina. Indeed, by the same royal grant that made Tennessee a part of the colony of North Carolina, its boundaries were extended "west- 424 Resouj'ces of Tetinessee. ward to the South Sea/' (Pacific Ocean). The colony, however never claimed beyond the Mississippi. ^ ' ^"^ East Tennessee was settled mainly by emigrants from North Caro- lina and Virginia, with a few families from South Carolina The hrst white man who built a house and brought his family out, wa^ Captain William Bean. He came from Pittsylvania county; Virginia m the ye 1769, and built his cabin on a small creek, tbat em^ptie^ into the Watauga River, called Boone Creek. This name is said to have been given the creek in honor of Daniel Boone, who had, some time previously, made this record on the bark of a beech standing near its bank: D. Boone "cilled ABA R.- The first white native of Tennessee was Russell Bean. Bean's Station now marks and com- memorates this first settlement. A fortunate combination of circumstances had freed that section of East Tennessee lying north and west of the Little Tennessee from Indians, and thus favored the rapid settlement of this most inviting country. The exemption from Indian troubles continued up to the outbreak of the war of revolution. Up to this period the Watauga settlement had grown to many hundreds, and other settlements had been made. A considerable acquisition was made to the Watauga settlement in 1771 from the refugee "Regulators" from North Caro- lina, who, after the defeat at Alamance, took refuge in the settlement trom the threatened vengeance of Governor Tryon. When the war began, the Watauga settlement went heart and hand with the Colonists against the King. In all the settlement not a Tory was to be found. In 1776 the settlers met together and made a writ- ten agreement for the better management of their common affairs. I his agreement was called the " Watauga Association." They elected thirteen men as commissioners to manage affairs, and chose five men as a court for the settlement of all individual disputes. The members of this court were: John Sevier, James Robertson, Charles Robertson John Carter and Zach. Isbel. At the same time they named East Tennessee the Washington District, and sent a memorial lo the authorities of North Carolina exi>laining that they had no desire to separate from the Province, but wished to have its laws extended over them, and were willing to bear part of all the burdens, danger and expenses of the war. To this memorial the North Carolina Legisla- ture replied by establishing all the settlements west of the mountains mto Washington county, and giving them the right to send delegates to a State Convention about to assemble at Halifax. The delegates East Termessee. 4-5 sent by the new county were: John Sevier, Charles Robertson, John Carter and John Haile. Thus, to the pioneers of Watauga belongs the honor of being first to do homage to him whose name now graces more men and towns, cities, counties and states, than any other one name in history. George Washington had just been named commander-in-chief of the American colonial armies. The news was fresh to the western settlers, and in their zeal they hastened to link the name, as they stood ready to risk the fortunes of their young settlement, with the cause in which the colonies were embarking. Washington district — afterward Washing- ton county — was the first county ever named in honor of George Washington. It was also the first county organized in the present State of Tennessee, and originally embraced the entire State. The result of the convention at Halifax was the adoption of a con- stitution for the government of the 8tate of North Carolina. The first Legislature which met under this constitution laid off the county and established civil courts and militia laws for the administration of justice and the protection of the settlers. At the next term a wagon-road was ordered opened from some convenient point in Burke county, across the mountains, to some convenient point in Washington county, and six hundred and forty (640) acres of land were offered to every head of a family who would go out and settle on it, and in addition, one hundred for his wife, and one hundred for each of his children. Under these impulses the number of immigrants increased so rapidly that, in 1779, it was found best to establish another county to the north of the Watauga settlement. This county was named Sullivan, in honor of General Sullivan of the Continental army. In the same year the present town of Jonesborough was laid off by authority of the General Assembly. It was named in honor of Wiley Jones, of Halifax, North Carolina, and Avas made the county seat of Washington, an honor which it still retains. It would make this sketch too long w^ere w^e to follow up the line of progress by which, from one county, has developed thirty-five in East Tennessee, and nearly twice as many more in Middle and West Ten- nessee. A glance at the names of the thirty-five, which we have given above, will suffice to show that for many years the people of East Tennessee continued to go to the rolls of honor of the revolution wdien they sought to name new counties. At the battle of "King's Mountain" the Watauga regiment, under command of Colonel John Sevier, contributed largely towards turning 426 Resources of Tejinessee. the tide of the battle, aud of the war, in favor of the almost despairing colonies. The first separate government in Tennessee was irregular and short- lived. It was known as the State of Franklin, and had at its head Colonel John Sevier. It lasted just one year, and was suppressed by the State of North Carolina. The one session of the General Assem- bly of Franklin, held in Jonesborough in 1785, established "Martin Academy," one of the first chartered institutions of learning in Ten- nessee, It was long and wisely administered by the Rev. Samuel Doak, eminent alike for his piety and his learning. In the same year North Carolina chartered Davidson Academy, at Nashville. In 1789 the General Assembly of North Carolina ceded the territory now constituting the State of Tennessee, to the United States, and in the following year the cession was accepted by the United States, and Tennessee ceased to be a part of North Carolina. Under Federal authority, and by the appointment of President Washington, Wm. Blount, of North Carolina, was made Governor of the Territory, and David Campbell and Joseph Anderson were made judges, in the year 1790. The Territory was at that time divided into two districts: Washington district, consisting of all the counties in East Tennessee, and Mero district, consisting of Davidson, Sumner, and Ten- nessee counties in Middle Tennessee. Governor Blount secured the appointment of Jno. Sevier, as Brigadier-General for Washington dis- trict, and James Robertson, for Mero. In these and the many other appointments intrusted to him, Governor Blount confirmed the choice of the people and made himself very popular. He made his official resi- dence at Knoxville, though at the time it was nothing more than the site of a few cabins. It and the county of Knox were named in honor of General Henry Knox, then Secretary of War. Under the territorial organization, the government consisted of a Governor, Legislative Council, and a House of Representatives. This organization was not completed until August 25, 1794. Much impor- tant business was transacted by this body, although it remained in ses- sion only thirty-seven days. Among other things, Greeneville College was chartered in Greene county, and Blount College in Knox. At the next term of the Territorial Legislature, steps were taken to change the Territory into a State. Accordingly, a Constitutional Con- vention assembled in Knoxville on the 11th of January, 1796, and on the 6th of February ibllowing, tlic first Constitution of the State of East Tennessee. 4^7 Tennessee was unanimously naopted. The first session of the General Assembly of Tennessee commenced at Knoxville, on the ^8th ot March 1796. General Jno. Sevier was declared elected Governor and duly inaugurated. The United States Senators chosen by this Assem- bly were Governor Wm. Blount and William Cocke, Esq., and m June following, the State of Tennessee was duly admitted a member oi the Federal Union. The name Tennessee was given to the State by the Constitutional Convention, upon motion of Andrew Jackson. It had hitherto been applied only to the beautiful river that flows through the State, and to a county in Middle Tennessse. The name was originally spelled Ten- assee, and is said to be Cherokee for ^i^oon, in consequence of a fancied resemblance in the shape of the river to a spoon. When admitted into the Union, only about one-third of the State of Tennessee was actually inhabited by white people. There were no settlements whatever in West Tennessee, and the settlements of Middle Tennessee only extended to the counties now known as Cheatham, Da- vidson, Montgomery, Robertson, Sumner, Wilson, and Willianison, while the East Tennessee settlements were bounded by the Little ien- nessee River, and a line running a little west of KnoxviUe to Kentucky. The only trade there was in the country consisted of peltries, bacon and honey, and other "trade truck," with which flat-boats were occa- sionally loaded on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, and floated to Natchez or New Orleans. Corn was the staple crop. Wheat was scarcely known as a farm crop. Small crops of flax were grown for home consumption. Hogs, cattle, sheep and horses were grown only for home use. There was no market for anything. And yet the people of Tennessee were not worse ofi" for comforts of life than many of their fellow citizens of older states. How the crops have changed and trade improved will appear as we take up other topics in this sketch. Physical Geography of East Tennessee. There are very many interesting chapters of East Tennessee history waiting to be written, but ours is not the historian's task. We have to speak of things as we find them to-day, and just now our topic is the Physical Geography of East Tennessee, without some knowledge of which it will be impossible to arrive at a correct appreciation of either the soil, climate or industrial resources of this section. 428 Resources of Tennessee. The Mountains of East Tennessee. The eastern system of the mountains of North America is known as the Appalachian system. It begins in broad low hills near the mouth of the St. Lawrence, in Canada, and keeping approximately parallel to the Atlantic coast, extends through Vermont and New York, Penn- sylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, and loses itself in broad low hills in the northern parts of Georgia and Alabama. The characteristic feature of the whole system is, that it is made up of parallel ranges, separated by valleys of remarkably uniform width. These ranges are not continuous, but are broken up into stretches of various lengths. The outer ranges sink down into low broad ridges, but maintain, almost without exception, the general parallelism of the larger central ranges. The extreme length of the Appalachians is about thirteen hundred miles (1,300), and the greatest width from east to west about one hundred (100) miles. This is about midway the length, in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Without the towering height of the Alps or the massive grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, there is still much of interest attaching to the Appalachians to excite the study of men of science. Accordingly, many distinguished geologists of America and Europe have made a study of different sections of these mountains and have felt well paid for their labors. But the results of their various labors are only to be found in separate reports and society papers, and a full and satisfactory account of the entire system remains yet to be w^ritten. In each State local names are given to the various ranges which make up the system, and most of the school geographies have created confusion by failing to recognize the fact that these local ranges are but parts of one grand system. That part of the system which passes through Tennessee, has been appropriately named the Unaka Range and the Cumberland Table Land. These ranges are in turn composed of various subordinate mountains and ridges having local names and special features to distinguish them. The Unaka and the Cumberland ranges are moreover separated by the Valley of the Tennessee. T}iR Unaka Range, lies between the States of Tennessee and North Carolina, its central crest forming, for the most part, the dividing line between the two States. The Valley of East Tennessee is in turn made up of numerous sub- ordinate valleys, lying almost parallel. So that an orographic view would present the appearance of a great valley, with a floor fluted by East Tennessee. 429 low ranges of mountains, running almost parallel with the two great ranges that form the sides. The general trend of these ranges is from north-east to south-west. At irregular intervals, the valley is partially intersected by short ridges or spurs, breaking oif from the main lines and lying nearly at right angles to them. These parallel ranges and transverse ridges exercise a very powerful influence on the climate of East Tennessee. The trend of all the parallel ranges is north-east and south-west, while the dip of the floor of the valley is almost uniformly to the south-west. Near the Virginia line the elevation of the valley floor is between 1,300 and 1,400 feet, while near the Georgia line it falls to about 800 — the direct distance being about 175 miles. In ad- dition to this south-westerly dip, the entire plane of the valley has a north-westerly inclination, in keeping with the general inclination of the plane of the State. On the east the mountain range, which Prof. Safford has named the Unaka, is by far the grandest and most massive chain of mountains east of the Mississippi, and presents many peculiar and interesting features, but little known. The elevations along the State line vary from about 6,500 to about 3,000 feet. The Cumber- land Mountains or " Table Land," lying west of the valley, is much lower and possesses but few of those wild and massive features which characterize the Unakas. It varies in elevation, along its eastern rim, from 2,000 to 3,000 feet. The River System of East Tennessee. With the exception of a few small streams, that take their rise in the north-west corner of East Tennessee, and flow into the Cumber- land River, all of the water courses of East Tennessee, both great and small, flow into the Tennessee River, and find their way out of the valley, through one common channel, near the southern boundary of the State, west of Chattanooga. Standing on the northern ledge of the mountain range that lies just along the Alabama State line, and looking north-east, the streams of East Tennessee would present the picture of an enormous oak tree, with its grand and graceful trunk stretching across the entire State and resting its head far up in Vir- ginia, while its numerous branches stretched on either side far and wide. The tributaries on the eastern side are more numerous and more rapid than those on the west, and are fed by many more smaller streams. These streams are all remarkable for their clear waters and rapid cur- rents, and are filled with many of the most esteemed varieties of fish. The principal of the tributaries on the east are the Watauga, the 43© .Resources of Tennessee. French Broad, the Little Tennessee and the Hiwassee ; on the west, the Clinch and the Sequatchie. Each of these rivers is fed by smaller rivers, and they, in turn, by smaller streams, until the head waters are divided into small branches, flowing from clear and limpid springs bursting out from every nook and cove of the mountain sides. The whole forming a net- work of water unsurpassed in any land. Climate. East Tennessee has a climate more equable and pleasant than that of any other part of North America, east of the Rocky Mountains. It lies between parallels 35° and 36°4' north, and its mean altitude is 1,000 feet above the sea level. The prevailing winds are from the south-west and west, and they bring a constant and bountiful supply of rain from the Gulf of Mexico. Kuoxville is the geographical center of East Tennessee, and it occu- pies a mean elevation too, so that it may be taken as the climatic center also. This is fortunate, since it is only at Kuoxville that regular obser- vations have been taken. On this point we cannot do better than quote from the " Geology of Tennessee," by Prof. Jas. M. Saflford. " The summer mean at Kuoxville, which has been placed at 73° 6' is about that of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as that of several points in central Virginia, of Cincinnati, Louisville, Kentucky, south- ern Indiana and central Illinois. It is, too, I may add, that of the central part of Spain, and the northern part of Italy. The summer of the East Tennessee Valley is, therefore, considering its. valley-like character and its low latitude, a comparatively cool one. This is mostly due to the considerable elevation of the region above the sea." (Page 65.) According to very careful observations made at the East Tennessee University, under the direction of the United States signal service, at Kuoxville The mean temperature for the year is 57° The mean heat for the summer is 71° The mean cold for the winter is 40° Averajte maximum temperature ^H° Aver!i>?e minimum 2 The result is a mild and equable climate that combines delightfully the temjicrate and tr()])ical, without the extremes of either. The mountains on either side protect the valley from the blighting East Tennessee. 431 and chilling northern and north-western winds that so scourge the plains of the north-west — while they act as natural conduit for the milder and gentler winds that come from the Gulf of Mexico. But even these are tempered into pleasant breezes, by the spurs or cross sections of mountains before mentioned as breaking out from the main ranges. Thus it comes, that while it is a very rare occurrence to see the anemometer standing still, destructive storms are never experi- enced. Health. A happy result of these influences is a degree of exemption from all malarial and atmospheric diseases, unsurpassed in any country. The undulating surface of the land, the great numbers and rapid flow of the rivers, the entire absence of all low and marshy lands, and the constant flow of gentle breezes, keep the atmosphere pure and exhiler- ating to a delightful degree. Mineral Springs. In addition to the healthful climate, the mountain regions abound with all manner of mineral springs, many of them furnishing waters that have been thoroughly tested and long noted for their healing properties, and have of late years become popular resorts for health and pleasure-seekers from all parts of the south. Agriculture. Though soil and climate may limit the agricultural capacities of any given land, location and facilities for transportation will always direct- ly shape the character of crops grown as well as the style of cultiva- tion. This truth is well illustrated in East Tennessee. Variety is the characteristic of the soil as it is of the geology of this section. It is true that the great body of the soil is of a limestone character, as lime- stone is the predominating rock, but limestone soil varies more widely than any other, and there is scarcely a variety that is not to be found in East Tennessee. And all limestone soils, if not rich and fertile, may be made so at comparatively small cost. The sandstone soils of this section are also quite varied in character, and many of them pos- sess very valuable features. For farming purposes, however, they are far exceeded by the limestone. The sandstone soil is confined almost 432 Resources of Tennessee. exclusively to the high mountains, while the limestone soil makes up the lower hills and valleys. How rich these valley and cove lands have been, may be imagined from the enormous size of many of the trees. The fertility of these soils warranted the planting of any crop the farmer might wish to grow, while the equable climate favored any but purely tropical plants; but East Tennessee, with all its fertilitv of soil and salubrious climate, was shut in by mountains verv difficult of crossing. There were no near markets, and only one practicable route to the distant ones. The Tennessee River offered a possible outlet for any produce that the East Tennessee farmers might have to send off. But this route, when open, was very long and tedious, and was prac- ticable only for flatboats and in high water, owing to the obstruction ot the muscle shoals. As a consequence of this isolation and lack of transportation, Indian corn was, for many years, the only flirm pro- duct shipped from East Tennessee. With the increase of population and the development of the resources of the section, roads multiplied and were improved, and the facilities for trade and commerce were greatly extended. Farmers, too, learned to feed their corn to ho-s and cattle instead of shipping it off raw. Still the farm operations of East Tennessee moved in a very narrow circle until the completion of the hue of railroad from Virginia to Georgia opened the doors to markets north and south. Corn and oats, and oats and corn, were the chief and only staples. On the majority of farms no other crops were grown. Of course it will be understood that this description applies to the general practice, and is, by no means, applicable to the many individual exceptions, in which intelligent farmers sought, with most praiseworthy zeal, to introduce all the modern improvements and de- velop the bountiful resources of their sections. It was owino- to the presence of these men of superior intelligence and enterprise diat the improvement in farming spread so rapidly when once the doors were thrown open to the markets of the world. It would be difficult to overestimate the value of the influence which t\^^ Virginia and Geor- gia line of railroad has exerted on the agricultural interest of East Tennessee. It is all the more admissablc and desirable that the good work that It has done be noted and acknowledged at this time when under the excitement of feeling against railroads, on account of al- leged exorbitant rates of freight and travel and invidious discrimina- tions, many are apt to lose sight of the amount of the indebtedness of the entire community to railroads. The extent and character of the revolution which this road has worked and is working in the farm economy of East Tennessee may be estimated by reference to the East Tennessee. 433 chapter on Transportation — Railroads. For these facts* we are in- debted to the kindness of Captain Jos. Jaqiies, the Superintendent, and Mr. Ogden, General Freight Agent, at Knoxville. The point brought out by these figures to which we wish to direct especial attention, is the very great increase in the smaller products of the farm, such as butter and cheese, eggs and poultry, fruit fresh and dried. In this we discover that the characteristic of East Tennessee agriculture is diversiti/ of products. This characteristic is strengthened by the prevalence of small farms. According to the census returns of 1870 there are, in East Tennessee, 26,331 farms. Of these only nine are reported to amount to, or exceed, 1,000 acres, only seventy amount to 500 acres and over, while 6,379 are between 100 and 500 acres, leaving the large proportion of 19,873 under 100 acres. While it is freely admitted that census figures are very little to be trusted, where accuracy is desired, it cannot be denied that, after every allowance is made, these figures show, what is true, that in the matter of sub-division of farms, East Tennessee has gone quite as far as seems to be desirable. However this may be, the fact remains that the small farms and diversity of crops characterize East Tennessee agriculture. And it is mainly to these fiicts that we trace the marked increase within a few years of the smaller industries of agriculture. But it must not be assumed that because these little things have grown that larger things have been neglected. Such is by no means the case. Turn again to the account of shipments and see how corn, wheat, and bacon figure. Wheat. East of California no section of America is better adapted by soil and climate to the growth of wheat than East Tennessee. Since 1858 the fact has been well established that Tennessee wheat could command a premium in the New York market. This fact, and its cause, is clearly stated by Henry C. Carey, the distinguished political economist : "Even before the war a great change had commenced in regard to the sources from which northern supplies of cereals were to come, Ten- nessee and North Carolina furnishing large supplies of wheat, _(7/-eai/2/ superior in quality to that grown on northern lands, and commanding higher prices in all our markets. The daily quotations show that southern flour, raised in Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia, brings from three to five dollars more per barrel than the best New York Genesee flour; that of Louisiana and Texas is tar superior to the *See chapter on Transportation— Railroads. 28 434 Resources of Tennessee. former even, owing to the superior dryness, and the fact that it con- tains more gluten, and does not ferment so easily. Southern flour makes better dough and maccaroni than northern or western flour, it is better adapted for transportation over the sea, and keeps better in the tropics. It is, therefore, the flour that is sought after for Brazil, Cen- tral America, Mexico, and the West Indian markets, which are at our doors. A barrel of strictly southern flour will make twenty pounds more bread than Illinois flour, because, being so much dryer, it takes up more water in making up." Add to this the fact that the Tennessee harvest precedes that of New York and the north-western states by nearly a month, and it be- comes evident that, so far as quality and time of selling go, our state- ment of the superiority of Tennessee, as a wheat section, is borne out. The quantity grown per acre is far below what it should be. The gross yield might be trebled by judicious management. Corn. Of corn. East Tennessee has long produced too much in proportion to the other crops. Oats are much grown and of excellent quality. In this crop there has been much improvement of late years. Both natural and artificial grasses flourish in the greatest luxuriance. Indeed, from the lofty mountain lands in the East, where timothy grows six feet high, to the banks of the Mississippi, where the Ber- muda grass abounds, it is doubtful if a greater variety of good grass- land can be found within the bounds of any State in the Union. Red Clover. Throughout East Tennessee, wherever the land is properly prepared, a good stand of red clover may be secured, and when once secured, from one and a half to three tons of hay may be counted on. Such has been the experience of forty years. Timothy. From the meadow lands of the valley to the table lands of the mountain, timothy of the rankest luxuriance may be met with. With equal care it yields about the same as clover. Blue-grass. This favorite grass of the limestone regions, which has given name and fame to the richest region of Kentucky, grows indigenously throughout almost all of the valleys and coves of East Tennessee, and is easily introduced upon most of the uplands that are in good heart. OucHARD-ORASS, {Dactylis Glomerata). This grass has been but sparingly introduced into East Tennessee, but has failed nowhere. It East Tennessee. 435 succeeds admirably, and takes rank even above blue-grass in the esti- mation of those who have tried it. It is rapidly spreading, being sown wit]i clover for hay, or alone for pasture. It is much relished by all kiiuls of stock, green and in hay, and yields abundantly. Mountain Pastures. One of the prominent features of stock- growing, as practiced in East Tennessee, is the use made of the luxuriant growth of wild grasses and succulent vines and shrubbery that clothe the mountain sides and tops. Vast areas of unoccupied lands here furnish almost unlimited and inexhaustible range for cattle and sheep. And thousands are driven out every spring to pass the summer in these free pastures, from which they return in the fall as fat as grass can make them. Cattle. The native cattle of East Tennessee are descended mainly from the stock brought by the original settlers from North Carolina and Virginia. They are generally small, hardy and active. More nearly resembling the Devon, Ayrshire and Kerry than the Short- horn or Hereford types, and, as a general rule, are good milkers. Only a few farmers, comparatively speaking, had made any effort to improve the cattle of the section before the war. Within the past few years, a considerable impetus has been given to the improvement of cattle, through the influence of county and division fairs and conven- tions. Quite a number of excellent small herds of thoroughbred Jerseys, Devons and Short-horns are now scattered throughout the valley, and a commendable spirit of improvement seems to be spread- ing throughout the entire section. The tendency at present is in favor of the smaller and milking breeds. Among these, the Jersey takes the first rank. As a consequence, the quantity and quality of East Tennessee butter is rapidly increasing and improving. At the same time the number of farmers who fatten cattle for shipping is steadily increasing. For this purpose it is probable that the Devon wall take precedence of the Short-horn in the larger part of East Tennessee, owing to the ability of that breed to keep on shorter pasturage than either the Short-horn or Hereford. With \kvQ increase of cattle feed- ing:, the sale of hav and corn will cease. A thins; much to be desired. '&? Spieep. Slieep husbandry in East Tennessee is in its infancy. If the country can ever get rid of the thousands and tens of thousands of wortliless dogs that over-run it, the rearing of sheep will very soon thereafter become one of the leading and most profitable branches of rural economy in East Tennessee. The natural advantages are unsur- 436' Resources of Tennessee. passed in America ; but hitherto every effort to develop this industry has been frustrated by the abominable dogs. Hogs. The rearing and fattening of hogs has long been a favorite branch of East Tennessee farming. The near and profitable markets offered by Alabama and Georgia have, for many years, been largely supplied from East Tennessee. There is still much room for increas- ing the supply and leaving the demand unsatisfied. The Berkshire is much the most profitable and popular among the improved breeds. There is, however, much need of improvement in the general stock of hogs. Poultry. More or less of poultry is raised, or allowed to breed on all farms in Tennessee, but as a general rule, the fowls get but little or no attention, and what they get is given them by the "women folks" and children. In E ist Tennessee, however, the rearing of poultry is fast growing into one of the fixed industries of no insignificant im- portance. Already a poultry car is a regular fixture on the Virginia and Georgia Railroad, and the business is rapidly increasing, as may be seen by reference to the railroad figures already relerred to. There is no one breed kept to any considerable extent, but the old-fashioned Dominique is most common. Xo separate poultry farms have yet been established, nor is it probable that there will be ^oon ; but it is becom- ing quite a general practice for all small farmers to raise more or less poultry, and to rely on them for more or less of the profits of the farm. The Oechard. Did space permit, the facts would justify an elaborate presentation of the advantages of East Tennessee as a fruit region. But the length to which this report has already extended, and the many other weighty topics yet to be dwelt on, compel us to condense into bare statements many facts that we should like to dwell on. Apples. From the days of the earliest settlers, even among the In- dians, excellent apples have been grown in East Tennessee. Many orchards half a century old still bear abundant crops. Most of these old orchards are stocked with native varieties, and many of these rival the best and most popular varieties of the north. As yet, however, the apple has been sold from East Tennessee only in the shape of dried fruit. In this form it is a very considerable article of ex2)ort. East Tennessee. 437 Pears. Only a few experiments have been made in growing pears as an orchard crop, but in every instance, under proper care, they have succeeded admirably. Peaches. Only a small amount of attention is necessary to secure abundant crops of peaches throughout the greater part of East Ten- nessee. Grapes. On this subject, we cannot do better than quote from an admirable address delivered some years ago by Hon. O. P. Temple, before the Knoxville Industrial Association : " Before the late war, the varieties planted here were the Catawba and the Isabella, and here, as nearly everywhere else, they proved un- reliable— some years making splendid crops, and sometimes failing. Since the war, new varieties have been introduced, and, so far as they have been tested, they promise to prove an entire success. This is par- ticularly true of the Concord. That this justly popular grape, as well as the Hartford Prolific and the Norton's Virginia, and other varieties, will do as well here on the banks of our rivers as in any part of the United States east of California or New Mexico, does not admit of a doubt. "On this subject, Mr. George Husman, a grape-grower of Missouri, and the author of a standard work entitled ' Grapes and Wine,' speak- ing of the advantages of his State for grape culture, says : ' The moun- tainous regions of Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas and Alabama, may perhaps rival, and even surpass us in the future, but their inhabit- ants at present are not of the clay from which grape-growers are formed.' " That may have been true of us in the past, and even yet, but let the author of ' Grapes and Wine ' remember that, in East Tennessee at least, old things are passing away, and that this ^-ecluded region, girdled round with mountains — this heretofore terra incognita — snuffs from afar the spirit of advancement, and will ere long tread on the heels of her most forward sisters, even of Missouri, in all that pertains to material, moral and mental progress." What he then predicted, Judge Temple has since done much to vcrifv. He has on his own place as fine a vineyard of the grapes named, and many others, as can be found anywhere in Missouri. Strawberries. The same may be said of strawberries that has been said of grapes, and the same gentleman has demonstrated that 43 S Resoui^ces of Tenfiessee. the Charles Downing, Agriculturist, Barnes' Mammoth, Boydeu's No. 30, Triomphe de Gand, and many others of the most popular varieties, can be grown as successfully in East Tennessee as anywhere else in the United States. Indeed, for at least two seasons past, Knoxville might have challenged any city in the Union to show finer strawberries than were offered in her market. We leave the fruit department with reluctance, because we see in it 60 vast a field for profitable development. Style of Farming. The system of agriculture practiced in East Tennessee is very far from perfect. There is scarcely any point in which it does not need im- proving. Some of the points in which improvement is most needed we shall state briefly, prefacing with the remark that we speak in gen- eral terms, of general practices, and in no case refer to individuals. Rotation. There is no system of rotation practiced. Corn follows corn, year after year, if the farmer thinks his land will stand it. If any change is made, it is to alternate oats and corn and maybe wheat. But system there is none. Preparation of Land. The bull-tongue plow does the greater part of the work the year round. This is by no means the worthless instrument which it has been represented to be, nor is it the perfect thing which the use made of it in East Tennessee would indicate. The farmer who relies mainly on the bull-tongue will always have foul fields. Deep ploughing and thorough cleaning are the two things most needed in the preparation of the land on the most of farms in East Tennessee. For these purposes better implements are essential. Fences. The worm fence, made of rails, is universal throughout East Tennessee. They are none of the best when new, and the com- mon practice of allowing tlio corners to grow up in briers and bushes rots them very rapidly. Faiim Buildings. These are generally built of wood. The dwel ling-houses often of plank, but most generally of logs. They are neither handsome, comfortable nor convenient, as compared with the better class of houses. The stables and out-houses arc mere make- shifts. They' an; by no means sufficient in numbers and room, and very badly built. Too little care is taken of stock and implements, and too little regard is ])aid to the comfort of the firmer and his family. The room for improvement in these particulars is very great. East Tennessee, 439 These criticisms apply with more or less force to American agricul- ture in general, and especially to that of the Southern States. And while it may be true that, owing mainly to its comparative isolation for so long a period, agriculture is less advanced in East Tennessee than in Middle or West Tennessee; it is also true that several circumstances combine to stimulate a more rapid advancement in East Tennessee in the future, than can be hoped for in either of the other sections. One of these circumstances is the tendency to develop the small industries already alluded to. In these industries the labor of women and chil- dren, which is almost entirely unused in the other sections, can be profitably employed. Another favorable circumstance is the character of The Farm Laboe. In comparison with the other sections, the number of slaves was always small in East Tennessee, and the num- ber of non-slave holding farmers quite large. As a consequence, there has always been a much greater proportion of the farm work done by white laborers. Since the war, year by year the number of negroes has rapidly diminished, by emigration to the cotton regions mainly, and of course the number of white farm laborers has increased. This condition of things has already opened the way for the introduction of considerable foreign farm labor. This brings us to the consideration of the next favorable circumstance of which we wish to speak. Immigration. No part of Tennessee certainly, perhaps no part of the south, has received so many immigrants since the war as East Tennes- see. From the northern states and from Europe many most excel- lent people have come, and more are coming every year. So far, they have been mostly men with families, possessing small means, who come to make their homes here. They are heartily welcomed, as they would be anywhere else in the State, and almost universally they are well pleased, and write back to their old homes inviting others to come. Comparatively few immigrant laborers have as yet come to this or any other part of the south. The time has not come for them, as yet, but it will come soon, and when it does, East Tennessee will be one of the first sections supplied. In the meantime, the native farm laborers should be cultivated and encouraged to improve in skill and intelli- gence. The farmers who set the example of bettering the condition of this class will not only be public benefactors, but will find their profit in doing good. 44^ Resources of Tennessee, Mineral, Hesources. The Mineral resources of East Tennessee are exceedingly rich, abundant and varied. Some general notion of the character and ex- tent of these resources may be gathered from Prof. Safford's excellent Geological Report, but no adequate survey has as yet been made of the entire region, and no trustworthy statistics as to the present state of development are to be had. This very much needed information it is the purpose of the Bureau of Agriculture, in part, to supply. We can only state, therefore, in general terms, through what sections and coun- ties the various minerals are known to exist, without attempting to particularize as to localities and mines. Iron. The iron regions of Tennessee, as described by Prof. Saf- ford are three : the Eastern, the Dyestone (or Cumberland), and the Western. The Eastern region extends along the western base of the Unaka range of mountains. It passes through parts of Johnson, Carter, Sul- livan, Washington, Greene, Jefferson, Cocke, Sevier, Blount, Monroe? Polk and McMinn. The iron of this region is of three species, as follows : 1. Limonite, (Brown Hematite) containing, when pure, nearly sixty per cent, of metallic iron. 2. Hematite, (Red) containing when pure nearly seventy per cent, of metallic iron. Varieties, (hard solid ore,) (Dyestone or stratified ore.) 3. Magnetite, (Black,) contains, when pure, seventy-two per cent. of metallic iron. The first is most abundant, the third the rarest and richest. In this region the iron is found at the bottom of the many coves and valleys that fringe the western slope of the Unakas. The ore is of fiuificient quantity to supply, for an indefinite period, an average of four large-sized iron works to each of the counties named, or an average total of forty-eight iron works. The Dyestone, or Cumberland region, extends along the entire east- ern face of the Cumberland range, and is a part of the grand belt which extends through the entire Appalachian system from Canada to East Tennessee. 441 Alabama. In no part of its immense limits is it richer or more abun- dant than in the Tennessee section. Included in this section are all or parts of the counties of Hancock, Claiborne, Grainger, Campbell, An- derson, Roane, Rhea, Meigs, Hamilton, Marion, Sequatchie and Bled- soe. The iron of this region is of two species : the Dyestone, or Red Hematite, and the clay-ironstone. The former much the best known, and most abundant ; the latter of exceeding value on account of its occurrence with coal. This is the species that is mostly used in England. The amount of iron in this region almost defies computation, and its proximity to the coal regions renders it additionally valuable. At various points throughout the valley are to be found considerable quantities of iron. Not enough, however, in any one place to justify the erection of extensive works. Coal. The Coal Measures of Tennessee are co-extensive with the Cumberland Plateau, stretching across the State from Kentucky to Alabama, embracing an area of some 5,100 square miles, and about eight feet deep. Of this immense area Prof. SaflPord makes three divisions. The Sequatchie, the Raccoon and Walden's Ridge, the North-eastern. All of these crop out in East Tennessee on their eastern borders. The Sequatchie division in Marion, Sequatchie and Bledsoe ; the Raccoon division in Marion, Sequatchie, Hamilton, Bledsoe, Rhea, Cumberland, Roane and Morgan ; the North-eastern division crops out in Morgan, Anderson, Scott, Campbell and Claiborne. Of the quality of this coal Prof. Safford says : "All the Tennessee coals are bituminous ; but as such they present many varieties. Some are highly bituminous, gas-making coals; others are semi-bituminous ; some open, free-burn- ing, while others are cokeing coals." Since the war, all of these qualities have been put to the test along- side of the best coals of other regions, and the result is till that could be desired by East Tennesseeans. Copper. The copper region of Tennessee is confined to the south- east corner of East Tennessee. It is known as the Ducktown region, and is very rich in ore of excellent quality. Lead and Zinc. These two metals are found in small quantities in many parts of East Tennessee. Indeed, there is scarcely a coujity in which small quantities of lead may not be found. With the excep- tion of perhaps two or three localities, however, it is not likely ever 442 Resources of Temiessee. to be developed sufficiently to pay. The most promising veins of lead are in Union ond Monroe counties. Zinc is found in considerable quantities in Union, Claiborne and Jefferson counties. Gold. For many years a small amount of gold has been mined in East Tennessee. The gold region extends from the French Broad River to the Georgia State line. The amount of gold to be found in any place, however, is too small to justify any considerable expense in getting it out. Marble. Next in value to its iron and coal, come the marbles of East Tennessee. Already these have attained national reputation by reason of the use made of them in the national capital at Washington and the State capital at Nashville. There are found in East Tennessee six distinct varieties of marble, to-wit : 1. Reddish Variegated Fossiliferous. This is much the most valuable and most abundant. It is found in Hawkins, Hancock, Grainger, Jef- ferson, Knox, Roane, Blount, Monroe, McMinn, Bradley, Meigs, Anderson, Union and Campbell counties. This variety is popularly known as the Hawkins county marble, owing to the fact that the most of the marble sent to Washington and Nashville, for use in the two capitals went from that county. ♦ 2. miitish Variegated Fossiliferous. Akin to the above. This variety is also very abundant and furnishes some of the most beautiful marble to be found in the national capital. The largest quarry opened is within a mile of Knoxville, from which the custom-house is built. 3. Didl Variegated Magnesian. This variety in many places makes an excellent building-stone, and is quite available. 4. Black and Dark Blue. Throughout most of the extreme eastern counties are to be found beds of this variety. It takes a good polish and much of it is chocked with narrow white veins that, contrasting with the dark color of the body, render the slabs very handsome. 5. Breccia and Conglomerate. This variety occurs chiefly in the coves and valleys at the foot of the Unaka Mountains. The peculiar feature of this variety is the mosaic appearance given it by the angular fragments of various colors which compose it. Good specimens, well polislied, are exceedingly beautiful. 6. Conglomerate. Tliis variety differs from the last named only in the rounded form of the various colored fragments that compose it. The lavst two varieties are comparatively of limited extent. East Tennessee. ' 443 Other Building Stones. Granite of excellent (}uality aud exceeding beauty is found in almost all of the beds of the Metamorphic group in East Tennessee. Fine specimens of gray and flesh-colored have been taken from beds lying in Johnson, Carter, Washington, Cocke and Polk counties. Sandstone. Throughout all the sandstone groups, extensive beds of most excellent building-stones may be found. Owing to the little use made of stone in building, throughout East Tennessee, very little of this inexhaustible material has been tried. One quarry on the Knox- ville and Ohio Railroad has been opened to a limited extent, and the stone used in the front of E. G. Sandford & Co.'s handsome build- ing, in Knoxville. The stone is of a beautiful brown, comparatively soft when taken from the quarry, but hardening under exposure to the atmosphere. Flagstones, of an excellent quality and in great abundance, may be obtained in Morgan and Anderson counties. In the latter very close to the railroad. Boof Slates, of good quality and abundant in quantity, are found in Polk, McMinn, Monroe, Blount, Sevier and Cock counties. The greatest quantity and best quality perhaps is on the West Fork of Little Pigeon River, in Sevier county. Jlillstone material, hydraulic limestones, fire clay, potters clav and mineral paints abound, many of the very best variety, and conven- iently located for transportation. (For timber, see chapter on timber.) Mining and Manufacturing. In no department of industry has there been sp much capital invested and so much work done in East Tennessee since the war as in mining and manufacturing. The opening of the Knoxville and Ohio Railroad to the grand coal fields of the Cumberland Mountains, has given a powerful impetus to these departments. Several extensive coal mines have been opened, several large foundries established, and active measures are on foot for the establishment of many more. In almost every county of East Tennessee, prospecting surveys are making, with a view to finding out the character and extent of the hidden wealth of the land. And all indications point to the rapid 444 Resources of Tennessee. growth of the mining interest throughout this section of the State. As yet the stimulus to manufacturing has become neither so general nor so active as the mineral developments would seem to justify. This is in some measure due to a scarcity of capital, undoubtedly, but it is in a larger measure due to the lack of enterprise and the absence of that spirit of improvement so essential to the rapid development of the wealth of a country. Beyond iron furnaces and foundries, cotton- yarn factories, wool-carding factories, planing mills, tanneries, coach factories and such other mechanical industries as are absolutely neces- sary, almost nothing has been done. " We import from other States, all of our reapers, mowers, threshers and engines ; all of our chains, axes, shovels, spades, hoes, rakes, forks, wire, sheet-iron, iron pipe, hinges, scythes, picks, willow-ware and rope, and even our axe and pick handles and wagon spokes; most of our plows, brooms, furniture, wooden-ware, fire grates, stoves, corn shellers, horse shoes and horse-shoe nails, domestics, prints, woolens, boots, shoes, hats, clothing, horse collars, most of our carriages and many of our wagons, besides hundreds of other articles. The average cost of trans- portation upon thirty of these articles, as I learn from a leading hard- ware house, is seventeen per cent, as compared with the original cost. On stoves it is from twenty to twenty-five per cent.; on reapers, mow- ers and threshers, fifty per cent., and on fire-proof brick, one hundred per cent. Hundreds of reapers and mowers are sold here that are manufactured in Chicago or Ohio ; plows and axes and even horse shoes are brought from Connecticut ; stoves are brought from Albany, Philadelphia and Cincinnati; carriages are brought from New Hamp- shire; even brooms are brought from New York." — Judge 0. P. Tem- ple, before Knoxville Industrial Association. Not one of these articles but could be profitably manufactured in East Tennessee. Not one but will be, within the next decade, if things do l)ut j)rosper as they promise. No portion of America offers more, or better natural advantages for manufacturing. Water courses with- out number and of unlimited ])ower, and coal inexhaustible, furnish motive power for as much machinery as now moves in all Pennsylva- nia and New England. Nor is there any less abundance of the raw materials. Every s[)ecies of useful ore lies almost in contact with the coals, timber of every variety and of excellent quality clothes the hill- sides on every hand. Everything needful is at hand for the manufac- ture of metal or wood, and the same facilities offer for woolen nuinu- factories, while thousands upon thousands of acres now lying idle, East Tennessee. 445 ■would make as fine sheep-walks as America can boast of. With cotton, too, though it may not be grown in East Tennessee with profit, East Tennessee is the nearest point to the cotton belt, where the natural facilities for its manufacture are to be found. In short, every natural advantage for manufacturing is found in East Tennessee, but the spirit of enterprise is wanting. The people have yet to learn the power of associated capital. The joint stock company is almost an indisj)ensable institution where manufactures or mines are to be opened. The cost of such works is beyond the individual purse. But the people of the entire south are lacking in that commercial spirit that begets joint stock companies, and until they improve in this respect, they will not engage very extensively either in mining or manufacturing. In the meantime, the golden harvest will not appeal in vain to the many men from abroad, who are every year prospecting through East Tennes!-ee, and foreign capital and enterprise will gradually gather in the harvest, while the native people are learning to be enterprising. Such at least are the present indications. Most of the mines opened and manufac- tories erected since the war, are wholly or in part under the manage- ment of new-comers. On this subject, however, it is but fair to state that the complaint is very general among the miners and manuflicturers that the railroads cramp their operations and prevent their developments by their high rates of charges. How far the complaint is just, we cannot say. We only note it as one of the excuses made for the slow growth of these great industries. While speaking of railroads, and mining, and manufactories, we must not pass by a new feature in railroads that seems destined to play a very prominent part in the future progress of railway transportation, and that is The jSTarrow Guage Railroads. Of the utility of railways, there can be no question, and the onlj obstacle to their universal adoption in the place of wagon ways, is their cost. In proportion as this cost is reduced, will this substitution take place. It was in response to this desire for cheap railways, that the narrow guage was invented. It is a well-known fact, that on a large number of American railroads, there are considerable periods of the year during which the freights and passengers scarcely pay expenses. And on the majority of them, there is one direction which does not 44^ Resources of Tennessee. pay so much as the other. These two sources of co-operative loss, it is claimed, may be removed by the use of narrow guage roads. The estimated cost of constructing and running such roads is far less than that of the ordinary roads, while it is claimed that for the greater part of the year they could do all the carrying. However this may be, the one point about which we are now interested, is the introduction of narrow guage roads into the main branch valleys of East Tennessee. There are several exceedingly rich valleys in East Tennessee, which would abundantly support such roads. And every such road would promote the rapid development of the valley through which it passed, besides contributing to the business of the main roads. Several such roads are now talked of, and we refer to the subject merely to indicate the line of possible development which internal improvement is to take in East Tennessee. Educational Facilities. Naturally and rightfully, before moving to a new home, one wishes to know what facilities are offered for educating his children. Upon this very important point. East Tennessee can well aiford to invite comparison with the other portions of the State, although, in truth and candor, it must be owned that throughout the entire State the facili- ites for education are lamentably deficient. A strong desire for im- provement in this respect is, however, rapidly spreading throughout all East Tennessee, and there is every reason to believe that this spirit will grow and increase, until the educational advantages are equal to the natural wealth of the section. At present, there are several col- leges and seminaries in healthy operation in various parts of the Val- ley, and at Chattanooga and Knoxville city schools are kept up in fair style for ten months in the year. The East Tennessee University, at Knoxville, is one of the oldest institutions of the State, and has done much good in its time, numbering among its alumni many of the most prominent public men of the State. In 18G9, this institution under- took the establishment of the Tennessee Agricultural College, under the CVmgressional endowment. This college is now among the most flourishing in the State, and promises to develop into an institution of the highest rank and value. It is designed to train young men in the principles of those sciences especially applicable to agriculture and the mechanic arts. Tiiis purpose entitles it to the cordial syra- patiiy and hearty support of the farmers and mechanics, and when East Tennessee. 447 the college comes, to be in truth what it was designed to be, it will undoubtedly obtain this support. Social Life. The luxuries and refinements of social life have never flourished in East Tennessee. All the conditions and surroundings of the people have contributed to foster those simple and frugal habits of life which characterize most mountain people As a consequence, even now a great many, perhaps a majority of the families in East Tennessee, wear home- made clothing in part or altogether. As a result, while they do not dress finely, they live well and are free from debt and own what they use. Hospitality is a cardinal virtue throughout all the South and East Tennessee is no exception. The well-behaved stranger, whether he comes as a mere passer-by or an immigrant, is sure of a hearty welcome and kind treatment. Churches. All of the leading Protestant denominations have churches scattered throughout the different counties, in which religious services and Sun- day schools are regularly held. The Methodists, Baptists, and Pres- byterians are most numerous. There are a few Quakers, and at Knox- ville and Chattanooga, Roman Catholic churches. All of these denomi- nations have one or more male and female schools or colleges, located ill different counties, and are actively alive to the work of spreading the gospel, at the same time that they work most earnestly for the in- crease of their own sect. Thus have we, in a brief and hurried manner, gone over the salient points in the industrial resources of East Tennessee. Of necessity, we have done but scanty justice to the many interesting features, which render it one of the most promising fields for the future growth of wealth and prosperity to be found in the United States. We can only refer the reader to the details as given in the accounts of different counties. Brief and incomplete as these details are, they can- not fail to impress the observing reader with the fact that nature has lavished her wealth as abundantly upon East Tennessee as upon any part of the United States. This wealth lies waiting the hand of enter- prise and skill to develop it. 44^ Resources of Tennessee ANDERSON COUNTY. County Seat — Clinton. This county, situated partly in the Valley of East Tennessee and partly on the Cumberland Table Land, was established by the Legisla- ture as early as 1801. It contains about 450 square miles. Its phys- ical geography is of a most interesting character. It has great inequali- ties of surface. Its north-western half is a high mountainous rough region, traversed by deep ravines, and covered on, the slopes with a dense growth of timber. The surface of this portion does not partake of the general character of the Cumberland Table Land, which usually has a flat or slightly rolling surface. It here rises to a higher altitude, and is the water-shed between the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. Several creeks, flowing north-westerly, unite and form the South Fork of the Cumberland, while Coal Creek and Poplar Creek flow in an opposite direction, south-easterly, and empty into the Clinch, a tribu- tary of the Tennessee. Between the south-western escarpment of the Cumberland Table Land and the Valley of East Tennessee, Walden's Ridge, with its nearly vertical strata of sandstone, forms a huge bar- rier, almost continuous throughout the county, and preserving its paral- lellism with the Table Land. This ridge, so singular by reason of its tilted strata and its persistent continuity, is cut in a few places by- transverse gaps or fissures down to the level of the valley, and through these gaps the streams that take their rise upon the southern side of the Tal)le Land find a passage to the Clinch. Between the ridge and the Table Land, a narrow rocky valley, down which a railroad might run, preserves its continuity through tlie entire diagonal length of the county. Coal Creek flows down this valley in a north-easterly course, and unites, at a point between the ridge and the Table Land, opposite the village of Coal Creek, with AVelding's Fork, which comes from the valley above. The united streams flow nearly at right angles to their original courses through a deep narrow cut in Walden's Ridge, which here makes a beautiful symmetrical curve, forming nearly a quadrant. This curve has its counterpart in the Table Land, and makes what is called the Big Butt, This Big Butt furnishes a great amount of ex- cellent coal, the working of which will be referred to hereafter. Between Walden's Ridge and Pine Ridge is a narrow valley, which is, in fact, a continuation of Powell's Valley, though much shrunk in East Tennessee. 449 its dimensions and diminished in its. fertility. Pine Ridge is one of the characteristic ridges of East Tennessee, whose north-western slope is of an abounding fertility, crowned with stately forests, while the op- posite side, exposed to the vertical rays of a burning sun, is parched into sterility and barrenness. Going transversely across the county in a south-easterly direction, we next meet a series of broken hills and ridges, which may be termed the river ridges of Clinch River. Cross- ing the Clinch, whose general course is south-west, though making some great convolutions before reaching Clinton, the county seat, we reach Lone Mountain, which is in the same line with Powell's Moun- tain, and is really a continuation of it, and extends from Roane up through Claiborne and Union counties. On the south-western slopes of this mountain are found the Trenton and Nashville strata of lime- stone. The tangled masses of luxuriant creepers which envelop the tops of stately trees like a green tufted vail, indicate a soil teem- ing with an abundance of plant food. The White Oak red sandstones sheet the opposite side, and, in their tilted positions, resemble the huge scales of a water monster. As in Powell's Mountain and Clinch, the south-east side is poverty stricken. The timber is sparse and scraggy, and the thick scales of sandstone leave but few interstices for the gnarled roots of the famishing timber to penetrate. On this side, howev^er, is found the Dyestone formation, which contains some rich beds of red hematite, or fossiliferous iron ore. Continuing our course south-east, we come to Chestnut Ridge and Flint Ridge. The last is characterized by occasional deposits of oxide of iron, which occurs in pockets. This ore does not work readily in a furnace, on account of its hardness, but mixed w^ith the red or brown hematites, it adds greatly to the quality of the iron. A little west of Clinton is a ridge known as Black Oak, though not the same as passes through Knox county of the same name. The most noted valley in the county, and the one best suited for farming purposes, lies between Lone Mountain and the Clinch River hills. It is about one mile in width, and extends from Moore's Ferry, on the Clinch River, through the remainder of the county, and contin- ues on into Virginia. Near the base of Lone Mountain, the soil of this valley has a chocolate color, but grows darker as one approaches the river from the mountain. Nowhere does it attain the blackness of the alluvial bottoms, but is rather intermediate between the red lands mentioned and the river bottoms. Streams. Clinch River, the great arterial current of the county, with 29 450 Resources of Teiuiessee. several long bends, passes nearly throngh the center, its general course being a little west of south. It is a rapid stream, flowing, for the most part, over rocky ledges. The channel is often obstructed with large stones that have rolled down from the confining bluffs. It abounds in fish of delightful flavor. So numerous are they that more than a wagon load have been taken in a single night from one fish trap. Flat-boats and keel-boats freighted with produce, from as high up as the Virginia line, pass down during the freshets. In Campbell county it forks, one branch, Powell's River, reaching up through Claiborne county, while the main stream furnishes navigable facilities to Union, Grainger. Claiborne and Hancock counties, forming the boundary line between Grainger and Claiborne. Steamboats have passed as high up as Clin- ton. Before the construction of the Knoxvilleand Ohio Railroad, this river formed the sole means for the transportation of the products of Anderson county to distant markets. ^ Hinds Creek, a stream of sufficient volume to drive a large flouring mill, runs through this valley. A small rapid stream, known as Clear Creek, rises in the northern part of the county, among the river hills, and flowing nearly west, empties into Clinch River. Clear Creek is noted for its excellent water power. There are two carding factories, one saw mill and two grist mills upon it. Its length does not exceed five miles. It has a rapid fall and a good volume of water. Between Clinch River and Hinds Creek occurs one of the finest forests of pine timber to be found in the State. Bull Run, on the south-east side of Hinds Creek, and running at the distance of five miles parallel with it, is sluggish, and inferior on that account as a milling stream. There are many fine bottoms, how- ever, on it, which are kept very fertile by frequent overflows. The banks of Bull Run being flat and low, are quickly submerged. West of Clinch River is Poplar Creek, which rises on the Cumber- land Table Land, cuts through a gap of Walden's Ridge, in the same manner as Coal Creek, and empties into the Clinch. It has, as all these mountain streams have, a rapid descent. It is about forty feet wide, and in ordinary stages of water will average a foot in depth. The supply of water for nine months in the year is ample, but in the remaining three it gets very low. Running out at a right angle to P()|)lar Creek is a narrow, broken valley, which extends up to Coal Creek. This creek, previously men- tioned, is not more than six miles long, but owing to the rapidity of East Tennessee. 451 its fall is admirably suited for manufacturing purposes, for nine months in the year. Lands. Hinds Creek Valley has already been mentioned. On all the streams are found alluvial bottoms, but they are, with few exceptions, narrow, the confining hills and ridges coming oftentimes, on both sides, to the water's edge. Especially is this true of the Clinch. For six miles the Knoxville and Ohio Railroad runs along its banks, and throughout this distance the bottoms are narrow, rarely more than three hundred yards wide and frequently less than twenty. The highlands in the western part of the county are very poor, Jiilly and rough, being composed of sandstone soils, which, in their produc- tive capacity, are in every respect like the soils elsewhere on the Cum- berland Table Land, with the disadvantage of a more broken surface. These highlands are inhabited by a hardy class of mountaineers, who supply the deficiencies of their farms by fishing, hunting and digging ginseng and pink-root for market. Though unsuited for agricultural purposes, this portion of the county is rich in mineral coal and iron ore, and will doubtless, in time, be by far the most valuable part of the county. The minor valleys, after leaving the Cumberland Table Land and entering the Valley of E\st Tennessee, are all fertile, having limestone soil, though many of them are much worn by careless cropping. It must be borne in mind that the Valley of Eist Tennessee, so called, is only so by contrast with the Unakas on the east and the Table Land on the west. It is, in truth, composed of a succession of minor valleys and ridges, the latter rising above the valleys from 300 to 500 feet. There is a marked ])arallelism in all these minor valleys and ridges, which is preserved all the way from Alabama and Georgia to Virginia. The north sides of the ridges, though steep, rarely abrupt, are highly productive, and produce quite as well as many of the valleys. In the southern part of the county, next to the Knox county line, are some good areas of farming lands. Timber. Almost every variety of timber prevails in this county. The pine forest between Clinch River and Hinds Creek has been men- tioned. This is quite extensive, and sup])liesa large amount of lumber. On the Cumberland Tal)le Land, especially on the slopes, are walnut, pop- lar, white and red oaks, and occasionally cherry and chestnut. In the valley, besides the species named above, are some groves of cedar, though they have been thinned of the best timber. Board and rail 452 Rcso2irces of Tennessee. timber is abundant. The price of sawed lumber is from ten to twelve dollars per thousand feet at the mills. For making rails, seventy-five cents per hundred is the usual price. The farms are all enclosed with old Virginia zigzag fences. Crops. Everywhere in East Tennessee the standard crops are corn, W'heat, oats, potatoes and hay. Clover is sown both for hay and for graz- ing. All these are raised in Anderson county, though the amount of hay raised is disproportionately small to the demand and the facilities afforded for its growth. The soils of the numerous valleys that run through the county produce timothy and herdsgrass well. For wheat, the best soils are in what are called the second river bottoms. On such lands the yield frequently reaches twenty bushels per acre. On the poorer lands and ridges it cannot be relied on as a paying crop, the returns sometimes exceeding but little the amount sown. Corn is the great staple of the county. It is raised in largest quan- tities on the black soils of the river and creek bottoms, and sometimes there are gathered from such lands sixty bushels per acre. Oats make a very fair average yield, though they do not grow with the same luxuriance as on the bottoms of the Tennessee River above Chattanooga, where crops averaging seventy-five bushels per acre have often been grown. The usual average in Anderson county is about twenty-five. Both sweet and Irish potatoes are raised in considerable quantities and are sold in the Knoxville market and at Coal Creek, where several hundred persons are engaged in coal mining. Market gardeners could do well in this county, as neither the land nor labor is so high as in Knox county, while the vegetables could be shipped by rail at a trifling cost. Upon all the limestone soils clover grows well, and it bespeaks a thriftlessness among the farmers of Anderson that more is not sowed. It is the only possible method by which their washed hillsides can be reclaimed. Clover and land-plaster are the only remedial agents for the bruised and skinned surfaces that appear with ghastly sterility upon many farms. When it is sown, it is not done with a view of fertilizing the land, but for hay and for grazing. About two tons of clover hay per acre are obtained from the best lands, and about two bushels of clover seed from the second growth. The lands upon Bhick Oak Ridge grow a good article of tobacco, which cures a light, fancy, bright yellow color, and makes an excellent East Tennessee. a^c% wrapper leaf. Many farmers would engage in the culture of tobacco, but for the burdensome exactions and prohibitions of the government. Under the operations of the present law, a farmer can sell to no one but a licensed dealer. However much his neighbors may wish to buy a few pounds for their own use, he is prohibited from selling without procur- ing a license, the cost of which would propably amount to as much as his surplus tobacco would be worth. Honey and butter are sold in considerable quantities. Fntits. Apples and peaches, on the ridges, rarely fail. Even the severe frost of 1873 did not destroy them upon the highlands, though they were entirely destroyed in the valleys. Strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, and, indeed, all the smaller fruits, grow and yield as well in Anderson county as in any portion of the State. The hills and knobs, and mountains afford every variety of site and climate that could be de- sired by the most fastidious fruit-grower. Indeed, what may be said of Anderson in this respect, may with equal truth be affirmed of all the counties in the Valley of East Tennessee and of the Cumberland Table Land. The apples and peaches are marketed after being dried, and the revenue from this source is almost equal to that from the wheat crop. Brandy is distilled from apples, but not to the same extent as formerly, owing to the heavy government tax. Stock. A few mules are raised in the county, and considerable quan- tities of pork are sent to Knoxville. There have been no efforts made by the farmers to improve the quality of the stock. The common scrub ^^ razor-back" hog is most usually met with. The cattle are suited to the country, and subsist during the summer months upon the "broom- sedge" that everywhere springs up in the old abandoned fields. . This grass, odious and unsightly, usually an emblem of neglect, the farmers of Anderson county make useful in protecting their lands from wash- ing, and for grazing their cattle. Leases and Rents. Farmers rarely lease their lands, preferring to keep them in timber. Leases are confined almost entirely to lands containing coal, in which the lessee pays to the owner a royalty of one cent per bushel. About one thousand acres are thus leased about Coal Creek by the Coal Creek Mining and Manufacturing Company. Good land for farming purposes rents high — the best for one-half the crop, medium uplands, one-third. * Size, Condition and Price of Farms. By the census returns for 1870, there were 1,034 farms in the county, of all sizes. There 454 Resources of Tennessee. were 33 of less than 10 acres; 196 of less than 20 acres; 426 con- taining between 20 and 50 acres; 254 between 50 and 100 acres; 123 between 100 and 500 acres, and bnt 2 containing over 500 acres. The average size of farms is probably about 45 acres. As the amount of good land is small in comparison with the unproductive, the farms, though small, have large quantities of w^oodland attached to them. The number of acres assessed fortaxation in 1873, was 149,921, while the improved land, as given by the census, amounts to 50,750, so that for every acre cleared there are about three in timber. The per- rlicious habit, and one that argues no rights for posterity, prevails to some extent of oj^ening lands, and by ceaseless and careless tillage ex- hausting their fertility, and thus cheating the soil of "its opulent privi- lege of production." They are then turned out to grow up in broomsedge and briers, persimmon and sassafras bushes, unsightly and painful pic- tures in the landscape, showing a w^ant of thrift on the part of such farmers. Many of these old fields are gashed with gullies and are past redemption, except at a cost greater than the value of the best land. The greatest drawback to farming is the want of effective and re- liable farm hands, and an orderly and systematic cultivation of the farms. The farmers are afraid to spend money for either fertilizers or labor — unwilling to risk the first, and having no confidence in the efficiency of the second. As a necessary consequence, the farms are not kept in a high state of cultivation. Nor do the farmers always give such at- tention to the business of their farms as will insure success and profit, but most frequently divide their time between the farm and some other avocation. Farm houses are not built, with few exceptions, with an eye either to comfort, elegance or convenience. But few farmers feel entirely satisfied with their homes or attached to them. There are, however, a few notable exceptions to this state of things. Some of the valley farms are embellished with magnificent mansions, with yards and lawns, adorned and beautified by the choicest shrubbery, w-here the highest comforts of life are secured and enjoyed. On these farms, too, good barns and stables are erected, and the dumb brutes are made to partake of the prosperity of their owners. The fences are well built, the corners kept clean, and everything indicates the fact that the pro- prietors are devoting tlicir time, energies and capacities, to the opera- tions of their firms. Well improved places, such as described above, with good lands at- tached, are rarely in market, except upon the death of the owner, and East Tennessee. 455 then for division. They bring from $50 to $100 per acre. Where the improvements are bad, the best lands may be bought for $20 to $25 per acre, generally on time. Of course, much depends upon the nearness to the railroad and to the county seat. Very good farms, wdl imp7-oved, may be bought remote from these advantages for $25 to $30 per acre. Ridge lands, well timbered, where there are no minerals, are worth from $5 to $10. On the Cumberland Table Land the price is still lower, running down to one dollar per acre. Minenih. Anderson county is rich in coal and iron ore. On the south-east side of Walden's Ridge, and immediately at its foot, is a lead of Dyestone iron ore, that extends through the county, it being the same great vein that runs almost continuously from Alabama to Pennsylvania. This vein on the surface varies in thickness from one to four feet, and dips at a very high angle. The ore is highly fossili- ferous and calcareous, and yields from fifty to sixty per cent, from the furnace. This dyestone vein is supposed to pass under Walden's Ridge and thin out under the Cumberland Table Land. Iron ore is also found, as before mentioned, on Lone Mountain, and on Flint Ridge. Recently the lands containing iron ore have been much sought after, and at least two companies, before the financial crash in Sep- tember, 1873, were preparing to erect furnaces in the county. Most all the iron lands have either been bought or leased, by parties who propose at some time to work the ore. The convenience and abundance of coal will make the cost of mak- ing iron very low. Coal pits have been opened on Coal Creek, where five companies are now at work, the details of whose operations, as well as a description of the mines and coal, may be found in the chap- ter on coal in the first part of this report. In the same chapter may also be found a description of the Poplar Creek coal mines. Near Poplar Creek is a remarkable group of mineral springs, known as the Oliver Springs. Here are found, in close proximity, sulphur, salt and chalybeate water. A salt well was sunk near this place by the lamented Estabrook, and 1,500 bushels of salt made, but the diffi- culty of keeping the fresh water from the well rendered the manufac- ture of salt unprofitable. It is thought that operations will again be resumed at this well. Domestic Manufactures. The almost universal custom which prevails in East Tennessee of manufacturing homespun for daily wear, is prac- ticed in this county. The value of home manufactures amounted, in the year 1870, to $30,126, a sum greater than the whole amount paid 45 6 Resources of Tennessee, for wages, including the board of the laborer. The daily wear of the farmers is homespun. Immigrants and Schools. A good many Welchmen, with their fami- lies, have migrated to the county since the war. The heads of families are mostly engaged in mining, but some of them have bought small farms, upon which their wives and children work and raise supplies. The citizens would gladly receive new accessions to their population, and some efforts have been made to attract immigrants. Probably the want of good schools has operated most powerfully against success in this particular. Up to the passage of the law creating a more liberal sys- tem of public schools, the schools, with the exception of the academy at Clinton, were of a very low grade; the price of tuition low, and the quality of instruction bad. At present there are several good schools in operation, and the one at Clinton is said to be very efficient. The tax levied by the county to supplement the State aid for schools is ten cents on each $100 worth of property. Towns and Villages. Clinton, the county seat, is situated on the Clinch, and has communication with Knoxville and other points by the Knoxville and Ohio Railroad, which extends to Wheeler's Gap, within three miles of Jacksboro, the county seat of Campbell. It has a population of 325. The houses are generally of wood. The court- hiouse and jail are of stone. There are three stores, two saloons, a blacksmith shop, a wagon-maker's shop, one boot and shoe shop, three hotels, two flouring mills, a saddler's shop, one carpenter shop, a tan- yard, two lawyers and two physicians. Coal Creek is a village ten miles above Clinton, near the Knoxville and Ohio Railroad, and between Walden's Ridge and the Cumberland Table Land. It has a population of 500. It has been built up during the past two or three years by persons working the coal at that point. There are three stores, three churches, three schools and a place of entertainment. The population is a mixed one, consisting of native Tennesseans, Welch men and Scotchmen — arranged in the order of of their predominance. A branch railroad runs up through the gap in Walden's Ridge to this point. Coal Creek Station. This place has a population of about 100, and is situated one mile from the former, on the main line of railroad. It is built uj) with t(!neincnt houses for miners and other employees of the mining companies. Game. The county of Anderson is a heavily wooded region, and in East Temtessee. 457 the mountain fastnesses the wikl deer still roams in moderate security, though often hunted by the hardy and athlete mountaineers. Part- ridges and squirrels are numerous, and the wild ducks glory in the gleaming waters of the Clinch. Fish, as has already been said, is plentiful. Health. The health of the county is proverbial. The excellent drain- age, the pure water, the inspiriting breezes that play upon the mountain top, or sweep in gentle currents through the valleys, dispelling malaria and purifying the atmosphere, the temperate and steady habits of the citizens, with wholesome food, all conspire to keep the physical frame vigorous, hale and hearty, and the mind fresh, active and strong. What is said of this county in this respect, may with equal truth be affirmed of almost all the counties of East Tennessee, and to a large portion of those in the middle division of the State. (For statistics of this county the reader is referred to the twenty- second chapter of Part First.) BLEDSOE COUNTY. County Seat — Pikeville. This is one of the counties lying mainly in the beautiful Valley of Sequatchie. It was erected November 30, 1807, embracing at the time of its organization one-third of what is now Sequatchie county, and one-half of Cumberland county. The original county seat was a place known as "Old Madison," six miles from where the town of Dunlap now stands, the capital of Sequatchie county, and fifteen miles from Pikeville, the present county seat. The first court ever held in the county was at the residence of a Mr. Thomas. The county is bounded on the north by Cumberland, on the east by Rhea, on the south by Se- quatchie, and on the w^est by VanBuren counties. The only town in the county is Pikeville, containing a population of about 150, and situated in the heart of a fine agricultural region. It has the disadvantage of being cut off from the commercial centers. To Chattanooga across Walden's Ridge, it is some fifty or sixty miles, and to Jas])er, in Marion county, it is about the same distance, where it reaches railroad communication. It is hemmed in by two mountains, the Cumberland and Walden's Ridge. The entire valley in which it 45 8 Resources of Tennessee. is located is retarded in consequence of the lack of railroad facilities. The great distance to market keeps the farm products down at a low figure. The Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad Company has sub- mitted a proposition to the people to the effect that, if they will grade the road from the upper end of the valley on through the counties of Bledsoe, Sequatchie and Marion, the company will furnish the rolling stock and run the road at its own expense. This proposition has not been accepted, and, perhaps, will not be. There is some talk about a narrow guage road, but this will also fail, judging from present indica- tions. If both these projects fail, then the citizens should construct a McAdamized road through the counties mentioned to Jasper, in Marion county. Pikeville is an enterprising little town, and filled up with an ener- getic and intelligent class of business men. They carry on a consid- erable trade with the farmers, furnishing them goods, and often buying their hogs, mules, horses and cattle, as well as their bacon, lard, wheat, corn, flour, butter and dried fruit. Its chief feature is its excelle-nt male and female school, which will compare favorably with any in the country. This institution is known as the " People's College." The building is a commodious and handsome one, and will accommo- date from two to three hundred students. It was chartered in 1871. The course of study is ample. The faculty the very ablest, and the number of students in attendance about 125. That part of the county stretching from the base of the main Table Land to the base of Walden's Ridge, comprises an area of the finest farming lands in East Tennessee. An ordinary ridge runs through the center of it from north-east to south-west, not very steep, and affording a vast deal of timber, such as oak, hickory, walnut, pine, etc. On either side the valley extends for miles, and widens out from two to three miles to the base of each mountain. The soil is productive, but much injured by injudicious treatment. Everywhere there is alack of clover and grass. Deep tillage is neglected to a great extent. The farmers seem to })ay but little attention to the numure heap. No plaster is us(!d, and no fertilizers of any description. Tiie ])rin(^ipal crop gi'own is corn. Wheat is secondary. The corn is fed to hogs and cattle, and these arc (li'i\'('n across tlic mountains to Chattanooga, from whence tiiey are ship[)e(l by i-ail to Georgia. For years this county, and the entire valley, has becni famous for hogs and cattle. Thousands an; aniuially fattened and sold. A great mistake, however, is made in East Tennessee. 459 not seeding the land in grass to a wider extent, and this must be done before this region can be restored to anything like its original fertility. The lands are not near so productive as they were twenty-five years ago, and the present system of farming will inevitably keep them down. There can be no better section for grazing stock, such as sheep and cattle. The nearness of the mountains affords wonderful advantages for grazing purposes. For nearly two-thirds of the year these moun- tains abound with a nutritious grass and tender weeds that keep sheep and cattle in excellent order. Here the "cattle of a thousand hills" can be grazed from the first day of April to the first day of November. The expense attending the operation is only nominal. It has already been remarked that the only valley in this county is Sequatchie. Its average width is from two to three miles. That part of it lying next to the Cumberland range of mountains is more or less deficient in limestone, and the soil is mixed with yellow sand. The part stretching along Walden's Ridge is strongly impregnated with lime, the limestone cropping out everywhere. On the other side there is a great deal of sandstone. On the tops of both of these mountains there are extensive plateaus of land, quite level for eight or ten miles across them, with springs and water courses, but the land is unfit for profitable cultivation. It is said it produces superior Irish potatoes. No doubt fruit trees, apples and peaches, would do well. Along the slopes and coves of these mountains tobacco could be grown advan- tageously. The average production of corn in the valley is about twenty bushels to the acre ; of wheat, about five ; of oats, ten ; of rye, five; of sweet potatoes, one hundred and fifty; and of Irish potatoes, one hundred. There is some cotton grown, which seems to do well. No flax or hemp. The primitive style of dwelling-houses is still in vogue for the most part. But few brick mansions, occasional frame ones, and mostly log. Here and there scattered over the valley, fine mansions are found. There are no brick or stone barns, and but little attention is paid to the housing of milch cows. There are but few improved agricultural im- plements. The turning plow is mostly used. No wheat drills are used, and but few reapers and mowers. Mineral springs are abundant. They are iound in every portion of the county. There is a valuable one near Pikeville, and still another seven jniles distant. 460 Resources of Temiessee. The deposits of iron ore and coal hidden in the bowels of the moun- tains referred to are very great in extent. Of course they remain where they are, as there is no transportation. The educational interests of the county are commendable. Allusion has* been made to the " People's College/' at Pikeville. There is still another of high grade some eight miles southwest of Pikeville, known as Sequatchie College. It was chartered in 1870. The build- ing is a substantial brick, and large and airy. It is located in a moral and intelligent community. It is presided over by an able faculty, and there are now over 10(* students in attendance. Bledsoe College is twelve miles north-east of Pikeville, in a good neighborhood, and now numbering about 100 students. There are twenty-three free schools in successful operation, and three colored schools. (For statistics pertaining to this county, the reader is referred to page 405, chapter XXII.) BLOUNT COUNTY. County Seat — Maeyville. Blount county is one amongst the oldest of the State, and was named in honor of Willie Blount, the first Governor of Tennessee. Most of its early records were destroyed during the late civil war. The county was erected by the Territorial Legislature, July 11, 1795. In con- nection with its adjoining counties, it formed what was known as " Cherokee County," whose inhabitants stoutly contended for its continued possession, and even now make occasional pilgrimages to their ancient hunting grounds. This county also claims having reared sev- eral prominent personages, among whom may be mentioned General Sam Houston, whose mother settled in this county, from Virginia, from which State and from North Carolina the jirincipal settlers of this county came, and in tlie year 1800 numbered 347 inhabitants. The census of 1870 gives this county 14,180 inhabitants. Maryville, the county seat, is situated near the center of the county, on Pistol Creek, and contains 811 inliabitnnts. Other towns are Louisville, Friendsville, Unitia and Jlockford. East Te?inessee. 4^^ The area of the county is estimated at 425 square miles, a little more than one-third of which, or 91,740 acres, are in cultivation. About oue-sixth of the area of the county is mountain land and unsuited to successful cultivation. Several ranges of hills, or low ridges, well timbered, but of inferior land, run through different parts of the county, but no waste swampy land is found anywhere. Being bounded on two sides by the Holston and Tennessee rivers, while Little River runs through its entire length, and numerous streams flow into all these, the county can boast of a very fair amount of first- class river and creek bottoms, alluvial in their formation. The substra- tum along all the streams is either limestone or marble. The soil of the uplands is much varied in composition and richness, principally composed of limestone, loam or slate, and lying on a substratum of red clay, which serves greatly to retain the fertility of the soil. The best soil is along the streams, of course, but marble soil on the uplands, when fairly treated, is but little, if any, inferior, and may be preferable for the raising of wheat. , Next in order of fertility, is the limestone, and after this the black loam. Apart from the bluffs along the rivers and several low ridges, the main portion of the county is comparatively level. Along the south-eastern boundary, however, the Unaka, or Smoky Mountains rear their lofty heads more than 6,000 feet high, and along these the Chil- howee stretches its whole length. Between these two mountains small level valleys are found of extraordinary fertility. Chief among these valleys may be named Miller's Cove, Cade's Cove, Chilhowee and Happy Valley, all of which are specially adapted to the raising of fruit and vegetables. Along the mountains the rocks are chiefly sandstone, slate and quartz ; along the streams, limestone in great abundance ; in the south- west and western portions of the county, different kinds of marble of excellent quality are found in abundance, and are lately begun to be worked. Iron ore crops out in many* parts of the county, and along Chilhowee Mountain this ore, of a superior quality, is found in great quan- tities, but the want of capital, and particularly the want of enterprise on the part of the native inhabitants, have left this boundless source of wealth almost untouched. The same kind of copper ore as that which is dug in the rich mines of Ducktown, some fifty miles south, is also found along the mountains in this, and only needs the energy of the 462 Resources of Tennessee. capitalist to make it a great source of wealth to the county. Gold, silver, lead, and various other metals have been found along these mountains. At this writing, an excitement is prevailing over supposed coal found in these mountains, by parties prospecting for the same. Montvale Springs, well known through various parts of the south, and to which hundreds of invalids and pleasure-seekers resort during the summer months, are situated in this county. The water is impregna- ted with iron, Epsom salts, and various other minerals, and is highly re- commended for chronic diseases and general debility of the system. Near these are the Black Sulphur Springs, quite noted during ante hel- I'lun times, but now much neglected for want of proper accommodations. Other mineral springs are in existence, but not generally known. The streams of Blount county are numerous. Chief among these is Little River, which rises in the Unaka Mountains, and runs north- west into the Holston. Some of the richest bottoms and finest farms are along this stream. Having its source in the mountains, it descends with great rapidity, forming sites for mills or factories at short distances. It receives the waters of Crooked Creek, Pistol Creek, NaiPs Creek, EUijoy, and several smaller streams, along all which good land is found, and abounding in springs of pure water. On the southern and western part of the county are Abram's Creek, Nine Mile, Six Mile, Four Mile Creeks, Baker's Creek, and Boyd's Creek, all of which have good land along their banks and contain numerous mill sites. Manufacturing in this county is in its infancy. First in importance may be mentioned the cotton factory at Kockford, under the excellent management of R. I. Wilson. The machinery is of the latest and most improved kind. The operatives are paid liberal wages. About sixty hands are constantly employed, and about 1,600 spindles kept running. This factory is chiefly engaged in making yarn for domestic use, but is eagerly sought in northern markets. A woolen factory has lately been erected in Maryville, by A. J. Stone, a gentleman from Massachusetts, but has hardly been tried suf- ficiently to test its value. Three wool-carding machines are also in active operation in different parts of the country. Si)inning and weav- ing by hand is yet very extensively carried on throughout the county. A number of tanneries are located in different parts of the county, capable of supplying its demands for leather. Some faVming imj)hMnents of a fair ([uality are also produced here, » East Tennessee. 4^3 but the demand for improved implements is rapidly increasing, so that large sums of money are yearly sent north for these articles, which ought to be made here, giving employment to our citizens, and keep- ing the money among us. ** There are sixteen grist mills and about twenty saw mills, propelled by water, and sites for fifty more in the county. Three steam saw mills, cutting, in the aggregate, from fifteen to twenty thousand feet per day, are now in active operation. The county everywhere is well supplied with timber, though not always of the best quality, for fencing. On the upland, the black oak predominates, while hickory, post oak, white oak and yellow pine are abundant, the latter of a superior quality for building purposes. Along the streams may be found walnut, wild cherry, ash and poplar; on the ridges the chestnut, and along the mountains the white, yellow and spruce pine, locust, all the varieties of oak, poplars of enormous size, and forests of chestnut. The ruinous method of farming practiced in this county has given to most of farms the appearance of unthrift, while on others, especially those on which clover is cultivated, a more hopeful appearance is pre- sented. On the whole, the system of farming has been much improved since the war, both by using better implements and by rotation of crops and cultivating clover. The greatest drawback to successful farming is working too much land and too imperfectly. Very many farms have been divided since the war, but the majority are too large yet, ranging from 200 to 800 acres. Those of less extent are usually worked by the owners, the larger sized farms are let out to renters, on one and two years' time, who pay the owners one-third of the grain produced. Improved farms sell, at this time, at from three to twenty-five dollars per acre, though in a few instances good river bottoms may bring higher prices. There is quite a large amount of land for sale. Many of the farmers would dispose of part of their land in order to im- prove the remainder. The county can boast of excellent schools, as good, perhaps, as any- where in the State. Maryville has two or three superior institutions for the education of both sexes and of both colors. The free school system is working admirably, and the citizens throughout the county are favoring this system of popular education. 464 Resources of Te7inessee, There is one newspaper published at Mary ville, called the " Mary- ville Republican." (For other statistics, see First Part, chapter xxii.) BRADLEY COUNTY. County Seat — Cleveland. Bradley county was organized in 1836. It will rank favorably, in every respect, with any of the counties of East Tennessee. The pop- ulation is an excellent one — industrious, provident, moral and intelli- ent. There is little litigation among them, and consequently good order prevails. Many of them are superior farmers ; keep their estates in fair condition ; do thorough work, and raise improved stock. The county is bounded on the north by McMinn and Meigs, on the east by Polk, on the west by James, and on the south by Georgia. The face of the country is made up of long, straight valleys, with ridges between them. The soil is productive, of a red mulatto color, and well adapted to all the grapes. Among the noted valleys of the county, are Big Chatata, Little Chatata, Walker's Valley, Mouse Creek A^alley, and Candy Creek Valley. They run north-east to south-west, and will average about three-quarters of a mile in width. They are generally productive, but have been badly used by improper cultivation. The Mouse Creek Valley is quite noted on account of its fine lands. There are but few better anywhere. The lands, in all the valleys named, produce fair crops of wheat and corn, averaging of wheat about eight bushels to the acre, and of corn about twenty-five to the acre. But few of these lands are devoted to the culture of grass or meadow, comparatively speaking^ and yet there are but few sections that excel it, naturally, for mead- ows. The size of farms runs from 320 to 800 acres. They are mostly worked by the owners and hired labor. They range in price from twenty to twenty-five dollars per acre. There are lands that can be bought for a much lower figure, and, perhaps, there arc farms that could not be bought for less than fifty dollars per acre. They are in a worse condition than before the wjar. This part of Ten- nessee was greatly torn up and destroyed during the war, and the people were so badly crippled that they have had no chance to recu- East Tennessee. 465 perate since ; they are, however, at work, and it will not be long until they will once more be themselves. Steel-turning plows are mostly used in breaking up the soil — bull tongues sometimes used. Horses and mules do all the farm work, or the most of it. The farmers are paying considerable attention to the improvement of their stock ; they have some pretty good cattle, nice horses and mules, and a fair breed of sheep. There is, however, much room for improvement, which will follow in due time. The sheep business could be made profitable but for the ravenous dogs ; they devour the sheep on all hands, and there is one general complaint all over the county against them. The farmers want some sort of dog law to protect them against this nuis- ance. One of the best farmers of the county suggests that it ought to be made a penitentiary offense to keep a sheep-killing dog. The value of taxable property is §2,585,820, and the number of acres assessed 185,137. Land rents for one-third the products where the renter furnishes his own stock, provisions, etc. Bottom lands rent for one-half of the products. The county is not thickly settled. There is an earnest demand for immigrants, and they would be re- ceived most kindly ; nor are there many places in East Tennessee where they would do better. It is an exceedingly healthy region, en- tirely free from all malarious diseases, with a climate unsurpassed for mildness. The county has good society, excellent schools, and churches of all sects. Lands can be bought on reasonable terms, and are of easy access to market. Timber abundant, consisting of pine, chestnut, hick- ory, walnut, white and black oak, etc. Bradley county affords a vast deal of very fine water power. There are, at least, fifty sites where the most efficient power could be had, and would drive any sort of machinery. There are any number of saw and grist mills in the county, but no other manufacturing estab- lishments. Cotton and woolen factories could be operated to great ad- vantage in various parts of the county. Capital and enterprise are badly needed. The East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad runs entirely through \\\Q county, affording transportation to the best and most re- liable markets in the country. Most of the shipping is done in the direction of Georgia, as that State is only a few miles distant. Atlanta is reached in a few hours, and that* is one of the best markets in the south. But the eastern markets are also open — Lynchburg, Richmond, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. 30 4^6 Resources of Tennessee. Labor is scarce and not reliable. For this reason wages are low. An average hand is worth about ten dollars a month, the year round. Many of the most prominent citizens of the county think the greatest drawback is, that the rates of interest on money are too high, and that they ought to be reduced. All surplus capital is withdrawn from farm- ing pursuits, and loaned out at high rates of interest, when it should be used in prosecuting farm work. Many of them also maintain that there ought to be a law compelling the children of the county to ai> tend the public schools. Cleveland is the county seat of Bradley county. It is situated on the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad, and at the junction of a branch road leading to Dalton, Georgia. It contains a population of about 2,0C0. There are but few prettier towns in Tennessee. It IS well laid off. The streets are wide and roomy. It has excellent sidewalks. The grounds consist of a level plateau, and rolling enough to drain the town. Palatial residences are seen in all parts of the place. Yards are handsomely laid out, tastefully ornamented with rare flowers and evergreens. The churches are. costly. Hotels are good. Two newspapers are published — the Cleveland Banner and Republican. Number one schools, and the very best society are found. Charleston IS another town of this county, situated on the Hiwassee River, and on the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad, and containing a population of about 600. It drives a brisk business, and is a moral place. The prevailing rocks of the county are limestone, some sandstone and marble. (For statistics, see chapter xxii. Part First). CAMPBELL COUNTY. • . County Seat — Jacksboro. Campbell county was erected September 11, 1806, and is. one of the extreme northern counties of East Tennessee, being bounded on the north by Kentucky, on the east by Claiborne and Union counties, on the south by Anderson county, and on the west by Anderson and Scott counties. Waldcn's Ridge strikes it at its southern extremity, and runs a north-eastern course through it. Hence there is about as much ter- East Tennessee. 467 ritorv on the western side of it as on the eastern side, though the land is not so valuable in the former case as in the latter, for it must be borne in mind that \)i\Q. great valley known as Powell's Valley runs through tlie entire county on the eastern side. Perhaps this is one of the finest and most productive valleys in East Tennessee. Its average width is about two miles, and it extends for sixty miles or more to the Virginia line. There is scarcely an acre of it but that is tillable, and the most of it is exceedingly fertile. As a general thing, the land of this valley is gently rolling, now and then a little broken, with thou- f-ands of acres finely adapted to meadows, and all of it producing heavy crops of corn, wheat, rye, oats, etc., and this, too, under an injudicious system of farming ; for it cannot be disguised that the farmers, for the most jiart, have, and are still pursuing an unwise course in the man- agement of the soil. They have only a small percentage, say fifteen per cent., in clover and grass, when they should have vastly more. All this wonderful valley needs to make it one of the very best in the country, is to produce more grass and less corn. It is eminently a grass region. The soil is strongly impregnated with lime. The lime- stone rock cro})s out in all directions. The finest timothy and blue- grass could be grown by only a small effort. Indeed, the latter is in- digenous, and takes the land everywhere. Of course there are some farmers who are turning their attention to these crops, and they are successful, but by far the greater proportion are neglecting them. The average of corn to the acre is about thirty bushels ; of wheat, about ten ; of oats, about twenty-five or thirty. On the opposite side of Walden's Ridge there is another extensive valley, but, as before remarked, not so valuable as the one just de- scribed. In the first place, it is cut oif by the mountains in question. Waldpu's Ridge is an immense barrier. It is high and rugged, and miles across it. In the next place, it is not so wide nor so long. The land, perhaps, is equally as productive, and quite as good grass is pro- duced. It has one marked advantage, that of affording a wide range for the grazing of stock. The mountain is so near that it can be easily readied, and cattle and sheep economically kept upon it from early s]>ring to lute in the fall. It is a fine fruit region. Apples of almost unsurpassed flavor and of fine size grow there. Limestone is the pre- vailing rock. Iron ore and stone coal are found in quantity. The physical character of the coimty, upon the whole, is mountain- ous. There are a number of hills and ridges making through it in various places, and between them lie fertile valleys. Many of these 468 Resources of Tennessee. hills and ridges are productive. The soil is rich, sometimes mixed with gravel, and well adapted to fruit, wheat and Irish potiitoes. The soil of the valley is a dark mulatto in color, with a substantial clay subsoil. It is exceedingly tenacious, and will stand oppressive culti- vation. There are acres upon acres that have been in cultivation for more than half a century, that produce fair crops to-day. Nor have they been aided by grassing or clovering, nor by manuring or fertiliz- ing, nor, indeed, by rotation of crops. For years, in succession, they have yielded the very same crops, and, at the present time, will pro- duce fair crops of corn, wheat and oats. No soil in the State is more generous than that of Campbell county, especially when the fact is considered that so little care has been taken with it. Once inaup^urate a systematic and intelligent mode of culture, and there is no soil that would more amply repay the proprietor. It is admirably adapted ta all the crops peculiar to this latitude. Tobacco has never been tried ta | any extent, but enough is known on this subject to warrant the asser- ! lion that there is no better section for its growth. The average size of farms is from 100 to 800 acres, and they are mostly cultivated by the owners themselves. The tenant system does not prevail to any extent. Where it does prevail, the land- lord receives, as rent, one-third of the entire crops, the tenant fur- nishing everything. The farms are not in as good condition as before the war, for the good reason that this county was at the mercy of both of the contending armies, and was badly treated. It was almost deso- lated. Fencing was destroyed, stock was taken, and the principal men on both sides of the contest were compelled to abandon their homes» It is rapidly recovering, however, from its prostration, .and will soon be itself again. The population is an industrious one. Before the war, there was scarcely a county in East Tennessee more noted for the number and character of its stock. Here could be found fine cattle, hogs, mules, horses and sheep. Thousands were annually fattened and sent off to the southern markets. Its hog crop was always unusually large. It was but little trouble to raise corn, and this was fed to this stock. There are obvious indications among the farmers that they will in the future change their mode of farming in this regard, and turn their attention to grazing. They are beginning to find out that the most profitable system of farming they can adopt is to put down their lands to grass and raise cattle, mules, horses and sheep. The average price of lands in this county ranges from one to fifteen and twenty dollars per acre. Unimproved lands can be had as low as East Temiessee. 469 one and two dollars per acre, but, of course, not valuable. Improved farms, in some localities, are worth as high as forty and fifty dollars per acre, but, in others, from fifteen to twenty. The terms of sale are usually one, two and three years' time, six per cent, interest, a lien re- tained upon the property, and about one-third of the purchase money paid down at the time of sale. Even longer time than this is often granted, and, occasionally, no interest exacted from the purchaser. At the present time there is a great deal of land for sale, in various parts of the county, and much of it very valuable. Bargains could be had and excellent homes secured. The principal markets for this county are Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta, Georgia. They are reached by the Knoxville and Ohio Railroad, which taps the extreme southern portion of the county and intersects the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad at Knox- ville. Powell's River drains a portion, or rather, one corner of the ■county, and during tides or freshets, considerable quantities of produce are rafted down this river. There are important mineral deposits in the county, such as iron ore •and stone coal. These, in many localities, exist in abundance. There are also fine clay for making furnaces, and limestone for fluxing. There are valuable water-powers in various parts of the county, and timber of almost all sorts, such as pine, hickory, oak, walnut, maple, dogwood, poplar, etc. There are likewise excellent mineral waters. Near the town of Jacksboro, the county seat, there is a fine chalybeate spring which is attracting some attention on account of its medicinal virtues. Immigration from the north, or anywhere else, is strongly desired. The citizens take a very proper and liberal view of this matter. They are painfully conscious of the pressing want of more population. They need men and money, brains and enterprise. Persons from abroad, therefore, would be kindly and M'armly received by them. There has been no systematic effort made to induce them to come, as yet, but it is to be hoped that something will be done in this direction in the future. The principal town is Jacksboro, the capital of the county. It is a small place, Avith a population of about three hundred. Fincastle is another small village, situated in Powell's Valley, and some miles north of Jacksboro. There is a flourishing school here. Tiie country around it is rich and beautiful. Caryville is at the present terminus of the 470 Resources of Tennessee. Knoxville and Ohio Railroad. Buck-eye Town is another village. At Caryville coal is mined to a considerable extent, four companies opera- ting at this place. There are two small bloomeries in this county, which manufacture an excellent article of bar iron, which is mostly consumed by the blacksmiths of the county. Other items of information can be obtained by consulting chapter xxii. CARTER COUNTY. County Seat — Elizabetpiton. Carter county was created in April, 1796, and was taken from Wash- ington county, the oldest county in the State. It is bounded on the north by Sullivan and Johnson counties, on the east by Johnson and North Carolina, on the south by North Carolina, and on the west by Washington. It is a mountainous region, at least a considerable por- tion of it. Along its southern boundary the Unaka mountains extend its Avhole length. Though broken, there is a large quantity of fine lands on the Watauga and Doe rivers, perhaps equal to any in this portion of Tennessee. The bottoms are wide and productive, the soil consisting of a black loam, intermixed to some extent with sand. Corn and wheat are the great staples upon them. The Watauga lands produce an excellent quality, and a large quantity of wheat per acre ; they are, in fact, noted in this particular. They will average as high as fifteen bushels to the acre, and with judicious culture, they would probably reach thirty bushels to the acre. They are, likewise, finely adapted to corn. The Doe River bottoms produce heavy crops of wheat and corn. All these lands rate very high, and are regarded by the owners as exceedingly valuable. The Watauga bottoms are held at one hund- red dollars per acre, while the Doe River lands are c(jually as high. Away from these rivers the land is generally broken; and up next to the Unaka mountains it is unfit for agricultural purposes. In some of the coves, and on some of the more depressed spurs, fruit might be advantageously produced. Apples, no doubt, would do well. Irish ])otatoes could be profitably raised. Grapes woukl thrive, as the na- tive grape is found in abundance all along the base of these mountains. East Tefinessee. 471 Bee culture could be carried on successfully. The most profitable use, however, to which they could be applied, would be the grazing of sheep and cattle, for which they have a peculiar fitness. The most of the coves produce a luxuriant growth of grass, while the mountains are covered with a native grass which cattle are fond of, and which possesses fattening qualities to a high degree. But this section of Carter county is more particularly noted for its iron interest. The iron of this county has become celebrated through- out the country. It is equal to the Cranberry iron of North Carolina, close to the Tennessee line. The car wheel manufactory of the city of Knoxville uses this iron altogether in the manufacture of car wheels. All along the southern boundary of the county the ore exists exten- sively, but, as yet, but little has been done to develop it, owing to the fact that transportation is difficult. It has to be hauled from six to twelve miles to the railroad. The East Tennessee, Virginia and Geor- gia Railroad runs through the north-western corner, Carter being the only depot in the county. There is no prospect of building a road through the county at present. One was projected just after the war, and most of the grading done, but it fell through. The car wheel company of Knoxville have a cold-blast furnace in operation, and are supplying their factory with the iron. There are six forges in various parts of the county engaged in manufacturing bar iron. Mineral springs are abundant, consisting mostly of sulphur and chalybeate waters. There are no doubt valuable mineral waters in the town of Elizabethton, which have never yet been tested. The Jenkins' white' sulphur and the yellow sulphur springs are regarded as possess- ing superior medicinal qualities. There are many different kinds of rocks in the county, among which sandstone, limestone and granite are the most valuable. The average size of the farms is from fifty to one hundred acres, and are mostly worked by the owners. Prices of improved lands, except- ing those mentioned, are as follows : First bottom lands, fifty dollars per acre ; second quality, from twenty to thirty dollars per acre ; and the third quality, from five to ten dollars per acre. The staple crops are wheat, rye, corn, oats, and hay. Timothy is the prevailing grass. It is an excellent fruit region. For apples, it cannot be easily excelled. Vegetables of all kinds grow well. There is scarcely any improved stock in the. county. There are some improved hogs, and but few sheep of any sort; they are annoyed by the dogs, and the farmers are 472 Resources of Tennessee. not inclined to embark in sheep husbandry. There is considerable at- tention paid to making butter and drying fruit. There are no dairies, although a dairy region by nature. This could be made a paying as well as a pleasant business. But few of the smaller fruits are culti- vated. The county is sparsely settled. It would bear an additional popula- tion of ten or fifteen thousand. More people are badly needed. Hence, immigrants are invited from every portion of the country, and would be kindly received by all classes. The taxable property amounts to $1,004,450. The timber is oak, poplar, wild cherry, hickory, wal- nut, white pine, spruce pine, locust, and maple. The principal streams are Watauga River, Doe River, Buffalo Creek, Indian Creek, Stony Creek, Elk Creek, Gap Creek, Laurel Fork, and Sinking Creek. None of them are navigable. There is water power to any reasonable extent in any portion of the county. Doe River furnishes a vast deal. There is a woolen factory on it, and quite a. number of mills. There are some ten merchant mills in the county. Elizabethton is the county seat. It is situated on Doe River, and six miles from Carter depot. Its population is about three hundred. It contains three churches — Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist. One school of about one hundred pupils, and there are fair schools throughout the county. (See chapter xxii for statistics.) The scenery of this county demands a passing notice. The north- eastern part is a splendid valley, lying between two huge sandstone mountain ranges, the Holston Mountain on the north-west, and the Iron Mountain on the south-east. This valley may be regarded as a continuation of Shady Valley, in Johnson county, though separated from the latter by a cross ridge. Indeed, the county is nearly hemmed in by high rugged mountains, with outlets to the west and south, and the enclosed valley is of enchanting beauty and fertility. These mountains are built up of Chilhowee sandstone, almost invulnerable to the elements of decay, while the valleys present the limestones and dolomites of the Knox formation. Altogether, it is a county charac- terized by magnificent scenery, in which towering, massive ridges rise in majestic proportion on all sides, sublime in their grandeur and un- tamed in their beauty. East Tennessee. 473 CLAIBORNE COUNTY. County Seat — Tazewell. By far the larger portion of Claiborne county lies in the Valley of East Tennessee, only its northwestern corner resting upon the Cumber- land Table Land. The law authorizing the organization of the county was passed at Knoxville, October 29, 1801. It was formed from parts of Grainger and Hawkins counties. The Justices of the Peace appoint- ed by Governor Roane, were qualified on the 7th day of December, 1801, the first day of the first term of the court of quarter sessions for the county. For several years after its organization, there was no court-house, the courts being held at the houses of the different magis- trates, in turn. Walter Evans w^as elected the first Clerk of this court David Rogers was the first Sheriff for the county ; Ezekial Craft, Regis- ter; Luke Boyer, Solicitor; Nathaniel Austin, Ranger; and John Sumpter, Constable. The first settlements in the county were made at Big Spring, near Sycamore Creek, in 1794-5. Boundary and Topography. This county is bounded on the north by the Kentucky line, on the east by Hancock, and the South by Gran- ger and Union, the Clinch River forming the line, and on the west by Campbell. It comprises about 360 square miles. The physical features and surface conformation are a good deal diversified. Broad stretches of comparatively level land and abrupt bluffy highlands and swelling pro- tuberances make up the general face of the country. Powell's River runs diagonally through its center, from north-east to south-west, and forms the great highway of commerce. During the season of freshets, the crops of various kinds are shipped in flat-boats to Chattanooga and other points. North of Powell's River, and running parallel with it, are three or four belts of land differing in quality, kind and condition. The most northward of these is triangular in shape and forms a part of the Cumberland Table Land. The soil of this is sandstone, porous and poor. The next strip southward is Poor Valley, which lies between the steep escarpments of the Table Land and Walden's Ridge. This valley is well named, for its surface is covered with blocks of sandstone, and it has low marshy spots, some of which are drained and cultivated, but the great proportion of this valley is totally unfit for cultivation. Then comes Poor Valley Ridge, a low ridge skirting the base of the mountain for many miles, forming with Poor Valley a moulding to the 474 Reso7irces of Tennessee. base of the Cumberland Table Land. Then we have Walden's Ridge, with its high, comb-like, serrated, wooded crests. It rises steeply and is only passed by transverse cuts, which occur at various intervals, from one to four miles. Between Walden's Ridge and Powell's River is Powell's Valley, one of the finest in East Tennessee. This remark- able valley does not lie on Powell's River, but is separated from it by a high belt of table land, from two to four or more miles in width. The valley itself is 400 feet above the river, and extends continuously from Virginia to Wheeler's Gap, a distance of about sixty miles. It preserves its parallelism with the river, whose name it takes, and has a width varying from two to five miles. Through the center of this valley a high "hog-back" ridge, that is, a ridge in which the strata of the rocks are nearly perpendicular, runs for a distance of eight or ten miles. Running out at right angles to Walden's Ridge, are a series of swollen protuberances that project themselves into the valley, giving to the surface, near the ridge, a tumid and rolling appearance. The next belt is the high wooded region that separates the river from the valley. It falls off in a steep escarpment on the river banks, but descends gradually into the valley on the north-west side. It is heav- ily timbered. Between Powell's River and Tazewell is a barren, chestnut-covered plain, comparatively level, which has an open, gravelly soil. South of Tazewell the country is very broken, rising into massive ridges and hills, among which, towering above all the rest, is Wallen's Ridge, with its wide rounded summit. This ridge is made up of Knox dolomite, limestone and cherty masses. Immediately south of Tazewell, its swelling form may be seen for miles, as it runs north-easterly into Hancock and south-westerly into Union. Its sides are marked by nu- merous coves, with the intervenient spurs, and often interlocking with these are the spurs shooting out from the chestnut plain on the north. Lone Mountain appears in the southern part of the county. Its north- western face is covered with green fields and dense woods, in which the clambering vines, receiving sustenance from rich limestone soil, make the surface dark with their rank luxuriance. On the. south-eastern side of the same mountain huge layers of sandstone sheet the surface in tilted masses, and the vegetation is sparse and the trees small and scraggy. With the exception of Powell's and Sycamore bottoms, the whole country is high, rough and broken, for the most part fertile, but almost everywliere the tilted limestone rocks rise to the surface, forming glades and rendering the soil difficult of cultivation. East Temiessee. 475 In this county is (Cumberland Gap, a spot made memorable by recent events, and is the great pass from the blue-grass region of Kentucky to the cotton States of Georgia and Alabanuu The picturesqueness and grandeur of the scenery are imposing. On either side of the gap, high, rocky, weathcrstained ramparts, rising to a perpendicular height of 1,500 feet above the valley, till the mind with awe and sublimity. Stand- ing upon the pinnacle 2,680 feet above the sea, and looking southward, the view is one of magnificence and beauty. The long parallel ridges of East Tennessee, cut by innumerable gaps, are distinctly traceable, forming a billowy sea of mountains, while far beyond tower up grandly the majestic domes of the Unakas, wrapped in mist, the universal expression of the sublime, the type of the infinite and unchangeable, standing out as '' landmarks on the vast and shoreless sea of the azure heavens." The gap is 500 feet above Poor Valley, and 1,000 below the pinnacle. A road, by a series of gentle curves,* passes from the valley below up through the gap. Beyond the gap the slope is less abrupt. Streams. Besides the Clinch, which washes the southern limit of the county, and Powell's River, there are numerous small streams tribu- tary to these rivers. Russell's Creek, Indian Creek, Gap Creek and Town Creek empty into Powell's River. Sycamore Creek, Big Bar- ren and Bald Creek empty into Clinch. All these tributary streams furnish good w^ater-powers, many of which have been utilized. The streams are rapid in their descent, and the banks, being of limestone, are admirably suited for the erection of dams. Mills are usually driven by over-shot wheels, to which the water is conducted from a point above by flumes. Very little expense is incurred in the making of dams. Sometimes the natural dip of the rock can be made to answer the purpose. In numy places the dip of the strata is in the direction from which the stream flows. In such situations many beautiful nat- ural dams occur, over which the water falls with glassy smoothness. Lanch, Soils and Timber. The soils of Claiborne county are almost as varied as the topographical features. On the Cumberland Table Land is a sandstone soil, thin, porous and unproductive. In Poor Valley the soil sometimes runs into quicksand. The finest and most productive soils are found in the Sycamore bottoms and in Powell's Valley. In the latter it has a reddish cast with a deep red ferruginous subsoil.' There is no better soil in the State than that found in Powell's Valley, especially when we add to its fertility its durable properties. 47 6 Resources of Tennessee. It is the garden spot of the county. Lands are remarkably high in this valley, Avhen their remoteness from market is considered. The entire })roducts are shipped out by Powell's River, a stream that is navigable for flat and keel-boats, and only then for one or two months in the year. The best improved farms bring from forty to fifty dollars per acre. On Chestnut Ridge the soil is thin, and lands sells for about four dollars per acre. The lands immediately north of Wallen's Ridge, though rocky and rolling, have a rich limestone soil, and are highly pro- ductive. They are held at thirty and forty dollars per acre. South of this ridge, though nearly as fertile, the lands are not so valuable, except those in close proximity to Clinch River. The exceeding ruggedness of the surface of the county, and the difficulty of making good roads, make the nearness or remoteness from the river quite an important element in the estimates of the value of farms. Timber. There are but few counties in East Tennessee better tim- bered than Claiborne. Walnut and sugar trees are abundant and grow to enormous sizes on the rich slopes of the ridges and in the elevated bottoms between. In places chestnut prevails, especially on the chest- nut plateau north of Tazewell. In the north-eastern part of the county, on Powell's River, are some good groves of cedar. Birch is met with on the streams. The })revailing timber, however, is oak, poplar, hick- ory and pine. Of the latter, none is found east of Tazewell, but white oaks of fine size, black oaks, suitable for boards, and walnut trees are abundant. In this portion cedar bushes grow up in the old fields and relieve them of their barren aspect. At least three-fourths of the county is covered with valuable timber. The walnut is more abundant than is found in contiguous counties, and would yield a fine revenue if the means of transportation were better. Rafts are sometimes carried down Powell's River. Crops and Farms. The average size of farms in Claiborne county does not exceed thirty-five acres of tillable land. By the census re- ])ort of 1870 there were 1,100 farms in the county of all sizes, nearly half of which had more than twenty and less than fifty acres. There was not a farm reported in the county as having five hundred acres. Most of them are worked by their owners, with a little help during the summer. Farm hands are not hired by the year, but from about the 1st of March to the 1st of August, and again from the 1st of Octo- ber to December. The usual crops are corn, wheat, oats, rye, and hay, and some farm- East Tennessee. 477 ers raise flax for domestic use. By far the larojest proportion of corn is fed to hogs and sold in pork, but a considerable quantity is shipped out in flat-boats. The hay crop has been greatly increased during the past few years. The valleys that lie at the foot of the limestone ridges produce timothy well. Receiving fresh accessions to their fertilizing elements by every rain, the soils, in these low places, are among the most durable in the State. Outside of Powell's Valley these areas are small, though they produce from two to three tons of hay per acre. It is claimed, by leading farmers, that the north hillsides, especially of Wallen's Ridge and Lone Mountain, are as well adapted to the growth of hay as the bottoms themselves. This statement is not in- credible ; for of all the corn crops which came under our observation during the past summer, we saw none surpassing in luxuriance of growth those seen on the northern slopes of the hills and ridges of Chii- borne county. The only trouble about growing hay on the hillsides is the difficulties which have to be encountered in the use of suit- able machinery for saving it. As pastures, these lands would be unexcelled, for the hot suns of summer are attempered by the uprising hills on the south, and the moisture, so necessary to the rapid and lux- uriant growth of grass, is not so readily evaporated. Besides timothy, clover is also sown as a hay crop. The limestone soils grow it with surprising rankness. Three and four tons are sometimes taken from a single acre. Here, as -in other counties in East Tennessee, the practice does not prevail of giving the land the benefit of the clover crop. It is either pastured or cut for hay. Diligent inquiry failed to find more than two or three farmers who habitually sow clover for the purpose of benefitting the soil. Fields are often cultivated until the fertility of the soil is destroyed and then turned out to grow up in pine forests, or alder and persimmon bushes. Upon Chestnut Ridge tliis prac- tice is quite common, and instances were given where the same rails, made of chestnut timber, had outlasted the fertility of two or three fields. But as the turned-out fields in this chestnut region soon grow up into pines, the effect upon the appearance of the country is not so bad as in many other portions of the State. The condition of the farms is not so good as it was before the war. The fences are badly neglected. Many of the fence rows are tangled masses of briers and bushes. Crops are not so well cultivated, nor do the out-buildings receive the care and attention they demand. Of course there are many noticeable exceptions to this condition of things. The farms on Sycamore Creek, and on the slopes of Wallen's Ridge, 478 Resources of Tennessee, by their strong enclosures and neat farmhouses, show, unmistakably, the industry and thrift of their owners. Stock and Implements. Stockraising is considered by far the most profitable branch of husbandry for this county. Many farmers are in- troducing improved breeds of cows from Kentucky. Sheep would find here a congenial home among the sheltering rocks, and in the coves of the hills and mountains ; but the great number of dogs, which is said to equal at least one for each person in the county, would make sheep-raising an unprofitable and unsatisfactory business. However much a farmer might wish to improve his breed of sheep, he is de- terred from importing high-bred bucks, because of the imminent risk he would run on account of these pets of society. Numerous cases are mentioned where fine sheep have been killed by dogs, while the scrub stock remained unharmed. Tliere is about one sheep for every per- son in the county. Mules and horses are raised in sufficient quantities to sup])ly the home demand, and some for export. Both are used in the cultivation of crops, though the number of horses is much greater than of mules. Oxen are employed in hauling over the rugged hills, and to some ex- tent, in spring, for breaking up land. Hill-side plows are coming into use, much to the advantage of the land. The cultivation of the crops is done with shovel-plows or bull-tongues^ which are favorite plows with the hill-side farmers of East Tennessee. With this simple imple- ment many of them assert that a crop is more easily worked upon a steep hillside than upon level land, and this sauie opinion prevails in Claiborne county. Some of the fields in this county have an as- cent of nearly forty degrees, and upon such places the corn always looks well, if well tilled. Usually the corn rows are run with a long bull-tongue ])low on nearly a water-level, and in some instances we have remarked one long spiral row from the base of a conical hill to its apex. On the more level farms reapers, mowers and horse-rakes are exten- sively used by the farmers. In Powell's Valley the farmers keep abreast of all the recent improvements in agricultural implements. All the fertile parts of the county are tolerably thickly settled. In Pow- ell's Valley, the population will average fifty to the square mile, while the average for the whole county will not exceed twenty-six. Rents. Renters are numerous, notwithstanding the great sur])lus- age of land and the desire of many farmers to sell. This class fur- East Tennessee. 479 nif>hes everytliirig, and gives the pro])rietor one-third. If the land is very fertile the owner claims and rect4ves one-half. 31inerals. It ^vonld be difficult to estimate the mineral wealth of Claiborne county. The iron ore is very abundant. The dyestone, or red hematite, is found sheeting both sides of Poor Valley Ridge, and also in considerable quantities in Walden's Ridge. Poor Valley Ridge is within a few hundred yards of the Cumberland Gap Iron Works, which are situated within a quarter of n mile of the gap, just under the frowning brow of the Cumberland Table Land. The vein, in Poor Valley Ridge, has been traced ten miles east and ten miles west. It is from eighteen inches to three feet in thickness, and runs with the inclination of the ridge. It is thought to average, in width, fully a half mile. This ore, it is said, yields in working from the furnace from fifty to seventy-five per cent, of good pig iron, tough and of great ten- sile strength. It is much sought after for car wheels and boiler plate. On the spurs of the main range of the Cumberland Table Land are brown hematites. In other places are found the black oxide. The red hematite is so abundant that it is mined and delivered in the furnace loft at one dollar per ton. Limestone, fire-clay, and sand- rock, suitable for making furnace hearths, are found in the same vi- cinity. The sand-rock has, in practice, proved better in the furnace, and more able to resist heat than the fire-brick. Between Poor Valley Ridge and the Cumberland Table Land runs a vein of the black oxide of manganese, which would supply this ore in considerable quantities. This mineral, in the market, is worth from thirty to forty-five dollars per ton. It is extensively used in the mechanical arts, especially in the manufacture of glass. Lead, in pockets and in veins, has been discovered in some places, but never in workable quantities. It occurs in the great anticlinal (or upheavel of the strata in which the rocks dip in op])osite directions) that passes through the county and occupies one-half of it. In this anticlinal is also found zinc-blende. In relation to the quantity of coal in the county, enough has been ascertained to know that it exists in abundance, but there have been no efforts made for its development. The coal-measures attain, in this county and Campbell, a much greater thickness than in any other ]:)or- tion of the Tennessee coal-fields. The aggregate mass of coal must be very great in that part of the county included within the limits of the 480 Resources of Tennessee. Cumberland Table Land. A few places have been opened near Cum- berland Gap, and coal or good quality has been mined, but only for domestic purposes. Millstone grit is found in many places ; and at Big Spring, where the first settlements in the county were made, an extensive manufactory of them was carried on before the w^r. Numerous mineral springs are in the vicinity of Cumberland Gap, consisting of both sulphur and chalybeate. There are also caves in the same neighborhood, in which occur beautiful incrustations. One known as the Newlee's cave, from which the dashing stream of water issues that drives the blast and mill at the furnace, has been explored for many miles. The stream, from the point of issuance to the valley below, has a fall of 150 feet, though the distance is scarcely more than one hundred yards. Boads and Transportation. The roads of Claiborne county are ex- ceedingly rough. No pains have been taken and no expense incurred by the citizens to make good roads, though they are greatly needed. The nearest point to the railroad is Morristown, in Hamblen county, a distance of twenty-eight miles from Tazewell, the county seat. It would be worth a load of corn or hay, oats or wheat, to haul it over the road between these points. Between these points there is what is called a State road, yet the roughest in the State, one on which toll is still demanded, and yet it would be difficult to say for what purpose, unless for the privilege of riding over the worst possible road. The material for the construction of roads is abundant. Good McAdam- ized roads could be built as cheaply in Claiborne county as in any county in the State. The Clinch and Powell's rivers are the only available outlets for the various commodities of the county. Four railroads have been sur- veyed and located tli rough Cumberland Gap — the Cincinnati, Coving- ton and Cumberland Gap Railroad, the Lebanon Branch of the Louis- ville and Nashville Railroad, the Bristol and Cumberland Gap Rail- road, and the Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap and Charleston Railroad. The latter will doubtless be extended from Morristown to this point when the demands of trade shall justify it. It now runs from Morris- town to Wolf Creek, in the opposite direction, a distance of thirty-nine miles. Schools. Very few, if any immigrants come to the county, doubtless owing to the want of railroads and good schools. The county has suflered East Te?messee. 481 quite as much for want of the latter as the former, and the indisposition of the people to levy a tax for that purpose is a harbinger that broods no good for the future industrial and moral development of the county. There is an excellent school at the county seat, but aside from this, we could learn of no other, though doubtless a few peripatetic teachers will now and then come to the county and stay long enough to gather the small sum semi-annually disbursed by the State. The county has levied no tax for school purposes, and has by vote of the people re- fused to do so. Furna.Ges. There is at present only one in operation. This is at Cum- berland Gap, and its daily product is about three and one-fourth tons. This furnace is cold blast. It uses charcoal as fuel, the cost of which is six cents per bushel. Cost of raising ore, fifty cents ; cost of deliver- ing fifty cents. Two hundred bushels of charcoal and two tons of ore are required to make a ton of iron. Labor at the furnace for each ton of iron, costs §3.35. Flux costs one dollar per ton delivered. Forty cents per cord is paid for cutting wood. The estimated cost of making a ton of cold-blast charcoal pig-iron at this point is as follows : 200 busbels of charcoal, at 6 cents $12 00 2 tons of ore, at $1 per ton 2 06 One-fourth ton limestone, at $1 per ton 25 Superinteo'lence and labor, per ton 3 35 Interest on investment 80 Incidentals and repairs, per ton.. 2 00 Total $20 40 The cost in Pennsylvania and Ohio is over $30.00 per ton. The iron made at this point is shipped out by Powell's River. Towns. Tazewell, the county seat, has a population of 400. It has six general stores, three hotels, one grocery, six physicians, two lawyers, a tan-yard, blacksmith shop, etc. This place was nearly destroyed du- ring the war, and has not since been rebuilt. Barrc Forge, Cumberland Gap, Pleasant and Little Gap are all small villages, witli one or two stores each. Scattered all through the county are little stores that barter goods for beeswax, dried fruit, gin- seng, feathers, eggs, butter, chickens, turkeys, maple sugar, bacon, lard, corn, wheat, potatoes, onions, beans, peas, rags, wool, socks, hides and domestic manufactures. When a considerable quantity of these articles are gathered, they are sent to Knoxville, Chattanooga, and points fur- 31 4^2 Resources of Tennessee. I ther south. The largest demand for chickens conies from Atlanta} Georgia. [ Farmers. The farmers of Claiborne county are said to be the best con tented people in the State. They are not ambitious of wealth or distinc tion, but make what they live upon and live upon what they make. The;; work for a competency and are satisfied with it. No visions of princel} wealth in the future beguile them into a neglect of the enjoymen- of the present. Life to them is a thing to be enjoyed, not merely to b( endured. If in discharge of the duties of the farm any social pleasures €an be interwoven, it is always done. Neighbors help each other ir harvest, in the clearing of land, and oftentimes in the planting of th( crops, and what would be a dry, hard, irksome labor for one is made a pleasant pastime for the many. Even the bnrning of the briers from a field is made a season of sportive enjoyment by the young of both sexes. The habits, manners and customs of other days prevail to a great extent among the farmers of Claiborne. The lofty virtues oi simplicity, frugality and honesty are cultivated and appreciated, but there is a woful lack of enterprise. Cost of Living. In no part of the State can the necessaries of life be obtained so cheaply. An income of five hundred dollars in Clai- borne would supply almost as many comforts as three thousand dollars in Nashville. The following prices for the chief articles of domestic use were gathered in the county : Lumber, per 1,000 feet $10 CO Ejii^s, highest price per dozen 10 Butter, " " " pound 16§ Beef " " " " 4 Pork, " " " " 4 Corn, average price per bushel 40 Wheat, " " " " 1 00 Hay, per 100 pounds 50 Cliickens 10 Horses a;nd mules are cheap. The best work-horses can be bought for $125. Farm Labor. Men, $8 to $12 per month and board; women, $3 to $4 per month and board ; carpenters, $1.50 per day and board. The price for splitting rails is fifty cents per hundred and board ; getting out staves, fifty cents per hundred ; boards, thirty-three cents ; shingles, drawn, $2.50 per thousand. House rent, with fire-wood, is cheap. Comfortable houses can be East Tennessee. 483 rented in this county, and in the adjoininp; county of Hancock, for ^25 per year. I'jxports and Statistics. The exports from the county for the year ending July 1, 1873, as gathered by a gentleman engaged in the river tnule, consist of the following articles : wheat, 30,000 bushels ; butter, 45,000 pounds ; dried fruit, 20,000 pounds ; corn, 50,000 bushels ; eggs, 60,000 dozen ; wool, 5,000 pounds ; maple sugar, 2,000 pounds ; bacon, 18,000 pounds; feathers, 3,000 pounds ; besides various articles not estimated, such as ginseng, honey, socks, home-made cloth, etc. From Lee county, Virginia, Hancock and Claiborne counties, the exports annually are: wheat, 100,000 bushels; bacon, 600,000 pounds; corn, 120,000 bushels — all shipped by Powell's River. The amount of land assessed for taxation in 1873 Mas 195,867 acres, valued at $818,919. The number of polls, 1,057. The population of the county in 1870 was 9,321, of which 758 were colored, showing only about eight per cent, colored. (For other statistics, see chapter xxii.) Claiborne and Hancock counties differ but little in the configuration of the surface, in the quality and quantity of products, the price of labor and of living, and in the manners and customs of the people. Claiborne raises more stock, Hancock more orchard products ; Claiborne more wheat, Hancock more tobacco. In all other products except do- mestic manufactures, of which Claiborne has forty per cent, more, the two counties are about equal, though Claiborne reported a fourth more tillable land, farms and population than Hancock. The size of the farms is about the same. The description of the farming operations in one will apply to the other. * COCKE COUNTY. County Seat — Newport. Cocke county is bounded on the north by Hamblen and Greene, on the east by Greene and North Carolina, on the south by North Carolina and Sevier, and on the west by Sevier and Jefferson counties. It was created October 9, 1797, and therefore is one among the oldest counties of East Tennessee. It embraces a vast territory, considerable portions of it exceedingly broken, while there is a large quantity of very superior 484 Resources of Tennessee. lands. Tlie soutbern portion Is bounded by the Unaka chain of moun- tains, and all this is unfitted for agricultural purposes. In some of the coves and gorges of the mountains the lands are productive, but tod contracted to render them valuable for producing grain crops. They are adapted to the grasses and to the raising of fruits, though there is nothing done, or comparatively so, in this direction. They might be made available if there was more enterprise among the citizens who- live in them and who cultivate them. The agricultural and mineral resources of the county are scarcely- inferior to those of any county in East Tennessee ; and yet these great natural advantages are not made available to that extent which they deserve. There is a lack of stirring enterprise. Was there more of this, it could be made equal to any county in the State. There are a few men of enterprise, who are doing what they can to advance and j)ush forward the work of progress and steady improvement, but they do not meet with sympathy and vigorous co-operation on the part of the great body of citizens. There are four towns in the county — Newport, Parrottsville, Sweet- water and Clifton. The first having a population of 800, the next' 300, the third 150, and Clifton about 200. Newport is an old town, and has not improved any. Parrottsville is in the midst of good lands and has a fine population. Clifton is immediately upon the Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap and Charleston Railroad, and is a flourishing place. More business, perhaps, is done there than by all the other places put together. The principal part of the trade of the county concentrates there. The principal valleys are French, Broad and Pigeon valleys, taking their names from the French Broad and Pio-con rivers. The former is about forty miles long and about one mile wide, and the latter twenty miles long and one wide. These are exceedingly fertile valleys, the soil equal to any in the State. It is alluvial and deep. With anything like fair cultivation, it will produce from fifty to one hundred bushels of corn to the acre. It is not so good for wheat. Oats grow well. Owing to the prevalence of sand, meadows do not succeed, but clover does. TIk^sc bottoms have been cultivated in corn from time immemorial, with scarcely a change, and still they are enormously productive, as already indicated. Corn, of course, is the great staple upon them, and this is fed mostly to hogs. Recently, however, some of the largest farmers are turning their attention to the East Tennessee. 485 cattle and mule business, and much of the corn is fed to them. This, no doubt, will lead to a radical change in the raising of so much corn, and bring about a new era in the cultivation of the grass crop, a change that certainly would be beneficial to the county. The average size of farms in this county, as in all the counties of East Tennessee, is, by far, too large. Many farmers have more land than they know what to do with, but these are wild lands. Some of the farms are very large, and there are a number of wealthy farmers in the county. Before the war, this was especially the case. They owned a large number of slaves and cultivated immense tracts of land. The quantity of corn produced was great, and the number of hogs fattened and sent to the southern markets was equally so. Many shrev/d and far-seeing men of the county now see the folly of attempting to culti- vate so much land, and a more judicious public sentiment on this subject is likely to take root, and to produce its legitimate fruit. Unquestionably, it would be better for all concerned if these large estates were reduced to at least one-half of their present size, especially in view of the fact that labor is not so reliable as in other days. The tenant system is not much in vogue. The owners of the soil cultivate it mostly themselves. When they rent at all, thev require tenants to give one-half of the products of bottom lands and one-third (»f the up lands. The price of land ranges from five to fifty dollars per acre, and in some special instances even higher. The bottom lands referred to are not for sale. They have been retained in the same families for gener- ations, and are not likely to pass out of their hands in the future. There are some very superior lands on Big Creek, in the eastern por- tion of the county, and are owned by some of the best citizens and farmers. These lands are duly appreciated by their owners, and rate pretty high on account of their fertility. Improved implements of husbandry are not, by any means, in gen- eral use, comparatively few, in fact. This is owing to two causes: First, they are enormously high, and second, the farmers have not been in- clined to buy them. There are a few reapers and mowers, no wheat drills, and the plows generally in use are the bull-tongue and shovel. But little advance from primitive times has been made in raising stock. Tiic same old bi'ceds raised fifty years ago are still raised. Here and there there has been some improvement, but too superficial 486 Resources of Tennessee. to benefit tlie county at large. All kinds of stock partake of the scrub species, except hogs, and they are fair, though not thorough-bred. It is an excellent region for sheep, but on account of the extensive pre- valence of sheep-killing dogs, very little is done towards raising them. Hundreds of farmers are in favor of a stringent dog tax law, or of any plan that will exterminate this deadly foe to their interests. But again, there are many more who are fond of hounds, and run the risk of having their sheep destroyed, in order to have some idle sport in hunt- ing the fox. We should have remarked, in the proper connection, that there is a vast amount of waste land in the county. This is owing to the fact that the Unaka chain of mountains makes into it deeply. The southern side of it is densely packed with ridges and with spurs of the moun- tain. On this account, more perhaps, than from any other cause, the county is not thickly settled, and, we suppose, never will be. ^ The taxable property in the county amounts to $1,362,032. Its financial affairs have been judiciously managed, though but little, comparatively, has been done to advance the cause of education, by a reasonable tax upon the people, and in this undoubtedly lies one of the marked errors of this county. No people on the face of the earth can advance to a high plane of civilization in the absence of edu- cation, and no people could spend a portion of their means more profit- ably than by appropriating money in promoting and fostering a liberal system of education in their midst. The timber of this county is renuirkably fine. Every variety known in this section abounds here — white oak, chestnut oak, black oak, post oak, sugar tree, maj^le, hickory, walnut, beech, cedar, white pine, spruce, yellow pine, poplar, dogwood, ash, &c. There is an extensive trade carried on in the shingle business, which are made out of white pine. The principal streams of the county arc the French Broad and Pigeon rivers, and Big Creek. Their cajnicity to drive all sorts of machin- ery is almost, if not altogether, without a parallel. Tlie water-power is truly immense, es])ecially that offered by the two rivers mentioned, and yet this j)ower remains undeveloped to a great extent. There are not many mills in operation, and no facitories of any description. En- t(!ri)ris(' and capital could find, in this direction, ample scope. The facilities for transportation are favorable. As already indicated, the Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap and Charleston Railroad runs through / East Tennessee. 48 7 the entire county, and through the richest portion of it ; and, besides, the two rivers mentioned are navigable for flat-boats. Live stock is driven across the mountain into North and South Carolina. There is no way of estimating the mineral wealth of this county. It abounds to a great extent. Iron ore is found in paying quantities — the hematite, brown and specular. Baryta and lead exist. Nothing is now boing done to develop these minerals. Lands containing iron ore deposits can be bought at reasonable rates. The prevailing rocks in the valley lands are limestone and shales, and there are numerous springs of chalybeate and white, black and yel- low sulphur in the county. GRAINGER COUNTY. County Seat — Rutledge. Grainger was the second county that was organized after the State of Tennessee was received into the Union, Carter having preceded a few days only. By an act of the Legislature, passed on April 22, 1796, contiguous portions of the extensive and unwieldy counties of Hawkins and Knox were severed from those jurisdictions, and " created into a separate and distinct county, by the name of Grainger." The name was given in compliment to Mary Grainger, the wife of Governor William Blount, who, according to Dr. Ramsey and tradition, was a woman of vigorous intellect, highly esteemed for her rare virtues, per- sonal accomplishments and address. It is said of her, that her influ- ence on the robust manners of the day was most happy, and that she was often able to soften even savage ferocity in the persons of the chiefs who at times visited her husband. The seat of justice was located on the waters of Richland Creek, in the great central valley of the county, in the month of October, 1798, and received the name of Rutledge, in honor of George Rutledge, a name well and honorably known in the early days. Grainger, by the creation of the younger counties of Union and Hamblen, has been shorn of much of her ancient territory, but there is still left to her an ample domain, Avith, perhaps, improved symmetry of boundary and shape. The southern boundary of the county, as now established, is the waters of the Holston, ad jilum aquae, 488 Resources of Tcmicssec the stream not being navigable, according to the rule of the civil law, which has been adopted in Tennessee. We write the Holston, for by that historic name, all along its course, from its source away in the green, grape clad hills of south-western Virginia, it is still and ever will be designated. Arbitrary legislation cannot change the names of natural objects, that are endeared to the hearts of the people by honor- able association, grateful recollections, and which came to their ears in infancy from the lips of their ancestors. Let the name of Holston still be spoken, in memory of the brave pioneer who first explored the waters of the noble stream. It was he who led civilization to its shores, and there permanently planted its advance ; and now, to con- sign his very name to forgetful ness by a mere legislative fiat, void of meaning or solid purpose, is to deprive him of the only reward by which his services were ever requited, and to incur the national shame of ingratitude for disinterested service to the State, which, at the time it was rendered, was at once profitless, perilous and unknown. The Clinch River, for a considerable distance, limits the territory of the county on the north. This stream, more rapid and boisterous than the placid Holston, obtained its name from a very trivial and ludicrous incident, which happened in one of the earliest explorations of its course. An Irishman, afloat upon the stream, in company wnth others, upon a rude raft, by an unlucky step was precipitated overboard. Rising to the surface, he vociferously called upon his fellow-voyagers to " clinch" him ; and from that day the stream, and a mountain which holds its turbulent waters in their place along its course for several hundred miles on the south, have been known by the name of Clinch, and are so designated both in popular local nomenclature and upon the maps of geographers. Neither of these streams is navigable, in the legal sense of the term before alluded to, but during the winter and oarlier spring months are of sufficient volume and depth to safely float, under the direction of practiced and skillful steersmen, large flat-bot- tomed boats, heavily laden with the agricultural products of the coun- try, thereby affording access to the markets and railroads on the waters of the Tennessee. Not only is the agricultural surplus of the country thus cheaply and safely transported, but when the waters of the Hols- ton are in freshet, which generally happens several times during the period mentioned, of every year, large fleets of boats, loaded with salt and plaster from Virginia, and with iron and castings from upper East Tennessee, convey immense quantities of these staple manufactures, of superior quality, stopping at convenient points to supply local demands East Tennessee , 489 on the way, and finally landing' the remainder at })oints accessible to the demands of the south and west. These natural means of trans- portation, while they conduce greatly to the health, and enhance the beauty, and lend an indescribable charm and interest to the scenery of the laud — for no landscape, however limited or extended, is perfect without water, still and placid, or moving and resonant — are of immense aid to the national interests of the country. The boats are easily and cheaply constructed. The forests abound with the material, and in every locality are to be obtained, on reasonable terms, persons compe- tent to construct them and also to manage them after they are afloat. Indeed, there is something in life upon the river that is fasci- nating ; there is something in the majestic, onward march of the swol- len tide ; in the wild roar of the shoal ; in the arrow-like speed of the rapids ; in the deep, fretted agitated whirl ; and in the lofty, beetling crags and cliffs, heavy with the undying verdure of the native ever- greens, that here and there overhang, or loom up beside the way, that has a charm for the most uncultivated sensibility, and " a trip down the river," with all its minor perils and deprivations, is an undertaking that requires but small pecuniary inducement. The transportation thus obtained is much cheaper than that obtained by rail, and almost as secure — the difference in cost amply compensating the increased risk. Before the day of railroads, these were also channels of emigra- tion, and scattered over the great west are many natives of East Ten- nessee whose last recollections of their native hills are as they ap- peared from the bosom of the waters of the Holston and, to this day, it is not an extraordinary sight to witness the passage of a solitary covered boat, laden with the all, the hopes and fears of a self-expatri- ated family, on their winding way to the great West. Hawkins, Hancock, Claiborne, Union, Knox, Jefferson and Ham- blen are the coterminous counties. The county may be said to be divided by natural objects into three sections, longitudinal, and lying in three great channels, or flutes. The formation of the county is an approximate miniature representation of East Tennessee. He who traverses East Tennessee from south-east to north-west, or vice versa, will find emphatically "a hard road to travel," and form a most erro- neous and inadequate conception of the character of the country. His way will be over a succession of mountain ranges, of varying altitude and difficulty of passage, Avith only glimpses between of the better parts, sometimes confined and narrow, but sometimes in \\'u]c stretches of beauty and fertility. But to the traveler passing at right angles to 490 Resources of Tennessee. this direction, or up and down the country, is opened an inviting land. In the direction first named, scenery, wild, ruggid and romantic, is on every mountain's side, and shades the deep, lonely glens that lead to their feet; but here are valleys, at places spreading into considerable plains, that have not only features of exquisite picturesque beauty in profusion, but the soil of which is, for the most part, either naturally fertile or susceptible of being made so, and this, too, without other means than those afforded by the country itself. Nor are the farmers here as ignorant, as unskillful, and as poor as it is the fashion of the day to represent them. There are numbers of farms in East Tennessee under the direction of as much science, intelligence and practical skill as are to be found even north of the line of Mason and Dixon. There are homes here which are as elegant, as sumptuous, and which are as much the abodes of comfort, taste and refined and cultivated enjoy- ment, as any that grace and make happy any other section or country, in which there are books to be read, pictures to be seen, music to be heard, virtue to be loved, beauty to be admired, intelligence to be communed with, hospitality to be enjoyed, and, above all and beyond all, incorruptible honesty and high-toned honor to constitute the true gentlemrai. The best improved agricultural implements find ready sale, and are used with skill and success by large numbers. There are, it is true, a large number of farms here, perhaps the larger num- ber, in a low state of cultivation, worn, exhausted, and reduced from their virgin fertility ; but such is also the case in almost every section of the United States, Prejudice against innovation, proneness to the way the ancestor trod, here as elsewhere, have been great obstacles in the way of improvement in agriculture. Want of the necessary means, resulting in part from this unwise adherence to the traditional dogmas and modes of the past, and in part from the loss of slaves and other property during and at the close of the war, is now the great hinder- ance to advancement, to renovation and to success. These lands, as has bee;i already intimated, are capable of improvement to the extreuie productive capacity of soil. Their owners now have the will — tliey see the way, but the means to pursue tiiey have not, at jircsent, as a general rule. They are not ignorant dolts. They understand and see, some with a dim visiou only, it is true; but yet they see, that after all there is not any gre:it mystery in scientific agriculture, or, as it is deri- sively termed, " book farming;" that the leading facts and principles are few and siniph", and that common men can understand and carry tlicm into practice in the field. When this is more generally done, East Teniiessee. 49 1 whon every valley is made to teem with its appropriate productions, and when the hills, clad in living green, become the haunts of the Short-horn, the South-Down andCotswold, East Tennessee will surely advance to the front in the great march of the material and social pros- peritv of the nineteenth century. What has been generally said of East Tennessee, is applicable to the county of Grainger. "VVe started out with the remark, that the county in its physical configuration w'as like the general section ; and the remarks made in the digression are equally applicable — what is true of the whole in these particulars, is also true of the part. The course of the sections we have mentioned are north-east and south-west, with slight variations. The section, or flute, we may call it, on the north-west side, lies between the Clinch Mountain and the Clinch River, and is several miles in width. The surface is broken ; hill succeeds hill, in every variety of shape, regular and symmetrical, rugged and fantastic, now extending awny before the eye in a regular range, and then looming up in isolated peaks. But around the bases, and snugly ensconced between these elevations, are numerous small vales, and wild glens, and gorges, the contemplation of which never fails to bring vividly to the mind of the writer the scenes of many a well-remembered story of the Highlands. The soil is productive, large portions of it exceedingly so. Indian corn, the greatest of feeders among all the cereals, is seen flourishing on the steep hill-sides, with all the pride of luxuriance so character- istic of that lordly plant in the richest alluvial bottoms. The other cereals flourish nearly as well. We have observed but few attempts at the cultivation of the grape, but have no doubt that they could be grown to perfection. The hog here finds a congenial and a bountiful home. He can, as a general rule, subsist himself the whole year in the forests. Large numbers of this ani-mal are reared and fattened for market. One of the industries of Clinch, as the section is called in local speech, the manufacture of maple sugar, is not now prosecuted with as much energy nor as extensively as in former years. "Old times are gone, old manners changed," even in Clinch, whose hills have not yet echoed the sound of the steam-whistle. There are many tender associations and dear recollections clustering around th(^ old camps in the deep maple forests, which now, alas! are rajiidly yielding to the remorseless axe of the woodman. "Woodman, spare ^/i/.s tree," fihould be inscribed on every fine old rock maple that adorns the land- 492 Resources of Tennessee. scape. The inhabitants are a hardy, industrious, sober, frugal people. Honestv in the discharge of debts is their prominent moral trait, and this rare virtue is possessed by them in an eminent degree. There is another one of the virtues for which these people are pre-eminently distino'uished — hospitality. Theirs is no niggard hand. Their doors are ever open to the homeless wanderer, their roofs a shelter to the uncovered, their boards spread to the weary and hungry. Remote from the strife of the more busy and enterprising world, they live to a green old age, in health, in peace and with plenty, serving God in the good old primitive way, and ever ready, at their country's call, to go forth with their brave hearts and stalwart arms to fight her battles. Between a long, regularly formed ridge, known by the name of the Big Ridge, of nearly uniform elevation, and the Holston River, lies the south-eastern section or flute. It bears the euphonious and sugges- tive appellation of Skin-foot. How dubbed, we know not; but so it hath been, " time whereof the memory of man runneth not to the con- trary." But let not the reader draw an unfavorable inference from the name ; for, although an unshod foot, venturing upon some of its fields, might remind its owner that the name was not inappropriate, yet in this instance, it may be truly said, there is nothing in a name. In this wide and long region are situate some of the finest farms in the east- ern end of the State. Even those portions that may be designated as stouv, are quite productive. All the grains, and particularly wheat, are produced in abundance. There are large forests of superior pine trees, which are easily reduced to "saw-stocks," and which, floated down the river Holston in rafts, find a ready and a remunerative mar- ket below. The river is the most convenient outlet to trade ; but a few miles beyond, and so near that the sound of the passing trains is distinctly audible, is the line of The East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad, stretching its rails away north-easterly and south- westerly, in almost a parallel c6urse with the boundary of the country we are describing. The facilities of transportation and travel are abundant. Morality, industry, thrift and intelligence are the leading characteristics of the inhabitants. We come now to a l)rief sketch of the great central valley, which, in our plan of tlie county, forms the remaining section. Clinch Moun- tain, of which we have spoken, is first seen as a distinct elevation emerging i'rom among the mountains of Sonth-western A^irginia, and it then extends, in wedge-like form, in a direction generally south- East l^ennessee. 493 west, through upper East Tennessee, to the waters of Flat Creek, in Knox county, where it abruptly terminates. Immediately at its south- eastern base, which is four hundred feet lower than its north-western base, and between it and a parallel range of hills, known as the Poor Valley Knobs, is a narrow valley, bearing the appropriate name of Poor Valley. This valley, sterile, sandy, with desolation presiding over its whole length, and these knobs, covered with melancholy stunted pine, are the constant companions of the lofty mountain the whole extent of its existence, and from its north-eastern to its south-western extremities both are known by the same name. Poor Valley, however, if we are correctly informed, has the honor of holding within its bosom the cele- brated salt-wells of Western Virginia. At the foot of the Poor Val- ley Knobs, and between them and the Big Ridge before mentioned, lies the central portion of Grainger county, about thirty-three miles in length, and of varying breadtli. The valley in its whole length, which north-eastwardly extends much beyond the limits of the county, may be properly termed the Valley of the Clinch. But within the territorial limits of the county, it, in its two sections, has separate and distinct names The western end, watered by Richland Creek, is called the Richland Valley; the eastern, watered by German Creek, and its many confluent streams, the Bean's Station Valley. Through this general valley, down to the time of the construction of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad, passed the great stream of trade, travel and emi- gration from the east to the west. It was the great thoroughfare of East Tennessee. Over this road goods were transported in wagons as far west as Nashville, and into northern Georgia and Alabama, from the eastern cities; and over it the sons and daughters of Virginia and North Carolina wended their toilsome way in the march of civilization. But they have passed, and neglected now, and silent, is the ancient w^ay. Bean's Station, the point of intersection of the two great roads that traversed upper East Tennessee — the one we have just mentioned, and the other the thoroughfare from Kentucky to the Carolinas, over which was annually driven several hundred thousand mules, horses, cattle and hogs — was one of the first permanent abodes of the white man. Dur- ing the whole of the first half of the present century, it was the most "public place" in the country. We doubt whether Knoxville, during that period, was visited by as many strangers. Its history is a strange, eventful story, but we cannot here recount it. For some years before the war, railroads having completely revolutionized the courses of travel and trade, the fortunes of the place seemed to wane ; during the war 494 Resources of Tennessee. it was frequently occupied by large armies, and finally was torn and wasled by battle, leaving it, and the surrounding country, at the close of the war, a sad, silent scene of desolation. Bat, such is not now the aspect of the place, for the present proprietor is rapidly restoring it to its former condition, and making many handsome improvements. The Bean's Station Valley proper is one of the most beautiful spots in tlie world — so pronounced by the visitor and traveler, without ex- ception. From M'hatever direction approached, the fact is at once re- cognized and conceded. Seen from the passage of the lofty Clinch, Avith the distant elevations of four States on the horizon, the myriad intervening hills appearing like the broken waves of a vast ocean in tempestuous agitation, it lies below, wrapt in all those charms of land- scape loveliness which are so pleasing and soothing to sensibility, a scene of peace, a home of rest and health. The valley is now visited by large numbers of persons, from many States, during the summer months, on account of its mineral waters, for whose accommodation three very large hotels have been erected within a space of two miles. The springs are numerous, and furnish every variety of mineral water that has any sanitary reputation, and of the most superior quality. One of them yields, on a quantitative analysis, as much as two hundred and seveuty-three grains of solid matter to the gallon. There are not less than twenty of these springs within easy reach, and the actual ex- perience of hundreds of invalids has demonstrated that they possess curative properties of wonderful efficacy. These waters, with the ac- cessories of easy transit in several lines of hacks from the railroad, ten miles distant, daily mails, splendid drives, pure air, rural quiet, pleas- ing scenery, abundant facilities for innocent amusement, and the most wholesome country fare, together with three spacious hotels, supplied with every convenience and comfort, have rare attractions to the sick, the weary, and the fugitive from infection and pestilence. Grainger, as has already been stated, in age, ranks among the oldest counties in the State in wealth and population, she is the tenth in East Tennessee. Her ])ast history is honorable. Her sons have shone con- spicuously on the bench, in the pulpit, and in the legislative halls of her own and of other States, and in the councils of the nation have not been unheard, or without distinction. They rest, with the soldier's honor, on every field from the city of Mexico to the Potomac. Her people are eni])hatically good citizens. Morality and sobriety are the rule. Good order prevails. The laws arc respected and enforced. Grainger juries are proverbial for convictions, with merciful exercise of East Tennessee. 495 discretion, in criminal prosecutions. Thev make punishment cet-tain, but exclude not the elements of mercy from their verdicts. But there has always been, and there still is, a lamentable lack of public spirit in the county. It is to be hoped that more liberal, enlarged and am- bitious views in this respect will be taken in the future. It is not lib- erality, but corruption in the use of public money that is to be con- demned. A county that is worth between three and four millions of dollars, though as compared to other.-; poor, yet is rich enough to act a prominent part in all works of public iiiiprovement, adornment, char- ity, and patriotism. If we were called upon to express an opinion as to the branch of industry and production to which this county should be chiefly devoted, we should, without hesitation, answer — breeding and grazing. The words are used in their technical sense. There are many farms in the county highly adapted to tillage husbandry, some portions are pre-em- inently suited tt) horticulture, particularly to the growth of the apple and the peach, the hills of Clinch to the apple, and the dry elevations of Skin-foot to the peach ; and it is said that the southern acclivities of Clinch Mountain, the soil being dry, warm and porous, are admirably suited to the culture of the vine. The native vine grows there with great luxuriance ; and we have no doubt that, with some amelioration of the virgin soil, held in position by terraces or other contrivance, which would not be generally necessary, the cultivated varieties would do even better. These mountain heights, swelling away to the north-east, wild and blue, thus draped would contribute something more than the background of beautiful scenery, and become as valuable as the more fertile plain lying below. Neither of these branches of ag- riculture should, then, be abandoned or neglected, but the area devoted to tillage should be greatly reduced. All the more valuable grasses can be cultivated to perfection. The orchard grass, which is the very best of all grazing grasses, is easily set, and grows well on nearly all soils of medium fertility. There are here large tracts of calcareous soil, the delight of blue-grass, and the great forage grasses, timothy and red-to]), nowhere, under proper cultivation, the latter, indeed, almost without care, yield better crops. Red clover, sometimes called a grass, but which is, properly speaking, a leguminous pUmt, happily for the country, here performs its double mission of supplying food, green and dry, for all graminivorous creation, and of supi)lying the soil with plant food, with wonderful efficiency and certainty. Aided by a liberal dressing of plaster, it yields immense crops of hay 49^ Resources of Tennessee. and seed, and at the same time is the most rapid, sure and cheap of all the means of soil renovation. Yet, when the late Judge Powell, of Hawkins county, many years ago introduced its culture upon his estate, he was formally waited upon by some of his neighbors, and requested to desist, as they had been informed it was a most pes- tiferous plant, and would soon so propagate itself as to infest all the fields in the country. But Hawkins farmers are wiser now, thanks to the persistency of the well-informed Judge, and annually derive a large income from the sale of seed alone. Pastures, herds and flocks should be the specialties of the agricul- tural industry, of not only this particular section, but of all the region round about. Sheep, of the improved breeds, should predominate. Beyond all question, under proper management, this is the most profit- able stock that can be reared. The climate is precisely that in Avhich they do best; it is neither too cold in winter, nor too hot in summer. The food that brings them up most rapidly to the pei'fection of wool and mutton, can be made most abundantly, with little labor and cost. They make an ample return to the field from which they draw their sustenance. They enrich it, they extirpate brambles, and brier, and bush, and keep it in perfect order. Their wool will compensate their owner for the care and expense of them during the winter, and their increase and flesh, more and more sought after every year, afford a most handsome profit. Mr. Randell says it is scarcely possible for a sheep to die in debt to his owner. And then, the ease, the beauty, the simplicity, the innocence of pastoral life! But, what a revulsion ! The cur, and his friend and protector, the solon of the day, stand before us, to warn us that there is not yet much profit, and less poetry, in the shepherd's vocation in this fair land of Tennessee. "'Tis true, 'tis pity, and 'tis pity, 'tis true." How long will our legislators value more a re-election to a [)osition, which is profitless, and when its duties are not faithfully discharged, not only without honor, but disgraceful, than the true material and social interests of their State? The passage of a well-considered and efficient law for the protection of the mutton and wool interest, would be a monument to the memory of the Legislature, more durable than marble, for, not upon the statute book alone would it appear, butevery- where, all over the land, and in every mart, in the enhanced prosper- ity and happiness of the great central commonwealth. East Tennessee. 497 This interest has the peculiar protection of law in almost all the countries of the old world, and now in many of our American States. " The dignity and importance of the shepherd's vocation," says Allen, " have ever been conspicious. Abel, the supposed twin brother of the first born of the human race, was a * keeper of sheep;' and from this it may be fairly inferred, that there is no animal which has so long been under the control of man. Abraham and his descendants, as well as most of the ancient patriarchs, were shepherds. Job had 14,000 sheep. It is said of Rachel, the favored mother of the Jewish race, ' she came with her father's sheep, for she kept them.' The seven daughters of the priest of Midian came and drf w water for their father's flocks. Moses, the statesman and lawgiver, who was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, kept the flocks of Jethro, his father-in-law; and David, the future monarch of Israel, the hero, poet, and divine, was a keeper of sheep. It was to shepherds, ^ while abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night,' that the birth of the Savior was announced. The root of the Hebrew name for sheep signifies fruitfulness, abundance, plenty — as indicating the blessings they were to confer on the human race. With the sacred writers they were the chosen symbols of purity and the gentler virtues; they were the vic- tims of propitiatory sacrifices ; and, finally, they became the type of redemption to fallen man." Yet, in Tennessee the dog, the remorse- less enemy and wanton destroyer of the sheep — the dog, the most worthless, vilest, meanest of the inferior animal creation — is allowed by our Legislature to continue his ravages, unrestrained and unchecked. GREENE COUNTY. County Seat — Greeneville. Greene county was created by the State of North Carolina, from a portion of Washington county, in 1783. It is one of the very 'best counties of this section of the State, and its farmers are leading ofi" in the work of agricultural reform. They are organizing, all over the county, in associations for mutual benefit and improvement, and pre- paring for vigorous action in every department of their vocation. Already the fruits of their labors are beginning to show themselves in the adoption of a better system of farming, and in introducing a higher bred race of animals into their midst. Go into any portion of the county 32 49 S ResoM'ces of Tennessee. and it will be found that tliey are waking up to their interests and making bold and manly stri les in recuperating their exhausted lands. They are filling up the gullies, righting up their fences, repairing their dilapidated houses and building new ones, plowing deeper, sowing more clover and grass, and producing more remunerative crops. They are housing their cows, economizing their manures, bringing into use im- proved implements of husbandry and exerting themselves to elevate their vocation. Especially are they alive to the importance of popular education. Greene county was one of the first counties in East Tennessee to lead off in the adoption of the free school system, and now its children, rich and poor, white and black, have the glorious boon of receiving a liberal education. The people throughout the county are kind, industrious and provi- dent. They are generous to strangers, and always glad to see honest, active and intelligent citizens settling in their midst. They invite more population among them, and will sell them good and cheap homes. They are anxious to develop the wealth of their county, and they feel the need of a denser population to do it. Greene county is bounded on the north by Hawkins, on the east by Washington, on the south by North Carolina, and on the west by Hamblen and Cocke counties. Some portions of it are much broken, and mountainous. This county may, for description, be divided into three belts, in accord- ance with its geological formations, running north-easterly and south- westerly. Beginning on the north-western side, we first have the Lick Creek country, in which the prevailing rock is a calcareous shale or slate. This belt varies in width from four to six or eight miles, being much wider in the south-western corner. The soil of this belt is gen- erally adapted to wheat, but more especially to grass. It is well watered and occasionally low white " spouty" or " crawfishy" spots occur. The best soil of this belt is in its northern portion, at the foot of Bay's Mountain. Passing over, for the present, the middle belt, we reach the ridges of the Unaka Mountains. These occupy a belt from three to six miles wide on the north Carolina line. Uj)on the tops of the mountains, here and there, may be found cultivated areas. The rocks are sand- stones, hard slates, rough conglomerates approaching granites in struc- East Tennessee, 499 ture and appearance. The soil is generally thin, gravelly and un])ro- ductive, but in spots it is a dark color and prairie-like, and yields bu-^kwhcat, potatoes and oats, with remarkable prodigality. Some- tiiiies buckwheat attains a height of six feet. Fruit trees also do well, and especially peaches. Generally, however, the mountains are wild, uninhabited, rugged and covered with dense forests of pine and hem- lock, with an undergrowth of thick laurel, through which it is difficult to pass. The inexpressible solitude of these airy elevations awes the mind, while it fills the soul with emotions of sublimity. Between the mountains and the first belt described, the surface of the country is greatly diversified by hills and valleys, but the soil is very strong and fertile, being based upon calcareous rocks, limestone and dolomite. On this belt all the cereals grow well. Greene county takes the second rank among all the counties in the State in the grow- ing of wheat, Wilson being first. It is first in hay and flax, and be- sides wheat, is second in wool, flaxseed and maple sugar. The Nolichucky courses through this middle belt, which, with its tributaries, supplies it w^ell with water, and upon these streams are many fine alluvial bottoms. The water-power afforded by the Noli- chucky is very valuable, the descent of the stream being rajiid, the banks solid and the bed rocky, abundance of material for the con- struction of dams being convenient and accessible. The Unaka or Smoky Mountains, which form its southern boundary, is indeed a valuable part of the county, on account of the immense deposits of iron ore of the best quality. The ore is a brown hematite or limonite, containing a large per cent, of manganese. An eastern company, with ample means, has developed an iron interest here, some eleven miles from the town of Greeneville, and has expended a consid- erable amount of money in the manufacture of pig metal. This company is still actively engaged in the business, and is quite successful. It labors under the disadvantage of having no railway communica- tion. The metal is hauled to the town of Greeneville, from whence it is shipped to market. In the course of time, no doubt, a railroad will be constructed to this region. The best lands of the county lie on the Nolichucky and Little Chucky rivers and Lick Creek. These lands w^ill compare, in fertil- ity and in the variety of their productions, with any lands in the State. They produce unusual yields of corn, from fifty to seventy-five bushels 500 Resources of Tennessee, to the acre, and are equally as favorable in the production of wheat and oats. The Lick Creek bottoms are superior grass lands. Of course all these lands are very valuable and command high prices, ranging from twenty-five to fifty dollars per acre. The wheat of Greene county is noted for its excellent quality. The uplands are remarkably well adapted to its growth. The farmers, since the war, have wisely turned their attention to the grassing of their lands. They are doing more grazing and raising more cattle and mules. Of course, there are some poor lands in the county, some of them naturally poor, but by far the most of them have been made so by injudicious cultivation. Stock and spring water is abundant. The timber is large and plenty of it, consisting of white and black oak, Spanish and red oak, chestnut oak, hickory, maple, walnut, wild cherry, &c. Labor is reasonably abundant, and wages run from eight to ten dollars per month, when the hand is boarded, and from fifteen to twenty, when he boards himself. The facilities for transportation are very favorable. The East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad runs through it. The great drawback upon the county, is the lack of capital and enterprise. Close attention is paid to the smaller industries. Considerable quantities of land are for sale in every portion of the county, ranging from five to thirty dollars per acre. For the most part the farmers are contented. The county has an Agricultural and Mechanical Association, well organized and succeeding admirably. The principal town is Greeneville, situated on the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad. It contains a population of about 1,000. It is a moral, energetic and intelligent community. There are flourishing schools in the place, and two excellent institutions of learning in the county. Rheatown is also in this county, but not im- mediately on the railroad. HAMBLEN COUNTY. County Seat — Morristown. This, with tlie exception of Union, is the smallest county in East Tennessee, embracing only about 160 square miles. The number of acres assessed for taxation for the year 1873, amounted to 101,687. The law creating the county was passed May 31, 1870, and the county was organized during the same year. East Tennessee, 501 To Mr. J. C. Hodges, of Morristown, we are indelited for the fol- lowing statements in regard to this connty, and our own observations fully sustain the truth of his assertions : "While Hamblen county has existed as a county less than four years, it consists of territory by no means newly settled. The county is com- posed of fractions taken from Grainger, Jefferson and Hawkins, three very old counties. " Morristown, the county seat, is located at the crossing of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia and the Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap and Charleston Railroads. It is comparatively a new town, but is thriving and prosperous, and very fortunately situated. The great air line from New York to the south-west passes' through the town, and a glance at any correct map will show that a line drawn from Louisville, Kentucky, or Cincinnati, Ohio, to Charleston, South Caro- lina, covers Cumberland Gap, Morristown, Paint Rock, etc. Then, when it is remembered that the Cumberland range may be crossed at Cumberland Gap with a short tunnel, and that the French Broad cuts the Unaka or Alleghany range entirely through, and that by actual survey this route is found to be more than seventy-five miles shorter than any other route from Cincinnati to the sea-board, and that a road on this route may be constructed at less cost by millions of dol- lars than on any other route, it will be conceded that Morristown is to be a railroad center of no mean importance. Already we have from 1,200 to 1,500 inhabitants, and improvements going up all around. " Russellville and Whitesburg, on the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad, are thriving villages of a few hundred inhabitants each. " Hamblen can boast of no great attractions in the shape of mineral springs and mountain scenery, nor do I know of any great mineral wealth in the county, except her quarries of marble. But of this there are indeed exhaustless quantities, and of varieties the finest on the continent. Tlie red variegated, pink and gray arc more plentiful than any other varieties. Limestone and marble are the prevailing rocks. "While this county is generally pretty well watered by many small streams of no note or importance, and while it is washed on the one side by the waters of the deep, sluggish Kolichucky, and the rapid Freneli Broad, and on the other by the majestic old Ilolston, it can- not, like many counties in East Tennessee, boast of its vast water- 502 Resources of Tennessee, powers. There are, however, many sites for mills and other machinery, many of which are utilized to a greater or less extent. There are, aside from these, no manufacturing establishments of any importance. "The county includes within its limits much of the very best portion of the famous New Market Valley, the soil of which is known as mu- latto clay, and is underlaid with limestone. This valley is a continua- tion of the Valley of Virginia, and in many respects resembles the latter valley. The laud is adapted to the growth of the grasses, in- cluding red clover, timothy and blue-grass, all of which produce very remunerative crops. Wheat and the other cereals also do well here. Then, along the rivers and large creeks are many hundreds of acres of rich alluvium, whose productive capcity is equal to the best prairie of the north-v/est. Then, again, there is in the county much land different from and inferior to either the valley or bottom lands. It would bo hard, indeed, to tell the average fertility of our lands. Some will produce sixty, eighty, or even one hundred bushels of Indian corn per acre. Then, there are hundreds of acres too badly worn by bad farming to produce a paying crop of anything. " Farms in this county vary in size from a few acres to a thousand. Some are worked by hired labor, but muc]i the greater number by the owners. There is also a great range in the price of lands. Some lands may be bought at $5 per acre, others could not be bought for $100 j^er acre. "There is perhaps as great a variety of crops grown here as in any county in the United States. Corn and wheat were in former years the leading crops. They are perhaps so yet. But grass is rapidly coming to the front, especially red clover and timothy. This county last year shipped a considerable amount of hay, and produced enough clover seed, perhaps, for home consumption. This year much more hay will be shipped, and much more clover-seed saved. Tobacco is now receiving some attention, and the country is found to be well suited to its cul- ture. Upon our higher lands all kinds of fruits prosper, including the grape. Much more attention is now being paid to fruit-growing than formerly. "Upon the whole, the outlook is more favorable, agriculturally, than ever before. Our people are beginning to see more and more clearly the propriety of plowing deep with the best improved plows and sub-soilers, and of raising more hay and less grain. It is a])parent to every ob- server among us tliat grass crojxs are more profitable than any others. East Tennessee . 503 " One thing our people seem slow to learn — that it costs no more to feed a blooded horse or ox than a scrub. True, there is some fine stock in the county, and the breeds are gradually improving, but we do need badly some farmers of means and enterprise enough to show the con- trast between fine and common stock. "While we have a population of about forty-five to the square mile, the lands of our county are fully half lying idle and uncultivated. Much of the land in cultivation is poorly farmed, and is wearing out. On this account there are many of our poorer farmers dissatisfied, and desirous to sell their lands. Among the better farmers, and the trades- men, few, if any, are discontented. They find no reason (especially the farmers) to be so ; for the soil responds kindly to the plow and harrow, the climate is equable and healthy, the products of the farm are various and abundant, and a ready market awaits all surplus pro- ducts. Then, we have in our midst some excellent schools, and many churches in all parts of the county. " Indeed, with our abundant facilities for transportation, consisting of the railroads and rivers above spoken of, the productiveness of our soil, the healthfulness of our climate, there is nothing to render the farmer discontented, except, perhaps, the lack of reliable labor. In this respect, many farmers find some trouble. This, and the lack of " agricultural information," are the great drawbacks upon farming in this county. "Our farmers are waking up. They are inviting capital and industry from any source they may come. The old fogies are, many of them, offering their lands for sale. Our better farmers are giving more at- tention to fruit culture, butter making, and the smaller industries, and organizing into clubs all over the county, and in the march of improve- ments we are determined, many of us, not to be found lagging behind." While Mr. Hodges has given a good account of the state of agri- culture in this county, we deem it necessary to add some remarks in relation to its physical features. The topography and geology of this county are quite simple. A very considerable ridge, the so-called Bay's Mountain, traverses centrally this county in a north-easterly and south-westerly direction. It is the dividing ridge between the waters of the Holston and the waters of the Nolichucky. This ridge and the country north-west of it as far as the Holston River, its boundary, are made up of Knox limestones and dolomites, which include several 504 Resources of Tennessee. strata of light-colored marble, in the vicinity of Morristown and else- where. South-east of this ridge, much of the county is underlaid by blue limestones and calcareous shales belonging to the Trenton and Nashville formation and is a part of the great knobby slate region in the western parts of Cocke and Greene counties. It may be added that there is very little waste land in the county, and the soils are as fertile as any in East Tennessee. The population — estimated from the number of polls, 1,057, and the number of voters, 1,712 — is about 8,000. HAMILTON COUNTY. County Seat — Chattanooga. Hamilton county was erected out of Rhea county, under an act of the Legislature, passed October 25, 1819, which provided, "that the territory south-west of Rhea and south and east of Bledsoe and Marion counties, should constitute a county by the name of Hamilton, in honor and to perpetuate the memory of the late Alexander Hamilton, Secre- tary of the Treasury of the United States." The said act further pro- vided, " that the said county of Hamilton shall be bounded as follows, to-wit : Beginning at a point at the foot of Walden's Ridge, of Cum- berland Mountain, on the east side thereof; thence running to a point on the Tennessee River, two and one-half miles below the lower end of Jolly's Island, so as to include Patrick Martin, in the county of Hamilton ; thence south thirty-five degrees east to the southern limits of this State ; thence west to the point where the Marion county line intersects said southern boundary ; thence north-eastwardly with Ma- rion county line to Bledsoe county line; thence with Bledsoe county line to a point opposite the beginning, and thence to the begin- ning." The seat of justice was subsequently established at Dallas. About half of the county thus formed, and all of the county on the left banks of the Tennessee River, lay within the territory of the Cherokee Nation. The white inhabitants of the county continued to occupy the lands on the north side of the Tennessee, until the removal of the Indians, which was effected under a treaty concluded between the United States and the Cherokee Nation, December 29, 1835. After the extinguishment of the Indian title, the lands south of the Ten- nessee River were rapidly taken up. 1 If* V X ^ In I rt<> o.\^: 1 )ii(kt;e runs throu2:h it, dividing the waters of the French Broad and Holston. South-east of the French Broad is a triangular area embracing about fifty square miles, which is a part of the great knol)by belt extending from the Bays Mountain region to the Tennessee River. The soils of this area are mellow and derived from the sandy shales of the Nashville group of rocks. It is well adapted to grass and grain, but is, excepting on the streams, too hilly for large continuous aral)le tracts. On the north-west side of the French Broad the soils and formations are very different. The rocks are limestones and dolomites, mainly of the Knox group, and the soils are calcareo- siliceous and clayey, and suited for all crops grown in East Tennessee. Some of the ridges are flinty. The great staples are corn, wheat, oats and hay. The uj)lands especially produce good crops of wheat, and the lands on the French Broad River are noted for their heavy yield of corn. For many years, both before and since the war, the farmers have turned their attention to the raising of mules, horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. Of late, however, this has been considerably abated, and now they are ])utting more of *their lands down in clover and grass, with the view of raisinf to the eact.taeymul the Stone Range, into North Carolina, the great mountain range* are nunl(•r()ll^>. We can almost inia:,'iiie llicm to he ihc giant hillows of a fearfully disturbed ocean arrefteU and petrified. East Ten7tessee. 545 corner of the county on the Virginia line, the boundary runs to the south-west on the summit of Holston Mountain, until the ridge be- tween Shady and the valley of Stony Creek is reached; thence it fol- lows this ridge across to Iron Mountain; thence on the summit of this mountain to the south-west for a number of miles, when it leaves the range and runs southerly to the State line. On other sides the county is bounded by the State lines. The adjoining counties are Sullivan and Carter. Geology. Stone Mountain, on the North Carolina line, is made up of granite-like rocks. Opposite Taylorsville, very fine blocks of strat- ified granite (gneiss), both gray and flesh-colored, might be obtained for building purposes. Millstones have been cut out of some of it, and have answered a good purpose, especially for grinding corn. Near the Virginia line Stone Mountain shows much talcose slate, which abounds in small rough knots of quartz. Nearly all the other mountains of Johnson, Iron and Holston moun- tains, the isolated Doc Mountain, and Forge Mountain are built up of conglomerates and sandstones, which belong respectively to the great formations named O^oee Cjnylomerate and CMlhowee Sandstone. These rocks, as well, by the way, as the rocks of Stone M :)untain, and we may say, in general, nearly all the rucks in the county, are more or less in- clined, often tilted at a high angle, and sometimes quite thrown up on edge, so as to stand in a vertical position. In this respect the strata of this part of State are greatly in contrast with the horizontal lime- stones of Middle Tennessee. The mountains mentioned present great thicknesses of sandstones and conglomerates. In some cases they measure 6,000 feet, and even 10,000 across. The Johnson Valley and Shady are underlaid with magnesian lime- stones (dolomites) and calcareous slates, rocks belonging to the great and most prevalent firmitlon of Eist Tennessee, the Knox Group of the State Geological Report. The limestones present several varieties. They are often heavy-bedded, and both light-gray and dark-gray sparry rocks. Some of them contain so much clayey matter as to become thin-bedded and slaty; in fact, they run into variegated red, buff and greenish calcareous shales and slates. The latter abound in the minor ridges in the northern part of the valley, and occur elsewhere also. Johnson county is noted for its iron ore banks, and for the excel- lency of the bar iron it manufactures. Before the war there were 35 546 Resoui'ces of Tennessee. fourteen or fifteen forges in operation, running twenty-six fires. In 1854, 367 tons of bar iron were manufactured. The ore used is limon- ite. The banks are quite numerous, and pretty well distributed over the county. There is now one furnace in operation. Water-courses — Roads. The Watauga River, a beautiful stream, flovfs across the southern end of the Johnson Valley. It rises in North Carolina, cuts through the Stone ^Mountain range into Tennessee, flows westerly across the above valley, and then, breaking through the Iron Mountain, quietly pursues its course towards Elizabethton. It is in Johnson a rapid stream, presenting many good sites for mills and forges. The Watauga is the largest stream, but there is little of it in the county. The principal stream is Roane's Creek. This rises in the vicinity of Taylorsville, has several important branches, is a large creek, flows southerly, and empties into the Watauga. In the northern part of the Johnson Valley is the south fork of Laurel, quite an important creek. This rises north of Taylorsville, runs in a northerly direction, passes Iron Mountain in a deep cliff-bound gorge, and flows into Virginia. Both this and Roane's Creek, with its leading branches, afford desirable locations, with good water-power, for mills and iron establishments. The forges of the county have been mostly located upon them. The county, upon the whole, is well watered. It abounds in springs of cold, pure water, which feed thousands of rivulets, these in turn feed- ing the branches and the creeks. The county has two or three tolerably good roads, but no railroads or macadamized turnpikes. As before stated, to get into or to get out of the Johnson Valley, it is necessary either to travel laboriously over a mountain, or else to pass through a water-gap. From Taylorsville there are lour principal roads — one to the south-west into the valley counties of East Tennessee, which passes Iron Mountain through the AVatauga Gap; another to the north into Virginia, passing the same mountain through the Laurel Gap at the State line; and the two others running easterly and south-easterly over Stone Mountain into North Carol iiui. A road al.-o passes from Taylorsville to the west through Shady into Sullivan county. With respect to industry, enterprise and intelligence, the people of Johnson county will compare favorably with any other portion of East Tennessee. They are quiet and orderly, make no pretensions, are plain and unassuming, and the most hospitable })cople in the world. They are devoted to education, and take commanding views of the question* East Tennessee. 547 They are doing a great deal towards diffusing this great blessing throngh- out the county. They are, too, a moral and religious people. They believe in churches, and revere Christianity. Johnson county is comparatively out of debt; a fact that is not true of many other counties in East Tennessee. Its financial affairs have been judiciously managed, and it has been gaining ground steadily since the war in every respect. It was vastly injured by the recent civil strife. Both armies preyed upon it, and destroyed much valuable property. Every interest was neglected, and, of course, suffered ; but, notwithstanding this, by the energy and good sense of its people, it has about regained all that it lost. Men of fidelity were chosen to fill the offices, and hence the public treasury was held sacred. There have been no defalcations, and the incurring of heavy liabilities has been guarded against. Judicious economy in administering the affairs of the county has been scrupulously observed. The magisterial court is made up of the best men in the county, and they are conducting its affairs to the satisfaction of all. For varied husbandry, this county is somewhat remarkable. It produces all the cereals. Corn, wheat, rye, oats, potatoes and buck- wheat grow well. It is, however, obvious that nature intended to make it more of a grazing than a grain region, to which it is admira- bly adapted. The hills and ridges, and even the mountains, would produce grass in abundance. Blue-grass seems to be indigenous. It is found growing in many localities, and would grow to great perfec- tion if properly attended to. No doubt orchard-grass would find a congenial home here. Timothy and red-top makeup the meadows. It is very true there is only a very small percentage of the county in grass. It would seem that the farmers have not fully waked up to the idea of cultivating the grasses. Some of them have, and they are daily exem- plifying the truth of the fact just enunciated. They have their farms well set, and are raising cattle, mules and sheep, and doing a thriving business. Both the soil and climate are favorable to the grasses. The soil seems to be tight and compact, and has a tenacious subsoil. The climate is suitable. The air is cool and invigorating. Under these circumstances it would seem that the grazing of cattle and sheep should be the business of the farmers of Johnson county. They certainly woidd find it far more profitable than producing grain. Indeed, the county is too far from the channels of commerce to make grain-raising profitable. The farmers cannot afford to haul it 548 Resources of Temiessee. upon wagons, some twenty or thirty miles to the East Tennessee, Vir- ginia and Georgia Railroad, or to the Virginia road leading to Lynch- burg, Virginia. Hence, it should be their policy to cultivate lesscorn^ and raise more grass and hay for the purpose of grazing and feeding stock. By this method the stock could be driven off, or sold upon the estates. Another branch of industry might be prosecuted with success, and that is raising tobacco. The ridges, hills, and slopes of the moun- tains contain a rich, loamy soil, and would produce fine tobacco. "Wherever the matter has been tested, success has followed. For the choice of superior fruit, there are few sections in the United States superior to it. The apples of Johnson county are noted for their richness, their luscious appearance and for their great size. It is a wonder that the business of raising fruit is not far more extensive than it is. It ought to be greatly increased. The revenue alone from this source would make the county independent. Not only apples, but grapes and peaches do well. There are several varieties of soil in the county. Much of it is a black loam, and productive. In some of the valleys it is a dark brown, and, in some instances, sandy. The soil of the ridges is grav- elly, and, on some of the mountain slopes and in the coves, it is a dark loam. On Roane's Creek it is a dark brown. That along Little- Doe River is a black loam, and that on Laurel Creek somewhat sandy. The principal valleys are Roane's Creek, about twenty miles long, Little Doe River, about nine miles long, and Laurel Valley, about nine miles long. None of them are very wide. The water-power afforded by the- streams through these valleys is abundant for all purposes. We have heretofore mentioned " Shady." It is a mountain basin^ encircled by the Holston on one side, and Iron Mountain on the other. Portions of it are swampy and unfit for grain purposes. Draining would do good. It produces fine grass, and considerable quantities of hay arc raised. But its remarkable feature is its astonishing adaptation to the rearing of cranberries. These berries grow wild in every por- tion of it, and are of the largest species. There are not less than 10,000 acres that would produce them, and, perhaps, this entire surface is now covered with them. Tlie berries are large, sound and plump. Here they have grown from time immemorial, without any cultivation. They have been exposed to the depredations of stock, and still they live and do well. The natives pay but little attention to them, East Tennessee. 549 although hunclrccls of bushels could be gathered at a nominal cost. Now and then the women of the county gather a few gallons and ex- <5hange them for coffee, sugar, &c. There are still other portions of the county equally as well adapted to them. Only a quarter of a mile from the town of Taylorsville, the •county seat, there are one hundred acres of land that produce them to perfection. Nine miles west of Taylorsville, there are two other swamps adapted to them. From these facts it may be inferred that -Johnson county is remarkable in this respect. Almost every species of timber is found in this county, consisting of white pine, spruce pine, yellow pine, the various oaks, chestnut, poplar, locust, wild cherry, walnut, beech, &c. Taylorsville is the county seat of Johnson county. It is a neat, -quiet town, well laid off, containing a population of about 300, and situated on a handsome plateau of ground. It is " high and dry," and thoroughly drained. There is in the place an excellent institution of learning. It is eligibly located. The faculty is an able one. (For other items of interest, the reader is referred to chapter xxii). KNOX COUNTY. County Seat — Knoxville. The county of Knox was erected in the year 1792, June 11th. Five days thereafter, " James White, John Sawyers, Hugh Beard, John Adair, George McNutt, Jeremiah Jack, John Kearns, James Cozby, John Evans, Samuel Newell, William Wallace, Thomas McCulloch, William Hamilton, David Craig and William Lowry presented a com- mission from Governor Blount, appointing the Justices of the Peace for Knox county, and appeared before the Hon. David Campbell, who, in the presence of Governor Blount, administered to each of them an oath to sup})ort the constitution of the United States and also an oath of office. Charies McClung also produced a commission from the Governor, appointing him Clerk, and he was in like manner qualified. Thomas Chapman also as Register." — History of Tennessee, Ramsey. On the 25th of the same month, Robert Houlston was commissioned Sheriff. The first court was held on the 16th of July, 1792, at which time Luke Bowyer, Alexander Outlaw, Joseph Hamilton, Archibald 550 Res octrees of Tennessee. Roane, Hopkins Lacy, John Rhea and James Reese, Esquires, were qualified and admitted to practice law in the court. — Ramsey, op. cit. The boundaries of the county, as then prescribed, ran far beyond their present limits, and embraced much territory now lying within other counties. At present the county embraces only 573 square miles. In shape it is an irregular polygon of seven sides, running as follows : The northern boundary nearly due east and west, then south-east, then south-west along the crest of Bays Mountain, thence west to Lit- tle River, and with its meandering to the Tennessee River, and along its many tortuous windings, south-west ; then at a right angle north- west to Clinch River, and up its bed east of north to the intersection of Copper Ridge, then turning ofP north-west to Flint Ridge and along its crest to the beginning line. Of these lines no two are equal and only two are parallel, those along Bays Mountain and Flint Ridge. In topography the county is typical of the valley counties, and will well repay a somewhat detailed description. Its chief characteristic and prominent feature is the number of long straight ridges traversing the entire county, in perfect parallels, from north-east to south-west. These ridges furnish the skeleton of the county, and have not only shaped its boundary, but have given rise and direction to all its M'ater- courses, controlled the natural products of the intervening valleys, and moulded the characters and occujsations of the inhabitants. Though so truly parallel and uniform in outline, these ridges differ so widely in geological structure that the soils of no two of the valleys, all of which have been made from the weatherings and washings of the ridges, are alike. This fact renders it necessary that we should speak of each of the larger valleys in turn, in order to do justice to all. There is, however, a part of the county lying south-east of the Ten- nessee and French Broad, in whicli this parallelism of ridges and intervening valleys is broken up. Though clearly manifest and easily traced, it is intermixed and distorted by breaks and cross sections, or short spurs running at right angles to the general trend of the moun- tain and larger ridges. These intcrru])tions or breaks give the appear- ance of large and irregular groups of hills, and are spoken of by Prof. Safford, in his Geological Survey of the State, as knobs. It will be convenient, therefore, to divide the county into the knobby region, lyingr as above described, south-east of the Tennessee and French Broad Rivers, and composing four civil districts, viz: 13, 14, 15 and 21, not quite one-fifth of the county ; the other region, embracing the remain- der of the county, may ))e called the ridge or valley region. In order East Tennessee. 551 the better to see and more easily to describe these regions, it will be well to take Knoxville as our stand-point, since it is a central point from which both are in view. The Knobby Region. Standing upon any of the elevated points around Knoxville, or better still, taking our stand on the dome of the University, and looking to the south and east, we shall see a vast group of great red-headed hills, of remarkable uniformity in size, shape and color. They raise their heads from 200 to 400 feet above the plane of the valley, have regularly rounded tops, and are of a dark reddish brown color. They are separated from each other by rough, deep and irregular ravines, resembling, in a small way, the canyons of the west. They are really narrow, deep and winding valleys, and make a region quite peculiar and characteristic. From the extreme steepness of the hill-side the arable land in this region is cut up into small strips. But the soils of these valleys are quite rich and yield excellent returns for fair cultivation, while that in woods is often heavily timbered with white oak, hickory, poplar, maple and other valuable trees. Some one, speaking of this region, has called it the " poor man's rich coun- try," and the description is not inapt, as things are, but is at the same time a severe reflection on the enterprise and thrift of the men who have held this rich country for generations and are still poor men. Nowhere in Tennessee are the improved practices of farming so much needed as on these rich little farms, and nowhere would they pay better. The geological formation which gives shape and name to this region, is described as a red, ferruginous, sandy fossiliferous limestone. This rock, as Prof. Saiford says, is interstratified with calcareous shale and flaggy limestone. The whole group is well named iron limestone. The iron is so abundant in the soil and rock it is not improbable that in some not distant day a process may be discovered for extracting it with profit. At present, as rocks, their chief value is as flag stones and building material. In weathering, this group of rock forms a soil of exceeding strength, especially rich in mineral matter, and for this reason responding readily to all organic manures. In texture it is inclined to be tough, is of a dark red or brownish red color. It will bear deep plowing, requires to be thoroughly worked, and would be immensely benefitted by underdraining. It is a first-class wheat land, yields good crops of corn and oats, and may be thoroughly set in cither clover or grass by a little judicious management. The population in this region is sparse and thinly scattered. The improvements are qu'.te 552 Resources of Tennessee, primitive in style and few in number, and usually consist of a double log cabin, covered Avith clap-boards, with chimneys of sticks, mor- tar-lined on the inside and reinforced on the outside, near the ground, with fire-rock ; rarely two stories, but invariably a loft, reached by a ladder or open steps, narrow and steep. The house is surrounded by a rail fence, enclosing a small garden and yard. In the former are grown a few of the common garden vegetables, while the latter is adorned with a few stands for bees, and perhaps an apple tree or two. The out-buildings, if any, are built of logs or polls, and rarely consist of anything beyond a corn-crib and stable. Two or three horses, as many cows, six or a dozen hogs, occasionally a dozen sheep, and no end of chickens, make up the live-stock account. The crops grown are usually corn, oats and potatoes, but these suffice for the few simple wants of the inhabitants. Their market produce is chiefly confined to chickens and eggs, featliers, beeswax, ginseng, a few peltries, with now and then a young beef. There are generally a few apple trees which yield abundant crops, and furnish the remaining article of commerce from these farms, in the shape of "dried fruit." The creeks that empty into the French Broad, Tennessee and Little Tennessee, which severally bound this region, are few and short. They are, beginning with the French Broad tributaries. Hind's and Mill Shoal ; into the Tennessee, Baker's, Hodge's and Knob ; into Little River, Stock Creek alone. This comparative scarcity of water, doubt- less, is the chief cause why the knobby region is so sparsely settled. The presence of a spring or running water of some kind being an essential to a settlement in former days. As may well be imagined, the inhabitants of this region are not learned in the ways of the world, nor in books, neither are they ambitious of making either a noise or a show in the world — content with what contented their fathers, to live as they lived, to die as tiiey died, leaving the world neither better nor worse for their living and dying. T]\e Tennessee and French Broad Rivers. The Tennessee, which is more commonly and was originally named the Holston, enters the county from the east, not far from its north-eastern corner, and flows, in many bends and foldings, a little west of south, until it ap])roaches the southern border of the county, when it sweeps westward, and having made a wide curve, again flows west of south, passing out of the county in almost a due south course and the width of the county west of the point of entrance. By these many and devious windings a very large surface of the county is East Tennessee. 553 watered, and rich river bottoms are ranlti|)lied,to the exceeding benefit of the owners. Tlie agricultural value of the river, however, great as it is, is exceeded by the aggregate value of its many tributaries. These are swift and clear creeks, taking their rise in several instances outside of the county and flowing through long narrow valleys, fed on either gide by numerous branches that swell' them into considerable volume by the time they reach the river. AVe enumerate these creeks in order, mentioning also such mills as we know the names of, situated on them. Beginning with the right bank of the river and following its flow, Big Flat Creek is the first. It enters into the county on its northern borders and flows almost due south, when but a short way in the county it is reinforced by Little Flat Creek, which takes its rise quite a way oiF in the extreme north-western corner of the county and flows east- ward, emptying into its larger namesake at the head of McAnnally's Ridge. The mills on Big Flat are Carter's, Brice's, McBee's and Rob- ert's; on Little Flat, Tarvers' is the only mill. Next comes Rose- berry's Creek, which rises in Beaver Ridge, flows south-east, cutting through McAnnally's Ridge. There are no mills on this creek. Doak's Creek is comparatively small and turns .only Armstrong's mill. Love's Creek is also small, with but one mill, Buffat's. First Creek supplies Scott's mill, besides three or four mills in Knoxville. Second Creek also passes through Knoxville, supplying power to a number of mills and factories, besides Sharp's mill out of the town. Third Creek takes its rise in Black Oak Ridge and flows eastward and soutii, through McAnnally's Ridge, furnishing power to Hargen's paper and grist mills. Lyon's Creek furnishes power to Kennedy's and to Lyon's mills. Sinking and Turkey Creek supply no mills, and are compara- tively small. On the left bank are Turkey, Sinking and Swan Pond creeks, besides those enumerated as coming from the knobby regions, none of which supply mills. In addition to those already mentioned as emptying into the French Broad from the knobby region, Tuckahoe Creek empties into it on the right bank, but none of these support a mill. There are however, Keener's and Michael's mills on the river itself, besides the cement mills. The Tennesse and French Broad are both too deep for fording, and the only bridge is that recently erected across the Tennessee at Knox- ville. There are, however, across the Tennessee, three regular ferries above Knoxville, besides those at the city, viz., Armstrong's, Boyd's and Ramsey's, and across the French Broad there is Huffaker's ferry. The Ridge or Valley Region. Returning to Knoxville and looking 554 Resources of Tennessee. north-westward, we see a long regular ridge running parallel with the river, and beyond it another and another, as far as the eye can reach. These ridges extend for the most part through the county. The north- western boundary lies along the crest of Flint Ridge, which it will be most convenient for us first to consider. This ridge is sometimes called Chestnut Ridge, from the fact that this timber abounds on it. Flint is the older and better name, however, since it describes the character of the crest of the ridge itself, which is composed of a chert that has very much the appearance of the true flint. This ridge divides, and on the west side, within the county, lies a short section of a narrow valley called Raccoon Valley. The main ridge extends from Virginia into Georgia. On the western side it is steep and broken, but on the east- ern and southern sides it slopes gradually into Bull Run Valley. This valley is confined by Flint or Chestnut and Copper Ridges. It is one of the long valleys which cross the entire State, reaching from Virginia into Georgia. It takes different names, however, in different sections, as do the ridges which enclose it. In Knox county, it gets its name from the creek which flows through it, emptying into Clinch River. Taken as a whole. Bull Run Valley contains a large body of first-rate land. There is, however, a noticeable diflerence between the lands lying on the east and west banks of the creek. It has a south-eastern ex- posurf, and the soil is the product of the weatherings and washings from the ridge; it is, therefore, composed of quite a varied mixture of different qualities of limestone, clay and chert or flinty gravel. It is dark colored and heavy, not easily worked, but yielding fair crops and wearing well. Under thorough cultivation and judicious management these lands would yield many fold more than they do, both in quan- tity and variety of crops. On the eastern side of the valley Copper Ridge rises somewhat abruj)tly. The land is not so smooth, does not lie so handy for the plow, but it is comparatively free from the chert or flinty gravel, and is })erhaps in some respects a richer soil, though, owing to its north-eastern exposure, it does not bring forward crops so early and is not so highly esteemed. It is, however, excellent grass land and a favorite fruit region. The whole valley is abundtmtly watered and heavily timbered, and is tolerably thickly settled. The inhabitants are intelligent, industrious and moral and have provided themselves with churches and school- houses. leaver Creek F«//e?/lies east of Co])per Ridge, and is bounded on the east by Beaver Ridge, and divided through the middle by the creek from East Tennessee. 555 which it gets its name. In many res])ects it is the richest and most esteemed valley in the county, though it is only second in size. There is something of the same diiference noticeable between the soils on the east and west side of the dividing creek, but the difference is not so marked as in Bull Run Valley. Copper Ridge here slopes into the valley in the same gradual manner described in Flint Ridge. Indeed, these ridges have a general resemblance, each being crowned with a layer of chert and is based on limestone. So, also, each has more or less of limestone scattered or sandwiched in thin layers through it. The pres- ence of this limestone, added to other minerals, gives variety and rich- ness to the soil into which it weathers. There is considerable of this chert mixed in the soil along the foot of the ridge, which gradually disappears towards the creek as we approach the limestone bed that forms the basis of the valley. On the east side, again, Beaver Ridge mounts up more abru|)tly and has weathered down but little or none of the chert which covers its crest. The greater width of this valley gives more room for level stretches, and hence the land lies better than on the east side of Bull Run Creek. The soil is of a dark mulatto color, and quite rich. There is, perhaps, more of enterprise and a dis- position to adopt new ways in this valley than in any part of the county away from the railroad. Hhid's Valley. The section of the valley lying between Beaver and Black Oak ridges, is known as Hind's Valley. It is comparatively narrow, though very long, reaching from Georgia almost across Ten- nessee. In Knox county only the lower half is watered by Hickory Creek, a tributary of Clinch River. The soil is generally light grey and rather thin, though in the lower section it gets to be quite fertile. It is, however, admirably adapted to grass, and is one of the leading meadow regions of the county. It is susceptible of very high im- provement, a fact which some of its inhabitants have begun to ap- preciate. Gransy Valley, bounded by Black Oak and Webb's ridges, is, as its name indicates, a valley of much agricultural importance. The soil is composed mainly of the weathering of soft shale and various lime- stones, which make up the ridges on either side. Though it is neither so rich nor so friable and easily worked as the calcareous loams that overlie the blue limestones of the Central Basin, yet it is most excel- lent land, and under proper treatment yields abundant crops of grain or grass. Unlike the valleys so far des(!ribcd, the waters of Grassy Valley do not flow along its trend, but taking their rise in Black Oak 55^ Resources of Tennessee. Ridge, several creeks flow across the valley, cutting through the east- ern ridge and finding their way to the Tennessee River. It will thus be seen that Black Oak Ridge is the liip-roof that separates the water- sheds of the Clinch and Tennessee rivers as they draw near to unite. The floor of Grassy Valley is not an inclined plane, falling from north- east to south-west, as are the other valleys named, but a succession of gentle wave-like undulations cross the valley, forming cross-troughs which collect the waters of the creeks and pour them out through the eastern ridge. This eastern ridge (Webb's) is marked on the western crest by a sharp angular escarjDment, so that the eastern side of Grassy Valley is made quite abrupt. The settlements are more numerous and the improvements somewhat more pretentious, indicating an approach to the neighborhood of railroads and cities. Poor Valley. The character of this valley is indicated by its name. The soil is thin, poor and rough over a great part of the valley, but not over the entire body. The valley is bounded by Webb's and Mc- Annally's ridges, which are largely composed of shale and dolomite that have weathered into a poor soil very meagerly supplied with lime. Poor Valley is not confined to Knox county, but runs on up into Vir- ginia. It presents one feature in common with all the shale valleys — where it is narrow, its bed is rough and the soil almost barren, but with increase of width, the bed of the valley becomes smoother and the soil better. North of Knox county, Poor Valley is noted for the great number, variety and strength of mineral springs that break out from its sides. It is watered by the same creeks and in the same manner as Grassy Valley. This brings us to the Central or Knoxville Valley, variously called Rocky Valley and New Market Valley. In width, variety and impor- tance, it exceeds cither of the others. It is, properly speaking, the Valley of Tennessee River. The soil is composed of the debris of shale, chert, dolomite and limestone on a clay substratum, the whole more or less mixed with iron, which gives it a red color. The appear- ance and quality of the soil vary in different parts of the valley, as one or the other of these ingredients predominates. Where the soil is best, as towards the northern and southern extremities of the valley, the rocks are Nashville and Trenton limestone, which yield a dark, rich and friable soil. All the creeks cm[)tying into the Tennessee on its right bank within the county flow through this valley, while iha river washes its entire eastern side. It is thus more abundantly watered than all the other valleys of the county. In addition to this, it is the East Tennessee. 557 great thoroughfare of trade and commerce across the State, the track of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad running along its bed. These natural and artificial advantages have combined to fos- ter a higher degree of improvement than is to be found elsewhere. The crops are more diversified, and there is a more general disposition to fix up and to make the most of every thing. Farming in Knox County. The exigencies and advantages of climate, the fertility and exposure of soils, and the nearness or remoteness of markets, are the main elements which control the character of crops and style of farming in every location. Secondary to, but scarcely less important, are the intelligence and cash capital of the farmers. In Knox county, as in East Tennessee generally, the climate is admirably suited to a wide range of crops, and the soil, as we have seen, is of sufficient variety, and was originally sufficiently fertile, to bear any crop within the range of climate. But for many years there was no market for anything that would not bear long and tedious transportation. As a consequence, the farming operations of the county were almost entirely confined to the production of such articles as were needed for home consumption. Under this lack of stimulus, naturally there would be no great effort at improvement. The farmers were content to grow the same crops in the same way that their fathers had done. Corn and oats, by unvarying routine, in time wore away the virgin soil. This process has been continued until a great deal of the arable land in the county is reduced to a very low state of productiveness. A commendable effi:)rt is now making by many of the most intelligent and enterprising farmers to redeem this error and restore the land. The ferruginous and aluminous character of most of the subsoil of the county renders such restoration comparatively easy, since such soils retain manure longer than others, besides excelling other lands in the power to abstract ammonia from the superincumbent air. Under the impetus of the railroad, furnishing a ready means for sending to market every possible product of the farm, and the rapidly growing demand of the city of Knoxville, the spirit of change and progress is fast spreading through the entire county. New and improved implements are coming into use, wiser and better practices begin to prevail. Faryn Buildings. These are generally built of wood. The dwelling- houses often of plank, but most generally of logs. They are neither handsome, comfortable, nor convenient, as compared with the better class of houses. The stables and out-houses are mere make-shifts. 55S Reso7irces of Tennessee » They are, by no means, sufficient in numbers and room, and very badly built. Too little care is taken of stock and implements, and too little regard is paid to the comfort of the farmer and his family. The room for improvement in these particulars is very great. These criticims apply with more or less force to American agricul- ture in general, and especially to that of the Southern States. And while it may be true that, owing mainly to its comparative isolation for so long a period, agriculture is less advanced in East Tennessee than in Middle or West Tennessee, it is also true that several circum- stances combine to stimulate a more rapid advancement in East Ten- nessee in the future than can be hoped for in either of the other sec- tions. One of these circumstances is the tendency to develop the small industries already alluded to. In these industries, the labor of women and children, which is almost entirely unused in the other sections, can be profitably employed. Another favorable circumstance is the char- ter of the farm labor. In comparison with the other sections, the number of slaves was always small in East Tennessee, and the number of non-slaveholding farmers quite large. Juive Stoch, of improved breeds and in considerable numbers, are coming into tlie county from Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New York. These consist chiefly of cattle and hogs. Of cattle, the greater number are Jerseys and a few Devons — the disposition seeming to be in favor of butter-making. While the hogs are mainly Berkshires, and some Chester white. With stock-growing comes of necessity an increased breadth of grass and larger tonnage of hay. Fruil- Growing. From the earliest settlement of the county, some sections have been locally noted as fruit regions. Large crops of most excellent apples have been borne on some orchards for half a century. Since the war the nursery agents from Rochester and other northern cities have sold large numbers of fruit trees through the county. Some of which, getting into good hands, in favorable sites, will do well, but the great bulk of these purchases have or will come to naught. It cannot be a great while, however, until fruit-growing assumes an impor- tant feature in the farm economy of the county, so many circumstances favoring it. The same is true of grapes, as of apples. Climate and soil favor and it needs only skill and enterprise to cover thousands of hill-sides with vines. Immediately around Knoxville strawberries are already grown of a size and quality not surpassed in the United States. Social Statufi of the Knox County Farmer, Necessarily, the social East Tennessee. 559 life of all farmins: communities differs from that which exists in towns and cities. The farmer is not so readily in reach of news — it is not so easy for him to step across to his nei_2;hbor's and have a talk. His life is largely confined to his own farm, his daily intercourse limited to his own family; his acquaintance is limited at best, and but little fitted to add to the variety or extent of his information, and unless he is hap- pily given to reading, he is not likely to get any ideas about his calling beyond what comes down to him from his father. This is true of farm life under the most favorable circumstances of an open country and good roads, but this tendency is strengthened and intensified when the country is broken, as it is in Knox county, and the roads are so few and so bad. The ridges that rise up between the farming re- gions, that is, the valleys, in the county are to all but the intrepid hun- ter entirely impassible, and but for the occurrence at intervals of gaps or breaks in them, the inhabitants of one valley would be as com- pletely shut ofPfrom all intercourse with those of a neighboring valley, only a few miles away, as if hundreds of miles intervened. As it is, the intercourse between valleys is very limited. This comparative se- clusion, while it is not conducive to rapid progress and general culture of the farming community, does foster those simple tastes and frugal habits that keep off debt, and beget contentment if not happiness. Roads. As has been intimated, the roads of Knox county are not noted for their excellence, although they are, perhaps, on the whole, better than in most counties in East Tennessee. The topography of the country renders the making of good roads a matter of extreme difficulty. With the trend of the valleys, that is, north-east and south- Avest, pretty fair roads are practicable, but from north-west to south- east, practicable roads are confined entirely to the gaps or low places in the ridges, and the best of these are anything but good road-beds. However, the establishment of the Virginia and Georgia and the Ken- tucky and South Carolina lines of railroads, is fast remedying the con- dition of things naturally growing out of the lack of good roads. The first of these roads follows, in the main, the trough of the central or river valley, and taps all the main or gap roads that come into the valley. The other road, cutting across the several valleys, offers to each an easy outlet and ready market. Towns. As a consequence, the towns of Knox county that are grow- ing, all lie along one or the other of these roads, at the junction of the gap-roads, or in the valleys intersected by the Kentucky and South Carolina road. At present, these points of intersection are mere 560 Resources of Tenitessee. stations, but the forces at work must soon build them up into thriving villages and towns. The influence of these two roads concentrate at their intersection in Knoxville. This, the oldest city and the first State capital, is deserving of some special description for what it is and for what it promises to be. Knoxville was laid out in Februray, 1791, though settlements were not begun in the new town until the next year. It was, like the county of which it was to be the capital, named in honor of Major General Henry Knox, at that time. Secretary of War under President Washing- ton. The county was not established until a year after the town was laid off. Governor Blount, then presiding over the affairs of the Territory by appointment of President Washington, established his headquarters at Knoxville, while the town was as yet only a name. On the fourth Monday of February, 1794, the first Territorial Legislature assembled in Knoxville. On the 11th of January, in the following year, a Con- vention was assembled in Knoxville for the purpose of changing the Territory into the State. The Constitution adopted by this Convention was pronounced by Mr. Jefferson to be "the least imperfect and most republican" of any of the existing State forms of government. Under this Constitution the State of Tennessee was admitted. It is said that the name Tennessee was given the new State at the suggestion of Gen- eral Andrew Jackson, who was a member of the Convention from the county of Davidson. On the 28th of March, 1796, the first State Legislature assembled in Knoxville. At the election in which the members of this Legisla- ture had been chosen. General Sevier had been elected Governor, and was duly inaugurated on the 30th of March, 1796. Knoxville at this time was but a small village, yet of ample dimen- sions to meet all the wants of the times. How few and simple were the wants of the first Legislature and Convention, may be pleasantly learned from Ramsey's Annals of Tennessee, but is beyond our prov- ince. The founders of Knoxville chose more wisely than they knew, when they fixed the site of the young capital. To them it was the most convenient, because the most central and most accessible point in the territory then settled. They were not thinking of commerce, nor did they dream of the manufactures of to-day. Steam was a thing to them unknown, the stage coach was the height of locomotion, both as to speed and convenience, and but few of the citizens had seen this in- stitution. But the natural laws which fixed the site of the young city > ■ >T''.,\\fl\. ^80[fl KENT CROsscupunesT tNCRnvcRS Phila KENTUCKY ^fBm0^ 10 Miles f« 1 larli. itpystone Iron Or». Charles A\';iiin!< JV Co. » y a bull-tongue as a subsoiler ; the hill-side plow is sometimes used ; but the shovel plow, which, at the first settlement of the county, -was in common use, is now thrown away, except on some river farms it is used in the cultivation of the corn crojis. On the uplands the bull-tongue, cultivator, and harrow are generally used for cultivating the crops. Horses and mules are mostly used for farm work, and on some farms oxen are also used. Good labor is not abundant in the county, and when good laborers can be procured, they are paid ten dollars per month and boarded, or sixteen dollars and board themselves. Some farmers pay their laborers in cash, some in cash and supplies at cash price, and others, again, a portion of the crop, as they may agree on. The contract for labor is generally verbal, and when it is with negroes for the month or year, is frequently abandoned without cause by the laborer, and, of course, without redress for the employer. Lands are generally rented from year to year, and almost invariably for a portion of the crop ; the first quality of land, for one-half the crop, the tenant furnishing the stock and seed ; and ordinary lands for one-third of the crop, the tenant furnishing stock and seed. Very few lands rent for cash, and when cash rent is paid, it is from two to five dol- lars per acre, according to the quality of the land. Nearly all the surplus product of the county is taken to a southern market, principally to Georgia and Alabama ; the live stock, such as horses, mules, cattle and hogs, are principally driven on foot. Everything else, and a portion of the live stock, are taken off to market by the East Tennessee, Vir- ginia and Georgia Railroad, which has depots at Athens, Mouse Creek, E-iceville and Calhoun, from five to seven miles a part. The E:ist Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad is the only railroad in McISIinn county; it traverses the whole county from north- east to south-west. Engineers are now surveying a route for a narrow gauge railrond from Tellieo Iron Works in ^lonroe county, to Athens, and it is believed this road will be constructed in a short time, and finally extended into North Carolina, and make connection with the railroad system of that State. The stock of mules and liogs in McMinn county is very good, that East Tennessee. 583 of horses, cattle and sheep not so good ; though recently, a few enter- prising farmers have brought into the county some fine horses, cattle and sheep to breed from, with what success it is too soon yet to deter- mine; but as it regards sheep, with the experience we have heretofore had with dogs, it is not thought that any prudent man Avill invest much capital in improved sheep, or indeed in any kind of sheep. If the people of this county would agree to give U]i their dogs, no country is better adapted to the raising of sheep than McMinn county. The prevailing rock in McMinn county is limestone, with several veins of very fine grey marble. The ridges in some places have gravel and flint. The limestone has not been used in building, except in abutments and piers for bridges, and occasionally for foundations to houses and barns. There is no coal found as yet in the county, but on the south-east side of the county, and by which the contemplated narrow gauge railroad will pass, there is an abundance of the best quality of iron ore. Lead is found, of fine quality, in several sections of the county. There are two cotton spinning factories in the county. Eureka, seven miles from Athens, situated on the Chestua Creek, has nineteen em- ployees, spins 78,000 pounds of cotton, by 528 spindles, into 156 dozen of cotton warp, which is sold in southern Kentucky and East Ten- nessee. The factory is propelled exclusively by water-power. Mount Verd, three miles from Athens, on Mouse Creek, has thirty-one em- ployees, twenty-one girls and ten men, spins 280 bales of cotton by 924 spindles, into 275,000 dozen of cotton yarn, one-third of which is sold at the factory, one-third in southern Kentucky, and the balance in Nashville and Cincinnati. This factory is propelled by water-power alone. Almost all the farmers of McMinn county have their clothing, except their Sunday suits, manufactured in their own families, and they almost universally, except on Sunday, wear homespun goods. The farmers and manufacturers of the county are about equal in prosperity, in fact, the population of McMinn county of all vocations are pretty much upon an equality as regards prosperity — none very rich and very few poor, and nearly all in comfortable circumstances. It is diffi- cult to say what per cent, capital pays vested in manufacturing en- terprises, but it is ])resumed that capital vested in manufactories would pay a much larger per cent, than it would in ordinary farming operations. The greatest drawback to farming in McMinn county is the large- 584 Resources of Tennessee. ness of the farms and the want of the capital to purchase the necessary improved farming implements. If our farmers had the capital to pur- chase all the necessary improved farming implements, and would sell off a portion of their farms, whicli they now desire to do, they have energy and intelligence enough to bring up their lands to the highest condition of production and profit. Since the completion of the railroad, and a market for the surplus has been opened up, the farmers of McMinn county have paid a great deal of attention to the . -smaller industries, such as drying fruit, making butter, raising honey, jioultry and eggs and garden vegetables of va- rious kinds, and they have for several years past been very much engaged in setting out orchards, especially of apples and peaches, so that now, on almost every farm, there is a respectable apple and peach orchard; and in getting trees, they have sought to get the best varie- ties. No eifort has yet been made to grow the grape, except on a small scale ; where the vines have been properly attended to, grapes of the most luscious kind have been produced, as well in one part of the county as in another. There are several apple and peach nurseries in the county, and a large number of trees are annually sold in this and adjoining counties, and some in Georgia and Alabama. The most valuable timber in McMinn county is the white, red and post oak, chestnut, walnut, locust, hickory and pine ; the white and red oak for fencing, the white and red oak and hickory for fuel, the locust and post oak for posts, the pine and white oak for building lumber, and the walnut and poplar for furniture. Shingles are made of pine and yellow poplar, and staves of white oak. Very little of lumber, staves and boards have as yet been exported — the most of tliese articles have been used in the neighborhood where made. Shingles are largely exported to the South. The disposition of the people of McMinn county towards immigrants is of the best kind. All respectable persons who may come into the county will be kindly and respectfully met and treated, no matter from what j)orti()n of the globe they may come. We have had many ])ersons to come and settle among us since the war — some from the Northern States and some from foreign (countries, and not like in other Southern States, as carpet-bagcrs, but sec^king a j)ermanent home, and identifying themselves in feeling and interest with the country and peo- })le. To such we have given a cordial weh^ome, and we have room and a cordial welcome for all who may yet come with like feelings East Tennessee. 585 and purpose, being satisfied that we have space enough for ten times the popuUition we now have. Our farmers are not disposed to sell out and emigrate; they feel that there is no better country to go to. Many, and perhaps the most of them, desire to sell off a portion of their farms to respectable and in- dustrious persons, by which to get funds to improve the balance. We desii'e practical and intelligent farmers, skilled mechanics and manufacturers, and if gentlemen of capital come and settle among us, we will endeavor to make tliem feel at home. There are thirteen granges of the Patrons of Husbandry organized in our county. There are no other agricultural or mechanical associa- tions. The county of McMinn owes no debt. It pays as it goes. There is one college in Athens, with 100 students; two common schools, one for whites and one for blacks with about 100 pupils each; two private schools, one with fifty pupils of both sexes, and the other exclusively female ; Hiwassee Masonic Institute, at Calhoun, with 100 pupils; Wesleyanna Academy, five miles from Athens, with thirty-five pupils ; Cain Creek Academy, twelve miles from Athens, with eighty-five pupils; Riceville Acadmy, with 100 pupils; and Mouse Creek Academy, with twenty-five pupils. Besides the two common schools in Athens, there are sixty-four others scattered about in differ- ent parts of the county, and all well attended and managed. The col- lege and all the academies have literary societies connected with them, but there are no public libraries in the county. We have no poor-house, no macadaraezied road, and our dirt roads are not kept in good order during the winter and early spring. The balance of the year they keep in very good order. There is one newspaper, the Athens Post. We have a great number of mineral springs in all parts of the county, some of them attended in the summer by per.-ons from their neighborhood. The waters have never been analized, but ])crsons af- flicted with various diseases, who have attended them, say they have been benefited by the use of the water. We have thirty-nine grist mills in McMinn fouuty, eight of them first-class merchant mills, thirty saw-mills, five cotton gins, two card- ing machines, and two j)lauiug macliincs, all ])ropell('d by water-jiower, and there are about twenty other sites, yet unoccu})ied, of ample water- power fin- first-class merclrant mills. The casualties of the war carried off a large number of our popula- 586 Resources of Tennessee. tion, and the result of the war exiled as many more, so that our popu- lation is now about equal to what it was at the commencement of the war, or only a small increase. MEIGS COUNTY. County Seat — Decatur. There are about one hundred and forty thousand acres of land in Meigs county, and about six hundred farms. But few of them are rented or leased. A large proportion of the land is in timber, and not much of it inclosed. A considerable quantity of land is "turned out," or abandoned, because it had become completely exhausted. Fully one-half of the land in the county is for sale. First-class bottom lands are worth one hundred dollars per acre; number one uplands, fifty; medium bottom lands, seventy-five; inferior, twenty-five, and common uplands, from one to twenty dollars. In effecting sales, one-third is demanded at the time of sale, and the remainder in one, two, three, four and five years time, and sometimes longer. The aver- age rental per acre, is one-third to one-half of the crop. There is but little swamp land comparatively. The leading crops of the county are corn, wheat, Irish and sweet potatoes, apples and peaches. The average breadth of corn is about twelve thousand and eight hundred acres, wheat eight thousand six hundred, and oats about the same. About four hundred iicres each in Irish and sweet potatoes, twenty-ibur hundred acres in meadow, and thirty-two hundred in clover. About one hundred acres are employed in raising sorghum. Everything in the above enumeration grows well, except blue-grass, which has not been thoroughly tried. There are about eight hundred horses in the county, eight hundred mares, four hundred mules, fifteen hundred milch cows, one hundred and sixty work oxen, and twenty-four hundred cattle over two years old. Two hundred and fifty beef cattle are slaughtered annually. There are no Short-horn cattle, and no other im])roved breeds, and but few sheep. There are about seven hundred hogs, and five thousand are slaughtered annually. The number of laborers in the county is about four hundred, and East Tennessee. 587 these are equally divicled between whites and blacks. Harvest hands receive per day from one to one dollar and a quarter. Transient hands, fifty to seventy-five cents per day. The customary allowance or share allowed, where hands work for a share, is one third. They are not permitted to keep stock of their own. The number of acres allowed to a hand, in jjitching a crop, is twenty. Cooks and washers get from four to five dollars a month. There is a demand for farm hands and for all kinds of labor. There are but few brick dwellings, none of stone, about one- half framed, no brick barns and stables, few framed, no hay elevators, no gin houses, and no ice houses. The fences are mostly made of rails, and average five feet and a half in height. The average size of fields enclosed are fifty acres. The principal timber used in making fences is pine, oak, and chestnut. Upon the subject of a stock law, compel- ling owners of stock to keep them confined, there is no matured opinion. The country has not made any marked advancement in the way of improved implements of husbandry. Cast and wrought iron plows are about equally divided. One-half of them are manufactured in the State. There are no sub-soil plows; no hill-side plows, and no culti- vators. There are no buggy-plows, hay tedders, farm mills, steamers, or feed boilers, and but few buggies and pleasure carriages. A num- ber of the farmers use reapers, mowers, and horse-rakes. The mechanical industries are only moderately represented. Saw- mills are numerous, and are run by water-power — none by steam. There is a number of corn and grist mills. There are no woolen or cotton fiactories, but several carding machines. There are no iron furnaces, or forges; no coal mines, copper mines, lead mines, or zinc mines. There is a number of tanneries. Marble is abundant, but not developed. But little is done in the smaller economies. Barely enough to sup- ply the home demand. Churches are built by the joint action of all the peojile, and are worshipped in by all denominations. Free schools are not working ad- vantageously. There are no colleges, and no newspaper published, and but few agricultural papers taken. No public libraries arc in the county. The Tennessee River passes through the county, and runs from 588 Resources of Tennessee, north-east to south-west. It is the only channel of transportation, and is navigable for small steamers. The Hiwassee River runs from east to west and is not navigable. The river and creek bottoms are exten- sive and productive. The subsoil is clay. The prevailing rock is limestone. The crops best suited to the uplands are corn, wheat, and oats. The bottoms make valuable meadows. The principal market is Chattanooga, by way of the Tennessee River. But few immigrants have entered the county. They would be generously received from any part of the world. A large number of families have moved away. Any one with industrious habits could do well here. There are many advantages and but few disadvantages. Good water, fine climate, and excellent society and healthfulness, are some of the desirable features of the county. MONROE COUNTY. County Seat — Madisonville. INIonroe county was organized in 1819, and the county seat located at M'.ulisonville. It is bounded on the north by Loudon and Blount counties, on the east by North Carolina, on the south by North Caro- lina and McMinn county, and on the west by McMinn and Loudon counties. The southern portion of it is rough and broken, a con- siderable quantity of the land thin and unproductive, and much of it injured by improvident cultivation. The northern portion is less broken, and the land far more productive. There are few better counties, taken altogether, in East Tennessee. In the first place, the population is an excellent one — industrious, in- telligent and successful farmers. In the next place, there are vast tracts of rich and productive land, for the most part well cultivated, and in good condition. The buildings are generally comfortable, and thrift and jirosperity abound. More than ordinary attention is paid to the rearing of improved stock of every species. " Madisonville, the county seat, is situated in the central portion of the county, and some nine miles south of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad. Its population is 324. It is an old town, and in consequence of its distance from the railroad, has not improved rap- idly. It is a moral j)lac(', and its educational advantages are very good. East Tennessee. 5 89 Sweetwater is another town of this county, and is situated directly upon the East Tennessee, A^'irginia and Georgia Railroad. It is a young and enterprising town. Its population is 1,069. It is located in the midst of a rich and productive country. Sweetwater Valley has long l)een noted for its beauty and the fertility of its lands. They are ex- ceedingly valuable. The soil is a dark mulatto, and contains iron and lime. It yields finely to cultivation. There are five val- leys in all in the county, and they vary in width from one mile and a quarter to two miles. They extend through the county, and are very fertile, embracing first and second bottoms. The rolling lands are adapted to the culture of tobacco, Avheat, corn, hay and oats. The farms are generally small, and worked by the owners. Improved lands are worth from ^7 to ^50 per aci-e. The timber is of the best quality, and of almost every species. The profits in farming are, to a large extent, dependent upon the raising of stock. The plows mostly in use are the Collins, the Jones, Avery and Peacock. Mules are mostly used in making crops, as they are more hardy and enduring than horses. Sheep are destroyed by dogs, and some of the best farm- ers take the ground that a tax of five dollars should be put upon every dog, and ten dollars upon every bitch. Remove this difficulty, and there is no better section for sheep husbandry. There is about twenty- five per cent, of waste land in the county, but it is mostly ridge land. With proper management, however, it would make excellent orchards. The county is not thickly settled. The value of taxable property is $2,304,291. The principal stream of the county is the Tennessee River, which is navigable for steamers. Tellico River heads in the mountains, and is navigable for thirty miles six months in the year. It affords an abun- dance of water-power. Conasauga, Ball Play, Citico, Big Creek, Fork Creek, Bat Creek, Pond Creek and Sweetwater are all good streams for manufacturing purposes. Labor is abundant, and wages range from $10 to $15 per month. The kindest feelings prevail towards immigrants, and they are earnestly invited to settle in the county. The great drawback to farming is the want of means and enterprise. There is a large quantity of land for sale. Some few of the citizens are anxious to emigrate to the West, and some have already gone. As a general thing, they are contented, and the more industrious and cnterjirising arc not disposed to move away. There is a large fair association composed of the best farmers 59^ Resources of Tennessee. in the county, and some other farmers' organizations. The prevailing rocks are limestone. The White Cliif Springs are a noted place of resort. These springs are* situated on Chilhowee Mountain, sixteen miles from Mouse Creek, the nearest point from the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad. They are located at an elevation of 1,200 feet above Cona- sauga Valley, in a dry, pure and very invigorating atmosphere, afford- ing an extensive and beautiful view of the surrounding country. There are three springs in close proximity, two of which are tonic, diuretic and alterative, and have proved very efficacious in relieving diseases of the liver, kidneys and stomach, and have acted as a sovereign remedy in chorea and dysmenorrhea. The other spring possesses properties that have proved beneficial in scrofulous affections of the skin and chronic diseases of the eye. MORGAN COUNTY. County Seat — "Wartburg. Morgan county is bounded on the north by Scott and Fentress on the east by Anderson on the south by Roane and Cumberland, and on the west by Cumberland and Fentress counties. It is one of the mountain counties, and embraces a great deal of rough and untillable land, especially in the southern portion. There are a number of fertile valleys, but they are not wide. The most noted are. Crooked Fork, Flat Fork and Emery. The soil of these is productive, and is of a dark, mulatto color. The lands on the Obed and Emery rivers are exceedingly fertile. Although a large county there is a great deal of land totally unfit for cultivation. These consist of abru])t hills, ridges and mountains. Much of the land is on the market, and can be bought low. Improved lands are worth about twenty dollars per acre; medium, about ten; ordinary, about five, and unimproved from fifty cents to one dollar. The usual terms of sale are one-third of the purchase money paid in hand, and the remainder in one, two and three years, with six per cent, interest. The terms of leasing are one-third of the crop. The leading croj)s are corn, wheat, oats, hay and potatoes. No bar- ley, buckwheat, peanuts or liops are produced, and but few pears, East Tennessee. ' 591 cherries, plums, strawberries and raspberries are grown. The climate and soil are admirably adapted to the growth of apples and peaches. Not much attention is paid to either. Grapes have been thoroughly tested by an enterprising colony of Germans, settled at the town of Wartburg, and they have been found to do well. This colony makes a considerable quantity of wine every year, which is sold at remunera- tive prices. It usually commands about four dollars per gallon, retail. It is believed that there are few logions better suited for extensive vineyards. Some of the grasses grow well, and produce good crops in this county. At the same time, the farmers have not improved this advan- tage. The usual grass raised is timothy and herds-grass. Blue-grass grows well in places. Orchard grass, perhaps, would suit this region better than any other kind. A good deal of sorghum and maple sugar is manufactured. The finest honey in the world is produced here, and considerable attention is paid to the rearing and management of bees. There are no improved breeds of horses, cattle, hogs or sheep raised. The varieties in use are of the scrub species. But a small percentage of either class on the market. Mules are not raised to any extent. For rough work, oxen are mostly used. The rearing of cattle and sheep could be made a most profitable business, from the fact that the hills, ridges and mountains afford the very best pasturage. One diffi- culty in the way of raising sheep is the prevalence of sheep-killing dogs. No danger is apprehended from wolves, as they do not infest this region. It is not a hog-producing country, for the reason that it is not adapted to corn. Considerable quantities of corn, it is true, are raised in the valleys indicated, and on the Obed and Emery rivers, but these constitute only a small proportion of the county. The great staples are the " small grains," grass and fruit. Very much could be done in the dairy business — the making of cheese and butter — and yet everything is blank on this subject. Thousands of pounds of both could be made every year, at a small cost, and sold at a fair margin. Some attention is paid to the smaller industries, bui not half enough. The demand for labor is amply met, though not strictly reliable. But few blacks are in the county. The work on farms and in house- holds is mainly done by the families themselves. All are trained to industrious habits. The young men work on the farm and the young ladies do the work of the house. 592 Resoui'ccs of Tennessee. Allusion was made above to the fact of the existence of a German colony at Wartburg. They are an industrious, intelligent and enter- prising people, and have done much to advance the agricultural, horti- cultural and educational interests of the county. The farm buildings throughout the county are plain. But few are brick, a number of frame, and a large number made of hewn logs. Rails are altogether used for making fences, and the average height of the fences are about five feet. The cost of lumber is one dollar per hundred feet, and rails ten dollars per thousand. The mineral capacity of this county is equal to almost any county in East Tennessee. Stone coal is found in great quantities in every di- rection. The long distance from market, and the difficulty of trans- portation retard development. The chief markets are Knoxville, and Rockwood in Roane county. The former is distant about sixtv miles, and is reached by wagon conveyance. The latter is some twenty-five miles. The Cincinnati Southern Railroad is projected to pass through this county, and it will traverse a region rich in valuable timber and mineral wealth. The water power of this county is unsurpassed. On all the streams mentioned, any desired power can be had. But little of it is made available. There are some grist and saw-mills, but no cotton or woolen factories. Wartburg is the county seat, with a population of about 150, mostly Germans. It has one church — Lutheran. It can boast of one of the best schools in the country — about eighty pupils in attendance. Mont- gomery is another small village, with a population of about fifty. It was formerly the countv seat of Morgan countv. See description of Cumberland county, of Middle Tennessee, for a fuller description of the soil. Both counties are on the Table Land. POLK COUNTY. County Seat— Benton. The law establishing this county was passed November 28, 1839. It was taken off Bradley and McMinn, and named in honor of James K. Polk. It is bounded on the north by McMinn and Monroe, on the East Tennessee. 593 east by North Carolina, on the south by Georgia, and on the west by Bradley county. It comprises about 430 square miles. The greater part of Polk county is mountainous, and unfit for agricultural pur- poses. There are other advantages, however, far outweighing the ag- ricultural feature. There are copper mines found in this county. They were developed many years ago, and have been worked with success. They are known as the " Ducktown mines." They are situated about forty miles from Cleveland, an enterprising town on the East Tennes- see, Virginia, and Georgia Railroad. A daily line of hacks runs there from this point. The mines are about two miles from the Ocoee River, in the midst of hills, surrounded by high mountains in the distance. The principal ranges of these mountains lie between the copper mines and Benton, and traverse the county in a northeasterly and south- westerly direction, occupying, perhaps, more than half its area. The discovery of these mines has brought about a great change in what was once a wilderness region. Upon a beautiful plateau of ground, in the midst of the mines, stands a number of villages, whose hundreds of buildings attest the presence of the genius of civilization. They aggregate a population of about three thousand, with churches, schools, and stores. And although occupied mostly by miners, the moral and re- ligious status is not inferior to more highly favored towns. One drawback upon the company is the long distance to the rail- road, which interferes materially with its profits in the prosecution of the business. Energy and capital, however, will soon surmount this obstacle. A movement is now on foot to construct a branch road from Cleveland to intersect with the railroad at that place. The pros- pects for its early completion are favorable. For more particular de- scription of these mines, see chapter xv. These mines furnish a valuable market for all the products of that part of Polk county. All the butter, lard, bacon, flour, corn, chickens, etc., for miles around, are sold there at fair prices. Thus, hundreds of dollars are scattered where it is badly needed. Nearly the entire surface of the county is covered with high rolling lands, with hills and ridges here and there. There are some rich val- leys which are level and produce fair crops of wheat, corn and oats. The principal bulk of the land has been greatly exhausted by hard usage. Hundreds of acres have been brought into a state of almost complete exhaustion, so far gone as to require years, and a great deal of money and labor to restoi'e. Originally, this county was rich in its 38 594 * Resources of Tennessee western portion. The farni'Ts, at least many of them, have not pur- sued a wise course. They ha\c expected too much from the soil with- out returning a corresponding benefit to it. From year to year it has been robbed of its cream until it has been forced to succumb to this ill-treatment. Shallow plowing, no fertilizing and heavy crops of corn have done the work. The exhausted spots, the skinned surface, the wide patches of sassafras, the fields of sedge grass, and the gullies, but too plainly indicate the unkind treatment which it has received. Grass, clover and manure have been ignored all over the coun- ty. Ground that would have made excellent meadow, has been, for years, rudely cultivated in corn. There are acres upon acres that have never been aided in yielding their substance to the proprietor by sow- ing clover and using manure. This is not the case with all the farms. Polk county has a number of superior farmers — enterprising, energetic, and intelligent — who are improving their lands, and making them more and more productive every year. The most valuable lands are on the waters of the Ocoee River, the Hiwassee River, and the Conasauga River.* They yield, on an average, about thirty-five bushels of corn to the acre, wheat ten, oats twenty-five, and rye eight. The creek valleys yield about twenty bushels of corn, wheat six, oats twenty, and rye seven. The uplands, ten of corn, five of wheat, and fifteen of oats. The principal valley is the Ocoee, which is about twenty-five miles long, and five wide. The county needs a much larger population than it has, for it is sparsely settled. Lands can be bought low, and on the easiest terms. From three to twenty dollars per acre will buy about the best lands in the county, with the exception of highly improved farms, or lands lying on the rivers and the principal creeks. The opening here for im- migrants is a good one. They would be kindly received by all the citizens. The county is deficient in improved stock of all kinds. Considera- ble numbers of hogs, cattle and sheep are fattened annually, and sent to market. There is one butter and cheese dairy carried on by an en- terprising German. There is quite a trade in eggs, poultry and dried fruit. Farm hands are about equal to the demand — but few colored. Good laborers, working by the year, receive about one hundred and fifty dol- The water from this sticam flndK its way to the Gulf of Mexico without emptying iuto the Missis- Bippi, aLd in this rebpect dlfTere from all others in the State. East Tennessee. 595 lurs per annum, and are fnrnislied with houses and gardens. Transient hands from fifty to seventy-five cents per day; cooks and washers get fr(»:ii four to five dollars a month. The principal town is Benton. Its population is about three hun- drcMl 'and fifty. There is one church and a good school in the place. RHEA COUNTY. County Seat — Washington. Rhea" county was established December 3, 1807, and the county seat was located at Big Spring, fourteen miles west of the pres- ent capital. It was renioved to Washington in 1812. The county contains a population of about 5,000. It is thinly settled. The majority of the farms are very large, and could be divided and sub-divided advantageously. This would make room for immigrants, and in a short time, double the population. It would tend to develop the county and increase its wealth. It is suifering for the lack of pop- ulation. Laborers are needed ; men of capital and enterprise are in demand, and better farmers are wanted. The area of Rhea county is divided between the Valley of East Tennessee and the Cumberland Table Land. Its north-western bound- ary rests on Walden's Ridge, this plateau ridge being divided about equally between Rhea and Bledsoe. Its south-eastern boundary is the Tennessee River, which separates it from Meigs. On the north-east it is bounded by Roane county, and on the south-west by Hamilton. Between Waiden's Ridge and a series of broken knobs parallel with it, is a long valley running the entire length of the county, which con- stitutes a part of a great valley extending through the State, and closely hugging the eastern encarpment of the Table I^and. The Tennessee River meanders through rich alluvial bottoms. White's Ci-eek, Muddy Creek, Piney River, Town Creek, Wolf Creek, Clear Creek, Yellow Creek, Big and Little Richland, and Sale Creek, thread various portions of it. River Valley is one of the most noted in East Tennessee. It is fi)rmed by the Tennessee River. It is wide, and runs the entire length of the river, and the soil is a rich alluvial. The average production of corn is about fifty bushels to the acre, wheat ten, oats twenty. The Tennessee Valley is wide and long ; has 59^ Rcsoztrces of Tennessee. an excellent subsoil, and well adapted to all the cereals and to the grasses. It is not so productive as the River Valley, but it has ad- vantages in the way of good water, and free from destructive over- flows. Its average production of corn is about twenty-five bushels to the acre, wheat ten, oats twenty, Irish potatoes about seventy-five, and sweet potatoes about one hundred and fifty. Muddy Creek Valley is- another fine body of land. The price of land ranges from five to one hundred dollars per acre. The average size of farms is about four hundred acres. This is un- usually large. It is u serious injury to the county, and tends to keep it down. They should be divided into smaller tracts, a lesson hard to learn. Rhea county shows rough usage in the management of it& soils, caused in part, by the owners having more land than they can well cultivate. There is not half enough clover sown, and manures are applied in the most stinted manner. Hundreds of acres have given way under this injudicious treatment. There is, however, a change for the better apparent in this fine county. Deeper plowing is done, more grass seed is sown, better stock is being raised, wheat drills are coming into use, and a better class of agricultural implements generally, is brought into- requisition. Considerable quantities of land are rented or leased in this county,, and this has had a damaging effect upon the soil. Under the present system of renting, there are no lands which can long survive it, and be sides the policy of turning over a business to some one else that ought to be attended to by the person himself, is suicidal. The disposition to lease farms and to pull up stakes, and settle in towns and villages, or to embark in some other enterprise, is having a bad effect upon the agri- culture of the country. The labor system is not reliable. There is no lack of it, but the trouble is in retaining it. The farmers throughout the county com- plain bitterly of this difficulty. Laborers shift, going from one place to another. This subverts all the plans of the farmers, and subjects them to a vast deal of inconvenience and irreparable loss. The overshadowing feature of this county is its iron and coal inter- ests. They do not exist in s])ots, or heic and there, but they are found al- most everywhere. Waldcn's Ridge is filled with masses of iron and coal. They are found side by side, both in the mountain and in the valley* These wonderful interests have not been developed to any extent, though East Tennessee, 597 attracting now a good deal of attention. On Clear Creek, a valnable property has recently been sold to a northern company. At Smith's Cross Roads, an English company has made a pnrchase. At the month of Piney River there is a valuable iron property. Caldwell's Forge is turning out considerable quantities of iron. Mineral springs are numerous all over the county. The Rhea Springs have attained a wide celebrity for their healing virtues. The water is composed of red oxide of iron, sulphuric acid, lime, \ Land 18 miles. Kiniistoii to Cliattaiiooaa bySteiuuer ll^O miles. KinJision lo C. S. R.K.r> unices. M ff Coal G •' t; Korlnvoofl II ,, I'jncl, KiisduaiuS. II<»voll ^ East Tennessee. 60 1 received its tributary, the Little Tennessee, from \Yhich latter stream may- be derived the magnetic and specular ores of iron, roofing slates, soapstones, &c. Within two miles of the town, immediately on the Tennessee, is the White Oak bed of fossiliferous red hematite, which is noted in Alabama (at Cornwall and Red Mountain) as making a quality of iron which has not been surpassed for car-wheel purposes, and cannon made from it duiing the late war came out triumphantly from the most severe tests. The same ore is found on the Clinch above Kingston, and runs in Roane county a distance of near thirty miles. The climate of Kingston and of the whole county is mild in winter, and equable in summer. The peculiar advantages of the town caused it to be selected as the first capital, but it was soon abandoned as there were not then houses enough to accommodate the delegates; it was also selected by the United States Government as the site of their chief fort in operating against the Indians, and from a fancied resemblance to the " Pride of the Hudson," as well as the impregnable position, it was called South-west Point. The Cincinnati Southern Railroad Company proposes to build a branch from Emory Gap via Kingston to Loudon or Lenoirs, to connect with the railroad from Knoxville to Charle3ton. This will eventually be built. There are two or more groups of mineral springs, to which persons resort during the heated term. Respectfully, Henry E. Colton. SCOTT COUNTY. County Seat — Huntsville. Scott county is bounded on the north by Kentucky, on the east by Campbell county, on the south by Anderson and Morgan counties, and on the west by Fentress county. The act establishing this county was passed December 17, 1849. It was composed of fractions of Ander- son, Campbell, Fentress and Morgan counties. By reference to the map of Tennessee it will be seen that it is one of the extreme northern counties of East Tennessee. It lies on the Cumberland Table Land, and possesses all the characteristics of that region. The only lands that are valuable lie upon the creeks, and these are narrowed down to small .strips. Huntsville, the county seat, is a small village of about 200 inhabit- ants. Of course there is but little business done there, and its dis- tance from the markets of the country and from railroads will always operate against its advancement. Chitwood is another town, but still smaller and more insignificant than Huntsville. It may yet grow considerably, in consequence of 6o2 Resources of Teiinessee the fact that the contemplated railroad from Cincinnati to Chattanooga will pass immediately through it. Indeed, this road will be of incal- culable benefit to this entire region, cut off, as it is, from the commer- cial world. There is a sparse population in Scott county. It has had no benefit whatever from immigration. Perhaps not a dozen families have gone there in as many years. This is owing to causes already indicated. It is out of the way, the farming lands are not good, and the trouble, ex- pense and annoyance of reaching market, have operated as a barrier to immigration. There is no difficulty about buying land. Thousands of acres are for sale, and upon satisfactory terms. Improved farms can be had for about five dollars per acre, and unimproved for from fifty cents to three dollars per acre. The citizens are extremely anxious to augment their population, and would do all in their power to make new-comers welcome in their midst. In some respects, immigrants could do very well here. Sheep hus- bandry and fruit-raising would pay largely. The extensive plateaus of land spreading over the surface of the mountains, and the rich growth of mountain grass found there, make it suited for the rearing of sheep. The county is not much annoyed by mean dogs, and, therefore, sheep would not be disturbed from this source. The cost of raising them would be only nominal. The winters, as everywhere in East Tennessee, are mild and short, and the summers are pleasant in this mountain region. Fruit could be raised to any extent. Apples, peaches, pears, cherries and all the smaller fruits grow to perfection. An enterprising man, taking hold of this interest, could turn his means and his energy to good accoui)t. There has been l)ut little progress in the system of farming. The old plans are still adhered to for the most part. Improved means of husbandry have not been introduced to any extent, and most ot the farms are cultivated with the ancient implements in vogue half a cen- tury ago. Bull-tongue ])lows do all the turning of the soil, the bar-shear being regarded as an innovator. There is scarcely any sow- ing of clover, and but few meadows. Corn is the chief crop, and that is fed to an inferior breed of hogs. Very little wheat is sown. Every species of stock belongs to the scrub race. The farmers have little encouragement, in consefjuencc of their isolation, to improve either their lands or their stock. They need railroads, and they need mar- kets. East Tennessee. 603 The prevailing rocks of the county are red sandstone and freestone. Limestone is seen scarcely anywhere in the county. The water is pure freestone, and is very fine. There is an excellent mineral spring near Huntsville, consisting of sulphur water. The healthfulness of this region cannot be questioned. Sickness is rare. This is owing, of course, to the pure mountain air and the excellent water. The prevailing timber is black oak, post oak, poplar, walnut, pine, etc. Of this there are vast quantities, but of no great value at present, owing to the lack of the means of transportation. The principal streams are Straight Creek, Buffalo Creek, Paint Rock, Brimstone Creek, Wolf Creek, Clear Fork, Smoky Creek, Difficulty Creek, Roaring Pouch Creek, Tellico Creek and Xew River. Along the most of these streams there are narrow strips of fair land, capable of producing from twenty to thirty bushels of corn to the acre, and about eight or ten bushels of wheat. None of these water courses are reliable for water power. The most of them go dry during the sum- mer season. Consequently there are but few mills in the county, and no manufactories of any kind. Its mineral resources are said to be very great, consisting, for the most part, of iron and coal, which may be developed wdien the railroad project, to which reference has been made, is consummated. The county needs badly a better and more efficient school system. There are but few schools that are doing much good. There is one at Huntsville, but not what it ought to be. For the character of the soil, see Cumberland county, of Middle Tennessee. SEVIER COUNTY. County Seat — Sevier ville. Sevier county was erected in 1795, one year before the admission of the State into the Union. It was named in honor of Governor Sevier. It is bounded on the north by Knox, Jefferson and Cocke counties, on the east by Cocke county and North Carolina, on the south by North Carolina and Blount county, and on the west by Blount and Knox counties. It embraces a large territory, much of it valuable, and con- siderable portions of it not fit for cultivation. Its entire eastern and •6o4 Resources of Tciuiessce. southern borders rest on the Unaka Mountains, and this portion of it, •especially, is too rough and mountainous for cultivation. Some ridges and hills make through it, which are not valuable for farming purposes. The valleys and river bottoms are exceedingly fertile. The principal town is Sevierville — indeed the only one. Its popu- lation is about 220. The nearest shipping point is Knoxville, some thirty miles. There is a number of chalybeate springs in the county, one especially worthy of note. It is situated in Wears Valley, eighteen miles south- west of Sevierville. It would be a place of considerable resort but for the distance from the railroad, which is about thirty-six miles. It is in the mountains in the midst of wild scenery. It has performed a number of striking cures. There is a large amount of undeveloped iron ore, also some lead, alum, epsom salts, etc. Most of the clothing worn is homespun goods, spun on the old- fashioned spinning wheels, and wove on the old hand looms. Sevier county contains some of the finest soils in East Tennessee. There is a belt of country several miles wide which passes through the county, of strong limestone land. It goes through Boyd's Creek Valley, crossing the French Broad River, and on by way of Henry's Cross Roads. Another belt passes immediately south of Sevierville. This dark red land is the best for wheat. There are fine valley lands on Little Pigeon and French Broad rivers. Then, there is a large amount of what is called knob lands, forming a belt five or six miles wide, and running through the county. It is very productive. Wild grapes are found on this belt in great abundance. It is the opinion of some of the best informed citizens of this county, that the day is not distant when these rich hills will be more valuable than the river bot- toms, on account of the fact that they are so well adapted to the grape culture. While there is a considerable quantity of excellent land in the county, there is at the same time much that is worn out by bad tillage. There are five valleys or coves in Sevier county. Wear's Cove is the most noted. It is about five miles long and three miles wide. The mountain's wall it in on all sides. The coves next to to the Unaka Mountains are very rich. Tiicy afford a range sufficient for thousands of cattle from the 1st of April to the 15th of November. East Terinessee. 605 It is difficult to give the size of farms, as they range from forty to several hundred acres. The lands were entered when there had been no public survey, so that a man entered and run his lines so as to take in the best lands, thus making crooked lines and numerous corners. The price of lands varies greatly. It ranges from §50 down to ^2 per acre, owing to quality, improvements, etc. The usual crops grown are corn, wheat and oats. Corn is the great staple. Comparatively a small quantity of grass is grown. There are fine grass lands all through the county. The meadows are mowed and then closely pastured. The clover fields meet with the same fate. There has been but little improvement in the lands since the war. Perhaps they are in better condition now than they were then. Grass and stock raising are regarded as the most profitable farming for the county. Turning, shovel and bull-tongue plows are in use. No hill- side plows are used. Work stock consists of horses and mules. There is but little improved stock in the county. Sheep raising is not profit- able, on account of mean dogs. Much of the land is uncultivated. With the exception, perhaps, of Cumberland county, it comprises the largest territory of any county in the State. It contains about 549,059 assessed acres. Some of the civil districts are almost as lar^e as small counties. The value of taxable property for the year 1873, was $1,593,648. The water-power of this county is extraordinarily good. The east and west forks of Little Pigeon River are especially noted in this par- ticular. Millions of dollars might be judiciously invested in develop- ing it by building up manufacturing establishments of one sort or another. Nothing has yet been done in this direction. Only a few old-fashioned mills exist to establish the folly of the citizens in not en- deavoring to do better. Most of the surplus wheat of the county is sent off to other mills outside of its limits to be ground. This is ob- viously a mistake, when we consider the natural advantages which the county possesses in the way of superior water-power. The most of the surplus of the county is shipped on keel boats down the French Broad River to Knoxville, and iron, salt, goods, etc., are brought back in the same way. Labor is abundant at fifty cents a day, and from ten to twelve dollars and a half a month. The native population is extremely anxious to have good citizens from any part of the country to settle among them. As already intimated, there are vast tracts of land M'hich have never been developed, for the reason that there is a lack of pop- ulation. The county could easily accommodate a much larger number 6o6 Resources of Tennessee. than it now has. Hence there is an earnest demand for more people, and for energy, capital and enterprise. The work of popular education has received due attention at the hands of the citizens of the county. Tlie free sr^hool system works well thus far, and is in general favor. At Sevierville there is a flour- ishing academy. SEQUATCHIE COUNTY. County Seat — Dunlap. This county is traversed by Sequatchie Valley, which divides it naturally into three strips or belts — the south-eastern portion being on Walden's Ridge, the central being in Sequatchie Valley, and the north- western on the Table Land. The first and third portions have about the same elevations, while the central or valley portion is not far from being one thousand feet lower, and is the only cultivated part of the county. This is walled in by the escar])ments of the Table Land on the one side, and Walden's Ridge on the other. It has only one natural outlet, and that is south-west to the town of Jasper, the capital of Marion county, where a branch of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad is reached. To reach Chattanooga, or any other point on the railroad, Walden's Ridge must be ascended, which is from ten to four- teen miles from base to base, and a journey of twenty-five or thirty miles must be made to get to a railway. This is a great drawback upon the enterprise of the county, and re- tards development. Nevertheless, this strong barrier is overcome by the pluck and energy of its citizen-farmers, many of whom drive their horses, mules, cattle, and hogs, across this mountain top to the rail- road, and from thence ship to southern markets. ■ It would astonish any one to know the number of stock which is annually fattened and taken over this route. Before the war it was incredible. The war crip|)led the people considerably, but they are fast regaining their for- mer position of prosperity, and a few more years will fully re-instate them. Tlieir mode of doing business on the farm is, to cultivate im- mense breadths of corn, and feed it to cattle, horses, mules, and hogs. These they either sell on foot to stock buyers, or drive them off them- selves. Whether they are pursuing the wisest course in raising so East Tennessee. 607 much corn and thus taxing their lands very heavily, is altogether another question. In passing through the length and breadth of that county we were most painfully impressed with the fact, that the finest soil of East Tennessee had been, and was still being, most cruelly cul- tivated by this system of raising so much corn from year to year. By nature that entire valley is adapted to the grasses. The rocks show this as well as the timber. Limestone crops out everywhere, and in the greatest abundance, and the timber consists of oak, hickory, walnut, maple, beech, &c. Blue-grass -.rows up in the fence corners and is luxuriant. Notwithstanding this, meadows are rare and clover is rarely sown. To be sure, the agricultural mind is undergoing a rapid change upon this subject, and, perhaps, a few years more may record a change for the better. Healthful thought is becoming aroused, the farmers are reading more, and more experiments are being made touching this matter. Farms are entirely too large. They will average from two to three hundred acres. The result is bad cultivation, especially since the utter derangement of the labor system. Many of these large estates are put into the hands of irresponsible tenants, who cultivate them only to make all the grain they can, with no eye to the recuperation of the soil. Hence, some of the best farms of the county are giving way to this unfortunate treatment, and will soon be unproductive, un- less a wiser course is pursued. The central portion is divided by a small ridge that passes nearly through its center, but susceptible of cultivation. In some places it is denuded of its timber and put to grain. The most of it, however, is left in timber. The Sequatchie River runs a south-western course through the valley, and the bottoms contiguous are exceedingly fer- tile. The soil is a black alluvial, with a clay subsoil. Corn grows to great perfection, producing from twenty-five to fifty bushels to the acre. It seems that wheat does not do so well, whether from the want of adaptation of the soil, or from an injudicious management in the seeding, is hard to determine. More than possible, the latter course has much to do with it. The bottoms are wide and the land valuable. But little of it is for sale at any price. When in the market, it will command from twenty-five to fifty dollars per acre. There is a considerable change going on among the farmers with re- gard to introducing labor-saving machines, and improved breeds of stock. Reapers, mowers, now and then a wheat drill, threshing ma- 6o8 Resources of Tennessee. chines, substantial turning-plows, &c., are finding their way to this county. Here and there some well-bred stock may be found, and es- pecially hogs. There is, however, an almost total neglect in removing the ancient houses erected by the early settlers, and building more de- sirable ones There are houses still standing in this county, and occu- pied by men of extensive means, which were built by the pioneers. It is a rare circumstance to find a modern building. This lack of neat and comfortable residences gives an unfavorable aspect to the other- wise beautiful country, and a bad impression is made upon the mind of the stranger. It is not because the farmers are not able to have bet- ter homes, for they are generally in good circumstances, and a better population is not found anywhere. They are moral, and attend to their own business. The work of education is not ignored by them. They have some excellent schools, one of high grade, and the common school system meets with general favor. This county is rich in its mineral deposits. Iron is in the greatest abundance, and found in the valley next to Walden's Eidge. Coal is equally as abundant. Of course neither is worth much now, in con- sequence of the want of transportation. A narrow gauge road is badly needed through this valley, running from the upper end of it to Jas- per, some sixty to seventy miles. The Sequatchie River affords an abundance of water-power for any and all purposes. There are but few mills and no factories. There are no fair grounds in the county. SULLIVAN COUNTY. County Seat — Blountville. Sullivan county was organized in the year 1779, and was taken off Washington county while it was still under the jurisdiction of North Carolina. The courts were not organized until 1782 or 1783, as there were difficulties existino; between the State of North Carolina and the State of Frank land. It is a border county, touching Virginia and bounded on the north by that State, on the east by Johnson and Car- ter, on the south by Washington, Johnson and Carter, and on the west by Washington and Hawkins counties. It has a population East Tennessee. 609 of 13,136. The eastern boundary of this county, which runs north- easterly and south-westerly, rests upon Holston Mountain, a bold sand- stone ridge, dividing Sullivan from both Carter and Johnson. Between this and Blountville are several remarkable belts of knobby country, separated by limestone valleys. The rocks of the knobby belt are main- ly calcareous and sandy shales. The soil is mellow, rich, friable and very fertile, but owing to the unevenness of surface produced by the large number of conical hills, it is not adapted for large farms. Little farms with small farm-houses are found in this region, nestling amid the hills. In the Avestern part of the county rises up Chestnut Ridge, with the usual trend. Between this and Blountville, the rocks are limestones and dolomites, and the soils strong, fertile and highly pro- ductive. North-west of this ridge the rocks are shale, and the river valleys are exceedingly generous in the yield of their various crops. The county town is Blountville, named after Governor Blount, with a population of about 350. It has gone down considerably since the construction of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad. It was once a flourishing place, and absorbed the trade of an extensive area of country, but the road in question left it some seven miles and made its terminus at the town of Bristol, on the Virginia line. This concentrated the trade at the latter place. Blountville was destroyed by fire during the war, the devouring element consuming four stores, two hotels, eight dwelling houses, court-house and jail. Since then the court-house has been re-built and the town otherwise improved. The Masonic fraternity have a commodious building for the education of both sexes, and there is a large male academy. In this school there are 145 scholars enrolled, with an average attendance of 125. Bristol, on the State line and the terminus of the E ist Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad, is comparatively a young place, con- taining a population of 1,800. This is exclusive of that of Goodson, on the Virginia side. The two have some 3,500 inhabitants. There is one Presbyterian church, one Methodist church, two Baptist churches, one Episcopal church, one Catholic church, and one Christian church. There are sixteen dry-goods stores, two drug stores, two provision stores, two tin and stove establishments, one steam sash and blind fac- tory, one tobacco factory, two woolen mills, one foundry, and two weekly papers. Union is situated on the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Rail- road, eleven miles west of Bristol, seven miles east of Blountville, and 31) 6[0 Resources of Tennessee. on the Holston River. It contains a population of about 400, with five mercantile establishments, one cotton factory, running 800 spin- dles, employing about sixty hands, half of them females, at good wages, one, steam saw-mill, one grist mill and soon a tobacco and woolen fac- lory will be established. The water-power on the Holston River at this place is very fine, and is worth thousands of dollars to the town of Union. There are three churches, one Presbyterian, one Baptist and one Methodist, and a good school of over 100 pupils. Kingsport, one of the oldest towns in the county, is situated in the west end of the county, on the Holston River, with a population of about 200. It is surrounded by the best land in the county, large and broad bottoms and productive. There are two stores, and two churches, Presbyterian and Methodist. There is one white sulphur spring in the county, unsurpassed, as is believed, in any country. It is situated eight miles east of Blount- ville and five miles west of Union, in a lovely valley, and in the midst of charming scenery. There is a most desirable location lor hotel and other buildings. It is situated in an excellent community. There are a number of chalybeate springs in different places in the county, sev- eral of which are improved. The prevailing rock is limestone ; occasionally, on the ridges, sand- stone and flint. The principal mineral is iron, and that is in great abundance and of the best quality. At one time there were eight iron manufactories in the county, besides founderies for making hollow- ware. There are only two now in operation. Dr. Hammer, an enter- prising gentleman, has a fine iron ore bank on his estate, within one- fourth of a mile of the town of Blountville. It is said to exist in larger quantities in the county. A considerable quantity of bar iron is manufactured. There are two founderies making hollow-ware, machine iron, plows, &c. There are two woolen factories, &c. There are fifty grist mills in the county, and about seventy-five saw-mills, two steam saw-mills, two shoe factories on a large scale, and ten tanneries. The soil of Sullivan county is based mostly upon a solid clay sub- soil, and is susceptible of improvement and well adapted to all the grasses. There is a great deal of what is termed mulatto soil, of a dark reddish color, and is regarded as the best wheat land in the county. Tlie principal valleys are Denton's, Holston, Cook's and Beaver Creek valleys. Denton's Valley is in the eastern part of the county. East Tennessee. 6i i IS large, and extends to the Virginia line. The Holston Valley is •extensive, and lands good ; it lies on the Holston Kiver. The first and second bottoms are very prodnctive. Cook's Valley is in the western portion of the connty, is narrow, but the land is fertile. Reedy Creek Valley is in the east end of the county, rather thin land, until it reaches some fiftsen miles east of Kiugsport; at this point is some of the very best land in the county. In this region considerable <][uantities of clover and timothy seed are produced. It is a fine grass section. Beaver Creek Valley from Bristol to the mouth of the Holston River, some ten miles, is a magnificent stretch of country. Here are fine farms and excellent farmers. Through it runs Beaver Creek, one of the finest streams for machinery in all the country. It has more mills on it, for its length, than any Avater course in the county. The valley from Bristol to Blountville, about eight miles long, is level and productive. The meadows are excellent. The average size of the farms is about 160 acres, and altogether worked by the owner;. The average price of laud per acre is about fifteen dollars for improved and unimproved. The general crops grown are wheat, corn and oats. Some tobacco, with a fair prospect of a large increase of it in the future. About one-eighth of the land in cultivation is in grass and clover. The condition of the farms as compared with that before the war is about twenty per cent, worse off. The most profitable mode of fiirming is raising grass and wheat. The cast turning plow is altogether in use for breaking land. The stock of the county has always been above an average. Before the War there were in use a number of thoroughbred horses, and their descendonts are scattered all over the county. There is scrub stock, but it is giving way to a finer race of animals. Sheep are annoyed by dogs and killed by hundreds every year. The citizens of the county are in favor of a stringent dog law, by which the dogs may be gotten out of the way. There is but little waste land in the county. The population is sparse. The value of taxable property will exceed §2,300,000. The terras of renting is one-third of the crops, and house, wood and pasture for the tenant. The prevailing timber is oak, poplar, ash, walnut, chestnut, beech and yellow pine. 6 1 2 Resources of Tennessee. There is a number of valuable streams running through the- county. Holston River is a bold stream, furnishing water-power to- any extent. Beaver Creek is noted for its capacity in this respects Reedy Creek is another large stream. Sinking Creek affords water- power, and so does Fall Creek. Kendrix Creek is a large stream with, good fall. The facilities are not favorable for transportation. The roads are in bad condition, and that is a great drawback to the county. The near- est shipping points are Bristol and Union. Labor is scarce. Many laborers, tempted by stronger inducements^ have gone west and south into the cotton fields. Good laborers will com- mand from seventy-five cents to one dollar per day, and during the harvest season, still more. The citizens throughout the county are ex- tremely anxious for immigrants to settle in their midst, and will treat them kindly. The schools are in a prosperous condition. The free school system is working well, and giving general satisfaction. The greatest drawback to the county is the want of capital. Peaches, apples, blackberries, dewberries, raspberries, &c., are dried and sent off" to market. It is considered that a good fruit year is worth more to the county than a crop of wheat. Considerable quantities of butter^ apple butter, and peach butter are made. Hundreds of bushels of B onions are raised and shipped oflp. The farmers sow the red bearded and white smooth winter wheats But little spring wheat is sown. There are fair grounds containing thirty acres. There are some or- ganizations among farmers. UNION COUNTY. County Seat — Maynardville. Union county is of comparative recent origin, having been organized in 1856. It is not large. It is bounded on the north by Claiborne and Campbell, on the east by Grainger, on the south by Knox and Anderson, and on the west by Anderson and Claiborne counties. There is a number of ridges running entirely through it from north-east tol south-west. ! East Tennessee. 613 Maynardville is a small village of about 160 inhabitants. Before the war, it was quite a prosperous place for an inland town. It is now recovering, and bids fair to regain what it lost. It commands a con- siderable trade for miles around, and the merchants are prosperous. The valleys are Big Valley, Hickory Valley, Hind's Valley, Rac- coon Valley, Bull Run Valley, and Flat Creek Valley, the most noted of which are Big Valley, Hickory Valley, Raccoon Valley and Flat Creek Valley. Their average fertility, under such culture as is usually bestowed by the farmers of this county, is about thirty bushels of corn or oats, and about ten bushels of wheat to the acre. Other crops are in proportion. The ridge and mountain lands are scarcely fit for any- thing except it be for raising fruit and grazing sheep. The average size of farms is about 200 acres, and they are mostly cultivated by the own- ers. Improved farms are worth about $10 per acre, and unimproved about §5. The principal crops grown are corn, wheat oats rye, pota- toes, cotton, tobacco, sorghum, etc. Nearly one-tenth of the land is devoted to grass, one-half of which is mown and the remainder is pas- tured. One-fourth is clovered, which is mostly pastured. The condition of farms, as compared with ante-bellum times, is much better. The farmers are learning to improve their lands very rapidly. Before the war, they attempted to cultivate too much land. They now begin to see the folly of this, and are reducing their acres under cultivation. Corn, wheat, oats and clover are regarded as the most valuable crops. Tiiere is a large quantity of until lable land, owing to the mountains and ridges which run through it, and there is no in- considerable quantity that has been broken down by injudicious culture. The character of the soil partakes of clay, sand and slate, but clay predominates. The principal rocks are limestone. The prevailing timber is poplar, pine, oak, chestnut, etc., of which there is a great abundance. The value of taxable property is $843,014. Water courses suitable for mills and manufacturing purposes are. Lost Creek, Little Barren, jMillers Creek, Crooked Creek, Fall Creek, Bull Run, Hind's Creek, Dotson's Creek and Flat Creek. Any of .these will afford power sufficient for any kind of machinery. Besides these, there are some smaller ones suitable for light machinery, such as <;arding machines, cotton gins, etc. Clinch and Powell's rivers run through the county, and they afford water-power to any extent desired. The facilities for transportation are not good. There is no railroad, and the only means of transportation is by flat-boats on the Clinch and 6i4 Resources of Tennessee. Powell's rivers during high tides, and by wagoning some twenty-five or thirty miles to Knoxville. The mineral wealth of this county consists of iron and lead, the' former in great abundance, while of the latter there is thought to be large quantities. There is quite a number of mineral springs in va- rious portions of the county, such as chalybeate and black and white sulphur. The farmers have made no progress, or, at least, but little, in im- proving their stock. They still have scrub cattle, hogs, horses and sheep, and no other kind. The sheep business might be made profit- able in this county. They are not much disturbed by the dogs. Labor is abundant, and wages run from $8 to $10 per month. There is ample room for immigrants, and they would be received with cor- diality, especially those who have capital and enterprise. But to induce all this, more attention must be paid to the education of the children. The interest, however, in this direction, is growing slowly. There are some good schools, but they are not continued long enough, for want of means to sustain them. The people are industrious and provident, while they are law-abiding and orderly. WASHINGTON COUNTY. County Skat — Jonesboro. This county was organized under the government of North Carolinay November, 1777, and composed of portions taken ofi^ Wilkes and Burke counties of that State, and embraced the present area of Tennes- see. It is, therefore, the oldest county in the State, and was the thea- ter of the most important events that occurred in its early history. Washington county has a superficial area of about 480 s(]u:ire miles. Its southern l)()undary runs along the highest summits of the Unakas^. passing over quite a number of pi-omincnt ])enks, among which is the Great Bald, which rears its cloud-cajiped dome 5,550 feet above the level of the sea. About one-third of the county is covered by these mountains, whose towering heights give a boldness, sublimity and pic- tures(|ueness to the landsca])C, and tempers the winds of summer with a delicious coolness. The mountain ridges partaking of the usual East Ten7iessee. 615 trend of the Unakas are separated into two groups, by a long lime- stone valley, which has taken the odd and unique name of Greasy Cove. Those south-east of the cove constitute the main Unaka range, and are composed of gneissoid or stratified granitic rock. The higli- est summits in the county, though not in the State, are found on this range, several of which, being destitute of timber, are called "Balds." These B:\lds are covered with a gravelly, blackish soil, which produces a wild mountain grass that affords pasturage for droves of stock. On the north-west of Greasy Cove there are several parallel ridges, the most prominent of which are known, locally, as Buffalo, Rich and Cherokee mountains. These also afford ample pasturage during the summer months. The rocks of these are conglomerates and sandstones. All the mountains, with the exception of the Balds mentioned, are clothed with dense forests of timber. Oaks of many species, the pine, pop- lar, walnut, cherry and linn, rear their massive trunks high in the air, while an undergrowth on the main Unakas, south-east of Greasy Cove, is largely intermixed with laurel. Bompass Cove, a small mountain-hemmed valley, nestling between the ridges of the north-west division, is noteworthy on account of the very extensive deposits of limonite iron ore, which makes iron of su- perior quality, and almost invariably contains a small percentage of lead. This ore occurs in banks, the matrix being clay and flinty gravel. Iron ore, of the same quality, is also found in Greasy Cove. The Nolichucky, by deep canyons, cuts at right angles the Unakas, and also the group to the north-west. It may here be stated as a sin- gular fact, that the whole Unaka range, although the highest of the Ap- palachian chain, is cut transversely in the State of Tennessee by a num- ber of streams, among them the Watauga, the Nolichucky, the French Broad, Big Pigeon, Tennessee, Hiwassee, and Ocoee, all of which are tributaries of the Tennessee River. North and west of the mountain, the aspect of the country becomes more subdued. This portion of the county lies properly within the Valley of East Tennessee. The surface is rolling, and made up of al- ternating ridges and valleys. Jonesborough and Johnson City are the only incorporated towns in its limits, though there are several villages. Jonesborough was laid off in 1779, is the oldest town in the State, and was its first cap- ital. The first session of the Superior Court was held here, and it was about this time that President Andrew Jackson began his career as a 6i6 Resources of Tennessee. jurist. The county buildings and business houses are alike creditable to the public and private enterprise of the people. Two good institu- tions of learning are located at this place. There are, also, five church organizations, four church edifices, three newspapers, two hotels, sev- eral lawyers and physicians, an agricultural implement store, six mer- cantile houses, and three drug stores. The town is built among the hills, and the location is exceedingly healthy. Being centrally located, it draws a splendid trade from the county and a good portion of the mountain regions of Western North Carolina. The manufacturing in- terests are embraced in a tannery, two blacksmith shops, a foundry, two cabinet shops, saw-mill, a harness and several shoe shops. A flouring mill, carding machine and woolen factory would be profitable investments. Steam wcnild have to be used as motive power. Popu- lation 1,200. Johnson City is a new and enterprising town, seven miles east of Jonesborough, on the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railway. It contains three churches, several stores, a large hotel, is situated in a rich agricultural region, and enjoys a high degree of pros- perity. The population is 800. Along the water courses the soil is a rich alluvium, and produces abundant crops of corn, oats, grass and rye. In the central and north- ern portion of the county, the uplands consist of a clayey soil, resting on a limestone formation. The subsoil of these lands is of such a nature and depth as to render them susceptible of the very highest degree of tillage. These lands are highly adapted to the rais- ing of wheat, timothy, and the various kinds of crops indigenous to high latitudes. In the north-eastern sections of the county the soil is composed of gravelly ridges, interspersed with extensive slate strata, finely suited for grazing purposes, and grows the finest qual- ity of wheat. On all the diiferent varieties of soil above mentioned, rod clover grows luxuriantly. Ten large creeks traverse the county, and these, with the rivers al- ready mentioned, afford a water-power for milling and manufacturing purposes that cannot be closely estimated. The prices of improved land vary from fifteen to fifty dollars per acre, owing to hxiation as regards schools, churches, post-oflfices, mills and railroad facilities. Unimproved lands vary in valuation from fifty cents to ten dollars. The latter embrace the mountains and timbered sections. Farms are in a much better condition now than previous to the war, and the system of cultivation is rapidly improving. Wheat, corn, oats. East Tennessee. 6 1 7 rye and barley are the crops w;rown, and the average yield per acre, considering the entire area, is small. There is a large quantity of waste land, exhausted by crops and a ruinous system of cultivation. A large amount of this impoverished area can be restored by proper management. The size of farms is generally large, larger than can be conducted with remunerative profits with the labor employed. We would here add that the people do not perceive the advantage of small tracts, thereby increasing their agricultural force and enriching the same to the highest degree of productive capacity. Stock-raising would, undoubtedly, be more profitable than any other department of farming, owing to the fact that the land needs rest, fertilizers and grasses, whilst the waste and mountain lands will furnish ample pas- turage for a hundred times the number of stock that is now owned. Wool-growing, for several reasons that might be assigned, would be a most profitable employment. The soils are highly adapted to the cul- tivation of timothy and red-top, and clover is used extensively as a renovator. Turning plows, shovels and the bull-tongue are used in breaking up, the two latter in cultivating the crops. Horses and mules are used for farm work, except in the mountains, where oxen are used for farm work, except in the mountaineous, where oxen are used almost entirely. Labor is abundant, and is generally paid for in part of the crops. The tenant system universally prevails. Where the owner of the land furnishes all the material and supplies, he gets two-thirds of the crops, and vice versa. Rental contracts generally run for a year. The products are generally shipped to southern mar- kets. The East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad passes through the county a distance of twenty-five miles, in Avhich there are four depots. Horses, hogs, mules, sheep and cattle comprise the stock. Some fine stock are being introduced with the most encourag- ing results. Sheep are considerably annoyed by dogs, and the annual loss may be safely estimated at 300 head. Limestone and dolomite are the prevailing rocks north and west of the mountains, and but little use is made of them except for lime. The mineral wealth as regards iron seems to be exhaustless and of the very finest and richest quantity. Barytes is found in immense beds near Fall Branch, and large quantities are being sliipped. Lead is also met with. There is a large iron manufactory at Embreeville, which uses water-power. Near this place is one of the largest deposits of iron in the State, already mentioned as Bompass Cove. A considerable quantity of home-spun goods are manufactured but 6i8 Resources of Tennessee. none shipped. Almost every farm has an orchard, and frnits wonld do well if properly attended to. The grape can be grown with profit. The most valuable varieties of timber are oak, walnut, beech, wild cherry, hickory and ash. The people are kindly disposed toward immigrants, and most desire farmers and mechanics. The population of the county is about 17,000, and is increasing. There is an agricultural and me- chanical association, and its efforts are highly promising. The Octo- ber fair, held under its auspices, was a splendid success, eclipsing in the variety and excellence of the articles exhibited in any fair ever held in the county. Tlie county abounds in mineral springs, principally chalybeate, and are recommended by medical authority for their med- icinal virtues. The dirt roads, as a general thing, receive but little attention. There are fifty-two flouring mills in the county. The schools, ten of which are graded, are all public, and sustained by State and county taxation with a liberal yearly donation from the Peabody fund. They are seventy in number, and employ eighty teachers. The educational interest is constantly increasing. The introduction of improved implements and machinery has brought a wonderful and encouraging change in the modes of agriculture, and the results are so strikingly manifest that it is to be hoped that the people will make some ap})roach to the advancement that prevails in the rich agricul- tural States of the Union. There is a poor-house, which contains about twelve inmates, supported by the county. The county owns the farm upon which the poor-house is situated, which contains about 400 acres, valued at $9,000. The Secretary is indebted to A. B. Cummings for many facts con- tained in this notice of Washington county. PA.E,T III. MIDDLE TENNESSEE, (With a Description of Each County.) Middle Tennessee is by far the most valuable division of the State. It embraces forty counties and has a superficial area of 18,000 square miles, and a po})ulation, according to the last census, of 561,832. The value of its taxable property in 1873 was 3136,906,557 ; number of polls 80,858 ; number of voters, 109,796. It contains 245 towns and villages. It has 550 miles of railway, and nearly 500 miles of navi- gable rivers. The surface is greatly diversified, and exhibits varieties of scenery the most opposite. Passing from Grundy county to \Yayne, or diagonally from Stewart to Franklin, one sees almost every variety of landscape and surfice features — mountainous, with rushing tor- rents and foaming cataracts ; hilly, with swift, smoothly gliding streams ; level, where the waters linger by the sides of green pastures and grassy meadows, and where luxuriant crops gladden the face of nature. There is indeed no faircp region than that of Middle Tennessee. Nature has been lavish of her gifts of soil, of mineral, of timber and of water, of beauty in the landscajieand freshness in the air; of health for the body and mind and of freedom from inclemencies of season. There is not a swamp properly, so called, within its boundaries. Its drainage is al- most ])erfect. The surface is slightly tilted towards the northwest, and through deep gorges in the highlands, the Cumberland, Duck and Elk rivers flow on to mingle their watei\s with those of the Mississipjn. 620 ' Resources of Tennessee. There are altogether, more than 300 milling streams in this division, over fifty macadamized roads, and good schools and churches in every neighborhood. One peculiarity is noticeable about Middle Tennessee, and that is its great variety of ]n-oductions. No crop can be named, that grows above the 35th parallel, that does not mature in some por- tion of this division. Tobacco, corn, clover, wheat, barley, rye, cot- ton, peanuts, all the grasses, vegetables of every kind, melons of the finest flavor and size, fruits, such as grapes, peaches, pears, apples, quinces, apricots, plums, cherries, strawberries, dewberries, raspberries, gooseberries, attain each such a perfection as to be noticeable. And fur- ther, nearly every product ripens most opportunely, and can always be put upon a bare market. Wheat and fruits and all the vegetables can be put in the Chicago or New York markets three weeks before they ripen in that latitude. The extent, variety and excellence of the timber is another marked feature of this division. Nowhere else are there such forests of red cedar, while the ash, poplar, cherry, sugar tree, the oaks and hickories, are found everywhere. The climate is such as to permit the introduction of the fig and magnolia. Nowhere in America are seen so much valuable fencing material. For in addi- tion to the cedar and chestnut timber, which makes the best rails in the world, there is an unlimited amount of the finest building stone, of which cheap and durable enclosures may be constructed. Nowhere within the same limits is there found such a variety of soils of such excellent quality and of such adaptabilities. In relation to the mineral wealth in this division, the iron ore on the west covering 4,000 square miles, is balanced by the stone coal on the east. As to the quantity of these two minerals, there is practically no limit. Since 1810 the iron ore has been worked, and we have no rea- son for believing that it will not be worked a tlioiisand years hence. As a manufacturing region, time will develop its eminent advan- tages. The counties herein described will show that the aggregate amount of unoccupied water-power is enough to work up annually the entire cotton crop of America. Cheap coal is attainable from three points — from our own coal fields, from the upper Cumberland, and from the western coal fit^lds of Kentucky. Hlodk. There is no surer method of estimating the wealth and solid- ity of a farming community, than by the number and excellence of its domestic animals. The following pages will show that Middle Tennessee, and ('specially that portion included within what is called Middle Temiessee. 62 r the Central Basin, has probably as much fine stock as all the cotton states put together. For three-quarters of a century, the Tennessee horse has been famous. On the turf and in the more useful labors of the farm and field of battle, tlieir spirit of endurance has given them a character unsurpassed. Tennessee mules, for the two past decades, have cultivated the cotton fields of the south. Cattle of every breed from the lordly short-horn to the deer-shaped Ayrshire, are seen graz- ing upon every hill, and the central part of this middle division is acquiring an enviable fame by reason of the superiority of hc-r bovine species. From Indiana and Illinois, Ohio and Missouri buyers come to this State in search of the most perfect types of every animal. One noted for his sagacity in stock breeding, recently declared that the Central Basin was the finest region for growing cattle he had ever seen. With a spontaneous growth of Blue-grass, there is united a well wat- ered fertile region, in a mild climate and one whose healthfulness for stock is unsurpassed. The richest countries in the world are the cattle countries, and one may well determine the value of land by the price of the cattle. Every well-informed man knows that the quality of the wool made in Tennessee has elicited the admiration of the whole world. The late Mark R. Cockrill used to declare that every agency is here united to make the very finest fleece, and he had the satisfac- tion of demonstrating it to the assembled wool-growers of the world. Farms and Farmers. The attentive reader will not have failed to observe that the main topographical feature of Middle Tennessee con- sists of a grand terrace covering 9,300 square miles, which circularly rims the great limestone basin which we have called the Central Basin, and which covers 5,450 square miles. This Basin is the fairest agri- cultural region in the United States, south of the thirty-sixth parallel, and the character of the soil, the style, finish and elegance of the farm- houses, and the general beauty of the country, depending not upon any general feature, but the combined result of hill and dale, wood and stream, meadow and field, mingled into a thousand delightful landscapes, everywhere set off this Basin and make it an extended panorama of ex- quisite rural elegance and beauty. In this Basin are found the very best farmers in the State, who bring to their vocation the appliances of improved machinery and all other agencies that a cultivated intellect would suggest. As a usual rule rotation is practiced, though not to the same extent as before the war. The soil is well prepared by deep plowing and subsoiling, and the crops are usually well cultivated, ex- cept in those localities where the pernicious system of cropping prevails. ^22 Resources of Tennessee, Labor is scarce and not reliable, and as a general thing the farms are too large and were arranged to suit the old plantation system, which under the new regime has ceased to be profitable. Lands in the Cen- tral Basin are high, the best improved farms ranging from thirty to $100 per acre. And there is one singular fact connected herewith. Remote from railroads, lands in this Basin have not depreciated in value, while in the more populous counties, such as Maury, David- son, Sumner and Rutheribrd, they have fallen since the war at least twenty-five per cent. In Cannon, Smith and Marshall counties and por- tions of Bedford lands are in active demand at high prices. There is but one way to account for this phenomenon. The high rate of inter- est which money bears, and the frequent opportunities offered for invest- ment in the first named counties, have directed the minds of many farmers from their legitimate business, and they prefer the more quiet work of clipping off coupons to the troublesome and constant atten- tion necessary to insure success on their farms. Hence many farms are for sale, and the competition among sellers has reduced the price of land. On the Highlands, and especially in Montgomery, Robertson, Stew- art, Warren and Franklin, the character of the farms and farmers is much the same as in the Central Basin. In the first two named, tobacco is largely grown, and no land in the State grows \yheat so kindly or so well. The Highlands are probably also better suited for fruits. In proportio^i to productive capacity, there are probably no lands in the State that rate lower than those in Montgomery and Stewart. In respect to health, the Highlands will compare favorably with any portion of the American continent. No epidemic has ever prevailed, and as the forests are swept away by the demands of domestic life, even fevers, (which were once prevalent,) by reason of the climatic changes wrought are becoming uncommon. There is really no epidemic disease, and when the Central Basin is sometimes unfortunately visited by chol- era, the citizens flee to the Highlands, with an assurance of perfect immunity from that dread disease. In the northern tier of counties on the Higlilands, ice-houses are very common, and almost every farmer either has one or an interest in one. Spring and well water is abundant, though many prefer cisterns. In the Central Basin spring water is very generally used. The pre- valence of limestone makes the digging of wells or cisterns expen- sive and difficult. With the exception of a very lew localities, stock- water is abundant throuy-hout Middle Tennessee. Middle Tennessee. 623 As to educational facilities, no portion of the South is better provided than the best portions of Middle Tennessee. And the probabilities now are that it will become the great educational center of the Mis- sissippi Valley. Several first class Universities are now being estab- lished with endowments ranging from 3100,000 to §1,000,000. A generous rivalry is spriuging up between the different religious denom- inations, and Middle Tennessee is gathering into her lap contributions from almost every State in the Union for the benefit of her educational institutions. We should probably be remiss in our duty not to repeat the truth that immigrants would be warmly welcomed. In no portion of the United States could they do better. Industry is here sure of its re- ■\vard. Thousands of acres of good land can be bought at reasonable prices on the Highland and in the Basin. Much oT the land on the Highlands is thin and unproductive, except for fruit, and may be bought for two and three dollars per acre. AVherever a red subsoil on the Highlands prevails, the surface soil is good. Many such spots occur in basin-like depressions and constitute as valuable land as can be found in the State. The climate is equable and mild. Observations for twenty-one years show that the temperature has not gone above 99°, while the lowest has been 8° below zero. The mean summer temperature is 75° — annual mean 58°. The average of low temperature for twenty-one years is 2.6°. The number of days between killing frosts is 189, and the average amount of rainfall forty-six inches. Winter rarely lasts over seventy-five days, and snows, though occurring often during win- ter, soon disappear. In general, the climate, on equal latitudes, is two degrees hotter than in East Tennessee and two degrees cooler than in West Tennessee. During many winters stock is able to subsist throughout the season upon grasses and especially is this the case in protected situations. Mineral springs of excellent water are found scattered all over Mid- dle Tennessee. The most noted are upon the Highlands and upon the Cumberland Table Land. The spring region of Middle Tennessee is becoming justly famous, not only on account of the water, but for the beauty of the landscape and purity of the atmosphere. Especi- ally is this the case with the portion upon the Table Land. The magic influence of the mountain air and the healing virtues of the water, impregnated as it is with salts of iron, have restored many a consump- 624 Resources of Tennessee. tive to vigorous health and given fresh vitality to many a frame worn out with over work and anxiety. For minute details as to the agricultural features and geological for- mations and industrial interests, the reader is referred to the descrip- tions of the counties ffiven below. BEDFORD COUNTY. County Seat — Shelbyville. Whether we regard the fertility of" the soil, the rural beauty of the landscape, the abundance and variety of the timber, the excellence of the streams, the high cultivation of the farms, the value of the live stock, the diversity of the products, the high character of the schools, the refinement, elegance and hospitality of the citizens, Bedford county must be considered as entitled to a position hardly second to any in the State. Erected by an act of the Legislature in 1807, and organized in 1808, it has always occupied a prominent place in the commonwealth. When first organized, it included what is now Lincoln county, a por- tion of Moore, Marshall, and Coffee counties. It has an area of about 475 square miles, or 300,000 acres, and is well watered by Duck River and its tributaries. This stream flows nearly through the center of the county, from east to west, and is fed from the north, reckoning from the west, by Spring Creek, North Fork, Garrison Fork, with its trib- utary, AVartrace Creek. Barren Fork may be considered the main stream, but the name of Duck River is not applied until after its junc- tion with Garrison Fork. From the south, beginning on the west, there flow into it. Sinking Creek, Sugar Creek, Big Flat Creek, Thompson's Creek, and many smaller streams. Duck River is the great arterial current, and drains, with its tributaries, almost every foot of land in the county. There is scarcely a farm upon which a bub- bling sj)ring of pure limestone water does not rise, and after flowing beside, or through green pastures, discharges its waters into some tributary of Duck River. The toj)ography of Bedford county is very simple. It presents in the main, a gently rolling surface, with occasionally flat topped hills, that rise to an elevation of two or three hundred feet. West of the road that leads from Shelbyville to Murfreesboro, and north of Duck Middle Tennessee. 625 River, the country is comparatively flat, east of this road it is undula- ting, with h'nes of rounded hills. These hills are usually capped with sandstone, and like the slopes and crests, are heavily wooded. The soil is comminuted limestone and sandstone, with an intermingling of rich black humus. It is exceedingly fertile, durable, and generous. South of Duck Hiver, and running west as far as Sinking Creek, the surface configuration continnes much the same, while west of Sinking Creek, the hills rise much higher than anywhere else in the county. The ele- vation of Gentry Hill is about 350 feet above the valley lands below, and a description of this may serve as an illustration of the character of all the hills in the county. This hill occupies, if reduced to a level plain, about 100 acres. The ascent from the south is very gradual. Beginning at a small tributary of Sinking Creek, we first pass though a field, characterized by a large amount of yellowish angular gravel, soil mulatto in color, and very friable. For three hundred yards no large rocks are seen. After this, the limestone rocks in ledges and "nigger heads" appear, with their steep faces beveled oif by the accumulations of silty matter. The timber here is characteris- tic— buckeye, sugar tree, ash, white oak, red oak, elm, and scalybark hickory, with no underbrush, and very few grape vines. This growth continues to the top, while the soil grows more sandy, and the shivery masses of sandstone increase to the crest. On the east side are found all the varieties of timber mentioned, with the addition of walnut and black locust. Here, too, the underbrush of blackberry bushes, matted in thick beds, elder and locust, obstruct the way, and this mass thickens on the north. Blue-grass, which did not show itself on the southern exposure, springs up in all the open places, the soil becomes of a deeper red, which shades otF to a deep black on the north. On the west side paw-paw bushes appear, and some of them are of great size. On some of the neighboring hills they are found five and six inches in diameter, and will make from two to four good rails. From the top of the Gentry Hill, one of the finest views presents itself to be had in the State ; a view in which the rural beauty of the landscape is unexcelled. Looking towards the east, a smiling circular valley, covered with cultivated fields and pastoral plains, spreads out for a distance of twenty miles, and a like distance towards the north, the minor hills disappearing when seen from this elevation. Farms and farm-houses, villages, and belts of timber darkened with cedar, and streams like threads of silver, enlivening the landscape, flowing through ample pastures, whose green is flecked with herds of cattle 40 626 Resources of Tennessee. and flocks of sheep — all the.«e may be seen at a glance. The whole valley appears like an amphitheatre, enclosed with a cordon of gently lising rounded hills. This hill is a type of all the higher elevations ia the Central Basin. Rocks, Soils, Timber. Situated, with the exception of the border on the south and east, within the Great Central Basin of Tennessee, the prevailing rocks are limestone, generally thinly bedded and flaggy but with some fine building stones. The limestones belong to the Nashville and Lebanon formations, limestones low in the geological series. West of Shelbyville are quarries of excellent building stone. That of which the pillars to the new court-house are made, and of which the county jail is built, is of a deep blue, hard and compact. It breaks with a smooth fracture, is comparatively free from fossil re- mains, and is very durable. Two other varieties of an impure lime- stone are found, called white rock, and sandstone or firerock, that work easily, and will withstand the action of fire for a long while. They do not readily burn into lime like the blue stone first mentioned. Indeed, they are never used for that purpose. The white rock, found in the north-west corner of the county, bears a good polish, and was used for the caps to the lower columns of the court-house. It makes a good appearance and is said to weather well. The sandstone, or fire- rock so called, occurs in thick beds eight miles west of Shelbyville, and is coarse, very soft and easily worked, but in thin slabs is flexible. It re- sists the action of the weather, and is much used for gravestones, floors, &c. It has the aspect of a sandstone but has no sand, or a very small proportion in its composition. The sandstone proper, that covers the knobs, is of but little value. There are several varieties of soils, dif- fering in color and productive capacity. They may for convenience be called the mulatto, the red and the black. The mulatto covers a larger extent of surface, than either of the others. It is, indeed, the characteristic soil of the county, and is the best for clover, wheat, oats, sweet potatoes, and cotton. It has considerable tenacity, is stiffer than the red or black, and upon it a stand of grass or clover is much more easily obtained. The native growth upon this is ash, poplar, walnut, butternut, elm, buckeye, sugar tree, several kinds of oaks, hickory, beech, linden, box elder, slippery elm, red bud, sumac, dogwood, and black gum. The prevailing timber, however, is sugar tree, ash, poplar, and beech. The ash timber is as fine as can be found in the State, and is very abundant. Ash trees may be found six feet in diameter, also white oaks of the same size. Black walnut is growing Middle Tennessee, 627 scarce, but was once ])lentifal. So much for the native growth of the muhitto soil. When cleared up and put in cultivation, the average yield of crops per acre, is of wheat from fifteen to twenty bushels, of corn forty bushels, of sweet potatoes seventy-five bushels, and of cotton about 700 [)ounds. Fortunately for the appearance of the county there is very little cotton grown. The very best yield, however, goes far above these averages. Good farmers often make thirty-five bushels of wheat, sixty-five to seventy-five of corn. Tim- othy takes kindly to the mulatto soil, and yields from one and a half to two tons per acre. Among the annuals, Hungarian grass, and Oerraan millet, do best on this soil, and the yield is sometimes as high as three tons per acre, and even more. Of all the soils in the county, it is considered the most reliable for clover, a better stand being se- cured on it, than on either of the other varieties. Formerly hemp was raised in the eastern })art of the county, but mostly on the black soils. The red soil is confined mainly to the Cedar belt. This belt lies, for the most part, on the north side of Duck River. It begins at a point near Wartrace, and extends in an irregular arc as far as Fishing Ford, on Duck River, and from this point bends southwardly, crosses Duck River, and terminates a few miles north of Richmond. The cedar timber covers about ninety square miles. At least two-thirds of the farms in the county are supplied with rails from this cedar forest, which has been considerably thinned out in places, but timber enough yet remains to supply the demands of the county for many generations, if economically used. The young cedars that spring up grow very rapidly after the larger trees are cut out, and will attain a size large enough for rails in forty years, which is not more than the average duration of a good cedar fence. In some spots the cedar trees stand very thickly upon the land, and many of them are from fifty to seventy feet in height, and from three to three and a half feet in diameter. The largest trees are not the best however. The best timber is ob- tained from trees varying from fifteen to twenty inches in diameter. The timber from an acre of the best cedars, will sell for one hundred dollars, standing in the woods. The red soil is well adapted to the growth of wheat, cotton, oats, and sweet potatoes. It is not so good for corn as the mulatto. The black soil may be subdivided into alluvial and hill-side. The former is upon all the streams, and in the supply of plant food, much surpasses any in the county. It is the best soil for corn and hemp, making by far the largest yields. It also grows hay and grasses of all kinds very luxuriantly, but it is sometimes difficult 628 Resources of Tennessee. on account of its friable nature, to secure a good stand. The freezes also produce upheavals of the soil, which throw these plants, whose ft)ots lie near the surfiice, entirely out of the ground. These alluvial bot- toms are not suited to wheat. The straw grows too rank, and is liable to rust. Neither does it suit clover so well as the mulatto and red. The great difficulty is not in the lack of fertility, but in getting a stand. It is quite possible that the land might be benefited by tramping, rolling, or in some other way compacting the soil. It usually has a large quantity of intermingling gravel, and is very easy to culti- vate. The black soil on the hill-sides is composed of comminuted an-, gular gravel, imbedded in black humus. It abounds on the north slopes of all the hills, and is considered very productive and valuable. Farms, Stock, Blue-grass and Meadov'S. In no county in the State are the farms in better condition than in Bedford. The fences are , usually made of cedar rails, and are well kept up. In going through the county one will scarcely see a bad fence, an old lield, or an impene- trable thicket in the fence corners. The farm houses, though not ele- gant, are neat and comfortable, and wdiile the stables and barns might be made in many cases more sightly objects, they will compare favorably with those seen in the best counties in the State. The price of farms may be considered high. Ordinary farms, w'ithin five or six miles of the county seat, range from thirty to thirty-five dollars per acre. Good farms well improved are worth from fifty to one hundred dollars per acre, and even higher than this near the county seat. This high price is to be attributed to the fact, that the farmers not raising cotton, have opportunities to keep their farms in a high state of cultivation. Gul- lies are not suffered to wash, nor noxious weeds and briers to grow^ while the enclosures art* of a durable nature, and the expense of fenc- " ing greatly diminished. It may be mentioned also, that stock-raising, being the chief business of the farmers, labor is relatively in greater supj)ly and is more effective than in the cotton growing districts. Bedford is pre-emiently a stock-growing county, and a large belt of land suitable for blue-grass, makes that branch of farming very pro- fitable. This grass grows spontaneously in a great portion of the county. Beginning a few miles west of the Murfreesboro pike, the blue-grass belt extends eastward nearly to the Coffee county line, then sweeps southward and embraces nearly all the county south of Duck River, extending westward a little beyond Richmond, and northward from that point until it strikes the cedar belt. The entire blue-gras» area eml)races 150,000 acres, or about one-half of the county. Within Middle Tennessee, 629 this area, however, are many rocky ledges and glady spots which grow it but sparingly, and where it soon perishes under the blasting rays of a summer's sun. The amount of lands suited to meadows is also considerable. The great number of streams that thread the county, pass through many rieli low bottoms, that can be irrigated at a small cost. As has already been said, it is sometimes difficult to secure a staud of timothy, but herds-grass does well and yields hay in satis- factory quantities. The lands adapted to meadows, may be said to l)egin along the railroad near Bellbuckle and Wartrace, and extend Avest approaching Shelbyville, and continuing to the western boundary of the county. It is estimated that there are at least 75,000 acres of good meadow land in the county, and with proper attention, hay enough might be made not only to supply the county, but give a very handsome income to the formers. On some of this meadow land tim- othy grows as high as a man's head. Some of the bottoms are "craw- fishy," but when exposed to the sun and deeply plowed, they warm up and grow grass and hay luxuriantly. In reference to the hay and grass crops of the county, Mr. Shoffner, an intelligent farmer, in a communication, says: Our soils are better adapted to the raising of grasses than any other crop, While it is necessary in the States north of us to manure their meadows in order to ensure a good hay crop, I have never known one to be manured in this county, except from the droppings of the stock. The grass grows protii.eely without any top dressing. 1 have known meadows to remain in grass lor twenty years without any change, and they would produce satis- factory yields of hay throughout the whole period. There is not an acre of Boil in the county that will not produce some species of grass to perfection, while there are some soils that will not produce any other crop. As an illus- tration of this fact I need only mention that my father owned a meaiiow (a low marshy spot) which produced enormous quantities of hay, but becom- ing, after a lapse of time, infested with weeds, he plowed it up and planted it in corn. The corn yielded comparatively nothing. It was again put to meadow, and yielded bouncifully. The grass sown was herds-grass. I have often known the seeds of this grass to be sown without breaking the land, and make fine meadows. I would say, in this connection, that while herds- grass seeks the low marshy land, timothy, clover, blue gra.ss and orchard grass prefer the higher and drier lands. Clover, while e.xcellent for graz- ing, stands with us in the front rank as a meadow grass. It can always be mowed twice a year, and .sonaelimes, in a good growing season, three times. There i.s, probably, ten limes as much clover used, for the making of hay, as there was twenty years ago. Our best sods will produce from two to two and a half tons per acre, and if properly manured, would produce three tons. As to the number of animals, cattle, and horses, that an acre of Blue- gra.ss will sustain through the spring and fall, I am not very well advi.«ed, having made no experiments in that way, but according to the best infor- mation that I can procure from others, as well as the lesults of my own 630 Resowces of Tennessee. practice, I think that two acres for three head would probably oe about (•orrect. It may be added that the worst enemy to meadows is the broom- sedge, and farmers are often compelled to plow them up on account of its inroads. Cotton is mainly grown in the north-west part of the county, the amount of production for the year 1873, was 2,338 bales. Eleven gins are in the county, which will average 200 bales each. Hogs, mules, cattle, and sheep claim the attention of a large majority of the farmers. The Hog Product. This is very large, perhaps as large in propor- tion to area, as any county in the State. It stood fifth in 1870,' Maury, Lincoln, Wilson, Giles, and Williamson, ranking it. The favorite breed is the Berkshire, crossed upon the native hog. The latter gives size, while the former gives quickness of growth. One farmer who has 166 acres of land, gave as his hog crop, eighty-five hogs, averag- ing 350 pounds each, and others are reported as having done better than this. The value of the hog crop at present will probably reach 1550,000. Mules. Almost every farmer in the county raises more or less mules, and many of them raise them for export. Droves are bought up and carried away every year. The cost of raising mules is very little. They feed upon the blue-grass during spring, autumn, and a good part of the winter. During the hottest months, they are turned upon clover ])astures, and upon the newly mown meadows, after the hay has been harvested. They require to be fed on corn and hay, for about two or three months, the time being longer or shorter in proportion to the severity of the winter. Horses. The character of the horses is much the same as that found in the other counties of Middle Tennessee. The blood of many of them has been enriched by importations from Kentucky, Davidson county and other points. Horses are much used for riding. Almost all classes in the country, men, women, and children, ride horseback. Buggies are less used by farmers than in many of the other counties. Cattle. Since the war many fine short-horn bulls have been im- ported, and crossed u})on the native breeds. The graded cattle are pre- ferred for milkers. No county in the State offers more natural facili- ties for engaging in dairy farming. The numerous streams and spark- ling springs, that are seen almost everywhere, as well as the rich meadow land, invite the farmer to this special department of agricul- Middle Tennessee. 63 1 ture. In natural facilities it surpasses the Herkimer district of New York, and the time of green grass by reason oF climate is prolonged at least six weeks. There is no good reason why Bedford county may not become as famous for its butter and cheese, as any part of the United States. ' Sheep. Almost every farmer has a small flock of sheep. The Cots- wold has been introduced by various persons, and almost all the flocks are more or less intermixed with this breed. Good mutton is common and cheap, and the cost of keeping sheep is inconsiderable. The num- lier killed by dogs is variously estimated at from twenty-five to thirty- three per cent., and great complaint is made that our Legislature has done nothing to eradicate this evil, by levying a tax upon dogs. The farms in Bedford covmty will average between fifty and one hundred acres. The number returned by the census taker is 1,667, and only one reported over 500 acres. They are well worked and well cared for. The best farmers subsoil with a bull-tongue plow, after a two-horse turning plow, going to the depth of ten or twelve inches. Fewer badly cultivated crops are seen than in any other county in the State. Indeed, the examjxle which the farmers of Bedford have set in this particular, might be imitated with profit by all the counties. Very few overcrop themselves. The soil is well prepared for the planting by deep and frequent plowings, and the yield always proves remuner- ative. As a consequence, the farmers are usually contented, and very few desire to remove from the county, except such as desire to procure land in larger bodies for their children. Fruit. Apples, peaches, plums, and pears are raised. Peaches often fail, but one year with another, do probably better than other fruit. But few experiments have been made with the grape, but these have proved satisfactory. John R. Eakin, now of Arkansas, planted a vineyard near Wartrace, and took a premium in 1858, at the exhibi- tion of the United States Agricultural Society, held in Louisville. He planted the Catawba and Isabella, which soon ])roved worthless. Ives' Seedling, Concord, Norton's Virginia, and Rogers Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, are being set out by various persons. The great amount of loose, rich, rocky and well drained soil, together with the gentle slopes, would in- dicate a brilliant future for this county in the growing of this delight- ful fruit. There are five or six small nurseries in the county, and many new orchards are being set out. Labor. Labor is not hired usually throughout the year, as in the 632 Resources of Tennessee. cotton-growing and tobacco-growing districts of the State, bnt usually from the first of March to the 4th of July, which is called the crop season. Good hands can be be hired at prices ranging from ten to twenty dollars per month and board. It is unusual for farmers to put out their land for part of the crop, though it is sometimes done. The want of this habit may in some degree account for the good condition of the farms. Land rents for four and five dollars per acre. When rented for a portion of the crops, one-third, sometimes two-fifths, and near the county seat, one-half is given to the landowner. In the rais- ing of wheat, if the landowner furnishes the seed, he gets half, but if the renter furnishes the seed, he pays only one-third. Mills, Wheat, and Lumber. Mills are abundant and excellent. Duck River furnishes fine water-power, and thirteen grist mills are found upon it and its tributaries. In addition to water mills, there are some excellent steam mills, one of which has a capacity of eighty barrels per day, and another fifty. The wheat crops of the county keep these mills running for a good portion of tli« year, though supplies of wheat, are .drawn from Marshall and other counties surrounding, and a good deal is brought to the city mill by railroad^ An amber wheat, called the Walker wheat, appears to be the favorite. It does not produce so abundantly as many other varieties, but it is plump, makes a fine yield of flour, and is reliable. The Mediterranean is the best for thin soils, and will make a respectable yield when all the other varieties fail. Saw mills are scattered all over the county. Poplar lumber is worth at the mills, $15 per thousand. Cedar from $20 to $25. A great many cedar shingles are made. They sell from $5 to $7 per thousand. Boards of white oak and black oak, are worth from 60 cents to $1.25 per hundred, according to length. One dollar per hundred is paid for making rails. Cedar rails in the cedar brakes sell for two and three dollars per hundred; delivered on the farms, from $5 to $7, according to distance hauled, character of roads, &c. Factories. On Duck River, just below the town of Shelby ville, there is a cotton factory in successful operation. It has fifty looms, 1,616 spindles, and employs about forty operatives. It is understood that the net profits will amount to fifteen per cent, on the capital stock. There are several planing mills in operation, at which blinds, sash and door shutters are made. There is also an establishment for mak- ing axe helves. Domestic Mamifactui-e. There is some contrariety of opinion as to the quantity of domestic manufacture. It is estimated by some gentle- I Middle Tennessee. 633 men, that fully one-third of the every -day wear is homespun. The census reports give the value of home manufactures of this county at ^30,126. This would show about half the amount of Lincoln county, where the value was $60,540, not one-third as much as De Kalb, which is put down $105,421. In Bedford, the value of home manufacture was about $1.23 for each inhabitant; in Lincoln $2.16; in De Kalb over $9. From this it would appear that thirty-three per cent, would be a high estimate for those who wear home spun unless it is brought to the county from other points. Smaller Industries. The number of eggs annually shipped from the county is enormous. Daring the first week of February, 1874, there were 'shipped from Shelbyville alone, 4,780 dozen. The same week the following articles appear among the shipments : 246 pounds of but- ter, 631 pounds dressed poultry, fifty live turkeys, besides one coop, number not given, four barrels of onions, nine barrels of onion sets, and $100 worth of furs. Almost every farmer has a few hives of bees and some few as many as fifty or one hundred hives. But little atten- tion is given to improved hives— the gums are either made of plank or are s^awed off from the trunk of a hollow tree. White clover is a very common growth throughout the county and the bees have a large supply of food. Transportation Facilities. The Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad has a branch leading from Wartrace to Shelbyville, eight miles long. The main line passes through the eastern border of the county. In addition to the railroad, Duck River has been used for the transporta- tion of lumber. Some rafts of cedar are yet sent to Paduach, Mem- phis, New Orleans and intermediate points on the Tennessee River by means of this stream. There are also eight macadamized roads, seven of them leading to the county seat. Many of them are badly in need of repairs and can scarcely be called macadamized roads. The dirt roads are execrable, and for a county so blessed with fertile soils, so rich in all the resources of a vigorous and elevated civilization, are simply disgraceful. In winter it is not unusual for the wheels of a buggy to sink so deep in the stiff, tenacious mud and sloughs that a single horse is incapable of pulling it out. Seliooh. For the year 1873, Bedford county levied a tax of ten cents on the hundred dollars for the maintenance of public schools. During the fall and winter of the same year, 100 public schools were kept in operation for four months. The average amount paid teachers 634 Resources of Tennessee. was thirty-nine dollars per mouth. The number of enrolled scholars, 5,039. The public graded school in Shelbyville has 300 students en- rolled, with an average attendance of 275. It is conducted on the graded system, and has been able, with the assistance derived from the Peabody fund, to keep in operation ten months in the year. The sys- tem of rules and regulations adopted is such as to make the school a model of discipline. In addition to the studies prescribed in the school law, a preparatory course of the ancient languages and mathematics is taught. The county superintendent is John R. Dean. The Shelby- ville Female Institute is of high standing, and is presided over by men of great intelligence and learning. To show the disposition of the people of the Shelbyville district in regard to public schools, it is enough to mention that at a recent election in which it was proposed to tax the district twenty cents additional on the hundred dollars, there were 380 votes cast for the tax and thirteen against it. Agricultural Afisooiaiions. The Bedford County Agricultural and Mechanical Association have erected fair grounds just without the cor- porate limits of Shelbyville. The buildings will compare favorably with any in the State, and the number and excellence of the articles exhibited show that Bedford county has quite a diversified industry. A farmers' club has been in existence for several years, and has done much to develop thought and to induce thrift amongst the farmers of the county. Several granges have recently been established, and the order of the Patrons of Husbandry is making quite a favorable im- pression throughout the county. The debt of the county in February, 1874, was about $17,000, principally contracted in the building of a court-house. Bonds were issued for the amount of indebtedness and a small tax levied to pay them. The county poor-house is a miserable affair, and unworthy the elevated character of the citizens. It has about an average of ten inmates, but the appropriation for its susten- ance is inadequate and parsimonious. Tovms and Villages. The incorporated towns in Bedford county, are Shelbyville, Wartrace, Bcllbucklc, Unionville, Richmond and Flat Creek, having populations in the order named of 3,500, 200, 150, 300, 100 and 200. The three first named have railroad facilities. The other villages are Normandy, Fairfield, Palmetto, Hawthorne, Rover, Fall Creek, Haley's Station and Bedford. Those upon the railroads, Normandy and Haley's Station, are good shipping points. Shell)yville is by far the largest town in the county. It is situated at the terminus of the Shelbyville Branch of the Nashville and Chatta- Middle Tennessee. 635 uooga Railroad, and on the north side of Duck River. In addition to the population within the corporate limits, it has a suburban popula- tion of four hundred. The public buildings are of the best character* TJie court-house, erected at a cost of about $90,000, is a model of taste and propriety. It is one of the most correct and convenient pub- lic buildings in the State. The principal court room is forty by ninety i^^i, County Court room twenty by forty, and one of the same size for the Chancery Court. Besides, there are four jury rooms, six offices, and eight basement rooms. The whole building, including porches, is 120 feet long and 91 feet wide. It is two stories in height. The pil- lars for the lower porches are of blue limestone, square and in Ashler masonry. Those above are cast iron, and Corinthian in style. The latter are twenty in number. The building is surmounted by an ele- gant cupola, containing a clock and bell that cost $1,500. The people of Shelby vi lie are justly proud of this structure, so elegant in design, and so appropriate for the purposes for which it was designed. There are twenty-five commercial estal)lishments in Shelbyville doing business to the amount of $500,000. There is also a pork-house that has been operating for two years, slaughtering 9,000 hogs annually that aver- aged two hundred and fifty pounds each, gross. A carriage shop is in operation that employs nine hands, and does a business amounting to $15,000 annually. Besides these there is a tannery, with a business of $10,000, also a marble yard doing $5,000 worth of business. There are two hotels, twenty-two lawyers, six doctors, and three trade and livery stables. The city mills turn out a very superior article of flour, making, annually, about 8,000 barrels, and this besides custom- grinding. Another mill, six miles from Shelbyville, manufactures about 5,500 barrels of flour annually. Over 70,000 bushels of wheat are ground annually at these mills, and they do a business, in flour and meal, amounting to over $100,000. There are two newspapers ])nb- lishcd in Shelbyville, the Commercial and the Gazette. The religious denominations are represented by two Presbyterian churches, two Methodist, one Baptist, one Episcopalian, one Christian, and one Roman Catholic. Sunday schools are conducted in most of them. Of Shel- byville, it may be said generally, that the people are public spirited, moral, intelligent, but not so enterprising as those in some other towns* in the State; the buildings do not display, with the exception of the court-house, any architectural beauty ; the streets are rough and the sidewalks uneven, paved sometimes Avith flagging stones, and some- times with brick, and in the latter case more than half the brick are 636 Resources of Teniiessee. usually missing. But few new houses go up. Some of the residences are comfortable and neat, and have tasteful yards, ornamented with evergreen shrubs, beautiful and rare flowers, and above all, with a rich sward of blue-grass. The society of Shelbyville is highly cultivated and refined. It would be difficult to find a greater number of intelli- gent persons in any town of the same size in the State. The princely hospitality of the citizens, and the imperial fascinations of the ladies, always make a favorable impression upon the stranger. The charac- ter of the people in the country is very much the same as in town. They have leisure for improvement. They do not raise cotton, but in its place are found fat stock, rich, green meadows, bulky stacks, neat dwellings, commodious stables, clean fence corners, abundant leisure, smiling faces and contented hearts. Owners of farms are free from the corroding cares, the ceaseless complainings and bickerings, the eternal worry and constant dread lest the rains or the boll worm, or some other calamity, fall upon the crop and ruin them. Enterprise is needed. A fresh stimulus is demanded. Old ways are too numerous, and old ruts are adhered to too closely. Capitalists are more disposed to buy notes than to establish manufactories. Something that will change investment into the last-named enterprises would give a wonderful impulse to the material interests of the county. With a proper degree of industrial activity it would be, if not the most desirable, at least one of the most desirable counties in the State to live in. A home market which manufactories would establish, would greatly bene- fit the farmers. Statistics. The population of the county in 1870 was 24,333, of which 6,484 were colored. In 1830 the population was over 30,000, which was reduced, from various causes, to 20,546 in 1840. In this decade, also, Marshall county was erected, and a considerable por- tion of Bedford was taken off for that county. Since that time it has been gradually increasing, but not so fast as the excess of births over deaths should ensure. Visions of wealth in new countries have de- coyed many of the best citizens from the county, but some of them, after the lapse of a few years, return. There has been more emigration from the county than immigration to it, a fact difficult to account for in any other way than that the high price of land deters immigrants. There is scarcely a county in the State in which a respectable living can be made with so little labor. The scholastic population numbers 7,483. The voting population in 1871 was 4,113; 3,315 white, and 798 colored. Middle Tennessee. 637 CANNON COUNTY. County Seat — Woodbury. Cannon county was organized in the year 183G, and was named in honor of Governor Cannon. But few counties in the State have a more varied beauty of scenery than Cannon. Traversed from east to west by the sparlvling, rapid waters of Stone's River, with numerous tribu- taries flowing into it from the north and from the south, with high rounded forest-covered hills between, while valleys as green and soils as fertile as may be found on the American continent lie sleeping in quiet repose by the bubbling streams, resonant and joyous as they dance in circling eddies and playful plunges over pebbly shoals, it would be difficult to find any s])ot so suited for retirement from the noise and confusion and distracting occupations of metropolitan life. Boundary, Topography and Streams. The county is bounded by Wilson and Smith on the north, by Warren and DeKalb on the east, by Coffee on the south, and Rutherford on the west. It embraces about 420 square miles. More than half of this county lies in the Central Basin, and the remainder, or eastern and southern edge, on the High- land Rim. Spurs shoot out from the Highlands into the valley, one of wdiich, in the northern part of the county, extends nearly through it, from east to west, and forms the w\ater-shed between the streams that enter directly into the Cumberland, and those which flow in an opposite direction into Stone's River. From the north, beginning on the east. Stone's River is fed by Roekhouse, Carpent?r's, Rush and Lock creeks; from the south. Hill's Creek, Hollis' Creek and Brawley's Fork, the latter having several tributaries known as Espy's Cave, Horse Spring Fork and Burgess Creek, the three making Carson's Fork, which empties into Brawley's Fork, one-half mile south of the Woodbury and Murfreesboro Turnpike, and the latter into Stone's River, five miles west of the county seat. Other streams issue from the dividing ridge, which we have mentioned, and flow north. Among these are Clear Fork, Sycamore, Hurricane, Saunder's Fork, and Mar- shall's Creek. Barren Fork of Collins River, rises on the Highlands, which form the eastern edge of the county, and flows east into Warren coimty. Nearly all these streams supply good water-power. Stone's River, by reason of its swiftness and constancy, and volume of water is especially suited for milling purposes. On it, within a few miles of Woodbury, are four large flouring mills, with capacities of grinding 638 Resources of Tennesee. from 250 to 7('0 bushels of wheat daily. Corn mills are located upon nearly every stream mentioned. From Espy's Cave a stream of water issues in sufficient volume to drive a mill. It bursts out at a consider- able height above the valley, and a mill, for many years, has been in operation at a point only twenty yards distant from the mouth of the cave. There is, probably, no county in the State which has more use- ful water-power. 8oih, Timber and Crops. The soils, on the Highlands, are light colored, sometimes of a pale yellow, often blue and occasionally red. These soils, for the most part, are thin and unproductive, occupying level areas, and covered with a rank barren grass which affords good summer grazing. Fruits, herds-grass and tobacco grow well upon the Highlands, but these soils are not well suited for general farming. Neither corn, nor wheat, cotton, nor clover will grow or yield remu- neratively They are of the same character as those described in Lewis and Lawrence counties, and while the surface of the country is pleas- ing to the eye, the soils are almost always deceptive. As a conse- quence, these lands are elieap. Unimproved lands, in this part of the county, can be bought for one dollar per acre ; improved five dollars. Passing from the Highlands eastwardly, we descend a long slope and enter the knobby region of the Central Basin. These knobs cover by far the larger part of the county, and are usually fertile to the top. Limestone crops out in such abundance as to render much of the sur- face unprofitable for cultivation. The character of the country, as one descends into the Basin, changes entirely. The timber of the High- lands, which usually consists of black jack, chestnut and red oak, is here replaced by poplar, walnut, while oak, sugar tree, ash, beech, red elm, hackberry, buckeye and cherry. Nor docs the timber differ less than the grasses and crops. All over the slopes and tops of these swell- ing hills blue grass springs up, and even upon the glady places, it grows with vigor between the interstices of the rocks, and furnishes a rich pasturage. The crops of corn and wheat, by the luxuriance of their growth, show a soil rich in ])lant food. The rocks are limestone, and even the pebbles have a character entirely different. Nearly all the lands, in this portion of the county, are enclosed. The knobby lands will yield from thirty to thirty-five bushels of corn per acre, of wheat from ten to twelve bushels, and hay from one to two tons. Clover grows remarkably well. The price of such lands, improved and unimproved, varies from ten to twenty-five dollars per acre. It is es- timated that at least one-fourth of the county is embraced in the creek Middle Tennessee. 639 basins. The soil of these bottoms is rich, loamy and pebbly, easily worked and highly productive. They are esteemed of great value, and rate from thirty to seventy dollars per acre. Nearly the whole of this valley land is in cultivation. The crops are corn, wheat, hay and clover. Some cotton is raised in the western end of the county, but it is by no means a general crop. With good cultivation, sixty bushels of corn, twenty bushels of wheat, and two tons of hay are considered ordinary crops. Great attention is paid to the sowing of clover, and no farmer deserving the name fails to have a considerable part of his farm given to clover every year. The consequence is, there are no abandoned old fields to be seen. Scarcely an acre of land has beeu turned out. Gullies are scarce, though the land is rolling. In no county in the State do the farmers pay more attention to the preservation of the soil. In this respect it very much resembles Bedford county. Stock raising in Cannon, as in Bedford, is the main pursuit of the farmers, and, as in Bedford, their farms are in good condition and command a high price. No two counties could be more alike in soils, in the habits of the people, the character of the houses, and the configuration of the surface. Stone's River answers to Duck River. A small portion of the Highlands is included in each. The greatest observable difference is in the fencing. In Bedford the fences are almost wholly of cedar, but only partly so in Cannon. Bed- ford has cedar forests of large extent ; Cannon has a very limited sup- ply of cedar timber. That used in the county is obtained from Ruth- erford. Fine stock is raised in both counties, and no better idea can be given of the soils and the crops, the stock and the people, than that which we have already given in the description of Bedford county. The latter county is not so knobby, and it has the benefit of a railroad, which Cannon has not. With these differences pointed out, the reader is referred to Bedford county for prices of labor, rents, conditions of contracts, etc. JRoacls and Towns. Cannon has but few good roads. The Murfrees- boro and Woodbury Turnpike is the longest macadamized road in the county, passing over about eight miles. There is also one leading from Auburn to Murfreesboro, and another from Bradyville to the same point. Woodbury, the county seat, nestles in the lovely valley of Stone's River, and is surrounded by a series of beautifully rounded eminences. The scenery around the town is lovely and grand, without being startling. Beautiful farms and comfortable farm houses are seen towards the west, the cultivated fields climbing sometimes to the tops 640 Resources of Tennessee, of the rounded hills. The bright flashes of running streams enliven the landscape. Springs of perennial flow break out from the bases of the numerous hills, and supply good water in great abundance. Yet, despite all the natural beauty of the surroundings, Woodbury has a sleepy appearance. No manufacturing establishments give life to the place. A court house, seven dry goods stores, two drug stores, three gro(;eries, two blacksmith shops, one carriage shop, two saddlery es- tablishments, and the usual number of lawyers' offices and doctors' shops comprise the business portion of the place. It has a po]5ulation of about 500. There are three churches, one Methodist, one Baptist, and one Christian. The Presbyterians hold worship in the u])per story of the court house. School facilities are very good. The Woodbury Press, a weekly paper, is published here. Bradyville, in the southern part of the county, Auburn in the north, and Mechanicsville in the east, are all post villages, with two or three stores each. The county has a poor house, with 150 acres of land attached, within two miles of the county seat. It usually has from ten to twenty inmates. General Observations. The population of Cannon county in 1870, was 10,502, of which 927, or less than one-tenth, were colored. The citizens are industrious and energetic, but not enterprising. They pre- fer the old way because they believe it to be the sure way. They are greatly attached to the county, and emigration to other states is very rare. They would like to have additions to their population, though labor is sufficiently abundant and cheap. The county is free from debt, and jury tickets are at par. Infractions of the law are not common. Ease, peace and plenty characterize the county. Economy is the ruling trait of the citizens, and they mingle with their labors many of the pleasures of life. The streams abound in fish of delightful flavor, and the woods with various kinds of game. Hunting and fishing form the recreation of almost every class. Simplicity and honesty, intelligence and virtue characterize the citizens. Desirous of a competency, but unambitious of great wealth, they probably come as near as any people in the State to occupying that condition which DeQuincy says is the most favorable for happiness — not so poor as to require unremitting toil, nor so rich as to make labor unnecessary. Nearly every farmer works himself, saves his earnings, and invests them in his own county. For this reason, land is higher in Cannon county than in Davidson. In the latter county there are so many o|)j)()rtunities for investments that land is a drug on the market. In Cannon, land is considered, if not the most profitable, at least the safest investment. There is but Middle Tennessee. 641 little good land for sale, and when it is offered, there are always a num- ber of eager competitors. The nearest railroad is the Nashville and Chattanooga, twenty miles from the county seat, and by this all the surplus produce is shipped. Stock is driven south on foot — mules, horses and cattle. Sheep raising is almost unknown, though there are but few localities where this business could be carried on more profit- ably, if protected by law. The farmers greatly complain that the law- makers have failed to give any protection to this branch of farming. On every farm dogs can be seen prowling about, but sheep, one of the most useful of all the domestic animals, are rarely met with. The blue-grass that clothes the rolling hills in such beautiful green, would sustain thousands of flocks, and increase the profits of the farmers largely, but experience has taught them that any attempt at sheep breeding, in the absence of a dog law, is the extreme of folly. CHEATHAM COUNTY. County Seat — Ashland. Cheatham county was established by act of the Legislature passed February 28, 1856. Its territory was taken from the counties of Davidson, Robertson and Montgomery, and by the act of the last Legislature a very small portion of Dickson county has been attached to it. It is bounded by the above counties and also by the county of Williamson. The Cumberland River runs through the county in a westerly direction, dividing it into two nearly equal parts. Towns. Ashland City, the county seat, is situated on the north bank of Cumberland River, about one mile above the head of Harpeth Shoals. It contains about 250 inhabitants. It has one church, a Masonic hall, and the usual county buildings. The court-house is justly the pride of the citizens of the county. During the past scholastic year the town had three public schools, two white and one colored. There are three dry-goods stores, in all of which groceries and family supplies are kept; one shoe and boot store, in connection with faniily groceries; with blacksmith, shoe and boot maker, cooper, saddler, &c., and three drink- ing saloons. There is a tobacco establishment for putting up tobacco in hogsheads, from which about 200 hogsheads are shipped to Clarks- ville, Tennessee, annually. Also one establishment for the manufac- ture of chewing tobacco. Sycamore, about four miles north of Ash- land, is a flourishing manufacturing village with a population larger than that of Ashland City. 41 642 Resources of Tennessee. Pegram's Station, Kings) «^n Springs and Craggie Hope are small villages on the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad. All do a small trade in dry-goods and family groceries. Thomasville, on the Nash- ville and Clarksville Pike, has one store and a tobacco establishment, where several hundred hogsheads are put up annually. For the most part, the face of the county is hilly. Adjoining Rob- ertson and Montgomery counties, the hill land is quite productive, yielding well corn, wheat, oats and tobacco; while the valleys con- tiguous to the Sycamore, Half Pone and Barton's creeks, are rich and produce fine crops. The Davidson portion on the north side of the river is mostly broken and the hill land valuable only for the timber. The Marrowbone Creek bottoms are not as productive as those on the streams already mentioned. On the south side of Cumberland, the land on Harpeth River is exceedingly fertile, and on Sam's and Brush creeks is good. The greater portion of the county on the south side is hilly and almost mountainous. Half Pone, Barton and Marrowbone creeks on the north side of the Cumberland River are not valuable for milling purposes, not furnishing a sufficient quantity of water in the summer season. Sycamore Creek, also on the north side of the Cum- berland River, afiords a much better and more constant supply of water. This stream runs deeply below the general level of the country; its average depth being 140 feet. Its course is very winding. From its source in Sumner county, to its mouth on the Cumberland River, at Harpeth Shoals, it runs a distance of some sixty miles. It falls rap- idly and affords many valuable mill sites. Harpeth River and its tributaries on the south side of the Cumberland, have valuable water- power. On Harpeth is a very valuable one, known as the " Narrows of Harpeth." It is made by cutting across the very narrow neck of a bend in this stream, seven miles in its circuit. This is the site of the formerly celebrated iron works of Montgomery Bell. Hill land unimproved, sells from three to five dollars per acre. Im- proved land can be bought at from ten to fifty dollars per acre. Farms are generally in worse condition than they were before the war. The average yield of wheat per acre is ten bushels. No cotton is raised and very few peanuts. Corn will average about twenty-five bushels to the acre. About five per cent, of the cleared land has be- come waste, exhausted by a succession of corn crops and bad cultiva- tion. The average size of farms, cleared land, is about thirty acres. There has been but little attention paid to the raising of stock in the county, and hitherto the money crops have been most profitable. The Middle Ten7iessee. 643 soils on the rivers and creeks are well adapted to the raising of herds- grass, though clover has mostly been sown as a renovator. Turning plows have been almost exclusively used for breaking up as well as cultivating crops, but of late there has been a gradual intro- duction of shovel plows for the latter purpose. Farm stock is as varied as the tastes and fancies of the farmers ; mules, horses and oxen being indiscriminately used. Labor is rather scarce, and is gen- erally paid for in money. The usual terms when part of the crop is given, is for the land-owner to furnish the land, stock and provision for stock, and implements, and divide equally. Farm hands get from twelve to fifteen dollars and board per month ; factory hands one dol- lar to two dollars per day without board. Land generally rents for one-third the produce for grain crops. There is a great deal of un- improved land for sale in the county. Farm products are shipped to Nashville and Clarksville by river, and to Nashville in part by the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad, which is the only rail- road passing through any portion of our county, and that only through one corner. Stock, as a general thing, is rather common. Some are, however, introducing a few Essex, Berkshire and Chester hogs, and as a consequence marked improvements are noticeable in the increased amount of pork annually slaughtered. Sheep are not generally raised. The people are not sufficiently prepared with pasture land for their accommodation, and to let them run in the woods would expose them too much to the predatory attacks of the worthless curs. Building Material. Limestones adapted to building purposes are common, though of late years not much used, as brick seems to have superseded its use. There are large quantities of rock, called by the natives sandstone, that has never been brought into use as a building stone to any great extent. Manufactories. The largest manufacturing establishment in this county is that of the Sycamore Manufacturing Company. The works of the company are situated in a beautiful and picturesque valley of Sycamore Creek, four and a half miles north of the Cumberland River and about half way between Nashville and Clarksville. The water- ])owcr for the works is obtained by cutting across a very narrow neck of a bend in the creek. The stream in its course around this bend falls about fourteen feet, so that, with a dam fourteen feet in height, a head of water is obtained twenty-four feet in height, affording one of the best water-powers within sixty miles of Nashville. The principal business of this comj)any is the manufacture of gun-powder, although 644 Resources of Tennessee, they have in addition a saw mill of large capacity, and a flouring mill with a capacity to turn out about seventy-five barrels of flour per day. Prior to the war the manufacture of cotton yarn and cloth was carried on at Sycamore, but the machinery having been ruined by standing idle during the war, that branch of business has been abandoned and almost the entire attention of the present company is now given to the manufacture of gun-powder. Since the war the business has been or- ganized under a charter with a cash capital of $100,000, with authority in their charter to increase the same to $300,000. The permanent capital of the company has already been largely increased by the addi- tion to their mills of the entire machinery of the Confederate powder works at Augusta, Ga., which were very large and perfectly built. When this machinery is put into operation, (which will be done during the present year), the permanent capital of the company will be in- creased to very nearly the limit allowed by its charter, $300,000. The Augusta machinery has all been removed to Sycamore, and is now being put up. The buildings fbr the same are already completed. The build- ings for the incorporating mills, where there is the most danger of ex^ plosions, are six in number. They are massively built, the walls being of heavy limestone rock, five feet wide at the base and three feet wide at the top, with four buttresses on the outside of each wall three feet square. The buildings are open at opposite ends, so that in the event of an explosion, no other buildings will be in danger. To supply the want of water in seasons of great drought, there is a steam engine of 100 horse power for the powder mills, and a double steam engine of forty horse power for the other works. The capacity of the powder works, when the additional machinery is put into operation, will be 240 kegs or 6,000 pounds of blasting powder per day, or 3,000 pounds of sporting powder. The company has brought the quality of its sporting and blasting powder to great perfection, there being none made in the United States superior to it. Our State, as well as the whole south, has reason to be proud of the success of the company in this respect as well as of its success as a business enterprise. Upwards of thirty-five families, besides several single men, arc supported by the business of the company. It provides a room for religious services for its operatives, and a hall for the Good Templars, a temperance organization. It gives liberal support to schools, and has on its prem- ises boarding school buildings for boys, probably more spacious and cer- tainly superior in architectural beauty to any in the State. One practice has been adopted by this company worthy of imitation by all manu- Middle Tennessee. 645 facturing companies. They give to each head of a family at the close of the year, as a Christmas offering, a newspaper, to be selected by the operatives out of any newspapers published in the United States. North of Sycamore mills, about four miles, is a flouring mill with three runs of stones, wdiere a superior article of flour is manufactured. There are other smaller corn and flouring mills, and many saw'-mills in different parts of the county, but the manufacturing capacities of the county are but little developed. At the Narrows of Harpeth the manufacture of iron was formerly carried on extensively by Montgom- ery Bell. Four forge hammers were kept in constant operation. The iron made there was of a superior quality, and was the favorite iron for the manufacture of steam boilers. The ore beds are extensive, and .the ore, limonite, yielding about 45 per cent. These works are now in the hands of the widow of the last proprietor, and are not in oper- ation. The people are quite domestic in their habits, observing primitive customs and dress, and wear a great deal of home-made clothing. As a general thing farming is not as remunerative as it should be, for one reason, among others, that the farmers adhere with too much tenacity to old modes and customs, and do not keep up with the spirit of im- provement, noticeable in some other parts of the State. The great draw- back to farming is the lack of labor-saving -machinery, improved farm implements and a regular system of rotation of crops, very few paying any attention to these vital matters, continuing to run land in corn without using fertilizers or renovators until the soil is exhausted, then it is thrown out to grow up in sassafras and persimmon sprouts, while another field is cleared to undergo the same exhaustive process. Su- peradded to all is a shallow plowing, one-horse plows in a majority of cases being the rule, a subsoil plow being regarded as one of the va- garies of " book firming." Smaller Industries. The people pay but little attention to the smaller industries of life. Fruit-raising is only in its infancy, there being very few orchards worthy the name ; however, there is a marked improve- ment in this branch of industry of late years. Doubtless more fruit trees have been planted in Cheatham county in the last three years than in any ten years before. There was a spasmodic effort made about three years since in bee culture, but owing in part to the failnrc of the hive generally adopted, the interest soon died out, and now there is scarcely any effort made in that direction. Butter and cheese making, especially 646 Resources of Tennessee. the latter, has but a small place in the list of industries of the people of Cheatham county. Considerable numbers of chickens and eggs are annually shipped to Nashville and Clarksville. The grape has not been tried to any considerable extent, but from the character of the soil and the number of its favorable exposures, it might be success- fully cultivated. When proper care and diligence have been used, the apple and the peach do exceedingly well. There are no nurseries in this county, most of the trees planted here now are obtained from Da- vidson, Robertson and ]\Iontgomery counties, the people having pretty generally come to the conclusion to patronize home industry, at least so far as fruit trees are concerned. Timber, Immigrants, &c. The most valuable timbers are the va- rious kinds of oak, hickory, poplar, walnut, cherry and chestnut. The poplar, walnut and cherry timber is sawn into lumber and shipped to Nashville and Clarksville. Large quantities of saw logs are rafted to the latter place. Poplar and chestnut shingles, in large quantities, are also made and shipped to the above points. Many thousands of boards and staves are annually made and shipped, while a good many are made into flour, whisky and lard barrels for exportation. This is the principal use to which the oak timber is applied. Considerable numbers of wagon-spokes are also made of the white oak. The hick- ory timber is used for axe handles, spoke timber and axletrees, as also for hoop poles, which are shipped as above, though sometimes pipe staves are shipped direct to New Orleans. The people are favorably disposed to immigrants, and would kindly receive any who would help to develop the resources of the county. They have no use for that class who propose to live by their wits, at other people's expense, but if immigrants come to identify themselves with the fortunes of the county, a hearty welcome is extended to them. They will be made to feel at home, and as a part of the people. The county needs men of energy and public spirit to infuse new life into the various indus- tries. Tlie farmers are, as a general thing, not disposed to sell out their farms to immigrants, or any one else, but out of the abundance of unim])rovcd land, are willing to sell them homes on reasonable terms. The population is about fourteen thousand, and has increased in the last decade. There is but little concert of action among the farmers. They have no agricultural or mechanical associations. The county debt is about ^1,200, to meet which it has the taxes of this year, and real estate and notes for real estate, amply sufficient to meet it all. Upon a fair balance being struck, the county would l)e entirely out of debt. Middle Tennessee. 647 Schools. At the opening of the public schools, under the present law, there were some ten or twelve private schools, but poorly sus- tained. The public schools were continued for three months, thirty- six in number, about 1,400 children receiving instruction therein. There are now no colleges or academies in the county. Before the war there was one near Sycamore that commenced with fair prospect of success, but the war coming on, the enterprise was abandoned, and nothing now remains of it but the very extensive, convenient and well-arranged buildings, standing as a monument of the devastating effects of the late civil strife. Mineral springs are abundant. Kingston Springs, on the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad, furnishes red, white and black sulphur water; Sam's Creek, red and white sulphur. Harris' Sulphur Springs are about two miles from Ashland city. King's Sulphur Springs, and various others of less note, are in the county. There are plenty of saw and grist mills — among the latter two or three flouring mills — to supply the necessities of the county. The county has no poor-house ; what few paupers there are in the county are kept by appropriations made at the quarterly sessions of the county court. There is only one macadamized road in the county, and that only for a few miles. The dirt roads are not kept in good order. The soil is moderately fertile, and when properly cultivated, yields sufficiently for the support of a much larger population than we have at present. Education is rather at a low ebb. The present public school law meets with strong opposition, which is giving place to a better feeling. For assistance in the preparation of this county the Secretary is in- debted to S. D. Power. CLAY COUNTY. County Seat — Celina. This is a new county, created by the Constitutional Convention of 1870, and organized on the 17th day of December, in the same year. The territory was taken in nearly equal parts from the counties of Jackson and Overton. Three places were put in nomination for the county seat, Celina, Butler's Landing and Bennett's Ferry, but the 648 Resources of Tennessee. election resulted in favor of the first. The county comprises ten civil districts. Toions. Celina, liie county seat, is situated on Cumberland River, at the mouth of Obey's River, and for many years has been one of the most important points on the upper Cumberland. It is the depot and shipping point for a very rich agricultural region. The new court- house is one of the most substantial and elegant buildings in this part of the State. Celina is growing rapidly, but its present size is by no means commensurate with its commercial importance. Population, about 300. Butler's Landing is also on Cumberland River, below Celina, and is an important shipping point. Population, about seventy- five. Centreville is a quiet little village, in the north-western part of the county, within half a mile of the Kentucky line. It has several stores and shops, and a population of about seventy-five. Topography. The county is nearly a parallelogram, forty miles in length from east to' west, by twelve miles wide. In order to facilitate a correct understanding of its topography, it is best first to imagine a plain of the above dimensions, with a moderately undulating surface, nearly level in the west. Then imagine the middle of this plain cut diagonally across from north-east to south-west by a valley of irregular outline nearly 600 feet deep, and averaging a little more than one mile in breadth between the bases of the opposite hills. This is the valley of Cumberland River. Opening into it on the east side near the center of the county, is the long, winding valley of Obey's River, with a general direction from east to west. A number of smaller creeks emptying into these two rivers, have valleys of their own, extending outward, and separated from each other by ridges or fingers of the j)lain to which tlie general surface of the county has been referred. These ridges and the intervales may be compared to the teeth of a saw, broad at the base and growing gradually narrower toward the apex. It must not be supposed, however, that they are of uniform size or regular shape. Some of the valleys have branches ramifying back among the Highlands and breaking the surface of the plain irregularly. The extremities of some of the ridges have been cut off, leaving isolated knobs standing out in the valleys. It is worthy of remark that the ridges generally have flat tops, which are in the plain of the Highlands. In the eastern part of the county there are some ridges elevated con- siderably above this highland plain. Rocks, Soils and Timbers. The geological and agricultural features of the Highland plain, and of the valleys, are so different that we must Middle Tennessee. 649 consider them se])arately. In the eastern part, as alrt^ady observed, there are high hills, which are the termini of spurs or outliers of the Cumberland Table Land. The Mountain Limestone here gives the country a character similar to that of the belt extending all along the western base of the Table Land. The surface is broken, caves and sink-holes are common, and the soil is rich, lying on a strong clay sub- soil. The hills and hollows, except where the land has been cleared, are covered by forests of large trees, among which walnut, beech, pop- lar, buckeye, linden and several kinds of oaks are common. Further west, the Lithostrotian limestone continues to underlie the surface, often cropping out on the hillsides ; the country is rolling, and the soil is generally a rich, dark brown loam, with a red clay subsoil. North of Obey's River the red clay and limestone prevail to the Valley of the Cumberland, and even west of the latter there are extensive areas of red rolling lands reaching nearly to the western boundary of the county. All of this red land is naturally rich, and with good management its fertility will never be impaired. Even when worn out by slovenly farming and constant cropping, its recuperative power is wonderful. Hickory, beech, sugar maple and dogwood are common on the hillsides and in the hollows or basins, and oak and chestnut on the hills and ridges. These red lands occupy a larger proportion of the area of the county than any other one class. Though not held in such high es- teem as the river and creek bottoms, they possess many advantages over them. In other parts of this Highland plain, particularly in the south and west, sandstones prevail, and the lands are less fertile. The red clay gives place to a yellowish subsoil, which is so hungry that the effect of manuring is scarcely perceptible after the first or second season. In some places on the hills are extensive beds of siliceous chert, known locally as ''bastard flint." These gravelly soils are always leachy. Most of the timber consists of small post oaks and black oaks. But even in these parts red clay and limestone, afi^brding good lands, are found in spots. Small hickories are the prevailing timber in such places, and they are generally called "hickory barrens." In the north-west part of the county, on the head watei's of a creek which flows north-west into Barren River, the surface is more generally level, and there are some fine lands. In the valleys, the prevailing rocks are all limestones of a different kind from that which appears on the surface of the highlands. They belong, geologically, to the Nash- ville Group of the Lower Silurian, consequently the soils are like those in the Central Basin. This limestone underlies all of the vallevs and 650 Resources of Tennessee, outcrops on the sides of the hills about half way up on each side. It is highly fossiliferous, and by disintregation is continually adding to the fertility of the soil. In the valleys of the creeks, and also to some extent in the larger valleys, the soils have been modified by drift which comes down from the surrounding hills, so that they contain a larger proportion of sand than the same kind of soil otherwise situated. This sand mixed with the calcareous and argillaceous materials fur- nished by the rocks, niakes a very mellow, friable loam. Most of the creeks bring down also large quantities of chert, which gives a gravelly character to the soil where it is deposited. This gravel, however, rarely reaches out into the larger valleys in sufficient quantity to im- pair their quality. In the beds of all the creeks this chert is found in immense quantities. All along Cumberland and Obey's rivers there are alluvial bottoms of considerable extent. These are naturally the richest lands in the county. The deposits of fertilizing mud brought down by the river renew every year the waste of the soil, and some of them have for more than half a century continued to produce crops of corn every year with no manure, and without any decrease in the amount produced. But there are some disadvantages to counterbalance these good gifts. Fences are often carried away by high water. Not unfrequently, when the fields are ready to be planted, a sudden freshet in a few hours obliterates the work of many days, and in some cases growing crops are destroyed by an unseasonable overflow. Valleys. In this connection, a particular description of some of the principal valleys may not be out of place. The largest and most im- portant is that of Cumberland River. The part included in Clay county is fifteen miles long, with an average breadth of a little more than one mile. Crossing the State line a little east of north from Celina, it extends obliquely across the county in a direction rather more south than west. The numerous smaller valleys opening into it give to the escarpments on either hand a serrated character. The river meanders througli the valley, often crossing from side to side, and many towering cliffs rise perpendicularly from the water's edge to the heiglit of several hundred feet. In passing up or down the valley by land, it is necessary either to cross the river many times or to pass over these bluffs by rugged, toilsome roads. Obey's River Valley is, in its general chanK^ter, similar to that of Cumberland, ex(!ept that it is smaller. Reckoning from a few miles above the mouth of Wolf River, where it properly begins, it meanders first west south-west and then a little north of west, to the center of the county, where it opens Middle Tennessee. 651 into the Cumberland Valley at Celina. Following its serpentine coarse, the distance is perhaps thirty miles or more, but, in a direct line, not exceeding twenty. It has an average breadth, between the bases of the hills, of one-half to three-quarters of a mile. Mill Creek has a fine valley coming in on the east side below Celina. It is eight miles long, and averages nearly half a mile in width. Iron's Creek Valley, having about the same dimensions, comes into Obey's from the south, in the eastern part of the county. The line of the proposed South- western Railroad passes through this valley. Kettle Creek Valley comes into Cumberland from the north-west near the State line, about three miles of the lower end being in this county. It has an average breadth of half a mile. There are a number of less important valleys, all of which contain good farms. Of these, Mitchell's Creek, Proctor's Creek and Brimstone are the largest. Farms. The amount of waste land in the county is estimated at about one-third of the entire area. By waste land, we mean land that is yielding nothing. There is no farm, properly so called, less than eighty acres, and the largest perhaps never exceed two thousand acres. Two to three hundred acres in a farm are not uncommon. The small farms are almost always cultivated exclusively by the owners, while on those that are large hired labor is employed to a greater or less ex- tent. Labor is scarce. The negroes, of whom in slavery times there were large numbers, have nearly all left the county, and but few laboring men have come in to supply their place. Wages for farm hands range from $10 to $20 per month, and there is no difficulty in finding employment. Good, well improved farms on the uplands can be bought at five to ten dollars per acre. In the valley, prices range considerably higher. Twenty to fifty dollars may be taken as the limits. The prices, of course, are governed by various considerations, such as quality of land, value of im]:>rovements and location. Farm improvements are scarcely as good as at the beginning of the war, and lands are not generally in so high a state of cultivation. This falling off is due mainly to the scarcity of labor. But most of the farmers are enterprising and indus- trious, and are regaining, as fast as circumstance, and the means at their command will permit, their former degree of prosj)erity. Unim- proved lands vary in value from one dollar to thirty dollars per acre, the latter are, of course, in the valleys. We would recommend, as a means of supplying the lack of labor, a more extensive use of labor- saving machinery than is now common. On most of the firms (hills. 652 Resources of Tennessee. gang plows and reapers could be used with great advantage. Two- horse turning plows are now in common use. Subsoiling is often done with a home-made gopher plow. We are not aware that there are any hill-side plows in the county. Single and double shovels are commonly used in cultivating the crops. The latter are increasing in popularity. Horses or mules are generally used for drawing plows. Oxen are em- ployed for carting, and sometimes for heavy plowing. Large land- owners often let a part of their farms to tenants, either for money- rents or on shares. Sometimes farms are leased for several years. Money-rents vary, according to quality of land, from two to seven dol- lars per acre. Those who cultivate land on shares usually pay to the owner one-third of the crop for ordinary, and one-half for best lands. If the owner furnishes an outfit, he has an allowance for that. Crops. The leading crops in the order of their importance are corn, tobacco, clover and grasses, wheat, oats and rye. Potatoes and tur- nips are also raised to some extent as field crops. About one-tenth of the cultivated land is kept in grass, of which almost all is meadow. Some grass is sown for pasture, but not to any considerable extent. Old meadows that have become foul are often plowed up and planted, but not generally for the purpose of enriching the land. Clover is sometimes used as a green manure, but by no means so generally as it should be. In the rich alluvial bottoms, no crop can compete with corn. It may be grown on the same field year after year without any apparent decrease in the quantity produced. Eighty bushels per acre are common, and 100 are sometimes reached on the best lands. This brings a net income of thirty to fifty dollars per acre. Such farming pays. On the Highlands tobacco is the leading crop, and its produc- tion is annually increasing. We have no statistics by which to esti- mate the amount raised, but Clay county, according to area and popu- lation, no doubt, ranks among the largest tobacco-producing counties. Considerable quantities of wheat are shipped. The Walker variety of red wheat originated a few miles below Celina. It is still quite popu- lar, but the Tappahannock is taking the lead since the white varieties have become fashionable. The Mediterranean, also, has many friends. JJivie Stock. l^^)r the county at large there is nothing more profitable than tlu! rearing of live stock, and many of the largest farmers make it the heading husiness. Horses and muk\s in consitk'rable numbers are driven to the southern market every year. IJut little effort has yet been made to improve the stock of horses. There are in the county Middle Tennessee. 653 several stallions with approved pedigrees, but a large majority of the horses are of unknown lineage. There are three Spanish jacks in the county. Scrub cattle are still common on the hills, but most of those in the river valleys are Short-horns and grades. Many fine animals have been brought from the '' blue-grass region" of Kentucky. Clay county, also, boasts a race of hogs superior to the common stock. In the valleys very few are to be found, except Berkshires and grades. But villainous looking razor-backs still roam over the ridges. Sheep are not numerous. Most of the old stock have been killed by dogs, butchered for mutton or sold out of the county. The number which fall a prey to the dogs every year is estimated at one-fourth of all in the county. There is no effectual remedy but a wholesome dog law. Many farmers would be glad to embark in the business of sheep-breed- ing on a large scale, if they could have protection for their property. Large areas of land might be utilized in this way that are now value- less. The sheep now on hand are generally good, and farmers are buy- ing of the improved breeds. Smaller Industries, Household Manufactures, &c. Fruit growing has not received the attention that it deserves, and good orchards are not so common as in some other counties in this part of the State. Even the fruit that is produced is generally allowed to waste, very little being dried or canned. Butter-making receives more attention. With better facilities for transportation, dairying would be quite profitable. Poultry and eggs are sold in considerable numbers. Articles of home manufacture include jeans, linsey, home-made carpets, cotton and woollen socks, and many other articles used in the family or on the farm. Transportation and Markets. There are few counties in the State more favored by nature, in regard to facilities for transportation. Cumberland River is navigable for steamers for about seven months in the year. During the winter and spring, boats run regularly. Obey's River is navigable for small steamers to the eastern border of the county, usually for three months or more. Most of the products are carried to market by water, and merchandise is brought up from Nashville in the same way, during the boating season. When the water is low it is carried in wagons either from Nashville or from Glasgow, Kentucky. Streams and Water-power. The rivers have already been sufficiently described. The creeks are all so much alike that a general description 654 Resources of Tennessee. will suffice. Several small streams flowing from off the Highlands, unite their waters in or near the head of the valley. The volume of water is increased by springs and by other streams coming in on either hand. It is now a creek, and meanders gracefully through the quiet valley, often leaving the bases of one or the other of the opposite hills, while a broad bottom, usually a level field, stretches out on the other side. The banks are low, and generally comjjosed of chert mixed with sand. The sides and bottom of the channel are unusually noth- ing but chert. From this general character it will be seen that the streams do not offer many advantages for manufacturing. Some of the streams, which are of considerable size where they come down from off the Highlands, afford good powers. Irvin's Creek has several mills, Mill Creek has two in Clay county. Both of these have their head waters in Overton county. Most of the mills are run by steam. Of these there are five saw-mills, three grist-mills, a planing-mill and a carding-machine. Minerals. In the neighborhood of Irvin's Creek, and lying partly m Overton county, there is a ridge which is believed to contain exten- sive beds of iron ore. It has been dug into at several places, and rich specimens obtained, but none of the ore has been worked. It is near the line of the Southwestern Railroad. Another iron region is reported to exist in the northern part of the county, but of its extent or value we have no accurate information. The completion of this railroad, which we hope will not be long deferred, would afford an opportunity for developing whatever valuable minerals exist. The Black Shale which underlies the sandstone of the Highlands and crops out on the sides of the hills, and is often exposed in the beds of the streams, con- tains alum and copperas, and it is possible that these substances might be profitably eliminated. The Black Shale is also the source of sul- phur springs, particularly in the eastern part. Petroleum oozes from the same formation at several points in the county. These are called oil springs. They occur on Brimstone Creek in the south-west, on Sulphur Creek in the north, and on Mill Creek in the south. There is an oil well on Mill Creek, from wliich several barrels of petroleum have been obtained. Miscellaneous. The area of the county is one hundred and ninety- five square miles, nearly. No census has been taken since the county was formed, so that we are unable to give the exact population, but basing an estimate upon that of the neighboring counties, it is, in round numbers, 6,000, l)eing about thirty to the square mile. The scholastic Middle Tennessee. 655 ]iopulation is nearly 2,000. The public schools are working success- iully in every district, and the means of education are within reach of all. There is at Celina a county academy, where a good school is reg- ularly kept. At Concord, ten miles north-west of Celina, there is a good private school, which has been carried on regularly since the war. Philomath Institute, near the Cumberland River, seven miles below Celina, has been open most of the time. The taxes and restrictions on the sale of tobacco are a subject of complaint, and the means of trans- portation are not so good as is desirable. But the farmers generally are well contented, and there is not much disposition to move away. We believe that, in general, they are as prosperous as their brethren in any part of the State. There has been but little immigration, but the citizens would gladly welcome to their midst enterprising and indus- trious people from any quarter, and will treat them as they do their neighbors and friends. Other items of interest may be obtained by consulting chapter xxii. COFFEE COUNTY. County Seat — Manchester. This county was originally composed of fractions of Warren, Frank- lin and Bedford, and was organized May 2, 1836. At an election held in March previous, the following magistrates were elected from the ten (now fourteen) civil districts into which the county was divided, to-wit : Adam Rayburn, John G. Walker, Alfred Ashley, John Lusk, Larkin Burnham, Robert S. Rayburn, Alexander Downey, James Yell, Gabriel Jones, William Hodge, Johnson Garrett, Josiah Berry, John Charles, William Montgomery, Wade Strand, Lecil Bobo, John W. Camden, Jesse AVooten, James M. Arnold and William Holmes. John W. Camden was elected chairman, and the following officers were required to come forward and give bonds, with security, and be qualified for their several duties at the first term of the County Court, in May, 1836: G. W. Richardson, Circuit Court Clerk; Daniel McLean, County Court Clerk ; John Bell, Sheriff ; James A. Brantley, Register ; Moses F. White, Trustee ; and William P. Harris, Coroner. The first term of the Circuit Court was begun on the first Monday in May, 1836, Judge Samuel Anderson presiding. The unpretending log residence of a private citizen served as a temple of justice for the time. 656 Resources of Tennessee. Towns and Villages. Manchester, the seat of justice, was laid out on lands given by Andrew Erwin for that purpose, on a high, beautiful level, about half a mile above the great falls, on the banks of the Bark Camp Fork of Duck River, on an elevation of about 650 feet above Nashville, and in sight of the Cumberland Mountain range, some ten miles to the east and south-east. The population in 1870 was about 600, with the usual public buildings, one college, and primary schools to which all the scholastic population may have access on easy terms. There are four churches in the place, and the community are noted for their uniform attendance on public worship. The Democrat, published here, is the county paper, and seems to be living. The old court-house, destroyed by fire in December, 1870, has been replaced by one of the most beautiful and conveniently ari'anged in the State. There are six business houses in Manchester, doing good business, though, since the destruction of the paper mill in October, .1873, there is not as much done as before, especially in the shipping trade. The hotel has lately changed hands, and is to be entirely refitted and refurnished. Tullahoma is a flourishing town on the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, where the McMinnville and Manchester Railroad terminates, and is a place of considerable trade, with an orderly, progressive pop- ulation. Situated on the Highland Rim, at an elevation of some 600 feet above Nashville, it is, on the whole, the most desirable location within the same distance of Nashville, as a summer residence — prover- bially healthy at all seasons of the year, with churches and schools of a high order for the education of the youth of the place and the county. Near the town there are a woolen factory, a spoke and hub factory, be- sides other smaller manufacturing industries, all doing a prosperous business. Its location and population give promise of a large manu- facturing town at no distant day. The hotel is now being refitted and enlarged for the accommodation of summer visitors who may resort there as a pleasant summer retreat. The place has been gradually growing since the war. Its business men are wide aAvake, alive to the interest of Tullahoma, and are putting forth their best energies to make it what they deem it should be M'ith such surroundings and advantages. Success to their energy and enterprise ! By an oversight, this place is put down in the map as in Moore county. It should be in CoiFee. Beech Grove, in the north-western jiortion of the county, on the Garrison Fork of Duck River, was so called by the late "William S. Watterson, on whose land it stood, and by whom its improvements Middle Tennessee. 657 were made to accommodate the trade of that section lo«g before a new county was thought of. It was then Bedford county. The country around is very productive and thickly settled, consequently Beech Grove has been, and still is a prosperous village, with stores, churches, and school houses, and is the center of a very lucrative business. No section of the State was more prosperous before the war ; but, having been the camping ground of both armies, and subject to all the waste that followed, it has not been so prosperous since. However, the soil remains, the waste is gradually being repaired, and her people hope soon to recover their wonted prosperity. The best lands in the county lie in the neighborhood of Beech Grove, while the owners are generally the most progressive and intelligent farmers in the county. A narrow gauge railroad from Wartrace to Woodbury, through Beech Grove, is in contemplation. Hillsboro, in the south-eastern section of the county, eight miles from Manchester, was formerly in Franklin county, and was at one time a place of active trade, with a number of stores and workshops, churches and schools, but now not so prosperous, as most of the trade has been transferred to Manchester and Tuilahoma, on the line of the McMinnville and Manchester Railroad. Summitville is a village situated on the highest point between Nash- ville and McMinnville, on the McMinnville and Manchester Railroad, eight miles from Manchester, near Flat Mountain. It is a thriving place, with an orderly and industrious population, and is beautifully lo- cated. The Flat Mountain lands are equal in fertility to the best on the Cumberland Plateau, with an abundance of the best timber and limestone rock. Pocahontas is a small village in the north-east of the county, in the " Barrens," without much trade or population. Needmore is a village of recent origin, eight and a half miles north of Manchester, on Noah's Fork of Duck River. The country around it is good, and the denizens of the foot-hills find it a very convenient point for the exchange of their products for supplies of goods and groceries. The water-power near Manchester is, for many reasons, probably the best in the State. It is easy of access, being hardly a mile from the depot of the McMinnville and Manchester Railroad, at Manchester, "with an excellent road sloping gradually to the river, and most con- veniently situated in almost every respect. The supply of water of 42 658 Resou7'ces of Tennessee. the smaller stream nearest ^Manchester, the Bark Camp Fork of Duck River, is constant, being furnished from a number of springs near the town, no loss or inconvenience is occasioned during the summer months from low water, nor is there any danger in winter from fresh- ets or freezes. The Bark Camp Fork, as before stated, takes its rise a short distance above town, and is increased by the town springs. It has a succession of falls for nearly a mile, making in the aggregate a descent of more than one hundred feet in that distance. The bed of the stream is on solid rock. At the first and principal fall it cuts through the bed of Black Shale. At this point the large flouring mill of W. S. Huggins formerly stood. It was destroyed by fire in the fall of 1871, and has never been rebuilt. Below where the mill stood, the stream makes an S-shaped curve, falls rapidly, and affords great water- power, which could easily be made available. The large stream — the Barren Fork — rises some ten or fifteen miles away in the Barrens, and, flowing westwardly, approaches to within one or two hundred yards of the Bark Camp Fork, opposite the first fall mentioned, and then rushes downward in a succession of falls, similar to those described, for half a mile, to the point at which the streams unite. On this large stream, and just below the first fall, were situated the extensive paper mills of the Whiteman Brothers, burned last October. Between the two rivers, here flowing nearly parallel, is the ridge or backbone upon which the Old Stone Fort is situated. The two streams afford the amplest power for any kind of machinery, the most conclusive evi- dence of which is the fact that, in a report made thirty years ago by the Secretary of War, it was recommended as favorable in all respects for the location of a United State's armory, and rejected only because of its distance from navigation and railroads at that time. Under the direction of the Secretary, two careful surveys were made by United State's engineers, the last of which was made in the winter of 1840 or 1841, by Cols. Long and Armistead and their assistants, and the loca- tion reported to Congress as favorable in all respects — water, timber, soil and health. The streams were measured and weighed, showing that they afforded ample motive power to move all machinery required in a United State's armory. This is proof conclusive as to the suffi- ciency of motive power to drive machinery for the largest class of fac- tories or mills. The report is not at hand, but the writer was cogni- zant of the survey, saw the report, and recollects distinctly the facts. At that time, we had not thought of railroads in Tennessee. If we had then had the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, we should now Middle Tennessee. ' 659 have an armory at Old Stone Fort on the Great Falls of Duck River. Copperas Cave. A short distance west of Manchester, on the Bark Camp Fork, below the site of the flouring mills, is " Copperas Cave," so called. It is a great rock-house or opening under a huge shelving rock. The shelving or projecting rock above is a mixture of flint and limestone. Below this is the bed of Black Shale, by the disintegration and removal of which the cave has been formed. At the bottom is a great bed of blue limestone. The width of the cave, or excavation between the flinty limestone above and the blue limestone below, in- creases from the outer ends of the cave to the center. The cave is semi-circular, and lies beneath a considerable precipice, over which a stream of water pours, falling fifty feet right at the center of the arc, and is dashed into spray on the rocks below. During the summer months, this forms a delightful and wholesome shower bath, and is a favorite resort for the citizens of Manchester at eventide. In winter it forms a solid icicle, colossal in its proportions and beautiful in its pris- matic colors. Under the circular canopy of Copperas Cave large par- ties congregate in summer on picnic excvirsions, and the sound of music and the gayety of the dance are enjoyed in a temperature a little under seventy degrees, while the thermometer marks nearly one hundred degrees in the town above. The coolness of the atmosphere, the cheer- fulness of the waterfall, the roaring of the cataracts in Bark Camp Fork a hundred yards distant, the frowning cliffs and the beauty of the forests, all lend a fascination to the scene, and make it a delightful retreat from the heat and toils and dust of a summer's day. The dis- integrated shale is rich in copperas and alum, and during the war per- sons came from a great distance to procure the debris for dyeing pur- poses. With the natural advantages offered, we see no reason why an establishment for the manufacture of copperas and alum may not be made profitable near Manchester. Surely, if it can be manuflictured in New England and shipped to the South and sold at a profit, it can be made here at a profit, if nothing is realized but the cost of transporta- tion. While the late Dr. Troost was State Geologist, which was about the year 1837, he visited Coffee county, and made a report on the soil, timber and minerals. He reported iron ore of the most superior quali- ty in more than one place. He described one locality below Man- chester, near the mouth of Compton's Creek, as having ore banks suffi- cient to warrant the erection of a large furnace, with all the timber close by to work it, and then water-power enough in the stream to work up the iron, or to put it in shape to meet the demands of the 66o Resources of Tennessee. country. He gave the names and analyses of the two kinds of ore- near Manchester. That found in the bed of the river about the falls he described as most desirable in quality, but not so abundant in quan- tity. In the same report, he spoke of the inexhaustible beds of alumi- nous shale at the falls, dwelt on its commercial value, and gave the mode of making the alum of commerce from it. 8iom Fort, one of the ancient ruins of an extinct race, lies between the rivers, enclosing an area of thirty-seven acres, with its regular gateway opposite the Great Falls. Its walls of loose stone, covered with earth, on which trees thought to be five hundred years old are growing, are evidently not the work of the same hands that built the mounds that are so numerous in Tennessee, and no Indian looking from his happy hunting ground can claim them as his own. It is more probable that they were erectod by the same people that left such evi- dences of civilization in Mexico. The interest attaching to the Stone Fort, as a relic of a past age, cannot be easily exhausted, but so much has been written as to its probable builders, and the date of its ereo- tion, which is at best mere surmise, that we decline to enter a field where, not having even the stories of old men to guide us, we must be lost in a labyrinth of conjecture. All we know is that an intelligent race of people once existed within its confines. Lands. The lands in the northern or north-western section of the county, known as the Beech Grove country, are not surpassed in pro- ductive fertility by any lands in the State. The country is beautifully diversified with hill and valley, abounding in springs of pure water^ through which the Garrison and Noah's Fork of Duck River passes, and affording numerous small mill privileges after their descent from the Highlands into the Central Basin, which are occupied by grist-mills, saw- mills and wool-carding factories. The soil is admirably adapted to the production of corn, wheat, rye, barley, oats and hemp. The grasses — clover, timothy, herd's-grass and orchard-grass — grow in the most lux- uriant profusion, as the meadows and grazing fields of Mr. A. B» Robertson and others abundantly show. The fruits also here find a congenial home. Apples, peaches, pears, plums, cherries, and particu- ticularly the grape, all bear abundantly, and might, under competent culture, be made profitable industries. The small fruits may also be produced in great abundance. Timber. The tinii)or in this ])ortion of the county is beech, sugar maple, elm, ash, hackberry, black walnut, white walnut, cherry, mul- Middle Tennessee. 66 1 berry, yellow poplar, (six or seven feet in diameter) pawpaw, black locust, honey locust, buckeye, linn, white and black haw, etc. All these varieties, besides some that are not enumerated, cover the lands that have not been cleared. The rocks are the same found everywhere in the Basin — the blue limestone and shell limestone. This description applies to all the lands on the waters of Duck River in the county below the Highland Rim, or that portion of the county lying in the Great Central Basin of Mid- dle Tennessee. The Rim or Highlands come next in order, which are higher as you approach the base of Cumberland Table Land, of which, in fact, this is the first bench. , Here the country is compara- tively level, capable under careful cultivation of producing a large variety of crops, but not so Avell adapted to the production of the cereals as the lands in the north and north-west sections of the county, yet all the cereals grow here, and, when Avell cultivated, in all cases make fair average yields as compared Avith other counties, with the single exception of Indian corn, and the best of these barren lands pro- duce average corn crops. No lands in the State make more produc- tive meadows or better hay from timothy and herds-grass than the best of these flat lands ; and many })ersons regard this as among the best tobacco regions in Tennessee. The yield is heavy, and of a quality far superior to that grown on the strong limestone lands below ; in fact, equal to the best grown in Virginia or North Carolina. No one can doubt this who has witnessed its gro^vth upon a soil where hickory, post oak, white oak, dogwood, etc., is found. An analysis of the soil Avould doubtless show the same properties as the tobacco lands of Vir- ginia and Kentucky. The same class of lands produces large crops of the finest short staple cotton, and at one time large crops of both cot- ton and tobacco were produced in Coffee county on these elevated lands. The lands in the southern and south-eastern portion of the county are excellent in quality, and well adapted to stock-raising. Along the base of Cumberland Table Land the lands are much more productive than in what is called the Barrens, and corn, wheat, etc., are raised in abundance. This is a thickly settled and highly cultivated section, and although on what is known as the Barrens, it is yet slightly de- pressed, forming a beautiful valley between the Barrens and the moun- tain, where the lands, especially on Bean's and Bradley's creeks, are all tillable and very productive, and for cotton and tobacco are equal to the best lands in the State. 662 Resources of Tennessee. CUMBERLAND COUNTY. CouisTTY Seat — Crossville. Cumberland county was created by act of the General Assembly of Tennessee, in the year 1856. The first court was held at Crossville, which was selected as the county seat. The territory of the new county was taken from the counties of White, Van Buren, Bledsoe, Rhea, Roane, Morgan and Putnam. Crossville, the county seat, is the only town in the county. It is situated on the Cumberland Table Land, nearly midway between Sparta and Rockwood. It has a popu- lation of about seventy-five, two stores, a good hotel, post-office, and a wagon shop. The public buildings are a court-house and a jail, the latter of which is rarely used. Topography. The topography of the county is comparatively sim- j)le, there being less variety than in any other county in this part of the State. With the exception of a small part of the head of Se- quatchie Valley, it all lies on the Cumberland Table Land. The sur- face is generally level or undulating, and thinly wooded. In many places there are glades of greater or less extent, which are, in fact, small prairies, destitute of timber, and covered with coarse, rank grass. The superabundance of water in the soil and on the surface is the cause of the absence of timber. Besides the glades there are ex- tensive flats, covered mainly with post oak and black jack. The ridges and hills, which, with a few exceptions, are but little elevated above the general level, are often gravelly, and sustain a larger and more dense growth of timber, among which are several valuable varieties of oaks, chestnut, hickory, white poplar, pine, and sometimes elm and maple. The larger streams generally flow in narrow valleys, de- pressed, more or less, below the general level, and the abutting hills are often very rugged and steep. In their neighborhood the surface is usually very much broken on each side. In some places there are knobs and ridges rising to a considerable elevation above the Table Land. The most remarkable of these is Crab Orchard Mountain, which has an elevation of 1,000 feet above the mountain plateau on which it rests, being, in fact, a mountain on top of a mountain. Be- ginning near Big Emory River, it extends south-westwardly, rising gradually till an elevation of 1,000 feet above the Table Land is at- tained alcove Crab Orchard Gaj), tlirougii which the road from Cross- ville to Kingston passes. At this gap it is cut completely in twain, Middle Tennessee. 663 leaving room for a large farm between the abutting ends. Continuing its course in the same direction, but having a less elevation, it is ab- ruptly cut in two at another point a few miles from the last by Grassy Cove. This cove is one of the most remarkable topographical features of the Table Land. Here we have between the two opposing ends of the mountain a beautiful and fertile valley eight miles in its greatest diameter from north-east to south-west, and four miles wide. It is de- pressed 300 feet below the average elevation of the Table Land, by which it is completely surrounded. The Crab Orchard Mountain, beginning again at the south-west end of the cove, continues in a direct line to its abrupt termination at the head of Sequatchie Valley. About three miles of the head of Sequatchie Valley are included in Cumberland county, which is the only part of the county not on the Table Land. Though comprising but a small part of the area, it contains a very large part of the population and wealth. The surrounding mountain sides, or more properly, the escarpments of the Table Land bifurcate immedi- ately at the terminus of Crab Orchard Mountain, each forming a crest, which is higher and more distinctly marked on the south-eastern or Walden's Ridge side. By their gradual divergence greater width is given to the valley, until at the county line it has a breadth of about one mile. The depression of the valley below the level of the Table Land is about 1,000 feet. Its surface is considerably broken, but there is little of it too rugged for cultivation. Soih. The prevailing rocks of any region give character to the soil. The entire surface of the Table Land, with a few exceptions, lies upon sandstone and conglomerate. Most of the county has, therefore, a light sandy soil, with but little humus, and i^ greatly deficient in cal- careous matter and other elements of fertility. In some places the subsoil is a yellowish red clay, strong enough to bear improvement, and responds readily to generous treatment, but the elements of fertil- ity must be supplied before it can produce satisfactory crops. On such sites good farms can be made by penning cattle on each field until it becomes thoroughly fertilized. But we cannot undertake to defend the capabilities of these lands for the production of grain. The ex- pense of adding a sufficient quantity of lime to the soil would more than pay for good lands where nature has supplied it. For the pro- duction of fruits, grasses, root crops and most garden vegetables they are scarcely surpassed. There are other places where the subsoil is yellow, sometimes inclining to blue or white. It is frequently so porous that a walking-cane may, with little effort, be thrust in to the 664 Resources of Tennessee. head. Of course no amount of manure "would satisfy its craving hun- ger. But even these lands are not without their value. They might be converted into extensive sheep-walks, and made to yield a return scarcely less than that from those more favored by nature. Besides these two leading classes of mountain lands, we may consider the wet lands along the small streams and in the glades as another possessing peculiar characteristics. Their color, when wet, is a dark blue, some- times nearly black, but when dried they assume an ashen hue. Blue clay generally accompanies them as a substratum. They are now re- garded as of little value, and the few experiments that have been tried upon them have generally been without satisfactory results. The ab- sence of timber, except a few valueless kinds which delight in water, has added to the disrepute in which they are held. We do not like to venture an opinion which contravenes the experience of nearly all who have tried ex})eriments upon them, but may it not be that those experi- ments have failed because their peculiarities have not been well under- stood ? So far as we have been able to learn, the efforts to improve them have been limited to draining off the water. This, of course, must be done, but this is not all. Their sourness must be corrected. The partially decayed vegetable matter which they contain in large quantity is too acid to nourish the growth of any plants, except hardy and gross feeders. This acid must be neutralized by the liberal use of some alkali, and for this purpose there is nothing better than wood ashes. But while the population is so sparse and lands are so cheap, we cannot expect much effort at improvement. The want of humus in the soils of the Table Land is owing in part to the annual fires in the woods, which consume all the leaves and dried grass and other combustible material, and leave the ground bare. These fires are kindled by the people to facilitate, as they say, the early growth of the grass. It is true that it leaves the surface very smooth and clean, and we will not deny that pasturage is thereby ob- tained a few days sooner. But we cannot commend the practice, for it destroys the only natural source of fertility, and causes the land to grow poorer and poorer every year. Another evil growing out of this bar- barous custom, is the injury thereby done to the timber, and particu- larly to the valuable chestnut trees, most of which are ruined before the time when they should be most vigorous and fruitful. As an evi- idence of the injurious effects on the soil, we may observe that the north hill-sides, where the forest debris, being less exposed to the sun, is often too wet to burn, are always more fertile than lands otherwise Middle Tennessee. 665 eituated. Along some of the larger creeks there are narrow bottoms, depressed more or less below the general surface of the county. The lands in such situations, though light, are tolerably productive, and where they are not encumbered with masses of round water- worn rocks, are easy of cultivation. The anticlinal dip of the strata in the Crab Orchard range shows that it has been upheaved by a fold- ing of the earth's crust. By this means the mountain limestones, which lie under the cap rock of sandstones and conglomerates, have been brought up into, and even above, the plane of the Table Land, and where the superimposed formations have been removed by denuda- tion, as at Crab Orchard Gap and Grassy Cove, they appear on the surface and give character to the soil. Consequently we have, at these places, lands similar to those in the limestone region along the western base of the Table Land. Grassy Cove is worthy of especial mention. Its fertile soil and other advantages as an agricultural region have been admired by all visitors, and it has been not inaptly called "The Gem of the Mountain." There are in it several excellent farms, the best of which is owned by Mr. Stratton, who is becoming famous as a breeder of Devon cattle. The head of Sequatchie Valley has already been spoken of at some length, and it only remains to add that the soils are, without exception, good, being derived from calcareous rocks, and for many years have continued to produce good crops of corn, small grain, grasses and fruits. The lower slopes of the surrounding mountains are covered with heavy forests of timber, among which many valuable varieties, such as walnut, ash, yellow poplar, wild cherry and several varieties of oaks are abundant. Farms and Crops. The Table Land, as an agricultural region, is not in the best repute, and we cannot deny that it will suffer by compari- son with any other natural division of the State ; but, at the same time, we believe that its advantages have been too much under-valued. The price of lands is very low, and a very large proportion of tlie area of the county is yet unimproved. The farms, generally, consist of a few small cleared fields on a tract of several hundred acres. Not unfre- quently from one to twenty thousand acres in a body are owned by a single proprietor. Of course it is not often profitable to the owners, and it has become a common saying that "the more mountain land a man owns, the poorer he is." Much of it has been sold and resold, time and again, for taxes, and many law suits result from conflicting titles. About the only profitable use that is made of these large tracts of waste land, is as a summer range for cattle and sheep from the 666 Resources of Tennessee. farms in the valleys. Ranches or "cow-pens" may be met with at many places, which, during the season of pasturage, are occupied by the herdsmen, who vary the monotony of tending the cattle with hunt- ing deer, bear and wild turkies. But there are some good, well im- proved farms on the Table Land, which yield to their thrifty and indus- trious owners a comfortable living, and wq are glad to note the fact that the number of these is every year increasing. The leading crops at present cultivated are Irish potatoes, corn, rye, oats, buckwheat, tobacco, sorghum, sweet potatoes, turnips and beans. Most garden vegetables grow in perfection, but as there is no market, their produc- tion is limited. It is a notable truth that almost everv thina: that will grow on the mountain is of better quality than the same article pro- duced elsewhere. This is especially true of Irish potatoes, the meali- ness and fine flavor of which cannot be surpassed. By the use of fer- tilizers and good cultivation grain can be successfully grown. Expe- riments in this line have been tried to a considerable extent within the past five or six years, resulting in one instance in the production of thirty bushels of wheat per acre. Mediterranean and Walker wheats are the varieties generally cultivated. A very satisfactory proof of the nutritive qualities of the wild grasses is found in the fact that cattle, sheep and horses fatten on them rapidly and easily. The various cultivated grasses do well with fliir treatment. This is partic- ularly true of red-toi3 and orchard-grass. The soil and climate are also favorable to red clover and timothy, and with good farming, they are generally successful. Grasses are usually mown, sometimes pas- tured, but rarely or never given to the soil as manure. The amount of land appropriated to the cultivated grasses is much smaller than it should be. In the ante bellum period, Mr. J.W. Dodge, who resided a few miles west of Crossville, " made himself and the mountain famous " by raising su[)erb apples, which carried oif the prizes at fairs in all parts of the State. His worthy example has been followed by many others, and ()i'('liai-(ls, producing fruit of (juality far superior to the same varie- ties grown in higher latitudes, are now quite common. It is now an admitted fact tiiat fruits grown in a sandy soil are richer in saccharine matter than those of the same name grown in a limestone or clay soil. Gra[)es have been tested sufficiently to show that they can be success- fully gi'own. All varieties of fruit, which are adapted to a temperate climate, can be profitably cultivated on the Table Land, and as a corre- spondent truthfully remarks, "it is easy to have a thrifty orchard where you cannot have a good cornfield." Middle Tennessee. 667 Live Stock. But the rearing of live stock will probably continue to be the leading and most profitable pursuit of the people of Cumber- land county. The " range " of the woods aifords unlimited pasturage, and the natural meadows, or glades, furnish coarse hay of good quality. The glades and wet lands along the smaller streams, when drained, make the best of meadows, and if the farmers would give more atten- tion to the cultivation of grass, they would find it much more profita- ble, and better for forage than cut corn, Avhich is now the chief reliance. But little effort has yet been made to introduce the improved breeds of stock. The common, or scrub breeds, are generally good of their kind, but there is an increasing desire to improve them by crossing with the different varieties of thoroughbreds which have been intro- duced since the war. Essex and Berkshire hogs are scattered in con- siderable numbers over the county, and have made their influence felt in producing a race of superior animals, instead of the native "razor- backs," which, for generations, have depended on the mast alone for a subsistence. The greatest difficulty in the way of swine-breeding, is the frequent destruction of young pigs by foxes and other vermin. The breeding of sheep is subject to the same casualties, and to a still greater extent, in consequence of which but few are kept. The sheep is remarkably healthy and long-lived on the Table Land, and nature has done everything to render this department of husbandry profitable, if some means could be devised for their protection from dogs and vermin. A dog tax, however, would not be popular in the county at present. The effort to improve the breed of sheep is limited to the re- cent introduction of a few Merinos. Mr. Stratton, of Grassy Cove, has gained considerable reputation as a breeder of Devons, and sev- eral fine animals from his herd have gone to improve the stock of cat- tle in neighboring parts of East Tennessee. Mr. Wilson, in the same neighborhood, breeds Short-horns, but the Devons are generally pre- ferred by the farmers of the Table Land, and wisely we think. In the head of Sequatchie Valley, where the soil is rich and blue-grass grows freely. Short-horns would perhaps be more profitable. Status of Agrk'idtiire. Considerable improvement has been made since the war in the kind of farm implements used, and the modes of cultivation. But " bull-tongue" plows still have some advocates. Double shovels arc gaining in popularity, and coming into general use. Two-horse turning plows are common, but larger ones are rarely iVsed. Subsoiling is not believed to be advantageous, and is rarely or never practiced. On lands so light and loose as those of the Table Land, it is 668 ResotiJ^ces of Tennesee. not best to plow too deep, and, indeed, the chief difficulty is to render the ground sufficiently compact. For this purpose the roller, which is now almost unknown, might be used with great advantage. Most of the plowing is done with horses and mules. When the work is unusu- iilly heavy, as it always is in the boggy land, oxen are used. Very few farmers ever employ any hired labor, except on extraordinary oc- casions, and even then the extra help is usually obtained by "swap- ping work." The average of wages is from eight to ten dollars per month. In a few cases, fifteen dollars has been paid for the best hands. Wages per diem are usually seventy-five cents where the laborer finds himself, and fifty cents if found. There is never any difficulty in procuring labor at the above rates. Land is frequently leased for the purpose of having it cleared, the person who leases having the timber and use of the land for three years for his labor in clearing. When open land is rented, one-third of the crop is always allowed the owner. The great wants of the county are better facilities for transportation, and more and better labor. The farmers are tolerably well contented, and there is but little emi- gration, but many would go if they could sell their lands. There are many well-improved places offered for sale, and unimproved lands in any quantity that might be desired. Live stock is generally ■driven to market. Rockwood, in Roane county, has a large manufac- turing population, which gives a gqod market for the poultry, dairy products, &c. Bacon, lard, flour, and other articles, are sometimes carried to Nashville or Knoxville in wagons, and merchandise brought back in the same way. The people are kindly disposed toward immi- grants, and are anxious to have them come. The immigration since the war has been quite large, especially of people from the north. Not less than 150 families have come into the county, most of whom have remained, and are well contented. Those who have returned or gone elsewhere have done so on account of the failure of their expectations in regard to the location through the county of the Cincinnati South- ern Railroad. The sparseness of the population renders it a difficult matter to sustain good schools. The public schools, which have been but recently established, are generally well attended, and are likely to b(! ])r<)ductive of good results. Streams and Water-power. Daddy's Creek and Obed's River, both ■of which are tributaries of Big Emory River, receive most of the streams in the northern and eastern parts of the county. Caney Fork flows from nortli to south through the western part, and conveys off all Middle Te7i7iessee. 669 the waters of that portion. Sequatchie River rises in Grassy Cove, where it is called Cove Creek. After flowing for several niiles in an under-ground channel very far below the surface, it breaks out again in a large spring at the head 'of Sequatchie Valley. The best water- power in the county is on Sequatchie River, a short distance below the Big Spring. In Grassy Cove, ten miles south-east of Crossville, there is upon Cove Creek a mill with an ample supply of water throughout the year. Stony Branch, a tributary of Daddy's Creek, has a fall of seventy feet within a few hundred yards. There is a mill here which is pj-opelled mainly by the water of a large spring. Near where the Cross- ville and Sparta road crosses Caney Fork, there is a good power for a small mill, throughout the year. For about half the year there is abund- ance of water for large machinery. There are a number of smaller creeks, the most important of which are Wilkinson's, Fall, Piney, Big Laurel, and Basin. All of the mountain streams have abundance of water in winter and spring, but in summer the sandy soil absorbs it so that many of them become dry. From this cause the permanent facilities for manufacturing by wnter-power are limited. Domestic manufactures embrace jeans, linsey, cotton cloth, flax, linen, buck- skin pants and gloves, woolen and rag carpets, cotton and woolen socks, fur and woolen hats, split-bottomed chairs, baskets, shuck col- lars, and wooden ware. There are also several tanneries and boot and shoe shops. The products of the smaller industries are greater, in pro- portion to the population, than in almost any county in the State. Butter and cheese of good quality are manufactured for the market, and it is a noteworthy fact that the dairy products of the Table Land, where care is taken in their manufacture, have an excellence of flavor that is peculiar to this region. This is owing no doubt to the purity of the air and water, and to the qualities of the wild grasses and herbs. Poultry are healthy and thrifty, but large numbers are destroyed by vermin. Large quantities of honey are produced. It is light colored, and has generally a sprightly aromatic flavor. Chestnuts and ginseng are gathered in the forests and sold for good prices. The total value of taxable property, according to the late assessment, is $614,019. Minerah. Chalybeate springs may be counted by the hundred. The most noted are the Howard Springs, four miles west of Crossville. There are three springs, two of which arc chalybeate, and the other freestone. There are at this place a boarding house and several very neat residences. Gibson's Spring, eighteen miles east of Crossville, is very strong chalybeate. It has the credit for some remarkable cures. 670 Resources of Tcnncsser. Two miles south of Crossville, near the Pikeville road, is a good cha- lybeate spring, and ten miles south-east is another which is said to be " equal to Gibson's." Coal crops out on the side of a ravine three- quarters of a mile south-east of Crossville, but has never been worked, and its thickness is unknown. Six miles south of the county seat are two very fine banks near together — Davis', thirteen feet thick, and An- drew's, said to be eighteen. We give these figures as reported, but cannot vouch for their accuracy. We saw specimens of the coal which is black and lustrous, and appears to be free from sulphur. Ten miles north of Crossville there is a place where Clear Creek runs, for about one hundred yards, over a continuous bed of block or cubic coal. Mr. W. W. Powell, postmaster at Crossville, has some specimens which are as symmetrical as if cut by a lapidary. On the north-west slope of Black Mountain, which is a part of the Crab Orchard range, coal in large quantities is known to exist, but has never been worked. Haley's Bank, in the same range near Crab Orchard Gap, has fur- nished coal for blacksmiths' forges for a number of years. It is pro- nounced by those who have used it to be of very superior quality. These were the only points that were reported, but they will serve to indicate the mineral wealth of this region. The entire county, except the head of Sequatchie Valley and Grassy Cove, belongs to the great Cumberland Coal Field, and no doubt enough of this valuable mineral might be obtained from this county alone to supply the State of Ten- nessee for an unlimited number of years. Clay ironstones abound in the strata of the coal-measures, and many good specimens of ore may be found at various points on the Table Land, but their extent and value are not known. In the head of the valley the bed of red hematite, or " dyestone," which appears to underlie all the eastern part of the table land, crops out on both sides, but it has never been worked. Its qual- ity is the same as that at Rockwood and Oakdale, in Roane county. Other minerals doubtless exist, but their extent or value is unknown. DAVIDSON COUNTY. County Seat — Nashville. This largo, excellent and populous county was organized under the State of North Carolina in 1783. It comprises about 550 square miles, or 352,000 acres, and is bounded on the north by Robertson and Sum- ner, on the east by Sumner, Wilson and Rutherford, on the south by Middle Tennessee. 671 Williamson, and on the west by Cheatham. The Cumberland River, Avith eight convolutions, passes through the county from east to west, dividing it into two parts nearly equal. The surface configuration of the county is, for the most part, gently rolling, swelling in places to considerable heights, and forming lines of rounded flat hills, or mamil- lary protuberances, and occasionally long ridges from which shoot out subordinate ones more or less at right angles. There are three of these main ridges: 1st. The Paradise Ridge, in the north-western part of the county, at the heads of White's, ]Mansker's and Marrowbone creeks. This ridge forms the edge of the Highland Rim. 2d. The Harpeth Ridge, which is the water shed between the Cumberland and Har- peth rivers. 3d. The ridge dividing the Harpeth from Little Har- peth. In addition to these, or rather subordinate to them, are many inferior ridges between the streams, which also have spurs putting out from them to such an extent as to give to the surface a very rough and broken appearance. Especially is this the case in the north-western part of the county. To enter more minutely into the surface features of the county, we shall assume Nashville as the starting point, and confine ourselves, for the present, to the south side of the river. South and south-west of the city is a series of rounded hills, sweeping in almost a semi-circle about the city. These hills are symmetrical in form and rise very gently to the height of 150 or 200 feet. Between them and the city the soil, mulatto in color, and considerably mixed with rocky frag- ments, rests upon a bed of limestone that comes very near the surface. This soil was once quite fertile, but much of it is now comparatively worthless, except in level places. With a radius of nine miles, if the segment of a circle were described from the Cumberland River oppo- site Bell's Bend to Mill Creek, it would enclose a body of as fertile land, with the exception of that mentioned, as can be found in the State. With a slightly rolling surface just sufficient for drainage, it grows in large quantities all the crops cultivated in the Central Basin. This area is drained by Richland Creek, Little Harpeth, Brown's Creek, and Mill Creek. It embraces the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 11th districts, and parts of the 10th 12th, and 14th. This section embraces the best blue- grass lands in the county. The native growth is poplar, walnut, maple, and several varieties of the oak. Beyond this segment, on the west, is a dividing ridge, heretofore spoken of as Harpeth Ridge, running east and west. South of Harpeth River, and including most of the 14th 672 Resources of Teimessee. district, the land is, for the most part, high, rolling and thin, though there are some excellent bottoms on the river. Taking the section now east of Mill Creek, and South of the Cum- berland, we find the best soils for cotton, wheat and clover in the county. The color of the soil, except in alluvial bottoms, is mulatto, and the timber consists of poplar and white oak, with a very small sprinkling of maple and walnut. This section is drained by Mill Creek and Stone's River, with the exception of the 4th district, wdiich is drained by Stoner's Creek, mainly, and Stone's River, and a consider- ble portion of it known as Jones' Bend is drained by the Cumberland. The Hermitage is in the 4th district. Tj^irning our attention to the lands on the north side of the Cumber- land, and beginning on the western side of the county, we meet with the Marrowbone Hills, high, poor, gravelly siliceous spurs, jutting out from the Highlands with minor spurs as numerous as the branches of a tree, and between these, numerous streams with a hundred branches ramify the whole country. A bold ridge runs north and south for a few miles, and culminates in Paradise Hill, from which the waters flow in every direction. Almost the whole country embraced between White's Creek and the Cheatham countv line is rugged and poor, with the exception of the river and creek bottoms and some of the uplands near the Cumberland. The lowlands on the upper part of White's Creek are very narrow. Nearer the mouth, the bottoms become wider, and the uplands more fertile. The soils on this creek are well adapted to the cereals, and grow blue-grass luxuriantly. East of White's Creek, and embraced between that and the Cumberland River on the east and south, and comprising the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st, and part of the 22nd districts, the country is considerably diversi- fied, though not so broken as the last section just described. In the portion of the county under consideration there are some good, warm, valley lands, with occasional ridges or spurs too steep for cultivation. The soil is a mulatto, with a good many surface rocks, and with the ex- ception of a portion of Neelcy's Bend, is well suited to the growth ot wheat, corn, potatoes, and clover. The soil in a portion of Neeley's Bend is dark and well adapted to the grasses. This section is well drained by AVliite's Creek and its tributaries on the west, and by Manskcr's Creek on the cast, and Dry Creek through the center. The northern part of this section abuts against the Highlands, 'and many finger-like projec- tions shoot out from these into the lowlands, between \vhich nestle many Middle Tennessee. 673 beautiful coves, wliose southern exposures shorten the number of the frost days, and woos spring to their embrace some weeks earlier than the bleak level plateau overlooking them from the north. The soil and situation here are suitable for the growth of early vegetables. The only serious objection to this area is the nearness of the underlying I rocks to the surface, rendering it unable to resist drought. The corn crops are often materially injured with a few days of dry, hot weather in i summer. In seasons of great humidity, however, the crops are unusu- I ally large, and many of the fields in this portion of the county will, with suitable seasons, yield from fifty to sixty bushels of corn per acre. Geological Features. The greater part of this county presents an outcrop of the Nashville or Cincinnati formation. The rocks are mostly an impure blue limestone, generally containing many shells, and easily disintegrating into a loose, mellow, arenaceous soil, easy to till and wash. The impurities consist of clay and fine sand. A de- tailed section of the rocks as they occur in Nashville, and which may be taken as a type of the whole county, was made out by Dr. Safford. This section, given beloAv, commences beneath the wire bridge and ascends to the top of Capitol Hill. The section is numbered from the bottom up, but the highest is described first : (6.) College Hill Liviestone. When freshly quarried, a dark blue, highly fossiliferous, coarsely crystalline and roughly stratified limestone, with more or less of its lamina shaly. The mass weathers, generally, into rough, flaggy limestones, and shaly matter interstratified, often liberating multi- tudes of fossils — especially small corals. Some of the layers of this lime- stone are wholly made up of corals and shells. Stenoporce, Constellaria an- theloidea, Tetrad um fibratura, Columnaria stellata, 8lromatopora pusiulosa, Sirophomena alternata, Ort/iis lynx, 0. occidentalis, and others, are abund- antly represented by individuals. Bellerophon Troosii, species of Gyrtodonta, Aynbonychia radiata occur. This division is well seen on College Hill, and in the upper part of the bluff at the Reservoir. There is, also, a fine presentation of it on Capitol Hill, around the Capitol. Its lowest layers are at the top of the bluflT at the Wire Bridge. These rocks pertain to the high- est stratum in the vicinity of Nashville. The division, as here presented, may be taken with the upper division, ( (2) Middle Member), of the Colum- bia Section, as typical of the Nashville Formationiu general. This division, at Capitol Hill, measures 120 feet. (5.) Cgrtodonta Bed. Immediately below the College Hill Limestone, is a remarkable bed of coarsely crystalline, ashen gray, or light yellowish gray- limestone, in great part made up of valves of species of Cgrtodonta, indi- viduals of Bellerophon Lindsleyi, and B. Troosti. Of the Cyrtodontoi, C. Saffordi is especially abundant. This bed is best developed in the bluflf at the Wire bridge. It is here ten or eleven feet thick, and forms one solid layer. The shells are silicified, and pretty generally have their edges 43 674 Resources of Tennessee. rounded and worn, as if they had been rolled in currents of water, or by waves. The bed is seen again at the engine house of the water- works, wliere it is six feet thick. In tracing it beyond the engine house, it very soon runs out, and is replaced by a compact, dove-cnjored limestone, like No. 3, l)elow. Descending the hill on the west side of the Capitol, it is also seen, but it is, for the most part, replaced by the compact limestone spoken of. It is well exposed at other low points about the city, and has been traced, in some directions, a mile or two beyond the city limits. This rock has been used for building purposes to some extent, and for making corner posts. Maximum thickness eleven feet. (4). Bed of Liviestone of the common type; much like the college hill limestone, coarsely crystalline, fossiliferous, &c. It occurs below No. 5, on the west side of the Capitol. In the bluff at the wire bridge, it is twenty- three feet thick. In the bluff above the engine house of the water-works, it measures twenty-eight feet. f3). Dove Limestones. This is a group of three layers, for the most part. The upper layer is a light dove-colored, compact limestone, four feet thick, breaking with conchoidal fracture, containing strings (mostly vertical) of crystalline matter, which show points on a horizontal surface. (Birdseye.) The middle layer is, mainly, the common dark blue crystalline limestone, (two feet). The lowest layer, (four feet), is mostly like the upper, but more or less mixed with blue layers. Such is the group as seen at the foot of Gay Street, in a quarry on the river bank. This group presents itself at many points in and around the city. It is conveniently studied at the quarry mentioned, at the foot of Gay Street. At the end of the bluff be- yond the water-works, it may also be seen, and it is here ten or eleven feet thick. The group may also be seen in the region of the penitentiary, and of the old State quarry, overlying the rock of that quarry. It appears at many points in Davidson county, outside of Nashville. The layers are gen- erally of desirable thickness, and are quarried at numerous points in and about the city, for building and other purposes. The group contains a num- ber of species. Detached siphimcles of Orthoceras Bigshyi, and of an allied species, are numerous at some points, especially in the middle layer. Tetra- dium, Bellerophon, Mitrchisonia, Pleuroioviaria, and other genera are rep- resented. It is in this group that Leperditia Morgani is found. Thickness, eleven feet. (2.) Capitol Limestone. This bed supplied the rock to build the Capitol, and was formerly well exposed in the old State quarry, west and in sight of the building. It is limestone, but has the appearance of a laminated sand- stone. When cut and ground smooth, a block of it, presented edgewise, shows well the laminar character. Such a surface is bluish gray, plenti- fully banded with daiker lines. The capitol is a splendid presentation of this rock as a building material. The rock often contains rolled fragments of the beaded siphuncles of species of Orthoceras. Some specimens of these are seen in the faces of the blocks m the walls of the Capitol. It exhibits, also, examples of cross stratification, another evidence of the current-action to which it was originally subjected. The mass contains some little siliceous matter, mostly in grains, and in small fragments of silicified shells, so that they do not interfere, materially, with the working of the rock. It is easily quarried, and can be obtained in blocks of any desirable size. In its nat- ural exposures it exfoliates in laminas by long weathering. The bed, pretty Middle Tennessee. 675 generally, underlies the city, has been quarried at the foot of Gay street, on the river; is near the water, under the wire bridge, and appears beyond the water- works, where it has also been quarried, and is twenty feet (hick. The lamellar structure of this bed runs into the one just below, to some ex- tent, and it is not always easy to draw a line of separation. Below the wire bridge my measurements make the thickness of the bed twenty-five feet. (1.) The OriJiis J5f:c? underlies the last, and is the lowest member of the Nashville formation. It is in the water below the wire bridge, but rises in going down the river, and may be studied in the bluff below the railroad bridge. It may be seen, too, and its Orthis gathered, at the first mile-stone on the Miirireesboro Turnpike. It inses at tlie end of the bluff, beyond the water- works; and still further east, as at Mount Olivet, it may be seen rest- ing on the Carter's Creek Limestone — the upper member of the Trenton formation. One of these strata takes the name of the Bosley stone, and is quar- ried in tlie tenth and eleventh districts, near the Hillsboro turnpike. It is a light gray, fine-grained, and easily worked limestone, and makes a handsome, durable front. Quite a number of the fronts of the best buildings in Nashville are made of this stone ; among others may be mentioned that of the Methodist Book Concern and Ensley's block ad- joining, also the elegant front of Burns' block. This rock is also quar- ried in Bell's Bend, below Nashville. There is a large number of minerals found in the county, but in such small quantities as to be undeserving of notice. The sulphur springs are numerous, the most famous of which is sit- uated within the corporate limits of Nashville, which was bored to a great depth in search of salt. The water is much used during the summer months, and large quantities are sold on the streets by boys. In the early history of the county, this spring was known as the Big French Lick, called so because a Frenchman, name unknown, built a cabin on the mound on the north side of the spring branch as early as 1710. When the first white hunters came to this region, in 1770, they found a Frenchman named DeMonbreun living on the same spot. Soils, Timber, Farms and Crops. In giving the topographical fea- tures of the county, we incidentally mentioned some of the varieties of soil. These may be classified into 1st, the siliceous; 2ud, the limestone proper ; 3rd, the alluvial. The first is of a brownish yellow color, with intermingling water -worn gravel and underlying sandstone. The native growth upon this soil is poplar, walnut, chestnut, beech and oak. The best timber in the county is found upon it. It is specially adapted to the growth of fruits and watermelons, peanuts and cotton. 676 Resources of Tennessee, The second exceeds in extent all the other soils of the county. It is^ as has been mentioned, considerably mixed with arenaceous material, and is light, porous, and easily worked. It varies in color and con- sistency, giving it diiferent capacities. Upon it grows all the blue- grass of the county, as well as the largest proportion of all other grasses except herds-grass, which grows better upon the silicious and alluvial. Injudicious cultivation has impoverished much of this soil, once so generous in its yield of all the crops of the county. Of the alluvial soils, there are three sub-divisions : 1. The Black, which is sticky, without sand enough to give it mel- lowness. It opens in great cracks or seams during dry weather, and upon a smooth surface resembles blocks of detached black rock. It grows corn, millet, Hungarian grass, clover and barley in great luxu- riance, but is not so well adapted to wheat, cotton, blue-grass, herds- grass or timothy. It is admirably suited to orchard-grass and lucerne. The fertility of this soil is very great, and will equal the best soils i^ the Mississippi bottoms. 2. Wlnteor ^^Crmc fishy," retentive of water, cold, and inclined to be marshy. Well drained, this soil warms up, and is excellent for timothy and herds-grass. It is also good, when drained, for corn and oats, but they are longer in maturing. 3. Sandy. This soil is remarkably productive in a wet season, but vegetation parches up during seasons of drought. When there are fre- quent and abundant rains during the corn-growing season, the largest crops are made upon this sandy, alluvial soil. It washes easily, mak- ing great drifts, but is of inexhaustible fertility. Timber is growing scarce and dear. The most valuable varieties in the best cultivated parts of the county, such as cedar, walnut, oak,, sugar tree and hickory, have been picked over until the quality of that standing is very inferior. Upon the spurs and ridges in the north- western parts of the county, in AVhite's Creek Valley, Harpeth Val- ley, and upon the Cumberland, we find valuable bodies of poplar, wahuit, oak, ash, hickory and chestnut. Occasionally a good grove, that has been protected, may be found in other parts of the county, yet they are very scarce. Usually the woodlands are open, the trees standing thinly upon the surface, and of an inferior kind, such as hornbeam, elm, scrubby oaks, honey locust, &c. And yet the farmers are, to a great extent, independent of timber for en- °49 from Greenwich) is situated on the left bank of Cumberland liiver, 6S6 Resow^ces of Tennessee. 200 miles above its mouth, and a little north of the center of the State. It has a population of about 40,000, and is fast growing in commercial importance and wealth, but its political influence has greatly diminished since 1835, about which time it dictated the national policy of the government. The city is founded literally upon a rock, the river bluffs rising to the height of seventy or eighty feet above low water mark. The surface of the land upon which Nashville is situated is irregular, but not abrupt, rising in long, gradual slopes, with the exception of Capitol Hill, which rises with more precipitancy but with great sym- metry, resembling a great Indian mound. It covers the space of sev- eral acres, and overlooks the entire city. The city is laid out into rec- tangular streets, most of them rather narrow, but at convenient dis- tances. The public buildings of the city are numerous and some of them elegant.^ The State capitol is built upon Capitol Hill, and accord- ing to Parton, is one of the most elegant, correct, convenient and gen- uine public buildings in the United States, a conspicuous testimonial of the wealth, taste and liberality of the State. The corner-stone to this magnificent building was laid on the 4th day July, 1845. The last stone of the tower was laid July 21, 1855, and the last stone of the lower terrace March 19, 1859. The building was first occupied by the Legislature October 3, 1853. The whole appropriation from 1844 to 1859 was $900,500. Small appropriations have been made since for the improvement of the grounds, which are still in an unfinished con- dition. The length of the building is 239 feet 3 inches, width at -ends 112 feet 5 inches. Including side porticos, the width is 138 feet 5 inches. The total height of the building is 206 feet 7 inches. It is completely fire-proof, no wood having been used in its construction except for the doors, window frames and sash. The rock used in its construction is a laminated limestone filled with fossil remains, and not the most durable. It exfoliates upon exposure, and a few of the stones in the building are beginning to show signs of disintegration and exfo- liation. The railings and columns of the interior are made of \\\q varie- gated East Tennessee marble. Most of the work was performed by Tennessee mechanics, under the supervision of the architect, Wm. Strickland, of Pliiladelphia, who died before the building was finished, and lies cntoml)cd in a recess in the wall on the east side of the north portico. Altogether, the building is an ornament to the State, and it has enlisted the pride of every class and profession. The market-house and court-house are situated on a square of several acres in extent, and are neat models of architectural taste, beauty and convenience. The Middle Tennessee. 687 State penitentiary is on west Church street. The buildings occupy three sides of a hollow square, all enclosed by a massive stone wall twenty-five feet high, and four feet thick at the base. In it are numer- ous workshops, in which the convicts are required to work every day. Within the past few years, under a new system, a majority of the con- victs is employed in coal mines, in the construction of railroads, and in working upon the capitol grounds. The present number imprisoned is over 900, of whom tlie greater number are negroes. The county jail is a substantial structure, built of stone, and is upon the very spot where the first fort was erected, nearly a century ago. There are also a city work-house, a pest-house just without the city limits, several hospitals, an institute for the blind, a house of industry for females, two orphan asylums, city water-works, gas-works, fair grounds, race- course, etc. Within six miles of the city is the county poor-house, and about the same distance is the Tennessee hospital for the insane, which, through the persevering endeavors of Miss D. L. Dix, was es- tablished by the Legislature in 1848. It has about 350 inmates. There are twenty-five more men than women. There are many other charitable and benevolent institutions in and around Nashville, but as the details in regard to them do not come strictly within our province, we pass on to consider the Nashville Public Schools. In the spring of 1852, Alfred Hume, Esq.» long an eminent teacher of a select classical school in Nashville, was en- gaged by the city council to visit various cities in which public schools were in operation, to investigate their practical working, and report to the Board. Having returned and signified his readiness to make known the result of his inquiries, he was requested to do so in public. Accordingly, on the 26th of August, he appeared before the Board and a large concourse of citizens, at Odd FeJlows' Hall, and read a lengthy and masterly report, two thousand copies of which were published. That report may be regarded as the cor- ner-stone of the system of public schools in this city. In the same year the lot, 185x270 feet, at the corner of Spruce and Broad streets was purchased, and proposals received for the erection of a building. On the 19th of May, 1853, Dr. W. K. Bowling delivered an oration, in the presence of a large audience, at the laying of the corner-stone. The building was completed withm the following year, and was called the Hume school, in honor of the distinguished scholar who had taken such an active part in inaugurating the new enterprise. On the 14th of October, 1854. the city couHcil elected the first Board of Education, the following gentlemen being chosen : F. B. Fogg, W. K. Bowling, R. J. Meigs, Allen A. Hall, John A. McEwen, and Alfred Hume. They held their first meeting on November 5, following, and the schools were formally opened to pupils February 26, 1855. Much ot the unvarying prosperity of the schools is due to the fact that they have always been controlled by boards of active, intelligent, discreet gentlemen, many of them the most distinguished citizens of the place, as will appear from the following list of those who, at different times, have served in that 688 Resources of Tennessee. capacity: Charles Tomes, W. F. Bang, J. B. Lindsley, Isaac Paul, M. H. Howard, J. B. Knowle^, S. Cooley, J. W. Hoyte, J. P. Coleman. Wm. Stockel, C. K. Winston, P. S. Fall, J. L. Bostick, B. S. Ehea, J. 0 Griffith, M. M. Brien, M. G. L. Claiborne, M. M. Monahan, J. S. Fowler, H. H. Har- rison, T. A. Atchison, H. S. Bennett, L D. Wheeler, D. D. Dickey, E. H. East, R. B. Cheatham, Ira P. Jones, John A. Callender, M. C. Cotton, Eu- gene Cary, D. W. Peabody, D. Rutledge, J. Jungerman, John Rhum, J. Sample, John J. McCann, James Whitworth, T. H. Hamilton, Samuel Wat- kins, J. B. Craighead, L. G. Tarbox, J. L. Weakley, Charles Rich, George S. Kinney, A. D. Wharton, A. J. Baird, R. A. Young, J. T. Danlap, M. B. Howell. In the year 185G, the lot on the corner of Summer and Line streets was purchased with the proceeds of property donated by Colonel Andrew Hynes, and a building erected upon it was called by his name. In the year 1859, M. H, Howard, Esq , gave to the city a line lot on College Hill, on which now stands the school-house named for him. The Trimble school, at 524 South Market street, \yas so called in honor of John Trimble, Esq., who presented the lot on which it stands for school purposes. In 1867 the Belle View building was purchased and converted into a school-house for colored pupils. The new Ninth Ward school-house, at the corner of High and Madison streets, has just been completed. There are, therefore, six different buildings occupied by the public schools of the city. They con- tain thirty-three study-halls, and thirty-eight recitation rooms, furnishing 3,300 sittings. The scholastic population last year was 8,370, the total num- ber enrolled 3,722, the average number belonging 2,630, average attendance 2,514, total number tardy 2,451, per cent, of attendance on number belong- ing 95.60, on enrollment, 67.54, on enumeration 44.46, per cent, of tardiness on attendance 0.49, average age of pupils 11.7 years, cost of tuition per pupil belonging $16.91, total cost $21.89, average salary paid teachers $684, total outlay for tuition $44,477.20, entire cost of schools $57,588.47, tax levied by city two mills, by county two mills, total four mills. The schools embrace primary, intermediate, grammar, and high school departments, requiring ten years to complete the course of study. The first two grades, or pri- mary, are devoted to teaching orthography, reading, notation, &c.; the next three, or intermediate to the elements of arithmetic, geography, &c.; the two following, or grammar, to advanced arithmetic, grammar, history, and composition ; and the high school of three years embraces elementary, alge- bra, geometry, Latin, French, German, and natural sciences. Vocal music, penmanship, and drawing are taught by special teachers throughout the schools. The officers of the board of education now in charge are Gen. Jas. T. Dunlap, President; Jos. L. Weakley, Esq., Treasurer; Prof. A. D.Whar- ton, Secretary; Capt. S. Y. Caldwell, Superintendent. No better conducted schools are found anywhere. The teachers are the best the country can afford, and the officers are all energetic and .skillful, devoted to their duties, and are animated by a desire to make the schools equal in every respects the best to be found in any country. Other Educational Institutions. Nashville is destined to become a j;rcat educational centre, for in addition to the well-regulated system of public .s(thools, it has .several private institutions of learning of high merit and with growing patronage. Among these are the University Middle Tennessee. 689 of Nashville, which dates its existence back more than ten years ante- rior to the admission of Tennessee into the Union. It was chartered by the State of North Carolina in 1785, and endowed with two hun- dred and forty acres of land, which was included within the corporate limits of the city. This institution has passed through various phases, and has had many names — first Davidson Academy, then Cumberland College, and finally the University of Nashville. It has never received any aid from the State, though it has received several endowments of lands from North Carolina and the general government. It has almost always been presided over by men of great learning and ability. First the Rev. Thos. Craighead, then Dr. James Priestly, and in 1824 Rev. Phillip Lindsley, formerly President of Princeton College. Dr. Lindsley held his position for twenty-six years, and during that period the institution rose to a high position and influence. In 1850, after having passed through a career of brilliant prosperity, it was compelled to suspend operations for want of funds, and a few distinguished gen- tlemen of the medical profession organized the medical department of the University of Nashville, and since that period, the buildings have been used for that purpose. The buildings for the literary de- partment, as they now exist, were erected in 1853-4, a short distance from the old college. The literary department was again opened m 1855, and Gen. Bushrod R. Johnson made Superintendent. It was conducted on the military plan until the breaking out of the civil war, _ when the buildings were used as a hospital. After the war, the trus- tees of the University located the Montgomery Bell Academy in the buildings of the literary department of the University. The fund for this academy was derived from a bequest of $20,000 by the late Mont- gomery Bell — a man whose name is inseparably connected with the de- velopment of the iron interests of the State, and who had the honor of furnishing to Gen. Jackson, at the battle of New Orleans, all the can- non balls used in that famous conflict. A Pennsylvanian by birth, he began the manufacture of iron as early as 1810, and became thorough- ly wedded to his adopted State. He was one of those pioneers in in- dustrial enterprises that give direction to capital and energy. It was througli his influence, and by reason of his financial success, that more than thirty furnaces shed their ruddy light over the Western Iron Belt previous to the war. A man of indomitable energy, of commanding intelligence, of genuine philanthropy, and of extended views, he made such an indelil)le impress u])on his age that it will be seen and felt for many generations to come. The bequest made by this public-spirited 44 690 Resources of Tennessee. citizen was for the free education of twenty students from the counties of Davidson, Montgomery, JJickson, and Williamson. By judicious investment it has increased one hundred and fifty per cent., and the whole amount now is $50,000. During the eighty-nine years of its existence, according to its agent, Dr. Shelton, the University has re- ceived a total of $89,000. The college funds and property are now worth : The College fund $ 50,000 Montgomery Bell fund 50,000 Buildings and grounds 120,000 Medical College 50,000 Libraries, Cabinets, etc 30,000 Total $300,000 Ward^s Seminary for young ladies has made a character far and wide for its thoroughness of instruction, excellence of teachers, and for the refinement, accomplishments and solid learning of its gradu- ates. It has taken the place of the old Nashville Female Academy, which for so many years educated the daughters of Middle Tennessee. St. Cecilia's Academy, under the control of the Sisters of the Dom- inican Order, is beautifully situated on a commanding eminence two miles north-west of the city. It was erected in 1860. The course of study embraces the French, German and ancient languages, besides the regular English branches. There are two other schools under the con- trol of the Catholics, and several private schools under no particular denomination. The Vanderbilt University. This institution, the buildings for which are now being erected, had its origin in the desire of the Metho- dist Conference to have an institution which would worthily represent it, and was assured by the donation of $500,000 by Cornelius Vanderbilt, of New York. To this amount are added other gifts, until its funds reach nearly $700,000. It is under the control of the Methodist E})iscopal Church, South, and will unquestionably be one of the most richly endowed institutions in America. It is in contemplation to make a thorough University of it, with theological, law, medical, scientific and literary departments. Fisk University was established by the liberality of several northern gentlemen shortly after the war, for the benefit of the colored children of the State. The curriculum is quite full. The ancient languages Middle Tennessee. 691 and the higher mathematics form a regular part of the course. There never has been a time when tlie educational prospects of Nashville were so flattering as at present, and the broad "stream of steady intel- lectual light which her institutions of learning will annually shed over the State, must have a powerful effect in stimulating enterprise, elevat- ing thought, refining grossness, diminishing sensuality, lessening crime, and lifting our people into a higher scale of intelligence, morality and civilization. The common schools of the city have already, by their excellence and example, aroused a deeper interest in the public mind throughout the State for better schools, and will doubtless prove the silent but secret power to disarm prejudice against education in every county in the State. There are over thirty-five churches, of all denominations, in and around Nashville. Of these the Methodists have the largest number. WHOLESALE TRADE OF NASHVILLE. For many items relating to this we are indebted to James T. Bell, the former commercial editor of the Union and American. Cotton. The following is a statement of all the cotton transported from the city, and to what destinations, for the year beginning Sept. 1st, 1872, and ending Sept. 1st, 1873. TO WHAT POINTS. NO. BAI.ES. New York, N.Y 38,523 Boston, Mass 3,277 Philadelphia, Pa 1,789 Baltimore, Md 1,252 Providence, R. 1 1,747 Fall River, Mass 1,526 Lawrence, Mass 400 Utica, N. Y 45 Harrisburg, Pa 101 Alleghany, Pa 42 Dayton, 6 878 Pittsburgh, Pa 540 Lockport, N. Y 5 Rockford, 111 3 Cincinnati, 0 1,891 Louisville, Ky 1,313 Evansville, Ind 27 Savannah, Ga 417 Charleston, S. C 16 Mobile, Ala 2,088 New Orleans, La 7,171 Total 63,051 692 Resources of Tennessee. In addition to which there were 38,645 bales shipped through Nash- ville without stopping. Taking the table of cotton receipts and ship- ments, and instituting comparison between the year under review and the previous one, we find the excess of receipts in favor of the year just closed. A recapitulation shows receipts to August 31, 1872, 55,936; receipts to August 31, 1873,67,627; making a difference of 11,691 bales in favor of the last year. As to the extent of the cotton trade of Nashville for that year, and the amount required to handle the crop, we can put it down in round figures at $4,260,000, a smaller amount than former years, owing to the inferior quality of the bulk of the staple handled. For the season of 1873-4 the amount handled will be over 100,000 bales. iea/ Tobacco Trade. This trade is increasing with great rapidity. For the year ending September 1, 1872, there were only 946 hogs- heads received in Nashville, but the subsequent year, ending Septem- ber 1, 1873, there were 2,002 hogsheads, showing a rapid increase in this important branch of business. It is thought that the year ending September 1, 1874, will show double the number of hogsheads as the one just past. A large proportion of the tobacco shipped to Nashville is raised in Smith, Trousdale, Wilson, Macon, Jackson, Putnam, De- Kalb, Overton, Clay, Fentress and Sumner, the largest quantity com- ing from the two counties first named. The following will show the receipts from the Upper Cumberland at the wharf. For New Orleans 4,925 hhds. For New York 258 " For Louisville 203 For Clarksville 2 " For Nashville 1,242 « Total 6,630 « RECEIVED AT NASHVILLE WAREHOUSES Via river 1,242 hhds. Via railroads 1,299 Total 2,541 « SOLD AND SHIPPED To New Orleans 672 hhds. To New York 1,718 '^^ To Baltimore "^ For consumption ^"^^ Total 2,541 « Middle Tennessee. 693 Provision Trade. This business aggregated for the ytar ending Sep- tember, 1873, nearly double that of any previous year. The receipts of hogs amounted to 35,000, about 10,000 of which were shipped south, and the remainder packed in the city. They were mostly from the north side of the Cumberland River, but few coming from the counties south of Nashville. Those raised in Wilson, Williamson, Maury and Giles counties, were purchased by drovers and shipped on southern ac- count. The method of curing pursued in Tennessee makes a very superior bacon, which is the standard of superiority in the leading markets in the South. Dry Goods Trade. The aggregate of this trade amounts to about $4,000,000 annually. It is conducted by solid men with an abund- ance of capital, and the failures that have occurred amongst this class are very few and at long intervals. The Liquor Trade. The proportions which this trade has assumed 'during the past five years are immense. The manufacture of whisky In the fifth district, in which Nashville is embraced, is being increased by machinery backed by a large amount of capital. So superior is the artiele manufiictured, that imitation brands are being made in many of the western cities. The demand for Tennessee whisky is extending in every direction, and now reaches as far south as Texas, and as far north as Michigan. For the last commercial year the sales amounted to 100,- 000 barrels, valued at $5,000,000— $1,000,000 more than the dry goods trade. If to this are added the imported brandies, wines, &c., it will swell the trade to between $6,000,000 and $7,000,000. There is also a considerable trade in the malt liquors. One brewery in the city turns out 600 kegs per week, worth $2.75 per keg; value of annual product, $85,800. Add to this the amount brought from the Cincinnati breweries, which is estimated to be half of the above, we shall find the business in lager beer to amount to $128,700. Boot and. Shoe Trade. This amounts annually to $2,000,000. There are sijc firms with large capital engaged i» this business, and they send out to all divisions of the State, to North Alabama, North Georgia, North Mississippi, and Southern Kentucky, about 40,000 cases of goods annually. There is no branch of business in the city more prosperous than that of the boot and shoe trade. Hat Trade. This is on the increase, and the sales of the wholesale houses amount to $300,000 annually. 694 Resources of Tennessee. The Hardware Trade. The extent of this business is rapidly in- creasing. In 1871 it amounted to $900,000; in 1872, $1,300,000; in 1873, $1,500,000. This business rests upon a substantial basis, and will, doubtless, continue to increase^until it takes in all the principal points in the southern adjoining States. The Grocery Trade. The following is the estimate of the sales made of the staple articles for the year 1871 : 14,000 hogsheads of sugar, 18,000 barrels sugar, 13,000 barrels sirup and molasses, 50,000 bags coifee, 50,000 kegs nails, not to say anything of the many other articles that belong to this trade. The total sales amount to $10,000,- 000 for the year — a figure that will do to compare with the footing up of other places of more pretentions. Notions and White Goods. Two houses, which are among the largest in the United States, are devoted exclusively to the articles em- braced in this classification. The total trade in these goods amounts to $1,300,000. The Drug Trade. For the year 1872 this trade amounted to $900,- 000, and for the year 1873 to $1,600,000, which is an increase of nearly eighty per cent. The Clothing Trade. At the close of the war the business of the city amounted to $100,000. For the year ending September 1, 1871, it footed up $600,000, the year following, $850,000 ; and for the past year, $1,200,000; which shows a rapid and successful growth. Flour and Grain. The excellent wheat and corn-growing districts that environ Nashville, with the facilities for transportation, have made it a great grain and flour emporium. There are now five large flouring mills within the city, with a capacity of 800 barrels of flour per day, and 2,000 l)ushcls of meal. Contiguous to the city are also several large establishments, which, with the city mills, turn out daily about 1,500 barrels of flour and 4,000 bushels of meal, or the enormous sum of 450,000 barrels of flour, and 1,200,000 bushels of meal annu- ally. This, with im])orts from other points, will swell this trade up to $5,000,000. Add to this tiie grain trade, about $1,500,000, and the grand aggregate will amount to $6,500,000. With the increasing fa- cilities for transjiortation, and an improved agriculture, we may hope Hoon to see this business attain a growth of $10,000,000 annually. Corn and Oats. During the year under review Nashville handled 1,100,000 bushels of corn, worth $638,000; 100,000 bushels of oats^ Avorth $50,000. Tlie Salt Trade amounted to (50,000 barrels, valued at $175,000. Middle Tennessee. 695 Leather. There are three tanneries in the city, which produce as fol- lows: 13,000 sides harness at $6 per side $78,000 5,000 sides skirting at $4 per side 20,000 2,000 sides sole leather at $7 per side 14,000 1,000 sides wax upper and kip at $3.50 per side 3,500 Total amount $115,500 Add to the above 15,000 sides of country leather, rough and finished, at say an average of $3 per side, making $45,000, and French and American calf, and linings, &c., imported, say $50,000, handled by our leather dealers, and we find the total business foots up $210,000. China, Glass and Queensware. This trade foots up to $200,000 an- nually, with prospects ior a large increase. Cigars and Tobacco. This business has increased to about $2,000,- 000. One house is reported to have sold, in eight months, a quarter of a million of one brand of cigars. Live Stock Trade. The excellence of Tennessee beef and mutton, especially of that made in the great blue-grass region of the Central Basin, is making Nashville a focus for drovers and shippers. The fol- lowing is an approximation of the sales in the Nashville market : 21,000 cattle, average weight 800 lbs. at 4c $672,000 16,000 sheep, average price $2.50 per head 40,000 30,000 hogs, average weights 265 lbs. at $4.50 per cwt 831,250 Total sales $1,043,250 Furniture. The business in furniture is estimated at $500,000. This trade is rapidly extending. It is to be regretted that, with the immense amount of valuable timber within reach of Nashville, more capital is not engaged in the manufacture of furniture. Paper. The manufacture of paper, including news, book and wrap- ping, is assuming respectable proportions. Ten thousand pounds of rags are used daily, and the business is set down at $3,000,000 an- nually. Hides. An average of 40,000 hides are annually handled by the dealers in Nashville, worth, probably, $200,000. T^e Coach and Saddlery Hardware business is estimated to equal $250,000, and the saddle and harness trade $200,000. 696 Resources of Tennessee. Millinery. In this business there are two wholesale houses doing business to the amount of §110,000. The Coal Irade. More than upon any other one article, must Nash- ville rely upon this product for a rapid and successful growth. Three coal-fields lie convenient and accessible, viz: the coal lying contigu- ous to the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, the upper Cum- berland River coal-fields, and the coal-fields of Western Kentucky, which are reached by the St. Louis and Southeastern Railroad. No city in the Union has a larger area of coal to draw from than Nash- ville, and the cheapness of this indispensable article of fuel, which will result from a heathful competition, will make Nashville, in time, a great manufacturing center. The present trade in it amounts for the city to 2,500,000 bushels, which is sold at an average price of sixteen cents per bushel, amounting to $400,000 annually. And this leads us to speak of the Manufacturing and Mechanical Interest. There are at present in the city seven saw-mills, five flour mills, eight planing mills and sash and blind factories, two cotton seed oil mills, two tanneries, one cedar ware, two chair, four furniture, three wagon factories, four carriage, several for making mattresses, saddle-tree and trunk factories, six foundries, six machine shops, two brass foundries, brewery, distilleries, paper mills, broom factories, manufactory of fertilizers, shoe and clothing factories, and quite a number of smaller establishments, representing, exclusive of the mammoth cotton factory, $1,500,000. The Cotton Factory alluded to is situated in North Nashville, and is one of the largest establishments in the country, rivalling in the num- ber of spindles, quantity and quality of products, some of the famous cotton factories of Rhode Island. Upon a capital stock estimated to be worth $400,000, these mills only half finished were able to pay a profit of ten per cent., and with the new machinery now being put up, the President confidently expects, with reasonable management, to pay at least three per cent, per quarter. As we learn from the Secretary's report, the amount of cotton used for the year ending September 1, 1873, was 2,328 bales, weighing 1,106,465 pounds, costing $175,347.11, at an average price of fifteen cents per pound. From this amount of cotton there were produced in the same period 1,981,406 yards of 4-4 sheetings, 20,000 yards ])an()las, 312,384 yards of 7-8 sheetings, and 315,117 yards of 7-8 drills, besides 30,245 yards of batting, remnants of cloth, waste for paper, 107,076 pounds. The actual loss amounted Middle Tennessee. 697 to 36,272 pounds. These goods were shipped to New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and about ludf of the quantity made sold direct- ly to merchants in the State. The cost of manufacturing 2,628,907 yards, divided as above, and w^eighing 891,795 pounds, was $90,159.14, or 10.1 cents per pound, or 3.42 cents per yard. The whole number of operatives employed is 268, of whom 202 are females. The average price paid factory hands is a little over §5 per week. The number of spindles that were in operation, 7,520 ; shortly to be added, 6,300 ; making 13,820. Number of looms, 250; to be put up, 150; making 400. The entire assets of the company, exclusive of fourteen acres of land, amount to $469,297.29, and their liabilities, exclusive of the capital stock, which is $320,187.10, are $149,110.19. The company has recently ordered additional machinery, amounting in value to $75,- 000, cost and carriage, and have also issued bonds which are at par in financial circles. The net profits for the year under consideration was $41,353.65. The success of this enterprise is highly gratifying to the people of the State. It shows the advantages the State affords for the manufacture of heavy cotton goods, in saving transportation, and making a market for home products. In regard to the supply of labor, the President in his report says: It is the policy of nearly all large mills to furnish their operatives with houses convenient, and charge them rent, or give them the houses free, and reduce the wages paid, which, in the matter of dollars and cents, certainly could be made beneficial to the company, besides it would greatly tend to locate and make stationary che better class of operatives, by reason of the fact that each family that might occupy one of our houses would regard themselves at home so long as they desired to work in the mill. I must Eay that first-class skilled labor is not always obtainable at short no- tice, but under the management of our mill it is increasing rapidly in this section of country, and ere many years have passed by we will have as much a:> will be needed. We find no difficulty in getting unskilled operatives — in fact, the pressure is daily upon us to take more hand's into the mill than we can use, and many that we took at first, who were inefficient, are becom- ing quite efficient. The State needs, for its prosperity, a hundred such establishments to work up its wool and cotton, and to give employment to a large class that is now a drag upon its industry and enterprise. The supply of raw material and fuel is ample, and when it is once impressed upon capitalists that such investments will pay, there will be no lack of cap- ital to make Tennessee a great manufiicturing and industrial center. Continuing the trade of Nashville, we find The Produce Trade to be considerable, and may be summed up as follows : 698 Resources of Tennesee. Peanuts, 150,000 bush. @ 80c % 120,000 Dried Fruit, 250,000 lbs. @ 4c 100,000 Eggs, 20,000 bbls. @ $15 300,000 Butter, 500,000 lbs. @ 20c 100,000 Feathers, 300,000 lbs. @ 65c 185,000 Beeswax, 100,000 lbs. @ 30c 30,000 Ginseng, 50,000 lbs. @ 90c 45,000 Wool, 200,000 lbs. @ 33c 66,000 Potatoes, 50,000 bbls. @ $ 3.50 175,000 Green Apples, 16,000 bbls. @ $3.00.'. 48,000 Total $1,069,000 A great portion of the egg.s, butter, feathers, beeswax and ginseng- is brought by the river from the counties above. To recapitulate the trade of Nashville, we find Cotton $ 4,250,000 Leaf Tobacco 416,320 Provisions 1,300,000 Dry Goods 4,000,000 Liquors 7,000,000 Boots and Shoes 2,000,000 Hats 300,000 Hardware 1,500,000 Groceries 10,000,000 Notions and White Goods 1,300,000 Drugs 1,600,000 Clothing 1,200,000 Flour and Wheat 5,000,000 Corn and Oats 688,000 Salt 175,000 Leatlier 210,000 Hides 200,000 China, Glass and Queensware 200,000 Cigars and Tobacco 2,000,000 Live Stock 1,043,250 Stoves and Tinware 750,000 Furniture 500,000 Paper 300,000 Coacli and Saddlery Hardware 250,000 Saddlery and Harness trade 200,000 Other manufactures 2,500,000 Produce 1,069,000 Millinery 110,000 Coal 400,000 Books and Stationery 500,000 Lumber '. 300,000 Total amount $51,261,570 Middle Tennessee. 699 There are published at Nashville, the following newspapers and pe- riodicals, devoted to politics, religion, literature, trade, agriculture and commerce: Republican Banner, daily, tri-weekly and weekly; Con- servative and Progressive. Nashville Union and American, daily, semi-weekly and weekly; Democratic. Nashville Bulletin, weekly; Republican. Nashville Journal of Commerce, weekly; Immigration and Trade. Commercial Reporter, weekly ; Trade. Rural Sun, week- ly ; Agriculture. The Tennessee Post ; German. Nashville Christian Advocate, weekly; Methodist. Banner of Peace, weekly; Cumber- land Presbyterian. Baptist Watchman, weekly; Baptist. Gospel Advocate, monthly; Christian. Theological Medium, quarterly; Cum- berlan Presbyterian. Sunday-school Visitor, weekly ; Methodist. Sab- bath-school Gem ; Cumberland Presbyterian. Sunday-school Standard ; Baptist. School Journal, monthly; Educational. Law Review, quar- terly ; Law. Nashville Directory ; annual. To write in detail, or even notice all the objects of interest in Nashville, and around it, would require a volume, but w^e may add that several lines of street railroad traverse the city. The city is well lighted by gas, at a cost to con- sumers of $3.50 per 1,000 feet. Edgefield lies just across the river from Nashville, and has a popula- tion of about 4,000. A wire bridge connects the two places. Though there are some forty commercial establishments in Edgefield, besides three saw-mills, a broom factory, &c., its chief distinction lies in the great number of elegant residences, occupied mainly by persons who do business in Nashville. It has an excellent system of public schools, some good private ones, and many neat churches. It has a quiet, orderly appearance, excellent society, and is noted for its health. Even when the cholera rages with greatest violence in Nashville a case rarely occurs in Edgefield. This is attributable by many to the use of cistern water, with which the citizens, in the absence of water-works, have sup- plied themselves. The other towns in the county are Madison and Edgefield Junction, on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad; Goodlettsville, on the St. Louis and South-eastern Railroad; McWhirtersville, on the Lebanon Pike, about six m'L^s from Nashville; Brentwood, on the Decatur division of tiie Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and Belle vue, on the St. Louis division of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway. These are small villages containing from two to four stores, churches, scihools, &<\ Statistics. Davidson county has a population at the present time of 700 Resources of Teiinessee. ly is the Tennessee much lower, but even the bed of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, east of the mountain, is several hundred feet lower than the Highland Rim, upon which the stream is located. The elevation of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad at Woodville being 600 feet, while that of the Winchester and Alabama Railroad at the crossing of Dry Creek is above 900. The true solution is, that the reservoir of supply must be an inter- nal cave of the mountain, receiving its water from slow infiltration from above, whose drain is a syphon-formed channel, which, when the reservoir and upper leg of the syphon is filled, carries off the water faster than it accumulates. Railroads. The Nashville and Chattonooga Railroad, one of the most important connections between the south and the northwest, passes through the heart of the county, with depots at Estell Springs, Decherd, Cowan, Tantallon, Catchings and Anderson. This railroad passes over the Elk on a very high bridge, 400 feet long, lately rebuilt on the improved Howe Truss plan, at a cost of $12,000, exclusive of masonry. The road passes through the Cumberland Mountain in this county by deep cuts, on either side, through the solid rock, and a tun- nel 2,200 feet long, which may be regarded as one of the curiosities of Franklin. This mountain was long thought to be an impassable barrier, and the first experimental surveys made a long detour south to avoid it. The Sewanee Mining Company has a railroad from Tracy City, passing by University Place, and making a connection with the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, near Cowan, at the base of the mountain. The Winchester and Alabama Railroad connects Decherd with Fayetteville, the county seat of Lincoln. A route has been surveyed from Decherd to McMinnville, in continuation of the great Cincinnati road, whose completion is only a thing of time. A narrow gauge railroad from Winchester to the extensive marble quar- ries on Elk River is also in contemplation. There is no turnpike in the county, though one was sanctioned by a vote of the people before the war, connecting Winchester with University Place upon the moun- Middle Te7inessee. 729 tain. The public roads of Franklin are generally good, except in very rainy seasons. Factories, 3IiUs, d-c. Before the late war there were several cotton factories that are now destroyed. At present there are but two in operation. David & Mann, near Salem, upon Bean's Creek, or one of its branches, are running about 38(' spindles on cotton yarn, in dozen, for home consumption. They are also running wool cards and grist and saw-mills. Anson Butterworth has made an investment of be- tween ^60,000 and S80,000 in building up Town Creek Mills, an es- tablishment that reflects great credit upon his business capacity, and reminds one of a model New England factory. He owns 500 acres of land, is running 712 spindles and 30 looms, consuming one bale of cotton per day, and producing 160 bolts, or 7,100 yards of cloth per week. He runs by water in winter and spring, in summer and autumn steam is superadded to his water power. He runs also a flour and grist-mill, with a capacity of eighty bushels per day, and also cards wool for the public convenience. He has a school-house and church on the premises, and furnishes his operatives with houses, gardens and fire-wood. The Town Creek Mills are eight miles from Winchester, near Elk River. Flouring mills are abundant. Brown & Payne, on Bean's Creek, Mosley on the same stream; besides Butterworth, Arl- edge has an extensive mill on Town Creek, Graham on Little Hurri- cane, Taft on Elk River, Estill, Syler and G^hnig have mills on Boil- ing Fork, Crane on Spring Creek. There is also a fine flouring mill in Sinking Cove on the Table Land. Grist-mills and saw-mills are to be found on almost every stream. There are also several steam saw- • mills. There are also many blacksmith and wood shops outside of the ■villages. Besides the tannery in Winchester, there are three others on Bromlow, one on Bean's Creek, and another near Salem. Near Decherd there is quite a large cheese factory in operation. It is a brick building three stories high, and built over one of the finest springs in Franklin, known as Colyar's Spring. 2'he University of the South. The University of the South is an in- stitution of which Franklin may well be proud. This Southern en- terprise owes its origin to the clear and comprehensive mind of Gen- eral Leonidas Polk, a native of Tennessee, but late Bishop of Louisi- ana. He first conceived the idea of concentrating the interests of the several southern dioceses of the Ei)isco])al Church upon one great school of learning. He accordingly issued an address in the year 1856 to the Bishops of the Southern States, proposing to establish a University 72>^ Resources of Tennessee. upon a scale which should meet the highest ends of Christian educa- tion. The proposal met with general favor, and measures were at once taken to carry the design into effect. The Bishops of Tennessee, Geor- gia, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, Florida, South Carolina, North Car- olina and Arkansas, with delegates, assembled for the first time on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, the 4th day of July, 1857. A com- mittee was appointed to collect information on the subject of a loca- tion for the proposed University, and to report to the Board at an ad- journed meeting to be held at Montgomery, Alabama, on the 28th of November following. In the interim a number of localities were visited and carefully examined by a commission of scientific men, which reported upon their respective advantages. Representatives from these several localities afterward appeared before the committee, and urged their claims with liberal oiFers of money and land. A full report was made to the board, and after a protracted discussion and re- peated ballotings, Sewanee, Tennessee, the present site of the University, was unanimously agreed upon. A charter was soon afterward pro- cured from the Legislature of Tennessee, granting the fullest powers, and a magnificent domain of nearly 10,000 acres of land was secured for the University site. A sum of nearly ^500,000 had already been obtained toward an endowment; the corner-stone of the central build- ing had been laid with great ceremony, when amidst the throng of as- sembled thousands the eloquent voice of Preston had cheered the hearts of his hearers with the bright promises of the future ; offices and buildings had been erected, and the most active measures were in l)rocess of execution to })ush the work forward, when the late civil war broke out and put an abrupt end to all operations. At the close of the war little remained except the University domain. Worse than all, a number of the most active fathers of the movement — Otey, Polk, Elliott, Cobbs, Rutledgc, Freeman — had fallen asleep. The South was in poverty and distress. The prospects were gloomy, but a move- ment was inaugurated in 186G to revive the work, and save whatever still remained. Funds liaving been generously contributed in England, the trustees were enabled to put the University in operation upon a moderate scale in September, 1868. Since that time there has been a rapid development, and the number of students has steadily increased, the present number being about 230. The University schools are now fully organized, and a bright future lies open before it. Sewanee, the site of the University, is on the elevated plateau of that name, a spur of the Cumberland Table Band. Experience fully Middle Temiessee. 73 ^ confirms the wisdom of the board in its selection. The summer tem- perature is delightful, and the winter not sensibly colder than the val- leys below. It is abundantly supplied Avith pure, cold, freestone water. The domain is heavily wooded, and care being taken to pre- serve the native forests, gives the whole the appearance of an exten- sive park. From the verge of the cliffs, bordering it on all hands, are presented most charming views of the valleys and neighboring mountains, combining, in endless variety, to delight the eye. Beauti- ful cascades and curious freaks of nature lend additional charms. The buildings, though simple, are generally elegant and attractive. Quite a village of artisan shops, and business houses of various kinds, have sprung up at the railway station just at hand, and the whole has lately been constituted one of the civil districts of Franklin. One of the business houses is a large three-story stone building that cost $6,000, and would be an ornament to any city. Within the last three years the investment in l)uildings, macliinery, etc., at that point has been over $200,000, independent of the University proper, which, accord- ing to the interesting report of George R. Fairbanks, Commissioner of Buildings and Lands, at the last meeting of trustees, is set down at the value of $165,000. Other Institutio7is. Besides the institutions of learning in Winches- ter, of which mention will be made when we speak of that town, there are also flourishing academies at Decherd, Salem, and near Cowan. These are emphatically high schools, in which the languages and sciences are thoroughly taught. There are also in other parts of the county many good schools, though not dignified perhaps with the title of acad- emies. Free schools are also taught in all the civil districts of the county. Price of Lands. There are farms in Franklin that cannot be bought for $50 per acre. Upon lands sold by order of court, and where the minimum bid is fixed by commissioners, the prices vary from fifty cents to near that amount. The discreet purchaser will not select the cheapest lands. Mineral Springs. For many years before the war, in the days of hacks, private carriages and stage coaches, the " Winchester Sulphur Springs," so-called, situated iu a romantic dell near Elk River, were resorted to by multitudes from the south. The ])ropcrty has been for many years owned and withdrawn from public use by Dr. Kittredge, a wealthy Louisiana planter, who, during his lifetime, spent his sum- mers there, and educated his daughters in this county. 732 Resources of Tennessee. Estill Springs, immediately upon the Nashville and Chattanooga Kailroad, and near Elk River, where trout-fishing abounds, were also much resorted to before the war, and its village, "Spring Hill," regu- larly laid out, and improved by beautiful cottages, built by both Ten- nesseans and southerners, contained a summer population of 800 or 1,000 persons. This place was resorted to mostly for health, though it too had its ball-room and other amusements. It has a variety of springs, chalybeate and other minerals. Here pure sulphur water is to be found. Dr. Safford, in his Geology, says that fine specimens of native sulphur have been obtained from the quartz c/eodes in this vicin- ity. This place was almost entirely destroyed during the war. Its buildings being deserted, were torn down by the troops to construct winter quarters. Southern men have not rebuilt their cottages, but Tennesseans, principally from Murfreesboro, are again beginning to resort to these life-giving waters. Hurricane Springs, so justly celebrated for their medical waters, es- pecially beneficial for chronic bowel affections, lie near the line of Moore county. Numerous other springs have local reputation. Marble. A vast mine of wealth lies in the extensive marble quar- ries of Franklin, upon Elk River, seven or eight mites from Winches- ter. This marble was hauled and worked at Winchester before the war, but is now more extensively used. These marble beds in Frank- lin appertain to the Nashville series, in lithological character, which teems with fossils, and so impresses the marble. Some of them fur- nish a gray, others a brownish red coralline marble. Indeed, almost every variegated variety abounds, and makes it a valuable marble for ornamental or building purposes. Vineyards and Orchards. Some attention has been given, especi- ally by German and Swiss immigrants, to the cultivation of grapes, which grow finely in the valleys of this county. Extensive apple orchards of grafted fruit are also taking the place of the old seedling trees. There is an extensive nursery near Winchester, and another near Estill Springs. Relif/ion, Morah, etc. Nearly all the various denominations of Christians have representatives in Franklin, and a healthy moral tone pervades the county, though deeds of violence sometimes disturb the public composure. The Masonic fraternity have lodges in Winchester, Salem and Marble Hill. The ludependent Order of Odd Fellows has a flourishing lodge in Winchester, and the Good Templars a lodge at Decherd of over one hundred members. Middle Tennessee. 733 Immigrants from all portions of the United States, as well as the old .vorld, (of whom there are many in Franklin) receive a hearty wel- iome. Indeed, the money brought into the county by immigration ^ince the war may be said to have saved it from bankruptcy. Towns. Winchester, the county seat of Franklin, is situated upon he Boiling Fork of Elk, and surrounded by fertile lands. The first :;ourts of Franklin were held near where now stands the town of Cowan, but the lots in Winchester were laid out and sold in 1808 or 1809, and the court-house was built in 1838. The population is be- tween 1,200 or 1,500, and has its full complement of lawyers, physi- cians, clergy, merchants and artisans. The jSIary Sharp College is the boast of the town, and is liberally patronized throughout the South. The Robert Donnell Institute and the Carrick Academy have exten- sive buildings, and are regarded as good schools. Its shops, both of iron and wood, are first class, and besides the tanneries of Porter and Buc- hanan, the Sewanee Tanning and Manufacturing Company have ex- tensive and costly brick buildings, in which leather of fine quality is largely made for export, by steam process entirely. The Home Journal, ably edited, weekly sends forth its notes of warn- ing and encouragement to numerous anxious subscribers. The Cumberland Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists have im- posing church edifices. The Roman Catholics have lately built a neat chapel, and the Episcopalians are now erecting a neat brick gothic structure in an eligible location ; their first church building having been burnt during the war. There are several beautiful villas near the town. From some of these may be seen the winding river with its clattering "town mill," and its beautiful cascade, and railroad and other bridges in the foreground ; the town rising regularly upon ter- races of emerald green, with its glittering spires reflecting the rays of the rising sun, flooding with its golden halo the mists of the valley, scudding away from its full-orbed splendor as it emerges " like fiery steeds " from behind the western escarpments of the mountains which form an elevated and continuous background, just at that enchanting distance which robes it with its azure hue. Altogether it forms a pic- ture pleasant to the eye, and deeply engraven on the tablets of memory. Salem is an old town in the lower part of Franklin, in a rich por- tion of the county, and near the Winchester and Alabama Railroad. It has a flourishing academy, and various shops and business houses. Ilockerville, in the upper part of the county, is also surrounded by 734 Resources of Tennesee. fine lands. Hunt's Station, on the Winchester and Alabama Railroad, and Estill Springs, Decherd, Cowan and Anderson, on the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, are places of considerable business. Of th(8 3, Decherd has the preeminence, indeed is desthied in the future to rival Winchester. Perhaps at the present tim6 as many goods are sold in Decherd as in Winchester. Statistics. The following are the agricultural productions of Frank- lin for the year 1870, according to the census report: Spring wheat 6,828 bushels. Winter wheat 77,529 " Rye 3,229 " Indian corn 467,757 " Oats 68,371 " Barley 2,087 " Buckwheat 45 " Tobacco 9,983 pounds. Cotton 289 bales. Wool 16,294 pounds. Peas and beans 1,276 bushels. Irish Potatoes 8,931 " Sweet Potatoes 9,915 " Butter 127,880 pounds. Cheese 106 " Hay 370 tons. Clover seed 12 bushels. Hops 16 pounds. Sorghum molasses 26,026 gallons. Wax 1,471 " Honey 14,129 pounds. Forest products, value $19,775 Number of horses 2,945 Number of mules and asses 750 Number of milch cows 3,043 Number of working oxen 948 Number of other cattle 3,830 Number of sheep 8,820 Number of swine 24,074 In the Slate Comptroller's report of this year, the area of the county is stated to be 277,479 acres, valued at $1,557,230. In the census re- port the land is given as follows: Improved 91,716 acres. Woodland 176,603 " Other unimproved 6,024 " Total 274,343 " Middle Tetmessee. 735 The population in 1870 was: White 11,998 Colored 2,972 Total 14,970 The Bureau is indebted to Dr. J. W. J. Payne for valuable aid in the preparation of this county. GILES COUNTY. County Seat — Pulaski. Giles county ranks among the very best counties in the State, by reason of the productive capacity and strength of the soil, the high character and intelligence of its citizens, the elegance of its soci- ety, the beauty and variety of its landscape, the abundance of its streams, the excellence of its timber and building material, and the splendor of its climate. It was originally a part of Maury and was erected into a separate county by an act of the Legislature, passed November 14, 1809. The name of the county was suggested by Gen- eral Jackson, in honor of Governor William B. Giles, of Virginia, who was a Senator in Congress at the time the State was admitted, and a prominent advocate for her admission, against strong opposition, as well from Tennessee as in Congress. The boundaries of the county, as defined by the Legislature, commenced at the south-east corner of Maury county; thence south to the southern boundary of the State; thence west far enough to include a constitutional county ; thence north to the Maury line ; thence with the Maury line to the beginning. As thus indicated, nearly half of the county lay west of the congressional reservation line, a large portion of which was then vacant land and belonged to the United States Government, over which the State of Tennessee had no control. The act establishing the county appointed James Ross, Nathaniel Moody, Tyree Rodes, Gabriel Bumpass and Thomas Whitson, commissioner, to select a place on Richland Creek, as near the center of the county as practicable, and cause a town to be laid off, and to sell the lots, reserving two acres for a public square, on which should be erected a court-house and stocks — that the town should be called Pulaski, in honor of Count Pulaski, who fell in the attack on Savannah in 1779. The commissioners selected the present site of "]'^(i Resources of Tennessee. Pulaski, although at that time it was vacant land, lying south and west of the reservation line, and was not granted until the 14th of Novem- ber, 1812, but assurances of the title had been given, which author- ized the commissioners to make the selection. The cane and under- growth were removed from a small portion of the town in 1810, and in August, 1811, the first lots were sold, and in due time a court-house and stocks were erected. An act establishing the county also estab- lished a Circuit Court, to be held the second Monday in June and De- cember, and a Court of Pleas and Quarter Session, to be held third Monday in February, May, August and November, and the house of Lewis Kirk, who lived in a log cabin on the bank of Richland Creek, about 200 yards above the Nashville and Decatur depot, was used for that purpose. The first County Court M^as held third Monday in Feb- ruary, 1810, when county officers were elected or appointed — German Lester, Clerk ; James Buford, Sheriff; Nelson Patterson, Chairman; Jesse Westmoreland, Register. The first Circuit Court was held, it is believed, the second Monday in June, the records of which are lost; but the record shows that court was held December 10, 1810 — Thomas Stewart, Judge. James Berry was appointed Clerk at the first court. Areas and Population. This county has twenty civil districts, and embraces over 600 square miles. The number of acres of land as- sessed for 1873 was 370,430, valued at $5,411,041, or nearly $15 per acre. The population in 1870 was 32,413, of which 12,738 were col- ored. The voting population in 1871 was 6,458; scholastic population in 1873, 9,484. The Cornersville district has been taken from the county since 1870, and added to Marshall. This has reduced the pop- ulation 2,141. Topography and Streams. The topography of Giles county may be best understood by considering the entire area to have been once an unbroken table land as high as the tops of the leading ridges, and that out of this original table land the streams have since cut their deep valleys. This, and we take it to be true, has caused the county to be made up of very many winding valleys, and high, often flat-topped, dividing ridges. The depth of the valleys, or, what is the same thing, the height oi leading ridges, is from 300 to 500 feet. Richland Creek, a tributary of Elk River, is the most important stream, though not the largest in the county. It divides the county longitudinally, north and south, into two nearly equal portions. The name Richland is sig- nificant and ap})ropriate. The stream has a large, wide valley which cannot be excelled, if equalled, in the State for fine farming lands. Middle Tennessee. J'^'j Richland has also many tributaries, each with its fertile valley. Elk River flows across the south-eastern corner of the county, receiving in its course many creeks and branches. Sugar Creek is in the south- western corner. All these have deeply set and rich valleys. The number of creeks, large and small, is very great, so that the table land mentioned above has been very thoroughly dissected by the waters. The ridges, the remnants of what once was, are narrow and, although numerous, make up a small part of the area of the county. The northern boundary of the county lies on Elk Ridge, an important arm of the Highlands. This conspicuous ridge runs nearly east and west, divides the waters of the Elk from those of Duck River, and cuts off the portion of the Central Basin of Middle Tennessee lying in Lincoln and Giles. We add further notices of the streams. The largest water- course in the county is Elk River, which takes its rise in Grundy county, and after passing through the counties of Franklin and Lincoln, and the south-east corner of Giles, pours itself into the Tennessee at the Muscle Shoals. It is a bold stream, and was formerly used to trans- port produce to New Orleans. Richland Creek, though called a creek, is really a river, and was de- clared by the Legislature a navigable stream to Pulaski, soon after the county was established. It has now numerous excellent flouring mills upon it, and among others. Vale mills, a few miles above Pulaski, which make a fine article of cotton rope in addition to the manufacture of flour. There are two other mills at Pulaski, and Brown's mills, ten miles below, on this creek, all with good machinery, and they are usually amply supplied with wheat raised in the county. Yet for all these mills, Richland Creek is not considered a good milling stream. The banks are low, and are frequently overflowed in winter, and • the drouths in summer reduce the quantity of water so much that the mills have to stop grinding, or grind but a short time each day. For thirty years after the organization of the county, numerous large flat-bottomed boats were built at Pulaski, by which the produce of the adjacent country was shipped to market. Occasionally small keel boats and pirogues were constructed, which made the voyage to New Orleans and returned with merchandise, stopping at Elkton, near the mouth of the creek. It required from three to four months to make the voyage. Sometimes they brought salt down the Tennessee River from King's salt works, near the Virginia line. Goods were hauled in wagons from Baltimore by the merchants. -17 738 Resources of Temzessee. Sugar Creek, in the south-west corner of the county, probably sup- plies the best water-power for machinery in the county. The water falls through a succession oi' cascades more than thirty feet within a distance of one hundred yards, and it is easily and cheaply utilized. Big Creek, a confluent of Richland Creek, is a good stream for man- ufacturing purposes, and has upon it, just within the borders of Law- rence county, a fine cotton and woolen factory. On this stream, and below Campbellsville, are the Arlington and Morris mills, that manu- facture a very superior article of flour. Then there are Shoal Creek, and Bethel or Little Shoal Creek, that empty into Elk River, very good streams, but have nothing about them deserving of particular mention. Geology. The geological features of the county are easily understood. The strata are horizontal, and excepting the summits of the ridges, are mainly limestone. The ridges are everywhere capped with the lowest and flinty layers of the Lower Carboniferous. Below this formation, outcropping on the slopes and underlying the lowlands, are everywhere the limestones which belong to a geological division called Silurian. The latter strata may be further divided into an upper part which is called Niagara, a middle part called Nashville, and a lower known as Lebanon. These different sets of strata kre so named because their continuations occur at the places from which the names are taken. For example, the upper limestone strata of Giles belong to the very same formation which makes the great fall at Niagara ; the middle part in- cludes the strata outcropping all around the city of Nashville. So those of the lowest set are seen about Lebanon, the county seat of Wilson. By far the most important subdivision, so far as the soils of Giles are concerned, is the Nashville. The Niagara is a comparatively thin division, seen outcropping high on the slopes in the middle and southern portions of the county ; in the northern portions the formation appears to be entirely absent. The Nashville, on the other hand, in- cludes about 300 feet of rather sandy, highly fossiliferous rich lime- stones, which, by weathering, form a very fertile, mellow soil. These strata outcrop mainly on the slopes and uplands. The lowest subdi- vision, the Lebanon, is the bottom rock of a number of local areas in the valleys of Richland, the Elk, and some of their tributaries. The Lebanon limestones, owing to their limited extent, have not the agri- cultural importance attaching to those of the Nashville sub-division. It ought perhaps to be stated here that there is a thin formation of black slate, called, technically, the Black Shale, in the county, in ad- Middle Tennessee. 739 dition to those we have already mentioned. It lies next below the sub-carboniferous and above all the limestones. It is often taken erro- neously as an indication of stone coal. Lar^ and Soils. All the soils in that part of the county which lies in the Central Basin arc fertile and easily cultivated. The hdl-sules and the slopes of the ridges are often remarkably fertile and productive As mi^ht be inferred from the number of streams, the amount of alluvia! soil in the county is very great. On all the streams wide bot- toms extend sometimes on both sides t^a considerable djfta-e.and 1 not surpassed in productiveness by any lands in the State._ The Unds bordering on Elk River and Richland Creek are the best m the ouuty for ™t'n, and its 'cultivation is confined almost exclusive^ to r 1 Lis on thes; streams. Tire whole valley of Richland Creek for miles when we saw it, was rejoicing in luxuriant crops of cotton corn Tnd c over, the latter filling the air with a fragrance as delightful as the "perfumes of bright Circassia." This sea of verdure, enriching he soil while it gladdened the landscape, is the best evidence we can * -vc o L sanguine hopes of the farmers of Giles of pros,,eri y in Ic filre. These lands sell for from ?40 to «90 per acre The farms are will improved. They have tasteful farm-houses, good stables and blrJ neat fences, pretty yards, extensive orchards and all the eom- fortsind luxuries that can be found on the farms m any part of the Sol The farmers for the most part are highly intclhgen t, and con- duc their farms with skill and energy. The capacity of the soil for the pXtion of grass is wonderful. On one farm we observed a little field of 2i acres in timothy, of which the owner related that .t wa sown abou: the year 1840, six years before he cau^ -t" P-ession of the place ; that he had pastured it two years since, but has cut f^m it twenty-two out of the twenty-four years, one and a half to two tons of hay per acre annually, and still the growth of the grass is vigor- ous andthe meadow is comparatively free from any noxious weeds : grsel It has also suppUed pasturage enough in ^V^^^ZZ^- cos! of cutting and saving the hay, so that the owner '- -7"^ ^^ ^ i,.ed, clear of all expenses, from this small plat "f 1^" ' ' ''J^;^ incredible sum of $1,650, estimating hay to be wo h SI' 1'^' ™;*'^^ five tons to be produced annually. '^^^l^'^lJ:^:^ Cf-^f^ +lTnf Pin ho frrown with iinbkuieu i<.iuui niu^^^ :a"sfarr;"as;ii!tofhay,anathewonderisthatmoreattention is not given to it iu this excellent county. Immediately around CampbellsviUe, on Big Creek, the lands are fer- I 740 Resources of Temtessee. tile, and continue so on to the south and east, but on the north and west they run into the " barrens," on the Highlands, where the land isr thin, and can be bought at almost a nominal price. A great many hogs are raised on Big Creek, and the tendency is to a better stock. Recently many fine Berkshires have been brought into the county, and some Chester whites. There is a native stock, however, called Sum- ner's stock — very large, easily fattened, thrifty, and yields a very large percentage of pork for the amount of food consumed — that is a general favorite in every part of the county. The land in this region is admirably suited to hay, and a considerable quantity is raised. The western part of the county is hilly, not suited to cotton, but is well adapted to wheat and fruit. It rarely happens that there is a fail- ure in fruit. The fogs that rise up from the valleys settle on the ele- vated land and apparently protect the fruit from the destructive effects- of the late frosts. The timber here is very fine, and the water, being freestone, is soft, limpid and free of all impurities. Lands here gen- erally sell at from one to ten dollars per acre. The lands on Elk River, and in the eastern part of the county^ though originally of the finest quality, have been much worn in the cultivation of cotton. The landscape, in many places, is scarified by deep gullies, some of them are of such depth and width as almost to- exceed belief. Hundreds of acres, on the Lincoln county line, are per- manently ruined and are not worth the taxes paid on them. It is to be hoped that the present generation will attach more importance ta the preservation of the soils, if not from principle, at least from policy. The cultivation of cotton seems to be the curse of the soil in Middle Tennessee — not necessarily so, but custom, more powerful than reason, exacts so many crops that no opportunity is afforded the land for re- claiming itself, O'ops, Orchard and Vineyard Products. Giles was, in 1870, the banner county in corn, leading all other counties in the quantities of this product. The following are the products for 1870, according to the census report: Corn 2,054,163 bushels. Wheat, Hpring 34,451 " Wheat, winter 111,184 " Oats 70,512 " Eye 5,895 " Barley ^,710 " Hay 1,644 tons. Grasfl Beed 153 bushels. Middle Te7i7iessee. 741 Cotton 8,367 bales. Tobacco 40,655 pounds. •Potatoes, Irish 32,556 bushels. Potatoes, sweet 28,074 " Hops 26 pounds. Sorghum 21,023 gallons. Orchard products, value of 10,341 dollars. Market garden products, value of 7 119 " Wine 569 gallons. The production of wiue has increased very much since 1870. In 1872 the product was 2,500 gallons. As to the crops suited to the jsoil and climate of the county, enough has already been said under the head of Land and Soils. All kinds of fruit known to the latitude find a congenial soil in Giles. The peach and apple tree flourish well on the barren lands, as also the cherry, the plum, the apricot. The grapes, as well as the peach and apple, do well on the high elevations of the Silurian. By far the largest vineyard in the State is in this county, formerly owned by Messrs. Cox and Dun lap, but recently sold. It embraces thirty acres, and a detailed description of it may be had by referring to the chapter on Grape-Growing, page 163 of this volume. Live Stock. The value of all live stock for 1870 is placed at •^1,736,504. The importation of a good breed of hogs has already been mentioned. Many fine Cotswold sheep have been lately intro- duced into the county from Kentucky, and are giving great satisfac- tion by their enormous yield of wool. We saw a flock of twenty-one that yielded 195 lbs. of wool, clear of burrs and trash, and all the flock were ewes except four. Many Merino sheep are found in every part of the county. Durham cattle, from the Alexander farm, near Lex- ington, Ky., are often seen, and some of the finest thoroughbred horses in the State are to be found in Giles. The following statistics are compiled from the census returns : Horses, number of 7,672 Mules and asses, number of 3,452 ^lilch cows, number of 6,536 Sheep, number of 18,658 Swine 47,700 The value of animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter was $482,127. There are also many fine jacks in the county, and the farmers are do- ing more in the raising of stock than ever before. 742 Resoiirces of Tennessee. Roads and Railroads. It is a source of regret that while Giles county is going ahead in almost all other enterprises, it should Ihiger so far behind in the matter of turnpikes, there being but two or three in the county, and they are poorly kept up, although limestone rock abounds, and is easy of access. The other roads are execrable, and to look at them it would seem impossible that any vehicle could pass over them without breaking down. The people of Giles, so exemplary in other things, will, we trust, soon direct their attention to the building of good roads, the benefit, profit and convenience of which can hardly be over-estimated. There is but one railroad in the county — the Nash- ville and Decatur — that passes through from north to south. It is a great convenience to the people, and before it was built the transporta- tion of produce was a work of great risk, labor and expense. Another railroad, the Memphis and Knoxville, has been surveyed to pass through the county, which is intended to be narrow gauge. Should this be built, Giles county will be quartered by railroads, and will en- joy means of transportation enjoyed by very few counties in the State. Immigrants. During the decade between 1860 and 1870 the popu- lation increased over 6,000. There are lands to be found in this coun- ty cheap and d \rable, but away from transportation. All that portion of the county lying west of Pulaski, and beyond the Valley Basin, might be profitably settled by fruit-growers. The soil is of the same character as that found in Lawrence and portions of Coffee county. Some of it is very leachy and poor, but spots occur of moderate fertil- ity, and, under good management, might be made highly productive and profitable. The lands elsewhere in the county rate so high it would be difficult to get immigrants to buy them. Labor. Labor is high and unreliable. In the cotton-growing areas the system of cropping prevails. The same contracts are made with laborers here as in Davidson, Marshall, and other counties in the best portions of Middle Tenn.essee. Towns. Pnlaski stands on the east bank of Richland Creek, with a circular range of irregular hills, that run from north-west to the south, hemming it in on three sides, and reminding one of sentinels keeping watch and ward over the towii beneath. South-west and Avest from Pu- laski, the country is comparatively level, and stretching away are "Woods and cornfields, and tlie abodes of men, Scattered at intervals" — The place selected by the commissioners for the town was know° Middle Tennessee. 743 by the first settlers as the "shoals," and is fifteen miles above the con- fluence of Richland Creek with Elk River. Pulaski in 1870 had 470 dwellings, occupied by 2,070 people, of whom 910 were colored. The town, within the past few years, has suffered greatly from fires, but better buildings have been erected, and it is now one of the best built towns in the State. It has an elegant court-house, one hundred and fifty feet by sixty, with cross halls, and four entrances. It is well ven- tillated, having eight double windows on the sides. It was completed in 1859 ; the previous court-house having been destroyed by fire before it was finished, though some of the rooms were in use. Pulaski has considerable trade, there being required to meet the wants of the citi- zens of the county about twenty dry goods houses, sixteen groceries, two tailor shops, seven blacksmith shops, one planing-mill, two wagon shops, two tan-yards, one stove and tin shop, two livery stables and two banks. There are five churches, two of them colored. The Episco- palians worship in the basement of the Odd Fellows' Hall, which is a large building, and shows that benevolent order to be in a flourishing condition. There is also the jail, which cost the county the sum of $25,- 000 to construct. It is a sightly building, and besides having spacious rooms for the accommodation of the jailer, has numerous cells, lined so as to make the possibility of the escape of the criminals, without the con- nivance of the jailer, very remote. There is one newspaper, the Pu- laski Citizen, Democratic and progressive. The amount of cotton shipped from this place for 1872-3, was greater than that shipped from any other point in Middle Tennessee, being 8,863 bales. The whole amount shipped from the county during the same year was a little over 16,000 bales. From this point also there were shipped 10,456 bushels of wheat. Pulaski can also boast of a town hall, which for elegance, convenience, safety, beauty of finish and appropriateness for the pur- pose designed, cannot find its equal in the State. It is 84x42, with an arched ceiling, beautifully frescoed, and has a capacity for seating com- fortably 800 persons. The galleries are large and well ventila- ted. Two wide flights of steps lead to the auditorium, and in case of fire the whole building can be emptied in the space of two minutes. Speakers and actors highly commend it for its acoustic properties, rend- ering the labor of speaking comparatively easy. There were in Pu- laski, in 1870, 68 establishments of productive industry, with a capital of $97,157 invested, that gave employment to 133 males above sixteen years of age, and thirty-five females above sixteen, besides seventeen other young persons below the ages mentioned. The wages paid to 744 Resources of Tenjzessee, these persons for the year ending June 1, 1870, was $38,204, and the products were valued at $168,262. Standing first among these manu- facturing establishments are the Pulaski Manufacturing Mills, situated in the north-eastern part of the town. These mills were incorporated under the same charter as the Tennessee Manufacturing Company at Nashville, and have now a capital invested of $65,000. They employ- ed in 1872, 75 operatives, and made 1,500 yards of sheeting, 340 dozen yarn, 100 yards of jeans, cassimeres, &c., daily. They had in operation 1,500 spindles, the looms and spindles being driven by two steam engines. Pulaski has 405 lots, valued at $672,654. Lynnville, Buford, Rey- nolds, Rhodes, Wales, Pfarwell, Aspen Hill, Lesters, Prospect and Veto, are all shipping points on the railroad. Lynnville has a popula- tion of 250 and 17 business establishments. The number of bales of cotton shipped from this point for the year ending June 30, 1870, was 1,452; bushels of wheat, *4,813; cattle, 19 car loads; hogs, 28 car loads. Buford has two ueneral stores. Wales, four miles north of Pulaski, has the same number. Aspen Hill, with a population of 100, has two stores, a cabinet shop, two blacksmith shops, flour and grist- mill, saw-mill, and one grocery. Prospect has a population of 150, and six business houses. The other towns in the county, away from the railroad, are Elkton, south of Pulaski, on the Elk River, with a population of 300; Bunker Hill, Campbellsville, Bradshaw, Bethel, Bodenham, Marbutis, Minnow Ford and Pisgah. All these have from one to four stores, and are trading points for the surrounding country. Elkmont Springs is a beautiful watering place, located on the edge of the table land which lies on the south side of Elk River. The water is sulphur, and is much sought after by dyspeptics, as well as those suf- fering from general debility. The citizens of Giles county, for the year 1873, showed a commend- able liberality in providing good public schools. But for untoward events in our national legislation, the county would soon have become as noted for the excellence of its schools as for the richness of the soils, and hospitality of the citizens. A special tax of fifteen cents on the hundred dollars worth of property, one dollar on polls, and one-fourth of the county levy on privileges, was set apart for school purposes, which* with the State levy of ten cents, realized over $21,000 per annum for the public schools. The private schools of the county have always been of a high order. Middle Tejmessee. 745 GRUNDY COUNTY. County Seat — Tracy City. This county was organized in 1844, from fractions taken from Frank- lin, Coffee and Warren. It embraces 324 square miles, and has a pop- ulation, according to the last census, of 3,250, of which only 137 were colored. It is one of the eastern counties of Middle Tennessee, and more than half of it rests upon the Cumberland Table Land. Topography and Streams. The part of the county that lies upon the Table Land is generally flat, but deeply gashed by the valleys of streams. Sometimes, also, as near Tracy City, knobs rise several hundred feet above the general surface. There being eleven districts in the county, three lie entirely upon the Table Land, and a portion of eight run down into coves and river vallej'S. Elk River breaks from one of these coves, and is strong enough to make valuable water-power where it bursts out. The head waters of Collins and Sequatchie rivers are also in this county. Many of the streams on the top of the Table Land have sufficient volume for milling purposes, such as the Fiery Gizzard and Fire Scald. These mountain streams are very rapid, hav- ing perpendicular falls sometimes of thirty or more feet, especially where they begin to descend into the valleys. The waters are not so bright and sparkling as one is disposed to imagine, but have a yel- lowish cast. They flow over great layers of sandstone, and are fretted in their courses by detached rocks that have tumbled down in their channels. Some of the wildest gorges in the State are to be met with along these streams — perfect pictures of untamed nature embellished by numerous and varied evergreens. Several of these places of great -beauty are found in the vicinity of Beersheba Springs. Laurel Creek Falls may be taken as a type of these mountain rapids. The creek which forms these falls, after flowing on the mountain plateau for several miles, plunges into a deep ravine gashed in the side of the gorge, through which the east fork of Collins River flows, and finds its way down to that stream by a succession of rapids and falls, descending about 1,000 feet in the distance of five miles. The Laurel Creek Falls forms one of several by which the Avater descends to the foot of the mountain. These falls pitch over a mass of conglomerate rock, some six feet in thickness, which rests upon a bed of crumbling shale. This has been disintegrated and washed out from beneath by the floods, 60 that the hard and conglomerate sandstone projects a considerable 74^ Resources of Tennessee. distance over, which projection increases on the right and below the falls to twenty or thirty feet over the elliptical grotto, some sixty feet in length, and nearly the same in breadth. The water has a fall of thirty feet, which, after striking a broken mass of rocks below, sweeps around to the left, finding its way amidst huge bowlders, at one time resting in a quiet pool, and then dashing headlong down deep chasms darkened by the overhanging trees. The ruggedness and wildness of this gorge fill the mind with emotions of sublimity, and form a picture of mighty convulsions where huge rocks have been piled upon each other, intermingled with fallen trees, in wild confusion. The bosoms of some of these bowlders are covered with wild ferns, which make them resemble green islands in the rugged sea of rocks. Soils and Productions. A considerable portion of the land in this county may be termed first rate Middle Tennessee land. All the soils in the coves and on the streams produce corn, wheat, clover, and some of them are well adapted to blue-grass. Cotton and tobacco grow well on these bottom lands. They can be bought at from ten to thirty dollars per acre. Such lands in Ohio or Pennsylvania would be worth from one hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars per acre. All in all, this county is now one of the most interesting in the State — interesting, because a spirit of enterprise, not very common in Tennessee, is giving the top of the mountain a trial never before made in this, nor in any State in the South. The coal in this county is now at the very foundation of commerce and manufacturing, and by means of the capital and enterprise which it has developed, many other in- dustrial interests have taken a new start. Among the many interesting developments in this county, nothing is enlisting more valuable and scientific investigations than the effort to utilize lands hitherto regarded as of no value. In this county there are now 100,000 acres that can be bought at from fifty cents to one dollar per acre. Late practical and scientific tests have shown, as is now claimed, that these lands are indeed of considerable value, since they are found to be productive, and they are made accessible by rail- road. A highly cultivated and eminently practical Scotchman five years ago settled on lands immediately on the line of railroad, and near the colmty line between Marion and Grundy, and by a series of actual experiments with fertilizers, has demonstrated that lands which he bought at from sixty cents to one dollar ])er acre, can be made, with a trifling (lost, to produce excellent corn, clover and oats. He claims Middle Tennessee. 747 that this land, for farming purposes, is equal to the valley land ; but in this, while we cannot agree with him, we are glad to know that intelli- gence and scientific cultivation will make them productive and profit- able. For the production of corn and wheat they must be well ferti- lized ; but there are no lands in the State equal to them for the produc- tion of fruits, Irish potatoes, and some other vegetables. The soil is sandy, loose, porous and hungry, though it produces clover very well if gypsum is applied to the crop. Mr. E. O. Nathurst, an enterprising and intelligent Swede, now connected with the Tennessee Coal and Railroad Company, residing at Tracy City, by a little extra work from arduous duties as book keeper, made six years ago a vineyard of less than one acre, which in grapes and wine yielded him one year between $700 and ^800. Experiments by E. F. Colyar at the mines, and by others, prove beyond doubt that for grape culture the top of the mountains has no su})erior in this country. Swiss Colony. Near Altamont, in this county, is a most interesting Swiss colony, composed of about sixty fiimilies. The establishment and population of this colony is quite a feature in the history of Ten- nessee. Without means this experiment was made, and for a time the difficulties in the way of success seemed insurmountable ; but under the protection of Consul General Hitz, and under the management of Mr. Peter Staub, of Knoxville, the active and enterprising agent for the Swiss government, this colony has been put on a firm basis. They are a most industrious people, and have now clearly demonstrated the value of the lands which they bought at a few cents per acre. The cultiva- tion of tlie grape and of fruit trees, is among the many interesting vo- cations of this most industrious people. They are said to be quite sat- isfied with their new mountain home, and in a few years will be among the most thriving and wealthy of Tennessee's taxpayers. They have two stores and several saw-mills, and possess all the requisites for living within themselves. Timber and Lmnber. On the low lands and in the coves there is an abundance of fine yellow poplar, black walnut, sugar tree, white and black oak, and on the top of the mountain there are two kinds of tim- ber of great value — the yellow pine in large quantities, and chestnut oak, which grows in great abundance, the bark of which is much sought after by tanners. Besides, the top of the mountain is better supplied with tie timber than any part of the State accessible by railroad. Climate and Fruit. It is now well known, after experiments for 74^ Resources of Tennessee. twenty-five years, but especially since the railroad was built in 1858, that as a fruit and vegetable country, the top of this mountain surpasses any section in the Southern States. The climate in many respects is about the same as in Pennsylvania, being about 1,500 feet higher than the basin around Nashville, and from the dryness of the atmosphere in the Springs, there is scarcely such a thing known as the fruit being killed by a frost. By a series of experiments, the summers are found to be cooler by several degrees than in the Central Basin, while the crisp, dry air renders it not uncomfortable in winter. Since the whistle of the locomotive summoned to the top of the mountain men with the woodman's axe and the miner's pick in place of the backwoodsman, with the hunter's rifle, the progress in raising and taking care of fruit, cultivating and sending to market cabbages and potatoes, which grow z& they do nowhere else in the South, is one of the most cheering signs in the advancing steps of Tennessee. Bersheeba Springs, in this county, is one of the most delightful and fashionable watering places in the South. The waters are chalybeate and freestone. The growing town at the coal mines, as well as the .spring, affords a splendid market for everything raised for sale ; and instead of hunters and a half civilized backwoods people, the popula- tion is coming to l>e an industrious and thrifty people, who are begin- ning to look with as much interest to the question of churches and schools as any people in the State. Grass and Grazing. One of the great sources of wealth in this county is the native wild grass covering the entire face of the country. This grass, together with a weed called beggar's lice, which grows in great profusion, and is much sought after by cattle in the fall, is equal to the finest blue-grass of Kentucky, from the 15th of April to the 15th of November. During this time the cattle, with salt only, get as fat as it is possible to make them. Such a thing as cattle disease is not knf)wn, and by actual experiment often made, for a man with a small capital, buying cattle in the coves in the spring, and gra- zing them on this mountain for six months, is the surest mode of doubling the capital in that short space of time. Toiims and H(*fiools. The towns are Tracy City, at the end of the railroad, now the county seat, and is quite a growing town, Altamont, the former county seat, and Pelham, a small village on the head of Elk River. Becrsheba Springs may also be reckoned among the number. For two years this county has levied, in addition to the State tax Middle Tennessee. 749 for school purposes, a tax of thirty cents on the one hundred dollars. No other county in the State has done this — the result is a good system of schools. The Tennessee Coal and Railroad Company, which pays about $4,000 of taxes, has encouraged the levy of a high tax for schools, and has done everything possible to aid in having public schools per- manently established at the mines. One of these schools now requires three teachers, and preparation has been made for keeping it up nine mouths in the year. Minerals and Railroad. The great feature of the mountain is the coal. From Tracy City east the whole country is a bed of coal, and the time is coming: when these coal fields in the South will be like Newcastle iiF England, or Scranton in Pennsylvania. In 1854 a com- pany, mainly made up of New York capitalists, commenced building a coal road to what is known as the Sewanee Mines, in Marion county, now, by the new constitution, detached, and attached to Grundy county, and which was completed in 1858. This road is twenty-one miles long, and is the first successful attempt in the South to build a railroad up a mountain of 1,000 feet. The cost of building and equipping this road was about $850,000. The company, then known as the " Se- wanee Mining Company," made a debt of between $350,000 and $400,000, the litigation about which resulted in two sales of the entire property in 1860. These two sets of purchasers, at the close of the war, compromised their litigation, and the Tennessee claimants there- upon organized under the new charter of the Tennessee Coal and Rail- road Company, and commenced work. The mines and road had been used during the war for army purposes ; the road was in a dangerous condition, and the rolling stock was worn out. The work of rebuild- ing was undertaken without capital, and for a time pecuniary embar- rassments threatened the ruin of the enterprise. The report made by the President and sole manager in 1869, shows the expenditures in rebuilding the road, building cars, miner's houses, etc., to be $210,658. By this expenditure the work had been increased from four cars per day in 1866 to twelve cars per day in 1869, the mean diiference between which was about the aggregate of each year's work. Since that time the entire earnings have been put into the property after relieving the company of the heavy debt made in re- building. This company is shi})})ing from forty-five to fifty cars of coal per day, or say 12,000 bushels, which is far ahead of any work of the kind ever done south of the Ohio River. 750 Resources of Tennessee, A few facts will show what such an enterprise is worth to the industry of Tennessee. The company now, in all its depart- ments, gives employment to about 450 persons, including 150 convicts digging coal. The aggregate coal trade, commencing with the first of the year 1866, and ending with the first of October, 1872, was 31,582 cars— 8,005,954 bushels, producing $960,714.48. The other business of the company, sales of goods, lumber, &c., amounts to $562,860, making the entire receipts $1,523,574.48. The amount of improvements made for the year 1873, as well as the monthly produc- tions of coal for the same year, may be ascertained by referring to chapter on coal, pp. 190-218, where the minimum and maximum pro- ducts are given. Around the mines has sprung up a town of 1,000 people, with churches and schools. A branch of the Tennessee State prison has been established there, and 150 convicts are now worked in the mines with great success. The shipments of coal daily are to At- lanta, Chattanooga, Huntsville and Nashville, besides the towns on the line of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. System and close economy in the business of this company have developed a trade alto- gether beyond the expectations of the parties interested. Besides sup- plying several railroads, the company is now shipping coal daily to St. Louis. The number of men employed inside the mine is about 250; the whole amount of track under the ground is about nine miles, and the extreme points of the mine worked are 1,500 yards apart. The average thickness of the coal is four feet ten inches. The openings to the mines are three, and cars are loaded from three different chutes. The coal is not brought down an inclined plane, as most of the mines in Pennsylvania, nor is it elevated as in most of the mines in England. All the entries are horizontal, and the coal is brought to the mouth of the pit and dumped into the railroad cars. Practically the mine is in- exhaustible, and as a pure coal, valuable alike for grates and manufac- turing— making iron as well as making steam — there is perhaps no coal in the United States superior to it. As analyzed by Prof. Safford, it is carbon 65.50, volatile matter 29.00, ashes 5.50. Since this company commenced rebuilding and shipping coal in 1866 the increased demand for coal is one of the most interesting features in the growth of Ten- nessee. We are assured that shipping 50 cars per day the company is further from supplying the demand than when it was shipping four cars in 1866. A. S. Colyar has been President of the company since 1860, except when the property was abandoned during the war. In his annual report for 1869 occurs the following remarks in reference to the enterprise and coal trade of Tennessee : Middle Tennessee. 75 [ Believing that coal was to be the great basis of wealth in Tennessee, as it is in Pennsylvania, and knowing that this could never be while the coal trade here was confined to a sort of huckstering business, as it has been for twenty-five years, I have struggled through difficulties which but few per- sons will appreciate, to make the company what it now is — capable of sup- plying the present demand, and as it may increase, of a great and growing manul'acturing State, and of supplying the demand upon tlie well established basis in enterprising communities, that money in coal is to be made by sell- ing large quantities at small profits, instead of small quantities at large profits. Coal can be supplied at Nashville for manufacturing purposes as cheap as in most towns in Pennsylvania, and cheaper than in the manufac- turing towns of New England. The success of this enterprise may be attributed in a great degree to the fact that the stockholders have been more anxious to put it on a firm basis than to declare dividends, believing that fixed and perma- nent dividends, though delayed, were preferable to early but uncertain dividends. The increase of the business is shown by the following facts : 1866, shipped in October 40,500 bushels. 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, . 92,260 . 65,250 .107,000 .144'856 .198,755 .267,753 .300,000 This company sold at Nashville for manufacturing purposes in 1866 not exceeding 50,000 bushels. Now the sales at Nashville for manufac- turing purposes amount to between 400,000 and 500,000 annually. The Secretary is indebted to the President of this company for many facts pertaining to this county, and especially for those pertaining to the coal interest, which is the great interest of the county, and is des- tined in the future to give to it great wealth. HICKMAN COUNTY. County Seat — Centerville. Hickman county, containing 559 square miles, lies on the western side of the great Highland Rim of Middle Tennessee. It was created by the Legislature in 1807, reducing the limits of Dickson county, and 752 Resou7^ces of Tennessee. was named in honor of Edmund Hickman, a surveyor, who came with Colonels Robertson and Weakley, in 1785, to survey entered lands on Piney River. Hickman, while on this trip, was killed by the Indians near the mouth of Defeated Creek, on Duck River, within one mile of where Centerville, the county seat, now stands. In 1819 the county was permanently established, David Love, Joel Walker, John S. Primm and Joseph Lynn being appointed commissioners to superintend the running and marking of the lines, these to include an area within the constitutional limits. Strearns. The drainage in every part of the county is perfect. The main artery, Duck River, a clear, swift stream, abounding in fish of delightful flavor, flows in a westerly direction entirely through the county. Its tributaries. Sugar Creek, Beaver Dam, Piney, Swan, Lick Creek and Leatherwood, flowing north-east and south-west, supply every portion of the county with living water. One other stream, Cane Creek, rises in Lewis county, passes through the south-west cor- ner of Hickman, and empties into Buffalo, in the county of Perry. These streams are remarkably clear, and their beds are filled with im- mense piles of gravel, which, shifting with every rise, often destroy the fords, and roads which run on their banks. For manufacturing, these streams will not do to rely upon, for several very good reasons. ' Their banks are unusually low, and composed for the most part of gravelly beds. These are cut away by the action of the stream, and wide sand- bars are constantly forming on the opposite side. It is almost impossi- ble to construct a dam that will not in the course of a few years be undermined. Another reason is, that the undulating surface of the county makes the descent of water from the surface very rapid, and after hard rains, the water with its accumulated force rushes down with Alpine fury, sweeping away trees, fences, houses and everything, and subsides with as much rapidity as it rises. There is, however, some fine water-power in the county. McClarin's mills, sixteen miles from Centerville, are situated upon a stream that flows in a large volume from the side of a bluif, with a descent so rapid that, within forty yards of its exit from the bluff, it has capacity enough to drive an overshot wheel twenty feet in diameter. Several manufac- turing establishments have been driven by this stream without requir- ing more that half its available force. Another fine power is to be found about eight miles west of the county seat, and where the old Montgomery mills were situated. A mile above the mills the waters of the Piney disappear under a bluff, Middle Tennessee. 753 and reappear, after passing under a farm of considerable extent, upon the face of a bluff 150 feet high, and fall perpendicularly about ten feet. No dam is Avanted. The construction of a forebay is all that is necessary to utilize the stream. Perhaps in the State no finer uncurbed water-power can be found. Topography, Timber, Soils, etc. Hickman county has usually a bro- ken surface, composed of high, rolling ridges and deep ravines, point- ing generally toward the streams. Some plateau lands lie in the north- ern part of the county, being a continuation of that which extends through Dickson county, and forming the water-shed between the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. This plateau sinks as it approaches Duck River, but again appears on the south side and extends on through the county into Lewis and Lawrence counties, where it widens out into abroad prairie-like area, and is marked by open woods, scrubby timber, barren grass, thin soils and a scarcity of settlers. For a more particu- lar description of this plateau land the reader is referred to Lewis county, in this volume. The ridges that form so large a proportion of the lands of Hickman are exceedingly sterile and unproductive. The soil is rocky and thin, but in spots sustains a rich verdue of barren grass, upon which the stock of the county subsist for nine month in the year. The timber of the ridges is white oak, chestnut oak, red oak, black oak, hickory, and chestnut. In the valley it is poplar, beech, maple, ash, boxelder, black walnut, butternut, red bud and elm. Sometimes, however, these ridges flatten out into a broad surface, and wherever sucli places are found, in which the subsoil is a deep red cherty clay, the land is very fertile. Such a spot is found on the road from Dickson to Centerville, about Pinewood. Around this village are found lands of the same character as the rich, chocolate lands north of Clarks- ville, in Montgomery county, well adapted to the growth of corn, v/heat, cotton and tobacco. These low plateaus differ widely in pro- ductive capacity from the more elevated ones to which we have re- ferred. In many respects the soil is superior to the bottom lands, es- pecially for the growing of wheat and clover. The price of these lands are, for improved farms, |30 to $40 per acre ; bottom lands, about the same; barren lands and rolling ridges, from fifty cents to five dollars. Crops. The crops grown in the county are wheat, oats, rye, barley, cotton and peanuts. The average yield of wheat for the county is eight bushels per acre ; cotton, 600 pounds ; corn, thirty bushels ; pea- nuts, forty bushels. On the most fertile lands the yield would be fully 48 754 Resowces of Teftnessee. doubled. The culture of peanuts bid fair, at one time, to be the great industry of the county, but the fall in price, occasioned by the enormous crop of 1872, cut down tlie quantity for 1873 fully four-fifths. Since the war, this crop has been very profitable, and has constituted the principal source whence farmers obtained means to buy their supplies and meet their general wants. Nashville is the principal market forthe farmers, and the place for selling and buying such things as they need, from a paper of pins to a barrel of salt. It was no uncommon thing in 1872 to meet, in one day, fifty wagons loaded with peanuts on their way to Nashville. They are hauled fifty-four miles over a common dirt road at great expense, and with much loss of time, the expenses averaging twenty- three cents on the bushel. The first peanuts raised in Tennessee and carried to Nashville for sale were from Hickman county. Jesse George, who died but recently, was the first to introduce them. He obtained a few from some emigrants, moving from North Carolina to the west, and planted them. This was the beginning of the culture of peanuts, which has become such an important agricultural feature in this and adjoining counties. The crop averages from forty to fifty bushels per acre, and sometimes reaches 125 bushels per acre. The yield of this crop for the county was in 1871, 150,000 bushels; 1872,225,000; 1873, 35,000. Hickman, like all of those counties in which the farms are cultivated by white labor, is as prosperous as it was before the war. The farms are worked as well and look as well. They are mostly small, and but few old fields have been turned out to grow up into thorns and briers. Since the fall in the price of peanuts, and the consequent abandonment of their growth as a crop, it has been a very serious question with the farmers what crop to introduce in their place. Near Pinewood, where there is a most excellent cotton factory, the raising of cotton has proved highly satisfactory, l)ut in other portions of the county the raising of mules and horses is thought to be more profitable. The highway pas- turage being am])le for their sustenance, the usual practice is to bell the mares and turn them out with their colts to shift for themselves. Wool Groining. But for the dogs, sheep would be extensively raised, as they can live the entire year in the woods without attention ; but the lowest estimate of the loss from dogs is forty per cent. Sheep are driven up twice during the year. May and September, and sheared, and the owners, after marking the lambs, pay no more attention to them. They live on the wild grasses in summer and on the farm in Middle Temiessee. 755 Avinter. They may be bought in the woods for one dollar each. Na- ture is favorable to a prolific yield of wool, yet there is not more raised than will supply the home demand. It cannot be doubted, from all tlie evidence collected, that this Plighland plateau is one of the finest sheep-growing regions of America. The comparative mildness of the winters, the sheltering rocks and perennial grasses make the cost of keeping through winter almost nothing, while the quality of the wool can be made in fineness to rival that produced by the flocks that cover and browse over the fertile plains and rolling heights and mountain fastnesses of the Spanish Peninsula. In this matter the Legislature should act decidedly, and throw the shield of its protection around this branch of our husbandry, so remunerative and pleasant. Two millions of sheep, with proper attention, could be raised in the counties of Hickman, Lewis and Lawrence without any diminution in the quantity of other products. Those farmers who have introduced the improved breeds of hogs and cattle are succeeding well. Labor. Labor is scarce. Farm hands are worth $1 per day when they board themselves. Factory hands, female, get from $13 to $26 per mouth and board themselves. Orchards are not abundant, though the farmers are planting more fruit trees now than at any previous time. Apples, pears, peaches, plums and cherries grow with remarkable vigor, and upon the rolling lands yield bountifully. Grapes have not been tested, but it is believed from the character of the soil and the perfect drainage of the county, that they would grow and bear well upon the many sunny slopes that rise up from the margins of the streams. Ircm Ore and other Minerals. Of all the counties of the Western Iron Hegion none can surpass Hickman in the quantity and richness of its iron ore. Almost everywhere this iron ore crops out. The tops of the ridges are filled -with it. It lies in beds or banks more or less as- sociated ^\ith cherty masses, and will yield from the furnace about forty-four per cent. The old iEtna mines, that were worked many years ago, arc the best yet found in the State. Competent judges assert that there is more iron ore in this county than in the Iron Mountain of Missouri. B .^fore the war there was one furnace in operation in the county that made 1,500 tons annually. But for the heavy expense of hauling to tlic railroad, there would be now nuiny in operation. Tim- ber is abundant, the ore is rich, inexhaustible, and easy of access. It is believed that twenty furnaces could be run indefinitely, and be made 75 6 Resources q/ Tennessee. to yield a revenue of $1,500,000 annually. Could a railroad be built from Clarksville to Florence, Alabama, it would pass through the center of one of the finest iron belts in America. Ten miles back on each side of such a road would furnish timber and ore enough to run a fur- nace for every ten miles of road. This statement may appear incredible to one who has never thoroughly inspected this region, but will not be questioned by those at all familiar with the immense deposits of this useful metal on that line. This line would pass directly through the center of Hickman county, and would add millions to its wealth and to the wealth of the State. Surface lead has been picked up in various parts of the county, but no extensive bed of this metal has been discovered. There are several mineral springs, some of them in high repute as remedial agents. One of these watering places, Bon Aqua Springs, is in the north-eastern part of the county, seven miles south of Burns* Station, on the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad. It is a favorite resort for persons in a feeble and debilitated condition. Beaver Dam Springs, in the southern part of the county, are also well known for the health-giving properties of the waters. Primm's Springs, in the eastern part of the county, is also a place of considerable resort. These springs are located near the summit of the Highlands, and are in a high, dry and healthy region. The water is white sulphur and free- stone, and is thought to be equal in every particular to the far-famed white sulphur of Virginia. Manufactories. At Pinewood, on Piney River, is a cotton mill run by steam, Avlth wood for fuel, (the water being too inconstant,) that em- ploys sixty operatives, fifteen males and forty-five females. The pro- ducts are 4-4 sheetings 1,800 yards daily, besides cotton yarns and cot- ton rope in quantities to suit the demand. The number of spindles is 1,886, looms 40, cards 20, cost of mill $60,000. Quite a flourislnng village has sprung up around this factory, all owned by Mr. S. L. Gra- ham, one of the most enterprisinl- ting all these circumstances together, it is highly probable that Her- nando de Soto passed the winter of 1540-41 on the site of the present town of Fayetteville. Statistics. Lincoln county contained in 1870, a population of 28,050 persons. In 1860 the population was 22,828. Number of dwellings in 1870, 5,080; number of families, 5,069; w'hite population, 22,097; free colored, 5,953. In 1860 the white population was 15,926; col- ored 6,902. Tills shows that during the decade ending June 1, 1870, the white population increased 6,171, while the colored decreased 949. The number reported in 1870, that could not read, was 6,526, that could not write, 9,064, or nearly one-third of the whole population. The assessed value of lands in 1873, was $4,087,394; 317,079 acres were reported, which is about |12.90 per acre. The total amount of taxable property is valued at $5,178,933; number polls, 3,134 ; num- ber voters in 1871, 4,983, of whom 778 were colored. Lincoln was, in 1870, a " banner county " in more respects than one. For that year it produced a greater number of pounds of wool, and of honey, had a larger number of sheep, and had more capital in live stock than any other county in the State. It was, moreover, second only in quantity of rye produced, pounds of butter, and in number of horses. It was third in corn and fourth in wheat. 8o8 Resources of Tennessee. MACON COUNTY. County Seat — LaFayette. Tlie county of Macon was created by act of the Tennessee Legisla- ture, in the year 1842, from fractions of Smith and Sumner. It was at first rectangular in form, the sides bounding the county on the north and south being twenty-eight miles long, while those on the east and west were about fourteen miles in length. In 1870, a small part of the county, at the south-western corner, was cut off to form a part of the new county of Trousdale, so that the county is not now completely symmetrical. It is bounded on the north by Kentucky, on the east by Clay and Jackson counties, on the sovith by Smith and Trousdale, and on the west by Sumner. LaFayette, the seat of justice, is the only town in the county. It has a central position on an elevated plain, be- tween the tributaries of Cumberland River and the waters which flow north into Barren River, in Kentucky. The town is well laid off, and the buildings, though not large or fine, are generally neat and substan- tially built. There are several retail stores and shops, and two churches. The population is about 300. Topography. Except small parts of the valleys of Goose Creek and Dixon's Creek, near the southern boundary, the whole of the county lies on the Highland Rim. The escarpment of the Rim, erroneously called " the ridge," is near the southern boundry, the county line cut- ting off the upper end of some of the valleys which expand south- ward into the Central Basin. The summit of the " ridge " is the most elevated part of the county. Toward the north there is a broad stretch of level and gently undulating country, reaching beyond the northern boundary into Kentucky. The inclination of this plain toward the north is scarcely perceptible, yet sufficient to give a good fall to the streams, all of which flow in that direction. In the northern part the surface is more rolling, and the valleys of the streams larger and more depressed below the general surface. South of the "ridge" the High- lands break off in steep declivities, whicli run down into deep valleys, where the rocks, soil, timber and productions indicate a different geo- logical formation. The general elevation of the Highlands above these valleys is about 600 feet, though near the western boundary there is a place called the "gap," where the elevation is considerably less. The head springs of creeks flowing in opposite directions are here within a very short distance of each other. Middle Tennessee. S09 Bocts and Soils. A siliceous rc»c'k underlies the surface through- out the most elevated parts of the county, cropping out on the hill-sides and forming the escarjiment of the Highland Rim. The soil resting upon this formation is not of the best quality, but is gen- erally susceptible of improvement. Wherever the clay subsoil is of a reddish or chocolate color it will retain fertilizers, and may be brought to a very high state of productiveness. If, however, it is yellowish, bluish or whitish in color, no amount of manure will fill its insatiate maw, and it is only valuable for timber, grass and orchards. Below the siliceous rock, and immediately under the soil, in less elevated por- tions of the Highlands, the formation is a flinty rock, containing more or less limestone. The surface in many places abounds in flinty frag- ments, which have been derived from the underlying formation. There is considerable lime in the soil, derived from the disintegration of these cherty fragments, consequently it is more fertile than that oivthe silice- oiLS ridges. On the hill-sides facing the north, and in the little val- leys of the Highland creeks and branches there are excellent farming lands. Large quantities of this chert have been washed down from the hills, and the beds of the creeks are lined with immense beds of it. In some of the creek bottoms it is so abundant as to seriously obstruct the tillage of lands that would otherwise be valuable. The blue limestones in the deep valleys, south of the ridge, belong to the Nash- ville group of the Lower Silurian. They are highly fossiliferous, and yield, by disintegration, soils of inexhaustible richness. The largest portion of this limestone land lies in the south-western part of the county, embracing the head valleys of Goose Creek and its tributaries. Further east, the southern boundary includes small parts of the rich valleys of Dixon's, Peyton's, Defeated, and Wartrace creeks. Timber. The most elevated parts of the " ridge " or plateau bear forests of chestnut, poplar, hickory, and several kinds of oaks. Post oak and small white oaks, valuable for railroad ties, abound. The chestnut trees are very large ; one near the western boundary was re- cently measured and found to be more than ten feet in diameter, and apparently sound, with good healthy top. Poplar trees from five to eight feet in diameter are common. There are also extensive forests of chestnut oak, the bark of which is highly jn'ised for tanning. The cherty lands, on the hill-sides and in the valleys, produce sugar maple, beech, black walnut, })oplar, hickory, sweet gum and large oaks. In the limestone valleys there are, in addition to the above species, linn, 8io Resources of Tennessee. buckeye and shell-bark hickory. The beech groves are among the most extensive in the State. Farms. Farms vary much in size. There are none perhaps smaller than fifty acres, and but few less than one hundred, while the larger often embrace five or six hundred, and sometimes more than one thousand. The average is about one hundred and fifty or two hundred acres. We believe that farmers are generally as prosperous as at any previous period in the history of the county. Slave labor was never employed to a very large extent, consequently the county has not suf- fered seriously by the change in the labor system. Farm buildings and fences are generally in good repair. The work on most of the farms is done by owners. It is not uncommon for the farmers to en- gage hands to assist in cultivating the crop, giving in payment a share of the proceeds. Hired laborers are also employed on some of the larger farms, the wages being from eight to twenty dollars per mouth. Renters supplying their own implements and stock, pay one-third of the crop to the land owner, but where these are furnished by the latter, he receives one-half. Unimproved lands rarely sell for more than five dollars per acre, and some of the least valuable are offered at two and a half to three dollars. Improved farms on the Highlands range in ^rice from five to twenty dollars per acre, according to location, im- provements and quality of land. In the valleys the lands are consid- ered more valuable, the highest price being about forty dollars per acre. Improved implements and agricultural machinery are found on a few of the farms, but their use is by no means so common as it should be. Two-horse turning plows are not uncommon, and there are a few of larger size, but the old-fashioned narrow shovel is still extensively used by many, both for breaking up and cultivating. Threshers are employed extensively, the owner of the machine receiving as toll usu- ally one-tenth of the crop. Reapers, mowers and grain drills are almost unknown. Horses are more commonly used in the work of the farm than any other stock, but mules are preferred by some on account of their hardiness and economical habits. Oxen are considered the best stock for heavy draft and deep plowing. Crops. The leading crops, in the order of their value, are corn, to- bacco, wheat, oats and potatoes. There were produced in 1870, 2-56,- 483 bushels of corn, 950,708 pounds of tobacco, 30,525 bushels of wheat, G0,75G bushels of oats, 9,441 bushels of Irish, and 9,340 bush- els of sweet potatoes. The average yield of (H)rn per acre is about Middle Tennessee. 8 1 1 twenty bushels, but with better cuUivatiou it might be hirgely in- creased. Little or none of it is shipped, but large numbers of hogs and otlier animals are fattened for market every year. Tobacco is the money crop. Estimating the price paid the producer at an average of eight cents per pound, the crop of 1870 was worth $76,061.44. Wheat succeeds well on all the lands except the sandy ridges. The average yield per acre is about ten bushels. This is very far below M^hat it should be. The range of the woods affords native grasses which are nutritious and valuable for pasturage. The cultivated grasses have re- ceived but little attention, not more than ten per cent, of the cultivated lands being sown. The bottoms on the Highland creeks and branches mak'e beautiful meado^vs, yielding two tons per acre of excellent hay. Red top is the common variety. Timothy and orchard-grass, so far as tried have succeeded well. Millet is cultivated to a limited extent, but mapy of the farmers think that it is a very exhausting crop, con- sequently its cultivation is confined almost entirely to the rich valleys. Blue-grass grows spontaneously on the limestone hill-sides in the south- ern part of the county, and affords rich and abundant pastures. Clover is a valuable crop, much of the hay produced being of this kind. It is also sometimes sown for pasture. It is rare that either clover or grass is sown for the purpose of improving the land. Live Stock. Few counties have better natural advantages for the economical rearing of live stock. The range or forest pasture furnishes abundant sustenance to all kinds of domestic animals for about half the year, and the moadu)ws and grain-fields, with but little labor or ex- pense, can be made to yield sufficient provender for winter. It is not uncommon that hogs can live through the entire winter ^vith no food except the mast which abounds in the forests. Sheep, likewise, require little attention, except to guard them from dogs. The live stock of Macon is generally on the " scrub " order, though improved breeds, latterly, are receiving some attention. There are several fine jacks, and good mules are fre([uently met with. A few of the farmers have Short-horn cattle, but these are confined almost entirely to the valleys in the southern part. Sheep are not numerous, but those kept are generally good. They are not so much annoyed by dogs as in some of the more densely i)opulaled counties, but lambs ai"e often destroyed by foxes and wild cats, which are a great pest in some localities. The stock of horses and sheep are, as a rule, better than those of cattle and hogs, because the latter are allowed to range at will and breed jiromis- cuously, and, of course, cannot preserve good blood. It is claimed by 8i2 Resources of Teimessee, some of the farmers that the scrub cattle are superior as milkers to the Short-horns, and some of the valley farmers have been jestingly ac- cused of procuring scrub cows to help raise their thoroughbred calves, the milk of the mothers being too poor to sustain them. There is some justice in this observation, but if Devons were bred on the Highlands they would be found superior in this particular to the scrubs, and pos- sessing many of the valuable qualities of the Short-horns. Fruits. Orchards succeed well in all parts of the county, and many acres of the siliceous ridge lands and gravelly hill-sides that are now lying waste, might be utilized for this purpose. But this branch of farming has heretofore received but little attention. There are favor- able indications, however, that promise improvement. A citizen in- forms us that durii^.g the last two years more than §5,000 worth of apple and other fruit trees have been purchased in the county from ISTashville, Murfreesboro and Glasgow nurseries. The wild grape-vine grows everywhere, and yields several varieties of grapes of good qual- ity, some of which ripen in summer, while others do not mature until after frost. Some of these native grapes have a good flavor, and w^ould no doubt make excellent wine. The soil and climate indicate that grape culture would succeed as well as anywhere in the State, but it is as yet scarcely commenced. Smaller Industries. Butter is extensively made for home use and the market. There were produced in 1870, 82,724 pounds. Honey is an important article, some of the farmers making it a specialty. The amount produced in 1870 was 8,994 pounds. Sorghum molasses is manufactured for home use, the annual production amounting to more than 1,300 gallons. Extensive forests of the sugar maple are utilized for making sugar, the annual yield being nearly 2,000 pounds. Poul- try is reared on all the farms, and large numbers of chickens, turkeys, and other fowls are carried to market every year. Eggs and feathers are also valuable articles of trade. Almost every flimily purchases its supplies of groceries with the income from the poultry yard. . Household 3[anuf((cturefi. The loom and the spinning-wheel are found in almost every household, and most of tlie every-day clothing . for the family is manufactured and made at home. The goods manu- factured are jeans, linsey, cotton (doth, flax linen, blankets, coverlets, counterpanes, carpets, mats and rugs, and cotton and wool socks. Transport (tf I Sheep ....!!!" y.. 32,038 Swine . %\ "^'^g 100 Value of all Live Stock "" ' ' For the Cornersville district we have the following report for 1873 : .„ price $ 50 00 Cows kept for milk ^„ ^, ^^ Work Oxen „ 3^ qq Beef Cattle, over two years old ^^ 150 00 Horses, common ,, ^^^ qq Horses, thoroughbred ^^ ^^. ^^ Mules •• goo Number beeves killed annually ^^^ Number Short-horn cattle ^^^ Number other improved breeds ^^^ Number Sheep, Southdown and Cotswold ^ Pounds of wool per head ^^^ Number Sheep killed for mutton ^^^ Number Sheep killed annually by dogs ^^'^^ Number Hogs g 000 Killed for bacon ^ ^ 2o 00 Berkshire Hogs, price per pair ^, ^^ Essex Hogs, price per pair, ^^ ^^ Other Improved Breeds ^^^ ^^ Cashmere Goats, per pair •. 15 000 Number Chickens 5000 Cliickens sold j 000 Improved Breeds, number j ^^ Turkeys, price per pair ^ ^^ Geese, price per pair ^^ Ducks, price per psir ^^ Guinea Fowls, price per pair ^ ^^ Peafowls, price per pair Bees are raised to some extent, a„ply with slight modifications to the whole country lying in the Cen- tral Basin: Height of fences, 5 feet; average size of fields enclosed, 20 acres; cost of plank fencing, per 1,000 feet, $50; rails per thou- sand, $20, except for cedar and chestnut, which delivered cost from !?oO to $70 per thousand; cost of splitting rails per thousand, $10; cost of splitting rails and putting up per thousand, $15; two-thirds of the openings to fields have gates, one-third bars; average cost per hundred yards of worm fence, $9; with cedar or chestnut rails, $18 to 820; average cost per hundred yards of post and rail fence, $20; average cost per hundred yards of plank fence, $17.50; average cost per hundred yards of stone fence, $100 ; annual repairs to fences other than cedar, chestnut or stone, are one rail to the panel per annum; oak, hickory, poplar, walnut, chestnut and cedar are the woods used for fencing. Chestnut and cedar are worth two and a half times as much as the most durable of the others. Cedar and chestnut rails will last fifty years, the rails made from the other woods enumerated, will last from eight to fifteen years. A few farmers keep their fence corners clean, the majority, however, suffer them to grow up in briers and bushes. About one-third of the stock of the district runs at large, and subsists during the summer upon the highway pasturage. The reading, pro- gressive farmers favor a stock law. The expense of fencing out other people's stock is felt to be onerous. Mr. Allman thinks that soiling stock would be profitable; that one acre mowed and fed will furnish as much provender as three where stock are turned in to graze, and tramp out the herbage. The tenant has to do more fencing under the present law to protect his crop. The number of two-horse cast iron plows used in this district, con- taining 200 farms, is 300, at an average cost of $12 each; the number of cast iron one-ho-rse plows, 900, at an average cost each of $6 ; the number of wrought iron one-horse plows used is 2,000, at a cost each of $3.50; subsoil plows used 25; hill-side plows 10; cultivators 75 ; walking cultivators 2 ; buggy plows 2 ; harrows used made in the county 150; harrows used not made in the county 75 ; number of rollers used in the district 20, at a cost each of $5 ; reapers 20, at a cost each of $225; mowers 25, cost each $125; horse rakes 25, cost each $10 ; straw-cutters 100, cost from $5 to $40 each ; six-horse wagons 20, cost each $175; four-horse wagons 51, cost each $125; two-horse wagons 110, cost each $100; spring wagons, one-horse, 30, cost $125; ox wagons 75, cost $75; carts 25, cost $50; pleasure car- riages 10, cost $250 ; buggies 100, cost $200 ; wheelbarrows 50, cost $5. The mowers and reapers are usually combined. 826 Resources of Tennessee. In regard to mechanical industries, the following statistics will give the number of establishments in the district for 1873 : carpenter shops, 5; hands employed, 10; wagon shops, 7; number of wagons made annually, 28; plow shops, 6; number of plows made, 150; saw- mills, water-power 1 ; steam, 2 ; lumber, mostly poplar made, sells at $17.50 per thousand feet; blacksmith shops, 6; hands employed, 12 grist mills, corn, 3 ; w^heat, 2; wool-carding machines, 1 ; tanneries, 2 value of products, $2,500 ; shoe shops, 3 ; value of products, $3,000 hands employed, 9; wages per day, $1.50; harness and saddle shops, 2; value of products, $3,000; carriage and buggy factories, 1; value of products, $1,500; hands employed, 2; wages, $1.50 per day; hand- looms, 25 : value of products, $750. A few ladies manufacture su- perior blankets, jeans, linsey, etc., on the old hand-looms. During the late war nearly all did. Very little homespun is now worn in that district, though the amount is considerable in the county, in the smaller industries, this district makes a respectable showing. Apples, dried, 1,000 bushels; peaches, dried, 500 bushels; chestnuts gathered, 400 bushels ; beeswax, 2,000 pounds ; feathers, 3,000 pounds ; ginseng, 500 pounds. At the usual prices at which these articles are sold, the amount reported would bring into the district $6,600. In concluding his answers to the questions sent him, Mr. Allman, in reference to this district, says : "We have as fine land as can be found in America. Limestone, sandrock and timber for building, and fine water privileges for ma- chinery. The greatest want of this district, as well as for the whole county, is good roads, reliable labor, and capital to start manufactories. A woolen or cotton factory would pay well. We need skilled mechan- ics, also quite a number of live, progressive immigrants. The large bodies of land ought to be cut up into farms of 100 or 200 acres, then we could buihl roads, churclics, sustain schools, etc. The tenant sys- tem will never develop this section. We need more labor-saving ma- chinery. We should sow more grass, grow a better class of stock. Ours should be second to no ])art of the United States, and would not be if our people would only will it." Manufactures. The county is well su})plied with water and steam mills, either for grinding grain or for sawing lumber. There are more water mills than steam mills. Marshall county has no cotton factory, and no woolen factories outside of carding machines. The blacksmiths, mechanics and farmers make many of their agricultural implements. Middle Ten7iessee. 827 They buy, however, too much from the North iu the way of agricul- tural implements, when better and cheaper articles could be produced and made in the county and in the State, if the people would give their attention to it. The supply of wool and cotton manufactures is limited. The people sell the raw products at a low price, and buy the manufactured goods, paying the manufacturer a great profit. Still a good quantity and quality of jeans, linsey, blankets and cotton cloth are made from the original wool and cotton by the women, who, for industry, economy and skill in household and domestic aifairs, are not excelled. They ply the wheel, loom and needle, and make cotton and woolen fabrics that vie in utility and comfort with any in the country. In 1870 the value of home manufactures was $45,466. Academies, Schools and Churches. Academies and schools are gener- ally supported by voluntary contributions. The county has several fine, flourishing academies and many excellent private schools. Except about five schools for colored children, no free schools exist in the county. The colored people draw their part of the funds and enjoy the benefits — the whites seem indiiferent, and prefer to send to private schools and academies. The county is well supplied with churches, some of which have well furnished rooms for worship. The churches are entirely Protestant, and are of the Presbyterian, Christian, Methodist, Cumber- land Presbyterian and Baptist denominations. The clergy are devoted, able and learned men, and are well supported. The statistics showing the amount of taxable property, number of polls, etc., which are not herein given, may be found in the chapter on statistics. Social Characteristics. The citizens of this county are mainly the descendants of emigrants from North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina, and have imbibed from their infancy lofty principles of hon- esty, morality, hospitality and generosity. Unsuspicious by nature, they welcome the stranger to their hospitable boards with a heartiness as sincere as it is rare. Through all the bitter trials of the war they maintained their self respect by the preservation of order, and when it ended and their slaves became freedmen, they dealt honestly and kindly with them, faithfully observing their contracts, and bore with patience the ebullitions of new born freedom. Quiet as citizens, noble as men and women, proud without being arrogant or ostentatious, courteous in bearing, kind, generous and law-abiding, but withal not sufficiently alive to the educational tendencies of the age, nor to that 828 Resources of Tennessee, spirit of progress which weaves garlands of beauty and honor about the homes of the industrious, and without some share of which com- munities and men decay. The thanks of this Bureau are due to Hon. A. A. Steele, Major G. T. Allman, Mr. Talley and Mr. McClelland for many valuable facts pertaining to this excellent county. MAURY COUNTY. County Seat — Columbia. Maury county was organized December 21, 1807, and was named in honor of Hon. Abram Maury, of Williamson county. The act authorizing its establishment was passed November 24, 1807. Since its organization, its boundaries have been curtailed from time to time to furnish all or part of the counties of Giles, Bedford, Marshall, Lewis, Lawrence, and Hickman. At present the number of acres, ex- clusive of town lots assessed for taxation, amounts to 366,910, valued at $7,650,478. Small as this area is, compared with its original di- mensions, Maury is still one of the large counties of the State. From its earliest history, Maury county has been noted in the State for its fertile lands, its fine farms and the hospitality, culture and re- finement of its society. In the point of country wealth, it ranks first; its farms are among the largest, and are held at the highest figures per acre, and, excepting Davidson and Shelby, it has long maintained a larger number of good schools than any other county in the State. It is not strange, therefore, that it should have exercised considerable political influence in State affairs, or that its citizens are proud of it. The early settlers were mostly from North Carolina and Virginia; many of them were immediate descendents of revolutionary soldiers, and well to do for those days. As a consequence, they brought to the young county as much of refinement and culture as was known in the older society from which they came. This fact had much to do with the after development of the county. People who have been reared to know the comfort and conveniences of life, to say nothing of its luxuries, will not willingly live without them when they can be procured. The early settlers soou showed their culture by the style of their houses, Middle Tennessee. 829 the planting of fruit trees and flowers, and the general care and atten- tion bestowed on the adornment of their homes. Inseparable from tliis love of comfort and regard for the looks of things, was the high a[t[)reciation of education. Not a few of the first generation of young nun raised in the county were sent off to college. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was the ftivorite resort, while the young women were sent to Nashville to be finished off. We shall see that this spirit never died out. Topography and Phijsieal Features. An orographic view of the county would present the picture of a section of a river valley running almost due east and west, with the dip to the west, and fringed to the north and south by smaller valleys which furrow the sides of irregular ranges of knobs or hills which lie along the northern and southern boundaries of the county. To tlie west, these hills broaden out into the uplands known as the bari^ens forming a part of the Highland Rim. The bed of this valley is occupied by Duck River, which flows through the whole extent of the county, dividing it ahiiost equally. This river drains the entire county; all other streams in the county flow into it. It is not navigable, though it is floatable through the entire extent of the county, and was, in former years, much used for the transportation of corn and lumber, principally cedar. Rafts are still floated out in considerable numbers every winter, during the high water. The main use and great value of the river, however, are as a water-power in driving the many excellent flour, corn and saw-mills that line its banks. The current of the river is moderately swift, its banks comparatively steep, and on one side, tolerably high throughout the county, while in the west, where ii breaks through the Rim escarp- ment, its banks rise steep and high into almost perpendicular bluffs of solid rock. This escarpment is about thjee hundred feet high from the surface of the river. The bottom of the river is either smooth rock, or more generally, of smooth round gravel, averaging about two and a half inches in diameter, and of a clay color. The fords are, therefore, permanent and safe where at all practicable. The number of its tributaries is so great that when protracted rains prevail, the river rises rapidly and to a great height ; its banks are such, however, that it does comparatively little damage outside, while the solid char- acter of its bottom enables dams to be built which are impregnable. The Greeks. From the north and south ten good sized creeks flow into Duck River. They all take their headings near the boundaries of the county, and their average fall is about two hundred feet from 830 Resources of Tennessee^ headwater to mouth. These creeks are in character much like the river. They wind considerably within narrow plains, and one of the banks is always tolerably high, and often consists of a perpendicular bluff. There is a marked difference in the velocity of the creeks near their heads among the Highlands, and along their lower course as they near the river. In several creeks, on the western side of the county, this difference is marked by beautiful Avaterfalls. On the north-west and south, the Rim which 'borders the county is slashed by narrow and beautiful val- leys of extreme richness; the remainder, and main body of the county, is of a gently rolling surface, stretching out toward the west and south of the river into almost a plain-like smoothness. &01I, Timber and Crops. With the exception of the small portion around the northern, western and southern edges, invaded by the High- land Rim, the entire county is of a limestone formation. It is by no means of one uniform variety, however, nor is the soil the same over the county. Entering the county with the river on the east, we find a lead or dove colored rock containing many fossils, and lying in thin layers, which are easily lifted from their bed and make tolerable good paving stones without any dressing. This stratum continues to show itself along the river and on the surface until we reach Columbia. The soil in which it is embedded is dark and friable, and exceedingly rich. The subsoil is generally a stiff, dark colored clay, which weath- ers rapidly into a rich soil. But the characteristic of this region is the cedar timber, which abounds in some places so thickly as to exclude all undergrowth, and to shut out every ray of the sun as effectually as the darkest clouds of winter. In "the cedars" the rock comes to the surface, and lies in masses, separated by narrow strips of earth, from which spring giant cedars. The appearance is very singular, and may be not inaptly compared to g^-eat flocks of giant sheep lying at rest be- neath the shade of the friendly trees. This character of land is found in several other sections of Middle Tennessee, and is commonly known as "the glades." The soil is admirably suited to wheat and grass, and peach trees do finely in it. The other timber is chiefly ash, wal- nut, hickory, and elm. North of the river and running up to the county line, and westward to Columbia, the limestone lies in much heavier and thicker strata, and is of a dark blue color, shading off into a whitish gray in the upper strata. This rock is very heavy and dense; it quarries with regularity, and is much esteemed as a building stone. It makes lime of snowy whiteness with com])aratively little heat. The soil of this region is of dai'k bi-own rich loam, mixed more or less with Middle Te7messee. 831 fine sandy chert, the produce of the weathered rocks. It is excellent corn land. Generally speaking, the surface is considerably rougher north of the river than south of it. There are more abrupt hills, and thes:e often show rocky ledges destitute of soil. There is, however, in tliis region one characteristic level section of land, where the land both in surface and general texture resembles the plain-like land in the south-western part of the county. Spring Hill lies in this section, and the county around is a fair type of it. The favorite crops are corn, wheat, barley and the grasses. From Columbia south-westward lies one of the most l)eautifal bodies of land in the United States. Cer- tainly none other in Tennessee surpasses it, and no other is so well known, or so often spoken of by travelers. The soil is of a dark, calcareous clay, mixed with siliceous sandy impurities. The surface is gently rolling, carpeted with indigenous blue-grass, and adorned with a luxuriance of forest almost tropical in size; walnut, maple, hickory, elm and oak abound of enormous size. This section extends over almost the entire territory embraced between the Little and Big Bigby creeks, and contains some of the handsomest and most productive farms in the State. This region resembles very closely the famous blue-grass region of Kentucky, but has one very great advantage over that region, in that it is abundantly watered, a point in which the Ken- tucky region is sadly deficient. Agriculture. If ever nature designed any country for the farmer's paradise, it must have been Maury county when first the virgin soil was turned by the white settlers in the young years of this century. It is difficult to conceive of richer soil, of more congenial climate, or a greater combination of natural comforts ready made to the farmer's hand, than nature offered to the first settlers of Maury county ; nor were they unmindful' of these bounties. Few counties in the State sprang so rapidly forward in population and importance. This was due, however, not entirely to the natural fertility, but in a large meas- ure to the character of those early settlers. They were very generally men of good means, large numbers of them owned slaves, and came to the county well equipped, for that day, in the appurtenances of farm- ing, so that, strictly speaking, they did not have to pass through those primitive and trying stages of pioneer life with which the less fortu- nate settlers of some of the older counties had to contend. The early crops were corn, cotton and fiax — the cotton and flax only grown for home use, and in such quantities as the home wheels 832 Resources of Tennessee. and looms could spin and weave. Corn was tlie selling crop — the only marketable cro}), indeed. In a little while, however, the impetus which Whitney's invention of the cotton gin gave to cotton growing reached the county, and cotton began to be a sale crop. The erection of flouring mills also opened the way for wheat culture ; but this crop made very slow progress, and it was only at a comparatively recent date that enough was grown for home use. Oats came earlier into favor and general cultivation, but this crop, too, had to wait until there grew a demand in the increased live stock. Hemp came to be consid- erably grown in the county, and at an early day it was used for ropes, and for making bagging for the cotton. The opening of the Mississippi lands to entry and purchase at a later date exercised perhaps a more immediate and powerful influence upon Maury county than upon any other part of Tennessee, great as was the influence upon the entire State. Mississippi was the El Dorado of cot- ton planters. The slaves brought to Maury county had increased, mul- tiplied, furnished their owners with the best possible instruments with which to win the golden fleece of the cotton fields. Large numbers emigrated from the county, and made their homes in Mississippi, while many others and the more wealthy bought land and opened plantations in Alabama and Mississippi, while they retained their homes and kept their families in Maury county. But the influence was scarcely less on those who did not become planters. The rapid development of the cotton interest of Mississippi drove the Maury county cotton planter out of the market. New Orleans was the cotton mart, and if the Maury man could have grown as good cotton as the Mississippian, he was too far away from market to compete with him. But it soon be- came evident that there was no comparison between the staples grown by the two. So, per force, cotton was driven from Maury county in a large measure. But there was a compensation in store for the farmer. The planter might monopolize the cotton market, but he was almost as much at a disadvantage in trying to grow his own supplies of hemp, corn and bacon. For these he must look elsewhere. Naturally he came to Tennessee, the nearest and then the best hemp, corn and hog region in the Union. In resi)onse to this demand, hemp came to be one of the staple crops in Maury county, and rope walks and hemp factories were quite as common in the county as cotton gins are now. At the same time, increased attention was paid to the growth of corn, hogs and mules, and the selling crops increased from the one article, corn, to corn, hogs, mules and lieinj). This change favored and was Middle Tennessee. 833 favored by the reduction of the number of farm hands. More land A\ as put down in grass and more negroes were taken to the cotton region. In time, however, Missouri, Kentucky and other States en- tered the hemp field, and the competition became too strong. Hemp gradually ceased to be grown, but its place was occupied by more grass and stock, and more negroes were sent to the cotton fields. By this ])rocess the number of persons residing in Maury county and planting in some of the cotton States increased year by year. The influence of this condition of things we shall soon have occasion to notice. One singular feature presents itself in the agricultural history of the county, and that is that at a certain period a mania for making brandy and whisky seems to have pervaded the whole community, accordingly we find an astonishing number of still-houses built. This feature we are unable to account for, and all the more so as it was not peculiar to this county, but seems to have been more or less common to the other counties at the same time. The following letter to the Secretary from Major Campbell Brown, of Spring Hill, gives much information in relation to this excellent county. In it are embraced some items given by Mr. Akin : "There are four leading divisions of lands, the barrens, the creek bot-. toms, the cedar lands, and the rich limestone and clay soil, the latter constituting the bulk of the county. The soil of the barrens is light, sometimes red and clayey, sometimes gray, but in either case washing off readily, and said to be soon worn out by tillage. It brings good fruits and vegetables. Very fair clover and corn grow on it, on a small scale as regards the clover. The creek and river bottoms are al- luvial, of the richest description, but not constituting any large portion of the county. The north-eastern and eastern parts of the county are cedar lands, of the poorer class, as far as my observation (which is limited) extends, a very black, pasty soil on white and gray limestone, much stone and the soil thin. The well known blue-grass lands, which constitute the bulk of the county, have occasionally rising above them a fifth class of soil, which I have not specified, flinty hills with a good deal of slate in their lower parts, the tops and sides covered with frag- ments of flintstones and sharp gravel. These hills, where not too steep, are excellent for corn and grass, but not so good for cotton. The soil is darker than that of the lower grounds. I am unable to say what are the special aptitudes of our best lands — the yellow poplar and beech lands. They seem, if properly cultivated and well treated, tc produce 53 834 Resources of Tennessee. almost anything desired. But they grow some of the grasses to per- fection, cotton, corn and tobacco well, wheat and small grain ditto. "With such variations in quality, land ranges from $100 per acre for small, highly improved places, in good neighborhoods, a price paid two or three times in the last three years near Ash wood and Mount Pleasant, down to $1 for wild lands in the barrens, plenty of which can be had at that price. It is hard to give an idea, but excellent places, with tolerably good improvements, and conveniently situated, have sold for $35 to $40 per acre, and fair lands near them at $20 and $25, on usual time. " The average yields on our better class of soils I should put not higher than, corn, 30 bushels ; wheat, 13 bushels ; cotton, 600 pounds (seed); tobacco, 900 to 1,000 pounds. Very little tobacco or peanuts are grown. Hay, \\ tons, though this is a mere guess, as it is rarely weighed or sold. On the poorer class of soils not over two-thirds of this, perhaps not over one-half. I mean the barrens and cedar lands by this class. There is not over one acre in forty or fifty actually thrown out of cultivation and gone to waste from exhaustion, but at least one-fourth the land is worked at a loss, in my opinion, and ought to be rested. We have reached a point where on many places farming must improve or stop. I attribute this more to bad tillage than to actual exhaustion of the soil. Our lands are rolling, and when plowed up and down hill wash badly, especially where there is a liard pan four or even three inches below the surface, as is not seldom the case. It is still the case that some of our farmers break up with a one-horse plow, or if they use two horses do not give proper attention to the manner in which the work is done. A piece of land within sight of my door was cleared in 1870 and put in tobacco. In 1871 it was again in tobacco, and that fall put in wheat, the rows always running up and down the face of a short but steep hill. It is now utterly worn out, or washed off, rather. Another reason why I attribute deterioration more to bad farming than to exhaustion by crops, is that some of the very oldest farms in the county are among the most productive. I am sat- isfied that the most profitable farming for the county is a strictly mixed system, embracing both stock-growing and money crops. I know that the percentage of returns on capital invested in stock-growing has not heretofore compared with that received from money crops, chiefly cotton ; but last fall a farmer, who is regarded as among the most suc- cessful, if not the most successful, of the cotton planters in the county, and whose farm is comparatively level, assured we he would soon have Middle l^ennessee. 835 tn begin stock-growing and the raising of grasses to renovate his lands, which are, he says, deteriorating fast. He regretted not having com- bined the two pursuits in the first place, and said his land had lost in value a good part of what he received for his crops. A near neighbor (it mine, who follows the mixed system strictly, is perhaps the most successful farmer in the county, and as I know of no ftiilures to make money where it has been observed, (though many may have occurred) the result of my observation is that it promises best for the county. Our soils are all adapted to the grasses. Even in the barrens clover grows well, and there are native grasses which furnish good summer grazing. I never saw the meadow grasses tried on that soil. On our better lands, timothy and red-top (or herds-grass) have been the usual meadow grasses. Orchard-grass is rapidly coming into favor, and lor grazing also is nearly as well liked as blue-grass, though it has not vet had a free and fair trial. Clover is the only renovator in habitual use. Barnyard manure is beginning to be cared for, and plaster is occasion- ally sown on clover, but clover alone is the chief reliance for worn-out lands. " Labor is sufficiently abundant. Cotton and corn are chiefly grown on shares, or by renters, except that a large proportion of the cotton in the county is grown by the smaller farmers and their families. Hands on shares feed themselves and get one-third or one-half of the crop, where the owner furnishes teams, implements and forage. Where they furnish these, they get one-half to two-thirds. Farm hands get $12 per month and rations, for good men, ranging down to $5 or '$6 for women. ''Rents. Where these are paid in money, $4, ^5 and ^6 for cotton, corn and wheat lands respectively, are the usual rates. Sometimes more, sometimes less is paid, owing more to accidental circumstances, or to relation of supply and demand, than to the quality of the land. Leases are not much in fashion. Where made, they are usually for five years, so far as I have observed, with a stipulated annual rent, the lessee being bound to stricter care than an ordinary renter, and having compensating advantages allowed him. I am inclined to think it would be well for the county if long leases were more in use, as three- fourths of the bad farming is done by annual renters. In leasing for terms of years, owners would find the character of the lessee as a farmer more important than the higher rent that another man might promise, and tenants feeling permanently settled would be encouraged St^6 Resources of Tennessee. to be careful, and to improve the lands. In this connection, while recognize the value of the negro as a laborer, or as a manageable ai nual tenant, let me say it is of no nse to expect him to improve ( keep up rented land without close personal attention on the part oft! owner. As for being a tenant for years and caring for the land on h own account, it is quite outside of his philosophy. "There is a good deal of land for sale in the county — some goo farms belonging to men with large families who want to seek a new( country, or to men who are in debt and obliged to sell, and a goo many farms run down by the same bad management that makes necessary for their owners to move. ?' "The Live Stock of Maury county is probably a little better than was in 1860, when there was a great deal of highly improved stock i the county, most of which was swept away by the war. In 1866 thai was scarcely a good horse in the more exposed portions of the county and the stock of cattle was very small and inferior. Most of the ca tie haV'C an infusion of Short-horn blood. The horses are generall well bred, but deficient in size and bone. The sheep are generally m tives, with a good proportion of Southdown grades, and the hogs ai Berkshire or grades. In hogs, indeed, Maury county is better oif tha in any other class of stock, having both more of the improved spec mens and a better average. A good deal of improved stock has late! been brought into the county. In horses, it now has four good troi ting stallions, four or five good thoroughbreds, and a large number ( saddle horses, mostly bred in the county, some of them quite gooc In cattle quite a number of excellent Short-horns, some good Devor^ and Jerseys, and in sheep, a few Cotswolds and a good many Southdownilj .■ But I fear it would be too much to say that any general interest in iml proved stock has been aroused. The stock of the county, howeve' cannot help improving steadily, under present circumstances, as th numl)er of well bred sires increases yearly. There is very genen coin])]aint of the trouble given by dogs, and it prevents many froi attempting to grow sheep. If the loss in the county were as gret amuudly as it is in this neighborhood, I should estimate it at 1,00 head, but it will scarcely fall short of 600 at the least. It is not al ways the case that the largest owners lose most. The largest flock i the county has lost less than one-half of one per cent, from this caun for three years past. I have had a good deal of experience wit sheep-killing dogs, and feel tempted to go outside of the strict questi 10 Middle Termessee. 837 ■lir as to say that it is the rarest of things for a dog tliat is good for ihing, or whase owner takes decent care of him, to kill sheep. ne-tenths of the damage is done by rambling, half-starved curs, ^lose owners cannot or will not feed them. I have poisoned fully 100 (OS in fields where sheep had been killed, and never failed to get the iity one — never killed but one dog that was of any value, and he i d undoubtedly killed the sheep by whose carcass we found him. ''There are several drawbacks to farming: ''1. The System of Annual Renting and cultivation of cotton on fares. This begets a feeling of insecurity and want of permanence • relations, both of tenant and owner, that is palsying to all system- ;ic efforts at improvement. The object of the owner is to obtain the rii;ost return with the least expenditure of labor or money, as the xt tenant may require an entirely different arrangement from that hich would suit the present one, and the tenant obviously has no in- rest, but to make the most out of the land for the present season. "2. This system arises from the lack of means on the part of the nd owners, as much as from any otlier circumstance. There are few ' them who possess the capital to buy stock, or to be able to seed nd to pasture and wait for returns from it. Their wants necessitate le constant cultivation of their arable land, and as it annually de- oases in fertility, the necessity is continually more stringent. For ich there seems but one escape — in the practice of most careful econ- iny until a capital has been accumulated, or the sale, where possible, I' part of their lands, to procure means to improve the rest, and as lost own more than they can have thoroughly tilled, this is the most romising course. " 3. The scarcity of stock, of permanent pastures, and the lack of roper rotations of crops are all corollaries from the above facts. I • lieve it is accepted as an axiom, that either commercial fertilizers or oinc-made manures are essential to improvement, or even to sustained It i Iity of farms. Commercial fertilizers are not used (except occa- ionally plaster on clover) and few farmers keep enough stock to fur- ii blue, and full of fossils, lies the Black Shale, a formation which every- where attracts attention, mainly because it is mistiiken as an indication of stone coal. This bed ranges in thickness from a few feet to thirty or more. Above the Black Shale, and constituting the mass and tops of the ridges, is the siliceous division of the Lower Carboniferous. 876 Resou7'ces of Tennessee. The lower strata of this division are often silico-calcareous shales, mixed more or less with limestones. The upper portion contains more limestone, which often shows cherty masses. The latter being liber- ated, cover more or less the tops of the ridges. Topography and Streams. Tlie topography of this county is beauti- ful, from the regularity and great number of the ridges. Buifalo Ridge, west of Buifalo River, rises to the height of 700 feet above tide water, and 300 feet above the adjacent valleys. It traverses the county longitudinally north and south throughout its entire extent, and sends out westward eight subordinate ridges, nearly to the Tennessee River, a distance of nine miles. Between these various ridges, streams of pure sparkling water flow in parallel lines, and empty into the Ten- nessee River. On the eastern side of Buffalo Ridge are parallel spurs, running down to the banks of Buffalo River. These spurs are seldom over one mile in length, and the troughs which they form convey the waters from the eastern slope of the ridge into Buffalo River. The portion of the county east of Buffalo River is also fluted with ridges and valleys, similar to the western side, and many beautiful streams, bordered by fertile lowlands, empty into that stream which is the great artery of the county. Beginning at the southern end of the county, the tributaries of the Bufflilo from the eastern side are Coon Creek, Brush Creek, Hurricane Creek, Short Creek, and Cane Creek, the last of which is by far the largest, and has a fine fertile valley. Most of these creeks are rapid in their descent, and flow alternately over gravelly beds and limestone rock. They have a sufficiency of watcr-j)ower to drive mills. The tributaries of the Tennessee, begin- ning at the southern limits of the county, are Cedar Creek, Marsh Creek, Cypress Creek, Spring Creek, Lick Creek, Tom's Creek, Roan's Creek, Crooked Creek, and Blue Creek. The average length of these creeks is about nine miles, and they usually flow through flat wide bottoms, the channels often changing, the water cutting out the banks on one side or the other, and throwing up a wide expanse of rounded pebbles and sand on the other. After heavy and continuous rains, these streams rise with an amazing rapidity, the water sweeping down from the steep declivities on each side, and swelling them until they carry away in their inundation, fences, and oftentimes cover acres of the finest land with gravel and sand to such a depth as to injure them per- manently. Timber. This county is heavily timbered. White oaks and walnuts. Middle Tejmessee. 877 black oaks and hickories of magnificent size, prevail upon all the slopes and in the bottoms. Chestnut oak, exceedingly valuable for its bark, is very abundant, and large quantities of tan-bark could be collected annually for shipment. Boards, staves and shingles are shipped to St. Louis and New Orleans. The lumber trade is considerable, and rapidly growing. Soil and Crops. The finest soils, and perhaps almost the only ones that will remunerate the farmer for his toil in the cultivation, are in these bottoms. Dark in color, they are heavily charged with flinty quartzose gravel, sometimes comminuted until it approaches a coarse sand. These stones serve to keep the land friable, and make it easy of cultivation. By reason of its mellowness, the soil is specially adapted to the cultivation of peanuts, and this crop, for a number of years, has been the principal staple of the county. At the time when the price of peanuts reached its highest limit, one hundred dollars an acre was asked for the best peanut land, the product on an acre sometimes reached, though rarely, one hundred bushels. The intro- duction of the culture of the peanut in the county, marked a social revolution. Previous to this time almost all the cloth used in every- day wear was manufactured by the wives and daughters of the farmers. But as the labor required to cultivate the peanut was not so confining, nor so arduous, or long continued as the labor of the spin- ning wheel and loom, the latter were exchanged for the hoe, with which they were able to buy from six months labor in the field what before required twelve to manufacture within doors. It is no uncom- mon sight to see women of fairest face and comliest form, with hands en- cased in gloves, and their faces screened from the rays of a blazing sun by an old-fashioned sunbonnet, hoeing long rows of peanuts, while the sterner sex drives the plow. And especially when this crop is being harvested are the nimble fingers of the women of peculiar value. It is said that a woman can pick from the vines at least one-third more in a day than a man. As a consequence of this outdoor exercise, the women of Perry county have a most fascinating beauty in striking con- trast to the wan, care-worn, pale faces of those who pace to the spin- ning wheel, or work with tireless patience over the loom. Nor has this change been without other benefits to the community. It is said that the farmers who habitually grow peanuts are in a highly prosper- ous condition, nearly all of them being free of debt, with money to lend. Cotton was the staj)le (and still is in some portions of the county) before the introduction of the peanut, but the moist, cold soil. SyS Resources of Tennessee. while it induced a vigorous growth of stalk, did not bring all the bolls to maturity, and the yield was, in most cases, small. Sometimes, how- ever, in favorable localities. 1,000 lbs. of seed cotton are made to the acre. Wheat will make a yield of about ten bushels per acre on soils of the many small coves that everywhere run up into the ridges, and upon the gentle slopes, but it is not a profitable crop for the lowlands, the overflows frequently injuring it. Corn, oats and hay grow well on the bottom lands, but of the latter, though the soil and situation are well adapted to its growth, but little is sown, and of that which is grown, three-fourths is made of the annual grasses. There are very few permanent meadows in the county, though timothy and herds-grass both make a fine return. Clover is rarely sown as a renovater of the soils, but often for pasturage. 8toGk. The number of streams which thread the county, with the large extent of bottom land, would indicate stock-growing as a profit- able business, and yet stock-growing is in its infancy. A few improved hogs and cattle have recently been introduced into the county, but the long-horned, scrubby cattle that browse upon the scanty herbage which springs up in the woodlands, and the pike-nosed "king fisher" style of hogs that roam the forest, or search the streams in quest of food, feed- ing upon acorns and devouring the muscles, show too plainly that stock- growing has not, as yet, become an art in the county of Perry. Prior to the war, a considerable number of mules was raised for the southern markets, and hogs, in more or less quantities, were driven to various places. Enough of these animals are still raised for home demand, and a few mules are driven to Alabama. The high hills and green valleys make this a county well suited to the rearing of sheep, but the same cause has operated to the injury of this pursuit as in other coun- ties. It is estimated by competent persons, that the loss is not less than fifty per cent, annually by dogs. At this rate, all the flocks will soon be exterminated. Sheep can live at least nine months in the year without being fed, so great is the abundance of short, wild grasses, ferns and mosses. Benefits of Small Farms. The beneficial effects of small farms which are cultivated by their owners are clearly perceptible in this county. There is an unmistakable air of thrift about all the farms. Houses are usually in good repair and comfortable, though not so neat and tasteful as might be desired. The lack of taste about the dwellings is due more to inherited habit than to a want of means. There is but Middle Tennessee. 879 little land in market. Improved farms range in price from $20 to $50 per acre; unimproved, from $3 to $10; ridge lands, $1. In those counties where large farms predominate, and the owners rely upon hired labor and not upop their own strong arms to cultivate them, land is a drug, and immense quantities can be bought at prices which in Perry county would be considered exceedingly low. The farmers of Perry, though not rich as a class, are independent and contented. The farmers in those counties that were considered the most fertile and the most opulent before the war, are usually in debt, land-poor, discon- tented and unthrifty. The old plantation system, wherever continued in force, is giving discouraging results. No difference is observable in the farms of Perry since and before the war, while the dilapidated ap- pearance and the air of desolation and decay that mark many of the homesteads in the hitherto more desirable portions of the State tell more plainly than the strongest words how miserable has been the failure of the old plantation system. Farming lands in such counties are for sale in great quantities, while in counties like Perry, where the labor on the farm is done by the owner and his family, but little land is in the market. The farms of Perry will not average over 100 acres of arable land, and the comparative scarcity of old fields clothed in a tawny mantle of obnoxious broomsedge, shows that, though clover is not greatly used as a fertilizer, the lands have not been exhausted by bad tillage. Indeed, constantly fed as the valley farms are by the washings of the adjacent hills, it would be difficult to exhaust them, for like the Nile, these streams are subject to annual overflows, and leave a rich sediment upon the land after their subsidence. In consequence of the fluted topography of the county, most of the civil districts are laid off so as to embrace a valley, and the half of each of the parallel intervenient ridges. Neighborhoods are known by the creeks, for it is easier to go eight or ten miles up or down one of these streams than to cross the high ridges that bound them. Labor, Rents and Markets. There is a scarcity of transient labor. Farmers hire but little help, and then only in the busy seasons. As a consequence, they have to pay higher for it than the average price paid in the State. From $15 to $20 per month and board is the usual price for stout, able-bodied farm hands. There is but little demand for house servants or cooks, the industrious housewives preferring to do the work themselves. A few, however, are hired at from $5 to $10 dollars per month. Corn land rents for $3 per acre ; peanut land, $5; oat and S8o Resources of Tennessee, wheat land, lower. One-third of the crop is sometimes given. There are but few renters or croppers. Most of those engaged in agriculture own their farms. Products are shipped by Tennessee Eiver. Peanuts usually go to Cincinnati. This crop, mainly raised in the northern portion of the county, reached 250,000 bushels in 1872. Tobacco is raised to a limited extent. The nature of the soil is very generous towards this weed, growing a fine, silky, small stem leaf, well suited for the manufacturer. llinerals. Iron ore is abundant. Blossoms outcrop on the west side of Buffalo Ridge. These blossoms are dark, blackish boulders, whose great weight shows iron to be the predominant ingredient. Before the late civil war, there was a furnace in operation on Cedar Creek that made 1,500 tons of pig metal annually. Nearly every civil district has more or less iron. A rough species of variegated marble, not de- void of beauty when polished, and very valuable as building stone, is plentiful. This red marble overlies a stratum of hydraulic rock, which, from the tests that have been made, will make cement equal in quality to any in the country. The facilities which the Tennessee River af- fords for the transportation of heavy products will doubtless bring this rock into notice. A kind of soft sandstone is very common. This stone is easily hewn into any desirable shape when first quarried, but hardens by exposure, and is much used for building chimneys, a purpose to which it is admirably adapted. It is cheaper than brick, and will resist the action of fire much longer. The Black Shale is rich in oil, but so far from being an indication of coal, it is the best sign of its non-existence. Petroleum there may be, but coal, which many think exists in the county, has never yet been met with, and a stratum of it in th(! counties that border the Tennessee River would be an ano- maly as strange as trees growing downward. When the oil excitement ran so high, great expectations were entertained as to the wealth of Perry county in this particular, and nearly all the lands were leased to oil speculators, but we believe no attempt was ever made to find it, at least no successful attempt. Mineral springs are found in various lo- calities, but they have never been improved, and their qualities or heal- ing pro})erties are unknown. Fndfs and the Smaller Indnsfries. The large extent of rolling lands, their elevation, and the variety of exposures which they present, \\ould indicate an unusual adaptation of the county for fruit-growing. Nearly every farmer has a small orchard of apples and peaches, but most of Middle Te7i7iessee. 88 1 them are planted in the valleys, and the fruit is liable in such localities to be killed by the late frosts. On the tops of the ridges, and especially on the crest of Buffalo Ridge, fruit often escapes this danger. Dried fruit, if advantage was taken of high elevations in the planting of orchards, could be made as remunerative as the growing of peanuts, and the condition of society is such as to make this branch of hus- bandry peculiarly agreeable to the farmer. The apple orchards that are planted in the valleys have a thrifty appearance, but the fruit often specks before coming to maturity. The blackberry grows in the valleys and the huckleberry on the hills in every part of the county. Honey in sufficient quantities for home consumption is made. Nearly every farmer has a few hives of bees, and they are healthy and prolific. The thousands of blossoms that with their bright hues garnish the sides of the ridges and lend their fragrant perfumes to the valleys, supply ma- terial in abundance for honey. The facilities for the cultivation of the smaller industries are great, and an impulse given in this direction would add much to the wealth of the county. Water-power. It might naturally be inferred from the large number of streams, that water privileges are abundant, but such is not the case. The character of the stream beds is such as to unfit them for mill- ing purposes. The channels of a majority are not encased with lime- stone or other rock banks, but are cut out of the alluvial soil, and are constantly changing. The thick beds of sand and gravel absorb the water during the summer months, so that no reliance can be put in a constant supply. Though this is the character of the greater number of streams, the Buffalo has some admirable water privileges. At a point a mile or two south of Linden, there is one of the best water- powers in the State. The main stream makes a circuit of about three miles, forming a peninsula. A tall, -inaccessible bluff, 300 feet in height, forms the neck of this peninsula, but a subterranean passage has been eroded under this bluff, and the water pours through this in a volume large enough to run a dozen mills. So rapid is the fall after its emerg- ence that scarcely any mill-d ira is required. The supply of water is constant, the volume being measured by the calibre of the underground chaur.el. Neither wet weather nor dry has any perceptible effect upon the quantity. When the river is high the surplus water flows around the blufi, and when low the larger quantity passes through the subter- ranean passage. At this point a flouring and saw-mill have been erected. There are a few mills on the other streams, but the number is not sufficient for the convenience of the county. 56 882 Resources of Tennessee. Immigrants and Emigrants. Though Perry county offers some fine inducements for an industrious population, but few immigrants come to it. This is doubtless owing to a want of railroad facilities and of school advantages. The want of the latter has caused many good citi- zens to leave the county and seek other locations where their children can enjoy the privilege of attending good schools. This want is scarcely felt by a large proportion of the population. Generally with lim- ited education, they do not recognize what a powerful lever it is in building up the prosperity and greatness of a community, in attracting population, in diversifying pursuits, in awakening dormant energies, in multiplying the effectiveness of labor, in softening manners, in nutsing manly sentiment, in mitigating ferocity, in harmonizing the different shades of society, and in beautifying, adorning and ennobling private liie and manners. Schools, without which in this age there can be no permanent progress, meet with but little favor. No additional tax was ever levied to supplement the scanty pittance received from the State, which of itself will run free schools a month or two, only long enough to inflict a grievous wound upon private enterprises, without rendering any effective service in the cause of education. Public Improvements. Perry county has no poor house. Paupers are put out to the lowest bidder. There is not a macadamized road within its limits. Streams are not bridged. Public spirit and enter- prise are at a low ebb. A tax for public works is so obnoxious that to advocate it is to render one extremely unpopular. The convenience of the public is made secondary to the convenience of an individual. Money paid for public improvements, in the opinion of the many, is money abstracted to benefit all others except the tax-payer. It is to be regretted that a county which has so many of the elements of wealth within its limits should be so indifferent or unmindful of the steps necessary for its development. To work up their vast treasures of iron ore there must be skilled labor. To have skilled labor there must be schools. To have schools there must be a public sentiment created which will view the taxes paid for such a purpose in the light of an investment. Were there twenty furnaces in operation in Perry, or twenty cotton factories, the increased revenues which the farmers would derive by reason of the home markets thus created, would pay the tax demanded for the support of a good school system twenty times. The whole community would be benefitted, and the stagnation that now reigns over the county like an incubus, would be replaced by activity, zeal, public spirit and awakened enterprise. iMiddle Te7inessee. 883 Statistic-'i. Perry county has eleven civil districts. The number of acres of land assessed, 220,139; value, $1,011,850; number of town lots, 79; value, $12,295; value of horses, mules, mills and other tax- ables, $210,940; number of polls, 956; total value of all property, 11,235,085; total State tax, |5,896.34. Population in 1860, 6,042; of which 556 were colored. Population in 1870, 6,925 ; of which 472 were colored, showing a dimunition in the number of the latter class. School population, white, 2,143; colored, 171; total, 2,314. PUTNAM COUNTY. C'OUNTY Seat — Cookeville. This county was created by act of the General Assembly of Ten- nessee in the year 1842, the territory being taken from White, Over- ton, Jackson, Smith and De Kalb counties. In the same year an at- tempt was made to organize, but soon after, a bill in Chancery w^as filed by the county of Jackson, through the County Court of said county, suspending any action that the county of Putnam had taken, or might take. Thii? delayed the organization till 1854, and the parts taken from the several counties were thrown back to them. In 1854, the county was permanently organized. Monticello, which had been first nominated as the county seat, failed in the second instance to carry the election, and Cookeville was chosen. The county was then laid off into sixteen civil districts. Toums and Villages. Cookeville, the county seat, is a neat little town, with a population of about 250. It has an deviated site, from which there is good drainage in every direction. The only village in the county Avorthy of mention is Bloomington, about ten miles north of west from Cookeville. It has a population of about seventy-five. It is chiefly remarkable on account of a fine chalybeate spring, and is becoming popular as a summer retreat. Topography. In order to have a sufficient amount of territory, without encroaching upon the constitutional limits of previously exist- ing counties, it was necessary to make the county long and narrow and very unsym metrical in shape. Its length from east to west is more than forty miles, while its average width is not more than twelve miles. The eastern end, comprising about one-eighth of the entire area, is on. 884 Resources of Teimcssee. the Cumberland Table Land. This part of the Table Land is remark- able as containing the head springs of streams radiating from it as a centre toward every point of the compass. The east and west forks of Obey's River flow north, Spring Creek north-west, Fallingwater nearly west. Calf Killer River south-west, and just across the line, in Cumberland county, are the head springs of Emory, which flows east into Clinch River, above ICingston. These facts are an evidence of its great elevation. These streams, except the last, in their descent from this elevated plateau, have cut through the western escarpment^ forming many deep ravines and sequestered valleys, with towering ridges projecting between. The scenery here is remarkable for its wildness and sublimity. Bold cliffs of sandstone and conglomerate crowned with scraggy trees, where the scream of the eagle is not un- frequent, and the howl of the wolf is sometimes heard ; mountain sides, rugged with jutting cliffs, the deformities of which are some- times cancelled by mantling ivy ; " benches" (terraces) here and there with good farms and orchards ; deep valleys sometimes with narrow bottoms, but more frequently pressing close upon a stream which dashes and thunders down one cascade after another — suuch are the character- istic features of this part of the county. As we approach the central part of the county, the valleys become wider, and the ridges and spurs run out into lower hills, or disappear entirely. W^ are now in the red cl ly region, a broad belt of which extends along the western base of the Table Land. In Putnam county this belt is about fourteen miles wide, and is the best part of the county. Its surface is diversified with hill and dale, the beds of most of the streams being considerably be- low the general level of the country. Sinkholes and caves are a char- acteristic of this belt of clay lands, and in the neighborhood of the mountains are many large springs, whose waters have accumulated^ and perhaps flowed for miles in underground channels. The country becomes more level and the lands less fertile toward the west, until the part of the county designated by the significant name " barrens" is reached. Here the red clay gives place to a yellowish subsoil, greatly deficient in calcareous matter, and too leachy to bear improvement. There is but little humus in the surface soil, and it is not well adapted to tlie j)roducti()n of grain. The surface is generally level, except in the neigiiborhood of the streams, and the timber is thin and of small size. But the valleys and the hill-sides along the streams aflbrd some good lands, and the less fertile portions are covered with nutritious wild grasses, which furnish pasturage for large numbers of cattle and Middle Temtessee. 885 sheep. The extreme western end of the county runs down into the hills bordering the Caney Fork and Cumberland Rivers, and takes in a small part of the Central Basin. The Highland Rim is so broken by the valleys separated by projecting ridges that its escarpment is not ^11 defined. The surface is broken, but the soil of the valleys lying upon Silurian limestones is very fertile. &oiU. The soils of the Table Land are light and sandy, and not valuable, except for fruit-growing and grazing. But little of this part of the county has been imjjroved, and lands can be bought at very low figures. The Mountain limestone on the western face of the Table Land does not present any very extended areas of land level enough to cultivate, but there are several farms on some of the benches, which are rich enough to produce any crops grown in this latitude, and are especially valuable for fruit farms. In such situations orchards never fail to bear good crops. The cov^e lands are often level and always very fertile. The soil is a mellow loam, having enough of sand to render cultivation easy, but not so much as to impair its fertility. It is some- times several feet thick, resting upon red clay or limestone. As al- ready stated, the clay uplands occupy the central part of the county, and embrace the largest area of good lands. The soil is a dark brown mould, rich in humus, and with good tillage will continue to increase in fertility. The subsoil is a strong red clay, possessing many of the elements of fertility. At a greater or less depth beneath the surface is found limestone, either blue or gray, and sometimes fossiliferous. It often crops out on the hill-sides, and nearly always along the streams. The soils in the barrens are chiefly valuable for grazing. We believe there is no part of the State better adapted to the rearing of sheep. The coarse native grasses are nutritious, and the cultivated grasses grow finely. But the porous yellow subsoil is so leachy that we do not recommend these glands for grain fiirms. There are places, however, where red clay and limestone are found, and in all such the lands are rich. The bottoms along the streams and the hill-sides, especially those facing the north, are generally fertile. The valleys in the western end of the county have a deep dark soil, generally resting on Silurian limestone and very rich. Valleys. Buffalo Valley, in the Western end of the county, is four miles long, with an average width of one mile. The surface is level, and the soil very fertile. Dry Valley is scarcely less fertile, and has a lara:e area. Alone: the base of the mountain are several coves, or small valleys. 886 Resources of Te?inessee. Farms and Crops. According to the last assessment, the total value of taxable property is ^890,712. The county contains about three hundred and forty square miles, with a population of 8,698, being more than twenty-five to the square mile. Of the entire area about thirty- five per cent, is yielding nothing. Farms vary much in size. Some that yield a good living to their owners contain no more than finy acres, while others have one, two, three and even as high as six hun- dred acres. Most of them are cultivated exclusively by the owners,, but on the larger some hired help is employed all the year, and on oc- casions of extra work, such as harvest time, almost all farmers require more or less' assistance. There is rarely any difficulty in obtaining common hands, but skilled labor is scarce. The wages paid, however, are not such as to invite good laborers from abroad. Twelve to six- teen dollars per month are the regular terms, but harvest hands gen- erally receive something higher. Money rents range from three to five dollars per acre, according to the quality of land. One-third of the crop is generally paid by those who rent on shares. The leading field crops, in the order of their importance, are corn, tobacco, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, turnips, cotton, buckwheat and barley. Walker wheat is the most common variety. Tappahannock is preferred by some. About ten per cent, of the cultivated lands are in grass. It is customary ta mow a meadow until it becomes foul, and then turn the sod under, but this is done rather for the purpose of destroying the weeds than for improving the land. Several of the best farmers use clover as a green manure. Grass is sometimes sown for pasture. "Xew ground," or land jusfc cleared, is plowed with a coulter to cut the roots, but after these are out of the way, breaking is done with turning plows» Subsoiling is practiced to some extent, but it is generally done with a narrow shovel or " bull-tongue," following in the furrow after the turning-plow. Single and double shovels are used in cultivating crops. Horses are most popular for work stock, but mules are also used, and are ])referred by some. For very heavy plowing, and other work that requires a strong team, oxen arc often used, but rarely or never where horses or mules can do the work. The condition of farm improve- ments, especially fences and barns, has undergone a change for the bet- ter since the war. More attention is paid to the improvement and care of lands, and the yield of cultivated crops is greater. These improve- ments are due in a great measure to the efforts made to systematize the farming, under the direction of the County Agricultural Society. Live. /^iock. The rearing of live stock is and will probably continue Middle Tennessee. 887 to be the leading and most profitable branch of farming. Almost all of the stock is of the common breeds known as scrub. Several good horses, with fashionable pedigrees, have been brought in since the war, and their influence is beginning to be felt. There are also in the county a few Short-horn cattle. Berkshires, Chester Whites and per- haps some other breeds of hogs are represented by a few fine specimens. More recently an effort has been made to improve the sheep by bring- ing in Southdowns, Cotswolds and Leicesters. The adaptation of the county to sheep husbandry has already been spoken of, and the busi- ness is steadily on the increase. We hope before many years to see flocks of hundreds and thousands roaming over broad acres of "barrens" that are now waste, and yielding fleeces and mutton that will rival those produced on the " downs" of "merrie England." But before this can be realized, the old scrub stock must be bred out and replaced by those which will afford a better return for the labor and care bestowed on them. Nor is this necessity for improvement confined to sheep; horses, cattle and hogs must be bred with care, until a scrub of any kind will be a thing uriknown. There has been hvX little complaint for several years past of sheep-killing dogs, and most of the farmers are opposed to a tax or any other restriction upon the keeping of dogs. Household Department. The smaller industries belonging to farm economy receive some attention, but not as much as their importance deserves. Dried fruit is prepared for home use, and is also shipped in considerable quantities. Butter enough for family use is made on every farm, the year round, and often enough extra to buy the supplies of su- gar, coffee, etc. Poultry receives a good share of attention. There is scarcely a family in the county without a good stock of chickens, and many raise also turkeys and guineas. Honey is not so common, but many families have enough for home use, and a few produce it for market. Geese and ducks are common, and feathers are an article of some importance. Household manufactures embrace such articles as jeans, linsey and cotton cloth, also blankets, coverlets, counterpanes and cotton and woolen socks. Most of the cloth worn by the farmers, ex- cept their " Sunday clothes," is made, at home or in the neighborhood. Streams and Water-power. Fallingwatcr, which is partly in Putnam and j)artly in White, is a fine stream for machinery. It rises among the mountain spurs in the eastern part of the county, and flows west south-west into Caney Fork. As its name indicates, there is a con- tinual succession of falls and rapids along its entire course, and the Resotirces of Tennessee. quantity of water is sufficient for machinery of any size or amount. There are now several good mills along its course. Spring Creek is next in importance. Its source is near the western base of the moun- tain, and its course nearly north-west. For a part of the way it forms the dividing line between Putnam and Overton. There are several good falls along its course, the one at Waterloo, where there was once a large powder manufactory, being the most important. There is no machinery at this place now. There are three cascades within a few hundred yards, the total flill being about thirty feet. It is now the property of Col. J. D. Goodpasture, of Livingston. Blackburn's Fork rises near the center of the county, and flows north-west into Roaring River. The smaller creeks are Indian, Pigeon Roost, Cane and Hug- gin's, all of which afford water enough for light machinery. Transportation and Markets. Caney Fork River, bounding the county on the west, is navigable for small steamers for about five months in the year. Cumberland River, twenty miles north-west of Cookeville, is navigable during six months ofthe year. Butmostof the produce is sent to market in wagons, and merchandise is carried from Nashville in the same way. The line of the South-western Railroad is located through the county, passing one and a half miles east of Cookeville. Minerals. Coal is abundant in the eastern part of the county. It has been worked at Home's Cove Bank, nine miles south-east of Cookeville, and at Whitaker's Bank, ten miles east of the same point. It is known to exist in quantity at many other points, but the demand for it has been merely local, and there is nothing to stimulate develop- ment. At several places it is reported to be six feet thick at the out- crop. Pilot Knob, two miles south-west of Cookeville, is reported to be very rich in iron ore. The beds of brown hematite extend all around its base, and probably underlie the entire mountain. But lit- tle effort has been made to develop it. In the immediate vicinity of Cookeville, we saw some good ores, but are unable to estimate the quantity. In the neighborhood of Huggin's Creek is another extensive bed of iron ore in quality similar to the hematite common in this part of the State. Several years ago there was a bloomery on Fallingwater, four miles south of Cookeville, which, with the imperfect machinery used, yielded about forty per cent, of pure iron. The ore was obtained in the neighborhood and from Pilot Knob. With good machinery, it would doubtless yield from fifty to sixty j>er cent. When better facil- Middle Tennessee. 889 ities for transportation are })r()vide(1, the manuflictnre of iron will doubt- less assume great importance. We are informed that there is a quarry of excellent marble at Pilot Knob, but have seen no specimens. It has been used for tombstones to a limited extent. The limestones are of the blue and gray varieties, the former being very hard, and more or less silicified, but the latter is easily burned into lime of excellent quality ; both kinds are valuable for building stones. The sandstones of the Table Land and barrens are quite diiferent in appearance and structure. The former are generally very much indurated wherever they are exposed, and are frequently mixed with conglomerate. In many places they split readily into thin, tough slabs, and would make excellent paving stones. But the barren sandstones are generally soft, easily worked, and furnish a beautiful building stone. There are seven well-known mineral springs in the county, three of which are chalbyeate and four sulphur. Boarding-houses have been erected at several of these. Bloomington, where there is a very excellent chaly- beate spring, is becoming popular as a summer resort. The buildings are new, commodious, and well adapted to the purposes for which they were erected. Schools. The scholastic population of the county is 3,420. There are fifty-two public schools, with an average attendance of more than fifty per cent, of the entire scholastic population. Besides the public schools, there is an academy at the county seat, and good private schools have heretofore been sustained in several neighborhoods. What is Needed. A railroad to stimulate .developments and carry the productions to market, is the most pressing want. Owing to the great length of the county, compared with its breadth, it has been im- possible to secure county aid for a north and south line, but the citi- zens in the central part are willing to make liberal donations to any company that will undertake the completion of the Southwestern Rail- road. One survey for the Tennessee and Pacific Railroad passes through the county from east to west, and if it should be located on that line, county aid could no doubt be obtained. The restrictions im- posed by the revenue law upon tobacco, are very much complained of among the farmers, and it is hoped that the government will re- move them. MiscellaneoxiH. Immigrants will meet with a cordial welcome if they come to stay and do not hold themselves aloof from the jjcople, and are willing to look upon them as neighbors and friends. They are 890 Resources of Tennessee. greatly needed, for there are many broad acres of good land unim- proved, and many noble streams for manufacturing, yet unemployed. The price of land is very low, and there is plenty of it for sale. As a general rule, the farms are too large, and many of the farmers desire to sell a part so that they can better improve the remainder. Indeed, we think that trying to cultivate too much land is the greatest draw- back to the prosperity of agriculture, not only in this, but in most of the counties of the State. Although there is a great deal of land for sale there are not many of the farmers who wish to move away. Gen- eral contentment prevails, and a spirit of improvement is manifest. There is an Agricultural and Mechanical Association which holds an- nual fairs at Cookeville. The fair grounds embrace five acres,.and the value of the improvements are estimated at five thousand dollars. There is also one farmers' club in the countv. ROBERTSON COUNTY. CouxTY Seat — Springfield. Robertson and Montgomery counties were, previous to 1796, known as Tennessee county. The Territorial Legislature, sitting at Knox- ville, passed an act bearing date April 9, 1796, dividing the county, the western half taking the name of Montgomery and the eastern that of Robertson, named in honor of the brave pioneer who planted the first colony west of the Cumberland Mountains. On the 6th of June of the same year, the State was admitted into the Union, taking the name of the county j)rcvious to the division. The county contains about 550 square miles, and is bounded on the north by Kentucky, on the east by Sumner county, on the south by Davidson and Cheatham, and the west by Montgomery. The first settlements in the county were made on SLil])hur Fork. Tradition has it that one Caleb Winters, in the year 1781 or 1782, settled on the place now occupied by Hon. G. A. Washington, and never eat a piece of bread from the time of set- tling them until he made it. It was about this time that corn was worth $165 a bushel in Kentucky, in Continental money. Topography and (Jcoh plowing and pulverizing, droughts are better withstood than in almost any other section. All that is required to preserve the fertility of these lands is a change of crops, with the additional precaution of sowing red clover every ten to twenty years. The soil is of such a nature that it readily yields to culture, and when apjiarently worn out, can easily be restored by a two years' growth of clover, which grows so luxuriantly that it is about as profitable a cro]) as the farmer can raise, even for the hay market, but especially for stock feeding or grazing. The land is easily cultivated, and the turning plow, or old-fashioned Carey, has generally been, and is still, much used, but the latter is being gradually superceded by the best improved plows. As to the remark of its being easily cultivated, ought to be made this exception, 9o6 Resources of Tennessee. that like all first-class land, it produces weeds and grass as well as the most prolific agricultural crops, and the farmer has to keep moving to prevent them from getting a head of him. Productions. The native growth is all kinds of oak, poplar, cedar, hickory, beech, buckeye, sycamore, black and honey locusts, ash, elm, walnut, hornbean, mulberry, cherry, dogwood, sassafras, pawpaw, cucumber tree, sugar tree, aspen, hackberry, linn, boxelder, coffee tree, black and sweet gum and chittim. It may be added that there are many other trees, such as the magnolia, etc., which grow, when transplanted, as large and beautiful as in their native forests. The prevailing timber is oak, hickory, cedar, poplar, walnut and beech. Of other growth, there are angelica, crab apple, ginger, ginseng, grape vines, black and red haw, red bud, sweet anise, spikenard, spicewood, Virginia and seneca snakeroot, wild hop and wdld plum. At the early settlement of the county, the prairie portion was covered with buffalo grass, clover, pea vines, strawberries, black and white berries, raspberries, dew berries, wild oats and wild rye,' and in many places canes grew more than twenty feet high, and stood so thick on the ground that no other plant could grow up among them. The forests are now in many places carpeted over with blue-grass and clover as soft as velvet, and there is a large variety of flowers that bloom from March until November, rendering the county, to the lovers of nature, a land of enchantment. Products and Crops. The following are the products, including some other statistics of the county, as given in the Census report of 1870, under the head of " Selected Statistics of Agriculture :" Improved land 181,447 Acrt\«. Value of farms §10,153,110 Total (estimated) value of all farm productions, including betterments and additions to stock 2,260,874 Value of all live stock 1,519,939 Number of hoi-ses 7,593 " " mules and asses 3,493 " " milch cows 5,862 " " working oxen 496 " " sheep .' 17,183 " " swine 33,687 PIIODUCE. Spring vvlieat 22,725 bush. Winter wheat 152,020 " Rye 13,746 « Indian corn 867,443 Middle Tennessee. 907 Oats 63,514 bush. Blrley'Z"""'"" 2,496 ^^ Peas and Beans ^-^^ Irish potatoes 22,141 Sweet potatoes 24,199 Cotton 8,412 bales. Tobacco I'^^OO pounds. Wool 23,285 ^^ Honey W^i^l Butter 291,844 " Cheese . 170 Wine ^^1 §^|J«"^- Sorglium molasses 14,Jd9 Hay 2,410 tons. Cotton, corn and small grain are the chief productions. -Cotton is the principal crop, corn ranking next, and wheat standing third on the list. Up to the present time formers have been taught to believe that cotton is the most profitable crop, and it will remain so until there is a change of laborers. A very small quantity of grass is grown, but du- ring the last year ten times the amount formerly, principally German millet, all of which was mowed, and it made an abundant yield. About half of the grass is usually mowed, and the balance is grazed. The different varieties of grasses grow luxuriantly everywhere in the county, and within the last few years many persons have turned their attention to the hay field and the breeding of fine stock, and all have met with a success beyond their most sanguine expectations. The Garden, Orchard and Vinei/ard have not received much atten- tion heretofore in this county, but experiments have been made in each sufficiently large to fully assure all who wMsh to engage in either, that, with proper selections, no section of the American Union is superior to it in the production of the different selected varieties of fruit, vege- tables and grasses, a great part of which is attributable to the mild cli- matic influence, as well as the rich and peculiar nature of the soil. Owing to the almost total destruction of all the personal property, among which was included live stock and farming implements, previous to the year 1865, and the impoverished condition of the people, farms are in a very bad condition as compared with their condition previous to 18G2. The kind of sUx-.k used in making crops are horses and mules, the former doubling the latter, and the improved breeds of both are generally used, which are considered by every farmer of ^vide experience to be by far the most i)rofitable, and in every respect supe- rior to the scrub stock. T!ie farms contain from 50 to 100 acres, although a good many large farnis yet remain undivided, and about 9o8 Resources of Tennessee. one-half of the former are worked by the owners, and the bal- ance by lessees and hired laborers. There were in 1870, 1,811 farms in the county. First class improved farming lands, without dwelling- houses, can be purchased at from twentyTfive to sixty dollars per acre, depending entirely on the location ; with dwellings, add about one-half of the cost of building to this price. Unimproved lands are worth as much as the improved, on account of the value of the timber. There are a great many farms in this county now that can be purchased, as the tendency is to cut up large plantations into small farms by the owners, and all lauds now sold under decrees of the Courts, for, distri- bution of proceeds, are divided into lots, and it can be confidently affirmed that they are cheaper now than they will ever be again. They are generally rented at from three to four dollars per acre per annum, but about half are worked on shares, in the proportion of one-third of corn and cotton each to the landlord, the laborer furnishing himself with rations and everything else, except house rent and fuel. The county is densely populated and labor might be considered abundant for the open lands, although frequently there is a scarcity for short in- tervals on account of hands temporarily changing their field of labor to the cotton plantations of the south and west. Wages range from eight to twelve dollars per month, the employer furnishing rations and quarters, but the great irregularities in labor, caused by the too frequent changes of homes and employers by the employees, work very disad- vantageously, causing a great desire on the part of landowners for emi- grants, both as laborers and purchasers. Immigrants are treated with a great deal of hospitality by the citizens of this county. The morality of the people is of the highest character, and it matters not with them where a man is born or educated if he possesses, and in his demeanor shows the dignity, the refinement, or the instincts of a true gentleman, esteems himself, attends to his own business, declines to play the role of the demagogue, or to stir up strife between the races, he is gladly welcomed by them and treated kindly, socially, politically and relig- iously. After taking into consideration the advantages and disad- vantages, pric(! of land, yield of croj^s, market facilities, demand for labor and manufactories, climate, hcaltli, public finances, and the social qualities, the education and the higher christian virtues of the people, to the ca])italist, the laborer, the farmer and the mechanic, there can- not be found a more inviting field for immigration in the whole civil- ized world. Hheep Jlamni/ wouhl be very ])rofitable here, and more especially on Middle Tennessee. 909 the waste lands and in the cedar brakes, were it not for the dogs. This could be easily remedied by local police regulations, but hereto- fore members of the Tennessee Legislature have been either opposed to good, healthy and nutritious mutton and cheap warm clothing for the poor, or they are afraid of the dogs and their masters. No shep- herd objects to a faithful dog, but they do, in behalf of their innocent Rocks, protest against the vile dog that sucks out their life blood. Let sheep-raising neighborhoods be laid off into districts, and let there be conferred on them municipal or police powers for the protection of live stock of every description, like those conferred on our towns and cities to abate nuisances, or to protect life and property, and it will afford all the power and authority necessary to resist the encroachments and inroads of the murderous canine tribe. Railways. The Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Hallway passes through the county from north-west to south-east, entering near Lavergne and passing out near Fosterville, making above thirty miles of road. Many of her people subscribed liberally for the construction of this road, and when the stock was being made up for this gigantic, new enterprise, quite a number of amusing incidents occurred. The first time the 'subscription books were opened at Murfreesboro, ex- Gov. James C. Jones and Colonel V. K. Stevenson addressed the peo- ple, and Governor Jones made one of his happiest efforts, not only convincing the people of the importance of railway transportation, but that it would yield large dividends to the stockholders. The last proposition, also, struck with a great deal of force one of the Govern- or's old political friends, and as he concluded by requesting some friend of the enterprise to give them a good start, by a large and liberal sub- scription, his old friend Colonel W. N., now deceased, who then resi- ded near Florence Station, cried out, " j)ut me down tioenty thousand dollars.'^ Governor Jones, knowing the amount would atmost ruin his friend, and that it would be years before a dividend would be declared, quickly turned to Colonel Stevenson and said, " tve do not intend that afcio men shall monopolize tJiis enterprise, pid down Colonel W. N., Jive thousand dollars,'^ and he used this incident to induce others to freely subscribe, for no one then stood back. Governor Robert Y. Hayue, of South Carolina, who was distinguished throughout the whole coun- try for his great debate with Daniel Webster, while engaged in per- fecting some of the earliest roads of his own State, and who might well be regarded as the father of the Nashville and Chattanooga rail- road, honored Murfreesboro with a visit, when en route for Nashville, 9IO ResouT-ces of Temiessee. to address the State Legislature in behalf of his projected line. Al- though his stay was very brief, he was received warmly by the citi- zens, and hailed as the chief who would open up to them a way to the sea. On the 4th day of July, 1851, the first passenger coach arrived at the depot in Murfreesboro, the citizens gave a dinner, and the Mayor addressed an audience of several thousand people. The fare to Nash- ville was put down at one dollar, and freight in about the same pro- portion, since which both have traveled upward in the same propor- tion, until now passenger fare is one dollar and sixty cents. To show something tangible with regard to the business and wealth of this county in addition to the large amount transported by turnpike roads, we will proceed to copy some of the statistics from the annual report of the directors and other officers of this road, ending June 30, 1873, from each station within Rutherford county : FREIGHT EARNINGS, Freight Forwarded. Freight Received. Lavergne S292.60 S283.25 Smyrna 1,804.31 1,454.81 Florence 540.81 767.80 Murfreesboro 32,525.33 17,733.28 Christiana 686.40 597.34 Fosterville 896.98 589.35 Total earnings $36,746.43 .§21,125.79 STATEMENT OF PASSENGER BUSINESS, Passengers. Amount. Lavergne 829 $716.43 Smyrna 1,333 1,347.70 P^lorence 551 658.50 Murfreesboro 6,365 10,114.20 Christiana 339 513.20 Fosterville 390 725.20 Total $9,807 $13,075.25 The census report of 1870 is fixr behind the cotton raised in this county, which places the number at 8,112 bales, while the shipments over the railroad show 12,330 bales, very little of which is grown out- side of Rutherford county, in fact there arc twice as many bales shipped by turnpike grown here as there are bales shipped by rail grown in other counties. Tlie year the census report was made out was a very short crop year. Streanhs and Water. The east and west forks of Stone's River flow Middle Tennessee. 9 1 1 through the county toward the north-west, forming a junction at Jef- ferson, and the main river continues northward toward the Cumber- land, entering Davidson county about five miles from the junction. The east fork rises in the rim of the Basin in Cannon county, and en- ters Rutherford county at Readyville, running thence a little north of west through a rich section of lands. On this fork there are several flouring and saw-mills that run the whole year, and there is quite a number of other mill sites on it, waiting for capitalists, equally as good as those now in operation. Its first tributary after entering this county is Cripple Creek, which rises in the Dnghollow hills, about fourteen miles south-east of Murfreesboro, near the corners of Rutherford, Can- non, and Coffee counties, running thence north-east, and emptying into the east fork seven miles from Murfreesboro. The next tributary is Brad- ley's Creek, which rises in the Cainesville hills near the Wilson county line, and flowing south, enters the east fork a})out three miles below the mouth of Cripple Creek. The water that gathers in the cedar- brake, about six miles east of Murfreesboro, forms a subterranean creek, and runs some three miles north-east of the city, where it breaks out, is called Bushnell's Creek, and after running thence about four miles north-ward empties into the east fork; Fall Creek heads on the west side of the Cainesville hills, and flows westward near the boundary line between Rutherford and Wilson counties, and empties into Stones River five miles below Jefferson. Spring Creek is about five miles long, and empties into the river about three hundred yards below the mouth of Fall Creek, and runs parallel with it. The east prong of the West Fork rises in Hoover's Gap, about fifteen miles south-east of Murfreesboro, near the Coffee county line, and flows west, forming a junction with the west prong two miles south of the city. It re- ceives, as a tributary, about eight miles from Murfreesboro, Big Spring Creek, M^hich flows from the place that gives a name to both the creek and village. Long Creek rises near the Bedford county line, in Lib- erty Gap, and flowing north-west, empties into the east prong of the West Fork just below the mouth of Big Creek. The west prong of the AVest Fork rises in the vicinity of Middleton, and runs north to the junction. The West Fork of Stone's River then receives, as a tributary, Lytle's Creek. This creek rises in the hills about ten miles a little south of east of Murfreesboro, flowing thence west until it reaches the south part of the city, Avhen it turns to the north-west, and empties into the river one mile from the city. Overall's Creek rises in the hills about ten miles south-west of the city, and flows thence 912 Resources of Tennessee. north-east, emptying into the river about five miles north-west of the city. Stuart's Creek rises near the Williamson county line, about twelve miles west of Murfreesboro, and runs thence north-east, and empties into the river near old Jefferson. Hurricane Creek rises not far from Lavergne, passing which, it forms the boundary line between Davidson and Rutherford counties, and empties into the river below Jefferson. On all of these creeks there is the finest of bottom lands, and mill sites are of frequent occurrence ; they afford sufficient water- power to turn mill machinery for from six to ten months in the year. There are a great many subterranean lakes or lime sinks in the county, as well as springs, and ponds are very easily made, so that we have a bountiful supply of stock water. Wells can be dug, or bored at any place desired, at but little expense, and the purest of water ob- tained. Schools, Taxable Property and Tax. The county is laid off into twenty-five school districts, and in many of these districts the best of free schools are taught during the entire year, besides several first-class academies ; indeed the church and the school-house can be found every few miles in Rutherford county convenient for all, and moral and in- tellectual culture seems to be the leading and predominant idea among the people. To show how they can be sustained, we will add the value of taxable property and the municipal tax for the year 1873, with this remark, that the county is entirely out of debt. 379,700^ acres of land, aggregate value $6,892,102 00 6861 town lots, " " 1,025,264 00 Personal property 1,697,609 00 Total $9,614,975 00 State tax $ 43,446 89 County tax 14,422 47 School tax 29,024 45 Total $ 86,893 81 Number of white persons paying poll-tax 2,823 " " colored " " " %^^^ Total polls 4,987 The value of these lands will ('nhanc(> in the future as the people will be abler each succeeding year to improve their farms, and bring Middle Tennessee. 9 1 3 them up to the standard previous to the year 1862. As before stated, the present condition of them compared with their condition up to that time, is very bad, owing to the total destruction of the personal prop- erty. Marhet Facilities and Transportation. Besides the Nashville, Chat- tanooga and St. Louis Railway, there are eleven turnpike roads center- ing at Marfreesboro, connecting all the villages of the county, as well as several tow^ns and villages of adjoining counties, the citizens of which bring the principal part of their trade to this city. The people of this county not only have good home markets for all their produce, but have easy access to those of neighboring cities. The capital of this county has been generally invested in agriculture, and but little atten- tion has been bestowed on manufactures. The census report for 1870 give the following manufactures by totals : Establishments, 64 ; steam- eagines, 9; water-wheels, 17; all hands, 252; males above 16 years, 235; youth, 17; capital, $187,250 ; wages, |71,945; materials, $466,- 188; products, $796,370. Fairs, etc. The Tennessee Central Agricultural and Mechanical As- sociation holds two splendid fairs during the year, at which there are magnificent displays of live stock, of the mechanical and fine arts, the products of the field, the orchard, the garden and vineyard, together with all articles of domestic use. They are conducted with order and decorum, and they are equal to any fairs held in this State. But few of the people dry fruit, attend to the smaller industries, or make but- ter for market, although they make a sufficient amount of butter and raise enough of fowls to supply the demands of home consumption. In some parts of the county a good deal of attention is paid to wheat. The variety sowed is Reed, Boughton, and Mediterranean, which is grown very successfully. The people in this beautiful county, this Eden of the new world, that we have attempted to describe in our fee- ble way, are discontented, and many, as is natural, on account of discon- tentment are disposed to move away, although we think it neither wise nor philosophic. " Better bear the ills we have than to fly to those we know not of." There is a cause for this discontentment founded on the great "drawbacks" to farming in the United States, among which we may number the national banks, the ten per centum annual inter- est law, iha credit system, the high tariff on all foreign articles of con- sumption, the unequal discriminations by the railroads, in terminal and intermediate rates and their high tariff on freights, the annual pay- 58 914 Resources of Termessee. men! of one hundred and twenty millions of interest to United States bondholders, the union of the bankers and the speculators, and the in- suflSciency of currency to remove the crops, all of which can be traced to the national bank and bondholding monopoly fostered and protected by the Federal Government, and which will continue to exist until these bonds are paid off in new issues of legal tender notes, and the farmer ships his crop direct to the manufacturers and consumers to re- ceive a fair remuneration for it, and purchases his supplies direct from the manufacturer, and from the tropics where they are grown. The high rate of interest begets credit, and this added to the interest on the national debt will utterly ruin an agricultural people, but more especially when every avenue to free trade is cut off, and they are burdened with a high protective tariff. The surplus money in the county, instead of going into agriculture and manufactures, is placed in national banks, and is used altogether in wild schemes of speculation. The banker is paid by the producer nearly six per cent, on his capital to commence his operations, and then he charges his customers for loans and discount, from one to two per cent, a month, and all this is finally paid by the farmer and mechanic. To meet these difficulties the farmers have organized Granges of Patrons of husbandry all over the American Union, and Rutherford county now has a great many within her borders, and will soon have as many Grangers as the constitution of the order will allow. It is believed by every person of ordinary intelligence who has examined the subject that the order is designed and intended to be a great school of instruction, teaching the farmer the conflict between his interests and the interests of the bondholder, the banker, the protec- tionist, the speculator, and the monopolist. When we arrive at that period when all will thoroughly understand this conflict, bonds, usuri- ous interest laws, high protective tariffs, banks and monopolies, will soon be numbered with the past, and will only be remembered to be exe- crated, and at the same time the Grange need not be an organized partisan political body, in fact it is far better not to enter the political arena, it would be too debasing, and would, from the contact with other parti- san organizations, become contaminated and corrupt. Let it remain an unspotted, undefiled and pure school of instruction, in which will be thoroughly taught the idea that the genius of American institutions is against all monopolies. B. F. LiLLARD. Middle Teimessee. 9 ^ 5 SMITH COUNTY. County Seat — Carthage. This county was organized in 1799, and then embraced the territory since taken off by Jackson and Overton counties, the greater portion of Delvalb, Macon and Putnam, and part of Trousdale. It contains about 300 square miles. Topography and Geology. To one coming down the Cumberland River from Burksville, Kentucky, to Nashville, Smith is the .first county fairly within the Central Basin. Though within this Basin it is rimmed on the north and east by the Highlands. As in Cannon county, many of the spurs run far in towards the center of the county, filling it with ridges, and giving it a very rough surface. This is es- pecially true of the parts north of the Cumberland River and east of Caney Fork. South and west of these streams the ridges are not so high, but the surface is rolling and hilly. The county is remarkably well watered by the Cumberland and Caney Fork and their tributaries. Nearly all of these streams have wide and exceedingly fertile valleys. The soils of Smith, with the exception of the caps of the ridges, rests everywhere upon limestones belonging to the Nashville and Leb- anon formations, but principally the former. The tops of the ridges present the siliceous rocks of the Highlands, being the Subcarbonifer- ous. Immediately below these siliceous rocks, and separating them from the limestone is the Black Shale Formation, Lands, Farms, Crops and Stock. The county is divided in two parts by the Cumberland River flowing through it from north-east to south- west. It is navigable above Carthage for about six months in the year far into the State of Kentucky. The Caney Fork, a large stream that flows into the Cumberland, is navigable for small steamboats about forty miles above its mouth. Into these two streams run all the creeks that drain the county. The heavy produce of the county, such as corn, tobacco and bacon, is shipped in steamboats, mainly from warehouses erected at the mouths of these creeks. The soil of the bottoms along I'.icse creeks, and the hills between which they flow, is very fertile, nearly efpial to the bottoms of the Cumberland and Caney Fork, so famed for their richness. There has been but very little immigration into this county since the war, either of northern people or foreigners, c)i6 Resowces of Te7i7tessee, and when seen passing these fertile lands, and on to the poor Table Lands of the Cumberland Mountain, those acquainted with the relative productiveness of the two sections express their astonishment. It is the cheapness of those lands that attracts them. A good Cumberland River farm, Avith moderate improvements, can usually be bought for about $25 per acre, sometimes for less. Farms with no waste land on them, when well improved, command higher prices. The fine blue- grass farms in the south end of the county, though generally not so fertile as the river bottoms, are held at higher prices — a striking evi- dence of the value of improved methods of farming, and that stock- raising is the proper business for the farmers of this county. The soil has much lime in it, and of course produces blue-grass, the best of all grazing grasses, very luxuriantly, and also timothy, herds and other grasses for hay — not only in the bottoms, but on the hills. The bottoms are superior for corn, rye, hay and oats, and the hills for wheat, blue- grass and all culinary vegetables. What is known as the flat woods^ or barrens, being the Rim of the great basin of Middle Tennessee, are not so fertile as the river and creek bottoms or the rolling hills ; yet these flat woods are valuable, and produce the best tobacco, being of a finer texture and more delicately flavored. In 1872, the exports of this article amounted to 3,000,000 pounds; in 1873, 3,500,000 pounds. Here fruits grow to greater perfection, and succeed much oftener than the orchards on the creeks and rivers. No cotton is now raised in the county, except small patches for home consumption. In times past, the farmers raised it in considerable quantities for market. But it is not claimed that this is a cotton region. Tobacco raising and stock and grain farming are the chief pursuits. Much improvement in the mode of farming and breeds of stock has been made in the last quar- ter of a century. This improvement is due in a great measure to the late Dr. F. H. Gordon, who about the year 1836, then a teacher in a literary institution, Clinton College, went to Kentucky and brought to the farm on which the college was situated a herd of the best breeds of Durham cattle, and began to sow blue-grass. These were no doubt tlie first of that superior stock ever brought to Smith county. The doctor was regarded as an enthusiast, and so it must be admitted he was. But he was a man of energy, a deep thinker, a clear writer, and struck out by reason and experiment many highly useful suggestions for the improvement of farming. Others, as is often the case, took hold of his ideas, and with more caution reduced them to valuable practical results. And now the farms of that section of the county Middle Tennessee. 9 1 7 are covered with blue-grass and grasses for hay, and here may be seen the very finest short-horn cattle, Cotswold and Southdown sheep and Berkshire and Chester hogs. The example thus set has spread to other jiortions of the country, all directly or indirectly traceable to the ex- amples and teachings of Dr. Gordon. There is still ample room for improvement on most of the farms. The soil is rich, and suited to a great variety of crops. There is much land yet in forest that should be in grass. Some years ago, the venerable Judge Keith, who graced the Circuit Court bench for about half a century, while riding up one of the large creeks, in company with another, looking at the rich bottoms and the tall hills, covered with forest timbers and wild grasses, said with much enthusiasm to his companion, " Sir, this is the finest poor man's country in the world. Here are the rich creek bottoms that produce in great abundance and perfection all the grains ; and these bottoms are not in bodies large enough to induce the wealthy to want them for homes, and hence the poor can buy them at cheap rates ; and here are the hills that afford abundant range for their stock, wild grasses in all seasons, and mast for their hogs in the winter." Labor is comparatively scarce. Field hands are worth from ^8 to $12 per month ; house servants, from %1 to %\. Most of the farms are cultivated on shares. Curious Records. In looking over the pages of an old record book now in the office of the County Court Clerk of Smith county, many things are met with that give an insight into the early history of Smith county and the customs of our fathers. From it we learn that the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions first met at the house of Tilmore Dixon, (where the village of Dixon's Springs now stands,) and organized on the 16th day of December, 1799, there being prcent and sworn as justices of the peace and members of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Garrett Fitzgerald, William Alexander, James Given, Til- more Dixon, Thomas Harmon, James Hibbetts, William Walton and Peter Tiirney. This last was the grandfather of the present member of our Supreme Court of the same name. Moses Fisk administered the necessary oaths to them, after which he was appointed clerk, ^ro tern., and was sworn in turn by Garrett Fitzgerald. Amos Lacy was ap- pointed constable. The minutes of the court appear to have been kejjt with very brief notes of the business. The court exercised a very extensive jurisdic- tion. There was appointed at every quarter session a grand and traverse 91 8 Reso7irces of Tennessee. jury, which, in addition to the usual powers of County Courts, took cognizance of pleas, civil and criminal. The court, on the first of Au- gust, made a number of orders for the laying out of roads in various directions on the north side of the river. At the March term, 1800, an order was made for laying out a road "from the mouth of Caney Fork to the Indian boundary." This road was the first one south of the Cumberland and west of Caney Fork, and would have to be about thirty miles long, as it was that distance to the Indian boundary. The north side of the river was first settled. S. M. Fite, to whom we are indebted for these notes, says: **I have often sat with rapt attention and heard my grandfather tell the history of the settlement of the south side of the river. He with his family, and two other men with their families, made the first settlements any distance from the south bank of the Cumberland and west of the Caney Fork. There being then no road save the paths of wild beasts, these pioneers struck out boldly into the great forest, encountering at every step canebrakes, that made progress very difficult and dangerous. They held a council to devise the best means of getting through these canebrakes, and because of the danger of the cane piercing their horses' ■ legs if cut low, they deter- mined to merely cut off the heavy, leafy tops, and then press their teams and wagons over them. Having reached their destination, fif- teen miles South of the river, on the banks of a beautiful stream, Smith's Fork, they spread their tents and commenced throwing up log huts, and cutting down and burning the cane and timber to make a ' clearing,' where they could raise a little corn for bread. As for meat^ the streams and forest were full of that — fat bear, deer, turkey and other game in great abundance. These hardy men, having followed the standard of Washington through the bloody scenes of the Revolu- tion, now came to this fertile land to renew their labors and enlarge the area of civilization and Christianity. The first night after they had camped, my grandfather erected his family altar, and offered up his evening prayer — no doubt the first Christian worship ever offered in that vast region, extending thence southward for hundreds of miles ; unless, perchance, some stalwart hunter, whilst resting from the chase of the. day beneath the 'starry canopy,' inspired by tlie magnificent scenes of primitive nature around, ' looking through nature up to na- ture's God,' may have sent up a song of praise and thanksgiving, and breatlicd a prayer of adoration. Those vast canebrakes that have long since disappeared, afforded abundant food for horses and cattle during the year. And let me remark, by way of parenthesis, that witli proper Middle Tennessee. 9 1 9 care, we can again soon have cane for our cattle to live on in the win- ter, and it is a nutritious food for them. If we were to enclose our forest lands in Smith, or other counties with similar soil, and keep the stock from them during the spring and summer, they would soon be covered with cane. The destruction is caused by stock eating up the young, tender, sweet stalks that come up in the spring. But if this young cane is kept free from the depredations of stock until winter, it then becomes hard and the stock will only eat off the rich foliage, which puts out again next spring. This I know by experience. I have a small canebrake made in this way, and a neighbor has about one hundred acres cane raised in the same manner." Advertino; again to the venerable old record of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, the first order levying a county tax for the year 1801 is given, and from it we may at least learn a lesson of economy : "Ordered, that there be a county tax of 6i cents on each 100 acres of land, 6j cents on each white poll, 12 J cents on each black poll, and 50 cents on each stud horse for the present year." Nor was the venerable Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions afraid to pass ordinances to restrain men from extortion who undertook to carry on a business that was to be patronized by the public, as witness the following order made at its first term : " On motion of Tilmore Dixon, ordered that all tavern- keepers be allowed to sell spirituous liquors at the following rates, to- wit: good whisky and brandy, 12| cents by the half-pint; for breakfast, dinner and supper, 25 cents ; for corn and oats by the gallon, 12| cents; for two bundles of fodder, 2 pence ; for pasturage twenty-four hours, 12J cents; for lodging, 65 cents." And thereupon it was further or- dered that Tilmore Dixon be allowed a license to keep tavern. The court seemed then to be omnipotent. No one was permitted to build a mill without an order from the court, and the toll fixed by the same authority. As a specimen of this exercise of power, the follow- ing quaint order, made at September term, 1800, is given : " Ordered, that William Saunders be allowed to build a saw and grist-mill on Dixon's Creek, about 200 yards below the Blue Spring, under the fol- lowing restrictions, to-wit : the dam not to be more than twelve feet high, the water to be drawn off, if requested by Maj. Dixon, by the 15th of June in each year." So Mr, Saunders was obliged to keep on the good side of Maj. Dixon. The next exhibits the same care of the public and individual rights, made at June term, 1804: "Ordered, that Leonard Fite have the privilege of building a water grist-mill on Smith's fork of the Caney Fork, he being the owner of the lands on 920 Resources of Tennessee. both sides of the river, and that he be allowed the customary toll for grinding." Afterwards, on the same day, it was "ordered that Jacob Overall have leave to build a grist and saw mill, on Smith's fork of the Caney Fork, it being suggested that he owns the lands on both sides of the stream, but upon this express condition, that he does not dam up the water so as to injure the mill already granted to Leonard Fite, and that he be authorized to receive the customary toll." Fite's mill was built, and did good service till about the year 1840, when it was swept away by a high rise. This okL court seems from its min- utes to have been for the first four years ambulatory in its sittings, part of the time at the house of Maj. Dixon; then at Wm. Saunders', the place where Dr. J. L. Alexander now lives ; then at Fort Blount ; then at Col. Walton's, at the mouth of Caney Fork ; then on Peyton's Creek, and alternating around at these places, till in 1804 the county site was fixed at the place where Carthage now stands, which was laid out on the lands of William Walton, one mile below the mouth of Caney Fork, on the north side of the Cumberland. Col. Wm. Walton had, at an early day, made a settlement on the north bank of the Cum- berland, at the mouth of Caney Fork, and had erected houses of en- tertainment at convenient distances for travelers moving from Vir- ginia and North Carolina, and had cut a road, yet called after his name, from the junction of the Cumberland and the Caney Fork eastward across the mountain. These houses he supplied with grain from his Cumberland farm, and with meat furnished by hunters whom he kept in his employ for this purpose. This was then, and is yet, a great highway for persons moving to what was then called the "Cumberland country." The following letter from a practical farmer, and one familiar with the country, will give some additional information : GoRDONsviLLE, April 16, 1874. J. B. Killehrew, Secretary, Nashville, Tenn.: Cumberland Elver runs through the county from the east to the west, di- viding it into two unequal parts, the larger one being on the south side. The surface is in hills and valleys, trending north or south according as they are on the one or the other side of the river. These valleys are remarka- bly fertile, and so are the hills to the tops, especially on their north, east and west sides. Caney Fork, the largest tributary the Cumberland has, en- ters the county at its south-east corner, ai.d running nearly north, empties into the Cumberland one mile above Carthage, the county seat. Besides these two, the other streams of the county become nearly dry in summer, and consequently are of but little use in driving machinery. Corn, wheat, oats, rye, hay and tobacco are the principal crops cultivated, for all of which Middle Temiessee. 921 the soil is well adapted. Timothy, herds-grass and clover are the chief hay grasses, though a number, especially of tobacco farmers, still persist in the folly of sowing annual grasses for hay. Blue-grass does well as a most val- uable pasture grass, but notwithstanding it was introduced here forty years ago by the late Dr. F. H. Gordon, and has been a perfect success, still but few have their lands sodded, when all could have them so without expense and with but little labor. Every hill in the county might be covered with this beautiful and profitable grass. Orchard grass has done well in the few instances in which it has been tried. The most valuable timber is poplar, oak and black walnut. Poplar is niost abundant, and is used for lumber and shingles, and in that form has been exported in considerable amounts. As to which is more profitable, raising stock or cultivating the money crops, there is a difference of opinion among the farmers in this county. My own opinion is, that with proper attention to grasses, hay, etc., with the cereals, taking into consideration the preservation of the soil, stock raising is greatly the more profitable. The small experiments in sheep husbandry have proved that, but for the dogs, that department of stock raising would be very pro- fitable. If the time should ever come when we could have civilized legisla- tion on this question, then the hills of Smith county would be covered with wealth-producing flocks. There are no nurseries of any importance in the county ; only one or two on a very small scale, and limited to a few kinds of fruit. Orchards have been extensively planted in the last few years. Lands are too high here to invite agricultural immigrants. They range from ten to sixty dollars per acre, according to improvements. Oar people would Welcome sober, industrious immigrants of all classes. There is a good deal of emigration from the county to the West and South-west. Very respectfully, John W. Bowen. Toions. Carthao;©, the countv seat, situated on the Cumberland River, is fifty-one miles above Nashville. It has a population of 500. Among the business establishments are three dry-goods stores, one drug-store, a hotel and several groceries. It is a good shipping point. New Middleton, seven miles from Carthage, has a population of 250, three stores, one drug-store, two groceries and a woolen mill. Dixon Springs has about the same population as the latter, three stores, one grocery and a good school. Rome is an old, dilapidated town with two stores and a drug-store. Gordonsville, with a population of 100, has two stores. Chestnut Mound has a population of 100, two stores, two groceries and one hotel. Difficult and Grantville are small post villages. Schools. The county is not so well provided w^ith schools as is de- sirable. But few really good schools exist, and but little encourage- ment has been given to free schools. Social Status. In no county is there more real honest worth among the masses than in Smith. Occasional feuds spring up between those occupying different sides of the river, but with this exception the conn- 922 Resources of Tennessee. ty is noted for the kindly intercourse that exists between its citizens. Honesty in the payment of debts is necessary to a man's social stand- ing. The people, however, sadly need enterprise. They cling to the old ways, which, thongh highly conservative, are not suited to the hab- its and tendencies of the age. Railroads are greatly needed, and it is hardly possible to hope for a change for the better until more markets are made accessible by means of good railroads. The greatest stimu- lus which agriculture can receive is to have a ready market for all the products of the soil. Destitute of manufactories, the farmers are com- pelled to confine their attention to a few staple crops, and a large per- centage of the value of these is absorbed in the delay and expense of getting to market. STEWART COUNTY. County Seat — Dover. Stewart county dates its organization from an early period in the present century, and but a few years after the State became a member of the Federal Union. The act erecting the county bears date No- vember 1, 1803, and was passed while the Legislature was sitting at Knoxville. The act provides that " Montgomery county be divided by a line which shall commence in the Kentucky line, thirteen miles west of the meridian of Clarksville, and run south to the southern boundary of the State," and all the territory west of this line was " constituted a separate and distinct county, called and distinguished by the name of Stewart." It was named in honor of Duncan Stew- art, an energetic and prosperous farmer. The county at that time em- braced a vast domain, running westward as far as the Tennessee River and south to the Alabama line. It embraced the present coun- ties of Houston, Humphreys, Perry, Wayne, and a part of Hardin and Lewis. Upon the extinguishment of the title of the Chickasaws in 1819 to the lands in the " Western District," as it was then called, now West Tennessee, the jurisdiction of the county extended to the Mis- sissippi River, and covered over 1,200 square miles, or more than a fourth of the State. All deeds made for ju'operty in the Western Dis- trict were recorded in Stewart, until the district was surveyed and organized into counties. November 7, 1821, thirteen new counties Middle Tennessee. 923 were authorized by the Legislature to be established in the Chickasaw territory, and after that period Stewart county was shorn of much of its glory. Extent — Topography. The last dismemberment of the territory of Stewart occurred in 1871, when Houston was formed. This reduced the limits of Stewart to about 425 square miles, or about 270,000 acres. The number of acres returned to the Comptroller in 1872 was 264,041, and in 1873, 257,042. The United States census, which fe manifestly inaccurate, shows only 183,762 acres, or more than one- third less than the county assessor returned for taxation. Stewart county, like all the counties on the Highland Rim, has a high elevation above the sea, and is drained by frequent and rapid streams. The Cumberland River enters the south-eastern corner of the county and runs approximately in a north-westerly direction until it reaches a point beyond Dover, when it turns and runs nearly north, and parallel with the Tennessee river, which bounds the western side of the county. Between the Tennessee and the Cumberland is an elevated ridge, called the Tennessee Ridge. This is the water-shed between the two streams. Numerous subordinate ridges shoot out from this main one, more or less parallel with each other, between which numerous streams descend on the west to the Tennessee, and on the east to the Cumberland. The region between the rivers is much broken, and aside from the valleys bordering the streams, is of but small agricultural importance. On the north-east side of the Cumberland the country is more level, and some rich areas are found remote from the streams. The surfiice of the country grows more level as one travels back irom the river, until in the north-eastern part of the county, it is prairie-like in its flatness, highly fertile, and unsurpassed by any portion of the Highland Rim in its attractions for the farmer and the advantages it offers to the in- dustrious. Lands and Soils. The lands may be divided into mineral and agri- cultural. The mineral or iron lands are found on both sides of th& Cumberland, extending to the Tennessee on the west, and cover fully one-third of the county. For half a century Stewart county has been the center of the great iron interests of Middle Tennessee. Samuel and John Stacker, by their knowledge, skill and industry, reaped princely for- tunes from the manufacture of iron in this county, and gave a charac- ter to Tennessee charcoal iron, which has made it famous everywhere. This added greatly to the character of Stewart county as a mineral re- gion, and before the war there were in operation in the county, four- ^24 Resources of Tennessee. teen furnaces, making nearly 20,000 tons of pig-iron annually. A large part of this pig-iron was made into sugar kettles and bar and boiler plate. The Stewart county metal produced kettles superior to those made in Scotland, and were pronounced by sugar planters to be the best in the world. Many of these lands have been stripj)ed of timber, but sprouts shoot up very rapidly and would speedily supply a second growth suitable for coaling purposes, all over the denuded iron region, but for the fires. Some of this second growth around Dover Furnace is now being worked. Unlike the counties of Wayne and Lewis, the lands in the iron regions are not cursed with sterility, but are moderately productive, and all the low places eminently so. Around the Cumberland Iron Works there are some splendid farms, which in times past supplied all the provender consumed at the rolling mills. Some of these lands are thought to be well adapted to blue-grass, as experiments made a few years ago by Mr. George T. Lewis were en- tirely satisfactory, and it was his belief that blue-grass could be made as valuable to the farmers of the valley of the Cumberland, as it is to those in the blue grass region of Kentucky. But whether blue grass does well on these lands or not, it is known that timothy, herds-grass, clover and corn grow well and make the iron or mineral lands of Stewart of more than ordinary value. The old coaling lands sell for prices varying from one to three dollars, according to location and quantity wanted. Of the agricultural lands proper, there are several varieties, all having some peculiar excellences or aptitudes and deficient in others. Indeed variety is characteristic of the lands in Stewart. These lands maybe classified thus: 1st. The high rolling lands between the rivers. 2d. The alluvial bottoms. 3d. The red lands. 4th. The flat lands. Taking them up in order, we shall find the largest proportion of rolling lands on the south and west side of the Cumberland River. The great Tennessee ridge, with its offshoots, comes within this classification. The tops of these ridges are sometimes wide and flat and afford good areas for cultivation. Moderately fertile and well adapted to fruit, they are gradually coming into cultivation. These ridges rise between 500 and 600 hundred feet above the Ten- nessee, and persons residing upon their summits are seldom attacked by malarial or miasmatic diseases. Well timbered with white and black oak, these lands are more valuable as supplying material for staves and boards than for agricultural purposes. These ridge lands sell from three to ten dollars per acre. The amount of bottom land in Stewart county is very considerable. The bottoms on both sides of Middle Tennessee. 925 the Cumberlund River and on one side of the Tennessee River, will of themselves, make an area of fifty square miles. And if to these, we add the low lands on the numerous creeks that are tribu- tary to the rivers, it will be found that there are not less than sev- enty or eighty square miles of the richest alluvial lands. These bot- toms are singularly productive of Indian corn and oats. Seventy-five bushels of the former per acre are not uncommon. Timothy, herds- grass, clover, millet and indeed all the hay grasses revel in the abound- ing fertility of these bottoms. The morning fogs, too, charged with humidity, add to the wonderful growth, so that four tons of hay have in places been taken from an acre of this land. In the valleys, the wild growth indicates an exuberant fertility. The walnut, wild cherry, poplar and hickory abound with occasional groves of the sugar tree. The bottom lands, unimproved, on the streams south and west of the Cumberland, sell for ten to fifteen dollars per acre. Bottoms on the creeks north and east of the Cumberland sell higher by five dollars per acre. The bottoms on the Tennessee sell low ; price from five to ten dollars. Cumberland River bottoms are about twice as high. The bottoms on Saline Creek sell higher than any others in the county. They are worth from ten to thirty dollars, but they are exceedingly beautiful, level and fertile, and are seldom injured by overflows, while numerous handsome building sites lie convenient. On the north side of the Cumberland, on the road leading from Dover to Lafayette, Kentucky, are to be seen some of the best lands in the State. Taey are limestone, and in all their characteristics resemble the lands of the Central Basin of the State. Ascendino; the hills on each side of the valley they change in character, and become identical with the cherty lands south of the county seat. A steep ridge intervenes between the head-spring of Dyer's Creek and that of Green Tree Grove or Dry Creek. The lands near the head of the latter creek are not fertile, being rather inclined to be marshy in winter and hard and dry in sum- ijier. Whitish in appearance, and upon the higher points rocky to such a degree as to render them unfit for any purposes but the growth ot timber, they are not settled to any extent. Descending the course of the stream the lands improve in appearance and fertility. Indeed, it would be difficult in any State to find soils more kind, and veg- etable growth more luxuriant, than are to be found upon this fciieam. The bottoms are wnde, extending sometimes for miles wiili scarcely a rise that might be called a second bank, gradually ciianging character from bottom lands to " barren plains." It 926 Resources of Tennessee. must not, however, be understood that the " barren plains" are des- titute of fertih'ty. On the contrary, they are by many preferred to the low lands on the streams, especially for the cultivation of tobacco, wheat and fruit. The red lands in the north-eastern corner of the <30unty are by far the besi. They are a continuation of that body of lands so remarkable for their fertility, which embraces all the southern parts of Christian, Todd and Logan counties, in Kentucky, and the northern part of Montgomery in Tennessee. They are peculiar in having no stone or gravel, and the limestone rock lies at a great depth beneath the surface. As tobacco lands, this body of land has no equal in Middle Tennessee, if in the Mississippi Valley. It has a gently rolling surface, small and indifferent timber, mostly black-jack and hickory, with an undergrowth of hazel and gum, and in the early his- tory of the State were regarded with indifference on account of the scarcity of wood and water. Wood is now abundant, but during the summer months the stock suffers for good fresh water. The reliance of many farmers in this locality for stock water in the summer is the pools along the bed of Dry Creek, which is rightly named, inasmuch as it invariably goes dry in the summer. Farmers are sometimes obliged to send their stock several miles. Yet notwithstanding this inconvenience, the red land portion of the county is by far the most desirable. The soil is generous in the extreme. Thirty bushels of wheat, seventy-five of corn, are not unusual. Tobacco often yields 1,500 pounds per acre, and of a quality so rich, yet so fine, so strong, tough and elastic and so abounding in the essential oils of tobacco as to command the very best prices. These red lands cover an area of thirty square miles, and are worth from thirty to sixty dollars per acre, though far removed from market or facilities for transportation. The fourth and last variety which we have adopted are the flat lands. These are immediately south of the red lands, and are called " barrens," because once barren of timber. They resemble very much the lands last described, and will probably in the course of nature become of the same character. They have, indeed, undergone a great change during the past thirty years. It was a custom with the early settlers to burn off these lands every spring, in order that the barren grass, a strong, coarse, but nutritious herbage, might spring up and supply sum- mer grazing for their cattle. During spring and summer, the chimes of a hmidred bells might have been heard as the cattle browsed over the natural meadows. There were but few trees, and those of an in- ferior kind for timber, being scrubby black jack, which, owing to the Middle Tennessee. 927 thickness of the bark, is able to resist the prairie fires. There was no undergrowth, and tlie strawberry vines laden with fruit in the spring filled the air with delightful odors. The wild honeysuckle, lady slipper and wild pink contributed their fragrance and their flowers to the land- scape. The soil, however, was poor. A cold, clammy, whitish soil, with here and there a marshy spot covered with large water oaks, which were protected from the fires by the dampness of their place of growth, was characteristic of the land in winter. A few settlers built houses along the margins of the wet weather streams and cleared a few acres. In order to protect their fences, fires were interdicted. A rank under- growth of gum, hazel, hickory and red oak sprung up. The barren grass disappeared. Black jacks died out. Red oaks, post oaks and hickories shot up into the upper air. Several generations of leaves fell to the earth and rotted. The soil blackened. The roots of the trees penetrated the subsoil, admitted the air and gave to it porosity. A good drainage supervened. Marshy places dried up, and the land became productive. A region of country south of Lafayette, Ken- tucky, and lying on both sides of the old Skinner's Ferry road, that was once regarded as of no value whatever, except as a range for cattle, is now in great demand as farming land. Thirty years ago a cow or horse could be seen for miles, there being no undergrowth or timber to obstruct the view. It is impossible now to ride on horseback through the woods. Impenetrable thickets have sprung up, and all the features which distinguished the landscape thirty years ago, nearly all the char- acteristics of the country at that time, have disappeared. These lands are worth from $6 to §10 per acre. They grow tobacco, wheat, corn and clover, but not in such quantities as the land which they adjoin on the north. Streams and Water-poiver. Stewart, like Perry, has its water-shed between two rivers, and a perfect system of drainage. Beginning at the point where the Cumberland Eiver enters the county, and noting first the streams on the left, we find first of all Elk Creek, which has a constant supply of water. It is a valuable milling stream — one of the best in the county. The bottoms are not so wide as some others. It rises on the Tennessee Ridge and enters the Cumberland nearly opposite the Checkered House. South Cross Creek, upon which is situated Dover ICurnace, has the same starting ridge and the same destination. It has good stable banks and a constant supply of water. Long Creek, par- allel with the last, affords plenty of water for milling purposes. It already drives two saw-mills. The bottoms are very good. Lick 928 Resotirces of Tennessee. Creek heads in Tennessee Ridge and enters the Cumberhmd near Dover. This is also a milling stream, and once propelled a good mill. The bottoms on this creek are rather narrow. Hickman Creek enters the Cumberland a mile below Dover. It has one good mill. The soils are good but bottoms narrow. Bear Ci-eek empties into the Cumber- land near Catling Shoals. This stream is swallowed up during the summer by the sand and debris, and is utterly worthless as a water- power. There are some wide l)ottoms and good farms on it. Barrett's Creek enters the Cumberland two miles below the mouth of Bear Creek. It has a good flouring mill upon it. Its bottoms are wide. Neville's Creek is short, the Tennessee Hidge here approaching nearer to the river. There are some excellent farms on this stream. Prior's Creek is the only remaining one between Tennessee Ridge and the Cumberland. It runs nearly north. There are some excellent tobacco lands in this part of the county. Large quantities are raised and sent to Clarksville. Returning again to the point where the Cumberland enters the county, and taking the streams on the right bank, we first notice Bullpasture Creek, which is worthless as a water-power. It has wide fertile bottoms upon it. i^orth Cross Creek heads in the " barrens," and empties into the Cumberland opposite South Cross Creek. There are good mills, good farms and good timber on this creek. Cub Creek rises also in the "barrens," runs south-west, and empties into the Cum- berland three miles below North Cross Creek. It is a poor water- power. Some good farms lie upon it. Dyer's Creek heads in th^ nortliern part of the county, flows south-west, and empties into the Cumberland opposite Dover. We have already spoken of the lands on this creek. It is worthless as a water-power. Banks low and changeable. Saline Creek, of whose lands mention has also been made, rises in the " barrens," and running west, empties into the Cumberland one mile above Tobacco Port. It has one good flouring mill, and fur- nishes several excellent sites for others. It is said that more and bet- ter tobacco is raised on the bottoms of this stream than on any others in the county. There are some tasteful farm houses and good improve- ments in the way of stables and out-houses on this stream. The creeks named are all tributaries of the Ciunberland River. These creeks have an average distance of about four miles between them, and it is thus seen that the larger part of Stewart county is a succession of ridges and valleys, running out at right angles to the river on the south-west side, as far as the Tennessee Ridge, and on the north- east side as far as the level lands of Kentucky. On the west side of Middle Tennessee. 929 the Tennessee Ridge, and tributary to the Tennessee River, are Leather- wood, Standing Rock, Panther Creek, Birds Creek and Rushings Creek. The first is considered the best water-power, and upon it are situated Clarke and LaGrange Furnaces. The farms on Leatherwood are very fine, and grow corn in great abundance. Leases, Rents, Stock and Labor. Where land is generally so abun- dant as in Stewart county, leases are very rare. Some few places are leased for a term of years, in which the tenant agrees to keep the farm in repair and give one-third of the crop. For clearing heavily tim- bered land $10 per acre are paid, and this does not include fencing. Much clearing is done for the timber, the latter being sold to steam- boats and furnaces. Land rents for one-third of the crops. Tobacco lands, from $6 to $8; wheat lands, one-third the net yield. When the landlord furnishes tools and teams, and feeds the latter, one-half is given. Good farm hands are scarce. They hire very readily for $15 to $20 per month and feed during the summer. Cooks are also scarce and hard to get. Much fine stock is being carried to the county. The admirable pasture lands that border the streams make the county well suited to raising fine cattle. Dairy farming could be made a profitable business, and many of the Swiss immigrants have directed their attention to this branch of husbandry. Durhams are the favorite cattle in the county. The Cotswold, Leicester and Southdown sheep are all being tried. Sheep raisers are greatly discouraged by the dogs, ten per cent, being killed annually. It^on Interests. Iron ore, the most valuable and the most abundant, is found in the county. The species of ore here met with is the limonite or brown hematite. It occurs in various forms, such as pipe, honey-comb, bog, compact, pot, etc. On Long Creek, one and a half miles from the Cumberland River, a rich deposit of pipe iron ore has recently been found, which yields from the furnace about forty-nine per cent, of pig metal. The ore is dug and delivered at $2.00 per ton. The banks at Bear Spring Furnace, on Bear Spring Creek, are very rich and apparently inexhaustible. At Lagrange Furnace an ore bank has been opened on Leatherwood Creek, two miles from the Tennessee River, which presents a face 100 feet wide and thirty feet high. The ore is so compact that gunpowder is necessary to raise it. The rich- ness of this bank may be inferred from the fact that seventeen hands only are required to supply the furnace with ore. In regard to this furnace, Clarke and Eclipse, Mr. J. C. Garrett, the president, writes : 59 930 Resources of Tennessee. The " LaGrange Iron Works " property, of Stewart county, Tennessee, consists of about 40,000 acres of mineral and farmincr lands, on which are located three blast furnaces, \ iz , LaGrange, Clark and Eclipse. LaGrange Furnace has a brick stack, thirty-five feet high and nine feet across the bosh, horizontal engine, steam cylinder, sixteen inches in diameter and five foot stroke, with two blast cylinders thirty-eight inches diameter and four foot stroke ; hot blast of six small rings and cross pipes under the boilers, heat- ing the blast 800 to 900°; makes from thirteen to sixteen tons of iron per day with one tuyer; uses charcoal for fuel, and 133 to 140 bushels coal to ton of iron; uses brown hematite ores, yielding in the furnace forty-eight to fifty-five percent of iron. Clark furnace has stone stack, thirty-six feet high, ten feet across the bosh ; upright engine, steam cylinder thirty-two inches in diameter, four foot stroke ; one blast cylinder, seventy inches diameter and four foot stroke ; hot blast of thirty-two upright pipes with twenty-seven cross pipes under the boilers, heating the blast about 1,000°, using two tuyers, and now making seventeen to eighteen tons of iron per day; uses charcoal and the brown hematite ore, about 140 bushels coal to ton of iron, the ore yielding about same as at LaGrange Furnace. The Eclipse Furnace has stone stack thirty-five feet high and nine and a half feet across the bosh. No machinery there ; it was destroyed during the war, and has never been refitted. The ores at Eclipse same as about Lagrange and Clark Furnaces. The timber on the company's lands yields forty to fifty cords to acre. The ores are inexhaustible, the present owners working banks from thirty to sixty feet of ore, and in no case have they found the bottom or gonethiough the ores. These ores are valuable for shipping purposes; lying near the Tennesse River, they can be mined and shipped to Pitts- burgh e'^en, and make iron at a less cost than using Missouri or the lake ores. Below is the analysis of ores by Prof. E. S. Wayne, of Cincinnati, from one selected piece of ore : Peroxide of iron 95.34 Phosphorus trace. Sulphur trace. Potash trace. Lime 21 Silica 3.71 Loss 74 Equal to 65.75* of pure iron. The ore is very free from sulphur and phosphorus, mere traces being found. (Signed). E. S. Wayne. The following is a copy of the analysis of numerous small pieces of ore "average samples" by J. Blodgett Britton, of Philadelphia. Water 9.10 Insoluble silica 1.40 Pure iron in form of sesquioxide 52.97 Oxvf^en with the iron 23.41 Alumina 1.36 Lime 40 Sulphur 03 Phosphorus 06 99.34 * There must be some error in this analysis. The amount of pure iron is too great for limonite. Middle Tennessee. 931 Double Furnace Aspay yielded 56.10 in reduced metal or cast iron. Tlie reduction was complete, buttons flattened under the hammer, fracture ragged, color dark gray, rather close grained; iron soft, but tough, not nat- ■ur;il. (Signed). J. Blodgett Britton. Philadelphia. Bough and Beady Furnace is about four miles from the Checkered House on Cumberland River. The company OAvns about 16,000 acres of land. Brick and stone stack, twenty-eight feet high, nine feet bosh ; horizontal engine, seventeen inch steam cylinder, six foot stroke ; two blast cylinders, forty inches diameter, four and a half foot stroke ; two tuyers ; hot blast; 150 bushels coal to ton iron ; pipe and fine honey-comb ore, yields thirty-five per cent, iron ; makes about ten tons per day. Cumberland Iron Works. Dover Furnace stone stack is 34 ft. 8 in. high ; one tuyer ; steam power ; cold blast ; boilers heated on top of stack with waste gas from furnace ; horizontal engine ; three tubs; blast usually about If Ihs. pressure; product about ten tons per day; uses about 170 bu.shels charcoal and two tons ore to the ton of metal ; coal costs about eight cents per bushel delivered ; ore about $2.50 per ton delivered; wages depend entirely on the efficiency of the hand ; most of the Avork is done by the job or task. Bear Spring Furnace. Re-built in 1873; out of blast since 1854; etone stack 38 ft. 11 in.; two tuyers; steam power; cold blast; boilers heated on top of stack with waste gas from furnace ; horizontal engine; three tubs; will blow about two pounds per inch; ex- pected to make twelve to fifteen tons per day, with about the same yield of material as Dover Furnace ; coal will cost one cent per bushel less, and ore fifty cents per ton less than at Dover Furnace. Wages about same as at Dover Furnace. The property embraces sixty- three thousand acres of land, with an inexhaustible supply of ore and timber. Cumberland River divides the property with a river frontage of eight miles. It is well supplied w'ith running water and springs, and has better roads than are usual in this section. Near Dover Furnace is a deposit of fire-clay of good quality. It is used for making the lining of the furnaces, and was extensively em- ployed before the war at the rolling-mill. Hon. J. C. W. Steger forwarded to this Bureau specimens of ore that would average fidly fifty-five per cent. These specimens were ob- tained from Long Creek branch and Bear Spring. In his letter, Mr. Steger says : 932 Resources of Tennessee. Cumberland Iron Works, February 23, 1874. J. B. Killehrew, Secretary: Dear Sir — I send specimens of ore from the old Bear Spring bank, and also from the new bank on Long Creek. I have just visited the latter bank and find they have commenced at the base of a high ridge, quarter of a mile from where the Clarksville and Dover road crosses Long Creek, and a little above the level of a small branch near it, and have gone in 150 feet, extending out from fifty to one hundred feet. The ore presents a face of from five to fifteen feet of such as I send. They have run a race seventy- five yards up the ridge, and find the same quality of ore within three feet of the surtaee all the way up. They are now stripping about seven feet, and the only rock about the bank is found just on the top of the ore. The sandstone is from three to six inches thick. I consider this the best ore in Stewart county. The specimens I send from Long Creek bank were taken out of the bottom of the bank, showing the pipe, honey-comb, and the two mixed withinthiee feet of each other. At present the working is carried no lower than the branch, for want of means to keep the water out. LIST OF FUKXACES IN STEWART COUNTY, Names. Owners. Daily Pi-oductimi. Dover Furnace Woods, Yeatman & Co 10 tons. Bear Spring " " '• 12 " LaGrange J. C. Garrett, Pre.siclent 13 " Clark " " " 18 " Kough and Ready Theobald Gurkenhammer e^ Co 10 " Connected with Dover and Bear Spring furtiaces is an extensive farm, where nearly all the necessary supplies are made. This firm hires by the year, and employs negroes almost entirely. The three last employ white labor by the job. About two or three hundred Northern men have settled around these last since the war. The only fuel used is charcoal. Dover, Rough and Ready, and Bear Spring furnaces ship by the Cumberland River and the Memphis and Louisville Railroad, the re- maining two ship by the Tennessee River. Fire-clay, of an excellent quality, is found within a mile of Dover Furnace, on the property of the Cumberland Iron Works. Upon the first introduction of the man- ufacture of iron in the county, fire-bricks were brought from England at an enormous expense, and the discovery by the Messrs. Stacker of this deposit of clay, led to a new source of wealth. Much of it is shipped to other ])oints. Good building rock is found in nearly every portion of the county, except the north-east corner. A valuable va- riefy of sandstone is found on Dyer's Creek and Barrett's Creek, which is extensively used for furnace hearths. Timber. In the lowlands oak, poplar, ash, sugartree and elm pre- Middle Term es see. 933 Tail. On the Tennessee Ridge while oak and red oak are the princi- pal growth. More than 200,000 staves are annually shipped down the Cumberland and Tennessee for the European markets. Large quan- tities of yellow poplar lumber are sent in rafts to New Orleans and other points. Working in timber is the occupation of a large propor- tion of the people. The wood-choppers, stave-makers, sawyers, and (shingle-makers are especially numerous between the rivers. Colonies and Social Condition. On the southern limits of the "bar- ren" lands there has settled a thrifty colony of Swiss. Thev have bought a considerable quantity of land, and make dairy farming a specialty. The thrift of this colony is proverbial, and a mere inspec- tion of their farms will convince the most skeptical that they are prosperous and thrifty. Every place about them is utilized. Even tlie fence corners are seeded to grass. Their houses are workshops* Neatness, order and economy are everywhere displayed. Their cheese cellar is a model of neatness. One gallon of milk is consumed in making one pound of 'cheese. Mr. Ulric Buhler, the founder of the colony, is well pleased with his profits, and the only dissatisfaction ex- pressed is the w^aut of railroad facilities and of educational and relig- ious advantages. Mr. Buhler thinks if these were supplied, there would be no difficulty in settling all the unoccupied lands in the State in a short while, with an industrious, hardy, enterprising and intelli- gent population. Their method of culture is well suited to the char- acter of land they work. Their land is usually flat and not well drained. The top soil is of a pale yellowish hue, with a subsoil of an- gular gravel of a dingy yellow color. It will not, with the usual cul- tivation, produce the cereals well, nor tobacco, owing to the stiffness of the soil. Oats do very well, and so does clover, the latter penetrating with its long tap roots the tenacious soil down to the gravel. Deep culture is required to secure good drainage, and to get good crops. The Swiss have good plows, and they believe in deep culture. They make, according to the testimony of old citizens, the best crops of corn that ever grew on that soil. They sow clover largely and suffer no spot to run to waste. They are careful in saving manure and applying it in such places and in such manner as will do the largest amount of good. They brought many seeds with them from Switzerland, among others, the Esparzetta-grass, a favorite hay and herbage crop in Switzerland, but found the soil unsuited to it here. The Esparzetta-grass grows somewliat like clover, with a leaf like that of the sensitive plant, and a bunch of snuill, red papilionacious blooms arranged in clusters 934 Resources of Tennessee. around and at the end of the stem. It will, upon suitable soils, bear cutting three times a year, and is said to be very nutritious and much relished by stock. The improvements made by the colony show the practical nature of their minds. Their gates, stables, garden, cheese- house, iudeed everything about the premises have a neat, durable, but economical appearance. Whatever work can accomplish they perform. They sell as much as possible, and buy as little as possible. What they buy is of the best. By the neighbors they are much respected. They make good citizens. They pay but little attention to visitors during the week days, but are very hospitable on Sunday. They are hopeful of having good return from their dairy so soon as the character of cheese they make is known to the market and their number of milk stock is increased. They are all working people, and will doubtless do well. At the old Peytona Furnace between the rivers, a colony of Ger- mans have settled, and are giving their attention to grapes and nurseries. They are well pleased, and are prospering. There is another colony of Northern men on Saline Creek, occupying a portion of the lands of Lewis Irwin & Co. A few years ago, Mr. George Platte, of Ohio, bought two hundred acres of land, and since he bought, many of his old neighbors liave followed him. They are hard working, quiet, in- dustrious citi:'ens, attend to their own business, and are willing to work. These men, with Mr. Platte, are highly respected, and are doing muc]i by their industry to restore prosperity to the county. It may be said of Stewart county what can be said of but few other coujaties in Middle Tennessee, that the white men have become self- reliant. They labor in the fields, in the shops, and in their houses. The women of the family do housework, and suffer no annoyance from trusting to unreliable servants. The condition of society in Stewart makes it peculiarly attractive to immigrants. All work, men and women. No idle croakers, dreaming of past glories and obscuring the brightness of the present by comparison with the past, dishearten the industrious. Hospitality abounds, and tliere is a general desire to make the most of the present without unmanly repinings of the past. Fair Gromuls. During the year 1873 stock was subscribed to build Fair Grounds. The buildings were erected during the summer, and Ihe first fair was held in October of the same year. It was a grand success, and will no doubt stimulate the farmers to a further introduc- tion of fine stock. School and other Statistics. The school sentiment is growing. The Middle Tennessee. 935 County Court levied twenty cents on the $100 additional for school purposes, and it is believed that a good system of schools can be carried on at least five months in the year. Scholastic population, white 2,804 " colored 659 Total 4,563 No. acres land returned to Comptroller in 1873, 257,042 ; value $1,180,415; number town lots 102; value $42,519; value of mills, factories, &c., $56,720; livestock $48,421, which with other taxables, such as watches, ferry-boats, &c., make the total valuation of property in the county amount to $1,524,379. State tax 40 cents $6,097.51 County tax 3,048.75 ' State school tax 1,524.37 County school tax 3,049.14 Polls ; Towns. Dover, the county seat, is situated on the south bank of the Cumberland, and is the oldest town in the county. It was located in 1803 by James Elder, Amos Bird, James Huling, Henry Small and John Blair, commissioners appointed by the Legislature to select a permanent seat of justice. It was as late as October 17, 1811, before the courts were permanently held there. The act provided that this seat of justice should be on the Cumberland River, twelve and one- half miles west of the eastern boundary of the county. Dover has several commercial establishments and a newspaper, the Dover Record, which does much to encourage immigration. Dover was almost de- stroyed during the war. The battle of Fort Donelson having been fought in the suburbs, all the houses were used for military purposes and ultimately destroyed with the exception of three. The court- house was burned and private dwellings torn down, and out of the rubbish shanties were constructed for the accommodation of the soldiers. At the termination of the war the owners of property returned, and have since rebuilt their houses, so that new Dover, rising upon the ashes of the old, presents from the river, enthroned upon her twenty hills, a very sightly appearance. It has a fresh, tidy look, and some 500 inhabitants, and is a place of considerable business. The country on the north side of the town is exceedingly hilly, some of the hills swelling to the height of two or three hundred feet with deep ravines between. The roads are execrable, scarcely pa.ssable. They often- times follow the beds of wet winter streams, which, gathering a huge 936 Resources of Tennessee. volume of water from the steep hill-sides, after heavy rains, rush with great force through the narrow defiles, filling them with debris and washing the road beds into deep holes so as to render them impassable for wheel vehicles. Tobacco Port and Line Port, on the Cumber- land, are shipping points. Indian Mound and Big Rock, are small villages on the north side of the river, and are situated in a rich agricultural region and do a considerable business in dry -goods. Transportation Facilities. Cumberland and Tennessee rivers fur- nish the only means of public transportation. Some products are hauled to and from Stewart's Station, on the Louisville & Memphis Railroad, but the country roads are so bad as to make hauling an ex- pensive job. Stewart county stands greatly in need of railroads. One running from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, through Lafayette, by Big Rock, down Dyer's Creek Valley, crossing near Dover, intersecting the Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Railroad somewhere between Stewart Station and Tennessee River, then passing through the coun- ties of Humphreys, Perry and Wayne down to Florence, Alabama, would open up one of the richest sections, whether viewed in an agri- cultural or mineral point of view, to be found on the continent. It would be the most direct route from Chicago to Mobile, connecting, as it would, by the Memphis and Charleston Railroad with the North and South road at Decatur. With such a railroad passing through the county from north-east to south-west, and the placid Cumberland sweeping diagonally from south-east to north-west, Stewart county would be abundantly supplied with commercial facilities and rush for- ward on the course of material prosperity at a speed that would aston- ish her own citizens. Nature has done much for the county. Her citizens have but to will it to be wealthy. Some sacrifices will be de- minded at the outset; prejudice will have to be broken down; new id'uis will have to be propagated ; fresher activities will have to be brought into play. Stewart county is fortunate in having the minds of her leading men full of })rogressive thought. Let the truth be re- alized that " old things have passed away," and a new energy will nerve the hearts and fill the minds of her people. They will enter upon a new life, bright with fresh hopes, instinct with intelligence and arched by the rainbow of bright prospects, that will induct them into the paths of pleasantness, peace and prosperity. Middle Tennessee. 937 SUMNER COUNTY. County Seat — Gallatin. • There are but few counties in the State more desirable as a place of residence than Sumner. The rich beauty of the green sward that clothes the rolling surface of more than halt tl^ county, the dark green foliage of the maple forests, the perennial streams that flash and S})arkle through verdant meadows, the herds of fine stock that browse upon the rich herbage, the stylish dwellings and splendid roads and stone-arched bridges, and above all, the elegance and refinement of the citizens, make Sumner county one of the most delightful to be found anywhere. It is one of the oldest counties in the State, having been established in 1786. It then embraced the territory now included in Macon, Trousdale and portions of Jackson and Smith. In 1799, it was reduced to 625 square miles. Since then, the counties of Macon and Trousdale have been formed, each taking a portion of the terri- tory of Sumner, so that it now has but little over 500 square miles. It was named in honor of Colonel Jethro Sumner, a brave pioneer. The county is bounded on the north by Kentucky, on the east by the coun- ties of Macon and Trousdale, on the south by Cumberland River, which separates it from Wilson, on the south-west by Mansker's Creek, which is the line between Sumner and Davidson counties, and on the west by Robertson county. Topography and Geology. The northern half of Sumner lies upon the Highland Rim and the southern half within the Central Basin. This is a fundamental fact, and will explain the great contrast there is be- tween the two portions. The northern half is a high plateau country, having an elevation of 800 to 900 feet above the sea, the most elevated portions reaching 1,000 feet. The southern half lies several hundred feet below this, and presents a most fertile region, one of the best in Tennessee, in a high state of cultivation, and greatly in contrast with the wooded flat lands of the other portion. The escarpment of the high lands runs pretty nearly east and west through the county. The highest portion of the Rim lands is at the summit of this escarpment, and is universally known as "the Ridge." From this the waters flow nortliward witli very little slope into the Barren River in Kentucky, and into the head branches of Red River in Robertson county. South of " the Ridge" the creeks taking their rise at the base of the escarp- 938 Resources of Tennessee. ment flow southerly with considerable fall into the Cumberland River, which bounds the county on the south. The valleys of these creeks are generally separated by ridges, which are finger projections from "the Ridge/' or Highlands. Near their origin, these dividing ridges are high and rough, but as they ajfproach the river, they break away into low hills and not unfrequently into a nearly level country. The rocks of the plateau portion are Lower Carboniferous, and are siliceo-cal - careous, often with much flint. Within the Basin and forming the fertile country, the blue Nashville limestone very generally abounds. Be- tween the two and outcropping on the slopes of the Highlands are the Black Shale and thin limestones and shales of the Niagara formation, but the latter formations contribute very little to the agricultural area of the county. In the immediate valley of the Cumberland River the Lebanon limestones, lying below the Nashville, are reached and are presented in the bluffs and on the hill-sides facing the river. Districts, Soils, Crops and Timber. For a minute description of these, as well as for many other matters pertaining to the county, we can do no better than to insert at length the following letter from J. A. Nimmo, Esq., who is intimately acquainted with every farm in tlie county, and whose information may be relied upon as being entirely correct. Says Mr. Nimmo : The county is divided into twenty-five civil districts (to go into ef- fect as the periods for which the magistrates are elected under the old division expire). District No. 1. The north-east corner of the county is traversed by Garrett's Creek and Little Trammel Creek, branches of Big Trammel, a tributary of Barren River, Kentucky. The valleys of these creeks are narrow and rocky, but generally productive. The rocks are flinty and contain many organic remains. A quality of coarse, hard lime- stone, good fire-rock, is found toward the Kentucky line. The north hill-sides are generally "poplar lands," and produce corn, wheat and tobacco. Tlie south hill-sides are " white oak" lauds, and are less pro- ductive. The tops of the hills, or Table Lands, are capped with a siliceous rock, and upon them grow much valuable chestnut and tan- bark (chestnut oak) timber. There are two steam saw-mills and one water-power saw-mill in this district; also, one good flouring-mill at- tached to one of the steam mills. Tlie lumber is sold principally to the farmers on Bledsoe's Creek and in Gallatin. There are several good scliools in the district, well attended. The religious denomina- Middle Tennessee. 939 tions are represented by three churches — two Methodist and one "Union" church. There is also a Masonic Hall and Lodge, and one Good Templars' Lodge. The Scottsville Turnpike divides the dis- trict nearly equally, and the Cumberland and Ohio Railroad, in course of construction, runs near the pike through the district. Apples, peaches, pears, cherries and plums grow well, and produce abundantly where cultivated, and wild grapes of two varieties grow spontaneously in the woods everywhere. This district contains about twenty-one square miles, not over twenty per cent, in actual cultivation, and the remainder has an abundance of the most valuable white oak, black oak and poplar timber. The white oak is in greatest quantity, and when the railroad is completed, wagon timber and barrel timber can be shipped extensively. The farmers here are hard-working, economical citizens, and the ladies manufacture nearly all the goods used for every- day wear from the wool of sheep raised here. Sheep do well in the woods, and are less troubled with dogs than in the more thickly set- tled districts. In cultivating the new grounds the farmers use a "jumping coulter," and afterwards "bull-tongues" and "shovels." When the ground is clear of stumps, they use cast turning plows for breaking. Herds-grass, orchard-grass and clover grow almost anywhere here, herds-grass taking hold even on the chestnut ridges. Tobacco is the best paying crop raised in this district, as it grows of a finer qual- ity than it does south of the ridge. Cotton is only raised by a few for domestic use. There is but little hired labor, except at saw-mills, where wages range from fifteen to twenty-five dollars per month, with board. Horses and oxen are generally used for plowing and draft pur- poses. A few mules, however, are raised and sold. There is but oj;e family of negroes located in the district (railroad employes excepted), and they own land and are making an independent living. Lands sell here at from two to six dollars, unimproved, and from five to fifteen dol- lars for improved lands. Several farms could be bought, and much of the unimproved lands are in market. The greatest drawback to farm- ing in this district is the labor necessary to clear the heavy timber from the soil, which will be obviated to some extent by the railroad, which will furnish a mai'ket for the timber. I)i>il:nd No. 2 is traversed by " East Fork" and " Middle Fork" of Drake's Creek, and is in general features similar to No. 1. It has free schools, three (churches, and one water-power grist-mill. District No. 3 has more level land and is more thickly inhabited. The limestone rock crops out toward the Kentu(!ky line, and the price 94^ Resoui^ces of Tennessee. of land, improved, varies from ten to thirty dollars. Corn, tobacco and wheat are the principal productions, and blue-grass grows well in some spots. There are three churches and three or four schools, with good attendance. District No. 4 is bounded west by Robertson county, and is traversed by Drake's Creek (there are two Drake's creeks in the county), which rises at the south tunnel on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and runs northward to the Kentucky line. It is a tributary of Barren River. The creek bottoms of this district are rich alluvial lands, and productive, the uplands generally lying well. East of the creek black oak is the predominating timber, with limestone cropping out. This land produces fine wheat, corn and tobacco. West of the creek are black-jack lands, much of which have good red clay subsoil, and are fine wheat and tobacco lands. Mitchellville Station and Richland Station, on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, which runs through the district, are flourishing villages, the former being the largest to- bacco market in the county, shipping for the year ending June 30, 1873, 331 hogsheads. There are several good schools and churches, the latter being Cumberland Presbyterian, Methodist and Christian. Several flimilies of negroes live in this district, and have a school and church of their own. Many of them own lands. The lands of this district rate at from ten to forty dollars per acre, according to improve- ment, locality, etc. District No. 5, south of No. 4, and joining Robertson county, is sim- ilar in many respects to No. 4, but is watered by the head branches of Red River, a tributary of the Cumberland. Much fine wheat and to- bacco are raised, though in both Districts Nos. 4 and 5 there are sev- eral tracts of land considered exhausted, which can be recuperated by skillful farming, as is being demonstrated by several families of Penn- sylvanians and some of our native firmers, who are making fine crops from land considered worn out. District No. 6 contains Fountain Head Station, a village with sev- eral business houses, and a considerable shipping point for tobacco. Much railroad timber, cross-ties and heavy bridge timber, etc., are 8hipi)cd from this point. The general features are similar to the last mentioned district, and the waters of both Red River and Drake's Ci-eek run through portions of it. Lands range from five to thirty-five dollars per acre. It is comparatively thickly settled. In this district are a Masonic Lodge, an Odd Fellows' Lodge, and Methodist and Baptist churches. Middle l^emiessee. 941 District Ko. 7, east of No. Q, is a small district, has two churches and two school-houses. The lands are a little more elevated, finely watered, and timbered with white oak, but are cheaper. For fruits the lands are excellent. District No. 8 is similar to No. 7 ; has the waters of" Caney Fork" of Drake's Creek running through it. There is a good sulphur spring iu this district, and some of the finest orchards in the county. Fruit trees are raised to some extent, and are sold principally in this and ad- joining counties. There are good schools, with large attendance, and several churches, the Baptists predominating. The chestnut lands here are better than the average chestnut lauds, and produce, under the careful cultivation given them, fine wheat, corn and tobacco. Herds- grass grows abundantly. Several good farms are situated on the chestnut lands. Lands unimproved are valued Irom two to six dol- lars, and improved from five to twenty. District Xo. 9 embraces lands on both sides of the Ridge, and is rather broken. The northern portion, however, lies better, and has much valuable white oak timber and chestnut. Coatstown is in this district, and the Scottsville pike and Fort Blount road give good out- lets for produce. The " Rock House," an old tavern stand, is on the south side of the district. Some good schools and churches are on both sides of the Ridge. Bledsoe's Creek heads in this district. There are two tan-yards iu it, where some good leather is manufactured. There is a quality of marble found near the Rock House, which is sus- ceptible of fine polish, and will, when the Cumberland and Ohio Rail- road is completed, be easy of access for transportation, and will prob- ably be in demand for building purposes. A cave occurs near the Rock House of considerable extent, containing some of the usual sta- lactite formations, and is said to have furnished material for making saltpetre for the pioneers of the country. The hill-sides south of the Ridge are generally covered with briers and undergrowth. Blue-grass "will grow on any of these hills w'ith proper attention. Districts Xos. 10 and 11, embracing a portion of the Bledsoe's Creek valley, including Bethpage, have some of the best lands in the county, producing heavy yields of corn, hay, etc., and the hill lands for the most part are blue-grass lands. The valley lands are all in cultiva- tion, and prices of best lands would probal)ly run up to forty and fifty dollars. The hills are cheaper, but much of the hill lands are owned by the farmers in the valley, and are valued for the timber. Rogue's 942 Resources of Tennessee. Fork and Brushy Fork of Bledsoe's Creek empty into the main stream in the tenth district. There are good schools and competent teachers, and there are churches of various denominations. Distriets Nos. 12 cmd 13 embrace land on both sides of the Ridge, and are similar in contour to No. 8. The Louisville and Nashville E.;nlroad runs through No. 12, passing through a tunnel cut through the Ridge. Timber is the chief article of trade on the line of the rail- road, though there are several energetic farmers around the tunnel on the north side. The valleys on the south side are narrow, but there are some very good farms in these districts, and prices range from twenty to forty dollars for some of them ; others sell cheaper. The timber south of the Ridge in these districts is being hauled to Galla- tin for fuel, and used for rails, boards, etc. Churches and schools are convenient. District No. 14 adjoins Robertson county, and is wholly north of the Ridge. There is some good poplar land in it, and the farmers raise the usual products in the ordinary quantity and quality. Lands range from three to twelve dollars per acre. The general character of the people in all the districts named is similar. The men do their own work, and the women attend to their household duties generally without help, many of them making their coarser cloths at home by hand, and in some cases there are strong prejudices existing between this class of people and other classes who dress better and work less. The remaining eleven districts lie south of the Ridge, the spurs from which project into some of them. The valley lands were origi- nally of the very best alluvial soils, and are still very productive. The lands south of the Ridge may be classed in three qualities: bottom lands, creek and river ; second bottoms or higher lands, generally with chocolate-colored sub-soil, and mulatto lands, the latter generally having limestone rock cropping out, and are seriously affected by drought. Corn, cotton, wheat and hay are the general products, the cotton being ])rincipally raised in the south-western portion of the county.. Broom-corn is cultivated successfully by several men, who claim that it is a paying crop. Irish and sweet potatoes are raised in abundance for home consumption, and many men raise them for ex- portation. The prices of lands vary from twenty to sixty dollars per acre, according to locality, improvements, etc. The condition of farms at present contrasts badly with what they were before the war, especially in point of g-)od fences and improvements, many of the best farms Middle Tennessee. 943 having been entirely stripped of fences during the war. There is probably fifteen per cent, of waste land south of the Ridge (lands that have been cleared and exhausted), much of which can be recuperated bv judicious management. Its exhaustion is owing generally to bad cultivation, gullies being allowed to wash, the result of shallow plow- ing. The want of rotation of crops is another cause of this exhaust- ion. Farms range in size from one hundred to five or six hundred acres. Raising stock is more profitable south of the Ridge, but north of the Ridge, tobacco is the best paying crop, after raising family sup- plies. Timothy is regarded as the best grass for hay, and blue-grass for grazing. Orchard-grass and herds-grass both grow well, and some farm- ers think that orchard-grass on the chocolate-colored or mulatto soils will stand more grazing than either of the others. Hungarian grass and German millet are both raised for hay, and there are different opinions as to which is the better. Both are good. Clover is universally ac- knowledged to be the best renovator, but many act injudiciously in graz- ing too closely to get its full benefits as a fertilizer. Turning plows, steel and cast, are used for breaking up, one-horse turning plows and double shovels and riding plows are all used south of the Ridge for cultivating. Labor is not abundant — that is, reliable labor. There are many negroes who lounge around for job work at extra prices, who will not undertake to make regular crop hands. Hands hired by the year generally get from $10 to $12 per month and board, equivalent to from il5 to SI 7 per month. Renters pay one-third of the crop sometimes, but more generally give about ten bushels of sound corn per acre. When the land-holder furnishes teams and tools he gets two-thirds. The produce of the county goes to Louisville and Nashville over the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, or is shipi)ed to Nashville by the Cumberland River. When the Cumberland and Ohio Railroad is completed, the Cincinnati market will be open to the farmer. Blood horses are numerous. Short-horn, Devon and Jersey cattle, and Berkshire hogs are raised extensively in the southern part of the county. There are some other varieties of hogs, but none better than the Berkshire. There are also Merino, Southdown and Cotswold sheep, and many of the farmers are doing well by raising improved breeds of dilFercnt animals. Sheep are much annoyed by dogs, and at least fifteen per cent, of them are killed every year in that way. 944 Resources of Tennesee. Manufactories. There is one woolen factory at Gallatin, one agri- cultural implement factory, and a large cotton factory in course of con- struction. There is another woolen factory six miles north-east of Gallatin. Two carriage and buggy factories, and probably a dozen manufacturers of wagons, are in the county. There is no domestic manufacture south of the Ridge, but a considerable amount north. The manufacturers probably make a greater per cent, on investment than farmers. The exact per cent, a farmer makes is hard to ascertain, from the want of system. Want of reliable labor and aversion upon the part of the young men to study the science of agriculture are the great- est drawbacks to farming. Most families make enough butter for family use, and many persons dry fruit. Bee culture has not attracted much attention south of the Ridge. Several parties living north of the Ridge are engaged in it, wutli reasonable success. Fruit trees in the Basin are generally short lived, except upon gravelly soil, on which there are apple trees two ie^i in diameter. Grapes are raised by many for family use, but none for market. There is but one nursery of any consequence in the county. Rabbits are very destructive to young trees in winter, unless protected. Timber is abundant, the most valuable varieties being white oak, chestnut and poplar. There is some good black walnut in places, and valuable hickory for buggy timber, but no shipments of either' have been made. Sugar-tree, beech and black locust abound. It is thought machinery for getting out hubs and spokes, and wagon timbers gener- ally, also barrel staves and hoop poles, would pay in localities on the Cumberland and Ohio Railroad. Sweet gum and maple are plentiful in some places on the Ridge, both of which are valuable timbers for certain styles of furniture. Immigrants of good character are always well received by the citi- zens, and all working classes are desired. Good mechanics get good wages. Journeymen carpenters receive from $2 to $4 per day, and brick masons about the same. Farm labor is cheaper. There is some disposition on the part of large land-holders to sell their farms and in- vest in something else. They cannot control labor under the present condition of things. Other parties have sold on account of indebted- ness, and a few others desire to sell to invest in lands in new States or Territories, where land is chca])er. Farmers accustomed to attend per- sonally to their farms before the war, are generally better contented than those who depended entirely upon slave labor. • Middle Tennessee. 945 There are many Granges organized in the county, and much interest is being manifested by the farmers, who look to the gathering of sta- tistics, and other information obtained through this organization, as of vital importance. There is an agricultural and mechanical association, which has been well attended since the war, and much interest is taken in their annual meetings. The county debt is as follows : $15,000 in bonds for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, with sufficient assets to pay them ofP; about ^30,000 for building jail and establishing poor-house, due in 1877. There is a sinking fund tax of ten cents on the $100, besides a levied tax of about $10,000 for county purposes, which wull more than meet contingent expenses. The surplus will be applied to the payment of the bonds as required. The poor-house property is a farm worth $10,- 000. Not more than thirty paupers are on the county. There are three academies in the county, besides the high school at Gallatin, which has over 250 students. One of these is at Henderson- - ville, one at Gallatin, and one at Pleasant Grove, in the first district. There is a library belonging to the members of the Gallatin bar, left them by one of their revei-ed predecessors, John J. White. Each- high school has a library. There are many good mills in the county. There is no section of the county that is not moderately convenient to good mills. There are nine turnpikes converging into Gallatin, but the dirt roads are not generally kept in good condition. The county bridges are of stone, and are built in the most substantial manner. Toim\8. Gallatin is situated three miles north of the Cumberland River, on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, about the longitudi- nal center of the county. It occupies the center of an elliptical basin, and has a rich country surrounding it. Its population is about 3,000. Prior to the war, Gallatin improved slowly, but since that period its growth has been rapid. More houses have been erected during the past five years than in the thirty years previous. The people are dis- tinguished for their hospitality and refinement. Singularly free from a clannish disposition, they look more to the sterling qualities of in- dividuals than to any accident of birth. For forty years the people of Sumner county have been noted for their love of fine stock. Some of the horses raised in this county have borne away prizes in trials on the turf with the most celebrated in the land. It was the horses of Sumner county that General Jackson in his sporting days feared most. 60 946 Resources of Tennessee. , The records of the turf for forty years are filled with the performances of Sumner county horses. At one period three race-courses were kept up within the county. At these races men from every portion of the United States would assemble, and the associations thus brought about have served to liberalize the minds of the people. The fair grounds are elegant and the fairs well attended. Gallatin has a number of ex- cellent business houses. The dry goods trade is carried on in ten houses. There are also three drug stores, ten family groceries, and thirteen drinking saloons. The place supports two newspapers, the Examiner and Tennessean, both fearless and independent journals, working with might and main to advance the interests of the county. The ^nanufacturing interests are considerable. There are two flouring- mills, one planing-mill, a carriage factory, a hub and spoke factory, one foundry, a woolen factory, where linseys, jeans and other goods of do- mestic wear are manufactured. But the greatest enterprise is the mag- nificent cotton factory. For years an establishment for the manufac- ture of cotton goods has been in operation, giving employment to a large class of persons. It was erected in 1850, and destroyed by fire during the year 1873, but upon its ruins is being erected one of more magnificent proportions. The establishment will have 4,096 spindles, and 80 looms. There are five churches in Gallatin, viz. : Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Christian and Presbyterian, besides one Methodist and one Baptist belonging to the colored people. The latter have also two schools which are well attended. A large hotel has re- cently been erected. The court-house is one of the most convenient in the State. Saundersville, eight miles from Gallatin on the Nashville turnpike, is a flourishing village. Hendersonville, two miles south- west of Saundersville, is also a thriving village, with railroad depot. Cairo, a very old town, five miles south-east of Gallatin, on the Cum- berland River, was once the center of a large trade, and was a great shipping point, but is not much used now, and is considerably dilapi- dated. Castalian Springs, also called Bledsoe's Lick, is a flourishing village, in a beautiful and fertile section of country, has several stores and other business houses. It is noted for the mineral water, and is much resorted to by invalids and pleasure-seekers. Near it are interesting antiquities. It has a Masonic lodge. Bethpage, ten miles north-east of Gallatin, on the Scottsville pike, a noted church, with store and blacksmith shop near it, is flimous as being one of the places at which the religious revivals of seventy years ago were held. Beech Camp- ground, on or near Drake's Creek, has a Presbyterian church, a Masonic Middle Tennessee. 947 hall, aud two or three business houses near it. It was also one of the points where a great revival took place in early times. Cotton Town, on one branch of Station Camp, is about seven miles north-west from Gallatin, on the Red River pike, and is in a good section of countrv. Statistics. The following were the productions of Sumner county in 1870, according to the census report. The part of Trousdale recently cut off was included in Sumner when the census was taken : Winter wheat 163,074 bushels. Spring wheat 40 " Rye ,7222 " Indian corn 1,155,914 " Oats 233,837 " Barley 40,047 " Tobacco 909,568 pounds. Wool 38,860 " Cotton 170 bales. Irish Potatoes 35,253 bushels. Sweet Potatoes 25,074 " Wine 363 gallons. Butter 224,295 pounds. Cheese 715 " Hay 4,921 tons. Sorghum molasses .38,563 gallons. Wax 920 pounds. Honey 1,5668 " Hemp i^ 150 tons. Flax 75 pounds. Sumner was the second county in the production of oats, Knox being the first, producing 259,047 bushels. This county was second also in Irish potatoes, the first being Davidson, which yielded 66,243 bushels. The population of the county in 1870 was 23,711, of which 7,777 were colored. Number of voters in 1871, 4,013, of whom 1,033 were colored. The number of acres of laud assessed in 1873 was 308,- 399, valued at $3,697,504 ; total value of taxable property, $5,185,727. TROUSDALE COUNTY. County Seat — Hartsville. This county was organized in 1870, under a special provision of the new Constitution, from fractions of Sumner, Macon, Smith and Wil- son counties, and named in honor of the late Governor Trousdale. In 948 Resources of Tennessee. territorial extent, it is by far tlie smallest county in Middle Tennessee,, containing only about 110 square miles. The assessed number of acres, exclusive of town lots, is 66,874, valued at |888,119, or $13.28 per acre. Compared with the adjoining county of Wilson, it contains less than one-fifth the area. It has a voting poj)ulation of 1,351, of which 346 are colored. The population, estimated from the number of voters, is about 6,700, of which 2,000 are colored. The entire assessed value of properly is |1,1 52,904, from which it will appear that in proportion to extent of territory it is one of the wealthiest counties in the State. Topography and Geology. This county, with the exception of its south-eastern corner, lies, in the main, between the High]ands,(so wide- spreading in Macon and in the northern part of Sumner,) and the Cum- berhmd Eiver. It is thus within the Central Basin, a fact accounting f >r its fertile character. The part excepted lies south of the river. The area of the county, outside of the lower lands and bottoms of the Cumberland, is made up of valleys separated by ridges; whose slopes,. like the valleys, are rich and productive. The ridges are the south- erly prolongations of the spurs of the Highlands, which become broken and generally lower as they approach the Cumberland. The Nashville group of limestones is the prevailing formation, though near the river the country is cut down to the Lebanon rocks. The ridges, especially i:i the more nothern portion, are often capped with the siliceous rocks of the Highlands. Immediately below these the Black Shale is always met with cropping out on the hill-sides. A short distance from Harts- ville, near the top of a ridge, is a bed of mill-stone grit, which has siip])b'ed Middle Tennessee with many pairs of stones. The bed is six Oi- eight feet thick in its heaviest part. The rock is the top layer of the Nashville group and is principally a mass of silicified shells, mixed with more or less limestone matter. The best portions are those from which the calcareous part has been leached. 'So/fe and Timber. The soils of the county are such as pertain uni- vor.-jally to the rocks underlying them. Tliey are mellow and there- t.);-c easily worked, producing in good seasons, corn, wheat, tobacco and tlie other croj)s of this latitude in luxuriance. A large propor- t-oii of the timbered huids has been cleared of the underbrush and - -I'.lod to blue-grass freely, and supplies good pasturage through many nio:it]is in the year. It is among the best blue-grass counties of Mid- 'iii' Tennessee and promises to become pre-emincutly a stock-growing coimty. The timber consists of jiophir, white oak, walnut, sugar-tree, Middle Tennessee, 949 and indeed^ almost all the varieties toiiiui growing In the Central Basin, but it is by no means abundant, many of the farmers drawing their supplies from the surrounding counties. Farms, Crops, Labor, A'c. The farms are usually small and in a high state of cultivation. The very best implements are employed in the cultivation of crops, and many of the farms are highly improved. The price of improved farms varies from twenty-five to sixty dollars, and the same phenomenon is here presented as in Cannon county, of lands keeping fully up to former prices, though the means of transportation are wanting in a great measure. The Cumberland River, which is navigable only about six months in the year, being the only outlet other than turnpike roads for the produce of the county. The staple crops are corn, wheat, tobacco and hay. The latter is mostly made of the annual grasses, such as Hungarian-grass and German millet. The average yield of tobacco, on the best soils, is near a 1,000 pounds per acre ; of corn, forty bushels ; of wheat, fifteen bushels. The crops are greatly injured by droughts, much more so than in some of the ad- joining counties. The land, by reason of its steepness, is often fur- rowed by gullies, and it is estimated that fifteen per cent, of the arable land has been permanently ruined by improper culture. The size of farms varies from 100 to 500 or 600 acres. Stock-raising is very profitable, but tobacco brings the largest amount of money into the county. It is indeed the money crop. Clover is used both as a reno- vator and for the hay, which is saved for winter use. Several varieties of plows are used, steel and cast turning plows for breaking, and one- horse turning plows, bull-tongues, shovels, harrows'and double-shovels for cultivating. Horses, mules and oxen are used on the farms, the mules probably predominating in lowlands, and oxen on steeper lands. Labor is moderately plentiful, but the negro here as elsewhere, is not disposed to fasten himself by the year, but prefers job-work. From twelve to fifteen dollars per month is given for good hands by the year, but some work for part of the crop. No general rule has been estab- lished. Mechanics, such as blacksmiths, carpenters brick-masons, &c., get from two to five dollars per day for journeyman's work. House servants hire for from four to ten dollars per month. Land rents for one-third of the crop, or from three to five dollars per acre, owing to the crop to be raised — more being given for land to be culti- vated in corn or tobacco than for small grain. Some good farms can be bought at reasonable prices, or within the limits above specified. 950 Resources of Tennessee. As has been already said, the general features of the county are greatly diversified. It is traversed by East, West and Big Goose Creeks. The bottoms on which are unsurpassed in fertility, and the intervening hills are rich for the most part to their very summits^ and where too steep and rocky for culti^'ation, are covered with a nat- ural growth of cane, or where the cane has been subdued, by the best blue-grass. There are good mill sites on every stream and many fine flouring mills. A small portion of the county lies south of the Cumber- land. Boats run up the river to this point over half the year, and of a wet season, much longer. The portion south of the Cumberland River is less broken and contains some splendid farms. The people in this portion are all engaged in agricultural pursuits, and like their countymen across the river, are proverbial for hospitality. Transportation. Produce is shipped by the Cumberland River to Nashville, Louisville and New Orleans. The Gallatin and Carthage Turnpike runs through and three other pikes converge at Hartsville.. The country roads are not kept in first-rate order, as the nature of the ground is such as to cut to pieces by travel. Rock being plentiful^ roads can be made very cheaply. Stock. Some of the finest cattle and hogs in Middle Tennessee are raised here. Also some thorough-bred horses. Sheep are easily and cheaply raised. Dogs destroy probably twenty per cent, annually, be- sides deterring farmers from trying to raise more. It is hard to give the percentage realized on capital invested in farms, but as a class, the farmers are working men and live bountifully, and are not troubled much by hard times. The greatest drawback to farming is the large size of the farms and want of transportation. In some of the rich cane-brake hills milk-sick, or milk sickness prevails, often proving fatal to cattle, and sometimes to persons using the milk of cows affected with it. The origin or cause of this malady is wrapt in mystery. Various theories have been formed in relation to it, but none satisfactory. It ceases whenever the land is cleared and cultivated. It never occurs ex- cept in the fall. Smaller l7idu.strlcs. Much attention is ])aid to the drying of fruit, and almost every family puts up canned fruit. There are no nurseries, bpt fruit trees do moderately well, the higher lands being better adap- ted to fruits. The trees, however, are not generally long-lived, particu- larly peach trees. Bees are very healthy, and some persons are engaging extensively in the making of honey, though but a very small quantity is exported. Middle Tennessee. 951 Towns. The principal town is Hartsville, the county seat, situated on the west prong of Goose Creek, about one mile from its junction with the Cumberland River. The town contains five stores, four fam- ily groceries, two drug stores, four practicing physicians and five or six lawyers. Population 700. Much tobacco is prized and shipped from Hartsville every year. One newspaper, the Hartsville Sentinel, is published at this place, and has a good circulation among the thrifty farmers. There are two academies or high schools in the place, male and female. The latter is under the direction of the Masonic fraternity. Efforts are being made to build up -manufactories in the town, which would give it an activity heretofore unknown. The social condi- tion of the place is good, and its healthfulness undoubted. This town was established in 1817, and in 1834 had as many business houses as at present. It is eighteen miles from Gallatin, the nearest point to a railroad. Dixon Springs, on the Cumberland River, thirteen miles from Lebanon, the county seat of Wilson, is a place with eight or ten business houses. It was originally in Smith county. Euon College is a post village, eleven miles from Gallatin. It has two stores, a wagon- maker's and blacksmith shop. There are many interesting features about Trousdale county, but as in its agriculture and general appear- ance it so much resembles Lincoln, a description of the one may well apply to the description of the other, by substituting tobacco, which is raised in Trousdale, for cotton, which is the staple crop of Lincoln. Schools and churches are numerous in every part of the county. Im- migrants of a good class would be heartily received. VAN BUREN COUNTY. County Seat — Spencer. < Van Buren county was organized by act of the General Assembly, and the first court was held at Spencer, April 6, 1840. The terri- tory now comprising the county, originally formed parts of the coun- ties of White, Warren and Bledsoe, about equal parts in value and area having been taken from the two former. Nine civil districts was the original number, but since the war the number has been reduced to eight. 952 Reso2irccs of Te?niessce. Topography. The county, lying partly on the Cumberland Table Land, and partly on the mountain slopes and in the valleys, presents great diversity in surface, soil and productions. The Table Land part embraces the south-eastern half of the county. The surface is gener- ally level or gently undulating, except where the larger streams have cut deep gorges, or " gulfs," as they are locally called. These gulfs are generally narrow, rugged, and hemmed in on 'both sides by lofty clijffs of sandstone or conglomerate. The plateau on top of the mountain, has an elevation of about nine hundred to twelve hundred feet above the lower hills and valleys in the northern and western parts of the county. The slopes on the sides of the Table Land, and its spurs and outlying ridges, are an important feature, and occupy a considerable part of the area of the county. The escarpment is generally marked by perpendicular and sometimes overhanging cliffs, from the salient angles of which extensive views may be seen stretching far to the north and west. From the base of this line of bluffs, a steep declivity sets in, rugged with large masses of sandstone and conglomerate fallen from the cliffs above, and cut in places by deep ravines. These higher slopes usually terminate in a terrace varying in breadth from half a mile to a few yards, and sometimes disappearing altogether. This ter- race is usually at about half the height of the mountain. At the outer margin of the terrace, the lower slopes commence and extend to the base of the mountain. In places where there is no terrace, the upper and lower slopes are continuous. The surface in this part is generally more broken with ravines, but not so rocky as above. Sinkholes and caves are numerous here, and most of the small streams loose them- selves in the labyrinth of underground channels with which the moun- tain limestone is honey-combed. The base of the mountain is not well defined. Spurs of greater or less magnitude extend outward at irreg- t ular distances apart, sometimes enclosing valleys or coves of consider- able size, in some of which the best lands in the county are found. Beyond the range of these spurs are the red clay lands, extending *nortli to the Caney Fork and west to Rocky River. The surface is generally broken or undulating. All of the streams, except the larger creeks, are underground. Bordering Caney Fork and Rocky River^ which form the boundary of the county on the north and on the west, are bold blufis of limestone extending down to the water's edge. It is worthy of remark that there are no bottom lands in the county, ex- cept in the coves. Soils. There is so much diversity in the soils in different parts of county that we must treat of them under three heads: Middle Tennessee. 953 1. The Table Land, or as it is commonly called, "the top of the mountain." We cannot undertake the defense of the agricultural capa- bilities of these lands, for they are and must always remain poor. In most places there is little or no humus, and the porous yellow subsoil is so hungry that no quantity of fertilizers will fill its insatiate maw. To such an extent is it Icachy that the effects of manure can scarcely be seen after the second, or at farthest, the third year, and grain-grow- ing can never be made profitable. But for pasturage and meadows, they are scarcely surpassed. There is a coarse nutritious grass, well known in this part of the State as '• mountain grass," which is indig- enous to the soil, and affords rich and abundant pasturage to hundreds of cattle, sheep, and other animals. In many places are tracts similar to the "oak openings" of the west, where the trees stand wide apart, or in graceful groups with broad vistas opening up on every hand, some of w^hicli extend far into the distance, while others are terminated sud- denly by the tangled undergrowth which borders the banks of mountain streams. Here and there little sunny glades or miniature prairies, appear in the distance like cultivated fields. The level lands along the streams are naturally sour, but can be easily reclaimed by drainage and the liberal use of alkalis, and rendered very valuable for the production of the cultivated grasses. We believe the yield of herds-grass and timothy produced on these lands is equal to that grown in any other part of the State. All garden vegetables, particularly roots, can be grown successfully on land that has been " cow-penned " or otherwise manured. The quality of roots grown in sandy soils is well known to be superior to that of the same varieties produced in €lay lands, and the mealiness and fine flavor of the mountain potatoes is becoming extensively known. All manner of fruits common to this latitude can be produced in perfection. It is a conceded fact that fruits grow on a sandy soil possess more saccharine matter than the same varieties on alluvial or clay soils. The purity and dryness of the atmosphere on this elevated plain has a highly beneficial influence on the keeping qualities of apples and pears. Owing to the same cause, fruit crops are seldom, and in some localities, never killed by late frosts in spring. The mountain slopes are generally too rugged for cultivation, and perhaps four-fifths of this jiart of the county can never be made available for anything within the range of agriculture. Their chief value consists in the heavy forests of timber which they bear. In some places on the terrace, there is a sufficient extent of level land to furnish sites for small farms. Orchards do even better 954 liesources of Ten7iessee, here than on the Table Land, and in many places there has never been a total failure of the fruit crop. The mountain limestone, which crops out above the terraces, is a continued source of fertility to these lands, which, from their exposed situation, would otherwise become barren. The soil is a mellow loam, so tender that where there is much slope it washes aAvay. It is naturally rich, producing good crops of corn wheat, and other cereals. The coves have the richest soils of all the lands in the county. It is generally alluvial, very rich in humus, and sufficiently sandy to render its cultivation easy and pleasant. There are appearances which indicate that at a remote period some of these coves were the beds of small lakes. In some of them the soil over- lying the clay subsoil is ten feet deep. Very heavy crops of the cereals are taken from them year after year without any diminution of their productive powers. In the valleys of the Caney Fork and Rocky River the soil is a dark rich loam, resting on a subsoil of strong clay, and with good tillage it is inexhaustable. This red land is of the same quality as that found in other counties in this part of the State and in Robertson and jSIontgomery and other counties west of Nashville* In places, especially on the hill-sides, there are scattered loosely over the surface masses of ferruginous chert, which, by its gradual disin- tegration, continually adds fertility to the soil. Some fields where these stones abound have been cultivated for half a century or more, without any apparent loss of productiveness. Valleys. From the base of the mountain above Cane Creek to Rock Island is about ten miles in a direct line, and from the base of the mountain to the Caney Fork River, the average distance is about two miles. This may be described as a part of the valley of the Caney Fork. The surface is generally undulating, and the soil a good loam on a clay subsoil. Some of the best farms in the county are in this valley. The valley of Rocky River extends upward in a southerly di- rection from Rock Island for a distance of about fifteen miles. It is narrow at the upper end, but lower down the average distance from the base of the mountain to the river is about four miles. The part of the valley west of the river is in AVarren county. In all of its features it resembles the valley of Caney Fork, but it extends from south to north instead of from east to west. The gulf of Cane Creek extends from south to north, in the eastern part of the county, forming a valley of eleven miles in length, with an average breadth of about one mile. The surface is generally level, and the soil a sandy loam, which pro- duces well. But Laurel Cove, embrac^ed by projecting spurs on the Middle Tennessee. 955 western side of the mountain, is the finest body of land in the county. It contains, besides some timber, about six hundred acres in cultiva- tion, nearly all of which is as level as a floor. There are several smaller coves, all of which contain good lands. Productions. The field crops at present cultivated, in the order of their importance, are corn, wheat, rye, oats, sorghum, cotton, tobacco, potatoes and turnips. Cabbages, beets, sweet potatoes, parsnips, toma- toes, squashes, melons, etc., are cultivated in gardens. Fruit culture is one of the leading industries ; apples, peaches, pears, cherries, plums, grapes and small fruits are all easily grown and very productive. It is estimated that 50,000 bushels of apples are sometimes produced in a single year, and the quantity would be greatly increased with better facilities for transportation. Herds-grass, clover, timothy and several varieties of millet are cultivated for mowing, and to some extent for pasture. Orchard-grass, which has been more recently introduced, is growing quite popular for pasture. Clover and the weeds that grow spontaneously are used for green manures. Farmers now seem in- clined to increase the acreage of wheat at the expense of the corn crop. The Walker wheat has been for a number of years the most popular variety. Some prefer the Mediterranean, or some of the white va- rieties. The Smaller Industries, such as drying fruit, making butter and cheese»and rearing poultry receive considerable attention. Bee-keep- mg is made a specialty by some of the farmers, and a hundred or more colonies are sometimes owned by a single proprietor. The Table Land is covered by forests of chestnut trees, the fruit of which is gathered for exportation, and is quite a valuable article of trade. Ginseng abouTids on the mountain slopes, and some persons find profitable em- ployment in digging and marketing the roots. An industrious boy, armed with a "sang hoe," can easily make a dollar a day. Maple sugar is another article of home production which deserves especial mention. The Present Condition of the Farming Interests. The county has an area of about 211 square miles, with a population, in 1870, of 2,720, being an average of nearly thirteen to each square mile. One-half of the area nuiy still be regarded as waste land. The total value of tax- able property, as assessed for the past year, is $259,493. The size of farms varies from 50 to 600 acres, but small farms are more common than large" As a general thing, the farmers and their boys do the out- door work, while house-work is left to the female members of the fam- '9 5 6 Resources of Tennessee. ily. A very small proportion of the cultivated lands are let, one-third or the crop to the land-owners being the general rule. Money rents are almost unknown, but in a few instances five dollars per acre have been paid for the best lands. Hired labor is employed to a limited ex- tent by the larger farmers. The wages range generally from ten to fifteen dollars per month, though a No. 1 hand sometimes commands more. There are but few negroes in the county. Native M'hite labor- ers are sufficiently numerous to supply the existing demand. The present condition of the farms is scarcely up to the standard of order and good management in the ante-bellum days. During the war fences were burned, live stock destroyed and farm buildings left to take care of themselves. But much has already been done to regain what was lost, and we look for greater improvements in the future. The lim- ited means of the farmers is a great obstacle in the way of the pro- gress of agriculture, but we are glad to see a desire manifested to take advantage of improved machinery. Two-horse turning plows are in common use for breaking land. A few three or four-horse plows have been recently introduced. We are not aware that subsoiling is ever practiced. The old-fiishioned narrow shovel, or bull-tongue, is in com- mon use for plowing small grain and cultivating corn and other crops. One or two of the best farmers have commenced the use of double- shovels, and they are likely to become popular. Horses are more pop- ular for farm work than mules. Oxen are sometimes used for break- ing land. What is Most Profitable. Fruit-growing, Ave believe, would take the lead of all branches of agricultural industry, if the facilities for trans- portation were better. All varieties common to this latitude grow in perfection on the Table I^and, the mountain sides and in the valleys, and the day will come when the songs of the vintage will wake the sleeping echoes in the sequestered glens where the wild deer now finds a safe retreat. It is not uncommon for apples to sell at ten cents per bushel. Tobacco is receiving increased attention of late years, and is found to yield a better return for labor than grain crops. But the heavy taxes and oppressive restrictions imposed by the Government upon this staple operate injuriously upon its producers. Under ex- isting circumstances, the rearing of live stock is almost the only re- liance for bringing money into the county. Besides the cultivated grasses already spoken of, the natural meadows of the Table Land af- ford rich and abinidant pasturage, over which large herds of native cattle roam at will, and find a bountiful living for at least half the Middle Tennessee. 957 year. There are in places on tlie mountain sides extensive tracts of wild land, too ruo-ged for tillage, but which are covered in spring by a luxuriant growth of wild pea vine and '^ lamb's tongue," which are eagerly sought after by both cattle and sheep, and in the fall the herds grow fat on a weed called " beggar lice." Sheep would be even more profitable than cattle, if they were afforded the protection of the huv; but as it is, few are willing to invest money in them. We think it safe to estimate that the annual destruction amounts to one-lialf the num- ber produced. A wholesome dog law is the only remedy. Very little improved stock of any kind has been introduced. A fcNV of the cattle have an infusion of short-horn blood, but it has been accidental rather than from any systematic effort to improve them. There are some yery good Berkshire hogs, but they have as yet made but little impres- sion on the common stock. It would undoubtedly be more profitable to rear the improved breeds, and ior this purpose we would recom- mend Devon or Ayrshire cattle, Southdown sheep, and Berkshire hogs. In some localities where the pastures are most luxuriant. Short-horns would, perhaps, prove most satisfactory. In response to the question, are the farmers contented? we would say that, as compared with those elsewhere, they are. They feel, hov.- ever, that the burden of taxation is not impartially distributed, and that they are made to bear too large a share of the expenses. They act wdsely, however, in choosing rather to bear the ills they have than fly to others that they know not of. There is but little emigration. Farmers' Organizations. There has never been a fair held in the county, and until recently no organization of any kind. A number c' enterprising fiirmers from the North, who have immigrated to the eastern part of the county, with the assistance of others in Bledsoe county, have organized a farmer's club, which meets monthly, and is in good working order. Several Granges have been organized. Schools. Burritt College, a chartered institution, located at Spencer, has been open, except during the war, for about twenty years. There are four large brick buildings, erected at a cost of about ^10,000, and commodious enough to accommodate 250 students. There is also at Spencer a county academy, which is usually well attended. Good i)rl- vate schools have been sustained in almost every neighborhood, and the people will not suffer by comparison with those in other parts of the State. Under the new school law, there are fifteen public schools. The entire scholastic population, includaig all between the ages of six 958 Resources of Tennessee. and eighteen years, is 904. About eighty per cent, of these are en- rolled, and the average attendance is about one-half the enrollment. Immigrants. As already stated, there has already been considerable immigration from the North since the war. Among these are some of the most enterprising and valuable citizens. Those with whom we have conversed, express themselves as highly gratified with the re- ception that has been extended to them. Lands are cheap, and all who are willing to work will meet with a cordial welcome. Good improved lands in the valleys can be bought at fair prices, ranging generally from $5 to $20 per acre, though some of the cove lands have recently sold as high as $50 per acre. Unimproved valley lands range from $5 to $10 per acre. Improved mountain farms can be bought at from $1 to $10 per acre. Unimproved lands sometimes sell as low as ten cents per acre, never above $1. 31inerals. All of the Table Land part of the county belongs to the great Cumberland Coal field, and there are outcrops varying in thick- ness from a few inches up to several feet everywhere below the escarp- ment. In some places, however, they are covered by debris. The most valuable bank that has yet been opened is on the lands of Her- man Walling, eleven miles south of Spencer. The thickness of the coal is not known, but it has been worked to a depth of more than three feet. It is very near the surface, and M^agons can be loaded from the place where it is dug. At the head of Camp's Cove, eight miles east of Spencer, is a bank that is known to be more than five feet thick. Mooneyham's bank is in the same neighborhood, but more conveniently situated. It is three and a half feet at the outcrop. At Denney's Mill is a bank four feet thick. The same stratum has been worked at another place three miles south-east of Spencer. Coal bas been worked to a limited extent in many other places. Iron was manufactured before the war at a bloomery on Rocky River, two miles above Rock Island, but most of the ore was obtained from White county. Good ores of the brown hematite are found all along the northern border of the county, and we have observed one place in particular, on the farm of George Plumlec, five miles north of Spencer, where it exists in great abundance. Several wagon loads were taken from this place to the Rock River Forge, but the distance was so great that it was aban- doned. Some of the caves in the county are inhabited by immense numbers of bats, the excrement of which has been accumulating for ages, Middle Te7i7iessee. 959 and formed valuable deposits of a kind of guano, which has proved to be a valuable fertilizer, and has been exported to some extent. During the war, large quantities of saltpetre were obtained from the caves. There are probably other valuable minerals in the county, but they have not been developed. Mineral Springs. Chalybeate springs ai-e numerous on the Table Land, and many of them are of excellent quality. There are no well improved watering places, but several of them have been resorted to by invalids from the surrounding country for a number of years. Mr. Mulloy, one mile south of Spencer, has a very fine spring, and during the summer he often has boarders. The McBride Springs, two in num- ber, are three miles from the county seat, on the north-western brow of the mountain. The place commands an extensive view of the lower country to the north and west. Manufactures. Caney Fork, bounding the county on the north, is a noble stream for manufactures, but as most of the sites for machinery are on the north bank, it will be described in connection with White county. Rocky River, separated from Warren county on the west, rises on the Table Land, about twenty miles south-west of Spencer, and flows in a general northerly direction into the Caney Fork at Rock Island. It is a bold stream, and has fall sufficient in every half mile or mile throughout its entire course to drive large machinery. It now has three or four mills. Cane Creek^^ a stream of considerable size, and has plenty of fall, but along the greater part of it the banks are low and the bottoms wide, so that dams cannot be constructed. There is a very fine power half a mile above its mouth. A large fac- tory might be built where there is now only a third-rate mill. From the top of the dam to the bottom of the fall below the descent is more than fifteen feet. Laurel Creek, a tributary of Rocky River, is a short stream, but large enough to propel several good mills. On the Table Land tKere are several of the tributaries of Cane Creek, which in winter are strong enough to furnish good powers, but the sandy soil drinks up most or all of their water in summer. Timber. The Table Land, as a general rule, is thinly wooded, but it has much valuable timber, chiefly oaks and chestnuts. The mountain sides, gulfs and ravines are very heavily timbered with chestnut, pop- lar, ash, maple, walnut, buckeye, cherry, linden, beech and other va- rieties. In the coves and valleys there are still large quantities of 960 Resources of Tennessee. very fine timber, which is ahuost valueless for want of transportation. There is a poplar on the farm of William Worthington, in Laurel Cove, which is more than ten feet in diameter. WARREN COUNTY. County Seat — McMinnville. Warren county occupies a position nearly midway between the north- ern and southern boundaries of the State, and lies for the most part at the western base of the Cumberland Table Land. Small portions of the county have a high elevation on the Table Land, but the most of it is from 900 to 1,000 feet above the sea, making a part of the High- lands, which lie west of the Table Land, between the latter and the Central Basin. This height is still several hundred feet above Nash- ville and the counties of the Basin. Warren, situated thus, enjoys the salubrity and freshness of the mountain air, with the fertility of the valleys. Ben Lomond, a prominent point within a few miles of Mc- Minnville, is the end of one of the spurs included within the county. Organization and Extent. The county of Warren was organized in the year 1807 from a portion of White. From the time of its organ- ization until 1810 the courts were held half a mile south of Barren Fork, on the hill above the old tanyaid, in a log court-house. About six or eight hundred yards irom the old court-house was the celebrated Poplar Tavern, where Kentuckians and others intending to settle on Elk River, usually put up. Here they often stopped for several days, and had rare sport hunting and fishing. Among the first settlers of the county were General W. C. Smartt, Elisha Pepper, Aaron Higgin- botham, Harry J. A. Hill, William Rock Martin, James Cope, James Forest, John England and Johnny Mai'tin. All these came to the county in 1805, of whom Johnny Martin was living in 1872,' and was 107 years old. Geology and Geological Products. Most of the county is based on the Lithostrotion bed of the Lower Carboniferous. This is a series of impure limestones which often contain flinty masses, and occasionally a large j)etrificd coral bearing the formidable name of Lithostrotion, whence the name of the bed. These limestones yield by disintegra- tion a sti'ong clayey subsoil, ol'ten containing flinty fragments, and Middle Tennessee. 961 usually presenting a reddish color, due to the oxide of iron out "of the decomposing flints. On the slopes of the Table Land, including its spurs and outliers, the upper great division of the Lower Carboniferous, the Mountain Limestone, out-crops in full force. At many points, es- pecially on the northern slopes, it is covered with a rich soil. Capping the Table Land and its flat-toj)ped spurs is the uj)permost formation of the county, the Coal Measures — a group made up of sandstones and shales without limestone. It includes two or three thin strata of coal, but they are not of much value. In the Lithostrotion bed are a num- ber of layers of impure limestones, which, when burned, yield an hy- draulic lime or cement. A considerable amount of cement has been manufactured at McMinnville from these rocks. Quite a number of wells have been bored in Warren for petroleum, but with poor success. Some little petroleum has been met with, but none of commercial im- portance. Salt-water was found in many of the wells, but it has not been utilized so far as we know. Topography. In speaking of the situation of the county, iis to-, pography has been referred to Excluding the mountain portion, the county may be said to be flat highland, but sufficiently cut by streams, with tolerably deep valleys, to give contrast and variety to the surface. The eastern portion is made rough by the spurs and outliers of the Table Land, and supplies many mountain valleys, coves, and often wild picturesque gorges, precipices and water-falls. The chief of these spurs is Ben Loraand, an arm of the Table Land, embracing the valley of Collins River. It branches out from the Table Land near the south- ern boundary, and extends northward for about twelve miles, termi- nating in a bold peak, Avhich commands one of the finest of the many extended and beautiful views that may be seen from many points on the escarpment of the Table L md. The south-eastern part of the county lies on the Cumberland jilateau, and has the elevation, soil and physical features which pertain to that region. For a more detailed account of the soil of this portion, the reader is referred to description of Cumberland county. Streams. The streams of Warren county are various and useful, and many of them abound in fish. Taking its rise from a large spring in Grundy county, Collins River, which may be called the main artery of the county, runs in a northerly direction, in a deeply cut valley of the Table Land, near McMinnville, the county seat, receiving just be- low the town the waters of Birren Fork, and finally discharges itself into Caney Fork. There are numerous mills on this stream, some of 61 962 Resources of Terinessee. them with excellent machinery for the manufacture of flour, and the banks are well suited for the erection of dams and mill houses. Be- low its junction with Barren Fork there are no mills, the volume of water being too great. Collins River is not a reliable stream. Bar- ren Fork, in connection with Collins River, into which it empties, al- most encircles McMinnville. It is a beautiful stream, and can be made a very useful one. Its average fall for the first fifteen miles, is ten feet per mile. It has good banks and a rock bottom. Rocky River rises on the Table Land, in the western part of Sequatchie county, and descends through a deep gulf, emerging from which it flows northward between Warren and Van Buren counties, into Caney Fork at Rock Island. It is a bold rapid stream, hemmed in by high rocky banks, and affords many valuable water-powers. Hickory Creek, a branch of Barren Fork, runs from the south-eastern part of the county, and drives many fine mills. Charles Creek rises near Woodbury, in Cannon county, runs east and empties into Collins River. This stream has many valuable water privileges. The supply of water is constant, and for the first five miles the stream has a fall of 100 feet. Four miles north of this is Mountain Creek, which heads in Short Moun- tain, runs east and empties into Collins River. It very much resem- bles Charles Creek and is a valuable stream. The Great Falls of Caney Fork occur on the line between White and Warren counties. There is not such a volume of water as the Merrimac, at Lowell, Mas- sachusetts, has, but there is a greater fall, being seventy-five feet within the distance of a mile, while the Merrimac has but thirty-two. There is no county in Middle Tennessee that has more valuable water priv- ileges than Warren, and it is destined to play an important part in the future manufacturing interests of the State. Lands, Soils and Crops. The lands for the most part being situated on the Lithostrotion bed, have the characteristic chocolate color, and are naturally very fertile, but slovenly cultivation has allowed many gullies and washes to form, which have carried away whole acres of soil. In some respects these lands are to be preferred to the rich black lands of the Central Basin. They have the capacity of resisting a drought much longer. There is usually a foot or two beneath the sur- face of those red lands a bed of chert and argillaceous rocks, generally about a foot in thickness, which su})plies an admirable natural drain- age, yet retains a sufficient amount of humidity to enable vegetation to successfully resist the most severe droughts. The elevations and un- dulations of this character of land protect the wheat crop from the Middle Tennessee. 9^3 damages of rust, while the underlying flinty mass supplies to the wheat a sufficient quantity of siliceous matter to insure a vigorous growth of the stalk. There is another advantage connected with these lands that has not been sufficiently spoken of or appreciated. They are practically inex- haustible. Though denuded of the primitive soil, the imperviousness of the clay enables them to retain all the fertilizing elements placed upon them, and when galled or lean spots occur they can be reclaimed by plowing deep and subsoiling, sowing with clover and applying gyp- sum or land plaster at the rate of one barrel to the acre on the clover after it has come up. This continued for a year or two will reclaim the most sterile spots. These spots may also be restored by setting out blackberry bushes, which not only act as a subsoiler, but quickly and cheaply enrich the land. Three-fourths of Warren county are red lands. The remainder of the lands is mountainous, but some of the best soils in the county are to be found in the coves. These are usually very productive, and yield from six to ten barrels of corn per acre, while for fruit they are con- sidered unequalled, especially for the apple. Wild grasses grow with great luxuriance on the mountain sides and make the finest flavored beef. No other meat has the same juiciness aud richness of flavor, and strangers visiting the mountains for the first time always notice the ex- cellence of mountain-fed beef. The north sides of the mountain spurs are usually of great fertility. Climbing up Ben Lomond on the north side, we observed, among other trees, the ash, yellow poplar, linn, buck- eye, sugar tree, hickory, every species of oak, black walnut, wild cher- ry, dogwood and black locust. Most of these trees are unerring indi- cations of the best quality of land. The timber on the south face of the mountains difi^ers only in the prevalence of cedar and the compara- tive scarcity of black walnut. Corn, wheat, rye and barley all grow well on the mountain sides and summits, but the summits are especially adapted to Irish potatoes, turnips, and all rooted vegetables. Most of the lands on the Table-Land may be bought unimproved for one dollar per acre, but there are notable exceptions. Occasionally at the foot of the mountains is found a strip of land that is very sterile. It is generally known by a fine water-worn gravel intermixed with sand. On4Sucii places greenbriers, persimmon and sourwood prevail. Unusually, however, the first bench is the most fertile, as it receives the washings from the limestone rock that forms the lower escarpment of gi64 Resources of Tennessee. the mountains. One of the poor gravelly spots occurs between the foot of Ben Lomond and McMinnville. The top of the mountains has gen- erally a sandstone soil, the character of which is given in the account of Cumberland county. The finest freestone springs are found near the crests of the mountains from which the purest of water bubbles out from golden sands. These springs are not much affected by dry weather or wet, bat keep their even flow throughout the year. Mineral springs of different kinds are found in the county, sometimes on a mountain side, sometimes on the banks of a river at low water level, and occa- sionally near the highest mountain summits. The richest lands, and those most highly improved, are to be found on Hickory Creek, a tribu- tary of Barren Fork. Very fertile and desirable farms lie between Barren Fork and Charles Creek. By many they are accounted the best in the county. The best lands, improved, are worth from thirty to fifty dollars per acre. Between Mountain Creek and Charles Creek, both of which streams empty into Collins River, the soil is thin, and the lands unproductive. We may say, generally, that all the lands north of Charles Creek, Avith the exception of bottoms, to the county line, are poor. On the east side of Collins River, however, though the lands are more mountainous and broken, the soil is of better quality than in the northern portion of the west side of Collins River. Some very excellent lands in the county are exceedingly stony, containing flinty fragments, which are often highly fossiliferous. Lands of this character never fail to bring good crops, whether the season be dry or wet; and they may be enriched by every act of cultivation. The peo- ple liave but little reason to complain, however, of the natural fertility of the lands in any portion of the county. They are of the same character as some of the best lands in the State, and with proper atten- tion would become as valuable as the lands in any portion of Middle Tennessee. Let the farmers, for the good name of their county, as well as for their own emolument, plow deeper, sow more clover, cultivate the grasses, and take those steps for the preservation of their lands which experience shows to be necessary. We are glad to know that tliere are some public spirited farmers, who are, by a proper attention to the soil, raising tlie yield of Avhcat from four bushels per acre ta twenty. We have seen wheat of extraordinary prcunise growing on land that had almost been abioint to Cincinnati, making its present (January, 1874,) cost in Cin- cinnoti $29.69. It must be remembered, however, that much of this Middle Tennessee. 977 labor is paid for in goods, upon %vhi(3h a profit of from thirty to fifty per cent, is made. *' About 200 hands are kept in constant employment, and nearly all the work is done by contract. Sixty cents per cord is paid for cutting wood; ^2 per ton for digging and delivering ore; daily laborers, $1.20 per day; skilled laborers, $1.60. The furnace force consumes annually 20,000 bushels of corn, 30,000 pounds of bacon, 600 barrels of flour, 1,200 bushels of corn nieul, and 360 tons of hay. It may be stated as a'significant flict that all the hay and most of the bacon are brought from Indiana and Kentucky. This furnace furnishes the best market in the county. The height of the stack of Wayne Furnace is forty-two feet ; width across boshes, eleven feet; hot blast, the blast being heated by the waste heat from the trundle head. It is driven in through two tuyers. Capacity of furnace, 5,800 tons annually. Tanneries. Previous to the wa^, Wayne county was noted for the number and excellence of its tanneries. More than a dozen were then in operation, manufacturing annually 200,000 pounds of superior leather. Many of them were abandoned or destroyed during the war, and now the number is reduced to four. These manufacture 100,000 pounds of leather annually. The hides are obtained in the St. Louis and New Orleans markets. The leather is mostly shipped to St. Louis. With the abundance of streams that thread the county, and the almost exhaustless quantities of tan-bark, the manufacture of leather will doubtless become in the future one of the leading industries of its citi- zens. Bark is sometimes shipped, though not in large quantities. Tow)XH and Villages. Waynesboro, the county seat, was located by commissioners appointed by an act of the Legislature November 5, 1821. The courts were removed to that point in the fall of 1823, and since' that period, it has been the seat of justice. It is situated on a level plateau on Green River, and has many high hills encircling it. Population 300; drv goods stores 4; saloons 3; hotels 1 ; churches 2, one of which is a colored church, the other Cumberland Presbyterian. It has also a large tannery, and a school averaging eighty scholars. Clifton is a flourishing littU^ town of five or six hundred inhabitants, situated on the Tennessee lliver. It has five dry goods stores, two drug stores, two saloons, one saddler's simp, one hotel, one foundry, one church, Presbyterian, a Masonic school that contains about sixty stu- 62 978 Resources of Temiessee. dents, male and female. Tiiore are annually shipped from Clifton i 1,200 bales of cotton, 6,000 tons of iron, 3,000 bushels of wheat, 100,000 pounds of leather, 50,000 staves, 7,000 bushels of'peanuts, 500 bushels of dried fruit, besides considerable quantities of feathers and lumber. The latter article, delivered on the river bank, is worth from $14 to $15 per thousand ieet. Ashland, on BulFahi, has three stores, one grocery, blacksmith shop, and two churches, Southern Methodist and Cumberland Presbyterian. Flatwood, on Buffalo, has two stores, one church, Protestant Methodist. Wayne Furnace has a store, black- smith shop and two churches. Martin's Mill has a store, saw-mill, grist-mill, woolen mill, tanyard, and one church, Cumberland Presby- terian. Parker's store, on Indian Creek, has two stores, cotton gin, blacksmith shop and tanyard. The Agricultural and Mechanical Association has erected handsome buildings upon a lot near Waynesboro. The first fair was held 1872, and another in the fall of 1873. Both were eminently successful. The Association is out of debt, and the people of the county flock in droves to the annual exhibition. School Statistics. There were enrolled in 1873, between the ages of six and eighteen years, whites, 1,270; colored, 69; total, 1,339. Be- tween the ages of eighteen and twenty-one years, white, 64; colored, 5; total scholastic population, 1,408. There are employed in the public schools tliirty-nine teachers; aver- age salary paid teachers $31.37. Owing to the failure of the magis- trates to levy an additional tax for school purposes, the free schools were only kept up for a period of two months and a half. Statistics. The population of the county in 1 870 was as follows: whites, 9,316; colored, 893; total, 10,209. Number acres of land assessed for taxation in 1873, 422,267; value, $1,243,009; number of town lots, 178; value, $70,901; value of mills, manufactures, etc., $70,238; value of personal property, $278,433; total valuation, $1,664,494. Number polls, 1,452. Amount State tax, $6,650.32; amount county tax, $3,325.16; total tax, $9,975.48. Health. There is no healthier county in the State, as the experience of physicians show. Being well drained, and but a small portion lying in the Tennessee Valley, there is little or no malaria in Wayne county. Its elevation above the sea gives it a mild and pleasant climate and makes it peculiarly j)leasant in the summer. Middle Tennessee. 979 Immigrants. While the citizens greatly desire to see their county populated with an industrious class of immigrants, they have been unable as yet to attract hut few from other States. The want of transportation, schools and public spirit has deterred many from making Wayne county a permanent home. There are no railroads in the county, and while the citizens would hail with delight any external movement to open up their resources to the world by rail, they are yet averse, many of them, to a levy by the county for that purjiose. The word tax has a sound to their ears as ominous as the roar that precedes the whirlwind. Taxes, to their minds, are de- structive of the best interests of society. It is the taking of something for which nothing is given. In consequence of this erroneous idea, schools have been neglected, public buildings have been sutFered to fall into dilapidation, roads are mean, and at times well nigh impass- able, bridges are scarce and out of repair, and, indeed, all the great public interests which society for its own convenience and safety has been accustomed to look after have been neglected. W^hile the countv greatly needs immigrants, its citizens still hesitate to take the verv steps necessary to secure that immigration, Avhich to them, in their sparsely settled county, means wealth, intelligence, comfort and inde- pendence. The Waynesboro Citizen, the only newspaper in the county, will doubtless awaken a more zealous interest in public affoirs. WHITE COUNTY. County Seat — Sparta. On/anizdtion and Early History. White county was orginally a part of Smith. Smith county was laid off October 2(3, 1799, embracing all the territory east of Sumner to the Cherokee boundary, which was the east side of Cumberland Mountain, and from the Kentucky line south to Caney Fork River. White county was organized by an act of the Tennessee Legislature, passed at Knoxville in 1806, just ten years after Tennessee was admitted into the Union. It embraced at that time all the territory east of Smith to Walden's Ridge, and south to Elk River. The first Court was held at Rock Island on the 15th of October, 1806. Although originally so large, White county has been roughly handled 980 Reso2irces of Tennessee. and whittled down, giving off territory for new counties, until now it is below the average in area and population in the State. The boun- d tries at present are Cumberland county on the east, Putnam on the noi-th. DeKall) on the west, and Caney Fork River separating from Warren and Van Buren, on the south. The county, as at present constituted, contains twelve civil districts. Toions. Sparta, the county seat, is beautifully situated on the left bank of the Calf Killer, in the midst of the romantic valley of that river. It has a population of about 500, nearly all white; one weekly newspajK^r, two good hotels, one good school, five cabinet shops, ten resident lawyers, two churches, two shoe and boot shops, two saddle shops, and one large tannery. Yankeetown, five miles up the river from Sparta, has a fine water-poM^r. Bunker Hill is the center of the earthernware interest. There are several stores and shops at Stone F(M-t, twelve miles from Sparta, on the McMinnville road. Topography. In its topograjihical features the county is naturally divided into three parts. The Table Land or mountain, the valleys and coves, and the barrens. These three divisions give great diversity of elevation, soil and productions. We will consider them in turn. The eastern side of the county, comprising about one-fifth of its area, lies on the Cumberland Table Land, and has all characteristics of this natural division of the State, viz: an elevation of about 2,000 feet al)ove the sea ; a level or gently rolling surface, cut in places by deep ;;orges or gnlfs; pure mountain air, delicious water and beautiful and sublime scenery. The mountain slopes on the face of the Table Land and its spurs and outlying ridges occupy a considerable part of the area of the county. The surface on these slopes is for the most j)art i)roken and rugged, with many bold cliffs and deep ravines. The escarpment of the Table Land is marked by a line of hard sandstone and Conglomerate cliffs, in many places towering high above the tall trees on the slopes below. From the salient angles of these cliffs may be seen extensive and beautiful views of the lower outlying ridges with their intervening valleys and the broad flat and wooded country be- yond, extending as far as the eye can reach. At about half the height of the Table Ij and is the terrace or " bench." This terrace has the saniL' elevation as t!ie tables or tops of most of the little mountains or outliers. It alfords sites for sonu^ beautiful farms and orchards, where ill varieties of iVuit common to the country are produced. The valley of Lost Creek, (ait off and completely encotnpassed by Pine Monntain, an arm of the Cumberland, is on a level with the terrace. This ter- Middle Tennessee. 98 i race was doubtless originally much more extensive than at present, and there are evidences that it covered more than half the aren of tiie county, including the whole valley of the Calf Killer River and all the smaller valleys and coves in the county, and also the range of smaller mountains to the west. By far the greater part has been removed by the agency of water, but the spurs and outliers are left to tell the tale of its former extent. The escarpment of the terrace, as it now is, is very much scalloped by coves, and processes of large size extend out- ward, forming spurs, some of which spread out into jilateaux, sepanited by coves and valleys. Some of these spurs are cut off by gaps, forming separate mountains; but all, with two exceptions, have a common ele- vation. The two exceptions are Pine Mountain, between Lost Creek and Hickory Valley, and Milksick Mountain, west of Hickory Valley, both of wdiich are equal in height to the Cumberland Table Land; A belt of these little mountains, averaging three miles wide, extends all along the western base of the Table Land. Intersjjersed among them are many coves and small valleys. Separated from these by the broad valley of Calf Killer, there is a distinct range broken into three parts by large gaps. This range begins with a spur of Cumberland Moun- tain in Putnam County, which extends first westward and then south- west around the head of Calf Killer River. The extremity of this spur is in White county. In a line with it the- range of small moun- tains extends south-west entirely across White county, terminating near Rock Island in the Caney Fork. This range is cut off from the spur by the valley of Cherry Creek. It is divided by three gaps into four separate mountains, each of which has a distinctive name. The-^e gaps are on a level with the valleys and all of them are large enough to contain farms. They give easy means of outlet to the open country north and west. The valley of the Calf Killer lies between the belt of little mountains along the base of the Cumberland, and the range last described. Its head is in the south-east corner of Putnam county. Narrow at first, it grows wider as it extends toward the south-west occupying a belt across the center of the county, and reaching from one extremity to the opposite. It is twenty-five miles long, and has an average breadth of about four miles. The surface is generally rolling, and there are no bottoms along the river. An interesting topographical feature is presented by the sink-holes, which are very numerous in this valley. These hojiper shaped cav- ities vary in size from ten to one hundred yards in diameter. Their presence indicates the existence of underground caverns, through 982 Resources of Tennessee. mm V of which flow s'lbterraneun streams. In all this reffiou there Is no rnnninp; water on the surface, except the rivers and large creeks; all of the sprin<:!;s bein*]^ swallowed up by the caves. In many of sink- holes the opening at the bottom has become closed by stiflp clay or some other obstruction, and in such cases a little lake or pond is formed. There are many of these in all parts of this valley, and they are a convenience to the farmers, enabling them with ease to have water in every pasture. Hickory Valley lies between Pine and Milksick Moun- tains in the southern partof the county. It is five miles long with an av- erage breadth of one mile. Its characteristics aresimilarto those of the Calf Killer Valley, with which it is connected by two gaps at the up- per or northern end. Cherry Creek Valley opens into that of Calf Killer a!)ove Yanlvejtowu. It is seven miles long and three-quirters to one mile wide. The elevated valley of Lost Creek has already been mentioned. In it are a number of beautiful farms, where the people dwell retired and caring little for the changes that agitate the world abroad. The waters of the creek linger lovingly in this Arcadian re- treat, protracting their stay by many graceful meanders, and then steal away through an underground channel beneath the mountain into the Caney Fork. There are many beautiful little coves snugly ensconced among the smaller mountains, generally having one or more outlets into the valleys. Beyond the range of mountains which bounds the Cdf Killer Valley on the west, are the barrens. Most of the surface is level or gently undulating, and all the streams of water are here oq the surface. RocL-i, Soils and Timber. The rocks on the Table Land are sand- stone, and consequently this division has a light, sandy soil, well adapted to the production of wild grasses, fruits and garden vegetables, but too thin for grain; tracts of boggy land along the streams, Avhich, when drained, make beautiful meadows; small trees of the hardier kinds, of which post-oak and black-jack are most abundant. This part of the county is sparsely ]K)pulatcd, and is now regarded as of lit- tle value, except as a summer range for cattle. ISIost of the farmers in the valleys own tracts of the mountain lands, in some cases amounting to thousands of acre«, where they have ranches or "cow-pens." The woods are burnt off in February or March, leaving the surface smooth and clean for tlic growth of the grass, which then springs up beauti- fully, and after a few warm days, the whole mountain presents the ap- pearance of an unbounded meadow. Wild flowers grow in great pro- fusion and bedeck with gav colors the emerald sea. Thither the cat- Middle Tennessee. 9^3 tie are driven from the farms in the valleys, and attended by herds- men, who allow them to ran-e at will and jrraze on the rich herbage during the day, but pen them at night. The Mountain Limestone crops out on the slopes above the terrace, and yields, by disintegration, the elements of fertility to the soils in its vicinity. These terrace or " bench" lands are especially valuable for fruit farms. Some of the orchards never fail to produce good crops. They are peculiarly ex- empt from injury by frost. The tables of the outliers have a cap rock of sandstone, and a soil in all respects similar to that of the Cum- berland Table Land> Limestone appears again on the lower slopes, and prevails to the base of the mountain. Too rugged for cultivation, these slopes are nevertheless valuable for the great forests of timber thev bear. Sugar-maple, beech, ash, walnut, buckeye, linden, wild cherrv, and immense yellow poplars are abundant in the forests. In the valleys the soil is generally good, being a dark brown loam, on a subsoil of strong clay, which lies on a bed of Lithostrotion limestone. The subsoil is of a peculiar red color, made so by oxide of iron liberated in the decomposition of masses of ferru- ginous chert. In some places these cherty masses are scattered lo )5ely over the surface, in nal.iles or irregular concretions from the eize of a pebble to sover.il hundred pounds in weight. These rocks are troublesome in tillage and wearing on implements, but by gradual disintegration thev continually add fertilizing elements to the soil. Alost of them are highly fossiliferous, and among them it is common to meet with a large coral of a prismoidal form, known to geologists as the Lifhosfrotion Canadense. The richest lands in the county are in the smaller valleys or coves, some of which appear to have been, at a remote period, the beds of small lakes, from which the water has escaped, leavin- a deep, rich alluvium, well mixed with sand from the surrounding heights. With good tillage the soil is inexhaustible, and it is very easy of cultivation. AVhen the country was settled, the coves were covered with a very heavy growth of beech, sugar-maple, buck- eye and yellow poplar, while an undergrowth of cane-brakes rendered the surveying of the lands a work of great difficulty. In the barrens much of the soil is thin and deficient in lime. Sandstone prevails, valuable for building, but imparting no fertilizing quality to the soil. Much of the surface is level or gently undulating, and thinly wooded. Post-oak, suitable for cross-ties, is abundant. At several places, how- ever red clay and limestone appear, and furnish sites for a number of good grain and fruit firms, and the less fertile portions furnish a fine range for sheep and cattle. 984 Resources of Tennessee. Farms. Nearly half the land in the county is at present yielding nothing, but there is little naturally so poor or so rugged that it can- not be made profitable, so that there is scarcely any really waste land. There is no farm of less than fifty acres, and none, properly so-called, larger than one thousand acres. Two hundred acres is about an av- erage. The owners do most of the work on the small farms, while hired labor is employed more or less on the larger. The supply of labor is scarcely equal to the demand. Most of the negroes have gone elsewhere, and there has been but little immigration of farm laborers. Wages are too low to attract good labor from abroad. Fifty cents per day is considered good wages, but skilled workmen and extra good hands can do better than this. It is rare, however, that more than one dollar per day is paid for farm work. Reenters pay one-third of the crop for ordinary, and one-half for the best lands. Money rents are almost unknown. There is a wide range in the price of lands. Fifty cents to one dollar per acre would buy most of the mountain lands; but of the farming lands in the valleys, there are none rated lower than five dollars, and some as high as forty dollars per acre. The lands in the vicinity of Sparta are considerably higher priced than in any other part of the county. Farms are not generally in as good condition as before the war. There are mary honorable exceptions, however, and a commendable spirit of improvement is now manifest- ing itself in many ways, chief among which we may mention the adop- tion and use of improved machinery and implements to a greater ex- tent than heretofore. Good turning plows are now found on almost every farm. Most of these are two-horse, but there are some of larger size. Subsoiling is sometimes done with a scooter or narrow shovel, and there are a few subsoil plows in use. We know of no hill-side plows. Double-shovels have generally been adopted as a labor-saving appliance. For farm work horses are generally preferred to mules on iiccount of their docility. Oxen are used for carting and heavy plow- ing. Crops. The principal crops, in the order of their value, are corn, wheat, cotton, oats, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, rye, turnips and to- bacco. The amount of land devoted to grass will average about one- tenth of all cultivated. It is generally meadow. Clover fields are o^tcn used for pasture, and grass is sometimes sown for this purpose. In such cases it is considered best to mix it with clover. Herds-grass and timothy are the kinds generally used. Hinigarian grass and mil- let are not uncommon. Clover fields and meadows are usually al- Middle lennessee. 9^5 lowed to stand several years, and are then turned over, but there is no regular system of manuring with green crops. The wheat crop has increased steadily since the war, while there has been a falling off in ct)rn. The Walker wheat and the Mediterranean are the leading kinds. Of the white varieties, the Tappahanuock has not given gen- eral satisfaction ; but there is another kind, the name of which is not known, that is cultivated extensively. It is called simply " the white wheat." Cotton is becoming a very important crop. A few years ago it was confined to "truck patches," and was manufactured only in fam- ilies; but now there are fields of considerable size on many of the farms. For the last season the total value of the cotton crop was "greater than that of any other except corn. Live Stock. For the rearing of live stock the county possesses un- usual advantages, and there is no other agricultural pursuit that will bring such sure and liberal returns. The "range" of the mountains and barrens furnishes ample pasturage for more than half the year, and many of the rich limstone hill-sides produce blue-grass and orchard- grass amost equul to the best lands in the Central Basin. Corn fodder is still chiefly relied on for winter forage, but it might be replaced by increasing the hay crop. A great saving of labor and food might also be effected by providing good barns and sheds for cattle and sheep. With few exceptions, the best shelter that the poor animals have from the chilling winds and pelting storms, is the leeward side of a straw stack. Hogs find more comfortable quarters in hollow trees, and sometimes in rock-houses. Good stables are generally provided for horses. Most of the stock of all kinds is scrub. There are four blooded stallions which have done much to improve the stock. There are also four jacks bred from imported animals, and the mules raised are generally good. The only blooded cattle in the county are Short- horns. Six bulls have been brought in since the war, and there are now a considerable number of grades. AVe think, however, that the Devons would be found more profitable than any other kind, except on some of the farms where pastures are unusually luxuriant. Berk- shire hogs are scattered over the county in considerable numbers, and there are also a few Chester Whites, Essex and Poland China. The BerK-.shires are by odds the best. Except on the mountain, there are now but few hdgs that have not a cross of the Berkshire. Sheep- breeding IS a perilous business, and very few are willing to invest in it. Not less than one-third of the whole number are destroyed annu- ally by dogs. The majority of the farmers would be in favor of any 986 Resources of Tennessee, lawful means or measure that would secure to them protection, but the irresponsible dog-owners and sympathizers are sufficiently numerous and influential to prevent the passage of any law on the subject by the County Court. The Legislature ought to afford protection to this spe- cies of property. Nevertheless, there are several small flocks of Cots- wolds and grades. Smaller Industries. Orchards are numerous, and dried fruit is an important article of trade. Butter is made in ahnost every family suf- ficient for home use and some for market. Butter and eggs very fre- quently buy the family supplies of sugar and coifee. Mr. Mow- bry, who came into the county froui Ohio several years ago, has es- tablished a cheese dairy on the Table Land. The peculiar aromatic flavor of milk, butter and cheese from cattle pastured on the mountain range, has been noticed and spoken of in terms of praise by many summer visitors. Honey is of superior quality, especially on the Table liands, but is not as abundant as it should be. Articles of home man- ufacture include jeans, linsey, blankets, carpets, matting, cotton and woolen socks, cotton cloth, flax linen, baskets, shuck collars and ropes. Transportation, 3IarJcets, etc. Caney Fork River is navigable for small steamers through the winter and spring months to Frank's Ferry, eleven miles south-west of Sparta. McMinnville, now the nearest railroad station, is twenty-six miles distant. The Southwest- ern Railroad, designed to be an extension of the McMiunville and Manchester in the direction of Cincinnati, is partly graded to within nine miles of Sparta. More than four hundred thousand dollars have been expended upon it between McMinnville and that point. The piers of the bridge across the Caney Fork at Rock Island are nearly complete, and the sn]>erstructure is to be of iron. The roadbed be- tween McMinnville and this point is nearly ready for laying the tracl;. Two of the surveys for the Tennessee and Pacific Railway, connecting Nashville and Knoxvillo, pass through White county, one by Sparta and the other through Fngkmd's Cove, above Yankeetown. The lat- ter route is reported to be the best. The road, when completed, will be a link in the great Southern Trans-continental Chain. During most of the year, carrying is done by wagons to Nashville. The dis- tance is ninety miles. This, of course, is a very slow and unsati.-^fac- tory means of transportation; and the completion of the railroad is anxiously desired by the citizens. Streams and Water-power. Caney Fork, bounding the county on Middle Tennessee. 987 the south, is the largest river in this part of the State. It takes its rise on the Table Luul, about eighteen miles east of Sparta. Running southward, and then west, it descends through a deep, narrow gorge^ hemmed in by beetling cliffs, and characterized by wild scenery. Emerging into the valley, it passes westward, by many devious wind- ings among the romantic hills to the Big Falls below Rock Island, where it plunges down into a long, winding and narrow valley leading out into the great Central Basin of Middle Tennessee. It is safe to assert that no stream in the State offers more abundant water-power, easily applied, than Caney Fork. Throughout the entire length of its course, from the mountains to the base of the falls, is a continuous succession of rapids, affording many sites for the largest machinery. The Southwestern Railroad crosses on a bridge half a mile above the falls, near Rock Island, and from this point the impetuous river ' plunges down one fall after another, descending ninety-four feet within two miles. The top of the fills at low water is 391j^ feet above low water of the Cumberland at Nashville. The Calf Killer River is next in importance. It rises in the eastern part of Putnam county, twenty miles north-east of Sparta, and flows south-westwardly through the middle of the central valley of White county into the Caney Fork, at a point eight miles south-west of Sparta, and four miles above Rock Island. Its length, in a direct line, is about twenty-eight miles, but more than twice that distance by the course of the stream. Its cur- rent is rapid throughout, and it is so hemmed in by high rock-bound banks, that a dam of any required height will not cause an overflow on any part of its course. Fallingwater, a tributary of the Caney Fork, near the northern boundary of the county, is a fine stream, hav- ing an ample and constant supply of water for machinery, scarcely any of which has yet been utilized. The smaller streams are Cherrv Creek, Plum Creek, Wildcat Creek, Town Creek, Post Oak Creek, and Fanchcr's Creek, all of which are available to a greater or less extent for manufacturing. Manufadoi'ies. On the Calf Killer River, one mile below Sparta, LS a large cotton factory, which was in successful operation before the ■war. The fall at this place is about fifteen feet, and a dam could be raised above to any necessary heiuht. This, with the ample water of the river, would give almost unlimited power. The building is of brick, with a solid stone basement, sixty by one hundred feet, and four stories high. Attached to it are one hundred and twenty acres of land, with a good brick dwelling, and all necessary tenement houses. 9S8 Resources of Tennessee. The machinery of the factory was shipped south during the war, and it has not been restocked since. The county is well supplied with lumber and flouring mills, all except two of which are run by water- power. Some enterprising gentlemen from the north have recently erected a steam saw and flouring-mill at Sparta. In the north-western angle of the county there is a fine quality of potters clay, from which large quantities of earthenware have been manufactured. There are now a number of kilns in successful operation, and employment is fur- nished to large number of men. So great has been the number of wagons engaged in the " crock trade," that some persons in other coun- ties have jocularly remarked that there can be nothing left of White county but a hole in the ground. M'lneraU. The Table Land, or mountain part of the county, be- longs to the great Cumberland coal field, and three distinct strata, and, at some places four, are recognized in this part, two of which are im- portant. At Scarborough's mill, on Caney Fork near the head of the Gulf, the upper stratum has been worked to a limited extent at a point where it averages five feet thick. Tt is equal in quality to the well known Sewanee, and is supposed to belong to the same stratum. Coal occurs at many points beneath the brow of the Table Land, facing the valleys of the Caney Fork and Calf Killer. There are generally three or four seams which frequently are too thin to work, but in a few places swell out to three, four or five, and rarely to seven or eight feet thick. Little's Bank, six miles north-east of Sparta, has been open for many years, the coal being used at Sparta. The thickness is about three feet at the outcrop, but further in it grows to four feet at the point where it is now worked, and probably will prov^e to be very valuable. Officer's Bank is a little farther north, and has afforded con- siderable coal. Several fiue outcrops are reported in the head of England's Cove, still further north. Captain M. C. Dibbrell has rer cently opened a bank seven miles east of Si)arta, on Clifty Creek, and there is another owned by Captain Dibbrell, but worked by Mr. Mil- ton Fisk, seven miles north-east of Sparta. Each of these is about four feet thick. Within half a mile of Bon Air, General G. G. Dibbrell is working a vein which averages two feet, in the hope that a richer de- posit will be found. On Pine Mountain, eight miles south of Sparta, there is coal, averaging four thick feet near the surface, and consequently v<'rv easily mined. In Sparta coal is used almost exclusively for fuel. Twelve and a half cents per bushel is the price when delivered. The stimulus of a railroad is needed to develop the rich deposits of coal Middle Tennessee. 989 and other minerals in this rejiion. Tliere is an old salt-well on the Calf Killer, three and a half miles north-east of Sparta, and it is said that about fifty yeai's ago, salt was manufactured at the rate of fifty bushels per day. Sulphur water, with small quantities of petroleum, now flows from the well. Persons amuse themselves sometimes by setting fire to the petroleum as it spreads out on the surface of the river. Frequently the flames run entirely across the stream. The upper jvart of the Mountain Limestone, near Bon Air, aflords a clouded white marble, from which a few tombstones have been made. Hy- draulic limestones, gypsum, co[)peras, galenite and other minerals of value are found. Many years ago iron was successfidly manufactured at a bloomery on the site now occupied by the Sjiarta factory, and at another on Fallingwater. The ore in the valley is limonite, and oc- curs in considerable quantity. The most extensive bed is eight miles south-west of Sparta, on the McMinnville road. Besides that used at the bkomery near Sparta, it also supplied one on Rock River, in Van Buren county. Its precipe limits are not known, but there is no d()ui)t that it covers an area of several squ ire miles. Above Sparta, on the west side of the Calf Killer, there is another bed of considerable size which has never been worked. There are many beds of shales in the Coal Measures of the Tal>]e Land which contain clay iron-stones. This variety of ore is quite diiferent in appearance and composition from any worked at present within Tennessee, but it is extensively used in England. A number of mineral S])rings, possessing valuable medi- cinal properties, are found in this county, among which may be men- tioned Bon Air, on the brow of the Table Land, immediately above Sparta. The view from this ]M)int is one of the finest, and possesses great variety. The water is chalybeate and freestone. The buildings were burned during the war, and have not been rebuilt. Clarktown is a summer village, ten miles out on the Table Land, where area number of elegant, airy cottages to which the owners, who reside in various parts of the country, some of them in New Orleans, reti'cat from the hot sun and cares of business to the invigorating breezes and delight- ful groves of the mountains. There is, at this place, a noble ch;dy- beate spring, and a good quality of black sulphur. ]\[isc('U(tneoys. There were assessed in White county 217,101 acres of land for 1873, valued at $1,140,836 ; noi^ulation 9,375, of which l,080are colored. The scholastic population is 3,264, of which there are enrolled in the public schools 2,401. There were, in 1873, forty-seven ])ublic 990 Resources of Tennessee. schools and forty-eight public school teachers ; besides, a seminary at Sparta, whicn is generally well attended. There are five permanent private schools in ditferent parts of the county. C/hurches of the various denominations of Christians are numerous, and the moral tone of the citizens is good. Intelligent and enterprising immigrants are hindly received, and there are now in the county a large number of new-comers from the north, and from Europe. Repeated disap- pointments in securing the completion of tlie railroad have tended to discourage the farnjers and produce some dissatisfaction with their sit- uation, and some have been influenced l)y this and other causes to move away. But nothing like general discontent prevails. Many of the larger farmers are preparing to sell a part or all of their farms, not generally with a view to leaving the county, but for the ])urpose of re- ducing the size of the farms that they have, or purchasing smaller farms. We believe that the greatest hindrance to agricultural pros- perity is the attempt to cultivate too much land. There was, before the war, a flourishing agricultural and mechanical association, but it has not been revived, and the old fair grounds remain unimproved. The Sparta Index, published weekly, is a sj)riglitly country paper, edited with ability, and does much to attract attention to the various resources of the county. WILLIAMSON COUNTY. County Seat — Feanklin. We are indebted to Dr. W. M. Clarke for the following interesting account of this county : Williamson is situated in the great Basin of Middle Tennessee, and though a small i)ortion of its western border is on the Rim, yet it is one of the richest counties of the Basin. In point of fertility of soil, wealth of its citizens, and intellectual advantages, it stands third in Middle Tennessee and fourth in the State. Go where you will, in any country, and you will find that rich land makes rich people, and hence follow schools, churches, hos])itality and intelligence. Bouii(l((rij. It is bounded by Davidson on the north, Rutherford on the east, Marshall and Maury on the south, and Hickman on the west- Middle Tennessee. 99 j History. It originally constituted u portion of Davidson county, and was cut oti' by an act of the General Assembly on the 26th of October, 1799. Henry Rutherford, who gave his name to the large creek in the southern part of the county, and John Davis, were the commissioners appointed to divide the two counties. It received its name from General Williamson, of North Carolina, some of whose descendants were prominent men of that day, among others. Dr. Hugh Williamson, the intimate friend and companion of Franklin. It is snjjposed by some that the county receive! its name from Dr. William- son and the county seat from the name of his eminent friend. The county originally contained twenty-four districts, but the enterprise of Rutherford in building turnpikes robbed us of the twenty-third and the twenty-fourth, and with them deprived us of a rich section and the finest cedar forest of the State. Towns and Villages. The only town in the county is Franklin, the county seat, though the whole county is dotted with thriving villages, besides numerous " country stores," thus bringing every facility desired within reach of every one to furnish himself with supplies. These country merchants do also a thriving business in barter, thus convert- ing the produce of the careful housewife into material wealth. Franklin. Franklin is one of the loveliest towns in Middle Ten- nessee. It is eighteen miles from Nashville, on Big Harpeth River, and is in the center of a vallev that would rival the Vesra of old Gre- nada, if it had the same historic associations, nor is it devoid of a bloody day, for here the Confederates made their last gallant charge upon the Federal army, and here was poured out the best blood of the South, many of them inspired by the sight of their homes in possession of their enemies ; and here died Cleborne, the Bayard of the South. In point of schools, both male and female, it stands unrivaled, though it boasts no college halls, except a female college, hereafter noticed. As an evidence of the character of its teachers, though ample facilities for attending free schools are afforded to every one, and many private schools throughout the State have succumbed to their cheapness, yet these schools stand unshaken, and arq likely to remain as prosperous as ever. The churches of this town embrace all the denominations of our free-thinking people, and are all well supported and have the ablest l)astors of the different denominations officiating in them. All these educational and religious advantages, together with the fact of having the Louisville, Nashville and Great Southern Railroad passing through 99- Resources of Tennessee. it, makes it a very desirable place for the residence of men of means or of business men in Xashville, who can, by almost hourly trains, reach their place of business in a few minutes, thus combining the ad-* vantages of a city with the health, quietude and good water, of the country, and evading the dust, mud and excessive taxation of city life. The lleview and Journal is published in Franklin, is Democratic in principle, and fearless in the advocacy of all progressive movements. Villages. There are many villages in tlie county which have grown up around stores that have been established for purposes of barter. Some of them are quite thriving, and all offer peculiar inducements to country families to educate their children and attend religious worship. They have in all good society and educated people, and offer great social advantages to those preferring this to country life. Hillsboro, Peytonsville, Bethesda, College Grove, Triune, Nolensville, Brentwood, Mitone, Thompson's Station, Williamsburg, Jordon's Store and Arring- ton dot the county all over with their pleasant cottages and thrifty ap- ])earance. Brentwood boasts a woolen mill, which bids fair to supply the needs of this county with all Avoolen fabrics. It belongs to Messrs. Holt, Gibbons & Humphrey, men alive to their own and the country's interests, and by the next season they will have up all their machinery, already purchased, to manufacture jeans, blankets, flannels, etc., in as good style, and as cheaply as can be procured elsewhere. A great obstacle to the establishment of factories in Tennessee, is the notion that our people will patronize Northern factories when we have them here. But this idea will vanish when our artizans work as cheaply as at the North, and produce as good fabrics. Why we cannot do this, is yet to be I'.scertained. We have an ample supply of chea]) j)rovisions, fuel is cheap and abundant, and we can easily procure skilled labor by offering the same inducements held out by other and similar establish- ments. It wants a little of Northern energy and enterprise infused into our veins. The cai)ital M-ould be quickly forthcoming to erect a factory upon every stream in the county were right men to take the matter in hand. The raw material is here, and the idea so long en- (hired to trans])ort it thousands of miles and pay other men to do what we can easily do ourselves, thus enriching them and enriching cor])oi-a- tions to trans])ort it for us, is something not easily ex])lained in political economy. Flour 3fills. Arrington and Franklin have the best of merchant ilouring mills, and a fine mill has been Iniilt near J>ri'nt\vo()d by the Middle Tennessee. 993 enterprise of Mr. William Davis. Besides these, there are many fine mills upon the streams to be mentioned hereafter. Topography. The face of the county is undulating all over the Basin, though in some places it swells up into hills and knobs almost equal to mountains. The water-shed is from the south-east to the north-west. There is a famous range commencing in Rutherford county, from Stewart's Creek, running south-westerly, and gradually sinking into the general level near the Wilson Pike, about six miles from Franklin. The northern face of this range empties its waters into Mill Creek, and the valleys of this creek and its tributaries com- pose two civil districts, and are exceedingly fertile. No amount of cultivation seems to exhaust them, though they have been cultivated continuously for a long period. The uplands are also good, some first-rate, except the cedar glades. A fine belt of cedar traverses this section, coming in from Bedford and Rutherford, and is amply suffici- ent to supply all demands for rails within hauling distance. All these streams, however, become still and silent during the heats of summer, though aifording abundance of stock water. Of course no mills can be remunerative on them. The " knobs " are really mountains, in height, but bottoms in fertility. They are heavily clothed with poplar, ash, oak, walnut and wild cherry, and the soil is deep black loam, and although so steep that it is difficult to walk up, yet they are very thickly settled, and the produce is really astonishing. Grains and grass, and especially fruit, find here congenial nourishment. The people raised here are attached to hills, and rarely leave them for the low lands. Fruit rarely fails from frost, and lately, within three years, a vineyard has been established upon one of the northern spurs, and though last year was its first bearing, it proved highly profitable. Many other men are following the example set by Mr. Didiot, an edu- cated Frenchman, who has demonstrated the fact that more money can be made from one acre of good grapes than from twenty acres in corn. The southern aspect of these highlands is truly beautifid. Spurs run out from the main ridge and gradually end in Hay's Creek, and are separated from each other about half a mile. Between these spurs are valleys, or rather gorges, that rival the famous valleys of Switzerland, both in beauty of landscape, fertility of soil and equable climate. Exposed as they are to the genial rays of the sun, sheltered from the cutting blasts of the north, it is a delight- ful place to live. Snow never remains upon the ground but a day or 63 994 Resources of Teniiesee. two, grass grows all the winter, and vegetation starts here long before it does on the other side. Passing over the Ridge, it feels like going from one country to another. Here is the finest inducement to sheep husbandry to be conceived of. In fact, these hills should be devoted exclusively to stock and fruit, being well watered, cheap, and pro- ducing grass in the finest manner. What is truly surprising about them, they do not wash into gullies but slightly, though perfect tor- rents sometimes pour down their sides, converting the insignificant branches into roaring rivers. This peculiarity arises from the fact that the soil is mixed intimately with small gravel or chert, thus affording the best of drainage. Another, and possibly still larger range, begins in the twenty-second district, at what is called Cross Keys, and the description of the Burke Knobs applies equally to the Keys. On the south-western slope of this range rises Rutherford Creek, which repre- sents as good land as is in the county, but it quickly leaves AVilliamson and passes Into Maury. Between the two, commences the system of Harpeth Rivers, which, w^ith its valleys and foot-hills, constitute Wil- liamson county ; for althougli two districts are drained by Mill Creek, and a part of one by Rutherford Creek, all the balance is drained by the the different Harpeths. And here my pen fails Me. Much has been written about the famous blue-grass lands of Keiitucky, and the lands on the Mt. Pleasant Pike, near Columbia, are deservedly admired ; but here is a whole county, as it were, equal to the best lands in any coun- try. Gently rolling, heavily timbered even now, formerly covered v:'.']i a dense growth of cane, black loam deep and strong, capable un- der the worst abuse of supporting a nation. There is no break, no wa^-te lands in its whole extent. These lands extend from the head of Harpeth to where it leaves the county. Were this region cared for, and improved with fine buildings, it would be a terrestrial paradise. Here cotton, corn, hemp, millet, wheat, oats, rye clover — anything, everything grown in a temperate climate, reaches perfection. In the centre of this magnificent valley, like a queen on her throne, is situated Franklin, and it also includes many of the above-named villages. The main stream. Big Harpeth, rises on 'Squire Owens' farm, in what was once the twenty-fourth district, and flows a south-westerly course, and empties into the Cumberland River at the famous Harpeth Shoals, forming a bar there which has ever been a check to the prosperity of Nashville. There arc also South Harpeth, West Harpeth and Little Harpeth. The lands bordering these streams are of the same general character, witli tlie exception of those of South Harpeth, to which we Middle Tennessee. 995 will shortly go. If there is any difference, it must be made in favor of Little Harpeth, which runs from near the Hollow-tree Gap, north of Franklin, in a westerly course, and empties into Big Harpeth, near Tank. The lands on this stream are as rich as the richest, and gen- erally are finely improved, and are graced with the best country resi- dences in the county. Land is here in great demand, as high as |100 per acre being occasionally paid, and ^75 to $80 per acre being quite common. Brentwood is on this stream, and from its location on the Louisville, Nashville and Great Southern Railroad, it offers a fine lo- cality for future manufacturing establishments. West Harpeth courses along the base of the Highland or Eim on the western border of the county, and has on its bottoms fine farming lands. It rises from the north slope of the Cross Keys, and includes in its course those famous lands around Thompson's Station and Spring Hill, though the latter village is just across the line of Maury county. It empties into Big Harpeth near the county line. This family of Harpeths contain with- in their embrace more fine farming land than any other stream in Tennessee. Not only the bottoms, but the hills are rich. All over it crops out limestone, and that not enough to interfere with its full cul- tivation, but sufficient for all building purposes, and it is freely used in fencing. They are peculiarly adapted to the raising of stock and all grains. Before the war tobacco formed one of the staple produc- tions, and Williamson county took the premium on this enervating weed. Byrd Hamlet, aged ninety-one years, and in excellent health, lives near Nolensville, and he carried the first hogshead of tobacco to Nashville that was ever raised in Middle Tennessee. He sold it to a young man just commencing business, named John Yeatman, who gave him a check on Stump & Cox. They offered to keep it for him at a big rate of interest, which he wisely declined. Now, from the many obstacles thrown in the way of this valuable article, it has ceased to be a staple production and is only raised for home consumption. One of the best of our tobacco raisers was the late Wm. De^Iontbreun, whose father was the first settler of the city of Nashville, and a Cap- tain in ^Montcalm's army, and had his arm broken in the great and de- cisive battle of Quebec, when Wolfe and Montcalm both fell. He es- tablished a trading post at the Licks, on the bluff of Cumberland, and remained there during the winters of nineteen years, returning to Kaskaskia, on the Ohio, during the summer, before the place was per- manently settled. Wm. DeMontbreun, the subject of this sketch, was born there, during one of his annual visits, in a cave at the mouth of Mill 996 Resources of Tennessee. Creek, on the Cumberland, which still bears his name. Leaving his parents at a very early age, anu diving into the wilderness, he settled near College Grove, and in time became a great farmer, though he lost his aristocratic name. Being deprived of educational advantages, and losing sight of his father, he spelled his name by its sound, and from being William of the Brown Mountain, the meaning of his name, he became simply Uncle Billy Demumbrane. Another of his con- temporaries was a Mr. Sledge, who penetrated, with his wife and a pack-horse, the dense cane, and settled near Peytonsville, where he lived in a cane shelter four years, and where four children were born in this primitive residency. One of his sons now lives in the six- teenth district, and though upwards of eighty years old, does not hes- itate to walk to Nashville, a distance of sixteen miles, and back in a day. This hardy race of pioneers, however, is fast disappearing from the face of earth, and another race, better or worse, is taking their place. The name of Harpeth originated from two celebrated high- waymen, named from their size Big Harp and Little Harp. They had their headquarters on Big Harpeth, and from thence ravaged the set- tlements far and near, and the name was synonymous for all that was terrible and murderous. They defied all forces brought against them for many years, but at last were caught, and as is done on the frontiers even now, had justice summarily dealt them by having their heads cut oif. The only comment upon their end was by Big Harp, a huge giant, who turned his eyes on his executioner and told him, as he was sawing at his bull's throat, " he was a d — d rough butcher." 8o\itK Harpeth. We now come to South Harpeth, which cuts its way through the Rim or Highland in the extreme western part of the county, and is, though small, the most steadily running stream among them. It is bordered by huge bluffs and high hills through its whole course in the county, and has but a narrow valley, though this is ex- tremely rich. Were it not for its continually changing bed, it would afford fine water-power, being fed with bold springs along its whole course; but from the quantity of coarse gravel in its bed, and the fierce torrents that occasionally almost fill the valley, this gravel is drifted first one side of the valley and then the other, so that it would be dif- ficulty, if not impossible, to utilize its waters. It is on this stream that are situated the celebrated medicinal springs, well known as Smith's Springs. It is a very cool, pleasantly tasted water, and is moderately impregnated with iron, and strongly with sulphur, and has a great local reputation for curing diseases of the liver, kidneys and bowels. Middle Tennessee. 997 This place only lacks a convenient method of traveling to make it popular, and is destined, when it is properly improved, to become one of our standard places of summer resort. On each side of South Har- peth is the great Rim of Middle Tennes-see, extending west to the Tennessee River about seventy-five miles, and eastwardly about six or seven miles to the West Harpeth. This region, except upon its creeks, is very sparsely settled, and abounds with primitive game, such as deer, turkeys, and a few bears. Its value consists almost entirely in its timber, which is something marvellous. So thick does it stand that the woods are almost impenetrable. The timber is very valuable from its tenacity and solidity. Almost all of it is white oak, though in some parts a fine growth of poplar and chestnut stands. The trees are very large, and the wonder is how such poor land could produce such an immense growth. It is but little used as yet, on account of the difficulty of transportation, except in the neighboring bottoms, where the fencing is procured altogether from it. It is capable of furnishing all the staves, boards, bucket oak, etc., for the Mississippi Valley. The land, when denuded of its timber, is of little value, except for fruit- growing, but for this, on account of its great elevation, it is unequalled. This plateau stands about three hundred feet above the bed of the neighboring streams. At present it affords grazing for large numbers of cattle and sheep, and when a mast " hits," any number of hogs are fattened on it. The people of this region are a hardy, adventurous race as was well shown during the civil war, for they, though the last to go into the struggle, were the last to come out of it, and gave many a doughty blow for the South. A very thrifty colony of Penn- svlvanians have settled in these barrens, and express themselves as being highly pleased with it. No doubt, in time, this great treasure house of timber will be opened out to the world, when other and more accessible timbers are exhausted. Lands sell here for from twenty- five cents to two dollars per acre. With the the exception of the lower parts of West and Big Harpeth, none of the streams of this county afford any permanent milling flicilities, all drying up during the sum- mer months, but both the above streams would be effective near their mouths, or in the north-western part of the county. As yet, in our chrysalis state, no effort has been made to put them to use. Now, I have already stated that the bulk of the lands partake of the same general character, being a rich black loam, but in the neighbor- hood of the cedars there is some exceptions. The lands here are sandy, and when first cleared very fertile, but soon becoming worn and 99^ Resources of Tennessee. thin. This is especially so with those known as white oak lands. And here blue-grass does not grow well, though they are'fine for root crops such as potatoes, ground peas, etc., and when manured, produce the best of tobacco. This sort of land is found mostly on the head waters of Mill Creek, and between Triune and Franklin. These lands rate at from ten to twenty dollars per acre. The cedar lands sell for from fifty to two hundred dollars per acre, according to its convenience to rich lands. ^kate of Agriculture. The farms of the county are not in as good condition as before the war, from the scarcity of labor and its uncertain character, but even now, great improvements are to be seen, many of the farmers repairing their dilapidated fences and out-build- ings. Our county produces, on an average, about ten bushels of wheat per acre, but this small yield is to be attributed to the usual slovenly manner of its cultivation, but few farnlers doing more than plowing it in between the stalks without any previous cultivation with bull- tongues. When a good farmer pays proper attention he rarely fails to be amply repaid, making from twenty-five to thirty bushels. One farmer, in my knowledge, sowed a field in wheat, from which he gath- ered four bushels. He sowed it in clover, and at the expiration of two years resov/cd the same field, after breaking it up, and got thirty bushels. Corn is grown easily, and with proper cultivation, will yield fifty bushels, though for the same reasons above stated the average yield cannot go beyond thirty bushels. Oats, a crop greatly neglected, will easily make forty to sixty bushels. Cotton, the principal money crop, will make from eight to twelve hundred of seed cotton. Tobacco rarely falls under one thousand pounds per acre. Millet seed, a crop peculiar to the Mill Creek Valley, will make with proper culture, on good land, fifty bushels. This crop has long been grown in the east- ern part of the county, and with many farmers has superseded all other money crops. The growing importance of millet can be seen when it is known that before the war the demand was so little that a tliuusand bushels would glut the Nashville market, and it would fall below a paying price. But the superior excellence of German millet over all others, and the fact that it is a fine substitute for the more costly timothy, has created a southern demand, that last year made the price of it three and a half dollars per bushel, though the supply reached at least ten or twelve thousand bushels. The present crop will probably reach fifteen thousand bushels, and there is a decided demand, so that producers need not fear receiving pay for their work. Hemp, once Middle Tennessee. 999 the staple of the Thompson Station country, has ceased to be produced, the heavy work attending its cultivation preventing laborers under- taking it. But few peanuts are raised, though some jjatches in this neighborhood reach from seventy-five to one hundred bushels per acre. There are comparatively few large farms left, and there is a decided tendency to cut up these. Some men who do own large tracts, build shanties and lease to hands, virtually making small farms. I suppose the average size of farms would fall under eighty acres rather than above, and from the great demand for small tracts, they will soon come still lower. Many negroes of thrifty habits have laid by their earn- ings, and take every opportunity to secure homes, so that it is less dif- ficult to sell than formerly. The average price of lands throughout the county in 1873 was, according to the tax books, $16.23, and this includes the barrens, where the price is merely nominal. In the south- ern part of the county, land readily brings fifty dollars ; in the south- eastern, about fifteen to twenty; in the Mill Creek Valley, about fifteen to forty ; and around Franklin, and to Brentwood, from forty to sev- enty-five, and even one hundred dollars have been paid. This is, however, on liberal time. The taxable property of the county is about eight millions, and of this there are in land 356,100 acres. The fol- lowing is the tabular statement of the productions of the county, ac- cording to the census of 1870: Indian corn 1,010,448 bushels. Wheat 227,294 " Eye 4,662 " Oats 99,933 " Barley 10,536 " Peas and beans 652 " Irish Potatoes 24,440 " Sweet Potatoes 20,555 " Clover Seed 23 " Grass " 593 " Tobacco S0,415 pounds. Wool 29.994 " Kice 1,191 " Butter 187,008 " Cheese 1,122 " Honev 10,370 " Flax 10 " Cotton 3,815 bags. Wine 782 gallons. Sorghum molasses 13,246 " Horses 7,193 number. Mules and Assos ;J,121 looo Resources of Tennessee. Miloh Cows 5,060 number. Working Oxen 379 " Other Cattle 6,609 " Sheep 15,226 " Swine 41,703 Fruit, value of $23,528 This is far from a full report of the crops raised, as can be easily seen from what I have already stated about the cultivation of millet, no mention of it being made. Another industry is omitted which is now growing into huge proportions, namely, hay. Much attention is being paid to this valuable friend of the farmer. Chiefly timothy, al- though the other grasses are raised in considerable quantity. Blue-grass grows spontaneously over nearly the whole country, and clover, that great renovator of the soil, is grown by almost every farmer, and its popularity is increasing daily. The soil is well adapted to clover, and with the aid of gypsum, it yields from two to four tons per acre. A few farmers are also sowing clover seed inconsiderable quantities. All our agricultural papers and societies have been endeavoring to wean our people from cotton and turn them to stock, but as yet with few ex- ceptions, but little has been done, the farmers preferring the sure re- turns of the cotton fields to the fluctuating and uncertain prices of stock. No df'ubt the land would be greatly benefitted by the change, but the war left our people in such an im])overished condition, that few had the capital necessary to properly prepare and suitably stock a farm. And then raucli of our lands are leased to tenants, who cannot afford to seed down the land, and await the slow returns. For this and other reasons that might be given, it suits our j^eople to produce money crops. There are a few exceptions to this, and these public spirited men deserve well of our community for their enterprise in bringing to us the best blood of the country. It has certainly had a salutary effect in improving the common stock. Poverty has hitherto also restricted us from availing ourselves of the best farming implements, but in this rcsjjcct there is improvement. As yet, the l)ull-tongue and turning plow supply most of our wants. Mowers and reapers are, however, greatly used, few considerable farmers being witliout them. Horses and mules, mostly the former, do all our farm work, oxen being only raised for the butcher's use. If all the labor of the county could be made available, it would ]ierha])s be sufficient, but that being imj)os- sible, there is a deficit, and though improving annually, it is yet far from reliability. Farm hands arc generally obtained on the shares^ though some pay money, as they can better repair their fences, out- Middle Tennessee. looi buildings, &c,, by this means. The usual price is twelve dollars jier month and board. Wiien shares are taken, and this is being generally adopted, the laborer gets, without anything being furnished, one-third. When stock is also furnished by the owner, they divide equally. Land rents for, from three to six dollars, according to location and fertility. House servants cost from four to six dollars per month, except in the towns, where they command eight to ten dollars and board. Nashville may be said to be altogether our market, and produce is carried there by the different turnpikes centering at that place. But few facilities are afforded by the only railroad passing through the county. Sheep are not annoyed by dogs to the same extent as they were a few years ago. Domestic Manvfadiwes have almost totally disappeared, farmers preferring to sell their cotton and wool and buy their clothes. This is owing to the fact that our wives and daughters have the most of their house-work to perform. The greatest drawback to farming is poverty, but few farmers pos- sessing sufficient capital to avail themselves of all the appliances to profitable tillage. Smaller Lidustnes. We are becoming alive to the profits of the smaller industries, many farmers even now paying all the expenses of the farm by selling butter, honey, dried fruit, &c., and this branch m ill be still more pursued, as we see its good effects. From our distance to market, except in a scarce year, it pays but little to carry fruit off the farm, and there being a great many orchards, we are drying more fruit each year. The past year Nashville was, in a great measure, supplied by our knobs and their spurs, for here fruit never fails. There are but three nurseries in?the county, and they are amply sufficient for the supply of our people, though many are still taken in by itinerant tree sellers. Messrs. Truett, at Franklin, have the largest, and have earned a well deserved fame as a reliable nurseryman. Messrs. Crutcher, Sparkman and Crisman & Green, have also nurseries, and have the full confidence of the county. With my present data, it is impossible to say what is the extent of their sales, though it will probably reach about $15,000. Immigration. We are all glad to see steady industrious immigrants come among us. If they want work, it can be obtained at an ad- vance over our local supply, or if they want farms they can also easily be procured on most reasonable terms. Much of the success of the I002 Resources of Tennessee. United States is due to the advent of these daring and courageous im- migrants, and from being the best of Europeans they become the best of our citizens, and succeed best. This " natural selection" has made the great west to blossom as a rose, and should their restless steps trend this way, they will be most heartily welcomed, as the few who have already come can well testify. In the language of Rev. Mr. Zinche, ^' All other series of events, as that which resulted in the culture of mind in Greece, and that which resulted in the Empire of Rome, only appear to have pur])ose and value when viewed in connection with, or rather as subsidiary to the great stream of Anglo Saxon immigration to the United States." A nation adopting thus the greatest number of intellectual, energetic, brave, patriotic men, will have eventually a great advantage over all other countries and peoples. So come on im- migrants. Our population is already, according to the census of 1870, 25,328, of which 11,111 are colored, and we would like to increase it by the next decade to 50,000. This is an increase since 1860 of sev- eral thousand, in spite of the fatality of the war. But few of our citizens emigrate, which speaks well for the soil and climate. Another inducement to immigrants is our well developed system of Free Schools, which are under full operation throughout the county. We have a tax of 15 cents on the polls, besides the interest on the school fund, which is amply sufficient to afford several good schools in every district, convenient to every child, for at least five months in the year, and with rigid economy and a little private assistance, for ten months. One school, the Nolens ville High School, has received $300 from the Peabody fund, and others could do the same with a little attention by the directors. We have a most able Superintendent, Jno. B. McEwen, whose heart is so wholly in the cause, that he gives'^his services freely to the county, an examjile it would be well for many of our office-holders to imitate. We have an Agricultural and Mechanical Association at Franklin. It has a splendid lot and suitable buildings for holding annual fairs. Patrons of Husbandry. As yet but ten Granges have been formed and a County Council, but the whole county is on fire, and we may look for the formation of many more, and then we hope our agricul- tural interests will receive a new impetus. County Debt. Tlie debt of the county is insignificant and is fully met by the ordinary taxes whicli generally, including the school tax, ecjuals the State assessment. Our free schools have superseded all pri- Middle Tennessee. 1 003 vate schools, except in Franklin, where the very best private schools in the State are well patronized. A Female College, under the super- vision of Professor W. J. Vaughan, stands deservedly high in public estimation, and receives support from all parts of the South. A liter- ary society with a small but growing library, is all that the county can boast of. Springs. There are mineral springs resorted to by invalids, besides several others without any accommodations. First I have already mentioned. Smith's Springs, situated on the South Harpeth, thirteen miles from Franklin, but best reached from Nashville by the Hardin pike to Allison's mill, thence up the creek six miles to the springs. The buildings here are not such as one would desire, but this is owing to a defective title to the land, and when that is .settled the properly will be improved. Cayce's Springs are on the waters of West Harpeth, six miles from Franklin, and have great character for children's diseases, especially summer complaints. They are finely improved and an excellent hotel is kept up during the season. Mc- Ewen's Spring is situated one mile from Franklin, and is gaining very rapidly in fame. It has only been cleaned out for visitors one year, and from its location on the highest hill. Roper's Knob in the valley, from whence are the finest views, it is destined to be famous. Thousands visited it the past season with manifest pleasure and benefit. It would be a very magnificent place for a German gar- den. I have had no analysis of any of these waters. Besides these, there is a Sulphur well at Brentwood, Nolensville and Petersburg, that may in time become popular. Poor-House. We have a poor-house with a farm attached, but the people are too independent to need its kind offices, as there are only twenty to thirty inmates. ^ Turnpikes. We have seven turnpikes traversing the county from one end to the other, converging with three exceptions to Nashville. Three go direct to Franklin. Besides these, we have a most excellent system of road working, having adopted the system lately made discretionary by the Legislature, and it is working admirably. Under its provisions our roads in a few years will equal the roads of England, for a spirit of emulation is strongly aroused among the overseers as to who shall have the best worked roads. I would strongly urge all the counties to to adopt it. On the whole, though no banner county as to any particu- lar article of production, we can present as good a record as any county I004 Resources of Tennessee. in the State. All cereals grow well, as well as textile crops. Stock is abundant and begins to ornament every hill pasture. Water is every where for stock })urposes at least, and though not sufficient generally for manufactories,is amply so for all milling purposes, as good mills bor- der every stream. Our citizens are independent, brave, hospitable and social. Schools are everywhere, and churches point their tall steeples from almost every hill-top. Our colored people deserve every praise for their steadiness and sobriety, and have equal educational and re- ligious advantages with the whites, and when well and promptly paid, make as good servants as any one could desire. WILSON COUNTY. County Seat — Lebanon. Wilson ranks among the best counties of the Central Basin. It was originally a part of Sumner, and was established October, 1799, by an act of the Third General Assembly of Tennessee, three years after the organization of the State. The General Assembly met at the time in Knoxville. The following were the original boundaries: Be- ginning upon the south bank of Cumberland River, at low water mark, at the mouth of Drake's Lick Branch, the north-eastern corner of Davidson county; thence, with the line of Davidson county, to the Cherokee boundary, and with said boundary to the Caney Fork ; and down the Caney Fork, with its meanders, to the mouth thereof; thence down the meanders of Cumberland River, by the south bank, to the beginning. The new county was called Wilson, after Major David Wilson, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Sumner county while it was a part of North Carolina. The first court of the county was held at the house of Ca])tain John Harpole, the first magistrates were Charles Cavcnaugh, John Alcorn, John Lancaster, Elmore Douglas, John Doak, Mathew Figures, Henry Ross, William Gray, Andrew Donelsou and William McClain. Robert Foster was elected Clerk ; Charles Cavcnaugh, Chairman; Charles Rosborough, Sheriff ; William Gray, Ranger; and John Alcorn, Register. B. Seawell, Esq., was aj)pointed County Solicitor. Among the names mentioned, the citizens of Wilson will recognize nuiny belonging to the old families of the county. Middle Tennessee. 1 005 "Wilson lies next east of Davidson, and is wasted on its northern side by the Cumberland River for an air line distance of about twenty- four miles. In 1868, according to a survey made by General A. P. Stewart, it contained 585| square miles. Since that time, 7J square miles have been taken off from the north-eastern corner, to help make the county of Trousdale. This leaves 578^ for Wilson, as it now stands, equal to 370,022 acres. Geology. The lands are based almost wholly on limestones. These limestones occur in successive layers, nearlv horizontal in position, and measuring, altogether, in vertical thickness, from the lowest exposed to the highest in the hills, inclusive, about 900 feet. In addition, a number of the high hills and ridges in the eastern and south-eastern part of the county are capped with a stratum of flinty material, imme- diately beneath which is a layer of Black Shale or slate. This Shale is generally so covered with soil and the flinty debris of the upper rock as to not be seen unless dug for. At a few points the Black Shale has been dug into for coal, (a waste of time and money) by persons not as profound geologists as they might be. Such is the simple geology of Wilson. We may say its rocks are limestone, disregarding the Black Shale and the flinty stratum above it, for the latter are found only on high points, and make an insignificant part of the area of the county. These limestones belong to the group of formations which geologists call Lo^^er Silurian. The upper part of them, embracing 500 feet of layers, pertain to the Nashville Formation, (Cincinnati) having been once continuous with those outcropping about the Capital. The lower part may be called the Lebanon Formation, (Trenton) as this place is located upon some of its layers. We thus divide the limestones of Wilson into two great formations, the Nashville and the Lebanon. The rocks of the former are seen on the slopes of the hills and ridges, while those of the latter outcrop on lower grounds and in the valleys. There is a difference in the composition of these lime- stones; those of the Nashville division contain more sandy or siliceous matter, while those of the lower or Lebanon division are more clayey. Streams and Topography. The county, as we have said, has the Cumberland River on its northern side. The following important creeks lie wholly within its area: Cedar, Spring, Barton's, Spencer's and Cedar Lick. These flow in a north-westerly direction into the Cumberland River. The following have their head waters and con- siderable portions of their valleys in the county : Stoner's, Sugg's, Hur- ricane and Fall creeks, which ultimately empty into Stone's River; ioo6 Resources of Ten?iessee. Smith's Fork and Round Lick emptying respectively into Caney Fork and the Cumberland. All these streams have good valleys, large por- tions of which are rich and attractive, supplying sites for very many excellent farms. In the south-eastern part of the county are many high but fertile hills and ridges, from which flow the head branches of Hurricane, Fall, Smith's Fork and Round Lick creeks. The county, summarily, outside of the valleys, of which there is a good supply, may be said to be rolling, with often high hills and ridges in the eastern part. The county seat, Lebanon, is surrounded by a circle of moderate hills, the area within being a depression or basin, in the center of which is the town. From the town to the hills, in any direction, is from three to four miles. The average elevation of the county above the sea is from 500 to 600 feet. Land and Soils. There is very little waste land. With the excep- tion of a few cedar glades and some rocky points, all can be cultivated. The number of acres has l)eon given. A large part, say four-fifths, of the county is enclosed. According to the census of 1870, the number of acres in woodland is 151,749, not much less than half the county, This appears to us to be too great a proportion. It is a rare circum- stance to see old turned out fields. The soils of the county, excepting those of alluvial bottoms, and a dark cedar soil sometimes met with, may be grouped into two general kinds or classes, corresponding re- spectively to the two formations above mentioned, into which the lime- stones are grouped. The first kind foupd on the tops of the hills and plateaus of the western and middle portion of the county, and on the higher slopes of the eastern portion, is a mulatto-colored, warm and rather sandy soil ; it may be called a com soil, though it produces wheat, cotton and other crops well. It is proverbial for its fertility. Blue-grass, if a little shaded, springs from it luxuriantly and covers the hills. This soil comes by disintegration and weathering, from the sandy limestones of the Nashville Formation, and, by the way, wher- ever, in Middle Tennessee, these limestones outcrop, the same soil is to be seen. > The second kind, found outside of the bottoms in the valleys and lower parts of the county, rests upon the Lebanon group of lime- stones, and is also a mulatto soil, but is more clayey and rather stififer. It may be denominated a wheat soil. It does not fall much behind in fertility, though we would place the other, all things being equal, be- fore it. Corn, wheat, oats, grasses, clover, etc., thrive upon it, and yield satisfactory returns. The soil, and more especially its subsoil, contains frccpiently more or less "flinty gravel," small angular pieces Middle Tennessee. ioo7 of weathered flint or chert, which perhaps is an advantage. The same may be said of the first mentioned soil. These fragments are derived from the underlying limestones, and are principally small pieces ot petrified corals, sponges and shells. The prices at which lands are held in Wilson are estimated to be, per acre, as follows : Best improved bottom lands "• •- Best improved uplands ^ Medium bottom lands ^ " uplands T . . ,1 10 Inferior uplands At this time lands are low, with a downward tendency, but recently cedar lands have been sold for the timber at ^40 to $60 per acre. Taking the whole countv, the average price, or present cash value, may be placed at S20 per acre, which makes the farms in the county worth in the aggregate §7,400,440. Wilson is in fact the sixth county in the State in cash value of land. Bedford is very little ahead ; the others which outrank Wilson in this respect are, in the order of great- est value, Davidson, Maury, Rutherford and Shelby. In the ninth census report the county is credited, for 1870, with 2,009 farms, which are thus classified : Farms having 3 to 9 acres 1'^' .461 1,196 10 to 19 " " '• 20 to 49 " « " 50 to 99 " "^^^ " " 100 to 499 " ^^^ " " 500 to ,999 " '^ Farms as here understood, " include all considerable nurseries, or- chards and market gardens, which are owned by separate parties, are cultivated for pecuniary profit, and employ as much as the labor of one able-bodied workman 'during the whole year." What is owned or leased by one man and cultivated under his care, may be included under the name farm, the cultivation requiring the labor of one hand for a year. The farms of Wilson are mostly occupied by their owners; very few entire farms are rented. It is common, however, for portions to be rented either on shares or for cash ; when on shares, the rates are from one-third to one-half the products; when in cash, from %\ to |5 according to quality of land. ioo8 Resources of Tennessee. The best farm hands get from ten to twelve dollars per month ; Avomen (cooks and laundresset) from four to ten; good axmen get one dollar per day. Crops, Dairy Products, etc. The cro]is, in the ordv,r of their im- portance, are corn, wheat, oats, hay and barley. In addition to these are produced in considerable quantities, tobacco, cotton, potatoes, both sweet and Irish, and sorghum. Small quantities of clover and grass seed, and rye may bo added to the list. The following are the quanti- ties respectively, of corn, wheat, oats, etc., produced in Wilson county in 1870, according to the report of the census of that year: Corn 1,173,201 bushels. Wheat, spring 1,765 Wheat, winter 239,950— 241,715 " Oats 151,067 " Barley 11,355 " Potatoes, sweet 33,302 " Potatoes, Irish 25,945 " Clover seed 1,117 " Grass " 932 " Eye 3,189 " Hay 5,S50 tons. Tobacco 332,901 pounds. Cotton 1,205 bales. Sorghum 47,794 gallons. The same report brings out the fact that in 1870 Wilson was the banner county in wheat production, the yield being greater in this than in any other county of the State. Greene county, in Eist Ten- nessee, was next in quantity of wheat, and clo^e upon Wilson. This year the county raised a good crop, and doubtless still claims the ban- ner. And here, once for all, we may mention in what else this county excelled in 1870. Of all the counties, Wilson had the greatest num- ber of horses, made the most butter, and the greatest number of gal- lons of sorghum. Moreover, it was only second in hogs, barley, and in clover and grass seed; was third in mules, sheep and hay, and fourth in orchard products, corn and oats. As to tobacco and cotton, the yield has been steadily increasing since the war. The crop of tobacco in 1872 was estimated at 750,000 pounds; in 1873, at 400,000. The yield of cotton has been coii.sidera'Dly greater of late years than tluxt reported for 1870. The following is an estimate of the average yield ]K'r acre of a few of the crops grown in the county I)y some of its citizens: Middle Temiessee. 1 009 Corn 25 bushels. Wheat 10 Oats 20 " Barley 20 " Potatoes, sweet and Irish 100 " Clover and timothy \\ tons. The averages for corn, wheat and oats are small, falling much below what they ought to be considering the fertility of the soil. When crops, by better cultivation, may be increased at least one-third, boast- ing ought to be moderate, though the banner is carried oflP. The aver- age yield of corn in Ohio and Illinois is thirty -eight bushels to the acre; of wheat in the former State fourteen, and in the latter thirteen and a half bushels, and of oats respectively thirty-four and thirty- three. The census report has the following information as to other Wilson county productions : Orchard products Value $24,660 Produce of market gardens " 11,740 Forest products " 9,668 Home manufacture " 45,909 As we have said the county is fourth in orchard products, this is its rank likewise in yield of market gardens. Dried fruit makes a con- siderable item. The number of bushels of dried apples produced is estimated to be 2,000; of peaches, 1,000. In the production of but- ter, as before stated, this county takes the lead. Nor is this butter a poor white article, with an aguish look about it, but the solid golden stuif that comes from good cows and blue-grass. The quantity of but- ter produced in 1870 was 399,249 pounds. A little cheese was made^ but nothing to boast of; the quantity given is 540 pounds. We trust the good people of Wilson will improve upon the start they have made, and soon exhibit an aggregate of a million of pounds of butter, which tliey could easily do. Forest Products. The value of these for 1870 is given above at $9,668. This is for subsequent years greatly below the mark. The county exported in 1871 over the Tennessee and Pacific Railroad, as we have been informed by Mr. R. Miller, the former secretary of the road, 3,976,000 feet, board measure, of cedar, sawed and in telegraphic poles. If we rate this at two and a half cents per foot, it amounts to $99,400, or in round numbers $100,000. In addition much oak, ash, and hickory timber, the latter for spokes, axe-handles, etc., were car- ried off by the same road. Add to this the lumber sawed at a score of 64 loio Resources of Tennessee. mills, and used in the county, and also the large quantity of wood sent by railroad to Nashville, and VvC must have for the value of the forest products npt much less than $200,000. In April of this year, 1874, parties from Pittsburgh, Pa., contracted with gentlemen of the county for the delivery of 5,000 cords of good sound cedar at Nashville. This is now being shipped to Nashville, from which point it is carried to Pittsburgh by water. The county is noted for its fine cedar. It is used at home for many purposes. Most of the rail fences are built of it, the rails lasting fifty years. The cedar exported goes to Nashville, St. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati, and other points. Many telegraph poles are sent also to distant points, and even stakes of cedar are shipped to Indiana, and other States for vineyard purposes. Live Stock. Wilson is undoubtedly to be classed as a stock county. The value of its live stock in 1870 was $1,919,019, which makes it, in this respect, third among the counties, Lincoln and Maury leading it. The census statistics show the following figures : Horses Number 9,682 Mules and asses " 4,150 Milch cows " 5,185 "Working oxen " 584 Othercattle " • 7,399 Sheep " 24,023 Swine " 48,708 For the later years the numbers will be much greater. There has been marked improvement in all kinds of stock. The blue and other grasses of the uplands and hills make excellent pasturage, and cattle, sheep and mules readily grow sleek and fat. Beef-cattle, hogs, sheep and mules are sent off in large numbers to supply the Nashville, and more especially the southern markets. The value of animals slaught- ered and sold for slaughter in 1870 was reported to be $610,972. Were it not for the abominable dogs which at night roam over the country, this county, in the place of 24,000, would have 100,000 sheep grazing over its rich hills. In this county these public enemies kill about 2,000 sheep every year, a heavy loss to its citizens, and a stoppage to enterprise in this direction. Let some "fierce Achilles The god propitiate, and the pest assuage." Population. The people of this county have and deserve a good name. They encourage and support many academies and schools, and Middle Tennessee. i o 1 1 compare well with other sections as a church-going people. They are intelligent, hospitable, and know how to mind their own business and let other people's alone. To industrious and clever immigrants, they are well disposed, no matter from what section they may come, but persons of uncertain character do not receive a hearty welcome. The total population in 1870 was 25,881, Avhich was classified as follows : White 18,544 Colored 7^331 Indian 6 Manufactures, etc. The value of home manufactures for 1870 is stated to be $45,909. This includes cotton and woolen goods and all else made at home. There are at least twenty-five saw-mills in the county, twelve of which run by steam power ; one or two woolen fac- tories, and perhaps a dozen wool-carding machines. It also has a full quota of carpenter, wagon and blacksmith shojjs. Of grist-mills, wheat and corn, there are about twenty, of which six or seven are steam mills. Flour is an important article of export. At Lebanon there is a barrel and stave factory. The company operating was or- ganized in the spring of 1873, with a capital stock of $4,500. The amount now invested in machinery, land, etc., is $15,000. The estab- lishment has machines for doing all the work of making staves and heads, with capacity of about eight cords of wood per day for staves and four cords for heads. It works thirty hands in the factory, and from seven to twelve in the cooper shop. Located north of the town, it is convenient to an abundance of the finest timber. The price of barrels is from thirty to forty-five cents. Hands receive 40 cents to $2.50 per day. Colleges and Schools. Cumberland University, is located at the coun- ty-seat, and is one of the best institutions of the South. In addition to the Academical Department, it has a Law School, Theological School, Preparatory School, and Commercial and Telegraphic School, with a corps of eleven professors and teachers. It is under the care of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The Alumni of this Univer- sity have supplied the bar and ])ench, the pulpit and the halls of Con- gress to a considerable extent, and have furnished many of the best editors, teachers and business men of the country. The last catalogue, June, 1874, exhibits a total of three hundred and fifty -two students. An endowment is being rapidly obtained. The influence of the In- stitution is widening every year, and it promises to be, within the neo*- future, a great power in the land. IOI2 Resoi^rces of Touiessee. Four miles east of Lebanon, on the Sparta turnpike, is Greenwood, a seminary for young ladies. The location is noted for its beauty of landscape, being within a delightful valley, with bold, wooded, swell- ing hills in sight, to add a pleasing variety. The Institution was founded in 1850 by the late N. Lawrence Lindsley, L.L. D., so long recognized throughout the country as Tennessee's great educator and scholar. Since his death in 1868, it has been presided over with signal ability and success by his elegant and accomplished widow, assisted by the ablest teachers in all of the departments of learning. Graduates of Greenwood hold high positions as educators. They all look back upon it as the happy home of their youth, and from almost every State in the South, in person and by letter, constantly come the assurances of a most pleasant and grateful memory. The county has twelve high schools, or academies, male and female, which average seventy-five pupils each. There are about seventy-five free schools, attended in all by 4,500 children. To the support of the latter schools the county contributed in 1872 the sum of $12,000, se- cured by a tax of five cents on the hundred dollars, and by the appro- priation of the poll tax. Within the last year, however, no tax has been levied for school purposes. Roads and Railroads. The county is traversed by many good roads» An excellent macadamized turnpike runs entirely through it from west to east, being a part of the old stage route from Nashville to Knox- ville, a route which was, not many years ago, before the day of rail- roads, a grand highway from the eastern slope of the Alleghanies to the great West. In addition, there are six other macadamized roads radiating from the county seat, and two branch roads in the extreme parts of the county. The common country roads are generally in bad condition. Lebanon is the present terminus of the Tennessee and Pa- cific Railroad. The length of this road is thirty miles. It supplies ready means of transportation, and large quantities of material, such as flour, wheat, lumber, lime, live stock, etc., are carried off by it. The extension of the road is a desideratum, as it will be when completed one of the most important railways in the State. We believe the de- mand for tlie route will, before many years, secure the extension and completion of this road. It is not saying much for judicious enter- prize that we cannot go from the capital to Knoxville without going out of the State. Towns. Lebanon, the county seat, is an incorporated city, with something more than 2,000 inhabitants. It is the seat, as we have Middle J^ennessee. i o 1 3 stated, of Cumberland University. It has also a female seminary of high grade, besides other schools. The educational facilities of the place are rarely equaled. The Methodists, Cumberland Presbyterians, Baptists and Christians are the principal religious denominations, and the first three have large and respectable places of worship. The col- ored portion of the population have also two very good churches. Places of worship are well attended. The people are noted as well for their good morals as for their intelligence and refinement. The Lebanon Herald, the only paper in the county, is ably edited, has an agricultural department, and a good circulation. The town has its full share of mercantile establishments, and in this respect does not differ materially from other places in the State of the same size. There are nine lawyers' offices ; two national banks ; three steam flouring-mills ; a cotton and woolen factory, using also steam power ; the barrel factory already mentioned ; a buggy and wagon factory ; a marble yard ; two saddle and harness establishments ; five boot and shoe shops ; also sev- •eral furniture establishments, one with steam power ; a number of car- penter and tin-ware shops ; nine general stores ; three drug stores ; one hardware store ; two jewelry establishments ; two hotels ; two livery stables; one broom factory, etc. The Fair Grounds of the Wilson County Agricultural and Mechanical Association are located at Leba- non. These grounds, with their improvements, reflect great credit upon the association. The space enclosed embraces many acres. There is a grand covered amphitheatre, a complete circle, making a delight- ful promenade for lads and lasses. A floral hall has been added to the other buildings. In addition to the county seat, there are a number of small towns in the county which deserve to be mentioned. These are Statesville, Gladesville, Commerce, Laguardo, Taylorsville and Shop Springs. These are pleasant villages, with an average population of about one hundred. The larger places contain two hundred or more people. PA.JRT IV. WEST TENNESSEE, (With a Desceiptiox of Each Couxty.) West Tennessee, extending from the Tennessee River to the Mis- sissippi, embraces twenty counties, and has an area, if we inchide the whole of Hardin county, of 10,700 square miles, or about one-fourth of the entire area of the State. It had a population in 1870 of 367,- 576, of which 127,738 were colored. The number of voters in 1871 was 85,440, of whom 26,757 were colored. The number of acres of land assessed in 1873, exclusive of town lots, was 6,316,300, valued at $63,217,856, or over $10 per acre. The entire value of taxable property is $107,633,035. West Tennessee has in operation 713 miles of railway, or about seven-sixteenths of all in the State. While in territorial extent it is but a fourth of the whole State, it has over one- third of the wealth and nearly one-third of the entire population. History. Prior to the year 1819 this region, known as the Western District, was occupied }>y the Chickasaw Indians, whose title to the lands was extinguished during that year. Two counties, Hardin and Shelby, were organized by the General Assembly immediately subsequent to the treaty extinguishing the Indian titles. In the year 1821, provis- ions were made for the organization of Weakley, Madison, Henry and Henderson counties ; in 1822, for the organization of Carroll county ; in JVes^ Tennessee. i o 1 5 1823 for the organization of the counties of Obion, Gibson, Dyer, Haywood, McNairy, Hardeman and Tipton and in 1824 for the or- ganization of Fayette county. These comprised all the counties in the District until the year 1835, when provision was made for the or- ganization of the counties of Benton and Lauderdale. In 1845 the act of the General Assembly authorizing the organization of Decatur county was passed; in 1870 Lake county was organized, and in 1872 Crockett took its place in the family of Tennessee counties. Physical Geography. There are three natural divisions in West Tennessee. 1. The Western Valley of the Tennessee River. 2. The Plateau Land, extending westward to the Mississippi bottoms. 3. The Mississippi Bottom. The first division includes the counties of Hardin, the eastern parts of Decatur, Benton and Henry. Bounding this division on the west is a high bold ridge, known as Tennessee Ridge, the water-shed be- tween the Tennessee and the Mississippi rivers. This ridge has an ele- vation of 600 and sometimes 700 feet above the sea. It is by far the roughest part of West Tennessee, and is valuable principally for its timber, but a few spots occur that are well adapted to cultivation. This main ridge sends out towards the Tennessee |River on the east a suc- cession of minor ridges, some of which terminate in bluffs on the Ten- nesseee. Some of these ridges before reaching the river flatten down so as to give a better agricultural country. The general slope of the Western Valley is tow^ard the north, while that of the Mississippi River is toward the south, thus denoting a warped surface to West Ten- nessee. The elevation of high water of the Tennessee at Hamburg is 392 feet, while at the crossing at the Northwestern Railroad it is 357, which shows a fall of about four and a half inches per mile. The val- leys between the ridges making out from the Tennessee Ridge eastward are generally in cultivation and some of them have rich productive soils. The Plateau or Slope of West Tennessee differs greatly from the Valley of the Tennessee and particularly in two features : 1. In having no hard rocks excepting in a few localities, and 2. In having more level surface. Sand, too prevails everywhere, and the soil though tender is very productive. The absence of a clayey subsoil makes hori- zontalization a necessity for the preservation of the soil. Hundreds of acres have been exhausted and are beyond remedy. The entire area has ioi6 Resources oj Tennessee. this distinctive feature, that though there are hills and valleys to be seen in every county, its general character is that of a broad plateau. Espec- ially fringing its eastern and western boundary lines, is the hill country to be found, the hills being, as before stated, the minor ridges extend- ing eastward from the Tennessee Ridge, and on the west the Missis- sippi Blufis, which reach throughout the State, from north to south, on a line almost parallel with the Mississippi River. It is very difficult to estimate correctly the average elevation of so comprehensive a sec- tion as that of the Plateau of AVest Tennessee. Its elevation is, in the southern part of the division, between 500 and 600 feet above the sea, and in the central and northern part, from Jackson northward along the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, it becomes less, ranging from 400 to 500 feet. It also appears that in going toward Memphis the elevation is reduced to a level considerably below 400 feet. (Geology of Tennessee, page 117.) The Mississippi Bottom Is just what its name indicates, a bottom lying on the banks of the Mississippi River. The whole of this bottom is a low and great allu- vial plain, which, at many points, is below the high water level of the Mississippi, differing much in its general features from any other large section of the State. It is true along the banks of the Tennessee River there are a few bottoms which present features somewhat similar to those presented in this section, but they are on a limited scale, and imperfectly foreshadow what is found there. Avery considerable pro- portion of the area embraced in the bottoms is covered with swamps and lakes, and much of it is covered with wild, dark and heavy forests in which are found even such wild game as deer and bear. Con- sidered as an agricultural section, it is especially attractive, though its resources are still in a very undeveloped condition. This division of West Tennessee embraces in its area about 900 square miles. The general surface of this division coincides very nearly with the high water level of the Mississippi River. Its general elevation on the northern boundary of the State may be placed approximately at 295 feet above the gulf, and on the southern boundary below Mem- phis, at about 215, the fall in this distance being therefore eighty feet. Climate. It is not known that any systematic climatological observations have been made in the Western Valley, but being lower than the Central Ba- Wes^ Tennessee. 1017 sill in Middle Tennessee, it is presumable that it enjoys a warmer tem- perature. Within the Plateau of West Tennessee there may have been a few observations in some of the counties, but they were not system- atically made, and of course cannot be relied on. This much, however, may be said with safety, that the climate is modified sufficiently to throw nearly the whole division in the cotton belt. The Mississippi Bottom, owing to the fact that it has a less altitude above the level of the sea than any of the other leading natural divisions is in all proba- bility the warmest section in the State. Soils. The soils of West Tennessee are as varied as its topographical features. For instance, the bottom lands on the Tennessee River generally consist of a deep, dark, rich, alluvial soil, which rests upon a clay subsoil, and wherever the lands are not subject to overflow they produce excellently well in corn and cotton, and where there is a pretty good mixture of sand, the grasses generally do well. The highlands of the Western Valley are«much less productive than the bot- toms. In color they are generally much lighter, and they rest upon -a clay subsoil, which is either whitish, yellowish or red. They produce tolerably well when planted in corn, cotton, tobacco, and especially well when sowed in grass, provided there is not too much sand in the soil. The general character of the soil in the Plateau, or Slope, of West Tennessee is everywhere pretty much the same. Of course it differs materially in color in different counties, or even in different districts of the same county; but everywhere it is mellow, mixed with more or less sand, impregnated with siliceous matter, and susceptible either of the highest state of cultivation, or, in the hands of careless and igno- rant farmers, on account of its very mellowness, of being very soon made comparatively worthless. As has been before said, much of the area of the Mississippi Bottom is covered with lakes, bayous, lagoons, etc., and much of what remains is covered with heavy timber, but everywhere the soil is a dark, rich alluvial, very deep and everlasting. Indeed, it is difficult to understand how even a careless or ignorant farmer can ever render this soil entirely worthless. By surface plow- ing only, it may not produce well after a few years, but it will even then require only a thorough "subsoiling" or deep plowing to make it as productive as ever. This section of country is destined in time to become the agricultural paradise of Tennessee. At present, however, owing to the immense size of its timber, which renders it extremely ioi8 ResouTces of Tennessee. difficult to get it in a state of cultivation, but a small proportion of it is being worked at all. The reader is referred to the first part of the Report for the general geology of this portion of the State. Timber. In every county in West Tennessee there is an abundance of timber, including all the varieties usually found in the West and South-west. The best timber, however, is poplar, the diiferent varie- ties of oak and gum, hickory, ash, cypress and walnut. No portion of the State can compare with Dyer and Obion counties in wealth of timber. Farm Products. In the more northern counties of West Tennessee the staple products are corn, tobacco and the grasses; but in most, if not all of them, cotton, wheat and oats are also raised. The principal staple in the southern counties is cotton, though corn, wheat and oats, the different grasses, and some tobacco are raised in all of them. In addition to these crops, sweet and Irish potatoes are grown every- where, but scarcely ever for market. In those counties where there is much sand (as for instance in Decatur), peanuts are raised to a con- siderable extent. Live Stock. Though possessing very superior natural advantages as a stock coun- try, West Tennessee does not rank well with the " fine stock" sections of the country. In fact, very little attention is being paid to the sub- ject of raising fine stock, and almost none to that of rearing pure breeds. Occasionally a few pure-blooded males will be found, having been introduced into a county with the view of improving the domestic breeds ; but it is a rare thing to find a farmer who has turned his at- tention to l)reecling thorongh-breds. Almost every farmer, however, in the northern part of West Tennessee raises a sufficient number of horses, mules, cattle, sheep, swine (common stock), for his own pur- poses, and most of them raise some to sell. In every county and in almost every neighborhood, the range is good, and it really costs but little to raise and even fatten a good number of stock. It is earnestly hoped that ere long the farmers of this grand division of the State will understand that it costs no more in dollars and cents to raise a thorough-bred than to raise a scrub, and but little, if any, more trouble. West Tennessee. i o 1 9 Grasses. It is very appropriate in this connection to consider West Tennessee as a grass-growing- section. If the natural advantages of this section of Tennessee for grass-growing were developed, it would probably equal Middle Tennessee. All the best grasses grow well, and wher- ever there is a reasonable amount of lime in the soil, blue-grass thrives as well as in any part of Middle Tennessee ; and where there is not sufficient lime in the soil for blue-grass, herds-grass and orchard-grass both grow, and the latter is more prized by stock men than blue-grass. Clover is also a standing crop in the northern portion of this division, and is being extensively grown, not only for its grazing and hay- making qualities, but also as a fertilizer. The usual rule is to allow it to stand untouched for two years, when it is turned under, thereby greatly increasing the fertility and crop-producing properties of the lands. Farming Before and Since the War. Prior to the war the farms of West Tennessee were generally in very good condition, the farmers were generally solvent, and the agri- cultural interests of the country were being reasonably advanced. But the war, when it ceased, left the whole section in an impoverished con- dition, from which it was difficult to recover. The people, however^ after the first feeling of despair, went vigorously to work, and despite the many difficulties with which they had to contend, they have, in a great measure, recovered their " lost ground," and are still working with the cheering hope, that before many more years shall have passed they will have completely regained their fallen fortunes. The farmir.g community has this serious difficulty to contend with, however: most of them are either indifferent to the real value of labor-saving imple- ments, or they consider themselves too poor to purchase them. In either case, the result is the same. A very small minority of the farm- ers are using them, and a large majority are content to plant, work and gather their crops just as did their fathers and grand-fathers before them. There has been, within the past few years, an increase of in- terest in these matters, and in almost every neighborhood one or more enterprising men are to be found who are using these improved implements and machines, greatly to their advantage, and indi- rectly to the advantage of their neighbors; for they are slowly, but I020 Resources of Tennessee. surely, convincing them of the wisdom of their course, which will, it is hoped and believed, eventually result in the general introduction and use of labor-saving implements throughout this division of the State. Transportation — Railroads. West Tennessee is fast becoming a net-work of railroads, the follow- ing enumeration including all those which are already completed, or actually in the course of construction: The Nashville and North-western Railroad, which is now under the immediate control and is being operated by the Nashville and Chatta- nooga Railroad Company, extends from Nashville, Tennessee, to Hick- man, Kentucky, on the Mississippi River. This road crosses the Ten- nessee River at Johnsonville, which is on the east bank of the river, and in Humphreys county, and entering West Tennessee ranges thence west and north-west through the counties of Carroll, Weakley and Obion, passing out of Obion into Kentucky at a point about half-way between the north-east and south-east corners of the county. This road crosses the Memphis and Louisville Road at McKenzie, in Car- roll county, the Mississippi Central at Martin's, in Weakley county, the Memphis and Paducah at Paducah Junction, in Obion county, and the Mobile and Ohio at Union City, also in Obion county. The Memphis Branch of the Louisville, Nashville and Great South- ern extends from Memphis to Louisville, Kentucky. This road crosses the Tennessee River into West Tennessee from the east at Danville, in Houston county, ranges thence west through Benton and Henry coun- ties to Paris, the county seat of Henry county ; thence south-west through the counties of Carroll, Gibson, Madison, Haywood, Fayette and Shelby to Memphis. It crosses the Nashville and North-western Road at McKenzie, Carroll county, the Mississippi Central at Milan, in Gibson county, and the Mobile and Ohio at Humboldt, also in Gib- son county. The Mobile and Ohio Railroad extends from Mobile, Alabama, to Columbus, Kentucky, where it makes connection with the Iron Moun- tain Railroad of Missouri. It enters West Tennessee from the south, crossing the State line in McNairy county, and ranges thence in a direc- tion a little west of north through the counties of McNairy, Madison, Gibson and Obion, passing out of West Tennessee at Jordan's Sta- IVesl Tennessee. 1021 tion, on the Kentucky line. This road crosses the Mississippi Cen- tral Railroad at Jackson, in Madison county, the Memphis and Louis- ville at Humboldt, in Gibson county, the Memphis and Paducah at Troy Station, in Obion, and the Nashville and North-western at Union City, also in Obion county. The Mississippi Central Railroad extends from New Orleans, Louis- iana, to a point on the Ohio River opposite the city of Cairo, Illinois, there connecting with the Illinois Central Railroad. It enters West Tennessee from the south-west, in Fayette county, ranges thence north- east through the counties of Fayette, Hardeman, Madison, Gibson and Weakley, thence into Kentucky, crossing in its route the Memphis and Charleston Road at Grand Junction, in Hardeman county, the Mobile and Ohio at Jackson, in Madison county, the Memphis and Louisville at Milan, in Gibson county, and the Nashville and North- western at Martin's, in Weakley county. The Memphis and Charleston Railroad extends, as its name indi- cates, in the direction towards Charleston, South Carolina. In its route it ranges east, passing through the counties of Shelby, Fay- ette, Hardeman and McNairy, thence into Mississippi at a point on the southern line of McNairy county, about twelve miles east of where it touches the western line. In its route through West Tennessee, it crosses the Mississippi Central Railroad at Grand Junction, in Harde- man county. The Memphis and Paducah Railroad is chartered to extend from Memphis, Tennessee, to Paducah, Kentucky, but at present is not com- pleted. From Memphis it runs to Covington, in Tipton county, pass- ing through portions of the counties of Shelby and Tipton. From Paducah it extends to a point a little north of Newbern, in Dyer county, leaving a gap which is yet to be completed. Work upon this road is progressing very satisfactorily, and when completed from Mem- phis, it will range north-east, passing through the counties of Shelby, Tipton, Lauderdale, Dyer and Obion, and crossing, in its route through West Tennessee, the Mobile and Ohio Road at Troy Station, in Obion county, and the Nashville and North-western at Paducah Junction, also in Obion county. The Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad, extending from Memphis, Tennessee, to Grenada, Mississippi, leaving Memphis, ranges south, and passes through a portion of Shelby county, which is the only county in West Tennessee that is touched l)v this road. I02 2 Resources of Tennessee. These are the only roads in West Tennessee, except a few miles of narrow-gauge from Raleigh toward Memphis. For projected roads, see chapter on railroads, Part I. of this report. Transportation — Rivers. The Tennessee River laves the entire eastern boundary of West Tennessee, and furnishes first-rate marketable facilities to a large num- ber of the West Tennessee counties. The Mississippi River, on the other hand, washes the entire western boundary of West Tennessee, and of course gives to those persons living on or near its banks the very best marketable facilities. In this connection, it should be remarked that, with the exception of Henderson county, every county in West Tennessee has either direct railroad or river transportation. Minerals. Though not so rich in mineral wealth as either of the other divis- ions of the State, some very rich deposits of iron ore are met with in Decatur and Benton counties. Previous to the war there were two fur- naces in operation, Brownsport and Decatur. The former only has been in blast since. In Henry, Benton and Decatur counties quarries of very good variegated marble occur. The same rock is burnt into lime, which is the principal source of supply for the more westerly counties. Beds of lignite outcrop on the slopes of the Mississippi bluffs in Obion, Dyer, Lauderdale, Tipton and Shelby. This material has been mistaken for true stone-coal, an error which has led some into expensive and vain exploration. In a number of counties beds of potter's clay abound, much of which is white. In McNairy, Hardin and Henderson a very extensive bed of " green sand" is met with which has been described in the first part of this Report. BENTON COUNTY. C'ODNTY Seat — Camden. Benton county is bounded on the north by Henry county and the Tennessee River, on the east by the Tennessee River, on the south by Decatur county and a corner of Carroll county, and on the west by Wes^ Tennessee. 1023 Carroll and Henry counties. It embraces about 400 square miles, and had a population by the last census amounting to 8,234, of which 452 were colored. The number of acres of land, exclusive of town lots, assessed for taxation in 1873 was 239,663, valued at $911,277. The whole valuation of taxable property for the same year was $1,012,619. There are twelve civil or magisterial districts, and the school districts coincide with the civil districts. Outlines of the County's History. The principal portion of the territory now included in Benton county was originally a part of Humphreys county, the balance, including about one civil district, having been taken from Henry county, by virtue of the act of the General Assembly authorizing the organization of the county, which act was passed November 24, 1835. The district taken from Henry county comprises that part of the county lying south of Sandy River, and between that and the T ennessee River. The commissioners who organized the county were Green Howers, Ephriam Perkins, Lewis Brewer, John F. Johnson and George Camp, who accomplished the work assigned to them on the 7th day of February, 1836. The first settlers in the county were principally from the counties of Middle and East Tennessee and from North Carolina. Physical Geography. Benton county is partly in the Western Valley of the Tennessee River and partly in the Plateau or Slope of West Tennessee, the eastern section being in the former, the remainder in the latter. The point where the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad crosses the Tennessee River is 357 feet above the sea. But as this point is lower than the western section of the county by several feet, it will probably be safe to say that Benton county is, on an average, about 370 feet above the sea. It should be observed, how^ever, that the level of low water in the Tennessee River is about forty feet beloAV that of high water. The surface character of Benton county is very varied, and is difficult to describe. Immediately about Camden, which is located very near the center of the county, the country in every di- rection for a distance of about five miles is gently undulating, but going east towards the Tennessee Riv,er, until the margin of the river valley is reached, there are many steep bluffs, or spurs, which fringe the valley along its entire length in the county. This valley is about, on an average, two miles wide, and not less than fifty miles long, and has a rich, alhivial soil, which is very productive. But going west from the town of Camden, the county becomes more rolling, and the soil is thinner and much less productive. There are generally flats or I02 4 Reso7irces of Tennessee. bottoms along the creelcs which ramify the coanty^ which flats or bot- toms will probably average half a mile from head to foot, and are fringed on both sides by ridges which are distinctly marked, but not very high. The lauds in these bottoms are generally rich, but along the ridges is is very thin and produces but indifferently. Formations. Along the ridges in the southern part of the county there are formations of limestone which are found at various depths below the surface. Along the margin of these ridges a blue limestone which makes good lime. In the third civil district, on Birdsong Creek, in the southern part of the county, is found a variegated marble, which is susceptible of a good polish, and presents when polished a handsome appearance. At or near Rockport, on the Tennessee River, a quarry was opened and worked very successfully some years since, but recently the work on it has been abandoned. Climate. The thermometer in summer sometimes shows the tempera- ture to be as high as 100°, and in winter sometimes as low as zero, but it is not often as high as 92° and seldom as low as 4° above zero; in the summer it generally ranges from 75° to 80°, the average for the year being about 59.5°. The climate is not regarded as changeable, except during the spring and fall, when the temperature changes more fre- quently and more rapidly than is comfortal3le. About the time of the autumnal equinox a very changeable spell of weather may generally be expected. The average rain fall in the county it is thought will not exceed 3f inches per month. The average snow fall is probably about 5 inches per year. About the 10th of October the first killing frost may be expected. Healtli of the County. In the latter part of the summer and through- out the fall months the prevailing diseases of the county are bilious and intermittent fevers, and such generally as are superinduced by excess of malaria. In the winter, pneumonia is most to be feared, and in fact it may be said with truth that lung diseases are quite prevalent. But none of the diseases to which the county is subject are, as a class, malignant or fatal, the per cent, of deaths resulting from them not ex- ceeding twenty. * Rivers, Creeks and Sjjrings. There is no county in Tennessee which is better watered than Benton. The following named streams are pe- rennial and are the most important: Eagle Creek rises in the southern part of the county, near the Decatur county line, ranges north-east, and empties into the Tennessee River. Birdsong Creek rises near the Wes^ Tennessee. 1025 Carroll county line, ranges north-east, and also empties into the Ten- nessee River. Sycamore Creek rises in the county, ranges north, and is a cributary of Birdsong Creek. Wolf Creek is another tributary of Birdsong, which also rises in the county and ranges north. Seventeen- mile Creek rises in the southern part of the county, ranges about south- east, and also empties into Birdsong Creek. Cypress Creek rises near the Carroll county line, ranges north-east, and empties into the Ten- nessee River. Cane Creek is a tributary of Cypress, one branch of which rises south-west of Camden, the other north-east, the two form- ing a junction near Camden, thence flowing to Cypress Creek. Burn- side Creek, another tributary of Cypress, rises north of Camden, and ranges south-east. Beaver Dam Creek, still another tributary of Cy- press, rises in the county, ranges nearly south, and empties into Cypress east of Camden. Rushing Creek rises in the north-eastern part of the county, ranges north-west, and empties into Sandy River. Ramble Creek rises in the county, ranges west, and empties into Sandy River. Sugar Creek is a small stream which rises in the county, and is also a tributary of Sandy River. Harmony Creek rises in the county, ranges north-east, and empties into Tennessee River. Sulphur Creek also rises in the county, ranges north-east, and empties into the Tennessee River. Crooked Creek is another tributary of the Tennessee River, rises in the county, and ranges north-east. Lick Creek is still another of the numerous tributaries of Tennessee River, rises also in the county, and also ranges north-east. The Tennessee River washes the north-eastern border of the county for a distance of not less than fifty miles, and the Big Sandy River forms the dividing line between Benton and Carroll counties. All of these creeks are fed by springs, which are in great numbers in the county, and they furnish a bountiful supply of water for stock throughout the entire year. The beds of those streams which empty into the Tennessee River (excepting Cypress Creek) are generally covered with flinty rock, while those emptying into Sandy River have sandy, gravelly bottoms. Cypress Creek is a very sluggish stream, and also has a sandy bottom. The springs in the northern and central part of the county are freestone, except in a few instances where the water is strongly impregnated with sulphur or iron. On Sulphur Creek there are several small sulphur springs, and on Sandy River there is a very strong sulphur well. On Beaver Dam Creek there is one spring, the waters of which are strongly impregnated with alum, and there are several small chalybeate springs on the same stream. The water in the southern part of the county is also principally free- 65 I026 Resources of Tennessee. stone, but there is some limestone water, and on the Tennessee River, near Rockport, there is a superior chalybeate spring. For domestic purposes the people use wells and springs about equally, the average depth of wells throughout the county being about thirty-five feet, though there are some (in the bottoms) as shallow as ten feet, while there are others (on the highlands) which are as deep as seventy feet. Timber. There is a very fair supply of timber in the county, the best being oak, but scattered over the county in limited quantities are found some poplar, and in the southern districts some chestnut. There are still other varieties of timber, but not in large quantities. Along the creek bottoms and on the rivers, there is some walnut. Lands, Statistics. The following figures taken from the census re- port of 1870, will give the reader a very correct idea of the county as it is in 1874, the change having been small: Total number of farms in county 1,165 Number of farms having under 3 acres 1 " " 3 and under 10 acres 53 " " " 10" " 20 " 235 " " " 20" " 50 " 469 " " " 50" " 100 " 310 " " " 100" " 500 " 97 It may be mentioned, as one of the peculiarities of Benton county^ that the farmers are generally men of small means, who are content to work on small farms, hence do not feel much the general scarcity of labor. Some, however, prefer to rent out their land, and it is esti- mated that about twenty-five per cent, of the improved lands are in the hands of renters, the average rentals being, for cotton, corn and grain lands, per acre, $3.00. It is also estimated that about the same (25) per cent, of the improved lands are for sale, and can be bought on reasonable terms, the average prices being as follows : Best improved lowlands, per acre $15 00 uplands " Medium lowlands " " uplands " Inferior lowlands " " uplands " 10 00 5 00 3 00 3 00 2 00 These figures will surprise most persons who examine them, for it is a well established fact that in proportion to their real value, the lands of Benton county sell cheaper, by a large per cent., than the lands in any other county in West Tennessee. It is true they are not first-class Wes^ Tennessee, 1027 lands as a rule, but they produce reasonably well, and are really worth more than they sell for. The following figures will give a very correct idea of what these lands will produce, the averages having been esti- mated by some of the most intelligent farmers in the county : Average yield of cotton, per acre 500 pounda. « " corn " " 25 bushels. " " tobacco" " 700 pounds. " " Irish potatoes, per acre 60 bushels. " sweet " " " 75 " " " peanuts " " 65 " The usual form of renting throughout the county is for part of the crops, the terms generally being as follows : Where the land-owner furnishes everything but the labor, he gets one-half; and where he only furnishes the land, he gets one-third of the crop. The usual terms of sale are for one-third cash, the balance in one and two years, without interest, a vendor's lien being retained to secure payment of un- paid purchase money. Labor, As has been stated above, the people of Benton county are more independent of farm labor than those of its neighboring coun- ties, ])ut still there is a fair demand for good hands, which, at present, are very scarce. The principal available labor now is negro labor, which is very unreliable; there are, however, some white laborers, and they are generally regarded as being very reliable. The people would be glad to welcome white men who are willing to work for wages, but they insist that they don't want any fresh installments of negroes. The wages usually paid for hands in the county are as fol- lows: For farm hands, per year $180 " " " per month 15 to $20 " " " per day 100 Cooks, per month 4 to 5 House servants, per montli 5 to 6 Good cooks are greatly in demand, but the demand for house ser- vants is small. Grasses. As yet the ]>eople of Benton county have paid no atten- tion to the growing of grasses, though it is reasonable to suppose that they would do well. Indeed, a very few flirmers in the neighborhood of Camden testify that their limited experience proves that grasses will do well, especially herds-grass, which is their favorite. Clover yields well, but it is too short-lived to be profitable. The quantity of hay I028 Resotirces of Tennessee. that is saved in the county is too small to enable even an approximate estimate of the yield per acre to be made with any certainty. Fruits. Benton is a good county for the growing of fruits, but there are few market orchards; peaches and plums do especially well, and they are raised in abundance on almost every farm. The other varie- ties of fruits also thrive, but those named are the most reliable, and are the favorites. Grapes, too, bear profusely, the domestic as well as the wild varieties, and most, if not all of the berries grown in Tennessee, are grown very successfully. Forest Products. Lumber is not regarded as an article of commerce, though good qualities can be obtained in any quantities. Along the banks of the Tennessee River some attention is paid to rafting logs^ but very little lumber is sawed in the county, only sufficient for home use. Stock. Little or no attention has been paid to stock-raising ; every farmer raises enough for his own purposes, and a sufficient surplus is raised in the county to supply the towns and villages, but no attention is paid to raising stock for market. Some eiforts have been made to raise sheep, but for the want of a " dog law " they have been unsuc- cessful. Game and Fish. There is very little game in Benton county, and such as there is, is very small ; a few deer are occasionally found on the Tennessee and Sandy rivers. But there is a plentiful supply of fish in the rivers, and in all the creeks, the principal varieties being buffiilo, cat, some trout and perch. As a general thing, game fish are scarce. Markets. Nashville, Louisville, Memphis and Evansville are the principal markets, by way of the Nashville and Northwestern, and the Memphis and Louisville railroads, and the Tennessee River. Tlie People. As a general rule, the people are very law-abiding and work well, but they are not the thriftiest people in the world. In fact they might do much better, but as a class they seem satisfied to work, and make just enough to live on comfortably. There seems to be less disposition to get rich among the farmers than is usually seen in Ten- nessee; indeed, they are the most contented and the most easily sat- isfied pc<)j)le in West Tennessee, if not in the South. Immigration and Emigration. Those who are in the county seem satisfied to remain there, and the result is that very few leave; those TVesl Tennessee. 1029 who do leave generally go to Texas and Missouri. And since the war there seems to be but little disposition manifested on the part of home- seekers to settle in Benton, and the result of this state of affairs is that the population of the county continues about the same from year to year, and undergoes but little change. A man may leave and return after many years' absence, and reasonably expect to find many familiar faces. The people, however, will heartily welcome white men and their families, without regard to political antecedents or proclivities, provided they will come of their " own free will and accord." They cannot be prevailed on to trouble themselves much to induce immigra'- tion. It is due them to say that they are eminently sociable as a people. Roads. The county roads are in a very bad condition, and have but little attention paid to them. The people have no confidence in the new road law, which has never been enforced in the county. There are no improved roads in Benton county. Railroads. At present there are but two railroads passing through the county the Nashville and Northwestern, which passes through its center from east to west and the Memphis and Louisville, which just touches the extreme northern part of the county. Efforts are be- ing made to build a road from Cairo, 111., to Johnsonville, on the Ten- nessee River, to be called the Cairo and Tennessee River Railroad, but as yet the prospects are not flattering. Toions and Villages. Benton county is well supplied with towns and villages, which are scattered about promiscuously — those at all deserv- ing of mention being as follows : Camden, the county seat, is located near the center of the county, has about 300 inhabitants, is the center of trade in the county, has a court-house and jail, three churches. Baptist, Methodist and Cumber- land Presbyterian, and two good schools. It has also, among other busi- ness-house, a stock store, which is deserving of mention. It is owned by a joint stock company, numbering 175 (mostly farmers) members, with a cash capital of $6,000. The stockholders in the aggregate being worth $100,000. The shares are twenty-five dollars each, and no one stockholder is allowed to own more than twenty shares, and every stockholder is allowed to purchase all the goods he needs for his family use at an advance of ten per cent, on first cost. It is a chartered institution, having been regularly incorporated under the style of ** Tiie Pco])le's Company," in April, 1872, when there were 1030 Resources of Tennessee. only forty members. It has no connection with the order of the Pat- rons of Husbandry, and anyone not in the interest of a merchant can become a stockholder, with all the privileges which the others enjoy. Mt. Carmel is a small village, fifteen miles south-west of Camden, with about thirty inhabitants. Coxburg is fifteen miles south of Cam- den, and has about thirty inhabitants. Rockport is a shipping point on the Tennessee River, and is eleven miles south-east of Camden. Thompson's Point is on the Tennessee River, and is nine miles south- east of Camden. Wills' Point is also oh the Tennessee River, and is seven miles east of Camden. Sales' Landing on the same river is seven miles south-east of Camden. Point Mason is also on the same river and is eighteen miles north-east of Camden. West Danville is on the west bank of the Tennessee River, where it is crossed by the Memphis and Louisville Railroad, and is twenty-three miles north-east of Camden. Benton Ridge is a depot on the Memphis and Louisville Railroad, and is twenty miles north-east of Camden. Big Sandy is also a depot on the same road, and is fourteen miles north of Camden. Barter Hill is six miles north-west of Camden. Sawyer's Mills is six miles west of Camden. All of these places, except Camden, are very small, and have a neighborhood importance on account of having in them blacksmith shops, and some of them stores and post-office. In this connection, it will be well to observe that post-offices are not conven- ient to all sections of the county. A great many were abandoned du- ring the war, which have not since been revived. The result is, a large proportion of the people have to ride to Camden to get their mails. MUh and Factories. The fall of the streams in the county is very slight, and the result is there are few mills. The average milling dis- tance is not less than five miles. There are two or three small tobacco ^ factories in the county, but they have only a local importance. For school statistics, see Part I of this Report. Churches. Nearly every neighborhood has churches convenient, representing some one or more of the Christian denominations. The denominations rank in numbers and wealth as follows: 1st, Metho- dist; 3d, Cumberland Presbyterian; 3d, Baptist; in the southern part of the county there is one congregation of Reformers or Christians. As a general thing Sunday-schools are not kept uj) in the country churches, and but indifierently in the towns and villages. No news- paper is published in the county. Wes^ Tennessee. ^o^i CARROLL COUNTY. County Seat— Huntingdon. This county is bounded on the north by the counties of Weakley and Henry, on the east by the counties of Benton and Decatur, on the south by Henderson and Madison counties, and on the west by Gibson county. There are about 625 square miles of territory in the county. The number of acres exclusive of town lots assessed for taxation in 1873, was 352,030, valued at $3,153,880. The countv is divided in twenty-five civil districts and seventy-five school districts, giving an average of three school districts to each civil dis- trict. This division into school districts was made under the new school law. There are no natural divisions which are worthy of remark. mdory. On the 9th day of November, 1821, the General Assembly passed an act providing for the organization of whnt was known as the Western District into counties, and under and by authority of this act the county of Carroll was formally organized on the 11th day of March 1822. Fh'8t Settlers. The old pioneers who first settled in the section of country now embraced in Carroll county, were originally from the States of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, and not a few of them were from the older counties of Middle Tennessee. Topogmphij. In the immediate vicinity of Huntingdon, which is located very near the center of the county, the surface character of the country is very broken; going north from three to four miles the coun- try becomes quite level, and continues so until the county line is reached; going south without being hilly, the country is broken ; going west five or six miles, a very level and very rich body of land is reached, which extends to the west county line ; going east the county is rather broken for about nine miles, when it becomes very much broken, and • even hilly. Soil The soil is generally of a gray color, with a reddish subsoil, which is very retentive of moisture. But there is a light sandy soil m various sections of the county, on which cotton does better than on the gray lands, but even on that it pays well to raise it. Geological Formations. As a general rule, the county is very free from rocks, but in the eastern part there is occasionally a formation of 1032 Resources of Tennessee. sandstone found, which generally lies near the surface, but it is some- times reached by well-diggers at a depth ranging from three to six feet. These formations, however, are very limited in extent, and have only a local interest. It may also be well to notice that in various portions of the county a very singular looking sand is found, sometimes at or very near the surface, but for the most part at a depth ranging from eigh- teen inches to five and six feet. In color it varies considerably, some- times presenting a reddish appearance, at another time or place assum- ing rather a yellowish cast, while in other places its color is almost white ; again beds of it are found which are something of a bright orange color, and in more than one place in the county all or most of these colors may be found in one bed, mixed with a pasty colored clay. It seems generally to run in veins, and it is said that sometimes fossil leaves and even semi-petrified twigs and tree limbs are found in these beds. River's and Creeks. The county is reasonably well watered with perennial streams, of which the following are most worthy of notice : Big Sandy enters the county from Henderson county, ranges north- east, cutting off the south-eastern corner of the county, and empties into the Tennessee River in Henry county. Beaver Creek rises in the county, with two heads, one in the south-eastern part of the county, which ranges west ; the other in the north-eastern part of the county and ranges north-west, uniting abouttwo miles south-east of the town of Huntingdon, thence ranging west, and empties into the South Fork of the Obion River. Crooked Creek enters Carroll county on its north- ern boundary near the centre of the line from Henry county, ranges south-west, and intersects Beaver Creek about four miles from the west boundary line, forming the South Fork of the Obion River. Reedy Creek, in the south-western part of the county, ranges about north- Avef^t, and empties into the South Fork of the Obion. Rutherford Fork of the Obion rises in Henderson county, enters Carroll in the south-western part of the county, ranges north-west through the county. Forked Deer enters the county on its southern line, near the western corner, and cuts off the south-west corner of the county. The above named streams, which, it will be seen, are very conve- nient to a large pro])ortion of the county, are fed by springs ; those west of Huntingdon have sandy beds, the others have all muddy beds. There is a great number of springs in the county, some of them being quite strongly impregnated with sulphur, while others are chalybeate, West Tennessee, 103 3 but most of them are freestone. The principal dependence for stock- water is in the rivers, creeks and branches, but for household purposes wells and cisterns are mainly relied on. Land Statistics. In 1870 there were 960 farms in Carroll county, of all sizes, of which number there were three having more than three and under ten acres; sixty having more than ten and under twenty acres ; 447 having more than twenty and under fifty acres ; 226 having more than fifty and under one hundred acres; 180 having more than one hundred and under five hundred acres ; and only four having more than five hundred acres, and these four had each less than one thousand acres. Since 1870, there has been some improvement in the matter of clearing lands, but it has been so small that it scarcely admits of being estimated. The cash value of these farms in 1870 was $1,671,572, while the cash value of the farming implements and machinery was $114,585, which value has not increased to any great extent. In 1873 there were probably not less than 33^ per cent, of all the open lands in the hands of renters, while a large proportion of the balance, say 33J per cent, of the whole, is worked by hired hands for for money, or on shares, while only about 33^ per cent, is worked by the land owners themselves. In this connection it may be well to notice that scarcely more than 5 per cent, of the lands now open in the county are really untillable. The amount of lands in the county which are for sale, at reasonable prices, is probably 20 per cent., owned by persons who have large bodies of lands; but a small proportion of this 20 per cent, is land which is open and ready for cultivation. The average prices for lands in the county are about as follows : Best improved land, per acre $30 to $40 Medium lands 15 to 20 Inferior lands 5 to S In many of the West Tennessee counties quite a difference is made in the prices of the uplands and the lowlands, but in Carroll county, as a general rule, there is no such distinction made. The average rental of lands in the county is about as follows : Cotton and corn lands, per acre $3.50, or one-third of the crop. Meadow and f!;rain lands " One-third of tlie croj). When the land-owner furnishes everything but the labor, and crops on shares, he gets one-half of the crop. The usual terms of sale are, one-third cash, the balance in one and two years, with lien retained for the unpaid purchase money. I034 Resources of Tennessee. * Labor. Labor is very scarce, the people having to rely principally upon negroes, who are indolent and not trustworthy as a class. There are some white laborers, but they, too, as a general rule, are not re- garded as reliable. Good white laborers are very much wanted, and they can command the following |>rices : Farm hands (with board) per year $150 " " " " " month 15 to $20 " day 1 Harvest " " " " " 2 Cooks " " " month 8 to 10 House servants " " " " 10 to 12 Mechanics " " " day 2 to 4 Products. The county generally produces well, and the following averages of crops may be relied on : Corn, per acre 22 bushels. Cotton " 600 to 800 lbs. Wheat " 8 bushels. Tobacco " 800 lbs. Oats " 15 bushels. Potatoes, Irish, per acre 20 to 30 bushels. Potatoes, sweet, " 25 to 40 " The cotton generally ranks from good ordinary to low middling ; the tobacco is of a good quality, but not much is raised ; oats do well sometimes, but on account of the frequency of rust, but few are raised. The following crops were realized in 1870, and will give a fair idea of what the people of Carroll county are doing in 1874: Wheat raised 93,872 bushels. Corn " 777,922 " Oats " 4,206 " Tobacco " 10,840 pounds. Cotton " 5,023 bales. Wool " 13,044 pounds. Potatoes, Irish, raised 213 bushels. Potatoes, sweet " 371 Butter 272,083 pounds. Cheese 4,475 " Hav 108 tons. Sorghum 8,065 gallons. Honey ;^,135 pounds. In tiiis same connection uuiy be very appropriately given a few other statistics as illustrating the industries of the county : Value of home manufactures $ 87,455 " animals slaughtered, etc 312,707 all live stock 910,255 Wes^ Tennessee. 1 03 5 Number of hoi-ses 3,517 " mules and asses 2,265 " milch cows 4,076 " working oxen 857 " other cattle 4,505 sheep 10,822 " swine 35,018 Grasses. Clover and herds-grass have long been the favorite grasses in the county, but of late years clover has been giving place, to a great extent, to timothy, which is now extensively sowed. The German millet is also coming into favor in many neighborhoods, but as yet it cannot be classed as one of the general crops of the county. The es- timated average yields of these grasses is as follows: Herds-grass and timothy per acre, two tons ; German millet, three tons. There is also in the lowlands over the county a wild grass, called locally, swamp grass, which is said to grow luxuriantly, and of which stock of all kinds are remarkably fond. This swamp grass stands a drought well. Fruit, Vines and Berries, The most reliable fruits are the peach and the apple ; pears do well, especially the standard varieties, but the dwarfs are short lived and unreliable ; plums and cherries likewise da tolerably well, but they are not much valued or cultivated. Every year there is fruit in some neighborhoods of the county, and about " every other year" a good crop may be relied on. Grapes, espe- cially the wild varieties, seem to thrive particularly well, but most of the domestic varieties are subject to more or less rot, which fact prevents them from becoming an article of export from the county^ Berries of the kinds usually found in West Tennessee grow in great abundance, and are regarded as being very reliable. The muscadine is abundant. Forest Products. Good lumber can be procured in the county at from $15 to §20 per thousand feet, principally yellow poplar, but there is some red gum ; the other varieties are very scarce, and but little is shipped. Stock and Stock-raising. But very few persons are paying any at- tention to the improvement of stock. It is believed, however, that the plentifid supply of water, the wild grass which abounds, and the ex- tensive ranges in the county peculiarly adapt it to this branch of in- dustry. The Berkshires are the favorite hogs in the county, aud a dog law is very much wanted, and would be very popular with the farmers, most of whom would raise sheep, but cannot do so on account of the great number of shee[)-killing dogs which infest the county. 1036 Resources of Tennessee, Game and Fish. There is very little game in Carroll county ; prin- cipally turkeys, squirrels and birds, and they are rapidly getting scarce. Fish, also, are becoming very scarce, the most numerous varieties be- ing trout, perch, suckers and cat, and a very few buffalo. Markets. The principal markets are Nashville, Memphis and Louis- ville, via the Nashville and Northwestern, and the Memphis and Louisville railroads. There is also a good home market for everything which one may have to buy or sell. Population. According to the census report of 1870 the population of Carroll county was as follows: Whites, 14,648; colored, 4,799; total, 19,447. The People. As a general rale the people are industrious and thrifty, and there is a general spirit of improvement manifested, especially among the farming classes. New buildings are going up, old ones are being improved, fences are being built, and to a very limited ex- tent new lands are being cleared and made ready for cultivation. The ople express themselves as being anxious to welcome good settlers, but they have as yet made no effort worthy of the name to induce peo- ple to make their homes with tliem. They will be glad to have set- tlers come in, without resjiect to color or political proclivities. Some families have left the county recently, most of them going to Arkansas and Texas, but the general dis])osition of the ])eople is to stay at home, that is to say, in the county, but it is said that they arc equally as fond of confining themselves to their respective homes, the result being that they are not note4o Resources of Tennessee, Physical Geography, Geology and Soil. The country around Alamo, the county seat, is level for from three to five miles in every direction. Going north from Alamo, the county is level to the county line, going south, it is the same way, going west it is level for about three miles, and is then hilly to the county line ; eastward, it is level until the Madison fraction is reached, about three miles from Alamo, when it becomes quite hilly; north-west from Alamo, the hilly country com- mences in about two miles and extends to the county line. There are no hard rocks to be found on the surface or under it. In digging wells, sand is reached at about thirty-five feet below the surface in most sections of the county. The underlying formation is the LaGrange Sands, 116 of the map, but this is generally covered by the Orange Sand, which gives character to the region. The best lands are in civil districts numbers eight and twelve, which formerly belonged to Haywood county, and number twelve, which was taken from Dyer county. Number thirteen is also a rich body of land. The color of the soil in these four districts is very dark, (almost black) and has no sand. The poorest lands in the county are in the eastern districts, near the town of Gadsden, on the Memphis and Louisville Railroad, the color of the soil being reddish. The northern and south- ern districts, though not as good as those in the western part of the county, (numbers eiglit, ten, twelve and thirteen) are better than those in the eastern part, and yield very well. The staples in the county are cotton and corn, though only corn enough is raised to suj^ply the annual home demand. Health. The health of the county is not first-rate, owing to the fact that what are called the "West Tennessee bottoms" border it on the north and south, and there is too much malaria. It will compare very favorably, however, with other counties in this respect in the same section of country. Rivers, Creeks and Sprmgs. Crockett is not as well watered as many other counties in West Tennessee, the following named streams being the only ones worthy of esj)ecial mention: South Fork of the Forked Deer Kiver, forms the southern boundary line of the county. Middle Fork of the Forked Deer River forms the northern boundary. Pond Creek rises about 300 yards north of the town of Alamo, runs north- west, and empties into the main Forked Deer River near the town of Dyersburg, about twenty-five miles from Alamo. Cypress Creek rises TVes^ Tennessee. 1041 in Madison county, runs north-west, and empties into Forked Deer River ten miles north of Alamo. There are very few springs in the county, and none of them are very bold or noteworthy. For a supply of stock water, the people have to depend on artificial ponds, which are easdy made and hold well, and the ponds in the beds of the creeks which cease to run in summer. Many of these ponds hold water du- ring the greater part of the year. The dependence for household pur- poses are wells and cisterns. The water in all parts of the county is freestone, though two and a half miles west of Alamo there is a good well of mineral water, which is thought to have medicinal virtues. The water has not been analyzed ; it affects the liver very actively when taken even in small quantities. Timber. All of the various kinds of timber found usually in West Tennessee, except pine, are found in large quantities in Crockett county, though the varieties mostly abounding are oak and poplar. Land Statistics. It is impossible to give a perfectly accurate report of the products of Crockett county in 1873. However, according to the best information which has been attainable, the following es'timates for 1872 are very nearly correct : Whole number of farms ^ ^oa Farms having 3 to 10 acres ' V " 10 to 20 " ... qi 20 to 50 " .... 7ii 50 to 100 " .. qjn " 100 to 500 " .. Vfifi " 500 to 1000 " .'".'.'.■.'".■.■.■.■.■.■.■.■.■.■■.■.■.■.■.■.■.■.■.■ 4 Total value (not assessed) af farms ..'..'.".".".*..'.'.*.".'.".'.. .'.'.'$3'i'o6 460 Value of farming implements and machinery 140 152 " orchard products .'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.".'.'." i'stT " forest products .".".'.'.'."'.'.'.'.".'.'.'..'.'...'. 'sOS " home manufactures 5 157 " all livestock ............'...'.'....... 710595 Horses .. 2,239 number. Mules and Asses 2 511 " Milch Cows 2610 " Other Cattle 5299 " Sheep !......................' 2,824 " Swine 24 211 " Com .'.."."'.v.'.".'."!.";.'." 554^430 bushels. Wheat, winter 38 029 " ^ats ".".'.'.'.'.'..'.'.'." 6|686 " Irish Potatoes 2 328 " Sweet Potatoes 7 539 " Cotton !.'.."!!.'.'.'.'..'.".' 7^500 bales. Wool 6^751 pounds. Gutter 20,293 " 66 1042 Resotirces of Tennessee. The average yield per acre for the most prominent crops are as fol- lows: cotton, 700 pounds; corn, 35 bushels ; wheat, 10 bushels. There is very little tobacco raised, the amount being too small to admit of a general estimate being made. There are about 33^ per cent, of the farming lands of the county worked by renters, the rest being worked either by the land-owners or under their supervision. The usual terms of rent are as follows : when money rent is required the prices paid are, for cotton lands, per acre, $4 ; corn laud, $3 : small grain land, ^2.50. When part of the crop is required, the land-owner furnishing only the land, he gets one-third of the cotton and corn and one-half of the small grain. When he furnishes all but the labor, he gets one-half of the cotton and corn, and two-thirds of the small grain. The following are the average prices of land in the county: Best land $20.00 to 25.00 per acre. Medium land 12.00 to 20.00 " Inferiorland 5.00 to 12.00 " Not less than fifty per cent of the land can be purchased at these prices, and on the following terms : one-third cash, the balance in one and two years, a lein being reserved on the land to secure the payment of the second and third installments. Labor. Labor is very scarce throughout the county, the laborers being principally negroes, who are very unreliable. The farmers es- pecially are very anxious to welcome good laborers, and will prefer white men who are not afraid to work. Laborers can command the following wages : farm hands, per year, $180; per month, $18; per day, $1 ; cooks, per month, $7 ; house servants, $6. Cooks are in great demand, though the demand for house servants is not so great. Grasses. Very few persons are paying any attention to grasses, the " cotton fever " being universal. It is said, however, that herds-grass, timothy and clover all do well, and are valuable crops. Fruit. In the eastern section of the county, there are good quanti- ties of peaches and strawberries raised every year. The standard va- rieties of pears are reliable, and not much subject to blight ; but little attention is paid to them. The dwarf varieties are short-lived and un- reliable. In the other sections of the county, plenty of fruit is raised for home purposes, peaches and plums being the favorites. Grapes are cultivated to a considerable extent in the neighborhood of Gadsden, and yield well, but in the other sections of the county, though they do well, little attention is paid to them. J4^es^ Tennessee. 1 043 &toclz and Stock-raising. There is little or no blooded stock in Cro(;k- ■ett county, and the people are paying no attention to the improvement, grazing or raising of stock. There are a few Berkshire hogs ; but little oare is taken with them. There are no improved breeds of sheep ; in fact, this branch of industry is almost entirely neglected. Markets. Memphis, Louisville, Cincinnati and St. Louis are the markets to which all the cotton and other produce of the county are carried to be sold. Memphis, however, gets the bulk of the trade, as it is only eighty-six miles from Alamo, the county-seat, and is very accessible via the Memphis and Louisville Railroad. Population. Since the county was organized, there has been no ac- curate estimate made of the population, but multiplying the voting population (2,100) by 5, which is generally regarded as a fair rule, and it gives 10,500 as the actual population of the county, of which about one-fourth are colored. The People. As a mass, the people are not well educated. They are, however, a hard-working and law-abiding people, but in the strict sense of the term, they are not thrifty. The result is, that while they are generally in comfortable circumstances, their general want of en- terprise is felt by the county, which is developing but slowly. The drawbacks are, the want of a wholesome system of labor and the scar- city of railroads and good schools. hnmigration and Emigration. There has been but little immigra- tion to the section of country now included in Crockett county since the war. The majority of the few families or individuals who have moved in are from the counties of Middle and West Tennessee, with a few from Mississippi. Nor has there been much disposition manifested to leave the county, but those who have gone went to Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. In this connection it should be stated that the people are very conservative in their views and feelings generally, and will cordially welcome good citizens, regardless of political opinions. County Roads. The county roads of Crockett county are better than the average in West Tennessee, though they are far from being first-class. Though the new road law is not in force, and is not likely to be, the people work the roads sufficiently to render them passable at all seasons of the year. Railroads. The only railroad now running through the county is the Memphis and Louisville, which passes through the south-eastern I044 Resources of Tennesee. corner. Tbe Tennessee Central is chartered and surveyed to pass through the county, and will doubtless be completed. The Holly Springs, Brownsville and Ohio Railroad is also chartered and surveyed to run through the county, but its prospects at present are not very flattering. Toums and Villages. The following are the only towns and villages in the county worthy of mention : Alamo, the county seat, (formerly called Cageville) is located very near the center of the county, and has about 350 inhabitants. Gadsden, a station on the Memphis and Louis- ville Railroad, is eight miles east of Alamo, and has about 150 inhab- itants. Bell's Station, on the Memphis and Louisville Railroad, is six miles south-east of Alamo, and has about 400 inhabitants. Lonefield is five miles west of Alamo, and has about 50 inhabitants. Cairo is four miles north-west of Alamo, and has about 50 inhabitants. Chestnut Bluff is fourteen miles west of Alamo, and has about 100 inhabitants. Friendship is twelve miles north-west of Alamo, and has about 350 inhabitants. Quincy is four miles north of Alamo, and has only one store and a blacksmith shop, and a very few dwellings. Crockett Mills, seven miles north-west of Alamo, is a very small place, and has the best steam grist and saw-mill and cotton gin in the county. 3Iills. The average milling distance throughout the county is about five miles. The mills are generally good, and there are numerous good mill sites which might be improved. Churches. The leading denomination in the county is the Metho- dist, and the Christian ranks second. There is also a number of Baptist and Cumberland Presbyterian churches in the county. The church advantages are very good throughout the county. Any per- son can ride from two and a half to three miles and attend divine wor- shi]). In the towns and villages Sunday schools are generally well kept up, but this is not the case in the country. Newspapers. One newspaper is published in the county, the "Crock- ett County Sentinel," a democratic weekly, which is published in Alamo. It was established in May, 1873, and as yet has a limi- ted circulation. As a general rule the people of the county are not a i^'cading people, and but few papers of any kind circulate. A very small number of ])()litical and religious papers are taken, but the agri- cultural press is but indifferently patronized. The farmers are pretty well organized in Granges. PVes^ Tennessee. 1 045 DECATUR COUNTY. County Seat — Decaturvilt.e. Decatur county is bounded on the north by Benton county, on the south by the Tennessee River and Hardin county, on the east by the counties of Henderson and Carroll, and on the west by the Tennessee River. This county contains about 550 square miles. The number of acres returned for taxation, exclusive of town lots, is 322,690, valued at $3,214,148, or nearly ten dollars per acre. Divisions. There are twelve civil districts and twelve school districts in the county, which comprise all the artifical divisions in the county. The natural divisions are those which are created by the various creeks or rivers. It might also be mentioned that there is a ridge, known in the county as the " shore line," which traverses the county in a north and south direction, and forms two divisions known locally as the ^' sand district" and the " rocky district," the former being west of fhe ridge and the latter being east of it. History. Decatur county was formerly a part of Perry county, but in November, 1845, the General Assembly of the State passed an act, which went into effect on the first Monday in April, 1846, dividing Perry into two counties, giving to that of the old county lying west of the, Tennessee River the name of " Decatur county, in honor of and to perpetuate the memory of Commodore Decatur of the United States Navy, of whose services our nation should be proud and whose mem- ory should be revered." Health Statistics. The people of Decatur county claim to have one of the healthiest counties in West Tennessee, and with the exception of a few neighborhoods, this claim is not without foundation. In those sections of the county which are subject to be annually overflowed by the Tennessee River, and even in the immediate vicinity of these sec- tions there is more than a usual amount of sickness growing out of the superabundance of miasmas which rise from the overflowed terri- tory. But with these exceptions, the county is generally healthy, the prevailing diseases in summer being of the malarial type, and in the winter, affection of the hmgs. The mortuary list of the county will •compare very favorably with that of the other river counties in West Tennessee. 1046 Resources of Tennessee. Phydcal Geography. A large portion of Decatur is included in what is known as the Plateau or Slope of West Tennessee, the remaining part being in the West Tennessee Valley. The character of the country west of the Tennessee River and until the river bluffs are reached is. a rich dark alluvial soil, very porous, very deep and very productive. It is true some portions of this county are annually subject to over- flow, but on the high grounds are some of the best farming lands in the State. Tlie bluffs range with the meanderings of the river, as a general rule, the average distance from the v'w^r being about one and a fourth miles, though the valley in some places is as much as two miles wide, while in other places it is very narrow, the bluffs approaching very near to the river banks. West of the bluffs is a high, dry table land, which is not so rich and not nearly so productive as the valley or lowlands, and all over the table land is found a great deal of rock, which generally lies near the surface, frequently cropping out above ground. This indeed is the general character of this section of the county until what is known as the " old shore line" is reached, which extends from north to south through the county. Decaturville, the county seat is located upon this ridge. Going west from this ridge toward Henderson county, there is much sand and the districts in this part of \h.Q county are known locally as the " sand districts," not be- cause there is nothing but sand, but to distinguish them from the rocky districts east of the " shore line." The soil in these " sand districts'^ is very mellow, productive and rather thirsty. At a distance below the surface of about eight inches, on an average, is a light colored, grayish yellow clay, which is more porous than clay usually is, and is therefore more thirsty. But on the whole this land produces very well, and this section may be regarded as a very fine farming country. As a general rule the lowlands are planted in corn, and the uplands in cotton, wheat and peanuts. The highlands are well adapted to the growth of clover, and where there is a preponderance of sand in the soil, herds-grass and peanuts thrive especially well. Wheat generally does better in those sections of the county where there is less sand, and where the soil is stiffer than in the very sandy sections. In various portions of the county, especially upon or near the ridge, are numerous glades or bare tracts of land, sometimes containing several acres, which will ]>roduce nothing in the way of vegetation, but an occasional bush or little patches of wiry grass. These glades result from the disinte- gration of gray and sometimes reddish marly limestones, which con- tain occasionally interstatified thin cherty layers. The surface is JVes^ Tennessee, 1047 made up of the debris from these rocks, and consists of marly matter, mixed with angular calcareous and flinty gravel. Fossil shells, cri- noids, corals and sponges from the limestones are found in comparative abundance, mixed with the debris, and have made this region of glades classic ground to palaeontologists. These glades in fact, constitute a dis- tinctive feature of Decatur county. Formations. Beginning at a point about six and a half miles from the northern boundary line of the county, and immediately upon or very near the west bank of the Tennessee River, and extending through the county along its bank and out from the river to a distance varying from one-half to three miles, is found the formation known as the Niagara Limestone. The formation consists of thick-bedded crys- talline and fine grained [limestones, more or less argillaceous, and often weathering into shales. Most of the limestones are sparry and crino- idal. The series is divided into two nearly equal members, the sponge- bearing bed above and the variegated bed below, each about 100 feet in thickness. The lower bed is an alternation of gray, red and mot- tled layers, the crinoidal portions sometimes making a fair marble. Much of the mass tends to crumble into shale. The limestone of the upper beds are gray, and as in the lower beds, much of it weathers into shaly matter. On the hill-sides layers of this limestone frequently out- crop in two or three successive ledges, separated by intervals of shale. Thin layers of chert or flint often occur, interstratified with the lime- stone or embeded in it. In the report of Henry county it will be no- ticed that mention is made of a bed of this formation, which affords a very fair marble, some of which was used in laying the foundation of the court-house in Paris. It belongs to the variety of Tennessee marble known as the reddish variegated fossiliferous marble, and sec- tions of the same variety are found in Benton county, and also in De- catur county, though in Decatur no efforts have been made to develop the wealth of the beds. Resting on the Niagara limestone is a series of blue limestone, full of shells, and known as the Helderberg for- mation. These rocks are seen about Decaturville. They usually out- crop further west from the river than the Niagara. The western side of the county, from north to south, presents a far more recent forma- tion than those of the limestones mentioned. It is a bed of sand with with more or less of clayey leaves, and is known as the Coffee sand. Overlying all the formations mentioned, patches of the superficial group spoken of in the first part of this report as the Orange sand, are occasionally met with. The Orange sand consists of sand and gravel. 1048 Resources of Temiessee. The iron bauks are in it. At a few points immediately on the Ten- nessee River a blue limestone crops out from below the Niagara rocks which yields a good hydraulic cement. Rivers and Creeks. The Tennessee River forms the eastern boun- dary of Decatur county, dividing it from Perry county, and is of course worth much to the people of Decatur. There being no rail- roads in the county, all the exports go out by the way of the river, and all the imports are brought in the same way. Beech River, which rises in Henderson county, enters Decatur at a point about five miles a little north of west of Decaturville, and passing through the county from west to east, empties into the Tennessee River at a point about six miles a little north of east of Decaturville. It is the principal stream passing into or through the county. The only other streams in the county worthy of mention are Stewman's, Turnbull's, White's, Rushing's, Cub and Morgan's creeks, which pretty thoroughly water the county and aflPord ample milling facilities. These streams have each fine valley lands on both sides of them, some of the valleys being of considerable length and width. Of the Tennessee River valley enough has already been said, but it should be stated that the valley of Beech River is also a very superior one. The soil in this valley is perhaps, not so deep, nor so productive. The various creek bottoms on the creeks mentioned, also afford very superior farming facilities. Timber. There is a bountiful supply of superior timber in Decatur county, the growth, being poplar and the different varieties of oak gum, hickory, ash, cedar, pine, sugar-maple, wild cherry, walnut and some chestnut. As a very natural consequence, there are a number of saw-mills, which are engaged in sawing up the best timber into lum- ber, which is shipped by the way of the Tennessee River to various markets. The varieties which are shipped principally, are poplar, pine and walnut. Land Statistics. According to the best information to be had on the subject in 1873, there were in the county 662 farms of all sizes, as follows : Farms having 3 to 9 acres 9 " " 10 to 19 " 62 " " 20 to 49 " 245 " " 50to 99 " 224 " " 100 to 499 " 119 " " 500 to 999 " 1 JVest Tennessee. 1 049 Of the 41,205 acres of improved lands in the county, about two- thirds or 37,470 acres were worked in 1873 by the land-owners, while only about one-third or 13,735 acres were worked by renters. The general rule of renting is, for the land-owner to furnish everything but labor, when he gets of the crop one-third of the corn, oats and wheat, and three-fourths of the cotton. But in some instances the land-owner furnishes only the land, when he gets one-third of the corn, oats and wheat and one-fourth of the cotton. When land is rented for money, the usual charges are, for Best improved bottom lands S5.00 Medium bottom lands 3.50 Best improved uplands 4.00 Medium uplands 3.00 The inferior bottom lands, as well as the third class upland.s, are not highly prized and are not in demand for rent, renters always preferring to work the best land they can get. Of all the lands in the county, it is estimated that at least one-half can be purchased at reasonable fig- ures, the usual terms of .sale being one-third cash, the balance in one and two year.s, with lien reserved upon land to secure payment of unpaid purchase money. The usual prices asked and paid for land are as follows : Best improved lowlands, per acre S40.00 2d class improved lands " " 25.00 3d " " " " " 15.00 Best unimproved " " " 15.00 2d class " " " " 10:00 3d " " " " " 2.00 These lands include only the tillable lands of the county. There are very rich river bottom lands, which are subject to annual over- flow, that can be purchased at from three to five dollars per acre, but they are worthless except for the timber which is upon them. The lands generally of Decatur county yield well, as will be seen by the following table : Average yield per acre in corn 30 bushels. " " " " " cotton, (in seed) 700 pounds. " " " " "wheat 17bushels. " " " " "peanuts 25 " Some attention is paid t« the growing of grasses and such roots as are usually grown in West Tennessee. Until recently tobacco was rai.sed to a limited extent and it generally paid well, but since 1871 the rage has been for ])eauut.s, which that year jiaid even better than 1050 Resources of Tennessee. cotton. The crop of 1872, however, did not pay so well, and in 1873 it appears that the peanut rage had very materially subsided. Efforts were made to get correct statements as to the yields in 1873 of the various crops in the county, with the view of embodying them in this report, but as they failed, the reader must, perforce, be satisfied with the estimates of 1870, as taken from the census report of that year, with this assurance, however, that the estimates of 1870 and 1873 would not differ materially, except in the item of cotton, the estimate for 1870 being too great for 1873 on account of the rage for peanuts, which caused less cotton to be planted in 1873 than was planted in 1870. It should also be observed that in the census report for 1870, there was no estimate made of the peanut crop, which was insignificant then, but considerable now. With the exception of these two items, therefore, the following estimate, though compiled for 1870, will nevertheless give the reader a very fair idea of the yield for 1873 : Tobacco 44.630 pounds. Cotton 1^159 bales. Wheat 19,239 bushels. Oats 20,549 " Potatoes, sweet 15,913 " Potatoes, Irish 8,709 " Peas and beans 2,770 " Butter 96,348 pounds. As a general rule, very few grass-seeds are sown for hay and grazing, and hay is not an article of export ; in fact, not a sufficiency is raised in the county to supply the home demand, though the uplands gener- ally are well adapted to the growing of the various grasses. Among the few who pay any attention to grasses, clover is the favorite and it is thought to do better than any other grass, especially on the limestone and clayey lands. On the sandy lands herds-grass grows luxuriantly. Clover is usually allowed to stand two years without being turned under, to the great advantage of the land. Though there is a number of extensive marl beds in the county, no fertilizers are used. The lands are indifferently cultivated, the farmers using none of the scien- tific implements so much appreciated by scientific agriculturists, and pay no attention to saving or improving their lands. A few of them are beginning to understand the system of rotating their crops to their advantage, but a large majority of the farmers continue to work and manage (or mis-manage) just as did their fathers and grand-fathers before them. As a natural result of thes^ violations of the laws of nature, the lands are yearly becoming more and more worthless, and unless there is a wholesome and radical change, the future promises but little to tlic farming community of Decatur county. Wes^ TeJinessee. 1051 Stock Items. The same want of enterprise and judgment is as man- ifest in the mode of handling stock as in the mode of farming. Ko eflfbrts have been made to introduce the improved breeds of stock into the county, and little or no attention is paid to the stock on hand, which is all of common breeds. The object of the farmer seems to be merely to raise a sufficient number of mules and horses for his om n purposes, and so they are able to do his farm work, he seems entirely satisfied. Cattle and hogs are rarely fed, but are turned out to pick up a precarious living in the "commons," where wild grass is to be found, and few or many acorns, as the mast happens to be light or heavy. ^ Sheep would do well running at large, if it was not for the fact that the dogs are very destructive to them. Notwithstanding this fact the farmers still allow them to " look out for themselves," and they seem satisfied to take as their share of the mutton what happens to be left by the dogs. It is earnestly hoped, however, that there is a better time coming for Decatur county, when the agriculturist will understand that farming is a science as well as an art. The fol- lowing report of the live stock in the county is taken from census returns : Horses Number 1,238 Mules and asses " 628 Milch cows " 1,436 Working oxen " 754 Othercattle " 2,115 Sheep " 5,649 Swine " 13,508 The value of this stock was estimated to be $311,117 Labor. Decatur, like her sister counties, complains of a very great scarcity of labor. A large majority of the laborers in the county are white men, who are regarded as being generally more reliable than the negro laborers, but not even the whites cannot be said to be reliable. During certain months of the year they work well, but when the weather gets very hot or very cold they spend too much of the time which they have sold to their employers, either in the shade or by the fire. The following prices are asked by them and readily paid : Farm hands, per year, $180; per month, $20; per day, $1.60; cooks per month, $8 ; house servants, per month, $8. Markets. The markets at which the people of Decatur buy and sell are reached by water, the immediate outlet from the county, being the Tennessee River. Louisville, Cincinnati, Evansville and St. Louis are the principal ones. 1052 Resources of Tennessee. Iron Ore. The amount of iron ore in this county is considerable. The ore (limonite) is singularly free from flint, sand, sulphur and phos- phorus. Near Brownsport Furnace is a bank from twelve to twenty feet in thickness, and resting upon a limestone bed. This bank is capped with a cherty mass, and there is an unusually small proportion of dead matter. Brownsport Furnace is the only one in operation in the county. It is three miles from the Tennessee River. This furnace has been in operation forty years, and has now a capacity of 6,000 tons of pig metal per annum, or from eighteen to twenty tons per day. The stack is forty feet high and twelve feet between bosh. It blows with three tuyers, is hot blast and has all the modern improvements. It has a vertical engine, with twenty-four inch cylinder, and a blow- ing cylinder sixty inches in diameter. Sand rock for hearths is conve- nient, and the ore is dug within one hundred yards of the trundle head. For making a ton of iron 120 bushels of charcoal are used (2,688 cubic inches to the bushel). Coal costs seven and a half cents per bushel delivered. Ore delivered costs $2.00 per ton. About two and a quarter tons of ore make a ton of iron. The hauling of the pig iron to the river costs $1.25 per ton. Limestone is delivered at $1.00 per ton. The iron made is only suitable for castings, most of it being consumed for light castings, such as require strength and toughness. About 200 hands are kept employed. The People. The population of the county in 1870 was 7,722, of which 1,056 were colored. It may be said that the people are sober, reasonably industrious and law-abiding, but as a whole, they are neither educated, enterprising nor thrifty. It has been stated above that the farmers, as a class, are not enterprising, and the same with equal propriety may be said of the representatives of the other callings of life. Exceptional cases there are — men who are thoroughly alive, well advanced and up to the times, and who are thrifty and large prop- erty holders. Roads. The new road law has never been enforced in Decatur county, and under the misworkings of the old law, the county roads have not, and are not now, kept in good repair. In the sandy dis- tricts they are better than elsewhere, because they are more easily worked, and are not so liable to get in bad condition, but even there tliey could be put in better condition to the great comfort of the traveler who is (rom[)ellcd to pass over them, good or bad. TowriH and ViUa(/e.s. The only town (or village) worthy of mention JVest Tennessee. 1 05 3 is Decaturville, the county seat, which is located near the center of tlie county, about six miles west of the Tennessee River. It has a popu- lation of about 200 inhabitants, and does a very fair business, most of the people of the county doing their trading there. 3Iilh and Mannfadorks. Every neighborhood in the county has con- venient to it a good grist-mill, the average milling distances throughout the county being about four miles. Iron is about the only article which is manufactured in the county. School Statistics. The people of Decatur county have been, for many years past, very indiiFerent on the subject of education, so much so in- deed that it has been almost impossible to keep up a single really good school in the county. In March, 1872, the County Ccurt levied a tax of twenty cents on every hundred dollars worth of property for the purpose of establishing a system of free schools in the county ; but for some cause the matter stopped there, or at any rate the public schools were not established. The scholastic population is 2,357. Twenty- six free schools were in operation in the fall of 1873, three being for colored children. The total number enrolled being 964, between six and eighteen, and 127 between eighteen and twenty-one years of age. Churches. There are in the county about twenty church buildings owned by various Christian denominations, of which the leading are the Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist. The people are constant attendants upon divine services, and are very liberal in their support of the ministry. DYER COUNTY. County Seat — Dyersburg. Dyer county is bounded on the north by the counties of Obion and Lake, on the east by Gibson and Crockett, on the south by Haywood, Crockett and Lauderdale, and on the west by the Mississippi River. It has an area of about 600 square miles. The number of acres as- sessed for taxation in 1873 was 327,690, valued at $3,214,148. The assessed value of property is $4,072,081. The county is artificially divided into fourteen civil districts, and thirty-seven school districts. I054 Resources of Tennessee. The natural divisions are made by the different rivers touching or passing through the county, and by the Mississippi Bluff, which separ_ ates the highlands of the county from the Mississippi Bottoms, thereby creating two other divisions, known locally as the highlands and the bottoms respectively. History. The General Assembly, on the 16th day of October, 1823, passed the act authorizing the organization of Dyer county, and dur- ing the early part of the year 1824, it was formally organized. John Rutherford, Benj. Porter, John D. Burrus, Wm. Lyrrell and Dr. Thomas Hash were the first commissioned magistrates, and constitut- ing the first County Court, selected as their chairman John Ruther- ford, and as their first clerk, Wm. Mitchell. The first settlers in the county were principally from Middle Tennessee and Virginia. Health of the County. That part of the county included in the bot- toms, and also that in the immediate neighborhood of the Bluff, are more unhealthy than the other sections, except, perhaps, the various river and creek bottoms throughout the county. All these sections are subject to malarial diseases during the summer months. Upon the highlands the people generally enjoy excellent health, but no part of the county is favorable to consumptives, as the atmosphere is generally too damj). Physical Geography. Those portions of the county within the vari- ous river and creek bottoms are very flat, but the general surface of the highlands is gently undulating, except in the neighborhood of the Bluff, where it is very hilly. The country immediately around Dyers- burg, the county seat, is very level and fertile, and is well timbered and watered. Going north from Dyersburg to the county line, the surface is much more undulating, sometimes even hilly, but it is also fertile and well timbered. Southerly from Dyersburg to the county line the county is level agajn and very rich, and is covered with a dense growth of timber. Going east from Dyersburg to the county line, there are some slight hills, especially in the neighborhood of the various creeks which one will have to cross going in this direction, but with these exceptions the country is very level. AVest from Dyers- burg a few miles, the Mississippi Bluff is readied, and in this imme- diate vicinity, as already stated, there are many and very steep hills. Before these bluff hills are reached, the country is level, and after they have been passed, it again becomes flat, and continues so to the Mississippi River. The soil of Dyer county is generally a dark West Tennessee. 1055 rich loam, with a subsoil of yellow clay ; but in the western district there is considerable sand, and the soil is much lighter in color. The bottom lands are alluvial, and the soil is remarkably deep, ranging from five to twenty feet in depth. By far the greater portion of the county east of the Bluflt' is comprised in what is called by scientists the bluff loam region, where the soil is generally a rich siliceous loam, somewhat calcareous. In this region the soil is lighter, being of a dark yellowish hue. This section is all included in the Plateau or Slope.of West Tennessee, and of Dyer and Obion counties. Dr. Saf- ford, the State Geologist, says '' it may not be too much to assert that Obion and Dyer, the uplands of which belong to this belt, are natur- ally the richest counties in the State. Here, at any rate, may be seen a growth of great poplar, walnut, beech, white oak, etc., unsurpassed, I am sure, by anything elsewhere in Tennessee." As to the produc- ing qualities of these soils particular mention vail be made further on in the pages of this report, but it will not be out of place, in this con- nection, to observe that in no part of the State do they produce better or last longer. In fact the subsoil, when . Creek rises ten miles south-east of Brownsville, runs north-west, and empls into Big Muddy Creek eight miles south-west of Brownsville. R^hland Creek rises in the edge of Hardeman county, ^^^^-^^^ south-east of Brownsville, ranges north-west, and empties into Hatchie River seven miles south-east of Brownsville. The following rivers are the only two which pass through the county • Hatchie River enters the south-eastern corner of the county Lm Hardeman county, ranges rather north of west, and passes out of the county so as to form the dividing line between the counties of Lauderdale and Tipton. North Forked Doer River enters the north- logS Resources of Tennessee. eastern corner of the county from Madison county, ranges north-west, and passes out of the county so as to form the dividing line between the counties of Lauderdale and Dyer. There are very few springs in the county, and none are large, or afford mineral water. In the vicinity of Brownsville they are more frequent than in any other section. Lakes. Haywood county abounds in lakes, as will be seen from the following enumeration and description : Wesley's Lake, eight miles south-west of Brownsville, is about one and a half miles long, 300 yards wide and from three to ten feet deep; it is three-fourths of a mile from Hatchie River, is full of clear, cold water, and is surrounded by a vigorous growth of cypress trees, though the lake itself is free from trees. Powell's lake is six miles south-east of Brownsville, is one mile long, 150 yards wide, and from three to ten feet deep. Swan Jjake and Hardwick Lake are smaller bodies of water, in the same neighborhood as Powell's Lake. All of the lakes mentioned are south of Hatchie River, but the following are north of that stream : Horseshoe Lake, five miles south-west of Brownsville, is one mile long, 100 yards wide, and from five to twelve feet deep. Long Lake is half a mile below Horseshoe Lake, is three-fourths of a mile long, 100 yards wide and from three to eight feet deep. Drain Lake is one- fourth of a mile below Long Lake, is about one mile long, 150 yards wide and from four to twenty feet deep. All of these lakes abound in fish, of which the predominating varieties are buffalo, l)lue cat, white, black and sun perch, drum and jack. Another very singular body of water is Moore's Lake, which is four and a half miles south-west of Brownsville, is half a mile long, 100 yards wide, and from four to eight feet deep. Its bottom abounds in springs, and the water of the lake is icy cold ; in fact it is so cold as to l)e unpleasant for those who might wish to sein it. It is not regarded as favorable for fishing, as it abounds in pike fish, which are not much esteemed, and are very destructive to other fish. The rest of the lakes are much frequented by picnic and fishing parties. They are very clear and attractive, are surrounded with beautiful grasses and grate- ful shade, and in the neighborhood of all of them are numerous springs which, in a great measure, feed theiii. Timhcr. There is an abundance of good timber all over the county, the different varieties of oak being regarded as the best; there are also poplar, gum, and along the rivers cypress and other varieties. The principal undergrowth is pawpaw and hazlenut. West Tennessee. 1099 Statistics. Since 1870, no perfectly accurate report has been made giving the land statistics of the county. It is stated, however, by residents of the county, that allowing for the four civil districts (one-fourth of the whole number) which were taken off of Haywood in part to form the county of Crockett, the figures returned to the census bureau for 1870 will still be approximately correct. The fol- lowing are the figures of the census returns less one-fourth : Cash value of farms $ 889,347 " " farming implements and machinery 82,167 " " all farm productions 1,052,622 " " orchard products 800 " " home manufactures 6,829 " " animals si aughsered or sold for slaughter 121,979 " " alllivestock 497,129 Number horses 1,629 " mules and asses 1,417 " milch cows 2,011 " working oxen 264 " other cattle 3,506 " sheep 3,905 " swine 15,386 Bushels of spring wheat 159 " winter " 38,722 « pyg 339 « Lidian corn 392,191 « oats. 7,288 Bales, of cotton 7,883 Pounds of wool 7,589 Bushels of Irish potatoes 10,014 sweet " 23,278 Pounds of butter 67,305 Tons of hay 247 Gallons of sorghum 2,375 Pounds of honey 13,638 The following table will show the number of farms in the county, and the relative size of each : Total number of farms 722 Number having 3 and under 10 acres 3 " " 10 " " 20 " 75 " " 20 " " 50 " 244 " " 50 " " 100 " 211 " " 100 " " 500 " 179 « " 500 " " 1,000 " 9 " " 1,000 " over I About ten per cent, of all the lands in Haywood are subject to over- 1 1 oo Resources of Tennessee. flow, or are otherwise iintillable. Not less than fifty per cent, of the improved lands are annually rented out, and twenty-five per cent, of all the land in the county can be purchased at reasonable prices. The fol- lowing facts may be of interest to those who may desire to rent land in the county: Average rental of best lands, per acre, $5; of other lands, $3.5(>. Some farmers rent out their cotton lands for fifty pounds of lint cotton per acre, but this price is not often obtained. When the land-owner furnishes only the land, and crops on shares, he gets one-third of the cotton and one-third of the corn. When every- thing is furnished but the labor, the laborer feeding himself, the land- owner gets one-half of the crop. The following average of the prices of laud in the county may be relied on: Average price of best lands, per acre, $25; medium, $20; inferior, $7.50. There is very little inferior land in the county. The usual terms of sale are one-third cash, the balance in one and two years, with interest on deferred payments, and lien reserved to secure payment. Crops. The staple is cotton, but a sufficiency of corn to supply the home demand is generally raised. Much more attention is paid to the growing of wheat than to the growing of any of the other small grains; though some attention is paid to oats. Haywood is not, in any sense, a tobacco county, and little or none is raised. The great object is cot- ton. The following average of the yields are as nearly correct as can be made: Average yield of cotton, per acre, 750 pounds; corn, 25 bushels. Grasses. There is not much attention paid to the growing of grasses, though some herds-grass and clover are grown, and do reasonably well, yielding about one ton of hay per acre. German millet is being intro- duced and promises well, but as yet there has not been sufficient atten- tion paid to it to justify an estimate of its average yield. Labor. There is, and has been since the war, an abundance of farm labor in Haywood, principally colored, though in some sections there are a few white laborers. The native negro labor is regarded as relia- ble, especially the old and middle aged men ; the young men are too fond of city life. The white laborers are not, as a class, regarded as relia- ble ; though there are said to be young white men from North Caro- lina and East Tennessee, who have recently settled in the county and are making good character as laborers. The following prices are paid for hands : IVesl Tennessee. ^^°^ $200 For farm hands, per year ^^ ^^ ^20 <« " " per month g„ " " " per day ^ ^^ « hands in town, per day 7 to 10 Cooks, per month ^ ^^ g House servants, per month The demand for good cooks is especially great, and house servants are wanted in toAvn and country. FrvMs This county is not a first-class fruit region; peaches thrive well, and so do the standard varieties of pears, but they are short- lived Apples are very uncertain, and the dwarf varieties of the pear are subject to blight, and live but few years ; cherries are not much grown, nor are any of the other kinds of stone fruit not mentioned. Grapes, both the domestic and wild varieties, yield with reasonable certainty, and especially is this true of the Scuppernong. Forest Products. Lumber is not a staple of the county; in fact there is not enough sawed to supply the home demand^ and more than half that is used in the county is imported from other sections of the btate. Saw-mills are very few. Stock and Stock Raising. But few persons are paying attention to the raising and improvement of stock. Those who have been and are engao-ed in the business, have been at heavy expense, and have even imported fine stock from Europe, but their labors, while individually remunerative, are not appreciated. Markets. Memphis, via. the Memphis and Louisville Railroad, is the principal cotton market for the county. In fact it is the market, since there is little of anything else shipped. Immigration and Emigration. Immigration to the county since 1870 has not been heavy, though a goodly number of families have moved mn principally from North Carolina, though some were from Virginia, Mississippi, Georgia and East Tennessee, and a few from the northern States Some families and individuals have left the county since 18^0, going principally to Texas, a few to Arkansas and some to Kansas. Manufactories. The principal manufacturing establishment in the county is the large cotton factory at Brownsville. The building is of brick 160 feet long and 80 feet wide, two stories high, with ample Winers, and is supplied with the very best machinery. The factory has or will have in a short time, 100 looms in operation, and will turn out 5 000 yards of domestics daily. The hands employed are mostly native II02 Resources of Tennessee. white girls and women, who earn a handsome support by their indus- try. A barrel factory is in operation in the city. Roads. But little attention is paid to the county roads, the over- seers working them before the opening of each Circuit Court (three times a year), just enough to save themselves from being indicted. The result is, they are in bad condition at all times, but in the winter they are frequently almost impassable. The new road law is not in force. Railroads. The Memphis and Louisville Railroad enters the county from the east, very near its north-eastern corner, extends south-west, passing entirely through the county and out of it very near its south- western corner. The Holly Springs, Brownsville and Ohio Railroad has been chartered to run from Brownsville, near the center of the county, ranging north, passing through Newbern in Dyer county, and on to a point opposite Cairo, Illinois. But as yet little progress has been made in the construction of this road, and the people are not san- guine as to its success. The Denmark, Brownsville and Durharaville Railroad Company has a charter to build a road from Denmark in Madison county to Durhamville in Lauderdale county, but very little work has been done as yet. The two last named roads are to be nar- row gauge. Tovms and Villages. The following are the towns and villages in the county, with their several locations given: Brownsville, the county seat, is located near the center of the county ; had at the close of the war about 1,200 inhabitants; has now about 6,000; is well supplied with churches, there being two Baptist, two Southern Methodist, one North- ern Methodist, one Cumberland Presbyterian, one Old 'School Presby- terian, one Christian, one Catholic, one Episcopalian and three colored churches ; has one foundry, two planing mills and sash factories, two carriage factories, one flouring-mill, one barrel factory and one cotton- gin factory. It' has also excellent schools for males and females. It is the center of a heavy trade and is really one of the best business points in West Tennessee, excelling as a cotton market, buying and shipping from 20,000 to 25,000 bales of cotton annually. Dancyville is twelve miles south of Brownsville, and has about 200 inhabitants. Stanton is twelve miles south-west of Brownsville and has about 400 inhabitants. Woodville is sixteen miles north-west of Brownsville and has about fifty inhabitants. There are other small villages in different parts of the county, where people can buy dry -goods, groceries, etc., but the principal trade of the entire county is done in Brownsville. JVesf Tefinessee. 1103 Milh. There is no first-class water-power in the county, bnt there are some good mills mostly run by steam. The average milling dis- tance throughout the county is about five miles. School Statistics. Heretofore but little interest has been manifijsted in public schools in the county. This indifference is in a good degree attributed to the fact that the negrg population in the rural districts is largely in excess of the white. In fact, there are but few neighbor- hoods in which the white population is large enough to sustain good schools, consequently farmers have been compelled to send their chil- dren from home to be educated. The present scholastic population ^ between the ages of six and eighteen years, is 6,401, of which nearly two-thirds are black. There are no private institutions of learning in the county outside of Brownsville, where there are two chartered fe- male schools and one chartered male school, besides other institutions, gene rally with small numbers of pupils. Churches. Every neighborhood has good church advantages, and the different denominations rank in numbers and wealth as follows: 1st, Baptist ; 2d, Methodist ; 3d, Old Presbyterian. The other de- nominations are numerically and financially weak. Newspapers. There are two newspapers published in the county, the Brownsville Bee and Brownsville States, both of which are Democratic weeklies. Agricultural Associations. There is one fair association in the county known as the Haywood County Fair Association, which is in its sec- ond year, and promises to succeed. Indebtedness. The bonded debt of Haywood, created for railroad purposes, and originally $100,000, is now $88,000, the difference hav- ing been retired. The bonds bear eight per cent, interest and are quo- ted at 97c. The proceeds of the bonds were expended on the Holly Springs, Brownsville and Ohio Railroad, of which only twenty-two miles have been graded, the work being stopped because of exhaustion of means. 1 1 04 Resources of Tennessee. HENDERSON COUNTY. County Seat — Lexington. The act of the Legislature creating this county was passed Novem- ber 7, 1821, and the organization took place shortly afterwards. Hen- derson county embraces about 590 square miles, and contained a pop- ulation in 1870 of 14,217, of which only 2,408 were colored. This shows a great sparseness of population, there being only twenty-four persons to each square mile in the county. The number of acres as- sessed for taxation in 1873 was 374,287, valued at ^2,812,860, or about $7.50 per acre. The census returns give as the whole number of acres in the county 330,132, of which 92,250 were improved. Health. The people of Henderson county enjoy a fair measure of health, the principal diseases during the summer and spring months being chills and fever and bilious fever, and during the fall and winter months typhoid fever and pneumonia. The mortuary list of the county is not unusually large, and indeed will compare very favorably with that of the adjoining counties. Physical Geography and Geology. There is a great variety of surface in Henderson county, which renders it, in appearance, one of the most interesting counties in the State. There is also a great variety of soils, which enable farmers to raise many kinds of products. The country immediately around Lexington, the county seat, is very rough and hilly. For a distance of four or five miles east and west of Lexington this hill conutry extends, and going north or south it reaches to the extreme limits of the county. The Tennessee Ridge, of which fre- quent mention has been made, extends through this section of the county, and the high lands which constitute this ridge include proba- bly the roughest and most picturesque country in West Tennessee. This ridge, the reader will remember, divides the waters of tlie Mis- sissippi from those flowing into the Tennesse River, and proceeding to the east or west the surtuce of the country very perceptibly declines. In either direction the boldness and height of the hills decrease until the country becomes simply undulating before the county lines are reached. On the east side of the ridge the country breaks away more rapidly, and is much rougher than on the west. In fact, the west side is tiic u])pcr part of the great Slope which gradually declines to the bluffs facing the Mississippi bottoms. Doubtless the highest land in Wes^ Tennessee. 1 105 West Tennessee is in Henderson and the northern part of McNairy counties. Many different streams, flowing to all parts of the compass, take their rise in the portion of the ridge in this section. Notwith- standing the general roughness of the surface, Henderson has much superior farming land. The highland ridges are generally poor, and produce badly, but in all low places, and even upon the highlands where the ground is level, the soil is good and produces well. From the tops and sides of the spurs which run out from the ridge the soil has been washed away to a great extent, and having lodged in the lower and flat lands between them, have produced some of the best farming lands in the State. There are several river and creek bottoms in the county, but the valleys which are everywhere met with owe their existence principally to the main water-shed and its minor branches or spurs. These valleys generally are neither very long nor very wide, but they are sufficiently extensive to admit of good farms, which are more valued than any others in the county. With the exception of the Orange Sand Drift, which spreads its rolled sand and gravel beds over portions of the county, the formations are nearly all Cretaceous. In the eastern part the belt of Green Sand extending northward from McNairy and Hardin, is met with. At some points wells are bored in this. Its outcrops are known by the large fossil oyster shells which it contains. Overlapping the Green Sand on the west, and running through the middle of the county, is the belt of Ripley Sands, w^hich in turn is succeeded by the outcrop of the Flat- wood clays and sands. The north-western part of the county appears to show, resting upon the formations mentioned, a limited area of the LaGrange Group. Rivers, Creeks, etc. Henderson county is as well watered as most of the adjoining counties. The principal stream is Beech River, which rises about ten miles west of Lexington, runs east, passing nearly through the center of the county, and also through Decatur county, and empties into the Tennessee River. Big Sandy River rises about ton miles north of Lexington, runs north, and passes out of the county into Carroll county at a poiut about fourteen miles from the extreme north-east corner of the county. North Forked Deer River also rises in Henderson county, about twelve miles north-west of Lexington, runs north-west, and passes into a corner of Carroll county at or very near the j)oint where the extreme southern line of Carroll touches the western line of Henderson. North Branch of the South Forked Deer 70 1 1 o6 Resources of Tennessee. River also rises in the county about twelve miles sonth-west of Lexing- ton, runs thence almost due west, and passes into Madison county at a point about half way between the north-west and south-west corners of the county. South Forked Deer River has also a beginning in Hen- derson county, rising about seventeen miles south-west of Lexington, ranging thence a little west of south until near the south line of the county, when it turns, thence ranging north-west and passing into Madison county at a point about five miles north of the south-west corner of Henderson county. Almost every neighborhood has good stock water, which lasts all the year. Unlike most of the streams of West Tennessee, they generally have a good fall, and run rapidly. They have sandy beds and clear, sweet water. Land Statistics. From the census report of 1870 the following figures are taken, which will show the number of farms in Henderson county at that time, and the relative size of each : Whole number of farms in the county 1,923 Farms having 3 to 10 acres 141 " " 10 to 20 " 335 " " 20 to 50 " 755 " " 50to 100 " 466 " " 100 to 500 " 223 " " 500 to 1000 " 3 Though these estimates were made for 1870, they will nevertheless give a pretty correct idea on the subject at present. Included in those 1,923 farms are 92,250 acres of improved land, of which, in 1873, about one-third were rented out, the remaining two-thirds having been worked by the land-owners or under their immediate supervision. The usual terms of rent are for one-third of the crops, the land-owner fur- nishing only the land ; or two-thirds of the crop, he furnishing every- thing but the labor. When money rent is required, the following prices are usually paid : Best land $4.00 per acre. Medium land 3.00 " Tlurd-class land 2.00 One-half of the land in the county can be purchased at reasonable prices and on reasonable terms. The usual terms of sale are for one- third or one-fourth cash, the balance in one and two or one, two and three years, with lien reserved upon the land. The following will show the prices asked and paid for land in the county : Wesi Tennessee. 1 1 07 First-class improved lands, per acre S30.00 Second-class improved lands " " 20.00 Third-class " " " " •, 10-00 First-class'unimproved " " " 20.00 Second-class " " " " 10-00 Third-class " " " " 5-00 The following table wilFshow the productiveness ol the soils : Average yield per acre in corn 30 bushels. " " " " " i,vheat 10 " " " << " "oats 1'^ " " " " " " cotton, (in seed) 700 pounds. " " " "tobacco 800 » " " "hay 3,000 In spite of the hills, Henderson county farms produce well, and the land commands good prices, either from renters or buyers. With careful culture, the same lands that now produce as much as thirty bushels of corn per acre can be made to produce one-third as much more, and so with other products. But the farmers pay little attention to fertilizers. With millions of pounds of fertilizers (Green Sand) almost at their very doors, they are allowing their land oftentimes to fall below remunerative yields of the staple crops. 8toch and Stock-raising. Henderson is naturally a very good stock county, but the advantages which nature has given to the farmer in this respect, are not improved. Every farmer raises annually seme stock, and many of them raise some to sell, but no attention is paid to pure breeds. Indeed, there has been made, so far, but little effort even to introduce blooded males, with the view of improving the native breeds. The following from the census report of 1870, will show what the people were doing then in the way of stock-raising, and will give, also, a very fair idea of what they are now doing: Value of all live stock in the county $732,519 " animals slausrhtered, or sold for slaughter 232,186 Horses Nun-.ber 2,816 Mules and asses ' ivr-, . ..." 3,649 fi'^t •- " 1308 ^f"-^^"''- " 10,168 f^^P . " 32,559 Swine i^dn Pounds of wool saved oqat butter made 142,847 1 1 08 Resources of Tennessee. These figures speak for themselves, and show that taking as the- basis of the estimates, quantity or numbers and not quality, Henderson ranks as one of the leading stock counties in West Tennessee. Labor. The same complaint is heard in this county as in the other counties of West Tennessee, of the scarcity of reliable laborers. A majority of the laborers, at present, are white. They are preferred by the farmers, and while they will be glad to welcome good laborers of any color, they will prefer whites. The following prices are paid: Farm hands, per year, from $150 to $200; per month, $15 to $20; per day, $1 to $1.50; cooks, per month, $6 to 10; house servants, %h to $8. Markets. There being no railroads in Henderson, the people are compelled, in a great measure, to depend upon river navigation. At least those in the eastern districts depend upon the Tennessee River, which is reached through Decatur county. Those persons living in the northern and north-western districts are convenient to the Louis- ville and Memphis Railroad, while those in the south-western and southern districts are nearer to the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The markets of Henderson county are therefore Cincinnati, Evansville^ Paducah and St. Louis by water, and Louisville, Memphis and Nash- ville by rail. Tlie People. The people of Henderson county are honest, intelli- gent, and social, but not very enterprising, thrifty, or educated. The farming community especially is wanting in enterprise. Most of the farmers are pursuing the same routine upon their farms followed by their ancestors before them. They are satisfied with a comfortable subsistence, and being away from the highways of commerce, they are not stimulated to any extraordinary exertions. They have but little re- gard for conveniences, and so far as labor-saving implements are con- cerned, they are but little known, or at any rate, but seldom seen. County Roads. The same facts are true of the roads here as of those of the adjoining counties. Little or no attention is paid to keep- ing them in good repair, and as a natural result, at certain seasons of the year they are almost impassable, when a very reasonable amount of labor and money properly expended would keep them in excellent condition. There is no railroad running into or through the county, and but little prospect of one. Toions. Lexington, the county seat, is the principal town. It is located very near the center of the county, in a hilly and })icturesque Wes^ Tennessee. 1109 •country ; has about 250 inhabitants, and controls the principal business -of the county. The country around it is very healthy, and is a fair farming area. Booth's Point, Center Point, Crucifer, Jack's Creek Juno, Mifflin, Scott's Hill, Shady Hill, and Wildersville are all small, villages, with from three to ten business houses each. Mifflin, in the western part of the county is the largest, having a population of 150. Mills and Manufactories. Henderson is not a manufacturing county, though a good deal of cloth is made in families. According to the census report of 1870, the value of its home manufactures was $132,- 767. It is well supplied with mills, and the average milling distance throughout the county will not exceed four miles. There are also a few woolen factories. School Interests. Schools are scarce. No tax has been levied for the support of common schools. The county has been divided into twenty school districts, they being co-extensive with the civil districts, and the superintendent expects, before the close of the year 1874, to succeed in completing the necessary arrangements for accommodating all w^ho, under the law, are eligible, and desire to share in the benefits of the common school system. The following facts will show what has been done: Scholastic population between 6 and 18: white male, 12,218; female, 2,088; total white, 4,306; colored male, 412; female, 418; total colored, 830; total, 5,136. Number white schools organ- ized, 8; colored, — ; total, 8. Number white pupils between 6 and 18 enrolled, 245; colored, — ; total, 245. Churches. The people of Henderson county are a church-going people, and almost, if not quite every neighborhood, has one or two, or more churches convenient to it. The leading denominations repre- sented in the county are the Methodist, Baptist, Cumberland Presby- terian, and Christian. • HENRY COUNTY. County Seat— Paris. Henry county embraces about 570 s(piare miles, and had a popula- tion in 1870 of 20,380, of which 5,204 were colored. The number of acres, exclusive of town lots, assessed for taxation in 1873 was 357,- 705, valued at |2,81 2,860, or $7.86 per acre. The county is the ex- mo Resources of Tennessee. treme north-eastern county of West Tennessee, and is bounded on the north by Kentucky, on the east by Stewart, Houston and Benton, on the south by Benton and Carroll, and the west l)y Weakley. The Tennessee River forms the boundary between Henry on the west, and Stewart and Houston on the east, and Big Sandy, on the east, separ- ates this county from Benton. This county was organized in the year 1822. Geology. The eastern edge of Henry county rests on some of the older rocks. Upper Silurian limestones and Carboniferous rocks showing themselves. The variegated marble on Big Sandy has been mentioned in the introduction to West Tennessee. Bluflfe of blue flaggy and fos- siliferous limestones of the Lower Helderberg epoch (which together with the marble, belong to the Upper Silurian) are also seen on Sandy. The middle and western parts of the county rest on much more recent formations, members of the Cretaceous and Tertiary divisions. The latter formations are great strata of sands' and laminated clays. The line of separation between the older and newer formations marks the position of the old shore line, of which mention has been made in another part of the Report. Over all the rocks patches of the gravel and sand of the superficial formation, or drift, called the Orange Sand, are often met with. A few fine specimens of pot and gravel iron ore have been found in the hills on the dividing ridge, and some think that there are rich beds of it, but if so, their location is unknown. There are many rich beds of potter's clay of the finest quality. One of these, near the mills of Palmer & Thomas, through which their race is cut, was ])rofitably worked before the war, but the proprietor, losing his property, has not been able to resume operations. A small capital invested here would pay a very large dividend. It is in a mile or less of Porter's Station on the Memphis and Louisville Railroad. Topography, Soils and Lands. The Tennessee Ridge, which divides the waters running into the Tennessee River and those running into the Mississip})!, passes through the central part of the county, entering near Macedonia, runs north, and passes out near Conyersville. Along the course of tins ridge there is a narrow strip of land that is hilly, so much so that the soil, which is thiu, when cleared ofl and subjected to cultivation, soon washes away. By ])roper care, however, it will last a good many years, and ])roduces fine crops of wheat, corn and cotton. It is well adapted to the growing of apples, peaches, pears, etc., and so far as the grape has been tried, it does finely. The native musca- West Tennessee. 1 1 1 1 dine, from which a dinner wine is made, flourishes to perfection. The lands along this line are well timbered, can be bought cheap, and if in the hands of enterprising fruit-growers, could be made to yield highly remunerative crops. East of "the ridge" the surface soon becomes level, or gently undulating, the soil being a light sandy loam, under- laid with a stratum of sandy or gravelly clay. The more level uplands have good depths of soil, are underlaid with red clay, more or less mixed with sand, and are capable of indefinite improvement. West of the "divide " the surface, at first gently sloping, soon becomes quite level, the soil more compact, often mixed with gravel, underlaid with red, and in some spots, whitish clay, exceedingly fertile, and is as pretty farming lands as can be found in Tennessee. Taking into con- sideration all the advantages of soil, of climate, variety of productions and facilities for transportation, the prices of lands in this county are very low. Stimulated by the prospect of several new railroads being built through the county at an early day, the price is advancing, and will, some think, continue to advance until it reaches something near its worth. Improved lauds are worth from $10 to §50 per acre, and unimproved from $5 to $20. The average price for good improved land is about $20 to $25. The usual land payments are one-third cash, the balance in equal payments on a credit of one and two years. Timber. But little over half of the lands being improved, there is an abundance of very fine timber. All kinds of oaks abound — white oak for sawed lumber for fences, floors, laths, felloes, spokes, etc.; the post oak for posts and railroad ties, and the red oak for boards, rails, tanbark, etc. There is an abundance of the finest of hickory, suitable for axletrees, spokes, hubs, handles, hoops, etc., also poplar, walnut, gum, beech, cherry, and chestnut for building and cabinet lumber. There are also elm, ash, birch, maple, locust, mulberry, hornbeam, dogwood, redbud, haw, sassafras, plum, pawpaw, persimmon, hazel, huckleberry, etc. Some of the white oaks will measure six and eight feet in diameter, three feet from the ground. There is an excellent opening here for the location of a factory to manufacture this timber into handles, axletrees, felloes, spokes, etc. ■ Crops. The soils are well adapted to the production of cotton, to- bacco, corn, wheat, rye, oats, clover, the grasses, peas, beans, potatoes, sorghum, etc. The great staples are cotton and tobacco, both of which grow nearly or quite as well liere as in any portion of the State. Clo- ver has been sown extensively since the war and does well. Even on lands nearly exhausted by long cultivation, a " catch" is easily obtained 1 1 1 2 Resources of Tennessee. by sowing seventy-five pounds of jilaster to the acre. The grasses do well, especially red top, timothy, orchard and Hungarian. Many of the farmers could profitably turn their attention exclusively to the pro- duction of hay, and raising improved stock, and no doubt would have done so, to a greater extent, but for the fact that in farming on shares, cotton and tobacco at present prices pay well. As soon as the prices of these great staples get too low to be remunerative, a great change will take place in this particular. On lands that are well adapted to raising hay, stock, fruits, vegetables, etc., the farmers should turn their attention in this direction, and then a new era of prosperity will dawn upon them and they will become a more wealthy and happy people. All varieties of hardy fruits succeed well, and large quantities of trees have been planted since the war. Many, however, have erred in buy- ing from northern nurseries, and getting varieties that will not do well in this climate. This (m ror is not likely to occur again, however, as the West Tennessee Nurseries, located some seven miles southeast of Paris, are now propagating everything in the nursery line, and take especial pains to recommend nothing that has not been tried and found to do well. Rotation of Crops— Method oj Culiure. The farmers, like those in other sections of the State, have not given sufficient attention to the rotation of crops. The system practiced by most good farmers is corn, wheat, clover ; tobacco, wheat, clover ; or cotton, wheat, clover; some- times rye or oats taking the place of wheat. The land is usually bro- ken up with two horses or mules, the after cultivation being done by a single horse or mule. Usually the farmers do not plow deep enough, but are beginning to realize the importance of doing so. Subsoiling is practiced to a limited extent, but so far there is not an underdrain in the county. Streams and Mills. The Tennessee River on the east divides this <-)unty from Stewart, but a wide difference obtains in the rocky for- mation of the two counties. Stewart is characterized by hills of white and blue limestone, flint and slate, and her waters are impreg- nated with lime, constituting hard water. Henry has local sandstone, in unstratificd masses, these masses being beds of sand consolidated by siliceous and ferruginous cements. The waters are free from lime, and is what is called freestone or soft water. From the dividing ridge already mentioned as passing through the center of the county, many fine streams issue which traverse the county in all directions, affording water-power in abundance. Obion River proper is composed West lennessee. 1113 of three "forks," known as the South, Middle and North Forks of Obion. The Middle Fork rises and runs for some distance in this county, and has on it several mills. The North Fork runs through the north-western portion of the county and drives two flouring-mills and one saw-mill. West Sandy runs through the eastern part of the county and has several fine mill sites. Its tributaries, Hally and Bailey's Fork, afford the finest water privileges in the county. On Hally Fork there is a woolen factory, and at the same place is a large saw and flour- ing-mill. There are three other good mills below, within five miles. On Bailey's Fork are situated the finest mills in the county. There are also several cotton factories and one woolen mill and gin. Big Sandy River, which divides this county from Benton on the east, has several fine mills, the most important of which are the " Sandy Mills." Here a canal from the pond above has been carried around the mill into the river below, a distance of three hundred yards. It is dug through a stiff gravelly marl, which seems as little susceptible to the action of water as rock itself. It affords a head of ten feet, and has power to run, without interfering with the mill, a 44-inch turbine wheel. Other streams with mills on them are Clark and Blood rivers, Terrapin, Bear, Eagle, Gwin's, Bird's and S})ring creeks. There are also numerous small streams and springs affording an abundance of water for man and beast. Mineral Water. About four miles from Springville, on the Louis- ville and Memphis Railroad, is the great artesian well, familiarly known as the Sulphur Well, or Mammoth Spring. In the early history of this county, and even before any permanent settlements were, made on this side of the Tennessee River, pioneers resorted to " licks" in this vicinity for the purpose of making salt. This indispensable arti- cle in household economy had, at that time, to be transported from great distances on the backs of horses — hence the early settlers were stimulated to dig wells in these "licks," from which they procured a brackish water, and by evaporating this they obtained a crude article of salt. During the late war these were re-opened for the purpose of making salt. For the benefit of those who are not familiar with licks, it will be well to mention that they are excavations in the ground caused by immense herds of ruminants continually trampling over and licking u]) the briny earth. Ere the advent of the white man, vast numbers of buffalo, elk and deer, resorted daily to these licks, and the result is excavations sometimes extending over an acre or more of ground and several feet in depth. Here, at an early day, tlie hunter 1 1 1 4 Resources of Te7inessee. erected scaffolds on the spreading branches of the surrounding trees, and at the usual hour of the day, when the untamed denizens of the forest were wont to congregate, the crafty woodsman, elevated on his lofty eyrie above their visual range, would, from his unerring rifle, send a leaden messenger of death through the heart of his unsuspect- ing victim. Remnants of these ancient scaffolds may still be seen. Those were the days of vension steak and bear meat — hominy and hoe- cake. About the year 1821, Major John Randle, Wm. Randle, Geo. D. Randle and James Miller conceived the idea that by deep boring they possibly might reach the fountain head of the salt water. Some of the parties having. strong faith in the divining rod, went to Kentucky and employed a gentleman skilled in the mystery of finding hidden streams. He came, and his unerring rod soon pointed to the place where, at the depth of 100 feet or less, was to be found the fountain head. The work was commenced and progressed rapidly until they had dug some twenty-five feet, when they struck a brown marble men- tioned below, which was found of very great thickness. Here was an unlooked for difficulty, for which the diviner, with all his skill, had not prepared them. But they were not to be discouraged by small difficul- ties. Instruments for boring, of rude construction, were made, and the work went on. One hundred feet was reached, but no water; 200 feet gave the same result ; but on they went, discouraged, " cast down, but not overwhelmed," until at the depth of some 400 feet they struck a powerful stream of water, which, to their great disappointment, proved to be sulphur instead of salt water. The well affords a very abundant supply of water, sufficient to turn a good sized mill. The water has obtained reputation as a healing agent, having proved beneficial in many chronic affections, particularly of the skin, kidneys, bladder, etc. This water is said to be superior to all others for making coffee. The premises have been fitted up for the accommodation of invalids and pleasure-seekers and is a popular summer resort. There are several large springs of sulphur water within a few hundred yards of the well, and the attractions of the place are enhanced by some fine chaly- beate springs, one quite near the well. The gentlemen who bored this well, sunk another with the same object at a lick about two miles south of Big Sandy Switch on the Memphis and Louisville Railroad, on the ])remises of General J. S. Dawson, where they likewise fiiiled to obtain salt water, but again struck a stream of sulphur water. This well af- fords but a scanty supply of water, owing, it is said, to the fact that the auger was ]>roken off and suffered to remain in the bore. Tlie IVes^ Tennessee. n^ 1 5 water has quite a saline taste. About a mile west of this, on the same property, is a spring known as the Copperas Spring, which is remark- able for the large amount of gelatinous matter which is deposited in the spring and along its course. The water has an exceedingly styptic and ferruginous taste. Railroads. The Memphis and Louisville Eailroad passes through the county from the northeast to southwest. Before the completion of this road the Tennessee River afforded the only flicilities for transpor- tation, the Mouth of Sandy and Paris Landing being the rival ship- ])ing points. There is still some business done at these places, but nothing to compare with former times. There are three other lines projected to pass through Paris, but the chances are rather bad at pres- ent for their construction. Toums and Villages. Paris was laid off about 1825, and is built on the "ridge/' near the center of the county, in a remarkably healthy location, as an evidence of which, with a population of some 2,000, it has only five physicians. There are sixteen lawyers, six ministers,^ nine dry-good stores, six family groceries, five whisky shops, two shoe and hat stores, two milliner's stores, two cotton and tobacco factories, two merchant tailors, three drug stores, two each of baker, silversmith, gunsmith, barber, shoe, saddle and liarness, buggy and carriage, under- takers, and furniture shops, three hotels, and the Paris Intelligencer, one of the best country papers in the south. It is blest by having an intelligent and industrious population, with but few loafers. The Agricultural and Mechanical Association is located at this place. The Odd Fellows' Male and Female College is an institution of sterling,, worth, and is in a prosperous condition. Besides this, there are several other schools that are doing well. The Methodist Episcopal Church South has just completed a fine and commodious house of worship. The Presbyterians, Baptists and Christians also have houses of worship, and a large number of communicants. Cottage Grove, twelve miles north-west of Paris, is situated in a fine section of country. It has three dry-goods stores, two groceries, two blacksmith shops, one buggy shop, one cabinet shop, one wool factory, two churches, and a large school. Como, twelve miles west of Paris, has six or eight business houses, and supports a fine school. Spring Hill, eight miles north- west of Paris, has two dry-goods stores, one tanyard, shoe and saddler shop, and a prosperous school. Mansfield, eleven miles south-west of Paris, has two stores, grocery, etc., and is the location of a cotton fac- 1 1 1 6 Resources of Tennessee. tory. There is also a good school at this point. Othei- towns of equal importance are Manly ville, Henry Station, and Spriugville Station. Those of less importance are Bell view, Buchanan, Mouth of Sandy, Paris Landing, Conyersville, Mt. Olivet, and Live Oak, with one or more stores, churches, etc. 3Ianufactories. Cotton and tobacco being the staple products, have caused the erection of a number of factories for spinning the first and stemming and prizing the second. These factories give employment to a large number of hands. None of the cotton factories have any looms. The largest factory in the county is known as the Embryo Cotton Factory. It is located in Paris and runs 1,120 spindles, using 800,000 pounds of seed cotton annually, and turning out 400,000 dozen first class cotton yarn. This factory employs thirty hands, and it has capacity enough to double the machinery. It is said to pay a hand- some dividend, but this could be largely increased by utilizing the un- occupied space in the building, either with additional spindles or ^vith looms. The property at present is worth 1 60,000. Oakley, White & Co., are the owners. The next in importance are the Mansfield Cot- ton Mills, at Mansfield, eleven miles south-east of Paris. They were erected by Wm. H. Thompson in 1856, being the fifth cotton factory erected in the county. The present owners, Messrs. A. C. Etheridge & Co., purchased the property in 1863, since which time it has been under the management of M. C. Cheek and A. C. Etheridge, both practical machinists and cotton manufacturers, of whom it might be said they are almost products of our cotton mills, as they went into the cotton mills of this county when quite small, and grew up to men's estate, being seldom out of hearing of the musical whirr of running spindles, of which they are now running 640, consuming 350,000 pounds of seed cotton per annum, producing some 175,000 dozen of cotton yarn. They have also, in connection with their factory, a grist mill and dry-goods store. Besides these, there are the factories of N. Currier near Paris, and Messrs. Dinwiddie & Co., near Henry Station, of about the same capacity of the Mansfield mill. There is also near Conyersville a mill for the manufacture of woolen goods, that is pay- ing a handsome dividend. There are nine tobacco factories in the county, which manufacture a large (piantity of tobacco. There are also several tanneries. Good iScIiooIh are common throughout the county. Twenty free schools were in operation in 1873, for about three months, five of which were for colored children. Wes^ Termessee. 1 1 1 7 Labor. One of the principal drawbacks to tlie prosperity of the county is a want of reliable labor. It being almost impossible to hire farm hands at reasonable prices, the farming is generally done on shares, the owners of the land furnishing stock, implements, etc., and receiv- ing one-half the crop, which consists principally of cotton, tobacco,^ corn, wheat and oats, here named in the order of their profit and im- portance. The people are kind, hospitable and industrious, and gladly welcome immigrants from any cpiarter of the globe who desire to settle permanently among them, make useful citizens and aid in developing the natural resources. The principal immigration since the war has been from East Tennessee and North Alabama. As an illustration of what economy and industry can do in the county, a case is mentioned of a gentleman who came to the county six years since. On his arri- val he had nothing but a wagon and team and money enough to buy his supplies for the year. The first year he farmed on shares, suppor- ted his family and made, clear of expenses, some $600. He bought a farm, making a small cash payment. He now owns 400 acres of the l)est farming land in the county, all paid for, and planted last season over 100 acres in cotton and a large crop of corn and tobacco. He is very justly regarded as one of the most substantial citizens. There are but few counties that offer more inducements to immigrants than Henry. The great variety of crops grown will give them a wider field for se- lection. With the growth of a proper manufacturing spirit, the county is destined to take a high rank in the State. It has always exercised a potent influence in the administration of the State government, and has probably furnished more executive officers than any county in West Tennessee. Statistics. Value of taxable property in 1873, $3,656,340; quantity of tobacco shipped by railroad in 1873, 1,028 hogsheads ; quantity raised in 1869, 1,715,001 pounds; quantity of cotton shipped by rail- road in 1873, 6,314 bales; quantity raised in 1869, 2,385 bales. No. of white voters in the county, 3,090; colored, 694; total, 3,784. Scholastic population, 6,530. Other statistics may be found by con- sulting Part I, of this report. The Secretary is indebted to Dr. John T. Irion, for the main portion of this report of Henry county. 1 1 1 8 Resources of Tennessee, LAKE COUNTY. County Seat — Tiptonvii.le. Lake county is the extreme north-western county of the State, and is hemmed in by the Mississippi River on the west and Reelfoot Lake on the east. In territorial extent it is by far the smallest county in West Tennessee, and the smallest in the State, with the exception of Trousdale. It comprises about 135 square miles. The number of acres assessed for taxation is 84,360, valued at §755,883. The popu- lation in 1870 was 2,428, of which 393 were colored. Organization. On the 9th of June, 1870, a law was passed estab- lishing the new county of Lake out of that portion of Obion which lies west of low water mark of Reelfoot Lake,''^ the county to be bounded as follows : Beginning at a stake at low water mark on the west bank of Reelfoot Lake, at a point where the dividing line be- tween Kentucky and Tennessee crosses said west bank; running thence in a southern direction with the meanderings of said western bank at at low water mark to the Dyer county line ; thence west with Dyer county line to the State line (Mississippi River); thence with said line up the Mississippi! River, in a northern direction, to an intersection with the Kentucky line; thence east with the Kentucky and Tennessee h'ne to the beginning. The organization was effected in September, 1870. Topography, Geology and Soils. Lake is the most level county in the State, there being nothing worthy of the name of hill in it. The lands are rich, the prevailing character being alluvial, and the color black. In a small section of the county, however, as in the western part of Madrid Bend, on the river, some sandy land is found, and near the center of the bend, in civil district No. 2, is land which is more clayey. Madrid Bend includes the section of country which would be north-west of a line extended directly from Tiptonville to Island No 10, rendered famous during the late war. All of Lake county is in *ThiH lake, formed during the convulsions of 1811-12, is about eighteen miles long and from three-quarters to tiiree wide. Its origin appears to be due to the disturbance in the bed of lieelfoot C reek, which dammed up the water that before ilo wed without impediment into the Mississippi River. Tiiis damming up produced an overflow, and formed the lake a.s we now find it. Generally it is very shallow, especially at low water mark. It is a noted place for fishing and hunting. During the fall months numerous parties are seen encamped on its banks, spending whole weeks in their sports. IVes^ Tennessee. 1 1 1 9 ■what are called the Mississippi Bottoms, and belongs to the most re- cent formation, technically called Alluvium. No regular strata of hard rock, as limestone, slate or sandstone, occur. The whole country was originally covered with heavy forests, and except along the banks of the river there is little or no sand. The soil is impregnated with lime and is very productive. The lands of Lake county are unusually rich, and the agricultural resources of the county, when fully devel- oped, will make it, in proportion to its area, the wealthiest county in the State, agriculturally. Mr. R. S. Bradford, a very intelligent citi- zen of the county, says in a communication : "You will probably not be prepared to give your assent to the statement which I am about to make. Lake county, though the least among all the counties in terri- torial extent, is on the whole the richest. It is about thirty-five miles long, and from ihree to twelve broad. We are in a measure cut oif from the rest of the State by lakes and bayous. Were it not for the great Mississippi, along which our county stretches for so many miles, we might be said to be out of the world, but this brings us fairly into communication with the rest of mankind, and more especially with the mark^ets of the Mississippi Valley. No proper highlands, or hills, are seen. Our soils are based on alluvial formations, and are almost necessarily deep and fertile." Timber. There is probably no county in the State which is better timbered than Lake. The varieties usually found in Tennessee are found in the county, and there are also large tracts of country covered with the best cypress and cotton wood. The principal undergrowth is cane, but in some sections of the county there is some pawpaw. Land Statistics. The following facts in regard to the agricultural wealth, etc., of Lake county are taken from the census report of 1870, and though not precisely, are at least approximately correct: Cash value of farms $882,411 " " farming implements, etc 14,698 Number of farms of all sizes 912 " " having 3 and under 10 acres 1 " " " 10 " 20 " 7 " " " 20 " 50 " 81 50 " 100 " 55 " " " 100 " 500 " 45 " " " 500 " 1,000 " 2 " " " l,000orover 1 Value of forest products $5,578 " home manufactures 1,235 " animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter 32,124 1 1 20 Resources of Tennessee. Value of all live stock 125,802 Number of horses 511 " mules and asses 381 " milch cows 615 " -working oxen 256 " other cattle 1,048 " sheep 816 " swine 5,85.3 Bushels corn 414,570 " oats 1,892 " winter wheat 1,000 " Irish potatoes 7,435 " sweet " 4,382 Pounds of butter 23,548 It will be seen that the farms are small, being generally under 100 acres in size. In proportion to the size of the county, the value of forest products is unusually large, which is owing to two facts, viz: there is a bountiful supply of the very best timber, and the timber is easily transported to good markets, immense rafts being made, and floated down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. The value of an- imals slaughtered or sold for slaughter is comparatively large, owing to the fact that the ranges for cattle are superior, consisting of large areas of -bottom lands covered with a dense growth of cane, which is very nutritious and is greedily eaten by stock of all kinds. The citi- zens are therefore able to raise large numbers of cattle at compara- tively little expense or trouble. In proportion to the number of acres of improved land reported, the number of bushels of corn exported is large, while the same report shows that the yield of oats and wheat is small. In the matter of forest products and of animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter. Lake county takes a leading position, and it is cer- tainly one of the best corn counties in the State. In the census re- port of 1870, it appears that the yield of cotton was very insignifi- cant. Since tlmt time the culture of that staple has greatly increased. In 1873 a large proportion (at least one-fourth) of the improved lands were planted in cotton, and the yield of 1872-3 justifies the belief that Lake will soon rank high, not only as a corn, but also as a cotton county. The snuilk-i gjaius, however, do not thrive very well, and are sowed in limited quantities. Mr. Bradford, in a letter dated Novemi)er, 1872, says: "We usually make from eight to twelve barrels (40 to opulation between the ages of six and eighteen years is 899, of which 111 are colored. Dur- ing the scholastic year of 1873-4 ten white schools were organized. The county showed its appreciation of schools by levying an additional tax of ten cents on the |100, one dollar on polls, and one per cent, on privileges. CJivrches. Th(> county is well supplied with churches, there being one in every civil district, and district number four, in which is located the town of Tiptonville, has four churches. The Methodist is the JVesl Tennessee. 1 1 2 5 largest denomination represented in the county, in fact every church in the county but two is the property of that denomination, the two being, one at Cronansville, which is under the control of the Cumber- land Presbyterians, the other in district number two, which belongs to the Baptists. LAUDERDALE COUNTY. County Seat — Ripley. This county has an area of about 430 square miles. The amount of land assessed for taxation in 1873, exclusive of town lots, was 272,445 acres, valued at $2,442,623, or nearly $9 per acre. The total valuation of taxable property is $2,829,185. The population in 1870 was 10,- 838, of which 3,484, or not quite one-third, were colored. We have often had occasion in this report to mention the inaccuracy of the cen- sus returns, and in no county is this inaccuracy more apparent than in Lauderdale. The number of acres of land given for this county by the ninth census was 158,217, which is not two-thirds of the amount returned for taxation. The county was organized in May, 1836, the act authorizing its establishment having been passed the previous November. Physical Geography. The eastern part of Lauderdale is on the Plateau of West Tennessee ; the western part is low, and lies in the Mississippi Bottom. The escarpment of the Plateau or high lands runs in a general north-easterly and south-westerly direction nearly through the middle of the county, and is a part of the line of bluffs extending from Hickman, Kentucky, to Memphis, to which the gen- eral name of the " Mississippi Bluff" has been given. The Plateau por- tion of the country is considerably cut up by the streams and their valleys, and in some parts is quite rough and hilly. Between the val- leys, however, wide, comparatively level areas are met with. The surface in the Bottom is flat and low. Along the creeks which are in every part of the county there arc always level bottoms, some of which are from one-half to one and a half miles in width, and are from three to fifteen miles in length. As some of these creeks a}>proach the Bluff their banks become steep and sometimes high, but the banks of the streams after they pass the Bluff are generally very low. The soil in 1 1 2 6 Resources of Tennessee. that part of Lauderdale included in the Mississippi Bottom is generally dark, and is a rich, allnvial loam, remarkably productive. A large proportion of this section of the county is covered still with forests of immense timber, which will not be cleared off for many years. There is a belt, however, bordering on the Mississippi River which is now in a good state of cultivation. The depth of the soil in this Bottom is at least as much as from ten to twenty feet. Below the soil is a good clay, which, when mixed with the soil, produces well. The soil of the uplands is of a mulatto color, and has a good clay foundation. It is, however, much shallower than that of the bottoms, the average depth being about nine or ten inches ; it is very mellow and fertile. The best corn lands are in the bottoms, but corn and cotton grow well on the highlands. Geology, The geology of the county is quite simple. The surface of the highlands is generally underlaid by the " Bluff Loam " or Loess described in the first part of this report. On the steep slopes of of the bluffs the gravel and sand of the Orange Sand formation crops out from under the Loess, but they are not important with reference to the agricultural features of the county. Several interesting beds of lignite are met with. These also crop out on the sides of the bluffs, and are sometimes four or more feet in thickness. The formation of the bottoms is of the most recent age, and is known as Alluvium. Rivers, Creeks, etc. Lauderdale is one of the best watered counties- in»West Tennessee, as will be seen from the following statement in re- gard to the streams which water it: The Mississippi River washes the entire western border of the county, and receives the water from nu- merous smaller streams which flow through the county. Forked Deer River, the dividing line beween Lauderdale and Dyer counties, enters from Haywood county, at the point where the lines of Haywood, Dyer^ and Lauderdale counties come together, ranges thence north, or rather in a north-westerly direction, thence in a curve south-westward, and empties into the Mississippi River. Hatchie River enters Lauderdale from Ti})ton county, and is the dividing line between Lauderdale and Tipton counties, ranges westward, and empties into the Mississippi River. Cane Creek rises about six miles north-east of Ripley, runs south-west, ])asses within one mile of Rijiley, and em])tiesinto Hatchie ]liver, about twelve or fifteen miles above its mouth. Knol) Creek rises about nine miles north of Ripley, ranges westward about eight miles, and then ])assing into the bottoms, makes its way into the Mis- TVes^ Temiessee. 1 1 2 7 sissippi River. Cold Creek rises about seven miles from the county seat, runs westward, and empties into the Mississippi River above Fort Pillow. There are numerous smaller streams, some of which empty into Forked Deer River, some into Hatchie, and still others into the Mississippi River. Those emptying into Forked Deer range generally northward, those emptying into Hatchie range south-west, and those emptying into the Mississippi range generally westward. Timber. That part of Lauderdale county included in the Missis- sippi Bottoms, is particularly well timbered with the most superior quality of lumber trees. Upon the highlands there is also a good sup- ply of timber. The principal growths are poplar, white oak, hickory, ash, and cypress. A large number of saw-logs are rafted and taken, not only out of the overflowed lands, but from various points along the Mississippi, Hatchie and Forked Deer rivers. Land Statistics. According to the census of 1870 there were in the county 1,113 farms, valued at $2,536,980, and divided as follows: Number having 3 and under 10 12 " " 10 " 20 205 " " 20 " 50 ^^^ 552 " " 50 " 100 ? 206 " " 100 " 500 136 " " 500 " 1,000 1 The number of farms has been increased since that time. In 1873 about one-half of the farms were worked by the land-oWners them- selves, or under their immediate supervision, while the remaining half were rented out. The terms of rent are very varied, and it is difficult to decide what is the general rule. Some demand money rent, in which case the following prices are charged and obtained : Best lands, per acre, |5; second-class, $4; third-class, $3. There are others, however, who crop out their lands, furnishing everything ex- cept labor, in which case the following are] the general rules : Cotton lands, two-thirds of the crop; corn lands, three-fourths of the crop. But when the land-owner furnishes only the lands, he generally gets for cotton and corn lands, one-half of the crop. In some instances, however, special arrangements are for a definite amount of the crop. In such cases the usual rents are for cotton lands, per acre, fifty pounds cotton ; for corn lands, per acre, seven bushels corn. But these prices are only obtained for first-class lands. Of all the lands in the county, improved and unimproved, it is supposed that at least one-half can be purchased on reasonable terms and at the following prices : \ 1 1 28 Resources of Tennessee, Best improved lands, per acre $40 00 Second class improved lands, per acre 25 00 Third " " « " .'.!Z"Z"*."Z 10 00 Inferior " " " 5 00 Best unimproved " " 15 00 Second class " " " 10 Oq Third " " " " 5 OO Inferior " " " 2 50 There are considerable bodies of land in the bottoms which are sub- ject to overflow, and which can be purchased at from fifty cents to two dollars and a half per acre. The usual terms of sale are one-third cash, the balance in one and two years, with lien reserved. The next table in order, is one showing how these lands produce, though it must be remembered that very little of the land is cultivated as it should be. The following are the average yields per acre : Corn 25 bushels. Cotton 750 pounds seed. Tobacco 950 pounds. Wheat 10 bushels. Oats 20 " Hay 2,000 pounds. Irish potatoes. 75 bushels. Sweet " 100 " The cotton that is shipped from Lauderdale generally ranks in the market from low middling to middling, while the tobacco ranks gen- erally as medium leaf. Cotton is th6 peculiar staple of the county, and every farmer is engrossed in his attention to it ; but the other products named above are also raised, though principally for home consumption, with the exception of tobacco, which is raised for market, but in limited quantities. Though Lauderdale county is naturally a first-rate county for grasses, but little attention is being paid to the growing of them. Herds-grass and timothy are the favorites with those farmers who raise grass at all, though clover is grown also for grazing and mowing purposes, but it is seldom or never used as a fertilizer. Fruits. The more common varieties of fruits would probably thrive, but little attention is being paid to the business of fruit-growing. The Bluff country is the only part of the county really suited to fruits, and it is said that the orchards there have not failed in forty years. Since 1870 there has been, on the whole, a substantial imjirovement in Lauderdale county. But even now the farming interests are not in Wesi Tennessee. 1 1 29 as good condition as they were before the late war; the fencing is not so good, the farm-houses are in a worse condition, and owing to the demoralized condition of labor, it will still take years for the farmers to get fully up to their ante-bellum standard. The disposition to im- prove, however, is manifesting itself to a very limited extent, and it is hoped that before the census report of 1880 is taken, Lauderdale county will have fully recovered all the ground she lost by reason of the war. The farmers, for the most part, still adhere to the old system of farming, and as yet bat few labor-saving agricultural implements have been introduced; a few reapers, threshers, etc., constitute the sum total of the improvement in this direction. In regard to the mat- ter of stock and stock-raising, there is a faintly perceptible improve- ment, but as yet few of the formers in the county are devoting special attention to this branch of business; there are few or no thorough- breds in the county of horses, cattle, sheep or hogs, and there seems to be but little disposition to invest in the purchase. Labor. The question of labor is a very serious one in the county, and there is a great demand for really good laborers. At present there are more white than colored laborers, but neither class is regarded as being reliable — of course there are some very notable exceptions to this the general rule. The principal demand, at present, is for farm hands, but house servants and cooks will have no difficulty in securing homes and good wages. The following prices are oifered in the county for laborers : Farmhands per year, with board $150.00 " " permonth, 15.00 " " per day 1.00 Cooks per month 9.00 House servants " 7.00 Mechanics per day 2.50 These are the average prices ; of course sometimes much higher wages are paid, and again they are much lower, but good hands may always depend upon getting good wages for their work. Game and Fish. In the river bottoms there are bears, deer and turkeys, and upon the highlands there are such small game as rabbits, squirrels, foxes, raccoons, opossums, patridges, etc. In the rivers and creeks there are plenty of fish, and in cold weather there are large quantities of geese and ducks upon the waters. Markets. Memphis is the principal market for all the products 1 1 30 Resources of Tennessee, shipped from Lauderdale couuty. There are three routes by which such products are shipped — one by the way of Brownsville, in Haywood county, which is twenty miles from Ripley, thence by the Memphis and Louisville Railroad ; a second by the way of Covington, in Tipton county, which is seventeen miles from Ripley, thence by the Memphis and Paducah Railroad; the third by the way of the Mississippi River from any of the landings in the county. Immigration and Emigration. Every year some settlers move in, principally, during the past few years, from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia, and but for the heavy work demanded in opening the farms, the influx would be still greater. Occasionally one is found leaving for some fabled laud of the West. County Roads and Railroads. There are no improved county roads. At present there is no railroad completed through the county, but the Memphis and Paducah Railroad has been already graded from Ripley to Covington, and will doubtless be completed in a short time. There is not on the continent a more productive soil tilled by a better agricultural population than that on the Memphis and Paducah Railroad. Tables might be readily collated showing the wealth, population and annual products of each of these counties, as exhibited in the census report of 1870. But these tables, in the face of progress such as has distinguished this portion of Tennessee, would be as antedeluvian records used in illustration of the present number of the world's people. Three years have almost doubled the wealth, if not the population of some of these counties, and as the railway line advances, property values are augmented, population grows dense, and farms are multiplied. No population, in proportion to numbers, pos- sessed greater wealth anterior to the war between the States, than those dwelling in the low lands along the eastern shore of the Mississippi. The country is unharmed by floods that overwhelm adjacent districts of Arkansas, and every incident of exuberant soil, delightful climate, variety of protlucts, a magnificent river, and now a perfectly constructed railway, parallel with and near the river, make the extreme western counties of West Tennessee supremely blest. The people along this highway adopt no measures in promotion of immigration. The world will soon traverse this delightful district, and such farms as those now burdened with corn, wheat and cotton, and along the northern confines of Tennessee, and within those of Kentucky, with tobacco, will soon attract, when the railway line is finished, the most enterprising farmers of the continent. Wes^ Temtessee. 1 1 3 1 Toums and Villages. The following are the principal towns and villages in the county : Ripley, the county seat, is located about seven miles east of the center of the county, has about 559 inhabitants, does a good country trade, has good school and church advantages, and is altogether a very prosperous little town. Double Bridge is fif- teen miles north of Ripley, has about 70 inhabitants, contains post- office, stores, churches, Masonic hall and a mixed school. Durhamvilie is six miles south-east of Ripley, has about 75 inhabitants, post-office, stores, church, and a good school. Fulton is a shipping point on the Mississippi River, twenty-five miles south-west of Ripley. It has a large pianing-mill, post-office, stores, church, and does a good business. Hale's Point is also a shipping point on the Mississippi River, about eighteen miles north-west of Ripley, has very few inhabitants, and does but little except a shipping business. Mills and Manufactories. There is quite a number of steam saw and grist-mills, but no regular manufactories. The average milling distance throughout the county is about three or four miles. School Statistics. The county levied for the support of schools in 1874 ten cents on the $100 worth of property, one dollar on polls and one dollar on each marriage license. For 1873 the levy was fifteen cents on the $100 and one dollar on polls. The scholastic population between six and eighteen are, white, 3,219; colored, 1,082; total,, 4,301. Number white schools organized, 28 ; colored schools, 2; total, 30. Number of scholars enrolled — white, 1,372 ; colored, 172 ; total, 1,544. Number between eighteen and twenty-one enrolled, 48. Num- ber of teachers employed — white male, 24 ; female, 11; colored male, 2 ; total, 37. Average per month paid teachers, $48.50. There is a great want of school-houses in the county. Churches. In every civil district of Lauderdale county there is one or more churches. The Methodist is the strongest denomination, the Baptist ranks next, and then the Presbyterians. Newspapers. The only newspaper published in the county is the Ripley News, which is published in Ripley. It is a Conservative paper,, and has a good circulation. 1 1 3 2 Resources of Tennessee. MADISON COUNTY. County Seat — Jackson. Madison county, in wealth, population, quantity of products and political influence, will compare favorably with any of the counties in the Western Division of the State, with the exception of Shelby, in which Memphis is located. In the number of acres assessed for taxa- tion it stands seventh, having on the tax list, exclusive of town lots, .361,842 acres, valued at 13,863,124, or §10.67 per acre, while in the value of taxable property it stands fourth — Shelby, Gibson and Fay- ette ranking it. The whole value of taxable property for 1873 was ^6,248,727, It has an area of about 575 square miles, and a popula- tion of nearly 23,000. In 1870 its population was 28,480, of which 10,152 were colored. Since that report was made, a fraction of the county, about twenty-five square miles has been cut off and given to the new county of Crockett. The act creating Madison county was passed on the 7th of November, 1821, and on the 17th of the follow- ing month, the organization of the county was effected by the follow- ing commissioners, who also constituted the first County Court : Adam R. Alexander, Bertholomew G. Stewart, David Jarvett, Wm. Atchison, Robert H. Dyer, John Thomas, Duncan Mclvor, Joseph Lynn, James Trousdale, Herndon Harelson, Wm. Braden, Samuel Taylor and Wm. Woolfork. The first court was held on the 17th of December, and Herndon Harelson was chosen chairman, and Roderick Mclvor clerk. The original settlers were Virginians and North Carolinians, and the high social virtues which distinguished them, have been preserved by their descendants. In no county can there be found more prosperity, a more generous appreciation of merit, a more cordial sympathy with intelligence, or a more self sacrificing devotion to duty. Courteous by nature, with an inherited love for the truthful, it is much more com- mon for the citizens to give credit to the stranger for virtues that are wanting than to withhold what is his due. There is no better society to be found anywhere than in the county of Madison. Physical Geography — Soils. The country immediately around Jack- son, which is near the center of the county, is gently undulating, going north or north-west to the county line, it is more level, although still undulating. The same thing is the case toward the west, but the southern and extreme eastern sections of the county are very rol- T'Ves^ Tennessee. ii33 ling. The prevailing color of the soil is dark chocolate, with niix- ture of clay and sand. In the northern and western districts the sul)- soil is dark yellow, while in the southern and eastern it is red. Both soil and subsoil are very porous, without being very thirsty, the sub- soil generally commencing about eight inches below the surface, though it produces well to a depth of at least eighteen inches. The clay w^hich is below the surface, forming the beds upon which the subsoil rests is from three to four feet deep ; then comes a formation of what is called Orange Sand, which is in beds or strata and extends over the greater portion of the county. Sometimes, instead of this sand are found cal- careous formations or indurated clay, called locally "hard pan clay." North of Jackson this clay, when found, is harder than it is in the other counties. The whole of Madison county is on the Plateau or Slope of West Tennessee, and no regular strata of the older and hard rocks are to be looked for. In the southern part of the county local masses of red ferruginous sandstone are occasionally met with. Iron ore is sometimes associated with this, but to no considerable extent. The sandstone is generally found near the surface, but is confined prin- cipally to the hills and blufSs along the banks of the Forked Deer River and of the creeks in the southern part of the county. The lands of Madison produce freely and stand droughts well. The best cotton lands rest upon the beds of Orange Sand. The general appearance of the county is good. The scenery is subdued and pleasing rather than wild and romantic. Artifieial Mounds. Pinson's mounds, in the south-eastern portion of the county, near Pinson's Station, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, are curiosities worthy of mention. Several of them are from 50 to 60 feet long, from 45 to 50 feet in height and from 50 to 75 feet in diameter, being nearly hemispherical in shape. Around these is a semi-circular enclosure made by throwing up earth, as in building for- tifications. This enclosure, if completed, would form a circle not less than GOO feet in diameter. It is supposed that these mounds were ancient burying grounds, but who were the builders we know not. A little west of Jackson arc several mounds very similar in appearance, but much smaller in size. Rivers and Creeks. There are other counties in West Tennessee which^are better watered than Madison, but it has running through it a goodly number of streams, which supply plenty of water for ordi- nary purposes. The following are deserving of mention : Middle Fork of Forked Deer River enters the county in the north-eastern cor- 1134 Resources of Tennessee. ner, from Carroll county, runs south-west, passes almost entirely through the northern part of the county and enters Gibson county about sixteen miles north-west of Jackson. South Fork of Forked Deer Riv^er enters the county from Henderson county, near the south- east corner, runs nearly west, and passes into Haywood county, fifteen miles north-west of Jackson and near the boundry line of Crockett. Little Middle Fork of Forked Deer River rises in Henderson county, passes into Madison a little south of the center of the line dividing Henderson and Madison, runs west and empties into the South Fork of Forked Deer, four miles east of Jackson. Greer's Creek rises about eight miles north-east of Jackson, ranges south and empties into Little Middle Fork of the Forked Deer, seven miles east of Jackson. Jones' Creek rises about three and a half miles north-east of Jackson, runs south and empties into the South Fork of Forked Deer, one and u fourth miles south-east of Jackson. Johnson's Creek rises about one and a half miles south of Jackson, runs north-west and empties into the South Fork of Forked Deer, six miles west of Jackson. Cub Creek rises about eight miles south-west of Jackson, runs north-west and empties into the South Fork of Forked Deer, thirteen miles north- west of Jackson. Big Black, Clover and Turkey creeks do not rise in the county, but pass through portions of it, the two first emptying into Hatchie River in Haywood county, the last named emptying into the Forked Deer, twelve miles south-east of Jackson. Dyer Creek rises two miles north of Jackson and is a tributary of Middle Fork (locally North Fork) of Forked Deer River. The larger streams in the county are lasting and afford milling facilities, though a majority of them have sluggish currents with unstable banks. The water of the county is freestone. On Turkey Creek in the south-east part of the county chalybeate springs are met with. Timber. Oaks are plentiful all over the county, and there was for- merly much good poplar, but it is becoming scarce. There is also plenty of good hickory, and on the river banks there is very fair cypress. Ash, beech and the other varieties usually found in Ten- nessee are met with to a limited extent, with the exception of pine, which is not found in this or any of the northern counties of West Tennessee. Land and Crop Stafidics. An estimate for 18'73 has been nuide by .several gentlemen, of the crops, which will be found to be aj^proxi- raately correct. It will be seen that the amount of products is not so West Tennessee, ii35 great as in 1870, but since that date a portion of the county has been taken off. We give the estimate only as an approximation. Value of farms $3,624,203 " " farming implements and machinery 163,510 " " orchard products 2,078 " " market garden products 3,312 •' " forest products 940 " " home manufactures 6,875 " " alllivestock 876,993 Number of horses 2,612 " mules and asses 2,927 " milch cows 3,044 •* othercattle 6,182 " sheep 3,262 " swine 28,246 Bushels of winter wheat 44,367 " corn 635,168 " oats 8,966 Bales of cotton 11,000 Pounds of wool 7,876 Bushels of Irish potatoes 2,715 " sweet " 8,914 Pounds of butter 23,673 No estimation is made of the quantities of spring wheat, rye and barley, or of tobacco, for the reason that the production of these is so limited as to make it almost impossible to be at all accurate. The fol- lowing estimates are made by some of the leading men and best farm- ers in the county and may be relied on : Percent, of improved lands rented in 1873 10 " " " lands for sale at reasonable prices 25 Average rental of best lands per acre $5.00 " " "other " " " 3,00 " price of best lands " " 25.00 " " " medium lands per acre 12.00 to $20 " " " inferior " " " 5.00 to 12 The low prices of lands in the county is owing to the fact that there are a great many large bodies which the owners are anxious to sell, being unable to cultivate so much profitably. When the land is rented on shares, the land-owner gets one-third of the crop if the laborer supplies himself, otherwise he gets one-half. The usual terms of sale are one-third cash, the balance in one and two years, with lien re- served to secure the payment of the second and third installments ; in- terest is generally charged on the deferred payments, especially the last. The proportion of swamp land in the county is very small, and this can be reclaimed by drainage. 1136 Resources of Tennessee. Labor. There is a fair supply of labor, priDcipally colored, though there are some white men who are willing to work for wages. The colored labor is better than in many other counties, probably because it is directed by more intelligence. The farmers of this county are un- usually well informed, and act with justice and moderation toward their ex-slaves. The following wages are paid for labor: Farmhands, per year $150.00 to $200.00 " " month 15.00 to 20.00 " " " day 1.00 to 1.50 Cooks " month 12.00 to 15.00 House servants, jDer month 10.00 to 12.00 The demand for good cooks in town and country is great, and house servants are much wanted in the towns. Products. Cotton is the great staple in the county. It absorbs al- most the entire attention of the farming community. Only a home supply of corn is raised. Wheat (winter) and oats are raised to a lim- ited extent, but the other small grains are not raised in any quantities. There is little or no tobacco grown, though the soil is said to be well adapted to its growth. The best cotton lands yield one-half bale of 500 pounds to the acre, while the medium lands yield from one-fourth to one-third of a bale. The average yield is about 600 pounds in the seed per acre, but it must be observed that only good laud is planted in cotton. The average yield of corn is about thirty bushels per acre; of wheat from six to twelve bushels. Vegetables of all kinds (espe- cially roots) grow well in the county. Grasses. Clover grows well upon soils in which there is consider- able clay, and herds-grass and timothy (especially the former) grow vigorously and yield abundantly. There is hardly lime enough in the soil for blue-grass, and the experiments that have been made are not very satisfactory. A few farmers have been trying orchard-grass, and report favorably as to its growth. Timothy and clover yield on best lands, per acre, 4,250 pounds; herds-grass, 3,750 pounds. Fruits. Peaches and the standard pears are the most reliable fruits, tfiough the others (cspe<;ially the small fruits) do well ; the peaches, however, and the dwarf pears arc short lived, and the latter are sub- ject to blight. Some persons have met with considerable success iu the growing of grapes. The Isabella, which has proved a failiu-e in Middle Tennessee, is said to do well in Madison county. The Scup- pernong, however, is tlic most reliable, and gives general satisfaction. The woods are filled with wiUl grapes, which grow in wanton profu- nnoi JACKSON «T.L.ArtLJ.i^Od:?. c :e. COURT HOUSE. STOODERT HOUSE. MADISON BANK . MASONIC HALL. TEMPERANCE HALU. M.E CHURCH. EPISCOHAL CHURCH. M.CF. INSTITUTE. KINGS OPERA HO. SHf^OPSHiRE HO. R.C. CHURCH PBESBY^." CHURCH. C.PRESEy^~ CHURCH. W.f COLLEGE. EAST.J.M.e CHURCH. ACADEMY E.M. M «, 0 RR. DEPOT. Mio.RR MACHINE Shops. MC R ft 0 E PO T ^ M.S HOPS, pr COLLEGE. CAS WORKS. rAIR GROUND S. Tavel.EastmiUi &-Ilinve1 West Tennessee. ii37 sion, and thousands of bushels may be gathered any fall. Berries of almost every variety are found in the fields and in the woods. Forest Products. Lumber is not one of the staples, not a sufficiency being made to supply the home demand; a large proportion of that used is imported from the adjoining counties. Stoch and Stock-raising. The people of Madison county pay very little attention either to the breeding or fattening of stock, though a few men are converting their farms into stock flirms with the view of engaging in this branch of industry. Markets. Nearly everything that is raised in the county is sold at remunerative prices in Jackson, and a good deal of cotton and produce is brought to Jackson from other counties. In cotton alone, Jackson does a large business, buying annually from 15,000 to 20,000 bales, which are shipped to New York and New Orleans, and some to Cin- cinnati, and some is shipped every year direct to the factories in New England. The city of Jackson has improved more in proportion than any other portion of the county, but this is partially owing to the fact that a great many persons from the country have rented out their farms and have moved into the city to secure advantages which they could not enjoy in the country. In no city in the State is there found a better society than in Jackson. Immigration. The principal immigration since 1870 has been from the counties of East and Middle Tennessee, though a good many families have moved into the county from the Southern States. Roads. The roads are generally in bad condition and will admit of very great improvement. Across the river and creek bottoms there are improved roads, which are kept in only tolerable condition. The new road law is in force in the county, and is giving general satis- faction. Railroads. There are but two railroads in operation in the county, the Mobile and Ohio and the Mississippi Central, both of which run through the suburbs of Jackson. Efforts are being made, with fair prospects of success, to build roads from Jackson to Huntingdon, from Jackson to Birmingham, Ala., and from Jackson to the Tennessee River by the way of Lexington, Tennessee. Tow)is and Villages. Jackson, the county seat, is one of the best laid off towns in the State. It includes within the corporate limits four square miles. The streets are wide and the residences neat and taste- 72 1 138 Resources of Tennessee, fill. It is located near the center of the county ; has about 7,000 in- habitants ; is at the junction of the Mobile and Ohio and the Missis- sippi Railroads; has four female schools, or colleges, under the super- vision of the following churches : Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist and Catholic. The Baptist University has been located here, which will be richly endowed. There are ten churches, representing the follow- ing denominations: 2 Methodist, 1 Old School Presbyterian, 1 Cum- berland Presbyterian, 1 Baptist, 1 Christian, 1 Episcopalian, 1 Catho- lic, 1 colored Methodist and 1 colored Baptist, the Methodist being the strongest church numerically and financially; 3 planing-mills, 1 foun- dry, 1 barrel factory, 1 brewery, 1 soda-water factory, 1 tannery, and the two railroads centering here have located their workshops in the town. The following is the estimated trade of Jackson : The dry- goods, clothing, boots, shoes and hat business aggregated 3753,000; the grocery business, ^668,000; manufactures, §210,000; hotels and res- taurants, $145,000; the marketing business of licensed dealers, in- cluding pork dealers, $301,000; the drug business, $73,000; hardware business, $90,000; liquors, wholesale and retail, $175,000; confection- eries, fancy and notion stores, $33,500 ; jewelers, $50,000 ; livery and sale stables, $45,000; coal trade of the city, $25,000; sewing machine business, $25,000; ice trade of the city, $13,000; lumber trade and builders' material, by dealers in the city, $130,000 ; salt sold, $9,000; millinery and dress-making, $45,000; cotton compress, $2,800; bar- bers, $7,500 ; gun-shops, $5,000; bakers, $15,000; receipts for tele- graphing, $3,500; printing business, $57,000; banking business, gross, $5,000,000; income of colleges, $85,000, showing $7,966,300 as the grand total of the business circulating medium of Jackson. Altogether, Jackson has about eighty business houses, including two banks, and is a thrifty city, with fair prospects for the future. The disproportion of manufacturing establishments is the only unfavorable sign. Cotton factories to work up the cotton grown in tlie county would add won- derfully to its wealth and prosperity. Medon is twelve miles south of Jackson, has about 300 inhabitants, and is a station on the Mississippi Central Railroad. It has ten business houses and does a good deal of country trade. Denmark is twelve miles south-west of Jackson, and has about 300 inha})itants. It has four or five stores. Spring Creek is thirteen miles north-east of Jackson, and has about 50 inhabitants. Cotton Grove is nine miles east of Jackson, and has about 100 inhab- itants. Pinson is twelve miles south-east of Jackson, and has about 275 inhabitants. It ships about 1,100 bales of cotton. Carroll is on JVesi Tennessee. 1 1 3 9 the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, eight miles north of Jackson, and has about 50 inhabitants. Henderson, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, ten miles south of Jackson, has 300 inhabitants, and ships 2,500 bales •of cotton. It has eight or ten business houses. Public, Schools. The people of Madison county have never taken a very great interest in public schools. Xo tax has been levied for that purpose. The State school fund has kept up a number of public schools for two or three months, but the number of private schools has served to give excellent educational advantages to the people. The scholastic population between six and eighteen is 7,566, of which 3,610 are colored. There are 804 between eighteen and twenty-one years of age, of which 308 are colored. Other Statistics. In 1873 the number of town lots in the county was 1,059, valued at $1,692,495; value of mills, ^8,800; stock in bank and insurance companies, §51,568; notes, due-bills, etc., $453,356; bonds, stocks, etc., $4,875 ; value of horses mules and jacks, $80,458 ; value of furniture, plate, jewelry, etc., $66,983 ; value of wheel ve- hicles, $12,962; machinery, presses, etc., $29,269; all other property, ^181,837; white polls, 3,962. The exemptions of $1,000 worth of property for the county amount to $197,000. Churches. Every neighborhood is convenient to churches, the Methodist being the leading denomination, the Baptists ranking second, and the Presbyterians third. JVewsjKipers. Jackson is a place of newspapers, the following being published in the city : Whig and Tribune, the Jackson Courier, the Jackson Herald, and the Jackson Dispatch, all of w^hich, except the first named, have recently been established. They are all Democratic, and conducted with marked ability, exercising a potent influence in the politics of the State. t'armers' Organizations. The West Tennessee Agricultural and Mechanical Association, with fair grounds near Jackson, is in its fifth year, and is in a very flourishing condition. It has handsome build- ings, and is managed with skill and financial ability. The County since the War. When the war closed jNIadison was in a very demoralized condition, but since tliat time it has very greatly im- proved. The town of Jackson then had only about 2,000 inhabitants, while it now has about 7,000. The character of the buildings through- out the county is better than formerly ; fences are in a good condition ; 1 1 40 Resottrces of Tennessee. improved agricultural implements are more extensively used; fertilizers are introduced; attention is paid to hill-side ditching, horizontilization, etc; the people are becoming more sociable; the school interests have improved, and, in fact, a spirit of enterprise is actively at Avork throu^^hout the county. McNAIRY COUNTY. County Seat — Puedy. McNairy county is bonnded on the north by the counties of Madison and Henderson, on the south by the line dividing Tennessee and Mis- sissippi, on the east by Hardin county, and on the west by Hardeman county. This county in respect to area stands third among the counties of West Tennessee. It comprises about 645 square miles, or 412,800 acres. Exclusive of town lots, the number of acres assessed for taxa- tion is 402,076, valued at $1,753,550, or $4.33 per acre. The whole value of taxable property for the year 1873 was $2,161,269. The ninth census gives 316,140 as the number of acres in the county, or less than three-fourths of the whole, divided as follows : improved land, 64,596; unimproved woodland, 238,814; other unimproved, 2,730. Nothing, perhaps, shows more clearly the miserable guess work which was practiced in the State by the census-takers — a horde of men appointed for the most part because of their political proclivities, and not because of their fitness for the work to be done. Not only in thi& county, but in every one throughout the State, the same unpardonable errors were committed — errors that have a most damaging effect upon the position of the State, and sinks it beneath the level it should justly hold among the sister States of the Union. Organization. The records of the county were destroyed during the late war, and i.t is impossible to find any record evidence in regard to the early history of the county. The act of the General Assembly of the State providing for the organization was passed on the 8th day of October, 1823, and the first County Court was held early in the year 1824. The oldest record now on file in the office of the County Court Clerk does not ante-date 1858. The first settlers in the territory now comprised in McNairy county were principally from North Caro- IVesl Tennessee. 1141 lina, South Carolina, Virginia, ami the counties of Middle and East Tennessee, and their descendants constitute in 1874 the most substan- tial settlers of the county. Pliyskal Geographi/ and Soik. Tlie country immediately around Purdy, the county seat, is hilly and poor ; in a direction north from Purdy it is hilly for several miles, the extreme northern district of the county being comparatively level and the soil mellow and productive; going south from the county seat to the county line, the lands are level and rich, this section being a fine farming country ; in an easterly course the country is hilly for several miles, but the extreme eastern districts are level and tolerably productive ; to the west a hilly surface is passed over for about three miles, when a level country is reached which extends to the county line. This is one of the best farming sec- tions in the county, the land being rich and mellow. The soil is moist, and, with local exceptions, produces well. The subsoil is much lighter than the soil, being often a grayish clay mixed frequently with sand. The depth of the soil varies from three to twenty-four inches, with an average of about seven inches. In the river and creek bottoms it is often twenty-four inches in depth, but on the hills which usually fringe these bottoms it is frequently less than three inches. The soil in the southern districts is almost universally dark in color, while in the northern and eastern districts it is often more mixed with sand, and of a lighter hue. In the western district there is a considerable strip of country in which the soil is also mixed with sand, and is of a brown color. The sandy lands are regarded as being best for cotton, while the dark lands are better for corn, though cotton and corn do Avell in every section of the county where the lands are at all good. Through the eastern section of the county, running north and south, is what is known as the " water-shed " by the people, and by scientists as the " Tennessee Ridge," which separates the waters flowing into the Ten- nessee River from those flowing into the Mississippi River. It runs parallel to the Tennessee River, and nearly through the center of McNairy county, throwing the greater portion of the county in what Dr. Salford calls the " Plateau or Slope of West Tennessee," the bal- ance being included in the Western A^'alley of the Tennessee River. On these streams are ]iroductive valleys, which range east and west. The soils of the valleys are much stiffer than they are upon the benches and the lands extending back from them, and are better adapted to the growing of grasses than the higher sections of the county. The higher soils are generally more sandy, and are, as stated, 1 1 42 Resources of Tennessee. peculiarly adapted to the growth of corn and cotton. The valleys have also their siliceous matter, but to a more limited extent. Geology. So far as one formation is concerned — the Green Sand, or Rotten Limestone, as they call it in Mississippi — McNairy county is classic ground. The best outcrops and the greatest thickness of the formation occur here. The bed has been described on page 43 of thi& Report. It outcrops in the eastern part' of the county, and occupies a large area. At a number of points the strata of the Rotten Limestone come to the surface, there being no covering of soil. Where this is the case, glady spots are formed, which are known as " bald hills," or " bald places." These have long attracted attention on account of the large number of oyster-like shells that are found strewed over their surfaces. The method adopted for obtaining water in the Rotten Limestone region is worthy of note. Wells which terminate in the formation supply generally a water too impure to be used. By boring, however, entirely through the bed, water of good quality is obtained. In boring, a large augur, with a bit live or six inches in diameter, i& driven down until finally perforating a hard, gritty layer at the base of the mass, it strikes a bed of white or gray quicksand, belonging to an underlying formation. As soon as this is done the water rises. The perforation thus made, excepting a few feet at the top, needs no pro- tection, the Green Sand being compact enough to furnish a permanent wall. The formation under consideration supplies a fertilizer known as green sand. The substance contains calcareous matter often in the form of decaying shells, a green, soft mineral called glauconite, and sometimes decomposed bones. These, usually in small proportion, are mixed with sand. The mass is grayish, becoming greenish as the pro- ])ortion of glauconite increases. The best green sand, if near a rail- road, will bear transportation, and might be applied to the lands of AVest Tennessee with profit. Much of it, however, is not rich enough to pay the cost of handling. Many farmers in McNairy who live in the green sand region might use it to advantage. Overlying the Rotten Limestone and outcrop|)ing in the middle and western parts of the county, are the Ripley and Flatwoods forma- tions. The Ripley and the Rotten Limestone belong to the Cretaceous division. The Flatwoods is of later age. As in many of the other counties, the strata ineiitioned are often covered by the sand and gravel beds of the Orange Sand Drift. Rivers, Creeks, Springs-, etc. There are numerous streams run- IVesl Tennessee. ^ ^ 43 ning through and in the county, the following named being the most important : Snake Creek rises about twelve miles south-east of Purdy, the county seat, runs north-east, and empties into the Tennessee River. Owl Creek rises about eight miles south of Purdy, runs south-east and empties into the Tennessee River. Oxford Creek rises about nine miles south of Purdy, runs south-west and empties into Cypress Creek. Cypress Creek rises about four miles north-west of Purdy, ranges south-west and empties into Hatchie River. Moses Creek rises about eight miles south-west of Purdy, runs in a south-west direction, and empties into Hatchie River. Hatchie Creek rises about ten miles north-west of Purdy, and is also a tributary of Hatchie River.^ There are still others which have importance in the several districts in which they ramify, but it is not deemed necessary to mention them particu- larly. Let it suffice to state that almost every farm in the county has running through or near it, either a river, creek or branch which affords a plentiful supply of stock-water for ordinary purposes. The principal reliance for drinking water is upon wells, which when dug, are from twenty to seventy feet deep, the average being about thirty- five feet. In addition to these wells are the semi-artesian wells. In the section of country occupied by green sand, good water for domestic purposes cannot often be secured by digging. Unless the water is reached at a depth below the Green Sand formation (which is seldom done by digging) it is impure and very disagreeable to the taste. The method of ^procuring water in the Green Sand region has been men- tioned. The success attending the boring of these wells has, at some points, nearly or quite doubled the price of land. Pools and cisterns are easily made, but are not generally needed, hence are but little in use. The water of the county is mostly freestone. Timher. In the extreme western part of the county there is an abund- ance of pine timber; in the other parts are found oak, hickory, ash, chestnut and the other varieties found usually in West Tennessee for- ests. There are but few saw-mills in the county, and little or no lum- ber is shipped, the object of the mills being only to supply the home demand. Land Statistics. The usual terms of rent are as follows : When money rent is required the price averages about $4 per acre, payable on the 15th of Is^ovember, though the best lands often rent as high as $7 per acre, while the third-class lands rent for about $2.50 per acre. When a part of the crop is required in the way of rent, the 1 1 44 Resources of Tennessee. land-owner gets one-third of the corn, and one-fourth of the cotton. About one-foiirth of the hinds in the county is for sale at reasonable prices and upon easy terms. The terms are generally on time to suit the purchaser, a lien being reserved upon the lands until the purchase money is paid. The following are the prices asked and given : Best bottom lands, per acre $25 to $30 Medium" " " " 20" 25 Inferior" " " " 10" 15 Best uplands " " 15" 20 Medium " " " 8" 12 Inferior " " " 3" 6 The staple of McNairy county is essentially cotton, though a good deal of corn is raised ; some wheat and tobacco are also grown, but they cannot be regarded as staples. Irish and sweet potatoes are raised for family use, but not for market. The following figures will show the average yield per -avx^ of the leading crops: Average yield of cotton per acre 500 lbs. seed. " " corn " 20 bushels. " " tobacco " 700 pounds. wheat " 10 bushels. " " hay " 2,500 pounds. "^ A very small quantity of hay was made in the county prior to 1873. There is a species of wild grass which grows well all over the county, which has served an excellent purpose, superseding generally, in the opinion of the farmers, the necessity of paying particular attention to the growing of grasses. But in 1873 there was an improvement in this respect. Some of the farmers are beginning to use clover as a fertilizer, and some of the domestic varieties of grasses are being intro- duced with satisfaction. The lowlands of the county are peculiarly adapted for meadows, and in time will doubtless be sowed down in grasses. The following farm statistics, carefully collected by a number of gentleman, will be read with interest. Total number of farms in tlie county in 1873 1,268 Number having under 3 acres 2 " " 3 and under 10 acres 54 " " 10 " " 20 " 140 20 " " 50 " 508 50 " " 100 " 381 100 " " 500 " 172 " " 500" " 1,000 " 1 The following are the products for 1873 as near as could be collected. Though not strictly accurate, they are entitled to more regard in that parti(!ular than the census r 'rns: JVesl Tennessee. ^^45 .... $ 1,389 Value of orchard products ^ -^gg " " forest products 67*489 " " home manufactures 35015 Bushels of wheat ' ^ 407,474 " " corn 22 034 " " «^ts ■■■".'.'"''" ^tW Pounds of tobacco ^Qj^g Bales cotton 24,230 Bushels of Sweet potatoes y^^gQ " I"sli " "'Z.3"3^ 333 Tonsof hay 12,683 Gallons of Sorghum '*"'.".. 7,591 Pounds of honey For the benefit of those who may feel especial interest in tlie stock statistics of the countv, the following have been carefully calculated foTmS, but for man\fest reasons, it is not claimed that they are more than approximately correct : 8738,625 Value of all live stock "^ 'hlX Number of horses ^'g-.^ " " mules and asses "^^g? " " milch cows '" '„-g " Avorkoxen ••••• ^^g^^ " sheep 571Q « " other cattle os'gSl « " swine 3~t946 Value of animals slaughtered, or sold for slaughter .......•••• <5^'^>-^^ Pounds of wool 133037 Pounds of butter From the examination of the foregoing tables or figures the reacler is IXd 0 examine the census report of 1870 of Me^a.ry conn^, and he will discover that in most respects there has -^^ -^^ ^^^ provement in the matter of produce, excep n ^e,y fe^^ ci^P^^ imong others, there .-as a falling off in «« ^''f . P"f ^ ' ; J' '^^ are more farms in the county than there were m 18,0, but the nerea e tntWs aspect has been small. The general dispos.t.on seems to be t« :i;l::t:Tess Und, b„t emtivate it .better - *'« " f„e' 'If neritv of the county proves the wisdom of the plan. Nearly one nail Tl the farms in The county contain twenty and -^^^^^ while nearly three-fourths ot them contain as many as 20 but less than Tto acres. Another com„>endable feature is, that the laboring men are inanifesting a dis,»sition to buy homes for them.,elves and families, Td it should riso be observed that .he few men who own large bodies "land arc manifesting a disposition to eucoiuage them by selhng them small tracts on convenient terms. The cotton shipped from Mc- 1 1 46 Resources of Tennessee. Nairy county ranks in the market from low middling to middling. The farmers in 1873 devoted much more time and attention than usual to the improvement of their farms. Though cotton is still essentially the staple of the county, many of the best farmers contend that there is more money in raising corn and stock, and they are giv- ing up cotton planting to some extent. It requires capital to furnish a farm with good stock. The consequence is that the small farmers, with limited means, will have to continue to devote their attention to cotton planting. In fact, even the wealthiest farmers are yet dealing but little in blooded stock. Some have blooded hogs, but a large ma- jority of them are content with crossing blooded animals on the native breeds. They purchase good male animals and breed them to scrub females. Labor. Labor is very scarce in McNairy county, and commands good prices. There are many more white than colored laborers and they are much more reliable and are greatly preferred. Farm hands are most needed, but cooks, house servants and mechanics of all kinds can find plenty of ^vork and get good wages. The following prices are paid: Farm hands per year, with board, $150; per month, §15; per day, %1 ; cooks per month, with board, $8 ; house servants, per month, with board, $8 ; mechanics per day, |2.50. Fruits. Apples, peaches, plums, cherries and grapes do well in all parts of the county ; so, also do the berries usually raised in West Ten- nessee. There are no regular market orchards, the object being only to raise fruit enough for home purposes. Markets. INIempliis is the cotton market for McNairy county, though some of the products from the county go to Louisville and Mobile. The merchants purchase their stocks of goods in Si. Louis, New York and Philadelphia. Mobile is about 400 miles from the county seat and Memphis is about 100 miles. Population. The population in 1870 was, white, 11,226; colored, 1,500; total, 12,726. The increase since that time is thought to be five per cent. Iinmifjration and Eniifjration. Every year some families and indi- viduals move into almost every district of the county, but they do not come in any considerable numbers. The yearly increase in the popu- lation is from one and a half to two per cent., the settlers since the war coming principally from Mississippi and Middle Tennessee. Occas- ionally persons leave the county and move to Texas and Arkansas, but TVes^ Tennessee. ii47 those who move to the latter State generally return within tM-elve months or two years. The People. The people are generally hard-working, tolerable thrifty and moderately well educated. They are not very progressive or en- terprising ; are conservative in their religious and political views. About one-half of them are readers of newspapers, and towards new comers they are very kind and hospitable. They are simply a substan- tial people, who are satisfied, as a general thing, to " live and let live." County Roads and Bailroads. The roads are in pretty good con- dition. There are no improved roads, such as pikes or plank roads. Indeed there are no hard rocks with which to construct durable roads. The sandstones that occur are not suitable for that purpose. The Mobile and Ohio Kailroad passes through near the center of the county, from north-west to south-east. The Memphis and Charleston passes through the extreme south-western districts from west to east, and a narrow gauge road is being built from Memphis, which Avill pass through the town of Montezuma. Towns and Villages. Purdy, the county seat of McNairy county, is located a little east of the center of the county, and has about 500 in- habitants. It was almost totally destroyed during the war and has never been entirely rebuilt. It has nine general stores and six or eight other business houses. Adamsville is eight miles east of Purdy, and has about 125 inhabitants. This place has three general stores and one drug store. McXairy Station, on the Mobile and Ohio Rail- road, is six miles north-west of Purdy, and has about 100 inhabitants. It ships about 800 bales of cotton annually, and has six or eight supply stores. Montezuma is fifteen miles north-west of Purdy, and has about 200 inhabitants ; it is noted for the enterprise of its people, has a post office, three stores, a good school and churches. Bethel Springs, a sta- tion on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, is four and a half miles west of of Purdy, and has about 150 inhabitants. It has four dry-goods stores, two family groceries, one saloon, post-office, telegraph office, two churches and one school, and is noted for its healthy location and its springs of pure freestone water. It ships about 800 bales of cotton annually. Ramer's Station, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, is twelve miles south of Purdy, has a post-office, stores and churches, and about seventy-five inhabitants. Camden is ten miles west of Purdy, and has about fifty inhabitants. Chewalla is fifteen miles south-west of Purdy, has a post-office, three stores and churches, and about 125 inhabitants. 1 1 4S Resources of Teiinessee. There are other very small villages in the county, bnt they hardly deserve mention. Milh and Maimjactories. The county is tolerably well supplied with grist-mills, principally water-power. There are no regular manufac- tories in the county, the nearest approximation being a few carding machines. Cotton-gins are very numerous, being scattered about every two or three miles, over the countv. School Statistics. Number of persons in the county between the ages of six and eighteen: white — male 2,224, female 2,193: colored — male 306, female 284. Total 5,007. Number of persons in the county between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one: Number of white, 516; colored, 96; total 612. The tax levied by the county in support of schools was ten cents on the $100, and one dollar on polls. There are eighty-four school districts in the county and there were taught in 1873 sixty public schools. The school fund, however, is so small that they were kept open but a few months. The mass of the people are favorably disposed toward them, and will cheerfully co-operate in any measure that will be put on foot looking to their permanent improve- ment. OBION COUNTY. County Seat — Troy. Obion county is justly regarded as one of the most fertile in the State. It was created by an act of the Legislature passed October 24, 1823, and the organization was effected shortly after. The first court was held on the 19th of the ensuing March, and levied the following taxes for county purposes: on each 100 acres of land, 18f cents; on each negro over twelve and under fifty years of age, 18f cents; on each pack of cards sold, 25 cents. The first indictment in the county was against the Attorney-General, and at the very term of his appoint- ment, the charge being assault and battery, to Avhich he pleaded guilty, and was fined six and a (]uarter cents. There were four other indict- ments at the same term, all for affrays, and each defendant was found guilty and fined six and a quarter cents, which was doubtless looked upon as an enormous fine for the privilege of indulging in a free fight. In 1825 the taxes were raised, the following being the levy : on each PVes^ Tennessee. 1 1 49 100 acres of land, 18f cents; on each 100 acres of land, for jury tax, 18| cents; on each white poll, Vl\ cents; on each black poll, 12i cents; on each 100 acres of land, for the improvement of navigation, 12i cents. The entire superficial area of Obion county embraces oGO square miles, but at least 36 miles of the surface is covered by Reelfoot Lake, of which more hereafter. The number of acres assessed for taxation is 296,278, valued at §3,631,149, or $12.26 per acre. The entire value of taxable property is §4,529,800. The population of the county in 1870 was 15,584, of which 2,182 were colored. Physical Geography, Soils and Geology. The physical geography of Obion county will be considered in relation to the Obion River, which runs through a considerable portion of the county. There may be said to be five distinct belts in the county. That portion lying for a distance of two miles on either side of the Obion River constitutes the first belt, and it is generally low and flat, with a comparatively thin soil, black on top, and lying upon a bed of whitish clay. The soils in this belt are all crawfishy, and subject to overflow, and are covered with a thick undergrowth of cane, the large timber being principally beech and cypress. The second belt comprises all that portion of the county, on both sides of the Obion River, beginning at the outer edges of the first belt and extending outward about three miles. The lands in this tier are not subject to overflow, though generally very level, and the soil is deep, rich, and remarkably productive. This soil has little or no sand, and rests upon a bed of dark clay, which is itself very fertile. In this belt there are really three kinds of soil, the mulatto, the black, and the ashen. Of these the black and mulatto are about equal in fertility — the mulatto being preferred for cotton and small grain, and the black for corn and orchard-grass. While the black will yield a larger number of pounds of tobacco per acre, the mulatto will grow a silkier and finer article. Both are well suited for the growth of timothy, clover and the grasses generally, though for the growth of timothy and herds-grass the ashen-colored soil is specially adapted. There is another difference in these varieties of soil worthy of men- tion. The black is very porous, drains easily, and for that reason may be worked earlier in the spring. It has also a greater depth. The mulatto is quick, lively, generous, but not deep. It holds fertilizers well, and is altogether very desirable. The ashen needs to be drained. It cannot be worked early in the season on account of its tendency to 1 1 50 Resources of Tennessee. hold water. The crops on it will withstand droughts longer than on either of the other varieties, and it holds manure well. The under- growth is principally cane and pawpaw, the larger growth being prin- cipally of poplar, oak, gum, beech, sugar-tree and hickory. Some of these trees are of enormous size and height, fairly rivaling the mam- moth trees of California. At the exposition held in Nashville in 1872 was exhibited a cut twelve inches long taken from a sassafras tree grown in this belt (near Union City) which measured inside the bark, which was about two inches thick, four feet eight inches in diameter. This cut was taken from the tree at a distance of twelve feet from the butt, and was perfectly solid. There are growing also on this belt mammoth poplars whose trunks, at a distance of three feet from the ground, will measure not less than seven feet in diameter. Union City, Kenton, Palestine and Crescent City are all situated upon this division, which is universally conceded to be the richest belt of land in the county, if not in the State. The third body, comprises all that country extending for a distance of about four miles from the outer edge of the third belt, though it should be observed that it lies in Obion only on one side of the river, the corresponding portion to the west and south of the river being in the counties of Weakley, Gibson and Dyer. In this third division, the country is rather hilly, though the lands are nearly all arable. The soil is generally dark, and with careful handling, will last and produce well, though more subject to washes than that in the second belt. The undergrowth is chiefly hazle and the principal timber is beech, hickory, oak and poplar. The fourth belt comprises all that country extending from the outer edge of the third belt to the immediate neighborhood of Reelfoot Lake, and is generally known as the "lake hills." Here there is a constant succes- sion of hills, some of them high and steep, though there are also nar- row valleys, some of which are from one to five or even ten miles in length. These lands are not very good for farming purposes, because it is difficult to get enough level or arable land in a body to make a respectable farm. They are, however, ])r()ductivc and easily cultivated. Persons of small means and those wlio desire small farms can here invest most profitably. This is the best fruit and vine section of the county, and the traveler passing through it will be astonished to see the vast number of grape and other vines clinging to every tree. It would also be a good sheep range, if it was not for the immense num- ber of dogs in' the county, which are worthless to their owners, and of incalculable injury to their .sheep-raising neiglibors. The western ter- West Tennessee. 1 1 5 1 minus of this belt is made up of very high bhiffs Avhich are so steep that it is almost impossible either to ascend or descend them. In fact, it is only at a few points that it is possible to do so. The fifth and last belt of Obion county comprises the narrow strip of country lying between the bluff just mentioned and Reelfoot Lake, and locally known as the lake bottom. The greater portion of these lands are subject to over- flow, but in spite of this fact, the farmers raise on them heavy crops of corn, and on the lands above overflow, they raise heavy crops of cot- ton. The soil is rich alluvial, very dark and deep, and rests upon a bed of dark-colored clay. The imdergrowth is principally cane and the timber is cypress, ash, walnut and cottonwood, with a sprinkling of the varieties more commonly found in the other belts. The principal staples of the second and third belts are corn and cotton, nnd in the second are some of the very best grass lands in the State. By far the larger portion of Obion county is included in the Plateau or Slope of West Tennessee ; the remainder, that west of the Mis- sissippi Bluff, being in the Mississippi bottoms. This bluffj the divid- ing line between these two divisions, is one of the most interesting physical features of the county. The steep hills or bluffs spoken of above are parts of this bluff, and its extraordinary steepness has already been mentioned. The name Mississippi Bluff has been applied to the entire line of steep escarpments extending from Hickman, Kentucky, through Obion to Memphis. Dr. Safford, in his report says of this : " The western escarpment of the West Tennessee Plateau or the line of bluffs in which it terminates, deserves especial notice. The escarp- ment, like the plateau, is cut by the river valley into sections, but the sections run lengthwise nearly in the same line, and for present pur- poses, may be regarded as continuous through the State. The whole line may be called the Mississippi Bluff. From its base the bottom of the Mississippi extend to the west, while from its summit, the flat up- lands extend eastward. Its steep face is greatly in contrast Avith the bottoms, one of the principal circumstances that give it interest. The bluff rises at different points from 50 to ,180 feet above the bottoms. The average elevation is perhaps about 130 feet. Some of the highest points command extensive views of the wild, timbered plains below. A view of this kind (the forests not concealing the Mississippi) is most beautiful. From the southern part of Kentucky down at least half way through Tennessee, tlie bluffs and the western margin of the Plateau has been much cracked or fissured by the well-known earth- quakes of 1811-12. At many points in Obion and Dyer counties the 1 1 5 2 Resources of Tennessee. Bluif has been greatly rent .The traveler, in passing along its summit, frequently meets with earth-cracks, or groups of these, often several hundred yards long, and occasionally traceable for half a mile or even a mile. The cracks or fissures vary in width from two or three to twenty feet. Many of them originally were deep, but are more or less filled up, and in some cases look like artificial canal beds, with a depth varying from three to fifteen feet. This is especially the case where the earth has sunk between two parallel fissures. Sunken belts of this kind, 100 feet wide, are sometimes seen. The fissures often occur in complicated groups, the individual members of each group extending in the same general direction and in any given cross section, from two or three to fifty feet apart, but w^hen followed out, separating in branches and curiously interlocking with each other. The belts of earth be- tween the fissures are often inclined at considerable and various angles to the general surface. At many points within the region that has been thus disturbed, sand, fine gravel and fragments of lignite (coal) were blown up through the fissures, and are now found in little ridges or hillocks. The fine white sand of these hillocks is now sought for at some points for building purposes." It should be mentioned that the bluff does not border the Missis- sippi River. It in fact touches the river at three points only, one of these being Memphis. In Obion county it borders on Reelfoot Lake. At various points along the sides of these bluffs have been found frag- ments, and even local strata or beds of lignite, which have been used for fuel by those living upon the lake shore. Capping the bluff and extending eastward over much of the county is the formation called Bluff lioam, or Loess, and described on page -lo of this Report. Im- mediately below this, and cropping out on the slopes of the bluff, is the Orange Sand, or Drift. This is represented in this region by beds of gravel, sand and clay. The gravel is conspicuous, and is seen in many parts of Obion. Below the Orange Sand lies the strata of the Lagrange Group. These outcrop at the base of the bluff, as well as in the eastern })art of the county when not covered by the Orange Sand. Rivers, Creekn, Lakes, etc.. The following are tiic principal rivers and creeks, which ramiiy throughout the county: North Fork of the Obion River first touches Obion county from Weakley county, about three miles south of the north-east corner of the county ; runs thence south-west along the east boundary of the county, until it gets about eighteen miles north-east of Troy, the county seat, thence into the Wes^ Tennessee. ii53 county in a direction west of south twenty-one miles, and forms a junction with the South Fork, about one-half mile south-west of Crockett Station. South Fork of Obion River enters the county near its south-east corner from Weakley county, runs thence west, and passes across the line into Dyer county, twelve miles south-west of Troy, having in the meantime formed a junction with the North Fork. Rutherford Fork of Obion enters the county from Gibson county, near Kenton Station, runs thence north-west, and forms a junction with the South Fork about one and a half miles above the point where the South Fork empties into the North Fork. Harris Fork of Obion River rises twenty-five miles north-east of Troy, runs south-west, and empties into North Fork of Obion probably sixteen miles north- east of Troy. Big Davidson Creek rises about eight miles north- east of Troy, runs south-east, and empties into the North Fork of Obion River six and a half miles south-east of Troy. Little Da- vidson Creek rises one and a half miles north of Troy, runs south- east, and empties into Big Davidson Creek four miles south-east of Troy. Mill Creek rises three and a half miles north-west of Troy, runs south, and empties into Obion River six miles east of Troy. Richland Creek rises ten miles west of Troy, near Wilsonville, runs south, and empties into Obion River fifteen miles south-west of Troy. Pawpaw Creek rises ten miles south-west of Troy, runs west, and empties into Reelfoot Lake nearly twenty-five miles south-west of Troy. In- dian Creek rises about six miles north-west of Troy, runs south-west, and empties into Reelfoot Lake at Wheeling, twenty-five miles due west of Troy. Reelfoot Creek rises nearly fifteen miles north-east of Troy, ranges thence west and south-west, and empties into Reelfoot Lake about twelve miles west of Troy. Brown's Creek rises fifteen miles south-west of Troy, runs thence west, and empties into Reelfoot Lake twenty-four miles south-west of Troy. Housen Creek rises ten miles north of Troy, runs thence south-east, and empties into the North Fork of Obion River eight miles east of Troy. Clover Lick Creek rises twelve miles west of Troy, runs thence south, and empties into Obion River about twelve miles south-west of Troy. These are the only streams of much importance, and with the exception of the dif- ferent forks of Obion River, none of them are perennials, but have water in them most of the year. Even when the weather is dryest, and the water is not running in these streams, there are always holes in their beds in which water stands almost, if not quite, all the year. The attention of the reader is now invited to the following brief de- 73 1 1 54 Resources of Tennessee. scription of the- justly celebrated Reelfoot Lake, which now, with Reel- foot Creek, forms the western boundary line of Obion County : Its length is about eighteen miles, extending as it does from a point just north of the Kentucky line, south to a point about seven miles north of the Dyer county line, and varying in width from three-fourths of a mile to three miles. Prior to the earthquakes of 1811-12 the lake had no existence, and " its origin appears to be due to the filling up of the old channel of Reelfoot Creek during the convulsions of that pe- riod. This dammed up the water that before ran without obstruction into the Mississippi, until it overflowed a large area and formed the lake as we now find it." Geology of Tennessee, p. 122. At the same time that the old channel of Reelfoot Creek was dammed up, it is sup- posed that the area of country now covered by the lake sunk several feet, and that this depression was gradually filled with the water which was prevented from flowing into the Mississippi. To any one who will visit this lake this theory will not seem unreasonable, for it is an in- disputable fact that the bed of the lake is in some places not less than twenty, or even thirty, feet below the level of the surrounding coun- try. Indeed the trunks of dead trees, which even now stand thickly over a greater portion of the lake, abundantly confirm this view, as upon examination, their roots are often found to be from ten to thirty feet below the surface of the water. The lake is a favorite resort of wild fowls in the fall and winter, and they may often be seen in count- less numbers. Every year a few swans are seen. The lake is also a favorite resort for fish of all kinds. Tons of them are annually caught by the hundreds of fishermen who make their homes upon the shores of the lake, and shipped, with thousands of ducks and geese, which are annually shot, to the St. Louis, Mobile, New Orleans, Nashville and Memphis markets. In the course of a few years it is more than prob- able that Reelfoot Lake will be as fashionable a resort for pleasure- seekers during the winter and fall months as Long Branch and Sara- toga are during the summer months. At present, however, the ac- commodations for visitors are very poor, and are not of themselves at all attractive. Nevertheless, crowds of sportsmen from Tennessee and the adjoining States yearly assemble there to enjoy the sports of hunt- ing and fishing. Timber. There is, probably, no county in Tennessee which is so densely timbered as Obion, and nowhere else in the State will there be found such mammoth trees, either in point of height or size. Along either side of Housen Creek, for a distance from the creek of not less Wes^ Te7inessee. 1 1 5 5 than five miles, and in' what are known as the "Obion Bottoms," may be found poplar and even oak trees which will reach the enormous height of 150 feet, and will measure in diameter from five to eight feet. But independent of these extraordinary trees, the timber of the county is wonderfully large, and stands exceedingly thick upon the ground. Indeed, to these circumstances is due the slow progress which has been made in clearing the lands and getting them into cultivation. The principal growths are poplar, the different varieties of oak and gum, maple, ash, hickory, walnut and beech, and along the river, creek and lake banks are found in large quantities cypress and cotton- wood. The prevailing undergrowth is cane, but in certain sections are found, also, hazle and pawpaw. There is a great number of saw-mills scattered over the county, which are annually sawing up thousands of logs into lumber, which is shipped to the St. Louis, Mem- phis, Mobile, Charleston, New Orleans and Nashville markets, and sometimes orders are received direct from Europe. Many staves are shipped to France from this county. Land Statistics. According to the best information on the subject, there were in 1873 2,208 farms in Obion county, of all sizes, of which there were : Farms having under 3 acres 2 " " 3 and under 10 acres 172 " " 10 " " 20 " 713 " " 20 " " 50 " 854 " " 50 " " 100 " 289 " " 100 " " 500 " 174 " " 500 " " 1,000 " 2 " " 1,000 " over 1 These estimates show that, since 1870, supposing the estimates of that year as given in the census report to have been correct, there has been an increase of seventy-eight farms of all sizes within the past three years. Included in these 2,208 farms are 78,641 acres of im- proved land, of which not exceeding one-third was rented in 1873, while the balance was worked by the land-owners themselves, or under their immediate supervision. The usual terms of rent are, for part of the crop, or "on shares," as it is termed, the land-owner fur- nishing the lands and getting as rent one-third of the crop raised, or furnishing everything but tlie lal)or, and getting two-thirds of the crop raised. Sometimes money rent is asked, in which case the following prices are asked and readily obtained : 1 1 56 Resources of Tennessee. Krst-class land , $5.00 per acre. Second-class land 4.00 " Third-class land 3.00 Not less than one-half of the land in the county can be purchased at reasonable prices, and on reasonable terms, the terms generally being one-third cash, the balance in one and two years, with lien reserved on the land to secure the unpaid purchase money. The prices asked and obtained, are, on an average, as follows : For the lands comprised in the first belt, per acre $ 2 " " " " second " " 25 " " " " third " " 20 " " " " fourth " " 5 " " " " fifth " " 6 There is such a variety of lands in the county that it is difficult to give figures 'showing what crops can be raised, on an average, per acre. The following estimate, however, have been made with much care, with the aid of local reports from every section of the county: Average yield per acre, of corn 35 bushels. " " " cotton in seed 1,200 pounds. " " " wheat 10 bushels. " " " oats 17 " " " " tobacco 1,000 pounds. " " " hay 4,000 " Stock and Stock-TCiising. Although Obion county offers superior facilities for stock-raising, very few of the farmers are engaged in the business. More attention has, of late years, been paid to the intro- duction of blooded hogs (the Berkshire being the favorite) than of any other blooded stock, and those farmers who have turned their atten- tion in this direction have met with a fair measure of success. Just after the war a few blooded rams were introduced into the county, and for a while it seemed that there was likely to be a permanent improve- ment of the sheep. But so destructive were the dogs to the flocks tha* the farmers became discouraged, and preferring to raise cheap sheep for the dogs, as they seemed determined to appropriate them, they have almost entirely abandoned the raising of blooded breeds. The fevorites were the Southdown and Cotswold varieties, though there were a few persons who ])rcferred the Merino. Within the last three years a few blooded Ixills liave been bought and brought into the county, but they have not as yet l)cen in the county long enough to thoroughly prove their value. The disposition, however, seems to be to ])atronize them, and it is expected that there will be, in the course of a few years, a very West Tennessee. 1 1 5 7 substantial improvement in the cattle of the county. There is but one, or maybe two, thoroughbred stallions in Obion. In this respect the county is very much behind, and there is at present no speedy pros- pects of improvement. Many persons are engaged in fattening stock, and every year a large number of sheep, hogs, cattle and horses is shipped from Obion to various points in the south and west. This business pays well, and is worth a great deal to the county. Pro- visions are plentiful, and generally cheap, and the range is very supe- rior, covered as it is in every direction with cane, the fattening quali- ties of which are little inferior to corn and grass. Labor. The people complain of the scarcity of reliable labor, and express a desire to welcome any number of good hands. There are probably at present more white than colored laborers. Crops are so easily made that the tendency is to encourage laziness. At any rate this " disease " seems to have been encouraged substantially in some way, until it is almost all-prevailing. The great demand at present is for farm hands. Good cooks, house servants and mechanics can com- mand good wages. The following prices are paid : For farm hands per year $200.00 " " " per month 20.00 " " " per day 1.50 " cooks per month 8.00 " house servants " 8.00 " mechanics per day , 3.00 Of course these figures will apply only in the hiring of good hands; other than good hands will not be able to command more than two- thirds as much. Marketfi. The lumber trade of Obion is done principally with St. Louis and Nashville, the cotton trade principally with Memphis, the tobacco trade principally with New Orleans and Nashville, and the corn trade with the various points along the line of the Mobile and Ohio, and the Mississsppi Central Railroad. The merchants buy prin- cipally in St. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati and Nashville. County and Railroads. The new road law has never been enforced, and even the old law was not enforced as it should have been. The result is the county roads are generally in a bad condition, and are but indif- ferently worked. The general rule seems to be to call the road hands together just before court convenes, and to work the roads just enough to save the overseer from punishment. There is quite a number of 1 1 58 Resources of Tennessee. bottoms in the county which, with comparatively small expense and labor, could be made pleasantly passable at all seasons of the year, but as it is, in wet weather, and generally during the winter months, they almost blockade travel. It is earnestly hoped that there will be a speedy and substantial improvement in this regard. The railroads already in operation in the county are the Mobile and Ohio, which passes through the eastern districts of the county from south to north, running from Mobile, Alabama, to Columbus, Kentucky, where it con- nects directly with the Iron Mountain Railroad of Missouri; the Xash- ville and Northwestern, which passes through the north-eastern corner of the county from south-east to northwest, running from Nashville, Ten- nessee, to Hickman, Kentucky; the Memphis and Paducah, which enters the county near the center of its southern boundary line, and passes through its south-eastern districts and out of it into Kentucky near its extreme north-eastern corner, running from Memphis, Ten- nessee, to Paducah, Kentucky ; this road is not yet completed, though the work on it is progressing. The Holly Springs, Brownsville and Ohio Railroad Company has been organized; several surveys have been made, and work has been done upon some parts of the line, but at present the work has been suspended. This road is chartered as a narrow guage, to run from Brownsville to Union City, thence north to a point opposite Cairo, Illinois. At Brownsville it is proposed to con- nect it with a narrow guage road to run between that point and Holly Springs, Mississippi. There is another road projected to run from Union City to Reelfoot Lake, but as yet no charter has been obtained. Tovms and Villageii. Troy, the county seat, is located near the cen- ter of the county, or rather a little west of the center, has a population of about 500, and does a very good business. If the Holly Springs, Brownsville and Ohio Railroad is ever completed, Troy will be a sta- tion on its line. Kenton, a station on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, is about fourteen miles south-east of Troy, and has about 200 inhabi- tants. Crockett, also a station on the same road, is about ten miles south-oast of Troy, and has about twenty-five inhabitants. Troy Sta- tion, the junction of the Mobile and Ohio and the Memphis and Padu- cah railroads, is about six and a half miles east of Troy, and has about one hundred inhabitants. Jordan Station, another station of the Memphis and Ohio Railroad, is directly on the State line between Ten- nessee and Kentucky, the major })art of it being in Kentucky; it is about seventeen miles north-east of Troy, and has about seventy-five inhabitants. Paducah Junction, at the crossing of the Memphis and West Tennessee. 1 1 59 Paducah and the Nashville and Northwestern railroads, is abont thir- teen and a half miles north-east of Troy, and has about twenty-five inhabitants. Woodland Mills, a station on the Nashville and North- western Hailroad, is fourteen miles north of Troy, has something near 100 inhabitants, and does a good business. Pierce's Station, on the Memphis and Paducah Railroad, is twenty miles north-east of Troy, and has probably fifty inhabitants. Harris Station, on the same road, is some twenty-three miles north-east of Troy, and has about fifty inhabitants. Polk Station, on the same road, is three and a half miles south- east of Troy, and has about twenty-five inhabitants. Crescent City,*a station on the same road, is seven miles south of Troy, and has about 150 inhabitants. Trimble Station, on the same road, is about eleven miles south of Troy, and has nearly 100 inhabitants. Wilson- ville is ten miles west of Troy, has probably 100 inhabitants, and is the seat of a good trade. Wheeling is on the bank of Peelfoot Lake, about twenty-five miles west of Troy, and has about fifty inhabitants. Palestine is about nine miles south-west of Troy, and has about seventy- five inhabitants. Union City is at the junction of the Mobile and Ohio and the Nashville and Northwestern railroads, is about ten miles north of Troy, and has a population variously estimated at from 2,000 to 3,000. Union City is located in the center of the second belt of lands described in the foregoing section headed " Physical Geology," and must always of necessity command a good trade. When the late war ended there were not exceeding seventy-five people in the place, but owing to its happy location, its growth since then has been unpre- tjedented in the history of Tennessee towns. It has now many large and handsome two and three story brick business houses, five hand- gome church buildings belonging to the Methodist, Cumberland Presby- terian, Baptist, Christian, and Presbyterian denominations. There are several good schools, two large steam flouring-mills, several steam saw- mills, two planing-mills and machine shops, one woolen factory, one cotton gin, two shingle and lathe mills, one wagon and carriage fac- tory, workshops of the Nashville and Northwestern Railroad Com- pany, and numerous other shops, etc. At a recent session of the Dis- trict Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, it was de- cided to locate in Union City a college, to be under the patronage of the Conference, and a sufticient amount of money was speedily sub- . scribed by the people of the town to erect the necessary buildings, and purchase furniture, scientific apparatus, etc. The Board of Trustees has been organized, but work on the building has not yet been com- menced. 1 1 60 Resources of Tennessee, Mills and Manufactories. There are a few small manufacturing es- tablishments now at work. The county is well supplied with steam saw-mills, which do an immense business, and almost every neighbor- hood has convenient to it a good grist-mill. The average milling dis- tance throughout the county is about three and a half miles. School Statistics. There are but few counties in the State that have made more earnest efforts to establish a good system of public schools than Obion. The county levied a tax of twenty cents on the $100 worth of property, fifty cents on polls and a privilege tax for the sup- port of schools. During the scholastic year of 1873-4, forty-five white schools and two colored schools have been in operation with over 2,000 scholars enrolled. The scholastic population amounts to 5,860, between the ages of six and eighteen, of which 874 are colored. Most of the private schools wore absorbed by the public schools. Churches. A traveler passing through Obion county will be aston- ished to see the great number of church buildings. Indeed there is scarcely a neighborhood in the county which has not one or more churches. The denominations, arranged in respect to numerical strength, are Methodist, Baptist, Cumberland Presbyterian, Christians and Presbyterians. There are several other denominations represented but their membership is very small. Newspapers. At present there are but two newspapers published in the county, one the Signal, which is published in Troy, the other the Union City Herald, published in Union City. Both are Democratic. Farmers' Organization. The " Central Agricultural and Mechanical Association of South West Kentucky and West Tennessee," with fair grounds near Union City, is now in its ninth year, and is in a very flourishing condition. It has very valuable real estate, upon which it has located its fair grounds, and its annual fairs are largely attended. SHELBY COUNTY. County Seat — Memphis. Shelby is the wealthiest county in the State, and is one of the hirgest. It occupies the extreme south-western corner, and em- braces an area of 720 square mile.?. The number of acres assessed for IVes^ Tennessee, 1 1 6 1 taxation, exclusive of town lots, for 1873, Avas 442,534, valued at $9,546,311, or S21.57 per acre. The number of town lots was 8,455, valued at $24,057,937. The total valuation for 1873 was $38,553,951, or over one-third of the value of taxable property in West Tennessee, and over one-eighth of all the taxable property in the State. The population in 1870 was 76,378, of which 36,640 were colored. In 1820 Shelby county had but 364 inhabitants, which were increased to 5,648 in 1830; 14,721 in 1840; 31,157 in 1850; 48,092 in 1860; which shows an increase unparalleled in any other county in the State. During the last decade the colored population has more than doubled, while the white population has not increased quite thirty per cent. This was due to the immense swarms of negroes that poured into Mem- phis from Mississippi, Arkansas, and the adjoining counties during the period of hostilities. The law authorizing the establishment of the county was passed in 1819, and the county was organized early in the following year. Geology, Topography, Soils, etc. In its geology, Shelby is like Obion, Dyer, and the other counties which border the Mississippi, and what has been said of them is applicable to this county. At the lowest points outside of the bottoms we have outcropping the Lagrange Sands, (page 44) in which occur beds of lignite, as at Raleigh, on the banks of the Wolf; then above this the gravel and sand of the Orange Drift, which appear on the slopes of the Bluff and at the surface in the eastern part of the county ; then above all the Bluff Loam or Loess (page 45) upon which Memphis is built and much of the best soil of Shelby rests. To these may be added the Alluvium of the bottoms, the formation whose beds are the work of existing agencies, and are of the most recent age. The general surface of the county is that of a gently undulating plain, interspersed with some half dozen creeks, two rivers, and a number of water-courses, great gullies, dry half the year, miscalled bayous, which serve to rapidly drain off the excess of rainfall. There is a reasonable amount of flat alluvial soil along the creek bottoms and the rivers, especially that part facing the Mississippi River in the north-western (juarter of the county. The hills or rolling lands are usually of a clay loam, resting on a reddish- yellow brick clay. When these were first cleared of the forest, they produced large crops for half a lifetime, but having been mostly butchered by the worst possible system of exhaustive slave labor, they now show signs of material decay. For all this, Avhen treated ration- ally with a systematic application of stable manures, or especially 1 1 62 Resources of Tennessee. that of plowing under green crops of rye, clover or maize, the soil is recuperated in a rapid and thorough manner. In fact, the subsoils seem loaded with inert plant food, readily rendered digestible for any of the staple crops. But little attention is paid to the restoration of fer- tility by the farmers. These men, "svho own most all the general, or staple farming lands, have been brought up under the old export and slave system, have no longer the capital, credit or slave labor to clear away timber lands, but they continue to overcrop themselves, impair the remnants of their estates, and finally give, at the end of the year, the w^hole proceeds to the laborer and the commission merchant. Hence the farming community is not prosperous. The alluvial soils, composed of vegetable mould and sand, are as rich as any other in the world. Some of them have produced fifty consecutive crops of corn and cotton, yet show but little signs of impoverishment. So great is the amount of mineral plant food held in solution by the waters of the Mississippi, it may be doubted if any lands overflowed by this stream once in five years, ever can be exhausted. Health and Climate. In the county there is very little swamp or marsh land, hence the people are not much troubled with miasmatic diseases. In a hygienic point of view, it may be said that Shelby county is not unhealthy. But being on the turning point between the steady cold of the northern winter and the geniality of that of the South, it is subject to sudden changes of temperature during winter time. A majority of the disorders is due to imprudence in cloth- ing, but they are of a very temporary nature, and readily yield to proper medical advice. The sudden changes in the weather call for skill and care in the higher branches of agriculture; but on this ac- count, are more remunerative to such treatment. Crops. There is a moderate amount of warm, sandy soils, suitable for any sort of crops which flourish on such. In and around the vil- lage of Raleigh is a series of high, dry, sandy hills, most admirably suited, when fertilized and properly tilled, to produce orchard pro- ducts, berries, melons and garden stufis. Cotton, however, is the staple crop, and will continue to be until the system of farming is changed. The cabbage and cauliflower are excellent, and of course the warm weather, continued so long, matures in fine style lima beans, melons, cucumbers and other garden products native of the subtropical coun- tries. Grains, including all food crops for man and beast, and also the root crops, do finely. Milh. Although watered by a number of streams, they lack the Wesl Tennessee. ^ ^ °^ descent and rapidity of current necessary for '-« ^^ ^fof'thl city hence there are no mills save those run by steanr^ ^"f ''t,^ ^^ 1^, of Memphis, the county is not ^,ell supplied with mills. The general disposition seems to be to send the raw products to Mempbis and pur- chase at that place the manufactured results. P,.;ce 0/ Zand,. Th.Ur. Around the city of Memphis the prices of lands varv from $500 to $3,000 per acre. In the more remote or properly the'staple farming portions of the county, the cost of im proved places is from $10 to $50 per acre. Timber lands near he city are very costly, but farther away and not near a railroad o, a navigable stream, they may be purchased usua y for from$o to $10 per acre Some of these soils are yet covered with walnu , ash cypres , boxwood, (dogwood) and maple, and of course the value of hem .s Ited rather on account of the timber than the productive qualities of Tsoil. The forests present quite a variety of valuable timber, and the e not cut away, an immense amount of i'- Among the sorts -X be more generally reckoned some half dozen kinds of oak, three of maXt™ of poplar, two of hickory, two of elm, two of locust, wo Z\:^, the coltonwood, and also others not so common. Originally there wis a heavv growth of underbrush, especially that of the hazel- nut, but the cattie have browsed on it so freely that the uplands no longer present the dense thickets they once did. Likewise the once enormous crops of the summer and the -l^t-,^-!'-.^"^'!"^"';: dine have mainly disappeared. No wonder the Indians fought long and hard to retain such a paradise for them as this section once was, for the forests supplied them bountifully with blackberries, mulberries, hazel-nuts, walnuts and hickory-nuts, chincapins, black and red haws, acorus, roots, barks, grapes, and three or four sorts of palatable plums. The bov of to-dav can scarce form an idea of the once fruitful condi- tion of the forests, and just in the fact of this fruitf^alness lies the reason why such countless numbers of wild animals and Indians could be subsisted, and which .uabled the pioneers to live so far from he centers of civilization. What wonder the red man scorned to till the soil when nature supplied his simple wants. YiM of ProduclH. Under the present slipshod culture of the farm- ers, the old uplands, fifty years under culture, average the vie d of about 200 pounds of cotton passed through the gm and ready o bale for export; about from ten to twelve bushels of wheat, and from fifteen to thirty-five bushels of corn per acre. The yield of he rich sandy loams along Big Creek, the Wolf, Hatchie and Mis- 1 1 64 Resources of Tennessee, sissippi rivers is of a character satisfactory to the most parsimoni- ous. Hatchie and Wolf rivers enter the Mississippi on the northern confines of Memphis. Farms along these streams, and especially those north of Wolf River and along its tributary, Big Creek, in the northern and north-western districts of the county, are wonderfully productive, often yielding a bale of cotton per acre. The richest plan- tations on Big Creek are badly cultivated. In the poorest districts, where negroes are unknown, the little fields are robed in fleecy white- ness, and excellent corn and cotton crops are produced. The great plantations of the South, as of this county, are no longer productive. Slave no longer competes with free labor, and the poor whites of 1860 make the great bulk of the cotton crop. The negro is master on the great plantations ; the white man on the little farms in narrow valleys, that now glut the imperial treasury with gold and clothe the nations. Drawhachs and Possibilities. Owing to lack of cash capital, the want of an adaptability to present circumstances, of a knowledge of real farming, an absence of diversified crops, a proper attention to re- cuperating the soil, fast living, a desire to appear richer than the reality, the ignorance and unthrifty character of the negroes, who form nine-tenths of the laborers, and their positive refusal to make a contract for more than one year at a time, or to raise anything else than corn and cotton, and the absence of any law compelling them to fulfill their contracts, the farmers are not generally prosperous. Granted a goodly supply of intelligent and reliable labor, perhaps there is no section in all of the vast continent more attractive to the agricultural capitalist, or, as at present, to those who depend on their own strong arms and brave hearts to work out their personal salvation. There are multitudes of brave men lost in the wilds of the West, laboring away their lives for a mere subsistence, who, with the same energy and economy, would in this section soon acquire a fortune. Large farmers in Europe do not make as much money in a given series of years, as an intelligent laborer might accumulate here in one. Weather and Fruits. All through the whole year, save on rainy days, work of some sort may be done on the farm. As for frost in the earth, it is rarely more than two or three inches deep, nor does it ever last above a week. Perhaps the number does not average more than three annually which penetrate deej)er than a half inch. In re- gard to the snow, there are generally several falls of it, reaching the depth of from one to four inches, and lasting, in some extreme cases. TVesz Tennessee. 1 1 65 several davs at a time. Once iu five years or less comes a sleet, coating everything with a thin encasement of ice, sufficiently destructive to kill such fig trees as are exposed to the full fury of the blast and after- wards to the light and warmth of the sun. In all such cases, however, new shoots spring up again from the roots. Pomegranates have borne fruit in this county, but are not profitable unless protected by laying and covering with earth, or sheltered with stalks or boards. No sort of grape vine is killed by cold. The native grapes are quite produc- tive, but none have been tried on a large scale except the Hartford, Concord and Scuppernong. There is no better country for peaches, summer apples, blackberries and raspberries. Apricots generally bloom out so early as to get the embryo fruit killed. Currants and gooseberries do not do well. Grasses. When partially shaded as in a woods lot, blue-grass forms a lasting pasture, but does not succeed in the full glare of the sun. Timothy, red-top, millet, oats and Hungarian grasses are productive of large crops. Clover, when mowed twice a year after the first one, dies out about the third or fourth summer. As for winter pastures, nothing need be more luxuriant than the orchard-grass and the winter rye, both of which stay green and grow every day in the season. Orchard-grass does finely the whole year. Bermuda grass grows lux- uriantly during the summer and furnishes in this way an inexhaustible pasturage. It does not get high enough or sufficiently tender for profi- table mowing, and it dies down to the roots in winter. These are objections to it, but they are offset by certain inestimable virtues in- cluding the fact that nothing short of repeated summer plowings can kill it out, and that a few sprigs of it dropped here and there and cov- ered by the foot will soon check washing in any lands. Waste Lands. Perhaps about fifteen per cent, of the cleared lands have been abandoned since the commencement of the late war. One- half of the county is yet in forest. The rolling clay loam soils which have been long abandoned, con- tain a certain proportion of sand, and have been scarified by ugly gul- lies, but these are readily checked and self-filled up by a cheaply adop- ted plan of staking down poles or brush, and putting behind them strips of Bermuda grass, or by sowing seeds of the plum, black locust and osage orange, and also by the driving down willow stakes and insert- ing the cuttings of locust roots. Labor — Hoio JEhnployed. In regard to the contract usual between the 1 1 66 Resources of Tennessee. land-owner and the laborer, it may be said in staple farming, but few pay money wages, but where this is the case, the laborer gets about fifteen dollars monthly and his board and lodging. The great majority prefer the share system, in which the laborers get house-room free, but cook for themselves and are charged up with all provisions, clothing and cash furnished to them. At the end of the season they are credi- ted with one-half of the product of their labor. The land owner in all cases furnish animals, implements, seeds, and feed for the animals. Country house servants are paid monthly fifteen dollars for men, twelve for women and from five to eight for children. Trxicli Fanning. Shelby county is admirably adapted to truck farm- ing, or the culture of miscellaneous crojDS, and the Memphis market is all that could be desired by any producer who believes in the principle of " live and let live." There are several vineyards and fruit-farms, (see Part I, pp 165 to 167) and quite a number of good gardens around the city, but there is ample room for additions, especially in cases where capital is connected with skill. The appearance of a disorder some- what resembling cholera, and the panic caused by the natural fears of the people, checked the sale of vegetables during the past season and cost the gardeners and truckers the loss of the greater part of their year's labor. In the main this class of agriculturists is doing very Avell, perhaps better than anywhere else in the State. The labor em- ployed in these higher branches of agriculture is much more expensive than that procured by the common farmers. Gardeners get from thirty to fifty dollars a month and are also lodged and boarded. Laborers receive from twenty to thirty dollars and findings. Day laborers, who find themselves, get from one to two dollars a day. Rents. Improved lands in country districts rent for from three to ten dollars an acre, perhaps averaging five dollars an acre annually. The usual terms of lease are very simple, the principal points being the keeping of fences in repair, the ditches open and responsibility for any wilful destruction of property. Where land is so cheap and surplus capital so scarce, there is of necessity an indisposition to make long leases, annual renting being preferred. Such being the case, those lands which are rented are cultivated in the most piratical style pos- sible and soon sadly injured. Cotton vs. Stock. Being cursed with an undue proportion of the draff and offal of society which gather about Memphis, the rearing, free of cost on the range, of sheep, hogs and cattle has declined since West Tennessee. 1 1 67 the abolition of slavery. In fact there are but few of these animals now. The county is especially adapted to their production and it has been repeatedly demonstrated that they can be produced more cheaply than they can in climates so cold as to necessitate their being housed. But cotton rules. There is a fascination about cotton culture as pow- erful to the farmer as cards are to the gambler, or the bottle to the drunkard; once engaged in it he seldom, if ever, quits it. The rea- sons appear to be the absence of capital to pay money wages, the pos- sitive refusal of the negro to take a share in the products of general farming, and above all, cotton is always in demand and every one knows its daily value, and all are ready to purchase at a small discount, and pay cash for it or to exchange anything else for it. Other things must hunt a market and be sold, in part at least, at the discretion of the purchaser, while cotton is synonymous with cash. Mules and Oxen. There are not many oxen in the county, but the number of mules, of the finest kinds too, is very great. This animal is greatly preferred for draught to the horse. He eats less, is stronger proportionally, is much hardier and longer lived. While the age and condition of the horse are scrujaulously determined by the purchasers, there seems to be a general indisposition to pay any regard to these matters, when a mule is to be bought. Dairies. There is a number of dairies about Memphis, but the country people make for sale but very little butter and cheese. But- ter and milk always sell high in Memphis, and the dairyman, who at- tends to his business, always makes money at it. (See Part I, p 149.) Fencing is becoming a serious matter. Timber is of value in a money point of view and farmers object to the destruction of the finest white oaks for this purpose. They have not yet resorted to hedging, as they must in the future. About twenty years ago some farms yvere enclosed with the Madura, or osage orange, but the work was done so slovenly and the plants received so little attention they did not succeed in the purpose of forming an impenetrable barrier, and hence the opinion prevails that it does not suit the climate. But there never was a greater mistake. With proper care and culture it flour- ishes nowhere better, nor is there any perfect substitute for it. Mineral Springs. There are two sets of mineral springs — one at Raleigh and the other at Nashoba — none of which are supposed to have any other properties than those given by sulphur and iron. Those at Raleigh have attracted considerable local attention, and have received a moderate share of summer patronage. 1 1 68 Resources of Tennessee. Roads. There is one short turnpike of gravel leading out from the city, but the county has no plank roads. The city of Memphis is paved with thin blocks of cypress timber laid on plank in the style called "Nicholson." With the exception of some gravel in the bed of the Mississippi, there is no other material for paving. There is no stone within the limits of Shelby, save a very little worthless sand- stone ; nor are there any minerals worth mining, nor any coal. The dirt roads are in a horrible condition, and stringent legislation is needed to compel laborers to work on them. Small Industries and Miscellaneous Observations. Private domestic manufactures on the farms went out with slavery, and, sadly be it ad- mitted, there is scarcely any attention paid to the marketing of fowls pigs, lambs, feathers, honey, wax, etc. The country people, absorbed in the cotton crop, are prone to regard with contempt all minor ob- jects. Many of them purchase in the city even their meat and bread- stuffs. Most of these people were rich in ante helium days, and con- tracted habits of extravagant expenditure of money, which ihey find difficult to shake off. The main thing wanting with them is that spirit of thrift which causes the barnyard, poultry-house, apiary, orchard, dairy, and everything else appertaining to good farming, to be produc- tive of the greatest results. Of course these things are more easily pointed out than performed, and the lack of reliable labor, especially that of females, is some excuse for the present condition of affairs. The farms are also too large for the times, yet there are none of those huge plan- tations so common on the lowlands farther south. Most of the land- owners would be glad to convert a portion of their estates into money, but there are but few purchasers. Plowing is performed with the com- mon turn plow and the shovel plow. The sweep is also used in cotton culture. There is no great demand for improved implements, and but little sale for such as are needed in profitable culture of grasses and small grains, yet the demand for the latter is steadily improving. As yet the county is sadly deficient in pastures and meadows, but there seems a growing disposition to increase both. Hay and corn are always in great demand in the Memphis market, and enormous quan- tities of each are sold. Railroads. The county is not deficient in railroads, there being the Memphis and Charleston, the Mem])liis and Louisville, the Mississippi and Tennessee, all old roads, and several others in process of construc- tion, and others as yet existing only on paper. The " Great Father of Waters," which bounds the county on the west, forms the main chan- West Tennessee. 1 1 69 nel of commerce, and affords the year round connection with New Orleans, St. Louis, and also through the Ohio River with Cincinnati. The products and merchandise are shipped in all directions. Some of the cotton is sent to New Orleans by river and rail, but the greater portion is shipped to New York via the Ohio river and Norfolk. Islands 40, a group. President and Vice-President islands, all in the Missis- sippi River, belong to this county. With the exception of Wolf island. President is the largest one in the whole length of this mighty stream. At this point the river is about three-quarters of a mile wide. The Arkansas shore is low alluvial land, which extends to Missouri on the north, to Helena on the south, and due west to the St. Francis River, a width of forty miles. It is across this tremendous and mala- rious swamp that the corporate authorities and citizens of Memphia have for years been engaged at great expense of talent, energy, money and health in constructing this end of the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad ; trains now run through regularly. The depot is in Mem- phis, and the passenger cars, with their living load, are safely and swiftly wafted across the river on a steamer constructed for this pur- pose. The whole road to Madison is an alternate series of embank- ment and piling. The piles, in some instances, surmount an overflow of as much as fifteen feet, and consist of great cypress trees driven fifteen feet deep in the ground, and steadied by stringers and cross capping ; the whole forming a wonderful series of bold engineering and far-seeing courage on the part of those who furnished the capital. There are about half a dozen medium sized nurseries in the county, but there is need of one large and complete floricultural and another one of a horticultural character, managed by masters of the profession, armed with an abundant capital. Schools. Shelby county, during the scholastic year beginning Sep- tember 1, 1873, levied a tax of five cents on the ^100 worth of prop- erty, and had in operation ninety white and thirty-three colored schools. The scholastic population between the ages of six and eighteen was 23,810, of which 10,982 were colored. Fair Grounds, etc. There is a county fair of an agricultural char- acter near the city, and in the city an industrial exposition. The lat- ter seems to be quite a success. There are saw-mills in various parts of the county, but much the largest part of the lumber business is done in the city of Memphis, where there are half dozen large and flourish- ing mills, besides several planing mills, which manufacture and export 74 1 1 7© Resou7xes of Tennessee. to the surrounding county, great quantities of doors, mantels, sash, blinds, etc. Some of the logs used by the lumber men are procured in the county, but most of them come down the river. Memphis, its Trade and Prospects. Memphis is the metropolitan city of the State, and is the liveliest, raciest, richest, most energetic, noted and thrifty fourth rate city within the limits of the Union. It has, at this time, over 60,000 inhabitants, and the amount of its busi- ness is enormous, and the character of its enterprises astonishing. No where else can so perfect a miniature of the great metropolis of New York be found. It is situated on the fourth Chickasaw Bluff, so called, from a tribe of Indians that were aborgines there. This bluff presents a front on the river of about six miles, the upper four being occupied by the city and its suburbs. Its elevation above the water line is about forty feet, and above the surface of the Gulf of Mexico about 240. A portion of this bluff has been graded for a wharf, and approaches to it. The remainder of that part within the city limits would doubtless have long since been disposed of in some manner, but for a difference of opinion among the citizen as to whether or not it should be graded at public expense, and pitched into the river, or at private expense and made into brick, or at public cost walled up and converted into a set of parks, and thus retain some semblance to the title of the "Bluff City," as well as add to public happiness and health. It is to be hoped that the latter opinion will soon prevail. At the lower end of the city there yet remain the remnants of the mounds of Chisca, where the great but unfortunate Spaniard, Her- nando De Soto, discovered the mighty " Father of the Waters," and in spite of time's effacing fingers, some of the surrounding ravines which prevented him from concluding to battle with the inhabitants on account of the ground being unsuited to his cavalry. As all persons are supposed to know, these Spaniards where the first white men who ever visited this State, and that they were supposed to have done so in or about the year 1543. De Soto, it appears, traveled up to Randolph, and there built boats and crossed the river. These emi- nences are now called the Jackson Mounds, in honor of General An- drew Jackson. Tillman Bettis, Sol. Rozell, and the Greenlaw family were of the first permanent white inhabitants of Shelby county. They invaded the forests that crowned the Chickasaw Bluffs in the first years of the century. A very satisfactory and amusing account of the early history of Memphis and Shelby county appears in a book written by TVes^ Tennessee, wjy James D. Davis, a Memphis octogenarian. Bettis and Eozell were the first members of the first County Court, and neither could read or write. They examined and employed a schoolmaster, who never discovered their illiteracy, made highways and bridges, and were honest men. Judge John Overton, the father of the owner and builder of the Maxwell House at Nashville, Andrew Jackson and General Winchester, of the war of 1812, were the original owners of Mem- phis, having bought the grant of 5,000 acres on which Memphis stands, from one John Rice, to whom the cession was made by North Carolina. Memphis began to grow with marvelous rapidity in 1850, when the city's railway system was inaugurated. For.t^n years preceding the war, Memphis, in proportion to population, grew much faster than Chicago. Wolf River debouches into the Mississippi on the northern confines of the city of Memphis, and the Nonconnah four miles below. On the lofty plateau between these two streams Memphis stands, and along the middle of this ridge the Memphis and Charleston Railroad bends its way toM'^ards the Atlantic coast. With lands so rich and a city so fortunately situated upon the high- way of States, with a system of railways almost perfect, it is quite im- possible to doubt the coming greatness of Memphis. The richest body of land in the world lies just across the Mississippi west of Memphis. It is an alluvial plain, 100 by 50 miles, and when densely populated, as it was of old, when mound-builders flourished in the lowlands and left evidences of their power and numbers every- where, Memphis must be its commercial emporium. To have an almost air line railway from St. Louis to Memphis, it is only necessary to build a road ninety miles in length from Memphis to Jacksonport, in Arkansas. If this be done, population will at once enter the low- lands, to become the richest people, having the richest farms, in the most delightful climate, on one of the greatest rivers, between two most prosperous cities on the globe. The resources of Memphis lie in Mississippi and Arkansas, rather than in Tennessee, and yet the day is not distant when every town and county in Western Tennessee, made accessible by cheap railways, will trade with Memphis. This county of Shelby and the city of Memphis pay one-eighth of the State's rev- enue, and if wise and liberal legislation be accorded, that capital may be kept at home, foreign capital attracted, and railways and factories built, Memphis will soon double the sum now annually given to sup- 1172 Resources of Tennessee. port the State. "What is most needed in the State is the enactment of law» making real estate convertible and transferable like personalty. A Tennessee mortgage or trust deed avails nothing. Nobody under our laws, and as chancery courts may intervene, will lend money upon realty. Therefore capital leaves the Stat^ ; therefore taxes are unpaid ; there- fore enterprise is shackled; and therefore Memphis fails to become a, great manufacturing city. Our laws and courts make our property in- convertible, and we have nothing but real property, and since it attracts- no money, and our whole code repels money-lenders, real property loses value,- and they who would save it, through the code and courts^ from usurers, absolutely make it valueless. The following, giving the prospects and trade of Memphis, is from John S. Toof, Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce : Memphis, July 16, 1874. J. B. KiLLEBEEW, SeGretary Bureau of Agriculture, Nashville, Tenn..- Dear Sir — ^NTotwithstanding the severe epidemic visitation of 1873^ which, in extent and influence was sufficient of itself to hopelessly cripple the trade and prospects of any city whose foundations were not of the most substantial character, Memphis to-day occupies an enviable position among all her southern sisters in the immense extent of her trade and in her sound commercial prosperity. The result of the year's business now closing shows a material increase in nearly all departments over any previous year in her history. The severe financial revulsion of 1873^ which visited the entire Union, found our merchants in strong posi- tion, and in the mercantile trade proper, not a single house of promi- nence failed from its effects; but on the contrary, it has been the sub- ject of frequent remark by New York capitalists and merchants, that our business men met their engagements with more fidelity and prompt- ness than those of any other city, north or south. During the panic only two of our banks suspended temporarily, while the remainder all continued to pay currency on demand. This result of the year's busi- ness shows better the condition of the city trade than any words that could be added. Our merchants, as a whole, are enjoying a high de- gree of prosperity — are active, energetic and enterprising. Indeed, their spirit of enterprise is measured only by their actual financial ability to compass ; they are truly a working class, and it is to them, and to them alone, that Memphis is to-day indebted for the sound and substantial condition of her cotton and general wholesale trade, which, by their unaided efforts, have not only been retained, but largely in- creased ; and this, too, in the face of persistently hostile efforts on the West Tennessee. "^^TZ part of rivals on all sides. Yet, ^vhile much has been accomplished, much remains to be done. Our trade, though large, is not what it should be, or what it will be when freight difficulties and discrimina- tions, now claiming the attention of our Chamber of Commerce, as also of our Cotton Exchange, have been properly adjusted. A union depot, sadly needed, is regarded among the certain events of the near future. Unjust discriminations against our trade on the part of rival railway lines, are, it is thought, in course of at least partial adjustment, and, while there is yet room for improvement, our railroad interests generally may be regarded as in far better condition than was the case a year ago. Manufactures should claim more of our attention in the future, for therein lies an element of certain prosperity, in increased wealth and population. In 1850 the population of Memphis was 6,427, and taxable values ■$4,600,000; in 1860, population 22,643, and taxable property ^21,- 500,000; in 1870, population 40,371 (not including from 8,000 to 10,000 absentees at the time of taking the census), and taxable wealth $24,783,190, while to-day we have a population in the city and immedi- ate environs of at least 65,000, and our taxable wealth, despite the many disadvantages with which we have had to contend, is .$29,801,592. The city government is in the main acceptable, while as to the execu- tive department, it is doubtful if our city aifairs could be in more ca- pable and trustworthy hands than those of his Honor, Mayor Loague. This being the case, it is but a natural sequence that the affairs of Memphis, as a city, are rapidly assuming a very satisfactory shape. Taxation for all city purposes for the current year has been fixed at $1.80, a lower rate than for several years past. The city debt is un- dergoing gradual diminution, and we are given to understand that city finances are quite manageable, if not altogether easy. County affairs are likewise in a very satisfactory condition, the total unmatured bonded in- debtedness, including $150,000 for the proposed court-house, being less than $350,000. Taxation for the year has recently been fixed at $1.10 for State and county purposes, making a total, State, county and <;ity, of $2.90 on the $100 worth of eaxable values. The erection of a United States custom-house, for which adequate appropriation has been made, will soon be commenced. Our Cotton Trade. The history of the cotto;i trade and the growth and prosperity of Memphis are closely interwoven from its earliest ex- istence to the present day. Situated, as she is, upon the great Chick- II74 Resources of Tennessee. asavv Bluffs and Mississippi River, equidistant between New OrleanS;, St. Louis and Louisville, with high and fertile lands reaching out north, east and south, with the Father of Waters affording perpetual navigation, and within easy distance of the very fertile lands of the Arkansas, White and St. Francis rivers, it must be seen at once that her resources of production are immense. While the lands in this area produce in abundance every staple of subsistence for man and beast, lying as they do in the northern portion of the Cotton Belt, the dividing line of which has been generally supposed to be the 32d par- allel, practical experience has demonstrated that the soil and climate, and exemption from disease, in this large area, to which the cotton plant is heir, point to it as the great central cotton field of the South- ern States. The continued increase in our annual receipts of cotton evidences this, and while, in consequence of the epidemic of last Sep- tember and October, we lost fully 50,000 bales, our cotton interests are in a state of prosperity unparalleled in the history of this market. The receipts of cotton at Memphis for the current year (ending September 1) point to 440,000 bales, against 415,000 bales last year, showing the handsome increase of, say, 25,000 bales. The value of this cotton, when first sold, will not fall short of |32,000,000, and taking into ac- count sales and resales, the figures will closely approximate 135,000,000. ANNUAL AMOUNT AND VALUE OF THE MEMPHIS COTTON TRADE. YEAR. 1826 1830 1840 1845 1850 1850-51 . 1851-52. 1852-53. 1853-54. 1854-55. 1855-56. 1858-59. 1859-60. 1860-61. 1865-66. 1866-67. 1867-68. 1868-69. 1869-70. 1870-71. 1871-72. 1872-73. 1873-74. BAI.ES. VALUE. 300 1,000 $15,000 35,000 35,000 75,000 1,400,000 3,000,000 150,000 163,000 7,500,000 6,520,000 172,000 202,000 6,880,000 8,080,000 188,151 202,000 295,246 8,520,000 8,000,000 11,800,000 325,720 16,250,000 398,721 860,653 112,296 218,226 253,207 16,000,000 18,500,000 23,000,000 29,000,000 25,000,000 247,()98 31,000,000 290,737 511,432 29,258,500 39,552,35(5 380,934 36,550,617 415,255 37,500,000 440,000 35,000,000 The volume of receipts properly ranks Memphis third in importance among all the cotton receiving points of the United States. Agreea- IVesl Tennessee. ii75 ble to the census of 1860, within a radius of 125 miles of Memphis as the geographic center, there was produced that year 879,0('0 bales cot- ton, and by the law of locality, as the nearest metropolitan market to the producer, Memphis is entitled to be the point of distribution to Northern manufacturers, and to Liverpool and Manchester, of this im- mense aggregate of cotton bales— swelled as it now is to fully 1,000,- 000 bales, and comprising one-fourth of the entire crop of the United States. 3farmfacturmg and Other Interests. The manufacturing branch of our industry is slowly but surely growing in importance. We have six foundry and machine shops on a large scale, besides many smaller ones ; three of the most extensive oil mills in the United States for the manufacture of cotton seed oil, which last year consumed 2-1,000 tons or 480,000 to 500,000 bags of seed, and produced 20,000 barrels of oil, crude and refined, 10,000 tons of cake, and 1,200 bales of re- ginned cotton, ^ye have establishments for the manufacture of wood, to fill every want of the public in that department ; also carriages, wagons, cotton presses, agricultural implements in general, tobacco, etc. Books of subscription for the building of a cotton factory are being opened with assured prospects of success. There are in the city nine banks and bankers, with an aggregate capital of $2,250,000; ten in- surance companies chartered by the State, besides agencies of very many large Northern, German and British companies, for life, fire and marine purposes. We have also a Cotton Exchange and a Chamber of Commerce, both with large memberships, and in successful opera- tion ; and the Holly system of waterworks, including some twenty miles of street mains ; also a street railway company, with some fif- teen miles of track, and doing a good business. Volume of Business. An idea of the extent and volume of business in Memphis may be gleaned from the following statement of annual sales, which though partly estimated (from the fact that the annual statement of the Chamber of Commerce will not be completed for some weeks) are nevertheless under rather than over the mark : ANNTTAX SALES EN MEMPHIS. $32,000,000 Cotton ^^ "00 000 Groceries, liquors and western produce i^,ouu,uu Dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, and miscellaneous mer- chandise -AAftlO Home manufactured articles 3,o00,00Q Total 863,000,000 1 1 76 Resources of Tennessee. It is safe to assert that the annual business of Memphis, taking into account her population and banking capital, exceed by far that of any other city on the American continent. Receipts and Shipments of Leading Articles for Six Months. The following statement of receipts and shipments of leading articles from January 1 to July 1, a period of six months, is taken from the books of the Chamber of Commerce : RECEIPTS AND SHIPMENTS FOR PAST SIX MONTHS. AETICLES Apples Ale, Beer and Porter Agricultural Implements Bagging Bran and Shorts Bacon Bacon Bacon _ . Boots and Shoes Cotton Cotton Seed Com , Corn Meal Cheese , Coffee Canned Fruits and Oysters Cotton Seed Oil-cake Dry-goods Flour Hay Hides Lard Lard , Lard Molasses and Sriup Nails Oats Oil — Cotton Seed Pork Pork Pork Pork Potatoes Sugar Sugar Sugar Salt Tobacco Tobacco Tobacco Ties Whisky RECEIPTS. SHIPMENTS. 6,973 bbls. 4,048 bbls. 36,445 pkgs. 6,340 pkgs. 10,178 No. 25,178 No. 12,313 piecea. 9,885 pieces. 23,968 sks. 12,215 sacks. 9,854 casks. 6,176 casks. 948 tcs. 2,843 tcs. 2,078 boxes. 1,530 boxes. 9,992 cases. 8,122 cases. 189,039 bales. 250,245 bales. 130,559 sacks. 183,760 " 126,651 sacks. 80,328 bbls. 64,830 bbls. 4,076 boxes. 4,112 boxes. 8,438 sacks. 15,043 sack.s. 43,102 cases. 17,206 cases. 35,702 sacks. 16,260 pkge. 128,018 bbls. 19,666 pkgs; 101,758 bbls. 30,599 bales. 13,699 bales. 33,648 No. 13,189 No. 2,129 tcs. 1,905 tcs. 9,941 kgs&cs 21,138 kgs&cs 23,892 buck'te 12,047 buck'te 9,582 bbls. 11,122 bbls. 17,327 kegs. 16,716 kegs. 56,168 sacks. 30,681 sacks. 5,819 bbls. 2,984 casks. 9,149 casks. 3,997 bbls. 10,569 bbls. 671 boxes. 232,092 pieces. 80,773 pieces. 28,167 bbls. 26,755 bbls. 2,133 hhds. 966 hhds. 6,879 bbls. 10,997 bbls. 7 boxes. 1,978 boxes. 16,977 bbls. 24,162 bbls. 89 hhds. 12 hhds. 11,185 cad'ies. 17,474 cad'ies. 13,721 boxes. 12,853 boxes. 26,501 bdls. 8,860 bbls. 8,523 bbls. Our Railroads are of paramount importance, being the great ad- junct of our trade. We have i.ic Mississippi and Tennessee E-oad, Distances by Rail from Memphis To Norfolk 9"! " New York 11^3 " Louisville ^"^ " Clucinnati f^J^ » Chicago '''^'^ " St. Louis 3W " Kausas City ^^^ " Fort Smith ^^ " Shreveport ■^'■"• " Now Orleans 395 " Mobile ^-'-^ " Savannah ''^'^ " Charleston "55 '•' San Francisco 2-1^" " San Diego IC^iO " Mazatlan MaO Wes^ Tennessee, '^^ll now under the management of the New Orleans, St. Louis and Chi- cago Railway, connecting with that road at Grenada, 100 miles south, The Memphis and Charleston Road, connecting with Norfolk, thence north and east, and through Georgia and South Carolina with Charles- ton, Savannah and Port Royal. The Louisville and Nashville Road, connecting with Louisville and all Northern cities. The Memphis and Little Rock Road, connecting with the Cairo and Fulton, which reaches Fort Smith, and into and through the State of Texas. The Memphis and Paducah Road, now building, intended to connect with the northern railway system; and a narrow guage to Raleigh, our ancient county seat. There is a project'to extend this'road to Bolivar, and to terminate at Knoxville. The Selma, Memphis and Marion Road, intended to furnish another line to the Atlantic, is at present in a languishing condition, but its completion is only a question of time. The Memphis and Kansas City Road, now being agitated, and- upon the western end of which work has already been done, is of great im- portance, as it will open up to us the great corn, wheat, and tobacco crops, the hog and beef producing region, and the rich lead and iron sections of Northern Arkansas, South-west Missouri and Kansas, pour- ing the wealth of this great trade into the lap of Memphis. I have endeavored to give you, in the forgoing, a brief summary of of the leading features of Memphis, her trade and her resources. My forthcoming " annual statement," as Secretary of the Chamber of Com- merce, will cover the ground more completely, and to that I refer your readers. Very respectfully, John S. Toof, 8eQ^y Memphis Trade of Commerce. The Public Schooh of Memphis. The Memphis city schools were chartered by act of the Legislature in 1860. They are under the ex- clusive control of a Board of Education, consisting of two members from each ward of the city, elected by such voters as are entitled to a ballot in choosing the Mayor and Aldermen. They hold their offices for a term of two years ; one-half of them being elected on the first Thurs- day in January, annually. The President of the Board of Education is required to give ten day's notice in the daily papers of the city, pre- vious to said election, and it is conducted by the Register as in the case of other city officers. The officers of the Board for the past year were Charles Kortrecht, President ; R. W. Mitchell, M.D., Vice-Pres- ident ; J. G. Cairns, Secretary ; H. E. Garth, Treasurer ; H. C. Slaughter, Superintendent. 1 1 78 Resouj^ces of Tennessee. Scholastic population 9,715 Total enrolled 5,230 , Average number belonging 2,802 attending 2,522 Per cent, of enrollment on population 53 " " number belonging on enrolled 53 " " attendance on number belonging 81 " " tardiness on attendance 3.44 Total number of tardy 18,137 Cost per pupil belonging $ 27 70 " " attending 29 40 " for salaries 63,122 61 " " all expenses 73,997 39 Present Superintendent, Prof. A. Pickett. Other Towns. Bartlett, on the Memphis division of the Louisville, Xashville and Great Southern Railroad, eleven miles from Memphis, has a population of 350. It was incorporated in 1866, and has one hotel, three manufactories of wagons, plows, etc. It shipped for the year ending June 30, 1873, 1,854 bales of cotton, and also cotton seed, fruit, etc. It has three churches, Methodist, Cumberland Presbyte- rian, and Old School Presbyterian. Capleville, eleven miles from Memphis on the Pigeon Roost Road, has a population of one hundred, and five or six business houses. Colliersville, on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, has a population of 1,000, and is quite a pleasant and prosperous village. It was incorporated in 1870, and has been built up since the war. It is situated in a high healthy region, the lands surrounding it being well adapted to the growth of fruit and cx)tton, about 1,200 bales of the latter being shipped annually from this point. It has about twenty-two business houses, mostly supply stores. Fourteen miles east of Memphis, on the Memphis and Char- leston Railroad, is the pretty little village of Germantown, with a pop- ulation of 350. It has three general stores, cotton gin, and two gro- ceries. Raleigh, nine miles from Memphis, was formerly the county seat of Shelby county. It has a small population, and contains five or six business houses. A narrow gauge road runs to Well's Station of the Memi)his and Louisville Railroad. Shelby, on the last mentioned road, eighteen miles from Memphis, has a population of 125, and ships annually over 4,000 bales of cotton and 12,00 bushels of cotton seed. It has two supi)ly stores, several groceries, a carriage manufactory, and one church. White's Station, on the Memphis and Charles- ton Railroad, nine miles from Memphis, is in the midst of a flour- ishing agricultural region. It has a population of about 100, four West Tennessee. 1 1 79 churches, one supply store, and one grocery. It ships about 800 bales of cotton. In the preparation of this article on Shelby county and Memphis, the Secretary acknowledges his obligations to Silas T. Gilbert, M.D., who furnished the main body of the article on the county, to John S. Toof, Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, for an account of the trade of Memphis, and to Col. L. J. Dupree for various items. TIPTON COUNTY. County Seat — Covington. Tipton belongs to that belt of counties bordering the Mississippi River so remarkable for the exuberant fertility of soil and forests of magnificent trees. It has an area of about 440 square miles, and lies mostly upon the Bluff Loam, or Loess, described on page 45 of this Report, only about 70 square miles being in the Mississippi Bottoms. The number of acres, exclusive of town lots, assessed for taxation is 270,704, valued at $2,763,155, or about $10.20 per acre. The total value of taxable property for 1873 was $3,354,682. The census re- port of 1870 gives 67,370 acres of improved land, 92,907 woodland, and 2,131 other unimproved, making for the whole county 162,408 acres, or a little more than one-half of the actual quantity. The total valuation of farms is nearer correct, being placed at $2,236,745. The act creating Tipton county was passed on the 27th of October, 1823, and on the 1st of December ensuing, the county was organized. After its organization settlers flowed in rapidly, coming mostly from Middle Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and the courtliness of manners which distinguish some of these old inhabitants is as pleasing as it is rare. They have left their impress upon the county. Physical Geography and Soils. Tipton county lies mainly on the Pla- teau Slope of West Tennessee. The extreme western and much the smaller portion is in the low alluvial plain or bottom of the Mississippi River. The plateau portion is from 130 to 200 feet above the other, and terminates in a bold escarpment, facing the bottom of the Mississippi. This escarpment is but a portion of the Mississippi Bluff, the line of which reaches from Hickman, Kentucky, to Memphis and beyond to- 1 1 8o Resources of Tennessee. ward Vicksburg. The bluiF in Hickman is steep, and at some points cannot be ascended or descended with safety. West of the bluff the country is of course low and level ; east of it the surface is an undu- lating table-land, the undulations becoming hills in some sections. The country immediately around Covington, the county seat, is level, and from this point in every direction, except west, the same generally level country is found ; but westerly, after a few miles we begin to meet with the breaks of the bluff, which make the surface hilly. The prevailing color of the soil in Tipton county is dark, but not black, and the prevailing color of the subsoil is yellowish. In the north- eastern and western districts, however, there is found a different soil and subsoil, the former being of a reddish or brown tinge, while the sub- soil is a rich red clay. Along the water courses east of the bluff, the dark soil predominates, and west of the bluff, in the bottoms, it is almost black. The reddish or brown lands are regarded as the best for cotton, while the darker lands are thought to be the best for corn. It is difficult to estimate the average depth of the soil and subsoil, from the fact that some of the soil (for instance, that in the bottoms) is from three to twenty feet deep, while in other sections (as on or very near the bluff) it is very shallow, being from one to four or five inches. The soil east of the bluff, it is supposed, will average about nine and a half inches in depth, and the subsoil will average at least eleven feet. In all of the soil of Tipton county there is a siliceous element which makes it valuable ; in the bottom, especially, this is in considerable ([uantity. In fact, these lands are composed of a remarkably rich allu- vial loam, which produces well. FormatioTVi. Beds of lignite occur in the bluff. In the " Geology of Tennessee," pages 429-30, may be found a section, taken at " Old River," in the southern part of the county, which exhibits the differ- ent strata composing the bluff at that point. The geology of the county is very much like that of Obion, Dyer, Lauderdale and Shelby. At the lowest points outside of the bottoms, as at the foot of the bluff, the strata of the Tertiary Lagrange Sands crop out. In these the beds of lignite occur. Above the Lagrange Group, outcropping on the face of the bluff and at the surface in the eastern part of the county, are the gravel sands and clays of the Orange Sand Drift, nesting upon the last and making the surface formation for a large part of the county, is the Loam or Loess described on page 45 of this Report. Wesl Temiessee. 1181 Kivers, Creehs, etc. Tipton, though not so well watered as some of the other counties of West Tennessee, has sufficient water for all prac- tical puposes. The following are the most important streams : Missis- sippi River washes the entire western border of the county from north to south. Hatchie River forms the dividing line between Lauderdale and Tipton counties, and enters the Mississippi four miles south of Ful- ton, and eighteen miles west of Covington. Indian Creek rises three miles south of Covington, runs westward with considerable variations, and empties into Hatchie River, fifteen miles north-west of Coving- ton. East Beaver Creek rises four miles north-east of Covington, runs south and south-east, and empties into Middle Beaver Creek, about fourteen miles south-east of Covington. It has two tributaries on its south side, which are almost of equal size, and run almost par- allel with it. Hurricane Creek rises about twenty miles west of Cov- ington, runs north-east, and empties into Indian Creek twelve miles north-west of Covington. Town Creek rises three miles south-east of Covington, ranges north-west, and empties into Hatchie River about eight miles north-west of Covington. There are various other smaller streams in the county, which are hardly deserving of particular men- tion, but they afltbrd a bountiful supply of stock water. In fact, the main dependence in the county for stock water is. in the streams of running water ; but for domestic purposes the people rely upon wells and springs, which are numerous. Pools and cisterns are easily made, but they are not much used. The wells throughout the county will average thirty feet in depth, and the water is generally freestone. Timber. Tipton county has plenty of good timber, the principal kinds being poplar, oak and gum. The poplar is the best timber for lumber, but very little lumber is shipped from the county. Along the banks of the rivers rafts of saw-logs are made and floated down the Mississippi River, but even this is not an extensive business. The un- dergrowth consists principally of hickory, dogwood, ironwood, paw- paw and hazle. Land Statistics The estimates found in the census report of 1870 need considerable correction for 1873. The following figures will show the estimate which has been made for 1873, with the aid of re- liable local reports from the county : Whole number of farms in the county 1,103 Farms having under 3 acres 1 " " 3 and under 10 acres 17 " " 10 " 20 " 168 1 1 82 Resources of Tennessee, Farms having 20 and under 50 acres 437 " " 50 " 100 " 309 " " 100 " 500 " 167 " " 500 " 1000 " 3 " " 1,000 acres or over 1 In 1873 about one-third of all the improved land was worked by the land-owners themselves, or under their immediate supervision, while the remaining two-thirds were worked by renters. The terms upon which land is rented are so varied that it is almost impossible to give a general rule. Some land-owners rent their land for so much money per acre, in which case the following prices are asked and given : Best improved land, per acre $10 Medium " " " 7 Third-class improved land, per acre 4 But these are not average prices all over the county, bat rather the prices asked for land in the most favorably located section of the county. The following figures show the county averages : Best or first-class land, per acre $5.00 Second-class " " 3.50 Third-class " " 2.00 Some land-owners rent out their land for part of the crop, in which case the following are the general terms : Cotton lands, one-fourth of the crop ; for corn lands, one-third of the crop. When the land-owner furnishes all but the labor he gets, for cotton lands, two-thirds of the crop ; corn lands, three-fourths of the crop. Sometimes special ar- rangements are made, as for instance, the land-owner furnishes the land and gets for cotton lands, 621^ pounds of cotton per acre ; corn land, eight bushels of corn. Only the best lands rent for these latter prices, however. Of all the lands in the county, it is supposed that at least one-half can be purchased upon easy terms, and at the following prices : Best improved lands per acre $40.00 Second class improved lands per acre 30.00 Third-class " " " 15.00 Best unimproved " " 20.00 Second-class unimproved lands per acre 10.00 Third-class " " •• 5.00 The lands subject to overflow can be purchased at about fifty cents per acre. The usual terms of sale are, one cash payment of one- fourth, one-third or one-half, the balance in one, two, or even three years, with lien reserved upon land. The following figures will give West Tejinessee. 1183 a very correct idea as to the producing quality of these lands. It is intended to show the average yield per acre in the leading crops : Corn 25 bushels. Cotton, seed 900 pounds. Wheat 10 bushels. Oats 30 " Hay 2,500 pounds. Potatoes, Irish 250 bushels. Potatoes, sweet 300 " Cotton is the principal staple. There is also raised a large quantity of corn, wheat, oats, hay and potatoes are raised in limited quantities ; no tobacco is raised for market, but only a patch is seen now and then intended only as a home supply. Until within the last few years very little attention was paid to the growing of grasses, but it is now evi- dent that the farming community is improving in this respect. Or- chard-grass and herds-grass are the favorite grasses now, but clover is beginning to be used, not only for grazing and mowing purposes, but also, as a fertilizer. Fruit grows well. Almost every farm-house has an orchard. The varieties of fruit most prized, are the peach, apple, plum and cherry. The pear is not reliable. Berries grow in every section of the county. The following estimates compiled from local reports for the crop of 1873, are approximately correct : Bushels corn 492,617 " oats '. 17,238 " winter wheat 27,000 " Irish potatoes 12,114 " sweet " 22,844 Bales of cotton 11,332 Pounds of hay 413,300 No estimate has been made of the yield of spring wheat, because so little of it is raised in the county that it is hardly proper to refer to it as one of the products. The following stock statistics are taken from the census returns : Value of all live stock in the county $600,109 Horses Number 1,879 Mules and asses " 1,851 Milch cows " 2,784 AVorkingoxen " 184 Other cattle " 4,131 Sheep " 4,675 Swine " 20,240 Value of animals slaughtered, or sold for slaughter $139,450 Pounds of wool saved 5,195 " butter made 74,777 1 184 Resources of Tennessee. Tipton is naturally a good stock county, but little attention is paid to the breeding of fine stock. There are some Short-horn, Durham, Alderney and Jersey cattle in the county, but very few of sheep. There are a few Southdown and Leicester rams and ewes ; and of hogs there are representatives of each of the following breeds : Berkshire, Po- land and Essex. But the number of blooded animals is very small, and there is scarcely a farmer in the county who is devoting enough of time and attention to the breeding of fine stock to make it pay. But it is due the farmers to say that they are making some advance in the way of improved farming. Their farms, are as a general rule, in good condition, and they are beginning to introduce into their fields labor saving agricultural implements. There is still great room for im- provement. Labor. The great trouble with which the people of Tipton have to contend is the want of reliable labor. So far as numbers are concerned there is no very great scarcity, for there are a great many colored la- borers, but as a class, they do not work as they should and have very little idea of saving what they make. The following prices were paid for labor in 1873 : Farm hands per year, best, $200; per month, §20; per day, $1; cooks, per month, $12; house-servants, per month, $8; mechanics, per day, §3.50. These prices, however, are not paid to all hands, but only to the best. To get at the average prices paid from the figures at least twenty-five per cent, should be deducted. Markets. The principal market to which everything is shipped that is sent from the county, is Memphis, which is thirty-seven miles from Covington, and is connected with it by the Memphis and Paducah Railroad. Population. By the census of 1870, the population of Tipton was: White, 7,993; colored, 6,891; total^ 14,884. It is thought the popu- lation since that time has increased fifteen per cent. A good many settlers are moving into the county, and but few are leaving. County Roads and Railroads. There are no pikes and very few plank roads, but the roads arc kept, even in winter, in fair order, in summer they are excellent. The only railroad now in operation in the county, is a section of the Memphis and Paducah Railroad, which is completed from Memphis to Covington, a distance of thirty-seven miles, and the Memphis and Louisville, which passes through the south- eastern corner of the county. Touins and Villages. Covington, the county seat, is located about JVesf Tennessee, • 1185 four miles north-east of the center of the county, does a good country trade, and has about 500 inhabitants. Randolph is on the Mississippi River, sixteen miles south-west of the county seat, and has about 300 inhabitants, post-office, stores, schools, churches and is an important point for receiving and shipping merchandise and produce. Mason's Depot, on the Memphis and Louisville Railroad, is twelve miles south of Covington, has about 500 inhabitants, post-office, several large and handsome brick store-houses, schools, and a very fine Episcopal house of worship, which cost about $15,000. Atoka Depot is on the Mem- phis and Paduach Railroad, eleven miles south-west of Covington, has post-office, stores, etc., and is in the midst of a very thickly settled country. It has about fifty inhabitants. Brighton is also a depot on the Memphis and Paducah Railroad, is seven miles south-west of Cov- ington, and has about fifty inhabitants. Mills and Manufactories. The only manufacturing establishments are steam saw and grist-mills. School Statistics. The scholastic population of this county below the ages of six and eighteen is 3,827, of which 1,651 are colored. During the scholastic year of 1873-4, sixteen white and fourteen colored schools were in operation for two or three months. The county has made no levy for the support of common schools. Churches. The county is well supplied with houses of worship, which are owned principally by the Methodist, Baptist and Presby- terians. Newspapers. The only paper published in the county is the Tipton "Weekly Record, which is published in Covington. It is conservative in politics, and has a good circulation. Farmer's Organizations. There is a fair association in the county, known as the " Tipton County Industrial and Mechanical Association,'' with its fair grounds about one-half mile east of Covington ; it is in a flourishing condition. The farmers are generally organized into granges. WEAKLEY COUNTY. County Seat — Dresden. This is one of the northern counties of West Tennessee, and con- tains about 550 square miles. The number of acres assessed for taxa- 75 1 1 86 Resources of Tennessee, tion in 1873 was 337,387, valued at $3,653,464, or $10.80 per acre. The whole value of taxable property for the sameyear was $4,100,065. In 1859 the taxable property (including slaves, valued at $1,400,830) was $4,502,454. In 1867 the value of taxable property was $2,931,- 758. The ninth census, which in respect to this county is more nearly accurate than in almost any other, gives as the whole number of acres 371,304, or 580 square miles. Of these 113,457 were im- proved, 214,346 were woodland, and 43,500 otherwise unimproved. Since the census was taken one district has been taken off and attached to Obion, reducing the limits of the county about thirty square miles. The act creating the county was passed November 7, 1821. The first settlers were from North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and Middle Tennessee. Geology and Topography. Weakley is a good representative or type of the great sloping Plateau of West Tennessee. Its general surface is level with a gentle inclination to the west. There are, how- ever, some sections which are more or less rough and hilly. Imme- diately around Dresden the country is considerably broken, and in the north-eastern part of the county the surface is hilly. The regular stratified formation of the county is the Lagrange Sands, the strata of which outcrop occasionally on the slopes of the streams and elsewhere. These are mainly beds of sand. Now and then a bed of clay is met with. For the most part, however, the strata of the Lagrange Group are concealed by the drifted beds of the Orange Sand. It may be added that a number of high points in Weakley, as well as in adjoin- ing counties, are curiously capped with isolated masses of ferruginous sandstone : these, also, belong to the formation last mentioned. Soils and Timber. The soils of this county vary greatly in produc- tive capacity. The western portion of the county contains much more good land than the eastern. West of Dresden the lands are generally rich. In some parts the principal growth is black oak, interspersed with witli white oak, post oak, hickory, black gum and dogwood, with but few poplars ; in other parts there are large quantities of poplar, white oak, and sweet gum, (well adapted for cutting into lumber) together with hickory, post oak, black gum and dogwood. The lands presenting the last growth are generally level, and well adapted to the raising of corn, tobacco and wheat. As a tobacco county, Weakley is probably not surpassed by any in West Tennessee. The portion of the county under consideration is specially suited to the growth of that weed. In the southern part of the county fine crops of cotton are also raised; some TVes^ Tennessee. 1187 in the northern part also. The eastern part of the county is more broken, and the land is generally not so rich, still large areas occur as rich as any in the count}-. Some of the lands east of Dresden consti- tute " the barrens," of which there are several kinds, namely : The hickory barrens, abounding in hickories, interspersed with dogwoods and black gums, and affording good lands; the blackjack barrens, the land not good ; post oak and hickory barrens, with land of interme- diate character. Altogether, there is an abundance of timber in the county, consisting of oaks of several varieties, poplar, hickory, ash, maple, gum, and occasionally along the streams cypress forests. The barren lands are well adapted to the growing of corn, wheat, cotton, and the very finest quality of tobacco. This, however, does not grow so large as on the poplar lands in the western part of the county. It is thought by many that the barren lands will not last as well as the rich poplar lands. Near the rivers we have what are called the beech lands, the principal growth being beech. This is excellent land if not too low, nor too much inundated by the overflows in the rainy season. Streams. The North Fork of Obion River runs through the entire length of the county from east to west, its bed being generally five to ten miles south of the Kentucky line. It affords good water-power. Upon this stream are several fine grist and saw-mills. The Middle Fork of Obion River runs through near the middle of the county from east to west, and affords fine water-power. Upon this, also, are several grist and saw-mills, and one cotton spinning factory, which runs about 500 spindles. South Fork of the Obion River forms the dividing line on the south between Weakley county and Gibson county. Thompson Creek rises about twelve miles east of Dresden, runs south, empties into Middle Obion, near Jean's mills, about ten miles east of Dresden. Cane Creek rises in Henry county, enters Weakly about sixteen miles north-east of Dresden, runs west, empties into North Obion, about eleven miles north of Dresden. The springs in the county are few in number and not very large, being found principally in the rolling country, and along the water-courses. There is one sulphur spring on the line between districts numbers seven and ten, but the water of the county is almost entirely freestone. Wells are princi- pally relied u))on for domestic purposes, the average depth being not less than fifty feet, but there are a few good cisterns. As for stock- water, the river and creeks furnish a jilentiful supply, except in very dry weather, when recourse is had to ponds, which are easily made and hold water well. 1 1 88 Resources of Tennessee. Crops. In regard to the crops a well informed farmer of the county says : " Our farmers raise fine crops of corn, tobacco and cotton. The wheat crop, however, is generally light. I think good crops of wheat could be raised if more pains were taken in preparing the ground and in putting in the seed. Oats have failed in this county for many years. Some hay is made, but not enough to supply our stock. Peanuts are also raised to some extent. Not much ground is enclosed for pasture exclusively. The common rail fence is almost the only one met with. The average corn crop in this county is not more than five or six barrels of corn to the acre. Some persons talk about raising eight or ten barrels to the acre, and perhaps they do in some places, but this is not common. Cotton and tobacco average not more than 600 or 700 pounds per acre ; wheat not more than six to ten bushels per acre generally. Upon the whole, I would say that Weakley is a good average farming county." Farm Statistics. The following figures will give the reader a pretty accurate idea of the farming facilities and interests of the couiity. They are taken from the census report of 1870, and are approximately correct : Total value of farms in the county $3,453,713 " " farming implements, etc 119,700 " number of farms of all sizes 2,312 Number having 3 and under 10 76 " « 10 " 20 348 « " 20 " 50 1,052 « " 50 " 100 600 « " 100 " 500 236 « « 500 " 1,000 5 " "1,000 and over 1 " " under 3 acres 4 It will also be well under this head to give the farm productions of the county, according to the report of 1870, which will, in all proba- ))ility, fall something below those of 1873, but the difference is not supposed to be very material : Value of orchard products $ 689 " " market garden products 108 " " forest products 1,690 " " liome maniifacturea 35,748 " " animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter 145,559 " " all live stock 1,024,853 Number of horses 3,914 " mules and asses 2,673 West Temtessee. 1189 Number of milch cows 4 062 " working oxen 1047 " other cattle 3 gQg " sheep 13,032 " swine 38,935 Bushels of spring wheat 125 " winter " 136,173 " rye 211 " Indian corn 879,544 " oats 1^945 Pounds of wool 20 056 " tobacco 2,599,590 Bushelsof Irish potatoes 5 933 " sweet " 10,282 " peas and beans 577 Pounds of butter 285,295 Tons of hay 529 Gallons of sorghum 27,209 " honey 6,425 The report for 1870 shows that in that^year there was little or no <;otton raised in the county, but in 1873 a considerable area of land was planted, and produced well. The lands in Weakley county are principally worked by the owners, or under their immediate supervision, there being not exceeding twelve and a half per cent, under the control of renters. The pro- portion of land in the county which is for sale is quite large, and will be found to be not less than thirty per cent, of the whole. The aver- age rental for land is as follows: Corn and cotton land, per acre, $4. The usual terms of renting are about one-half for money and one-half on shares. The average prices (compiled from numerous reports) of lands for sale are about as follows : Best improved land per acre $25 to 30. Medium land, " " 12 to 25. Inferior land, " " 5 to 12. The usual terms of sale are one-third cash, the balance in one and two years, with lien reserved on land for unpaid purchase money. The proj)ortion of land in the county which is not tillable is very small indeed so small tluit it scarcely admits of being estimated. The un- tillable land is confined to the river bottoms, which are subject to over- flows. The proportion thus subject to overflow is estimated to be not exceeding six per cent, of the whole. Labor. As a general rule, the land-owners work their own farms, but they are compelled, of course, to hire a good deal of labor, which 1 1 90 Resources of Tennessee. is very scarce throughout the entire county. When white laborers can be secured they generally prove to be reliable, but it is the univer- sal complaint that negro labor cannot be relied upon, hence the anxiety of the people to have introduced a goodly number of white men and boys who are willing to hire. Farm Products. The following averages of crops are given by in- telligent and experienced farmers, and may be relied on : Corn, per acre 30 bushels. Tobacco " 800 lbs. Cotton " 600 lbs., (seed.) Wheat " 10 bushels. Oats « 20 bushels. Eye " 15 « Peanuts " 40 " Potatoes, Irish, per acre 65 " Potatoes, sweet, " 100 " Grasses. Herds-grass is regarded as the best grass in the county though the German millet is rapidly gaining ground in the estimation of the farmers. Clover also does well in places, and as a fertilizer is very highly thought of. The Hon. Emerson Etheridge informed us that he never failed to secure a good stand when sowing it alone upon well prepared soils. The other grasses are very little grown, and are not favorites. The estimated average yield of hay is as follows : Herds-grass, per acre, 1,750 pounds ; clover, per acre, 2,000 pounds ; German millet, per acre, 2,500 pounds. Sorghum. This cane at one time was very extensively grown in the county, but of late years it has been abandoned, owing principally to the fact that it is deemed a great exhauster of the soil. Fruits, Vines and Berries. "Weakley county is regarded as a fair fruit county, though there are no market orchards of any consequence. Cherries are the surest crop. A'pples are subject to speck, and often fall off before they mature. As a general rule, peach trees give out in a few years. Pears and grapes do well in certain localities, and it is believed that the hilly lands in the north-eastern part of the county would grow them to perfection. About seven years out of ten plenty of fruit may be expected with reasonable certainty. The wild varieties of grapes do well all over the county. Forest Products. Until quite recently, very little attention was paid to shipping lumber from the county, but of late the large and constant demand for poplar, white oak and cypress lumber has eneour- IVesi Ten^iessee. 1 1 9 1 aged saw-mill men, who are extending their sawing and shipping fa- cilities with the view of engaging quite heavily in the business ; at present, however, the amount of lumber which is being shipped is quite limited. Stock. Little or no attention is being paid to the introduction and propagation of fine stock. Every farmer raises some of the common varieties, enough to supply the home demand, but very little is raised for foreign markets. Just after the war some attention was paid to raising hogs, Berkshires being the favorites, but within the last year or two the cholera has been so destructive that the farmers have become discouraged and have almost abandoned the idea of raising them. Markets. The principal markets of the county are Memphis and Nashville, by the Memphis and Louisville and Nashville and North- western railroads. Population. The population of the county in 1870 was as follows : white, 16,886; colored, 3,899; total, 20,755. As before mentioned, a small portion of the county has been cut off since the census was taken, but it is thought that the increase will bring it up fully to the figures given. The People. The masses of the people are quiet and civil, and well disposed to new-comers and immigrants, particularly to those who wish to become citizens and identify themselves with the country. Immigration and Emigration. There has not been a heavy immigra- tion to the county since 1870, but the people seem to be very anxious to welcome settlers, regardless of religious and political proclivities. The increase in the population since 1870 has been about 2^ per cent., the new-comers being principally from the counties of Middle Tennes- see. Some few families have also left the county. Roads. The county roads are in a miserable condition, and there is no speedy probability that they will be much better. Tlie new road law is a perfect failure, since the people seem to have no confidence in its feasibility. Railroads. The Nashville and North-western Railroad passes through the county diagonally from south-east to north-west. The Mississippi Central Railroad passes through it, running on a line a lit- tle west of the center, crossing the Nashville and North-western Road at Martin's depot, between Gardner's Station and Raulston's. The Memphis and Louisville Road just touches the extreme south-east cor- II 92 Resources of Tennessee, ner of the county, crossing the Nashville and North-western at McKen- zie. The Memphis and Paducah road runs just west of the county. Towns and Villages. Dresden, the county seat, is situated near the center of the county, on a small creek which runs just north of the town. Its population is variously estimated, but will not exceed 500 persons. It has a very neat and substantial court-house, two churches (one belonging to the Methodists, the other community property), and a first-rate brick building built expressly and used for a school ; one Ma- sonic lodge; one Odd Fellows' lodge; one newspaper (the West Tennessee Democrat); one steam saw and grist-mill ; four dry-goods stores; four groceries; two drugstores; six saloons; one hotel; a wagon-maker's shop ; tinner's shop ; tan-yard ; boot and shoe establishment ; two sad- dle and harness-makers' shops, and one barber shop. Dresden is sup- plied with eight lawyers and six physicians. The Nashville and North- western Railroad runs through the southern suburbs of the town. Gleason is a depot on the Nashville and North-western Railroad, about seven miles east of Dresden, has about 150 inabitants, and does a good business. Raulston is a depot on the same road, is six miles west of Dresden, and has about one hundred inhabitants. Martin's is the crossing of the Nashville and North-western and Mississippi Central railroads, is nine and a half miles west of Dresden, and is just being laid out for a town. Gardner is on the Nashville and North-western Railroad, twelve miles west of Dresden, has a good school, large brick hotel building, steam grist-mill, steam saw-mill, about 250 inhabitants, and has a good neighborhood trade. Mt. Pelia, or as it is sometimes called, Middleburg, is fifteen miles west of Dresden, and has about 70 inhabitants. Dedham is twelve miles south of Dresden, and has a very small number of inhabitants. Scatterville is eight miles south of Dresden, and is also a very small place. Pillowville is eleven miles s )uth-east of Dresden, and has a very small population. Boyds- \ille is eighteen miles cast of Dresden. Dukedom is sixteen miles north of Dresden. Palmersville is eleven miles north-east of Dres- den, and has about 40 inhabitants. Latham's is eleven miles north of Dresden, and has about 25 iniiabitants. At most or all of these places there are post-offices, blacksmith shops and stores; hence are great conveniences to the people. 3Ii(ls and Factories. The streams in the county are very sluggish, the fall not exceeding seven feet per mile, but there are several good mill sites in the county, and some very good mills. /School Statistics. The scholastic ])opulation between the ages of six JVes^ Tennessee, ii93 and eighteen is 6,129, of which 1,113 are colored. Twenty white pub- lic schools and one colored have been in operation during the scholas- tic year beginning first of September, 1873. Churches. Every neighborhood has convenient to it churches repre- senting some of the various denominations of Christians; there are on an average about three to each civil district. The Methodists and Cumberland Presbyterians are more numerous than the other denomi- nations, but there are quite a respectable number of Baptists, and a few representatives of several other denominations. Sabbath-schools are kept up in but few of the churches. Newspapers. The West Tennessee Democrat is the only paper pub- lished in the county. It is independent in tone, liberal in principle, and fearless in the advocacy of what it believes to be right. It has a good circulation, and is capable of doing a vast amount of good to the county and to the State. I ISi D E X . Abert. Col. S. T.,287. Abandoned homes, 60, 794, 974. JEtua Coal Mines, 193— product of, 194. ^tna Iron Mines, 755. jEtna Coal Strata, section of, 194. Agriculture, early, in Maury, 831— condition of, a50, 6(57— progress of, in Maury 832— elieet of manufactories on, 215, 757, 793 — statistics of, 408, 411. 41S, 421— see county descriptions. Alderney cattle, 679 — see Jersey. Alfalfa — see Lucerne. Alexandria, 707. Alamo and other towns in Crockett county, 1044 Aliens, naturalization of, 403. Alluvium, 46 — soil of, 68. Alum, 274. Alkalis on soils, 953. Analysis of coal. 219, 203. 211, 212— of iron ore, 191. 22:5, 226— of milk, 150. Anderson Coal Creek Company, 210. Anderson county, general description of, 448. Animals, live, average price, 411 — see county descrijitions, also stock. Annies Factory, 968, Antiquities, of Coffee, 660— of Hardin, 1093— of Lincoln. 806— of Madison, 113:3. Appalachian Coal Field, 183. Apples, on siliceous soils, 60 — on Cumberland Table Land, 666- on clayey soils. a53, 965— in Central Basin, 682— in Van Buren, 95.5— in "Warren, 9(35. Apricots, 1165. Arlington. 7(55. Artificial mounds, 1133. Ash. 72, 62(5 — profits of growing, 72. Ashland City, 641. Athens 34, 580. Ayrshire cattle, 128, 132, 679. "Balds," fertility, timber, climate, etc., 57, 544. 615. Balsam. 78. Balsam Firs. 78. Barbour, T. S., fruit culturist, 166— his farm, 167. Banner counties, 109. Bark Camp Fork, 658. Barley (>5, 106. Barter trade, 354. Barren Group, 40 — sec also .Siliceous (xroup and Coral Limestone. "Barrens" 661. 792, 92(5— soils of, 61. Barren Grass, 112, 792. Barytes, 270, 617. Barberry. 60. Barbour. T. S., vineyard of, 1(56, 167. Barnes, B. B., vineyard, 16(5. Barrel Factory, 1011. Bartlett and other towns in Shelby county, 1178. Basswood — see Linn. Battle, W. H., Judge, 93. Battle Creek— valley 193— mines. 193. Bat manure, 958. Bays Mountain 31, 37— soil of, 57— in Hamblen county, 503. Beans Station, 493— valley of. 494. Bear Spring Furnace, 238, 903. Beaver Creek ^'alley, 35, 554, 611. Beaver Dam Springs, 756. Beaver Kidge, 31. Beech, 73. Beech Grove, 656. Beech Kiver. 10a5. Beersheba Springs, 13, 748. Bee culture, 175— climate suitable for bees, l/o — food for, 179. Bees, Italian, 175. Bedford, general description of, 624. Beef, mountain fed, 9(53. Bell. Montgomery, 689. Bell's Bend, 671. Bentley, B.,13. Benton, 595. . Benton county, general description of, 1022. Ben Lomond, 963. 969. Bermuda Grass, 11(55. Berkshire hogs, 139, 681. Bethel College, 1037. Big Bottom. 767. Big Kidge, 32. Big Valley, &5. Big French, (575. Big Hatchic Kiver. 1079. Big Sandy, 1032. Big Pigeon Valley. 4.S4. Birch, 74. Birdsong Creek, 1025. Blackberries, 94. Black Diamond Company, 210. Black Gum.7S. Black Fox Chief, 901. Black Jack Oak, 86. Black Locust, 81. Black Oak, 8;5. Black (»ak Kidgo, 32. Black Muuntiiin, 7S. Black Shale, (5S— extentof, 26, 39— oil from. 714, 725, 789— as fuel, 725, 789— not coal, 273, 8-50, 1005. Black Walnut, 89. IMedsoe county, general description of. 457. Bledsdc's Lick, 946. Blount's Lick. 904. Blount county, general description of, 460. Bloomington, 883. Blountville. (509. Blue Ash, 72. Blue Grass. 6.5. 60. 117, 547. 628. 924. Index. Blue Grass Lands, 57, 628, 672, 818, 1006. Blulf Loam, 45. Blue Stone, 274. Boiler iron, 238. Bolivar and otber towns in Hardeman, 1084. Bompass Cove, 615. Bon Aqua Springs, 756. Bosley stone, 675. Bowen, J. W., letter from, 920. Boughten wheat, 96. Box elder, 91. Bradley, F. H., Prof., 201, 206. Bradley county, general description of, 464. Bradley county — soil of, 58. Bradley Furnace, 234. Bristol, 6U9. Broomsedge, 105. Brown Hematite — see Limonite. Brownsport Furnace, 2^38, 1062. Brownsville and other towns in Haywood, 1102. Brownsville Cotton Factory, 1101. Brownsville and Ohio Railroad, 346, Buckwheat, 107. Buchanan, Prof. A. H., 13. Buckle's, history of civilization, 55, Buckeye, 74. Buifalo Kiver, 876. Buttalo Kidge, 876. BuJ'alo Valley, 885. Building stone, 264, 628, 675, 674. Bull Kun Kidge, 31. Burritt College, 957. Bushong Furnace, 234. Buttonwood, 89.^ Butter trade in KnoxviIle,565. Butter price of, 149, 680. Butternut, 90. Calcareous soils, 64. Caluwell Lead Mine, 266. Calf Killer Kiver ana Valley, 215, 981, 987. ■Camjiuell County, general description of, 466 — plaloau ill, 32. Camden and other towns in Benton, 1029. Cane, 919. Cane Creek and Valley, 801, 954. Caney Fork Kiver and Valley, 708, 888, 954, 986 — coal of, 215 — water-power of, 987. Caney Fork Falls, 987. Cairo and Tennessee Kailroad, 347. Cannon county, general description of, 637 — soil of, 60. Cannon balls used at New Orleans manufac- tured, 705. Capital, lack of, 360. Cajiitol of ot.ite described, 686. Capitol liinostone, 674. Carrots for dairy, 144. Carter county, general description of, 470. Carter's Creek limestone, 36. Carteret, Lord, 93. Carthage, 921. Carroll county, general description of, 1031. Cioreyville Coal Mines, 212. Cattle, 125— native stock, 127 — improved breeds, 129— ocst breeds, 131. Cayce's Siirings, 1003. Caves and sink-h.i>iii and lliv'lilaiid Kim, produi'tivo- nc.'^s5. Dover Furnace, 238, 931. Drainage, 66. Dresden and other towns in Weakley, 1192 Drift, see Orange Sand. Droughts, soils .iticctcd by, 66, 848, 962. Dry Creek, in Franklin, 728-in Stewart, 925. Duck River and triliut.iries, 624, 816. Duck River Valley Railro.ul, ,348. Ducktown Copper Mines, 243, 59.3. Ducktown iron ore, 225. Ducktown Narrow Gauge Railroad, 349. Dunbar's Cave, 848. Dyer county, general description of, 1053— soil of, 63. Dyersburg and other towns in Dyer county, 1060. Dyostono Group, 38. Dyestone soil, 58. Dyestone Iron Belt, 222. 225, 228. Dyestone, or hematite ore, 226— analysis, 226. Early settlements, 702. Eartlniuakcs, eticcts of, 1118, 11,52. 11,54. East Tennessee, valley of, 24 — elevation of, 2 — general descriidion of 423— history, 423— physical geography, 42 — mountains, 428 — IV Index. river system, 429 — climate, 430— health, min- eral springs, agriculture, 431— orchards, 436 — style of farming, 438— immigration, 439— min- oral resources, 440— mining and manufacto- tories, 443 — narrow gauge railroads adapted to, 445— educational facilities, 44(5- social life, 447. East Tennessee homes, 490. East Tennessee farmer, .3-53— labor, 356. East Tennessee roads, 356. East Tennessee University, 569. East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Rail- road, .3"26 — effects of, 313 — shipments and trade, 327 to 330. Eastern Iron Belt, 222. Eclipse Furnace 929. Edgefield, 699. Edgefield Junction, 699. Elevation of Natural Divisions, 2, 3, 4. Elevations in Franklin county, 726. Elevations in Montgomery county, 846. Elk Fork Valley, 186— iron ore of, 226. Elk River and tributaries, 799— shoals of, 278. Elk River Valley. 801. Elk Ridge, 816, 859. Elizabethton, 472. Elm, 77. Embreeville, 617. Embryo Cotton Factory, 1116. Emory River, 199, 600. Emory River, Little, 202. Epperson Springs, 814. Epsom salts, 274. Erin, 765. Errors in relation to railroads, 367. Espy's Cave, 638. Estabrook, Professor, 204. Estill Springs, 732. Exemption laws, 401. Exports— see chapter on rivers and railroads, 276, 305. Factories, cotton, 462, 527, 576, 583, 610, 632, 696, 729, 756, 789, 805, 916, 968, 987, 1101, 1116, 1187. Factories, woolen, 462, 537, 610, 713, 744, 769, 857, 992. Farm, intelligence on, 362— products of, 93— av- erage yield of products, 411— products of in AVest Tennessee, 1118. Farm, general products and yield of crops— see all county descriptions. Farm improvements in Davidson, 677 — in Maury, 838. Farm labor— see county description. Farms, abandoned, 60, 794, 974— of East Ten- nessee, .353— in Middle Tennessee, a58, 621— in West Tennessee, a59— value of, 409— aver- age size, 409-number of, 408— small, benefits of, :i.'>l, 878— in Central Basin, 621. Farmers— of East Tennessee, :i5:}— of Middle Tennessee, :i57— of West Tennessee, 3.59. Farmers, small, 351— losses for lack of railroads, •307— from dogs, .3(» — from want of capital, 360 — from want of home markets, 365 — from fencing, 303— from want of good labor, 301. Farmer's organizations— see county descrip- tions. Farmers, small, wanted, 386— condition of, 3.51. Farmers, of Lewis and Maury compared, 793. Farming, drawbacks to, 360, 837, 1104— profits of, Wc>, 1117— want of faith in, 361. P'ayctte county, general descrii)tion of, 1062. Fayetteville, 805. Feathers, shipments from Bast Tennessee, 328 —from Knoxville, 564. Fences, cedar, durability of, 818— chestnut, 705 — stone fences, cost of, 677. Fentress county, soil of, 67, 215. Fentress county, general descrii)tion of, 714. Fire-clay, 26.5, 72.3, 765, 932. Firs, 78. Fisk University, 690. Flagstones, 551. Flat boats, 285. Flatwoods Group, 44— soil 62. Flinty soils, 60. Flour, superiority of, 96, 433 — shipments from Davidson, 694 — from Montgomery, 852 — from Bedford — see transportation — railroads, 305- Food, relation of to population, 54. Ford, A. C, 11. Forked Deer River, 276, 1032, 1126. Forge Mountain, 544. Formations, defined, 26 — table of, 28. Fort Donelson, 935. Food, cheap, effects on population, 54. Franklin, a)l. Franklin county, general description of, 722— soil of, 60. French Broad River, 552. French Broad Valley, 484. Frog Mountain, 243. Frost Bottom, 205. Frosts — period between killing, 16— occurrence of, 17. Frost line, 764. Fruits, 94 — see county descriptions. Fruits on sandy soils, 953 — in Warren, 965 — in Davidson, 682. Fruit, dried — see small industries. Furnaces— Bear Spring, 238, 303, 931— Browns- port, 238, 1052— Bradley, 234— Clark, 238, 930 — Bushong, 2.34— Cumberland, 238, 303— Cum- berland Gap, 2:J4, 481— Dover, 238, 303, 931— Knoxville Car Company, 234 — Lagrange, 238, 797 — New York and East Tennessee, 234 — 9.30-Mount Vernon. 303,238, 853-Napiers, 239 Oakdale, 234— Roekwood Nos. 1 and 2, 232 to 234 -Rough and Ready, 238, 303, 931 -Sewanee, 190-Wayne, 238, 977— AV^orley, 2:38— Uuaka, 234. Furnaces, product of, 234, 238. Furnaces on Cumberland River, 301 to 303. Gaston, Judge Wm., 93. Gainsboro, 778. Gallatin, 945. Gentry Hill, 625. Geology, 26 — relation of the farm to, 47. Geology of counties — see county descriptions. (libson county, general description of, 1069. Gibson Springs, 669. Giles county, general description of, 73.5 — soil of 65 — grapes in, 161. Ginseng, 764, 955. Glades, or glady places, 65, 875, 1045, 1142. Glade Limestone, 36. Glauconite, 43, 67, 1142. (Henwood, 11. Gneiss, definition of, 29. Goats, 681. Gold, 265. Goose Creek, 950. Gordon, Dr. W. n..47, 916. Gordonsville, 921. Gossan, 2t4, 245. Gower's Island, 288. (trainger county, general description of, 487. Grainger, Mary, 487. Gra|)cs, soils for, 6t) — vnrieties of, 157, 159, 162 — lat(!, KiO— i)r<>ducts of, 164, 16(>— price of, 164, 167 — i>runing of, 159, 160 — training of, 158 — on Highland Rim, 155 — on Cumberland Table Land, 1()3 — in Central Basin, 161 — in East Tennessee, 164 — in Carroll, 1035 — in Crockett, 1012— in Hamilton, 512— in iiincoln, 804— in Knox, 165 — in Madison, 1136 — in Montgomery, 155— in Moore, 862 — in Morgan, 591— in Shel- by, 11655 Grasses of Tennessee, 112— barren or prairie, 112-nimiilo will, 112 — white clover, 113— crab grass, 113— mendow oat, 114 — herds-grass or red to]), 114 — Hungarian grass, 115 — German millet, 115 — Egyptian and Missouri millet, 115 —orchard, 115 — red clover, 116 — timothy, 117 — blue, 117— lucerne or alfala, 118 — Italian rye. 119. Grasses— SCO general descriptions of counties. Index. Grassy Cove, 665. Grassy Viillev, 555. Granville, Earl of, 93. Granitic soils, 57. Gray Knobs, 34. Grazinsj lands, wild, 57, 748, 792. Great Bald, 614. Great Britain, consumption of iron in, 220. Greasy Cove, 615. Greene county, general descrirtion of, 497. Greeneville, 500- Green sand, 43, 1142— soil of, 67— analysis, 67 — shells in, 1142— in Hardin, 1088. Greenwood, 1012. Growing season, length of, 18, 146. Grundy county, general description of, 745 — coal of, 191— soil of, see Cumberland Moun- tain soil, 58. Gum, 78. Gypsum, 270. Hackberry, 91. Half Moon Island iron ore, 227. Hambright Mine, (lead) 266. Hamblen county, general description of, 500 — geology of, 32. Hamilton county, general description of, 504. Hamlin, Dr. T. B., 175. Hancock county, general description of, 528. Hanging Rock, Ohio, cost of making iron at, 240. Hardeman county, general description of, 1077. Hardin county, general description of, 1085. Harpeth Shoals, 228, 294, 295. Harpeth Ridge, 671. Harpeth River, 974, 671 — narrows of, 642, 705. Harris Sulphur Spring, 647. Hart^ville, 951. Hatch ie River, 1097, 1126, 1181. Hawkins county, general description of, 534 — geology of, 35. Hawkins county marble, 256, 257. Haywood county, general description of, 1094. Hay. 104. Hayne, R. Y., 306. Hazlo. 86. Health of Tennesseee. 6, 25 — of East Tennes- see, 431 ,457— in Middle Tennessee, 622 — in West Tennessee, 1024, 1040, 1045, 1054, llg. Heavy spar — see Barytes. Heuryville, 783. Henderson county, general description of, 1104. Henry county, general description of, Herds-grass, 114. Hickman county, general description of, 751 — soil. 60— society of, 758. Hickory Valley, &5, 982. Highland Rim, 622 — area, 3 — elevation, 3 — ge- ology, 40— soils, 60— grasses on, 155. Highland pasture, 60. Hill's bank. 224. Hillsboro, 657. Hillham, 8(56. Hind's Valley, 55.5. Hiwassee River, 588. Hogs in Tennessee, 129, 138. Uolston Mountain, 544. Holston River, 488. Holston Valley, 611. Hollow Rock, 264, 1038. Holly, 91. Homespun goods, see smaller industries and manufactures, household. Honey in Tennessee, 174— product, 174, 179. 182. Honey-locust, 81. Honey, nlaiits producing, 179. Hood's x'iiicyard, 156. Hooper's colli mine, 198. Hornbeam, 91. Horses, 123. Horses, list of imported, 123. Horses, blooded, breeders of, 679. House Mountain, 37. Houston county, general description of, 760. Howard's Spring, 669, Huckleberry, 60. Hungarian grass, 115. Humboldt, 1076— shipment of cotton from, 339 —vineyards around, 167. Humphreys county, general description of, 766 -soil, 60. Huntingdon and other towns, 1037, Huntsville, 601. Hurricane Springs, 732. Hydraulic Rocks, 37, 261, 717, 975, 1088, 1092. Ice-houses, 622— limit of, 16. Immigrants, 385— German, 786— advice to, 385, 390— how received, 389— kind of wanted, 396— laws affecting, 399. Imported horses, 123. Indian r'l.n, 95. Indian summer, 7. Insane, Tennessee Hospital for, 687. Institutions of learning, 383. Intelligence on the farm, 362. Irish potatoes, 58, 842, 1121— on Cumberland Table Land, 666. Iron, statistics. 220— boiler, 238— consumption of, 220— product in United States, 221— pro- duet in Great Britain, 221— capacity of fur- naces in United States, 221— product of Ten- nessee, 225— belts the, 222— belt, eastern, 222 — furnaces in eastern belt, 225^ — Dyestone belt, 221 — furnaces in Dyestone belt, 227— fur- naces in East Tennessee, 234 — western belt, the, 235 — furnaces in the western belt, 238 — cost of making, 234, 2:39, 240,481, 797,1052— advantages for making in Tennessee, — of Tennessee and Pennsylvania compared, 241 — manufacture, 52 — furnace charge at Rock- wood, 198- of Carter, 471— of Van Buren. 958 -ofWayne,978— of Decatur, 1052. 471— of Clai- borne, 479--of Lawrence, 788— of Montgom- ery, 853-of Stewart, 929— of Lewis, 796— of Perry, 880— of Johnson, 545— of Blount, 461— of Marion, 578— of Cofiee, 659— of Cumber- land, 670— of Dickson, 705— of Hickman, 755. Iron ore, belts of, 222— eastern belt, 222— Dye- stone belt, 225 — western belt, 235— magnetic (see magnetite) Dyestone, 38— Brown Hema- tite (see Liwonite) Magnetite, 29, 229— Li- monite, 223— Hematite, 225, 226— Claystone, 235— matrix of. 223— Hill's bank, 224— Crock- ett & Sharpe's bank. 224— Tellieo, 225— Shot, 225— at Ducktown, 225— at Cumberland Gap, 227— of Half Moon Island, 227-of Cumber- land Table Land. 2:35-cost of, 227. 234,239, 240, 241— in Middle Tennessee, 620— of Bom- pass Cove, 615— of Henderson county, 455 — of Hickman, 755— of Hamilton, 514. Iron belts, timber in, 242. Iron limestone, 35, 551. Iron Mountain, 544. Italian Bees, 175. Italian rye-grass, 119. Jacksboro, 469. Jackson and other towns in Madison, H^I- Jackson county, general description of, 774. James county, general dcrcription of, 538 — ge- ology of, 37 — soil, 58. Jamestown, 714. .Tasper, 577. Jersey cattle, 132, 435, 558. Jefferson county, general description of, 540 — geology, 32. .Johnson county, description of, 542. Johnson county valley, 543. Johnson City, 616. Johnsonville, 767. Jones, Gov. J. C, 309, 909. Jonesboro, 615. Kelly coal, 193. Kerosene, see Oil. Kingston, 600. Kingston Springs, 647. VI Index. Kingsport. 610. Knoljby Region, 551. Knox county, general dercription of, 549. Knox Group, see Knox Sandstone, Knox Shale and Knox Dolomite. Knox Dolomite, 26, 31— soil of, 32, 64— in .John- sou, 545. Kuox Sandstone, 30 — soil, 57. Knox Shale, 31, o4o. Knoxville, 562 -trade of, 563 — history, 560 — geology, ;>4— dairies, 150— valley of, 556. Knoxville Iron Company, 210. Knoxville Car Company's Furnace, 234. Knoxville and Charleston Railroad, 331. Knoxville and Ohio Railroad, 326. Labor, in East Tennessee, 356— considered, 361 — elFeets of home markets on, 367 — respecta- bility of, 390— property affected by intelli- gence of, 369 want of, remedied, 361. Labor, price of, see county descriptions. Lafayette. 808. Lagrange Group, 44. Lagrange Iron Works, 930. Lake county, general description of, 1118. Lakes in Haywood county, 1W18. Lands, division of, effects of, 352. Lands, price of (East Tennessee) in Anderson, 455— in Blount, 463 — in Bradley, 464 — in Campbell, 468 — in Carter, 471 — in Claiborne. 476 — in Cocke, 485— in Greene, 500 — in Ham- blen, 502 — in Hamilton, 515 — in Hancock, 533 in Hawkins, 537 — in Jefl'erson 542 — in Ma- rion, 578 — in McMinn. 581 — in Meigs. 586 — in Morgan. 590— in Polk, 594— in Rhea, 596— in Roane, 599— in Scott, 602 — in Sevier, 605 — in Sequatchie. 607 — in Sullivan, 611 — in Union, 613 — in Washington, 616. Lands, price of (Middle Tennessee) in Bedford, 628 — in Cannon, 6.38— in Cheatham, 642 — in Clay, 651— in Davidson, 677 — in Dickson, 704 — in DeKalb. 710— in Fentress. 718— in Frank- lin. 731— in (liles, 739— in Grundy, 746— in Hickman. 753— in Houston, 763 — in Hum- phreys. 768— in Jackson. 777 — in Lawrence, 786 in Lewis, 798 — in Lincoln. 801 — in Macon, 810 in Marshall, 821— in Maury. 834— in Mont- gomery, 849— in Moore. 860— in Overton, 869 —in Perry, 879— in Putnam, 890- in Robert- son, 894— in Rutherford. 908— in Smith. 916— in Stewart, 924— in Sumner. 939. 942 — in Van Buren, 958 — in Warren, 964 — in Wayne, 973— in White. 984 -in Williamson, 997, 998, 999— in Wilson, 1007. Lands, price of (West Tennessee) in Benton, 1026-in Carroll, 1032— in Decatur, 1049— in Dyer, 1*57- in Fayutte. 10t>5— in (iibson. 1073 —in Hardeman, lOSl— in ILirdin. 1090— in Haywood, llOU— in Henderson, 1107— in Hen- ry. llU-in Lake, 1121-in Lauderdale, 1128 — in Mailison. 1135 — in McXairy, 1144 — in Obion. 11.j6— in Shelby, 117.3— in Tipton, 1182 —in Weakley, 1189. Lands, rent of, see county descriptions. Lands, price of, anomalous, 522, 640, 793, 949 — afl'ected by railroads- 858. Lands, affected by drou-ht. 66, 848, 962. Lands for poor men, 916. Lands, protected from fires, improved, 926. Lands, improvement of, 9i):'. Lands, cause of low price, oOS. Lands, acres assessed. 409. Landn, too much cultivated for the labor em- ployed. :5rinL's, 1003. McFarland, Major, 278, 280. McMinnville. 969. McMinnville and Manchester Railroad, 3:32. McKenzie, 1037. McMinn county, general description of, 479. McNairy county, general description of, 1140. Meadow lands in Bedford, 628. Meadow oat grass, 114. Mediterranean wheat. 97, 6.32. Meigs county, general description of, 586. Memphis. 1170— its growth, 1171— its trade, 1172 — manufactures, 1175. Memphis, dairies around, 149. Memphis and Charleston Railroad, 342, Memphis and Paducali Railroad, 345. Memphis and Knoxville Railroad. 346. Memphis and Raleigh Railroad. 347. Memphis and Little Rock Railroad. 1169. Metamorphic rocks, 29 — gneiss of Johnson, 545 — of Polk and the copper region, 243, 59:i — in Washington, 615— iron ore, (magnetite) in this group, 224— millstones. 260. Middle Tennessee, general description of, 619 — area, population, 619 — iron ore in. 620 — as a manufacturing region. 620 — productions, 620 — stock. 620— fences, 620 — farming and farm- ers, 621 — ice houses, 622 — climate, 623 — min- eral springs, 62:3— education, 623. Middle Tennessee Farmer, 357. Millstones, 260. Millstone grit, 946. Milk of dift'erent breeds of cattle, 1.50— value of, 142 — dried. 143 — preparation for market, 145 — price of, 680. Milk sickness, 724, 950. Millet, 115, 998. Millet seed, yield per iicre. 998. Minerals — in Anderson, 4.55 — in Campbell, 469 — in Claiborne. 479— in Cocke. 487— in Hamil- ton, .514— in Hawkins. 5:>6— in Rhea, 596— in Roane, 599— in Scott, 60o^in Sequatchie, 608 — in Union, 614— in Washington, 617— in Clay, 654— in Cumberland, 669— in DeKalb, 713— in Fentress, 720— in Houston, 765— in Humphreys, 769 — in Lawrence, 788— Macon, 813— in (Jvcrton, 873— in Perry, 880-in Put- nam, 888— in Van Buren, 958— in White, 988— in Decatur, 10.52— in Hardin, 1092— in West Tennessee, 1022. See chapters on coal, iron, copper and other minerals— part i., pp. 183 to 275. Minerals— coal. 183— iron ores, 220— copperas, 243— golil. 2i>.5— lead ore, 266— zinc ores, 267— black o.xidc of niangcnese, 268— iron pyrites, 268— copi)erns, 269— barytes, 270— gypsum, 270 — saltpetre, 271— petroleum, 271— epsom salts, 270— bluestone, 274— lignite, 272— alum, 274. Mineral charcoal, 193. Mineral Waters, 274. 455. 4.59, 462, 469. 471, 480, 494, .5:5t). .5.56, 590, .597. 603, 610. (il8. (i23, 647. (>il9, 675.714. 721. 731. 7-56. 814, a54. 874. 880, t889, 904, 9l('). 9Sil, 1003, 1002. 1113, 1167, 1187. Mississippi and 'reiincsscc Railri)ad, .'^14. Mississippi and New Orleans Railroad, 341— connection and shipments over, 341, 342. Mississippi Bluff, 11.51, 1125. Mississippi Bottom. 471, 1016. Missionary Ridge, .32, 507— grapes on, 164— ele- vation of, 164. Mobile and Ohio Railroad, .339. Montgomery county, general description of, 84.5— elevation of, 846- soils of, 60— grapes in, 155. Moore county, general description of, 859— soil,") of, 60. Montvale Springs, 462. Monroe county, general description of, 588. Monroe, 866. Monument in Lawrence, 782 — in Lewis, 791. Morgan county, general description, 590— coal of, 215. Morgan mines, 196. Morris, R. C 314, 320. Morristown, 501. Mortgage laws, 399. Mossy Creek, 541. Mount Carmel, 10;50. Mountain grass. 953. Mountain limestone, 41— soil of, 67. Mountain making formations, 30. Mountain sides comparative fertility, 477, 448. Mouse Creek, 580. Mulberry, 82. Mulbery Creek, in Lincoln, 801. Mulberry Creek and Valley, in Hancock, 531. Mules in Tennessee, 129. Murfreesboro, 36, 902. Muscle Shoals. 277— work on, 278 — cost of im- provement, 280. Napier's Furnace, 238, 797. Narrows of Harpeth, 642, 705. Nashville, 68.5— educational advantages, 687 — trade, 691 — manufactures, 696 — newspapers, 699. Nashville Limestone or Group, 32, 33, 35, 36 — soil of, 65, 1006— section of at Nashville, 673 —in Wilson, 1005— hydraulic cement of 1068. Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, history of, 306— trade of, 315— shipments, 317 to 319— condition of, 320. Nashville and Northwestern Railroad, history of, 320, trade of 322— shipments, 323 to 325— condition, 325. Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Rail- road. 320. Nashville, coal first used in, 299 — consumption of coal in,_299. Needmore^ 657. Newberg, 798. Newlee's Cave, 480. Newman's Ridge, 37, 529. New Market Valley, 32, 502, 541, 556. NewMiddleton, 921. New Providence, 856. New York and East Tennessee Furnace, 234. Newspapers, list of, 415. Newport, 484. Niagara Limestone, 38, 1047— soil of, 65. Nicholson, Prof. H., on cattle, 137. Nimble Will, 112. Nitre— sec saltpetre. Nolichucky River, 615. North Forked Deer, 1095. North Fork of Obion River, 1187. Oak, 82. „ _, Oakdale Coal Mines, 204— furnace, 229, 234. Oats, 97. Obey's River Valley, 648. 650. Obion county, general description of, 1148— soils. 63. Ocoee (3 roup, 29— in Johnson, 545--roofing slate in Sevier, 260— gold, 26.5— river, 243— valley, .594. Oil from cotton seed. 102, 1175— from black shale, 714, 725— in Dickson, 271— springs in Fentress, V21— well in Overton, 271, 874. "Old fields," 784. 893. \nn Index. Ooltawah. 538. Orange Sand, 45. Orchard grass; 115. ^_ , .. Orchards ot Kast Tennessee; 436-on clay soils, 67— on siliceous soil, 60. Osage orange, 1167. . , ... oca_ Overton county, general? description, Wo— coal, 215 — soil, 67. Overton, Dr. James, 307. Owensboro and RussellviUe Railroad, 348. Paradise Ridge, 671. Paris and other towns in Henry, lHo. Pasturage on Cumberland Table Land, bbD. Payne, J. K, 11. ^^ . .. . Peaches on siliceous soils ; 60— in Houston, 764. Peach trees, longevity of on siliceous soils, 974. Peanuts, first introduction of, 854. Peanuts, 108.__754, 767, 877, 1050, 1091-V3. cloth making, 757. Penitentiary, 687. People, occupation of, 407. Peoples' College, 458. . Perry county, general description of, 870. Persimmon, 91. Pennsylvanians in Dickson, <04. Petroleum, 271— (see also oil). Pierce Limestone, 36. Pikeville, 475. Pine ridge, 31. Pines, 86. Pinewood, 756. Piney Mines, 196. Piney Ridges. 57. Pittsburgh, 229, 240. Pittsburgh landing, 1088. Plane Tree, 89. Plants yielding honey, 179. Plantation system, 350. Plateau land of West Tennnessee, 1015. Pocahontas, 657. Point Burnside, 288. . Polk county, general description of, 592. Polls, 409. Pomegranate!!. 1165. Poor Valley. 556. Poor Valley Ridge, 473. Poplar, 87. Poplar Creek Coal, 204. Population, 405— by counties, 406. Porter's Creek Group— see Flatwooda Forma- tion. Porter's vineyard, 157. Port Royal, 847. Post oak, 84. Potatoes, Irish, 58, 107-8weet, 107. Potash, 80, 86. Potters' clay, 264. Poultry trade in Knox, 563. Powder mill, 643. Powell's Mountain, 37— soil of, 57. Powell's River, 32. 613. Powell's Ridge, 529. .,,».., Powell's Valley, 35, 467, 474— soil of, 475— farm- ing in, 478. , , . Powell's Valley Mining and Manufacturing Co., 214. Prairie grass, 112. Preservation of timber, 91. President Island, 1169. Prim's Spring, 756. Professional men not wanted, 397. Property, taxable, 409. Profit of farming, 386, 1117. Pulaski, 742. Purdy and other towns in McNairy, 1147. Putnam county, general description of. 883— soil, lower carboniferous, 66. Pyrites, 39, 192, 268-how to tell, 269. Quinces, 620. Kaccoon Mountain, 193, 507. Raccoon Valley, 35. Railroads as an agent of development, 305. Railroads, Brownsville and Ohio, 346 — Cairo and Tennessee, 347 — Cincinnati Southern, 347 — Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap and Charleston, 326— Cumberland and Ohio, 348— Duck River Valley, 348— Ducktown Narrow Gauge, 349— East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia, 326— Knoxville and Charleston, 331 — Louisville, Nashville and Great Southern, 334— McMinnville and Manchester, 332— Mem- phis and Charleston, 342— Memphis and Pa- Qucah. 345 — Memphis and Knoxville, 346 — Memphis and Raleigh. 347 — Mississippi and Tennessee, 344 — Mississippi Central and New Orleans, 341— Mobile and Ohio, .339— Nashville and Chattanooga, 314 — Nashville and North- western, 320 — Owensboro and Russelville, 348 — Rockwood Narrow Gauge, 349— Rogersville and Jefferson, 326, 535— St. Louis and South- eastern, 331— Tennessee Central. 347 — Tennes- see and Pacific, 333— Tennessee Coal and Rail- road Company, 331— Winchester and Ala- bama, 333. Railroads, effect of, 305— early history, 306, 312 —miles of in United States, 306— in Tennessee, 313— relation to population, 314— effects on prices. 367 — value of, 396 — narrow gauge, 445 —in West Tennessee, 348. Rails, chestnut, 705— cedar, 632, 818, 819. Rain, 18— fall of in difiTerent zones, 18— fall of in Tennessee, 18 — maximum and minimum, 18— periodic fall of, 20. Ramie plant, 1067. Ranches, 982. Range for stock, mountain, 985. Records, curious, 917. Red Boiling Springs, 814. Red clay soils easily reclaimed, 963 — see clay, red. Red clover, 116. Red flowering maple, 82. Red knobs. ;34, 551. Red oak, 84. Red River, 847. Red Shale, 37. Red top— see herds-grass. Redemption laws, 400. Reedy Creek Valley, 611. Reelfoot Lake, 1118, 1154. Renfroe, .Moses, 845. Rents— see county descriptions. Rhea county, general description of, 595. Rhea Iron Company, 235. Rhea Springs, 597. Richland Creek, coal on, 196. Ridge, the, 937. Ridges, Piney, 57. Ridley Limestone, 36. Ripley and other towns in Lauderdale, 1131. Ripley Formation, 44— soils of, 62— strata of, 1078. Boads in East Tennessee, 356— in Middle Ten- nessee, 357. Roane county, general description of, 597. Roaring River, 872. Robert Donnell Institute, 733. Robertson county, general description of, 880 — whiskey business of, 895, 898— soil of, Lower Carboniferous, 66. Rocks of economical use, marble, 253 — roofing slates, 260— millstones, 260— hydraulic, 261 — limestones, 262— sandstones, 228, 264— clays, 2(54-5. Rocks, use of, 52. . ^^^„ , Rockwood, 23.1, ,598, 668— coal mines, 1973— fur- nace, 229— charge of furnace, 198— narrow gauge railroad. 349. Rocky River Valley, 9,54. Rogersville, .31, 35. .5:56. . Rogorsvillo and .lefforson Railroad, 326, 535. Roofing slates, 29. 260. Roper's Knob, 1003. Kosebury's Ridge, 31. Index. IX Ross' towhead, 283. Rotation of crops, 1112. , Rotten limestone, 42, 43— soil of, 67— seo also green sand. Rough and Ready Furnace, 238, 931. Rutherford county, general description of, 900 — soil, Lebanon and Nashville, 64,165. Sale Creek Coal Mines, 196. Salem, 733. Saline Creek, 925. Salt Common, 271. Saltpetre, 271. Salt Wells, 204, 271, 455, 989. Sandstone, Soils of, 57. Sandy Soils, 61. Sassafras, 88, in Obion 1160. Savannah, 1093. ■ Savannah Valley, 35. Scarlet Oak. a5. Schools, public system, 370— synopsis of school laws, 371— fund. 374— tax levied by counties. 378— effects of civil rights bill, 377— common, See general description of counties. Schools, Public of Kashville, 687— of Memphis, 1177. Scholastic population. .380. Scenery in Grainger, 490— Carter, 472 — Johnson, 543— Bedford, 62.5— Cannon, 639. Scott cnunty, general description of 601 — coal of. 215. Seuppernong Grape, 166 — wine, 166. Sequatchie College. 460. Sequatchie county, general descriptiou'of 606. Sequatchie River, 578. 608, 669. Sequatchie Valley, 35, 187, 459. 678, 633— iron of 226. Severin — essay on management of grapes, 168. Sevier county, general description, 603. Sevierville. 604. Sewanee, 7oO. Sewanee Blast Furnace, 190. Sewanee Mines. 190— force employed at, 191 — product of, 191. Sewanee section of Coal Measures, 188. Shady, 544, 54S — cranberries in, 548. Shale, red, .37. Shale, black, 68. Shalysoil.68. Sharp's bank, 224. Sheep, destruction of by dogs, 364— dogs remedy for, 836 — value of, 496, 135. See also, county descriptions. Shelby county, general description of 1160. Shelbyville. 6:i4. Shingles. 87. Shoal Creek, 780. Sho.al Creek Coal Mines, 195. Shoals of Cumberland River. 289 to 295— of Tennessee River, 280— Colbert. 278— ElkRiver, 278— Ross towhead. 283— Tumbling, 283— Suck Pot and Skillet. 283— Harpeth. 288. 294,29.5— other shoals, 290 to 297— Little Jump, 300— Smith's. 300. Shore line, old, 1087. 1046. Short-horn cattle. 130, 132, 134, 435, 680, 630. Short Mountain. 970. Siliceous group. 40 — soils, 60. Siliceous soils. 60 — abandoned farms on 60. Silver Maple, 82. Sink-holes. 41, 66. 848. 869,884. 952. Skinfodt. 492. Slate, talc'ose and mica, 29— roofing, 29. Slippery Elm, 77. Smaller industries, .353, 4.^3, 564. 6.^3. 64.5, 6.53, 712.719. 7.57. 812, 872. 880. 887, 893. 9.50. 9.55, 1009. Smith county, general description of, 915. Smith's Fork Valley, 708. Soil of Centrnl Basin and Highlands. Smith villo, 707. Sneedville, 530— valley of 530. Snow, 18 — quantity of 22. Society, state of, 391. Boddy Creek Coal Mines, 195. Soil of vineyards, 156, 158, 161, 164. Soils, influence on nations, 54 — classification of, 56 — granite and semi-granite, 57 — sandstone, 57 — siliceous, 60^flinty, 60 — sandy, 61 — cal- careo-siliceous, 63 — calcareous, 64— products, 63 — exhaustion of by improper tillage, 834 — thin first settled, 702 — modification of 69. Soils— of Colfee land, 62— of Ripley group. 62 — of Flat woods, 62 — of Lagrange group, 62 — of Orange sand, 62 — of Green sand. 67 — of Allu- vium, 68, 69 — of Bluif Loam or loess, 63. Soils— of Cumberland Mountain, 58. .59, 663— of AVest Tennessee, 62, 63. 1017— of East Ten- nessee. 56, 64. 57, 58— of the " Barrens," 60, 61— of Western Valley, 6.5-7of Highland Rim, 66, 67-— of the Central Basin, 66. Soils — for more details as to yield, etc., seo all countv descriptions. South Fork of Cumberland, 292. Somerville and other towns in Fayette county, 1063. South Fork of Obion, 1187. South Harpeth. 996. South Western University, 855. Sparta. 980. Springfield, 898. Stanley k Richards vineyard, 164. States, comparison of, 392. 393, 394. Statistics, agricultural, 408, 411, 418 to 421. See general description of counties. Staves. 83 — shipment of, 933. Steamboats, 285. St. Cecilia Academy. 690. St. Francis bottom, 1169. St. Louis and Soutli Eastern Railroad, 331.— shipments over 331. Stevenson, V. K., 308. Stewart county, general description of 922 — soils of, 60. Stewart. Wm. M., 11. 14. 20. Stiner Belt (zinc ore), 267. Stock, of West Tennessee, 1018— of East Ten- nessee V.alley, 128, 1.31, 435— of Middle Ten- nessee, 124. 126. 132, 135, 620— in Davidson, 137, 678— in DeKalb, 711— Maury. 836. See all county descriptions for stock items. Stock versus cotton, 6.36. Stone Fort in Coffee courrty, 660. Stone Mountain, .37. Stone Mountain Range, .544. Stones River and tributaties, 677. Stones River Utility Works, 903. Stone-ware, 988. Stoney Creek Valley. ,544. Strawberries, yield of, 167. Strawberry Plains, 34. Strips. 98. Sugar Maple, 81. Sullivan county, general description of, 608. Sulphate of Cojiper. See bluestone. Sulphur Fork, 847, 891. Sulphur Sprinss. See Mineral waters. Sul- phur well, 1113. Sumac. 705. Sumraitville, 6.57. Sumner county, general description of 937 — soils of Lebanon, Nashville and lower car- boniferous, 64 and 66. Swcedish and Tennessee iron compared, 238. Sweetwater, 5S9. Sweet Gum, 78. Sweetwater Valley. 575. Swine, 138. Sec county descriptions. Swiss Colony, 747. Swiss, culture of grapes, 164. Scyamore. 89. Sycamore Creek. 642. Sycamore Manufacturing Company, 643. Sycamore Valley, 531. Tanbark, 85, 723. Tax, effects of an unsufiBcient, 979. Taxable property, 409. Taxation, 393— exemptions from, 394. Index. Tanneries, 770, 968, 977, 1093. Tannin, 85. Taylorsville, 549— valley of 543. Tazwell. 481— valley of 531. Tellico Mountain, 214— section of, 214. Tellico River, 589. Tellico iron ore, 225. Temperature, 7 — compared with European, 8— comparative of, in different divisions, 11 — ex- tremes of, 14. Temple, Judge, 444— vineyard of, 165. Tennessee, area of. 1— latitude, boundaries — natural divisions of, 2— elevation of, 2— — civil divisions of, 5 — counties of, 5 — climate of. 6— formations of. 26 — soils of, 54 — timber, 71 — farm products 93— grasses of, 112— live stock of. 122-dairy in. 140 — grape growing in, 154 — honey, resources of, 174— coal of, 183— iron ore of, 220 — copper of, 243 — economical rocks and minerals. 253 — transportation by rivers in, 276— transporta- tion by railroads in. 305 — condition of agri- culture in, 350— public school system of, 370 — advantages it offers to immigrants, 386 — sta- tistics of, 405 — railroads, value of, 396 — tax- able property in. 409 — true value of property in. 395— occupation of people in, 407 — manu- facturing industries of. 413 — financial condi- tion of, 396, 414 — new.'^papers and periodicals iui 415 — county statistics. 418, ci saqvenn. Tennessee and Vermont compared, 148 — ^rank of, 414 — greatest want of, 398 — homes of work- ing men. 398. Tennessee coal product, 218— iron product, 221 — copper product, 249. Tennessee Agricultural College, 569. Tennessee Central Railroad, 847. Tennessee county, old, 846. Tennessee and Pacific Railroad, 333 — .ship- ments over, 334. Tennessee Coal and Railroad Company's rail- road, 331, 749. Tennessee and Swedish iron, 238. Tennessee Ridge of Middle Tennessee, 761, 923 — orchards on, 764— of West Tennessee, 62, 1015. 1110, 1141. Tennessee River, 277, 552 — shonls of, 280 — im- provement. 286 — appropriations for, 284 — trade of, 285. Terraces in topography of the Mountain Lime- stone, 8(i7. 980. Timber, 71— of Unaka!<, 58 — on siliceous soil, 60 — on Lower Carboniferous, 67 — extent of, 71 preservation of. 91 — of AV'cst Tennessee, 1018 — timber of Dyer, 1056— of Obion, 1154 — in Middle Tennessee, 620, 626 — see county de- scriptions. Timber in United States, 71. Timotliy, 117. 'i'ilUon county, general description of, 1179. Tipton viile and otlier towns. 1124. Tobacco, 98, 850— counties, 98— lands, 66. a51, 926— tax, 99, 100, 874— trade, 692— manufac- ture, 641— factories, 1030— shipments of, .8.55, 916 — see railroad shipments— in Anderson county, 452 — in Clay, 852 — in Coffee, (ill] — in Cheatham, 98 — in Delvalb, 711— in Jack.^on, 777— in Macon, 811— in Montgomery, 8,50, 855 in Overton, 870 — in rutniuu, 7S — in Rolioit- 8on, 893— in >Smith, 716— in Sti^wart. 926— in Sumner, 940 — in Trousdale, 949— in Van Lu- re n, 9.5(>— in Wilson, l(H)S— ill Obion, 98— in Dyer, 98— in TIcnry, llll— in Rcnton, 98, 1027 — Tfuality of, in KastTennessco, 99— in Clarks- ville ])istrict, 98, 8.50 — on ui)per Cumberland, 98— in West Tennessee, 98. Toof, John ,^., letter from. 1172. Topography of State, 2— of counties, see gen- eral dc'-i-riptions. Town Creek Mills, 729. Tracy City. 748. Traders not wanted, .397. Transportation— SCO rivers and railroad.s, 276, 305. Transportation in AVest Tennessee, 1020 to 1022. Travisville, 715. Trenton and other towns in Gibson, 1077. Trenton Limestone — see Lebanon Limstone. Trilobites, 31. Trousdale county, general description of, 94& — soil, Lebanon and Nashville, 64. Troy and other towns in Obion, 1158. Truck farming, 1166. Tullnhoma, 656. Tupelo, 89. Unaka Furnace, 234. Unaka Mountains, 2, 4— temperature of, 14— geology of, 29, 30— elevation of, 71— "Bald,s" of, 57, 615— Balsam firs of, 78. Union, 609. Union City, 1159. Union county, general description of, 612. United States, production and consumption of iron in, 220. University, Cumberland, 1011. University, East Tennessee, 569. University, Fisk, 690. University of Na.>^hville, 689. University of the South, 729— elevation of, 726. University, South-western, 855. University, the Baptist, 1138. University, Vanderbilt, 690. Van Buren county, general description of, 951. Vance, C. F., vineyard, 165. Vanderbilt University, 690. Vines, training of, 165. Vineyards, 155, 161, 167, 748— products, 156, 157, 163— soils of, 156, 158, 161. 164— management of, 168 — insects injurious. to, 171 — cost of, 172 — profits of, 173. Vermont and Tennessee compared, 148. Voters, number of, 409, 410. Vulcan coal mines, 195. Wages, 398 — see county descriptions. AVahoo, 77. AValden's Ridge, 186, 202, 206, 474, 507— coal of, 194, 204, 205, 206— iron ore of, 52, 227— grapes on, 165 — elevation of, 165, 186. Wallin's Ridge, 32, 474, 529. AValker wheat, 632. AValnut, 73, 89. AVarren county, general description of, 960 — soil of, 67. AA^artlmrg, 592. AVanl's seminary, 690. AVasliiiif;ton,597. AVashin,t;t(in county, general description of, 614. AVataura River, 546— first settlements on, 424. AVatcr a>ii. 73. AVatcMiiicloiis, 65, 678. AVatt'i-powcr — see all county descriptions, es- pecially Coffee, AVarren. DeKalb, Polk, Cheat- ham, Cumberland. AVhite, Lawrence. Can- non, Betlfonl, Montgomery, Robertson, Car- ter, Knox, Cocke. .lohnson. AVashin.iiton, Se- vier, Henry, Franklin, Perry, Hickman, Dickson. AVaters. mineral — sec mineral waters. AVaverly 7(57. AVayland'.- Springs. 783. AV'ayne county, general descri])tion of, 971 — soil of, 60. AVayiie Furnace. 238, 976. AVaynesboro. 977. A\'eakUy county, general description of, 1185. AVear's (!ove, (i04 AVclib's l;i(lge,31. AV(H(ling's Creek. 206. Wells' Creek Basin, 33 to 36, 761. AVclIs in green sand . 1142. AVestern Iron Bell, 222 to 3.35. AVc.st<.rn Valley, 3. 1015— soil of, 65. West 'rennessec, boundaries of, 5— climate of, 12— general description of, 1014— area, popu- Jatitn, Ull4-Mi^.'•ii^^il;]d bottom, 1016— Ten- Index. XI nessee Ridge, 1015— plateau land, 1015— soils of, 1017 — climate of, 1016— timber, farm pro- duets and live ;tock of, 1018 — grasses of, 1019 — vineyards in, 165 — farmers of, 359 — war, ef- fects on farming in, 1019 — minerals, 1022 — transportation in, 1020 to 1022. West Tennessee, slope of— area, 4 — elevation, 4. West, the Great, delusions of, 863. Wheat, 96. Wheeler's Station, 212. Whiskey, Lincoln, 862— Robertson, 895 to 898. White ash, 72. White county, general description of, 979 — soil of, 67 — coal of, 215. White Cliff Springs, 590. White clover, 113, White elm. 77. White maple, 82. White oak, 82. White Oak, Mountain, 39, 507— soil of, 58. White Oak Mountain sandstone, 37— soil of, 55 White pine, 87. White Top, 105. White Top Mountain, 544. White's Creek, coal of, 196. White walnut, Wilcox Coal Mines, 199— section of. 199. Wilder, J. T., letter of, on coal and iron, 230. Wild goose plum, 683. Williamson county, general description of, 990. AVillis corn, 95. Will's Valley, 509. Willow, 91. Wilson county, general description of, 1004. Winchester, 733. Winchester Sulphur Springs, 731. Winchester and Alabama Railroad, 333. Winds, 33. Wine, grape, 156, 157— price of, 166— wine m Giles, 161, 741. See grapes. Wine, blackberry, 765. Winter's Gap, 204. Witch elm, 77. Wolf River, 1064— forks of. 716. Woodbury, 639. Woods, burning of, 91,242, 709j_792. Wool at London exhibition, 137. Working men. home of, 398. Worley Furnace, 238. Wormley, Professor T. G., 203. Yellow Creek, 848. Yellow locust, 81. Yellow pine, 86. Yellow wood, 91. Zinc ores, 267, 541. ' (^ > 1' .''•■,'■.