Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 July 1901 — TENNESSEE LETTER. [ARTICLE]

TENNESSEE LETTER.

Manchester, Tenn., July 17. Editor Democrat.— lam an ex-resident of Jordan toWnship, Jasper county, but am now located in Sunny Tennessee. received several letters of inquiry in regard to the climate and farming interests by my many friends, I desire to make reply through The Democrat, because I know that it will reach all. I will say first, in regard to the climate, it is simply immense, and with our fine spring water and beautiful scenery, can scarcely be equaled. Manchester, the county seat of Coffee county, is located on the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis R. R., 80 miles south of Nashville and 12 miles west of the Cumberland mountains, which are one of the finest scenes that man ever looked upon. At this time of the year, when everything is clothed in nature’s green, with it’s rock formations it is a lovely view. Tennessee is blessed with everything that goes to make happy and permanent homes. There are no blizzards in winter, no terrific wind storms in summer, no epidemics, no scarcity of food, plenty of schools, plenty of churches, fruit.on every hand, fine grass, fine timber, beautiful brooks and creeks and everything in nature to make a home here durable, pleasant, attractive and beautiful. The prosperity of tbe farmers living along the line of the Nashville. Chattanooga & St. Louis, R. R., and their comparative freedom from debt, are the best evidences of the value of this region for agricultural purposes. The market for corn, wheat, oats and bay is far better than in tbe northern agricultural centers. Wheat usually brings Chicago prices with the freight added. Corn, sells 25 per cent, higher than in Chicago, and oats and hay for nine months in tbe year 50 per cent, higher. Farmers can work out of doors with comfort every month in the year. There are 1(5,000,000 acres in the state unoccupied, which awaits the industry of skilled farmers, because this is the fairest agricultural region on the globe. The same quality of lands that are sold for $5 per acre in Tennessee would bring S4O in Indiana. A knowledge of Tennessee, with all of its advantages, is only needed to fill it with the best class of imigrants. Every imigrant that settles in the state is anxious to bring his friends. There are large coal and iron fields in the state, besides fortyseven other minerals which exist in paying quantities. The recent discovery of immense beds of phosphate rock makes this the center for the distributing point of fertilizer of high quality. A good farmer has something to sell every month in the year for a good price. The Walker Stave and Head Factory of Vandalia, 111., is being moved to this county and will be in running order the Ist of September. There was a large acerage of corn planted here by the 20th of March. Wheat is an extra good crop. For sheep raising Tennessee can’t be beat. Land here adapted to sheep raising runs in price from $2.50 to $5 per acre, and has plenty of good spring water the year around. This is one of the best places for location of saw mills in the United States. There are a great many good water powers here that are not utilized. A fine location for handle factories of all kinds. The old feud between the Blues and the Grays is a thing of the fast. There is a great many Inion soldiers centering in here. Land is increasing in value every day. The imigration is becoming heavy from Michigan and Ohio, as well as Indiana. I will close my letter, by thanking the editor for the space that I have taken up in The Old Reliable Democrat. Yours Truly, Mack Sullivan.